Hey guys! I know it's been a few days and I'm sooo sorry. I've just had classes and guy problems and alot of drama in my life lately but I did want to update. Thanks for all the amazing reviews!! I love you guys!

Love in, love out,
Find the feeling
Scream in, scream out,
Time for healing
You feel the moments gone too soon,
Youre watching clouds come over you.

Torn in two,
You close your eyes for some place new,
Torn in two

"Just the Way I'm Feeling" Feeder

Chapter 10

God was merciful the next morning when Haley woke up: Nathan wasn't there. She didn't know how to face Nathan after last night. At one point during the night, she had woken up to find him staring at her, tenderly stroking her cheek with a strange look in his eyes. When she had sleepily asked what he was doing, he had gruffly replied that she go back to sleep.

Haley groaned as those memories assailed her; she didn't want to think about that. She hid her face in the pillow and tried to block out any and all thoughts of Nathan.

"Unbury yourself, Haley, and put these on," Nathan's strong voice came. What happened to being alone? I guess God wasn't merciful after all.

Haley looked up to find him frowning at her, not that it was unusual for him to frown. It was probably the one thing he was good at.

"You think you can just lie around in bed all day simply because of what happened last night?" he continued. "No, your duties don't change and you are still a maid. I have already eaten, so once you have, you will get to your chores."

He left before she could say anything scathing. As if she wanted to laze around all day in his bed. Haley got up and glanced at the clothes on the bed. Her confusion increased.

She didn't understand why she had been given new, softer undergarments to protect her skin. She would still look like a maid in her dress, but her skin wouldn't be chafed.

The cruel man refused to let her go hungry and refused to let her get chilled. Now he was refusing to let her skin get abraded even though he was the very one who gave her the clothes in the first place. The man was cruel—but maybe not to the core. She would never understand him.

Haley dressed quickly, sighing in pleasure when the silky linen rubbed against her irritated skin. This was most definitely a nice change.

When Haley went into the hall, almost everybody was staring at her. They were whispering and in awe. Haley overheard one conversation.

"She passed the whole night in his room," a girl had said.

"Peyton never passed the whole night with him," another said.

"Yeah well that's because Peyton is hardly pleasant company with her snooty attitude," replied the girl. Haley couldn't help but snicker at that, and maybe feel a little sentimental? Uggh, here she went again.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

When Haley was done her cleaning for the day, she climbed upstairs for the laundry room. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard a familiar voice.

"It's about time you came along," said an unmistakably affectionate voice.

"Kelly!"

"Yes, I spent the whole morning waiting for you to come up here, girl. You'd think I would have seen you sooner."

But Haley was too busy squeezing her to death. "How did you get here? Has Nathan done anything to you? I'm so happy to see you, I can barely speak!"

"I can tell," Kelly said dryly, but still held tenderness in her voice. "I missed you too, my girl."

We hugged once more, tears still in our eyes. It felt so good to have someone here that loved me, someone who cared for me. It was comforting.

"To answer your questions, I sought Nathan out," she said, surprising me. "I knew he had you, so I found him and begged to work here. I told him I'd do anything, and unfortunately that meant not speaking to you. He's been nothing but kind to me, though. I want to know what's happened to you."

"Like for like," I said bitterly. "It has been horrible, Kelly. I've had to…with him and he's made me…ugh he's terrible."

"So you mean to say you haven't enjoyed any of it?" Kelly questioned. Was she absolutely absurd?

"Of course I haven't enjoyed any of it," I screamed. "Why would you think that?"

"Well, my dear, you said like for like," she explained. "Did you not receive the same pleasure he was forced to have?"

My cheeks pinkened at that. I couldn't make myself deny that truth. I had indeed found pleasure, but it was unwanted, so it didn't count, did it?

"I can see that you have," Kelly said knowingly. "It's understandable, of course, I mean he is a very handsome man, and he—"

"He's cruel," I screamed. "He-he's…he's arrogant for one thing. Controlling, mean, perverse, menacing, repluls-"

"He's been through a lot," Kelly interrupted.

"Is that supposed to be an excuse?" I asked. "What hardships has he been through?"

"Well, for starters, his mom committed suicide when he was only twelve," Kelly said as I gasped in shock. "You've already met his father, who's cruel and sadistic. He abused Nathan both verbally and physically growing up. Is it any wonder the boy might have problems?"

I had no idea. I had no idea what terrible obstacles Nathan must have gone through. Dear lord, his mother committing suicide at such a young age and having to live with Dan. Just his name gave me shivers. Lord only knew the things Nathan went through from that monster.

"Do you feel even a little compassion for the man now?" Kelly asked. How was I supposed to answer that about the man I thought I hated?

"Maybe," I mumbled, "but that doesn't change anything. He's still a beast in my eyes."

And oh how I wished that was true.

Okay so I know it wasn't that long and it didn't have alot of naley, BUT I will update the next chapter either tonight or tomorrow depending on the reviews and if I have time to write it.

Next Chapter: We meet Lucas Roe and we just might get to see a jealous Nathan.

Love,

Sadie