Chapt 23

"Nic! Ahhh I am so excited for you," Claire called when she spotted her friend walking out of his locker room. She ran to him and threw her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek. "I knew you would do it. No doubts at all. How's your head?"

He smirked, "I knew that wouldn't take long. I'm fine Claire. Really. I got like, four staples. Good as new." He laughed as her widened in shock when he told her he had gotten the staples. "You're adorable ya know? Really though, I'm fine. Numbed up real good."

She looked at him wearily. "Well okay, if you say so. Hey, we're all going out to grab a bite to eat to celebrate what an awesome night this was. Do you feel like coming?"

He eyed her, wanting to go but not wanting to. He knew that Joe would be there and he wasn't sure if he could stand watching the two of them together for the night. "Eh, I would but the trainer did say that I needed to rest, so maybe next time okay? You go, have a great time." He looked over her head then at Sadie. "Glad you were here tonight Sade. It was great seeing you. Don't be such a stranger, okay?"

Sadie smiled at him, her heart tugging for the place he was in, the friend that Claire had no idea he was proving himself to be. "Okay. Congratulations Nic. You did great. I'm glad I was here for it." She stepped up and hugged him before he stepped to hug Claire.

"Love you kiddo, I'll see you tomorrow at Raw, right?" Claire nodded against his shoulder and he smiled into her hair. "Be good tonight okay, don't do anything I wouldn't and you probably shouldn't do most of the things I would."

Claire laughed and nodded before kissing his cheek again and watching him walk away. She turned to Sadie and smiled. "So, you ready to head out? The guys should be about ready."

"I am kinda hungry actually."

Claire smiled and grabbed Sadie's hand to lead her back to where they were meeting up with Joe and Jon. She was so happy to have her friend with her. Sadie had changed, Claire thought, but couldn't put her finger on how. Yes she had filled out her frame some, but she still was in great shape. She looked healthier than Claire recalled. In Tampa Sadie had a crazy thin built to her, so the fifteen or so extra pounds that she seemed to have found had settled well on her. No, the change was deeper, more internal, Claire thought. Maybe she was just seeing change because it had been so long since she had gotten to see her friend and spend time with her. Yes, that was it Claire was sure. After all, everyone changes over time and Sadie had moved and lived a whole new life. That was sure to bring a change to anyone.

SADIE

Sitting at the tall, round table at the Applebee's, Sadie sipped her beer and silently took in the banter between the three others at the table. She watched as Joe would reach out and touch Claire's hand, or brush her hair back from her face. She saw the way that he would smile down on her friend, and the way that her friend seemed to glow beneath his gaze. Sadie was happy for Claire. Beyond happy. She knew how far that she had come in her life to be able to have this interaction with a guy, especially a guy like Joe. They were an odd pair, him so dark and tall, so huge, and her so fair, her freckled skin and red hair stood out against him. Sadie smiled, thinking of how much Claire deserved to be happy this way and hoping that this guy didn't add to her pain.

Sadie loved the easy rapport between these people. They were all so at ease with each other and so comfortable just being them. Sadie longed for that again. She was lost in thought when she felt hands grip her shoulders. She let out a soft cry and jumped, her hand moving up to her throat in a protective gesture. Claire gave her a look full of worry and question as Jon came to sit beside of her.

"Whoa, Sadie, it's okay, didn't mean to scare you," Jon said. He smiled at her, hoping to ease her nerves. He saw her face slightly relax, but noticed her body stayed tense, and on edge. He knew that body language. Someone had abused this woman he knew. Hell, he'd had that body language for a good bit of his younger life, it wasn't something you forgot.

"I'm okay, you just caught me by surprise, that's all." Sadie forced a smile and took a bite of her steak.

Claire was still eyeing her and Sadie knew that her behavior, that one slip, had given away more of her secrets than she had wanted. She met Claire's eyes again and smiled. "I promise, I'm just fine." Claire nodded at her and continued to eat, and Sadie only hoped that she believed her.

After dinner was done, Claire and Joe excused themselves and presumably headed to the hotel. Jon sat at the table with Sadie, caught up in easy conversation. Then, out of nowhere, he looked up at her and asked, "How long did he hit you?"

Her head flew up and her eyes grew wide. "What? I um, Jon I don't know what you're talking about."

He leaned into her, his hand covered hers and he lowered his voice. "Look, I saw your reaction earlier and I know it too well okay. So, you can tell your story of life being happy to someone else, but I see through that. I won't beg it out of you, but, I'm no stranger to abuse okay? If you want to talk, I'm a good listener."

Sadie looked down at her empty glass for a long time. He had read her so well and he barely knew her. No doubt Claire had read her too. She sighed heavily. "I moved out here close to two years ago. I thought he was this great guy, so loving and attentive, but… Well. Let's just say that when we got here and I was away from all those who knew me and that I was closest to, that's when I met the real him."

His eyes looked down to the table and then back to her. "I'm sorry that you had to go through it. I know the scars it can leave, even when you put that brave, all is well, smile on your face."

Sadie was surprised that she had opened up so much to him about things, even if she hadn't really told him too much. He was easy to talk to though, and his eyes were soft, trustworthy. They encouraged her to talk it seemed. They were beautiful really. A light smoky blue, against his tanned skin they stood out. Sadie took his face in good then. He was tanned and had a bit of scruff along his jawline where he hadn't shaved in a few days. His dark blond hair lay on his forehead and brushed his cheeks in soft curls. It was a bit unruly, but it worked on him, it fit him so well. It was the kind of hair that you wanted to touch, to your fingers through. His lips were perfectly shaped and when he smiled it lit up his whole face. He was quite simply a beautiful man.

Beside him she was frumpy. She'd gained weight, even if she was still technically in great shape and only carried 135 pounds on her five foot seven inch frame she felt fat. She could logically get that she wasn't but when it was beaten into your head that you were fat and disgusting, well. Her ex-boyfriend, Doug, the one who had brought her across country, had reminded her daily that she had gotten grotesquely fat and that no man could want her if she were single. How dare her to gain so much weight and lose her perfect body, he would yell at her after dinner. Many nights he had forced her to retreat to the bathroom and induce vomiting to do away with the food she shouldn't have shoved in her mouth.

"Hey, you okay? Your eyes just got all dark and pained looking."

Sadie shook her head to clear the thoughts that had unwillingly taken up space there. "I'll be fine, yes. I was just… well thoughts had come flooding back in I guess. You can leave the man but it's much harder to escape the damage done."

"Amen," Jon said. "Hey, uh, do you wanna get outta this joint? Just go for a walk or something?"

Hesitation lasted only a minute before Sadie smiled and said yes. She grabbed her purse and went to drop a tip on the table when he stopped her. "I'll get it, it's no big deal." He dropped a twenty on the table and took her hand, letting her go first as they headed toward the door.

Jon watched as the bronzed haired beauty walked in front of him. Her hips had a sway to them that was only to be described as sexy as hell. She was tall, but she held it well and carried herself like a real woman should. No one would ever suspect her past, full of abuse that he hadn't even scratched the surface on, and people would only see a confidant young woman with the world at her feet. She was the kind of woman who, once you laid your eyes on her, you couldn't take them off. At least he couldn't. He'd had to resist touching her hair, her skin, her face, so many times during that dinner. He just wanted to see if she was really as soft as he thought that she might be.

Once outside in the muggy night air, he walked up beside her, shoving his hands in his pockets. "So, you moved here because of a man. Do you ever think about going back to Tampa, or just getting out of Texas and starting over?"

She shrugged her shoulders, those toned, bare shoulders that were sprinkled with bronzed freckles that perfectly matched her hair. He realized that he was admiring her every move. "I mean, I would like to escape the memories and the fear of looking over my shoulder, wondering if he's watching me, following me, waiting to attack me again, yeah. Then I realize that, all of those things are in my head and no matter where I go, until I get it out of my head I'll never really escape."

Jon was quiet for a minute, thinking on what she had said. It was a truth that he knew too well, one that he had never heard put into words but now that he had made perfect sense. "That's on a level of truth that I've not ever thought about."

She sighed. "It's one of the things that I learned helping out at Claire's Heart of the Matter foundation. It was a teaching tool that was used to help people like me I guess learn why they couldn't escape the abuse, sometimes years later." Sadie shrugged and let her hands slip into the pockets of her shorts. "It's one of those things that I held onto and that I'm still working on."

They slowed their pace and stopped to look out over the city lights. "This is one of my favorite views," Sadie said. "It's beautiful."

Jon's eyes never left her face as he said, "Yeah, it's certainly a beautiful view from here."

Turning to him Sadie saw him watching her instead of the city. Her breath caught in her throat and she wondered if he could possibly be attracted to her. Doug's voice yelled in her head. "Of course he isn't you slob! How the hell could any man be attracted to you?" Sadie shook her head and willed herself to not listen to the memories and to look to a brighter spot.

"I meant the city lights…"

"I know what you meant, but from here, there's more beautiful views." He loved how the moon lit up her hair, and made her eyes blaze in their clear and icy green color. He let his hand come up to her cheek, brushing it lightly with him thumb before he leaned into her. "I really have been wanting to do this all night, feel free to slap me after. I can almost guarantee it will be worth it." His lips grazed hers, once, then twice, before pressing against hers firmly. He pulled back and waited for her to push him away. When she didn't he smiled down at her, lowering his head again, slowly, giving her every opportunity to stop him. When his lips touched hers again he smiled against them, his hand slipping behind her neck and pulling her in as he parted her lips and kissed her fully. He waited for her to pull away but she didn't. Instead she turned more into him, leaning closer, a sigh on her breath. He pulled back, just enough to see her face and he smirked. "You didn't pull away."

"I'm scarred, I'm not a fool," Sadie said with a soft smile.