Chapter Ten 

Not even ten minutes after he'd entered the restaurant, Justin was leaving it.  He felt good about what he'd finally gotten accomplished with Britney, and all he wanted to do was get back to the hotel and fix things with Gabrielle.  There was still another week and a half left to their trip and he wasn't willing to spend it in silence.           

When he finally reached the hotel, it looked safe enough to use the main entrance.  It was faster than his usual way, and there were hardly any people around.  He chanced it and walked up the stairs, and the doorman stopped him as soon as he was within speaking distance.           

"Hey, kid, you're friend's not upstairs," he said as Justin tried to pass him.           

"She's not?  Where'd she go?"           

"She headed off that-a way."  The man nodded in the direction Gabrielle and Wade had gone, "And she's not alone."           

"Who'd she go with?"  Justin tried to think of who she might know in New York.           

"The dancer guy.  Ya know, the one wit the spikes on his head."  The guard's accent flared as he described Wade.           

"Wade."  He said.  It wasn’t a question; he knew.           

"Yeah, I tink that's what she called 'em.  Anyway, tought you might wanna know."           

"Thanks, man."  Justin made his way up to his room, desperately trying to control the fit of anger about to explode from inside him.  He'd rushed back to be with her; he knew she'd been alone all day, and he was on his way to spend time with her. You'd think I'd learn my lesson, he thought to himself.  What was it about this guy that allowed him to always steal the most important people in is life?             

Justin tried to calm himself down and turned on the television.  He walked over to the door that adjoined their rooms and ripped it open.  He was going to talk to her the minute she came back.  Settling into the couch, Justin began his long night of channel surfing and waiting for Gabrielle's arrival.
            

Hours later, Gabrielle finally came to and realized that she was clutching an unfamiliar toilet in an unfamiliar bathroom.  She looked around and still didn't remember where she was.  She slowly got up, peered into the mirror and cringed at the reflection.  She was pale, her makeup was smeared across her face, and there was a large red mark on the cheek she'd laid on the toilet.  After splashing water on her face, cleaning off the smeared makeup and piling her disheveled curls neatly back on her head, she left the bathroom in search of Wade.           

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty!"  Gabrielle found Wade sitting at his kitchen table digging through a large bowl of cereal.           

"Wade, it's four o'clock in the morning.  What are you doing eating cereal?  What are you doing awake?"           

"The sun is on its way up and I'm about to meet it."           

"You're absolutely insane.  I'm going home."           

"Home?  You're not gonna watch it with me?  I figure it'd be a comforting sight after spending the night worshipin' my porcelain goddess in there."           

"As comforting as that may sound, I need to be able to function in the morning and I need some real sleep."  Gabrielle searched around for her shoes and purse.             

"A'ight, I'll walk you back to the hotel."           

"No, I'm fine.  I'll take a cab."           

"Forget it, I already made up my mind.  Let's go."  The horrible aching in Gabrielle’s head prevented her from protesting again.  Wade took one more giant spoonful of cereal and grabbed his jacket.  After opening the door for Gabrielle, the two were off on the ten-minute walk to the hotel.             

"You know, Girl, I had a good time with you tonight," Wade said to her as they walked up the hotel's front stairs.           

"I know, I had fun, too."           

"If you wanna do it again some time, let me know, a'ight?"  After Gabrielle nodded her agreement, Wade pulled her in for a short but firm kiss goodnight.  The kiss happened and was over so quickly that she had no time to refuse it.  After a second of contemplation, she decided that she wouldn't have refused if she'd been given the chance anyway.  She smiled at Wade and touched his lips with her fingers; they were so soft.  He smiled back and suggestively raised his eyebrows at her, and within a second, she had vanished inside the hotel entrance.

Gabrielle made her way up to her door and quietly slipped the key in.  She knew that there was no way she'd wake Justin by simply walking into her room, but she still decided to be extra cautious.  As soon as she entered her room, the light pouring into her room from their adjoining door let her know that Justin hadn't been sleeping; she figured she was about to engage in another of their infamous arguments.   

Without acknowledging the open adjoining door, Gabrielle went about her way getting ready for bed.  She dropped her purse near the door quietly and walked into the bathroom and silently shut and locked the door.  She wasn’t sure yet if Justin knew she’d made it back.  She again took in her reflection and sighed, grabbing her makeup remover and putting it to good use all over her face.  She was pleased when her fresh-faced look reappeared in the mirror, and then grabbed her tooth brush to cleanse her mouth of the taste of rotting martini.  She felt so much better after leaving the bathroom, and walked to the other side of the room to take a tank and shorts out of the dresser.  With her back to the adjoining door, she quietly pulled her top over her head and tossed it to the floor.   

In the opposite room, Justin checked the time on the TV.  She had been back almost ten minutes and hadn’t even so much as glanced in his direction.  He felt his rage build up even more and lifted himself from the chair and walked over to the open doorway between their rooms.  He was almost shocked to find Gabrielle half naked, her hands twisted around her back undoing her bra.  He knew she had no idea he was watching her when she successfully unclasped it and threw it to the floor.  He caught a glimpse of her naked body before she pulled a tank over her exposed skin, and if it weren’t for his rage, he probably would have ripped it right back over her head.  Next, she shook out of the slutty, in his opinion, pants she had been wearing, threw them to the floor, along with a sorry excuse for underwear.  He expected her to replace the skimpy pair with what he considered normal underwear, but she didn’t.  She simply picked up a pair of shorts from the bed and slid them up over her naked hips.  He felt a tugging just below his belt and silently cursed her for her unintentional temptation.   

Once she’d adjusted her pajamas to her liking, she spun on her heel to close the door between their rooms, and gasped as her heart jumped at the sight of him.  She clutched her heart in shock, but said nothing to him; she’d been unaware that he’d been watching her, or for how long he’d been watching her. 

“Where the fuck have you been?”  His voice was low and husky; she could have mistaken it for lust, except for the look of rage on his features. 

“No-nowhere.  I just…went out.”  Her whole body was tense with guilt; she could feel it and was sure he had to see it in her. 

“Went out?  Where the fuck is that, Gabby?”  His voice was still low and quiet; she almost had to strain to hear him.  She’d never heard him talk like this, but then again, she was sure she’d never made him this angry. 

“I just went to a club, Justin.”  She sounded so guilty, and there was nothing she could do about her tone.  Even with him standing on the other side of her room, she felt scared at what he was capable of. 

“To a club.  Do you know what fucking time it is?”  She cringed a bit every time he cussed at her, and she wished he would stop for her sake.   

“I know it’s a little late, but-“ 

“A little late?  Midnight is a little late…one is a little late.  It’s four o’clock in the morning, Gabby.  You’re fucking late.”  He could see the fear in her eyes, and for a split second he almost felt bad, but then he thought about where she’d been and who she’d been with.  His rage was quick to return.  When she didn’t respond to him, he continued on in the same, slow, deep voice. 

“You have fun?”  Again, she didn’t answer him…was that a trick question?  She couldn’t be sure. 

“Did you fuck him?”   

“What?”  Now she was pissed.  Who the hell was he to ask her such a ridiculous question? 

“I said, did you get on your fucking back for that dickhead or not?” 

“Fuck you, Justin.  Don’t fucking talk to me like that.”  She walked past him to grab the remote from across the room, but never made it.  Before she could get two steps past him, he had her shoved up against the wall with his hand at her throat. 

“I asked you a question.”  His voice didn’t change, despite his quick actions.  She stared into his eyes, in shock, and desperately tried to swallow against the palm of his hand.   

“Let go.” She said, rage evident in her entire body.  Justin didn’t move, and she narrowed her eyes at him, warning him.  Again, he didn’t move, and Gabrielle did the only thing she could think of.  She blessed her mother for making her take self-defense classes when she’d moved out on her own, because now she finally had the chance to use them. 

Faster than he could take in, Gabrielle lifted her arm straight over her head and brought it down on the other side of his arm, trapping the wrist at her throat underneath her arm.  Justin’s arm was forced down underneath her own, and Gabrielle quickly grabbed his hand and turned him around, holding his entire arm hostage behind his back.  She quickly thrust her knee as hard as she could into the back of his, and Justin fell to the floor with a thud, pinned on the ground under her.  She dug the same knee deep into the small of his back, and was satisfied when he was lying flat against the floor, helpless to her grip on him. 

“I swear…” she began, “to Jesus fucking Christ himself, Justin…if you ever put your hands on me like that again, I will rip your fucking arm off,” and she yanked his arm up higher until she heard his shoulder pop and him cry out in pain. 

“Fuck!  All right, All right!” he yelled into the carpet, tears stinging his eyes at the pain in his shoulder. 

“Now if you wanna talk to me about what happened tonight…fine.  But you’re gonna do it like a grown ass man, and not a wife beater, got that?”  Her voice was steady, despite her labored breathing. 

“Okay, damnit it, Gabby!”  She gingerly released her grip on his arm, and lightened her weight on his back, not quite letting him get up completely.  He moved enough to bring his arm and shoulder back into place, and rubbed his arm where she’d hurt him.   

The second he felt her take her knee off his back, he rolled over and grabbed it before she could put any weight on the knee to stand.  She immediately lost her balance, and fell to the ground next to him.  Before she could react, he straddled her body and pinned her arms down underneath his legs.  She struggled and squirmed under him, but he’d put her in a position that she couldn’t get out of.  Again, that rage filled her eyes and he did nothing but wait for her to still. 

“Now, first, you’re gonna answer my question.  Did you fuck that asshole or not?”  Her eyes narrowed again, and she felt the urge to spit in his face. 

“No.” she threw back at him, and struggled again, desperately trying to escape him. 

“Are you lying?” 

“No, goddamnit!  Get off me, Justin!”  He sank lower onto his knees, pinning her harder against the floor until she could no longer squirm. 

“You’re only making this harder for yourself, babygirl.  Stop moving, answer my questions…and I’ll let you go.”  A small grin formed on his face as he watched her wriggling around under him.  The cocky smile on his face ignited Gabrielle even more, and she kicked her leg as high as it would go, forcing Justin to fall forward on her.  With his loss of position, she was able to free her hands, and she quickly planted them firmly against his chest, pushing him with all of her might.  He grabbed for her wrists and she quickly pulled them from his reach, and then punched him hard against his ribs.  They wrestled and rolled around until Justin was finally able to secure both of her hands down on either side of her head. 

Suddenly, they were both still, eyes locked on the other’s, breathing heavy, and something in the room changed.  Gabrielle, still helplessly pinned under him, took in the look on his face, and noticed a light sheen of sweat starting at his neck.  She couldn’t help but feel hot; hot at their struggle, hot at his dominance over her, hot at the tingle she was beginning to feel between her thighs. 

She knew he felt it, too, because the look on his face suddenly changed.  He still looked mad, but in an extremely sexy way.  He was all of a sudden completely aware of her body under his, and the thought of what she was wearing underneath her clothes crept back into his head.  He slowly felt himself harden at the thought, and he watched her cock an eyebrow at the feeling of him pressed hard and deep against her thigh. 

Neither moved, neither looked away.  They both stared deep into each other’s eyes, daring the other to make the first move.  Gabrielle broke first; she couldn’t take it anymore, and lifted her head to meet his lips, but at the last second, he pulled just slightly out of her reach.  She could feel his hot breath, and she knew it was all over; she needed this to happen.  Again, she tried to kiss him, and again, he pulled just beyond her reach. 

“C’mon, fucker, you’re pissin’ me off.” She spat angrily at him, and again, he flashed her that cocky grin.  He slid her hands roughly over her head, and held them both with one strong grip.  He watched her breasts rise and fall in her angered breathing, and he snaked his free hand down between their bodies and felt her through her shorts. 

“Nah…feels more like I’m getting you off, not pissing you off.” 

“Fuck you.” She challenged.  He slid his hand up the bottom of her shorts and slid his palm over her entire center, feeling nothing but heat and moisture.  He then dipped his middle finger into her, as far as he could, and pulled it back out of her.  He held his hand up to the light and they both watched the moisture glisten in the dim light. 

“You think I’m lying?” he slurred, showing her the evidence he had of her arousal, “You got fucking wet off this shit, didn’t you?  You like fuckin’ around like this.”   

She answered by lifting her hips to his and grinding them deep against his own.  She felt him shudder and heard a quiet, “Fuck” escape his lips. 

At once, his lips crashed into hers and kissed her like he couldn’t get enough...