When I woke up, I noticed I was alone. Michael was gone. I was upset, I mean who wouldn't be. I should have known.

I just brushed it off.

Although, I'm still kind of mad he left. I wanted him to at least stay until I woke up.

I sighed and got up to take a shower. When I got out I put on house clothes, nothing fancy, nothing pajama like.

I walked downstairs and I saw that Austin was here. He looked at me and I looked the other way. I really don't feel like being bothered. I want Michael here.

"You're not going to speak to me this morning?" He asked. I looked back at him and smiled, forcefully.

"Good morning babe. How are you?" He stood up and walked to me. He grabbed my face and started to examine my neck. I had no idea why, until he pushed me hard against the refrigerator.

I winced in pain. "What the hell is that on your neck girl?" I looked at him, breathing heavily as I slowly walked away from the refrigerator.

"What are you talking about?" I spoke softly, trying to fight back tears. My back hurts now. Thanks a lot Austin.

"What is that on your neck? Is that a hickey?"

"A hickey?" I asked honestly confused.

"Who were you with last night?"

"No one. I came from the concert and went to bed and that's it."

"You went to a concert? Who's concert?"

"The Jacksons. It was there last one and my father got us tickets. I would have invited you, but I didn't want you to ruin the moment for us and me." He instantly slaps me across my face, making me fall to the floor.

"You fucking whore. You're cheating on me?!"

"No, I'm not. Why are you hitting me you ass!" I screamed back as I stood from the floor, pushing him.

He grab ahold of my hair and started to drag me up the stairs to my room, all the while I'm screaming.

"Let it go!! Let my hair go!! Austin please" I felt my hair being ripped right out of my head and I started to scream as I tried to pry his hands away from my head.

He opened my room door and closed then locked it as he threw me on the bed. I touched my hair as I'm sitting up and crying. I then touched my cheek and there was blood there, from the scratch he put on it.

"I'm going to ask you one time, and one time only and you better tell me the truth. Who gave you that hickey?" My breath quickened as he walked up to me slowly.

I watched as his jaws tighten and his hands roll up into a tight fist. I blinked two times and licked my lips as I stared up at him.

"Nobody. I swear I didn't even know it was there."

Without any hesitation or speculations, he punched me in the nose, making blood gush out. I cried out in pain as he continued to beat my body. He hit me anywhere he could. He was aiming to hurt me, and he succeeded.

I rolled up into a ball and covered my face as he hit me countless times.

Every scream started to lower as my voice became hoarse. I couldn't barely do anything. He roughly snatched me up and pinned me to the wall by my neck, chocking me.

"You will never disrespect me again you slut. You will never in your fucking life cheat on me again. Do I make my self clear to you?" With every word he spoke, a slap or punch came in contact with my face. I could barely move my arms. Even if I tried to block every hit, I still would have failed. But it didn't stop the tears that came out of my eyes.

It didn't stop the pain growing heavier, deeper, and stronger in my chest. It didn't stop me from seeing what was actually in front of me. It didn't stop me from seeing that all of what was happening to me right now, was my fault.

It did stop my voice. It stopped my strength. It stopped my confidence. It stopped my high self esteem, only to make it low. It stopped me in from believing that I could never find true love. It stopped everything. It stopped faith. Most importantly:

It stopped me.

I was loosing oxygen as he squeezed my neck harder. I finally found somewhat of a strength to scratch at his face hard enough. He released me and threw me on the bed.

I fell on my stomach when I heard him take off his belt. Next thing I feel is stinging all over my back. I cried out in pain.

"Ahh" whips after whips continues to sting my back. "I'm sorrrrrrrrry, PLEASEE" I cried louder and squirmed all around. He sat down on my back, dropping the belt, only to put it around my neck.

I gasped for air as he pulled the belt into the belt buckle and pulled on it.

"This should teach you a hardcore lesson. You hear me Bae?" I scratched and clawed the sheets on the bed as I felt my face drain from blood. I felt my eyes getting teary eyed and all I could see was purple dots, turning into black darkness.

I gasped for air when he finally released the belt from my neck.

"Sofia, please, tell me who gave you that hickey. That's all you have to do. I just want to know. I don't wanna keep hurting you. I love you girl. Why are you cheating on me?"

"A-Austin..." I choked out as I slowly sat on my behind and rubbed my neck. "I am not cheating on you...I..I don't know how that hickey got there...I'm not cheating on you. I love you." I got up on my knees as he walked over to me. He sat down on the bed beside me and hugged me.

I hugged him back and closed my eyes. "I'm sorry babe. It's just that I love you so much and I don't want to loose you. I don't know what came over me. The thought of actually losing you scared me. It scares me to death baby."

"I'm sorry Austin. It's my fault, not yours. It's okay. I understand why you did this." I got on my knees in front of him begging "please don't leave me. Please. I'm so sorry, just please don't leave me."

"I won't." He wrapped both of his hands around my neck and squeezed it. "But the next time you get a hickey, or anything of that sort, I will hurt you. You hear me?" He released my throat and kissed me.

"I won't. I'm sorry." He stood me up and walked me to the bathroom.

"Sit here while I run you some bath water." He spoke as he directed me to the toilet. I put the toilet lid down and sat on it.

He ran my bath water and when it was done he stripped me from my clothes and picked me up bridal style, slowly placing me in the warm water.

"I'm so sorry Sofia." He spoke as he took the hair tie out of my hair and began to slowly massage it. I closed my eyes and winced a little in pain when he got to the spot where he ripped some of my hair out.

He slowly washed my body as I felt helpless and weak.

He kissed my temple and rinsed me off.

"Stand up." he directed. He emptied the bath water and when it was all drained out, he turned the shower on and re washed my body.

"I'm going to be gone for a few minutes, while I'm gone, I want you to rest okay?"

"Okay. Where are you going?"

"To the store. I'll be back in 20 minutes okay? Don't let anyone in. Your dad told me to stay here with you while he was gone and snickers is with Jaleel for the rest of the week. Don't open the door for anyone but me okay baby?"

"Austin I can't go anywhere with these bruises and marks all over me. I don't wear make up anymore."

"I know baby, just...just don't open the door for anyone. Stay here and rest until I come back. Do you need anything from the store?"

"No...well, maybe some Neapolitan Ice Cream, or Sherbet Ice Cream?"

"Okay. I'll get you both of them. Remember don't open the door for anyone and rest."

"Alright" he kissed my lips and went to my drawer. He pulled out some shorts and a spaghetti strapped tank top with underwear and handed it to me. I put them on slowly, because I was still in pain.

"See you in twenty." he said with one last kiss and walked out the door. I heard the front door close and that's when I instantly broke down in tears.

I know deep down in Austin's heart, that he's a good man. I know he has a heart. He's just afraid to use it.

**

I lied down and went to sleep for about 15 minutes I think. I only woke back up because the doorbell rung.

I pulled the covers back and got out of the bed. I slowly walked down the steps and opened the door without actually thinking about it.

When I looked up, there he stood with a bouquet of red flowers.

"W-what are you doing here?" I asked.

I am nervous as hell right now. I looked from the roses back into his chocolate eyes as his smile faded and concern grew all over his face.

"What happened to your face and neck?" Michael asked, stepping into the house and dropping the flowers by the coffee stand.

My eyes widened. "Nothing, I guess the necklace was too tight last night."

"You weren't even wearing a necklace yesterday. You weren't wearing any jewelry at all. Tell me."

"Michael, you should leave." I heard a door being closed and my eyes widened.

"Sofia, I'm home." I heard Austin say.

I pushed Michael into the nearest closet a closed him in there. "Michael, please be quiet an don't move until I come and get you out okay?"

"Why? What happened to your neck girl?"

"Michael shut up and please stop talking." I closed the door and walked away from it, only to bump into Austin's chest.

"Girl, what are you doing?"

"Nothing," I breath out heavily. "I was just coming to watch tv." I lied and looked at his hand.

"Oh, okay. Let's go eat the ice cream. I got them both for you."

"Thank you babe." I smile as I placed my hand on his chest and kissed his lips.

"You're welcome." We began to walk to the kitchen when he stopped dead in his tracks.

"What's wrong babe? Let's eat the ice cream effort it starts melting."

"Did somebody stop by?"

"N-no." I stuttered. "Why would you ask that?"

"Who brought the flowers over?"

"What flowers?"

He walked to the coffee table and picked them up. My heart rate sped up and my breathing staggered as he grabbed the note that came along with it.

He looked at me, than read the note out loud. "Sorry for leaving this morning without letting you know. I had to go to the recording studio. I'll be back later on to ask you an important question, well my baby sister wanted to ask you, but she insisted I bring you to her. So be ready by 9pm tonight. I'll see you later.
~MJ"

He looked at me and I could see the anger growing inside of him.

"Who is MJ?"

"I don't know. Maybe that's the wrong house. I don't know."

"I thought we had a long discussion about this earlier before I left." He said placing the grocery bag on the table.

"We did." I spoke, backing back into the living room.

"Well, slapping you around and choking you isn't cutting it."

"Austin, please don't--" he slapped me. I fell to the ground crying. That had been the same side he slapped me across on earlier.

He punched me in the face again, then busted my lip. He was sitting onto of me and I was screaming and kicking.

He was about to hit me again when I put my hands up in the way. He grabbed one of my arms and placed his knee on my muscle and did the same to the other. That's when he really started to beat my face in. Blood was everywhere and I continued to scream.

"HEY!!" Michael screamed, pulling Austin away from my body.

"Who the hell are you?" Austin asked as he shoved Michael.

"Really? You ask that question like you don't know who I am. I'm about to kick your ass if you put your hands on her again. Didn't your mother teach you any respect toward women?"

My eyes widened. "Michael no!" I screamed and they both looked at me.

"You lied to me Sofia?! He's the one that have you that hickey on your neck isn't he? He was here with you last night too huh?"

"No. Austin he wasn't here. I told you after the concert I went straight to bed."

"Come here." I walked up to him, wiping blood from my lip.

"You sure about that?" He grabbed the back of my neck and I winced in pain.

"Yes...I..I'm sure." He kissed my lips, then yanked me by my arm and led my toward the stairs.

"Get your ass up there right now." He pushed me, and of course my clumsy self fall and trip over my own two feet, making me hit my mouth on the steps.

"Get up and go. Now!!" He screamed. I looked down at the steps and saw some of my teeth on it, surrounded by blood.

"Oh my god!!" I panicked crying. "My tooth chipped!! AUSTIN YOU CHIPPED MY TOOTH!!" I hit him in his chest as more blood came out of my mouth.

"I think you should leave. You've cause her enough harm. Just leave...NOW!!" Michael screamed as he came up to my side and held me.

"Fine, but if I leave, I'm leaving for good Sofia." I looked up at his serious face and pushed away from Michael's hold.

"No! You can't leave me Austin. Please don't." I got on my knees and held his hands and kissed them. "Don't leave me. Please don't. I need you."

"Seriously Sofia? You're begging him to stay with you?! He should be begging you. Get up off of your knees. Stop begging him."

"Michael you don't understand! I need him in my life. He loves me. And I love him."

"Kicking, slapping, and punching you like you're a punching bag is not love. He doesn't love you, Sofia. That's not love. If he loves you, he wouldn't do those things to you. That's nowhere near as close to the definition if love. What he is, is an abusive person. No wan should go through this. You're worth more than this Sofia. You are too beautiful for this. You don't need him in your life. Let him leave. At least you'll be safe and not harmed."

"Yo, get out of this house. Don't tell her what she does and doesn't need." Austin said as he lifted me off if my knees and wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

"Fine, but if he hits you again Sofia, call me. I'll be the shoulder you can cry on."

"Okay." I spoke, but Austin quickly removes his arms from my shoulder and pushes me hard to the rail on the staircase and I fell to the floor crying.

Michael quickly ran to my side. "See!! You don't want this in your life Sofia. You don't need this."

"Michael, just leave. This is all your fault. Austin don't go!! Michael LEAVE!!" I got up and pushed him to the door. "Just leave."

He looked at me, then Austin and shook his head. He turned on his heels to leave, but stopped and quickly walked up to me, kissing me so lovingly and long, I melted right into him.