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"Nick I'll be fine, go spend some time with your sister. Who knows
when you'll see her again!" I told Nick. We were outside my physical
therapy building.

"I want to see how Dave has been treating you lately. I don't think I like the idea of you being by yourself."

"It's for an hour. You're leaving tomorrow and we'll have a night for the two of us. I'll be out here in an hour."

"I can come in to get you."

"Nick, I'm trying to be independent here." Honestly, I just didn't want Dave to say something to Nick about how I was walking.

"Alright alright, call me if you get done earlier or later or whatever."

"Will do, have fun." Nick bent down and kissed me and I smiled and wheeled myself up the ramp and into the building. I glanced outside the glass door and saw that Nick had already taken off. I put the brakes on my wheel chair, lifted the feet rests up and pushed myself
to standing position. I was a little shaky because I hadn't walked in three days, but I was able to hold onto the handle bars. I lifted the brakes up and slowly walked to the front desk.

"Hailey, I've been wondering where you've been the last couple of days." Dave came out smiling.

"Nick came home and surprised me. I've been working in the pool a lot though."

"You didn't bring your crutches?" He asked as we both walked to the work out room.

"No, it's a surprise for him remember. He doesn't know I can walk yet. But I had that MRI yesterday, they should have the results tomorrow."

"Good, well, let's get you on the exercise bike for warm up and make sure you get in a good work out today."

"Sounds great."

"Here use this walker and we'll put your chair to the side." Dave handed me a walker and I went to the stationary bike. I sat on it and Dave programmed the bike for ten minutes.

When the ten minutes were up Dave came over and helped me stand up.

"Okay, let's do some balancing and then some stairs."

"Yeah, I do pretty well going up the stairs, it's going down I have a hard time with." I told him, holding his hands still.

"That's natural. Okay, I'm going to let go and I want you to just stand on your own," he let go of my hands. "Okay?"

"Yup."

"Now, pick up your right leg." I did and I was a little wobbly at
first but not too bad. "Good job Hailey. Now pick up your left leg."
I slowly did and right away I loss my balance and put my left foot
back down.

"This side isn't working too well,"I joked and tried it again. I held
it for a few more seconds and then had to put my foot down.

"We'll do some more with balancing later, let's go over to the stairs.
Think you can walk?" I nodded my head and felt Dave's hand go on the
small of my back and we walked over to the stairs that were made for
physical therapy. "Okay, hold on both railings and start climbing.
I'm right behind you." Surprisingly I was able to go up the stairs
without having to think too much. when I reached the top, that was
about eight steps later, I did feel my muscles being used.

"Now, here is the hard part," I said looking down.

"Just take your time." Dave whispered in my ear and I shook off the
uncomfortableness I felt just then. I stepped my left foot down first
and then my right. I made it down half way and as I stepped down on
my right foot, my leg went out from me. Before I fell, Dave pulled me
into him and we both fell onto the steps on or butts. His arms were
around my waist. "You smell lovely today," he said and I pulled myself back up.

"I should practice more stairs, I think I'm okay with you now." I smiled.

"I don't think you're quite there yet Hails. I'll continue to help
for a few minutes." He was standing back up with this hands on my waist. For the next ten minutes we walked up and down the steps and fortunately didn't have any more problems.

"Now what?" I asked taking a sip from a water bottle.

"Let's do some arch ups on the stability ball and get your back stronger. That's going to be key, that and your abdominal to keep a
strong core." We walked over to the stability balls and I laid on my stomach on a ball. I put my arms behind my head and arched up, held
it for two seconds and went back down slowly. I then did some crunches, lying my back on the ball and crunching up.

I glanced up at the lock and it read 1:50. "I'm going to have to leave in ten minutes, you said an hour for today."

"You've done a lot today,we should go into one of the rooms and so a massage and I will stretch you out." Dave helped me to my feet and I felt really great for the day. I had a hard work out and my muscles
were feeling it, which meant I was getting stronger. We went into a room where a table was and I sat up on it. Dave closed the curtain and said, "Lay on your back," I did as Dave asked and he took my right leg and began pulling it up.

"It's weird not being flexible any more, I've always been since I was kid." I told him as I felt the tight stretch.

"Flexibility is easier to get than strength though. Just keep working at it. You have long lean muscles, you shouldn't have any problem," his had ran down my thigh and he pushed on my leg a little more. He then did it to my other leg and did some stretches to my back. He had
my roll on my stomach and began massaging me.

"I should be going now, Nick will end up coming in and I don't want to ruin all the hard work I've been doing!" I smiled and tried to sit up. Dave pushed me down, gently but forceful.

"It's important to do this so you don't have any back spasms, or any that run down your legs." His voice was stern at first and calmed down as he continued to rub my lower back. I couldn't help but realize his
hands were getting closer and closer to my butt and he was massaging my cheeks; and not the ones on my face.

"I'll have Nick do this later. I will see you tomorrow!" I sat up and hopped off the table. Although it was a little too fast and I fell to
my knees.

"Now look at what you've done, you should've listened to me. Let me help you up," his hands went right to my waist. "You know Hails, you let me take you out sometime. I see how you look at me and I can see why you wouldn't be happy with your pop star." I shrugged away and raised an eye brow at him.

"I'm very happy with Nick and I would never date you I'm sorry. But you're my therapist."

"But you've been leading me on, wearing your bikini to the pool and these short shorts and tank top."

"I don't own a one piece suit and these are my work out clothes. I'm sorry Dave but maybe this just isn't going to work. I'm going to look for another PT. I appreciate all you've done to help but just so you don't get any more mixed signals." I rolled my eyes and turned to
leave and he pulled my arm to him.

"Nonsense. You can continue to work with me, I'm sorry I'm out of line."

"You are out of line but I just can't."

"Everyone here is booked with clients," he lied and got in front of me and I ended up back back up to the table. I couldn't let him know that my heart had began to race and memories of being attacked at the club bathroom came to me. "I think we would be together Hailey. I feel like you get me."

"We can be friends can't we? I'm with Nick and I love him."

"I don't think you do and I am not so sure he loves you. I could love you." He ran his hand against my cheek and I turned my face away from
him. I backed away from him and ended up falling off of the table and on my back.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" I yelled.

"What's going-Dave?" another therapist,Karen, asked opening the screen.

"Everything is fine, she just slipped off the table," he stood up and smoothed out his shirt.

"No, he was putting his hands on me," I replied.

"That's my job Hailey, you needed to stretch, now let me help you up."

"Stay AWAY! Please get him out of here."

"I don't know why she's so upset?" He defended himself

"David go home, you're fired."

"Fine." He walked out of the room.

"Hailey, are you okay?" Karen asked helping me up.

"I'm a little sore but I'll be fine."

"Hailey it's serious, I need you to tell me if he did try to put his hands on you?"

"I wouldn't lie about something like that."

"I know and you're not the first patient to say something but there never really was evidence and it's pretty clear what happened. This your wheel chair here outside?"

"Yeah," I tried to stand but my muscles were fatigued.

"Here let me help," Karen put my arm around her neck and helped me into the chair. "I'm manager of this place and you can be sure that
Dave will lose his job. I can't promise his license but things will be
cleared up."

"I'm fine but I'm glad actions will be done."

"Hails?" Nick appeared into the room. "I was waiting for almost
fifteen minutes so I came in. Everything okay?" Hailey and Karen
explained everything that happened. "He put his hands on you? You
fell? I'm going to kill him!" Nick was angry.

"Nick, he didn't do anything really,I yelled before he could. He's
fired and will probably lose his license. I just want to get home."

"Mr. Carter, I assure you, I will take care of Ms. James from now on
and you will no longer have to pay a co-pay for the sessions."

"I need to talk to Hailey about returning, let's get you home Hails."
Nick pushed the chair out to his car and to the passenger seat. He
opened the door and attempted to pull myself over but my body was
shaking. Nick helped me in, put the wheel chair away and got in. He
started the car and clenched the steering wheel. Nick didn't say a
word, nor did he put the car into gear to start driving.

"Nick?" I asked. When he didn't respond I put my hand on his. "Nick
talk to me."

"I need to think Hailey," he pulled his hand away and put the car into
gear. He put his foot on the gas and drove home in silence.
Hailey stared out her window, her emotions of that day got the best of
her and I began to cry. I kept her sobs quiet and let the tears
trickle down my cheeks.

When we pulled up to Nick's house, Nick
got out, took my chair out and put it by the side of the house. He then opened up the passenger side and picked me up into his arms.
Carrying me into his room, he remained silent and set me on his bed.
His eyes avoided mine and he walked up to his window, put a hand on the wall and leaned into it.

"Nick, I'm sorry-" I had managed to compose myself and was confused
to the way Nick was acting. He let out a sigh and shook his head.

"I'm going to pull out of the tour."

"Nick you can't! I'm fine and with only three guys left, they will have to cancel. You've already had to post pone because of me." My words were rushed and I tried to reason with him.

"Hails, I can't protect you when I'm home and when I'm away...I just, I can't do this." Nick turned away from the window and looked at me.

"Then don't, they're getting rid of Dave, I won't ever see him again."

"I love you and can't stand to see anything else happen to you Hailey. It kills me every time you're hurt, or when you shed one of these," he brought his thumb up and smoothed away my tear stained face. I immediately felt guilty and wished I hadn't made a big scene at
physical therapy. Maybe I did lead Dave on without meaning to, I
wasn't attracted to him at all but it could have been in the sub-conscious.

"You have two weeks left of the tour. It will fly by and I'll have Bryce with me still. You shouldn't have to worry about me like this,
I'm sorry for what happened today, if maybe I had just worn pants to rehab all the time, or found a one piece bathing suit, then maybe-"

"Don't even try to blame yourself. You did nothing wrong and you know that."

"I just want to spend this evening with you before you go back tomorrow and you won't be on tour for a while after this one."

"Come with me the last two weeks."

"What?"

"It's just for two weeks, I can take care of you and I won't be worried."

"Nick, I'll be in the way and get in the way. Besides I need to do my physical therapy."

"I'll get someone to go with us."

"No."

"Hailey it's for your own good."

"I'm not this fragile piece of glass Nick, you have to stop treating me like I'll break at any given time."

"One thing after another keeps happening though and I can't handle one more thing."

I didn't know what to say just then, I felt small, I had never felt
that way with Nick before. He saw the hurt in my eyes because his
look softened. "I didn't mean it like that, I'm sorry."

"If I'm such a pain in the ass, I'll just move back home to South Carolina and you won't have to deal with me. I'll go check for flights now," without caring of Nick seeing me walk for the first time, I stood up, took a step forward and was immediately on the ground. My muscles were tight and stressed from the days previous
events.

"What are you doing Hails," Nick knelt down by me. "You're not going anywhere, you are a pain in the ass but that is one of the many reasons why I love you so much." He smiled and lifted my chin up.
"I'll go for the two weeks but then I'm not leaving your side until you're fully recovered and even after that I may not leave your side. I know you're not fragile but you have been through a lot, we've been
through a lot."

"I never meant for any of this happen."

"So you have a strand of some bad luck, but everything happens for a reason, and you and I have become closer through everything, no?"

"No, we have. I love you," I wrapped my arms around Nick's neck and he pulled me into his arms.