Money Can't Buy Everything

Chapter 11 Valid Feelings

---Missy's POV---

Another ending to a rambunctious time, acting out our scenes and, at least for myself, just trying to forget who I'm doing this play with. Drake has been inappropriately touching me outside of our set moves throughout the whole play.. He knows there is nothing I can do without messing up the entire play we have all worked so hard for, so he is taking advantage of his position and part in the play, making me madder than I ever expected.. The impatience in my mind is building up the more he touches me, knowing I don't like it.. I even asked him multiple times throughout the play to stop and he didn't.. Like this was some fun game... I've been getting to the point, pretty easily lately, that I just want to say F*#k it and I quit.. mostly because of the harassment that I receive constantly from them and it's just getting worse as time goes on.. After all the long years of this type of mental torture, I feel my sanity draining from my mind.. just knowing that no matter how much I love doing this with my singing and aerial yoga, I can't do it forever with people I can't stand at all anymore.

Maybe a change of pace and moving somewhere else would be just what I needed.. But as of right now, I still can't, because there is no way in hell that I'm ever leaving Chris.. But this place is becoming unbearable.. Maybe it's that time of the year to start talking about the move to Heather again and see if she can help me figure something out to get approved.. We will just have to wait and see.

The heavy velvet curtains come to a close in front of me as I continue panting, but this time, instead of just feeling my breath enter and exit my lungs, I feel the bottom of my dress get pulled, ripped slightly before a hand drifts across the top of my ass, then grabbing it aggressively as if I'm just a possession to be used when wanted. I swipe the hand off as I flip around, but both Drake and Craig are staring and smiling at me like they both could possibly have to do this. I look down seeing my ripped dress that showing most of my ass and some of my v****a now. I cover myself up as I watch the two guys bite their lips and try to get my attention to 'help' me.. But I don't want it.. I don't care who did this out of the two of them, I don't want either of them near me.

So I groan out as I storm away, just wanting to get away from them.. They don't even give me a chance to enjoy this moment of hearing the crowd erupt in cheers for us.. They always have to ruin everything.. this is exactly what I was just talking about.. It's not fair.. the whole reason I even do this is because I enjoy it so much and now they have almost completely taken the enjoyment away.. and that sucks.. I'm getting fed up.. So f*#k this.

I'm headed to the hospital for my brother and then to work. I'm not even going to stay to talk with the director.. I'll make sure to at least tell Sarah why I'm leaving so she can help me out, especially since I helped her out last night. I storm past Sarah as she notices what I'm doing. "What's going on Missy?" She asks, following me around the back stage as I bob and weave around the people still controlling the lights and starting to clean everything up back stage. "I'm just getting tired of this place and those people over there.. They are making it so hard to enjoy my true passion.. I just want to leave for the hospital and then to work.. Please cover for me before I explode on someone." I explained as best as I could before I really lose my s**t.

I quickly get to the locker room as I swing my locker open, grabbing my clothing to change into as fast as I can. Once I'm changed, I put my costume into the dirty clothes to be cleaned for the show we should be doing tomorrow.. just like usual. Sarah gives me a half hug before I have the chance to run out of the theater. So I hugged her back, then broke it so I could make sure to get the hell out of this place as quickly as I could.

I shoved the back doors open that leads to the alleyway that I wandered into to see Derek yesterday. I am grunting in frustration, just wanting to punch something.. More of like I want to punch a guy right now to make myself feel better, but I won't.. At least not right now.. I keep walking down the alleyway as I start to turn the corner before I run into the best smelling cedar wall I have ever come into contact with. My eyes instantly bounce up the face that is attached to this muscle-filled, amazing smelling obstacle.. It's Derek.

I'm flustered right now and I'm sure my facial features show this instantly.. especially because of the alarm that is apparent upon his handsome face. "Missy, are you alright?" He asks me with so much concern laced through his words and it matches his concerning looks. "I just.. ugh.. I need to get out of here." I groan out hating today and just wishing it would get better, but I have a bad feeling it won't.. but I'm hoping with all my might that this feeling ends up being incorrect.

I feel the tears building up inside of my eyes, because that feeling of being touched without my permission and obviously something I don't want, is a violating feeling.. Even in all the years of being a stripper have I never felt dirtier than I do now, just because of who it could have been touching me like that.. I know it was just for a moment, but the moment was still too long when it's uninvited advances.. I don't want either one of those doing that and I don't even know if I want to show up tomorrow.

"Hey.. Hey.. Missy it's ok." Derek tries to coo but, he is just in the wrong place at the wrong time because I'm a ticking time bomb just about to blow. "No.. everything is not OK.. I'm just done.. just done with everything.. I have to go." I yell as I shove past him but he quickly grabs my arm and pulls me back into his brick wall of a chest. I hit it full speed but it still somehow doesn't hurt. He wraps his protective arms around me just embracing my frustrated mode.. like I have never experienced. The feelings hit my heart and mind just as hard as I hit his chest. Filling my eyes with tears as I cried into his chest without even meaning to. Why is this happening? How can I do this with him when I don't even know him? The feeling must just be too overwhelming for me, I guess.

His arms stay wrapped around my body as I instinctively wrap mine around his upper body, just enjoying this moment of feeling safe for once.. because how many more times will I ever have this with what my job and past time is.

I feel his arms grip around me tighter, making me feel safer and a little calmed down the longer I sit in his arms. "Shhh.. Its ok Missy." he coos more, almost making me feel as if I'm a child, but to him I must seem like that. I just shook my head, not even knowing how to answer him back right now. "Hey, do you want to get out of here? We could go for a walk or ride to give you a breath of fresh air.. I bet that would help you at least feel a little better." He sweetly suggests to me.. and as much as I would like to run away with him at the moment, because he makes me feel so safe.. I just can't.

I let out a wavering breath before answering. "That's so sweet of you but I can't. I have to go to work and I need to do something before I can even do that.. I'm sorry, but no.. If I didn't have to work I definitely would, but I can't.. thanks anyways. If it's any consolation, you made me feel a little better.. thank you again." I said to him, hugging his torso tighter as he reciprocated my gesture before I let him go and started to walk away. I heard the door I came out of, burst open as I see Drake coming out of it with a huge smile on his face.

"Come on Missy, we were just having a little fun." he states to me, instantly pissing me off. "It was only fun for you two.. don't touch me again.. I'm requesting a new dancing partner if I decide I'm even coming back here tomorrow." I spat at him before a look of shock covered his face. "No, No, No Missy.. Please don't.. It wasn't my idea, I swear." he retorts to me as I glared at him getting farther down the alleyway headed straight towards me. But before he can even get close enough to reach me, Derek blocks him. "She doesn't want you near her and wants to be left alone." He demands from Drake, pissing him off as he glares daggers at Derek.

"You don't know what we are even talking about.. so how about you shut the f*#k up and move.. You say she wants to be alone and yet you're out here with her.. If you're not leaving, then neither am I." He declares, shoving Derek as I observe him squaring up to Drake and shoving him right back, making him stumble backwards before stating, because it should be obvious. "I don't know what happened, but all I know is that whatever you did has put her into tears completely upsetting her, no matter if it was a joke or not.. that's never alright.. I'm not OK with it.. So she says she doesn't want you near her and I'm going to make sure that doesn't happen while I'm around." He says this with so much passion and it somehow turns me on in that one declaration. No one has ever fought for me or even been prepared to.. and this is something I don't want to happen but happy it did.. It's showing me who Derek really is.. He seems to be amazing.. The more I find out, the more I seem to like him.. he is enticing on a whole new level. I swear I'm trying not to like him, but everything he does makes me like him, even if it's just a little bit more.. How do I control these feelings when I can't even control how they are being caused?

"Fine doctor pretty boy.. you're lucky you're here and I don't feel like fighting anyone at the moment.. Missy baby, I'll be seeing you later." he stated, turning around and leaving the alleyway, heading back into the theater, leaving us alone once more. Derek turns back around, making direct eye contact with me before softly asking. "Are you ok now?" I nod my head, before hitting his chest with my body like two magnets you can't seem to keep apart, being so drawn to each other. Derek wraps me in his comforting embrace another time, just holding me like before, which surprisingly is all I somehow needed. I feel my heart calming slightly, as I breathe in his ceder musk. His deep baritone voice says to me in such close proximity to my ear. "I know you need to go.. but just know, if you need anything please just call me and I'm there, I promise." I feel him putting something into my hand with his and it feels like a paper. I shook my head at him before saying probably too honestly. "You don't want any part of my problems.. I'm broken and too far gone.. not worth saving.. but thank you." This shouldn't be my automatic reaction, but sadly enough, it is.

I tried to hand his paper back, as I stepped back from his warm embrace. He just retorts by shaking his head and shutting my hand around the paper saying, "No one is too far gone and I think I should be the judge of what I want to be apart of trying to save.. But thank you." He completely shuts down my objection, knowing I do like having him around somehow.. Even though I have been trying to keep my emotions out of this, they have somehow found their way into the situation once again.

"Well, that's true, but don't say I didn't warn you when you want to run away." I stated, making him shake his head. "I don't think there is anything you could do that would make me want to do that." He says, catching me offguard as I stare at him for a moment. I can't tell by his stoic appearance if he is serious or not.. But I think he is. I shake my head just trying to bring myself back to reality before I get lost in this dream. "Thank you again.. I have to go." I said, backing up but still holding his number in my hand before shoving it into my pocket and running down the street, just to get this night done with, because I'm already over it and it hasn't even started yet.