“LANCE! LANCE!” the shivering brunette screamed as she banged on her best friend’s door.
    “Geez Suzy, don’t have a cow! I’m coming!” he yelled back. He glanced at his watch, almost 3 AM, before opening the door. He was shocked at the scene that greeted him. The girl’s hair was a mess, her clothes in shreds. He noticed she wouldn’t look up at him. He reached out and gently but firmly grabbed her chin, turning it up so he could get a good look at her face. Her make-up was smeared. Though it was raining outside he could tell she was crying. Her right eye almost swollen shut, her left cheek was bruised, and her lip was busted and bleeding.
    “He did it again didn’t he?” Lance asked Suzanne, anger obvious in his voice. She jerked her face away from him and started to cry even harder. Suzanne figured she was going to get another lecture. Instead Lance reached out and took her in his arms. She buried her face in his chest and continued to sob. Lance fought not to cry. He hated seeing her like this. When her tears began to let up, Lance decided they needed to go inside.
    “Come on Sweetie. Let’s go get you cleaned up and then I’ll find us both some dry clothes.” She nodded against him and them allowed herself to be lead inside. Lance closed the door and then bolted the lock. He knew there wasn’t much that would stop her boyfriend when he was like this, but maybe it would slow him down some. The blonde closed his eyes, shook his head and sighed before putting his arm around his friend’s shoulder and helped her upstairs. This was becoming an all too common occurrence.
    Once in Lance’s bathroom, he lifted her up on the counter, before peeling his wet shirt off and tossing it in the bathtub. Then he opened the drawer and pulled out a washcloth. He noticed Suzanne was still crying as he wetted the washcloth. He reached up and began to wash off her face carefully as the tears continued to stream down her face. Her eyes kept trying to catch his, with no success. She tried to read his facial expressions but his face was stony. In her heart she knew he was mad, partly at her, but the silence was killing her.
    “Please say something,” Suzanne begged. Lance glanced up at her briefly.
    “Not yet,” he needed to calm down. He didn’t want to yell at her. He knew it wasn’t her fault, but he was still a little upset with her never the less. Lance had warned her several times that Jeremy was bad news. This wasn’t the first time she had come begging for his help after the two had fought. The past couple of times he had begged her not to go back. She had told Lance over and over that she had to because she loved him. He thought she sounded more like she was trying to convince herself than him. He finished washing her face, then stepped back. Lance leaned up against the wall and closed his eyes before speaking. “So what happened this time?”
    She took a deep breath before speaking. “He came home... he was drunk... again. He had been clubbing and was dancing with some girl. I don’t know what happened between them,” tears continued to flow down her cheeks from her blue eyes. “I just know he was drunk and horny. He got mad because I wouldn’t sleep with him. There was no way I was going to sleep with him in the state he was in. I didn’t even want him to touch me. It’s not like he would have even remembered it in the morning!” Lance let out a groan. He knew what was coming next. She always blamed herself for their fights. “I was asking for it though. I should have gone out with him or something. Then this would have never happened,” she said while reaching up touching her swollen eye and winced at the sensation. She drew in a sharp breath and Lance opened his eyes to look at the girl perched on the counter. Lance sighed again.
    “Sweetie, how many times do I have to tell you this isn’t your fault?”
    “Lance...”
    “No, don’t. I’m not going to argue with you about this tonight,” he replied calmly. “Stay here. I’ll go get you some dry clothes.” She nodded, astonished that he cut her off. He quickly made his way out of the bathroom and began to dig through his dresser drawers trying to find clothes for them both. He tried not to think about what had just happened. It broke his heart to think about what she was putting up with. She could do so much better. Why she couldn’t see that other men wanted her was beyond him. ‘Maybe one day I’ll get up the courage to tell her the truth,’ he thought to himself as he pulled out some clothes. He shrugged on a clean shirt and then changed pants before taking a pair of cotton shorts and a T-shirt to his friend.
    “Here Suzy,” he said as he handed her the clothes. “Come in the bedroom when you are done,” he was almost out the door, but then he turned around and pulled her into a hug. Then he left the room and closed the door behind him. Lance decided he should go get some ice for her face while she was changing. When he got back upstairs she was curled up in a ball on his bed.
    “I brought you some ice,” he almost whispered, not trusting his voice, before sitting down beside her. Suzanne stretched out and rolled over on her back. He gently placed the ice on her face and began to stroke her hair out of his face with the other hand. No words were exchanged. Before long he realized she was asleep. He stood up and turned off the light before crawling back into the bed. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her on the forehead. She unconsciously snuggled up against him, she felt safe in his arms.

Imagine you, imagine me
I got a feeling I know how it's gonna be, yeah
With just a kiss and then a touch
That leads to everything I want so much
So when you’re ready baby just say the word, yeah
I'll give you everything I know you deserve

    The next morning Lance woke up to an empty bed. He sighed when he saw the note on the pillow thanking him for the help, telling him she had to go make things right with Jeremy. This wasn’t the first time he had received this kind of letter.
    He got up and began to pace the room. He began to curse himself for not telling her the truth the night before. Maybe she wouldn't have left. Then the phone began to ring. It was the hospital. Suzanne was just brought to the emergency room. A call was placed to 911 but when they picked up there was no one on the line. The call was traced to Suzanne’s apartment and an ambulance and the police were sent out to check on her. They had found her passed out on the floor. She had a broken arm and a concussion.
    The police had gone through her wallet and the only number they could find was Lance’s. They were trying to find out what had happened. Lance told them the story of what had happened with her and Jeremy the night before and told the officer that he believed that he was more than likely the one that had broken her arm. The police tried to find out Jeremy’s whereabouts but Lance had no clue. The officer thanked him for his help before he hung up the phone. Lance immediately began to freak out and frantically ran around trying to get dressed. He wanted to get to hospital. He didn’t want Suzanne to wake up alone.

Oh girl you've never really been loved before
So let me tell you, I got what you're waiting for
Someone to give you, all that you need
Someone to love you, That's what you get with me
Someone to show you, how good it can be
Make no mistake about it that's what you get with me

    Suzanne woke up to find Lance starring at her from a chair next to the bed. “Lance,” she whispered.
    “Shh, save your energy,” he answered. She tried to speak again but he just shook his head. “The doctor says you have a compound fracture of your arm and your wrist is broken in several places.” She slightly nodded, afraid to speak for fear of being scolded again. Tears begin to well up in her eyes. She was in great pain. “You’ve got a concussion. I called your mom. She’ll be here soon. I’ve been so worried about you.” Suzanne looked up at him with sad eyes.
    “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry. I should have listened to you. I don’t know why I was so stupid. I thought he loved me. I thought we were going to make it work.”
    “Don’t go blaming yourself again. I have told you over and over that it isn’t your fault.”
    “Lance...”
    “No, just listen to me," he said as he stood up and began to pace the room, "I have sat and watched you get hurt and hurt over and over again. I can’t take it anymore. Don’t you know there are other people out there that want you? People that want to love you, you just won’t open your eyes and see it!” he finished as he leaned over her bed placing his hands on either side of her.
    “Lance what... who are you talking about?” she asked confused.
    “Me,” he barely whispered.
    “What?” even more confused than before.
    “I am talking about me," he said before starting to pace again. "I don’t know how to say it any other way. I have wanted you for so long, but I had to sit back and watch as Jeremy destroyed your life. I have been waiting for the right time to tell you but you never wanted to hear it. You kept trying to tell me that you loved Jeremy, but you and I both know that isn’t true. You were just too scared to leave him. I would never treat you like that. I could show you what it really feels like to be able to love and be loved back,” he said as he walked back over to her and took her hand in his.
    “I... I don’t know what to say,” she replied as she tried to grasp what he was saying.

[Girl], take my hand
Don't be afraid
Your heart is something I could never break
And know for sure, without a doubt
That you got something I never want to live without
So when you close your eyes and drift off to sleep
I wanna be the one who's there in your dreams
And when you wake up [girl] with love on your mind
Just call my name and I'll tell you whatcha gonna find

    He hadn’t heard from Suzanne in over a week. He had left the hospital soon after he had told her how he felt about her. She was still at a loss for words when her mom had gotten there and he figured then was not the best time to talk about it. Now that all this time had passed he figured he had scared her off. He felt better knowing that she now knew. He didn’t know for sure but he was hoping that she had at least gotten up the courage to leave Jeremy. It was killing him not knowing how she was. He missed her. A knock on the door broke him out of his sorrowful thoughts.
    “Coming,” he called from the living room. He got up and made his way to the door. He opened the door to find Suzanne standing there. She look a hundred times better than she had the last time he had seen her. The bruises had begun to fade and the swelling in her face had gone down. Her left arm was still in a cast. She still had long time to go before all the physical damage healed. The emotional damage was another story. “Suzy,” Lance whispered in surprise.
    “Hiya Cutie,” she answered quietly, smiling. “Aren’t you gonna invite me in?”
    “Um yeah, come in,” he replied as he moved out of the doorway. She walked in and he closed the door behind her. He turned to look at her and had to smile. “You look wonderful.”
    “Thanks,” she blushed.
    “I’ve missed you.”
    “I’ve missed you too. I’m sorry I just disappeared on you. I just need some time to think,” she tried to explain.
    “To think about what?”
    “About you... about me... about us,” she replied as she searched his eyes trying to find emotions in them. She found fear... fear that was reflected in her eyes. He looked at her face trying to find answers. “About what you said. It scared me, but it made me think. Don’t let this go to your head, but you were right.”
    “Excuse me,” Lance interrupted. “Say that again.” An evil grin spread over Lance’s face. Suzanne had to chuckle at his expression.
    “You... were... right,” she spread the words out.
    “About what part?”
    “Aren’t you just full of questions today?” she asked shaking her head.
    “Yes and I hope you have the answers,” he replied truthfully. She sighed before continuing.
    “About Jeremy destroying my life. About you trying to tell me that, but me not wanting to listen.” Lance nodded, interested in where she was going with this. “So I took some time to really think about what you said and I left Jeremy. I am tired of being scared all the time... I want my life back.”
    “That’s understandable. I’m glad you finally came to your senses.” Suzanne meekly smiled at him. “You said you thought about us. What about us? Is there an us?”
    “Lance you scared me to death when you told me how you felt. That was the last thing I was expecting to come out of your mouth.” Lance was expecting the worst after she said that. “But it was also the best thing that you could have said.” Lance stopped breathing when she said that. She was taking his emotions on a roller coaster ride.
    “So what does this mean?” he asked.
    “It means that I think the man of my dreams was standing in front of me the entire time but I was too blind to see it.”
    “You don’t know how long I have been waiting to hear that,” Lance said before wrapping is arms around her and leaning down to bring his lips to hers.

Girl I heard in love there's no guarantees
But I promise you just as long as I breathe
I'll give to you a love so true
All you have to do is do it
Come on baby, let's get to it
Someone to give you, all that you need
Someone to love you, That's what you get with me
Someone to show you, how good it can be
Make no mistake about it that's what you get with me
That’s what you get with me
That’s what you get with me

“That’s what you get” – Boyz N Girlz United