Baring it All (part 51) My Turn Travis and I sat on the couch after the last person had gone. Danesha was in her room resting. I lay my head on his shoulder feeling completely drained. Neither of us had slept much the past few days because Danesha was having nightmares. She'd wake up screaming and crying for Sheila. I'd never understood same sex love but I now knew that what Danesha felt for Sheila was as real as what Travis and I had. Her heart was ripped into pieces and Travis and I were determined to help her get through this. Neither of us talked. There had been too much conversation going on for the past several days. I'd told him all about Momma and that I was quitting the club. I knew that after everything that had happened I could never go back there again. The events of the past weeks and falling in love with Travis had completely changed me. I was not the same girl who'd walked through those doors and boldly spread her legs just to get a job. Travis had suggested that I get counseling. At first I was angry until he explained to me that he felt that I had a sexual addiction. As he described the symptoms I realized he was right. He promised that if I made the appointments he would support me all the way. We'd also made some phone calls to get Danesha into grief counseling. I'd read somewhere that losing a spouse was the most difficult of all deaths and no matter what anyone said, that's what Danesha was going through. The phone rang and Travis reached over to answer it. "It's Detective Sellers" he said. "I'll take it in the kitchen." I hung up the extension when I heard Travis pick up. The doorbell rang and Travis peeked his head into the living room. I looked through the window. "It's just Billy" I said. "Heather probably forgot something. I'll get it." I got up and walked to the door. I had just opened it a few inches when Travis came running into the room. MARISSA! Don't open that door!! He screamed. I turned towards Travis's voice but it was too late. I felt the blade come crashing down. It burned as it seared through my flesh. I staggered backwards and fell onto the floor as Travis charged the door. I lay there bleeding as I watched Travis struggling with Billy trying to free the knife from his hands. I screamed as I saw him cut Travis' hand and the two men continued to fight. Travis took Billy's arm and slammed it repeatedly against the wall until he finally dropped the knife. Then Travis punched him in his face. He staggered out of the door and onto the porch. I heard them struggling but could no longer see what was going on. The burning pain in my chest was becoming unbearable and I slowly lost consciousness…