Page 86 of Dirty Discipline, Vol. 1

“Okay, stay calm. I’m sure it is nothing big. Hallie has had a lot of traumatic relationships in her life and we haven’t even come close to uncovering all of her triggers. I’m guessing something happened or was said that just triggered some negative memories and she’s having trouble working through the emotions. Nothing else seems to make sense. Try to think back. What were you talking about right before she acted differently?”

Troy blushes and is glad his sister can’t see him. “Honestly, things were great. She got here early and we made love. It was better than great. I went and took a shower first to get ready to go and then I let her freshen up in the bathroom and by the time she was done, she was like a changed person.”

“Troy, you didn’t spank her, did you? I don’t think she’s ready yet.”

“No, Trace. I didn’t spank her. At least not last night. We goofed around some at Copper Mountain, but nothing serious. I really thought she was doing fine with the idea of DD and honestly, she more than earned a punishment with her behavior last night, but I knew something deeper was going on that I needed to help her work through first.”

“That’s strange. Have you called Gina and Adam yet? Maybe they’ve heard from her.”

“I haven’t yet. I didn’t want to worry them and honestly, I don’t want them to think things aren’t going well between us.”

“Sorry, but from what you’ve told me, you may not have a choice, Troy. They are going to figure something is up. Listen, let me get up and dressed. I’ll try to contact Hallie and see if she’ll come in to talk things through with me. Maybe I can get her to open up, but Troy…”

“Yes, Trace.”

“I’m going to see her as a patient. You are going to have to respect her privacy. No pumping me for information, do you hear me?”

“Trace, I just want her to be happy and safe.”

“Spoken like a true HoH. I love you, Troy. Hang in there and stay positive. I’m sure there is a reasonable explanation for everything.”

Hallie has had to pull over twice to blow her nose and try to get her crying under control since leaving Denver. She’s fighting the urge to turn the SUV around and head back to Troy’s. Leaving had seemed like the thing to do when she woke up this morning to find he was sound asleep. Better to leave before he could have a chance to lie to her again. She feels like a coward by leaving without letting him know how bad he’s broken her heart, but she just doesn’t have the strength. Just like when she ran away from Gene and later Eddie, it’s easier to slink away than to confront the men who have hurt her in her life.

She’s trying to figure out what she’s going to tell Aunt Gina when she hears her phone ding with an incoming text message. Hallie has already ignored several calls and texts from Troy and now she sees it’s Traci calling. Just great. He’s dragging his sister into this mess. A wave of sadness hits Hallie as she realizes she’s never going to be able to go back for sessions with Traci. There’s no way she’ll be able to talk freely about Troy with his sister. Just seeing her will bring back too many memories. She hears the ding for another voicemail message.

With each mile she gets closer to Eagle’s Pass, the harder her heart is pounding. It’s as if her body is revolting from her decision to leave Troy’s without having settled things between them, but what’s the point? Staying would only have left her wanting more of what she can never have. By the time she is pulling into her aunt’s driveway, Hallie just wants to fall into her bed, pull the covers over her head and hide until it doesn’t hurt anymore.

Before she’s out of the SUV, the front door swings open, her uncle filling the doorway. He doesn’t look happy.

She’s not even halfway up the walk when he calls out to her. “Troy is worried sick about you, young lady. What possessed you to get up and drive away without telling him where you were going and then not answer your cell phone?”

She is in no mood for Uncle Adam’s tone. “I thought you told me not to talk and drive. I was only doing what you and Troy lectured me about.” She brushes past him into the living room and stops dead in her tracks. Aunt Gina is sitting on the couch looking like she’s been crying.

That’s not the part that surprises Hallie the most. Sitting next to her is Stacey.

“Stacey? What are you doing here?”

“Hey, Hallie. I drove over from Denver in a rental. We have another show tonight before the tour is moving on. I was worried about you after last night and I had some things I wanted to talk to you about that I didn’t get a chance to last night before your boyfriend carted you off.

Luckily, he gave me your address.”

Hallie drops her bag with a plop. “Yeah, well he’s not really my boyfriend.”

Aunt Gina lets out a sad cry. “Oh Hallie, what happened, honey? I thought things were going so well with Troy.”

“You and me both, Aunt Gina. Apparently, Troy had other ideas.”

Uncle Adam butts in. “If that young man hurt one hair on your head, I’m gonna bring him up in front of the Disciplinary Board.”

The irony is thick as she swings to look at her uncle, anger at every HoH in the city of Eagle’s Pass suddenly bubbling over. “Oh, never fear, Uncle Adam. He didn’t hurt a hair on my head. He just broke my heart instead. I’m sure there are no rules against that in Eagle’s Pass. And like it matters anyway. Troy is a man. Men have no consequences. You all get a figurative slap on the wrist and a fine. Troy doesn’t even live here anyway and… “ Hallie’s heart contracts as she prepares to say the words that hurt her more than she wants to admit. “And, he never will live in Eagle’s Pass.”

Her aunt and uncle stand staring at her in shock at her outburst. Stacey, on the other hand, has jumped up and grabbed Hallie’s hands. “I’m so glad I came. I didn’t think I could talk you into coming with us and leaving that hunk of a man behind, but if he’s not really your boyfriend, we’d really like it if you would join the tour as my assistant.”

Hallie is confused. “Who is we?”

Stacey clarifies. “The management company. The Kings are falling apart without you and only after you left did they all realize how important you were to keeping everything running smoothly. They know better than to stick you with Eddie again, but they would love it if you would take a new band under your wing and help them get organized and on tour. Who knows? Maybe we can go on the road together. Wouldn’t that be great?”

Hallie’s heart is pounding at the most unexpected offer. She knows she should be grateful and on one level she is. It’s nice to know that people had noticed what a good job she’d done and it makes her feel validated. Still, the idea surprises her. She dares a glance at her aunt and can see the panic on Gina’s face at the thought of Hallie leaving Eagle’s Pass.

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