Hi and thanks for taking the time to read my story. It's alittle lengthy, but ill try to keep it brief as possible.

About a year and a half ago, after going through a separation and a divorce in my home state of South Carolina, I was offered a chance to come work in Greensboro, NC. Feeling I needed a change, I decided to make the move. My aunt had lived in Winston-Salem for years and she and I had always gotten along real well. So, I moved to NC.

I want to add a few details here, as they will become pertinent later. I had been in manufacturing my whole life (machining, programming CNCs). In 2010, when the economy went to crap and I went through a couple of 3 and 6 month layoffs, I began questioning whether I should be in the field or not. With the encouagement of my now ex-wife, I went into home improvement sales. I had limited success and while still finding my way in this career, she decided she wanted out of the marriage and asked me to leave (no physical abuse nor infidelity.....as far as I know..was occuring). So, I found myself renting a room by the month in a career, a commission-only career, in which still learning to make money.

So, fast forward back to my move to North Carolina. I was transferring to another office in the sales company I worked with. My nights were mostly lonely, as I'm not a barhopper or much of a drinker at all. I would just browse the net while occasionally checking out the social sites, more as a time killer not really expecting to meet anyone.

But I did. I met Kristen who lived about 2 hours north in Virginia. We hit it off immediately. After several phone conversations, I went and visited and that was a year ago July, 17 months. We ended up falling in love and I'm not sure I've ever felt more connected to someone like I do with Kris.

Also in the last 17 months, I encountered some bad luck and got into a car accident while on a sales call. I was out of work for approx. 6 weeks and upon returning was told that all of a sudden I was unreliable and the position had been filled. The office wws failing and it's my opinion that the sales manager was looking to save his hide at anyones expense. So, I was out of work for a few month before I decided to fall back on what I know and went back into manufacturuing at $14 an hour. While out of work, I had to move in with my aunt because I could no longer afford my apartment. Kris and I had been talking about moving in together and if I hadnt lost my job and apartment, it would've already happened. But thats how life goes sometimes.

So, let me get to the crux of our problem. She had been single for a month when we met. Her boyfreind had been arrested and sent to prison. While together, he used to violently beat her, abuse her mentally and physically, just awful stuff. He lived way out in the woods and if he got mad at her, it wasn't out of the ordinary for him to beat the hell out of her and then kick her out of the camper (yes..a camper) and make her sleep out in the cold in a tent. Just real mind-'F' type stuff. There are worse stories. Ill spare you anymore details. She looked at his arrest as her 'out' and took it. She told him on the phone several times that she was done and not to call her anymore (yes, I was a witness to these conversations). He didn't seem to feel that was what he saw happening. On a side note, you cant imagine - unless you are the victim of severe verbal abuse - the way he talked to her. I could watch her demeanor change while on the phone with him from the strong confident woman I knew to what I can only describe as that of a beat dog. It was heartbreaking. To this day, he calls almost everyday, several times, even though at this point he is blocked on her phone.

He gets out Monday. She is absolutely paralyzed with fear. She wants to be out of the town she lives in and wants to basically disappear before Monday gets here. Ive been looking at places to rent - mobile homes, weekly apartments, anything. Im a big guy, about 6-3 255 lbs and have told her she'll be safe with me, but she is frozen with fear over this dude. I got paid yesterday. Due to the divorce and the last year and a half (which is why I wanted to give you the back story to understand why I have no nest egg or anything really to fall back on), my check is basically all I have to work with. Its approx $550 but not enough to get a place and get the utilities turned on. Between security deposits for the home and getting the utilities turned on, not to mention buying basic things needed when one moves in somewhere, I dont have enough. The only remaining option would be staying weekly at the no-tell motel and I would like to avoid moving the woman i love into a motel. Im not above it - I just dont want to put us, and mainly her, in that situation.

I don't know if this is reason enough to be asking for help here. Not only van I back up everything Ive told you if needed, and I would hope anyone could recognize this as the truth. I don't know what I need. I just need some more money than I have so we can go looking at places to live with a genuine hope of actually being able to rent a place if we find one.

Thank you again so much for listening to my story. I hope someone can see fit to help. It would mean more to me, and most importantly Kris, than you could know.

Nick