Chapter Seventy-Three

Angela sat alone again about an hour later flipping through her script some more. Lita had to leave to go to meet Jeff who wanted to go to a mall nearby for a pair of sneakers. Angela stressed and disgusted set her script aside, finished her third can of Pepsi and stared at her half eaten turkey sandwich, debating whether to eat the rest or not. Not wanting to eat anymore, Angela got up threw her sandwich and soda can away and went back for her script deciding to go see if Matt was around anywhere. She wanted to see him.

Angela was walking down a hallway on her way to Matt’s locker room when she saw Shannon Moore standing around talking to Shane.

"Hey guys!" Angela said stopping to talk to them.

"Ahh the lovely miss Angela, how are ya today?" Shane asked turning around to smile at Angela.

Angela giggled as she leaned against the wall next to Shannon, "I’m pretty good, what about you Shane?" Angela asked smiling at Shane and then at Shannon.

Shane shrugged, he was wearing his cape obviously getting ready for a back stage segment soon, "I’ve been better, but I guess I can’t complain..." Shane said shrugging as he smoothed a section of his cape around behind his arm.

Angela grinned, "What about you Shannon, how are you doing?" Angela asked looking over at him. Shannon had joined with the WWE only a few weeks before and he was close friends with all of them already.

Shannon smiled, running his fingers through his long shiny blond hair, "I’m good. Shane’s been helping me a lot, so has Matt, everybody has really, I like seeing all my good friends from way back more often now... it’s been years since I was with Matt and Jeff, and all those Carolina guys more then a day... it’s good to hangout with close friends again, you know?" Shannon said smiling as Angela shook her head and Shane spun around watching his cape twirl about him. Shannon chuckled at Shane and looked back at Angela, "It’s good to be wrestling live on a regular basis too... I love getting a stable paycheck too!" Shannon added as Angela laughed.

"I know exactly what you mean." Angela said smiling, remembering a time when finding a job for a paycheck to get by on was the most important thing she had to do to live, and to survive.

"I heard you and Matt hit what was it six months today?" Shannon asked as Angela blushed giggling.

"Yeah, yesterday, last night anyways. Yup we had a nice..... night...." Angela said trying to pick the right words to describe briefly how the night went. Nice wasn’t close..... amazing was more a fitting word to describe the night she had just had.

Shannon laughed, "Yeah I heard, Matt was like giddy this morning, he was a little to hyper for me!" Shannon said pausing as Angela giggled, "I haven’t seen Matt in as good a mood in a long time... maybe ever...!" Shannon smiled.

Angela grinned sighing, "I’m told I have that affect on him." Angela said softly as Shannon laughed.

Shane then chimed in suddenly, "He’s whipped Angela.... you put some kinda spell on him...it’s witchcraft I’m telling ya!" Shane said as Shannon laughed and Angela smiled rolling her eye’s.

"Why is it whenever I’m having a conversation with you Shane you always end up referring to me as a witch or something?!" Angela asked as they all laughed.

"I don’t know why you would think of Angela as a witch Shane, I like to think of Cinderella when Angela’s around...." A voice said from down the hall called out and Angela knew who it was instantly as she turned and looked to see Matt walking towards them.

Angela smiled as Matt came up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist kissing her cheek as he glanced up at Shannon and Shane.

Shane stared at him and sighed, "Ohh wait and now the black cat has arrived!" Shane said laughing, stepping back to duck a playful slap from Matt.

"Black cats and witches... jeeze it’s not Halloween Shane!" Matt said chuckling as Angela shook her head laughing at Shannon who was laughing so hard he was holding onto the wall so he wouldn’t fall over.

"He’s ready for Halloween!" A familiar voice called from down the hallway.

Angela glanced back over Matt’s shoulder to see Jason and Adam walking down towards them. Shannon continued to laugh as they approached and Shane stared at them giving Jay the evil eye.

"I happen to like my cape.... thank you very much!" Shane said sticking his tongue out at Jay as he pulled his cape protectively around himself.

Angela giggled snuggling back against Matt’s chest. Matt wore a shiny, black silk shirt and his worn favorite jeans and his hair was pulled into a ponytail and he felt warm, and Angela was happy to be back in his arms.

Matt & Angela chatted with everyone for a few more minutes and then they left to go walk around for a while.

Angela was holding Matt’s hand listening to him talking about his rehearsal earlier with Chris, as they walked out into the parking lot and started around the corner of the arena and out to the street.

Angela sighed yawning a bit as she rubbed her forehead with her free hand and continued to listen to Matt talk.

After a few moments Matt glanced over at Angela and saw her looking ahead, a confused expression across her usual happy smile, and Matt watched her biting her bottom lip. "Hey." Matt said softly squeezing her hand for her attention, concerned.

Angela looked over at him a moment later and stared at him confused. "Huh?" Angela asked confused.

"You okay?" Matt asked staring at her.

Angela sighed, "Yeah I just have a lot on my mind." Angela said looking up at Matt. She realized how confusing this all had to be for Matt, he knew something was wrong, just not what. Angela hated lying to him, hated to see him just as confused. She had a lot on her mind, she was happy about what had happened between them and scared thinking constantly about what Ray had said to her... it won’t be long... what did that mean? She took a breath and looked at Matt, amazed at how much she needed him, how much she loved him.

Matt frowned, "I thought we were gonna talk when we got back...you were gonna tell me everything." Matt said softly watching Angela glance away and then stare back at him.

"Matt I was gonna tell...." Angela started when Matt interrupted her.

"Your not gonna tell me?" Matt asked upset and a bit angry.

Angela took a deep breath and stared at him, "No I’m gonna tell you, I swore I would and I want to, you need to know, you deserve to know.... I haven’t told you yet because last night was so special I didn’t want to ruin it, I didn’t want to spoil it talking about things that... happened.... I wanted it to be special.... to be perfect...." Angela whispered feeling a bit weak.

Matt grinned, "I’m sorry..... Angie it was perfect....it was very special.....I love you, I’m happy your still going to tell me what’s wrong." Matt whispered apologizing, as he leaned over and kissed her quickly.

Angela grinned, then she sighed staring at him, "There’s a lot we need to talk about. Can we talk about it later tonight... after the show, when we get back to the hotel?" Angela asked staring at him.

Matt smiled, "Of course we can! That sounds great.... I wanna know...." Matt whispered watching Angela frown biting her lip as she glanced away from him.

"Okay, good." Angela whispered as Matt let go of her hand and slipped his arm around her waist as she snuggled against him, walking as she listened to him begin to talk again.

*

Matt was still talking when Angela’s cell phone started ringing. Angela groaned as Matt smiled at her and let go of her hand and she took her cell phone from the clip on her belt and glanced at the number. Angela groaned seeing Vince’s number appear on the screen.

"Who is it?" Matt asked as Angela rubbed her forehead.

"It’s Vince." Angela groaned as Matt sighed.

"Don’t answer it!" Matt said smiling as he moved over and leaned against the brick wall of the building across from the arena and watched Angela stare at the phone a moment as it rang over and over.

"I have to answer it Matt!" Angela said rolling her eye’s as she glanced at him and pressed a button saying hello.

"Angela hey it’s Vince." Vince said into the phone.

"Yeah hi I know. What’s up Vince?" Angela asked as she moved towards Matt & he slipped his arms around her as she leaned against him and listened to Vince talking about some photo shot scheduled for the next morning that he wanted her to go to.

Once Angela hung up she felt even more stressed. "What’d he want?" Matt asked hugging Angela gently as she turned in his arms and stared up at him.

"Photo shot 9am... I have to be there." Angela said as Matt frowned.

Angela snuggled against him as Matt sighed talking softly, "I guess we’ll have to make tonight a quick early night then huh? You need to get some sleep." Matt said as Angela giggled, looking back up at him.

"Matt as exhausted as I am.... and as much as I would just like to go to the hotel later and sleep.... I could never be to tired for you Matt!" Angela whispered kissing Matt’s lips as he chuckled holding her gently close to him.

"Good then I still have something to look forward to...." Matt whispered kissing her back softly.

Angela smiled, "You’re looking forward to it?" Angela asked giggling as Matt sighed smiling at her as she opened her eye’s and met his.

"You have no idea how badly I’m looking forward to it! I wish we could just fast forward through the next few hours and get back to the hotel and just repeat last night........." Matt whispered as Angela smiled at him.

"Aww Matty me too!" Angela whispered giggling as Matt chuckled, then she smiled kissing him softly.

After a few moments Matt pulled away from Angela’s lips and took a few deep breaths trying to catch his breath. Angela sighed snuggling against him, he was warm and he felt so good.

Matt hugged Angela gently twisting a strand of her long hair around his finger as Angela sighed and looked back up at him resting her forehead against his and meeting his soft dark sparkling eye’s, "I love you........." Angela whispered touching Matt’s cheek gently with a few finger tips.

Matt grinned, "I love you too Angie." Matt whispered as he leaned over and kissed Angela delicately.

Angela sighed snuggling warm and safe against Matt, "Matt you don’t know how happy I am when you say that to me." Angela whispered against Matt’s lips.

Matt chuckled continuing to kiss her gently. "Angie... I love you....." Matt whispered again repeating it over and over several times making Angela smile kissing him deeply....... if this is what happiness is supposed to feel like then Angela was glad she had finally found it.

***

Angela spent the next following hours rehearsing in the ring for the show that night, while Matt was busy with meet & greets, and taping a backstage segment.

Angela had just gotten out of the shower and had changed, she was about to brush through her hair when her cell phone rang. Angela turned around and stared at the phone sitting on the arm of the couch.

She took a long breath as she walked to the couch took the phone, not recognizing the number, and pressed a button and slowly put it to her ear and finally said hello.

"Angel.... it’s time......" An all to familiar haunting voice said as Angela’s heart raced and the phone line went dead.

Angela dropped the phone, not watching it shatter to the floor and turned to run for the door... to find someone, anyone.... but as she did she watched horrified as it opened and two figures stood there staring horrifyingly at her, as she stared at them she tried to scream... no sound came out... her voice was gone and she was feeling dizzy from breathing so hard, and fast... she was out of breath... she was all alone... it was time... she understood all to well now, the past had caught up with her. Time was up.........!