Falling Stars - Chapter 9
Reese stood in the doorway only half listening to the conversation her friend was having with Avalon. It seemed as the days and weeks passed Reese was having more and more trouble with her concentration. She was becoming easily distracted, but by only one thing. Jeff Hardy. There was something about the man that just took her breath away. Even though they both were in relationships, although hers was barely even that, she could still see herself in his arms. See herself holding him, kissing him, being loved by him. But it was all wrong. They had met under the worst circumstances.
From day one, Reese and her partners had promised to keep business, business and pleasure, pleasure. Vowing to never mix them for fear they may blow their cover. In all the years they had been on the job, becoming the best Private Investigators in the business, Reese had never been as tempted to break her rules as she was now. Every so often she would catch Avalon and Troy getting close to breaking the rules and she would stop them.
This time she could hardly contain herself let alone stop Troy and Avalon wasn't around so who knew what she had done.
Reese's thoughts drifted to Troy and how sorry she felt for her. Troy had finally met her match, the perfect man for her and here she was sacrificing happiness for the team. Maybe after the case was over Troy and Jason could try and have a relationship. But in the back of her mind Reese knew that that wouldn't happen.
The cases always ended the same way. Everyone they had made friends with felt betrayed and used. Most of them would never speak to the girls again.
"Hey Reese, Av says everything is okay. Nothing of interest has happened since she has been there. She would have talked to you, but she had to go warm up for the show," Troy told her. Reese didn't really mind that she didn't get a chance to talk to Avalon. She wasn't really in the mood to talk to anyone, even her two best friends.
"Um, Troy I think I am going to go lay down in Jeff and Matt's locker room. I'll talk to you before you go out there okay?"
"Yeah no problem, is everything okay Reese?"
"Oh, um yeah everything is fine Troy. I am just feeling a little bit tired that's all. I was up late last night thinking about the case," said as she turned to leave the room. She walked the short distance to her friends locker room in a sort of daze. She needed to be alone and she knew Jeff and his brother wouldn't be around for a while. They were going over the match that they were scheduled to have that night against three of the other tag teams.
Walking into the locker room she threw herself down on the soft leather couch that sat against the far wall and curled herself into a little ball.
She was so confused. Would it really be that wrong to let herself fall in love with this man or to let Troy tell Jason about her secret? Were they even really suspects and if they weren't then maybe it would be better to have them on their side. Reese was finding for the first time in the years she had been at this job she couldn't give the answers. She just wasn't sure.
The frustration and confusion continued to build inside of her. She felt like she was going to explode from the pressure, but instead she started to cry, something she rarely ever did.
She tried to fight it at first, but then realized she couldn't win and let the tears flow. She continued to cry until she eventually cried herself to sleep.
************************
"Hey Troy, wait up," a male voice said from behind her. Instantly she recognized the voice as Jason's. Turning around to greet him, she saw the huge grin that he wore on his face, making her smile even wider.
"What's going on? I thought you guys all had to go over you match for tonight."
"Oh we did that already. I told them we had to make it quick because I wanted to see you before the show. Andrew told me you wanted to hit one of us with a chair tonight, is that true?" Jason asked her with an amused look on his face.
"Yeah, but I specifically said I wanted to hit Adam with the chair tonight. Andrew is just trying to cause trouble," Troy said laughing a little.
"Adam said you could hit him, he loves it when the girls play rough. It's going to be pretty wild out there tonight. A four corners tag match, no disqualifications with you, Reese, Amy and Nora at ringside, man I think we are all going to be hurting when the night is through."
"Don't worry baby, I'll take care of you and ice all of your injuries," Troy said hoping that he would take her up on the offer.
"That would be nice and in return I could ice yours for you. The four of you women are going to be getting pretty physical too."
"I know, but I can take them," Troy smiled. "And of course I would be honored if you would take care of me later."
"Well, I should get back to Adam, we have to get ready and then find Reese. I will meet you outside your locker room after the match," Jason said as he leaned in and kissed her gently on the mouth.
"Okay, good luck tonight and be careful," she called after him as he headed towards his locker room.
"Thanks and you too."
Turning back towards the locker room that she shared with Andrew, Troy went to go change. Her face frozen in a perma-smile, all she could do was think about Jason and the gentle kiss he had planted on her lips only moments ago.
Tracing her figure over her lips, she felt them tingle all over again. There was no doubt in her mind that they belonged together, now all she had to do was prove that to Reese.