Art of War

 

 

Chapter 1

 

Main Event Pro-Wrestling Camp.

 

The moment, the second, he saw the advertisement flyer on the telephone pole, just down the street from the apartment he lived in with his mother, Jon was instantly hooked.  He tore the paper off the telephone pole and pocketed it as neatly as he could in his jean shorts, the sun beating down on him.  Cincinnati, Ohio in the summer was brutal and it was currently in the 90’s.  It didn’t matter.  He found the answer he’d been searching for, his obsession for professional wrestling outweighing everything else.

 

Wrestling was an escape for Jon.  He had so many videotapes scattered throughout his room, most of them being WCW, ECW, and WWF.  Stolen tapes from the video stores throughout Cincinnati, at that.  Jon didn’t have the money to buy them outright, and he was obsessed with wrestling, watching it every chance he got.  From the first moment he watched a wrestling match, Jon knew that was what he wanted to do.  It was the only thing in this world that made him happy.  He wanted to be a professional wrestler.  The brutality and anger, especially in ECW, really spoke to him and it helped him escape the horrors of his childhood.

 

At age 16, Jon had found his answer and he would do whatever it took to get into this Main Event Pro-Wrestling Camp.  He didn’t have a lot of money, never pocketing too much due to thugs and drug dealers always swarming him to see what he had on him.  To rip him off.  Granted, Jon carried a pair of brass knuckles on him and he had to blast some dealers in the face a time or two to get away from a beating.  It was a gauntlet to get to and from school on a daily basis.  Some of the dealers, especially one named Lavon, would stop Jon on his walk home from school and make him sell dope.  Then, once it was gone, he would beat Jon up and take the money for himself, leaving him laying on the ground.  That was how most of his middle school years went.

 

Anything of value would be stolen, so Jon never carried any possessions on him besides the brass knuckles and a pocket Swiss army knife.  Cincinnati was a very dangerous city to live in and Jon learned, at a very young age, one had to get their hands dirty in order to survive here.  He was a survivor.  His mother didn’t help with anything because she was too busy putting food on the table by selling her body.  There were times Jon walked right past her while she worked her corner, just down the street from their apartment, and he couldn’t look her in the eye ever.  It was the only way she found that worked to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads.

 

Weightlifting became second nature to Jon, figuring he had to have a great physique in order to get into professional wrestling.  He wasn’t that big of a guy, standing at 6’4 and his weight was around 180.  The gym at school was always open after hours, so Jon took a couple days out of the week to lift weights and workout.  It was better than going home and hearing his mother earn a living on her back.  He had a couple of friends, but never kept anyone too close, just wanting to get through school, graduate and find a way to get into professional wrestling.  There was never a time, to Jon’s knowledge, where he didn’t like professional wrestling.  Maybe he was 5, 6, 7, 8…the age didn’t matter, it was the ONLY thing he liked and became obsessed with overtime.

 

The only habit Jon had acquired at the age of 14 was smoking cigarettes.  He never touched drugs, seeing what they did to his mother and father, who was currently in prison.  Smoking was also an escape and it helped keep him calm, especially on nights he was stuck in the apartment with his mother and one of her ‘clients’.  It caused him to have breathing problems, but Jon pushed through it and wouldn’t give up smoking to become a professional wrestler.  He’d deal with the setback smoking brought forth and he knew a lot of other wrestlers in the world smoked too.

 

Pulling a cigarette out, along with the flyer, Jon began reading it over carefully.  Les Thatcher was the owner of the wrestling camp, his name splattered all over the flyer.  He was one of the trainers.  Les Thatcher was a 1960-1970’s wrestler, old-school, and that alone intrigued Jon since he enjoyed watching old-school wrestling matches too.  Taking a pull from his cigarette, Jon let the smoke filter out of his nostrils and mouth slowly, letting the nicotine filter its way through his system.  Because of his height and build, not very many cops patrolling the streets – there weren’t many due to the dealers – didn’t stop or give Jon a second glance.

 

Jon re-read the flyer on the way home and stopped, pocketing it at the sight of the drug dealers minding their own business.  Jon already had his brass knuckles on, ready to pound skulls in if anyone tried screwing with him, his pale blues nothing more than ice.  As he got older, stronger and muscular, the dealers didn’t mess with him nearly as much as they used to when he was a small, scrawny kid.  He was easy prey to them and Jon made sure to change that, by any means necessary.  Managing to make it back to the apartment unscathed, Jon went straight to his room and pulled out a map to see where exactly this wrestling camp was located.

 

It was just on the outskirts of Cincinnati, about a 20-minute drive from where he lived now.  On the other side of the city, naturally.  Why couldn’t anything ever be easy?  Jon sighed, knowing it would take him a good 2 hours to get there and decided he’d have to do it.  Cabs were too expensive and he didn’t trust anyone around here enough to ask for a ride.  His mother didn’t even own a car, which was why she didn’t have a regular 9-5 job.  Snorting, Jon pocketed the flyer again and stared out the window, rubbing his hands together.

 

Later that night, Jon wrote a letter to the wrestling camp and sent it out first thing in the morning on his way to school.  He was hoping to receive a response very soon and it wasn’t until a month later, he finally came home to see a letter waiting for him from Les Thatcher himself.  It was from a typewriter, of all things, and explained everything Jon needed to do.  Fees, college…did they really think he was college material?  Jon refused to be discouraged and folded the letter up, setting it in his room where it wouldn’t be destroyed.  The school was on the outskirts of Cincinnati, so Jon would be trekking the 2 hours to get there.  Tomorrow was Friday, another school day, so he planned to go to this wrestling camp Saturday, needing to talk to Les Thatcher or whoever was in charge in person.

 

~!~

 

BANG – BANG – BANG

 

That was the only thing Jon heard as he made his way up to the white building, the doors wide open.  There was no air-conditioning, which was probably why the windows, huge garage, and doors wide open.  It was a scorching 90 degrees outside, not including the heat index.  Jon didn’t care about the weather or how hot it was.  This was his dream, the only thing he wanted to do with his life.  Hell, if he had to drop out of school in order to become a wrestler, so be it.  He would do it without thinking twice.  Squaring his shoulders, Jon made his way inside and looked around, pale blues wide in awe.

 

The ring made his heart skip a beat.

 

However, something, or rather someone else, caught his eye as well.  Jon couldn’t believe who else was here, raising a slow brow.  Chacia was her name.  They went to the same school together, though she was somewhat of a recluse.  He hadn’t spoken a word to her, not much of a conversationalist and kept to himself as well, also a recluse.  They each had their little circle of friends, but that was it, neither were popular.  Chacia Davis was a beautiful girl with curly blonde hair and deep hazel eyes, her figure feminine yet built at the same time.  Currently, she was setting flyers on the setup chairs and Jon could tell there was a show that night.  It was around 9 AM in the morning – Jon had come just a half hour after training began.

 

“Who is that?”

 

Chacia’s eyes moved from the flyers to the boy standing in the doorway and felt her eyes widen. “Oh my god, that’s Jon.  I think his name is Jon Good.  He goes to my school…” People knew better than to mess with him since he was a little…unorthodox and quirky.

 

“Oh really?” Cody Hawk smirked at his sister, taking a small break and couldn’t believe it was already 90 degrees outside this early in the morning.

 

“Yeah…I wonder what he’s doing here.” Chacia wondered aloud, looking away as soon as Jon’s eyes landed on her and continued putting the programs on the chairs.

 

With blue jean shorts, that used to be full jeans, and a white tank top, Jon walked inside a little further with a baseball cap backward on his head.  His somewhat long auburn blonde hair was pulled back in a small tail at the nape of his neck.  Chacia finished what she was doing, assuring her cousin she’d talk to Jon Good and made her way towards him with a soft smile.  Jon cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his sweaty neck and had to wonder what Chacia was doing in a place like this.

 

“Jon, right?  Jon Good?”

 

At least he knew someone here and it wasn’t all strangers. “Yeah…Chace, right?”

 

“Chacia, but yeah.  You can call me that if you want.” Chacia didn’t mind the slight screwup of her name and set the flyers down on the nearby table. “What are you doing here?”

 

“I should ask you the same thing.  Didn’t peg you for the type to like pro-wrestling.” Jon shot back, not meaning to sound like a jerk, but it came out a little defensive.

 

Chacia didn’t take it to heart and kept the smile on her face. “Are you kidding?  I LOVE wrestling.  That’s my cousin over there – Cody Hawk.” She grinned proudly, hazel eyes glittering under the lights of the building. “He’s a trainer here.  Is that why you’re here?”

 

“Yeah…” Jon felt awkward talking to a girl about this kind of thing and cleared his throat, rolling his shoulders. “I came to talk to Les Thatcher, actually.  I wrote him a letter and he responded, but…I’m not the college type.  This is what I wanna do with my life.”

 

There was a slight edge to his gritty voice and it sent shivers throughout Chacia’s body, the intensity in his eyes making her heart pound in her chest.  There was also a hint of desperation…and she already knew what Les Thatcher would say.  The same thing he’d said to her when she came to him, begging to be trained to be a pro-wrestler.  Luckily, her cousin, Cody, was a trainer as well so, on off-time, he worked with her in the ring and in exchange, she worked the shows with concession and anything else that needed to be done.

 

“You’re not of age…”

 

“I don’t care.”

 

“You have to be 18…”

 

“I don’t care.”

 

Chacia cracked a smile, glancing over at her cousin and then back at Jon. “All right, you sound like you’re not gonna leave until you talk to someone here.  Just hold on a second, okay?” She walked over to where Cody stood, his eyes meeting hers.

 

“What’s going on?  Everything all right?” Cody had noticed the verbal exchange between the boy and his cousin, squaring his shoulders. “Need me to scare him off?”

 

She smacked his chest, laughing. “No!  It’s nothing like that.  His name is Jon Good and he goes to my school.  We’re in a couple classes together, actually…” He always sat in the far back while she picked the middle, the seating not assigned. “Apparently, he wrote Les a letter and now wants to meet with him.”

 

“But he’s not 18…”

 

“I’m aware of that, Cody.  He won’t leave though.  He said this is what he wants to do with his life.  Talk to him, please?” Chacia requested, knowing Les would be a lot harsher with Jon than Cody.

 

Groaning, Cody lulled his head back and shut his eyes, knowing he couldn’t deny his cousin anything, which was why he also trained her on the side. “Put those damn puppy dogs away right now.” He referred to her deep hazel eyes and kissed the top of her head. “Fine, fine…Keep working and I’ll handle it.”

 

“Thank you.” She kissed his cheek with a grin and bounded away to continue setting up for tonight’s show.

 

Both training and shows came out of this building, so there was no need to tear the ring down after every show like others.  There would be around 50 people here tonight to watch these wrestlers perform and Chacia was always excited to see it.  She glanced over, seeing her cousin make his way toward Jon, the same time Les had walked out of his office, and cringed.  Great, the old geezer would probably send Cody away and take over talking to Jon.

 

Chacia was correct in her assumptions.  Cody had turned away as soon as he saw Les make a beeline for the boy.  He went back to training the people in camp now that break was over with, trying not to glance over at the boy named Jon.  Les was grilling him about going to school and his age, finally telling him to come back when he was 18 before walking away.  Frowning, Cody could see the anger in the boy’s eyes and face, hoping he didn’t do something he’d regret and continued with the training.

 

Jon would not be denied. “That mother fucker is trying to take wrestling away from me and it’s NOT happening!” He growled, lighting up a cigarette outside of the building and began pacing, trying to figure out his next move.

 

Chacia could see him outside through the open doors, her heart going out to him.  There were rumors flying around school about where Jon lived and what his mother did.  It broke her heart because she could relate to that, which was why she lived with her cousin nowadays.  Her parents were crackheads and lost custody of her at age 10.  If Cody hadn’t stepped up to take her in and care for her, Chacia would’ve ended up lost in the system.

 

She owed Cody everything for saving her.

 

Chapter 2

 

Jon didn’t leave.

 

He stayed outside of the building, hearing the BANGS once again from people training and clutched his hair tightly in his fingers.  Day turned to night with him still sitting out there, not eating, only smoking and trying to figure out a way to get into this camp.  His obsession clouded everything else and nights were the worst for him due to his mother’s ‘job’.  Going home wasn’t an option.  While people filed into the building for the show, Jon began pacing the parking lot and spotted a Camaro.  A deep maroon paint job, done to perfection; there wasn’t a flaw on the vehicle.  Somehow, Jon knew whose car this belonged to and he felt the anger well up inside of him all over again.  Les Thatcher…before he could stop himself, Jon pulled out his Swiss army knife and flicked it open, stalking to the door to try to pry it open.  He would make this asshole pay for not allowing him into the camp to pursue his only dream in life!

 

“Jon?”

 

That voice stopped him from committing the crime as his head swung around, his breathing ragged and stared holes through Chacia. “Go back inside and leave me alone.” He ordered, turning his attention back to the car and began to try prying the door open again.

 

“Stop!” Chacia rushed over to him, placing her hand on his shoulder and could feel how tense he was. “Jon, this isn’t the way…” If Les came out here and caught him screwing with his car, there would be hell to pay. “Just…come inside.  Come inside and watch the show.” It was halfway over. “You can talk to my cousin and maybe…”

 

Jon snorted, now turned fully around to face her and still had the knife in hand. “What the FUCK is your cousin gonna do for me, girl?!”

 

“Train you, maybe.  He does it for me, so…” Chacia swallowed hard at the weapon in his hand, the blade glistening under the dim parking lot lights.

 

“Wait a minute, YOU’RE training to do THIS?” Jon gestured to the building with his hand, blinking at her affirming nod. “You want to be a pro-wrestler?” He sounded in disbelief, knowing most women who got into this sport were treated as sex symbols.

 

“Yeah, I do.  I love being in the ring…” Chacia sighed wistfully, expecting the ridicule and skepticism.  It wasn’t the first time she’d heard it and it wouldn’t be the last. “Just…come inside and talk to him.  His name is Cody and he’s a trainer here.  I’m sure if you talk to him, rationally, he’ll help you.”

 

Jon eyed her distrustfully, wondering if she was just bringing him inside to talk to her cousin to keep him from messing with Les Thatcher’s car. “You’re tiny.” He pointed out, putting the Swiss army knife away and slid it back in his pocket. “I don’t believe you want to be a pro-wrestler.”

 

Although her build didn’t LOOK it, Chacia was a lot stronger than girls her age and she used it to her advantage. “Want me to prove it?” When he nodded, she shrugged and sucker punched him in the gut, watching him double over to where he dropped to his knees in front of her. “Size doesn’t mean shit in this business, Jon.  If you’re serious about this, you need to get that in your head since you’re not exactly the right build either.” He was built, no doubt about it, but he was also scrawny.

 

“I stand corrected…” Jon gasped out, not believing the amount of power in that sucker punch she’d delivered and slowly rose back to his feet. “All right, I’ll come inside and leave the mother fucker’s car alone.” He could always slash his tires later if this didn’t go the way he wanted.

 

“Have you eaten anything?  If you’re going to be in this business, you need to eat better and start building your stamina.  Running is fantastic for that.” Chacia advised, walking back into the building with him and could see the guys flying all over the ring from where they stood. “It’s just about power.  Watch.”

 

Jon accepted a hot dog, fries, and water from her, eating while keeping his eyes glued to the ring.  The things these men did were amazing – pro-wrestling was amazing in general.  It was an art form of a violent nature.  He smiled, finishing off the food within minutes and sipped his water, tossing his garbage in the nearby trashcan.  Throughout the matches, Chacia pointed out certain moves and whatnot, having trained for the past 2 years with Cody at the tender age of 14.  She still hadn’t had a match yet, but hopefully, that would come soon.

 

Who would’ve thought he’d enjoy watching wrestling with a girl?

 

After the show, Jon volunteered to help clean up since he hadn’t paid for the food and drink.  Chacia told him it was on the house, but something told him she would be paying for it.  He didn’t want or expect any handouts in life.  She would never turn down help and told him to start picking up the trash, giving him a pair of gloves to slip on.  Who knew what they’d run across after a show?

 

“So, who’s your favorite wrestler?” Jon asked while picking up garbage, all the wrestlers from the back coming out to help as well.  A few of them had noticed the boy talking to Chacia, including Cody, but none disturbed them.

 

“Undertaker.”

 

“Which one?”

 

Chacia laughed, nudging him playfully. “Good call.  Umm, I really don’t know, actually.  I just love him.  He’s the Phenom, The Deadman.  I can watch his matches all day and night and never get bored.  The way he moves in the ring is spectacular, especially for a man his size being over 300 pounds.” She flushed at Jon’s raised brow and cleared her throat, continuing to clean up. “What about you?  Who’s your favorite?”

 

That was a tough one. “Off the top of my head, probably The Sandman.” He shrugged at her incredulous look and chuckled. “What?  He’s awesome with smashing beer cans over his head before every match.  The man busts himself open and bleeds before the match even starts.  It’s cool.” Jon had actually made a Sandman costume for Halloween when he was younger and even had a real beer can he lugged around with him for trick-or-treating.

 

“Okay, so you’re into ECW.  Did you watch WCW when it was still around?  WWF?”

 

“All of them.  My room is CLUTTERED with all kinds of wrestling tapes.  I watch it nonstop.” Jon admitted truthfully, finishing up one aisle and went to the next, staying close to Chacia.  He found it was easy talking to her and the fact she wanted to talk to him was astounding.

 

“Me too.  Although, I’m not a big fan of ECW, so I don’t have any of those.  I know who the wrestlers are though.” ECW had collaborated with WWF back in the day, so stars like The Sandman graced WWF programming every once in a while.  She’d been watching since age 8 and loved it ever since her first taste, thanks to Cody. “We should watch wrestling together one day.  Just spend an entire day watching our favorite tapes and talking about it.  I don’t really…know anyone else that has a passion for it like me beside you, so…”

 

Jon blinked, seeing she was serious and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “You WANT to hang out with someone like me?”

 

Now Chacia was confused. “Sure.  Why wouldn’t I?  You love wrestling as much as I do.”

 

There was no way Jon could take her to his apartment, ever. “If we do it, it’d have to be your place, then.” He refused to tell her the reasoning and saw the slight apprehension on her face before a smile took over. “You know I’m scum, right?  I come from the bad part of the city…”

 

“No, you’re not.  I know what scum is and you’re far from it, Jon.” Chacia assured him softly, finishing another aisle and moved to the next with him, both working as a team. “And now, you’re my friend.”

 

Jon recoiled, stopping what he was doing and stared at her wide-eyed. “Wait, what?”

 

She laughed, waving him off and continued doing her task. “And being my friend, I think I can convince Cody to train you, along with me.  Though, you’d probably have to work here for shows and whatnot to pay your way.  We also go out of town at least once a week on a big bus to events, so you’d have to help set and tear down the ring.  Things like that.  It’s on the weekends, so we won’t miss any school, even though it’s almost out.” Summer was upon them and this heatwave would be the death of her.

 

“Look, uh, I appreciate the help and shit, but…I’m not a friendly type of person…” This girl had a fire about her, an innocence and the last thing Jon wanted to do was ruin it.  Her reputation would be tarnished if she started hanging out with him. “I should go…”

 

“Go where this late at night?” Cody walked up, overhearing some of their conversation and could see the sadness in his cousin’s eyes. “You’re not gonna walk the streets, kid.  I’ll give you a ride home after we’re done here.  And if you wanna hang out and start helping with shows and shit, feel free.  Maybe if you prove to me you really wanna do this, I’ll start training you.” He didn’t give handouts to anyone, but there was something about this boy that spoke to him.

 

“You don’t gotta do that.  Walking is fine for me…” Jon didn’t want them, especially Chacia, seeing where he lived.

 

“You don’t have a choice in the matter, kid.” Cody extended his hand with a gentle smile, seeing the relief on Chacia’s face. “I’m Cody.  Cody Hawk.”

 

Eyeballing his hand for a few seconds, Jon hesitantly took it and shook the man’s hand. “Jon.  Jon Good.”

 

“Definitely gonna have to work on the name, but we’ll get to that eventually.” Cody winked, placing a hand on Chacia’s shoulder and kissed the top of her head. “And you should give Chace here a chance.  She’s a good listener, she knows the ropes around here and she could help you if you let her.”

 

“It doesn’t matter what he says.  He’s my friend and I’ll prove it to him with time.” Chacia wouldn’t be dissuaded easily, not caring where he came from or how he was brought up. “Do you want me to count the register?” She directed that at Cody, seeing him nod and took off to do it.

 

“All right, let’s get this shit done and head home!  Jon, I want you here tomorrow bright and early at 5 AM to start your training.  You earned some after staying and working tonight.” Cody had also spotted Chacia feeding him, deciding he’d pay for the meal instead of her.  She really did have a heart of gold and he could only hope Jon Good treated his cousin right. “Think you can handle that?  You gotta ride here or you need me to pick you up?”

 

“You’re serious?  You’re gonna train me?” Jon didn’t believe it for a second, knowing the man was joking with him and swallowed hard at Cody folding his arms in front of his chest. “Yeah, yeah I can be here and…I don’t need a ride.  I’ll start my stamina training by running here.” It would only take an hour and an hour run a day would do wonders for his endurance.

 

Cody smiled, clapping Jon on the back and squeezed his shoulder. “I won’t start training you right away, but I want you here to watch.  I want you to sit and watch the training seminars.  Soak in as much knowledge as you can about this sport.”

 

“I’ll sit with him.” Chacia offered, walking up and handed the wad of cash to her cousin. “We made $1050 tonight.  Not bad.” Cody would get a quarter of that and Les would pocket the rest to split amongst his promotors and whatnot.  Still, a couple hundred for one night wasn’t a bad deal.

 

“It’ll definitely help.” Cody would give her a little slice out of his portion since Les didn’t believe in paying the helpers, who were also training. “Come on, let’s close up and get outta here.  We’ll have to be here in a couple of hours anyway.”

 

The life of a professional wrestler – little pay and little sleep unless one worked for the WWF.

 

On the ride to his apartment, Jon and Chacia talked more about wrestling, their favorite matches and whatnot.  Anything wrestling-related, they talked about and Cody couldn’t wipe the smile from his face.  Jon Good had made his cousin smile and the way she spoke about wrestling made his heart sing and twinge at the same time.  Cody was scared for Chacia to get into this sport because women were treated as sexual objects.  He never wanted her to experience that humiliation and degradation, not when she had actual talent in the ring.  He wondered if Jon Good would make it in the business, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel and bit back a frown at the horrible place the boy lived in.  Cody was tempted, very tempted, to take him back home and help him, but he was living off nickels and dimes as it was.  If Jon needed a place to stay, he would never turn the boy down, however.

 

“Thanks again for the ride.”

 

“I’ll be here at 5 AM to pick you up,” Cody ordered, not giving Jon the option and refused to let him walk anywhere in this neighborhood. “You can do laps around the building if you want, but I won’t feel comfortable with you running from here to the camp.”

 

Jon knew better than to argue and nodded, not able to meet Chacia’s eyes and slid out of the truck, watching her scoot over to take his spot. “See you guys tomorrow.” He muttered, feeling ashamed and had to fight the urge to pull away when Chacia hopped out of the truck to hug him.

 

“See you tomorrow, Jon.  Goodnight.”

 

He watched the truck pull away from the curb, leaving him just outside of his apartment building and trudged inside, already hearing ruckus going on.  His mother’s moans echoed through the walls and Jon grimaced, going straight to his room to put his Walkman on, blasting music.  Leaning back against the headboard, he stared up at the ceiling and thought back to the rather incredible night he’d had.  Chacia Davis was a wrestling fan and training to be a pro-wrestler.  That had blown his mind.  She dressed rather nicely for school, but Jon was quickly learning not to judge books by their covers.  Not judge people by their appearances.  She was a cool, smart girl and he found himself smiling for the first time in ages, looking forward to getting a few hours of sleep before spending the next day with Cody and Chacia.

 

Chapter 3

 

Opening his eyes, it took a few minutes for the blurred vision to clear up as Jon stared at the ceiling, scrubbing a hand down his face.  Why was he thinking about the past, or rather dreaming about it?  He let out a hiss between his teeth, looking down at his wrapped arm and groaned, shutting his eyes.  Jon had a very HIGH threshold of pain and he’d been battling through this injury for the past couple of months.  At first, it wasn’t so bad and he could work through it with minimal discomfort, but now it was getting worse.  It hadn’t gotten better.  It didn’t help he couldn’t take any time off to heal the injury up due to how popular and needed he was in WWE.

 

Ever since Summerslam, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, Jon had felt a twinge in his arm he couldn’t quite shake off.  Jon had become a Grand Slam champion in WWE, the 8th person to accomplish it throughout WWE’s illustrious tenure.  By securing the WWE Raw Tag Team championships with his partner, Seth Rollins, he was on the same list as names like Chris Jericho, Eddie Guerrero, Big Show – only 7 other men beside him could call themselves Grand Slam champions.  It was a pretty amazing feeling, if he was being honest.

 

Seth Rollins’ birth name was Colby Lopez, though a lot of people also knew him from the Independent wrestling circuit as Tyler Black.  Jon joked around, calling him Black all the time and Colby didn’t seem to mind it.  Hell, his name had completely changed from being Jon Moxley, his independent wrestling name, to Dean Ambrose, so Colby reciprocated by calling him Mox a lot.  It was all in good fun – both men would never forget how they came up in the sport of professional wrestling or where they came from.  Even though they were cut from the same cloth as far as cutting their teeth in the Independents, building their names, it was a whole new ballgame in WWE.

 

Jon and Colby had celebrated until the early morning hours, drinking and having a great time.  Their reunion had been explosive, raw and powerful.  Ever since the company decided to split the Shield apart, so each wrestler could make their own way, Jon hadn’t tagged with Colby until recently on Raw, then again last night.  They had torn each other apart for the better second half of 2014, took a reprieve, and resumed mid-2015, battling for the WWE World Heavyweight championship.  Colby had turned heel in June 2014, destroying the Shield with steel chair shots that ultimately lead each man to successful single’s careers.  During the Shield days, all three men would drink together and make memories, but it had all come to an end after only a year and 7 months of domination.

 

The Shield was untouchable and would go down as one, if not the, best faction to ever grace WWE programming.  They dominated everyone, even the legendary group of Evolution.  There was literally NOTHING else the Shield could’ve done to heighten their status in WWE.  It was actually a good thing when the company decided to split them apart with Colby’s heel turn to go with the Authority.  Jon and Colby battled while Roman went after Randy Orton, or tried anyway.  They dicked Roman around with his storylines for a bit, not really knowing what to do with the big man and a few months later, he was out for a couple months due to an emergency hernia surgery.

 

While all of this was going on, Jon was asked to do a movie, while he was in the middle of a hot feud with Colby.  It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and one he couldn’t pass up.  They had him off WWE television for 35 days and he came back at the pay-per-view event, Night of Champions, to resume his feud with Colby.  It was beautifully done and now Jon was known as not only a professional wrestler, sport’s entertainer, but also a movie star.  The movie came out the following year in 2015 and it actually did really well in select theaters, even better with DVD/Blu-ray buys, which was a nice chunk of change in his pocket as well.

 

The Barclays Center would always hold a special place in Jon’s heart.  It was one of his favorite arenas – the place he had debuted in WWE, in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match, as 1/3rd of a group known as the Shield.  They came in and completely obliterated Team Hell No, which was Daniel Bryan -Jon had a history with him from the Independents, where he was known as The American Dragon Bryan Danielson- and The Big Red Machine Kane, along with some wrestler named Ryback.  Ryback wasn’t around anymore, he had left to find greener pastures and Jon There was always an electricity about the Barclays Center whenever Jon, Colby and their third partner in crime, Joe Anoa’i, who was known throughout the world as Roman Reigns, performed in any capacity.

 

Slowly sitting up, Jon cracked his neck and knuckles, feeling like a truck ran him over.  His arm was killing him, the pain excruciating, but he was a firm believer in dealing and fighting through pain, through injuries.  He’d been through way worse in his life and career, this was a cakewalk, or should’ve been.  To think he might have a serious injury for the first time in his career scared Jon.  He didn’t want to have surgery and had never been on an operating table in his life.  It was a miracle, considering everything he’d put his body through in the Independents before being signed to developmental in WWE.

 

Who would’ve thought a lowly kid from the dirty, dangerous streets of Cincinnati, Ohio, would’ve made it as big as him in WWE?

 

Throughout all the trials, obstacles and setbacks, Jon had finally made it to the big time and he was one of the biggest stars in WWE today.  The Lunatic Fringe Dean Ambrose.  That name really bothered him at first and he fought development tooth and nail when he was first signed, not wanting his name changed.  He had gear with MOX all over it, and the WWE was adamant about changing his name.  Jon even told them they could own the rights to everything he’d done in the Independents, but he did NOT want to be called anything else. 

 

The American Dream Dusty Rhodes changed his mind, the late, great Hall of Famer. 

 

He came to Jon one day and gave him his name, saying Dean Ambrose was strong, intense and feral.  It sounded like a frat boy’s name!  Jon HATED the name at first, but the more he used it, the more it grew on him and now, being called Jon Moxley from various fans at signings and media sounded weird.  Dean Ambrose was who he was.  That was the character he built, though he would never forget his roots.  Fans that came up to him today and called him Mox or Moxley, Jon didn’t push away or ignore because that was also part of who he was.  Jon Moxley and Dean Ambrose were one in the same, just different names.  Same personality, same character, mostly, though it was just Jon with the volume cranked to the max.

 

A lot of people called him Dean, including his peers and coworkers, which didn’t bother him nearly as much as it used to.

 

Slowly, he made his way out of bed and stretched his good arm in the arm, keeping the injured one tucked at his side, bending backward to crack as much of his back as he could, grunting.  Rubbing his eyes, Jon made his way to the bathroom to take care of business and then began starting his coffee.  He always made sure a coffeemaker was in all his hotel room he stayed in while on the road, needing to drink his weight in coffee.  Otherwise, he didn’t feel right or complete.  Food would come later, he needed coffee to wake up and give him that jolt of energy.  Normally, Jon would find a gym to get down and dirty in for a couple of hours before the show, but he couldn’t work out with this injury.

 

WWE had gotten him to finally do an MRI on his arm and tonight, he would find out the results.

 

Jon wasn’t looking forward to it, not wanting to miss any ring time because he knew everyone was forgotten.  The show had to go on and all of his star power might dwindle in the blink of an eye.  Granted, it would be nice to be home in Vegas, where he currently resided, in his nice house and king-sized comfortable bed, but…the ring was his passion.  Wrestling was all Jon had ever known for 15 years since age 17 at Les Thatcher’s wrestling school with Cody Hawk and…Chacia.

 

Now THERE was a name he hadn’t thought of in a minute.  Hell, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d spoken to Cody because of how busy he was.  Cody always managed to come to the shows whenever WWE was in Cincinnati, but Chacia hadn’t been there the last time they were in town.  Cody did tell him about her new occupation in life – she’d graduated high school and gone to college to get a degree in sport’s medicine.  She was currently a physical therapist and working in Cincinnati at the top hospital in the city.  Jon couldn’t remember how the conversation came about, he was sure Cody had brought her up since she was basically his own family.

 

“She wanted to be here, man, but she had to work.”

 

Jon had just waved him off, not bothered by it since he hadn’t spoken to Chacia in years.  He kept in contact with Cody, his actual trainer, and friend, but that was it.  Granted, back in high school, he had been very close with Chacia.  They were wrestling buddies, though deep down, Jon knew she didn’t have the type of passion and hunger he did to become a professional wrestler.  Try as she might, it wasn’t a woman sport at the time.  Nowadays, the women outshined the men in the ring and the whole women’s revolution had really taken off.  Chacia had a lot of talent in the ring, but all promoters saw in her was tits and ass, unfortunately.

 

His cell ringing jolted Jon out of his thoughts as he picked it up off the nightstand and stared at the screen, seeing Stephanie McMahon was calling him. “Yeah?”

 

“Hey Dean, sorry to call so early, but…we need to talk about your angle tonight.” Stephanie sounded sorrowful, not at all the heartless bitch she portrayed on television.

 

It was going on 10 AM, which was early for the Superstars since they never got to bed before midnight. “It’s fine.  I just got up, actually.  What’s up?” He slumped down on the bed, listening to her and could feel his heart cracking down the middle, anger welling up inside him.

 

“It’s a torn triceps, Dean.  You’re going to need surgery, extensive recovery and you should be back in about 9 months…”

 

A torn triceps…how the HELL did he manage that one?  Jon couldn’t wrap his mind around the news, hanging up with Stephanie almost robotically.  He looked at his arm, gritting his teeth and couldn’t believe his health had finally failed him.  His body was slowly breaking down from the years upon years of abuse inflicted.  Setting his phone down, Jon blew out a shaky breath and hadn’t realized tears stung his eyes until a few fell down his cheeks.  He was crying.  Actual tears fell from his eyes and landed on his legs below.  Everything he’d worked hard for was about to go down the drain all because his body couldn’t handle the punishment anymore.

 

“FUCK!”

 

The Shield had recently gotten back together, after 3 years apart, so that was also something that would be completely ruined.  Joe had been out for about a month with sickness, unable to compete or be at the arenas for fear of spreading it around.  He was sent home and that left Colby and Jon to fend for themselves and carry the Shield name in his absence.  They tried to make it work, but to Jon, it fell flat.  Now wasn’t the time to reunite the Shield, but the company went with it anyway.  First Joe and now him – would Colby be next?

 

Needing a shower to think things through, Jon ended up with his head sticking in the porcelain bowl, vomiting.  He was scared to death of surgery and now it was about to happen.  Once surgery happened, that appendage on the human body was never completely the same again.  Colby’s knee attested to that.  He’d been out for 6 months with a devastating knee injury that could’ve ended his career.  Joe had his fair share of being under the knife as well with the hernia surgery too.  Once Jon’s stomach was empty, he simply sat there against the wall and cried, burying his face in his hands.

 

What if this was the end of his wrestling career?

 

~!~

 

Colby just sat there, stoic, listening to what Jon was telling him.  The phone call from Stephanie had rattled the man and he looked completely heartbroken.  Colby knew that feeling well, remembering when he tore every ligament in his knee.  ACL, MCL, and medial meniscus.  The doctors weren’t sure he would be able to recover fully, but he proved them all wrong and he knew Jon would do the same thing.  Jon was one of the toughest men he’d ever been in the ring, whether as enemies or friends.

 

“Man, I’m sorry.” Colby didn’t know what else to say, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “I mean, I knew you were in pain and injured.” It was obvious with how heavily wrapped the arm was. “And I know you’ve been trying to work through it, but…I think it’s time you actually took care of it.  Leave, have surgery, recover and come back bigger and badder than ever.”

 

“You don’t understand…” Jon’s hands were shaking as he paced back and forth, chewing gum like a madman. “This is all I have.  This is it.  Wrestling is everything to me and if they cut me open, and something goes wrong, and all of this is taken away from me…” He didn’t want to think about that possibility or fathom it happening, but Jon couldn’t deny it WAS a risk.

 

Colby nodded in understanding, placing a hand on the man’s shoulder. “I know, Mox, all right?  I know what this means to you.  It means the same to me too.  How do you think I fell when I blew every ligament in my knee and had to relinquish the title?  It sucks and it’s gonna be a hard road, but you can do it.  You can make it back the same way I did and the big man did.  But if you keep going like this and you don’t get surgery, you WILL lose your career.”

 

As much as Jon hated admitting it, Colby had a point and he gritted his teeth, looking down at his arm, a surge of anger flooding through him. “Fine.” He gritted out, heaving a resigned sigh. “Fine, I’ll…leave and get the surgery.”

 

Later that night, Jon was written off WWE television by having his arm ‘slammed’ in between a trunk and sent off to Birmingham, Alabama to have his surgery the following day.

 

Chapter 4

 

Cody sat on his couch, trying to wake up with a cup of coffee, eggs, and toast when he got an unexpected phone call.

 

“Cody, it’s Jon.”

 

He frowned, hearing the wary tone of his old protégé and set his coffee down on the table. “Hey man, how’s it going?”

 

It’d been a while since they last spoke, but Jon never cut contact off with him completely.  He’d also kept up with WWE and knew what happened to Jon, his injury making headlines.  The man would be out of in-ring action for 9 months, which was a huge blow to anyone’s wrestling career. 

 

Surgery went well for Jon, though the triceps tear was a lot worse than they originally thought.  At first, they said it would be 6 months out, but now it was definitely 9 months, depending on how his rehabilitation went.  Jon was also told he had to have a physical therapist to help rehabilitate his arm completely.  There would be machines he’d use in order to help with the process, but it would be a lot of rehabbing, doctors and gym time over the next 9 months.  He asked if he could choose his physical therapist and the doctor agreed with the stipulation they came to Birmingham, Alabama.  Jon also had to leave Vegas for the time being and moved temporarily to Birmingham, Alabama, currently staying in a hotel until he could find an apartment.

 

There was only one person that came to mind as far as choosing his physical therapist.

 

“Not good, man, not good.  Listen bro, I know she probably hates me, but…I need Chacia.” Jon hadn’t meant for it to come out that way and cleared his throat, hearing Cody suck in a breath. “I need her to help me.  I know you know I just had surgery a couple days ago.” It was now Friday, three days since he went under the knife and had his triceps repaired.

 

Cody rubbed the back of his neck, shutting his eyes and wanted to tell Jon no.  This wasn’t his place, though.  This wasn’t his life.  Chacia had everything going for her in Cincinnati with the job at the hospital and he really didn’t want her dropping everything for Jon.  However, the sound of Jon’s pain-filled voice tugged at his heartstrings and Cody found himself wanting to help any way he could.  This man had been through enough in his life and found wrestling, which was the only reason he probably wasn’t dead right now.

 

“She doesn’t hate you, Jon,” Cody assured him, not sure what Chacia felt towards Jon since they hadn’t spoken in years. “You two just went separate ways and chose different paths in life.  It happens.  Doesn’t mean she hates you for pursuing your dream.”

 

“Will she help me with this?  I don’t…I don’t trust anyone else to do this with me, Cody.”

 

Jon hated feeling this vulnerable and brushed his hair back with his hand, refusing any kind of painkillers.  The pain told him the healing had begun and it wasn’t as bad as he originally thought it would be.  The doctor thought he was out of his mind, but Jon didn’t care and refused to become addicted to opiates or any kind of drug, not with his past.

 

“I know she’ll kick me the ass when I need it most.” Chacia had to do it a time or two back when they were teenagers, starting out in the wrestling business. “I’ll even call her if you want and ask her myself.”

 

In a way, she had been his coach while Cody trained him, keeping him on his toes and pushing him to his limits.  She was his sparring partner at the old wrestling school, which was now shutdown and Cody had reopened it about 45 minutes away from Cincinnati.  It was the best school in the world for professional wrestling; Jon would never throw his trainer or any people that had stuck with him and given him a shot under the bus.  Cody was his family, always would be, even if they only spoke a handful of times a year.

 

“No, let me talk to her first.  I think it’ll shock her too much if you call her out of the blue.” Not to mention, Cody wasn’t giving Jon his cousin’s number without her permission.  He liked his balls where they were. “Give me a day and I’ll get back to you.  Or she’ll call you herself.  Mind if I give her your number?”

 

“No, go ahead.  Thanks bro, I appreciate this.”

 

“Just keep your head on straight, Jon.  Don’t do anything reckless and focus on getting back in the ring.  I’ll be in touch.”

 

Hanging up the phone, Jon tossed his phone on the nearby table and scrubbed a hand down his face with his uninjured arm, gritting his teeth.  He would not blame Chacia if she didn’t come to his rescue and helped him through this.  Hell, why would she?  Jon had gone to Puerto Rico when he was 19 for 6 months, for a wrestling organization, and hadn’t bothered saying goodbye to her.  He’d gotten involved in drugs and became a heavy drinker down there, not realizing it since that was the way of life where he was at. 

 

While he was down in Puerto Rico, Jon had sent a bunch of tapes to WWE to showcase his talent in the ring and let them see what he was doing.  Christmas had rolled around and he came home for 2 weeks for vacation while the wrestling organization down there went through the finances to try to pay off all the wrestlers.  It had gone on a huge decline and they owned Jon around $1500 when all was said and done.  Money he never received.

 

WWE had called him up, told him he was too skinny and they wanted him to put more weight on.  He was around 210 at the time due to starving himself down in Puerto Rico and spending the money he made on booze, drugs, and pills.  Jon’s world crumbled around him because he thought he would be signed, but now he had to put more work into the gym and get back up to his weight of 225.  The first person he called was Chacia, which was a couple weeks after he came back and she immediately invited him over to the house.  She was still living with Cody at the time and in school for sports medicine.  If she couldn’t become a wrestler, at least she wanted to get a job one day where she could help them out with injuries and whatnot.

 

Chacia had taken one look at him and couldn’t believe how much weight he’d lost.  He was skinny as a rail, looked extremely unhealthy and she immediately invited him to stay with her and Cody to help him get back on track with his health.  Jon came clean to her about everything he’d done down in Puerto Rico, shedding tears and Chacia held him tightly against her, whispering soothing words in his ear.  Everything would be fine.  Everything would work out and he would be signed by WWE eventually.  The first thing they had to do was get him back into shape, which meant he had to go through withdrawal with the drugs to cleanse his system.  Cody hadn’t judged when Jon confessed what he’d done and simply told Jon it was time to get back on track now that he was home.

 

Since Jon was already in WWE’s system for wrestlers that were brought in to do squash matches or extras in whatever they were doing, Jon had done some of that.  Nothing ever came of it.  Jon didn’t understand how the business worked at the time and he was extremely impatient, just wanting to become a professional wrestler.  Not only had he done shows for WWE, but Jon was also shot to the top of HWA – Heartland Wrestling Association – in Cincinnati, which Cody worked for as well.  Coming home from Puerto Rico had been the best thing that ever happened to Jon.

 

It’d been in 2007 when Jon finally sent new pictures and a tape of his in-ring work to WWE.  He’d kept clean, working out every single day and stayed on track with his health and stamina, refusing to give up on his dream.  It took a while to cleanse his body of all the drugs and crap, to go through withdrawal and to get back into the swing of things.  Cody worked with him every day for hours on end, pushing him to his breaking point.  Chacia sparred with him a little when she didn’t have to study for a test, or have homework to do for school.  They loved locking up together in the ring and she had to admit, Jon was getting a lot better in the ring, seeing a very bright future for him.

 

Jon was on the verge of being hired by the WWE and had his bags packed, ready to head to developmental.  The man at the time, who was known to wrestling fans as Simon Dean, but his real name was Mike Bucci, told him he was basically hired.  They just had to get him in front of the officials to show him and then they’d get him signed.  Five days later, there was a HUGE drug bust throughout the WWE that shook its foundation.  Ten or eleven guys had gotten busted for drugs in the company – Batista, Mr. Kennedy, Randy Orton, Edge, Booker T were amongst them, along with Mike Bucci.  They were all suspended/fired for violating the wellness policy in WWE.  Jon had been DAYS away from being signed into the company and it was all taken away from him, his world crashing and burning.

 

Moving out of Cody and Chacia’s had been a mistake.  Giving up wrestling and not keeping at it was an even bigger mistake.  Jon had tried to call WWE to see if anyone had taken over Mike’s position, but they hadn’t and they weren’t interested in him.  He was legitimately screwed over.  His anger had skyrocketed and Jon didn’t want anything to do with anyone, stopping practices and working out altogether.  In his mind, the HWA system, Cody’s system, had failed him.  He did everything they told him to do in order to get signed and it didn’t work, it didn’t happen.  Jon stopped hanging out with his friends and found lowlifes, including finding another drug connection.  Drugs, booze, and sex were all Jon could think about and do over the next year and a half.

 

To make matters worse, HWA ended up closing down in the summer of 2007, so Jon didn’t even have that and, honestly, he didn’t want it.

 

He wanted nothing to with professional wrestling ever again.

 

Chacia had continued trying to call and check on him, but Cody eventually told her to stop and back off.  Jon had to find his own way and, once he hit rock bottom, he would return to them.  It broke her heart because all she wanted to do was help him any way she could.  From the moment Jon walked into the wrestling school and she spotted him, she felt an instant connection that had only gotten stronger over time.  Jon never made a move on her, not even in the ring, though she wouldn’t have minded if it happened.  Her feelings were jumbled and confused when it came to Jon because, on one hand, he was like family, but she felt more than a family tie to him and always had.

 

It wasn’t until December of 2008 when Jon finally contacted Chacia again, asking her out for a drink.  He needed to talk, he was ready and she didn’t deny him.  Cody didn’t know if it was a good idea since they hadn’t heard from Jon in almost a year.

 

“He needs my help, Cody.  I’m not gonna turn my back on him and you shouldn’t either.  You told me he’d be back someday when he hit rock bottom and we would help him then.  I’m going.” Chacia had told her cousin, kissing his cheek and ran out the door to hop in her car before he could stop her.

 

Over the years, Jon had noticed the slight changes in Chacia.  He was a man after all and she had filled out quite nicely.  Her boobs and backside were firm and perky, a slim waist and she had somewhat of a feminine physique on her.  That golden curly blonde hair was longer, resting at the middle of her back and her hazel eyes were captivating.  He cracked a small smile when she walked into the bar he asked to meet at, waving his hand at her and saw her freeze at the sight of him.

 

Jon had cut his hair.  He had beautiful, long blonde hair, which he’d actually dyed pink at one point.  His hair was gone and he had a shaggy look going on.  It suited him and long hair was such a pain in the backside to take care of anyway.  Standing like a gentleman, Jon gestured to the seat beside him, or stool in this case and offered her a drink.  He was in jeans, a white beater and had earrings in both ears, small thick round hoops.  Some of his hair hung in his eyes while he swirled the alcohol around in the glass before downing it while the bartender poured her a shot of Tequila.

 

“Thanks for coming.”

 

“Yeah well, you shocked me with your phone call and I’m curious why you wanted to talk to me, of all people.” Chacia had shot back, trying to keep the hurt from her voice and tensed at his hand grabbing hers.

 

Hazel eyes had shot up to meet intense pale blue.

 

“You’re my best friend, Chace.  And I really need some advice right now on what to do with my life.  I know I haven’t…been around lately and I’ve been going through some shit.”

 

Jon had gone through a lot over the past year, after giving up wrestling, and one of them had been coming to terms with what happened to him throughout his childhood.  What his mother did.  His father abandoning him and winding up in prison.  He and his mother were on good terms now, hashing everything out and she had cried, apologizing for all the rotten things that happened to him as a child.  She had given up her whoring ways and became a lesbian, which didn’t bother him.  He didn’t blame her after everything she’d put herself through in order to provide for them, thanks to his deadbeat sperm donor.

 

“You don’t have to explain…”

 

“Yes, I do.”

 

It was her turn to squeeze his hand.  Chacia shook her head and smiled softly, showing there were no hard feelings between them. “No, you don’t.  Everybody has rough patches and you went through yours.  You look a lot better now.  I like the new do.” She reached up to brush hair out of his eyes with her fingers. “What do you need my advice on?  I’m all ears.”

 

Jon didn’t deserve to have such an angel in his life like Chacia.  She was so open-minded and positive, it always did him good to have her in his life, no matter what capacity.  That night, he told her about his idea to get back into wrestling and there was a match coming up in January against a man named Drake Younger.  He was hot on the Indy circuit, creating a name for himself and Jon had felt the itch again, even though he had a great job at a gym making a good chunk of change every week.

 

It wasn’t the same.

 

Wrestling was his passion.  Wrestling is what he wanted to do.  Wrestling was everything to him.

 

It was no surprise when Chacia kissed his cheek, shared a couple rounds of Tequila with him and told him the words he needed to hear. “Do it.  Get back into wrestling and do what I know you love to do.  Do what you were born to do in this world, Jon.  And don’t let anyone or anything hold you back.”

 

Closing his eyes, those words echoed through Jon’s mind as he snapped back to the present, looking around his empty hotel room and could only hope Chacia was there for him once again.

 

Chapter 5

 

“Come on, Dean…” Joe grunted, pacing and wished the man would just answer his phone. 

 

It’d been a week since Jon left the road and he hadn’t spoken to anyone.  His wife, Pavana, tried soothing him by saying Jon would call when he wanted to and not to bother him.  The man was recovering from triceps surgery.  Granted, when Joe was out with his emergency hernia surgery, Jon hadn’t contacted him right away.  He was late getting the news and called Joe, a few days after his surgery, to check on him.  Jon had completely turned his phone off, doing something new and fun, just enjoying himself doing the movie 12 Rounds: Lockdown.  Joe wasn’t doing a movie, though, and Jon was like a brother to him.  He had to check and make sure his brother was all right, sighing when a call came in from Colby.

 

“What’s up, Seth?”

 

“Have you heard anything?” Colby demanded, worried about Jon as well and tore a hand through his hair, a cup of coffee in front of him untouched.

 

At least Jon hadn’t singled him out and cut everyone off instead of just him. “No,” Joe answered gruffly, sinking down on the bed. “I didn’t know how bad his arm was.  Why didn’t you tell me?”

 

“Hell man, I didn’t know either!  He was fighting through it, said it was nothing and he’d be all right.” Colby shot back, knowing tearing each other’s throats out right now wouldn’t help the situation.

 

The Shield reunion had crashed and burned, thanks to sheer pitiful bad luck.

 

That was just how Jon was.  He’d always been a loner at heart, but being in a group coming into the company had helped slowly bring Jon out of his shell.  It took a couple weeks before the man actually had a conversation with them that wasn’t work-related.  Even though they had shared hotel rooms together, Jon still kept to himself and would always have earbuds or headphones on to blast music in his ears.  One night, over a case of beer and Call of Duty, they had bonded by blowing things up on the television and getting buzzed.  Jon stuck with basic topics, not touching on anything about his past, though the questions had surfaced.  All he told them was he’d been raised by wolves and left it at that, immediately changing the subject to wrestling-related.  Favorite wrestlers growing up, favorite matches, things that were safe to talk about and positive.

 

“Stephanie just told me he needed surgery on his triceps.  Tore it pretty badly, from what she said.” Colby was close to Stephanie since they had worked together extensively throughout the years, both as enemies on television and friends.  She was one of his good friends, along with Paul Levesque, who the world knew as The Game Triple H. “She wouldn’t tell me anything more than that and told me to ask Ambrose.”

 

“I just hope he’s okay.  I know he’s tough and he can hold his own like no other.”

 

Jon was one of the toughest men on the planet and could take a beating, but Joe also didn’t want him being completely alone.  This was a hard thing to get through alone, for a normal person and wrestlers weren’t normal people.  They were built and trained to withstand and work through injuries, to be larger than life.

 

The front door opened as Pavana walked inside, carrying bags of food for them and Joe ended the call with Colby.  They both promised each other to keep in contact and to let the other know if they heard from Jon.  Joe cracked a smile up at his beautiful wife and took the bags from her, immediately pulling her into his arms to softly kiss her.  She was beautiful from the top of her fiery red hair to the tips of her toes, her blue eyes he could get lost in for hours on end.  They’d been married since 2014, in a small ceremony with just close family and friends and currently resided in Pensacola, Florida. 

 

Pavana wanted to move, though, hating Florida because of the heat and humidity, so they were in the process of looking for a new place to move.  His parents weren’t happy about it, but they understood Joe had to plant his own roots and it wasn’t like he couldn’t hop on a plane to come to see them whenever he wanted or had time to do so.  Pavana was everything to him, his world and they’d been together back in his NFL days before he went into WWE developmental.

 

They met while both attending Georgia Institute of Technology, him a football player and her, surprisingly enough, the only female referee on the team.  The college had a great football team and he was amazing, the power behind his tackles captivating her.  She was so shy to approach him and finally, her friends did it for her and asked him what he thought of Pavana.  Joe was shy as well, but one of them had to make the first move and he’d noticed the fiery redhead quite a lot.  Soon enough, they were going on their first date and they’d been together ever since.  Everywhere Joe went, throughout his NFL days, she traveled with him with no complaints. 

 

When Joe decided it was time to pursue what he was truly passionate about in professional wrestling, after having several talks with his father, Sika Anoa’i, who was one-half of the WWE Tag Team the Wild Samoans, Pavana supported him completely.  He wasn’t happy in the NFL, it was obvious and he wanted to provide for his family the right way, the smart way.  After Roman was signed into WWE’s developmental, they’d gotten a place together in Tampa, Florida before moving back to Pensacola soon after he was called up to the main roster.  He wasn’t the only one who was signed to developmental, so was Pavana, having a passion for professional wrestling as well.

 

Football wasn’t his passion, it wasn’t what he was meant to do in life.

 

Wrestling was in his blood, his entire family involved in it for generations.

 

However, wrestling wasn’t meant to be for Pavana, thanks to an injury that nearly paralyzed her.  It had been in developmental, in 2011, right before Joe was called up to the main roster in the Shield.  Pavana had taken a nasty spill on the outside of the ring by another woman named Summer Rae, who had been pursuing her husband quite a bit.  The blonde bitch had dumped her carelessly over the top rope and Pavana heard a snap in her arm, breaking it in half.  Luckily, it was a clean break and didn’t need to be surgically repaired, but it put her out of action for a quite a while.  When Joe was called up to the main roster, she panicked and told the company she would do anything to go with him, not wanting to be stuck in Orlando without her husband.  They offered her a referee position on the main roster, starting her off on the show Main Event and she would work her way up to Raw and Smackdown!, which she immediately jumped on.

 

Now, she was the only female referee on the roster and one of the best they had.

 

“Mmm, well hello to you too.” Pavana murmured cheekily, touching his scruffy cheek and kissed him again, a little harder.  She loved her husband with every fiber of her being and the fact they were both working for the same company, always together, did wonders for their marriage and connection. “Any luck getting a hold of Dean?”

 

Joe shook his head, heaving a sigh and pecked her nose.  She was worried about the man too, it was obvious. “No.  I don’t think we will hear from him until he’s ready to come back to the company.”

 

Pavana frowned, not liking the sound of that and caressed her husband’s arms, doing what she could to soothe him. “Maybe he just needs more time.  Come on, let’s eat.” She wanted to get his mind off Jon for the time being and pulled out paper plates to set the food on.

 

It was good to be home and Joe would’ve loved a home-cooked meal, but they had gotten in rather late.  He was too tired and he refused to make his wife cook too, so he’d sent her out to grab something quick.  Popeyes chicken was the choice and he’d simply make this his cheat day, which usually happened on his 2 days off a week.  Joe always worried the traveling would be too much for Pavana one day and she would leave, but she remained steadfast.  There was plenty for her to do while he was working out, doing media and signings and wrestling throughout the cities they visited.  In her words, she was becoming very culturized and enjoyed the freedom and time she had whenever he couldn’t be with her.  Granted, she had meetings with the other officials and whatnot to discuss matches, but that didn’t happen too often off the clock.

 

After they were done eating, Pavana cleaned up the mess while Joe tried calling Jon again and put the leftover food away.  Then she took his hand and guided him down the hall of their home to their bedroom, wanting to relax her husband.  To get his mind off his best friend, who was probably in agony in Birmingham, Alabama right now.  Taking his phone, she set it on the nightstand and ordered him to lay down, glad he was already bare from the waist up.  Pavana was as in love with Joe as the day she met him on the football field after her friends pointed her out to him.  He had walked up to her, a little shy and asked if she wanted to go see a movie or get something to eat sometime.  They had gone out that night to celebrate the team’s victory and shared their first kiss.

 

Straddling him on the bed, the movie idea was forgotten as her hands ran across the expanse of his massive, muscular chest, her soft hands driving him crazy.  She could see his dark brown eyes blacken and smolder over, her own sky blues turning a smoky cerulean.  Leaning back, she peeled her top off, along with her bra, and tossed them to the floor before capturing his mouth, cupping his face in her soft hands.  He sat upright and she pushed him down instantly, shaking her head with a smile.

 

“Stay put, big man.” Pavana chastised in a mumble against his lips, taking control for the moment and could already feeling him rise to the occasion beneath her.

 

His hands instantly slid down her sides and around to cup a handful of her backside, squeezing the cheeks through the cotton shorts she had on. “Mmm, Pava…” Joe rumbled from low in his chest, tempted to roll her, pin her to the bed and screw her into the mattress.  He knew what she was trying to do and let it happen.

 

Had it really been 12 years since they’d met and fell in love with each other?  It didn’t seem like it.  The fact it took him 9 years to ask this beautiful woman to be his completely still baffled him, but Joe had done it for a reason.  He did not want to marry her and not be able to provide for them.  His father had taught him and ingrained it in his head the man was the breadwinner and provider of the household.

 

Soon, they were both naked and Joe had taken control, flipping Pavana on her back to start caressing and kissing down her body.  His nose and mouth nuzzled her flat stomach, a small smile crossing his face.  They had talked about having children, but Pavana didn’t want to raise them on the road.  And she refused to stay at home while he was on the road 300+ days a year.  She’d made it crystal clear if he wanted to have kids, he would have to give up wrestling and she would do the same thing with her refereeing.  Otherwise, she wouldn’t have any babies, refusing to be away from her husband for long periods of time.  How other women did it with the wrestlers was beyond her, but that wasn’t who Pavana was.  She wanted to experience everything with her husband and they were mutually in agreement they would have at least one baby before she turned 40, which was her deadline age wise.  That gave Joe only a handful of years left in the business, but thankfully, they were the same age, so having a baby at age 40 wouldn’t be too bad.

 

Pavana’s eyes drifted shut at the first flick of his tongue against her smooth, Veet-waxed sex and buried her fingers in his thick, long black tresses.  They weren’t as long as they used to be.  Joe was slowly growing it back out again and she hoped he kept going, missing his long hair.  Her head tilted back against the pillow, body already lit on fire as his hands, teeth, and tongue worked their magic.  Soon, she was cumming in waves for her husband, crying out his name as her body shuddered from the intensity of her climax.

 

“Joe…” She whimpered when he crawled up the length of her body to passionately kiss her, returning it with equal fire.

 

“Turn that beautiful ass around, baby girl,” Joe ordered in a growl, pulling her up from the bed and swung her around to where she faced the headboard. “Mmm…so fucking luscious…” He smacked one cheek, rubbing it and then the other, making her shudder against him all over again. “You like that?  You like when Daddy tans that ass, don’tcha?”

 

“God yes…” Pavana panted, clutching at the comforter and felt his cock slide up and down her quivering dripping sex, the anticipation nearly crippling. “Daddy please, please fuck me…”

 

For some reason, Joe really enjoyed when she called him Daddy during sex.  Any other time, hell no, but calling him Daddy with his cock balls deep inside of his wife did something to him.  It brought out an animal inside Joe he couldn’t explain or fathom.  There was something raw and erotic about it, especially since he was NOBODY’S Daddy.  Smirking, he gripped her hips, refusing to let his wife down and pushed past her slick folds, both groaning at the friction.

 

“Oh yeah, just like that…” Pavana moaned out, the burning of her walls only intensifying the bout between them.

 

Joe didn’t give her time to fully adjust, knowing a little pain with pleasure went a long way and began thrusting in and out of her.  He didn’t bother with building up his pace, needing her to shatter like glass all around him.  That animal in him was out and his arms bulged while plummeting in and out of his wife, his tongue sliding up the length of her spine.  Reaching up, Joe buried his fingers in her fiery red tresses and yanked her up to where her body aligned with his, his thrusts never ceasing.  One hand tweaked her left nipple while the other snaked down the length of her lithe, sweaty body to caress her bundle of nerves.  They were already overworked and sensitive, so it wouldn’t take long for both sensations to overwhelm her body.

 

“Tell Daddy how he’s making you feel right now, baby girl…” Joe growled in command, slipping a finger inside of her and began pumping it in and out, her trembling increasing. “That’s it, let go and give Daddy what he wants, Pava…”

 

“Oh god…oh fuck, Daddy, your cock feels so good fucking my cunt…oh fuck me harder…make me cum all over your cock, Daddy…” Pavana had a filthy mouth when she was completely turned on and it just fueled Joe further.

 

Both his hands massaged her breasts now, his mouth attaching to the side of her neck and it was all Pavana could handle.  Screaming out his name, her body tensed and went rigid for a moment, before shuddering as hot juices flowed from her body.  Joe felt her juices run down his balls and down his legs, but he didn’t stop for a second, continuing the thrust and pushed her back down to finish up the task.  Beads of sweat caked all over his body, Joe gripped her hips for leverage and powered in and out of her, feeling him reach his own end.  Bellowing her name, Joe filled her with his explosive seed and didn’t stop thrusting until he was physically unable to, collapsing on the bed alongside her.

 

“H-How’s that for a distraction?” Pavana remarked in a shaky voice, laughing at Joe’s eye roll and leaned over to brush her lips against his.

 

“I knew what you were doing, woman.  You don’t fool me for a second.” Joe grumbled good-naturedly, gliding his hand up and down her perspired back. “I needed that.”

 

“I know.” Pavana always knew what her husband needed; they were in sync and could almost read each other’s minds. “How about a shower and then bed?  Maybe try to call Dean tomorrow.”

 

Nodding, Joe would give it a rest for tonight and focused solely on his beautiful wife, deciding another romp in the shower was in order.

 

Chapter 6

 

When Cody called and asked her out for lunch, on her only day off, Chacia wondered what was going on.  She was on alert instantly.  Cody rarely asked to hang out with her these days because of how busy he was at the wrestling school.  They saw each other whenever they could, but Chacia had closed herself off.  She just wanted to be alone and focus on her career, which was going splendidly.  Soon, she would have her own practice and would be able to leave the hospital behind.  That was her dream, her new goal in life.

 

Wrestling wasn’t all it was cracked up to be, not for women, or so Chacia thought.  She could still grapple in the ring with anyone; it was never fully forgotten, kind of like riding a bike.  Still, it was all about sex appeal for women when she was training and nowadays, there was a lot of respect for women in the wrestling industry.  Hell, half of Cody’s class right now were female he was training to get to the next level.  Chacia had given up to pursue sports medicine and became a physical therapist because she never thought women would be given a real chance in the wrestling business.

 

How wrong she was.

 

“Is everything okay?” She asked hesitantly, taking a break from cleaning her house.

 

“Yeah, I just wanna catch up and chat.” The lie that flew out of his mouth tasted bitter, but he didn’t want to talk to Chacia over the phone about Jon. “Are you busy or can you meet me?”

 

Something told Chacia this was important, so she agreed to meet up with him at their favorite diner in a couple hours.  Now that it was nearly time to leave, the butterflies erupted in her stomach and Chacia glanced at a picture sitting on the nearby entertainment center.  Picking it up, her fingers slid down the photo and a small smile curved her lips, not remembering the last time she stopped to look at it.

 

It was Chacia, Cody, Drake Younger and…Jon.  It was right after his first comeback match in PWI against Drake and right after that, Jon had cut the promo that would catapult his career in the Independents.  It was a ramble at first, but she had witnessed it firsthand and couldn’t believe he’d scared the hell out of the woman, who was the PWI owner’s wife, Nancy.  Nancy had taken it with a grain of salt, though she’d been a little worried about the fork Jon had been holding onto, which he’d used in the match with Drake.  The rambling turned into a mind-boggling, intense and amazing promo, which could still be found on YouTube.  After he cleaned up a little and changed into street clothes, they went out to eat together to celebrate Jon’s success and the picture was snapped by a fan.  Jon, Drake, and Cody signed autographs for the fan and in turn, they snapped the photo of all them together.

 

“You did amazing tonight, Jon.  I really enjoyed the match between you two.  You have a lot of chemistry.” Chacia had told him on the way out of the restaurant and he’d stopped her to hug her tightly, almost to the point of hurting her.


“Thank you for always being here for me, Chace.  I don’t deserve it…” He was slightly drunk, but drunken words were spoken from a sober heart. “You’re one of a kind, darlin’.”

 

“I’m always here for you, Jon.  Don’t ever forget that.” She had caressed the bandage on his forehead, from where he’d been busted open during the match, and placed a hand on his chest over his heart. “Always.”

 

Jon smiled, draped an arm around her shoulders and they continued walking toward the car to leave. “Don’t know what I’d do without you.”

 

“Hey, Mox!”

 

Drake had caught up to them with a grin and began talking to him about the company he worked for called CZW.  In the Independents, the wrestlers signed a contract for every match they had and they could wrestle for different promotions at the same time.  There was another show coming up Drake invited him to and they could talk more about it.  Chacia had heard of CZW – Combat Zone Wrestling – and wasn’t impressed since they were considered a violent, garbage Indy company.  Cody would never wrestle for someone like them because they were violent in the worst way.  She looked up at Jon, seeing the gears in his head turning and frowned, really hoping he didn’t go that route with his career or it wouldn’t last long.

 

Sure enough, after a couple more talks with the boys from CZW, Jon was on his way to Philadelphia.  He was put in an angle instantly that night and he stayed with the company for the better part of 2 years.  Moving out of Cincinnati and everything, Jon had found a place in Philadelphia that was close to the CZW arena, which was the old ECW arena before they closed down.  Only one year after debuting in the company, Jon Moxley became the CZW World Heavyweight champion at the 11th Anniversary show.  Chacia and Cody had driven out to attend it, pleased he hadn’t gone the violent route in order to win the title.  There was blood, but not that much and it was actually a really well-done match.  It all changed, however, when Nick Gage came out and demanded a title match, but Jon had flipped him off and went to the back, declining.

 

Being allowed backstage, Chacia watched as Jon was embraced by all of the CZW boys, drowning him in beer.  He was laughing and clutching the title, pressing it to his forehead.  The elation on his face both filled her heart with joy and broke it all at once.  She didn’t want him to be happy here.  She wanted him back in Cincinnati instead of Philadelphia, close to her.  It was obvious Jon was here to stay for the long haul and she wouldn’t get in his way.  After receiving congratulations from everyone, Chacia had stepped up to hug him and kissed his cheek, tears swimming in her eyes.

 

“Congratulations, Jon.”

 

“Yeah thanks, Chace!  Man, I need a beer after that.” Jon kissed the top of her head and then went back to talking to the boys about the match, drinking in the feedback they gave.

 

That was actually the last time Chacia had seen Jon.  Once he moved to Philadelphia permanently, he no longer needed her or Cody.  She knew he still called Cody to this day to check in and see how things were, but Chacia hadn’t spoken to him since 2010.  It was almost 8 years since Christmas was around the corner and that show had been February of 2010.  Setting the picture back down on the entertainment center, Chacia wondered how Jon was doing and if his career in WWE had exploded the way always dreamed.  She didn’t watch any wrestling, cutting it out of her life completely and only helped Cody with shows when he really needed it at the school.  Other than that, she had focused more on living life, having a regular routine and settled down, doing her own thing.

 

“Why reminiscence when you’ll probably never see him again.” She muttered, shaking her head and glanced at the other pictures around her apartment, some with Jon in them. 

 

They were happy times and she refused to get rid of them just because she didn’t talk to Jon anymore.  It reminded her of their friendship and the good old days before wrestling completely took over his life.  Sighing, she grabbed her keys, turning away from the photos and headed out the door with her purse in hand, going to meet her cousin.

 

Cody was a ball of nerves while waiting for Chacia, hoping she showed up.  How the hell was he supposed to do this?  Why was he willing to put Chacia through something like this?  He remembered the CZW show like it was yesterday and how nonchalant Jon had been with them.  He was carefree and didn’t even care if they were there, too busy talking to the boys.  Chacia and Cody weren’t part of his ultra-violent world and he still couldn’t believe the type of matches Jon had in that company.  It was a miracle the man could still walk and function, let alone be signed to the WWE.  He only had minimal scars on his body from CZW too, all of them covered up with his ring attire.  Unlike Chacia, he had kept up with Jon’s career and followed him, watching almost every match he had in WWE.

 

Snapping out of his thoughts, Cody saw Chacia’s car drive up and park in a nearby spot, waving his hand at her.  They embraced before walking inside to take their seats, the diner allowing people to take their own seats.  He ordered a water with lemon while she stuck with an iced tea, both somewhat awkward with each other.  The silence was deafening between them as Chacia looked around the diner, clasping her hands in her lap and finally couldn’t take it anymore. 

 

“What’s this about, Cody?  You never want to hang out, so what do you need from me?” Chacia demanded, leaning back and folded her arms in front of her chest.

 

Cody deserved that, lowering his eyes to the table and cleared his throat, feeling her hazel eyes boring into him. “It’s Jon.” His eyes lifted to meet hers, seeing the bewilderment cross her face.

 

Almost 8 years with no contact…Cody hadn’t mentioned Jon to her since they drove back home from the CZW show.  He had asked if she was angry at Jon and she just shook her head, claiming she didn’t want to talk about it.  She was happy for him and if that’s where he wanted to be, nobody could stop him.  The very next week, she had signed up for classes to start in the spring in sports medicine at the local college and wrestling was forgotten.

 

Chacia shut her eyes briefly, a flash, a hint of pain crossing her face and took a long drink of her tea. “What about him?” She finally asked once she trusted her voice not to crack under the intense emotions flooding through her.

 

“He called me the other day.” Cody had tried calling her several times, but he also knew she worked long hours and rarely checked her phone. “Did you get my calls?”

 

“Yeah.” Chacia had gotten several of his messages, but she hadn’t had a day off to respond until today.  She planned on calling him that afternoon until Cody beat her to the punch. “What’s wrong with him now?”

 

“He had to get surgery, Chacia.” Cody sounded saddened by the news and lowered his eyes again, gliding the pad of his thumb around the rim of the glass. “He tore his triceps tendon…and he’ll be out for 9 months.”

 

Frowning, Chacia covered her mouth with her hand and knew that was a devastating injury for any wrestler to suffer. “He already had it?” Cody nodded and she chewed her bottom lip, rubbing her temples to try to process this newfound information. “You know I don’t watch anymore.  I had no idea he was that injured…”

 

“I know.” Cody cracked a sad smile. “He knows too.  He’s asked about you, whether you believe that or not.  Anyway, he called and asked me if…”

 

“If what, Cody?  What does he want from me?” Chacia hated how fast her heart began to pound against her chest cavity and was sure Cody could hear it.

 

“He wants you to be his physical therapist, to help him recover and get back in the ring.  That would mean you’d have to go to Birmingham, Alabama for the next 9 months or however long it takes to rehab him.” Cody was hoping to wait until after they ate to drop this bomb on her, but maybe it was better this way. “I know this is a lot to ask of you and I didn’t tell him you’d do it…”

 

“Does he realize what this means?  I’ll have to give up my job at the hospital, Cody!” Chacia buried her head in her hands, gripping her hair between her fingers.  Jon was a selfish bastard sometimes!  How could he ask her to do this?! “Aren’t there more qualified people at that fancy place in Birmingham that can help him beside me?”

 

Honestly, Cody thought about that too and wondered why Jon was adamant about having Chacia help him through his recovery. “He said you’re the only one who can give him the kick in the ass he knows he’s going to need to get through this.  Nobody else can do it.  It has to be you.  I’m sure there are others down there, but he wants you to be the one to help him.” He saw the incredulous expression cross her face and took a long swig of his lemon water, suddenly wishing he would’ve ordered a beer instead.

 

Not even Cody could get Jon to do half the things he was supposed to in the wrestling school.  Chacia was the ONLY one he’d do anything for and Cody used that to his advantage on more than a few occasions.  There was an undeniable connection between them and it was intense, hadn’t faded or died, even in the past almost 8 years they hadn’t spoken.

 

“You don’t have to do this, Chacia…”

 

“And do what?  Let him suffer?  Let him fail because I won’t give up my life to go down there and help him?!” There was no choice in the matter and Chacia knew what she had to do.  Once again, she would go to his rescue and could only hope her mangled, battered heart could handle it. “He needs me…” She whispered, lulling her head back against the booth and shut her eyes, a few tears slipping down her cheeks. “I have to go help him.  I can’t, I won’t, let him fail, not now.”

 

Cody gave her a napkin to wipe her tears away and knew this was a very difficult decision on her part. “Why don’t you take the night to think about it?  Really think long and hard and put yourself first before him.  I don’t want you screwing anything up because of Jonathan Good, Chacia.” His voice became stern, eyes narrowing at all the pain the boy had caused her cousin already.

 

“Okay.”

 

It didn’t matter, however.  That familiar pull was tugging at her, forcing her to once again give up everything for Jon.  She would call the hospital in the morning to resign and then book a flight to Birmingham, Alabama to be Jon’s personal physical therapist.  Being paid wasn’t a worry for her since Jon was involved with the WWE and they obviously let him choose his own physical therapist for his recovery.  Leaving the diner, Chacia went home and began packing her belongings, looking around her apartment, hoping she didn’t regret the journey she was about to take.

 

It was time to save Jonathan Good once again.

 

Chapter 7

 

It’d been a week since Jon had contacted Cody, asking, begging for Chacia’s help.  He had called the man several times since then, only to be sent to voicemail.  Jon was tempted to fly to Cincinnati and beat the hell out of him with his good arm for ignoring his calls.  His surgically repaired arm was currently immobilized, thanks to a brace, which was about to come off in a few more days, at the 2-week mark.  That was why he contacted Cody because he knew it would take some time for Chacia to get down to Birmingham to start his physical therapy. 

 

Didn’t the man realize this was his career on the line?!

 

Jon had received all the text messages and phone calls from his friends at work, but he didn’t want to talk to anyone.  He just wanted to be left alone, feeling miserable and felt as though he was going through withdrawal from not being in the ring.  A call came in about an apartment for him to look at, but Jon wasn’t in the mood and just decided to stay in the hotel for the foreseeable future.  He missed his Vegas home, the heat, and climbing, biking, in Red Rock Canyon.

 

Scrubbing a hand down his face, Jon scowled at the braced arm and cursed his body for betraying him.  Since starting in WWE, he had zero sick days and only took time off for those 35 days or whatever it was to film the movie 12 Rounds: Lockdown.  He main-evented both television and house shows over 300 days straight and had more matches than ANYONE in the company over the past 2 years.  Jon was the standard bearer backstage, everyone came to him when there was a problem or last-minute change had to happen.  In his eyes, he was WWE’s mechanic and now they lost their mechanic, their backbone, because of a stupid torn triceps tendon.

 

His cell went off, breaking him out of his thoughts and grabbed it to check the caller ID, not recognizing the number.  However, it was an Ohio area code and Jon felt his heart begin beating like a drum in his chest.  What if it was Chacia?  What if she was finally calling him?  Jon didn’t want to get his hopes up in case it was a wrong number or one of his buddies from Cincinnati calling to check up on him.  There weren’t many of those these days, not since he’d alienated almost every single person out of his life besides Cody.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Is that how you greet people, Jonathan Good?  Or should I call you Dean Ambrose now?”

 

Chacia’s voice had changed over the years; growing up did that.  He knew his had as well, a little harsher, a little more grit.  She still had that tone, however, the same tone she’d had the day they had officially ‘met’ and acknowledged each other outside of school.

 

“Call me whatever you want, Chacia.” Once, he had called her Chacers, as a joke.  She hadn’t been amused, so he kept it Chace or Chacia, depending on the mood they were both in.  Right now, after all these years, Jon figured he should mind his Ps and Qs. “I wasn’t sure you’d call me back.” He admitted, beginning to walk laps around the room, anything to keep from feeling twitchy. “How have you been, darlin’?” Since he was gearing up to ask her for a major favor, after 8 years of nothing, he was well aware he should do the pleasantries, not that he could hide the impatience in his tone.

 

The impatience and borderline panic could be heard through his voice, which broke her heart, but she also heard relief. “Cody told me what happened to you.  I’m so sorry, Jon.” She truly meant that, knowing she wouldn’t be able to turn down the opportunity of helping him. “How are you feeling right now?” She listened as he went on a minor tangent about having surgery and cursing his body for breaking down on him after all these years. “Jon…Jon, calm down please…and listen to me.  I’m coming to help you,” Another huge sigh of relief filtered through her ear. “On one condition…”

 

“What’s the condition?”

 

He had been gaining steam and she had cut him off.  It took his mind a moment to switch tracks and his tone was a bit on the suspicious side.  He may have been the mechanic of the WWE or had been prior to his body deciding to turn traitor, but he also had learned that conditions weren’t usually good things.  Not in this kind of business.  Reminding himself that this wasn’t some crooked bookie or an asshole out to make a quick buck, Jon forced himself to exhale slowly.  This was Chacia.

 

“What’s the condition?” He asked again, this time in a calmer tone.

 

“Jon, I need you to breathe, okay?  You’re going to end up hyperventilating and that’s not going to be good for either of us.” She tried really hard not to sound amused, but it was hard since he was so anxious for her help.  Her, of all people. “I had to give up my job in Cincinnati in order to come to help you.  Not only do I want to be paid for my services, but…I want you to get me a new job with the WWE.  Whether it be a physical therapist or trainer, I can do both.  But I need some kind of income coming in AFTER I’m done helping you get back in the ring.”

 

“You quit your job?”

 

She had already quit her job.  He had been worrying for nothing.  Of course, she had.  This was Chacia, after all.  Cody had probably told her everything and she had then, in turn, very likely, handed in her resignation that same day.

 

“Whoa darlin’, of course, you’ll get paid.” Jon had gotten the permission secured to pick out his physical therapist and said a person would be reimbursed via the WWE and his insurance. “As for the job, I can help, but I can’t say it’ll happen.” Because he didn’t make those calls. “Of course, once they see what you can do,” Do being him and his stupid arm. “They’ll probably be interested.  Is that good enough?”

 

It would have to be. “Good, now that THAT’S settled, open your door.” The line went dead as Jon’s pale blues snapped to the door, the phone slipping out of his grip to land on the carpeted floor at his feet.

 

Was she here?  Was Chacia already here?  Jon hesitantly made his way toward the door and really hoped she wasn’t screwing with him.  He didn’t know if he could handle having mind games played with him, not in his current state.  Mentally counting to 3, Jon ripped the door open and warm hazel eyes instantly met wide pale blues.  Chacia frowned at the brace on his arm, already knowing it was completely immobilized, but that didn’t stop Jon from pulling her into him for a one-armed hug.  She hugged him back with both arms tightly, hearing how fast his heart beat against her ear and closed her eyes for a few seconds.

 

“I’m here, Jon.  I’m here and we’re gonna get you back in the ring.” Chacia promised in a soft murmur, letting him guide her inside with her bag in hand, refusing to let him carry anything. “Come on, you gotta relax that arm and your body if you’re going to be in any condition to start physical therapy in a couple of days.”

 

It took Chacia a little longer to get here due to obligations in Cincinnati.  It wasn’t easy to just pick up and leave when she had clients that had to be directed elsewhere.  Chacia wouldn’t leave anyone hanging and she’d also called the hospital in Birmingham, Alabama to let them know she would be Jonathan Good’s physical therapist.  She had to fax over information for them and whatnot to get everything cleared through the hospital and WWE.  One thing she asked them not to do was tell Jon she was coming because he had asked for her specifically.  Once the green light came to take a flight to Birmingham, Alabama, she took it and didn’t look back, once again hoping this didn’t backfire on her.

 

All things considered, Jon probably deserved to have her pull this on him, just showing up at his door after leaving him waiting on a callback.  He had gone years without talking to her, or even checking in, he deserved a lot more if he were honest.  Once the door was shut behind them, all he could do was stare at her, taking her in.  Eight years had definitely been kind and he remembered the last time he had seen her.  He had made the move to Philly and never looked back, only for her and Cody to come to the CZW event where he became their world champion.

 

“I’m an asshole.” He sighed, scrubbing his free hand down his face. “What made you decide to come to help me?”

 

“Be that as it may, I told you I’d always be here for you, Jon.  Did you think I was lying about that or something?  Or I didn’t mean it?” Chacia remarked, tossing wrappers and garbage away, knowing he’d definitely have to get on a better diet going forward. “No more fast food.  You’re going to start eating better or you’ll never get back in the ring.” There would be no compromising; Chacia would kick him square in the backside, just like he wanted, and force him to take better care of himself, even if it killed him.

 

“Are you kidding, Chace?  Have you TRIED Whataburger?”

 

Jon gaped at her, his pale blues mockingly wide.  He watched as she simply planted her hands on her hips, and boy were those some curvy hips -where in the hell had THAT come from?-, and gave him a ‘you’re going to do this even if I have to drag you kicking and screaming’ look.  He knew that look well and swallowed hard. “Yes, ma’am.” She was cleaning his room.

 

“Darlin’, they have maid service for a reason.” For slobs like him.

 

“Yeah?  Could’ve fooled me.  This place is a wreck, my god!” Chacia snapped her fingers at him before he could even THINK about helping and pointed at the bed. “REST. NOW.  That arm is not going to heal itself.  You have a LONG road ahead of you, Jon.  And you’re going to be in a WORLD of pain, even with your high tolerance for pain, in a couple of days.  So sit your butt down on that bed and rest that arm.  I got this.  And you’re having a salad with a grilled chicken breast and vegetables tonight for dinner.  Time to cleanse your body of all the toxins, no drinking until you’re healed either.  Do you want to get back in the ring?  You’re going to put in the time and EFFORT to get it done.” Or else she would leave him to fend for himself. “No more Whataburger either until you can get back in the gym and work the junk food off.”

 

Jon didn’t know whether or not he should be annoyed, pissed, indignant or amused.  Maybe some very weird combination of all of them, he supposed.  He was a grown ass man, being sassed around by a – he nipped that line of thinking.  It wouldn’t help him and Chacia would probably use some Jedi mind crap, read his thoughts, and really make therapy hurt.  Swallowing his stubborn pride, he dropped down onto his bed, positioning himself until he was comfortable, with a pillow under his bad arm to help support it.

 

“You really think you’re going to be able to get me back to 100%?”

 

She smirked at him, flexing her fingers that had been called magical a time or two by other patients and nodded. “There’s no thinking about it.  We ARE going to get you back in that ring.  And I say WE because this is a team effort.” She dropped down on the bed beside him, placing a hand on his good arm with so much determination in her hazel eyes. “I won’t let you down, Jon.  You have to believe that.  You have to believe in yourself too.  I can’t do this by myself, I NEED you to put your full faith and trust in me.  Surgery is just a QUARTER of the battle and I realize you haven’t had a career-threatening injury like this before, but you have to BELIEVE you can pull through this.  If you let this get in your head and you start doubting yourself, you WON’T recover properly.  I’ve seen it firsthand what happens to people who are negative and think their world is falling apart around them during recovery.  That’s NOT going to happen to you, do you understand me?  WE are going to get you back in that ring and get you back to doing what you love most.”

 

“Can do, captain.” He mock saluted her, but nodded to show he got it, he was with her.  It was just… hard.  It was hard.  Jon didn’t like feeling this way.  This was his life, it was all he had, all he had ever wanted, and now it felt like it was about to be ripped away from him, again.  He had thought once he finally made it here, to the WWE, all the doubt and uncertainty would be gone, but it wasn’t.  If anything, he now knew just what he would lose and he wasn’t sure if he would ever bounce back if he did.

 

“Maybe a little of both.” Jon ignored her comment about the food he’d been gorging on and snuggled a little more against the pillow. “Thought you were pissed at me or something.”

 

Raising a brow at him, Chacia stopped what she was doing and sat on the bed beside him, placing a hand on his left arm. “Why would I be pissed at you?  You didn’t do anything to me, not that I can think of anyway.”

 

“I stopped contact between us.  Cut you off.” Jon shrugged, relishing the feeling of her hand on his arm and knew he’d made the right decision to ask her to help him rehabilitate. “I was in my own world and then WWE called me and…”

 

She pressed a finger to his lips, shaking her head. “Don’t worry about it.  Cody told me you asked about me and…I stepped away from wrestling completely.  I was focused on going to school and my career, so I’m just as much to blame for the lack of contact as you are.  I don’t fault you for cutting ties, Jon.  It happens when you move out of state and you start a whole new life with new people.” That CZW show would be forever etched in her mind as long as she lived, though, and how he’d treated her and Cody.

 

Once Jon had told her, well probably more than once, that she wasn’t set on being a wrestler, not like him.  That she COULDN’T be.  She had sucker punched him and made him reassess that, well, at least reassess saying it out loud.  Chacia would have been an epic Diva, back then, since they were called Superstars now.  Women were dominating the sport and she could have been there with him doing it.

 

“I’m sorry, for cutting you off.” He said quietly, knowing that, while she said not to worry, he owed her at the very least, an apology.  If he could, Jon would get her into the WWE. “Why did you step away from wrestling?  I thought you were as passionate about it as me?” The things women in the wrestling world today did were incredible and they outwrestled the guys on more than a few occasions.  They were just as important to wrestling as the men were, which was great to see.

 

There was NO way in hell she could ever tell him the truth.  That CZW show put a lot of things into perspective for her and Chacia didn’t want that kind of life.  Killing herself for nickels and dimes and being on the road constantly.  Jon lead a very hectic life in the Independent circuit and she lost count how many promotions he’d worked for at once.  At one point, he was the champion of almost every Indy promotion he wrestled for.  It was crazy – 2010 was a crazy year for Jon and his character, Jon Moxley.

 

“I didn’t want to be known for tits and ass like all the other women in the wrestling.  I know it’s not like that these days, but…back then, there was nothing for me.  I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere and…I wanted a career that I could rely on for the future.” Chacia could tell Jon had lost a lot of muscle and it would take time to rid him of fatigue as well, the more she stroked his arm.

 

“Yeah, I know, Chacia,” Women back then had to fight for every scrap they got or worse.  It had been like watching low-income women back home, selling themselves for nickels, dimes and enough food to go another day. “I… I am glad you didn’t go that route,” Jon admitted, taking hold of her hand and squeezing gently. “You were too good for that.” As it had been then, now was a different matter entirely. “Women are tearing it up now.  That ring is just as much theirs as it is the men and it’s awesome to see.” Jon voiced what he’d been thinking, wondering if Chacia would ever consider getting back in the ring again one day.  She had unbelievable talent and he wouldn’t mind mixing it up with her again once he was healed. “I’m glad you’re here.  I couldn’t do this without you.  You’re too good for me, darlin’.”

 

It still baffled her why he would say something like that. “Jon, you have world-class doctors and physical therapists at this hospital…I’m nothing compared to them…”

 

Usually, with a torn triceps, it took 4-6 months to rehabilitate, but the arm itself wasn’t fully healed up until a year.  Jon would have to spend a good 2-3 months in the ring to condition himself to get back to work, after the rehabilitation, which she would also help him with.  Once the hotel room was picked up and looked livable again, Chacia finally took a seat and began planning out what they would have for dinner.  No more fast food and junk, eating healthy was also a huge part of healing and rehabilitation.  Jon was very small compared to what she remembered in CZW.  Right now, he reminded her of when he came back from Puerto Rico, looking sickly from drugs, booze, and pills.  This time, it was from this devastating injury that would take around 9 months off his career.

 

Chapter 8

 

Dinner consisted of grilled chicken, seasoned slightly with steamed vegetables and a baked potato.  A little fattening with healthy went a long way and he could work it off once he was able to get back into the gym.  That wouldn’t be for a while though, probably 4 months into his recovery, as long as everything went well and no setbacks popped up.  It would all depend on Jon and how badly he wanted to get back in the ring.  Chacia would eat healthy right along with him, refusing to let him go through this alone, which was another reason she decided to give up everything to come to his aid.  He had to admit, the food picked out wasn’t that bad since he’d been living on pizza and fast food for the past almost 2 weeks.  Chacia being here was already making a huge difference and Jon enjoyed having her back in his life, vowing to never lose her again or cut contact off with her.

 

After they finished eating, Chacia rolled the tray out to the hallway, leaving a tip under one of the plates and glanced at the clock. “You need to get some actual sleep.  If you want, I can mix you up some melatonin to help you.” She knew he didn’t sleep longer than a few hours at a time. “This is your chance to catch up on the sleep you’ve missed over the past several months.  Also, you know you don’t have to live here the entire time.  We can do the rehabilitation wherever you live and, once 4 or 5 months come, you can come back here for intensive training, if you want.”

 

“I live in Vegas,” Jon informed her, letting out a long yawn. 

 

He wasn’t going to lie, that had been a lot better than the food he had been living on.  He had patience issues, mostly just a lack of patience, and the fast food lived up to the name.  Fast food.  She probably hadn’t known that about him; he had tried very hard to keep his personal life just that – personal.  Some crazy fans in the Indies had been the deciding factor on that one.  Wrestling fans were the best fans, but they also had the craziest fans.

 

“You want to come to Vegas?  It’s hot.” He loved it.

 

“I don’t care what the temperature is.  I’m not going anywhere until you’re healed and back in the ring, Jon.” Chacia assured him, rolling the tray out of the door and set it in the hall, closing the door behind her. “Now, time to bunker down and get some rest.  I mean it.  You have to get some sleep and rest that arm.  If you need anything, I’m here.” There was an extra room since it was an apartment suite of sorts, but the bed was still in the sitting area.  It was weird, actually. “Just don’t ask me to help you pee or shit because I draw the line at that.”

 

“I can hold my own junk for aiming and I can definitely wipe my own ass.” Jon bared his teeth at her as he tried not to imagine being in a position where he couldn’t.  Hell no.  He didn’t care what was broken; he was not letting someone else take over those types of situations for him.  Jon would die first. “Might need help scrubbing my back though.” He grinned ever so sweetly at her, now busy using his good arm to remove his shirt.

 

Rolling her eyes, Chacia shook her head at him and walked over to help him out of the shirt.  His arm was LOCKED DOWN and immobilized, so Jon literally had only one arm to use right now. “Don’t be stubborn and let me help you take it off.” Very carefully and gently, she got it over his head and took her time to get the material down his surgically repaired arm, her heart breaking all over again.  Chacia HATED seeing him in this predicament and gently pushed him back down on the pillow, dropping his shirt to the floor. “All right, do you want a bedtime story?” She joked, covering him up and tucking him in, kissing his forehead. “I’ll admit, I’m not very good at them and the best you’d get outta me is the Three Little Pigs…”

 

“Well, you’re already playing Mommy,” Jon shifted under that comforter, amused, wondering if the woman was out of her mind. “Don’t.” He advised when she went to lift it. “Not unless you want to really play ‘house’ and I’ll be the Daddy.” A few seconds and few upwards movements with his hips and knees and his basketball shorts were gone.  He tossed them onto the chair beside his bed. “So, about that story?”

 

She popped him upside the head playfully, unable to help laughing at his antics and slid her fingers through his hair. “You need to do something about this mop you call hair.  It would actually look good if you…cut it all off.  You have a receding hairline.” Chacia giggled when he growled at her, slapping her hand away with his good hand and ordered her to leave. “Oh, come on, I’ll shave your head for you, and I think it’d look really good.  Better than this mess you have going on right now, for sure.”

 

“Woman, you touch my hair and you’ll find out how not handicapped I am when I use this arm,” He raised his good arm, fingers spread wide, so she could see just how large his hand was. “To paddle your ass.” The mental image that suddenly accompanied that threat had Jon’s eyes widening then narrowing.  That was… vivid, actually. “We’re not cutting my hair, and don’t ever mention the hairline again.” He cleared his throat, and the images, mock pouting.

 

“Mmmhmm, you’ll change your mind when your hair starts falling out and you can’t stop it.” She grinned, not fazed by his threat in the slightest and ruffled his hair for good measure, jumping out of bed in the nick of time. “Goodnight, Jon.  Get some sleep.” Winking at him, she walked into her room and left the door cracked, changing into her nightwear.

 

~!~

 

Vegas truly was beautiful, at least where Jon’s house was located.

 

The strip was way too busy for her taste and too bright, but luckily, Jon lived about 15 minutes away from the strip and airport.  It was the perfect setting for him since it was a city that never slept, but also wasn’t the best place for rehabilitation.  Just after Christmas, they caught flights to Vegas and the stitches had been removed from Jon’s arm.  He wanted to leave immediately, but the doctor told him it wasn’t possible until the stitches could come out.  As soon as they were, the day after, they were on their way to Vegas.  Once they landed, Chacia did not let Jon rest and began physical therapy with very light exercises, nothing to disrupt the surgically repaired tendon.  He gritted his teeth through it, grinning and bearing it, lasting an hour and then she let him rest for the rest of the day.  

 

Jon was a recovered addict.  Not something he liked discussing, but it was also true.  Chacia, bless her, knew all about his history with drugs, so she understood why he didn’t want to take the painkillers the doctors kept pushing on him.  He knew not being in agony, and being able to enjoy resting, would help with recovery time.  However, Jon also knew what he was likely to do if he started popping anything stronger than the Aleve’s for both pain and the tender inflammation.

 

“Christ… I don’t think I’d wish this on my worst enemy.” He groused, using his decent hand to wash the sweat off his face while watching Chacia put away the ‘equipment’.

 

“I know it’s hard, but honestly, you’re doing great.” Chacia would always give positive reinforcement to keep his spirits up. “The first couple of rounds of light therapy will be the HARDEST you go through.  In time, you’ll get used to it and your arm will gain strength and before you know it, you’ll be back in that ring.”

 

His addiction to drugs and alcohol was well-documented in her brain and Chacia refused to ever let him go through that again.  After Jon finally made it to the WWE, he stopped all of that crap, including smoking, and now all he did was chew tobacco, which wasn’t nearly as bad as regular smoking.  If that was the only thing he ever did again, she was all for it because she wanted him to take care of himself.

 

“I’m not gonna push you past your limitations, only what I feel you can handle because, if we go too fast, you could do more harm than good to your recovery.”

 

It was still kind of bad, the chewing thing because he had been shown by his doctor's extensive images of tongue and lip cancer.  Jon had cut down quite a bit, but… not completely.  He had given up a lot of other vices; he wasn’t ready to lay down his last one.

 

“I know, I know,” He grunted, letting the hand towel sit on his head and peered at her. “On a scale of one to total bitch, how bad was I today?”

 

Chacia chuckled, zipping up the bag that held her special arm machine and zipped it up, pushing it to the side. “Ummm, I’d say a solid 5.  It’s all right to bitch, moan and complain, Jon.  This isn’t easy to get through and I can only imagine what you’re going through.” Wait until he had to have the patches that sent small electric jolts through his arm in order to stimulate the muscles.  That would NOT be fun to deal with. “This is a career-threatening injury.  A torn triceps for regular people takes over a year to completely heal from.  Thankfully, you’re an athlete and you’re in a profession that beats the shit out of your body.  So, you’re going to heal faster than a normal person, but it’s still going to be a son of a bitch to get through.  You were fine today and I don’t take anything you say to heart.  Hell, call me every name in the book if it helps you get through this.”

 

“Only a 5?” Jon sounded disappointed, though his eyes were twinkling with amusement, but it faded at the mention of career-threatening. “I didn’t call you that many names.” He had, however, screamed quite a few of them in his head.  Jon did not think Chacia would take kindly to being called a ‘thunder cunt’ even though she was the one who had taught him that lovely little phrase. “I’m getting a shower, want to come scrub my back?” That joke would eventually get old, he was sure of it.

 

“No, but I will wrap your arm in a garbage bag, so you don’t get it wet.”

 

The brace was back on and it had to stay that way until he gained more mobility in his arm.  Carefully, she slipped the brace back on and ordered him to follow her to the kitchen.  One white plastic garbage bag wrap later, Jon could take all the showers he wanted.

 

“Here, let me help you remove your top.” It was a beater, the easiest for him to slip on and off.  Why he insisted on wearing a top was beyond her, but Chacia still enjoyed the man candy, nevertheless. “Okay there we go, probably should’ve done that before wrapping your arm, but we got it.  Now go shower, stinky.  I’ll make us some lunch.”

 

Now, this was a little bit of a moral problem for Jon.  He wore tank tops and beaters.  They were very easily removed by using one hand at the neck and just pulling upwards.  He was even able to get it over the brace with barely any fuss.  He could have told her that the first night when she had ‘magically’ appeared at his hotel room and hadn’t.  The reason for not telling was simple.  Jon liked Chacia undressing him; there was just this little weird feeling he got, in a good way, and he liked it.  He also liked the way her eyes seemed to linger.

 

“Yeah, thanks, bye.” Time for that shower now as Jon tried not to laugh at himself, or his erection.

 

Not knowing Jon was having inner moral issues, Chacia went into the kitchen to make them something to eat.  Sandwiches, with wheat bread, cold carrots and mixed cut up fruit salad were on the menu.  Jon had complained about eating healthy, but if he wanted to get back into shape and in the ring, he HAD to do it.  Once he was back in the gym, the man could eat steak and burgers for all she cared, but not while he was recovering.  The meat was turkey, directly from an actual turkey instead of the store bought filled with preservatives.  She had made the turkey a few days ago and Jon asked her why, so she had to explain fresh meat right off the bone, like turkey and ham, for sandwiches was a lot healthier than the crap at the store in containers.  Once the sandwiches were done, with regular mayo, low-fat, she put containers over them and set the kitchen table for them to eat.  Just as Jon came back out, she finished setting out glasses of lemon water for each of them and smiled at him.

 

“Food’s ready.”

 

Jon’s lips pinched as he stared at the food.  Eating healthy was going to kill him, he simply knew it.  The best meal of the day was dinner because then there was usually like… seasoning or something.  Healthy fats, that was her thing.  Apparently, there was a difference and all he knew was he missed hamburgers badly.

 

“So, I’m thinking… we should grill.” Because that was healthy, right?  There were only so many ways to eat chicken before chicken became something to be dreaded. “Can you grill, Chace?” He asked, settling down at the table and eyeballed the carrots.

 

“Yeah, but we’re not using barbeque sauce or anything like that, maybe a little seasoning.” Chicken was the best to eat and she flat out refused to make him anything fried.  No fried, no red meat…nothing fattening until he could get back in the gym regularly. “I know you hate this, but you’re gonna thank me when you’re buffed up and jacked for your return.”

 

She grinned, eating healthy right along with him.  If he had to suffer, so did she.  That was her firm belief and Chacia had eaten healthy most of her life, even after getting out of the ring.  She still visited the gym on an almost daily basis in Cincinnati, wanting to keep her figure.

 

“You know,” Jon sighed in defeat, though there wasn’t anything bitter or upset in his tone, just resigned. “I think this war on red meat, and all things delicious you have going, will eventually escalate into you trying to turn me into a vegan or some shit.” Then he’d wind up looking back at these chicken dinners with fondness. “I’ll be so grateful,” He bit into a carrot, chomping it noisily. “That I’ll send you a gift card or something for Wendy’s… or McDonald's…”

 

Jon knew part of his issue with eating healthy.  It was actually really common.  Poor people could not afford to eat healthily.  Fresh fruits and vegetables were expensive, so were whole wheat and grains.  Therefore, poor people tended to buy cheaper, less healthy options.  He had grown up that way and, sadly, that processed, junky stuff, was also delicious.

 

Being a wrestler required eating healthy, or as healthy as one could without going broke or starving to death.  Steve Austin, for instance, ate RAW potatoes for the first couple years of his career.  He was one of Chacia’s all-time favorite wrestlers, actually.  She too grew up poor, but Cody always managed to make them healthy meals because he had instilled that into her.  Eating healthy was the way to go, along with cleansing one’s body.

 

“I’ll just give it to charity then.  No biggie, go for it.” She shrugged, chomping into her sandwich and sighed in contentment.  Sweets didn’t really matter to her since she didn’t eat a great deal of them. “Stop bitching and eat your food, Moxley.”

 

“Sure thing, Cha- owwww…” She had kicked him under the table before he could finish the bastardized version of her name. “Not nice, Chacia, beating up the cripple… and what’s fucked up is you get PAID to do it.”

 

She got paid to help people through hurting them.  Well, in a way she was living her original dream.  Minus the television and costume aspect.  They ate in companionable silence for a while.  The food wasn’t bad, the fruit was delicious, he just liked giving her a hard time.  It took a lot to truly ruffle her feathers, she was just so easygoing.  Kind of the opposite of him on some things.

 

“I meant to ask… did you leave anybody back home?  You know, a guy or something?”

 

That question surprised her as a brow slowly raised and Chacia wondered what brought this on. “No.  There’s no one besides Cody and he already knew I’d come to help you.” A couple nonchalant dates here and there, but nothing solid ever came of them.  Chacia was somewhat of a workaholic, not minding it because it kept her busy and she thoroughly enjoyed helping people through their pain. “Why do you ask?  Curiosity killed the cat, you know.” She took another bite of her sandwich followed by popping a carrot in her mouth. “How’s the sandwich?”

 

He asked because he might have felt somewhat bad if he had pulled her away from a special someone or something.  Jon figured Cody wouldn’t have told him during one of their occasional talks if she had settled down and did the family thing anyway. “It’s fine.  And curiosity might’ve killed the cat, but satisfaction brought him back.” He retorted, winking at her before finishing his last bite. “I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t depriving some poor guy of your wonderful company, darlin’.”

 

“I wouldn’t do something like that.  I wouldn’t be here if I had someone at home waiting for me.” Chacia assured him, smiling easily and stood up from the table, dropping a kiss on his head. “You need to relax the rest of the day and let that arm heal from the therapy today.  I’ll get the dishes done.” She instructed, carrying the plates into the kitchen and rinsed them in the sink. 

 

Chapter 9

 

When she turned around, after loading the dishwasher, Chacia blinked at the pair of clippers in his hand and raised a brow. “Are you serious?  You want me to cut your hair?”

 

“Yes,” Jon sighed, waving them.  He didn’t really want to, but she wasn’t wrong about his receding hairline.  And it was a pain in the ass washing this mop with one hand. “Do it quick, before I change my mind.” Jon had come out in just his shorts, no socks or shirt, a towel around his neck. “Please.” He then added, flashing Chacia a slight smile. “Come on, darlin’, don’t be so shocked.  You’re the one who was pointing out all my mop’s flaws.”

 

“I think you’ll look better with shorter hair…” Chacia didn’t expect him to ask HER to do it, though!  Swallowing hard, she took the clippers and gestured him to sit in the chair, pulling it away from the table. “Actually no – no, we’re not doing this in here.  Outside, now.” She ordered, pushing him gently but firmly toward the back-sliding glass door. 

 

He had a patio, screened in, with an in-ground pool and hot tub.  Jon had it going on in Vegas!  It was a beautiful backyard and it was the perfect place to buzz his hair off.  Sitting him down in the middle of the patio on a chair, Chacia took a deep breath and began the process, little locks of auburn blonde floating to the patio below.

 

“Do I need to get you a ring?” Jon asked when she stopped buzzing his head in order to clean the clippers.  The area she had gotten so far felt weird, it felt lighter and kind of naked.  He began laughing when he saw her jerk from the corner of his eye. “You’re comfortable in my house, you cook healthy meals, and you order me around.  I figured I’d just make it legal is all, Chace.” Maybe he shouldn’t pick on her while she was doing his hair.  He might wind up with a dick and balls etched into the hairline or something.

 

“Meh, I’m not the marrying kind, honey, but thanks for asking.” Chacia remarked, not fazed by the fact Jonathan Good was joking about a marriage proposal and laughed. “Besides, after I’m done with you over these next however many months it takes to get back in the ring, you’ll probably be THANKFUL to be rid of me.” She went back to buzzing away, making sure to even it out as much as she could.  Cody had her do his hair and it wasn’t half bad, so she hoped Jon was fine with the results since she wasn’t a professional.

 

“That or I’ll really enjoy being dominated by a hot broad.” Jon quipped, waiting for the pop upside his head to come.  She was laughing, he could practically feel it and he rolled his eyes. “You sure?  I’ll buy you a black ring with blood red rubies.”

That was the most outrageous kind of ring he could think of.  Well, besides those really ugly black and hot pink rings, those were disgusting.  He had spent a lot of time on the Wish App for some reason lately.

 

“You could buy me the biggest diamond or gemstone in the world, sugar plum.  Money means nothing to me, and you should know that by now.  I prefer the little things in life.”

 

Chacia was not materialistic and would give the shirt off her back to anyone in need, especially Jon.  The thought of marrying this man though…it got butterflies fluttering in her stomach.  He was only joking with her and she had to remind herself of that, mentally shaking herself while continuing to do his hair.

 

“All right, this hot broad is done, and you can go look now.  I hope it’s okay…”

 

“I don’t know if I want to look…” Jon admitted, standing up and groaned, desperately wanting to itch where tiny bits of hair had stuck to his neck and upper back.  He ran his hand over his head, icy blues widening slightly.  That felt weird.  It felt really weird.  He looked down at her, eyebrows raising. “How bad does it look?” He asked, knowing it was vain, but it was his hair.  Chacia was staring at him, almost thoughtfully, and he felt relief when she smiled.  Good enough for him. “It went down… the back… of my shorts.” His own hair, attacking him and he needed hosed down. “Get me wet, darlin’?”

 

Chacia had a dry sense of humor sometimes and smirked, placing her hands on her hips. “Shouldn’t it be the other way around, Moxley?  Aren’t you supposed to get me wet?  I wasn’t aware men could get wet…I thought that was a woman only type deal.” That made his jaw drop to the patio and she laughed so hard, tears actually began falling down her cheeks. “Oh god, your face…” She gasped out, holding her side and laughed harder at his cheeks flushing red.  HE WAS RED!! “So, um yeah, sure, if you want me to get you…wet…” Chacia could NOT keep a straight face and started laughing all over again.

 

She had… she said… Jon didn’t know where to even begin.  Chacia was laughing her ass off, at his expense, and he scooped her up with the arm that wasn’t in a sling. “Changed my mind,” He growled playfully, using said arm to hoist her onto his hip, his palm on her ass. “I’d rather get you wet, after all.” He headed right for the pool, ignoring her sudden shrieks.  It was the shallow end, he walked right down the steps and right into that water, beginning to laugh. “You wet enough, Chacia?”

 

“Get out of this pool right now, Jonathan Good!” Chacia shrieked, her eyeballs ready to fall out of her head since his arm WASN’T covered up properly! “If you get that brace wet, you don’t have another one!  You-” He dunked her under the water with one hand and let her up a few seconds later.  Chacia sputtered water indignantly, wearing a tank top and cotton shorts, both materials clinging to every curve of her body. “There, you feel better now?  You got me wet, now get your ass in the house and in the shower, AFTER your arm is wrapped!” Sorely tempted to dunk him back, Chacia would have to wait to exact her revenge for another day because she would not risk anything happening to his surgically repaired arm. “Come on, move it!”

 

“Actually, Chacers,” Jon was sitting on his knees in the pool, not bothered one bit. “I can get another brace, pretty sure it’s doable.” He knew it was and it wasn’t like he didn’t have the money to spare. “Secondly… water therapy has been proven to be effective in both pain relief, as well as allowing for better control of moving the injured appendage.”

 

She was going to drown him, he could see it in those flashing hazel eyes.  His own eyes, however, were roaming her, taking note of the way those clothes clung to her every curve.  Her breasts were perky, and her nipples looked ready to bust a hole in that material.

 

“Cold?”

 

This was NOT fair!  She couldn’t tackle him or do ANYTHING because of that damn arm of his!  And he knew it judging by the smug smirk on his face.  Chacia looked down at herself, shaking her head and wished she would’ve put a bra on earlier now because her tank top was WHITE and now see-through.

 

“You are an asshole.” She muttered good-naturedly, slicking her hair back with more water and slid her hands down her sides. “You will do water therapy for your arm, but NOT right off the bat.  And you’re an idiot if you try.  What’s going to happen is your arm is going to be overworked, since you already did physical therapy this morning, and therefore, your recovery is going to be set back even more because you have a point to prove.  Doesn’t seem like a smart thing to do, in my opinion, but you do what you want.  Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going inside to change into dry clothes.  Enjoy your water therapy and…getting wet.”

 

Winking, she walked up the steps of the pool and padded her way into the house, knowing she would have to clean up the water trail since she had nothing to dry off with.  Jon had no intention of doing anything except sitting there and letting himself cool off.  He had known she had been running around the house without a bra, it was kind of hard to miss, especially when she moved… fast.  But that was damn close to nude; that top when wet had gone nearly sheer.

 

“Down boy.” He muttered to himself.  It was Chacia.  Beautiful, gorgeous, Chacia… “Damn it.”

 

~!~

 

2018 was brought in together, alone, with glasses of champagne out in the desert under the moon and stars.  It was absolutely breathtaking, especially how the moon glistened off of Red Rock Canyon.  It was Jon’s idea and Chacia didn’t have any reason to deny him.  They hopped in his truck with her driving while his arm was still in a sling to keep it from swinging around too much or moving.  The brace was only worn at night now when he slept, just as a precaution.  Hank Williams JR played out of the radio softly as they talked and got to know each other again.  It was amazing the transformation Jon had made from the boy she’d gone to school with to who he was now.

 

Jon never did graduate high school, but Cody had told her he eventually went back for his GED.  So at least he had some kind of education behind him since he wouldn’t be able to wrestle forever.  Granted, he was in the prime of his career, even though he’d been doing it since age 17, but this massive injury was the first he’d ever suffered.  Throughout all those death matches he’d done and put his body through, it was a miracle he hadn’t destroyed himself completely.  Even after cutting contact with him, Chacia often wondered and worried about him, praying he made it through CZW and got the hell out of the company before it killed him one day.

 

Since it was New Year’s Eve, she wore a simple black skirt and lace cream-colored halter top that had a black lace overlay.  Her blonde hair was pulled up in a high ponytail to keep it off her neck since Vegas was extremely warm.  Jon had requested her to dress up a little and she’d packed all the clothes she’d had in Cincinnati, but didn’t have very much formal wear.  Jon didn’t either, yet he was in a short sleeved dark blue polo and black dress pants with black dress shoes.  Chacia took the glass of champagne he poured her and handed it over, doing everything one-armed.  She held the glasses for him, not wanting him to spill the champagne on either of their clothes and kicked her heels off to get more comfortable.  They were the only pair of heels she owned.

 

“I understand why you moved here now.” Chacia broke the silence between them, her eyes locked on the million stars in the sky.

 

To some people, dressing up to come out to the middle of nowhere for a New Year’s ring-in would probably seem strange.  To Jon, it was perfect and he couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.  He and Chacia had both grown up in a major city, so this was probably a good change for her.

 

“All this.” He smiled, gesturing with his champagne glass.  Jon was close enough to the city to suit his basic needs, far away enough to give him the quiet and privacy he wanted. “They don’t have this view in Ohio.” His eyes were on her as she stood in that beautiful outfit, the quiet canyons and night sky as her backdrop.

 

“It’s gorgeous here and surprisingly peaceful.” They were in the middle of the desert, surrounded by nature and it didn’t feel desolate at all.  The desert was actually chilly, which was why she’d brought a hooded sweatshirt, just in case. “I never thought you’d be the type to move to a place like Las Vegas, but now that I’m seeing the surroundings, I completely understand why.” It was the polar opposite of Cincinnati.

 

Jon would never go back there, even though he told WWE he wanted to be billed from Cincinnati, Ohio still.  Maybe he would change it when he returned to the ring, but Jon highly doubted it.  He didn’t like people knowing where exactly he was located due to crazed fangirls.  It was the reason he didn’t buy into the social media hype that had taken the world by storm.

 

“What made you decide to move to Vegas, though?”

 

“It’s the complete opposite of Ohio.” Which had been a major factor. “If I go into Vegas itself, there are so many people and even famous people, I don’t get looked at twice.”

 

That was also nice.  Jon liked his privacy.  He loved his fans, if not for them, he would not have a job.  It didn’t matter how good a wrestler he was, if he didn’t build that fan base, he would’ve been screwed, but he also didn’t want them up his backside, constantly.

 

“My home is the road.” That was a simple fact of life. “I just wanted to try somewhere new and different and I’d seen pictures of it.  Figured I’d give it a go and never looked back.”

 

Jon was well-known for his gypsy ways throughout the years, always picking up and moving wherever he felt like.  Cincinnati to Philadelphia.  Philadelphia to Tampa, Florida.  Then Tampa to Vegas.  Hell, there were probably other cities or towns he’d lived in briefly throughout his career.

 

It was true.  As a professional wrestler, their lives, their homes, were on the road and they only had places to put their stuff they visited a couple times a month.  It was crazy.  No wonder so many wrestlers got injured on a yearly basis.  Jon had told her how hectic his schedule was, how he’d stay on the road for 3 weeks straight before going back to Vegas to exchange his stuff for 2 days.  There were times it’d be a straight month before he got some days off to sleep in his own king-sized bed.  It was grueling, strenuous and it made Chacia wonder if it was really worth becoming a professional wrestler with all the vigorous travel.

 

“Do you regret doing this?” Jon asked out of nowhere, breaking another silence that developed between them. “Do you…wish you were back in Cincinnati?”

 

Where did that come from?  Chacia didn’t know how to answer that question because she didn’t know.  Vegas was beautiful, but she did have a nice apartment and had given up a job she truly loved to help him out.  Maybe she did miss it more than she was willing to admit, but Chacia didn’t regret a single thing she did in life.

 

“No.  I made you a promise to always be there for you, Jon.” That night out in the parking lot of the bar after his first match back with Drake Younger. “And I wasn’t about to go back on my word.  You’re just as much my best friend as you claim I am yours…”

 

Ouch, Jon felt that one.  He knew she didn’t mean it to be nasty, she was honest, and her words were said kindly.  But they both knew she was a better friend to him than he had ever thought about being to her. “Yeah, sure.” He smiled at her, wondering if she really believed that.  How good of a friend was he really? “I owe you, a lot, you know that?”

 

She smiled at him, gesturing to the surroundings much like he had a few minutes ago. “No Jon, this is repayment enough, just being here with you and helping you.  I will always care about you.  You will always be important to me.” Finishing her glass of champagne, they both sat down in the back of his truck, after she spread a blanket out and she refilled their glasses. “If someone would’ve told me how I’d be ringing in 2018, however, I would’ve laughed in their face and called their bluff.” Silence reigned between them for a little while, both staring up at the stars and Chacia looked over at Jon, reaching out to caress his bearded face. “There is one thing you can do for me.” She waited for him to ask what it was and let out a shaky breath. “Don’t…don’t cut me off again.  I don’t care how busy you are, don’t cut contact between us again.  Promise?”

 

There it was, the elephant in the proverbial room.  He had wondered if she was going to dredge it up.  Jon was a coward, he admitted it.  She was already doing so much for him, HAD done so much for him.  It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that Chacia had saved his life, more than once.

 

“I won’t.” He said finally, solemnly and nodded down at her. “Promise.” And to seal the deal… he bent down and brushed his lips against her cheek.

 

An hour later, they clinked glasses together under the stars and the moon, ringing in the New Year the best way possible. “Happy New Year, Jon.”

 

“You too, Chace.” He kissed her forehead, letting his lips linger longer than necessary and hugged her, burying his nose in her hair while returned the embrace.

 

Chapter 10

 

After that night, it was time to get down to business.  Before long, a month passed since his surgery and Jon kept up with the vigorous light exercises, feeling his arm starting to slowly gain strength.  Very slowly.  It sucked how slow this process actually was and he’d become impatient, pushing himself too hard one night.  The next morning, it felt as though his arm would fall off and it was on fire.  Chacia warned him he’d pushed himself too hard, but he kept going anyway and now he was paying for it.  She told him no more exercises for a week until the burning and pain subsided, hoping he didn’t do any actual damage to his tendon.

 

Thankfully, he hadn’t, just strained it a little too much.

 

Nothing but light arm exercises and massaging happened over the next 2 weeks, which put him at 6 weeks of recovery.  Deep muscle massages really helped loosen the tight muscles in his arm.  It was usually 4-6 weeks before any REAL physical therapy could begin, but Jon didn’t start doing anything until week 7.  Active motion exercises began with Jon doing it all on his own, but Chacia was there to monitor him.  The hospital had also sent down a contraption that was attached to the bicep, where the surgically repaired tendon was located, and it sent little jolts throughout the muscles to help them contract and heal.

 

On their downtime, whenever he wasn’t doing physical therapy, which was three times a day for an hour, they watched movies, shows, talked and his jacuzzi in the backyard always did wonders.  She forced him to take 2-hour breaks in between the sessions, giving his arm time to rest.  It was the only way to get through this without doing more damage to his triceps tendon.  Jon refused to watch anything scary or sad, he wanted to stay in a positive mindset and wanted to remain feeling good about the future, about life in general.  The home cooking was definitely different from Chacia since he couldn’t cook to save his life, and she made sure it was all healthy food.  Jon wanted to buff up a little, however, so he ate a TON, at least 6 times a day.

 

Working out wasn’t an option, not with weights, so Jon spent a lot of time running.  There were trails he would go on at least twice a week to keep his cardio up and it was out in the desert, where he would really feel it.  During those times, Chacia would stay at the house and clean up, keeping herself busy.  She also made notes about Jon’s recovery, looking them over and sent everything to his doctor in Birmingham for evaluation.  Once a month, he had to fly there to be evaluated and see where he stood in his progress, which hadn’t gone as fast as Jon would’ve liked.  It was just taking a little longer for his body to heal up and Chacia kept reassuring him everything would be all right.

 

Rushing his recovery was NOT an option.

 

All Jon wanted to do was get back in the gym and start pumping iron again or punching the bag.  He missed doing his stretches and pushups on his fingers to get his blood pressure and heart rate going.  So much he missed out on and it’d been 4 grueling months of slow physical therapy, massages, and active motion exercises.  He was ready for the next step already, but when the doctor denied him, saying he needed more vital, intense rehabilitation, Jon felt helpless.  They left the hospital with him cussing up a storm, holding onto his surgically repaired arm and slid behind the wheel, slamming the door shut with authority.

 

“What fucking GOOD is this therapy if four months later, I’m still being told NO?” He snarled, slapping his hand on the wheel repeatedly. Frustration was rapidly taking over. His arm didn’t hurt like it had, the burning had long since passed and he had not pulled that overdoing it stunt again.  He was beginning to lose his damn mind, feeling like a caged animal and his form of venting was bitch exercises! Growling, he slumped back, feeling everything just kind of draining from him and looked over at Chacia. “Scale of one to bitch, what’s my rating, darlin’?” He asked tiredly.

 

“Solid 7.” She understood his anger wasn’t toward her and didn’t take it to heart, simply clutching his shoulder. “Listen to me, okay?  He said you need more intense rehabilitation and this is the only place to get that.  You said it yourself, you can live anywhere you want.  Why not move here temporarily and get it done?  You can do this and I’ll be right here with you every step of the way.” She cupped his face in her hands, enjoying the full beard he had grown out during his recovery process and stroked his cheek with her thumb. “I believe in you.  I KNOW you can do this.”

 

Move HERE?  Jon simply stared at her, his eyes searching hers and sighed.  He brought his hand up to cup hers, feeling her palm against his skin and let his eyes close for a moment before finally nodding. “Fine… we’ll do it.” He wasn’t buying anything here, he’d be renting on a short-term lease.  Shaking his head, Jon let out a slow breath, turning his head to brush his lips against the palm of her hand.

 

“It’s only for a couple months and then you’ll be back home in Vegas to gear up for your big return to the ring.  You can do this.  Come on, we have a flight to catch and bags to pack.”

 

It took a couple days to gather everything and to find a flight to go back to Birmingham, Alabama.  Jon was tempted to drive his truck all the way there, but Chacia told him a long road trip was out of the question.  Holding his hand, Chacia and Jon walked up to the hospital and walked inside, where he was immediately lead to the back where all the valuable equipment was located.  Chacia was allowed to go back with him since she was his physical therapist and they increased the intensity like his doctor wanted.

 

Now, it was crunch time.  Now, it was up to Jon to get himself in enough shape to hit the gym.  Within another month, which put them at the end of May, Jon finally got cleared to work out fully in the gym.  His range of motion in his arm had returned for the most part and it would take a full year before it was completely back.  However, it was good enough to where he could work out in the gym and start bulking up again.

 

In a matter of a month and a half of straight working out and eating, the transformation was incredible.  Before beginning his workouts, Jon made the decision to keep his hair short instead of growing it out again, leaving just enough to not be bald.  His beard was fully grown out and neatly trimmed, his arms A LOT bigger than they’d been before.  The man had trapezoid muscles now for the first time in his career, actual ones that were noticeable.  He had packed meat on his scrawny body, but Jon was still trim and fit, in the best shape of his career by far.  Surprisingly, the short hair and beard did not take away from his handsome features, only enhanced them.

 

By mid-June, while working out and bulking up, Jon had also stepped back in the ring to continue pushing toward his goal.  The WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida was incredible and Chacia was in awe the moment she stepped foot inside of it.  Everything had changed so much over the years and now it was a lot easier to be signed by WWE than ever, thanks to this beautiful facility.  He was aiming for Summerslam and, as long as he stayed focus, with the help of Chacia, he would make it. 

 

Barely. 

 

It was bad enough he missed The Royal Rumble and WrestleMania – he’d be DAMNED if he wasn’t part of Summerslam.  Officials had already called to ask how he was doing and had a few plans in store for him for his return.  Chacia couldn’t believe how fast the time had flown by and watched Jon in the ring, nodding her head while eyeballing his arm.  So far, it was holding up well and the more he trained with it, the better and stronger it would get.  By the time the beginning of August rolled around, Jon was ready and just had to bide his time, waiting for the call regarding his Summerslam return and what he would be doing.

 

Jon continued eating mostly healthy, but he had started adding back the red meats she had been denying him. In moderation, and not shit like hamburgers constantly, it was all right and a man could only live off of chicken and fish for so long. He felt physically better than ever, he just wanted to be doing something besides waiting. A man did not get paid to wait. Living with Chacia had proven interesting and he was honestly surprised nobody had snatched her up and married her. She was a great mother hen.

 

Living with Jon over the past 8 ½ months had its pros and cons, like everything else in life.  It wasn’t difficult at all and reminded her of all the good times they used to have when he’d stay over at Cody’s.  Late nights at the wrestling school where they’d spar together and lay in the center of the ring, their heads together while staring at the ceiling.  The same thing happened a time or two at Cody’s house while they lay on the carpeted floor, just talking about anything that popped in their heads.  It was mostly wrestling since it was both of their passion – who they liked, disliked, how the business was growing and their ultimate dream of one day working for the WWE.

 

~!~

 

“You’re cleared.  You can get back in the ring.”

 

Those words were music to Jon’s ears.  For 8 long months, he had worked his backside off with rehabilitation and intense therapy in order to make it back to the ring.  It was a very long 8 months, but having Chacia with him every step of the way helped tremendously.  The WWE doctors had cleared him as well as his surgeon to return to the ring, along with Chacia, signing all the necessary paperwork to give to the big office.  Summerslam was only 2 weeks away and Jon was chomping at the bit to get back on the road and leave Birmingham to resume his life.

 

“What did he say?” She asked almost hesitantly, standing up from the chair she occupied while he met privately with his surgeon in the waiting room.

 

Jon didn’t answer her with words.  Instead, he used BOTH hands to lift her right off the ground and spun in circles, taking her along for the ride.  By the way her eyes lit up and the hesitation faded into a smile, he knew she had realized the good news. “Darlin’, I’m back in business!” He proclaimed, setting her back on the ground and laughed when she planted her hands on his chest to keep her balance. “And it’s all thanks to you.” Because she had been kicking his backside from nearly day one of this ordeal.

 

“I’m so proud of you, Jon.”

 

She reached up to touch his face, not believing he was, for the most part, fully recovered and ready to get back in the ring.  It had been a very long, hard road for him and, even Chacia had started to doubt her ability to help him at one point.  Still, she did NOT show him that doubt, knowing he had enough of it himself and they had pushed through it.  Every obstacle put in front of him, Jon knocked it down and out of the park, refusing to let an injury end his career.

 

“Oh, while you were in there, I got a phone call from WWE headquarters and they scheduled me a Skype interview with Stephanie McMahon.  You don’t know anything about that, do you?”

 

“Maybe.”

 

Jon grinned slyly, having sent Stephanie a few emails after she was given his progress reports.  Chacia was a life saver and even his doctor had said the woman was a miracle worker.  He figured given the nature of the business, and the fact some of their road staff were getting on in years, Stephanie might be interested in some new, younger blood who also had managed to get HIM through rehabilitation.  Not to mention, he had promised Chacia he would try to get her into the WWE.

 

“Are you excited?” If the interview on Skype went well, she’d be called to a proper interview somewhere.  Stephanie traveled as much as, if not sometimes more, than the Superstars.  She was a career woman balancing raising her family.  He didn’t envy her.

 

“Meh, it is what it is at this point.” Chacia squealed when he put her in a playful headlock to rub his knuckle against the top of her head and laughed, pushing him away. “You ass!  Don’t touch the hair!” Her interview was in a couple of hours, which meant they had enough time to go back to the apartment.  They would be leaving in a couple days to head back to Vegas and get ready to hopefully impress Stephanie McMahon. “Come on, Mox, after my Skype interview, maybe we can grab a drink and celebrate your triumphant comeback.” There was a very good chance they would both be working for the WWE in the near future.

 

Chacia had a phone interview with Stephanie and Paul through Skype, asking her credentials and whatnot.  As promised, Jon had called Stephanie about a month ago and highly recommended Chacia to join the WWE.  If it wasn’t for her, they wouldn’t have their Lunatic Fringe back, after all.  Jon credited her for everything, talked her up to the bosses and, in the end, it worked.  They still wanted to meet her face to face once he was back on the road to sign her contract to make everything official.  She had ended the call and could only stare straight ahead, covering her mouth with her hand as tears of elation poured down her cheeks.

 

Jon made sure to snap pictures of that moment with his cell phone.  It wasn’t like he was going to post them anywhere; he didn’t use social media and his e-mail account was probably filled with spam and crap from his early online days when he had discovered eBay and free porn.  One day, Chacia might want to look back and see the moment she was given her chance and, for all intents and purposes, it was actually a really good picture.  Even with her hand over her mouth and tears streaking her face.

 

“Hey,” Jon put aside his phone, reaching out to gently brush away those tears. “You got this, Chacia.” He said it with sincerity because there wasn’t a doubt in his mind she wouldn’t be hired in.

 

“I’m hired.” Her voice was barely above a whisper and she began crying harder, burying her face in both hands now. “I-I’m hired…Jon, I…I work for the WWE now…” Chacia sounded in complete awe, not believing it had actually happened, even though it had been her ultimatum to Jon in order to help him.  It had worked and now she was on the top of the world, working for the very company her and Jon fantasized about as kids. “I-Is this actually happening?” Now she looked up into his pale blues, hoping, praying, he was as happy about this as she was.  Because WWE was his stomping grounds first and the last thing Chacia wanted to do was step on his toes.

 

“Yes, darlin’, this is actually happening.” Jon chuckled, pulling her into his arms and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. 

 

Her being there in relation to him never really crossed his mind in regards to how it would work.  He was a Superstar, she would be part of the medical staff.  If he was lucky, and didn’t get himself injured again, their professional paths would rarely cross.

 

“Here,” He pinched her on her side, not hard, just enough to make her snort. “You’re awake, this isn’t a dream.  I know this is a lot to take in…hell, I’ll never forget when I was signed to WWE.”

 

She slowly pulled back to look up in his pale blues, wiping her tears away. “You never did tell me that story.  I remember back in 2008 you were denied by them because of that whole steroid drug bust bullshit.  You were certain they’d never sign you…”

 

It was true.  Jon didn’t think WWE gave two fucks about him and that was why he had gone to the Independent and changed the game.  He singlehandedly pushed boundaries past their limits, working for every single promotion he could get his hands on and didn’t stop.  Cutting amazing promos and having amazing wrestling matches…Jon honestly didn’t think he would ever be hired by WWE, especially working for a ‘garbage’ promotion like CZW, which he would always be grateful for the shot they gave him.  Apparently, he’d been wrong in all of his assumptions and the WWE had actually found some of his crazier matches on YouTube, along with his promos.

 

“Ty Bailey called me one day while I was in Philly.  He was working down there at the time in developmental and talent relations.  It was a Tuesday and I woke up after a long night working at the bar down the street, and my phone rang.  I thought it was one of my buddies fucking with me, so I no-sold it and was as sarcastic as possible.” Chacia was laughing by now, her tears drying up. “So I hung up with him after he said his secretary would get in touch with me.  And I just went about my day like nothing happened.”

 

“Okay, so when did you discover that this was real and WWE actually wanted to hire you?”

 

“Joey Mercury.  He called me later in the day and I knew he was down there in developmental training, so I knew it wasn’t a joke or one of the guys ribbing me.” Jon would never forget that day as long as he lived.  On top of wrestling all over the place, he also found little crap jobs to help get him to scrape by as far as life went. “He congratulated me and I’m baffled while on the phone and I told him I’d call him back.  I just needed time to process what happened.  I just sat there and was like what the fuck just happened?  Did I sign with WWE?  I think I just did.  An hour later, I got an email and everything was legit from WWE headquarters, it was real.  I couldn’t believe it.”

 

Chacia smiled, placing a hand on his t-shirt covered chest and locked eyes with him. “I always knew you’d make it to WWE, Jon.  One way or another, you were a bright shining star and there was no way WWE wouldn’t notice you sooner or later.” The time wasn’t right back in 2008, but it was a few years later.  Jon had been so impatient, just wanting to make it to the next level and be given the opportunity to do what he loved in the biggest wrestling organization in the world. “I always believed in you and your ability and talent to make it to the big leagues and now look at you.  You’re one of the biggest stars WWE has; loved, adored and admired by millions.  You have your own Moxley followers too that have gone with you through the Independents to WWE.  Not to mention, you’re a movie star on top of it.” She had watched 12 Rounds: Lockdown and loved it, not believing what a great actor Jon was.

 

The man could virtually do anything.

 

Chapter 11

 

Jon could have blown his own shot with his sarcasm and the way he had answered the phone that day, but he hadn’t.  He guessed they thought he was always like that and maybe it had even been a selling point, him being ‘in character’ 24/7.  Hell, wasn’t that how the best got to where they were now?  They had just turned up the volume on their own actual personalities and it had resonated with the fans.  He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a little awkward at her praise.

 

Her unwavering belief in him had always confused Jon.  He didn’t understand why she stood by him for so many years and kept believing in him.  Chacia had seen, firsthand, where he lived and where he came from.  None of it bothered her.  Never once did she judge or ridicule him about what he wanted to do with his life.  Probably because, at the time, they both had the same dream and aspirations to make it in the wrestling business.  For 8 years, he didn’t talk to her and cut her out of his life, unintentionally, and the second he needed her help, Chacia came to his rescue.  No questions asked, just a simple request to get her a job with WWE since she had to give up her job at the hospital in Cincinnati.  It wasn’t an unreasonable request, Jon would’ve done the same thing if it meant ensuring his survival in the world.

 

For 8 ½ months, she stood by his side and fought with and for him to get back in the ring, pushing him to breaking points.  When he felt like giving up, she wouldn’t let it happen.  This woman was…incredible, outstanding, loyal, giving, loving, down to earth and beautiful inside and out.  Why hadn’t he noticed before?  Jon was a man and had noticed the physical attributes, but never really saw just what kind of person Chacia was.  Her laughter sent shivers down his spine and her smile could melt glaciers.  No matter how horrible his attitude and temper was, just one smile was enough to turn it all around.  Chacia exuded so much positivity and never ONCE told Jon to give up on his dreams or try to find something else to do with his life.

 

She was the light his life had been missing for 8 years and he couldn’t lose her again.

 

The intensity in his pale blues made her swallow hard as Chacia pulled her hand away from his chest, only for him to stop her, placing it back where it was.  Her own hazel orbs moved from his to their pressed together hands and Chacia felt a warmth spread through her body.  It was a little unnerving; Chacia wasn’t a virgin by any stretch and had a few notches on her belt.  Some wrestlers and some regular guys, but never once did Chacia think it was possible with Jon.  She didn’t think he was interested in her because of Cody and the fact they were close friends.  However, spending all this time with Jon in recent months had made her realize her feelings for him weren’t strictly friendly.  She desired him and it was clear in his eyes he felt the same way.

 

Never once did they take that step in all the years they knew each other.  Not even a kiss, just tight hugs, and kisses on cheeks or foreheads.  There were moments it looked like he might make the first move, but nothing ever came of it.  Chacia hadn’t let it get her down because she’d rather have Jon as a friend in her life than nothing at all.  That was how she saw things and went about her life while they took separate roads that eventually lead them back to each other.  It was funny how fate worked that way.

 

Nothing was holding him back from her and Jon moved her hand to slide up his chest until she came closer to where her arm hooked around his neck.  Chacia’s breathing had turned heavier, her heart pounding in her chest again and didn’t realize she’d straddled his lap until her chest pressed against his.  He was so much bigger now, every muscle she touched, even through the thin material of his t-shirt, rippled beneath her fingertips.  Jon wanted to feel her actual touch against his skin and reached behind to pull his shirt over his head, tossing it to the side before placing her hands on his chest.  His eyes closed at the skin to skin contact, relishing the feeling of being touched feather lightly by Chacia – his light.

 

There were light scars on his chest from his deathmatch days, especially one under his right pectoral muscle.  Her thumb glided across it, tracing it and heard him suck in a harsh breath, her eyes rising to meet his.  His eyes had darkened to a smoldering cerulean and Chacia didn’t realize, but her own eyes were clouded over in an almost muddy dark green.  They were more green than brown at the moment because of the season.  The way the colors in her eyes mixed together captivated Jon and his finger slid down her cheek, cupping the back of her neck to pull her even closer.  Their lips were mere inches apart and her hands gripped his upper arms before sliding up to his trapeze muscles, his hands moving beneath her tank top to touch the soft skin of her back.

 

If they did this, if they took this step, there would be no turning back.  Everything would change between them and it was frightening.  The last thing Chacia wanted to do was destroy their friendship that spanned 16 years.  They were both adults, sure, and they were mature enough to handle something like this, but at the same time, it was a huge risk to take.  Chacia had risked so much already with this man and she didn’t know what more she could give without shattering.  What if they kissed and they hated it or there weren’t sparks?  What if they were awkward with each other and that awkwardness grew to animosity and eventually hatred?  Overthinking it wouldn’t solve anything and Chacia couldn’t deny the desire flooding her body being this close to Jon.

 

Once again, that familiar pull tugged at her when it came to Jon, like a magnet finding some kind of iron or metal.  It was the same one she felt the moment he walked into the wrestling camp – a 17-year-old boy with slightly long hair with a confused yet awed expression on his face.  Catching him outside trying to jack Les Thatcher’s car was another example of the overwhelming pull.  Chacia still wondered how she convinced him to come back inside the building with her, to listen to reason.  His Puerto Rico fiasco with the drug and pill addiction – another pull.  He needed her help and she was there for him, doing what she could to get him back to who he used to be.  Those 6 months away had forever changed Jon, though, and he was never quite the same again, more intense than anything.  Asking her out for a drink at a bar to discuss his future about getting back into the wrestling business, after taking a year off to get his head on straight – another pull.  Asking her and Cody to join him down in CZW for the 11th Anniversary show – a long drive at that and she’d gone without a second thought – another pull.  And now she was here with him yet again, helping him get back into the ring and that pull was overwhelming her all over again, forcing her to submit to him in every way possible.

 

The same pull made her lips finally meet his, making the first move between them and taking the risk for all of this to fall apart.  His lips were surprisingly soft yet hard at the same time, a weird combination that made new feelings arise to explode throughout her body.  It started off gentle, just a brush of his lips and Jon had buried his fingers in her curly blonde tresses to press her tighter against him, deepening it.  His tongue slid across her lips, begging for access to her mouth and Chacia granted it without hesitation, tasting him for the first time.  Even with his chew, he still tasted amazing and it intoxicated her, her arms tightening around his neck.

 

They were both lost in the moment of their first kiss.

 

There was no awkwardness, no strangeness; if anything, it felt like everything had suddenly come together for Jon. Every piece of the jagged puzzle he called his life had suddenly locked together and he could see the actual picture for once. The picture was her, his Chacia. This was, as cliche as it sounded, the most perfect first kiss. He was already praying that it wasn’t the last as his hands moved to her back, pulling her tighter against him if possible.

 

Only when they needed oxygen to breathe did Jon and Chacia pull away simultaneously, breaking the kiss together.

 

There was no denying the raging fire coursing through every portion of her body and Chacia could tell Jon felt the same way.  They wanted each other.  Their breathing was equally ragged from the intensity of the kiss, her lips swollen and clear gloss was smeared on his as he rolled them together slowly.  That alone made a flood puddle in her panties.  The feeling of his facial hair from his beard brushing against her soft skin in a tickling sensation sent her heart into overdrive.  Her hands pressed against his bare chest, feeling how fast his own heart pounded against her touch and Chacia had to take several deep breaths.

 

“W-What are we doing?” Chacia spoke first, her voice on shaky ground as she touched her lips with her fingertips, eyes wide.

 

“Believe, darlin’, it’s called making out.” Jon’s voice came out a low harsh growl as he stared at her, wondering if she was regaining her senses. 

 

Hell, maybe he had overstepped a few boundaries with her and she was about to let him down easy or something.  The look on her face, however, told him that wasn’t the case.  She was just as turned on and excited as he was.

 

“If you want me to stop, tell me now, Chacia.”

 

Christ, she was lit on fire and couldn’t recall the last time a man made her feel this way.  No one did, because she didn’t let any man get this close, focusing solely on her job.  And she NEVER thought in a million years Jon would WANT her this way or think of her as anything other than a friend.  Chacia groaned, pressing her forehead against his and her hands against his chest, trying to find a shred of resolve inside of her.

 

“Sex complicates things.  It ruins friendships, especially if shit doesn’t work out.  I don’t…” Closing her eyes, she looked away from him and the hurt flashed across her face for the first time. “I lost you for 8 years, Jon.  Eight years without you in my life was torture and…I can’t go through it again.  I won’t.”

 

Tears slipped down her cheeks as Chacia broke away from him, showing her own strength and wrapped her arms around herself, just needing Jon-free air to breathe.  Everywhere she turned, his scent smacked her in the face and the overwhelming feelings she kept locked away were coming out.  Cursing, Chacia went to leave the room and Jon stopped her again, pressing her against the nearest wall to capture her mouth in another explosive kiss.

 

“Jon…” She moaned out as his lips left hers to trail down her jaw to her neck, sealing his mouth to her supple skin, her head spinning.

 

“We don’t have to have sex, Chacia,” He rumbled after breaking the kiss and moved his head further, running his tongue up along the column of her throat. “But you can’t tell me you don’t want me either.” Jon could practically smell her arousal.  She was flushed, her chest rising and falling gently, and he could feel his own issues straining against the material of his shorts. “You’re not going to lose me…” He nipped at her pulse point. “I promised you that already, nothing changes it.”

 

Yes, he had.  New Year’s Eve, in front of the Red Rocks in Vegas, under millions of stars and moon.  He had made her that promise to never cut contact with her again, no matter what the future held.  She had to wonder how long this had been brewing, how long Jon had felt something other than friendship for her and why it was coming out now.

 

“W-Where is this coming from?  This sudden need to be with me.  I never thought you were interested in me this way…and it’s throwing me off…” Doubts were such a bitch sometimes, but Chacia would not have sex with Jon without the answer to this particular question.

 

That was the most loaded question Jon had ever been asked and he pulled back to stare into her face.  It took him a few seconds to come out of the passion cloud he was in, and for the irrational part of his lust-addled brain to get over the ‘fuck you asking’ moment he’d had.  The sudden need to be with her… as in just need to be with her sexually or was she asking something else entirely?

 

“I have always noticed you’re a beautiful woman, Chace.” He admitted, sounding cautious.

 

That was not what she was asking.  It wasn’t the first time Jon had complimented her by calling her beautiful.  Every hug they ever shared together had been purely platonic, every kiss on the cheek or forehead.  This was the first time, ever, they had shared a passionate moment that was intimate and raw together.  That PULL she always felt towards Jon pulsated through her and made her bring his mouth down on hers for another kiss.  It demanded to be sated and, as Jon said, they didn’t have to have sex.  However, Chacia wanted it in the worst way and felt him break the kiss, seeing how clouded over and darkened his eyes had become.

 

“You know, sleeping with your physical therapist is very unethical, Jon.” Chacia murmured, caressing his chest again and slid her hands down to feel his defined abs, his chuckle sending shivers down her spine.

 

“You’re fired, darlin’,” He growled, hands moving to cup her backside, pulling her hips into his. “You have a new job anyway; I’ll even write you up a great recommendation letter.” There, ethics problem solved.  He chuckled slightly, his head inclining to continue feasting on her neck. “Besides, if I had attempted this while in that brace…” She would have probably busted his balls in the way he wasn’t wanting.

 

She laughed breathlessly at his firing, caressing every portion of his strong upper body she could get her hands on. “I wouldn’t have let you.” Chacia assured him, melting at his mouth sealing to her neck and closed her eyes, getting lost in the sensations, the moment. 

 

Was this really happening?  Was she making out with her childhood best friend?  Was she about to screw her childhood best friend?  There was no denying the physical and emotional connection between them and there was so much passion between them by kissing.  She could only imagine what he would be like in bed and already knew her heart had decided for her – she would take the risk and hoped her heart didn’t end up shattered in the end.

 

“Take me to bed.”

 

Chapter 12

 

Jon didn’t need to be told twice and carted her to their destination, planting her on the bed on her back.  He hovered over her, capturing her lips and felt her push him back to sit up so she could remove her shirt.  In all the years they knew each other, Jon had never seen her naked, though she had a beautiful figure.  Her muscles had somewhat deteriorated over the years from not wrestling and working out, but they also made her extremely soft.  When she was bare for him to see, from the waist up, Jon took a moment to admire her, reaching out to caress her breasts.  His eyes kept moving down until he saw a faint scar on her lower abdomen and slid the pad of his thumb across it, a thoughtful frown on his face.

 

“What’s this from, darlin’?”

 

“You were in Puerto Rico when it happened.  My appendix ruptured and…it was pretty bad.  Had to have emergency surgery and they told me, if I didn’t get to the hospital on time, I would’ve died.” Chacia felt his body tense and slid her fingers over his buzzed head, his eyes rising to meet hers. “Hey, it didn’t kill me and I’m here.”

 

Just the thought of possibly losing her to something as strange as an organ in her body rupturing scared Jon.  He’d been hopped up on drugs, pills, and alcohol, way too young and immature to handle what Puerto Rico had to offer.  While he was slowly destroying his body and brain cells, Chacia had to fight for her life and went under the knife.  Maybe that was why she stopped wrestling; maybe she didn’t want to take the risk of getting hurt or rupturing another organ in her body.  Brushing his lips against her scar, Jon nuzzled it for a minute and thanked whoever was watching over her that day for sparing her.

 

Just as he hooked his fingers in the waistband of her shorts to pull them down, Chacia and Jon’s phones went off at the same time.  They both groaned out in frustration and Jon cursed violently the entire way to his phone, stomping his feet.  It was cute to see him a little sexually frustrated.  Pulling her tank top on, foregoing the bra, Chacia answered on the fourth ring and made sure to keep her voice as steady as possible.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Hello, Chacia.”

 

It was a voice she didn’t recognize, assuming it was Stephanie calling to finalize her travel arrangement plans. “Umm hi?  Who is this?”

 

An evil laughter resonated through her ear. “You want no part of the war that is coming, my dear.  I suggest you not come to the WWE with Dean Ambrose if you know what’s good for you.” It would be the only warning he’d be able to give her.

 

Raising a slow brow, Chacia could only blink and felt a shiver of dread rush down her spine, rubbing the back of her neck. “Umm…okay…I don’t know who you are or what’s going on, but I’m hanging up now.”

 

“You’ve been warned.” The line went dead.

 

“What the fuck?” Chacia pulled the phone away to stare at it, frowning thoughtfully and went to check on Jon to see what was going on.

 

Jon wasn’t having a very good phone call himself. 

 

It was his buddy, Drake, and he was reading an article to him.  Jon listened, his grip on the phone tightening with each word Drake said. “Stop, read that again.” He ordered, all the huskiness and grit from his halted excursions with Chacia gone now, ice taking over his tone.  He could feel something in him hardening as that last bit was read again, reminding himself to not snap the cell phone in two.

 

Colby had done an interview recently and Jon avoided social media, so he hadn’t seen it.  He listened as Drake reiterated the article, word for word, over the phone and felt his blood boiling at what his so-called friend and former tag team partner said about him.  In a nutshell, Colby said Dean Ambrose’s injury was a blessing in disguise for his single’s career.  WHAT THE HELL?  Drake couldn’t believe Colby would say something like that about his partner while he was out trying to rehabilitate and get back in the ring.

 

“It’s fucked up, dude.  I would NEVER say that about you or any of the guys, no matter the circumstances.” Drake was currently a referee on the main roster and did a fine job at it.  His birth name was Drake Wuertz, but Jon ALWAYS called him Younger because that’s how he knew the man. “Maybe it was taken out of context, but according to the article, those were the exact words he said.”

 

“No, it’s not taken out of context.”

 

Jon probably would have seen this if he were online, but he wasn’t.  Hearing it from another friend, his teeth gnashed.  Some friends he had.  He had been out for months, with a career-threatening injury, and Colby was boasting about THAT being a blessing for his career?!  What about Jon’s career? 

 

Out of everyone, it should have been Colby who KNEW how this felt and instead… “Yeah, got it.”

 

Jon had ended the call just as Chacia walked into the living room part of the suite.

 

There was a change in the air.  Something wasn’t right.  Chacia could FEEL the anger oozing out of Jon’s body and swallowed hard, knowing what they were about to do was forgotten.  Maybe getting these phone calls were for the best because sleeping with her best friend wasn’t a good idea.  At all.  Eventually, she knew it would happen, but Jon had to focus on reigniting his career.  He had a whole new ring style, a new look and newfound determination to scale to the top of WWE again.

 

“Who was on the phone?” Chacia was almost afraid to ask, but her curiosity had gotten the better of her.  Telling him about the weird phone call she just received wasn’t an option right now, not with him already angry.

 

“Drake Younger.” He answered flatly, balling his fists and opening them repeatedly.  He rolled his shoulders, staring at her intently.  That was the worst phone call at the worst time and the desire had been replaced with impotent rage. “Giving me a head’s up about an article a guy, I thought was a buddy, had some words in.” That word came out sarcastically, bitter.  A buddy.  A friend.  A partner…

 

Drake…Chacia had a few romps with him in the past whenever he’d come to Cincinnati for a show.  He wrestled all over the place just like Jon, both sticking mostly to the Midwest unless they went overseas, which happened a few times.  Chacia hadn’t seen Drake in…probably the same amount of time Jon had cut contact off with her.  Eight years or so…it was hard to remember sometimes since time had seemed to fly by in the blink of an eye.

 

“What news?” She was almost afraid to ask, blinking when Jon thrust his phone at her with the article on the front of it.  He had looked it up on Google.

 

Frowning, Chacia scrolled through the article and read every word, hazel eyes widening in shock.  Who would say something like that about their so-called tag team partner and friend?  Who would have the audacity to basically thank the success of their single’s career on another’s injury?  Chacia didn’t know Seth Rollins at all, but he sounded like a class A dick!  There was nothing she could say as she handed the phone back to him, only for Jon to toss it precariously on the nearby table, his eyes glued to the window looking outside.

 

His entire demeanor changed that day. 

 

To make matters worse, the angle he was coming back on revolved around helping Colby against Nick Nemeth, who fans knew around the world as Dolph Ziggler.  They were currently feuding and Nick’s partner in crime, Andrew Galloway, who wrestling fans knew as Drew McIntyre, were pounding on Colby throughout the past few months.  Nick had won the Intercontinental championship from Colby on Raw and they’d been feuding ever since because Andrew had helped Nick secure the victory.  So now WWE management wanted Jon to come back and save the day, be in Colby’s corner at Summerslam and help him win back the Intercontinental title.

 

That was like being slapped right in the face followed by a sucker punch to the gut and then a kick to the balls. Jon wanted to tell management they could stick it right up their ass. He just barely managed to refrain. He had busted his ass to get back, he wasn’t going to throw all of that away because he was being stuck in the biggest two-faced son of a bitch’s corner.

 

~!~

 

“You know, I’ve had enough.”

 

Stephanie, Paul, and Shane all looked up at their father/father-in-law with wide eyes, seeing the old man pacing like a caged animal back and forth in front of them.

 

“Dad…”

 

“Shut up, Stephanie!” Vince snapped, pointing his finger at her and watched her mouth clamp shut. “I’m SICK and tired of reading the same old bullshit every single week!  Ratings are down!  Roman Reigns sucks!  Roman Reigns shouldn’t be the champion!  Give others a chance!  And dealing with Brock Lesnar, trying to keep him in the company…” He was mumbling under his breath, gritting his teeth.

 

It was frustrating when things came to Roman Reigns because he was an extremely talented athlete.  The man could go in the ring, was a powerhouse and for some reason, the WWE fans turned against him.  It happened not even a year after the Shield split.  There’d been an article leak that called him Vince’s Golden Boy, the next big thing, the future top guy, and the fans balked, fighting tooth and nail against it.  Ever since then, they had done everything in their power to get Roman over with the fans, but nothing was working.  NOTHING!  They had to screw the man over so many times script wise and in storylines just to keep the fans somewhat happy. 

 

At Summerslam, he would be winning the WWE Universal championship, which was exclusive to Raw and currently held hostage by Brock Lesnar.  This was 3 years in the making and Vince really wanted it to go well, but at the same time, they knew how ruckus and rowdy the WWE crowd was in Brooklyn, New York.  Roman would be booed out of the building for winning the match and there’d been countless reports they were having Braun Strowman, the current Money in the Bank contract holder, cash in on Roman after he defeated Brock Lesnar for the title.  That wasn’t the case, but fans wanted to see it happen and now they were all stuck between a rock and hard place, not knowing what to do.

 

“I’ve had enough.  No more.”

 

“Dad, what are you talking about?” Stephanie tried again, worry etched on her face and looked at her stoic husband, who simply sat there with his arms folded in front of his chest.

 

“Is it because NXT is better than the main roster at everything?” Paul smirked at the FIRE that erupted in Vince’s eyes and shrugged.

 

“PAUL!”

 

“Just saying.” It was.  NXT had surpassed the main roster with every pay-per-view event they had since its inception.  Cutting edge matches and unpredictability is what separated NXT from the main roster.

 

“Look, we just have to…”

 

Vince cut her off again, holding his hand up. “You’re just saying, huh?  It was YOUR idea to get developmental their own programming and now the ratings are higher than the main roster’s!  It makes the main roster look like a JOKE!  And you think that’s GOOD?” His face had turned an ugly shade of red and Vince was shaking, steam figuratively rolling out of his ears. “THAT’S IT!  THE INMATES ARE RUNNING THE ASYLUM!”

 

“Whoa, what?!” Shane was up out of his chair now, staring at his father and wondered if the old man had truly lost his mind. “What do you mean?” He had just gotten back from vacation with his adoring family and wished he would’ve stayed gone.

 

“No more scripts.  No more calling matches in the back.  No more written promos.  No more PREDICTABILITY!” Vince swiped the items off his desk, phone included, not caring.  He had all the money in the world and could replace anything at any time. “The men and women will have to figure everything out for themselves.  The show will start and finish the way THEY want!”

 

Vince had lost his mind and Paul was loving it while Stephanie and Shane looked ready to have heart attacks. “So essentially, what we did back in the Attitude Era?  What about the PG-rating?” He was all for this, remembering a few segments that had crossed lines with the USA network.

 

A lot of the storylines back in the day, between 1996-2001 were all real and fans didn’t realize it.  The feuds were real and people in the ring facing each other actually wanted to tear each other apart.  Eventually, feuds and hatred simmered, but it was very much survival of the fittest back in those days.  Then Linda began running for Senator or whatever of Connecticut and Vince completely changed the entire landscape of WWE, making it more kid-friendly.  As hopeful as the old man was for it to work, professional wrestling demographic should’ve been targeted young adults all along, at least in Paul’s opinion.  That was why he made NXT a little more cutting edge and unpredictable, even though they taped 4 shows at a time to give talent time to train and get better.

 

“Dad, this isn’t a good idea…”

 

Stephanie remembered those days well and shivered at the memory of being in the Ministry of Darkness with Mark Calaway, who the fans around the world knew best as The Undertaker.  She NEVER wanted to experience something like that again.  It’d been far too intense for her and she had nightmares about it, even though Mark had been professional, at least with her.  With Dean Ambrose returning from injury and the boiling hatred between Seth and Dolph Ziggler, not to mention Roman and Brock…this was a recipe for disaster!

 

“Figure it out.  I’m sending the writers home with pay for a couple months and we’ll see just how far the Superstars get without being directed!” Vince tossed his hands up in the air and stormed out of the office, leaving Stephanie, Paul and Shane staring after him in shock.

 

No writers?  No scripts?  No written promos?  No matches called in the back prior to going out in front of millions to perform?  Stephanie was very glad she was sitting down or else her legs would’ve given out on her.  What were they going to do?  Vince usually had to sign off on everything and, if he was sending the writers home for a few months…they were the only ones to run the shows.

 

“Dad has lost it,” Shane muttered, shaking his head and scrubbed his hands down his face, folding his fingers to press against the back of his head. “How the fuck are we supposed to run the shows with no writers or scripts or promos or…anything?”

 

“This is where we’re gonna find out who sinks and who really swims in the business.” Paul was looking forward to watching all of this unfold, rubbing his hands together.  Unpredictability made for amazing television. “First thing we need to do is have a talent meeting with everyone.  Anyone who isn’t there needs to be notified of the changes.  That includes Dean Ambrose.”

 

“Paul, we can’t let this happen!  We’re gonna have to write the scripts and everything out for them!  It’s too risky, especially with the network and everything!” Stephanie was on the verge of having a panic attack, her breathing uneven and her heart rate skyrocketing.

 

He placed his hands on his wife’s trembling shoulders and cupped her face tenderly, trying to calm her down. “Steph, do you honestly believe in the Independents or down in NXT I run things the same way your old man does?” No, he didn’t, not at all.  It was ALL different from what Vince usually did with the main roster. “You see how great NXT is without the written promos.  Vince has been leading all this new talent to the watering hole instead of letting them find their own way.  There are some guys in the back that absolutely HATE written promos, myself included.  That’s why I never follow one.  I go out there and whatever is on my mind or in my heart, I say.  That’s how things were done back in the day.  That’s how things SHOULD be done.  It shows who can sink and who can swim in this business.  We won’t let things get TOO out of hand, but we gotta let these guys and gals find their own way.”

 

Stephanie could only hope her husband was right and just nodded, a ball of tension forming in the pit of her stomach.

 

Their only saving grace was they had scripts already ready to use for the next two weeks after that…all bets were off.

 

The gloves were off.

 

Chapter 13

 

“Wait, Dean is coming back?”

 

Stephanie smiled softly at Colby and nodded, seeing the elation and relief in his dark eyes. “Yes.  He was cleared by all doctors and he’ll be making his return next week on Raw for the Summerslam go-home show.  We have it set up to where you won’t come out for the contract signing until the very end and make the fans think you’re having travel issues to get to the arena.  You’ll be in China next week for media and whatnot too, so don’t forget about that.” It would tie in perfectly with what creative had in mind as far as the segment with Colby, Nick, Andrew, and Jon.

 

Dean Ambrose’s return.

 

Did Joe know about this?  Colby knew the big man had tried getting in touch with Jon over the past 8 months, but didn’t have any luck.  Jon had cut himself off completely from the company to deal with his injury.  Colby had tried calling him a few times, but stopped and went on with his life, his career.  Even though he called Jon his wrestling soul mate, he wasn’t nearly as close to Jon as Joe was.  Granted, all three of them weren’t close while down in developmental, but once they were paired as the Shield and sent to the main roster, it was all for one and one for all.  They watched each other’s backs and were on the same page with everything, knowing it was their one and ONLY shot to make it on the main roster.  They had a ‘screw everyone’ mentality and destroyed everyone and everything in their path.

 

Sharing hotel rooms together and taking turns on who would get the two beds while the other camped out on the floor.  Jon did that a lot, even when it was his turn to have the bed.  He was very giving and respectful, same with Colby and Joe.  They all made each other better, pushed each other and it had developed into a true brotherhood both in and out of the ring.  However, Colby was never as close with the two men as they were with each other.  It wasn’t anything they did, or he did, they just didn’t have the same type of interests with him as Jon and Joe had together.  At the end of the day, it was always Joe and Jon hanging out while Colby did his own thing, though there were times they would share beers together and game on Joe’s portable gaming system, he brought on the road with him, in the hotel rooms after a show.

 

If Joe didn’t know about Jon returning before him, something definitely wasn’t right.  Colby contemplating calling Joe for all of three seconds before dialing his number, waiting to see if the big man answered.  He did on the third ring.

 

“What’s up?”

 

“Hey man, can you talk?” Colby asked, walking back to his room since he’d had the meeting with Stephanie in her and Paul’s suite. “Did you hear the news?” Maybe he’d start off with that.

 

Joe raised a brow, setting his cup of coffee down along with the newspaper. “You’re gonna have to be more specific since there’s a lot of ‘news’ swirling around.” Pavana was currently at a meeting with the other WWE officials for the house show that night she’d be refereeing.  They were giving her several matches to see how she did instead of just one.

 

Colby rolled his eyes, cracking a small smile and pressed the button on the elevator. “Ambrose.”

 

It’d been 8 months since Joe heard anything from Jon and Colby suddenly had his undivided attention. “What about him?” He asked gruffly, trying not to sound interested and stood up from the bed.

 

It was obvious Joe hadn’t heard anything. “He’s coming back.  Returning next Monday at Raw right before Summerslam.  He’s gonna be in my corner for the title against Nick.  I won’t be getting my ass handed to me anymore by those schmucks.” Relief flooded his body because Colby had been beaten down by Nick and Andrew for over a month and it was getting really old.

 

It was also well done because the fans had been chanting for Jon the past couple of weeks, wanting him to come back to help.

 

“No kidding.” Joe didn’t know why it hurt to hear his boy was finally returning from injury.  Maybe because the dick hadn’t bothered getting back to him and he hadn’t heard a peep from someone he considered a brother in 8 long months. “That’s good.  Good for him.  Hope it goes well.”

 

“Come on man, you know how he is.” Colby frowned, knowing there would be tension between the men when Jon returned and didn’t want that. “He’s a hermit and only talks to certain people.  I know he was pissed off and bummed about his arm, so maybe he just needed time to himself to get it taken care of.”

 

Joe clenched his teeth, tearing a hand through his damp hair and stared out the window of his hotel room. “I don’t give a fuck if he’s a hermit or not.  He should’ve kept in contact with his boy, his friend, someone he considers family.  He can be pissed off all he wants about his injury, but you don’t cut people out of your life because of it!  I never did that to him.  When I got injured and had to have emergency surgery, he was one of the first people I called.” Pavana had been with him when it went down and had called Jon on his behalf, who hadn’t gotten back to them until a few days later.

 

“Look, he’s coming back, and you guys can hash shit out when he gets here.” Colby didn’t want to get in the middle of this, feeling like the mediator all over again between Jon and Joe.  Some things truly never changed.

 

“If I don’t cut him off like he did me.” Joe remarked, not meaning it, but his Samoan temper was up since Jon didn’t even have the courtesy to call and tell him what was going on. 

 

Or at least give him SOME kind of update.  All he knew was Jon had moved from Vegas to Birmingham around April to continue his rehabilitation full-time.  Jon stayed out of the public eye purposely, not giving anything away or talking to anyone.  Hell, his WrestleMania Axxess signings had been canceled at the last minute because he refused to come to do them.  His arm probably wasn’t ready for the vigorous task of signing autographs though since he was right-handed and it was his right arm that had been surgically repaired.  Joe understood that, but the man still had one working, fully functioning arm to make phone calls.  His fingers and ears weren’t broken, or his voice.

 

“All right, big man, all right calm down.” Colby knew Joe would be upset, but not downright angry and bitter.  Jon hadn’t contacted him once either, but again, he wasn’t as close to Jon as Joe was.

 

What would happen once the Shield was reunited on the Raw after Summerslam?

 

~!~

 

Nerves set in the day before Jon and Chacia left Vegas to join WWE on the road.

 

Chacia still hadn’t told Cody her job opportunity with WWE.

 

She had no idea why she was hesitant to do it.  Maybe it was due to the fact it was Cody’s dream to work for the WWE one day.  Hell, it was her dream too, just not as a physical therapist or trainer.  Jon was currently out for the day mountain biking through Red Rock Canyon to get his mind focused completely on his return.  Their flight was leaving early tomorrow morning to head to Greensboro, North Carolina and Chacia had gone shopping to grab what she would need. 

 

The dress code for the physical therapists and trainers were black pants and WWE logo print shirts, which she would receive upon arrival.  Chacia had gotten a little bit of everything since they would be on the road for the next couple weeks.  After Summerslam, they were headed to Australia for a tour over there, so Jon made it clear they would not be coming back to Vegas anytime soon.  If she needed something else, Chacia could simply grab it in whatever city or town the WWE performed in.

 

Chewing her thumbnail nervously, Chacia decided to just bite the bullet and call her cousin, who called her at least once a week, since her departure to help Jon, to check on her.  Cody would either blow up and end the call abruptly or wish her well.  What was the worst that could happen?  When it came down to it, this was her life, her decision, and WWE was very generous in what they paid their staff.  With this job, she would be set for life and never have to worry about financial turmoil again.  The hospital didn’t pay a QUARTER of what WWE did.  Before she could stop herself, Chacia pressed the call button next to Cody’s name and waited for him to answer.

 

“Hello?” Cody sounded pleased to hear from his cousin. “How’s it going?”

 

He had been in some downtime, which wasn’t a bad thing, so she had called him at just the right moment.  Cody listened as Chacia hemmed and hawed with the basic pleasantries, finally getting the idea she had something major she wanted to tell him.  He supposed it had to do with Jon, the man had been cleared and, yet, she was still out there.  Some part of him was expecting the pair to announce they were together or something, everyone who had ever seen them together knew there was some sort of torch being carried there.

 

“Spit it out, cousin.  What’s on your mind?”

 

Chacia hated how well Cody could read her, even over the phone and took a deep breath. “I need to tell you something.  And I’ve known about it for a while.” She admitted, walking through Jon’s house and had Cody on speakerphone, rolling her lips together. “I’m not coming home for a while because I got a new job.” This was where it became complicated. “With WWE.  I told Jon it was the only way I would help him because I had to give my job up with the hospital and he got me a job in WWE.  I’m signing my contract tomorrow night at Raw.”

 

That took Cody a moment or two, maybe three, to process. He was silent for a long spell, finally letting out a sigh and chuckled. “Congratulations.” He said, shaking his head, not that she could it or his smile. “Physical therapist?” He waited for her to affirm it and wasn’t surprised. “One way or another, I always knew you would make it there, Chacia.” Cody had dreamed of it himself, for so long, but if he hadn’t made it now, he doubted he ever would.  He wasn’t getting any younger.

 

This wasn’t the way she wanted to make it to the WWE, though, sadly. “I’ll be working in the medical department.  They know I can do it all when it comes to sports medicine, but mostly physical therapist and trainer to patch wounds and shit.” Chacia chewed her bottom lip and stepped outside on the back porch to look up at the sky. “I’m not doing this for him, if that’s what you’re worried about, Cody.  I’m doing this for me and to ensure my survival.”

 

“Don’t give me that bullshit, Chace,” Cody snorted, letting her hear the disbelief in his tone. “I’m calling a mulligan, and you want to know why?  You’re one of the BEST at what you do.  Even after giving your resignation here, you could have gone to just about anywhere you wanted.” They both knew it too.  There was no shortage of people who needed physical therapy, and sports medicine was rapidly on the rise.  She could have worked for the NFL or MLB if she had wanted to. “I know you’re doing it for you, but not for your survival.” And part of her, whether she wanted to admit it or not, was for Jon.

 

“I would never take a job because of a guy.  You should know me better than that.” Chacia remarked softly, settling down in a lounge chair in front of the in-ground pool and leaned forward, her nerves settling down a lot. “I will be home eventually, but I need you to do me a favor.”

 

“I’ll keep an eye on your place, don’t worry about that, Chacey.  Go live your dream and watch yourself.  The WWE is an ocean full of hungry, blood-thirsty sharks.  Don’t be their prey.” Cody advised, not able to do much more than that since there was no changing her mind.  When Chacia made her mind up about something, nothing could deter her from it.

 

Simply working for the WWE wasn’t her ultimate dream, but that was something that would never happen.  She was too old to become a wrestler and Chacia accepted that fact a long time ago.  They talked for a few more minutes before she hung up and set the phone down, the warm breeze rushing over her.

 

One thing was certain: She wasn’t taking this job for Jon or else she wouldn’t have made it an ultimatum with him.  No matter what happened between them in the future, Chacia would never change her entire life for a man without making sure she took care of herself first.  Running to Jon’s rescue wouldn’t have happened if he didn’t agree to get her a job to cover her after he was better and back in the ring.  Granted, she had flown to Birmingham, but if he would’ve denied her request, she would’ve left and gone right back to Cincinnati.

 

Knowing she still had some more packing to do, Chacia made her way back inside with phone in hand and hoped Jon was ready for their flight tomorrow morning.  She recalled another memory that hit her like a ton of bricks, forcing her to sit down on the bed in the guest room she had taken over.  They had to share a bed together in Birmingham, but here, it didn’t feel right for some reason.  This wasn’t her house, it was solely his whereas Birmingham was a simple hotel room.

 

The memory was of her helping him pack up for his first match in HWA.  His gear, tape and anything else he might need – she made sure he had what he needed since he was a ball of nerves.  When he gave up wrestling for a year and then went back to it in that match against Drake Younger in IPW, again, Chacia had packed for him.  The final bag she had helped him with was for his debut in CZW and soon after, he had moved permanently to Philadelphia.  Sighing, she shook her head, hating how these memories overtook her at the most inopportune times because she felt temporarily paralyzed by them.

 

Chapter 14

 

“Jon, I don’t like this.  I don’t like the fact you’re going to CZW and I’ll never forgive myself if I don’t say it now.” Chacia had admitted, zipping his bag up and turned to face him, tears swimming in her eyes. “I know this is a great opportunity for you, but…I don’t want you getting hurt.  This place can hurt you and end your career, your livelihood, because of the dangers…”

 

He had cupped her face in his strong hands and brought her against him, kissing her forehead, wrapping his arms around her tightly. “I know what I’m doing, Chace.  I already know I’ll never get in the WWE and I’m good with it.  I accept it.  CZW is giving me a real shot and I’m not gonna let them down.” This was after his debut in CZW and he’d driven back to Cincinnati to pack his belongings to move down to Philadelphia, already getting a place with his tag team partner, Sami Callihan.  They were known as the Switchblade Conspiracy. “This is the best place for me and I’m still gonna be working for the other organizations.”

 

“Not if you’re laying in a hospital bed, unconscious and broken.” She mumbled, pulling away from him and had to blink back tears, feeling his hands settle on her waist. “I’m scared for you.  And you don’t know what the future holds.  None of us do.  You may say you’re not meant to go to WWE, but I know differently.  One day, you will make it if you keep plugging away at the Indies.  They will eventually notice you, but not if you’re all banged up and scarred up from these death matches.”

 

He had chuckled at her and kissed the top of her head. “You worry too much, darlin’.  I’m gonna be just fine and that’s what Vitamin E oil is for.”

 

Chacia knew at that moment there was no changing his mind, but she had to try one last time to convince him otherwise. “What makes you so certain CZW is the right fit for you?  How do you know you want to be in the world of ultra-violence?” She had done research on this organization and whipped around to face him, hazel eyes boiling with so many different emotions.

 

“I don’t know if I am or not.  But in case you haven’t noticed, or haven’t been paying attention, I’ve been in countless wars and hardcore matches, deathmatch type matches, with Drake Younger and other guys on the Indies.” Jon pointed out, lighting up a cigarette and took a long pull from it, smoke filtering out of his mouth and nostrils to surround her. “I enjoyed them.  They gave me a rush I can’t explain.  I don’t know why, but CZW seems like a good fit for me, for my character.  Jon Moxley is crazy and dangerous if you haven’t noticed.”

 

“Yes, I have.”

 

Chacia wanted to scream and yell at him that day about how stupid and irresponsible he was being with his career, with his life.  She couldn’t bring herself to do it though.  He looked so excited to go, to continue his career he had reignited only a year prior.  Jon was stubborn and set in his ways, doing what he felt best for him regardless of what anyone had to say or thought.  All she could do was grab one of his bags and helped him cart them out to his truck, tossing them in the back of it. 

 

“Do they have titles there?”

 

Jon laughed at her asinine question and nodded. “Of course they do or else they wouldn’t be a wrestling organization, silly girl.”

 

Hell, Chacia didn’t know what kind of organization this was beside the deathmatch thing. “When you have your first match for the CZW World Heavyweight title, I want to be there to watch you win it.” Chacia had requested, watching him slam the hatch to his truck closed and put the tarp over it to keep everything inside.  It was a long drive from Cincinnati to Philadelphia – 9 hours, to be exact, depending on traffic.

 

“Even though you don’t approve me going?  You want to come see me win their top title?” Jon raised a brow at her, flicking ash from his cigarette and took another long drag, watching her nod. “All right, sounds good.  That’d be cool if you were there, Cody too.  Hell, invite as many people as you want to the Combat Zone.”

 

That would be the ONLY match Chacia would go to CZW for, otherwise she wanted no part of it.  What they did wasn’t considered actual wrestling, not in her eyes and it never would be.  CZW was a garbage promotion, just like her cousin claimed, full of unnecessary violence and bloodshed.  Men who went into that company were never fully the same again and, to this day, Jon harbored scars on his body from his nearly 2-year run with the company.

 

“Deal.”

 

Jon had finished his cigarette, flicking it away on the road and pulled Chacia into another tight embrace, feeling her body tremble against him. “This isn’t goodbye, Chace.  I’ll come see you.”

 

Even then, Chacia didn’t believe him and he’d never come back to visit, staying in Philadelphia to live his life away from Cincinnati…away from her. “Okay.” That was all she could really say while clinging to him and reluctantly pulled away to let him get in the truck. “I still think the WWE will hire you one day.  I just wish you had more faith in yourself.  You’re one of a kind, Jon.  Don’t let this place take that special part of you away.”

 

He had smiled at her, caressing her face with the back of his hand and understood what she said, her fears for him clearly written on her face. “I’ll be fine and I’ll call you when I get there.” He kissed her forehead and put the truck in park before driving off to hit the highway.

 

Jon never did call, not until a year later with an invite to his CZW championship match at the 11th Anniversary CZW show.

 

All Chacia could do was watch his truck disappear in the distance and ignored the tears pouring down her cheeks, along with her heart crumbling in her chest.

 

~!~

 

Not realizing it, Chacia wound up going to Jon’s bedroom and saw everything strewn around, unpacked.  Typical.  She had started packing for him, like the old days, while that memory rushed through her.  It was almost as if she was on autopilot, folding clothes and placing them in the open duffel bag.  Jon always carried a backpack with him too, but that was always carried on the plane with him.  It held personal items he wanted to take on the road with him, but refused to check through the airport, just in case his bag ended up lost.

 

Once he was fully packed up, unless he wanted to add something else, Chacia left the room and went to her own, suddenly feeling drained and in dire need of a nap.

 

Memories were such a bitch to re-live sometimes.

 

By the time Jon arrived home, it was pushing night and he had started racing the sun home, so to speak. He parked his bike in the garage and headed inside, somehow not surprised to find all the lights out. He made his way to the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water and then went to go get stuff for a shower. He halted as soon as he flipped on his bedroom light, taking in the packed bag and shook his head. A quick shower later and a clean smelling Jon went to go thank Chacia and also remind her she was a mother hen. He halted in her bedroom door. She was sound asleep on top of her blankets. Smiling, he walked over to look down at her, reaching out to brush hair off her face.

 

Chacia didn’t move an inch, not even with his touch, completely exhausted in every way from getting everything ready for tomorrow.  Jon would finally be back in the ring after 8 ½ grueling months and she knew he couldn’t wait to feel the rush again.  She didn’t feel him towering over her or his finger against her cheek, lightly grazing it.  She didn’t see him leave to go back to his room to get some sleep, though that’s probably what she would’ve advised him to do if she was awake.

 

~!~

 

Morning came before long.

 

Chacia and Jon were on the road at 7 AM to head to the airport, after stopping at a local Starbucks to grab a coffee and a quick bite to eat.  For Jon anyway.  Chacia was too nervous to eat or drink anything, hands clasped in her lap tightly while staring out the window.  Silence reigned between them and Chacia didn’t bother breaking it because she knew Jon probably had a lot on his mind with his return.  She wanted to say something to ease his mind, but had no idea to say to do that.  This was the first major injury he’d suffered in his entire wrestling career that put him OUT for a long period of time.  He kept rolling his shoulder and flexing his right arm, testing it continuously, even while driving.

 

Once they were on the plane, Jon finally blew out a deep breath and glanced at Chacia, seeing her knee bouncing up and down repeatedly.  It was a nervous tick she had.  Had she been on a plane before?  Or maybe she was nervous about joining the WWE and signing her contract.  They hadn’t really talked the past week and, as guilty as he felt about it, Jon did it for a reason.  He didn’t want to take his anger and frustration out on Chacia, which was why he had channeled it into mountain biking and working out.  It helped only a little, but being back in the ring in WWE, on television, would do wonders for how he currently felt.

 

Chacia hadn’t expected him to talk to her and lifted anxious hazel up to meet pale blues.  They weren’t hard like they’d been over the past week. “I just…I just want to get this over with, signing the contract I mean.” She wanted to ask him if he was all right and refrained, already knowing the answer to that question. “You should take your own advice as far as things being okay.”

 

He cracked a small smile that barely curved his lips and took her hand, lacing their fingers together, comforting her the only way he knew how.  It felt nice holding his hand again and her lips tingled at the memory of his against hers.  Christ, now wasn’t the time or place to think about his hands on her body, lighting her on fire or his lips on hers, moving down her neck…Chacia shivered, pushing the memory of their make-out session in the far recesses of her mind before it drove her crazy.  Tackling him on a plane full of people wasn’t an option.  Even after all this time of being on planes, Jon would never get used to them and tightened his hold on Chacia’s hand a little more.  He watched his strength, not wanting to crush her hand or hurt her in any way.  There was no way they could drive from Vegas to Greensboro, flying was the only choice.

 

“You should occupy me.” He informed her. Usually, he was listening to music on his iPod or something because flying sucked. He knew, rationally, if he was going to die while traveling, it would probably be in a car because the actual odds of being in a plane wreck were slim. Hell, they should occupy each other and Jon began laughing. For some reason, the mile high club cliché had just popped into his head. Probably brought on by the raven-haired stewardess being flirted with by some poor guy who had no chance in hell.

 

Raising a slow brow at him, Chacia had to wonder if Jon had a split personality.  He’d been cold, distant and focused the past week, after finding out how he would be brought back on television in WWE.  She had to admit, it was a very sucky deal for him because he had to help the man who claimed Jon’s injury was a blessing in disguise.  Jon had to help him win his match at Summerslam by being in his corner and she knew he wasn’t happy about it. “Occupy you how, exactly?” Her curiosity was peaked as she folded her arms in front of her chest, looking mildly amused.

 

“Well, you do have a rousing version of The Three Little Pigs,” He snorted, sarcasm in his tone as he stared down at her with a raised eyebrow. She had tucked him in that first night, when she had been outside his hotel room door, and that was her story offering. An old children’s story. “But that might be too much excitement for me.” His eyes moved back to the stewardess who was trying to get away from her admirer without being a total bitch. “Want to sneak off to the bathroom and see if it’s possible to fit us both in there?” He doubted it. Those bathrooms were small enough and gave people his size issues, but it was worth asking to see the look on her face.

 

Her cheeks turned crimson red and she smacked his arm, shaking her head. “I don’t think your dick would fit in there, let alone the rest of your jacked body.” Boy was he ever jacked and ready for his comeback.  The man looked to be chiseled out of stone with all the working out and healthy eating he’d done.  Just like the healthy eating, she had joined him in the gym and showed she could still keep up with him, also trying out CrossFit.  It wasn’t that bad, actually, though she preferred the old school way of doing things.  They had actually sparred together in the gym and Jon schooled her, only because Chacia was incredibly rusty.  She hadn’t sparred with anyone in years, though he felt damn good to do it. “And I’m not joining the mile high club with you, Moxley.”

 

She didn’t think his dick would fit in there, Jon was both amused and pleased. A little flattered, a lot amused. He knew he had gotten buffed up and some things had grown, that was not one of those things. His dick was still the same hefty size it had always been. It was, however, good to know she had been thinking about said dick. “You sure, Chacers?” He wiggled his eyebrows at her, the anger and other negatives he had been dealing with all week taking a temporary break. “You could rack up those frequent flier points.”

 

The last thing she wanted to do was upset him since Jon seemed to be calm and playful again, for the time being. “Don’t call me that, Jonny,” Chacia smirked at the scowl on his face and knew how much he loathed and detested being called that.

 

Chapter 15

 

“How does it feel?” The boys at the wrestling school had come up with the Chacers nickname and it followed her throughout her life, even after Jon left for those 8 years. “And I wasn’t aware you were still…interested…” Their make-out session had fizzled out with Drake’s phone call and Jon hadn’t made a move on her since, so Chacia assumed he’d had second thoughts about them.

 

He had never stopped being interested; it had been a matter of not taking his temper out on her, in any fashion.  Some good old-fashioned raged fucking would have been on the menu and that was not something Chacia deserved from him.  So exercise and biking it was.  Jon didn’t exactly have that ability in an airplane.

 

“Just because I took a week off to have a male period doesn’t mean I’m not still interested.” Any man in his right mind would be interested. “That was… a bad night, Chacia.”

 

“A male period…” Chacia giggled at that, not believing how spot-on it was because, essentially, that’s exactly what Jon had. “I’m sorry, I didn’t expect that to come out of your mouth.” She cleared her throat, trying not to find it amusing and grabbed his hand to lace their fingers together. “I know it was a bad night and I don’t fault you for it.  If the shoe was on the other foot, if that happened to me…from someone I thought I could trust and who I shared the ring with, I’d be pretty pissed off too.” She shook his hand a little, squeezing it. “It’s okay.  You’re back now and tonight is going to be amazing when you walk out there and all those people cheer for your return.” She got goosebumps just thinking about it. “Focus on that, don’t focus on the negative shit.”

 

Jon realized that he hadn’t been the only one to get a phone call that night.  Their cells had gone off practically at the same time and he hadn’t given it a second thought until now, all this time later.  He was really a very self-centered, colossal asshole.  Not that he was announcing that one out loud.

 

“Yeah, I know.” His return, it felt like the storm cloud was trying to creep back in, his eyes darkening. “What if they don’t cheer?” What if his return was not the triumph everyone was expecting?

 

“Don’t be stupid,” Chacia ordered, reaching her hand up to stroke his bearded face, which was neatly trimmed. “You know as well as I do any reaction, cheers or boos, is a good thing in this business.  They are going to be thunderous for you.  Remember, you have a following from the Indies, not just WWE.” He had his own cult following, actually. “And I’ve been on social media, and you should see how many people are BEGGING for you to return.” To help Seth Rollins, but still, they wanted the Lunatic Fringe back, regardless. “So stop being stupid, stop doubting yourself and be the unstoppable force you’ve always been in that ring.  Channel Jon Moxley, you got this.”

 

“Ugh, social media…”

 

Jon rolled his eyes, wondering why on earth she was bothering with that crap.  His eyes narrowed down at her, now wondering if she was active on it and, if so, had she mentioned him or something?  That would suck.  He liked his privacy.

 

“Mox is a bit too extreme for the WWE.” The WWE was the standard; it was his lifelong dream, but they had also simmered over the years, cutting down on certain things and he knew why.

 

“Don’t worry, I haven’t mentioned one thing about you and I don’t post a lot unless I’m sharing something from someone.” She stayed away from Twitter because it was the cesspool of social media, sticking with Facebook, which is how she kept in contact with Cody the most. “I already know you’re not a fan of social media and you’re private.  I wouldn’t do that to you, Jon.” Chacia had read the look plain on his face and wanted to ease his mind. “I’ll tell you one thing – people are going to be floored by your new look and build, that’s for sure.”

 

When he left, he looked almost sickly due to not being able to work out because of his torn triceps.  If fans paid attention to history, nearly every Superstar who had been shelved for an extended period of time usually came back built better and in top condition.  He could name countless others before him who had looked a little on the crap side, got hurt and took the time off and then came back looking like an almost brand new man.

 

“Yeah, probably.” He agreed, relieved at her ability to apparently read his mind. “And thank you.”

 

That was a load off his mind.  And probably a good thing for her, the last thing she needed was to be associated with him.  Some rabid fan would probably acid attack her or something.  It was inevitable they would wind up photographed by either paparazzi or one of the wrestling dirt sheets eventually.  That was just the way the wrestling business went.  Didn’t mean they had to tell everybody on god’s green earth they were together…if they were.  Right now, they were just friends that shared hot moments and Chacia wouldn’t push Jon for anything more than that.  The poor man had enough on his plate without having to worry about a chick hounding him for a label.

 

“You’re welcome.”

 

~!~

 

The Greensboro Coliseum.

 

It was breathtaking. 

 

So much wrestling history came from this building and Chacia could only stare up at it in awe.  Jon had gotten their rental vehicle and drove straight here, not bothering to stop at the hotel.  They wanted him there early to keep it secret he would be returning tonight instead of at Summerslam.  Naturally, there were fans already lined up outside, so Jon made sure to put a sweatshirt on with a hood, sunglasses over his eyes.  He wanted to try hiding his identity as much as possible and grabbed Chacia’s hand, guiding her inside the arena.  He’d wrestled here quite a few times, so it wasn’t an awestruck moment for him the way it was for Chacia.

 

The fans began shouting out for him to take his hood off and Jon ignored them all, walking as quickly as he could without forcing Chacia to run.  His 6’4 frame and long legs covered way more ground than Chacia’s 5’7 height.  Chacia had no idea why he was hiding from the fans, but didn’t question it and let him guide her wherever.  They had managed to talk about rooming arrangements on the road and Jon wanted her to stay with him for a couple weeks, just until she was used to everything.

 

“So this is what a real arena looks like.” Chacia released his hand to turn in a slow circle, taking everything in and followed Jon a little slower down the hallway.

 

“Yeah.”

 

Jon had to stop when he realized she was no longer moving with him.  He had hauled his cookies in here and kept himself hidden because his return was supposed to be a secret.  If one person out there had seen him, it would have spread like wildfire all over Twitter and his surprise return would not be a surprise.  He’d wind up hearing chants of Ambrose before he even hit the ring.

 

“You’ll get used to them pretty quick, Chace.” The awe would fade over time, and when they went on tours overseas, where they worked back to back, the arenas would become a giant blur.

 

Ron Killings, who most people simply called Truth backstage, -WWE fan knew him best as R-Truth- was amongst the first people Jon ran into. “Yo man, it’s great seeing you back!  And who is this hot little number?” He grinned, extending his hand to her.

 

“Chacia.” She couldn’t stop laughing at the hyperness the man had and saw Jon shaking his head, shrugging at her bewildered expression.

 

“You know where the Princess’s office is?  Got some business to take care of.” Jon had expected to be stopped by a couple of his so-called friends and listened to Ron give him instructions.  As far as Jon was concerned, he had no friends in this company anymore and didn’t trust a single soul. “Come on, Chace, time to get you signed on to this crazy world.”

 

“It was nice meeting you.” Chacia murmured, being pulled by the hand again down the hallway and continued heading down the hallway.

 

Soon, they were outside of a door with the name McMAHON in bold black print, taped to a piece of paper.  Jon knocked and pushed the door open, standing in the doorway.  Stephanie looked up from the paperwork she was looking over and smiled widely at the returning Superstar, standing from her chair.

 

“Well, well if it isn’t the Lunatic Fringe.  Back to wreak more havoc in my company, eh?”

 

“Now Princess,” Jon flashed Stephanie a cool smile, trying to keep the ice from his pale blues.  Stephanie was a genuine sweetheart outside of the ring, but in it, the persona she had developed over the years was a bitch in a class by herself. “More like I’m here to save your company.”

 

“Aren’t you cute?” Stephanie smiled sweetly, peering over her wire-rimmed glasses before her gaze moved onto the woman just behind him.  She walked around the table she was using as a desk, hand extended.


Jon promptly moved out of the way. “And this is the woman responsible for my return back tonight.  Without her, I wouldn’t have made it through everything.  She’s a miracle worker.”

 

“He’s exaggerating, he would’ve been just fine without me.” Jon shook his head vehemently and it made Chacia sigh resignedly, shaking her head.  She could NOT believe she was standing in front of the infamous Stephanie McMahon. “It’s nice to meet you, Miss McMahon.” Chacia shook Stephanie’s hand, trying to swallow as much of her nerves as she could.

 

“Ambrose doesn’t exaggerate,” Stephanie assured thoughtfully, which had been great news after they had listened to his old interviews.  The things he had said, the stuff he would do, he followed through. “Not usually anyway.” She then amended. “And not over things he considers to be important.  Dean, out, we have business.  I’ll talk with you in a bit.”

 

Mockingly bowing, he exited the way he had come in.  As soon as the door shut behind him, he let the smile drop, rolling his shoulders as his eyes swept the hall.

 

“So, how long have you known Dean?” Stephanie wanted to get to know this woman a little better before simply handing over a contract.  They had the Skype interview, but meeting a person face-to-face was a lot better than through technology. “And you don’t have to be nervous with me.  I know I’m a bitch on TV, but behind the scenes, I’m nothing like my character.”

 

“It’s not that.  I mean, you ARE intimidating because you’re Stephanie McMahon, but…it’s more of a surreal ‘oh my god I can’t believe this is happening to me’ moment.  Just trying to breathe and keep my heart from flying out of my chest.” Chacia admitted, clasping her hands in her lap and had to get control of her nerves. “I’ve known Jon – I mean Dean…” That would take some getting used to. “Since we were teenagers in Cincinnati.  We went to school together, but we weren’t friends until he came to Les Thatcher’s wrestling school, where my cousin worked at the time.  He took over the company completely and now runs his own wrestling school, which I’m sure you’ve heard of.  Cody Hawk?”

 

The name instantly rang a bell to Stephanie. “Ah yes, I do believe I know who you’re talking about.  So you’ve been around this for a long time then, this type of environment.”

 

“If I’m being honest, no.  I…” Chacia lowered her eyes from the woman, trying to word this the right way. “I was going to be a professional wrestler and I gave it up to pursue something more concrete with my life.  That’s why I got into sports medicine because, if I couldn’t be in the ring, then at least I wanted to help athletes achieve their dreams.”

 

That was an interesting piece of information.  Chacia had wanted to be a professional wrestler and Stephanie eyeballed her, noticing the woman’s arms had a slight physique to them.  She probably hadn’t been in the ring in years, however, and if she were to become a professional wrestler for WWE, it would take A LOT of dedication and leaving the road to go down to their performance center in Orlando.  Getting a degree in sports medicine had probably been a smart move on her part, but Stephanie could tell the woman was very passionate about wrestling.

 

There was plenty of time to explore that later on.

 

“So, why do you want to work for the WWE?” It was a generic question, but one Stephanie asked every single person she interviewed and folded her hands on top of the desk.

 

Chacia was quiet for a minute, once again trying to find the words and decided honesty was the best way to go. “This has always been a dream of mine to work for the biggest wrestling organization on the planet.  Whether as a wrestler, trainer or physical therapist or doing anything I can to help out the athletes.  It doesn’t get any bigger or better than this.  And if you give me a chance, I promise I won’t squander the opportunity and do the best I can for you and the WWE.”

 

That was exactly what Stephanie wanted to hear.  She would never hire someone who took a job for one of the Superstars or because of them.  Stephanie was a pretty good judge of character and could tell this woman had the type of passion for their type of business.  She had been raised with it; maybe not the same as Stephanie had been, but still a child nonetheless when she started in the business.

 

Pulling out the contract, Stephanie slid it across the desk toward Chacia with and smile, a pen attached to the paperwork. “This is a standard one year contract to start out with.  We’ll see how you do and, if things are good after a year, we’ll offer you a longer contract.  Everything you need to know is it, so take some time to read it over, even the night if you want.  Sign it and bring it back to me and we’ll get you started in our medical department.”

 

Chacia slowly took the small packet from the desk and looked down at it, gliding her black painted fingernails down the front of it. “Do you mind if a read it all right here and now?” Stephanie shook her head and she proceeded to do it, not wanting any surprises and made sure she knew what she signed up for.

 

An hour later, Chacia walked out of Stephanie’s office as the WWE newest on-road physical therapist and physician.

 

Chapter 16

 

Wrapping his knee up, Colby’s head lifted at the knock on his dressing room door followed by it pushed open…with Jon standing in the doorway.  His dark eyes widened at how MASSIVE Jon was compared to when he left back in December.  It was obvious he’d been in the gym and he looked phenomenal.

 

“Good to have you back, brother.” Colby went to hug Jon, but Jon stepped back and extended his hand instead.

 

“Good to be back, bro.”

 

It wasn’t a handshake he wanted to give Colby, but he had to reign in those impulses.  As far as anyone knew, he was in the dark about his shithead of a supposed friend.  For now, Jon was keeping it that way.  There was no way he was going to ruin his chance at his return tonight by starting problems right out the gate.  Hugging Colby would have probably been a trigger or something, he’d just snap.  He hadn’t realized how betrayed and truly angry he was until right now.

 

Had Stephanie informed Jon the changes that were happening in the company?  Probably not.  The man was unhinged enough as it was – the Lunatic Fringe wasn’t just a nickname for the higher-ups to sell merchandise with.  Dean Ambrose and Jonathan Good were really one in the same – the same man, only Jon was a tad calmer than Dean and quieter.

 

“Everything all right, man?”

 

Maybe clearing the air between them now would be the best thing to do.  Jon didn’t want to ruin the segment tonight by doing something like planting Colby’s head in the mat with a Dirty Deeds.  The company wouldn’t condone him jumping script and ruining what they had planned for him at Summerslam.  Then again, they may just add him to the mix and make it a triple threat.  That was a great idea, actually, but Jon didn’t want to take the risk when he just returned.  He’d have his moment and rolled his shoulders, flexing his hands, trying to relieving some of the tension in his body.

 

“You know I’m not a social media guy.” It was known worldwide Jon stayed off the internet as much as possible, only looking up certain things when he felt the need.  Social media was ignored completely. “But uh, something was brought to my attention and I think we need to just get it out in the open right now.”

 

“Okay…”

 

“I don’t appreciate what you said about me a few weeks ago in that interview you did.  Saying my injury was a blessing in disguise for your single’s career.” Jon cracked his knuckles one by one, his jaw tightening slightly and pushed down the anger welling up inside him. “You know, even though we were feuding at the time and we were supposed to hate each other’s guts, I NEVER said one thing like that about your injury when you blew every fucking ligament in your knee.  Same with Roman with his hernia surgery.  Never once did I say ‘oh, their injuries were a blessing in disguise for my single’s career’.  Who the fuck does that, man?  Who says a friend’s injury is a blessing in disguise for themselves?”

 

Colby shut his eyes, dropping his head and had been getting grief by a lot of guys in the company for that statement. “I didn’t mean it like that…”

 

“No, then how did you mean it?” Jon didn’t believe him for one second.  Colby was one of those guys who usually said exactly what was on his mind.  He remembered what Drake had said about maybe the interview being taken out of context and experienced the smallest flicker of doubt. “Well, here I am, bro, so tell me how you meant it.” He folded his arms over his chest, keeping them tight against him.

 

“They asked me about my run as Intercontinental champion and…they spun it on me.” Colby had been put under a lot of pressure with the interview. “They kept asking me how it felt to be on my own instead of…stuck with you as a tag team…and I had diarrhea of the mouth and said that line about it being a blessing in disguise.  But I didn’t mean it the way it came out, it wasn’t a knock against you…”

 

“You know, if it wasn’t for ME, you’d STILL be stuck in the mid-card level instead of becoming tag champs with me last year.  You would’ve probably become obsolete if it wasn’t for me helping you.  And this is the way you thank your partner that got injured?  I lost 8 ½ fucking months of my career because I teamed up with you!”

 

Colby gritted his teeth, not wanting to admit everything Jon just said was the truth.  He had been struggling with his career because the company didn’t want him in the world title picture, thanks to Brock Lesnar keeping it off the television.  Or rather Vince.  And the old man wondered why the ratings were so low lately.  He had gone to Stephanie, begging to go after the Tag Team championships and she told him the only person they’d allow it to happen with was Jon.  A semi-Shield reunion.  It was the first step toward that happening, which did a few months later with Joe joining the fray.  However, if Jon hadn’t agreed to go after the Tag Team titles with Colby, none of it would’ve happened and it was ultimately the man’s decision.  Vince had a weird relationship, a connection, with Jon not a lot of people in the company had.

 

“You can’t blame your injury on me, Ambrose.  Just like I can’t blame my knee injury on Kane, as much as I want to.  It was on me to try the move I did and we’re not in ballet.  We get hurt and we need time off to heal sometimes.” Colby had to diffuse the situation before it blew up and his shot at the Intercontinental title went up in flames because of his mouth. “Look, I’m sorry for what I said, okay?  I really didn’t mean it the way it came out and I’ve been catching a lot of shit from the guys ever since the article came out.  It was wrong to say.”

 

“Yeah well, maybe, Colby, from here on out, you should keep yourself to whatever lines someone feeds you.” Because obviously, the man wasn’t capable of watching his own tongue, he needed a hand there to guide him through his own career.  Jon’s tone was cold as ice, his eyes the same.  He wasn’t two-faced, he said what he meant, unlike some others.

 

“Look, man, you’re back and it’s over and done with.  Nothing can be done about it or change it.  I can’t reverse time and go back and change what I said.” Colby didn’t want to fight with Jon on the night of his return because it was supposed to be a celebration. “Let’s just go out there and tear the house down like we always do.” People said things they didn’t mean all the time and at least he was apologizing for it.  At least he was owning up to his mouth diarrhea and taking responsibility for his actions. “I missed you, bro.  Me and Uce, we’re really glad to have you back.” Neither one had tried to get a hold of Jon throughout his recovery, but that didn’t mean they weren’t thinking about him.

 

Colby actually cringed at the velocity of that slam and heaved a sigh, knowing it would take time for Jon to get over what he’d done.

 

~!~

 

The moment Chacia walked out of Stephanie’s office to go find Jon, a fiery redhead and huge Samoan approached her. “Sorry.” She mumbled, moving to the side and wondered where she was supposed to go now.

 

“No problem…” Pavana smiled, raising a brow and stopped the curly blonde haired woman from walking away. “Are you lost, sweetie?”

 

“Is it that obvious?” There was no point lying because Chacia really needed help to navigate this massive arena, or in this case coliseum.

 

Pavana laughed softly, her hand clasped in her husband’s and nodded. “Yeah, but don’t worry.  I’ll help you out.  What’s your name and who are you looking for?  Are you new to the company or are you visiting?”

 

“Chacia.  And I’m looking for J…Dean Ambrose.”

 

It would take time to get used to calling Jon by a different name, especially one that sounded like a frat boy.  Who the hell had chosen his wrestling name for WWE anyway?  Jon Moxley fit him so much better than Dean Ambrose.

 

The Samoan’s dark eyes landed on her, the name catching his attention and they narrowed slightly. “Man, are you another psycho trying to get his attention?  Newsflash, he’s not interested, so take it somewhere else before I call security and have you escorted out.” He growled, pulling his wife away from the apparent ring rat and folded his arms in front of his chest.  One arm was covered from wrist to shoulder in a massive tattoo and the other was bare.

 

“Joseph!” Pavana gaped at her husband, seeing the terror fill the blonde’s eyes and pushed him away from her. “Jesus Christ, she’s not a rat!  Look at her!  She’s not dressed like one!  Calm down, big man.” She turned her attention back to Chacia with an apologetic smile. “Sorry about him.  He’s overprotective of his friends…”

 

Chacia did not appreciate being talked down to by this Neanderthal and felt her own temper rising, despite being scared to death at his massive size. “First of all, I’m not a ring rat and you shouldn’t judge someone without even knowing who the fuck they are.” Pavana was grinning by now and stepped aside to let Chacia handle her burly, cranky husband. “Secondly, I DO work here now as part of the medical team, not that it’s any of YOUR business.  And third, I came here with Dean Ambrose because I was his physical therapist for the past 8 months and helped him return from his injury.  And if you’re not careful, I may not help YOU out when you need it, Neanderthal.”

 

Joe gaped at the feisty blonde and looked at his wife, who had a shit eaten grin on her face, clearing his throat awkwardly.  His naturally tanned face was RED from embarrassment at having his backside handed to him verbally.  Backing up slowly, he actually rose his hands in defense and mumbled ‘sorry’ under his breath, not knowing what else to say to all of that.  THIS was Jon’s physical therapist?!  And now she worked for the company?  It was obvious Jon had pulled some strings to get her hired, but if she could handle Jon for the past 8 months to get him back in the ring, she had to be good at what she did.

 

“Tell me you didn’t deserve that tongue lashing, hubby dear.  I dare you.  Because you did.” Pavana chastised, taking his hand again and extended her free hand to Chacia. “Before we were so rudely interrupted, I’m Pavana Anoa’i, this Neanderthal’s wife.”

 

Chacia smirked, shaking the woman’s hand without hesitation. “Chacia Davis.  It’s nice to meet you Pavana.” She really hoped she said the woman’s name right, not ever hearing it before.  It was definitely different, but seemed to suit the fiery redhead.  Chacia noticed what she was wearing and blinked, eyes widening. “Are you a referee?” Since when were women allowed to referee matches in professional wrestling?

 

“I am.” Pavana nodded, smiling slightly. 

 

A lot had changed in this industry over the years and it was definitely for the best.  Women were not just eye candy anymore, meant to flash their tits and asses for the camera and the men in the crowd.  They were now considered serious athletes and given the same power and rights as their male counterparts.  Having Stephanie McMahon running the show and behind the scenes, for the most part, had brought on a new era in the WWE and it was amazing to see how far things had come since 2000.

 

“You look surprised.”

 

“You gonna introduce yourself or not, big man?”

 

Joe didn’t say anything, keeping his mouth shut for fear of having his balls removed next. “She was looking for Dean.  We should take her to his locker room.” He hadn’t seen the man yet and had no idea what he would do once he did, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

 

“Aww, he’s actually scared to talk to you now.” Pavana thought it was hilarious, laughing and nudged him. “At least shake her hand and welcome her to the company.  Show some respect to the lady.”

 

Grumbling, Joe extended his hand at his wife’s insistence and felt the power from the petite blonde in her firm handshake. “Joe Anoa’i, but most people just call me Roman.  Makes things easier around here.”

 

“Nice to meet you…Roman.” Wrestling names were the way to go around here, Chacia reminded herself, recalling Stephanie’s advice. “Hopefully, we won’t have another run-in like we just did a few minutes ago, hmm?”

 

He chuckled despite being verbally castrated and nodded in agreement. “Understood, Chacia.” He thought his wife had a strange name, but he’d never heard Chacia before today. “Come on, we’ll take you to see Dean.”

 

Pavana could tell Joe was anxious to meet up with his best friend again since he hadn’t heard anything in 8 ½ long months.  He just hoped Joe didn’t upset Jon the day of his return.  She released Joe’s hand to loop her arm through Chacia’s, already feeling a connection to the woman.  Pavana was friendly with almost everyone in the company, staying away from the assholes because, every company, no matter where it was located, had them.  It was just the way the world revolved and worked.

 

“So, how did you come to be the Lunatic Fringe’s physical therapist?  Did he treat you okay throughout the process, or drive you to the brink of insanity?” Pavana knew Jon pretty well and it couldn’t have been easy for Chacia to deal with his quirks and ticks.  At least, that’s what she assumed.

 

“Well, I’ve known Dean for a long time, actually.” That stopped both Pavana Joe in their tracks to stare at her wide-eyed.

 

Jon did NOT talk about his past with anyone, nothing before he’d started wrestling at age 17. “Oh wow.  How long?” Pavana hadn’t meant it to come out as a demand, but she was shocked someone from Jon’s past stood in front of her and was sure Joe felt the same way.

 

“We went to high school together, but didn’t become friends until we were 16.  We’re only a few months apart in age.  He walked into the wrestling school my cousin worked at and I was also training to be a wrestler, at the time.  One thing lead to another, we both realized what a passion we had for this business and my cousin started training him a year later.  He’d already been training me, but he wanted to see if…Dean…had what it took to make it in the business, if he had the fire to do it.  And he did.” Chacia explained, giving a summarized version of how she knew Jon and still felt weird calling him by his WWE name.

 

Pavana caught the hesitation and understood why, knowing she was probably used to calling the man by his birth name all this time. “You can call him Jon if you want.  I call my husband by his birth name, I refuse to call him Roman.” She shrugged, making it clear to Stephanie and the higher-ups she did not care because the man was her husband.  Unless they were on camera, then she would make an exception to call him Roman, but other than that, he was Joe to her.

 

“It’s weird.  Not gonna lie.  I’m so used to calling him Jon or Moxley.”

 

“Moxley?  That’s his Indie name, yeah?” Joe watched her nod and cracked a small smile. “So you knew him back then as Jon Moxley?”

 

“Oh yeah.  I was there for his very first match and the promoter at the time gave it to him.  They were supposed to be Varsity Blues type guys and he kept the name Moxley from there on.  I’m surprised he changed it so drastically and didn’t keep the name.” Chacia did not like the name Dean Ambrose and probably never would – it didn’t fit him the way Jon Moxley did.

 

“Unfortunately, we all had to do it.” Joe clarified as they all began moving down the hallway again. “Well, I wasn’t in the Independents, but our other friend, Seth Rollins, had to change his name completely too down in developmental.  The WWE makes all the Indy guys change their names, so they have complete rights over the names.”

 

Some friend, she thought somewhat bitterly, remembering the day Jon had gotten the call from Drake that destroyed their moment.  She owed Drake one for that interruption. “That makes sense, I guess.” She shrugged, continuing to talk to them on the way to Jon’s locker room and kept admiring her surroundings, taking everything in.

 

Chapter 17

 

Jon was just arriving at his locker room when he heard the chatter, pale blues snapping up.  He hitched a half smile with no humor or warmth in his face.  Airing things out with Colby hadn’t really done anything except aggravate him further.  Steve Austin’s ‘Don’t Trust Anyone’ motto was rolling around in his head.  No matter how much things had changed, or how far the WWE had progressed, certain things were just never going to change.

 

“Making friends, Chace?”

 

Pavana was taken aback and did not approach Jon the way she normally would have to give him a hug.  This man was different.  His entire demeanor was intense, cold and she could feel the anger pouring out of his body.  Joe actually pulled his wife to stand behind him and went to do the same to Chacia, but she didn’t seem fazed by Jon’s pacing and a new attitude.

 

What the hell happened to his friend?

 

Not noticing the tense expressions on Pavana and Joe’s faces, Chacia walked over to him with a bright smile. “Yeah, might as well since I’m working here now.  And you are looking at the newest member of the WWE medical team.” He gave her a one-armed hug to congratulate her and then Jon’s attention turned to Joe and Pavana.  At one time, he did consider Joe to be a brother, but not anymore.  All people did in this business was backstab each other to try to gain the top spot, which is where Joe was at currently as the Universal champion.

 

“Hey.” Joe felt Pavana clutch at his hand and laced his fingers with hers, letting her know everything was all right. “Good to have you back, man.”

 

“I keep hearing that,” Jon responded coolly. “Good to be back.” He would get through tonight, be in Colby’s corner and cement his return. 

 

Jon had to bide his time and wait because, eventually, he would get his opportunity.  He was going to turn this all around; this injury would be a blessing for him and screw the rest.  His eyes ghosted over Pavana, noting the way Joe had pulled her back and cracked his neck.  That was different.  Jon had kept his end of the bargain when she agreed to be his physical therapist to help him get back in the ring.  They were even, he owed her nothing and it was up to her if she sank or swam in WWE.  He rubbed his hands together, happy for his childhood friend, but there was something specific he needed to discuss with Joe.

 

“Did you know about the article Seth did a few weeks ago?” He cut right to the chase, folding his arms in front of his chest.

 

Joe rubbed the back of his neck, nodding. “Yeah.  I gave him a lot of shit for it too.  I still can’t believe he said something like that.  I tried calling you several times…” Now it was Joe’s temper slowly starting to peek. “Did you forget you had a phone or did you not care enough to answer my calls?”

 

“Little bit of both.  I didn’t want to be bothered or hear anything going on here while rehabbing.” Jon shrugged, not thinking it was a big deal he’d cut everyone off from the company during his recovery. “I didn’t even watch the product, so I had to go back and see what the fuck Seth’s been up to lately.  Didn’t wanna walk in completely blind tonight.” That hadn’t been fun and he’d forwarded through most of it just to get to the main points of the feud.

 

This wasn’t the Jon he remembered.  Jon NEVER missed a show – he had a crazy passion for this business and, the fact he hadn’t watched anything over the past 8 ½ months, concerned Joe greatly. “I see.” What else was Joe supposed to say?  Part of him did understand why Jon didn’t watch the product because he knew it killed Jon being out of the ring for a long period of time. “I still wanted to know how you were doing, man.  We didn’t have to talk about the company or what’s been going on.  I just wanted to make sure you were all right.  You’re still my brother…”

 

“Yeah about that…” Jon squared his shoulders, his eyes nothing more than blue fire. “I’ve always been a threat to you since day one.  And you know it.  I’ve been doing this since I was 17 fucking years old while you were failing at becoming an NFL star.  This is my LIFE.  Wrestling is all I’ve ever had and I’m DONE being a sidekick.  I’m done being made out to be a joke – Roman Reigns’ best bud that saves his ass at every turn.  No, not this time, BROTHER.” He shoved Joe none too gently, his upper lip curling in a sneer. “I had a lot of time to think about this shit while I was gone and I realized something.  I was held back because of the stupid Shield bullshit.  I was held back because of YOU and Vince’s hard-on to make YOU the top guy in the company.  It ENDS now.  Because that spot belongs to ME.  So no, we’re not brothers and we’re not family.  I’m done with that shit.  So get out of my face and leave me alone.  I’m here to do the ONLY thing that makes it worthwhile to get up in the morning and getting back to who I really am.”

 

“Joe…let’s go.” Pavana could feel the pain radiating from her husband and began pulling him back by the hand, tears stinging her eyes. “Come on baby, please.” She couldn’t stand there and listen to another poisonous word that came out of Jon’s mouth about the man she loved.

 

Chacia could only gape at the Samoan slowly backing up before turning around to slink down the hallway, her wide hazel eyes looking up at Jon.  Not an ounce of remorse was in his eyes at what he just said.  She had no idea what Jon meant by being Roman Reigns’ sidekick because she didn’t watch WWE.  It was obvious there was a great deal of animosity from Jon directed at someone he used to consider a brother and Chacia had no idea how to feel about any of it.  She didn’t know Joe and Pavana from a hole in the ground and she could tell, as the months passed by, Jon had done a lot of soul-searching and thinking during his rehabilitation.

 

Jon had done more than just some soul-searching.  He had decided that he was going to do what he had to do to get through this stupid comeback and then claw himself right straight to the top.  He wasn’t the sidekick, not for some guy who had a move called the ‘Superman Punch’ in his arsenal.

 

“What?” He asked, realizing Chacia was staring at him with an open mouth. “You should close your mouth, darlin’.  This isn’t the place to keep it open like that.” Because everyone here was looking to fuck someone somehow.

 

“Is everything you just said to him the truth?  About being his sidekick and being held back because of him?”

 

“Every word.  The fans hate him and yet, Vince is adamant about making him the top guy in the company.  The fans don’t want him to be the top guy.  There are others, like myself, that deserve the spot far more than an NFL reject.  The ONLY reason he got to where he is now is that of his family, his bloodline.  He’s part of the Samoan Dynasty.  The Rock is his cousin, so he’s basically had everything handed to him on a silver fucking platter while the TRUE wrestlers that have come from the Indy’s have had to scratch and claw our way to the top.  The way they had me win my first WWE championship is sour because it was a stupid Money in the Bank contract cash-in instead of an actual match.  It was a coward’s way out and they only made me champ because they were splitting the roster into two separate shows.  It was all bullshit because I am the BEST wrestler on this roster, in this industry, and on this fucking planet.  I can beat anyone at any time and it’s about time people started seeing and realizing it.  The ONLY title I’ve won, and felt GOOD about, decent about, is the Intercontinental championship.  I EARNED it after a hard-fought victory against Kevin Owens.  That prick couldn’t hang with me in the ring and I ran circles around him.”

 

The politics and how things were run in WWE wasn’t a huge secret because it was splashed all over the Internet on a daily basis.  It was the reason Vince McMahon had walked away and given the Superstars full reign over the shows.  He wanted to see if they would sink or swim without his guidance, if maybe he was wrong all along in who he chose to carry the company into the future.  It would be interesting in the coming months since they had A LOT of shows ahead of them.  Summerslam on Sunday, Hell in a Cell pay-per-view in September, Evolution, the first ever ALL women pay-per-view event, as well as Super Show Down in Australia both in October and Survivor Series in November…WWE was about to be turned upside down because there would be no guidance to lead everyone where they needed to go.

 

It would be pandemonium.

 

“I’m sorry, Money in the Bank?  What is that?” Chacia was confused, listening as Jon explained it and raised a very slow brow up to her hairline. “They actually…wait, so there’s a ladder match and whoever wins it can cash in the contract, which is for a year, at ANY time?” WHAT THE HELL?  Whose moronic idea was it to have something like that in the wrestling business? “And you won it and cashed it in on the same night on Seth Rollins?”

 

“Yeah…”

 

Jon was ashamed of that win because he hadn’t fought for it.  Granted, he’d busted his backside in the ladder match earlier that night, but to cash it in the way he did left a bitter taste in his mouth.  The victory was hollow, he wanted to EARN the championship just like the Intercontinental title.

 

“That’s crazy.” Chacia hated his first WWE title win had been tainted because of that stupid Money in the Bank contract. “That’s ridiculous.  It’s no wonder fans are so against the product these days.  I’m glad I haven’t been watching because that would’ve pissed me off to see you win the title like that.”

 

“It was my only shot at being champion and I had to take it.  I hated feeling like that – like unfulfilled and my title reign sucked, thanks to creative and the writers.  They sent me to Smackdown! with the brand extension and I wound up losing the fucking thing 2 months later to AJ Styles, after being kicked low.” Jon gritted his teeth to the point of gnashing, remembering that quite vividly and really wanted to rip AJ’s head off.

 

“Don’t think about that.  The past is the past and you can’t change it.” Chacia had to get his mind back on track and focused on his comeback tonight, placing her hands on his bare chest.  He hadn’t put a shirt on yet and only had dark grey pants on. “Tonight is the payoff.  All that hard work you put in with your rehabilitation, all the hours in the gym, tonight is it.  You need to focus on that.  Don’t worry about anything else.  And one day, you will be champion again and you’ll win it the RIGHT way.”

 

Jon’s eyes snapped back to her, looking somewhat amused with her. “You’re too soft for this business, Chacia.” He informed her and it was true. 

 

She was looking for the silver lining and she really had no idea how things worked in the big leagues.  The things with Joe had been like a repeat of John Cena all over again, being crammed down everyone’s throat, made to look like some inhuman, super person hero crap.  It hadn’t gone over well then for a long time, and here they had gone, doing it again.

 

“Or maybe you’d just wind up telling them all to shove it.” Either way, he was glad she had gone with the medical route.

 

“Stephanie wants me to meet with the medical team once they get here and I should probably head that way.  You got this.  Have fun out there tonight.” Chacia saw him nod and watched him disappear down the hallway to be alone, her heart breaking for him all over again.

 

That confrontation with Joe didn’t sit well with her and she could tell it had shocked husband and wife to no end.  Again, Chacia didn’t know them well and wouldn’t get involved in the mess, needing to focus on her own career.  Maybe one day, Jon and Joe would work things out and be ‘family’ again.  What did that mean anyway?  Were they really that close prior to his injury?  Was Jon nothing more than Joe’s sidekick like Jon claimed?  Maybe it was time to subscribe to the WWE Network, or use Jon’s account, to watch everything Jon had done in the company up to this point.

 

Maybe then she’d have a better understanding of why Jon felt the way he did.

 

~!~

 

“THE LUNATIC FRINGE IS BACK!”

 

The crowd EXPLODED when the Lunatic Fringe Dean Ambrose came waltzing out from the back, looking jacked with an intensity that was off the charts.  Seth was all smiles as they stood side by side, staring down at the ring where Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre looked like regular fish out of water.  They were floored at the return of Dean Ambrose!  Everyone was!  He looked completely different, short hair and a full grown neatly trimmed beard.  Dean lead the charge down to the ring and attacked Dolph Ziggler first before going after Drew, delivering Dirty Deeds in the center of the ring.

 

Chacia watched with tears in her eyes, knowing deep down, even though he didn’t look it, Jon was happy to be back in the ring again.  He had worked so long and hard for this moment; all those months rehabbing and working out had finally paid off.  Everyone backstage had stopped to watch Jon’s comeback and it was absolutely beautiful.  After Raw went off the air, the boys stayed out in the arena to greet fans ringside and soak in the moment as much as they could.  Summerslam was upon them, which meant this week would be FULL of media appearances and signings.  Chacia already had her schedule for the month, which involved going overseas for a tour through Europe right after Summerslam.

 

Nobody knew what the Chairman of WWE, the owner, Vince McMahon was about to do though.

 

Chapter 18

 

“Good to see he’s not giving just me and Roman the cold shoulder.”

 

Chacia turned her eyes from a retreating Jon to Seth Rollins, raising a slow brow. “What do you mean?”

 

“Nothing, it’s nothing.” Colby waved it off, finally noticing the woman standing in front of him.  She was beautiful and new, he hadn’t seen her around here, but it was obvious she knew Jon. “What’s your name?  Do you work here?” There were fans lurking around the backstage area that were VIPs and most were gone by now.

 

“Chacia.  And yes, I’m new to the medical staff.” She watched him extend his hand with warm dark chocolate eyes and chewed her bottom lip.  This was the same man who thanked Jon’s injury on his single’s career success. “I was Dean’s physical therapist and helped him and in turn, he got me an interview with the company.  And they hired me.”

 

“Smart move on their part.” Jon approached them, not liking the fact Colby was trying to be friendly towards Chacia and draped an arm around her shoulders. “Chace is a good friend of mine.  Loyal.  Something you know nothing about, bro.”

 

“Come on, man…” Colby groaned, knowing that article would haunt him for months to come. “I didn’t mean it the way it came out…”

 

“And yet,” Jon peered down at his fingernails, looking almost nonchalant, though the tension emanating from his body spoke a different story. “You didn’t ask them to edit it or anything, you just let it go.”

 

“You’re really going to let my mouth mistake ruin our friendship?  There are only so many times I can apologize, bro.” Eventually, Colby was going to wind up telling Jon he could shove his new attitude right up his backside, along with all those apologies. “You’ve never made a mistake, Ambrose?  Hurt a friend?”

 

Chacia felt her eyes widen because Jon had hurt a friend in the past…her.  He had hurt her when he cut her off for 8 years and it took her a long time to get over that pain, that hurt.  She could feel the tension escalating between the two men and was glad she currently stood in-between them.  The last thing she wanted to see was Jon suspended for punching Colby since the WWE had a zero tolerance policy against drugs and violence.  When Jon blatantly ignored Colby and asked if she wanted to go see the ring, it was the perfect opportunity to diffuse the situation and get out of it.

 

“R-Really?” Chacia tried to hide the excitement in her voice and beamed brightly, nodding. “Hell yeah, I do!”

 

“I’ll come too.” Colby had to make things right with Jon somehow, someway.  He wanted to go after the Tag Team titles with him eventually again.

 

“We don’t need an audience, Rollins.” Jon declined the offer abruptly, walking off down the hallway with Chacia and left Colby standing there.

 

Walking through the curtain of the gorilla position, Chacia felt her heart rate skyrocket at the sight of the ring.  It was very well constructed, far better than the ones at Cody’s wrestling school.  A WWE ring was so much better in person than on television and Chacia found herself walking down the ramp towards it.  Jon followed her, watching intently and folded his arms in front of his chest, seeing how much this meant to her.  They weren’t on the clock anymore and he didn’t like the fact Colby had struck up a conversation with her. 

 

Chacia didn’t need distractions with her new job, especially from a womanizer like Colby Lopez.  It was no secret he treated the women he was with like crap and cheated on several of them, including his longtime ex-fiancée Leighla.  That had shocked everyone since they were in love and she’d been with him since his Indy days, sticking by his side like glue.  To this day, Jon knew Colby regretted what happened with Leighla, but there was no point dwelling on the mistake and he had to move on.  There was no way Chacia would be another notch on Colby’s belt, not if Jon had anything to say about it.

 

Reaching up, Chacia ran her fingers over the bottom ring rope and closed her eyes, so many different emotions flowing through her at once.  It’d been a long time since she’d been inside a ring and that passion, that fire, for it was still there.  Flashbacks of being at the wrestling school pierced her mind, reminding her how much she loved to wrestle.  It was in her blood and the passion for it would never fully go away, but Chacia had missed her opportunity when she walked away from it.  Because of the very man standing beside her at the moment.  Jon had no idea it was because of him she had stopped wrestling because it reminded her too much of him.

 

“Why are you hesitating?” Jon demanded when she simply stood there, her fingers lingering on the ropes, but not otherwise moving. “Get in there, darlin’.” He walked up behind her, a hand coming down on her backside and he snorted when she jumped. “Go on, let’s see if you still got it.” He hadn’t, however, missed the look on her face, the drive he had seen when they had been kids. 

 

Not waiting another moment, Jon slid beneath the bottom rope and turned on his spread knees to beckon her with a finger.  Chewing her bottom lip, Chacia didn’t know if this was a good idea or not, but she also couldn’t stop that pull inside of her from flaring up.  Damn it, would she ever not be able to do something Jon wanted?  Before she knew what she was doing, Chacia hopped up on the apron and slipped through the ropes with ease, like she’d done it a thousand times, like she was an actual wrestler, and walked up to Jon still on his knees.  A smirk curved her lips as she ran to one side to bounce off the ropes, jumping over him still on his knees, and hit the other side, hopping over him again.  The exhilaration she felt hitting those ropes again was unearthly, feeling more alive than she had in years.

 

The answer was simple: no, she wouldn’t, she couldn’t.  That pull she felt would always make her ask how high when he said jump, which was why after 8 years of no contact, she had showed up in Birmingham, after he had asked her COUSIN for her number.  Jon let her hop over him a few times before finally plucking her out of the air and gently slammed her onto the mat before him, her head landing -nicely, he wasn’t an asshole- between his spread knees.  He stared down into her face, cracking a smile at the exhilaration on her face.

 

“Like riding a bike?”

 

He had just suplexed her and she laughed, enjoying every second of it. “Something like that, yeah.”

 

She extended her hands and Jon pulled her up with ease before she delivered one back to him, surprising herself.  He was a lot bigger, but she hadn’t stopped going to the gym, still having her strength.  Now Chacia stared down at him, folding her arms in front of her chest with a smug smirk of her own.

 

“You didn’t actually think I wouldn’t retaliate, did you, Moxley?” Helping him up the same way he had her, Chacia stepped away from him to once again glide her fingers over the ropes and looked around the arena. “How did it feel to be back out here tonight in front of all those people?  I told you they’d cheer for you.”

 

“I liked the adrenaline.” Obviously, she had been using the gym back home because she shouldn’t have been able to pull that move off. “It was good.  It’ll be better when I’m standing solo and on my own feet.” And not helping out his fuckwit so-called, backstabbing friends. “Colby is going to try to fuck you, just so you’re in the know.  He does it with everything with a pair of tits.” His eyes moved to said tits, not liking the idea of Colby anywhere near her.

 

He ran so hot and cold lately, it was like receiving whiplash.  One minute he was friendly and joking around the next he was intense, cold and harsh. “Really?  You think he’s interested in a nobody like me?” Chacia didn’t believe it for a second, not with all the other hot women in this company.  No way. “Highly doubtful, but I’ll keep my guard up.” She had to get off the topic of Seth Rollins and suddenly remembered seeing the move Jon performed in the ring during his return.  Dirty Deeds. “Your finishing move – it’s called Dirty Deeds, right?  You got that from AC/DC, didn’t you?” It was his favorite song and she could remember he’d play it on repeat while they sparred late at night at the wrestling school.

 

“Duh.” There was no bite to it, but it was blatantly palpable, especially for her.  She knew him probably better than anyone, that just seemed to be a redundant question. “You’re not a nobody.  You’re gorgeous, and you have the proper parts, trust me, he’ll try.”

 

Colby had a good thing going with his ex-fiancée and he had ruined it by chasing tail.  Colby STILL chased tail.  Jon couldn’t wrap his head around it, but… now that he thought about it, he supposed it actually made sense.  Colby had betrayed the woman who had been with him from day one, prior to the big leagues, and then he had backstabbed her.  It seemed to be a trend.

 

“Anything special you wanna do tonight to celebrate your return?” Chacia asked, already stepping out of the ring and Jon followed, both hopping down to the floor together.  The ring crew had to take everything down and they had prolonged the job a little, but nobody seemed to mind too much.

 

After getting a 12 pack of beer and pizza to bring back to the hotel, Jon and Chacia settled in for the night.  She changed into a long black nightshirt while Jon showered since he hadn’t at the arena.  Chacia stood up from the bed to walk over and stared out the window, seeing lightning flashing in the sky in the distance.  It had been such an incredible night and she loved a rainstorm, not much for lightning and thunder though.  When Jon came out of the bathroom, he was in a pair of black boxer/briefs and not anything else.  He had a t-shirt in his hand, but he had yet to pull it on.  Thunder boomed the same time a streak of lightening flashed and Chacia jumped about a foot in the air.  Jon had to bring his fist up to his mouth to keep from laughing, quietly coming up behind her.

 

“Scared?” He asked in her ear, dodging backwards when she whirled around, her fist flying out.  Laughing, he caught her fist and whirled her back around so her back was to his chest, drawing her against his body. “Still don’t like storms, Chace?”

 

“You dick.” She muttered, no malice in her tone and leaned her head back against his chest, feeling his strong arms wrap around her waist to hold her. “And I’m getting better with them, still not fond of them, though.”

 

She recalled one night when they were 18 at the wrestling school and a tornado warning had sounded throughout Cincinnati.  The wind gusts were so powerful, they blew off half the shingles on the roof.  Jon had held her close in the center of the ring, because it was the only place safe and far enough away from the windows surrounding the place.  He shielded her with his body to prevent any harm from coming to her and sang Thunderstruck by AC/DC in her ear.  When it was done, Chacia had hugged him so tight and thanked him for helping her through it.  It was one of the many memories she had of her time with Jon – the days before everything turned to chaos.  She jumped again at another streak of lightning and Jon whipped her around, passionately kissing her.

 

That familiar pull made it impossible for Chacia to deny him in any way.  Pulling away from him was the right thing to do because of what happened the last time they’d done this.  The phone call from Drake.  The bad news.  The article.  It had all blinded Jon and taken his attention off her to focus on his return to the ring.  Would that happen again?  Chacia didn’t know if she could handle another rejection from him, but the feeling of his mouth on hers felt too amazing to stop. 

 

What did she feel for him besides lust and need?  Was it love?  She didn’t know, but there was definitely a pull, a connection, to him Chacia could never escape.  Even after not talking for 8 solid years, they had picked up right where they left off in their friendship.  Now apparently, Jon wanted more than friendship with her or maybe just a good time.  Again, Chacia had no idea and honestly didn’t care, kissing him back with equal fire and melted against him, getting lost in the moment.

 

Lifting her up, Jon planted Chacia against that window and guided her legs around his waist.  She tasted delicious, better than he remembered and the back of his mind was reminding what had happened the last time they had been in a position like this.  He had been an idiot and let a phone call distract him, he had no idea why.  Why had he let anything pull him away from this gorgeous, willing woman?  Sometimes, his own mind didn’t make sense.

 

“You don’t have to be afraid of the storms, darlin’.” He whispered, kissing down along her jawline, his hands kneading her sides.

 

Chacia had to admit, this was a lot better than being sung to because Jon could not carry a tune to save his life.  She preferred his mouth caressing her body and lulled her head back against the window, getting completely lost in the moment.

 

~!~

 

Nothing transpired between Jon and Chacia that night besides more kissing and touching.

 

Chacia was beyond confused, especially when she woke up the following morning to a cold, distant Jon again.  What was going on?  Why was he holding himself back from her?  The way he caressed her, kissed her, made her heart want to explode out of her chest.  She was ready to give herself to him completely and thought he wanted the same thing.  His hard cock had brushed against her so many times while grinding against her; they basically had sex with clothes on.  Maybe Jon didn’t want her.  That thought crushed Chacia, but on the outside, she kept a smile on her face and went about her business.

 

His problem was his own state of mind and the anger inside of him.  Even though it was meant to be a celebration of his return to the WWE, Jon couldn’t channel his rage and didn’t want to take it out on Chacia’s delectable body.  When he finally took her, it would be for pure lust with no anger involved.  Chacia didn’t deserve his anger released on her and Jon wouldn’t do it, even though he’d caused himself to have blue balls.  She wanted him and practically begged him to take her that night, but no matter how incredible it felt, Jon couldn’t bring himself to take the step.  Hopefully, after this European tour and the Shield reunion, the anger would fade because now both Colby and Joe knew exactly how he felt.

 

Now technically, they could go home for 2 days before the media frenzy began, but there was no reason to do that.  They were all the way on the East coast, so it was cheaper to simply stay on the road for those 2 extra days.  Jon and Chacia went to Brooklyn, once again sharing a room, but he made sure there were two beds.  Sharing a bed with Chacia, with the way he felt, couldn’t happen right now.  Jon had to keep her at arm’s length for the time being and hoped she understood.  If not, Chacia would have to deal with it or maybe she’d tell him to screw himself one of these days.  He was actually waiting for it to happen since he’d sent her mixed signals about how he felt and what he wanted.

 

Chapter 19

 

Over the next 2 days, since she had nothing to do because most of the medical team had gone home until Wednesday, Chacia watched the WWE Network.  She had her laptop open and found a website that was dedicated to Jon – or rather Jon’s character, Dean Ambrose.  It had videos of everything he’d done in the WWE since his arrival in 2012 and even in FCW.  What people deemed as eccentric and crazy was normal to her.  He was the same Jon Moxley in WWE, so at least Jon didn’t have to change his style that much.  Maybe a little less violent, but other than that, it was still very much Moxley with more wrestling involved.  She watched the FCW footage first and was blown away by the series of matches he had with Seth Rollins.  Those two had taken each other to the limit and they were incredible matches, mostly called on the fly.

 

Then the Shield footage came into play with Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins as one cohesive unit.  It was amazing to watch them work together, how they knew each other so well and gelled in the ring.  Chacia was mesmerized and found herself actually cheering the six-man tag team matches, which were usually boring.  No, the Shield had put them back on the map and Chacia enjoyed every single second of them.  Daniel Bryan -she knew him as The American Dragon Bryan Danielson from the Indies- was a huge part of the six-man tag team matches and it was incredible to see Jon and Bryan lock up in WWE.  They even had a couple singles matches together on Raw and Chacia was glued to the screen, ordering various food from room service.  The Shield was incredible – it was no wonder all three men had such successful single’s careers outside of it, but it made Chacia question how the split came about.

 

She got her answer on the episode of Raw on June 2, 2014.

 

“Oh my god…” Chacia whispered, covering her mouth with her hand and tears trekked down her cheeks at the broken, shocked look on Jon’s face the moment the chair struck Joe in the back.

 

By Seth Rollins.

 

Colby had betrayed them, which kicked off his feud one-on-one with Jon and that went through the summer and fall of 2014.  It ended at Hell in a Cell, when another man named Bray Wyatt, attacked Jon in the cell just as he was about to close in on victory.  He had beaten the living hell out of Colby throughout the match; they had even gone through the announcer’s tables, after starting the damn thing on TOP of the cell, at the same time!  The way Jon had transformed himself from Jon Moxley to The Lunatic Fringe Dean Ambrose in WWE was astounding, but there were still mannerisms of Moxley she recognized.  Even his t-shirt design – one of the first he’d had – it was the exact replica of his Explicit MOX Violence ones in the Indies that were sold for extra money.  To this day, they were still sold online at various t-shirt companies.

 

2015 seemed to be the year of losses for Jon.  He had lost so many big matches because of shenanigans or to further the storyline he was in.  Even near the end of 2014, he lost the big matches he SHOULD’VE won against Bray Wyatt, which didn’t make any sense to her.  It was almost as if the company was trying to crush him, but the fans wouldn’t let it happen.  They just cheered him on, supported him wholeheartedly and Jon kept on fighting and pushing.  Finally, he had gotten a shot at the World Heavyweight championship in Columbus, Ohio at Money in the Bank pay-per-view, after stealing it from Colby the previous pay-per-view.  Jon had won that match fair and square, but the referee had disqualified Colby and it’d been complete crap.  The promos and build for the Money in the Bank ladder match for the WWE World Heavyweight championship had been off the charts.

 

That ladder match was heartbreaking for Chacia.  Jon had tweaked his knee and Colby had attacked it like a shark smelling blood.  The ending made her start crying because he had the title in his fingertips.  They had both crashed to the mat in a heap with Colby clutching the title against his chest.  Jon had his hands on it and couldn’t hold on.  What really made her cry was the promo he had given after the match and Chacia turned the volume up, wiping her tears away.

 

“When I stole that championship belt a couple weeks ago, it was about respect.  It was about taking what you feel you earned.  But life ain’t always fair.  I’m from right here in Ohio and you people know life ain’t always fair.  You can’t get a car loan because on a technicality, you don’t have a good enough credit score.  So now, you have to walk to work, your children have to walk to school on a TECHNICALITY.  Your boss pushes you around, even though you’re better at his job than he is and he talks to you like you’re an idiot, but he’s the boss on a TECHNICALITY.  So when I took that championship, it was about screw technicalities.  It was about taking what’s YOURS!  What you deserve, what you feel that you earned, what you KNOW in your heart and your soul that you deserve and you earned!  It was just about taking it.  But I’m a grown ass man, and I lost fair and square tonight.  I climbed that ladder and I didn’t like what happened when I came down.  I lost fair and square tonight and I’m man enough to admit that.  So I’m gonna fix this leg, and I’m gonna stand up on my own two feet again, and one day I’m gonna be World Heavyweight champion.  And there ain’t no paperwork, and there ain’t no technicalities, and there ain’t no bull crap that’s gonna stop me!” Jon – no Dean Ambrose – had thrown the microphone down and limped out of the ring, walking up the rampway full of sweat and despair, but also determination.

 

“What the hell are you doing, Chacia?”

 

Jon had come back and slipped into the room quietly in case she was asleep or something.  He had spent the day doing social engagements followed by a workout to vent some issues he was having.  Most of them due to his own anger.  The rest was also technically his doing because he was cockblocking himself, but a small part blamed her anyway because she was so goddamn beautiful and he wanted her almost as bad as he wanted his career.

 

“You’re… why are you crying?” He walked over to see what she was looking at, his eyes widening then narrowing.

 

“You should’ve won this match,” Chacia said in barely above a whisper, pausing the videos and stood from the bed, sniffling. “That was your match to win and why they didn’t make you champion is beyond me.”

 

“Why are you watching my old shit anyway?”

 

“Because I’m trying to understand you and where your animosity and anger is coming from.  I’m starting to see it now.  I’m starting to understand everything a lot better and why you’ve stuck it out this long in WWE is beyond me.” She was only halfway through 2015 and already wished Jon would’ve left to go return to the Indies, where she KNEW he wouldn’t be screwed over. “You are better than everybody else on the roster, then and now.  You should be the one the company wants as the face, not Roman and not Seth.  Even in the Shield, you did a lot of the dirty work and didn’t pick up that many victories compared to the other two.  You did the damage and they picked up the scraps, the pieces…” Chacia was beyond frustrated and wiped her tears away tersely, shaking her head sadly.

 

Jon didn’t know what to think, simply staring down at her.  She was crying, over him and his career.  Yeah, what she said was true and he knew it, resented a lot of it if he were honest.  He had busted his balls for this job and his repayment had been to be screwed every which way so far.

 

“Don’t cry for me.” He reached out to start mopping up those tears.  How was she going to manage long-term in the WWE, he wondered idly, with that bleeding heart of hers?  Though… it seemed only to bleed for him, so that wasn’t a bad thing.

 

“I just…I’ve seen you with multiple titles in multiple companies, all held at the same time.  HOW does the WWE not see the huge star right in front of their eyes?  Are they really that blind?  Damn it…” She stood up from the bed and grabbed tissues out of the box, trying to dry her tears up because she never liked crying in front of Jon.

 

This whole Shield reunion wouldn’t last long because Jon planned on doing everything in his power to convince the company, even Vince himself, to turn heel.  His eyes were locked on the Universal championship and there hadn’t been a feud between him and Joe yet, so that would be something new for the fans to see.  The ONLY match he actually enjoyed was their Survivor Series match in 2015, where they were both fighting for the coveted WWE World Heavyweight championship, after Colby had to vacate it due to tearing every ligament in his knee at once, which put him out for 6 months. 

 

The fans were electric that night.  They were cheering for him since they didn’t want Joe to win the championship and, truthfully, Jon was tempted to jump script just to show his buddy he wasn’t meant to be trifled with.  As powerful as Joe was, he didn’t have anything else to offer, such as wrestling on the mat the way Jon did.  Jon was one of the best wrestlers in the world and he’d been annoyed that, once again, the company had gone with Joe instead of him.  Even in his promo, Jon tried sounding as heel as possible going into the match and the fans hadn’t bought it, cheering him on louder than usual.

 

At the same time, Joe had been screwed that night because the company decided to have the Money in the Bank winner, Sheamus, cash in his contract to take the title from Joe.  Jon was glad he hadn’t been cashed in on because that probably would’ve sent him over the edge.  Better for it to happen to Joe, again, than him.  It was the second time Joe had been cashed in on – the first being Colby at WrestleMania earlier that year.  In a way, Joe had been screwed out of the title way more than Jon had been, but at least he stayed in the chase, besides his feud with Bray Wyatt, which Jon helped him with.  It still didn’t make him any less angry because, once again, he had to help the Shield brothers with their matches, their feuds, instead of coming back with a BANG.

 

“Do you have more media to do today?  Or are you done?” She wasn’t surprised when Jon informed her he had another signing to do and watched him walk into the bathroom to get ready for it.  Chacia wouldn’t watch any more of Jon’s work until he left, not wanting him to see her upset or cry over him, hating he’d walked in on her during that particular promo.

 

“Why don’t you come with me?” He called from the bathroom, the door wide open as he peeled off his sweat-soaked shirt and tossed it out onto his bed. 

 

His bed was the one closest to the door and the bathroom.  Jon didn’t know why he insisted on it being that way; maybe he had some weird fear that he needed to keep her locked up or safe.  His mind was scattered all over the place again.

 

“Get out of this room and off that damn thing.” He stuck his head out, looking at her. “Seriously, Chacers.”

 

“No, no it’s a signing and there won’t be anything for me to do there.  I’m on the medical team, it’ll look weird.  Besides, I’m gonna watch more of your stuff and get to know the new you – the Lunatic Fringe Dean Ambrose.” God, that name just left a really bad taste in her mouth for some reason.  Jon Moxley was so much better and she resented WWE, in a way, for making him change his name. “I’ll be fine, Jonny.” She smirked at his scowl, hearing him growl and chuckled, grabbing a bottled water from the mini fridge the hotel room came with.

 

“It’ll only look weird if you’re sitting on my lap.” He shucked his jeans next and smirked when she looked up. “I’m getting ready to get in the shower, darlin’, want to come scrub my back for me?” It was the same question he had asked her a million times during his rehabilitation.  Laughing, Jon shut the door when she flipped him off. “Your loss!” His as well.

 

An hour later, Jon was out the door again to go to his signing.  Not even 20 minutes later, a knock sounded at the hotel room door.  Chacia had just paused the video to grab another water and raised a brow, wondering who could be here.  She was hesitant to answer the door, remembering that ominous phone call prior to signing with WWE.  When the knocking persisted, Chacia took a deep breath and walked over to answer it, staring up into the dark chocolate eyes of Seth Rollins.

 

Colby looked a bit surprised to see her, frowning slightly. “I’m sorry, I think I have the wrong room.” He glanced at the numbers on the door and then back at her.  No, this was the right room.  She and Jon were sharing a room, apparently. “Is he here?” She knew who ‘he’ was and Colby groaned when she shook her head in response.  He had spent all day doing media appearances and signings; he had assumed Jon would be running along the same schedule, but such wasn’t the case. “Do you know when he’ll be back?  It’s Chacia, right?  Did I say it right?”

 

“No, he left about 20 minutes ago.” Chacia leaned in the doorway, folding her arms in front of her chest with a serene smile.

 

“Shit.  The signing got canceled and I meant to get here sooner, but something came up.” Colby grumbled, knowing Jon wouldn’t be happy once he arrived at an empty building.  The signing was rescheduled for tomorrow due to security issues, according to Stephanie. “How are you liking the company so far?  Pretty crazy, eh?”

 

Was he trying to strike up a conversation with her? “It’s definitely different compared to the Indies.” She admitted, feeling a little awkward and she wasn’t sure why.

 

“Very true.” Colby knew that better than most, he and Jon cut from the same cloth as far as their wrestling experiences went.  Most of his success had been in ROH while Jon had stuck with CZW and other promotions. “Do you like it here?”

 

“Yeah.  Everyone’s been nice and welcoming.”

 

In the back of her mind, she had to wonder who had called her though to warn her not to sign with the company.  Colby was a friend of Jon’s, even if Jon claimed not to have any friends in the company anymore.  Chacia didn’t fully believe that and knew he’d get back to his old self eventually.

 

“Do you wanna come in and wait for him to get back?  It shouldn’t be too long since the signing was canceled…” Chacia offered, opening the door a little more and gestured with her hand for him to follow.

 

Chapter 20

 

Colby hesitated for a moment before stepping in, his eyes quickly assessing the two beds.  Two beds and they were both actually being used.  So Jon and Chacia were not together then.  Or at least not in the traditional sense.

 

“He blocked my number.” He admitted after a moment of what felt like awkward silence, pulling his cell out of his back pocket. “I tried to let him know, but…” The messages hadn’t been able to go through.  Colby knew it wasn’t something wrong with his phone because he had sent out other messages. “Was I interrupting something?” He gestured at the laptop, the screen towards them and blinked. “Wait, are you watching his old matches?”

 

Why hadn’t she shut the damn thing before answering the door?  She thought it was Jon coming back, but he would’ve used the keycard…and now she felt really stupid. “Yeah, I am.  I just…wanted to get to know Dean Ambrose a little better.  I only know Jon Good and Jon Moxley, but not Ambrose.  So, I was curious and yeah…” Chacia rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly, not sure what to say about Jon blocking this man’s number. “Do you want something to drink?”

 

“Sure, water is good.” He had noticed the bottle in her hand and watched as she retrieved one for him. “Thanks.  Ambrose is like a watered down version of Moxley, well, sometimes.”

 

Colby and Jon had done the Indies thing; they had followed sort of similar career paths.  Hell, they both had even suffered potentially career-ending injuries and came back stronger and better than ever.  Jon apparently had also brought back some mental damage.

 

“You can tell me to mind my business if you want, but I got to ask… how do you know Ambrose?  I mean, outside of the physical therapy thing?”

 

Word about that had gotten around quick.  Jon was a pretty private guy when it came to his life outside of the ring, for a damn good reason, but hiding a woman was something not many could pull off.  Chacia launched into the explanation, watching Colby’s eyes slowly grow wider and wider in both recognition and shock.

 

“Wait, your cousin is Cody Hawk?  THE Cody Hawk?” Colby was floored, leaning back in his chair and rubbed the back of his neck. “From what I’ve heard, he’s a legend in the Indies.  He never got his due.  I know Mox trained under him…”

 

“He wasn’t the only one.” Chacia didn’t know why the confession came out of her mouth, but it had Colby’s interest peaked. “I did too.”

 

Cody Hawk’s cousin had trained to become a professional wrestler?  That wasn’t shocking considering wrestling flowed through her bloodline because of Cody.  However, Colby noticed an underlying sadness while talking about this and reached over to place a hand on her arm, close enough to do it.

 

“You didn’t stick it out, so what happened?  What made you decide not to become a wrestler?” Back then, women weren’t treated very well in the industry like they were nowadays.  Men and women were on equal footing – they were all known as Superstars instead of the women being called Divas.

 

Telling this man the truth wasn’t an option, so Chacia reached for a little white lie. “It wasn’t for me.  I loved doing it, but there was no future with it, no financial stability.  I saw what Cody went through, barely scraping by on nickels and dimes and I didn’t want that for myself.  I wanted something more secure and stable, so I went to school and got a degree in sports medicine.  Worked for a hospital in Cincinnati until Jon called asking for my help.  I told him I would as long as he could get me a job with WWE since I had to leave the hospital in order to help him.”

 

“So, in a roundabout way, you got your dream job, just not your dream job,” Colby summed up, frowning slightly. “You could always try for it now, you know.  Stephanie and the women have led the charge in this female revolution, you’d really be able to shine now.”

 

So much had changed, it was no longer a man’s job, a man’s world.  Not like it had been.  He gestured to her arms, which he had definitely noticed were not lacking in definition and obvious strength, he had also felt the lean muscle she had.  She was working out still.  He began laughing when Chacia mentioned being too old to start now.

 

“Are you kidding me?  You’re gorgeous, age isn’t a factor.”

 

She smiled at his compliment, recalling Jon also calling her gorgeous and the smile fell from her face as pain shot through Colby’s. “What’s the matter?” Chacia frowned, becoming alert of the slight pain crossing his face and saw him clutching his right knee. “Are you okay?  Is it your knee?” Jon had briefly told her about Colby injuring it, but she didn’t know to what extent.  Blowing every ligament in his knee, that could’ve been a ton of injuries alone.

 

“Yeah, the damn thing becomes stiff sometimes.  I’ll be fine.” Colby assured her, talking through his teeth and tried stretching it out, hating whenever his knee locked up. “I didn’t do my stretches today like normal cause I’ve been busy and now I’m paying for it.” Setting her beer down, Chacia slid from the bed to squat in front of him on the floor, taking hold of his knee. “W-What are you…?”

 

“Relax, Seth,” Chacia ordered, already getting to work on his knee and felt where the pain was coming from, the slight bulge behind his kneecap. “Try not to tense.”

 

Slowly, she began massaging the tender spot and heard him groan out, his head lulling back since it had to be painful.  His knee had locked up on him and those stretches probably helped a great deal to keep them limber and loose.  Sports medicine also meant learning how to massage various areas of the body on an athlete.  She was a jack-of-all-trades in sports medicine and hated seeing anyone in pain unless they deserved it.  As much as she wanted to despise this man, everything that happened to Jon in his WWE career wasn’t Colby’s fault and he was simply doing his job.

 

This woman had magic fingers and Colby could already feel the pain in his knee dispersing.  Tweaking the same knee in the ring probably didn’t help matters either, hence why he had to do stretches on a daily basis.  His dark chocolate eyes opened to stare down at her, watching her work on his knee and Colby had to think of every disgusting thing on the planet to keep his dick from popping out of the skinny jeans he had on.  Chacia was beautiful from head to toe and had a heart of gold to do something like this to a man she barely knew, even if they worked for the same company.  He groaned out again when he felt the muscle soften, the tension gone and smiled with relief.

 

“Thanks.” He breathed out, moving his knee back and forth in a bending position to test it out. “Wow, it doesn’t even hurt anymore.”

 

“It’s not supposed to after a massage,” Chacia remarked with a proud smirk, rising to her feet to stand in front of him and watched him bend the knee, nodding in satisfaction. “You shouldn’t have any more issues with it now, but those stretches are vital.  Don’t skip them, no matter how busy you are.”

 

“God, I need to start coming to you.  One of the guys does this deep tissue massage, it hurts like hell until the next day.” Then he was usually all right for quite some time afterward.  He much preferred her type of massage, pain relief without adding more pain. “Now that I know you have magic fingers,” Colby noticed the amused smile on her face at that, guessing she had heard that more than once. “I might skip stretches just as an excuse to see you.” He said it playfully, flexing his knee out back and forth.

 

“I just helped out a coworker.  It’s not a big deal.” Chacia went to sit back down and blinked when Colby grabbed her hand, rising to his feet from the chair.

 

“It IS a big deal, Angel.” Colby felt the slight sparks between them and could tell she did too, her eyes like an open book. “I really do appreciate what you did for me.  Me and my knee want to thank you properly.”

 

Her stomach tightened at his words as deep hazel continued swirling in dark chocolate orbs, the feeling of his hand in hers increasing a little. “Y-You don’t have to do anything…” She stammered, feeling her mouth go dry and wondered why she felt this spark with Colby.

 

Granted, it was nothing compared to what she felt with Jon – that was an explosive inferno every time.  These were just slight sparks that could develop into a raging inferno eventually.  Chacia should’ve pulled away from him and told him to leave, but she couldn’t bring herself to say the words.  She didn’t want Colby to leave, enjoying his company and wanted to continue getting to know him for some reason.  Cody’s warning of sharks in the WWE penetrated her mind, but only temporarily.

 

Colby was definitely feeling it too and showed his pleasure by smiling warmly down at her. “Can I take you out to dinner?” He asked, not letting go of her hand, but holding so tightly that she couldn’t pull away from him if she wanted to. “Please?”

 

He didn’t think he was treading on Jon’s toes, not if they were sharing a room, but sleeping in separate beds.  Given what he now knew about their history, he was going to liken their relationship to siblings almost. She looked hesitant and he took a small step forward, filling in some of the space between them.

 

“Just dinner, Chacia, no strings or anything attached.”

 

How could she say no to those deep dark chocolate puppy dog eyes of his?  It was impossible!  Chacia blew out an exasperated breath and smiled, letting him know she was just joking.

 

“All right, all right, no strings, no expectations…” She laughed when he did a fist pump in the air, their hands still clasped together and pulled hers back to cover her mouth with her hand. “You act like you just hit the jackpot or something.”

 

“What makes you think I didn’t?” Colby retorted, tempted to touch her face or even kiss her, but there would be plenty of time for that later.  One step at a time – baby steps. “Come on, I know the perfect place to take you.”

 

“Umm…” Chacia looked down at herself, knowing she was NOT dressed to go out in public. “I-I need a little bit of time to get ready.” How long had it been since she went on an actual date with someone?  The desert with Jon on New Year’s Eve came to mind, but that wasn’t an actual date, even though she wished it was.

 

“Oh right, right, sorry. I’m getting ahead of myself.” Colby grinned broadly, eyes sparkling with amusement. “Why don’t I give you my number, and you can text or call to let me know when you’re ready.” He could have asked for her number, but he figured he would put the ball in her court, let her know he wasn’t trying to pressure her. “Or you can not do either if you change your mind and I’ll take the hint, no hard feelings.”

 

“I’ll meet you downstairs in the lobby in one hour and I’m not going to stand you up or change my mind.”

 

Technically, Chacia and Jon weren’t together as a couple and she was single, so going out on a date with Colby wasn’t a crime.  Getting to know someone else wasn’t a crime either.  It wasn’t like she’d hop into bed with him at the end of the night, not when she was still in turmoil over her jumbled feelings for Jon.  After a quick shower, Chacia brushed her hair and put some gel in it to bring out the curls more in her hair.  She put minimal makeup on, dark blue liner, foundation and clear gloss that made her lips shimmer.  Her outfit was black jean shorts and deep emerald green short-sleeved top that had somewhat of a dipped neckline.  It didn’t show any cleavage, but gave the illusion it could.  Slipping some silver hoops in her ears, Chacia looked in the mirror one final time before pulling her black sandals on and headed out, purse in hand.

 

She ran right into an annoyed Jon stalking toward her to go to their room.

 

Jon came to a dead stop at the sight of her.  Chacia was a naturally beautiful woman who rarely wore make-up, she didn’t need it.  He instantly noticed the eyeliner.  The gloss, he would have overlooked, it was the eyeliner that caught his attention.  He had arrived at that fan signing only to find out it had been canceled, his mood was not the best right now.

 

“Where are you going?” Jon reached out to stop her, fingers wrapping around her wrist.  She was fresh out of the shower, she looked good, smelled good… his eyes narrowed.

 

“Out.” Chacia refused to tell him who she was spending the evening with because it wasn’t his business and she also didn’t need him flying off the deep end. “I heard the signing was canceled…”

 

“Yeah, fucking idiots,” Jon grunted in a sharp, clipped tone. “Who are you going out with?”

 

“Why does it matter to you?  You don’t want to take me out and I’m a grown woman capable of taking myself out.”

 

“Chace, this is New York…” Jon really didn’t need to say more, did he? “It’s not safe for you to go out, especially looking as beautiful as you do.” She was prey for all the hoodlums and barbarians in the city to sink their teeth into.

 

She rolled her eyes, waving him off and shouldered her purse. “Don’t worry.  I’m not going out alone.” She wasn’t THAT stupid. “Don’t wait up and try to get some rest.” Leaning up, Chacia brushed her lips against his cheek and walked past him to go to the elevator.

 

It was when she was in the elevator, the doors closing behind her, that Jon realized she was going out with someone from the company, potentially even a Superstar.  She had known the signing had been canceled.  His eyes moved to the numbers on the elevator, she was going down.  Jon was seriously considering taking the stairs to see who she was going out with, his mind unable to comprehend that she was going to be with someone other than him.


Colby was dressed, showered, and waiting patiently.  When he spotted Chacia stepping off the elevator, his eyes lit up and he smiled warmly at her, walking over to greet her.

 

It was a man, that much was obvious.  Who the hell had approached her without him being around?  He wasn’t gone that long at the canceled signing, though she had been alone throughout the day.  Still, she’d been vegging out with junk food watching videos of his WWE career.  Scowling, Jon could only watch as they walked away together and narrowed his icy eyes, deciding he would be finding out who took Chacia on a date.

 

And it would be the last time it ever happened.

 

Chapter 21

 

Dinner and a long walk around Brooklyn, seeing some of the sights, was the gist of Colby and Chacia’s time together.  It wasn’t a date until Colby reached for her hand and Chacia had looked up at him, his smile melting her a little.  Again, nothing compared to the effect Jon had on her, but it was obvious he wasn’t interested in her the way Colby was.  At least Colby made a move and wanted to spend time with her on his downtime.  She still had no idea why, but Chacia wouldn’t question it and just enjoy her time with him…with a man who actually put forth the effort with her.

 

As long as he wasn’t stepping on Jon’s toes, Colby was definitely interested in seeing what happened between him and the lovely, vivacious Chacia.  He had no idea the sparks she was feeling wasn’t nearly as strong as what he did, he felt like a pleasant electrical current was coursing through him whenever they touched, but he was also a patient guy and knew slight sparks could grow into more when given a chance.  He asked her a lot of questions, taking his time in getting to know her and he loved those little smiles she kept flashing his way, hoping she was enjoying this as much as he was.

 

“Hey, you like frozen yogurt?” He gestured to the small Shoppe along the street they were walking up.  Frozen yogurt was a lot healthier than its dairy ice cream counterpart.  Admittedly, Colby was also delaying going back to the hotel, not wanting this end right away.

 

“Are you kidding me?  I LOVE frozen yogurt.”

 

Chacia wasn’t in any hurry to get back to the hotel either, thoroughly enjoying her time with Colby walking around and getting to know him.  The man was from Davenport, Iowa, born and raised and was in the Indies, just like Jon.  She was floored to discover he was actually Tyler Black from ROH and they spent a majority of their time talking about his matches there.  Unlike Jon, Colby spent most of his Indie career in ROH, only doing a few shows for other promotions here and there.  He never crossed paths with Jon, however, but Jon had stayed away from ROH, so it wasn’t too surprising.  Chacia loved all forms of wrestling and had seen a few of Colby’s matches, admitting he was a spectacular athlete in the ring. 

 

After having some frozen yogurt, they headed back to the hotel, still talking and laughing; it was amazing how easily she found it to talk to Colby. “Do you want me to walk you to your room?” Colby asked, walking into the hotel with her still hand-in-hand, his other hand shoved in the front pocket of his skinny jeans.

 

“I’d love that, but I don’t want to wake Jon up if he’s sleeping.” Chacia still put Jon’s best interest before her own, deciding if things progressed with Colby, she would definitely need her own room. “How about I walk you to your room instead?”

 

Colby smiled, stopping to caress her face with the back of his hand tenderly.  She really was an angel. “You’d do that?” He chuckled, raising her hand to brush his lips against her knuckles. “That’s definitely a new one for me, but I won’t turn down the offer.”

 

“Good, lead the way.”

 

They walked toward the elevator and waited for the doors to open, stepping inside.  Nobody else joined them as the doors closed and Colby decided this was the perfect time to make his move.  All night, he had been dying to feel Chacia’s lips against his and hoped she felt the same way about him.  Chacia sensed something was different and looked up at Colby staring down at her intensely, those dark chocolate orbs once again hypnotizing her.  Her stomach tightened as Colby’s head dipped to softly brush her lips against his and her body instantly ignited, the connection between them undeniable.  Lifting her hands to gently press against his t-shirt covered chest, Chacia didn’t push him away and wrapped her arms around his neck, returning the kiss with equal fervor. 

 

Now, what Colby didn’t know was that Chacia had been living on bread and water.  Suffering from the aftermath of whenever Jon felt like fooling around with her, but never actually got her to the point of getting off.  He had been leaving her frustrated and confused.  Colby might have sent Jon a thank you card if he had known just because, the way she was returning his kiss, was the kiss of a woman who needed someone to give her good and proper loving.  His hands moved to the small of her back, tempted and desperately wanting to go lower, but he wasn’t sure how far he could push his luck, especially on a first date.

 

Her mouth opened to collide their tongues together, tasting each other for the first time as the kiss deepened and became more intensified.  The man could kiss, there was no doubt about it, but Chacia still didn’t feel the same equal passion and vigor she did with Jon when they kissed.  It was explosive and full of fire while this was passionate and nice, but the fire was only simmered instead of raging.  Chacia pushed Jon in the far recesses of her mind, wanting to enjoy this moment in time with Colby and felt his arms tighten around her body further.  She didn’t realize Colby had slammed his hand down on the stop button, which was right beside them, to give them more time in the small enclosed space.

 

Only when a voice came through the speaker, asking them if they were all right, did the kiss break, Colby and Chacia pulling apart simultaneously.  Her cheeks were flushed crimson and he had a shit eaten grin on his face, letting the person know everything was fine.  He pressed the GO button on the elevator and went back to kissing Chacia, drawing her right back into his arms.  They parted again once the doors opened and Colby was tempted to invite her into his room to continue this, to see how far it would go.  Thank the stars for skinny jeans or he would be sporting a bulge in his pants right about now.  Instead of heading to his room, Colby simply pressed her back against the wall of the elevator on the side and continued exploring her mouth, his hands caressing every inch of flesh she’d allow.

 

They were interrupted at an ‘ahem’ and he reluctantly pulled away from her, his head turning to see who was interrupting.  Just people wanting to get by.  Taking her hand, Colby led her out into the hallway properly and then ran his free hand down the back of his neck, not surprised to find his skin flushed.  He gave her a smile, drawing Chacia closer to him, taking note of the roses in her cheeks.  Her lips were red and swollen, and her eyes looked like his probably were, a little lusty.

 

“I’m down this way.” Would she take it the wrong way if he did invite her to his room?  He didn’t want her thinking all he was interested in was a piece of ass because Colby had genuinely enjoyed their night.

 

“Not gonna lie, Angel, I want you…” Colby breathed in her ear, pressing his body further against her to let her feel his erection and began teasing her neck.

 

“I can feel it…” Chacia breathed out, losing her fingers in his jet black curly hair and pressed herself against him. “I want you too, Colby…”

 

His eyes shut at that confession, knowing he could have her right here and now and she would’ve allowed it to happen. “I’m sensing a but…” Colby was giving her an out, a chance to walk away before something happened between them she wasn’t ready for.

 

Chewing her bottom lip, Chacia pulled back enough to stare into his blackened eyes and caressed his bearded face with her hand. “It’s not you.  I just…I don’t sleep with someone I just met.” There was no way she could tell him about her complicated feelings for Jon. “I want to get to know you better before we…you know…”

 

Colby understood wholeheartedly, respecting her wishes and backed away, but she pulled him back against her again.  This woman would be the death of him. “I thought you…” Her finger pressed against his lips, silencing him and was replaced moments later with her mouth.

 

For the next half hour, they stood there against the side of the elevator kissing and touching, exploring each other over clothes.  It was a good old-fashioned make-out session and one Chacia did not regret, her body thrumming and pleading to allow this man to sex her up.  Not yet.  Chacia had more self-respect for herself than that and she’d just started with the company, so sleeping with someone right out the gate, unless it was Jon, wasn’t a smart idea.  Eventually, they made it outside of Colby’s room with their lips still interlocked together and he pressed her against the door, sliding his key card in the slot to open it.

 

It was Chacia who pushed him into his room, once the door was opened and his eyes opened in surprise, knowing that what the body said was usually at odds with what the mind knew. “I want you to respect me in the morning, Angel.” He said huskily, breaking the kiss, his tone gentle and teasing. 

 

Letting her know that, while he definitely wanted her, -as if she couldn’t tell, skinny jeans or not, it was showing- he was also not about to force or pressure her into something she didn’t want.  She rubbed her nose against his, reaching up to stroke his bearded face.  What was with wrestlers growing beards these days and why were they so hot?

 

“I had such a great time tonight and I hope we can do it again soon.  Thank you for taking me out and showing me a good time, Colby.” Chacia kissed him again softly, tenderly and extracted herself from his arms to put some space between them. “You need to get some rest and so do I.”

 

Colby pulled her flush against his body again, his mouth finding hers and couldn’t get enough of her lips against his.  They were addicting. “The pleasure was and is all mine, Angel.  Text me when you make it back to the room, please.” He requested in a husky voice against her lips and she nodded, once again pulling away from him. “Goodnight.”

 

“Night.”

 

Chacia walked out and headed back to the elevator to go down one floor.  She touched her swollen lips with her fingertips, shivering from the aftermath of her make-out session with Colby, replaying what happened in her head between them.  There was no doubt in her mind he would want another date with her and she’d gladly accept it, anything to get her mind off the jumbled confused mess her brain was in when it came to her feelings for Jon.  Being with Colby was a nice reprieve from that and at least the man knew what he wanted from her, not playing games or toying around.

 

Jon was awake when she finally came in, laying in his bed with the lights off, hands laced behind his head.  He watched as she quietly slipped into the room and noted she was trying to not wake him up, ostensibly. “How was the date?” He asked once she had set her things down, snorting when she jumped about a foot in the air.  Jon had stopped trying to figure out who she had gone out with, knowing damn well if it was someone in the company, it would come out soon enough because that was just how it worked.

 

Why wasn’t he sleeping?  The man had to be up at the ass crack of dawn and it was already pushing 11 PM.  Poor Colby also had to be up that early for media to talk about Summerslam.  Not ONE word was mentioned about work, the pay-per-view or Jon during the date, which surprisingly was very nice.

 

“You should be sleeping.” Chacia blatantly ignored his question, slipping her shoes off and grabbed her bag to change into sleepwear, pulling out a nightshirt.  She heard his bed squeak as he moved to stand right behind her, feeling the heat from his body searing through her clothes. “What do you want, Jon?  We both have a very busy day tomorrow.”

 

She had to be up early too for her first day of training, just not as early as him.  It was a bit hard, trying to sleep when she was not here.  He had gotten a little too used to Chacia, apparently.  She was usually asleep with him, in the next bed over, not out with some other guy.

 

“Why?  You have work same as I.” Jon wasn’t in the mood for her mother hen crap, not when it was tempered with a healthy side of evasion. “Did you have a nice time?  Should I set a curfew, darlin’?” His hands trailed up her hips, sides, and came to rest on her shoulders.

 

“Stop it.  I’m not a child and I’m not gonna be treated like one, especially by you.” Chacia shrugged his hands off her shoulders, even though they felt incredible and she did her best to ignore that pull again. “Yes, I had a nice time and now I’m tired.  I need to get changed for bed and YOU need to be sleeping.  You’re gonna be dragging ass tomorrow otherwise.”

 

Why wasn’t she surprised when Jon followed her into the bathroom while she changed?  She pulled the nightshirt over her head and managed to remove her date clothes without showing him anything, which made him raise a slow brow.  Thankfully, her lips weren’t swollen anymore and the flush in her cheeks had disappeared.

 

“Sounds to me like someone’s jealous…”

 

“Nothing to be jealous of, darlin’, you’re not mine,” Jon remarked without feeling, staring at her intently.  Inside, he felt something to protest his words, though nothing showed on his face or in his tone. “If you don’t want me to treat you like a child, you’ll return the favor, Chacers.  I don’t need you telling me when my bedtime is, mommy dearest.” Why was he picking a fight with her?  He rolled his eyes, turning to leave the bathroom. “You’re going to get chewed up and spit out, Chacia, and when it happens, remember I warned you.”

 

Hazel eyes narrowed at his retreating form and she followed, turning the light off. “I’m not TRYING to treat you like a child.  I’m trying to HELP you, you know like I’ve been doing for the past 8 months?  But you do whatever the hell you want, I won’t tell you what to do anymore.” She tossed her hands up in the air, not believing they were actually arguing right now. “And I’ve got news for you, JONNY, this isn’t my first rodeo.  I know what the wrestling business is like and I can take care of MYSELF.  I don’t need your overprotective, overbearing ass fighting my battles for me and treating ME like an invalid.” There were so many mixed signals from him lately and she was tired of it.  Maybe getting her own hotel room from now on was the way to go, especially if she continued going out with Colby.

 

“No darlin’, you know the Indies.  This is a whole new game and way over your head, bank on that.”

 

One could walk away from the Indies and find another area, region, to peddle wares.  If one screwed up here or got drummed out, nobody was going to touch them.  Why was he fighting with her?  The one person who had stood by his side, even when he hadn’t been the best of friends?  He felt the anger drain right out of him, groaning.  Jon didn’t want to take his issues out on her damn it, he had been trying to avoid that.  Her heart broke at the frustration and hurt on his face, not wanting to fight with him about something this trivial.

 

“Just stop.  Please stop.  I’m not doing this with you.” Chacia pleaded, taking a chance and reached up to wrap her arms tightly around his neck, hugging him close. “I’m not the one you’re angry at.  I’m not the one you want to rage at.” She spoke softly in his ear, tightening her hold on him and breathed him in, that pull, back in full force. “I don’t want to fight with you.” Jon didn’t have a lot of people to rely on these days and she was one of the few he actually trusted. “Don’t push me away, please…”

 

Jon buried his face in her hair, his arms tightening around her, pulling her up so her toes barely brushed the carpet.  He wanted to tell her not to fuck around with anyone except him, but he also knew that was not fair.  Not fair to her.  He knew he was sending her mixed signals; he ran so hot and cold, and he wanted to quit hurting her.

 

“I’m sorry, Chacia,” He whispered, his voice just barely loud enough for her to hear. “I don’t have any right, and I know it.”

 

“Ssshhh, you have nothing to apologize for.” Chacia soothed, kissing his neck and stroking the back of his buzzed head, trying to comfort him the best way she knew how. 

 

Any other woman would’ve told him to go to hell or yelled and screamed at him until they were blue in the face.  Jon had been a downright dick to her and what was she doing?  Comforting him, caressing him and trying to make him feel better.  She had serious issues when it came to Jon because she couldn’t deny him anything.  Despite the incredible night she shared with Colby, here she was in the arms of another man…her best friend.  Pulling back enough to look in his eyes, Chacia accepted the kiss she knew was coming and couldn’t fight him off or push him away, not wanting to.  Was it wrong to make out with two men in the same night?

 

Almost the second his lips brushed hers, Jon was jolted right out of his little daze.  She smelled like yogurt and something a little spicy, men’s spray, along with her own scent.  He pulled back, staring at her, his stomach rolling.  She had just been out on a date with another man and had been close enough to the guy to have some of his scent on her.  His eyes narrowed in on her neck, taking note of the red areas.

 

“You need a shower.” He stepped away from her, trying not to think about who she had been with prior to coming here.

 

Jon kissed her, not the other way around, and she physically couldn’t bring herself to push him away.  The desire for him was clear as day in her eyes, but that cold demeanor of his had returned.  Chacia had no idea why he would say something like that since she’d just showered earlier that day.  She couldn’t smell anything different on her and shrugged, figuring another shower wouldn’t hurt.

 

“You could join me if you want.  Just thought I’d offer since you offered it to me earlier.” She winked, trying to get him to at least smile and sighed when he just looked away from her. “I don’t understand you.” Mumbling under her breath, Chacia went back into the bathroom to shower and to give herself some much-needed relief with her fingers.

 

When she walked out, Jon was already in bed and Chacia moved to join him, to continue and pick up where they left off, but her phone buzzed on the nightstand she set it on by her bed.  She picked it up to see it was Colby returning her text message from earlier, letting him know she made it back to the room safely.

 

I miss you already, Angel.

 

What a sweetheart, she thought with a smile, wishing Jon could be this thoughtful every once in a while. Get some sleep.  We’ll talk tomorrow after your media stuff.

 

Sweet dreams.

 

Right back atcha. She set her phone on the nightstand and curled up against the pillow, her back to Jon in her own bed, falling asleep almost instantly.

 

Chapter 22

 

Wednesday morning rolled around, which was the real start of the media frenzy heading into Summerslam. 

 

Jon didn’t have nearly as much scheduled to do as Colby, but it was still media and signings.  He refused to do interviews, wanting his character change to be more quiet and deadly instead of erratic and eccentric like he used to be.  This was a new Dean Ambrose and he wanted to fully embrace the change in every way possible.  Luckily, the company was behind him with the change – his character had become a little obsolete and stale before his injury happened.  Granted, the Shield was back together and whatnot, but it was really bad timing on WWE’s part to do the reunion.

 

He couldn’t get Chacia’s date out of his mind and he wasn’t pleased she had come back to the hotel smelling of spice and yogurt.  Jon gritted his teeth and was tempted to look on her phone after she fell asleep to see who it was that texted her after her shower.  Chacia’s attention wasn’t on him anymore and it bothered him, made his blood boil.  Hadn’t Jon told her how he felt?  Or did that not matter to her?  Did their make-out sessions and kissing, touching, feeling mean nothing?

 

On the contrary, Chacia had heard every word Jon told her and enjoyed their make-out sessions immensely.  It meant everything to her and more.  She wanted more from him, to be claimed by him in every way, but for some reason, he was holding back.  Colby was a distraction to her and nothing more – it was more lust than anything with him.  She just hoped Colby didn’t start developing feelings for her because the only man she wanted was Jon.  Was she in love with him?  Chacia didn’t know, honestly, but the pull toward Jon was so much stronger than it was to Colby or any guy she’d been with.  It’d been that way since they were teenagers, but at the time, she didn’t want to ruin their friendship by making a move or telling him how she felt.  Her hormones had been a mess and losing Jon as a friend wouldn’t happen.

 

Miscommunication was such a bitch sometimes.

 

Jon left Chacia in the hotel while going to work out before going to his first signing.  Today was the first day of Chacia’s training on the medical team.  Pulling into the parking lot of the Barclays Center, Chacia stepped out and closed the door, wearing black shorts and a WWE labeled t-shirt, white and black tennis shoes on her feet.  She pulled her curly blonde hair back in a neat ponytail to keep it out of her face and grabbed her backpack with various supplies in it.  Apparently, the medical team wasn’t the only ones meeting because Pavana Anoa’i was here as well.  She had pulled up around the same time Chacia did and they hadn’t spoken since Monday night.

 

Pavana spotted Chacia and smiled at her tentatively, not sure if she should trust this woman because of what Jon said.  It was tearing Joe apart from not having his best friend in his life and she wanted to ring Jon’s neck for being a dick.  Chacia headed toward her and she braced herself mentally for this upcoming talk, wondering what she was doing here.  Maybe Larry and the trainers were going to put her to work and show her the ropes before Summerslam.  This was a HUGE event to start a job – she did not envy Chacia one bit.

 

“Good morning.” Chacia greeted, breaking the ice between them and had black shades over her eyes since the sun was beating mercilessly down on them.

 

“Hi.” Pavana flashed a smile, still feeling a bit on tenterhooks.

 

Chacia had known Dean a long time, so it was highly unlikely she was going to do anything that might irritate him.  From what she had seen and heard, there wasn’t much that didn’t irritate Dean these days.  The man had returned with a huge chip on his shoulder.  She wished he could open his eyes and see that not everything was fair, and what one person had said shouldn’t have put everyone else in Dean’s life on that same pedestal he had dropped Seth on.  Joe was struggling himself, trying to shake himself out of this stupid thing Vince had plunked him down into, and show that he wasn’t just another NFL dropout, or however Dean had worded it.  That didn’t mean Joe was being a colossal dick to people.

 

“You ready for your first actual day?”

 

“Yeah.  Stephanie wants to get me trained as much as possible before Sunday.  Don’t blame her since it’s a huge event.” Chacia had read Pavana’s mind without realizing it as they headed toward the entrance. “Hey listen, about what Jon said to your husband…”

 

Pavana took a deep breath, once again bracing herself for whatever was about to come out of Chacia’s mouth.

 

“I’m sure he didn’t mean what he said.  I know he’s going through something rough right now, trying to battle demons and…he knows what’s gone down in his career here isn’t Joe’s fault.  He’s just angry and he doesn’t know how else to release it.” Chacia was apologizing on Jon’s behalf, in her own way, and hoped the woman understood where she was coming from. “Pavana…”

 

“The injury scared him.  I know he doesn’t want to admit it, but Joe told me it was his first MAJOR injury in his career.  Up until this point, even with everything he went through in the Indies, he never once took this extended period of time off.  He never got any major injuries and now that he has, he probably feels vulnerable and not sure how to deal with it.  So anger wins out and I get it.  I just hope he finds his way back to his old self because we’re worried about him.”

 

Thinking back, Chacia couldn’t recall a time Jon had been injured like this either and frowned, knowing that could definitely mess with a person’s psyche. “That man has put himself through so much shit, so much hell, it’s incredible he wasn’t injured badly prior to this.  And the fact it was JUST a torn triceps is shocking too.”

 

“Exactly.  I’ve watched some of his death matches on YouTube and I still can’t believe some of the shit he’s done to his body.  The fact the man looks as good as he does to this day is astounding.” Pavana stopped, looking down at Chacia with confusion in her eyes. “Wait, you should know all of this already if you’ve known him as long as you claim…”

 

Chacia smiled sadly at her assumption and slowly shook her head. “We stopped talking for 8 years and…I stopped watching everything, wrestling in general.  Then one day, he called my cousin out of the blue to ask for my help with his physical therapy.  And I told him I would.” Not without reaping some kind of benefit from it. “He said nobody else could do it besides me because I would give him the kick in the ass he needed to get through it and get back in the ring.  I personally think he would’ve been fine, but I also couldn’t deny him either.”

 

“Wait… wait,” Pavana stopped walking and turned to fully look at Chacia, bewilderment all over her face as she stared at the other woman. “You dropped everything, uprooted your entire life, for a man who you hadn’t spoken to for 8 years?” That just did not make sense.  No rational person did that. “Either you are an angel sent directly from God, criminally insane and brilliant at hiding it, or you are in love with… with… Wow.” Given the way Dean was currently acting, Pavana wasn’t sure if that attitude carried on into their private time. “But you’re not together?” 

 

“No…” Chacia shook her head, shouldering her purse and stepped out of the sunlight since it felt like her head was being baked.  It was HOT outside. “No, we’re not.  Every time he has been injured or he’s needed my help, I’ve always been there for him.  I don’t really understand the things I do myself sometimes…” She let out a small, sad laugh, rubbing the back of her neck. “I couldn’t deny him.  Couldn’t tell him no, find someone else.” Come to think of it, she’d NEVER told Jon no or denied him anything in all the years they knew each other. “I mean, helping him netted me this job with WWE, so I guess it’s a great payoff in the end…” There was no way she was revealing how she felt for Jon to a stranger, even if Pavana had already figured it out.

 

Pavana was more than used to the heat; she and Joe both thrived on the sun and the sea.  It was part of what made them a great couple. “Yeah sure, I guess…” Pavana shrugged, still not understanding.  Being part of the medical team didn’t seem very glamorous or fun, not given the travel and the fact that there were better-paying positions out there that didn’t leave such wear and tear on a person. “Well, you are a kinder person than I am.  I would have told him to shove it up his ass.”

 

“Believe it or not, you are not the first person to tell me that.” Chacia took it in stride, laughing softly and recalled Cody saying something very similar. “Well, we better head inside.” She didn’t want to be late her first day of training. “See you around, Pavana.”

 

“Yeah, you too.”

 

~!~

 

“So, someone just told me about this dope club in Brooklyn and I wanted to know if you’d go with me tonight to check it out.”

 

Chacia was currently on break and sitting outside on an equipment trunk, eating a sandwich from catering. “A club, huh?” They really weren’t her style, if she was being honest. “What kind of club?”

 

Colby could hear her hesitation and smiled, also on break. “Rock.  I would never take you to some R&B or rap place.” He enjoyed alternative and punk rock, mostly. “Unless you don’t wanna go…”

 

“I’ll be honest, clubs really aren’t my thing and I haven’t gone to many of them.” Only a couple in Cincinnati, but they weren’t nearly as hardcore as Brooklyn, New York. “Let me see how I feel after today and I’ll text you if I decide to go.  I’ll make sure to give you notice.”

 

That sounded fair. “Sounds good, Angel.”

 

Just as she hung up with Colby, another call came in and surprisingly, it was Jon. “Is everything okay?” Why was he calling her?  And why the hell did she answer the phone like that? “Sorry…sorry, hi…”

 

Jon laughed, amusement and something else in his tone. “You really can’t stop yourself, can you, darlin’?” He could just imagine her somewhere, already freaking out and wondering what was going on, or if he was hurt. “I can’t just call to call?” They both knew the answer to that, sad as it was.  He had said it already, he was an asshole.  He never called ‘just to call’; hell, he never called, period. “Where are you?  You’re not in the medical wing.”

 

“I’m out…wait, you’re HERE?”

 

What in god’s name was he doing at the arena?  Didn’t he have media appearances left and right today?!  Maybe not as busy as Colby was, but still, she’d looked at Jon’s schedule to see everything he had to do.

 

“I’m outside finishing my lunch.  I’ll be there in a second.” Ending the call before he could say anything else, she tossed what was left of her lunch in the nearby garbage and jogged inside, slowing to a walk upon seeing him standing outside of the trainer’s room. “What are you doing here?”

 

“I’m taking an early leave from the media bullshit.” Jon shrugged his shoulders carelessly.  He wasn’t trying to win over fans; she had been right about the fans loving and adoring him, even when he was trying to be a heel. “Why weren’t you in there with the others?”

 

His eyes swept over her, taking her in.  She looked like she had been baking in the hot sun.  This again…Chacia pinched the bridge of her nose and leaned against the wall, folding her arms in front of her chest, trying not to look annoyed.  He was checking up on her and, normally, she’d find it sweet, but Jon was anything but that these days.

 

“Contrary to popular belief, I AM entitled to taking a break from my job and I’m also entitled to taking lunch.  I needed some fresh air and figured I’d eat my lunch outside.  Is that all right with you?” She tried really hard to keep the condescension out of her tone, but it wasn’t happening.

 

“I never said you weren’t allowed to take a break.” Jon did not miss that superciliousness in her tone, his pale blues narrowing down at her. “Well forgive me for coming to see you on your first actual day, Chacia.” He mockingly bowed to her, sweeping his arms out, bent from the waist. “I promise it’ll never happen again.”

 

He straightened up, shoulders squaring and took a step back.  Jon had assumed, apparently wrong, that she would remain inside because it was air-conditioned throughout the building, opposed to dying from a heat stroke out in that unforgiving heat.  Groaning out loud in frustration, Chacia felt like ripping her hair out because she could never tell anymore when he was being funny or sarcastic with her.  It was driving her crazy – HE was driving her crazy!

 

“It better.” She closed the space between them and slid her hand up his t-shirt covered chest, feeling how tense he was. “It is sweet of you to come see me on my first day…and I’m sorry, I thought you were checking up on me or something…” Sighing, she wrapped her arms around his waist, feeling how rigid he was until finally, he returned it and kissed the top of her head. “I want you to come see me as much as you want…just not injured, preferably.” Though, that was inevitable to happen. “Or not…a lot since that IS part of my job description…”

 

In the event Jon got injured, he had no plans coming to her.  This wasn’t like it had been when he had been shelved away from the WWE.  Just her and him in their own little bubble of his growing pain and frustration.  He was checking up, or in rather, on her.  It was her first day on the job and Jon had wanted to know how it was going so far.  Maybe, admittedly, there was also a dash of wondering if whoever Chacia had gone out with last night might’ve been someone from the medical team, not that he would ever admit that to her. 

 

“Just wait until someone pulls a muscle in their butt.” This job wasn’t glamorous, at all.

 

“I can handle anything thrown my way, you should know that by now.”

 

Chacia pulled back with a genuine smile and put a little distance between them.  Cody had also called earlier, before Colby, to see how she was doing, just a quick check-in.  He also asked if anyone had screwed with her and she replied with a firm no.  It wasn’t Cody’s business what happened while she was on the road and Chacia didn’t need to tell him she’d already gone out on a date with a coworker.  She also decided not to mention her small talk with Pavana, not wanting to upset Jon since he seemed to be in a semi-decent mood right now.

 

“It’s different now,” Jon commented, frowning when she gave him a quizzical look. “The business, the WWE, they shut down the blood and the hardcore violence.  Pulled and torn muscles are usually the worst of it.” Back in the ‘glory’ days as some of the veterans called it, stitches and skin glue was a nightly thing because they would literally bleed for this business.  He stuffed his hands back into his pockets, watching her face as she mulled over whatever was in her head.

 

“Not necessarily, Dean.” Larry came out from the trainer’s room with a smile and placed a hand on Chacia’s shoulder. “Remember when you split your head open on the ladder at WrestleMania a few years ago?  Or your cage match with Sheamus?  Accidents happen, so there is SOME color, but nothing compared to what it used to be.” His eyes moved back to his newest acquisition on the medical team. “Lunch is over, time to get back to work, Davis.”

 

Jon kept his mouth shut, knowing better than to have a war of words with the head trainer.

 

“Yes sir, I’ll be right in.” Chacia waited until he went back inside before turning her attention on Jon. “I’ll see you later tonight.” She headed into the office to resume training and snapped gloves on, her full attention on her job and what Larry was saying.

 

Accidentally getting split open being compared to back when the Superstars had purposefully sliced themselves open, or purposefully drew blood from an opponent, was like comparing apples and oranges.  Both were a fruit, each was vastly different from the other.  Tucking a piece of chew behind his lip, Jon walked away from the room, the polite expression he had worn fading away and being replaced by a cold indifference.

 

He didn’t even look down when he passed by Pavana.

 

Chapter 23

 

“Jesus Christ, it feels like my hand is gonna fall off…” Jon muttered, walking inside the hotel room later that night and stopped at the sight of Chacia.  She stood in front of the mirror near the door, applying makeup and that ball of jealousy began to form in his stomach again. “Going out again?”

 

“Yeah.  I trained hard today and need to unwind a bit.” Chacia didn’t look at him since she was busy applying black liner, finishing up one eye before going to the next. “Dinner is already ordered for you and should be here soon.  I know you’ve gotta be exhausted after all the media shit today.”

 

Since things were tense with Jon and she had no idea how to alleviate them, Chacia decided to spend more time with Colby and took him up on his offer to go to the rock club.  He still had appearances and signings to do tomorrow, so they wouldn’t stay out too late, just a few hours.  She still had more training to do tomorrow to gear up for Sunday.  Chacia tried to get her own hotel room, but everything was taken over due to Summerslam, so she just had to weather the storm until they were out of New York and then she’d be able to have her own room again.

 

Last night, she had railed at him for treating her like a child and today she was right back at it with him.  Ordering him dinner, talking about him being tired.  Jon didn’t know if she was mother-henning him or acting like some crazy housewife with a cheating fetish.  Where did that line of thought come from?  Jealousy.  He wasn’t happy with her gearing up to go out again, most likely with the nameless face he had deemed ‘Yogurt Boy’.

 

“No, I’m not.” He was actually feeling pumped up. “Where are we going?”

 

Jon stood behind her now and placed his hands on her hips, his voice dropping an octave.  Just the feeling of his hands anywhere on her body lit her on fire.  Chacia tried not to show it affected her and continued doing her makeup, finishing up her liner.

 

“A club.” She didn’t need to elaborate more than that as her hazel eyes met electric blue through the reflection in the mirror. “And I’M going out to have some fun, something you’ve obviously forgotten how to do.”

 

His eyes narrowed at her cheeky remark, though Jon also heard the hint of hurt in her voice. “Why do you say that?” Jon shot back, a sardonic smile curving his lips for a moment as he stared at her through the mirror. “You don’t think I’m fun to be around anymore?” He snorted, bending down to kiss the top of her head. 

 

The club scene wasn’t exactly his scene at all.  He didn’t overly care to go watch people dance, drink and make fools of themselves.  Gliding a fingertip along the back of the emerald green halter top she wore, Jon definitely noticed it made her hazel eyes pop and turned her around.

 

“I’d like to think, Chacia, that it’s me you’re dressing so sexy for…” His head was inclining towards hers.

 

Now her hips and back were on fire, his mouth so close to hers, she could practically taste him and her eyes didn’t leave his for a second. “Not lately.  I realize you’re putting a great deal of pressure on yourself with your comeback and everything, but…you also need to remember your motto from the Indies.  Enjoy wrestling because wrestling is fun.  You’re not having fun like you used to, you’re not enjoying it.” Chacia wanted to invite him out with her and Colby, but…something told her if he found out it was Colby she was going out with, he would blow a gasket and take half, if not all, of Brooklyn with him.

 

Jon wanted to remind her that 8 years without contact meant she had no idea how much fun he may or may not have had, but he wisely, for once, kept his mouth shut. “Well, why don’t you show me how to have fun again, hmm, darlin’?” He probably should’ve just kept his mouth shut, her eyes had gone cautious and he bent down until his nose was able to lightly trace the shell of her ear. “Cat got your tongue, Chacia?” His voice was low and husky, his breath hot against the side of her neck as his mouth moved to caress her pulse point.

 

That pull was back, stronger than ever and Chacia found herself unable to resist it.  Just the previous night, she’d made out with Colby heavily and he wanted to see her again.  He wanted to spend time with her.  He wanted her.  Was Jon only doing this because her attention was no longer on him?  Was it a jealousy thing or did he actually want to spend time with her?  Did he want her?

 

“What kind of fun do you want to have with me?” Chacia inquired, the question flying out of her mouth before she could stop it and began caressing his t-shirt covered chest while he continued kissing her neck.

 

“You really need to ask, Chace?” He rumbled, drawing her against his hips, his erection not exactly hiding in his pants. “You sure you want to go to some club,” Jon gripped her wrists, drawing her hands up to his shoulders before letting his own hands move down to cup her denim-clad backside, pulling her into his rock hard body. “When you could stay here with me?”

 

Not sure himself if it was jealousy talking or if maybe he would be able to cage his anger, Jon was hoping to finally finish what had been started between them multiple times over.  It was probably a combination of the both.  He lifted her to plant her on the small table they’d been standing in front of and stood between her thighs.  Breathless was the only way to describe how she felt at the moment, her eyes swirling with barely contained desire.  The last time they had started something with each other, he held back on her and Chacia couldn’t deal with more rejection by him.

 

“Jon, please…”

 

His lips barely brushed against hers, a swipe, before moving to her neck after pushing her hair out of the way. “Please what, Chace?  Come on, you gotta tell me what kind of fun we’re gonna have together…”

 

Tilting her head back, Chacia couldn’t fight him off even if her life depended on it and let out the softest of moans, her hands on his broad muscular shoulders now. “Y-You stopped this from happening before, more than once…” Chacia reminded him in a breathless voice and felt completely consumed by him, everything else flying out of her mind at the moment.  Suddenly, going out with Colby to the rock club seemed secondary to being with Jon, once again caving to him. 

 

“I’m an idiot.” He reminded her, never stopping his assault on her neck, a hand moving to cup her through the shorts she had on. 

 

Even through the jean material, he could feel the heat emanating from her, the desire and he groaned.  Deftly, he unsnapped the button and tugged the zipper down slowly.  They were both breathing heavily, harshly, and yet that sound seemed so loud.  Jon heard her sharp inhale of breath as his fingers slid down her stomach and through the gapped waistband, caressing heated skin.

 

Then her goddamn cell phone went off and he gritted his teeth.

 

“I-Ignore it…”

 

Chacia already knew who it was and brought Jon’s mouth back to hers, trying to get him to focus on what he was doing to her.  It didn’t work.  He pulled back abruptly, his hand leaving her shorts and left her aching all over.  Was this what having blue balls felt like for a man?

 

“Fuck!” She growled, hopping off the table and snatched her cell phone, reading the text message. 

 

Colby was downstairs waiting for her in the lobby.  She felt as if she was on fire and it didn’t feel good at all.  Jon stood by the window, staring out of it and all she could do was shake her head, knowing she now needed to freshen up before going out with Colby.  She texted him back, asking him to give her a few more minutes and she’d be down, then grabbed a fresh pair of panties from her bag.  Changing into them in the bathroom, she snapped her jean shorts back into place and made sure she didn’t look completely frazzled before finishing her makeup.  Walking out, Jon hadn’t moved from his spot or said one word to her, which sent a surge of anger coursing through her body.  To show him just how irate she was, she slammed the door with authority and went down to the lobby to meet up with Colby, a man who actually DID want her.

 

Jon had heard the door slam, she was royally pissed and he didn’t blame her.  He blamed whoever had called and interrupted.  Walking in to see her getting all spiffed up to go out, knowing she wasn’t going alone, not to some club, in a city she wasn’t familiar with, something had snapped within Jon.  Chacia was a bit too levelheaded for that.  She was going with someone and his money was on the guy from last night.  The same guy who had probably been blowing her phone up, wondering where she was.  He snorted, bringing his palm up to the glass, letting his nails dig into it.  Hoping whoever she was seeing, if the bastard did manage to get into her fresh panties, knew that it wasn’t him getting her revved up.  Jon had been the one to start that fire.  In both of them.  He groaned again, feeling the very familiar, very painful cramp, letting him know that blue balls were on the menu tonight.

 

“Damn it.”

 

As much as Chacia really needed to have sex and put this fire inside of her out, she wouldn’t just jump into bed with Colby.  He was fun to be around and she enjoyed his company, but she wasn’t anywhere near ready to let him get into her panties.  Making out, touching and feeling was one thing, but actual sex wouldn’t be in the cards for a while.  Not until she could sort her feelings out about Jon because they were a jumbled mess.  For now, Chacia would just have fun with Colby and see where this went, especially since he wasn’t putting any pressure on her.  It seemed as though he just wanted someone to have fun with too.

 

~!~

 

Over the next couple days, Chacia and Jon didn’t say one word to each other and went about their business.  She worked late hours training, which canceled out any plans Colby wanted to do with her.  Her job came first and Chacia wanted to consume herself in it, not wanting to think about anything else.  Men sucked.  Colby was great and everything, but he wasn’t Jon and Chacia HATED herself for thinking that way.  The fact Jon had once again started giving her the cold shoulder just enraged her further, hence why she had told Larry to extend her training hours.  She wanted, needed, to be ready for Summerslam and the distraction.

 

In the blink of an eye, Summerslam had come with Colby winning the Intercontinental championship, thanks to Jon’s help being in his corner.  Granted, Drew McIntyre had sent him into the steel steps, forcing Jon to strike his rehabilitated arm and that shot made Chacia nauseated in the back.  It looked as though he was fine, especially when he delivered Dirty Deeds to Drew for retribution and Colby took care of Dolph in the ring, securing his second Intercontinental title.  It was a stellar match and she couldn’t believe it was the first one on the card, already knowing the fans had gotten the match of the night.

 

As soon as they were in the back, Jon and Colby went their separate ways, not saying a word to each other.

 

“Hey Larry, I need…Whoa…” Drake had walked in to get his wrist checked out, having refereed the Intercontinental title match and blinked at the sight of an old friend. “Holy shit, Chacey?!”

 

Chacia’s head snapped up when she heard that nickname, hazel eyes widening and a hesitant smile crossed her face. “Hey Younger.” She finished what she was doing and walked over to him. “Long time no see…” Frowning, she saw he was holding his wrist and took it, feeling around it. “You sprained it, come on in, I’ll get you some ice.  Larry’s not here right now.” She was in the office by herself for the moment since one of the Superstars requested Larry to come to their locker room.

 

“Why didn’t I know you were here?”

 

Considering they had a history, he figured a courtesy call or something would have been in the cards.  He wasn’t mad, just… a bit boggled.  Taking a seat when Chacia directed him to, Drake still eyed her.  She looked gorgeous and somewhat amused.

 

“How long have you been here?”

 

Not long, that was likely; he would have seen her if she had been here for longer than a week or so.  Drake took the ice pack, applying it right where it was needed and let out a low his from clenched teeth.  Why hadn’t Jon told him?  Or did Jon alienate everyone from his past besides her? 

 

Chacia wouldn’t put it past him with the attitude he had lately. “Sorry, things have been really hectic.  I’m the newest member of the medical team and signed my contract on Monday.  I should’ve told you when I was signed.  Just didn’t know if you wanted to hear from me after…what happened between us.” Chacia had cried out Jon’s name during sex with Drake and they hadn’t spoken since.  She had actually left his house crying with Drake running after her, but she’d hopped in her car and sped away. “Sorry about what happened, by the way…”

 

It’d been after Jon took off a year off from wrestling to get his life on track.  He had cut everyone off, kind of like he was doing now, and she missed him so much she had gotten plastered with Drake one night.  One thing had led to another and before she knew it, they were naked and having drunken sex.  It only happened once and it was something she regretted happening to this day since she always considered Drake a good friend.

 

“Ohhh, you mean how we were wasted beyond belief and you called me by the wrong name?” Drake’s eyes widened innocently, though his lips were quivering, obviously trying not to smile.  She turned three shades of red and he began laughing. “It’s water under the bridge, Chace.  You and I were both plastered and things shouldn’t have ever gotten that far.” Being called ‘Jon’ during THAT moment hadn’t been very pleasant, but given the nature of the business, he wasn’t dumb enough to let pride get in his way anymore.

 

“You’re right, they shouldn’t have.  Thank you for understanding.  Can I give you a hug?”

 

“I don’t know…might get the warm and fuzzies again…” Drake joked, tapping his chin and laughed when she smacked his arm. “Damn woman, I was only kidding!” He pulled her in for a purely platonic hug and kissed the top of her head.

 

“Ass,” Chacia muttered good-naturedly, taking the ice away from his wrist to check it out and asked him to turn it slowly from side to side. “Yeah, you just sprained it, nothing to be done except ice and rest.  Now, if you wanna go to the ER and get a scan, I wouldn’t be against it for precautions.” When he asked if he could still work the rest of the pay-per-view, since he had another match to do, she was hesitant to give him the green light. “I think you need to ask Larry because I don’t want to say  yes and then you injure your wrist further.”

 

“I think I’ll be fine, just put it in a stabilizing brace please.” The show had to go on and he’d make sure to not use it.  Well, he’d try not to. “And then afterward, I’ll go get it scanned.” Drake began chuckling when she remained hesitant. “I’m an official, I already signed all the release waivers, so brace please.” He wasn’t at the medical team’s mercy, not like the Superstars, not unless he was scripted to be used as a prop or take a bump.  Those nights were few and far between thankfully.

 

“Okay…”

 

Against her better judgment, Chacia did as he asked and could only hope Larry didn’t bite her head off or she was fired over this.  She slipped one of the temporary braces on his wrist and put the strap on it, making sure it was secure.  Just then, Colby came in with a cut just on the side of his eyebrow.  He struck the turnbuckle during his match against Dolph and there’d been some blood, but didn’t know how deep the laceration went.

 

“All right, Mr. IC champion, get up here and let’s have a look at that cut.  Drake, we’ll catch up later.” She winked at him as he walked out, turning her attention on Colby. “Great match tonight.”

 

Chapter 24

 

“Yeah, it was, thanks, Angel.”

 

Colby grinned at her, the adrenaline still coursing through him, so this cut wasn’t fazing him right now.  Chances were, it would soon enough.  He raised his arm up, tucking his fist against his face and looked down at it, cocking an eyebrow.

 

“So, Miss Sports Medicine, what do you think?” Considering those turnbuckles were padded, he was feeling kind of extra special at the moment. “Think a kiss and a band-aid will be enough?”

 

“Actually, I hate to break this to you, but…this is a deeper gash than I anticipated.  You’re going to need a few stitches to close it up.” His dark chocolate eyes widened and she nodded with a sympathetic smile, already snapping gloves on to get started. “Pick your poison, do you want a numbing shot or a stick to bite on?”

 

That last part was a joke.  Some of the Superstars didn’t like having the numbing solution injected into them because then they couldn’t really eat or do much for at least 12 hours.  Chacia was not surprised when Colby opted out since they were only stitches and laid him back to start cleaning the wound.

 

“Two, three tops and I’ll try to be quick.”

 

“You’re fine.” This wasn’t his first rodeo, not that he would ever say he was one of those people who enjoyed pain because he wasn’t.  He tolerated it, which was kind of a requirement with this job. “So, besides treating dumbasses like me, how’s the first real day been?” Chacia was alone, which seemed odd given she was new, but he wasn’t going to complain.

 

In Larry’s words – she would either sink or swim in this business and Summerslam was the true test.  He made it clear she would be alone a lot because they were short-handed on the medical staff.  That was probably one of the reasons Stephanie had hired her in the first place, not that Larry was complaining.  Chacia seemed to have a good head on her shoulders and picked things up very quickly – he was only one radio call away in case things went haywire for her.

 

“It’s been good, actually.  Somewhat busy, but not overwhelming.” She began the stitches, finishing the first one.

 

“Wait until the show hits midpoint, you’ll be swamped as people come in for everything.” Aches and pains, stressed areas that were likely already injured, stitches and potential concussions.  The regular shows weren’t like this, not as a general rule, but the big pay-per-view events, the mains, were always going to be balls to the wall. “Okay, that one didn’t feel so good…”

 

“One more and we’ll be done, okay?  I’ll give you some aspirin if you want for the headache I know you’re going to have.” Chacia didn’t doubt as the night progressed, things would get more hectic and she would do the best she could.  Sink or swim – she was always a swimmer. “Okay, there we go.” She pulled back, nodding when one of the women wrestlers came in and instructed them to sit down while she finished up with Colby.

 

“Seth, we need you for a backstage interview.  You see Ambrose anywhere?”

 

Colby shook his head. “No, he took off after the match.”

 

“Shit, all right, it’ll just be you then.” The technician informed him, heading out to set up for the interview they would air on WWE’s YouTube channel.

 

Jon had taken off?  Where could he have gone?  Chacia couldn’t worry about him right now and flashed a quick smile at Colby before going over to where Alexa Bliss was to work on her arm.  She’d been having problems with it lately and had a match for her Raw Women’s championship that night against Ronda Rousey.  Chacia did NOT envy any woman that had to step foot in the ring with the former UFC Bantamweight champion.

 

Colby wanted to ask her out again, but knew better.  Right now, in the workplace, wasn’t the right time.  He smiled at Alexa before heading out to do the interview, figuring he’d shoot Chacia a text later.

 

Jon had bailed as soon as he was backstage, knowing Chacia would be expecting him because of his arm, or someone would wind up sending him to her and he wanted no part of that tonight.  He already knew Seth would be heading that way for his head, and he was trying not to beat his coworker’s ass right now.  Jon might have given it a fair shot if they had been stuck in a tiny room together.  Helping him with his match, at Summerslam, it made Jon feel sick.  Mr. My Career Took Off Because My Partner Got Hurt, needing ‘help’ with that match for the Intercontinental title…it was like fate was laughing at him.

 

“That goddamn Ambrose left the arena before getting his arm looked at!” Larry was not happy and pinched the bridge of his nose, knowing ranting and raving would not help anything. “Are you still sharing a room with that stubborn idiot?”

 

Chacia swallowed hard, nodding. “Yes, sir.”

 

“If he doesn’t get his arm checked out, he can kiss his comeback match on Raw tomorrow night goodbye.  You make sure and tell him that.  I don’t care if you do it, but he is NOT getting in that ring without that arm being checked.” Larry informed her, stalking away to go assist other Superstars.

 

Jon’s comeback match was tomorrow night on Raw?  Against who?  Chacia hadn’t talked to him since he sexually frustrated her AGAIN, leaving her in physical pain and burning agony.  Now, she would have to talk to him and check out his arm to make sure it wasn’t reinjured after Drew sent him into the steel steps earlier that night.  Great.

 

When Chacia showed up to their room, Jon was sitting in his bed, buck naked, watching sports on television.  A tray from his dinner was at the end of the bed, an empty water bottle on top of it.  Another empty water bottle was on the nightstand beside him, which was used to spit in, a wad of chew in his mouth.  His hands were laced behind his head.  His arm had hurt, but it was the normal ‘pain’, the throbbing and bruising were normal.  Jon knew because he had been in this business a long time and the area hurt if he poked it, not when he moved it.

 

“Close the door, Chace.” He ordered without tearing his eyes off the television, aware she was standing there staring.

 

It took her a few seconds, but she managed to slap her hand over her eyes and kicked the door shut, not expecting to find him completely naked. “Larry is furious with you right now and he said, if you don’t get your arm checked out, you won’t be competing tomorrow night on Raw.” They didn’t have anywhere to go since Raw was emanating from the Barclays Center, again. “Just thought I’d give you that heads up.”

 

After tomorrow night, she would be able to get her own room and wouldn’t have to walk in on Jon being naked.  Christ, she was already set on fire all over again and turned the shower sprays on, making sure they were ice cold.  Jon already knew because Larry had called him informing him that he was a stupid, arrogant jackass.  A few other choice words were tossed in as well.  Jon had deleted the voicemail.  Laughing under his breath, he got out of the bed and strolled his naked backside over to that bathroom she had disappeared into, testing the door.  Crazy woman hadn’t locked it.  Humming, Jon opened the door and was a bit surprised at no steam hitting him.  Actually, it was cold in here.  He stuck his hand right past the curtain and into the stream, cocking an eyebrow even as she shrieked at him.

 

“GODDAMN IT, JON!”

 

He had scared the hell out of her and she’d just lathered her hair up with shampoo, ready to rinse it when she saw the hand.  At first glance, it looked like a HUGE spider for some reason and she’d jumped out of her skin.  The cold water felt amazing against her skin and the fire raging inside of her was temporarily sated, unless Jon decided to stoke it all over again.

 

“May I help you with something?” Now she was annoyed, beginning to rinse the shampoo out of her hair and kept her eyes closed, really not wanting it going in her eyes.

 

Jon pulled his hand out, beyond tempted to join her, but all things considered, that might have damaged their friendship even more than it already was.  He knew they were rapidly approaching the point of it being irreparable and the majority of that was on him and his hot and cold issues when it came to her.  Groaning, Jon moved away from the shower and leaned back against the wall, listening as she washed and tried to talk down his obviously visible erection.

 

“You going out tonight?”

 

Is that really all he cared about?  Her going out?  Chacia rolled her eyes, feeling her annoyance level rise even more to the point where her teeth gnashed together. “No, I’m not.” She answered, congratulating herself for keeping her voice neutral and finished rinsing her hair before starting on the conditioner.  It was a damn good thing she hadn’t started masturbating when he came in and scared her or else THAT would’ve been extremely awkward and embarrassing. “Why?  Are you going out tonight?” Since he wanted to make conversation, Chacia would humor him.

 

“No, I thought we could rent a movie or something on the pay-per-view order menu and stay in.”

 

He would even get dressed, just for her.  Jon knew he needed to get their friendship back on level ground, non-sexual level ground at least until he knew for certain what it was he wanted from Chacia, what he was willing to give to her, without hurting her.  Chacia didn’t deserve his wrath, he knew it.  Maybe it’d just be better all the way around if they parted ways, though that thought was also unbearable.

 

“I’ll be out in the room.” With shorts on.

 

Staying in watching a movie with him, snuggling in the same bed, sounded nice.  If he wanted to snuggle with her, that is. “Pick the movie and I’ll be out in a few minutes.  And I’m looking at your arm, so I can give Larry the okay for you.  I don’t want you missing your comeback match because of your stubbornness.”

 

Hearing him chuckle made her roll her eyes again as she finished rinsing the conditioner out of her hair, already done with shaving.  Ten minutes later, feeling nice and chilled, she walked out in a deep red nightshirt, breathing a sigh of relief at the sight of Jon dressed.  Well, halfway dressed.  At least he had shorts on.  She walked over and climbed into bed with him, folding her hands in her lap.

 

“Arm first and then movie or movie and then arm?”

 

Just a nightshirt…when she raised her arms up, he got glimpses of those panties.  Jon wanted to ask her to put on some bottoms or something, but given that he was laying here in just shorts, that would have gone over poorly. “Get my arm out of the way, darlin’.” He sighed, sitting upright and swung his feet over to rest on the floor, extending his arm to her.  Jon watched as she rolled out of the bed, groaning.

 

Black panties.

 

Chacia didn’t realize what she was doing to him, which would be turnabout since he apparently had no idea the effect he had on her lately.  Or he did and he just didn’t care.  She flexed his arm a few times, feeling up the muscles and whatnot, paying attention to his elbow to make sure a sack hadn’t formed.  Besides being slightly bruised and tender, there was no other damage done.  It was nothing ice couldn’t fix, though knowing Jon, he would be stubborn and not ice it.

 

“Let me call Larry really fast and let him know you’re good to go for tomorrow.  Then we can watch the movie you picked out and relax.” She kissed his arm and walked over to her bed, where her phone lay, stepping into the bathroom to make the call.

 

Jon had iced and taken anti-inflammation pills, the whole nine yards just because he wasn’t risking getting shelved again due to his own stupidity.  The aftermath of this last benching of his was still waging a war in his head, he’d probably lose what was left of his mind if he got hurt again.  He could hear her on the phone and groaned, laying back and reached down to adjust himself.

 

“Need to get laid, Good.” He growled at himself, knowing it was his own damn fault he had these blue ball issues.

 

She had given him MULTIPLE opportunities to GET laid and he destroyed every one of them for whatever reason.  Chacia decided she was done trying to be more than friends with Jon, at least for the time being.  No matter how intense the pull was she felt towards him, she had to fight it before she lost what was left of HER mind.  After getting off the phone with Larry, she walked back out to plug her phone in and rejoined him in his bed.

 

“He’s still pissed, but he said you can wrestle tomorrow.” She informed him, leaning back against the headboard and saw the slight agitation on his face. “Something wrong?”

 

“No, not really,” Jon said after a moment. “Just thinking.  Come on, darlin’.” He patted the empty space beside him. “Let’s watch something.  Nothing sad or scary.”

 

Those were the only two things he ever said when it came to movies, real life was depressing enough.  He didn’t need to get that from his entertainment sources.  Maybe they needed to stop sharing a room; maybe that would help him with his hot and cold issues.  The thought of not coming in and finding her asleep, or waking up to breakfast she had ordered, however, made his stomach do rolls and knot up.  This woman was the devil.

 

“A comedy then.  Sounds good.”

 

Pulling the comforter up, she draped it over both of them and snuggled against his side when his arm wrapped around her.  He was so warm and muscular, this felt right being with him.  The smell of him was both intoxicating and soothing at the same time.  Just because they were in the same bed together with her head on his chest didn’t mean sex had to happen.  In fact, this reminded Chacia a lot of their movie nights they’d have together when they were younger.  She would wind up falling asleep with her head on Jon’s chest because he’d glide his fingers through her hair, just like he started doing partway into the movie.  She missed moments like these and wanted to have more of them in the future, laughing when a funny part came on.

 

This was both familiar, comforting and a bit like what he imagined hell to be like.  None of it was even her fault and Jon was such a tool; he couldn’t even enjoy a simple movie with his supposed best friend without overthinking the damn thing.  Shoving it all aside, he tried to focus, absentmindedly threading his fingers through her blonde curly hair.  When her cell went off, he tightened his hold on her.

 

“Ignore it.” He should have taken her advice the other night when it had gone off and, instead, he had gotten pissy and screwed up what could have been a fantastic night for them both.

 

Unlike him, Chacia didn’t bother reaching for her phone because it was a text message.  If it was a phone call, that would be a different story because it could’ve been work.  That was something she couldn’t ignore.  Sure enough, five minutes later, after about 10 text messages, her cell went off and Chacia hopped out of bed to check it.  Colby.

 

“Oh god…” Her eyes widened at the text messages he sent her and Chacia immediately grabbed her sandals to slip on.

 

“Wait, where the fuck are you going?”

 

“Someone needs my help and it’s an emergency and I have to go!” Chacia had to take a deep breath to keep from becoming frantic and grabbed her keycard, shooting an apologetic smile Jon’s way. “Finish the movie without me.  I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Before he could say a word, she was out the door and headed for the stairs, going to Colby’s room.

 

By the time Jon had untangled himself from the blanket and made it out the door, Chacia was gone and all he could do was run his hands over his head, looking every which way. “Damn it!” He cursed, struggling not to put his fist through the wall.

 

Chapter 25

 

Colby had been entertaining himself by sending Chacia a million texts messages, a lot of them being memes and everything he had found on the Internet.  He had, in his last one, apologized and explained he was keeping himself occupied, so he didn’t fall asleep.  As it turned out, he had a concussion, not a bad one, but… no sleeping for a while since it hadn’t been noticed until he had himself a good dizzy spell while eating, followed by vomiting everywhere.  He groaned when he heard frantic knocking on his door, hauling his backside out of the bed and slowly walked over, hoping it wasn’t anyone who was going to assume he was high.  His eyes were mildly glassy and it had nothing to do with drugs or alcohol.

 

“Angel?”

 

Concussion. 

 

She noticed right off the bat as soon as Colby opened the door and frowned, catching him when he swayed. “Come on you, into bed.” Managing to shut the door with her foot, Chacia dragged him back to the bed and carefully laid him on it, using her core strength to muster the feat. “Christ Colby, you have a concussion.” If that wasn’t obvious already.  Those text messages from him had seemed weird and once she read the last one, she had to check and make sure he was all right.  Clearly, he wasn’t as she knelt on the bed beside him to check the stitches. “You shouldn’t be alone with a concussion.” That was extremely dangerous and, according to WWE guidelines, forbidden. “Shit, I didn’t even think to check you for a concussion earlier and I should have.  I’m so sorry…” Larry would have her ass in a SLING if he found out she hadn’t done her job adequately.

 

“Oh no, Angel,” Colby sat upright, amusement in his tone, though his eyes were gentle as he reclined back against the headboard. “It happens.  I figured it was a concussion when I got a wicked dizzy spell earlier… I know what to do, it’s why I was texting you.” He took her hand once she was done fiddling with his stitches, squeezing. “I was trying to keep myself occupied and awake, Angel, I didn’t mean to scare you.  Not that I’m not glad to see you.”

 

Now wasn’t the time to start blushing and being flirtatious, but it felt DAMN good to be wanted by a man. “I don’t mind the text messages.  You can text me as many times as you want, especially if it’s for a medical reason.  And I forgive you for scaring me, but you better not make it a habit, Lopez.” Chacia squeezed his hand in return and pressed a very soft kiss against the bandage on his forehead. “I’m not going anywhere, so there’s no need to text me.  You can talk to me as long as you need to.  The standard is 2 hours if you didn’t know, after you’ve been diagnosed with a concussion.  And judging from the glassiness in your eyes, I’d say the concussion is minor.  Did you at least try to eat something?”

 

“You can’t help it, can you?” Colby asked with a slight smile, shaking his head when she asked ‘what?’. “The caring for people thing, you’d make a great Mom.” He was actually surprised nobody had snatched her up yet and popped out a few pups with her. “I know what the standard is and…” He pulled a face. “I was eating when the dizzy spell hit.  It didn’t end well.” It had ended in a gross mess. “I’ve been sipping ginger ale ever since.” There was a package of saltines nearby, but… he wasn’t hungry yet.

 

Didn’t end well told her all she needed to know. “Just keep sipping the ginger ale and don’t eat anything until your stomach starts rumbling.  That’s what I usually do after I toss my cookies.”

 

Chacia was a very caring, heartwarming person and would give the shirt off her back to anyone in need.  That was just who she was, even in the messed up world she had grown up in.  Cody had saved her from most of the horrors, but not all of it.

 

“I think that’s why I got out of wrestling and went to school to go into sports medicine.  I genuinely enjoy helping people.  Granted, I still miss being in the ring, but helping people is just as fulfilling.” She did NOT bother commenting on the ‘Mom’ talk because they barely knew each other for that type of conversation.

 

Colby had been making an observation with the Mom comment, not an offer. “Two sides of the same coin,” He mused, drumming his fingers on his thigh. “Wrestling is all about hurting other people, sports medicine to heal.” Her passion had been wrestling, but he did wonder if it was more the IDEA of wrestling instead of wrestling in general.  Not that it mattered, she was here now as a very capable type of doctor/therapist.  He flashed her another smile. “Sorry, I’m rambling, Angel.”

 

“No need to apologize.” She glanced at the clock, seeing he was nearing the 2-hour mark, which would put him in the safe zone.  However, she would add another hour to it, just to be on the safe side. “And I disagree with you on wrestling being about hurting people.  I don’t think it is – it’s an art form and every wrestler that steps in the ring create their own masterpiece.”

 

Especially when he was in the ring because Colby did things she never dreamt possible.  Eventually, that fast-paced style would catch up to him and he’d have to adapt to those limitations.  Moving to where she sat beside him now instead of kneeling in front of him, Chacia leaned back against the headboard and didn’t release his hand.

 

“Okay, but by the same logic, a man who tortures people for a living might consider his work a form of art.” Colby countered, squeezing her hand gently and gave her his full attention when she began refuting his counter. 

 

They went back and forth, gently debating, and he was actually having fun.  She wasn’t just another pretty face who was good with her hands.  The woman was intelligent and thoughtful, taking the time to consider what she was saying before presenting her arguments.  Eventually, they both had to concede neither was right but neither was wrong and he was smiling at her.

 

“What’s the catch with you, Chacia?” No woman was this perfect.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

Chacia could get lost in those dark chocolate eyes for hours and couldn’t remember the last time she felt this relaxed with a man.  Jon was…overwhelming and all-consuming, intense, but Colby was very laid back and calm, which was nice.  Still, her heart did and would always belong to one man and, unfortunately, she didn’t see herself handing it over to anyone else anytime soon.

 

“There’s no catch, I’m just me.  A woman who happens to have an extensive background and knowledge on pro-wrestling.” She would never, ever call it sports entertainment. “How’s your head?”

 

“Besides a residual headache?  Fine, the dizzy spells stopped a while ago.” And his stomach had settled, Colby had been munching on those saltines while they had debated and sipped the ginger ale.  Everything was staying down. “You don’t have to keep company with me anymore, Angel, I’m fine.” Not that he didn’t appreciate it and he let her know how much he did by kissing her forehead. “Thank you.”

 

Was he dismissing her or giving her a way out of here without any awkwardness? “I don’t mind keeping you company, Colby.” She cupped the side of his bearded face and softly kissed him, not wanting to leave.  Jon was probably sleeping by now and she saw no reason to leave Seth, not when it was so late. “I’d like to stay with you the rest of the night, just to keep an eye on things, unless you want me to leave…” Now she was giving him the option of either sending her packing or keeping her with him.

 

Both?  So far, they had a good thing going here and the last thing Colby wanted to do was scare her off or come across or needy, clingy.  Chacia was not like other women.  The closest he had for comparing purposes was Leighla and he had been the one to fuck that up.  He wasn’t doing that a second time.

 

“No, I don’t want you to leave, Angel.” He chuckled, bringing a hand up to rest over hers, his chocolate eyes taking on a slightly darker hue as he stared at her.

 

“Okay, I won’t then.”

 

Chacia knew this would be their first sleepover together and wanted to make the most of it, not knowing if there would be another.  She was getting her own room after tomorrow because they’d finally be leaving Brooklyn and going onto the next city/town.  That meant more privacy for her and she could finally invite Colby to her room, or anyone for that matter, without Jon breathing down her neck.  Until he made his intentions clear with her, Chacia had to live her own life and find her own happiness.

 

“Did you need to get your stuff?” Colby asked after a moment, raising a slow eyebrow when she shook her head.

 

He had no idea that she’d probably wind up with Jon up her backside, demanding to know what the hell she was doing, and if he had known… jealousy wasn’t a good look for him.  It wasn’t for anyone he supposed.  Colby was clean, he had showered and brushed his teeth after his vomit fest earlier in the night, so he made room on the bed for her, patting the space beside him.

 

“I promise to behave.” He flashed her a charming smile, wicked intentions glittering in his eyes. “Unless you ask me not too.”

 

Chacia responded by capturing his mouth again and swung one leg over to straddle him, making sure he could feel her cotton panties against the boxer/briefs he had on. “Making out is fine, but no sex until you’re 100%.  Then, we can take it from there.”

 

She could grab her belongings tomorrow sometime, Chacia wasn’t overly worried about it and trailed her lips down his jaw to his neck, her touch and kisses gentle.  Something told her when they finally did have sex, it would be explosive and, after all the teasing and tormenting Jon had put her through over the past week, Chacia would go off like a geyser.  She hadn’t had sex in a while, afraid her pussy would go on strike if she didn’t give it some kind of pleasure soon.

 

“I’ll have my own room after tomorrow…”

 

That was the best news of the night.  Colby would admit he was disappointed at her no sex stipulation, wondering if it was genuinely for his sake or if she still needed time.  Given that when he snaked his hand down to caress her through those thin cotton black panties and could feel how damp she was, he was guessing not the latter.  Chacia NEEDED a good and proper fucking and he wanted to be the one to give it to her.

 

“Mmm, trying to tell me something, Angel?” He rumbled, feeling her beginning to grind against his palm.

 

She moaned at the feeling of his hand stroking her and could already feel her panties being ruined, grinding harder against him. “That feels so good, Colby…” She breathed out, unable to stop and used his broad shoulders for leverage, her nails digging in slightly.  When his hand actually went past the cotton material and his fingers slid into her hot core, Chacia was on the verge of losing her mind.  She supposed being finger-fucked was better than nothing and felt him pump them in and out of her, driving her closer to the edge. “Oh god, I need this…I need it…” If he stopped now and she had no relief from the fire burning inside of her, Chacia would explode and not in a good way. “D-Don’t stop…please don’t stop…”

 

Colby growled at her pleading and pushed her to lay on her back with him at her side, those fingers not stopping.  She had said no sex; this was sex, it just wasn’t actual penetration, actual intercourse.  Chacia hadn’t explicitly defined what she considered sex to be, so Colby figured he was in the clear.

 

“I want to taste you.”

 

He rolled her onto her back and moved down between her spread legs, inhaling the scent of her arousal.  Colby licked his fingers, using his free hand to tug those panties out of his way until her sex was exposed to his hungry view.  His appetite was back and Colby buried his face between her legs, letting his tongue take over for those fingers.

 

“Y-You…oh god…” Chacia wanted to tell him it wasn’t a good idea with his concussion, but she couldn’t get the words out. 

 

His tongue against her nethers felt too damn good to push away or deny.  Her body was hungry and craved the attention, so all she could do was bury her fingers in his black tresses.  One thing she’d give Colby credit for – he was excellent at eating pussy and drive Chacia to the brink of insanity.  She had released his hair in order to grip the comforter, refusing to aggravate his concussion more than he probably already was.  Before long, her thighs tightened and her climax crashed over her intensely, crying out in her release.  Thank the stars she didn’t make the same mistake with Colby as she had with Drake.  Colby drank her dry, coating part of his beard with her essence and she just lay back, relishing the feeling of finally achieving an orgasm that wasn’t caused by her fingers.

 

“W-Wow…”

 

“Delicious.” He rumbled, kissing her inner thighs while she cooled down, his tongue darting out to lick the corners of his mouth. 

 

The woman had damned near drowned him and, the way she had cried out, she had been on bread and water for a while.  Someone like Chacia being celibate… it didn’t seem right somehow.  His cock was straining in his shorts, begging for attention, for a release of his own and Colby took a moment to think about any and every disgusting thing he could, coaxing the erection away.

 

“Feel better, Angel?” He asked finally, kissing his way up her body, hands roaming beneath her top to caress her sides.

 

“Mmm yes…” Chacia suddenly sat upright and captured Colby’s mouth, shifting to where he was now on his back with her hand sliding down his boxer/briefs. “Ssshhh…” Since he gave her what she needed, she had no problem returning the favor. “We’re both being satisfied tonight, Colby.  Lay back and enjoy…” She spoke in his ear, still coming down from her sexual high and could already feel his cock hardening in her palm.  Her mouth watered as she continued kissing his neck and moving down his chest, not minding the hair he sported.  It wasn’t thick like a gorilla’s, so that was a plus. “Lift up.” Chacia removed his boxer/briefs completely when he obliged and kissed the tip of his cock, the stroking, pumping, never ceasing.

 

It wasn’t her delectable pussy, but Colby was NOT going to deny her equally sweet mouth.  He pulled a pillow behind his head, so he could watch her, his eyes so dark they were nearly black.  Colby wanted to run his hands down and take hold of those blonde tresses but refrained, not sure if she had a preference, plenty of time to learn them though.  Some women liked having their hair gently pulled while giving head, some would bite a cock off for even thinking about it. 

 

“Christ, Chacia!” He rasped when she finally engulfed him in her mouth, gripping the headboard with both hands as his hips involuntarily jerked up.

 

Her eyes slammed shut as the tip of cock met the back of her throat and she was very thankful she didn’t have a gag reflex.  That would’ve stopped his right quick.  She had already licked him up and down like a popsicle, a delicious meaty popsicle, and now was bobbing her head up and down, making sure to watch her teeth.  This was not her first rodeo; she enjoyed giving head, but only did it if she received foreplay in return.  Humming around his cock sent vibrations directly up his shaft through the rest of his body and that grip on the headboard tightened, making her inwardly grin.  Just to add more stimulation to the moment, she began fondling his balls with her hand, not stopping the humming or bobbing, giving him all three at once.

 

Chacia was getting ranked ‘proficient as fuck’ on the hummer front.  Colby was pretty sure he was going to wind up breaking that headboard somehow just from how hard he was holding it, his knuckles turning white.  He made sure to try not to buck or even attempt to fuck her face, and it wasn’t easy.  It had been a while for him, probably not as long as her, but long enough for his tastes.

 

“You keep that up, Angel, and I’m going to cum.” He warned, just in case she wasn’t the swallowing type.

 

One look from her gleaming hazel orbs up at him told him to go right ahead, she was ready for it.  She was the swallowing kind, especially since she knew he was clean.  WWE was very strict on their policies and every Superstar was tested on a monthly basis, just to make sure nothing slipped through the cracks.  Even with Vince now handing over the reigns to the Superstars to do whatever they wanted on the shows, to make it unpredictable again, the testing would still happen the same as always.  When Colby went off, she managed to swallow most of his cum, but not all since there was a great deal.  She raked her nails down his thighs, having moved to straddle his knees to get better leverage toward the end, just to make sure she received every last drop of him.  The grip on the headboard slipped as Colby sagged to the bed and it was her turn to kiss her way up the length of his body until their lips met, tasting each other on their tongues.

 

“Mmm…”

 

Handing over the reigns seemed like a stupid idea considering egos tended to take over.  The now defunct WCW was a testament to how that scenario had played out, every wrestler knew that story.  Hell, he had watched it happen, dreaming of being a pro-wrestler himself.  Well, for him it was working out, his career wasn’t threatened by ego collapsing everything, outside of Dean maybe.

 

“You’re gonna kill me, Chacia.” He informed her when he could finally breathe again without gasping, his hand moving to cup the back of her head, brushing his nose against hers. 

 

She giggled softly, stroking his sides since she was laying directly on top of him and brushed her lips against his. “I figured I owed you one.”

 

Chacia tapped his nose and moved to lay beside him on the bed, still in her nightshirt, but her panties were somewhere on the floor.  There was no point in putting them back on after what they just did together.  She couldn’t remember the last time she felt so satisfied in her life and felt Colby’s arm wrap around her waist to pull her against him with her head on his chest.

 

“Now don’t have a heart attack because that’ll definitely not be good for your concussion.”

 

He began laughing softly, shaking his head at her words before dropping a kiss on her hair. “I think if I were to have a heart attack, that’d override the concussion.” By quite a bit, he’d probably wind up dead or something, a heart attack at his age.  It was hot and Colby plucked at her shirt, which was damp in the back from their activities. “You can take this off.  I have something you could wear if you want, Angel.” Or she could sleep nude, there would be no complaints from him.  Colby felt her head shaking, figuring she was too comfortable to get out of the bed and off his chest.  He didn’t blame her, he felt the same way. “Mmm…”

 

Eventually, Chacia did take one of Colby’s t-shirts because, honestly, her body had built up quite a sweat with their activities.  What was even better about tonight was, after they had pleasured each other, they still stayed up talking for another hour.  Getting to know each other better.  Chacia felt connected to him and they both eventually fell asleep around 3 AM.  Colby had shifted them both in the middle of the night/early morning to where he spooned her and it felt amazing being held by someone who wanted her. 

 

Why couldn’t this be Jon?

 

Chapter 26

 

Sometime around 10 AM, Chacia made it back to the hotel room she shared with Jon and wasn’t surprised to find him still sleeping.  She was quiet in her movements, desperately needing a shower because Colby had woken her up in a very delicious way.  Her panties were definitely ruined, so she tossed them in the nearby small trashcan as soon as she was in the bathroom.  Unfortunately, Chacia didn’t have time to reciprocate Colby’s thoughtfulness because she had a meeting at noon with the medical staff.  This would be her first Raw, so Larry wanted to make sure everyone was on their game.  Tonight was also Jon’s comeback match after 8 ½ months on the shelf and Chacia was extremely excited to see him perform, to see the fans’ reactions at his new wrestling style.

 

Jon woke up as soon as that bathroom door shut, taking a moment to wake the hell up properly.  Groaning, he raised both hands up, scrubbing them down his face to try wiping sleep snot from his eyes.  Yawning, he pulled himself out of bed, blearily looking at the closed bathroom door.  Chacia.  She had darted out of here last night like her panties were on fire and never bothered to come back or let him know if everything was all right.  Now he knew what it felt like to be left hanging.  Jon did not like that feeling.  At all.  His eyes narrowed, wondering just what had been so damn important.

 

Hell, maybe he was just overthinking everything again.

 

“Shit, shit, fuck shit!” Chacia was mumbling under her breath, rushing out of the bathroom because she forgot her bag and started pulling clothes out to get dressed. 

 

The meeting was in less than an hour and she still had to make it to the Barclays Center.  Jon was up, she noticed him, but didn’t have time to talk and zoomed back into the bathroom to finish getting ready.  Ten minutes later, she was out with her hair pulled back in a tight ponytail, minimal makeup on her face and hopped over to slip her shoes on.  Colby really shouldn’t have kept her past 9 AM because now she was running late.

 

“Coffee…need coffee…”

 

“Why do you need coffee?”

 

Jon yawned, deciding he would feign ignorance and keep his prying questions to himself for now.  No point in kicking their day off to a royally bad start because he suspected she had a guy on the side.  Which pissed him off and he knew it was wrong.  He hadn’t staked his claim.  If anything, he had been starting and then stopped, probably driving her straight into someone’s arms, his teeth gritted.

 

“Whoa, darlin’,” He caught Chacia when she started to topple while putting on her second shoe, laughing softly as his hands skimmed down to her sides, steadying her. “Need some help?”

 

“S-Sorry…shit…”

 

That had scared her because the fall could’ve been bad due to her semi-clumsiness.  The sound of his deep laughter sent shivers down her spine and his touch…why did it feel so good every time he touched her?  Her feelings were SO confused because Chacia knew, without a shadow of a doubt, it was pure lust with Colby, but with Jon, it was something else entirely.  She blushed as Jon lowered to his knees in front of her, his hands skimming down her jean covered legs to slip her shoe on, their eyes locked when he looked up at her.

 

“Thank you.”

 

“Not a problem.  Medical meeting, right?” He wasn’t surprised by her nod, slowly getting up onto his feet and stared down at her, searching her eyes intently.  Jon opened his mouth, biting back the urge to ask her questions that weren’t any of his business and simply planted a kiss on her forehead. “Get out of here, Chace, before you’re late.” He flashed her a half-grin.

 

She reached up, cracking a small smile of her own and caressed his face with her hand. “I’m sorry about last night.  It really was an emergency or else I wouldn’t have left.  Have fun in your match tonight, Jon.  I’ll be watching.”

 

Chacia would be at the arena from now until the end of the night because, after the meeting, they had to set up shop with everything in the trainer’s room.  If they were short on items, they would have to be restocked before the night began.  She walked out of the room with purse and phone in hand, trying to clear her head to focus solely on work instead of the two men she was torn between.

 

Have fun.  That’s what she had said to him last night, that he had stopped living by his own motto.  Wrestling should be fun. “Well, she’s right.” He admitted to the empty room, his grin turning a hint feral as the warmth faded from his pale blues, being replaced with ice. “Maybe I SHOULD have… fun.”

 

Maybe he should make it known that he was done being their little Seth Rollins’ right-hand, ass-saving puppet.  He had his own career to worry about, after all, and he needed to have fun while doing it.  Lots of fun.  Snorting, he headed into the bathroom.

 

~!~

 

“Wait, what…WHAT IS…WHAT IS DEAN AMBROSE DOING?!  OH MY GOD, DEAN AMBROSE JUST CLOCKED SETH ROLLINS WITH THE INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE!!”

 

Chacia gaped at the monitor, along with everyone else and covered her mouth with her hand as Jon planted Colby’s face into the mat with Dirty Deeds.  Colby was in the middle of defending his Intercontinental championship when Jon interfered, disqualifying the opponent by attacking Colby, blasting him in the head with the title belt.  The man had a concussion last night! Jon held the title up in the air over Colby’s prone body with a scowl on his face.  Just then, Joe came barreling out from the back and slid in the ring with Jon still holding the title belt, both men nose to nose.  The crowd went APESHIT when Jon suddenly blasted Joe with the belt and then delivered Dirty Deeds to him too, snatching the Universal championship off the mat to hold BOTH titles in the air over his fallen comrades.

 

“THEY WERE BROTHERS AND AMBROSE JUST SNAPPED AND TOOK HIM OUT!!”

 

Now when Chacia told Jon to have fun, she did NOT expect him to do something like this!

 

Jon had spent the day reevaluating what he wanted to do with HIS career and he had gone to one higher-up, who had listened to him and his ‘sales pitch’.  The agreement had been: If Jon could manage to do what he wanted and everyone knew Joe was going to come running, and drop them both, he could run with this.  He had taken that ball and ran all right, right over his now fallen former comrades. Jon didn’t show it, his expression deadly, icy, but he was having a LOT of fun.

 

Chacia had the right idea.

 

It was NO surprise when Colby and Joe were brought straight to the trainer’s room and Larry ordered her to deal with Colby.  The man had a goddamn concussion and still got in the ring tonight, even though he probably shouldn’t have.  With the inmates running the asylum aspect, everything was already in chaos.  Larry had told Colby he didn’t think it was smart to get in the ring tonight and Colby assured him he felt great, not even a headache.  Now, he was in a lot of pain from being struck in the face with his own title belt and had a small goose egg on his head.  Chacia went to shine a light in his eyes, only for Colby to shove her back none too gently, making her side collide with the nearby counter.

 

“SETH!  CALM DOWN!”

 

“He’s DEAD!  That mother fucker is DEAD!” Colby was IRATE, his eyes nothing more than black pools.

 

Larry rushed over to check on Chacia as Colby stalked out of the trainer’s room and he let the man go, too concerned with his newest protégé.

 

“I’m fine, I’m good…” Chacia brushed Larry off, not expecting Colby to lash out at her like that and swallowed hard, knowing she had to get back to work.

 

“Don’t take it personally,” Larry advised her, unaware of her budding relationship with Rollins. “They seem to have a hard time coming out of their characters sometimes, or remembering where the goddamn lines between the ring and real life are.”

 

That was definitely Dean’s problem.  Everyone by now knew the man had returned with a massive chip on his shoulder.  He missed the good old days when McMahon actually was in charge and ran things with an iron fist.  Sure, there had been problems, but it wasn’t like this with egos clashing and clamoring for that spotlight.

 

“If it bruises, I want to see it, Chacia.”

 

He then dismissed her, knowing if that was any indication, tonight was going to be chaos all the way around.  Larry sincerely hoped not.  God help them all if Joe and Colby caught Jon in the building, in their current frames of mind, they’d have a bloodbath on their hands and he wasn’t sure if he could blame the two men.

 

Her side was bruised, but it was nothing she couldn’t handle.  Ice and rest were pretty much it, though it had a nasty color to it.  Chacia didn’t bother texting Colby that night because the man was not in his right frame of mind.  Jon was out somewhere, probably celebrating his heel turn and that left her alone in the hotel room to mull things over.  Tomorrow, they would finally leave here and head to the next town for the house show before getting Wednesday and Thursday off.  Maybe it was time to pay her cousin a visit during her days off because, honestly, Chacia felt a little overwhelmed by these budding feelings for Colby and Jon’s antics.  A knock on the door jolted her out of her thoughts as she looked through the peephole to see who it was and smiled at the sight of one of her good friends.

 

“To what do I owe the pleasure, Younger?”

 

“Booze and chocolate – I heard what happened.” Drake walked into the room, setting them both down and gently pulled Chacia into a hug. “Are you all right?”

 

“Word travels fast, eh?” She broke away from him to grab a beer and sat on the bed gently. “My side is bruised, but other than that I’m fine.  Been through way worse.” That was an understatement.

 

“Yeah, you have.” Drake agreed, following her and planted the beer between them with a sigh. “Which one first?” He wasn’t surprised when she broke into the chocolate before cracking open a beer and swished them both around her mouth. “You were always gross…” He made a face.  The woman had issues. “No word from Jon?” At her negative shake, he sighed, cracking open his own beer. “You didn’t have any idea about it, did you?”

 

Chocolate and beer were delicious and anyone who didn’t think otherwise didn’t know what they were missing. “I told him to have fun.  Because I know since he’s been back, he really hasn’t been having that much fun.  He looked phenomenal in his comeback match tonight, but to do that to Colby and Joe…I don’t know how to feel about it.” Jon hadn’t liked the direction his character and career were heading since returning, so she supposed it wasn’t a HUGE leap he would betray the Shield members. “I just hope he’s all right…”

 

Drake had tried her beer and chocolate combination and it had nearly made him throw up.  Some flavors were meant to be savored as solo items, not mixed with other deliciousness.  Sometimes, things just needed to be appreciated as they were.

 

“I’m sure he is.”

 

He hadn’t been the one to get his head pounded in.  That would be Seth and Roman and both of those boys had let everyone know that Ambrose was on notice, a dead man walking.  Drake was going to just stay out of that mess and let it either resolve itself or eventually the higher-ups would have to intervene.

 

“You worry too much about the man, Chace.  He’s probably hanging out somewhere, having a really good laugh over all of this.”

 

“Not if Colby and Joe have caught up to him already.”

 

Drake’s proclamation about her was nothing Chacia hadn’t heard before.  Of course, she worried about Jon and she’d been doing it for years.  Even through the 8 years they didn’t speak to each other, she never went a day without thinking about him.  All she ever wanted was for Jon to be happy because lord knew the man deserved it after all the crap he had to trudge through to get to where he was today.

 

“Thanks for the chocolate and beer.  Would you believe it if I told you this is my first actual chocolate in over a year?”

 

“WHY?!” Drake demanded, swallowing his swig of beer a bit hard and coughed, hating how much that hurt when it went down wrong. “God, hold on…” He pounded his chest, shaking his head at her laughing before finally flashing a teary-eyed smile. “You suck.  Why in over a year?”

 

He didn’t think Seth and Roman had caught up to him simply because they probably would have been alerted to the fact if Jon had been sent to the ER.  Unless they had given him a beatdown and left him for dead or something.  His mind was running away with him now at the possibilities.

 

“Because I normally stay away from sweets, even on my period days.” She laughed when he began choking and cursing all over again, not making the mistake of taking a bite or drink of anything. “Sorry.” Chacia giggled out, patting his back and laughed harder when he shoved her hand away playfully. “I eat as healthy as I can and you can blame Cody for that shit.  He instilled it into my head the healthier you are, the better off you are.  But damned if this chocolate isn’t divine.”

 

“Chace…” There was something wrong with her. “SOME sweets and empty calories are okay.  They’re called cheat days, honey, not cheat YEARS.” What the HELL?  He was a man and he couldn’t imagine giving up chocolate, ever, and he didn’t have periods! “Well… if I mixed my beer and chocolate, maybe I’d avoid the shit for a year too.” At least she was smiling and laughing, Drake felt a bit lighter, hoping she was in a better mood and not faking it.

 

Drake could always make her laugh, no matter what type of mood she was in. “Hey, you’re not busy for the rest of the night, are you?”

 

“Nope.  I’m all yours.  What do you wanna do?”

 

“How about a movie?  We can kick back, get some junk food and break my healthy eating habits for a night?” She suggested with a grin, popping another piece of chocolate in her mouth.  Chacia didn’t want to be alone tonight after what happened at the arena.

 

Drake tapped his chin as if contemplating it and laughed when she socked him in the arm. “Sure, pick a movie and we’ll pig out.” He accepted her hug since she tossed her arms around him, kissed his cheek and picked the same movie she had started with Jon the previous night.

 

“It’s a comedy, I know you’re a horror movie buff, but I think this one will be really good.”

 

Drake stared at the movie, trying to remember if he had heard anything about it.  She was right, he was heavily into horror movies, sci-fi, and thrillers, those were his favorites.  However, for her, he would always make an exception.

 

“All right, we can try it.”

 

The last time they had done a movie thing had been years ago.  He had put in his all-time favorite, The Exorcist, and she had lost her mind during the ‘Crucifixion / let Jesus bleep you’ scene.  Drake supposed she was remembering that and no longer trusted his judgment.  He didn’t blame her.  Getting comfortable, Drake finished his beer before reaching for another.  It was just a six pack, nothing to get them drunk.  They were NEVER doing that again, a guy’s ego could only take so much.

 

Leaning back against the headboard, Chacia ordered some room service goodies, including cheesecake, which was her and Jon’s favorite, and turned the movie on.  It didn’t take long for room service to arrive and they immediately dug into the cheesecake, both laughing at a part of the movie.  Halfway through, she was munching on some chocolate and had her head leaned against Drake’s shoulder when the door opened to their hotel room.  Her eyes were glued to the movie and they both laughed at another part with her pointing at the screen.  It was only when the door SLAMMED shut both their eyes snapped from the television up to a perplexed Jon staring at them.

 

Jon had expected Chacia to be asleep, or off boinking whoever the guy she was seeing on the side.  He was NOT expecting to find Chacia in the room, with another man, watching the movie THEY had been watching and never finished.  Drake Younger, was that who she was seeing?  Something unpleasant coated his tongue, bitter and vile, and his eyes narrowed.

 

“Great movie, hear it has a killer ending.” He remarked coldly, kicking his shoes off and dropped his bag on the end of HIS bed.

 

This wasn’t awkward at all, Drake mused, looking down at Chacia.

 

Chapter 27

 

“Well hello there, Mr. Heel Turn McFly.” Drake started chuckling while she smirked over at Jon, folding her arms in front of her chest. “I figured I’d watch it with a friend since you were probably off celebrating being a colossal jackass to everyone.” Now Drake had to bite on his knuckle to keep from laughing harder, his face turning red. “I’m sure it has a KILLER ending, which is why I want to see it to the end.” Popping another chocolate in her mouth, Chacia nudged Drake with her elbow and gave him a piece of chocolate. “Wanna join us?” She could NOT resist, feeling somewhat buzzed and a little brave.

 

“No darlin’, I think I’m good.  Last time we tried this, you bailed on me until like… 9 in the morning.” Jon shot back with a snort and pulled out his cell phone, disappearing into the bathroom, closing the door with the heel of his boot. “You still want to hang, babe?” He asked, studying his hand thoughtfully.  It was clenched, all he wanted to do was put his fist through Drake’s head and then paddle Chacia’s backside. “Give me 10 and I’ll be down.” He washed his face in the sink, exhaling slowly before stepping back into the room.

 

When he came out, Drake was gone and Chacia had her shirt off, rubbing salve on her side.  Damn, it hurt a lot more than she cared to admit.  What happened to her tough exterior with being in the ring?  She groaned, snapping her eyes to Jon clearing his throat and rolled her eyes, finishing up.

 

“What the fuck happened to you?”

 

“Don’t worry about it.  It’s not a big deal.” She stood up from the bed, capping the salve and began cleaning up the mess her and Drake made. “FYI, I’ll be getting my own room from now on starting tomorrow.  I don’t need to room with you and take up your space anymore.” Chacia could handle her own in WWE and tossed the wrappers and paper plates away, along with the plasticware.

 

“Seems fair.” Considering he was giving them both issues, it was probably for the best.  Not to mention, she wouldn’t have to make up excuses to run out on him, or send her male friends packing when he decided to come in. “You didn’t have to send Younger out.  I’m leaving.  Ran into an old friend down in the lobby, she and I are going to catch up.” Clear his head, cool his jets… his eyes were back on that bruise. “Accident or did someone push you?”

 

“I didn’t.  The movie ended and he left to get some sleep.” Chacia informed him, waving off his other question about her side. 

 

There was NO way she was telling him it was Colby that shoved her against the counter.  Hell, the man hadn’t even texted or called to apologize for doing it.  Did he even realize it was her he had shoved in the first place?  Probably not – she understood what it meant to be enraged and only seeing red. “Have fun with your friend.” She barely managed to keep the malice out of her tone and decided to start hitting the gym regularly, just in case this happened again in the future.

 

She wasn’t telling him, so not an accident.  Chacia had probably gotten her backside handed to her by someone at work.  Jon had warned her she was too damn soft for this business.  Biting his tongue, he knew saying it again would probably piss her off and ruin this very tentative peace they had going.  She sounded stiff, well… he supposed he deserved it, leaving her hanging as many times as he had.  However, she had been the one to bail last night and had already done things tonight while he was out celebrating his turn.

 

“I will.  Night Chace.”

 

“Peace hombre.” Chacia did the peace sign over her shoulder and walked over to her bag to pull a nightshirt out. 

 

She couldn’t wait to go home and change out clothes because she was running out of clean things.  Definitely would have to hit up a laundromat in the morning sometime after getting to the new destination.  She had texted Cody and informed him she would be home for her 2 days off, needing some Jon-free air to help clear her head.  Laying back down, Chacia looked at her phone for a few minutes and plugged it in before laying on her uninjured side, closing her eyes.  In moments, she was asleep and prayed her dreams weren’t plagued with Jon again.

 

Whatever Chacia might’ve thought about the woman he was meeting up with, it wasn’t anything sexual or even remotely romantic in nature.  The woman was a lesbian, who happened to be an Indies wrestler and he felt she had more balls then he did because she was very proudly sporting a lime green mohawk.  Even if she had been straight, she was not his type, ever.  Jon just didn’t feel the need to explain himself to anyone, especially the woman who he was burning and who had burnt him in return.  They had the most screwed up friendship out of anybody.

 

House shows were not nearly as hectic as live shows.  Each live show – Raw and Smackdown! – had their own medical team and she was on the Raw one.  Raw house shows were on Tuesdays – then Wednesdays and Thursdays were days off unless there were special shows.  Larry asked her how she was as soon as she stepped into the office, after spending the day doing laundry at a local laundromat, and Chacia assured him she was fine.  He didn’t need to worry about her, she had been a wrestler at one point and a bruise on her side was nothing.  Chacia had a high threshold for pain, though the salve was helping and doing wonders.  She would prove she belonged here, she was meant to be here and she would flourish in the deep ocean of WWE.  Larry commended her tenacity and they got to work with her watching and him training since they didn’t have a lot to do at house shows besides minor ache, pains, and cuts.

 

“Hey, do you have a minute, Angel?”

 

Colby smiled hesitantly when she turned to stare at him, having waited patiently for a low key time for both of them.  He had tried catching her earlier at the hotel, but she hadn’t been in.  Currently, she was by herself and that was great for him, just in case she decided to backhand him into next week, which he would rightly deserve.

 

“Look, Chacia, I want to apologize about last night for shoving you.” He hadn’t even realized he had done it until after he calmed down. “I had no right in laying hands on you, I’m sorry.”

 

She touched her side and nodded, cracking a tentative smile. “I know you weren’t yourself last night.  It’s cool, we’re fine.”

 

Chacia was sore this morning, but it was only because she wasn’t used to punishing her body.  She didn’t blame him for being pissed off at Jon’s actions, but since she was connected to Jon, Chacia didn’t know if it was a good idea to keep seeing Colby.  Maybe they could just be friends, but she really needed to focus on her career and it wasn’t fair to any man she was with when she had feelings for Jon.  Unless it was strictly sex, which she didn’t think Colby would go for.

 

“No, it’s not fine, I’ve never laid hands on a woman before and I was pretty sickened with myself for starting with you, of all people.” Remorse swirled in his dark chocolate brown eyes as he walked over to gently touch her shoulder. “I don’t want you thinking I was targeting you, I wasn’t.  I was so mad, I wasn’t thinking clearly.” Because she was friends with that crazy lunatic. “Let me make it up to you?  Let me buy you dinner?”

 

She shrugged his hand off her shoulder and put space between them, shaking her head. “No.  Really, it’s fine.  I know you didn’t mean to do it and I’m not faulting you for it.  You lost your temper, shit happens.  Believe me, I’ve been through A LOT more than this.” Chacia didn’t want to go to dinner with him or anything, needing to get some sleep for her flight home in the morning.  She was looking forward to being back in Cincinnati with people she knew and to clear her head about everything. “Don’t worry about it, Colby.  You have a match to get ready for, so go do it.  I need to get back to work here.”

 

She was dismissing him and Colby felt his heart sink.  He wasn’t sure what it had been between him and Chacia, but he had been hoping to see it progress, see what it turned into.  Because he had lost his mind over Jon’s antics the night before, he had done something incredibly stupid and lost any chance he may have had.  Colby wasn’t going to blame others for his misfortunes, however, and took responsibility for his actions, unlike other people that would remain nameless.

 

“Okay.  Sorry, again.  Good night, Chacia.” He backed out of the room.

 

It really was for the best.  Chacia did not need the distraction of Colby, not when she had more than enough on her plate with this new job and Jon.  She finished up the night, not seeing Jon anywhere and instead of going back to the hotel, Chacia found herself venturing out to the ring.  The ring crew hadn’t started tearing it down yet and she just stood there, staring at it for a few minutes.  The perfect way to burn off some frustration was bouncing off the ropes, but she couldn’t until her side was completely healed.  Gripping the bottom rope, Chacia knew she could get into the ring at Cody’s wrestling school the next 2 days and planned on doing it, needing to feel the adrenaline rush again.  Nodding as if convincing herself this was the right thing to do, Chacia walked up the ramp and headed to the back to grab her purse before going to the hotel for the night. 

 

Alone.

 

After spending the past near year with Chacia, this was just weird, Jon mused as he shuffled around his hotel room.  Just one bed, king size, and just one bag.  None of her girly crap.  She wasn’t here to stop him from being a litterbug, or a slob with his clothes everywhere.  Hell, he could order a pizza and wings and he wouldn’t have to worry about Chacia chiding him about how it was bad for him.  And yet… he wasn’t overly pleased with these new arrangements.  Half the time, he didn’t know where his head was at.

 

How long could he stay mad at Seth?

 

And how long could he keep inflicting his own issues onto Chacia?

 

Something had to give.

 

~!~

 

“So, why do you want to get back in the ring?”

 

Chacia shrugged, wrapping her hands and had a sports bra with shorts on, her wrestling boots dusted and on her feet. “Just feel like it, I guess.  It’s hard working for WWE and not getting in the ring.  I know I’ll never be a wrestler again, but…I really need to relieve some stress and the gym isn’t cutting it.  So just humor me, cuz, please?”

 

Cody could never say no to those pleading hazel orbs and sighed heavily, nodding. “Come on then, let’s go through some exercises and see what you’ve remembered.  You sure you’re up for this with that bruise on your side?” She had told him what happened, but didn’t drop the name of who had done it to her. “Run the ropes.”

 

Nodding, Chacia took a deep breath and began doing as she was told, picking up speed with each passing second.  She made sure the ropes didn’t collide with her kidneys or else she’d be pissing blood by the end of the day.  Cody wasn’t the least bit surprised to see she hadn’t forgotten a single thing when it came to a wrestling ring and kept putting her through the paces.  Chacia had landed in Cincinnati very early, went to her apartment to open the windows to let fresh air in, tossed in some laundry, made some breakfast, took a small nap and now she was here with her cousin at the wrestling school.

 

“So,” His voice loud enough to be heard over the sounds of her feet hitting the mat with each toss on the ropes. “What’s got you stressed?”

 

Granted, it wasn’t her original dream job, but she was still working for the WWE.  Cody imagined after staying stationary all this time, the traveling was getting to her, not to mention the backstage environment.  Chacia had dealt with stress at the hospital, but this was an entirely new scene for her.  If there was one person on the planet she could talk to about anything, it was Cody.  They were more than family, they had an unbreakable bond.

 

“You sure you wanna know?” She asked, continuing the rope exercises and stopped in the middle of the ring, breathing heavily.  Her body was coated in sweat and it felt both oddly familiar and great.

 

“Wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t.”

 

Chacia launched into everything that happened in the span of a week, with both Jon and Colby. “I called it quits with Colby.  I just don’t think it’s a good idea, especially now that Jon stabbed him in the back.  He’s a great guy and all, a huge fan of yours, but…I don’t know.  It doesn’t feel right with him.  With Jon, it does, and don’t even start with your ‘I told you so’ bullshit, Cody.  Because I don’t even know how I feel about Jon at this point.” Other than he was a teasing dick. “I’m confused, frustrated and that’s why I’m here to vent and get it out of my system before going back on the road.”

 

Wow, that was a lot of drama in one week.  He was kind of glad he had never made it to the big times.  Somehow, it wasn’t surprising hearing what Jon had done.  The fact that he had suppressed his selfish, gonna get mine, attitude for so long, had been interesting.

 

“It sounds like you need a break from Jon, Chacia.” Cody suggested, after mulling it over in his head for a little bit. “You guys went 8 years without talking and that’s a long time.  Maybe…” He hesitated, trying to find the right words to say. “Maybe you’re holding onto a young love type of thing and you need to let it go.” Jon was obviously an idiot for not locking this woman down and he’d had a lot of chances and blew them all.

 

“Young love type thing?  I don’t love him…I don’t think I do, anyway.” That was a thought that never really crossed her mind or surfaced.  Until now.  What the hell?  Did she love him?  Chacia groaned, beginning to run the ropes again for a couple minutes, stopping again. “So, what am I supposed to do?  Avoid him?  I’m on the medical team in a multi-billion dollar corporation, a global industry!  I can’t just avoid him all the time, Cody.  I got my own hotel rooms from now on, so that’s a start.  I’ll try to stay away from him as much as I can.” Boy, that left a bitter taste in her mouth, but Cody was right, she needed a break from Jonathan Good.

 

Cody was trying not to smile, watching as she ran those ropes again, this time with a bit of extra aggression in her movements and figured it was from what he had told her.  He called things as he saw them and Chacia had taken to Jon instantly.  It was easy to see, as the two had gotten older, that she cared about him, and he had often wondered what might have happened if Jon hadn’t taken off.

 

“You can’t avoid him.” He informed her, when she finally stopped again, picking the conversation right back up. “But that doesn’t mean you have to spend any more time with him than necessary, at least until you get your head on straight.” Or until Jon did, whichever came first.

 

After running the ropes, she did rolls, which was part of the warmup process in Cody’s school.  Then came the shoulder tackles and Chacia had to admit, the first bump HURT.  Her body was softened and she wanted to harden it up again, wincing every time she landed on the mat.  At least she knew how to land, so she would only be sore instead of actual pain later that night.  For 3 hours, she trained with Cody and basically had her backside handed to her.  She hugged her cousin, thanking him for letting her vent her frustration and left to go to her apartment.  A hot bath was needed after the strenuous workout she put her body through.  At least she got some clarity when it came to Jon and Cody was right – she had to stay away from him as much as she could.  She wouldn’t be able to avoid him, but she also wouldn’t reach out to him either.  Jon had reached out for her when he needed her help – she wanted to see how long it would take for him to reach out to her when he didn’t NEED something from her.

 

Unfortunately, Cody had thought along those lines all afternoon and he kind of blamed himself.  He was the one who had put Chacia and Jon back in touch when Jon had asked for her phone number, her assistance.  So in a way, it had been him who had set her on this path.  Sure, part of it was paying off obviously.  Chacia had a new, brilliant job in the industry that she loved, but… it was plain to see she was having emotional issues.  For her sake, he hoped Jon either pulled his head out of the clouds and proved that he wasn’t going to leave her hanging until he needed her again, or do the right thing and leave her alone before he shredded her.  As long as Jon Good was in the picture in some form, and not committed one way or the other, Chacia wasn’t ever going to be properly happy because she would never know where she stood with the man.  That was already ruining things that had the potential to be great.

 

There was one person who had contacted her, besides Drake, to check on her and make sure she was all right during her 2 days off.  It wasn’t Jon.  Of course not, why would he?  He got what he wanted from her, he was rehabilitated and back to doing what he loved; he didn’t need her anymore.  Even though she blew him off, Colby still wanted to make sure she was doing all right and she thought it was incredibly sweet of him.  They texted back and forth with each other throughout the 2 days, so by the time Friday rolled around, she was more than ready to get back on the road.  She had trained more in the ring with Cody, told him about the text messages from Colby and Cody advised her to watch herself.  He wanted her to be happy, but he also didn’t want her getting involved with someone who could potentially hurt her because of her connection to Jon.  Chacia had to admit, Cody had a point and decided to stay just friends with Colby for the time being, keeping her guard up.

 

I’m sorry I was an ass

I’m a moron Chace, I

I know I’ve been leaving you hanging and I need to explain.

 

Those were trashed text messages Jon had started and then swiped right on, sending them straight to his drafts folder where they would remain until he either got the courage up to finish them and send them to Chacia or deleted them permanently.  Groaning, he tossed his cell over his shoulder, hearing it thud when it landed.  That was what the protective case was for, he had a bad habit of breaking cell phones.  Warranties and cases were his new thing because replacing broken phones got pricey after a while.  Hell, his issues were starting to get pricey, period, and maybe he just needed to come clean with her.

 

Chapter 28

 

Colorado Springs, Colorado. 

 

It was beautiful here, especially in the late summer months and surprisingly cool.  There was no Indian summer and temperatures could drop to 30 degrees at night.  Chacia had checked the weather ahead of time to make sure she packed correctly for the next week on the road.  A little bit of everything for any type of weather was the best bet, though it did force her to pack more than she wanted.  Grabbing her luggage off the cart, with her backpack over her shoulders, she headed out of the airport to go straight to the hotel to check in.  Larry texted her, letting her know to get to the arena by 4 PM and she responded with a ‘yes, sir’ to which he responded with ‘smartass’.  She giggled and had taken a shine to Larry; actually, the entire medical team was great to work with.

 

Jon had come to Colorado Springs early because he really had nothing better to do.  He had rented a mountain bike and gone off exploring the wickedly awesome and beautiful mountain trails, which was also how he felt like working out.  Great scenery and pushing his body to the limits on some of the more challenging trails.  He had returned the bike after 2 days and made his way to the hotel, knowing it was back to the grind.  He normally didn’t shower before going to an arena, but today would be mandatory, he reeked and was coated in sweat.  It might’ve been a nice, comfortable temperature, but he had been pushing himself.  Speaking of asses… he’d know hers anywhere and contemplated slapping it.

 

She was standing at the receptionist’s desk while they retrieved the keycard to her room, her back turned to Jon.  However, that familiar pull reared its ugly head and her eyes shut momentarily, already knowing who was behind her.  Chacia didn’t have to turn around to see who it was and pretended she didn’t notice him, or feel him, or sense him…damn it, she really hated the connection she had with Jon.  There had to be a way to sever it – she highly doubted it, though.

 

“Thanks.” She murmured to the receptionist, taking her keycard and headed off to the elevator, forcing herself not to turn around.

 

Jon followed her right onto the elevator, already having the key to his room.  She knew he was here, he had seen her entire body go from relaxed to tense as if she had felt his eyes considering her backside.  The tension ratcheted up a few more notches when the doors slid shut and the elevator lurched into action.

 

“How’s your side?” He asked, figuring he was going to have to break this awkward silence somehow, and not with his hand on her backside.

 

“It’s fine, the bruising is mostly gone.”

 

Hell, the rest of her body hurt compared to her side after all the punishment she’d put herself through these past 2 days.  It felt amazing at the same time though, every ache and pain.  She relished all of it and felt at home the most when she was in a wrestling ring.  That would never change.  They used to be able to talk about absolutely anything and everything, but now they were awkward and trying to find ways to strike up a friendly conversation.  She didn’t like it at all, but there was really nothing else she could do.

 

“How were your days off?”

 

“Good, I spent them here.” He had gone home, since it was fairly close, for a change of clothes and to switch out some of his stuff, but other than that, he had no reason to stay in Vegas. “They’ve got some awesome trails here, I figured a change from the Red Rocks was in order.” He said by way of explanation when she gave him a look. 

 

Why was it so hard to talk to her?  They had spent months together; she had seen him at his worst, and yet… he had thrown her a shovel and told her to keep digging basically.  He could still find new depths of being a dickhead.

 

Chacia went to say, ‘be careful’, but remembered how he razzed her about being a mother hen and kept her thoughts to herself. “Sounds fun.” She couldn’t look at him, instead of keeping her eyes on the numbers and blinked when Jon was suddenly in front of her, his fist slamming down on the stop button of the elevator. “What are you doing?” She demanded, taking a step back and shouldered her bookbag, hazel eyes narrowing slightly while staring into those icy blues. “Jon, I don’t have time for this…”

 

Well, that was new, and Jon had stopped the elevator just because ‘sounds fun’ was way out of character for Chacia when it came to HIM.  Was it arrogant to think that way?  Probably, but it was also true, which kind of balanced out the arrogance.

 

“Sounds fun?” He echoed, planting his palms on either side of her head and leaned in, not too close though.  Jon wasn’t trying to kill her with his body odor. “Okay Chace, that just sounds strange coming from you.  Let’s have it, what’s wrong?” Besides the fact, he left her high and dry, repeatedly, and she was probably banging Drake Younger.

 

“What else am I supposed to say?”

 

He had the audacity to ask her what was wrong, which told her he STILL didn’t know what was going on.  Chacia didn’t mind the body odor because, on him, it was delicious.  Jon smelled delicious, even with his sweat-caked body and she immediately pushed those thoughts out of her head.

 

“It does sound fun and I know how much you like to mountain bike and hike and whatever.  There’s nothing ‘wrong’.” She did the finger quotations and folded her arms tightly in front of her chest, brows drawn together. “Please enlighten me, what else would you like me to say about what you’ve been doing?”

 

“Well, darlin’, your usual byline is ‘be careful’ or some variation.” Jon smirked, pushing himself away from her.  Even after 8 years of no contact and then 8 ½ months of being up each other’s respective backsides, he could essentially say word for word her usual lines in just about any given situation. “Finally decide mothering me isn’t much fun?” Probably not, because the last time Chacia had done it, he had decided to heed her advice and have fun.

 

He’d had a LOT of fun.

 

Chacia hadn’t meant for him to stab Colby in the back, even though the man kind of deserved it for his mouth diarrhea while Jon was out with his injury. “Figured you didn’t need me mother henning you anymore.  You’re a big boy, you don’t NEED me anymore, Moxley.”

 

To be frank, she was tired of this runaround game with him and could see her words affected him to some degree.  Jon made it perfectly clear he got what he wanted from her and now he didn’t need her.  It was only when he NEEDED something from her specifically did he come calling, that he wanted her around.  Her hand twitched, wanting to slap him, wanting him to feel an OUNCE of the pain he had caused her in all the years they’d known each other.  It took her a while, but Chacia was finally coming to the conclusion Jon had been using her and that was a horrible revelation to have.

 

There was a long, long silence and Jon thought she was going to say something else and instead, she bitch slapped him.  Jon had always known Chacia was strong, the woman had trained to be a wrestler and regularly hit the gym, but he hadn’t realized just how strong she was until he was on the receiving end of a smack that would have made Stephanie McMahon proud.  His head had actually snapped to the side.  Jon stared down at her, nostrils flaring, and could feel the burning, throbbing sensation and the rising welt.

 

“Do it again, darlin’.” He ordered coolly. “Get it all out now.” Because she’d never have a chance afterward.

 

What the HELL was she thinking slapping him?!  Chacia didn’t even realize she was doing it until her hand connected to the side of his face.  There was so much anger, so much animosity built up inside of her and she thought she unleashed most of it with Cody at the wrestling school.  Nope!  Not even a little bit.  Tears burned in her hazel eyes as she slapped him again, this time harder, her entire body trembling with barely contained rage.  Being used by Jon hurt more than she would ever admit.  The next shot was a punch to the mouth and that staggered him, making him stumble back while she shook her hand, hoping to hell she didn’t just break it on his glass jaw.  Letting out a painful howl, she slammed her fist down on the go button and felt the hot tears streak down her cheeks, needing to get out of this enclosed space before something worse happened.

 

She hadn’t broken it.  Jon gingerly moved his jaw from side to side, his blue eyes fixated on her.  He could not believe HIS Chacia had just let that loose on HIM.  What the hell?  He HAD asked for it, but he honestly hadn’t expected her to let loose on him that way.  A second later, he spit out blood, wiggling a tooth with his tongue before slamming her against the elevator wall.  He couldn’t see it, but he now had a very noticeable, angry red raised handprint welt, two of them, overlapping each other, on his face and a bruise forming on his puffing up jaw.

 

“There’s my girl.” He rumbled, bending down and captured her lips in a heated kiss, feeling her tears, tasting them when they ran down her face.

 

DAMN IT TO HELL!  That raging inferno inside of her was back and exploded the moment his lips touched hers, his hands holding her face steady in a vise grip.  The kiss itself was somewhat bruising, but it was welcoming and she couldn’t push him away.  He left her in physical pain, in agony, twice and now he was kissing her again, making that fire inside of her rage out of control.  With every ounce of strength inside of her, listening to her mind screaming at her to push him away, Chacia barely managed to do it.

 

“I’m not doing this again!” She shouted, her lips swollen and red and the tears hadn’t stopped just as the elevator doors opened. “Goddamn it!”

 

Stalking off the elevator, she headed straight for her room and wiped her tears away angrily, looking down at the hand she had slapped and punched Jon with.  Her heart was aching, along with the rest of her sex-deprived body and it was all thanks to Jonathan Good!  That left Jon standing there alone.  In shorts that were not hiding his erection, a dirty, sweat-stained tank top and a jacked up face.  Ignoring the people who were apparently wanting to get on the elevator, he stepped off of it, watching as she disappeared into a room and groaned, rubbing the back of his neck.  Maybe getting her a job in the WWE had been a bad idea.  Hell, when had he ever had a good idea?  He made a stop for ice before heading to his own room, ice for his face and his junk.  Jon wasn’t sure what would happen between him and Chacia now.  He had a feeling he had just stepped them off a ledge they couldn’t get back too.

 

Tossing her bags to the side, Chacia ignored her phone when it went off, not giving a flying hell who was trying to contact her.  Cold shower.  She needed an ice shower to try to get rid of this ache and fire inside of her.  Gritting her teeth against the cold water, Chacia shut her eyes and let the tears flow, hitting the shower wall repeatedly with her hand.  So much for staying away from Jon because apparently, the prick refused to leave her alone!  Kissing her in an elevator, getting her all hot and bothered after smacking and punching the hell out of him…she growled furiously and looked down at her bruised hand, flexing it.  It hurt, but she’d survive and be able to work just fine tonight.  The punch was worth it.  Jon needed to be punched in the face after everything he’d put her through lately.  All Chacia did was be there for him and helped him through his recovery, rehabilitated his arm and how did he repay her? 

 

HOW? 

 

BY SETTING A FIRE INSIDE HER AND NOT PUTTING IT OUT! 

 

BY USING HER!

 

“Chacey, it’s me.”

 

Drake had gotten word within literal seconds of what had been seen by said people in the hallway and he figured he should at least call her and check in.  Apparently, she had been crying when she had stormed off the elevator and then Jon had come out looking jacked up.  That didn’t bode well at all.  Given their history, he wasn’t sure he wanted to know what had occurred between the pair, his mind was already supplying a lot of mental imagery, none of it good.

 

“Check in with me please, um… people saw you and Ambrose getting off the elevator… are you okay?”

 

“Shit…”

 

Chacia listened to Drake’s voicemail and groaned, already knowing there was a zero tolerance policy in WWE for violence.  What if she got fired over this?  She had struck Jon repeatedly and couldn’t believe she allowed her temper to flare like that.

 

“I’m okay.” Were the first words out of her mouth as soon as she called Drake back to ease his mind, tears burning her eyes.  Physically, she was fine, but mentally and emotionally, she was a wreck. “I slapped Jon.” Slight pause. “Twice.” Another pause. “And punched him.” She put Drake on speakerphone and buried her face in her hands, wearing just a towel for the moment. “And then he kissed me…and I pushed him away and went to my room.  And don’t ask me why I slapped him because I don’t even know myself.”

 

“Because he’s a rotten bastard, who needed it.” Drake growled, half wishing he had been there to laugh at the sight and half wishing he could strangle Jon’s stupid neck for being such an idiot!  Couldn’t the man see what he was losing?  Drake knew better than anyone what Jon had handed to him on a silver platter and the moron was shoving it away! “There’s only so much pain he can put you through before you start snapping back, Chacia.” The fact that she had been so damn patient this long, and taken Jon’s crap, when the man hadn’t even bothered trying to contact her for 8 years, until he had NEEDED her, well… Drake admired her as much as he thought she was a fool.  She was a woman with a heart of fool’s gold.

 

“He really needs to leave me alone.  I’m serious.  I don’t want to talk to him for a while until I simmer down.”

 

Chacia would take Cody’s advice and do everything she could to avoid Jon from here on out.  If he was in the same room as her, she would leave unless she had to stitch him up or something.  Any personal problems or drama had to be left at the door when it came to WWE and she understood that.

 

“I just want to come to work, do my job and come back to the hotels.  He’s just gonna cause me to lose this job and I really need it.”

 

“Gee thanks…” Drake mumbled good-naturedly, trying to get her to at least crack a smile.

 

“And hang out with you, of course.  I could never not hang out with you, Younger.  You, unlike SOME people, are my friend.” Chacia assured him, standing from the bed to start getting dressed. “Enough about that asshole, let’s talk about something else please.”

 

So Drake told her all about his days off and how boring they had been.  Going home when single wasn’t all that appealing because there was no one to go home to.  So he tended to just meander, heading towards the next destination and do the touristy thing.  What was the point, he told her during their conversation, of doing all this traveling to new places, but being too tired or in too much of a hurry to appreciate it?

 

“You should do that, you know, start seeing the sights.  You’d love it.”

 

“Maybe we can see some together since we’re basically on the same schedule.” Superstars had different schedules than the medical team, officials, ring crew and backstage employees. “I wouldn’t mind doing that.”

 

It would surely get her mind off things with Jon.  She heard her phone beep and knew it was a text message, checking it while Drake continued telling her about some of the sights he’d seen in Colorado Springs.  It was Colby.  Apparently, word spread like wildfire about the confrontation she had with Jon.  That wasn’t good because if it got back to Vince, Stephanie or Paul, she would more than likely lose her job.  She quickly texted Colby she was fine and then he called in.

 

“Drake, I’ll talk to you at the arena.  Someone’s calling and I have to answer it.” Clicking over, she could hear the anxiety in Colby’s voice and cracked a small smile. “Am I not texting fast enough for you, Rollins?”

 

“Sorry, but it’s spreading everywhere and… I wanted to make sure you were okay,” Colby said that all in a rush, sounding somewhat panicked. “I just needed to hear you, Angel.”

 

The rumor mill was already spreading like wildfire and there wasn’t a doubt in his mind Chacia wouldn’t be called into the office tonight.  He just hoped she didn’t wind up canned.  Colby could give two shits about Ambrose, the man had deserved the punishment she had seemingly dished out.

 

Why did he care so much about her?  She could hear the relief in his tone and it made her feel strange.  Chacia didn’t WANT it to be Colby that was worried about her, that wanted her, that called and texted her to the point of blowing her phone up during her days off.  She wanted it to be Jon.  That was never going to happen though and she had to get past it.  The man only cared about himself, nobody else and she had to get it through her head it would never change.  Colby wanted her and was worried about her, so maybe giving him the write off wasn’t the best decision.

 

“Do you want to see me?  I have a couple of hours before I have to head to the arena…unless you’re busy.” He asked what her room number was, he had an hour to kill and she gave it to him, hanging up to get dressed.

 

Chapter 29

 

Colby had to force himself to take his time in getting there, knowing showing up within 30 seconds was just outright desperate looking.  Not that she didn’t probably already think he was, blowing her phone up the way he had.  He was honestly surprised Chacia wanted to see him, especially after what had happened before their days off.  In his fit of rage, he had shoved her.  Hard enough to send her back into something and bruise her side.  Colby still felt like a piece of shit for that, knowing she had accepted his apology hadn’t helped.  Maybe if she had railed and yelled at him, but not Chacia.  She had been the picture of graciousness.

 

“Hey.” He greeted when she answered her door, his eyes sweeping over her for any signs that Jon had laid hands on her in that elevator.

 

“Hi.  Come on in.” She opened the door wider for him to enter and closed it as soon as he did, her heart hurting at the amount of concern in his dark eyes. “See?  I’m fine, never better.” Chacia cracked a small smile at him, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes as she walked over to sit on the bed.  He joined her moments later and took a chance to take her hand, making her frown. “This isn’t fair to you, Colby,” Chacia spoke quietly, not pulling away from him and looked up into his eyes, swallowing hard. “I mean it.  You shouldn’t care about me as much as you do.  I’m…I’m not worth it.” Not when her heart belonged to a blind asshole.  She had to be honest with him, even if it hurt his feelings because Colby deserved to know the truth about how she felt for Jon.

 

“Of course you are, Angel.” Colby reached out to tuck a stray lock of damp hair behind her ear, smiling down at her.  He pressed a finger to her lips when she began shaking her head, bending down to kiss her forehead. “Chacia, whatever it is, I promise you, you ARE worth it.” He was well aware she had some messed up friendship with Dean Ambrose, of all people, and he was quite prepared to deal with it.

 

“No, I’m not.” She pulled away from him, clasping her hands in front of her and began to slowly pace, sadness written all over her face. “Jon and I aren’t just friends…we’re something else.  I don’t even know what to call it because it’s not a relationship and it’s not…a friendship.  Ever since I met him when I was 16, I’ve felt this…pull towards him.  I can’t explain it and I’m not gonna bother trying.  When he calls on me, I automatically jump and do whatever he wants, when he wants.  That’s why, after 8 years of no contact, when he called and asked me to help him, I dropped my entire life in Cincinnati to go to his side.  I had a fantastic job I could’ve retired from happily in Cincinnati and I gave it up for him.” Blinking, huge tears slid down her cheeks as Chacia continued to move back and forth, sniffling. “He has this…power, this hold, over me and I don’t know how to break it.  That’s why I slapped him today in the elevator because he had the audacity to ask me what was wrong.  He doesn’t SEE what he’s doing to me.  Do you know what he did to me while we shared a hotel room during Summerslam week?” She waited for Colby to shake his head and started laughing bitterly. “He made out with me, touched and kissed me, lit me on fire and then…NOTHING.  Absolutely nothing, he stopped dead cold and I don’t think I’ve EVER felt that kind of pain in my life, not even in the ring.  It’s like he gets me all revved up and then stops – it’s like giving a woman blue balls and it SUCKS and it’s frustrating.  And that mother fucker had the GULL to ask me what was wrong!” She clenched her fists tightly, her teeth gnashing together and then bit into the knuckle, letting out a muffled growl. “He uses me.  He’s a user.  He used me to get back in the ring, to get his arm rehabilitated and then brushed me off like I don’t even matter!  Goddamn prick!  Sorry…sorry…TMI, right?  Right.  So, that’s why you shouldn’t waste your time on me because I can’t shake him.  I can’t shake this pull and I wish to hell I could.  I wish I could forget he ever existed, but I can’t and I know…I KNOW he’s not going to leave me alone.  He’s going to keep pushing and prodding me until I really beat the living shit out of him and wind up losing my damn mind and possibly my job.  Do yourself a favor, Colby, and run far away from me.  Please.”

 

That was a lot to take in, if he were being honest, and Colby sat there staring at her, letting everything just kind of sink in and began processing it bit by bit.  At first listen, she sounded insane, like a crazy fangirl with a serious obsession.  But she had known Jon since they were kids practically and she had felt it from day one.  Maybe there was such a thing as soul mates and Jon was hers.  Colby’s grandma had said she believed that people had multiple soul mates, it was just a matter of finding one.  He was going to believe that because… he wanted Chacia to try forgetting Jon.  Colby wanted her to give HIM a chance, and maybe one day look at him with half as much passion as she had for that idiot.

 

“He’s a fucking fool.” He informed her, getting to his feet. “I am NOT running away.  He’s an idiot who doesn’t know what he has and you deserve better.” Colby took her gently into his arms, ignoring her protests. “I know I’m not Jon, and I know there’s a good chance I’m putting myself into a fire you can’t control, but please…” He caressed her quivering bottom lip with the pad of his thumb. “Take a chance on me, Chacia.  I think you’re worth the risk, even if he’s always going to be in the picture.”

 

“Damn it…” Chacia had given him the perfect opportunity to walk away, to forget about her, to not put himself through this.  Fresh tears stung her eyes at his sweet words and she could feel her resolve crumbling into dust. “I’m scared, Colby.  I’m scared of hurting you.  Of being hurt in return…” He was such a good man, headstrong and knew what he wanted.  In the back of her mind, she had to wonder why her. “You and Jon are…you don’t like each other and after what he did to you…”

 

What if he was only using her to get back at Jon?  Judging by the plea in his dark eyes and the way he held her, Chacia knew that wasn’t the case.  Or maybe she was just stupid and couldn’t see deception three feet in front of her.

 

“Are you absolutely sure about this?” His lips were mere inches from hers and she could smell the aftershave coming from him, surrounding her. “Because the last time I tried being with someone in a relationship, it didn’t end well.” Drake came to mind and her screaming out Jon’s name during their one and only drunken sexual encounter. 

 

She made a mental note to NEVER get drunk before screwing Colby.

 

Colby stared at her intently, considering her words.  He wanted her to see he wasn’t trying to jump headfirst into this with her, or ignore what she was telling him.  Colby knew they were both at risk of getting hurt and, if Jon decided to keep on with his craziness, he was also likely to get his backside physically handed to him.  He read her face, seeing she was thinking back to whatever relationship she had tried having with a man who wasn’t Jon, betting whoever the guy had been, he had taken a bruising to his ego.

 

“If we ever make it to bed, when,” He said slowly, bending down until their lips were nearly touching. “Don’t close your eyes.”

 

“Definitely when,” Chacia assured him, stroking his bearded face with her hand and felt his forehead rest against hers, his arms wrapping around her waist to pull her closer to him. “But I want it to be a fire YOU start inside of me.  I won’t sleep with you until I want you completely and you’re the reason for that fire.  Like the night I came to check on you with your concussion…that was all you, Colby.” She slid her fingers down his t-shirt covered chest, her eyes not leaving his. “I knew who I was with that night, who’s tongue tasted me, who was kissing and touching me…” There was a definite chemistry between them and Chacia would be lying to herself if she said she didn’t want to explore it further.  She didn’t want to be selfish either, not like Jon was. “And the reason I pushed you away the other night had nothing to do with you shoving me.  I know you didn’t mean to do it and I wasn’t even mad at you.  I just didn’t want to hurt you or feel like I was leading you on.  So please stop beating yourself up over it, okay?”

 

“Okay,” Colby nodded against her head, reaching down to grab her hand and brought it up, brushing his lips against her fingertips. “After the show tonight… let’s go out, get some frozen yogurt.” He smiled when she laughed at that.  That had been their first date of sorts, walking around and winding up having frozen yogurt. “And if I ever attack you again in a fit of rage, nail me with a scalpel or something.”

 

“Depending on the circumstances, I MIGHT hold you to that.”

 

He wanted to take this slow and she didn’t blame him.  Starting over seemed like a very good idea for both of them, especially since she no longer shared a room with Jon.  She would not be sharing a room with anyone for a while, including Colby.  If they were doing this, it would be done right and they would take their time to really get to know each other before jumping into bed.  That meant foreplay too.  Kissing, touching and holding was all she would allow and hopefully, Colby would be all right with that.

 

“And I’d love to go get some frozen yogurt with you after the show.” A quick glance at the clock told her she had to get going to the arena. “Where do you want to meet up after the show?”

 

Colby definitely wanted to take this slow.  Obviously, Jon would dive balls in and then back out just as suddenly.  Colby wanted to make sure that Chacia saw what was coming, not have it sprung on her.  She needed to be romanced and not left hanging.  He could do that, and so much more.

 

“Down in the lobby, if that’s okay with you?  It’ll give me time to get a shower and change.” He didn’t shower at the arenas anymore; he didn’t trust Jon.

 

“Sounds good.” She kissed his cheek and hugged him around the neck, closing her eyes to breathe him in for a minute or two. “If I don’t get fired for what happened with Jon today, that is.” There was a very real possibility she wouldn’t be part of WWE anymore.

 

“You will be,” Colby assured her, knowing Stephanie wouldn’t allow a talent like her to slip through the cracks.  He hugged her back and kissed the top of her head. “Get going, see you tonight.”

 

Chacia wound up on probation and fined $500 for striking a WWE Superstar. 

 

Jon had been called in Stephanie’s office separately and basically ratted her out, stating she struck him for no reason.  He had asked her a question and she lashed out at him, slapping him twice and punched him in the mouth.  Stephanie didn’t bother asking Chacia what set her off, only stating if she put her hands on another WWE Superstar violently, she would be fired and sent her on her way.  To say Chacia was pissed off was an understatement, but she had to check her attitude at the door and do her job.  That’s exactly what she did, keeping her head held high and ignored everyone gossiping about her.  Pavana had stopped by to check on her, asking what happened and Chacia told her it couldn’t be discussed at work.  That was another one of Stephanie McMahon’s stipulations.  Everyone would think she was a psychotic bitch that lashed out at Dean Ambrose for no reason and that was far from the truth, but being new to the company, Chacia had to bite the bullet and deal with it.

 

Bringing Chacia into the company had been a BAD idea.  A royally bad idea and Jon hated himself right now.  He had been planning on lying through his teeth about the incident, and then… then he had seen Colby coming out of Chacia’s room and kind of lost his temper.  Was THAT who she had been running off to?  Or Younger?  Or both?  He was leaving her high and dry, Jon knew it, so why should he care if she was getting her kicks elsewhere?  But COLBY?  No.  Better to get her out of this shark tank before someone ate her alive.  Before HE ate her alive.

 

There was no way Chacia was going anywhere.  She had worked too hard and too long to get to where she was for some guy to destroy it all for her.  Jon may have gotten her foot in the door, but that was about it.  She got the job on skill and merits alone.  What she did with Colby, with Drake, with anyone was NONE of Jon’s business.  Larry assured her she wouldn’t have to deal with Jon from here on out, actually feeling bad for the woman and all Chacia did was shrug, not saying a word about it.  If Jon was smart, he would keep his distance from her for a while because, after today, Chacia wanted absolutely NOTHING to do with him.

 

Not many people wanted anything to do with Jon, period.  He was currently viewed as unstable and most people were already whispering that he had done something to Chacia, something to make her hit him.  No man got smacked like he had, or punched, by a woman like her without provoking her in some way, somehow.  His attacks on Roman and Seth had cemented his loose cannon status and he was fine with that because he wasn’t done, not by a long shot.  Him holding up those titles, that had been his message, he was coming for them.  Him, solo, no enforcer for the Shield, no right-wing man carrying someone’s ass.  Him.  If Rollins happened to get knocked out a few times or so, well, that was just cherry on his iced cake.

 

Jon had to focus, keep his head in this game, not needing or wanting distractions.

 

Chapter 30

 

A month passed since the blowout with Jon and they were approaching the next pay-per-view event – Hell in a Cell.  Jon had targeted Colby for his Intercontinental championship and, thankfully, it wasn’t inside Hell in a Cell.  It was a regular match for the title and Colby was ready for some retribution.  So was Jon.  On the outside, Chacia was rooting for Colby, but deep down inside her heart, she was rooting for Jon.  No matter what had happened between them, he still held her heart captive and she would always root for him in the end.  Colby didn’t need to know that though.  Their relationship was going pretty well, but no sex had happened yet. 

 

Some nights were spent alone and others were spent together, but neither stayed over with each other.  Not yet.  If Jon had noticed she was with Colby now, he didn’t say anything and had maintained his distance from her, focusing solely on his career.  That was probably the best thing he could do because Chacia was doing the same thing.  However, on her days off, she spent them mostly in the ring in Cincinnati, honing her skills and while on the road, she did CrossFit workouts with Colby at the gym.  Cody had noticed her increase in speed and commented on it, to which she told him she’d been doing CrossFit workouts lately.  That did explain a lot because it increased endurance and speed in the ring, along with agility.

 

There were some serious physical and health benefits to dating someone like Chacia.  She knew how to moderate her sweets, for example, and she ate healthy most of the time with few cheat days.  Chacia worked out religiously and introduced him to some new exercises that were starting to show their benefits in the ring.  A lot of people thought wrestling was all about the strength, no… one had to have stamina too, and she knew that.  Colby found himself paying attention when she offered advice and then applied it.

 

That was so gross.  Jon had come down for a workout, knowing he had to bring his A-game to Hell in a Cell and who did he find?  Seth and Chacia, working out together and occasionally talking.  His nose wrinkled at the image, eyes narrowing.  He wasn’t oblivious to her budding relationship and the irony was not lost on him either. 

 

The man who had betrayed him, she was screwing that dick.

 

Maybe if Jon wasn’t such a teasing DICK MUNCH, she would be training and working out with Jon, giving him these tips.  Nope.  Instead, she was helping Colby with his craft in the ring and learning things from him, such as CrossFit training.  It was INTENSE, to put it mildly.  Cody wouldn’t even go near it, but she enjoyed both CrossFit AND regular workouts.  She alternated between them, making sure to keep her stamina in check and lifted weights, in case she had to co-cock someone else.  Neither noticed Jon, too busy eating protein bars and taking a small break before continuing their workout, along with Bayley, who was one of the WWE Superstars.

 

“My god, Chacia, why aren’t you in the ring, girl?  You would be a FANTASTIC addition to the Women’s division!”

 

“My time in the ring is long gone.” Chacia had gotten to know Bayley since she was a CrossFit queen and always did the workouts with Colby.  They were strictly friends since Bayley was engaged and taken.  There was zero jealousy from the woman, she was a sweetheart and liked to hug…a lot.

 

“No it’s not, you could easily get back into it with the body you have and how much effort and time you put into the gym,” Bayley argued, leaning back against the lockers taking a break herself. “Why did you quit anyway?”

 

“Personal reasons.” That was a secret she may very well take to the grave.

 

“I don’t know if I’d like my woman in the ring.” Colby chuckled, pouring some water from his bottle over his head.  He grinned and got Chacia next, growling when she shook her hair and body, getting it all back at him. “I’m pretty sure she can kick my ass now.  Put her in the ring and she may actually take my title.”

 

“Wouldn’t that be awesome?  A woman holding the IC belt again?” Bayley laughed, moving aside when Chacia mockingly put Colby in a headlock. “You two make me sick!” Maybe they weren’t passionately, crazy in love, but they were definitely in a good place.

 

“You and me both, darlin’.”

 

Chacia instantly froze at the sound of that gritty, low voice behind them and released Colby’s head, which had been pressed right against her boob.  She whipped around, not expecting Jon to be here and stood in front of Colby.  The last thing she needed was both men getting into a fist fight when their match is only 2 days away.  It was Friday afternoon, before a house show, and Colby had wanted to get a workout in before tonight’s event.  So many different emotions flowed through her at once as she felt Colby’s arms wrap around her from behind and she didn’t push him away, instead placing her hand on his forearm.  She was silently letting him know she was all right and could handle this, leaning back against him.

 

“Come on, we’ve taken a long enough break.  Time to get back into it.”

 

“You’re such a ballbuster.” Bayley giggled, glad the tension had been somewhat lifted in the air and nodded. “She’s right though, we still got another hour to put in work.”

 

“Exactly.”

 

Extracting herself from Colby, Chacia could feel Jon’s eyes following her and proceeded to jump up to reach the bar, lifting herself up before swinging back down again, repeating the process.  She made sure to chalk her hands up before starting too to keep a strong, sturdy grip.  There was no way they were leaving the gym until they were finished with their workout, Jon be damned.

 

Bayley wasn’t going to lie, even with that tension sort of sliced, it was still pretty heavy.  Dean was doing his own workout and obviously watching them like hawks out of those emotionless, glacier eyes of his.  He creeped her out.  Dean had been eccentric before, a little bit crazy…. now he was cold and calculating with a side of lunatic tossed in.  Vince hired only the best, sanest… she snorted.

 

Colby wanted to toss a dumbbell or something at Jon, well aware the man was keeping eyes on Chacia, but he managed to not do anything stupid.  They had a match coming up and he would be getting his then, where it would be legal.  Then Jon peeled off his shirt and he felt like he was being challenged or something, inwardly gnashing his teeth.

 

Trying hard not to notice Jon shirtless, Chacia focused on her workout and shut her eyes, breathing in and out evenly with each move she put her body through.  CrossFit was no joke.  If she slipped up even once, she could seriously hurt herself.  She loved it though, her adrenaline pumping wildly through her veins.  When she opened her eyes, while Colby was busy doing his thing, they locked across the way with Jon and she heaved herself up again on the equipment, her lips pursed tightly together.  That pull was back and the warmth in her belly formed, driving Chacia crazy all over again because she couldn’t do anything about the pull or warmth!  Growling, it just pushed her further in her workout and once again tried to focus on solely her workout, keeping her eyes closed.

 

Colby knew about this pulling thing, she had told him all about it the night he had convinced her to take a chance on him.  He may not have looked like it, but he was keeping tabs on Chacia.  Fully aware when she gave a little lurch, it was kind of sad to see.  Not sad like break him down, but sad because she was obviously in love with the guy, her whole world centered on him, she had oriented herself around him, and Jon didn’t see it.  Or he did and was using it to hurt her.  Colby looked up, seeing Chacia’s eyes clenched shut and stopped his workout, walking over to catch her on her next downward movement.

 

“Come on, Angel, shaving off 30 minutes isn’t going to do any harm.” He murmured in a soothing, low voice.

 

Jon stood up, rolling his shoulders as he began bouncing from one foot to the other.  Colby was touching Chacia with gentle, familiar hands, like they were lovers.  That did not sit well with him at all.  He made his way over to the boxing bag, imagining it was Colby’s head he was about to take off.  He caught the bag on a rebound when he heard Chacia starting to laugh, staring at the trio darkly.

 

“Are you sure?  I’m fine, I can keep going…”

 

That laughter had manifested from Colby lifting her over his shoulder and carting her towards the unisex bathroom, where the showers awaited.  Bayley laughed, following suit and shook her head at them, not seeing the icy glare shot their way.  Chacia started up the shower while Colby went to his own and Bayley had hers.  The women showers were on one side and the men on the other, so there was quite a distance between them.  Standing under the cold sprays, Chacia planted her hands against the wall and let her blood simmer, feeling that ache and fire once again pulsate through her body.  She was highly tempted to touch herself, to bring her some kind of relief, but refrained due to Bayley not far off in her own shower.

 

A hand moved to cup her mouth, the other pulled her dripping wet body right back against his own rock hard form.  Any other woman would have struggled or fought, but it was like Chacia knew it was him. “I don’t think I like seeing you with Rollins, darlin’,” He whispered menacingly in her ear, letting the hand not over her mouth caress just beneath her navel, his fingertips blazing a path on her skin, up and down, up and lower… “In fact, I kind of hate it.” She was screwing the guy who had said Jon’s injury was a blessing.

 

If she made a sound, if she tried fighting him off, Colby would come running and Bayley would overhear.  Honestly, Chacia was a stupid woman for actually enjoying the attention Jon was giving her.  For cornering her in the shower, in a gym’s unisex bathroom, of all places.  If not for the cold water beating down on them, she would’ve ignited in flames, especially when that strong hand finally touched her bundle of nerves.  She whimpered against his hand, which muffled it and Chacia swore she could feel her heart ready to burst out of her chest. The water was extremely loud throughout the shower room, so they wouldn’t be overheard easily unless they raised their voices.  She pushed his hand away from her mouth and felt his hand immediately wrap around her throat, squeezing slightly.

 

“And why is that?” She breathed out, doing her very best to stay as quiet as possible and the fire once again raged inside of her.

 

“You know why,” Jon growled, running his tongue up the side of her throat, feeling her quiver against him. “It’s low of you, fucking the guy who betrayed me, Chace.  That’s a whole new level of fucked up.” Even he had yet to hit that level, but that wasn’t for a lack of trying.  He slid his middle finger down her slit and back up, smirking when he felt her becoming wet and not from the water. “Does Colby know I get you all hot and bothered, darlin’?”

 

He slid that finger past her folds, not surprised when she let out a low moan.  Tightening his hold on her throat, Jon rationed her oxygen.  One, it meant she wasn’t screaming out anytime soon.  Two, it also meant sensations elsewhere in her body would be amplified and Chacia wouldn’t be overly quick to stop him, providing she even could.  Three… he felt she needed to be choked, but he also didn’t want to hurt her, not really.  Jon added a second finger to the first, pumping them in and out, looking over her shoulder to watch as his glistening fingers pleasured her.

 

“Put your palms against the wall, Chacia.” He ordered, wondering how far this could go without either someone interrupting or her coming to her senses. “Go on.”

 

Christ, he was going to make her burst into flames!  Chacia could only swallow hard and did as she was told, her whole body trembling because Jon never stopped pumping his fingers in and out of her tight core.  There would be no coming to her senses because she knew exactly what was going on and who she was with.  That damn pull was preventing her from stopping him.  Chacia WANTED him to do this, to touch her, to cum for him in waves, to be with him in every way, shape, and form.

 

“O-Oh god…” She breathed out, almost gasping for air and his knee forced her thighs apart wider, her legs, his fingers driving in and out of her harder and faster now, brushing repeatedly against her sweet spot. “J-Jon…” Her body was on shaky ground and if he kept this up much longer, she would reach her end. “I-I didn’t…” Her eyes shut momentarily, trying to make this last as long as possible, to draw it out.

 

“Didn’t what?” He demanded in her ear, no longer holding her throat.  No, he had moved that hand down to her hip and then up her stomach until he reached her breasts. “What didn’t you, Chacia?”

 

His tongue flicked against the shell of her ear, his breath hot against her skin.  He curved his fingers, purposefully stimulating her sweet spot and Jon could feel her entire body shaking, knowing she was close.  He moved the other hand down, reaching around to stroke her bundle of nerves.  Seth only wished his cock could do even half of what Jon’s very talented fingers could.

 

It took her a minute to catch her breath, which was incredibly hard with what his skillful digits were doing to her. “F-Fuck him…”

 

Chacia felt her eyes drift shut at his low growl in her ear, not sure if it was approval or just the simple fact he was enjoying this.  He could believe her or not, that was his choice, but she hadn’t had sex with Colby.  It was building up to that, slowly.  They were taking their time because both Colby and Chacia wanted it to be JUST them when it finally happened.

 

“W-What do you care anyway?  Y-You don’t want me and you made that clear…” Her hips began moving with his fingers, stimulating her more and she was at the edge, ready to topple over it.

 

Jon didn’t give her an immediate answer, busy making sure this time she got her release and she wasn’t left hanging.  A way of letting her know she was messing up by being with, not only the wrong man but the worst man to pick in this company.  The man he had every intention of dismantling at Hell in a Cell.

 

“Do you wanna cum, darlin’?” He asked harshly, seeing her head bobbing rapidly.  She could say she wasn’t fucking Colby and it didn’t matter. 

 

Chacia had bailed on him for an overnighter with some guy, and from his view, she had been messing with two men at the same time, on top of fooling with him.  She needed something and he was going to be the one to give it to her. Kissing her pulse point, Jon felt her body coil as she struggled to keep rhythm.  All Chacia could do was keep hoping, praying, silently begging he would NOT pull away and leave her in agony again. 

 

She shivered at his lips against her neck and felt the hot coil within her belly form, tensing.  There it was. “Yes…oh yes…” She gasped out, really hoping the sprays drowned out her moans and felt Jon’s mouth slap over her mouth again as she finally shattered against him.  Thankfully, his mouth muffled her cry of pleasure as her body convulsed, her hot juices soaking his fingers and hand.  Sagging back against him, Jon didn’t stop pumping his fingers right away until he was sure he had ridden out her entire climax, her pussy deliciously aching. “C-Christ…” She rasped out, slowly opening her eyes and tried to slow her racing heart down, coming back down from the sexual high Jon skyrocketed her to.  The cold water was helping, even though her legs felt like jelly at the moment, her knees trembling.

 

“Jon,” He corrected, brushing his lips against hers with a smirk.  He pulled her soaked body into his with one arm, burying his face in her wet hair and groaned. “You’re too good for him, Chace.” Jon murmured, not adding the other part they both knew; she was definitely too good for the likes of him as well. 

 

A second later, he was gone, knowing if he was caught with her in that position, well… nobody would wait for Hell in a Cell, they’d wind up having it out right then and there.  It could’ve been fun, but he wanted to do it legally, in that ring, where no one would blink twice.  Chacia stayed her backside under the cold sprays longer than necessary, trying to calm down and get rid of the flush in her cheeks. 

 

What the HELL was THAT about?  Now that she was thinking clearly, hot tears streamed down her cheeks as she buried her face in her hands, the guilt crashing over her.  She was with Colby and yet, she just got off with Jon!  And she LET it happen!  After everything that bastard put her through, she STILL let him touch her and kiss her, not fighting him off at all.  She quickly washed her hair and body, letting the cold water wash away her tears because Colby could NOT find out about this.  Chacia stepped out 20 minutes later and dressed, walking out of the shower room where Colby was waiting for her.  Bayley had already taken off, promising to meet up with them at the arena. 

 

Grabbing Colby’s hand, Chacia walked out of the building with him and felt his fingers laced with hers, keeping a smile on her face, even though inside she felt like dying.

 

Chapter 31

 

Colby had absolutely no idea what had gone on, but he was aware that Chacia had a ridiculously long shower habit.  Considering that was probably her biggest indulgence and she had so many good things about her, he figured the trade-off was fair. “You and your damn cold showers,” He grumbled playfully, her hand was freezing.  He got that cold water was good for the skin, helped open up the pores and all that, but he’d take a hard pass. “Feel better, Angel?”

 

No, no I really don’t, she answered in thought, nodding with a small smile. “Yeah.  That was quite a workout.” That was an understatement. 

 

Jon had put her through the paces, in a cold shower, but the cold water did nothing to simmer the fire inside of her.  Jon had finished her off this time, after pulling away in the past, and it confused the hell out of her.  Why now?  Why did he decide to come to her now after getting her in trouble with the company and she was with Colby?  Was it strictly because of Colby?  This was what she’d been afraid of happening, one or the other using her in this feud.  Slipping in the passenger seat, Chacia buckled up and stared out the window, trying to push what happened with Jon out of her mind for the time being.  Tonight when she was alone in her hotel room, she could mull over it more, but right now, she had to focus on her job.

 

Obviously, seeing Jon had gotten under her skin.  Colby knew she would have issues with the man because she loved him.  While it did, occasionally, bother him, the bother was slight.  He had known what he was signing up for and he had patience, unlike some people.  They had work, however, so all of that had to go on the backburner.  One thing they definitely agreed on was that personal issues had to be left at the door.

 

It was good to know, Jon mused, that he still had some sort of effect on Chacia.  He had been marginally concerned, when it crossed his mind, that maybe he had pushed her too far.  It was unthinkable, her not coming when he needed her, or just not being there at all, and it didn’t help that Rollins had swooped in to play her knight in shining armor.  Her not even attempting to fight him off in the shower today had reaffirmed what he had been hoping, she still wanted him.

 

What she wouldn’t give to have a woman to talk to about this because Drake wasn’t an option.  There were just some things a man and woman didn’t discuss and being sexed up was one of them, unless they were a couple talking about each other.  Past lovers were iffy.  Sleep would not come easy for her tonight, but she had to try since they had to leave bright and early to head to the next house show.  Then Sunday was the pay-per-view event, which Chacia wasn’t looking forward to.  Jon and Colby were going to tear each other apart and there was nothing she could do to prevent it.  Jon wanted what Colby had, the gold, and would stop at nothing to snatch it from the man who he felt backstabbed him in an interview.  Chacia didn’t believe Colby was a backstabber; he had jumbled his words and they came out the wrong way.  If only Jon could see it from Colby’s point of view, but that would never happen since Jon was a selfish dick.

 

“Ow, hell, help me…” Pavana came stumbling in, holding out her hand. “I think I jammed my fingers.” She whined, showing off her middle and ring finger on her right hand, both slightly swollen. “Maybe.” She had been helping backstage with a ‘prop’ of sorts for the upcoming pay-per-view, gotten her hand whacked straight on while her fingers had been extended. “I’ve got a match to officiate tonight,” And this was her dominant hand. “Help?” She extended it to Chacia with a pained smile.

 

Chacia immediately dropped what she was doing, which was an inventory of the medical supplies and went to Pavana, gingerly taking her hand. “Okay, can you flex your fingers for me?” She did and grimaced with pain and that wasn’t a good sign, but not bad either. “Come on, let me get a closer look at them, I don’t think they’re broken.” That made Pavana sigh with great relief.  The woman hopped up on the bedding and Chacia began straightening her fingers while watching Pavana’s face. “They seem to be slightly sprained, from what I can tell.” Without an x-ray, it couldn’t be certain. “Is there any way you can use your other hand to do the counting in the ring tonight?  Give these time to heal with a small splint?”

 

“Yeah, I can try,” Pavana smiled slightly, shaking her head at her own stupidity. “I wasn’t even thinking and I went to catch a box tossed my way, and I did this.” She mimed her fingers being held out straight, horizontally, like a total blonde. “I think it’s a sprain too.” She would have to really work on remembering not to use these fingers or else it was going to hurt.  Watching as Chacia started putting them in the splint, Pavana sighed and shook her head. “Joe is going to get such a kick out of this, he says I’m the most accident prone referee in the history of this company.” Which was only marginally true.  She had some issues, she knew it, everyone knew it, and they had been working through them slowly.

 

“You can tell him to stick it up his ass.  You were trying to help the ring crew, it’s not like you intentionally injured yourself.” Chacia saw the surprise on Pavana’s face and sighed, continuing to wrap her fingers. “Sorry.  I’m just…on edge tonight.  Shit happens, that’s all I’m saying.”

 

“Anything you wanna talk about?” Pavana asked, noticing Larry had left the office for some reason and eyeballed Chacia, wondering what was going on with the woman. “Ambrose has left you alone, right?” Chacia’s cheeks reddened, which was a dead giveaway to Pavana and her eyes widened. “What happened?”

 

“Nothing…”

 

Pavana snorted, pulling her hand away. “Bullshit.  You’re a horrible liar, has anyone ever told you that?”

 

She lied pretty good to Colby earlier that day after the gym incident, but Chacia usually took cold showers, so it wasn’t a clue something had happened besides a regular shower. “A time or two, yeah…”

 

Was telling Pavana the right thing to do? 

 

What if she went and blabbed to her husband? 

 

They didn’t know each other that way, but after what Jon did to her…Chacia needed to vent to a woman. “If I tell you what happened, you have to SWEAR you won’t say anything to ANYONE, not even Joe.”

 

Pavana held her injured hand up. “Cross my heart and if I lie, you can stick a needle in my eye.”

 

That made Chacia laugh because it was so old-school and she hadn’t heard that saying in a long time.  Or that version of it.  Walking over, she shut the door to make sure nobody was eavesdropping and proceeded to tell Pavana what happened at the gym, skipping over some details, but giving her enough information to paint a clear picture.

 

“Are you SURE I can’t tell Joe?” She asked when Chacia was done telling her a rather condensed version of what had happened, shaking her head when Chacia instantly looked panicky. “I won’t, I won’t!  It was a joke, mostly.” That was a lot for someone, who wasn’t exactly her best friend, to be laying on her.  Pavana had to sit there and just think it all over, finally shaking her head. “Well… first of all, Dean’s a bastard.  Second, it sounds like he’s playing games with you and, from one grown ass woman to the other, don’t play them back.” If Chacia was seeing Seth, she needed to cut those ties with Ambrose because it sounded like Dean was out to jerk her chain and toy with her.

 

She’d been TRYING to sever those ties to Jon and, even after 8 long years of no contact, they were STILL stronger than ever. “I don’t know if I can…” She whispered that, focusing on Pavana’s hand and shook her head sadly. “I told Colby to run away.  I told him he would end up getting hurt.  I warned him and he STILL wanted to take a chance on me, for me to take a chance on him.” Chacia finished, standing from the stool she’d been sitting on and clasped her hands in front of her. “I don’t know what to do about Jon.  It’s like…like I can’t stop myself from wanting him, needing him and if he knows that, he’s going to use it against me.  Shit…” Maybe telling Colby was her only option, but she didn’t want to hurt her boyfriend. “Sorry, I know this is A LOT to drop on you and you’re probably thinking I’m a fucking idiot for allowing a guy to do this to me…”

 

“Do you know what a co-dependent relationship is, Chacia?” Pavana asked softly, almost hesitantly. “Um, it’s when a person is… like literally addicted to the other.  Like… it is…. it can make it so the person with the um, issue, can’t have a healthy, MUTUAL, satisfying relationship because they are addicted to the one-sided relationship.” Which sounded quite a bit like Chacia and Dean. “It’s emotionally destructive, and there can be various types of abuse, it’s a thing.” It was an actual mental health issue if she were honest. “It’s just something to think about is all.” Because Chacia’s relationship with Dean was definitely one-sided, it was obvious Ambrose didn’t care about this woman at all.

 

And Chacia had gone to the EXTREMES for him.

 

Mental health issue?  Is that what this was?  Emotionally destructive it was and, the more she thought about it, Chacia realized just how dead-on that explanation was.  She’d never had a healthy, mutual, satisfying relationship in her life…because of Jon.  She’d never been completely happy…because of Jon.  When he cut her off for those 8 years, Chacia immersed herself in work and didn’t go on dates; Cody called her a workaholic.  Jon had taken away the love she had for wrestling, which was why she quit and went to school instead to be in sports medicine.  Was she addicted to Jon?  Or was it something more powerful than that?  Maybe it was a mixture of both.  How else did she explain everything she’d done for the man, the EXTREMES she’d gone to for him?  Jon used her over and over again, time and time again, pushing her to her breaking point and left her high and dry, frustrated and heartbroken.

 

“Thank you, Pavana.  You’ve helped me a great deal and I appreciate it.”

 

Jon had taken and never gave anything back in return…it really was all one-sided and that revelation tore Chacia apart from the inside out, forcing her to fight back tears.  Pavana left her alone and Chacia went back to do inventory, deciding when she got back to the hotel later that night, she was doing research to find a way to deal with her apparent mental health issue.

 

Pavana hoped -no, she was praying that if it was this wicked mental illness and that sounded so weird when it was applied to Chacia- Chacia did not try to justify it or shape it into something it wasn’t.  She hoped the woman managed to do the right thing for herself and get help because, until she did, she was always going to be haunted and hooked on the drug that was Dean Ambrose.  It was strange because Chacia was the perfect picture of normal and healthy.  She was physically fit, healthy eater, very intelligent, had a great job and career path, and she was as kind and nice as she was beautiful.  It just went to show that even the most picture perfect person could be a tangled, murky mess inside and behind the facade.  Pavana had a LOT she couldn’t tell her husband.  Hell, she couldn’t tell him even if she had wanted to because Joe would feel obligated straight to Seth.  Seth might’ve known what he had signed up for, but Pavana was betting he didn’t really grasp it, not really.  Poor guy.  Poor Chacia.  Fuck Dean Ambrose.

 

“What an asshole…” She muttered, walking down the hallway to go check in with the officials.

 

Later that night, Chacia declined going out with Colby to sit alone in her hotel room and ponder over what Pavana told her.  She had her laptop open, fresh out of the bath and started reading over co-dependent relationships.  It was hard to admit, but the signs were all there.  She was addicted to Jon and it made her cry because she didn’t know how to shake him.  What did crack addicts do when they were hopped up on the stuff?  Cocaine addicts?  Alcoholics?  Getting away from him seemed to be her only option, but she couldn’t because of her contract with WWE.  This went far beyond love – it was more than just being in love with the man because a person could be in love with another without the addiction.  Not only was she in love with Jonathan Good, but she was also addicted to him…and both were a very dangerous combination to the psyche.

 

Tonight wasn’t her night because Jon had decided that he and Chacia needed to reconnect after their shower incident.  The fact that she hadn’t pushed him away, tried stopping him at all, or screamed for help or something, told him she wasn’t ready to cut him off.  On some level, Jon did recognize that he was a real dirt baggy friend.  Hell, he couldn’t even be called a friend.  He was a user, he had used her and then discarded her.  That was something he did realize, but Jon also kept that realization locked down and away underneath all the rest of the baggage he was carrying.  What he did know was his supposed best friend was fucking his ex-buddy, who had betrayed him, after Jon had gotten her a job and after they had been sort of intimate with each other.  That was shady, at least in his mind.  But she still wanted HIM.  He rapped on the door, his eyes cold, but the smirk amused when she actually opened.

 

“Miss me, darlin’?”

 

What in god’s name was he doing here?!  Chacia should’ve slammed the door shut in his face and flipped the lock, but that goddamn pull was back again.  Rearing its ugly head!  Before anyone saw him at her door, which she checked just to make sure, Chacia yanked him inside by the arm none too gently, closing it behind her.

 

“What the hell are you doing here, Good?” She demanded, irritated beyond belief she had dragged him in here instead of slammed the door in his face. 

 

Was her brain even working anymore?  Was she capable of cutting him out of her life?  Chacia wrapped her arms around herself, keeping a distance from him because if he touched her, she wouldn’t be able to push him away or fight him off.

 

“Say your piece and get the fuck out.”

 

Chapter 32

 

“Where’s all the hostility coming from, darlin’?” Jon asked cordially, his eyes sweeping the room for signs of her boyfriend.  It was obvious she was staying here alone tonight.  Jon was a bit curious about just how far that relationship had progressed, not that he was going to ask.  Not just yet. “I thought after this morning, you’d be happy to see me.” Considering with his fingers alone he had made her climax harder than anyone else probably had, he was arrogant enough not only to think but truly believe it.

 

Where the hell did she even begin?!  Again with the audacious questions!  Chacia gritted her teeth, feeling her palm twitch and knew striking him would end her WWE career.  Not happening.  She didn’t care how hard he pushed her, she would not fall into this trap and lose everything.

 

“Happy?  You think I’m happy to see you?  Let’s recap, Good, shall we?” She began ticking things off with her fingers. “You threw me under the bus with the elevator incident, which I’m STILL on probation for and got fined.  You used me and tossed me away like I was nothing AFTER I helped get your ass back in that ring in the first place!  You got me riled up and then WALKED AWAY from me TWICE, leaving me in physical agony.  You think everybody is out to get you when really it’s all in that demented mind of yours!  Should I really go on?  Or wait, you’re here for something else, aren’t you?  You NEED something from me or else you wouldn’t be here because all you do is USE PEOPLE.”

 

Jon’s eyes had gotten larger and larger throughout her quite passionate tirade, and then narrowed into glacier slits at being called a user.  Was he a user?  Yes.  Not that he would ever actually acknowledge it.  He brushed that aside, deciding to focus on the important thing here: it all being in his head.

 

“Darlin’, in case you hadn’t noticed, this company was out to get me or else I wouldn’t have been playing errand bitch for the Shield and that cunt bucket Rollins.” Chacia looked like she was considering physical violence right now and he waved a finger at her, slowly walking towards her. “Behave.  I was very, very nice to you this morning.” Jon then held up the hand he had fingerbanged her with, looking at them and then back to her. “Apparently, you need it again, you’re… worked up.”

 

“I don’t give a good goddamn WHAT this company has done to you, you rat bastard!!” Chacia backed away, trembling with barely contained fury and wondered if he just heard a WORD she said.  No, probably not. “I don’t CARE what they forced you to do or how much they’ve screwed you over!  That gives you no right to treat me the way you have!  I’VE ALWAYS BEEN THERE FOR YOU!  ALWAYS!  And you toss me away like I’m NOTHING!  I uprooted my ENTIRE life for you, after 8 years of not hearing a PEEP out of you and it was because you NEEDED something from me!  You didn’t do it out of the kindness of your heart or because you wanted to see me again!  YOU DID IT BECAUSE YOU NEEDED MY HELP!  YOU NEEDED ME AND I HELPED YOU LIKE A FUCKING IDIOT!  Because I was blind to the type of person you really are, but I’ve opened my eyes now and I see the truth.  You’re a goddamn selfish, egotistical PRICK and I’ll be DAMNED if I’m gonna let you use me against Colby!  I know that’s why you’re really here, it sticks in your craw that I’m with him after the interview he did on you.  Again, you’re a user, you use people and then toss them aside and I’m DONE playing your goddamn games!  Now get the fuck out of my room, Jonathan David Good and DON’T COME BACK!” CHRIST, that felt amazing to say!

 

Ouch.  Jon could only stare at her.  She was LIVID.  Her entire face was beet red, her hands were clenched into tight fists at her sides and her mouth was set in a determined, grim line.  Her eyes, those beautiful hazel eyes, were spitting fire at him, daring him to say or do something.  And at the same time, there was hurt as well, something that pierced him in a way he couldn’t describe.  Jon frowned, unsure of what to say or do, knowing they were reaching that point of no return in what was left of their relationship, or whatever it was they had.  Friends were definitely not the word.

 

“No.” He said finally, firmly and crossed the room to snatch her into his arms, keeping hers pinned at her sides, so she couldn’t hit him again. “No.” He repeated, bending down and claiming her mouth with his.

 

FIGHT BACK!  FIGHT HIM, Chacia’s mind screamed at her, but her heart and that pull inside of her, the addiction, was too overwhelming. 

 

This was what she had been trying to avoid happening.  She couldn’t help kissing him back, even with the poisonous words she spewed at him.  Tears flowed down her cheeks as he kissed her breathlessly, their bodies molded together and her arms were freed to wrap around his neck.  She should’ve kneed him in the groin and ran out of there, but his kiss felt too good, too familiar, the softest of moans filtering from her lips.  Her fingers massaged the back of his neck, his buzzed head and when their tongues touched, a fire erupted inside of her.  God…nobody could create a raging inferno inside of her like Jon and she was powerless to stop it.  She pulled back enough to bite at his lower lip before kissing him again, this time with more heat and passion, her heart pounding in her ears.

 

All her little defiant bite had done was make his simmering blood burst out into a full-fledged inferno and his hands moved down to her delicious backside, pulling her hips into his.  That wasn’t enough, he lifted her, feeling her legs encircle his waist and pinned her right to the wall, leaning his weight into her lush little body.  Jon almost said something, almost taunted her, but instead, he put his mouth to better use and licked away those tears before working his way down her neck, his hands grabbing at her shirt, tugging it up.

 

“N-No, no please don’t…I-I can’t…”

 

The fire was raging powerfully and if he stopped, if he left her hanging again, she would probably outright murder him.  Her nightshirt was pushed up and over her head, tossed to the floor to leave her just in her panties.  Chacia very rarely wore a bra to bed because they were too uncomfortable and her nipples were already hardened by the effect he had on her.  Jon didn’t stop, ignoring her whimpering pleas and kept her pinned against the wall, his greedy mouth capturing a nipple to swirl around his tongue before giving the other the same attention. 

 

Chacia was in ecstasy, her mind nothing more than a thick, passion haze and she encouraged him, hissing and moaning out whenever he bit into her flesh or suckled.  This was so wrong, on so many levels, because she was taken by another man, even though she and Colby hadn’t had sex yet.  She was still in a relationship with him and cheating on him; all because Jon couldn’t leave her alone and she couldn’t overcome her addiction.  Bringing his head back up from her breasts, their mouths connected and it was her turn to peel his shirt up over his head, her mouth sealed to the side of his neck, kissing along his throat.

 

“Mmmm, you can, darlin’…” He growled, lulling his head back as she moved her mouth over his Adam’s apple before dropping to his knees.

 

One swift, hard jerk removed those panties and he smirked when she whimpered.  His hands began moving, drawing one of her legs to rest over his shoulder, the other gripping her hip to hold her steady as he let his eyes feast on the sight of her deliciously wet pussy.  Neither one of them would be left hanging tonight.  Jon had suffered blue balls for months now it seemed.  Tonight, the misery was over.

 

For both of them.

 

“Mine.” He murmured, kissing up along her inner thigh, feeling her trembling, her hands on his head.

 

Exhaling slowly, Jon purposefully blew hot air against her and heard her mewls, smiling wickedly before burying his face where she needed it the most.  It was, indeed.  Her pussy, her body, her heart, mind, and soul all belonged to him.  And he didn’t even care or acknowledge it.  Chacia knew exactly what this was.  She knew damn well he was only here to sex her up, so he could throw it in Colby’s face later.  That meant she would have to tell Colby what happened tonight and hurt the man.  Even knowing that information, she caressed his shoulders and head, pressing her head back against the wall and let him devour her, let him taste and tease her.  His fingers felt amazing, but this was a whole new level of desire with his mouth and sinful tongue.

 

“O-Oh god, Jon…” She moaned out, breathlessly, beginning to grind her pussy against his mouth as he tongue-fucked her, forcing her to submit to him again.  Chacia looked down, watching his tongue drive in and out of her hot core and it was possibly the most erotic sight she ever saw in her life. “Make me cum, baby, please…god, I need it…” From him, and only him.

 

His response was to bring the hand that was on her hip inward and up, trailing a path up and down her slit, while he focused his tongue and lips on her clit.  Sucking and licking while she pleaded for a release they both knew only he could give her.  What was she like in bed?  She had no problem being fingered, being tasted, what were her limits, her kinks, what did she like…Jon wanted to know everything, learn every delicious secret, and then exploit them.  Make her see stars and scream his name until her oxygen ran out.  Sliding two fingers into her core, he felt her walls instantly caving in around him, spasming as if it were a cock and he could just imagine how that would feel when he did fuck her properly.

 

“Christ Chace… cum for me, darlin’.”

 

He looked up at her, taking in the way her face was contorted and knew it was approaching.  It did not take long, not after the impromptu fingering session earlier that day.  Her body was ready, still a little sensitive from that bout and Chacia couldn’t stop herself even if she wanted to.

 

“Oh…Oh yeah…yeah…oh right there…oh god!” 

 

Her climax hit, washing over her and her hot juices gushed forth right into his willing mouth, sliding down his chin and throat.  Jon hadn’t been able to catch all of it as her nails dug into his head, gasping his name and her whole body tensed and then relaxed.  Chacia sagged back against the wall with ragged breathing, loosening her grip on his head while he continued feasting on her, drinking her dry.

 

“J-Jon…” Christ, she couldn’t breathe hardly after that, coughing out a few times with an unkempt laugh.

 

He liked that she could hardly breathe and did not give Chacia a minute to recover.  Jon was up and his jeans were down, lifting her back up against that wall as he guided the head of his cock to her dripping sex.  He rubbed himself up and down her slit, against her clit, watching her face as she stared at him, still struggling to breathe right.  Pushing past her slick folds just slightly, enough to hear her moan, Jon withdrew to do it again and again until he thought he was going to wind up killing himself.

 

“No going back, darlin’.” He warned right before thrusting forward and burying himself to the hilt in her very receptive body.

 

Years.  It had taken YEARS for this particular moment to finally happen.  The emotions coursing through her forced fresh tears to slide down her cheeks as she pressed her forehead to his, feeling him thrust in and out of her at a smooth, steady pace.  His cock felt exquisite inside of her and, although it was somewhat painful, due to her not having sex in a while, it was nothing compared to the pure ecstasy Chacia felt with every thrust.  If her addiction was bad before, if that pull was impossible to deal with before, it would only increase tenfold now that they finally joined together.  Jon was the only man she wanted to be with, the one who completed her in every way, the one who drove her crazy and made her hotter than molten lava in the span of seconds.

 

“For the love of god…don’t stop…please don’t stop…” She pleaded in a breathless moan, rocking in time with him and caressed his broad shoulders and chest, nipping his bottom lip again. “H-Harder…fuck me, Jon…”

 

She wanted harder, so he held her steady and pounded her the way she was begging him to. “I’m going to fuck you until you break, Chacia.” He promised through gritted teeth, knowing this wouldn’t work long-term and pulled her away from the wall.

 

A second later he had planted her on the dresser top, watching as her hands moved back to brace herself and pulled her out until her backside was at the edge, starting the dance all over again.  She had been made just for him, he knew it, and nobody would ever feel as good as she did, which made him growl.  His teeth snapped as his eyes landed on the spot where shoulder met neck, wanting to mark her.

 

He’d already shattered her multiple times and didn’t know or realize it. “I’m already broken…” Chacia admitted, gasping and let out a soft cry when his teeth actually sank into the spot where shoulder met neck, shutting her eyes. 

 

He was marking her!  He was actually leaving a mark on her!  It didn’t matter, she supposed since she didn’t plan on keeping this from Colby.  A cheater she was, but never a liar.  How ironic it was she was in the arms of a liar and letting one screw her into submission.  With every hard, powerful thrust, she met him speed for speed, their pelvises colliding together and the sounds of flesh smacking flesh resonated through the room.

 

“Fuck, break me all over again…shatter me…”

 

Jon hadn’t come here with the intention of using her against Seth.  He had known he came here for something sexual, but nothing to do with Seth or throwing her into the other man’s face.  It did occur to him, after the fact, he had just done it anyway, whether he wanted it to happen or not.  Well, that was on her to deal with, not him.  She was supposed to be with Seth, but was now letting him fuck her like he owned her, which he did.  Jon owned every part of her.

 

“Off the dresser…”

 

Withdrawing from her, both of them groaned at the loss, though he had her bent over her bed soon enough, pushing down between her shoulder blades to faceplant her in the mattress and her backside was perfectly lined up with him.  Jon didn’t waste another second, sliding back home and then slapped both cheeks for good measure.  Digging her nails into the bedding, all Chacia could do was lay there while Jon pounded her into oblivion, cumming so many times, she lost count.  She had no idea how many times her pussy clenched his dick and milked him, but Jon was relentless.  This was everything she dreamt their first time to be and more, albeit maybe a tad more romantic.  She cried out his name several times, raising herself off the bed only for him to push her right back down.  Her cheeks were a deep rosy red from his smacks and that in itself felt amazing, making her pussy tingle. 

 

When he finally exploded inside of her, it was like a volcanic eruption and Chacia completely sagged on the bed, collapsing.  Her back had been pressed against his chest, his hand around her throat, which made her gush that much harder and the moment more intense.  Her body had convulsed and trembled against him, tensing with one final release, giving Jon every single drop of her she could muster.  Coughing, she felt him collapse beside her, her on her stomach and him on his back, both trying not to pass out from that intense encounter.

 

Chapter 33

 

On occasion, Jon had imagined what sex would be like between them for the first time.

 

Given their many years of knowing each other and friendship, he had sometimes imagined it would be gentle and fun.  This had been fun, but brutal and he didn’t have to look to know that, where he had bitten her, would be swollen, bruised and sore in the morning if it wasn’t already.  Her backside would probably be the same way.  Seth would know and, while that brought him a lot of satisfaction, it was tinged with something almost regretful, for her sake.

 

“I’m sorry.” He muttered gruffly, which was all she was getting from him.

 

“No, you’re not.” Chacia didn’t believe him for a second, managing to turn her head to look at him and felt the passion haze that clouded her mind, her judgment, dissipate. “You meant for this to happen.  And you can’t even deny it.”

 

Snorting, Chacia pushed herself up from the bed and stood on wobbly legs, managing to swipe her nightshirt from the floor.  Once again, Jon needed something from her and this time it was sex…all so she would split up with Colby.  He didn’t come here because he wanted to, because he loved her.  It was all part of his revenge kick and she was used like a pawn in a chess game.

 

“You got what you wanted.  You can leave now.” She ordered once the nightshirt was back on and tossed the shredded panties away, wincing at the bite mark on her shoulder. 

 

The anger was back in her eyes, along with hazel fire, all directed at him.  Groaning, Jon pushed himself up onto his feet, stretching his hands up over his head as he stared at her.  His eyes raked over her body, finally coming to a halt on that mark on her shoulder.

 

“I wanted to talk to you.” He was being truthful and could tell she didn’t believe him. “And yeah, pick up where I kept leaving you.” There was no denying that.  He frowned, going to retrieve his clothes, though Jon did not present his back to her.  She might have wound up kicking his ass. “The mark, darlin’, I didn’t… I know you’re seeing… Colby.” That left a very bitter taste in his mouth. “I wasn’t planning on marking you up, Chace.”

 

“Oh, so NOW you’re gonna be a good guy?  NOW you’re gonna have a conscience?  NOW you feel sympathy and guilt for what you did to me?  NOW you feel regret for screwing our friendship up?  Screw you, Jon!  SCREW YOU!” Chacia wanted to believe what he said, but she couldn’t, not after everything he’d put her through since she started in WWE.  Hell, even before that! “If you think, for a second, I was fucking you and STILL staying with Colby, you’ve lost your damn mind and you don’t know me at all.”

 

Hadn’t she warned Colby this would happen?  Yes, yes she had and did he listen?  NO HE DIDN’T!  And now she had to hurt him because Jon couldn’t keep his hands and lips to himself and she couldn’t control herself!

 

“And if you think this makes everything hunky dory between us again, it doesn’t.  You’ve taken so much from me and it was pointed out to me that I have a problem when it comes to you.  You’re my fucking addiction and I’m going to find a way, somehow, to beat it.”

 

His pants were on now and Jon stuffed his beater into his back pocket, now staring at her intently. “I’m your addiction… you’re out of your mind.” He remarked flatly, shaking his head.  Though, at the same time, it was an interesting idea.  She did come running at the first sign of trouble, even after 8 years of nothing. “You can’t break an addiction, Chacia, you just bury it and learn to deal with it.” He was in her personal space again. “How are you going to bury me, darlin’?” His fingers caressed her cheek.

 

She slapped his hand away, knowing she probably didn’t make any sense to him and that hurt even more because he STILL didn’t see it. “I’ve done everything and anything you’ve ever asked of me, no questions asked.  I’ve been by your side when you NEEDED me the most.  It’s only when you need me that you’re in my life and I’m sick of it.  I can’t live my life like this anymore.  I can’t just be there for you when you come calling, when you NEED something from me.  I’m sick of being used and treated like shit by you, Jon.  And I’m done giving you everything and getting nothing in return.  I’m going to find a way to bury you, deep down, to where I DON’T care about you ever again.  To put you in this tiny box in the back recesses of my mind, lock it up and throw away the damn key.  Because you are not worth my time, my effort or my goddamn tears anymore.”

 

“I don’t need you now?”

 

Jon tried like hell not to let her see that her words had actually done some damage.  She wasn’t wrong; every time he had reached out to her, it had been because he needed her.  Hell, he hadn’t even called or tried to talk to her during those 8 years.  Yet Cody simply relayed a message and she had flown straight to him.  He was a user, he got it.

 

“I want you, Chacia.” There was a world of difference.  Right?  He wasn’t helping, he could see the frustration starting to hit the point of attempted murder in her eyes.

 

Her eyes shut as soon as those words came out of his mouth, the tears beginning to fall.  Those were words she’d been DYING to hear from him for so long.  So damn long she waited…and waited…and waited…and THEN, she found someone else and NOW, he was finally telling her these words.

 

“You only want me because I’m taken by someone else and you damn well know it.  If I wasn’t with Colby, you wouldn’t be here right now.  You’d be off banging some other chick after leaving me hanging, sexually frustrated and BROKEN.  You want what you can’t have, Good.  I’m like a toy and someone else is playing with your toy and you don’t like it.  You don’t like someone else stepping on your turf – I’m just a fucking GAME to you!  And I’m done playing.  Fuck you.  Get out.”

 

The thing was, Jon hadn’t been with anyone.  He hadn’t wanted anyone BUT her.  Sure, he had female friends and, sometimes, spent time with them, but he never made advances outside of his harmless, casual flirting and he didn’t return any either.  He had been suffering blue balls for what seemed like an eternity because he hadn’t wanted to unleash his rage on Chacia.  Which…. his eyes flickered to her shoulder again, heaving a sigh, he had done anyway.  Maybe not as bad as it could have been when he first learned about Seth and the malarkey he had spewed, but it was bad enough.  Not that she had complained.  Chacia had begged to be broken and he had obliged.

 

“I’ll leave, darlin’.” Ice crept into his tone as he began shutting down all emotions. “But I promise, my little addict, you’re NOT done playing.”  Maybe he was addicted to her too, just not in the same way.

 

Or maybe he was addicted to using her.

 

Gasping when he grabbed her by the back of her neck, Jon brutally kissed her and didn’t break it until they both needed oxygen.  Was he right?  Was he right when he accused her of not being done playing this game?  Trembling, he released her abruptly and was out the door, driving her to her knees as soon as she heard the click.  Chacia buried her face in her hands, crying her heart out and gripped her shoulder where he marked her, her other arm wrapped tightly around her stomach.  She just had sex with Jon…and spewed poison at him because all he wanted to do was use her against Colby. 

 

Why did she LET him do it? 

 

Dragging herself from the floor, Chacia ripped the sheets and comforter off the bed and balled them up, tossing them in the closet.  She called down to room service, needing fresh linens and they were delivered 15 minutes later.  Once the bed was made with clean sheets and a comforter that didn’t smell like Jon, she changed her nightshirt and curled up in a ball, crying herself to sleep.

 

Jon didn’t sleep at all. 

 

He stood in the shower letting the water beat down on him, not even caring what the temperature was.  If it was icy, it wasn’t calming the simmering boil in his blood.  If it was hot, it wasn’t enough to burn the memories out of his mind.  He had just… all those years of friendship, and using her as she called it and, truthfully, she wasn’t wrong.  He had fucked her like an animal.  Against a wall.  On the dresser.  He had even bent her over and devoured her until she had gushed for him, and then brutally fucked her… marked her…

 

“Fuck.” He hissed, bringing his fists down against the tile wall.  Jon sincerely hoped Chacia was on some kind of birth control or something because he hadn’t thought twice about filling her with several months’ worth of cum. “Fuck…”

 

~!~

 

“…AND THE NEW WWE INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPION – DEAN AMBROSE!!”

 

“Oh fuck.”

 

Chacia gaped at the monitor and covered her mouth with her hand, watching, along with Larry and the other medical team staff, as Jon pinned Colby in the center of the ring, after planting him with Dirty Deeds.  It was a CLEAN victory too!  The fans weren’t too happy at the fact their hero, The Architect, had lost, but there was still some cheers for The Lunatic Fringe.  Christ, tonight was NOT the night to tell Colby about screwing Jon.  He was going to be in a FOUL mood after losing his title.  He had warned her ahead of time it was happening because the higher-ups were ‘punishing’ him for the interview he did prior to Jon’s return.  It was like a sucker punch to the gut and all she could do was hug Colby while making sure her marked shoulder was covered up.  T-shirts were her best friend, currently, because that bad boy was purple, blue and brown with a dash of red…and it wasn’t small either.

 

Jon stood there, breathing heavily, his eyes fastened on the belt he was holding up.  His belt.  HIS.  Even with Seth being told he had to play ball and take it like a man, the idiot had still refused to stay down, so Jon had kept pounding him.  It was a damn good match, he would admit it, he hated his former friend, but their chemistry in the ring was undeniable.  A cold, cruel smile flickered across his lips as he pointed directly at the camera, mouthing ‘mine’, knowing damn well Chacia was watching at that moment. 

 

He’d had Seth’s woman the night prior and tonight, he had Seth’s belt.

 

Chacia tried not to react to Jon doing that because it would’ve been a DEAD giveaway.  She pulled her gaze away from the monitor and nodded at some of her comrades telling her sorry since they were rooting for Colby.  She was too…on the outside.  Damn this pull!  Damn this addiction!  Inside, she was hoping for Jon to win and he did, so she was jumping for joy secretly.  What the hell was wrong with her?  She was the worse girlfriend on the planet!  When Colby finally stumbled in to get his knee checked out, which Jon had targeted most of the match, Larry allowed Chacia to do the honors.

 

“Great match out there.” She murmured quietly, helping him out of the kneepad he had strapped around the cap and rolled his pant leg up, after taking his wrestling boot off. “It’s just tender and bruised, but it’ll be fine.  Do you want me to massage it?  It might help…”

 

“Yeah, sure.” Colby muttered tonelessly, staring down at his knee.

 

He was being punished, months after the fact, for an article where he had made a mistake.  Colby hadn’t meant it the way it had come out and he wished he had asked them to clarify it.  Jon had jumped the shark and the higher-ups decided to reward him?  How was that fair?  What the hell?  Now everyone knew all Jon had to do was throw a bitch fit, flip a few scripts, and he’d get his way.  Jon was rapidly becoming known as a Diva.

 

“Angel, I don’t think I’m going to be very good company tonight.”

 

Definitely not telling him tonight, she thought, nodding at him with a sad smile and started working on his knee. “That’s fine.  You take the night to relax and calm down.  Tomorrow is a new day and it’s Raw.  Maybe you’ll get a rematch for the title.” Chacia wasn’t making him feel any better and Colby suddenly got up, storming out of the trainer’s room, or rather limping. “Shit.”

 

“It’s not your fault, Chace, remember that.” Larry placed a hand on her shoulder with a kind smile. “He’s just frustrated and pissed.  He’ll get over it.  Come on, we got more work to do.”

 

As much as Chacia wanted to worry about Colby, he would have to have a bitch fit by himself because she had a job to do.  His was done for the night, but hers wasn’t.  It was no surprise to find out Colby had gone back to the hotel, taking the rental car and that left Chacia without a ride back.  Great.  As if this night couldn’t get any worse…she whipped her phone out and called the cab company, hoping one was available or else she’d have to walk.

 

Word had reached Jon that Seth had gimped out of here like the punk bitch he was.  Ostensibly, he had stormed out of the medical room, which had Jon curious.  Had Chacia tried to mother hen his ass?  Bad timing on her part if she had, nobody wanted to be coddled after something like that went down tonight.  Jon hoped he had broken something of Seth’s.  Again. 

 

His eyes landed on Chacia, his Chace, and she was dialing out.

 

He plucked the cell from her hand and ended the call, spitting a stream of chew when she whirled around, not at her, but off to the side. “Need a lift, darlin’?” He asked genially, his mood pretty high right now.  Reaching out, Jon traced a finger over the t-shirt she wore, knowing just beneath it… yeah, he could feel the swollen area, frowning slightly. “You put salve on it?” He still stood by what he had told her last night; he hadn’t meant to do that.  It had just happened. “Come on, I’ll give you a ride, Chace.” He slung his arm around her, guiding her towards his rental.

 

Jon wasn’t using her, he was helping her, that had to be a change of pace for her.  Right?

 

Chapter 34

 

Why? 

 

Why was the universe out to destroy her? 

 

Why was fate out to make her life freaking MISERABLE?

 

“Why you?” She blurted out in a groan, unable to pull away from him again and leaned her head against his shoulder, heaving a sigh. “Why couldn’t it be someone, anyone, else in the company to come out that door and offer me a damn ride?” Now she was grumbling and elbowed Jon since he was laughing at her. “Not funny, jackass.” Suddenly, Chacia had to stop and gripped her shoulder, hissing out since the strap to her bag had rubbed against it. “I’m fine.” She somewhat growled, only for Jon to pull the shirt aside to look at the mark he left on her closely. “You’re lucky you didn’t draw blood.  It’ll go away in a couple weeks…and by then, I’ll be single again.” Just not tonight since Colby was in a very, very bad mood.

 

“You trying to tell me something, darlin’?”

 

Jon was in the best of moods, for once, and he was pretty sure there wasn’t a thing that could bring him down tonight.  HIS championship was safely in his bag, that additional weight something comforting for him.  Maybe the higher-ups hadn’t given Colby much of a choice, but Jon hadn’t given them much of a choice either.  He had taken a page out of the ‘bad old days’ and made it known he wasn’t being someone’s bitch boy anymore.

 

“Besides, you know, secretly, you’re happy to see me.  Why single again?” He opened the car door and waited until she was seated before walking around and getting in on the driver’s side, the locks engaging automatically as soon as the key was in the ignition. “You finally see the light and dumped that fool?” He actually felt… hopeful.

 

That hope in his tone made something warm form in her stomach, but Chacia immediately shoved it away, ignoring it.  She wouldn’t go down this road with Jon again because she’d been hopeful for them, only for him to completely obliterated them by driving her into the arms of Colby. “Not yet…and Colby isn’t a fool.  Well…maybe he is for being with someone like me, but other than that he’s a great guy…” Chacia folded her arms tightly and leaned her head back against the seat, not believing she was actually in a vehicle with Jon. “And I’m not dumping him, he’s going to leave me because I fucked you and cheated on him.” Something she STILL didn’t believe happened, but the mark on her shoulder and flashbacks told her otherwise.

 

“Darlin’, if you knew for a fact that all I had to do was show up and you’d let me have my way with you, then you had no business being with that idiot, to begin with,” Jon informed her flatly, shaking his head. “You call me a user, what the fuck are you doing with him?  Using him to escape me?” Which had worked out SO well, as that bite mark on her shoulder clearly indicated.

 

Jon may have been a lot of things, but not a cheater.  Knowing Chacia, she was going to wind up telling Seth about her little tryst because she was too honest.  Cheating and being honest did not go hand in hand, she was not that kind of woman.

 

“Where am I taking you?” Was she staying with the fool or had she gotten her own room. “If you need a place to crash, Chace, my room is always an option.” And his bed.

 

“Just shut up!  My god, you’re so damn full of yourself and it’s annoying!” Chacia growled, tempted to smack him upside his head for talking to her the way he was.  It was the truth, which stung because she knew she had no business being with Colby. “You know, not everything is about YOU, Mr. High and Mighty!  Some things just happen and Colby just happened.  I warned Colby ahead of time this might happen.” Her voice had gotten smaller, softer. “I told him to run away because I wasn’t worth it and he told me I was and to take a chance on him.  And I did, like an idiot.” She blew out a deep breath, tearing a hand through her hair while staring out the window. “I’m staying at the hotel, got my own room as usual.  I don’t need or want anything from you, Good.”

 

“You’re lying again, you suck at lying, Chacia.” Jon snorted, looking over at her.

 

She was mad because the truth hurt, he knew how that went.  Especially after the words she’d had for him last night after kicking him out of her room, after he had rocked her world the way only he knew how.  Nobody else would ever compare and now he knew why.  She was addicted to him.

 

“Riddle me something, why would any relatively sane man take a chance on a woman he knows is probably going to fuck him over?  Who does that?” Better question, why?  There was no way Seth was THAT in like or love with her.

 

Or at least he had better not be.

 

She frowned, not speaking for several minutes and mulled what Jon said over in her head.  That really was the million dollar question, wasn’t it?  Why did Seth take a chance on her, KNOWING how she felt for Jon?  Chacia had even worried maybe he was only doing it to stick it to Jon, to use her.

 

“Didn’t realize you were the Riddler.” She muttered with an eye roll and looked down at her phone, remembering the warning she received prior to signing with WWE. “Okay so, I probably should’ve told you this sooner, but you were so irate with Drake’s phone call and I didn’t want to upset you anymore…” Now Jon was staring at her, stopped at a red light and her eyes lowered to her lap, fidgeting with her hands. “The night we almost had sex at your place, when we got those two phone calls…Drake called you and…someone called me, but I have no idea who it was.  It was a warning not to sign with WWE and to stay away from you.  I haven’t received any other call like that since, but…it was weird…and a little too coincidental.” Suddenly, Jon pulled over to the side of the road and slammed the vehicle in park, making her hazel eyes widen.

 

“And why…” Jon began after a long, pregnant pause, wondering if Chacia really was that stupid.  Yes, she was, to answer his own question.  She was addicted to him apparently, let him use her, and was dating a slime bag, who was ‘okay’ with the likelihood that she would fuck around on him with someone who hated him. “Did you not tell me?” He shifted in his seat, glaring at her intently.  “Don’t you think something like that, some call like that, before you were even guaranteed the job, is something to mention?”

 

“You were upset…”

 

“I DON’T CARE IF I WAS UPSET!  YOU SHOULD’VE TOLD ME THAT SHIT!”

 

Chacia’s eyes narrowed to slits at him. “Stop yelling at me!” She yanked on the car door, but it was locked and Jon refused to unlock it since he had the child-proof locks on. “I forgot about it, okay?!  There was A LOT going on with that phone call from Drake and getting ready to sign with the company!  I didn’t exactly think a prank phone call was that serious, so STOP ACTING LIKE I DID YOU WRONG!” It was none of his business anyway, it didn’t happen to him. “I was going to tell you about it, but I honestly forgot about it until now.  It happens, I’m not perfect.” Far from it. “It’s probably nothing anyway…”

 

“You are so STUPID, Chacia!” Jon actually screamed that at her, wondering if it wasn’t a mental illness so much as mental retardation. “WHO knew about you being signed on?  You didn’t tell anyone, did you?” No, she hadn’t because there was no one to tell and it hadn’t been 100% in the bag that night. “So only three or four of us knew, and you can bet your ass Stephanie wasn’t telling anyone and Stephanie isn’t calling you up to tell you not to sign.” So who else had known, or suspected?  She was right, it was too coincidental, even if she was backing off of that now with her ‘probably nothing’. “Goddamn… you’re the dumbest smart person I’ve ever known.” She was highly intelligent… and really dumb, all at the same time. “Something like that, you tell me.  You tell anyone, you don’t sit on it!”

 

“Fuck off, Good.” Chacia snarled, not appreciating being scolded like a 5-year-old and turned away from him to stare out the window again.  Maybe it wasn’t the smartest decision to keep that information from him, but at the time, she felt it was best.  Just like it was best NOT to tell Colby she cheated on him the night he lost the Intercontinental championship to the very man she screwed the previous night. “I’m not the only stupid person in this car either.  You’re so blind, you couldn’t even see what was right in front of you until SOMEONE ELSE came into the picture.  And now suddenly, you want me.  You don’t NEED me, but you want me only because I’m not bowing at your goddamn feet or giving you all my attention anymore.” He could jump off the shortest pier for all she cared!

 

“No, I want you because I want you.  I’ve wanted you for a while, or didn’t you notice all those times I was coming onto you?” Jon just had horrible timing and anger issues.  Well, look where that had gotten them!  She was locked in a car with him.  Maybe it had paid off. “And are you going to tell your boy toy that you let me bend you over and have my wicked way with you?” He was calming down now, knowing pressing her about who could be calling was a lost cause because she had nothing more to say about it.

 

“I already told you I am.  I was going to do it tonight, but I wasn’t adding more to Colby’s shit-filled plate.” That man had been PISSED when he stalked out of the medical room and she’d actually had a flashback of him shoving her against the counter.  Her side wasn’t bruised anymore, but now she had other marks on her body, courtesy of Jon. “And tough shit.  You should’ve thought about that before casting me aside, frustrating me and USING me.  Winding me along like a goddamn puppet on a string!”

 

Chacia suddenly pounded a closed fist on top of the dashboard, gritting her teeth.  So many things she had lost because of him and now – NOW he wanted her.  Those words made her nauseous and she desperately wanted out of this car.

 

“Drive.”

 

“So, last night,” Jon was driving all right, to the hotel he was staying at, which he had made sure was not anywhere near Seth because he already knew that prick would be looking to pick a fight tonight after what would/had gone down.  Providing he could walk with that gimpy knee, Jon smirked wickedly, eyes flashing at the thought. “You were an addict and ready for me to fuck you and tonight you’re recovered and self-righteous?  Is that what I’m getting, darlin’?  Because I personally thought we had something good last night.”

 

“I never should’ve told you that.  I don’t know IF it’s an addiction or what, but…you know what?  Never mind.  I’m not having this conversation with you.”

 

Chacia was still trying to figure it out in her own head and could only describe it as a ‘pull’ of some kind.  A strong, magnetic pull that she only felt when it came to Jon.  She frowned, realizing they weren’t going to the hotel the rest of the WWE was staying at and felt her stomach tighten.

 

“I said take me back to the hotel, Jon.  TO. MY. ROOM.  My stuff is there, I don’t have anything with me…” It looked like he didn’t care and she groaned, regretting getting into this car with him. “Just let me out then and I’ll walk the rest of the way, asshole.”

 

“No, being an asshole would mean letting you out and letting you walk.  You’d wind up mugged or raped if not both.  I’m a gentleman, darlin’.”

 

Jon didn’t look at her, busy reaching for his chew.  Once he had it tucked behind his bottom lip, he sighed, pulling into the parking lot where he was staying.  Nice, quiet, and a ways off from everyone else, especially the other WWE Superstars.

 

“Look, I have a bottle of whiskey on ice in there, and I promise to behave IF you really want me too.  Stay, Chacia.” Jon turned in his seat after unbuckling, staring at her intently. “Please.” He reached out to place his hand on her knee, not squeezing or caressing, just a touch, feeling her entire body tensing.  She was radiating anger, and something else, he wasn’t sure what. “Chacia…”

 

She stared straight ahead, knowing if she looked into his eyes, the fight inside of her would vanish.  Hell, she could already feel that pull inside of her, that fire beginning to form just by his touch.  If she went in that room with him, especially with whiskey, there wasn’t a doubt in her mind what would happen.  She reached up to touch the spot on her shoulder, his mark, and shut her eyes, battling with her mind and heart on what to do. 

 

I’m going to hell for this, she thought, slowly unbuckling her seatbelt, still not looking at him and pulled on the handle to open the door, pushing it open. 

 

She stepped out and shut the door, breathing in the fresh air for a moment before following Jon inside instead of running in the opposite direction.  Jon had watched her, waiting for her to bolt.  It had looked for a moment like she might have run for it, needing to get away from him, but at the last second, she had simply fallen into step behind him.  He slowed his pace until they were side by side and slung her arm around her, feeling her tense before relaxing, almost a resigned feeling emanating from her.  Dropping a kiss on the top of her hair, he opened the door and ushered her into the building.  Whiskey, his victory tonight, her… this was going to be a night filled with bad decisions, he could already feel it.

 

Bad decisions were usually the best ones to make.

 

How could something so bad feel so damn good? 

 

Chacia saw there was only one bed, not surprising since Jon only needed one.  Jon did not help matters by peeling his shirt off, revealing that rock hard muscular body she had gotten to know the previous night.  It made her mouth water all over again and she had to tear her gaze away from him to focus on something, anything, else.  She sat down on the bed and peeled her own t-shirt off, revealing a black camisole beneath.  It was thin enough to where it wasn’t noticeable, but she couldn’t wear a tank top like normal due to her shoulder.  She removed her shoes and socks, flat out refusing to take her pants off and pulled the camisole down to cover as much skin as she could.  Her hair was up in a bun, so she pulled the band out of it to let it topple down her back in waves, putting the hairband on her wrist before sliding her fingers through it a few times.

 

Jon watched as she made herself comfortable, smiling slightly.  This had been them during those 8 ½ months, except his arm had been in a brace. “I got to shower, darlin’.” He removed his championship from his bag and set it carefully down on the small dresser. “You want to join me?” His tone was calm, gentle, knowing if he pushed her or sounded mocking, she would sucker punch him and leave.

 

Walking over to stand in front of her, Jon reached down to take her hands in his.

 

She rose to her feet and his hands moved to her hips, slowly beginning to slide the camisole further up her body. “You said you’d behave.” Chacia reminded him in a soft voice, already lifting her arms for him to remove the camisole completely and a second later, her bra unsnapped.  Jon lifted her, feeling her legs wrap around his waist again and pulled the loose material from her arms to expose her bare chest.

 

“I lied.”

 

His mouth captured hers, this time in a slow, sensual kiss that set her heart racing and lit her completely ablaze.  Their chests pressed tightly together as her arms wrapped around his neck and moaned as soon as their tongues touched again.  It was like all the anger and animosity had faded away and drained out of her body the moment his mouth touched hers.  She had no idea how long they stood there, or rather Jon did, holding her up with pure strength, because Chacia was completely lost in kissing him.

 

If by behaving, she meant he wouldn’t purposefully bait her, or taunt her, that was his idea of behaving.  This… this wasn’t misbehaving, this was continuing where they had started.  Last night had just been the warmup, the picking back up… He wouldn’t, however, go after that spot on her shoulder again, knowing it had to hurt and he hadn’t done her any favors by doing it.  Jon carried her into the bathroom, never letting her down, even as he freed one hand to start the shower.  His lips never left hers, waiting for the temperature to adjust.

 

There would be no cold showers because he had every intention of extinguishing both their fires tonight.

 

Chapter 35

 

Colby was the furthest thing from her mind, or the repercussions of cheating, or what came next for her and Jon after all was said and done.  The ONLY thing on her mind was Jon and his lips, his body against hers, the sensations he created and quelling the raging infernos inside of them.  The warm sprays cascaded down their bodies as they continued kissing until Jon’s lips finally left to make the journey down her neck, already turning her to mush.

 

“Jon…” She moaned out, not believing how incredible this felt and lulled her head back against the wall he had her pinned against.  There was no rush, no urgency, in his kisses and how he touched her, not even his fingers snaking between them to stroke her already soaked sex. “Oh god…” Chacia was still feeling the aftereffects of the pounding Jon gave her the previous night, so she really hoped he took it easy on her tonight.

 

Jon was going to take it easy on both of them.  He knew he had been urgent, rough, perhaps even brutal if he wanted to be totally honest with himself, when he had taken what she had very freely given last night.  While Chacia hadn’t protested or asked him to stop or slow down, he wasn’t going to do that again.  Not so soon anyway.

 

“Jon.” He reminded her with a chuckle, lowering himself to his knees before her, planning on worshipping her again and this time doing it the right way. “I need to taste you again, darlin’.” He groaned, his tongue wetting his lips as he took in the delicious view, her sex glistening and wet already, all for him.

 

“W-Wait…” Chacia was on shaky ground and had fingerprint bruises from his hands on her hips, thighs, and backside.  She had to catch her breath, stroking the top of his head and could see the slight panic in his now smoldering ocean blues. “Gentle…please…I-I need you to be gentle tonight, Jon…”

 

He nodded, stroking her leg as he rose it up to drape over his shoulder and softly kissed all the bruising he could reach.  The tenderness and affection he showed her warmed Chacia from the inside out.  Sometimes, it was just nice to go slow and take the time to really make the person feel every single thing offered.  When his face buried between her thighs, licking and suckling her clit, it was done lovingly and gently, just the way she needed him to be.

 

Jon didn’t hold onto her tightly like he had the night before.  He didn’t bite, or pinch, or add to her bruises.  He hadn’t realized until now just how much he had hurt her, though he was also going to give himself the benefit of doubt and venture she hadn’t realized it either until after the fun wore off.  Instead, he took his time, letting them both enjoy it.  Kissing her everywhere, licking and sucking, thighs as well as her quivering sex, Jon enjoyed the feel of her fingers caressing and gripping at him as her soft moans filtered through the sprays hitting them and the walls.

 

Instead of washing with soap, Jon finished her off before carting them both back to the bed, not caring both were soaked from head to toe.  He kissed her passionately and slowly, once again taking his time.  She hissed out as his cock pushed past her sensitive, sore folds, gripping his shoulders while he continued kissing her.  The slight pain from last night amplified the pleasure she felt now, especially since Jon wasn’t banging her like a drum.  No, she felt every single thrust as he pulled back and snapped his hips forward, causing her already shaking body to quake.

 

“Oh Jon, you feel so good, baby…” She whimpered out, meeting him for every slow yet powerful thrust with their eyes locked, neither able to pull their gaze away. 

 

It was at that moment Chacia realized what was happening between them – Jon was making love to her instead of fucking her like an animal.  Something changed in Chacia’s eyes.  Jon was staring into her face, their hands laced together on the bed on either side of her head, and something had changed.  Her entire face had almost softened and it was a beautiful expression, a gleam.  He bent down, brushing his lips against hers, not closing his eyes, watching her eyelashes fluttering against her cheeks.

 

“I’m not hurting you, am I, darlin’?” He asked, his voice husky and low. All his anger and rage, the things he had worried about when he had kept denying them both, he had still done it last night. 

 

This was how their first time together should have been, he had a bit to atone for.

 

“No, not at all…”

 

The expression on her face was a mixture of love, ecstasy, and desire, all rolled into one.  It was mostly love, though she never admitted it out loud.  Maybe she didn’t need to.  Maybe Jon could finally see, after all this time, all these years, how she truly felt about him.  It wasn’t an addiction.  The pull was because she was irrevocably in love with him.  Even at age 16, a tender, innocent age, Chacia had known she was in love with him, but didn’t want to admit it to herself.  All those times she helped him, when he came back from Puerto Rico hopped up on drugs and she helped cleanse him, or when he needed a place to stay or his career-threatening triceps injury…There were others, but those were the main three that stood out the most.  Jon lifted her from the bed suddenly, resting back on his haunches with her legs draped on either side of him, his thrusts never ceasing.  He was once again using full strength to hold her against him, lulling his head back as her lips and tongue teased his throat and Adam’s apple, her nails lightly dragging down his muscular chest.

 

His hands, palms splayed, were against her back, enjoying the feeling of her warm, flushed skin against his fingers and when she began to torment his neck, they curved up over her shoulders.  She was so damn unbreakable and yet so fragile.  It was the sight of those bruises, as well as her pleas to be gentle, that let him know she was not as strong as she always appeared.  Maybe that wasn’t the right word, but he was still treating her like a precious thing, meant to be worshipped and handled delicately.  From the way she was responding to his lovemaking, it was exactly what she needed, what they both needed.

 

“Mmm…” He sucked on her earlobe when her head was up against his, feeling her fingernails gently digging into his shoulders. “You’re beautiful, Chacia…” In more than just the physical, outer sense.

 

Honestly, she didn’t think Jon was capable of being tender and loving, not with how he’d acted lately.  He was so cold and unforgiving, cocky and arrogant…she wanted to beat his ass on more than one occasion or knock some sense into him.  Maybe now that he was completely on his own, as a heel, and won the Intercontinental championship from Colby, he would slowly return back to the old Jon.  The one she loved most.  She smiled at his compliment, rubbing her nose against his and felt him increase the pace just a little, her hand gripping the back of his neck.  Arching back a little, she rolled her hips against him and moaned out at his cock brushing her sweet spot, repeatedly.  Her forehead pressed against his as she sensually kissed him, tasting him again, tasting herself on his tongue from earlier.

 

“I’m close…I’m so close, Jon...make me cum for you…” She pleaded against his lips, her eyes once again locked with his and knew he was close to his end as well.  This wouldn’t be an eruption like last night, but it would still be just an intense for a whole different reason on a whole different level.

 

“Me too, darlin’…” It occurred to Jon that he should probably inquire about the birth control thing because he was obviously really horrible at remembering to wrap himself up, but… was it selfish that he didn’t want to stop? That he was willing to take that risk, as long as he didn’t have to remove himself from her? “I can feel you, Chacia,” His growl was filled with approval. “Tightening that beautiful pussy around me,” Each time he brushed that sweet spot, she tightened, clenched, and he could feel his balls responding, warning him that an explosion was imminent. “Mine, all mine…” Jon rasped, unable to get anything else as he felt her cumming around him, triggering his own orgasm and he fought to control his thrusts, wanting to make sure every last drop of pleasure was wrung from her.

 

“Yes, oh yes…Jon!” She cried out, shuddering against him as her climax hit hard, rocking her body’s foundation to its core. 

 

Her juices soaked him, wrapped him up in a warm, wet, tight cocoon, her walls milking his cock for all it was worth.  With erratic breathing, all Chacia could do was cling to him as he continued thrusting up inside of her until he physically couldn’t do it anymore.  The fact his climax collided with hers made it much more forceful and earth-shattering, feeling his explosion deep inside of her the same time her climax crashed over her.  It was indescribable and incredible, neither never wanting this feeling to end.  Chacia had surrendered to him completely and buried her face in his neck, feeling him guide her back down on the bed until he hovered over her.  Her arms wrapped around his neck preventing him from moving, enjoying his body weight on top of her immensely.

 

“I’m going to crush you, Chace.” He murmured after a few minutes, trying to brace his weight sort of on his elbows.  It was hard, everything was lethargic, somewhat twitchy, and he shook his head when she chuckled but let him up.  He moved so he was on his side, facing her, watching as she rolled to face him as well. “I should’ve been making moves years ago.” He admitted, inwardly kicking his own ass.  She was right, he was very self-absorbed.  Wrestling had been his dream for so long and then it had become his life, consuming him and he had chased that fire.

 

She had always been tied in, but never at the forefront.

 

“I thought you never saw me as anything more than a friend.” Chacia confessed softly, still coming down from her sexual high and rolled on her back to stare up at the ceiling. 

 

She had cheated again. 

 

Somehow, it didn’t bother her because she and Colby weren’t serious, only dating to see where things went.  They weren’t in a serious relationship – hell, they hadn’t even had sex.  Mostly because of her and wanting to take things slow…because she didn’t want to have sex with Colby while thinking about Jon.  It’d only been a month and they didn’t share a hotel room together or anything, only going out for frozen yogurt once a week for their cheat days, working out A LOT and going to see a movie or doing something small while on the road.  She’d never gone to Davenport and he’d never come to Cincinnati.  Still, Chacia never wanted to be in the position she was currently in, stuck between two men.

 

“What happens now, Jon?  Where do we go from here?  Or is this all you want from me?  You said you want me, but you didn’t specify.” If he said fuck buddies, she was leaving.

 

“I don’t know anymore.” For a brief moment, saying friends with benefits had crossed his mind, but he didn’t think that was necessarily true either. “I do know, it’s not in you to keep screwing around on Rollins.” She wasn’t that type of person.  Jon would not be surprised in the least if Chacia didn’t go and fess up to the man about her ‘sins’.  She wasn’t the lying sort. “You’re too important to lose, Chacia… and I know I’ve been screwing up a lot… for years.”

 

Tears welled in her eyes at his confession, glad he hadn’t said fuck buddies, but…he didn’t exactly say he wanted a relationship either.  It was better than nothing, she supposed. “I’m breaking things off with him tomorrow.  I already told you that.  We’ve only been dating…somewhat…we didn’t even have sex.” Chacia scrubbed a hand down her sweaty, wet face and sighed heavily, slowly sitting upright on the bed. “I’m such a bitch…”

 

“How are you a bitch?” Jon asked curiously, pulling a pillow under his head, so he wasn’t propped on his elbow, frowning at the tenseness that had returned to her shoulders.  Sitting up, he moved to sit by her, wrapping his arm around her waist. “Chacia, you warned him what could happen… he knew it was his decision.” And she hadn’t had sex with Seth; Jon was doing a happy dance on the inside. “That doesn’t make you a bitch, darlin’.” It made Seth a dumbass.

 

“It shouldn’t be that way.” Chacia sniffled, clasping her hands tightly in front of her and pressed them against her forehead, beating herself up internally. “I should’ve told him no.  I should’ve denied him.  I don’t want to hurt him.  He’s done nothing wrong and he doesn’t deserve this.  I know you hate him because of the interview and your past, but he’s done nothing to me.  No, I am a bitch.  I’m a heartless bitch for hurting him this way…for not waiting until AFTER I broke up with him to fuck you.  And the worst part…” She started laughing, the sound sad and bitter. “I don’t regret it.  I don’t regret fucking you because it’s what I’ve wanted for years.  I’m a horrible person…”

 

“No,” Jon disagreed sternly, moving out of the bed until he was kneeling before her.  He reached up to gently but firmly take hold of her wrists, pulling her hands away from her face.  She looked so upset and he knew it was directed at herself, that she felt disgusted and he felt something in him break a little. “Darlin’, Chacia,” He made sure every word he said was clear and that she was hearing him through the likely internal war going on inside her mind. “You’re not a horrible person.  You are the most giving, generous person I’ve ever known.” Beyond the point of what any sane person would consider being rational. “Colby,” Which felt weird coming out of his mouth because it had been Seth and Rollins ever since he caught word of that interview because only friends used proper, given names. “He knew what he was getting himself into.  He knew what the risks were and he still decided he wanted to try being with you.  You didn’t lie to him, you never led him on and you are NOT a horrible person.” She was his polar opposite. 

 

Everything he was, she wasn’t.

 

“Stop trying to make me feel better, you jackass.” She mumbled good-naturedly, pulling one of her wrists away from him to wipe her tears away, heaving a sigh.  Jon was right; she hadn’t lead Colby on once and made it clear this was a possibility of happening in the future.  She made it clear to him how strong her feelings for Jon were. “Where have you been?” Her voice cracked as she cupped Jon’s face in her soft hands and pressed her forehead to his, staring deep into his pale blues. “I missed you.  I missed my best friend.  The one person I can always talk to about anything and you’ve never judged me, always trying to make me feel better, even when I feel my lowest.”

 

This Jon was who she was in love with, who she wanted to be with, who made that pull inside of her stronger than ever, to where she could not resist it. 

 

Tonight, her best friend had returned and Chacia could only hope he didn’t go away again.

 

Chapter 36

 

Jon felt the pain radiating from her and closed his eyes tightly, feeling like a coward because he couldn’t bear to see all that hurt in those beautiful hazel eyes that held so much love for him.  How had he not seen it before?  Or maybe he had and disregarded it, used it… he was a user, she had called him out on it and she hadn’t been wrong.

 

“Lost,” He whispered harshly, bringing his hands up to rest over hers for a moment before he turned to brush his lips against her palms, one at a time. “I’ve been lost, Chace.”

 

Lost in his own selfishness.  Lost in his dreams and desires for wrestling.  Lost in his own addictions.  Lost in his stupid anger and rage, his feelings of impotence.  Even when she was there, clearly holding out the light to lead him from the darkness… and he was just now following it.

 

“I’m sorry, darlin’.” He was cupping her face now, his lips feathering hers. “I’m sorry.”

 

“Y-You can’t leave me again, you hear me?” She gripped the back of his head, wishing he still had long enough hair to lose her fingers in and let the tears flow from her eyes. “I won’t stand for it.  You can love wrestling and you can be angry for what’s going on with your career, but you will NOT abandon me again.” Her voice was shaky yet strong, leaving absolutely no room for argument. “You can be pissed off at your coworkers for talking shit about you – again, I don’t care.  Beat them all.  Destroy them all.  But you will not push me away again.  I-I’ve been lost without you…you brought me to the WWE and then abandoned me, pushed me aside like I was nothing to you and I STILL don’t understand why.  What did I do to make you abandon me?  Tell me what I did wrong so I don’t do it again, Jon, please…”

 

He pulled her against him full force, her arms wrapping tightly around his neck as Chacia cried into it, her tears soaking his skin.  What had been his last promise to her?  To not shut her out, to maintain contact… well, he hadn’t broken that one, but the way he had done things had been so cruel that it probably would have been kinder to leave her alone, cut the cord as it were.

 

“It wasn’t you, Chace, it was me,” He whispered against her hair, his hands caressing her, trying to soothe her. “You didn’t do anything, I swear.  This was all on me, I’m an idiot for pushing you away the way I did.  I’m sorry, you’ll never know how sorry I am.” He had broken her.

 

“I-I know I mother hen you sometimes…and I know you hate it…but I only do it because I care about you.  I want you to succeed and be happy.  T-That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you, Jon.”

 

Chacia could be very pushy when she wanted to be and maybe that was why Jon did push her away.  Maybe she’d gone too far with the dieting or driven him crazy during his rehabilitation and he couldn’t stand to be around her anymore.  Slowly pulling back, she wiped her tears away again and softly kissed him, trembling slightly from crying and all the pent-up emotions that spilled out.

 

“I don’t want to just be your friend anymore.  I think we’re way past that point.  And I can’t do just casual sex with you either.  And I REFUSE to be fuck buddies with you.” She was outright stating it to make it clear that was off the table. “I want to be with you, Jon…in a relationship.  I want to be your girl, your one and only.  I don’t know if that’s what you want because I know you have a lot going on with your career, and I still haven’t broken up with Colby properly, but…I’m done hiding.  I’m done running away.  I’m done not being honest with you or myself about how I feel and what I want.  I’m all in, baby.  The only question is: Are you?  Do you feel the same way I do or am I just making a complete ass out of myself again?”

 

Christ, she had just dropped the mother lode on his ass and all Jon could do was stare at her.  He knew he was panicking, he knew the longer he let her wait for him to open his mouth, the more agitated and embarrassed, probably hurt, she would be.  But he could not, for the life of him, get anything out.  Jon didn’t KNOW what he wanted if he were honest, other than he was tired of hurting her, seeing her with another man.  Was that love?  Was it enough?  Probably not, not for someone like her.

 

“No.” He blurted the word out and his brows furrowed when she recoiled as if he had hit her, groaning. “No, I mean you’re not making an ass out of yourself.” He was doing a great job of making himself into one, though. “I-”

 

Still nothing.  Jon didn’t know how to sum up what was going through his head, or what he felt.  He just knew he couldn’t lose her.  He couldn’t keep using her.  Jon didn’t want to see her crying anymore.  It made him ache.  Was THAT love?  He kissed her, trying to convey it all in that one gesture.

 

How hard was it to say yes or no to being with her?  Was it really that difficult for him to answer?  Maybe he didn’t want to and he was trying to find the words to let her down easy.  However, this kiss he gave her wasn’t ordinary.  No, it was full of fire, passion, love, panic, urgency…Chacia felt all of it and wanted to calm him down somehow, stroking his chest while keeping one arm hooked around his neck.  Christ, he had stolen her breath away and she had to break the kiss before she passed out from lack of oxygen, her lips swollen.  Jon was trembling while holding and kissing her, she could practically feel his fear and could feel how fast his heart was beating.

 

“Okay…okay…I got it.  You don’t have to say it.  Show me with action how much you want to be with me.” Jon was an action type of man, never good with words and proceeded to make slow, passionate love to her all over again, making her cry out his name to the heavens.

 

Only when the sun rose over the horizon did the finally fall asleep in each other’s arms with content smiles on their faces.

 

~!~

 

Jon was up long before Chacia, showered and sat at the end of the bed, staring at her.  She looked so damn content, snuggling into that pillow with almost a smile on her relaxed, peaceful face.  He could still see bruises on her hips, her backside, that bite mark he had inflicted upon her.  Rollins was blowing up her cell phone.  Jon held it in his hand, thumbing the lock screen, though he didn’t even bother trying to break into it.  She would be ending that charade of a relationship and the cold, vicious part of him was whispering some pretty mean things in his ear.  The fact that he wasn’t feeling particularly vindictive was a good indicator that the anger was finally near gone.

 

“Darlin’…” He leaned over, kissing her outer thigh. “Chacia… WOMAN!” She had slapped his head.

 

“Wha?!” She jolted awake and shot upright in bed, her vision completely blurred. 

 

Just then, her cell went off again for the 20th time in Jon’s hand and she reached for it, letting out a very loud yawn.  Colby.  Even through watery eyes, she could read the name on the caller ID and laid back down, answering it on the 5th ring.

 

“Yeah?” She mumbled sleepily, not even wanting to know what time it was and rubbed her eyes, her body aching deliciously all over.

 

Muttering under his breath, Jon moved away from her, rubbing the side of his head where her wild slap had landed.  He made a mental note to not ever wake her up again, after keeping her up late, on top of physically and emotionally draining her.

 

“Angel, where are you?” Colby asked, concern lacing his tone.  He had been by her room, several times, called both her cell and the phone directly to her room.  Nothing. “Are you okay?”

 

“Yeah – yeah, I’m fine.”

 

The concern in his voice made her heart twinge as she stared up at the ceiling, trying to gain her bearings.  There was no way she could tell him where she stayed last night and really needed to grab her bags, hoping checkout time hadn’t passed already.  Otherwise, the hotel had every right to toss her belongings away and that couldn’t happen.

 

“Christ, what time is it?” Her eyes shot open a little more when he responded with 9 AM and Chacia was up out of the bed instantly, scrambling for her clothes on the floor.

 

“It’s 9,” Colby heard her moving around, her breathing picking up.  She sounded like she was rushing and he frowned. “Checkout is in 2 hours.” He was now wondering where she was, was she within 2 hours of here?  Colby had noticed she hadn’t answered his first question, about where she was and felt something tighten in his chest. “Chace, where are you?  I can come get you.” He offered, his tone a barely passable attempt at being casual.

 

She was panicking.  Jon reached out to grab her shoulders gently but firmly, staring down into her wide hazel eyes.  He leaned in, keeping quiet so he didn’t alert Rollins to his presence and pressed his forehead against hers.  Jon felt her mildly relaxing and brushed his lips against her cheek, stepping away.  Chacia was probably having issues because she wasn’t a liar and she had called herself a horrible person last night.  She wasn’t.  Seth was an idiot.

 

“No.  No, I’m fine.  Just didn’t mean to sleep in.” That wasn’t like her at all, but going to bed only 3 hours ago…sleep deprivation really sucked.  Jon was her calming agent as much as she was his. “Listen, I need to talk to you about something that’s on my mind…and I want to do it in person.  I’ll come to you.  Just give me about…an hour.  Give me an hour.  Fuck, I need coffee.” That was random as she slid her pants back on, foregoing the panties since they were ruined and she didn’t feel like being squishy downstairs. 

 

“Yeah, sure Angel, I’ll see you in an hour.” Colby said quietly, hanging up and had a feeling whatever she needed to talk to him about wouldn’t be pleasant.

 

He couldn’t ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach, wondering if she’d had enough of his bitch fits over work.  God knew Dean had given her grief and caused her pain over his own work-related issues.  Maybe she was just done all the way around with the crap.  He wouldn’t blame her one bit.

 

“Need a ride back?” Jon asked after a moment, unsure what he was supposed to say or do in what was about to become a messed up situation.

 

She looked back at him with a sad smile and nodded, looking down at her phone.  The sooner she did this, the sooner it would be over and she’d be free to be with Jon. “You kinda kidnapped and brought me here, so yeah, don’t have any other way to get back.”

 

Chacia would shower, change, make sure her belongings were packed up and then head to Colby’s room to talk to him.  Ten minutes later, they were on the road headed to the hotel and Chacia could feel the nerves building up inside of her, hating for putting herself in this position.  Silence reigned between them until Jon pulled into the back parking lot and Chacia suddenly leaned over, passionately kissing him.

 

“Wait for me.  We’ll drive to the Raw location together.  It shouldn’t take too long to tell him and I’m gonna need a ride since I came here with him.”

 

Jon was hesitant to let her out of the car, taking her hand when the kiss broke, stopping her from getting out. “Do you want me to come with you?”

 

That would probably do more harm than good, but he also knew if he were in Seth’s shoes, he would lose his ever-loving mind over this.  Being forewarned or not, he’d lose his temper, especially after the events of last night.  Jon wasn’t surprised when she shook her head, declining his offer.

 

“Keep your cell out.”

 

This was something she had to do alone.  Chacia got herself into this mess and she had to get herself out.  Jon couldn’t be her savior just like she couldn’t be his with every situation.  Colby was already on edge losing his Intercontinental championship to Jon, the last thing she needed was more tension between the two men.  No, she was a grown woman and she would deal with this, get through it and move onto another day. 

 

First, she stopped at her room to shower and freshen up, making sure to wear another t-shirt to cover the mark on her shoulder.  Then, she grabbed her bags, checked out of her room and finally headed up to Colby’s, taking a deep breath before knocking.  He opened the door, silently letting her in and Chacia suddenly felt like she was walking right into the lion’s den, forcing one foot in front of the other.  She folded her arms in front of her chest, remaining on her feet and watched Colby sink down onto the bed, putting his head in his hands.

 

“What happened, Chacia?” He asked resignedly, a bit of hurt and bite to his tone.

 

Tears burned her eyes as soon as he asked that question, his tone conveying he already knew what she was about to say. “I slept with Jon last night.” She admitted quietly, wringing her hands in front of her nervously. “And the night before.” If he wanted details, she would give them, but something told her just hearing those words was more than enough.

 

He had known whatever she would say would have to do with that prick.  The man had used her, borderline mentally and emotionally abused her, and she had hopped right on his dick.  Colby raked his hands through his dark hair, his eyes shut for a moment while he let it all sink in.  Chacia had warned him she was likely to do something stupid when it came to the other man, he had known… knowing, or thought he knew, and then the reality felt like two very different things.

 

“Okay.” He exhaled slowly through his nose and stood up, staring down at her intently. “Why?”

 

Chapter 37

 

The gym. 

 

She had to tell him about the gym and felt the tears slowly fall down her cheeks. “He…ambushed me at the gym…in the shower.” That made his dark eyes IGNITE and she actually took a step back, letting out a shaky breath. “We didn’t have sex there, but…god…” How did Chacia explain this? “He fingerfucked me, okay?  He ambushed me, told me he didn’t like seeing me with you and then left after getting me off.  Then he showed up at my hotel room later that night…” This had all happened on Saturday, in one day, which was hard to believe. “I raged at him, Colby.  I-I was so angry at him because of everything he’s done since bringing me here.  He abandoned me and I know that – I know he was a dick to me.  I don’t know why I did it or let it happen.  The only explanation is I love him.  I love him…” She said it again, those words sounding foreign to her because that was the first time she actually admitted, out loud, what that pull inside of her was.  It was love – it had to be. “I kicked him out after it happened…and I was going to tell you about it last night, but…you were way too upset…” He left her stranded at the arena in his bitch fit. “Jon was there, offered me a ride and took me back to his hotel.  I tried fighting it…I told him to bring me back here, but he wouldn’t listen and then he asked me to stay with him…and I did.  And…I’m not sorry it happened, but I am sorry for hurting you.  I-I never wanted to hurt you like this…” That was why she told him to run away from her because she was no good for him as long as Jonathan Good existed in her world.

 

Colby walked away from her, his entire body shaking.  She had warned him.  Chacia had been brutally honest about this possibility happening, he would give her credit for that.  However, he hadn’t believed her, not really.  Colby had thought it was some stupid crush and she would outgrow it, especially with him in the picture.  He had been kind, and polite, and so patient.  He hadn’t pushed her into sleeping with him, giving her time and instead… she was banging the guy she was supposed to be staying away from.

 

“You’re damaged, you know that?” He spat angrily, trying to wrestle in his fury, turning to flash near blackened with rage eyes at her. “You’re not in love with him, Chacia, you’re OBSESSED with him.” Colby had kind of figured that from their initial conversation, when he had pursued and she’d had a million reasons why they shouldn’t, all because of Ambrose. “And he’s using you, Angel, don’t you get that?  He’s happy now, he has what he wants, and now he’s making time for you, but as soon as things don’t go his way again, he’ll be right back to yanking on your chain!”

 

“I’ve been in love with him since I was 16, Colby.  I just didn’t realize what these intense feelings were I had for him and I thought it was some kind of addiction, obsession, like you said.  If I was obsessed with him, addicted to him, I wouldn’t have gone 8 years without talking to him, seeing him.  That’s not what an obsessed, addicted person does.” Chacia reasoned calmly, seeing he was getting pissed off with each word that came out of her mouth.  She didn’t care; he needed to hear it all. “I would’ve followed him to the ends of the earth and I didn’t, I stayed in Cincinnati, went to school, got my degree in sports medicine and continued my life.  And let’s be real for a second, okay?  We didn’t have sex, we shared some moments with frozen yogurt and worked out a lot.  That’s pretty much all we did this past month.  I don’t even think what we had can be considered a relationship because we never put a label on us, or you never told me what you wanted other than for me to give you a chance.  It was never going to work out between us and deep down, you know that.  Because I would never be able to love you.  I would never be able to give you my heart because he has it under lock and key and he has since I was 16.  And I wasn’t going to keep fucking him while dating you – that’s not who I am.  I was wrong for not ending things before they escalated to this point – for starting whatever this was between us in the first place because I KNEW it wouldn’t work out.  And I’m sorry your pride is hurt because there’s no way you love me, so I didn’t break your heart so much as your pride and I’m sorry for that.”

 

“Yeah, you definitely broke my pride.” Colby laughed, the sound broken and bitter. “You can say you’re not obsessed or an addict all you want, Chacia.  You can scream it until you’re blue in the face and it won’t matter.  Everyone BUT you sees it for what it is.  You know why you stayed in Cincinnati?  Because you were keeping the home fires burning.  You made sure that you were always where Jon would be able to find you when he wanted to come play with you again, or have you tend to his wounds.  You think you love a man who does nothing but use you, he walks away from you without batting an eyelash.  He uses you to fix him when he gets hurt.  You even got a degree and a career in the field that benefits him the most, medical!  What’re you going to do the next time he decides he’s pissed at the world and doesn’t want you around?  AGAIN!”

 

There was always that possibility and it hurt her to hear those words, but they were the truth.  The cold, hard truth – facts.  Jon had done it to her a few times now, used her for what he needed and then casted her aside.  Last night had been wonderful and amazing, but she didn’t know if he would abandon her again in the future.

 

“I can’t predict the future, Colby.  And I’m gonna keep doing what I always do – live my life with or without him.” Chacia was a lot happier with Jon around, admittedly, but it didn’t completely cripple her to not have him in her life either. “And I didn’t get into sports medicine for him either.  I was a wrestler first and foremost and when I couldn’t do it anymore, I wanted to still stay in the field.  But you keep thinking what you want and spew the hate.  I understand, you’re upset and hurt, so you’re gonna fire off on all cylinders at me and that’s fine.  I can take it.  I’m in the wrong here and I take full responsibility for my actions.  But don’t presume you think you know me or who I am because you don’t have a clue.” Walking over, Chacia grabbed her bags and shouldered her backpack, knowing it was time to make her exit.

 

“You’re wrong.” Colby muttered sadly, shaking his head. “I’ve seen how you look at him when you think nobody is watching, and I’ve always been aware of how you orient yourself around him.  Jon’s true love is Jon, and you’re just some sad, silly high school girl who never let go of her crush.”

 

If he had known Pavana’s official ‘diagnosis’, the co-dependency thing, he would have wholeheartedly agreed with it.  And there was no point in arguing with Chacia because she was like any other addict.  She had ‘valid’ reasons and justifications and refused to acknowledge the truth.

 

“I guess we’ll find out in time since I’m with him now.” Oh boy, she did NOT like the look that came over Colby’s eyes.  That was the wrong thing to say to him. “In an actual relationship – just thought I’d forewarn you, so it’s not a shock to see us together.”

 

Pavana was wrong in her ‘diagnosis’, even though she was only trying to help.  She wasn’t dependent on Jon because she still lived her own life and did her own thing.  He wasn’t dependent on her either, obviously.

 

“Goodbye, Colby.”

 

Walking out, she shut the door and winced at something being hurled at it on the other side, hurrying away just in case.  Taking the stairs, Chacia finally made it to the exit and wasn’t surprised to find Jon waiting for her.  He was leaning against the car with his arms folded and she dropped her luggage, running to him with fresh tears falling down her cheeks.  Jon caught her and her lips met his, her legs encircling his waist, pouring every ounce of feeling into the kiss she could muster up.  The one thing she hadn’t said to him…that she admitted to Colby…she couldn’t hold it back any longer and broke the kiss, breathing heavily.

 

“I-I love you.  It’s not an addiction and it’s not an obsession and it’s not co-dependency.  I love you, Jon…and I don’t care if you don’t feel the same way about me.  Now you know.” And so did she.

 

Well, she did sound like an addict and Jon would know because he was a recovered addict.  One denied everything and justified everything.  The addict refused to see it for what it was and listed off all these valid reasons why it wasn’t.  However, since he was the addiction… they could call it love.

 

“I’m guessing it didn’t go well,” He murmured against her lips, pulling her up off her feet in a tight embrace. “At least it’s over now, darlin’.”

 

“No, it didn’t.  He said you would use me again and keep yanking on my chain.  That you’re happy right now because things are going your way, but as soon as they don’t, and you get pissed off again, you won’t want me around.  That you’re just a silly high school crush I’ll never get over.”

 

Chacia didn’t want to believe Jon would use her again and hurt her, pressing her forehead to his.  What if he did?  What if he hurt her again?  What if Colby was right?  Could she handle it?  Could she handle the emotional turmoil caused by Jon again?

 

“I-I don’t want to believe him…I don’t want to have doubts about you or how you feel…”

 

Jon couldn’t even tell her yes or no last night on whether he wanted to be with her.  Instead, he showed with actions by making love to her multiple times and Chacia thought that was good enough.  After that talk with Colby, however, the doubts were starting to surface again and it showed in her watery hazel eyes.  If Jon could have seen how she was with Colby, he would have probably been mildly concerned at how such a cool and collected woman could suddenly become this clingy, scared, desperate person and he would have also known that it was his fault.  He had put these doubts in her head and he had consistently reinforced them throughout the years.

 

“I don’t even know my own mind half the time, Chacia,” He admitted, brushing away a tear. “I know I care about you, and I don’t want to hurt you anymore.  I don’t like seeing you with other men.  I hate it when you cry, and I hate it more knowing it’s my fault.  Is that love or is it because I’m a selfish person?”

 

“Maybe a combination of both.”

 

Chacia felt him lower her to her feet, but his arms remained around her and she rested her hands on his chest, heaving a sigh.  He cared about her.  That was something, she supposed.  Jon hadn’t been raised with love in his life or light – there was a lot of darkness he had to overcome and she helped him as much as she could.

 

“Maybe this isn’t a good idea, after all.” She really hated doubts and extracted herself from his arms, wiping her tears away. “Last night was incredible and I’ll never forget it, but…I can see the hesitance in your eyes, Jon.  I can FEEL it too.  The last thing I want is to push you into something you don’t want or you’re not ready for.  And I can’t keep doing this to myself, falling into these traps.  Making myself believe you feel something more for me, deluding myself.  I love you and I will always, always, love you.  Maybe it’s just not meant to be for us…maybe Colby’s right.  Because if you DID know what you truly want, you would be able to tell me if you want to be with me or not, instead of using sex as a distraction.  You would be able to say yes or no.” It was getting late and they had to hit the road if they were making it to Raw on time tonight.

 

“Darlin’, for as long as I’ve known you,” It was practically a lifetime, he took hold of her hands, but didn’t move to pull her back into his arms. “You’ve always been cool and collected, levelheaded.  So… between last night and today, with… with you telling me you love me, and this dependency addiction thing, and everything else, I’m still… kind of getting over the shock of seeing you emotional.” Mother hen, firm, resolute, she had been a steady rock and then, in the last hours, she had become a sobbing mess of emotions and it was actually throwing him for a loop. “I don’t know if I love you, Chacia.  I care about you more than anyone.  I love being with you, I want to be with you and see where it goes, but you’re asking questions I can’t even answer for myself just yet, darlin’.  You tell me all this last night and you want an instant answer, and I’m still sorting out the shit I’ve done to you.”

 

How he had treated her, been towards her, the stuff Jon had said and done, but she wanted to know if he loved her.  Yes, probably.  But he wasn’t sure if it was the kind of love she needed, not just yet.  What if Seth was right?  What if because Jon was happy with how things were, he loved her and wanted her now, what if things changed?

 

“I don’t want to tell you I love you right this minute and then something go wrong on my end and hurt you again.  Give me time.”

 

Give him time…Give. Him. Time.  Chacia could not wrap her mind around those words, no matter how hard she tried.  How could he not know?  They’d known each other since they were 16 and he still needed more time to determine how he felt about her?

 

“I’m done.  I can’t.” Chacia pulled her hands away, shaking her head and scrubbed a hand down her face. “You better get going to Raw.  I’ll try to make it on time.” When Jon reached for her, she held her hand up with tears glistening in her eyes. “DON’T!  Don’t touch me.  Just don’t.  I can find my own way.”

 

Turning, Chacia walked away from him and did not look back, her heart aching and the pull was strong, but…she had to resist.  It was her turn to walk away from him for a change.  Jon let her walk away, shaking his head and sighed.  Well, now he knew how it felt to be turned on, which was weird, especially coming from her.  But, he wasn’t chasing her because he had told her the truth and she hadn’t liked it.  He didn’t know what else to say.  Chacia had flipped his world upside down and shown him a weird side of her he hadn’t known existed and it was startling, to say the least.  He was, admittedly, a little miffed that she didn’t appreciate the fact that he wanted to be sure how he felt about her wasn’t tied to his mood swings.  Jon had thought that would have at least been a good thing.

 

“Idiot, Good.”

 

Chapter 38

 

“What happened?”

 

“Not talking about it.”

 

Chacia ran the ropes, spending her days off in Cincinnati again and pushed herself more than she ever had in her life.  This was the first time she was able to come home in over a month.  The WWE schedule was HECTIC, requiring going overseas twice for shows.  She’d finally gotten two days off where she didn’t have something going on with the medical team.  It’d been over a month since she walked away from Jon, leaving him in that hotel parking lot, after breaking things off with Colby.  Jon had left her alone, not approaching or ambushing her.  Colby had been right – Jon would never love her the way she did him.  He saw her as a means to an end, only coming to her when he needed something.  Apparently, he had needed sex from her, to get his dick wet, and that was it.  She was angry at herself for letting it happen, for being too weak when it came to Jon.  Her addiction for him would always be there, it would never fully go away, but she had to move on with her life.

 

“Chacey…”

 

“I said no, Cody, now drop it.” She gritted out, keeping focused on running the ropes and then began sparring with one of the students, letting her frustration and aggression out through wrestling.

 

Cody watched as she took a little too much aggression out on the student, wincing. “Chacia, stop-”

 

“Spar with me, darlin’.”

 

Cody knew right then and there who and what her issue was. 

 

Jon.

 

It was always Jon.  He sometimes regret letting that kid train here and definitely regret talking to Chacia about him.  She had dropped everything and flown out to the man without bothering to call ahead or anything.  She was too loyal to Jon and Cody was certain Jon’s loyalties ran with wrestling and Jon only.

 

“You-” He groaned when Jon rolled right into that ring, in his jeans and beater, the student quickly ducking out with an awed look. “Shit.”

 

“Come on, Chacia.”

 

His eyes were guarded as he circled her, taking in her form.  She was gorgeous, sweaty, and she looked less than pleased to see him.  Jon ducked when she charged, rolling out of the way and turned in time to get his ass knocked down, taking her with him.  She was NOT going to take it easy on him.  What the HELL was Jonathan Good doing here?!  Chacia put him in a side headlock and began squeezing his head as hard as she could, wrenching it and felt his arms clasp around her waist.

 

“Bad move coming here, Moxley.” She growled, feeling him roll her and she reciprocated by kicking him in the face.

 

Cody winced, knowing how lethal her kicks could be and simply stood there, his arms folded in front of his chest tightly.

 

“Come on, come on, Ambrose!” She slapped his head, knowing she dazed him with that kick and then dropkicked him as soon as he was on his feet. “Look at you, you’re pathetic!” Going around him, she delivered a mean German suplex and didn’t let go, doing it two more times like Eddie Guerrero used to do.  Jon was on his feet and swung her into the ropes, only for her to Hurricanrana him right out of the ring, landing at Cody’s feet. “COME ON, LUNATIC FRINGE!!” Chacia was tempted to leap over the top rope, but instead, she bounced off the ropes and went full speed ahead, doing a suicide dive to land right on him outside of the ring onto the concrete.

 

“HOLY SHIT!  HOLY SHIT!” The students began chanting, having stayed to watch Dean Ambrose get his ass handed to him by Cody’s retired cousin.

 

Cody was a little confused as he walked around the ring.  Chacia had never actually made it in professional wrestling and she was not… well, honestly, Jon could have hurt her easily.  He could have blocked or countered the majority of the moves she was doing and he could have put her down with one move.  The man lived this sport, he was in perfect condition and he was stronger, but Jon was letting her beat the hell out of him.  He didn’t understand it at all.

 

She needed this, that was the only explanation Jon had for anyone.  Chacia had been at his mercy for years, he got that.  She needed to prove to herself, to him, that she wasn’t. There was no faking or holding back on the moves either, she was messing him up and he had let her.  He was bleeding from his nose and mouth, pretty goddamn sure he had a concussion.  Cody began snatching up cell phones, not needing this on the Internet.  He wasn’t sure if it would be good press or bad.

 

“That all you got, darlin’?” Jon finally managed to ask, rolling onto his side and spit blood, tonguing his teeth to make sure none were loose.

 

Cody winced when she nailed him again.

 

Breathing heavily, she stumbled to her feet and glared down at him, spitting on him in the process. “Plenty more where that came from, Moxley.” Chacia sneered, rolling back into the ring and didn’t care if he was bleeding if he was hurt, if he was concussed. 

 

He never should’ve come here in the first place!  What did he think would be accomplished?  He had stayed away from her for the past month and a half, so why was he here now?  Shouldn’t he be in Vegas for the holidays?  Thanksgiving was on the horizon, which was why she came home in the first place.

 

“Everyone out!” Cody shouted, ordering the students out of the building and departed himself, leaving just his cousin and Jon alone together.  He really hoped they didn’t kill each other.

 

Chacia hopped up on the top turnbuckle while Jon continued checking to see if she’d loosened any of his teeth.  Normally, she would’ve gone to him to make sure he was all right.  Not this time.  She folded her arms in front of her chest and tried to cool down, her temper off the charts at the moment.  If this man only KNEW the real reason she had gotten out of wrestling in the first place…she gritted her teeth, not believing she allowed a man to influence such an important life decision like that.  She was an idiot, a lovestruck fool for so many years and wasted so many tears and angst on Jonathan Good.  He might’ve been in better shape than her, but with the CrossFit training she’d been doing with Colby, it was almost as if Chacia was a different animal in the ring herself.  Faster, stronger, more agile…Jon was ground and pound whereas she could actually do high-flying moves and use her speed and small body to her advantage.

 

Jon pulled himself into a sitting position, peeling off his shirt to hold it against his bleeding nose and just stared at her.  He didn’t give two figs how fast she was.  One punch and she was down, but he hadn’t come here to hurt her.  He had come to talk to her, to let her know he was pretty sure he had sorted his issues out and had a definite answer for her.  He was guessing he had missed that window because she had just destroyed him.  Wincing, Jon felt his ribs and let out a low hiss.

 

“Give me a second, darlin’, and I’ll be right there.”

 

So she kept beating his ass. 

 

Pushing himself up, he grabbed the bottom rope, slowly pulling himself into the ring and was waiting for her to knock him right out again. “Why, so you’ll let me continue beating your ass?” Chacia shot back, not stupid by any means and knew exactly what he was doing.  She didn’t know why though.  In every spar session they ever had together, he always dominated her because he was a lot stronger and faster…better. “No thanks, not interested.” She began ripping the tape off her hands with her teeth, balling it up and tossed it over the top rope, hopping down to land on her feet like a cat. “I don’t know what you’re doing here and I don’t really care.  The ring is yours, Mr. Lunatic Fringe.  I was just on my way out anyway.” She moved past him to head for the ropes, but Jon’s hand shot out to stop her and her entire body tensed, ready to uncoil on him again. “Let go of my arm right now before I BREAK it, Moxley.” That wasn’t a threat, it was a damn promise.

 

“Go for it, darlin’, pretty sure you already fucked up my rib.”

 

He was betting a lovely dislocation, by the way it hurt.  Ice blue met steely hazel and Jon didn’t look away, studying all those emotions that were swirling in those beautiful eyes.  She was PISSED.  She had every right to be.  He had done his own internal assessment, replayed the time he had known her and how much she had done for him, along with the way he had callously disregarded her.  Chacia had gone above and beyond for him, loved him all this time, and he had been a colossal idiot.

 

“I’m a fuckwit, Chacia.” He said matter-of-factly, not surprised by the raised brow she shot him that indicated she agreed. “I love you.”

 

Her response was to punch him as hard as she could right in the jaw, sending him right on his backside in the ring. “SCREW YOU!!” She screamed, ignoring the stinging pain in her hand from that punch. “FUCK YOU!!”

 

HE LOVED HER?!  Since WHEN?  Jon made it PERFECTLY clear he didn’t know what the hell he wanted from her a month and a half ago! Give me more time. She gave him all the time in the world by walking away from his stupid, arrogant, using ass!  When he couldn’t even answer a simple yes or no question to be with her!  If he loved her!  And now he showed up here, out of the blue, where it all began for them and told her those three words!?  Chacia wanted to punch him again, kick him again, HURT him and keep causing him pain because it was only a FRACTION of the pain and agony he put her through.  She really did hope she jacked his ribs up; that was the LEAST he deserved for everything he’d done to her.  Feeling marginally better, she slipped through the ropes and hopped down, walking to the back towards the shower room to clean up.  Jon could burn in the eight circles of hell for all she cared with that ‘I love you’ crap!

 

Jon just lay there laughing as he felt his jaw.  Oh, that was going to hurt like a son of a bitch in the morning.  The thing was, what she perceived as a simple yes or no question wasn’t.  She had spent years realizing that she loved him, truly loved him.  And being put right on the spot the way he had, well…Jon wasn’t going to say those words to the most important person in his life, unless he knew for a fact he meant them.  That he wasn’t using her, that he wasn’t going to toss her aside again.  He had to know he wasn’t going to keep yo-yoing her before saying those words. 

 

Simple his ass.

 

Her blood was on fire for an entirely different reason as she stood under the ice cold sprays, trying to simmer herself down.  She had not expected Jon to just show up out of the blue, ambushing her training session with Cody and the students and letting her kick his ass.  This was not the way she thought her 2 days off would start.  Christ, Chacia still had to go home and bake pies for the Thanksgiving dinner at Cody’s tomorrow.  Shit.  She had stayed here way too late and planted her hands on the wall, letting the sprays wash over her.  Once she felt her temper was simmered, for the time being, Chacia washed her hair and body, letting the sweat and grime flow down the drain.  An hour later, she finally stepped out, feeling chilled from the inside out and pulled her hooded sweatshirt on.  Why wasn’t she surprised to find Jon waiting for her in the parking lot?

 

“I REALLY don’t have time for this right now, Good.” She muttered, unlocking her car to toss her purse in the passenger seat.

 

“Do you have any idea how fucked up that sounds?  You waited years for me, Chacia.  I ask you to give me a little more time, and suddenly all that patience is gone.  I’m sorry I’m stupid, and I didn’t have an immediate answer for you, Chacia.  I am NOT sorry that I took the time to think about it.  Darlin’, with all the hurt I’ve put you through, I didn’t want to keep on doing it.  I didn’t want to say yes just because I was riding high and then something brings my temper low and this shit starts all over again.”

 

Jon had decided to not be selfish and just jump on that ship the moment she offered it.  He’d hurt her enough to last her several lifetimes and, by trying to do the right thing, he had apparently hurt her all over again.  Hell, maybe he was doing this backward.  Maybe she wanted him to keep on hurting her and she just didn’t know it.

 

“A person only has so much patience, Jon.  A person can only take SO much before they completely SNAP!” Chacia sucked in a sharp breath, clenching her fists at her sides and narrowed her eyes to slits at him. “Thirteen years.  Thirteen years I’ve been patient and kind and understanding and loving…I’ve done EVERYTHING and ANYTHING you’ve EVER asked of me!  THIRTEEN GODDAMN YEARS and you needed MORE TIME?  You do NOT get to stand there and fucking lecture me because I walked away from you like you’ve walked away from me all the other times!  And it felt SO good to finally walk away from you, to make YOU feel abandoned for a change!  Either you want me completely or you DON’T!  It’s not that fucking hard!  I think you keep coming back and pulling my strings because you LIKE hurting me!  I think you get off on it and I’m not gonna let you hurt me anymore.  I’ve been just fine without you for the past month and a half, I was fine without you in my life for those 8 years you cut me off and I’ll KEEP being fine and living without you.  Like I said, screw you!” Chacia was FED UP with all of the antics and done with the games Jon enjoyed playing with her.

 

“Okay, right now?” Jon grinned at her, spitting another bit of blood.  She had nailed him damn good, the inside of his cheek split open. “You’ll need to be on top, Chace, I think you broke something.” Fine, hard way it would have to be since she had decided to finally give up on him.  At the most stupid time!  Jon finally came around and she had given up. “I’m not going to back off, or fuck off, Chacia.  Even if I have to keep at it for another 13 years, I’m going to prove to you that I love you.” After he got his ribs checked. “Jesus Christ… you should try out for the women’s division…” Definitely women’s, he didn’t think he’d like taking a beating like that in front of a live audience.

 

Chapter 39

 

That pull was back, along with the concern that she’d really hurt him and Chacia HATED herself for it, for feeling sympathy towards him.  For feeling any damn thing!  More than likely, he had come straight here from the airport and didn’t even have a bed to sleep in tonight.  All the anger drained out of her as her shoulders sagged, seeing him holding his side.

 

“I’m too old to start wrestling again.  I don’t know how many times I have to say it.” She muttered, knowing she should get in her car, drive home and leave him here to rot.  Instead, she was being stupid, again, and walked over to him, pushing his hands away from his side.  If Chacia did any actual damage to him, it could jeopardize Jon’s current run as Intercontinental champion. “Damn it, why did you come here and provoke me, Jon?” Pressing her fingers against his side, feeling his abs, she found the spot that was hurting him most and put a little pressure, hearing him growl. “It’s not broken or else you’d barely be able to breathe.  Feels like a lot of bruising, no fractures or breaks.” Pulling her hand away, she placed his sweatshirt back down to cover the skin and stepped back, opening the passenger door. “Get in before I change my damn mind.” Or lose it, whichever came first. “You’re sleeping on the couch.”

 

“It’s dislocated, you dick.” He informed her, eyes narrowing and then he began cursing a blue streak when she was behind him, hands between his shoulder blades and pushed so he bent over. “Yeah, dislocated!” Which was an easy fix, but hurt like hell.  Getting it fixed also hurt like hell. “I can’t go home with you, you’ll fucking kill me…” His brains were scrambled; Jon had dried blood streaked under his nose and down his chin…he bet he looked beautiful. “How is telling you I love you provoking you?”

 

“Just shut the fuck up and get in the car before I leave you here!” Chacia growled, not in the mood for his smartass remarks and pointed at the vehicle.  She knew it was dislocated and planned on helping him out with it…AFTER they got the hell out of the parking lot and went to her place.  Once Jon reluctantly slid in the passenger seat, she was behind the wheel and turned the heat on, buckling up. “And if I wanted to kill you, you’d be dead already, Moxley.” She peeled out of there moments later, trying to remember if she had everything for the pumpkin and pecan pies she had to make for dinner tomorrow.

 

“If I thought you were actually going to try killing me, I would stop you.” He remarked, leaning back in the seat gingerly. “I’m too pretty to die.” Or at least, he had been. “Shit…” Jon flipped down the visor and opened the mirror, turning his head to the side.  He had a lovely bruise and it was swelling up from that last punch. “Quit calling me Moxley, Chacers.” She was pissed, he got it.  He had let her beat the hell out of him; they should’ve been fairly close to tallied up by now.

 

Not even close, but he could keep thinking that way. “Okay…Ambrose.” She smirked, unable to resist and cracked her neck, having quite the workout today at the wrestling school. 

 

Even before Jon’s surprise arrival.  The rest of the drive was made in silence and soon, she pulled into her parking space of the lot and cut the ignition, finally looking over at him.  He really was pretty banged up – Chacia frowned, feeling remorseful and part of her wished it’d never happened.

 

“Come on, let’s get you inside and cleaned up.”

 

It took a bit to get up the stairs, but once they did, Chacia unlocked the door to her apartment and walked in, helping Jon to the couch.  He landed with a grunt as she shut the door, flipping the deadbolt on it and kicked her shoes off.  First, she would help him and clean his face up and then she would start making the pies.  Groaning, Jon shuffled himself down onto the floor and extended his hands over his head, already knowing this was going to suck because it wasn’t the first time this had happened.  It was, however, the first time a woman had done it and, the fact it was Chacia… he gritted his teeth when he felt her poking around, shifting his head to see her leaning over him.

 

“Is it weird that I have a hard-on?” He began laughing at the exasperated look on her face right before he let out a muffled… shriek.  Jon had shrieked.  Laughing followed by her pushing and popping it right back into place. “Shit…” He had dug his fingernails into the carpet. “Darlin…” His voice was low. “On a scale of 1 to bitch…?”

 

“Hmm…solid 5, I’d say.” Of course, he had a hard-on because Jon was a glutton for punishment, just like she was. “You’re gonna have to relax and rest, possibly not do the house shows this weekend…” That would be lovely of him to tell the higher-ups.  Chacia moved to where she straddled him, being mindful of his ribs and pulled his hands away from his face. “Look at me, so I can clean you up,” Chacia ordered, already having the peroxide and cotton balls ready, along with bandages if need be.  She also had a stitching kit, but didn’t think the cut in his mouth was all that bad.  He asked her to look at it while stopped at a red light on the way here and it was already closing on its own. “I’ll get you some ice after I’m done getting this blood off you.” How could she do so much damage to him?

 

Because he had let her.  She had been beyond mad at him and Jon knew from experience that one of the most therapeutic things to do when mad at someone, or something, was to beat the hell out of it.  Jon hadn’t been expecting her to go all crazy train on him and was really, really impressed.  She said she was too old for wrestling, but he could see her kicking ass and taking names in something like MMA.

 

“I have to do house shows, part of my punishment for being a royal bitch and sticking it to Rollins is me and my title,” Because he hadn’t lost it yet. “Have to be available to an ‘open schedule’.” Jon had jumped that script and, after allowing him to run with the heel thing, he had been punished.  He hadn’t minded; he loved performing in front of a live audience, there was nothing quite like it. “Well… maybe if my doctor writes me a note…and says I got mugged or something.” The truth was not happening; she’d wind up fired or something, even if it was technically off the clock.

 

Well, she was on the medical team in WWE.  Larry trusted her instincts and actually listened to her too, which was a plus. “I’ll call Larry in the morning and explain what happened.” She pressed a finger to his lips, shaking her head. “I’m not gonna say I’m the one who did this to you because I’m not losing my damn job over this.” It was bad enough she’d just gotten off probation for slapping him silly in the elevator a few months back. “Just…let me handle it.  You’ll have the weekend off to rest and relax, ice up and then Monday, you can go back to kicking ass and taking names.” She finished cleaning him up, putting a bandage over his eyebrow since it had a small cut on it. “You don’t have a concussion either, by the way.”

 

“Well, that’s good to know.”

 

He wasn’t going to argue.  Jon figured it was safest if he let her have her way right now since she had proven she was capable of kicking his backside.  He wasn’t in any condition to fight back at the moment, his pale blue eyes narrowing as he stared into her face, his hands moving to her hips.

 

“Are we done fighting, Chace?  Or am I still not forgiven for being the world’s biggest idiot and most selfish prick ever?”

 

She was the ONLY person who got to see him like this.  Jon kept the cold, calculating, uncaring demeanor at work and, with most of his professional colleagues, but not with her.  He had learned how to drop that and just be… himself with her. 

 

Or at least he hoped he had.

 

Sighing heavily, Chacia set the bottle of peroxide aside and folded her arms in front of her chest, trying to keep her guard up with him.  She was scared of being hurt again.  How many more times would she allow it to happen? 

 

“You can’t just come here and tell me you love me and think everything is gonna be better, Jon.  It doesn’t work that way.  You spent hours making love to me, making me actually believe you wanted to be with me and then pulled the rug out from under me again.  Saying you needed more time.  No, I’m not ready to forgive you yet.” Abruptly, she stood up and walked into the kitchen, needing to start her pies, doing everything in her power not to start crying. “You turn my life upside down whenever you enter it and I’m tired of it.  I’m tired of giving and giving and giving and getting nothing in return.” Chacia had told him this once before. “How can you make love to me for hours on end and STILL not be sure you want to be with me?  That makes no goddamn sense to me.  And now you’re sure – it took you a MONTH AND A HALF to come to the conclusion you do love me and want to be with me.  So what?  I’m supposed to fall into your arms and pretend nothing happened?  I’m supposed to forget all the pain, all the heartache you caused with your indecisiveness?” She pulled the pie pans out and proceeded to make the crust, silence reigning between them. “So let me ask you this: what brought you to this conclusion, hmm?  What made you wake up today and go ‘I do love her, I do want to be with her’?  What exactly made you decide to come to Cincinnati, Ohio and tell me you love me?” It had to be earth-shattering for him to FINALLY admit how he felt about her.

 

“Oh, it wasn’t today, darlin’,” He leaned back and folded his arms behind his head, letting her have her space. “Making love and being in love aren’t mutually exclusive concepts, Chacia, or haven’t you ever made love to someone you weren’t in love with?” If she had been in love with him since forever, then she probably had.  Or she wasn’t as sexually experienced as her body had led him to believe. “It was never a matter of being sure, it was a matter of it being legitimate.  I was damn sure that night I was in love with you, but we both know you’re right.  I’m a user, I use people and toss them aside when I don’t need them.  Or if I get pissy, I treat the ones I care about like shit, or lead them on and then hanging.” She would know all about that. “I needed to know if those feelings would be the same when I wasn’t riding a high from you leaving dickhead, or from finally pounding his head in and taking his belt.  I needed to make sure I wasn’t using you again.” All that stuff she had said, he heard, listened and he had to think on it all, to really take a hard look at himself and how he had been.

 

“Considering I’ve never made love to anyone else besides you, I wouldn’t know.  I’ve fucked other guys,” Drake came to mind and a few others off the top of her head. “But I never made love to them or felt the way I did with you.” Chacia took the ice packs out of the freezer and walked into the living room, since the kitchen was just off of it, handing him two.  One for his ribs and the other for his face. “There’s a huge difference between fucking and making love, Jon.  I’m sure you’re smart enough even with that pea-sized brain of yours to know that.  You fucked me for our first time together and then made love to me the second time.” Big damn difference, indeed. “So what’s going to stop you from getting pissy and casting me aside again?  Because that’s what you do – when things aren’t going your way, you get angry and you lash out at the people closest to you.” Joe and Pavana came to mind. “What’s so different now compared to a month and a half ago?  How do I know that you won’t change your mind and fuck me over in the end again?  That you won’t break my heart again?  That you won’t use me again?” She walked back into the kitchen to finish up the pies, mixing the filling together.

 

“You’re retarded.  Have I told you that?  Dumbest smart person I know.” He knew for a fact he had told her that and it was still true. “I’ve been TRYING to explain to you and you keep… ugh…” She wasn’t hearing him!  Well hell, now he knew how she had felt. “I’ve been trying to tell you, Chacia, that’s why I didn’t SAY THE DAMN WORDS RIGHT THEN AND THERE!” He was pretty sure his face had gone red because he was getting frustrated. “Because I wanted to make sure when I DID say them, it was because they were true and I WOULDN’T use or LEAVE you again.” Silly broad.

 

“So when you were fucking me or making love to me, you didn’t know how you felt and you thought it was just from the high of screwing Colby over?  Wow, that makes me feel SO much better, dickhead!” Chacia scowled darkly, not bothering to turn to look at him because her eyes were full of hazel fire at the moment. “So ambushing me in the shower at the gym to finger fuck me – that was all to stick in Colby’s crawl?” That shut him up really quick and she felt that hurt blossoming inside of her again. “And here I thought…you know what?  Never fucking mind.” Popping the pies in the oven, she turned the timer on and gripped the kitchen counter, not believing what a fool she’d been. “And then pursuing me again by coming to my hotel room – you were using sex with me as a means to an end against Colby too.” It wasn’t a question, it was a simple fact.

 

Chapter 40

 

Jon had shut up because he had realized something.  Chacia was so used to him rejecting her, walking away from her, using and then discarding her.  Now he was here, ready and willing, and she wasn’t able to see or handle it.  She was using everything she could think of and they were all fairly solid reasons, why he was lying again, or why he had done something just to screw over someone else.

 

“Shit Chace, I’m sorry, darlin’.” His tone was serious and sorrowful. “I didn’t realize I’d messed you up so damn bad, darlin’.” Shaking his head, he began tugging his sweatshirt back on. “You’d never know the truth from me, would you?  Or be able to deal with it… it’s always going to be a lie, or me using you… and that’s my own doing.”

 

She didn’t know what to believe anymore.  He went from pursuing her, screwing her, making love to her and then saying he needed more time, to coming here and telling her he loved her.  How was she SUPPOSED to react?  How was she supposed to believe him?  Shutting her eyes, Chacia did everything she could not to let the tears fall – she hadn’t cried in a month and a half over him – and now here she was doing it again.  Sniffling, she walked out of the kitchen and stopped him from getting up, instead shoving him on the couch with little force.  He was hurt, in pain and looked ready to completely give up, the amount of sorrow and sadness in his eyes tore at her heartstrings.

 

“When you came to me that day at the gym, was it solely because you wanted me or were you trying to piss Colby off by using me against him?” Chacia needed to know the truth and sank down on the couch beside him, leaning her head against her elbow pressed into the cushion. “And my hotel room…and kidnapping me and taking me back to your hotel room…what were your actual motives those three times, Jon?  Because I was under the impression you wanted to be with me, but if you were just fucking me to stick it to Colby…” It would devastate her. “The truth, tell me I can handle it.”

 

No, she couldn’t.  She couldn’t even tell if he was telling the truth because he had been repeating the same thing for a while now and she refused to believe it. “In the gym shower, I was pissed and jealous.  I wanted to prove to myself, and you, that he wasn’t going to do what I could for you.  And he found out, at the time, awesome.  When I ‘kidnapped’ you… it was because I wanted you.  Sticking it to Rollins after that night was just like… the cherry on the cake I guess, but it didn’t matter because when you went to tell him, I wasn’t happy about it.  I was worried about you.”

 

Staring into his eyes, she could tell Jon wasn’t lying to her and saw nothing except honesty. “Okay.” She reached out to take his hand, clasping it with a gentle squeeze. “I had it built up in my head differently, I guess.  And when it didn’t happen the way I thought and envisioned, I was disappointed.  Colby didn’t help matters either because he planted a lot of doubts about you and your feelings for me in my head.  I let him get inside my head and I shouldn’t have done that.  I thought…after that night of making love and falling asleep in each other’s arms, you felt the same way about me as I did you.  That wasn’t fair to you, Jon.  I shouldn’t have…expected so much so fast from you or even told you how I felt.  It took talking to Colby and breaking up with him to realize this pull, this addiction, I thought I had for you was actually love.  And when I ran into your arms outside of the hotel, I had to tell you because I was so relieved to finally figure it out.  For years, I didn’t realize what it was I felt for you until that day.” She rubbed her temples with a soft sigh. “And then you told me you needed more time to figure out how you felt and I…I felt like you stabbed me…in the heart…” Her voice cracked and she had to look away from him, angrily wiping tears away. “B-Because after 13 years, I thought you would know how you feel about me and if you wanted to be with me.  Again, that wasn’t fair to you.  Just because I had a revelation that day doesn’t mean you did too.  And I was angry at myself for not being able to deal with that, not knowing if you did feel the same way about me if you did love me.  I was mad at you, but I was more pissed off at myself and disappointed…and I think that’s why I was so enraged when you showed up today.  Because I finally got into a good spot to start moving on and forgetting what happened, and then here you come along again.  And all those doubts and bad feelings came back and I just…snapped.  I never…took your feelings into consideration, I never once thought how terrified you had to be to hear me say those words to you.  I know they knocked you for a loop.” That got a smile out of him. “I’m sorry for…what I did to you tonight.  I shouldn’t have taken my anger and frustration out on you the way I did…”

 

This was the Chacia he knew, but he also understood where she was coming from.  He was still a cold, unfeeling bastard with a ‘get mine and fuck the rest’ attitude right now, especially at work, but Jon had come to realize he had to stuff that away with her.  She was the one person who didn’t deserve that side of him.

 

“I’m sorry I screwed up your… inner peace.” That definitely explained the ass whipping. “And don’t be sorry, you’re one tough cookie, Chace.” And he had started off by letting her, he wasn’t sure, as he ate concrete, if he would have been able to stop her. “I wasn’t kidding, it was hot.” He leaned in, nudging her with his head and kept doing it until she began to smile. “I love you, I got a lot to make up for.”

 

“You do?  Really?  You’re 100% sure you love me?” Chacia lightly stroked his bearded face with her hand, smiling when he said it again and felt her heart soar to the heavens.  She could only hope she didn’t regret this and he was in it for the long haul, that he wouldn’t hurt her again. “I love you too, Jon.” Not Moxley, not Ambrose, just plain Jonathan David Good is who she loved and wanted to be with. “W-What are you…?” He had pulled her to straddle his lap and wrapped his arms around her. “Your ribs…”

 

“That’s why you’re on top,” He informed her, knowing damn well he wasn’t going to be laying down for at least another hour.  Jon was still twanging in the ribs, though it didn’t hurt as bad as it had.  Just the bruising now, this woman’s knees and kicks were lethal. “What’s in the oven?”

 

He was aware she had been out there doing something, hadn’t followed to watch because kitchens contained sharp and pointy objects and, at the time, she might’ve used them on him.  Tenderly, she brushed her lips against the bruises on his face, the bandage on his brow and finally gave him a soft kiss.  It was all she would be able to do for now until he was healed up.

 

“Pies.  Tomorrow, Cody is having Thanksgiving dinner at his house and he asked me to make a pumpkin and pecan pie.” Her heart was mending, piecing back together with stitching, and all the feelings for him she tried to bottle up came pouring back out again.  This time, she wouldn’t overwhelm him like before and would go at his pace. “I want you to go with me tomorrow.  Please?”

 

“You better clear that with Cody.”

 

Cody… who had seen Jon get his backside handed to him, and so had all those students.  He bet someone had snagged a video or a picture and inwardly groaned.  That would be online soon enough and then he was going to lie through his teeth and say they had been showing off to the students or something.  He knew since he had spilled about the last time she had decked him in the elevator, with his provocation, she had gotten a warning.  Getting beaten by her again and it was all over the Internet would not bode well for her future in WWE if this got out.

 

“Cody may not like me right now, darlin’.”

 

Cody had made sure to confiscate all cell phones and made it clear to the students if they posted a single thing online and didn’t hand over the footage, they would be kicked out of the school.  He didn’t mess around when it came to his cousin’s privacy or his for that matter.  Nobody needed to know what happened and they wouldn’t.

 

“I texted him and let him know I brought you home to tend to your wounds.  I haven’t checked my phone yet, but I’ll give him a call and make sure it’s all right.” She kissed him again, this time a little deeper and pulled back before they could get too carried away. “And if he wants me to come tomorrow, he’ll let you or I’m staying here with you and we can have our own little Thanksgiving together and he’ll be without pies.” There was no way she’d spend the holiday without Jon, not when he came all this way to see her in the first place.

 

“Don’t go pushing your cousin’s buttons, don’t put me first.”

 

Cody definitely deserved better than that, from both him and Chacia.  It was bad enough they had turned his school into a type of slaughterhouse today, Jon really hoped none of that made it online because then Cody might wind up with a backlash of his own.  A lot of trainers had a tendency to ‘prove’ wrestling was real and the way they did it was to genuinely hurt their students.  Cody didn’t need that, not when he was genuine and took pride in what he did, along with how he trained his pupils.

 

“I’m not putting you first, but I’m also not leaving you alone on Thanksgiving either.  I’m sure he’ll be fine with it.”

 

The oven went off and she hopped off his lap to go pull the pies out, not realizing how long they’d been talking for.  They turned out good with the crust being a little browner than normal, but not burnt.  That was a plus since she wasn’t the world’s greatest cook/baker.

 

“Are you hungry?  I don’t have much here, but I can order us some takeout.” She smiled when he requested Chinese, which was something they used to do on weekends when they were teens. “Coming right up.”

 

Thank the stars the place of her choosing delivered.  After making that call for the food and putting the pies in the fridge, Chacia excused herself to go to her room to make another phone call…to her cousin.  She would put him first, there wasn’t a doubt in Jon’s mind.  Usually, before anyway, that would have been something he had taken for granted, just assuming she would be by his side and screw anyone else.  Now, it bothered him a little bit.  Cody deserved to say no to him.  Groaning, he slumped back onto the couch, letting his head fall back.

 

“You want to bring him to Thanksgiving,” Cody repeated slowly, not entirely sure how that worked out. “Weren’t you beating his ass an hour or so ago?” Jon and Chacia were always going to have a messed up relationship.  He just hoped they managed to keep it level because there was always that risk it went toxic and neither would know it.

 

“We had some issues to work out amongst ourselves and everything is resolved.” Chacia shut her door and sat on the bed, putting her head in her hands. “Cody…I love him.  I’ve loved him since I was 16 and he came here to tell me he loves me too.  It’s a very long, complicated story, but I was pissed off more at myself than him.  I didn’t expect him to show up out of the blue like he did today.  And you and I both know he has nobody to spend the holiday with.” She shut her eyes, heaving a sigh. “As I said, I love him and I know it’s messy and you don’t like him, but…please give him another chance.” Like she was for the millionth time, it seemed.

 

“Okay Chacey, I will, but you have to answer a question for me first,” Cody sighed as he stared at a picture of her, him and Jon when the pair had been teenagers.  He felt old right now if he were honest.  They had gone from wrestling hopefuls and best friends to… he wasn’t even sure anymore. “How many more chances do you have left in you to give the guy?”

 

Everyone had a breaking point, even her, and one day it was going to happen.  He just didn’t want to be there to see it, especially after today.  She was quiet for a minute, having a picture on her nightstand of her and Jon, right after his first match back in the Indies in 2009.

 

“Between you and me, this is his last chance.” Chacia had never said those words out loud until now, feeling something sort of break inside of her. “Because I can’t keep putting myself through this and I know that.  It’s not good for me.  So, if we don’t work this time around, I’m walking away from him and not looking back.” That didn’t mean she would leave the WWE because that was a dream come true for her. “I walked away from him a month and a half ago and HE’S the one who came for me this time.” It was the first time Jon had ever come for her before – every other time it had been the other way around. 

 

It was a nice change of pace, actually. 

 

This time around, Cody caught that and wondered if she had as well. “Honey, there’s never been a time around with you two.” He pointed out gently, then had to wonder if there HAD been something and he had missed it. 

 

No, when would have anything happened?  Not when they were kids.  Not during those 8 years.  Not when Jon had come back from Puerto Rico all hopped up on drugs and booze.

“Has there?” He hadn’t missed what she said about Jon coming to her this time around, so that had to be a new experience for her. “He can come…” Because it was obvious she had her heart set on the idiot. “LAST chance though, Chacia, I can’t keep watching you do this to yourself.”

 

“He’s only ever come to me when he’s needed something.  And he’s always been the one to walk away or cut contact with me.  This time, he doesn’t NEED anything from me.  He’s here FOR me if that makes any sense.” It sounded better in her head than coming out of her mouth and Chacia wasn’t surprised when Cody informed her he had no idea what she was talking about. “Never mind.  I gotta go.  We will see you tomorrow.  Thanks again, Cody, I love you.”

 

“Love you too, Chacey.”

 

Hanging up with him, Chacia heard knocking sound at her bedroom door and immediately set the picture face down on her nightstand.  Jon had never been to her apartment before, so this was a new environment for him.  She stood up from the bed and opened the door, seeing he was carrying the bags of Chinese food.

 

“We can eat in here and relax.  And you’re coming to Thanksgiving tomorrow, I just got the okay from Cody.” She had a huge TV in her room with a DVD player and Roku box with Sling TV, her form of cable.  It was so much cheaper and better than regular cable.

 

Chapter 41

 

“Was he okay with it though?”

 

Her apartment was roasting, he loved it.  Jon had definitely taken to the Vegas weather and had pulled off his sweatshirt and tank top, showing off the bruises she had given him.  His eyes dropped when he realized Chacia’s eyes were fastened on them, looking horrified.

 

“Oh no, darlin’, I like them.” He assured with a grin. “Shows my woman is a tough bitch, who can more than handle herself, and me, if someone gets out of line.” Was he a little weird for that?  Probably.

 

The bruises were had turned a blue and black mixture, covering his left side around his ribcage and little splotches of bruises over his torso, even on his arms. “Oh, Jon…” Chacia covered her mouth with her hand, tears stinging her eyes and couldn’t believe the damage she inflicted on him. “Oh god, I’m so sorry…” How could she do this to him?!

 

“Chace, it’s okay…”

 

“No, it’s not okay!  This is not okay!  I hurt you!  Don’t try to make me feel better about it!” She snapped, backing away when he tried pulling her into his arms and sank down on the bed, burying her face in her hands. 

 

Chacia wasn’t hungry anymore, not believing how much physical abuse she inflicted on Jon.  What would the company say when he went back to work on Monday with all of those bruises?  They were going to want to know what happened to him.

 

“If you don’t let me hold you, I’m going to crawl over you, hold you down and it’s going to hurt me like a son of a bitch.” Jon threatened and proceeded to do exactly as he had said he would. “I’ll cover it with work; you’re not losing your job and, if we’re both honest, I deserve a lot more than this slight ass kicking.” Major ass-kicking actually, but he liked it.  He was a sucker for pain.  Bending down, he ignored the moderate twinges of pain and kissed her. “Good to know my girl can take care of herself if she has to, Chacia.”

 

His lips felt so good against hers, even when he mumbled against them to talk. “Please lay down before you really do hurt yourself.  Those ribs need to rest and you can’t be putting a strain on them.”

 

They had to eat before the food got cold, but thankfully, they were in tins, so it kept warm for the time being.  Jon reluctantly laid back on the bed, propped up with some pillows so he could eat.  While he made his plate, she took the salve out of her nightstand drawer to start applying it everywhere he was bruised.  Chacia pressed a soft kiss to each bruise, multiple on the big ones her lips couldn’t cover fully, before putting the salve on.  After she was satisfied and sure she’d gotten every last one, Chacia finally joined Jon in eating, both side by side on the bed with the television on low.

 

This was like old times, both of them chilling at his house in Vegas when he had been rehabbing his arm.  They had eaten together, watched videos, done everything together it had seemed.  He had really botched things up with her and Jon had every intention of making things up to her, making things right.  He had plenty of time to think over everything Chacia had said and she wasn’t wrong in any of it.

 

“I love you.” He rumbled out of nowhere, dropping a kiss on her head. 

 

Jon would remind her constantly, so she never had any reason to doubt him again, or let anyone else put doubts in her head.  Most people would’ve seen them living in separate states as a problem, but working for the WWE nixed that issue.  They didn’t always have to spend their days off together, especially with Jon’s love for mountain climbing and biking.  Chacia wasn’t a big fan of doing things like that, so if Jon wanted to take time to himself, it wasn’t a big deal.  They would see each other every day on the road, especially if Jon wanted to share a hotel room together.  There would be no point in getting two hotel rooms since they were together now, but she would let him make that decision.  No pushing, do things at his pace, she reminded herself mentally, smiling up at him and kissed the corner of his mouth.

 

To be honest, Jon wasn’t even thinking about where they lived or anything like that.  He wanted to make Chacia happy, but he wasn’t dumb enough to think they would rush into everything headfirst like idiots.  This was a baby step deal because he had done so much wrong; he wouldn’t jack everything up trying to make up for all the time he had wasted by being a jackass.

 

“I love you too.”

 

After they finished eating, Chacia put the food away in the kitchen and then changed into a nightshirt before rejoining Jon in bed.  There would be no sex until he was completely healed up, especially his ribs.  Holding each other while watching a movie and falling asleep was the perfect way to end this chaotic, stressful day. 

 

~!~

 

Jon was up before she was, laying on his side and watched her sleep.  She looked more relaxed, more at peace, which was a good thing considering he had sort of emotionally raped her yesterday.  He frowned, reaching down to trail his fingers along her cheekbone, smiling when he saw eyelashes fluttering.  Chacia hadn’t been sleeping very well over the past month and a half because of the Jon situation.  She couldn’t remember the last time she had a decent night’s sleep.  In Jon’s arms, she finally found tranquility and peace, getting very good rest.  She’d slept like a rock and smiled at the sight of Jon staring down at her, her hand reaching up to caress his face with her hand.  It wasn’t a dream; everything that happened yesterday came flooding back to her and luckily, the bruising on his face was already going away.  Miracle salve is what wrestlers called it because it got rid of bruises fairly quickly.

 

“Mmm morning…” She whispered, feeling him kiss her hand and wrist, slowly moving down her arm, making her shiver.

 

“Morning, darlin’.” Jon wasn’t about to try moving too much; he was stiff as a board right now. “You sleep well?”

 

She looked a lot better, actually.  The bags had receded quite a bit and those circles she had been sporting beneath her eyes were barely noticeable anymore.  Apparently, he could both hurt her beyond imagination and then piece her right back together.  Jon wasn’t sure if he liked having that power over someone he loved because he knew himself.  He was quite capable of using it to destroy her.  Noticing the stiffness, Chacia kissed him softly and guided him to lay on his back, being very gentle with him.

 

“How about a shower, hmm?  A hot shower will loosen those muscles up a bit more and help with your ribs.” She suggested, nuzzling his neck and kissed him again. “And yes, I slept like a log.”

 

Brushing kisses along the faint bruising on his face and the bandage on his brow, Chacia slid from the bed to go to the master bathroom.  A quick glance at the clock told her they had plenty of time to chill out; it was barely going on 9 AM.  Why was Jon up so early?

 

Because he was in a place he wasn’t familiar with and her place to boot.  Hotels and motels all seemed to feel the same, it was just the location that was different, so he usually had no issues there.  Those rooms blurred after a while.  Being here, in her place, he had slept, but not so good.  And, if Jon was honest, he had a lot on his mind and his ribs were killing him.

 

“Sounds great.” He was following her, a bit slowly.

 

Why did everything have to hurt worse the day after? 

 

How was that fair?

 

The shower was going and the steam began rising to fill the bathroom slowly as Chacia brushed her teeth.  She was in a cotton robe, her nightshirt in the hamper and smiled at Jon through the reflection.  Once she was finished rinsing her mouth out, she turned and handed him his toothbrush, having pulled his out of his bag.  Morning breath was a killer.  They stepped into the shower afterward, washing each other, sharing kisses, but that was as far as it went.  Chacia would not let it go any further and stepped out before him, ordering Jon to stay under the sprays a little longer.  She dried herself off, wrapped the towel around her body and then slipped her robe back on before leaving to go see what she could make them for breakfast.

 

Jon wasn’t in a hurry to go any further just yet.  She had accused him of using her for sex as a way of sticking it to Colby.  He didn’t want her having any doubts whatsoever when they finally got around to getting into bed together again.  Not to mention, he wasn’t able to give her the 110% she deserved; he’d be lucky if he was capable of 70 right about now.  Jon smiled, turning so the sprays could hit him just right.  She was back to mother-henning him, which meant she was getting back to normal.  Ordering him around, handing him things before he asked for it.  The woman had shown him some new sides to her and then did a 180 and was back to what he did know.  Chacia was never going to bore him.

 

Egg whites, wheat toast, and bacon were on the menu for breakfast.  It was all she really had since Chacia was only home a couple days out of the month.  Hell, she hadn’t been here in over a month due to her schedule.  Jon hadn’t either and, yet, he chose to come to Cincinnati for her.  As much as she wanted to jump back into things with him, Chacia was still hesitant and wanted to make sure he really wanted to be with her.  Jumping into the sack again quickly would only result in more pain and heartache.  She wanted more than just sex from Jon – she wanted everything he had to offer.  He walked out a half hour later just as she finished with breakfast and the table was already set.  Chacia had to learn how to breathe again at the sight of this man in just a towel and smiled at him, gesturing to the semi-healthy meal.

 

“We have a few hours to kill before we have to be at Cody’s.  I figured a small breakfast will tide us over until then.”

 

“Small?” His eyes widened since it was only three things, but she had made quite a bit and his stomach rumbled, causing him to grin boyishly down at her. “Come here, you.” He reached out, pulling her into him and bent down to plant a kiss on her forehead. “Looks and smells great, darlin’.” He knew he needed to get dressed, but he wasn’t in any hurry to bend and whatnot to get clothes back on. “When we’re done eating, think you could massage some salve into my ribs?” The bruising wasn’t as horrible as it could have been, thanks to her magical hands.

 

“Yeah, I was planning on doing it as long as you were okay with it.  The pain might be a little…intense since I’ll have to press into your ribs.” Jon was a stickler for pain apparently and she kissed his chest before sitting down to enjoy a quiet meal with him. “I’m happy you’re here.” Even with how angry she’d been, she worried he wouldn’t have someone to share the holidays with.  They ate in amicable silence and then went back to the bedroom after Chacia cleaned everything up from breakfast. “On your back.” She hadn’t bothered getting dressed yet, just having the robe on and removed the towel before sitting down to eat.  Rubbing the salve in her hands, she pressed it against the deeply bruised area on his ribs and began the deep massage, telling him to turn the television on for background noise purpose. “If it gets to be too much, let me know.  I’ll call Larry afterward and let him know you need the weekend off of the house shows.”

 

“You should do that anyway…tell him we were mugged here in our hometown and we can hide out here all weekend.”

 

Jon usually was all for performing house shows or live events that were televised, but honestly, all he wanted to do was enjoy some downtime with her before they got back to the grind.  Considering Chacia and him hadn’t been talking or anything at work, he could see them coming in together raising some eyebrows.  He wasn’t ready for that shit storm just yet.

 

“Mmm… ow…” It felt good and hurt all at the same time.

 

“Hideout here all weekend, eh?  I don’t think…”

 

Her cell rang at the moment, cutting her off and for some reason, Chacia got a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach.  Cody wouldn’t call unless it was an emergency, so she hoped everything was all right.  Reaching over, she saw the caller ID and it was a number she didn’t recognize.  She showed Jon, who frowned and informed her it was a Connecticut area code.  Immediately, she answered it and swallowed hard at the sound of Stephanie McMahon’s voice.

 

“Hello, Chacia, this is Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley calling.  Do you have a few minutes to talk?”

 

“Y-Yes, ma’am…” Chacia shared a worried look with Jon and pressed her finger to his lips before he could utter a sound.

 

“First of all, Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones.”

 

“T-Thank you…”

 

Stephanie smiled at the stammer in her voice.  Chacia was nervous and rightfully so since Stephanie normally didn’t make phone calls unless it was business related. “I want you to take the rest of the weekend off.  And…tell Dean he better be in shape and ready to go on Monday or I will make him forfeit his title.”

 

How the hell did she know Jon was here?!

 

“Do you understand, Chacia?”

 

“Y-Yes ma’am…”

 

“Stephanie is fine, thank you.  Also, you and I are going to sit down on Monday at Raw and have a little…discussion.  We’re going to get a few things straight and don’t worry, you’re not being fired.  You’re too much of an asset to the company to simply let slip through the WWE’s fingers.” Stephanie had a slight evil tint to her voice upon saying that and winked over at her husband, who was shaking his head. “That was all I needed to say to you.  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and give Dean my best.”

 

Chacia dropped the phone on the bed and just sat there, completely stunned by the phone call she just received.  Stephanie knew…the company knew…and that meant footage from her and Jon’s fight was all over the Internet and social media. “Oh god…”

 

“Oh God, what?” Jon demanded, taking in how pale she was and groaned when Chacia just began shaking her head. “Chacia, what?”

 

Stephanie, had she fired Chacia?  No… because he was pretty sure Chacia would be crying or something.  Instead, she looked like she would have a panic attack or something and he really got confused when she began scrambling.  His blue eyes widened when she procured her laptop and plopped back down on the bed, moving so he could see what she was doing.

 

“Awwwww…fuck.” He muttered, wincing as she played one of the few videos of him receiving his beating. “Damn…your knees are killer.”

 

“I-It’s everywhere…it’s uploaded EVERYWHERE.” Every social media site, every dirt sheet had caught wind of it! “Shit…” There was no point lying to Larry now, especially since STEPHANIE MCMAHON called her on Thanksgiving!  Chacia had to pull her fingers away from the laptop because she was trembling so hard, her teeth were threatening to chatter. “S-She said I wasn’t fired…that we’re having a discussion on Monday when we come back to work.  Just me and her.” The video showed the entirety of Jon getting beaten down by her! “I-I’m so sorry, Jon…for fuck’s sake…”

 

Would they ever catch a break and just be able to be happy?

 

“Oh, buddy…” Jon whistled, inwardly cursing himself out for letting her get that far. 

 

He hadn’t expected it to wind up blasted all over the Internet for the entire world to see.  If he hadn’t let her, if he had properly fought back, he would have been a woman beater.  Now, he was a giant ass pansy who had gotten destroyed by a woman.

 

“Well, darlin’, other than it looks like I’m a real pussy…you look damn good.” Stephanie wasn’t an idiot; she would do something either very good for Chacia or…well, bad, just depended on how one looked at it.

 

“I…I ruined you.  I ruined your character in the WWE with that ridiculous fight.”

 

Chacia could tell it slightly bothered him, but probably not as much as it should have.  Or maybe he was hiding how he truly felt from her, so he didn’t hurt her feelings.  Chacia felt like the biggest asshole on the planet and wondered if Cody knew about this being leaked.  It was Thanksgiving; she really didn’t want to ruin his holiday since hers had just been blown out of the water.  Honestly, she didn’t want to leave her apartment after seeing the recap of what happened between her and Jon.

 

“You should’ve fought back.  You shouldn’t have let me win.  Or at least put up some kind of fight.  I could’ve taken it, I’m not made of glass.” She had taken beatings with the best of them, but at least Jon wouldn’t look like a complete joke on the Internet had he fought back. “Fuck…”

 

“Shouldn’t have let you win?  It wasn’t a match, darlin’.  You needed to vent all that shit and it was me who needed to be vented on.” Jon was the one who had caused her pain all these years. “I deserved a lot more and I’m sure Stephanie will be able to spin this into something, just wait and see.”

 

Stephanie had been successfully leading the WWE into a new era.  She was shrewd and knew what she was doing.  Not to mention, her husband, while not always as active on-screen as he was behind it, was still brilliant as ever.  They’d figure out something.

 

“You worry too much.” He kissed her forehead before pulling himself out of the bed, gingerly stretching to see how everything felt.  Jon would survive, he just needed to take it a little easy for a day or two and then go kick someone’s head in when he went back to work. “Things will be fine.”

 

Why didn’t she believe him?

 

Chapter 42

 

“I already saw it and I’m not talking about it.  Let’s just enjoy Thanksgiving together and worry about everything else tomorrow, yeah?” Was Chacia’s greeting to her cousin, who didn’t look happy and handed over the two pies before grabbing Jon’s hand.

 

Cody opened his mouth to protest and immediately clamped it shut, seeing the ‘fed up’ expression on Chacia’s face. “Fine, Happy Thanksgiving.” He cleared his throat, setting the pies down and extended his hand to Jon. “Long time no see, kid.”

 

Jon hadn’t been back here in years, ever since he picked up and left for Philadelphia, before moving to Tampa, Florida and then eventually landing in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Chacia took the pies from the stand Cody set them on and left the men to chat for a minute, going into the kitchen to see how everything was progressing.

 

Cody waited until she was gone before pulling Jon into him, so they were chest to chest, his friendly smile disappearing and his eyes going steely. “If you fuck her around, or break her heart again, I’m going to bury your body out in that desert you love so much, got me kid?”

 

Jon stared at Cody, pretty sure the older man could actually pull it off and nodded. “Crystal.” Right now, Cody could definitely make him disappear, he wasn’t exactly in fighting shape. “Smells good.”

 

“Don’t suck my butt, street rat.  Do you think this will have an impact on her job?”

 

“I think, actually… that it’s going to get her a new job or something.  She belongs in a ring.” Jon was a bit disconcerted how fast Cody’s tone had gone from friendly, dangerous and back to friendly.  Maybe it was just something that ran in the family.

 

“Cody, goddamn it, you stuffed the bird again, didn’t you?!” Chacia shrieked from the kitchen, pinching the bridge of her nose and could hear him laughing, shaking her head. “You KNOW the damn stuffing is going to be all soggy now!”

 

“Calm your tits, Chacey, I know what I’m doing!” Cody called back, rolling his eyes and clamped a hand on Jon’s shoulder. “Better go see what she’s doing to fuck up my meal.  Come along, if you want.” He really didn’t know what else to say to Jon beyond threatening him not to screw his cousin over.

 

Besides the turkey being stuffed, everything else looked good for the most part. “Are you EVER going to get a woman?”

 

“Why, when I have the most beautiful, bossy woman in my life as it is?  Don’t need two of you running around.”

 

“Yeah, but I’m not always here these days.”

 

That was true. “Maybe a fuck buddy?” He groaned when she popped him with the spatula. “OW!  Stop worrying about me, mother hen and worry about yourself.  Now, you gonna tell me what’s going on or do I have to pry it out of you?”

 

“Stephanie called her today.”

 

“JON!”

 

Jon held his hands up. “I’m NOT about to piss Cody off and he deserves to know the truth, Chace.”

 

Reluctantly, thanks to Jon’s big mouth, Chacia went over the conversation she had with Stephanie.

 

“Wait, if I’m not able to ‘go’ Monday, she’s going to strip me of the title?” Where the fuck had that been when they had talked right after that phone call?  Jon hoped by able to ‘go’, Stephanie meant anything but a title defense. “Crap.”

 

“That’s what you get for provoking the woman.” Cody was just glad they were done discussing his turkey.  He had been doing this solo for quite some time now, he knew what he was doing.  People always had seconds, and nobody had died yet. “So, what’s the worst-case scenario here for you Chacia?  Since she’s not going to fire you, what’s got your panties in a twist?”

 

“That’s just it…I don’t know, and I’m terrified to find out.” Chacia frowned at her boyfriend – is that what she was supposed to call him now? “I’m sorry, Jon, okay?  My career is on the line here, I think, and I was frazzled.  Besides, you’ll be good to go and I think she meant being able to perform in the ring for like a promo or something.  You’ll figure it out.” What if Stephanie had lied to her and she wound up fired for kicking the hell out of their current Intercontinental champion? “I mean, I’m sure the hospital would hire me back…”

 

“In a heartbeat.” Cody affirmed, not having a doubt in his mind about that. “Maybe you should tell them you quit and come home…”

 

“No.” Chacia shook her head, feeling Jon’s hand slide into hers and gave it a squeeze. “I’m happy in the WWE.  I love the traveling, but I’m saying IF they fire me, hopefully, I have a backup plan.”

 

“Something tells me Stephanie isn’t gonna fire you.  I don’t think she was blowing smoke up your ass when she said that.”

 

“If she said she’s not going to fire you, she’s not going to fire you.  Stephanie doesn’t pull punches.” Jon grunted, stroking his chin thoughtfully. 

 

He had seen that video, from the outside perspective, and been the one receiving the beat down.  Chacia wasn’t a lightweight, she was a fighter.  If she could remember how to choreograph and whatnot, she would have killed it in the ring. “Why’d you quit wrestling, darlin’?” Hell, if that video kept making its rounds, he would bet Chacia would get a lot of offers to get back into a ring.

 

“I told you why.” It wasn’t the truth, though, just a vague coverup and she shared a look with Cody. “Just felt it wasn’t for me anymore…”

 

“Then why do you keep doing it if it’s not for you?  You don’t make any sense and you’re lying again.” Jon bought her story about wrestling abusing women and not wanting to be in the sex sells category, but that was only part of it. 

 

There was something else hidden beneath the surface.

 

“Well…”

 

“Cody, please don’t.” Chacia begged, shaking her head and felt her mouth go dry because Jon’s eyes were boring into her intensely. “Stop looking at me like that, Jon.”

 

“Chacey, you might as well tell him.  He’s gonna find out eventually.”

 

“But does it HAVE to be on THANKSGIVING?!”

 

Cody narrowed his eyes at her. “If you two are truly together, there shouldn’t be any secrets between you and you know it.”

 

“Cody…” Chacia groaned, banging her head lightly against the covered table.

 

“You didn’t get back into the ring until you started with WWE again, Chacey.  That means some part of you, no matter how small, still has a passion for it.” Cody knew she could wipe the mat with any of the current women’s roster in WWE.  He didn’t have a doubt in his mind Chacia would succeed, but she felt she was too old, that she missed her shot, her chance, her opportunity, because of the man she was now with. “Tell him.”

 

Shutting her eyes, Chacia looked from her cousin to Jon and could already feel the tears building in her eyes. “You.  I quit…because of you, Jon.”

 

“Wait, wait, wait…”

 

Apparently, Jon had missed something.  He knew there was more to the sex sells thing, and women being abused, but he had always thought that maybe someone had pushed her a little too hard on one of those things.  It happened all the time and she was a stunningly beautiful woman, so… it had made sense.  Didn’t mean he liked it, but it happened all the time and what was important was Chacia had always seemed all right, like nothing had happened. 

 

So, hearing it was because of him… “What’d I do?” He was lost and could only stare at her helplessly, hating the fact that she was beginning to cry, and he wasn’t sure what he had done to her.

 

“I’m getting a beer. Anyone else want one?” Cody asked, feeling the tension in the kitchen ratcheting up a notch.

 

“It was when you moved to Philadelphia to be part of CZW.” Chacia had a flashback of their final talk while packing up his truck. “The next day, when I went to the wrestling school to practice, I got in the ring and…it was like all the passion for wrestling was gone.  I didn’t want to do it without my best friend supporting me and me supporting him.” The six months he was gone to Puerto Rico, she hadn’t quit because she knew he would be back.  This time, however, was more permanent because he had actually MOVED 9 hours away from her. “Cody found me crying in the ring, I couldn’t do any of the exercises or anything.  I told him how I was feeling and…he took me home to put me to bed.  When I got up the next day, I told him I was done and turned in my wrestling boots, so to speak.  Went online to look at schools and colleges around here, found the sports medicine degree and the rest, as they say, is history.” She took a long swig of the beer Cody set down in front of her. “It was all me, Jon.  You’re not at fault for it.  I just…couldn’t do it anymore because it reminded me so much of you.  And it hurt so badly that you were gone – you left me alone in Cincinnati when we always talked about breaking into the business together, making it to WWE together.  And Cody’s right, up until you called and asked me to help you rehab your arm, I hadn’t stepped foot in a wrestling ring…and you came back in my life and suddenly, the passion was back and I wanted to do it again.”

 

Cody sipped his beer, watching as Jon moved away from her and sat down.  Yeah.  That.  If not for the fact that he had known about this since day one, and he had watched Chacia and how her world literally had revolved around Jon.

 

Jon kind of felt like he had been hit with a brick straight in his chest.  He had to digest the obsession, love, pull thing and that was cool.  He loved her, he got it.  This… was wrestling and he remembered telling her that she wasn’t cut out for it.  Now, he kind of felt like he was right because, if her passion for wrestling hinged on him, was it really wrestling she cared about?  He didn’t know how to make sense of it.

 

“I’ll take that beer.”

 

“That was only part of it, you moving away and pursuing your own thing.  Jon, you really opened my eyes to what the wrestling world was like back then and it scared the hell out of me.  I saw how much you struggled, you and Cody, just to do something you were passionate about.” Chacia explained, taking another pull from her beer. “Women didn’t have a place in wrestling back then like they do now.  I had to do something more with my life than making pennies and nickels, barely scrapping by.  I wanted to succeed and I knew wrestling wasn’t the answer.  You leaving was actually a blessing in disguise for me because it forced me to really open my eyes and take a good, hard look at what I was doing with my life.” There were a lot more factors involved than just Jon moving away that made Chacia step away from the ring. “Sorry, probably should’ve explained it better.  It’s…difficult to talk about, but you leaving triggered it.  That’s what I meant to say.”

 

“That… makes me feel marginally less like an asshole,” Jon admitted begrudgingly, narrowing his eyes.

 

On the bright side, it hadn’t taken her over a month to realize she should have worded something better.  He got it, what she felt like every time he had pulled her string for something, or walked away, only to pop back up whenever it suited him, or he needed something.  Jon imagined this whole mouth-words-coming-out-properly issue of hers, and how it twisted him, was just a fraction of what she felt.

 

“The game has changed a lot, Chacia, you could still try.”

 

“Sorry, I never meant to make you feel like an asshole.” Chacia stood up since he moved away from her and took his hand, lacing their fingers together. “You’re really not and you did nothing wrong, Jon.” Her quitting wrestling was entirely her choice and Chacia honestly believe she didn’t have what it took to be in the ring anymore. “You do realize I’m in my 30’s…” She was 33, actually.  A lot of women started their careers in their early 20’s in the wrestling business and by the time they were in their 30’s, they were ready to retire.

 

“Just see what Stephanie has to say.  Maybe she doesn’t want you to be in the ring.  Maybe she just wants to talk to you about how you learned the moves or whatever…even offer you to be a trainer.” Cody suggested, not wanting to put all her eggs in one basket and took a drink of his beer. “Kid, you think those ribs can handle carrying a few chairs?”

 

“Stephanie is in her 40’s and still climbs into that ring.” Jon pointed out, ignoring Cody’s jab about his ribs as he took said few chairs, lifting them up and then raising them down without flinching. “The trainer part is also a likely suggestion.”

 

Jon didn’t like that one at all because that meant, if Stephanie tried offering Chacia a new position, as a trainer and Chacia accepted, she’d wind up leaving the road, and him, to go to the training facility.  He didn’t like that thought at all.  She would be sort of in the ring, which she would probably love, but away from him, which he would definitely hate.  Especially since they had just managed to get their act together and be with each other.

 

Thanksgiving dinner consisted of turkey, soggy stuffing -in Chacia’s eyes-, cranberry sauce, corn, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, regular mashed potatoes, deviled eggs, brussel’s sprouts, macaroni and cheese and rolls.  It was a feast for kings and queens, at least in their eyes since they all grew up poorly.  By the time they were done eating, everyone was in food comatose and Chacia had lead Jon to her old bedroom, both needing to lay down.  Jon and Cody alone had cleared three plates full of food while she stuck with one and a half.  This was one of the ONLY times of year she threw caution to the wind with eating and went all-out, refusing to eat healthily during the holiday season.

 

“Ugh, how the hell are we gonna eat pie after THAT?”

 

“Well,” Jon began, knowing damn well that the natural occurring chemical in turkey was trying to put them all to sleep and fought it, maybe he shouldn’t have gone back for seconds or thirds. “We wait an hour or so, use the restroom and make room, then go to town.”

 

He laughed when she wrinkled her nose, shrugging his shoulders.  Jon had absolutely no regret about splurging and being a glutton the way he had, pretty sure however, his stomach was protruding.  He remembered Thanksgiving dinners from the homeless line at food pantry and churches.  He watched as she laid down, joining her, groaning.

 

“Too much turkey.”

 

She laughed softly, snuggling against him and was mindful of his injuries, making sure to touch his uninjured side. “Mmm…a nap sounds good, actually.”

 

It was only 4 in the afternoon and sleeping in Jon’s arms again sounded wonderful.  This wasn’t the first time they had slept together in this room, though they were kids back then and not romantically involved.  Jon had a nightmare and had come into her room, after sneaking upstairs, and asked if he could stay with her.  She hadn’t questioned or asked why, just opened the blanket and let him into her bed.  Chacia had woken up the following morning to her arm draped over Jon’s chest, both facing each other, but Jon had still been sleeping.  It was unbelievable how much had changed in all the years they’d known each other.

 

Jon stared into her face, his eyelids half closed already.  It was weird, being back here, being in this bed again.  So much had changed and yet somehow it all still felt familiar.  Except he wasn’t sneaking in this time.  He wanted to ask her what she would do if offered a trainer’s position, if she would really want to take a job that moved her away from him.  It was stupid and he knew it, given he had gone 8 years without talking to her, to be afraid of her doing what he had done.  Moving and leaving everything behind to start a new chapter.

 

“Love you, darlin’.” He murmured, kissing the top of her head.

 

Chapter 43

 

Even through the food comatose, she could hear the slight edge and fear in his voice, stroking his t-shirt covered chest lovingly. “Love you too, Jon.  You don’t have to worry, you know.  Even if Stephanie offers me anything that doesn’t have me traveling with the main roster, I’m not doing it.” It was as if she read his mind and Chacia looked up at him, caressing his bottom lip with the pad of her thumb. “Hopefully, I can stay with the medical team since that’s what my degree is in and what I originally signed up for.”

 

“Anything they offer you, you don’t have to take, they won’t force it.”

 

Though… Jon also knew for all the respectability and pleasantness, the McMahons could also be devious when it came to getting what they wanted.  So maybe things hadn’t changed as much after all, not really; they were just better now at making it appear that way and by giving what they considered to be small, yet money making, concessions.  The women’s division for example, which all the feminism issues and the press surrounding women equality, had been a smart move.

 

“It’ll be fine, Chace.” He hoped.

 

That made her feel marginally better as she scooted up a little more and buried her face in the side of his neck, pressing a few soft kisses against his pulse. “Yeah, it will be.”

 

There would be some backlash with them being together and that was just the nature of the business.  However, a lot of the women in WWE dated within the company because it was more convenient that way.  WWE’s schedule was hectic and grueling, it was easier to find love with coworkers than only being home a few days out of the month with someone who was constantly left waiting.

 

It was just a plain fact that life on the road for couples who didn’t travel together was hard.  There were those who made it work, but then there were those who couldn’t stand the long, lonely nights and seeing their other half only a handful of days a year.  Even with the 2 days off a week, there were other non-WWE events and obligations still met.  Some Superstars had charities they devoted time to, for example.  Or it just wasn’t a possibility to fly home for a few hours knowing they had to be on another flight soon enough to make their next appearance.  Jon wasn’t sure how they would be, what kind of couple they would be, if they were apart.  He also knew, if she did stay on the road, there was going to be several bumps.

 

Seth Rollins came to mind.

 

By the time they were ready to go back on the road, Jon was good to go and only had minimal bruising on his side.  All the others had faded, thanks to copious amounts of salve and a lot of rest and relaxation.  Chacia was insistent on it and they ate on Thanksgiving leftovers since Cody sent half the meal home with her and Jon.  They also had leftover Chinese food too.  Throughout the time off, Jon and Chacia decided it would be best to keep a low profile with their relationship in the company for now.  They could travel together and share a hotel room, but in the arena, he was Dean Ambrose and she was part of the medical team…unless Stephanie changed it up for her.  They would not interact with each other unless he needed some kind of medical attention and she was completely fine with it.  At the end of the night, they would be together and that was all she cared about.

 

Little did they know the type of plans Stephanie had in store for Chacia, which would also involve Jon and Colby’s current feud.

 

“Let’s see the damage, Ambrose.” Stephanie ordered on Monday night when he had shown up in her office, aware Chacia was out in the hallway nervously pacing.  She hid a smile as Dean rolled his eyes before peeling off his top.  She took in the faint bruising, pursing her lips and nodded. “Good.” She hadn’t been kidding; she would have stripped him of that belt just for being a moron. “You’re good to go, for now.”

 

Well that was ominous, Jon mused, retreating out to the hallway and nodded at Chacia. “Stop chewing on your thumbnail.” He ordered since she was shredding that nail.  He shouldered his bag and title, heading down to find his room. Chacia was, unfortunately, on her own.

 

“In my office, please.” Stephanie ordered in a brisk but polite tone.

 

Once again, she felt like she was walking into the lion’s den.  Chacia swallowed hard and walked inside Stephanie’s office, chewing her bottom lip.  She didn’t think Stephanie would actually demand to see the damage on Jon’s body.  That just made her more nervous.  She sat down in the chair in front of Stephanie’s desk and waited for the woman to take her own seat, clasping her hands in her lap.  Her head was down, Chacia really felt like crawling in a dark, deep hole and never coming out again, the tension in the room so thick, it couldn’t be cut with a knife.  Stephanie wasn’t firing her, but there had to be some repercussions for what happened with Jon at Cody’s school.

 

Dean Ambrose was a commodity.  Stephanie was all right with the man, but right now, it was all business and Jon Good was a product.  If said product was broken or couldn’t do what it was supposed to, she had no use for it.  That was just the nature of this business.  It was also why a lot of wrestlers tended to try working through their injuries, because they knew how fast they could be replaced.  It was dog eat dog at times and she highly doubted that would ever change.

 

“So… about this video,” Stephanie turned her open laptop towards Chacia, complete with the volume up and hit play. “Let’s go over it, shall we?” She sat patiently, staring at Chacia’s face as the woman onscreen began kicking the living hell out of Ambrose, screaming and railing at him.  When the video was over, she closed the lid and folded her hands on top of her cherry oak desk. “I assume there’s a good reason behind this?”

 

“Yes.” Chacia was prepared for Stephanie to ask and had thought about this long and hard over the past couple days.  How to answer.  What to say. “Jon and I have a complicated history.  I assume you’re aware I was dating Seth about 2 months ago, right?” Stephanie nodded, keeping her mouth shut and listened.  The silence was deafening from the woman. “We didn’t work out and I broke up with him…to be with Jon.  I’ve loved Jon since I was 16 and…some things happened between us I’m not going to discuss, but I will say that I thought we were finally going to be together.  And he pulled the rug out from under me because he wasn’t sure how he felt.  I was angry and confused and hurt and I’ve been spending a lot of my off days in Cincinnati at my cousin’s wrestling school.  The ring helps me get that aggression and frustration out.  He showed up, told me to spar with him like we used to do as kids and…I lost it.  I lost my temper.  I didn’t expect him to show up out of the blue like he did and provoke me.” Jon showed up at the wrong place at the wrong time, in a nutshell. “He didn’t fight me back and it wasn’t until after I dove through the ropes onto him, the suicide dive, that I realized what he was doing.  I also didn’t realize how much damage I actually did to him in those short few minutes…”

 

Stephanie didn’t need Chacia to fill in those blanks about what she wasn’t going to discuss.  She was assuming this history was beyond complicated and sex had gotten introduced to the already intricate mixture.  Not her business to ask, any rules about fraternizing with coworkers had been left to die a long time ago.  It was just easier to let nature take its course.

 

“First, you overshare.” She sounded more amused than anything else. “Second, why aren’t you wrestling?” Never mind the fact that Dean had allowed the beating to happen; Stephanie had grown up in this business and it was in her blood.  Even if Dean hadn’t allowed it, he would have had his hands full getting Chacia down. “You are a natural and you are clearly wasting your talents.”

 

“Sorry…” Chacia had a habit of oversharing and didn’t know how else to describe what happened because it was all a jumbled mess. “I stopped wrestling in 2009 to go to school and go into sports medicine.  I felt at the time, there was no place for women in wrestling besides being used as sex symbols.  I didn’t want that for myself and I didn’t want to live off pennies and nickels, which is what many do in the Indies.” There was no way she would tell Stephanie Jon’s involvement with that, not needing the woman to think she was a more of a lunatic than she probably already did.

 

“Fair enough, back then that was a valid reason.” Stephanie nodded her agreement, but she had put emphasis on the ‘back then’. “It’s almost 10 years later, Chacia, and the landscape has changed drastically.  As you’re aware, our women’s division is flourishing.  We have female pay-per-views and they are no longer eye candy.” They even had a female official, things had definitely changed. “Our female superstars are rapidly catching up to the men, including wages.” She could see the other woman looking confused. “I want you to audition for our talent division.” She believed Chacia would ace it, but there were still proper channels that had be gone through. “My husband oversees talent acquisition, so it would be him you’ll deal with.”

 

Her eyes shut at the offer because part of Chacia had been expecting it, especially after that video footage. “Stephanie, I appreciate the opportunity, I really do…”

 

“I sense a but.” Stephanie’s eyes narrowed at her. “What’s the excuse for you not to do this?”

 

“My age, for one.  I’m 33…”

 

“And?  Look at Lita, who had a career-threatening neck injury and Trish Stratus – they are well into their 40’s and still kicking ass and taking names.  There are others that are much older than you.” Stephanie reasoned, folding her arms in front of her chest and could see the hesitation in the woman’s eyes. “You don’t think you have what it takes anymore, right?” Then a thought occurred to her, which was a little unsettling. “Unless you’re afraid of being away from Dean.  Going to NXT to train, hone your craft and then come back to the main roster.” She nailed it on the head. “From that video, it looks like you have the basics down, it’s just a matter of getting your character developed, Chacia.  I think we can keep you on the main roster, put you in some darks, providing you pass the audition.  And then, I already have something lined up for you – a storyline that will perfectly explain what this footage is about.  We’re going to use it to our advantage, make lemonade out of a lemon.”

 

Chacia blew out a breath, not believing how much pressure Stephanie was putting on her and wrung her hands together nervously.  Could she do it?  Could she audition and possibly become part of the women’s division in WWE?  She already told Jon she wouldn’t take this opportunity, but this had always been her ultimate dream.  Would she really give it up for him, like she had everything else? “When is the audition?” She quietly asked, hoping she didn’t regret this decision.

 

“Paul will be in touch.  Listen, I get that you and Dean are a couple, but this isn’t a permanent move.  If you’re as good as we assume you are, and you’re able to stay on the main roster, great.  That is my hope, but ultimately, it’ll be Paul’s call.”

 

Because Paul was not someone to just let someone get by on their athletic talent alone, not in these days.  She had to be able to work in-character, do a little acting, and have basic microphone skills.  Paul was also stern about it, she wrinkled her nose.  Even with her.  She hadn’t missed how quiet Chacia was, frowning.

 

“Unless this is something you really don’t want?”

 

“Can I have a few days to think about this?  I can’t just make this decision right now, I need time to really mull it over because I do enjoy working with Larry and the medical team.”

 

It was a good fit for her and safe; Chacia had a feeling if she did this audition and wound up on the main roster, she would get a lot of animosity from people.  It would be a lot to handle and Chacia wasn’t sure if she wanted to deal with the drama this would bring.  Not to mention, if Triple H DID decide to send her down to NXT…she would be away from Jon for long periods of time, when they JUST found each other again.

 

“I’ll let you know next Monday, if that’s all right.  I just really need to make sure I’m doing the right thing for myself and my future.”

 

“Next Monday then.” Stephanie agreed, though she wasn’t happy at having to wait a week.  She had ideas in store for this and had a feeling Chacia would make the right decision. “You’re dismissed, I’m sure everyone in the medical team will be glad to see you back.  Not to mention, there was a lot if amusement over that video.”

 

Ambrose had been a pain in the backside for a few weeks now.  Larry would probably have that video playing on repeat for months.  She had picked up her iPhone, letting Paul know how the meeting had gone.

 

~!~

 

“I’m not doing it.”

 

Cody expected this phone call and leaned back in the chair in his office, still not believing the WWE’s generous donation they’d sent him. “Chacey, are you absolutely sure you don’t want to at least try for this?  I know you can’t be satisfied with the medical team”

 

“You don’t know me at all, then.”

 

“I’m just saying, don’t do this because of Jon…do this because you feel in your heart you won’t make it as a wrestler.” That was a load of crap he just spewed, and Cody felt sick for actually saying the words. “We both know why you really won’t do this.  Haven’t you sacrificed enough for him?  When is it going to be time for you to finally be happy?”

 

Chacia leaned against the equipment trunk outside of the arena, staring up at the sky. “And what if I do this and it all goes well, but they want to send me down to Florida for further training and character development?  You know that’s exactly what’s going to happen, which means Jon and I will be separated.  Again.”

 

“But you’ll be doing what you’ve always wanted to do, and the women are KILLING it in wrestling right now.  You are in your prime, in tremendous shape and you work your ass off more than probably most of those women on the roster.  This is YOUR time to shine, Chacey.” Cody felt his heart break at her sniffle, knowing she was crying. “I’ll even fly out to see your audition.  I’ll do whatever it takes to help you through this.  And if the kid loves you as much as he claims, he’ll support you and be with you even if you guys only see each other a couple days a month.” Until she could make it back to the main roster. “Don’t pass this up.  Don’t sacrifice anything else for him.”

 

Wiping her tears away, Chacia could tell how badly her cousin wanted her to take this shot and it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. “All right…all right fine, I’ll do it.  I’ll go to Stephanie and tell her I’m in.”

 

“That’s my girl.  Go tell her right now.  Don’t make her wait a week or she might change her mind.” Cody advised, hanging up with his cousin after ordering her to call him to let him know when her audition would be.

 

Chacia took a deep breath and rushed back into the arena, only to smack right into the last person who wanted to see her and vise versa. 

 

Colby.

 

“Shit…”

 

Chapter 44

 

She had literally smacked right into him and Colby stepped backwards, watching as she did the same, her hands rubbing where she had boinked herself on him.  Chacia had kept to herself since the day she had broken up with him and he had seen how that had panned out.  She hadn’t stayed with Jon either.

 

“You look like someone walked over your grave.” He observed, brown eyes guarded and narrow.

 

Since she hadn’t spoken to Colby in a month and a half, ever since she broke things off with him, this was a bit of a surprise and shock.  Of ALL the people to run into backstage, it had to be her ex, if she could even call him that.  Again, Chacia did not believe they had an actual relationship because they’d taken things slow and gotten to know each other.

 

“Yeah…sorry.” She rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly, chewing her bottom lip and took a step back to put more space between them. “I-I’ll just get out of your way…”

 

As far as Colby was concerned, they had been in a relationship.  Maybe it had been old-fashioned in that they hadn’t jumped right into bed, but they had been together.  The fact that she had felt guilt about banging her apparent true love, twice, while seeing him was proof that whether she wanted to admit it or not, she thought it was a relationship.

 

“What’s the hurry, Angel?” He asked, gently reaching out to stop her.

 

Why was he still calling her that term of endearment?  It bothered her for some reason, though she had no idea why. “I just have a lot going on right now and I figured you need to get ready for the show…and you didn’t want to talk to me after what happened.”

 

After she wrecked his pride by sleeping with Jon, even though she’d clearly warned him it would probably happen.  Colby pulled her gently but firmly to press against the wall, staying out of the way since Raw was always a madhouse and people were coming and going.  Standing in the hallways would spell disaster since a lot of people didn’t know the ‘stop’ button with their feet, like Chacia, for example.  Colby bet outside of ring accidents, the highest amount of injuries came from things happening in the hallways because people just didn’t pay attention or know how to stop.  Or look.

 

“I have time.” He said quietly, watching as people zoomed by, people walking into each other.  It was a madhouse tonight. “I’m done being angry with you, Chacia.  You warned me what was going to happen.  I guess I didn’t think it would, is all, and that was on me.”

 

“No.” Chacia refused to let him take all the blame and folded her arms in front of her chest. “I shouldn’t have gotten involved with you in the first place, Colby.  Knowing how I felt about Jon, I was wrong.  I never wanted to hurt you.  You don’t deserve it because you are a great guy.” She had a great time with Colby while they were together and hadn’t eaten frozen yogurt with him since breaking things off.  Working out she still did, obviously, but she hadn’t done CrossFit, just regular training and workouts. “I really am sorry…”

 

“Don’t be, I’m over it.” Colby shrugged his hands, fiddling with his hands because he had nothing else to do with them. “Maybe we were just supposed to be friends.”

 

Hell, that was what their relationship had really been like if he were honest.  Friends who sometimes fooled around.  They had worked out together more then they had done anything else and looking back, that should have probably been a sign or something.

 

“It was good seeing you, Angel. I got to get going.” He patted her shoulder in a friendly manner before walking in the opposite direction she had been going, a smirk curving his lips once he turned the corner.

 

Friends?  Colby wanted to be friends with her?  She cheated on him with Jon and he wanted to be her friend?  That did not sit well with her, but Chacia couldn’t do anything about it right now.  She had to get to Stephanie’s office and was a lot more cautious on the way, finally making it 10 minutes later.  Christ, she was usually in the medical office and had no idea just how crazy the backstage area could get.  Knocking on the door, she heard Stephanie’s voice and pushed open the door, thankful she wasn’t with anyone.

 

“I’ll do it.  I’ll audition.  I don’t need a week to decide.  I just wanted to let you know, so whenever Paul is ready, I will be too.  I do have one question though.  What am I supposed to do until then?  Should I still work with Larry and the medical team or…?”

 

“Of course, why wouldn’t you?” Stephanie asked in return, sounding confused.  She shook her head, finishing with a paper and set it aside before pulling another from a small stack before her. “Until your audition, you are still a member of the medical staff and, afterwards, you’ll still report to Larry until Paul has made a decision.  You’re still on the payroll, Chacia, so while you’re waiting, we still expect you to do your job.” It was said gently, without bite and she flashed the other woman a smile. “I’ll let him know and he’ll get things set up.  If I may… what changed your mind so soon?”

 

Chacia smiled back at one of her bosses, hazel eyes sparkling with newfound fire and confidence. “My cousin.”

 

~!~

 

“Well, well look who’s back with us!” Larry crowed, smiling at the sight of Chacia walking into the medical room and she looked ready to get to work. “Good thing too, we have a lot going on tonight.”

 

“Yeah, thanks for the time off…” Chacia gestured for Alexa Bliss to enter the room and began working on her arm, smiling over at Larry. “How was your Thanksgiving, old man?”

 

Larry smirked at her nickname for him and chuckled. “It was good.  Spent it with the family…” He couldn’t help bringing up the elephant in the room, however. “I saw you had a VERY interesting Thanksgiving.”

 

“I think everyone did.” Alexa quipped with a smile, the entire video of Chacia beating the hell out of Dean Ambrose at Cody Hawk’s wrestling school had made the rounds in the locker room. “By the way, that was a helluva suicide dive you did.”

 

Chacia cleared her throat, turning red and mumbled ‘thank you’ while continuing to do her job.

 

“Apparently, there’s also been a spike in interest in Hawk’s wrestling school.” Larry commented, smirking when Chacia’s blush only deepened.  She would get over it.  She had done the deed, in front of younger people who had grown up in the technology and social media era; that footage was now out there forever. “Word is, if you and Jon are both products, there’s some interest in seeing where that talent was nurtured.” So, it wasn’t entirely a bad deal.

 

It definitely wouldn’t be a bad deal if she did well in her audition, but Chacia was keeping that under her hat for now.  There was no sense in spreading false rumors around when that video was trapezing throughout the locker room.  Jon was probably being razzed by his coworkers and she could only hope he kept his temper in check.  The last thing they needed was dealing with backstage violence because people couldn’t leave well enough alone.  Alexa finished up and she brought Bray Wyatt in next to look over his lower back, which he had been having a lot of problems with lately.

 

~!~

 

Given that Jon had been a royal pain in the ass and prick lately… he was definitely getting a hard time and for the most part, he had no fucks to give.  Here at work, he and Chacia had already established that they left their relationship at the door.  That worked out great because it meant she already was aware he was going to be cold and distant at work and it wasn’t her, it was just how he had decided to be.  She knew it wasn’t her.  He hoped her meeting had gone over well and, chances were, she was going to have a lot of admirers here in the back.


“How’s it feel getting your ass handed to you?”

 

“Got me hard.” He said flatly, disappearing into his dressing room.

 

~!~

 

After Raw, Jon was waiting for Chacia outside of the building and it took her a little longer to get out because of all the work needing done.  Wrestlers, men and women, needed rubdowns and injuries checked, along with actual cuts and bruises needing tended to.  It was 11 PM before she finally walked out, looking exhausted and smiled tiredly at Jon, immediately grabbing his hand to lace their fingers together.  Jon hadn’t come in to get his ribs checked out, which he should’ve and he’d had a match on the show that night, so she knew he had to be hurting.  Or at least he was sore.

 

“Good match tonight.” She complimented, having caught it during her lunch break and felt him kiss the top of her head.

 

“Yeah, I know.” He said with a smirk, laughing when she squeezed his hand. “Darlin’, considering the beatdown I took over the holidays by this crazy broad, I’m surprised I could even do half that shit in the ring tonight.” He was teasing her and laughed when Chacia flashed him a half-amused, half-exasperated look.” How’d your meeting go?” He had avoided the medical room for a reason.  Jon hadn’t wanted to make things awkward for her or have anyone put them in a stupid position.

 

Chacia bit her bottom lip, staying quiet and sighed when Jon stopped them just in front of their rental car. “Cody was right.  Stephanie did offer me an audition to become part of the women’s division.” Her eyes lowered to the ground, knowing Jon wouldn’t like hearing this, but she had to do what she had to do. “I had to take it, Jon.  I told her I would and to set it up with Triple H.  I don’t know when it’s going to happen, but when it does, I’m going to do my best and I’m going to become a WWE Superstar.” There was no doubts and no shame in her voice, just sheer acceptance. “And if I have to go down to NXT to train and get better, if that’s what they want me to do…I have to do it.  I know I said I wouldn’t, and I told you not to worry, but…I HAVE to do this.  I owe it to myself to see if I AM good enough to become part of the WWE roster.”

 

“Darlin’, I figured she was going to offer you something either wrestling or trainer wise,” Jon made it sound so simple, not a trace of anger or resentment in his tone. “You seem more upset by it then I even thought about being.” He wasn’t upset at all.  Yes, she would probably have to go to NXT, but that wouldn’t be for long and then she’d be living the dream, so to speak. “I’ve told you before, shit has changed since back then.” Why did she look so worried? “You think I’m going to be mad?”

 

No.  Not mad.  She needed to be in the ring, so he felt a bit confused by why she would think he wouldn’t be all right with this.  The jackass had told her she didn’t belong in the ring, that was him from before, the idiot.  Said idiot had gotten his ass handed to him by her, that idiot knew better now.

 

“Because if I have to go down to NXT, I won’t be traveling with you anymore.  We just…got together and what if the distance splits us up again?” Chacia reached up to stroke his bearded face, remembering Cody’s words and could hear them echoing in her mind.  Don’t sacrifice anything else for him.  “I didn’t think you’d be mad, I just…I don’t want to complicate things further with us.  The only thing I’m upset about with this is having to leave the road and go down to NXT, if Triple H insists.” That was the way things went around here; Chacia would have to be given the rookie treatment and everything. “Do you think we’ll still be okay if I have to leave the road for a while and go down to Florida?”

 

She had looked away from him and been biting on her lips, both signs she was worried about what he would think and how he would react. “Yeah, I think we’ll be fine.” Jon assured her, knowing if this was what she wanted, she was going to wind up getting put through her paces just like everyone else.  She could wrestle, sure, but she had never made it anywhere, so she was still at the bottom, unless Stephanie interfered, or Paul seen something he liked. “You need to stop fretting, darlin’, this is good news.”

 

“Okay.” Jon was being completely supportive, just like she’d been for him all these years and it felt wonderful. “Do you think before the house show tomorrow night, we can go to the arena and spar for a bit?  I don’t really know anyone else who will do it and I need as much practice as I can get before my audition.” Cody would’ve been the perfect spar partner since he instilled the way he wrestled, the psychology of it all, in both Jon and Chacia.  He wasn’t available, however, only Jon. “Unless your ribs are still bothering you, then I can figure something else out…”

 

“I’ll help, but you’re going to have to tone it down.” Jon grinned when her eyes moved to his ribs. “No, not that darlin’.  I’m right as rain.” Sort of, mostly. “Hunt is going to want to see your strength, and you got that down.  Then he’s going to want to see you selling your strength and doing the moves, making them look legit, without always being… as punishing.” Because while wrestling was not fake, they did choreograph and water down power things a lot; hurt people meant no product.

 

“Okay, I can do that.” She slid her hands up his shirt covered chest to wrap her arms around his neck and softly kissed him, pressing her forehead to his. “You can be my trainer and whip my ass into shape.  Come on, let’s get back to the hotel and I’ll give my man a full body massage.” She had oils she brought with her that would help with his aches and pains, also wanting to check on his bruised ribs. 

 

Jon smacked her backside, opened the passenger door for her and slid behind the wheel, driving off to the hotel moments later.

 

They didn’t see the dark angry eyes watching them from a distance.

 

Chapter 45

 

Taking bumps wasn’t a big deal and neither was running the ropes, but Chacia wanted to focus more on selling moves and delivering them without causing too much harm.  She suplexed Jon in the center of the ring, watching the way he sold it and then let him do it to her, trying to do the same thing.  Jon gave her some tips and pointers before doing it again.  On the fifth suplex, Chacia finally understood what he was talking about and Jon nodded in approval, helping her up by the hand.  They had been going for almost 2 hours and Chacia knew Jon had a match that night to prepare for, so they couldn’t go much longer.

 

This was like a warm-up and honestly, it was fun.  This was fun.  It took Jon back to when they were kids, sparring and practicing with each other, coaching each other on.  Back then, he had been focused on nothing BUT wrestling, his passion, his ticket to a better life, it was everything to him.  The difference now, she wasn’t just his friend and someone to help him reach his goal, she was his woman.  Someone who shared those passions, someone HE could HELP this time around.  It felt weird, but also good, and he loved it.

 

“Darlin’, you’re getting it.” He complimented when she sold yet another move, wiping sweat off his brow.  It was actually harder to make the moves LOOK painful and real than to outright do them. “You got this, Chace.”

 

“I hope so…”

 

It felt amazing to get back in the ring with Jon, sparring the right way instead of being the holy high hell out of him.  She took the bandana off her head, wiping sweat away and squealed when Jon lifted her, not expecting it and instead of slamming her, he held her in the powerbomb position.  Chacia smirked, using her strong thighs and flipped him over to where he was on his back and she was straddling his chest.

 

“Nice sneak attack, Ambrose.  I saw it coming though.” She leaned down to brush her lips against his and felt him flip her to where she was on her back and he was hovered over her. “Mmm, even better sneak attack…”

 

“You should have let me have my way with you, darlin’.” Jon rumbled, having rather enjoyed having her up in that position, her crotch had been right there in his face.  He wiggled his eyebrows, bending down to nuzzle her neck. “We need to have sex in a ring one day…” That was one of his fantasies, tame probably, but it was his two great loves at one time.  How could he resist?

 

“Are you two done?  Some of us actually have to use the ring for what it’s intended for.”

 

“I only need 30 seconds.”

 

Joe wasn’t sure if that was an opening for a friendly joke or what, so he remained silent.

 

Sex in a ring…that sounded extremely erotic and Chacia started to wonder how they’d pull that one off.  Maybe they could do it the next time they were in Cincinnati since she had a key to the wrestling school.  Cody wouldn’t be happy if he found out, but what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.  If Jon wanted to sex her up in a ring, she was all for it and would make it happen somehow.

 

“Sorry Joe, we were just finishing up.” Chacia pushed Jon off her to get to her feet, seeing the annoyed expression on the Samoan’s face. “I should um, get a shower and get ready for the show tonight.” She brushed her lips against Jon’s cheek and squeezed his hand. “See you later, have a great match.” Slipping through the ropes, she hopped down and left Jon and Joe alone, heading to the back for a much-needed shower.

 

Jon watched her go, leaning on the ropes as his eyes slowly moved from the delicious, swaying backside of his woman to his former friend, ice glossing over them. “All yours.”

 

He rolled out of the ring, not having any business with Joe and he was fairly certain the Samoan would try to take his head off if they were in that ring together.  He hadn’t exactly been nice as of late.  Joe wouldn’t let him walk away that easily though, not getting in the ring and narrowed his dark eyes.

 

“You know, I don’t get you.  We used to be brothers, closer than friends, closer than family.  I thought of you as one of my own, my Uce, and you betrayed me.  Why?  I don’t get it, man.  I’ve done NOTHING to you to deserve how you’ve been treating me and my wife!” He eyeballed the ring and then moved his gaze back to Jon, slamming his hand down on the apron. “If you need to get something out of your damn system for us to get back to where we used to be, let’s do it.  Unless you’re scared to step in the ring with me?”

 

Well, there was a challenge Jon couldn’t exactly walk away from.  He was already getting teased about getting his ass kicked by Chacia.  If he walked away from Joe, it was probably going to just get worse.  Did he care?  Maybe.

 

“I betrayed you?  No man, I just dropped you and your superman ass like the bad habit you are.”

 

He figured if they were going to do this, they might as well be all in.  He rolled right back into the ring, gesturing for Joe to bring it.  Jon was pretty sure he heard whistling in the air when that big fist came his way, ducking it.

 

“YOU dropped MY ass?  Man, without MY ass, you wouldn’t BE here right now on the main roster!” Joe growled, throwing another fist for Jon to duck and decided to go a different route, clotheslining him.  He nearly took the man’s head off and picked him up, shoving him into the nearest corner. “You’re…my…fucking…brother!”

 

Every word that came out of his mouth, Joe slammed his body full force into Jon’s – they were called turnbuckle clotheslines and only Joe had them in his arsenal.  His John Cena wanna-be arsenal.  Snarling, Joe stopped after the 10th turnbuckle clothesline and punched Jon, sending him crashing to the mat.

 

“GET UP, BITCH!”

 

“Yeah, one second…” Oh buddy, his ribs were not all right with him right now.  It hadn’t even been a full week since Chacia had beaten his ass.  Had it?  Maybe. “Ow, ow, ow,” Jon was so glad he didn’t have long hair anymore, though the fact that Joe’s freakishly long spider fingers were now pulling him up by said head made him wince. “Be gentle, I’m fragile.”

 

That was the Jon he knew, and he figured if beating the ice and malice away was the way to do it… so be it. “You’ll survive.” Joe remarked gravely, picking the smaller man up.

 

Not happening. Jon began bringing his elbow down until he got dropped, not about to be power slammed or tossed.  Joe was a powerhouse in the ring, stronger than an ox and had gone toe to toe with legends in this company.  It was the only company he’d ever worked for in wrestling and he had a legacy to uphold.  He was part of the Samoan Dynasty, some of the greatest legends came from his bloodline, such as The Rock and Rikishi.  The USO’s were his cousins and were the current Smackdown! Tag Team champions.  The more Joe thought about what Jon spewed at him, the more pissed off he got and groaned at those elbows raining down on him.  Then Jon went for the legs, cutting them from under him and Joe hit the mat like a sack of potatoes, breathing heavily.

 

“Fuck…” He grunted, getting to his feet and began throwing punches with Jon, both men not caring how much damage they did to the other.  They had some issues to hash out and it was getting done TODAY.

 

“Back out there.” Larry ordered when he spotted Chacia, carrying an emergency bag, flanked by an EMT and another trainer. “Ring techs just radioed in to let us know Dean and Roman are out there beating the shit out of each other.”

 

He nodded when she fell in line, trusting that she was professional enough to do her job and not interfere.  It wasn’t their job to break the mess up, it was their job to make sure the idiots could go on tonight.  If Stephanie knew about the situation, which he was assuming she did because not much went without her being made aware, she was sitting on it and letting them hash it out.  It had been a long time coming, everyone knew that.

 

Of course, Chacia was professional enough to handle anything the WWE threw at her, but she was NOT expecting to find Jon and Joe duking it out in the ring.  Jon’s nose was bleeding, and Joe had a cut on his eyebrow, both had fat, busted lips too from shots.  Larry looked at her, shaking his head and patiently waited until both men winded down to where they could do their jobs, which was patching the nimrods up.  Chacia wanted to yell at them, but held back, still in her wrestling gear and really hoped she had enough time to shower before the house show began.

 

“YOU BETRAYED ME!”

 

“HOW THE FUCK DID I BETRAY YOU?!  I WAS NOTHING BUT A BROTHER TO YOU!”

 

“EVERYBODY BETRAYS ME!!  DON’T PRETEND LIKE YOU CARE ABOUT ME!!”

 

“I’M GONNA BEAT YOUR ASS UNTIL YOU REALIZE I’VE BEEN NOTHING SHORT OF FAMILY TO YOU!”

 

“SCREW YOU!’

 

“NO, SCREW YOU!”

 

This was madness!  Pavana showed up, being held back by the medical team and could only watch her husband and Dean beat the tar out of each other. “STOP IT!!  BOTH OF YOU, STOP THIS!!” She wasn’t part of the medical team and that was her husband in the ring, damn it!

 

Pavana was an actual WWE official and both men knew to stop and back off when she slid into the ring.  Joe knew from personal experience that not only did she have the authority to issue punishments within WWE grounds, even the temporary one, but she was also very likely to do so if he stepped out of line and he was her HUSBAND.  Breathing heavily, he leaned in one corner while Jon took the other, both men glaring at each other.

 

“Okay guys, have at them.” Pavana gestured the medics in while she slid into the ring, surveying each man intently. “What is going on here?”

 

Neither of them said anything.

 

“Oh, NOW you got nothing to say, a minute okay you were screaming at each other.”

 

“Baby girl…”

 

“DON’T BABY GIRL ME, LEATI JOSEPH ANOA’I!” Pavana snapped, planting her hands on her hips with fire in her eyes, eyebrows dropped practically to her nose.

 

Chacia blinked, cringing at how pissed off Pavana was. “Damn…”

 

“Now, you’re going to tell me what the fuck happened between you two and you’re going to do it NOW!”

 

Jon knew better than to say a word and kept his mouth shut, simply eyeballing a man he once considered his friend.

 

Joe scowled, not believing Jon was letting him take the fall for this and grumbled under his breath.

 

“I’m sorry, what was that?”

 

“I told him to get in the ring with me…”

 

“So, you two were having a pissing contest, being completely UNPROFESSIONAL and possibly destroying your current runs in the company.  Is that about right?” Pavana summarized, eyeing her husband shrewdly and watched him nod before turning those fire-ridden eyes on Jon. “You two will be fined $5,000 for this ridiculous bullshit AND, if you so much as LOOK at each other backstage, I’ll take on ANOTHER $5,000, do I make myself CLEAR?”

 

“Yes, ma’am.” They both muttered in unison.

 

Chacia bit her bottom lip to keep from smiling because Pavana had just laid the law down and continued checking Jon’s hand to make sure it wasn’t broken.

 

“Your wife is a-”

 

“I know.” Joe muttered, watching as Pavana made her way out of the ring.

 

Jon winced when Chacia snapped his nose back in place. “BITCH!” He cupped his nose, shaking his head. “Not you, darlin’.” It was nasally, painful and his eyes were watering.

 

Joe wasn’t faring much better, the underside of his top lip was being tended to, where he had gotten cut open from a vicious elbow.

 

“One stitch, dissolvable.  Open wide.”

 

Jon winced at that one, at least his pain was over fairly quickly.

 

Pavana may have been a bitch, but these two deserved the ass reaming they just received from an official of WWE.  Pulling a stunt like that in the ring…Chacia was very disappointed in both of them, more Jon than Joe since she didn’t know Joe very well.  She had a serene smile on her face while snapping Jon’s nose back into place, not fazed by it at all.

 

“You’re going to need an x-ray, which means you’re missing the show tonight.” She clapped a hand on his shoulder none too gently. “Well done, Ambrose.”

 

“Yeah, I think the meathead here needs one too, just to be on the safe side.” Larry muttered, clapping a hand on the Samoan’s shoulder the same way Chacia did to Dean. “Both of you are going to the ER and I don’t want any lip outta either one of you.  Got me?”

 

Pavana was going to be severely pissed off and Joe had a feeling he would be riding the couch in their suite tonight, groaning.

 

“Neither of them is missing the show or else I’m stripping titles.” Stephanie announced her presence, blue eyes narrowed. “They can get them on their own time since they decided to be idiots and hurt themselves on company time.”

 

“I’ll get the waivers.” Larry said under his breath, seeing Jon and Joe both shaking their heads at the mention of titles being stripped.

 

“Good.  I think we may change it up tonight and put you two in tag team action, see if you can co-exist or if you’ll have issues.” She tapped her chin thoughtfully, studying them. “Of course, if there ARE issues, I’m going to add to the fines Pavana already slapped on you, and then make you defend those titles night after night until you learn to play nice or lose them.”

 

“Yes, ma’am.” They said in unison.

 

Chacia followed Larry and the medical team to the back, leaving Stephanie with Joe and Jon to probably rip them verbal assholes.  Larry instructed her to go take a quick shower since they had about 2 hours before the show started.  She thanked him and grabbed her bag she’d brought with, heading to the shower room that was unisex.  She slipped her clothes off, setting them aside and took her hair out of the ponytail she had it in before stepping under the warm sprays.  They didn’t need to be cold because she no longer felt as if she was on fire constantly now that she was with Jon.  Humming under her breath, she began washing her hair and had her back to the pulled curtain, which hid her from view.

 

Chapter 46

 

It hid her from view from a straight on angle.  From the side, the water pounding her, along with the shower walls and ground, caused that curtain to gap open and he rather enjoyed the view.  She was with Dean Ambrose, that much was obvious.  They had mended fences, apparently.  That was disgusting.  She was also being offered a job, he had overheard that, overheard her issues and his dark eyes narrowed.  Making sure the door was locked, he flipped off the light, hearing her humming tapering off.  Some arenas were known for their crappy wiring and electrical issues, maybe Chacia would assume the same here.

 

“What the hell?” Chacia murmured, looking around the complete darkened shower room and felt a fear develop in the pit of her stomach. 

 

She swallowed hard, continuing to rinse the conditioner out of her hair and went to reach for the conditioner, when she heard footsteps.  Even through the water, the pressure wasn’t that loud, and she could only pray the lights came back on soon.  It felt as though her heart might fly out of her chest from how hard and fast it pounded.  Those footsteps were coming closer, and closer, and closer…whoever it was stood just behind the curtain – the curtain was the only thing separating them.  She reached up to shut the water off, trying to play this out in her mind and knew the only advantage she had was the shower curtain.  Without a second thought, she turned around silently and shoved the curtain in the person’s face before giving them a lethal chop to the throat.  Gasping resonated around the shower room as the attacker stumbled back, clutching their throat and she tripped them for good measure, making them crack their head on the floor.  Not bothering with her clothes or anything, Chacia made her way to the door and unlocked it, wrapping the towel around her body before flying out of there, tears in her eyes.

 

Minutes later, Colby was emerging, a towel around his waist, soaked and dragging someone he didn’t recognize out of the bathroom.  Security was on the way, Larry walking alongside a crying Chacia who was now wrapped in an overly large blanket.  Colby jumped when the doors were pushed open, revealing the lights were on and blinked water out of his face.

 

“What’s going on?” Seth demanded, letting go of the man, who was wearing a janitor’s uniform, but he wasn’t sure if it was for this building and left him there on the floor.  He stepped back, medical instantly surrounding the poor gasping bastard.

 

Chacia was trembling from head to toe, clutching the blanket tightly against her and her face was ghostly white, her hair soaked from the shower sprays. “I-I was attacked.” She whispered out in a stammer, not moving toward Colby and looked down at the man in the janitor’s uniform, swallowing hard.  Judging by the way the man was gasping for air, this was Chacia’s attacker and god only knew what he planned on doing to her. “H-He was…in there…the lights went out…” Colby was in there too?  She had heard another shower going, but didn’t think anything of it and felt extremely violated at the moment.

 

“You were in there?” Colby frowned slightly, tightening his towel and flicked his hair out of his face, suds still in his hair because he had heard a really weird noise and vacated his stall. “You… did this to the guy?”

 

“Chacia, what did he do to you?” Larry demanded as he radioed for an ambulance while his assistant prepped to tube him.  This guy was rasping for breath.

 

“I’d like to know as well.” Stephanie said, having practically run down here. “He attacked you?” Her blue eyes searched Chacia for signs of harm.

 

“I-I was showering…and the lights went out.  I heard footsteps and…I could feel someone standing directly in front of the curtain of my shower.  I reacted instinctively, I shoved the curtain in his face and…chopped him in the throat.  I wasn’t about to let him attack me or get the upper hand on me!” Chacia couldn’t stop shaking, this whole ordeal scaring her half to death and didn’t care if the guy hadn’t laid a hand on her.  The fact he was in the shower room, in a janitor’s outfit, and had CUT the lights…it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what his intentions were with her. “What the fuck was he doing in there while people are showering in the first damn place?!”

 

THAT was a great question too.

 

“Well, um, if he’s a janitor or something…” Colby hated playing devil’s advocate here, but… there was a glaring issue. “He may have been there to fix the lights or something or check on them.”

 

“He was standing outside your curtain, so you attacked based on a ‘what if’ scenario.” Stephanie summarized flatly, not entirely what to think because this wasn’t something that had ever happened before. “Take the night off, Chacia.” She had to investigate and pinched the bridge of her nose, knowing talking to this guy was kind of out of the question. “How long were you in there, Rollins?”

 

“I don’t know, before her I guess?”

 

“Any issues with the lights?”

 

“They flickered, but a lot of places do, old buildings.  I got to get this damn soap…” One eye was clenched closed, suds now halfway down the side of his face, and he disappeared back into the bathroom, cursing as it did get into his eye.

 

THE LIGHTS WEREN’T FLICKERING!  THEY WERE OFF!  THEY WERE OFF FOR AT LEAST 5 GODDAMN MINUTES!!  Chacia wanted to scream that at Colby, at Stephanie, but could tell nobody would believe her, not even Larry.  She had chopped this man in the throat, who was going to attack her and because she had struck first, she would probably lose her job.  Not able to say anything without screaming, Chacia walked into the shower room to grab her belongings, since she had to leave them behind, and went to one of the nearby empty dressing rooms to change, trying not to start crying.

 

Nobody was getting fired, but she was opening an active investigation and obviously, Chacia was too shaken to do her job tonight.  She needed to go rest and let her nerves settle. “I want security to get the film for this area.” Stephanie ordered firmly, knowing no cameras were allowed in areas like bathrooms, but there were cameras all over the building.  She watched as the man of the hour was rolled off by EMTs, frowning. “I also want a list of all employees that aren’t ours, including their photo ID shots.”

 

Jon didn’t have a lot of time, but he had heard, somewhat, about what happened and spent the remaining hour before the show hunting down his woman, trying not to panic.  If Chacia said someone was going to attack her, or had, then he believed her.  She wasn’t the kind of person to lash out, well… unless it was at him.

 

Chacia snapped her head up, still in the empty dressing room when the door opened and immediately ran into Jon’s arms.  They weren’t supposed to fraternize while on the clock, but technically, she was off the clock and he hadn’t started getting into the Dean Ambrose character yet.  She buried her face in his chest, trembling from head to toe and felt his arms wrap around her tightly, relaxing her as much as he could.  No matter what she did or how hard she tried, Chacia couldn’t stop shaking or thinking about what could’ve happened to her in that shower room.

 

“I-I’m probably f-fired…” She stammered out in a whisper, breaking the silence between them and didn’t let go of Jon, clinging to him for dear life.

 

“No, no darlin’, you’re not,” He reassured her, caressing her hair and back soothingly. “Stephanie’s looking into it, all right?  You’re not fired.”

 

From the sounds of it, Stephanie hadn’t recognized the logo on the man’s uniform and that had set her inner detectors off because she was usually a stickler for details.  Especially when it came to security.  It never failed to amaze him how much things had changed over the past 6 years.

 

“She said you were shaken up pretty bad,” An hour later and she was still shaken up; he kind of agreed with Stephanie’s decision to send her home. “Chace, go back to the hotel and I’ll come to you as soon as I’m able, okay?” He rained kisses over her face after prying her off him, trying to kiss away those tears.

 

“I-I swear to you…he was going to attack me, Jon…” Chacia’s voice cracked at his name coming from her lips, clasping his shirt in her shaking hands. “I-I was in the shower…and the lights went OUT.  They didn’t flicker, they didn’t go out for seconds, they were OUT for at LEAST 5 minutes.” She would know because it took her at least that amount of time to finish washing and rinsing her hair. “I-I heard footsteps…I’m not crazy…I heard footsteps and that mother fucker, whoever he is, stopped RIGHT in front of my curtain.  I-I had to attack him before he got me…” Her natural survival instinct had kicked in; just like Jon, Chacia did not grow up in the best neighborhood and had to defend herself a few times in the streets of Cincinnati. “C-Colby was in there…and he said the lights flickered, but they didn’t.  They were OFF…”

 

“Well, according to the statement he gave Stephanie and security,” Once out of the shower, and Jon did NOT like the fact that that moron had been in the bathroom using the shower at the same time as Chacia.  Though, from the sounds of it, Colby had been in there first.  If it had been any other woman, he would have had some suspicious thoughts and concerns, but he knew she was completely his, he had zero doubts. “He said the lights were flickering when he first got in there.  I don’t think he was being very clarifying cause he’s a dipshit.” Who had had soap in his eyes.  Jon found that amusing, but no amount of soap was taking care of that greasy hair.

 

“I-I didn’t even know he was IN there!  I heard a shower going, but I didn’t think anything of it since there’s tons of people here and…” Chacia had to calm down, her frustration building and realized what she was doing, trying to justify what happened.  There was no reason to justify anything because she was innocent…besides possibly smashing a man’s trachea. “I don’t care WHAT his statement is, I KNOW what happened and I didn’t have soap in my eyes like that idiot.” Who the hell got soap in their eyes these days anyway?  Did Colby not know how to properly wash his hair or something? “Please tell you believe me, Jon.  I don’t care about anyone else, but…I need you to believe me when I tell you that guy was targeting me, and he was going to do something to me in that shower room…”

 

Chacia was so lucky it was him; any other person would have told her to calm her tits because obviously, she had overthought this, worked herself up, and launched a preemptive attack.  Jon, on the other hand, loved her and had the benefit of knowing her for a lifetime, it seemed.  He knew she wasn’t one to just lash out, she followed her gut.  That was street instincts coming to the rescue.  Unlike others who had grown up in their lifestyle, she hadn’t had her instincts tempered with paranoia and anxiety.

 

“I believe you, Chacia,” He said, staring down into her eyes, seeing a load of feelings flittering through those hazel orbs. “I do, darlin’.” Something was wrong with this entire ordeal, the stories that had been given from her and Colby.

 

Something just felt wrong, but not from her.

 

The way the guy had moved, the footsteps had been slow and deliberate.  She hadn’t felt something was wrong until the lights had gone out and those footsteps began.  The man had been waiting for her to turn the shower off, which was weird since it would’ve made more sense to attack with the water on.  Cupping his face in her hands, Chacia softly kissed him, just needing to feel Jon’s lips against hers and felt his arms wrap around her to pull her up against him.

 

“I’m sorry about your nose.” She really hoped Joe didn’t break it, but without an x-ray, they would never know.  Something told her Jon wouldn’t be going to the ER after the house show. “We came here together, so I can’t just leave and go back to the hotel and leave you stranded.  I’ll wait in here until after the show is over with and then we can leave together.  I’ll keep the door locked too.”

 

“No, you’ll take the car and I’ll get a ride back.” Jon argued firmly, shaking his head as he stared down at her. “Chacia, Steph sent you home for the night, you need to go.”

 

Not to mention he was already in enough hot water because of the fight he and Joe had.  However, being fined and the broken nose, which was now set and bruised beautifully, had been worth it.  He felt better and he knew the big Samoan did too.  Also, he’d feel a lot better knowing she was tucked away in their hotel room, away from tonight’s insanity.

 

“I mean it, darlin’, get dressed and get out of here.  I’ll text when I’m on my way.”

 

Knowing better than to argue with him, Chacia just nodded and felt the keys slip into her palm as he softly kissed her again, brushing away more tears from her cheeks. “Okay.” She had no idea who he would get a ride from since Jon had alienated everyone in the company lately, but she had to worry about herself right now. “Do you have time to walk me to the car?”

 

For some reason, a walk by herself around here didn’t sound like the best idea and Jon hurried her out the door, needing to prepare for his match.  Chacia jogged with him and slid behind the wheel, buckling herself in and wished Jon well in his match before gunning it out of there, still shaken up from the shower room incident.  Was it paranoid of him to have doubts about Rollins?  Not in regards to Chacia, or cheating, or anything like that.  Though, it would have been ironic since she had cheated on Rollins with Jon, in a shower no less.  Something just didn’t add up.  A janitor, in the showers, with both Colby and Chacia and he had been lingering at her curtain after the lights had gone out.  Why?  And since when did janitors go into bathrooms that were in use?  Yes, he got why Stephanie had launched an investigation, something just didn’t add up.  Jon shoved it out of mind and focused, he had to work, without screwing up or else that fine from Pavana was going to look like a pittance once Stephanie was done with him.

 

Chapter 47

 

“You know, you can call me a bitch all you want.  I know I’m a bitch at times, but what you and Joe did was very unprofessional.  You could’ve seriously hurt each other.” Pavana stood in Dean’s locker room doorway, her arms folded in front of her chest, dressed in street clothes since the show was over. “How’s that nose feeling, hmm?”

 

“What do you want, Pavana?” Jon demanded, needing to get back to the hotel to check on Chacia and stuffed the rest of his gear in his bag, his back remaining to the door.

 

Pavana scoffed, rolling her eyes. “I want you to grab your bag because we’re giving you a ride back to the hotel tonight.  And don’t argue with me, Dean.  You don’t have anyone else to rely on.” She had overheard what happened to Chacia and several people witnessed the woman leave the arena in the vehicle she came here with Jon. “Is Chacia all right?”

 

“She’s fine,” Jon grunted, turning and staring down at Pavana. “I got a ride.” About the only woman he took orders from that wasn’t his boss was Chacia and that was because she wasn’t a cunt about it.  Tone was everything. “I’ll have her text you later.”

 

That was about all she was getting from him.  $5000 dollar fine… because they had decided to settle their issues in the ring.  Women just had no… scratch that, this woman had no clue, but then again… she also had trauma, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully.  Chacia had beat his ass all up and down a ring, it had been like therapy for her.  He bet Pavana had not given her the same grief she had given him and Joe.  He made a mental note to send Joe a text later, with a very sexist joke in it.

 

“Hmmm, that’s surprising since you’ve pushed everyone away in this company who ever gave a damn about you.” People like her husband, for example. 

 

Pavana didn’t play favorites and the reason she hadn’t fined Chacia was because that fight hadn’t been done within the WWE.  Stephanie had informed the officials it wasn’t necessary for a fine, so that was why Chacia hadn’t been reprimanded.  Instead, she had a tryout to become a WWE Superstar and Pavana wished her the best of luck, knowing she would never be able to get back into the ring herself.

 

“Goodnight, Ambrose.” Turning, she left his locker room and went to check on her husband, who had gotten even more banged up during his match that night against Braun Strowman.

 

As if he didn’t know how to get a taxi, or an Uber?  Jon wasn’t that technology illiterate, he just didn’t like the social media, all his business on the Internet aspect of it.  However, he didn’t have to do either of those things because he had gotten his lift from Stephanie herself.  He met her outside and followed to her waiting limo, sliding in.

 

“This is actually not as posh as I thought it would be.”

 

“I don’t need bells and whistles, Good.”

 

She was using his proper name, that wasn’t good.

 

“The janitor wasn’t a janitor, that company doesn’t even exist in this state.” She said without preamble, leaning back as the car lurched into motion. “Paul thinks it may have something to do with that video being leaked.” Because there was no other explanation for someone trying to attack Chacia. “Some rabid fan.  Or… they were targeting Colby and got the wrong shower.”

 

“No, I don’t believe that.  Not the rabid fan part, but…Chacia told me that asshole was right in front of her shower curtain when she attacked him.  Colby was on the other side of the shower room, so if he was targeting Colby, why the fuck wasn’t he on Colby’s side of the shower room prior to cutting the lights?” Jon pointed out, seeing the gears beginning to turn in Stephanie’s head and gave her a knowing look. “Something doesn’t add up, Stephanie.” That dick needed to be interrogated once he could talk again.

 

“Well, if it was dark, he may have gotten the wrong stall.” Her tone made it clear she didn’t believe what she was saying. “I have to consider all the options, Jon, before pointing a finger.”

 

This was a billion-dollar company, more than that, actually, and eventually, things came out to light.  Or if she went off without concrete proof, she was looking at a libel lawsuit.  Not happening, not on her watch.  Her father had caused enough scandals in his time, she would be damned if she pulled that crap.

 

“I’m not finished with this, Jon.  I won’t let it go until we know for certain what happened.  We requested the video footage from the arena owners, so once we have it, we’ll be reviewing it all.” That would be hundreds of hours of footage when one considered all the cameras.

 

That made Jon feel marginally better and he nodded, rubbing his hands together with his backpack over his shoulders.  He hadn’t bothered taking it off since it was a limo and had plenty of leg room. “Okay.  Thanks.” He truly meant it, not wanting to think about the possibilities of what could’ve happened to his woman in that shower room. “Speaking of Rollins, he said the lights flickered, but he had soap in his eyes.  Chacia said the lights were out for at least 5 minutes, so what’s your personal opinion on those two stories not mixing?”

 

“Well, right now, as it stands, he was there first.” Stephanie was being truthful and had to go by what Rollins told her. “Until we have the footage from that area, I’m taking it with a grain of salt.” Because video would either cement his story or deny it, footage didn’t lie and neither did time stamps. “If he says it was flickering, right now, we have no reason to not believe him.  Not to mention, older buildings like this, it’s not uncommon, it just… seems odd.” This entire situation was odd. “If he was taking his time in the shower when the lights went out… I don’t know, maybe he’s an idiot.” Chacia had come out clean and not covered in soap; it was suspicious, but she wasn’t in any position to make accusations just yet. “As soon as we know something, Jon, you two will know.  If I may make a suggestion?  Let her know not to go wandering off in arenas alone anymore.  She’s going to have to buddy up with either another medical team member or an official.”

 

Something like this hadn’t happened in WWE in a long time, due to the new guidelines and zero tolerance policy.  If Colby had anything to do with this happening, he would most likely lose his job over it.  Zero tolerance was exactly that – ZERO TOLERANCE. 

 

Chacia couldn’t get what happened out of her head and paced the carpeted floor of the hotel room she shared with Jon, chewing her thumbnail.  She’d come back, taken another shower and changed into a nightshirt with pants.  There was a chill in her body she couldn’t get rid of and her nerves were on edge.  Why would that man try to attack her in the shower room?  Why had Colby lied about the lighting flickering instead going completely out?  Could he have been that blinded by soap in his eyes for 5 minutes?  He had claimed he wanted to be her friend, but…Chacia wasn’t stupid and didn’t believe him for a second.  Swallowing hard, she looked at the shades that were drawn to cover up the windows and knew it was probably a little drastic, but after what happened to her tonight, she wasn’t taking any chances.

 

The hotel phone on the nightstand rang.  Chacia frowned, staring at it.  It couldn’t be Jon, he had said he would text.


Which, Jon had totally forgotten to do, thanks to Stephanie McMahon.

 

Hesitantly, she picked it up. “Hello?” Maybe someone had called for her, or Jon, or a package or anything.  She knew before hearing the voice that it wasn’t anything good, her gut instincts were rarely wrong.

 

“I warned you to stay away from the WWE.”

 

It was the same rasping, dark tone from the night she and Jon had been fooling around, that first night in Vegas.  They both had gotten calls at the same time and hers had been lost in the shuffle as she had turned her attention to Jon.  But she never forgot that darkness, the warning.

 

“Who is this?” She demanded, both fearful and angry.  She had busted her ass to get here and now someone was out to ruin it and she wanted to know WHY.

 

“Heed my warning, don’t do the try-out, Chacia.  If you do, you will regret it and the consequences will be severe.” The voice hadn’t changed, keeping the dark tone exactly the same and Chacia’ fear could be felt through the phone. “Stay the little medical assistant that you are.  Dean Ambrose is poison and he will end up destroying you from the inside out.  Don’t take my word for it – just ask his former comrades, his former friends, everyone he’s ever alienated out of his life.  You know all about that though, don’t you, precious?”

 

“Listen, I don’t know who the fuck this is or who you think you are, but you’re messing with the WRONG woman.  Your little plan blew up in your face tonight!” Chacia’s temper was overriding her fear, her jaw tightening at the audacity of this man or woman, whoever it was, threatening her. “I sent your henchman to the hospital, don’t think for a second I won’t do it again if you send someone else after me, or better yet, if YOU come after me YOURSELF, coward.”

 

The voice laughed at her before an abrupt click followed by the ring tone.  When Chacia immediately called the front desk to try routing the call, she was greeted by a very confused clerk apologizing, but no calls had been directed to her room.

 

Jon was mildly shocked when he let himself into the room and nearly wound up eating a fist. “Darlin’?” He caught said fist, even as she was trying to stop herself, wincing at the contact against his palm.  Chacia was NOT holding back.  His blue eyes widened slightly.  He was supposed to text. “Sorry, I got sidetracked with Stephanie.” He stared at her, realizing she looked pissed off and panicky.

 

“S-Sorry…sorry…” Chacia already had their belongings packed up and she had dressed in street clothes, ready to get the hell out of this hotel. “The same person who called me and warned me not to sign with WWE just called me again.  On the fucking PHONE in this room.” She pointed at the phone on the nightstand, seeing Jon’s eyes widen more and swung her backpack over her shoulders. “I called down to have the call traced and, naturally, the receptionist told me no phone calls had been directed here.  We must get out of here, Jon.  We have to find another hotel to stay at, please!” There was NO way she was staying here after that phone call because whoever this was had access to the phones in this hotel.

 

“Not happening.” Jon said flatly, shaking his head and took the bags from her.  He then removed her backpack, shaking his head again at the look on her face. “We’ll let Stephanie know, but we’re not leaving.” It had been a long, long, long night and he was tired, even with this new information she had just laid on him. “I’m here, ain’t nobody going to lay a hand on you while I’m near.” Not that he wouldn’t love for this person to try, Jon would gladly strangle whoever it was with his bare hands.  Cupping her face between his palms, he began kissing her. “We’re not runners, Chace.  I’m here, I’ll keep you safe, darlin’.”

 

Did Jon get hit too hard during his match tonight, or his fight earlier with Joe?  Didn’t he hear a word she just said?  This person, whoever it was, KNEW where they were!  Then again, what was stopping this psycho from following them to a new location?  Nothing.

 

“I hate this.” She whispered against his lips, sighing with great reluctance and could tell Jon would not change his mind.  He was right; they weren’t runners and she had to trust and believe he would protect her. “Jon…”

 

They hadn’t officially reconciled since they got back together because of the beating he allowed her to give him.  And now this had happened, along with his fight with Joe…would they ever catch a break?  Probably not.  They had taken, well HE had taken, too long to see what was right in front of him and waiting for him, so naturally now that he had stepped up to home plate, Jon was going to continuously strike out.  That was just how life rolled, apparently.  Backing her towards the bed, Jon guided her down, but didn’t join her.

 

“I got to get a shower, darlin’.” He said, brushing hair out of her face. “I’ll leave the door open if you want.” He could only imagine how scared she was, but it sounded like she had a stalker, which meant there was no point in running.

 

“Yeah, okay.”

 

Jon had left the arena and raced here to see her, to be with her, to make sure she was all right.  Honestly, she was feeling too scared to think about anything else except who the hell this asshole was.  True to his word, Jon left the door open and she began pacing again, snapping her head up when a knock sounded at their hotel room door.  She had absolutely nothing to defend herself with besides her body, her hands, and that would have to be enough.  Not to mention, Jon was here with her now, showering, but here nonetheless.  Cautiously, she approached the door and wished it had a peephole in it to see who was on the other side.  Mentally counting to three, Chacia opened it and stared back into a pair of dark chocolate eyes, feeling her guard instantly go up.

 

“What do you want, Rollins?”

 

“To make sure you’re all right.” Colby said softly, staring at her intently. “That was some shit back there, yeah?”  He frowned, his eyes scouring her face and reached out, the frown intensifying when she shied away from him. “That really messed you up, didn’t it?” Of course, it had, he was such an idiot and Colby stepped back, stuffing his hands into the front pocket of the hoodie he wore to ward off the chill. “Sorry, of course it did, I really stuck my foot in it, didn’t I?”

 

She had dried tear tracks down her face and he couldn’t keep his eyes from reflecting the sadness felt at that sight.  It was strange, seeing her brought down this way when she was probably one of the bravest women he had ever known.  It took a lot of guts to own up and admit flaws and Chacia had done it without reservation, that was ballsy.

 

Chapter 48

 

“Wouldn’t it mess you up if it was some crazed fan trying to attack YOU in the shower?” Chacia remarked coolly, folding her arms in front of her chest and leaned against the door, knowing it wasn’t his fault this happened.  She couldn’t help blaming him partially because he had flat out lied to Stephanie about the lights. “Why did you tell Stephanie the lights flickered?  They were off for at least 5 minutes and nobody can have soap in their eyeballs for that amount of time.  Not unless you REALLY blinded yourself, and even then…” She had to stop herself and took a deep, shaky breath, not meaning to direct her anger at him. “We need to get our stories straight because, more than likely, with this investigation pending, they’re going to question us again.  And I’m TELLING you, the lights were off, not flickering.” For some reason, that part really bothered her, and she couldn’t figure out why when the part that SHOULD’VE bothered her was attacking the guy first.

 

“Angel… I had to clarify after I got that shit out of my eyes, they were flickering when I first went in.  I know they went out.” Colby said gently, wondering why she hadn’t been kept in the loop.  Maybe Stephanie thought she couldn’t handle it, he might’ve agreed because she looked way too stressed to deal with this. “I know the lights were off for that long, but they were also flickering.  It happens, a lot.  Wait until you see some of the arenas in the south, that shit just sucks.” He cleared his throat, reaching back to rub his neck awkwardly. “And there’s a reason for the soap, I um… wasn’t doing my hair until I realized the lights weren’t coming back on.” His cheeks went red. “I started washing my hair when the lights were off and then I heard that guy hit the floor and… really weird gasping.” He was not telling her he was beating off in the shower.

 

He was STILL calling her that nickname!  Why?  Chacia would have to get used to it, she supposed, feeling her guard lower a little more. “Stephanie didn’t tell me anything besides giving me the night off.  She probably told Jon more too.” Chacia couldn’t help being stressed out about this because of that damn phone call, right AFTER nearly being attacked. “Okay, okay…” God, she really hated the fact she had to apologize to Colby, but it had to be done since her tone was accusing. “I’m sorry for…snapping at you.  I’m just…on edge about this entire situation.  That’s no excuse though.  I’m just glad nothing major happened and I attacked the guy first.”

 

“She told me, I’m assuming she told Jon.” Colby was a bit confused why Chacia didn’t know.  He was guessing, from the sounds of the shower running that Jon was here.  Had the man totally skipped over giving her the details of what had gone on after she had been told to leave? “I can tell you, if you want.  Unless you want to wait for Jon to finish whatever he’s doing.” That left a gross taste on his tongue. “And apology accepted Angel, after tonight… I don’t think anyone is going to blame you for being on edge.”

 

If Jon didn’t know, she would be left in the dark until Stephanie decided to tell her what was going on. “Come in.”

 

She gestured him inside, still hearing the shower going and shut the door, flipping the lock on it.  Too bad it didn’t have a deadbolt, that would’ve made her feel even better.  Colby sat down on the bed and she sat beside him, both keeping a respectful distance from each other.  She didn’t bother with offering him a beverage or anything, wanting to get down to business.

 

“The floor is yours, tell me everything you know about tonight, please.”

 

Colby cleared his throat, trying not to feel awkward, but that bathroom door was open and that was a fogged-up glass, old-school shower door.  Thank God Good apparently liked hot, steamy showers.  Now he really felt grossed out.

 

“Well, after you left, Stephanie ordered an investigation into that guy because she didn’t recognize the logo on his shirt.  Turns out, that company doesn’t operate in this state.  So now she’s requested access to ALL arena cameras and… COULD YOU WRAP YOUR ASS UP IN A TOWEL?”

 

Jon hadn’t bothered, he was naked and dripping wet. “Why?”

 

“Colby, Colby…focus.” Chacia reached over to touch his hand, directing his attention back to her. “The guy wasn’t even a janitor?  The company logo doesn’t work for this state?  Oh god…” She felt nauseous all over again and looked at the phone before back at Colby, tears forming in her eyes.

 

“Angel, what is it?  What’s wrong?”

 

Chacia shut her eyes, not knowing what to think or believe anymore.  Could she trust Colby with the truth?  What if this backfired on her?

 

“I received a phone call tonight…”

 

“Chace…” Jon’s tone held warning while he continued drying off, still naked as a jaybird.

 

“It’s fine.” She assured Jon, lowering her eyes to the bedding and began wringing her hands together. “Before I signed my contract, I received a phone call on my cell in Vegas…before Jon made his return.  Whoever it was told me not to sign with the company, not to come on the road with…Dean Ambrose.” She looked up timidly and saw the stunned expression on Colby’s face, continuing. “That same…voice, that same person, called me again tonight…from my hotel phone.  And when I tried having the call retraced from reception, they said they never sent a call up here…” Chacia was officially terrified. “They told me not to try-out to be a WWE Superstar and to stay the little medical assistant that I am.” She gritted her teeth at that because she was more than just an assistant. “They also said Dean Ambrose is poison and to stay away from him.  I accused him of sending his henchman to the hospital and he just laughed at me…so someone definitely sent that guy after me.  I was targeted tonight.”

 

“Yeah, sounds like it.”

 

Colby was staring very intently into her face, pointblank refusing to look away until Jon was dressed.  He had a feeling Good was going to walk around naked just to be an asshole.  While Colby found the various bruises on the other man to be hilarious, not to mention the bruises around his nose and the raccoon look going from it having been broken, he didn’t want to see the literal dick Chacia had left him for.

 

“Stephanie thought it might be some rabid fan who had seen the vids of you beating Ambrose.”

 

Jon was now standing right at Colby’s side, working on drying his hair that was too short to need drying.

 

“Are there any videos of you from training or something, from way back?  Maybe someone who is just… obsessed with you?” Colby was going to punch the other man in the balls.

 

Now Jon was distracting HER and Chacia was not in the mood for fun and games. “Go get dressed now, Jon.  I really don’t need to be staring at your balls while talking to Colby.  Christ.” She stood up from the bed, thinking over what she’d been asked and shook her head. “I mean, I did a few things with HWA, but that’s about it.” HWA wasn’t that common of a wrestling promotion, but it had been where Jon began his wrestling journey and so had she. “I know this sounds crazy, but I don’t think this is from our past.  I think this is someone that works in the WWE right now that’s screwing with me to get to him.  I don’t know why I feel that way, but…that’s what my gut is telling me.” Chacia learned LONG ago to never ignore her gut instincts.

 

“Me?  You think this is about me?” Jon was stepping into a pair of gray sweat pants, blue eyes wide. “What the hell did I do?  I wasn’t even working back when you got the first call.  Not to mention, I was a pretty friendly guy before this bag of dicks decided to run his mouth.”

 

“You sound like a child.” Colby accused in a monotone voice. “You’re tit for tat, poor me, shit is getting old, Good.  I’m not apologizing AGAIN.  And you were an ass before your arm, you just weren’t a COMPLETE ass.” He could see someone gunning for Jon because the man had issues.

 

“Well, obviously someone is gunning for you if they’re telling me to stay away from you and not to sign on with the WWE.  Not to do my try-out.” Chacia pointed out coolly, already knowing the horde of fans he had from the Indies and how completely crazy they could be. “For the record, I AM going to the try-out because nobody is going to stop me from achieving my dream.  I don’t care who I’m with, what I’m doing or how many threats I get.  If I have to chop someone in the throat again, if they come after me, so be it.  But I do believe this has everything to do with you, Jon, especially after those two phone calls.”

 

“What about those women who used to carve themselves up for you?” Colby suggested, kind of agreeing with Chacia. 

 

She was gorgeous and probably stalkable, but also a nobody.  Who was going to stalk her?  Now dickhead, on the other hand, had legions of psycho broads who had done some shady nonsense over the years to garner his attention.

 

“Maybe one of them finally got froggy enough?”

 

Jon frowned, tapping his chin thoughtfully. “I don’t know… I think we should wait and see what Steph has to say.”

 

“Speaking of what Stephanie had to say, did she tell you anything after I left the arena tonight?” Chacia frowned, seeing the guilt on Jon’s face and figured he was waiting for her to calm down before telling her what he knew. “So, she told you everything Colby just told me?” Another stiff nod. “Good, you’re up to speed then.” She sat back down on the bed, sitting Indian style since she had pajama pants on instead of her usual nightshirt. “I appreciate you coming and checking up on me, Colby.  You really are a great guy.  And I think we can do this friend thing you were talking about.” She cracked the barest hint of a smile, squeezing his shoulder and felt more relieved because someone else, besides Jon and Stephanie, believed her.

 

“Exes can’t be friends,” Jon informed her gravely, moving to step right between her and Rollins. “I’m pretty sure there’s a code or something that explicitly states that.”

 

Providing one could actually count their relationship as something more than basic friendship.  Yogurt and CrossFit… so romantic.  Was that what made up a normal relationship?  His nose wrinkled and he rolled his eyes when Chacia pushed at him to move aside.

 

“Well Angel, I think that’s my cue to leave.  I’m glad though, that we can be-”

 

“Not friends.”

 

“You’re a child, Good.”

 

“He can be, yes.” Chacia agreed, rolling her eyes at Jon and hugged Colby tightly around the neck. “There is nothing wrong with being friends with an ex.  And you will not tell me who I can and can’t be friends with.  I’m friends with Pavana too, you know the woman you called a bitch earlier tonight?  Yeah, her.” She smiled serenely and guided Colby to the door, her arm looped through his. “Thanks again for telling me what was going on.”

 

“No problem.” Colby became concerned, serious. “You need to watch yourself at the arenas.  Buddy up with someone either on the medical team or someone backstage.  Ask Pavana, I’m sure she’d be more than happy to hang out with you more.”

 

“Okay, that’s a good idea.” Chacia didn’t realize Stephanie had given Jon that EXACT same advice earlier and he’d waited too long to tell her. “See you later and watch yourself too.”

 

Colby nodded, walking out and Chacia shut the door, immediately turning to have Jon all up in her business. “What?”

 

“You know he’s not telling you all this out of the kindness of his heart, right?” Jon toyed with the idea of whether or not he should tell her about his and Stephanie’s suspicions regarding Colby’s story. “Didn’t he tell people the lights were flickering and didn’t go out?” Maybe he’d just test those waters with her; apparently, Colby had been here long enough to get invited in.

 

“Yes, he did, and I called him out on it.  He clarified what he meant to say, which was when he first went into the shower room, the lights were flickering.  Jon, he was in there first and I did hear a shower going when I went in there.  I just didn’t know it was Colby and stayed on the opposite side of the shower room.” Chacia felt a headache coming on, rubbing her temples and could see the doubt in his eyes. “Now that he’s gone, you can tell me what your thoughts are about what happened.  Did you talk to Stephanie after the show?  Because Colby apparently did…” Or sometime during the house show after she was forced to leave.

 

If he lied to her, she was going to know.  Chacia knew him better than anyone so she was going to see through his fabrication. “His story is just weird, Chace.” He dropped backwards onto the bed and kind of regret it. “Ow…” Chacia approached him, moving up to straddle his thighs and he reached out to rest his hands on her knees. “The lights were flickering, okay sure.  It happens.  But who the fuck stands around in the dark, with shampoo in their hair for that long?” It was weird. “Something just feels wrong, darlin’.”

 

“I know it does.  That’s why it’s better to keep the enemy close.  Keep my friends close, my enemies closer – as that old saying goes.”

 

Chacia wasn’t stupid and didn’t trust Colby at all, glad Jon had the same thoughts rolling around his head as she did.  The same accusations.  She caressed his face with her fingers lovingly, pressing soft kisses to each side of his bruised nose.

 

“I love you and I trust you above all others, do you understand that?  I’m not gonna piss him off though by accusing him of something he may or may not have done.  I’m right there with you, we’re on the same page, baby.”

 

“Good.” Admittedly, he’d had his doubts but… no, this was Chacia, smarter than the average cookie. “Besides, any guy who stands there and keeps on chatting with a woman while another man’s dick is in his face, there’s obviously mental damage.” Never mind the fact that he had been the dick in question, which was equally as messed up, but… he was messed up. “So, Pavana said to text her and let her know you’re all right, before I forget again.” Jon didn’t need that broad to find a reason to fine him again.

 

She sighed softly, resting her forehead against his and scooted closer to him, draping her arms around his neck to caress him. “I already texted her and let her know I came back to the hotel and I’m fine.  I asked her to give you a ride back to the hotel too.  Did you…get a ride from her?” When he informed her it was Stephanie, she couldn’t help chuckling because the woman wasn’t too fond of Jon lately. “That had to be the most awkward ride of your life.” At least her mind was temporarily off what transpired tonight, and it helped she was straddling her man with his hands on her body.

 

“Are you kidding me?  She has heated seats in that limo, but not much else.  It’s pretty basic.” Jon tucked his hands behind his head, smiling slightly when she pouted. “If she wasn’t happily married to a man, who could probably kill me in a dozen ways, she’d be-” He began laughing when Chacia’s hands clamped down on his mouth, reaching up to pry them away. “Only one woman for me, darlin’.” He was looking at her. “She’s thorough, I’m sure she’ll know more by tomorrow or the night after.”

 

Chapter 49

 

“I BETTER be the only woman for you, Moxley.” Chacia growled softly, nuzzling his neck and began kissing, sucking, gently on his skin, moving across his Adam’s apple and down his throat.  She really needed a distraction right now and pushed him down to lay on the bed, enjoying the fact his muscular chest was bare.  Her lips moved back up his throat to the other side of his neck, up his jaw until she finally captured his mouth with hers, the kiss sensual and slow. “I better be the ONLY woman you fuck too, baby.” Or she would kill any woman who tried taking HER man.  Now that she had Jon, a new possessiveness washed over her and she would do everything in her power to keep him, to make him happy, without losing herself in the process.

 

“You are.” He hadn’t looked at another woman twice since that first time they had fooled around and that had been months ago.  Jon knew she couldn’t say the same, but he wasn’t asking either; he knew it was his fault she had gone elsewhere seeking the affection he hadn’t been willing to return at the time. “Mmm…” She was kissing him like she owned him, which was definitely a turn-on and Jon could feel himself rising to the occasion.

 

Was it wrong to want to sex her man up after what happened at the arena earlier?  Was it really wrong to want to reconcile despite having a stalker?  Or whoever this person was?  She pulled back, breaking the kiss and sat up, removing her shirt before going right back to kissing him, sliding her hands up his muscular arms to lace their fingers together to press into the bedding.  Once again, her lips and tongue worshipped his neck, her mouth hovered over his ear, feeling his erection pressing against her backside.

 

“Mine…” She whispered, nibbling on his earlobe and wondered how much longer Jon would stay dormant before taking control of this.

 

Jon wasn’t going to take control because he had gotten the hell beaten out of him a week ago, and then again tonight.  He wasn’t above letting her do all the work.  Though, when her face passed over his to switch to his other ear, he moved to kiss her, smiling when she bit his bottom lip with a growl.  Letting his strong hands rest on her curvy hips, he allowed Chacia to have her hopefully wicked way with him.  Or any way, after a week of not having her, his cock was practically crying for attention.  The last time they had been together intimately, Jon had full control over her while he made sweet, slow passionate love to her.  This time, it was her turn to make love to him and make him crazy.

 

“Get on the bed fully.” She spoke against his lips, laughing when he actually scooted them both on the bed until he was laying down completely, her nose very gently rubbing against his. “I’ll try to be gentle with you.”

 

Getting off him, she undressed the rest of the way and pulled his pajama pants he had on, tossing them to the side.  Instead of straddling him again, she began kissing up his leg and zeroed in on that cock begging for her attention, her love, her mouth.  Chacia French kissed the tip, tasting the precum and moaned with him still in her mouth, before pulling away to kiss up the length of his body.

 

“Since I tasted you…” Reaching down between them, her eyes locked with his as her finger delved into her dripping sex and rose it up to his lips, tracing them with her essence before he sucked the full digit in his mouth. “I figured you’d want a taste of me too.”

 

“Tease.” There was no heat in it, well, not of the negative kind. 

 

Plenty of lust though and his eyes had gone from the usual pale blue to something darker.  His nose, however, was not feeling so hot after she had rubbed it.  The fact this woman had set his broken nose tonight and was looking at his puffy, bruised face and STILL wanted him… she was a keeper.  He wanted to bury his face between her thighs and get a proper taste of that delicious pussy and he couldn’t, growling at his own stupid, broken body.

 

“Why don’t you ride me, darlin’?”

 

“You can read me like a book.” While letting him taste her on his finger, she had rubbed her pussy up and down his cock, feeling the warmth right down to her toes.  Reaching down again, she positioned his cock, stroking it a few times, before sliding him inside of her, filling her to capacity. “Mmm yeah…” Her nails dug into his chest before gliding down his skin to his abs, making him hiss out in both pain and pleasure.  It was such a delicious mixture. “What view would you like to see, Jon?  Do you want to see my face and boobs bounce up and down as I ride you like a stallion?  Or would you rather I reverse cowgirl you and you can see how my ass bounces on and off your cock?  The choice is all yours…”

 

Jon’s hands were on her hips and his grip tightened painfully, knowing damn well he was going to leave bruises, but he couldn’t stop himself.  It had been a week and his beautiful Chacia was bouncing on his dick, talking like a pornstar and his eyes crossed when he felt his body waving the white flag like he was a thirteen-year-old boy.  He couldn’t keep himself from thrusting upwards, shooting like a geyser and when he was finished, he slumped backwards and reached for the pillow, bringing it to his face.

 

“Kill me now.” He muttered hoarsely.

 

Where the FUCK had his control gone?

 

What the HELL just happened?  Chacia enjoyed the explosion, she supposed, even though she did not get hers, but sometimes that just happened.  Sometimes a man just had to go off like a volcano and there was nothing to be done about it.  Chacia didn’t seem the least bit put off by it and leaned over, pulling the pillow away, softly kissing his lips. “Good boy.  I love you.” She murmured, patting his cheek before kissing him again and rode him until Jon went soft inside of her, forcefully leaving her body.  Chacia moved off him and went to the bathroom to clean herself up, feeling satisfied in a very good way.  At least she got her man off and, besides, his body had been through HELL and back again the past week.

 

That had NOT just happened.  Not only had he sprung like the Titanic and gone down a lot faster, she had patted his fricking cheek and said, ‘good boy’.  Whether she was trying to be funny or not, that had not been something his minute to win it self needed to hear.  Ever.  This hadn’t happened since he was like… 16. Rolling out of that bed, Jon followed her into the bathroom and lifted her right up.  He may have popped once, but he generally had a great recovery time and he was going to be pushing his body to remember that.

 

“Back in bed.” He growled, carting her out and dropping her down onto her back. 

 

Chacia couldn’t ride his face, but as long as she didn’t go jerking around, he could devour her.  With that in mind, he planted his forearm on her hips to keep her from bucking and got to work cleaning her up with his tongue.  Her squeals had echoed around the room until he planted her, and those squeals had turned to moans, her fingers running over his head.  She hadn’t had a chance to clean herself up because he’d rushed right after her.  His nose was still hurt, and lord knew what his body had gone through, but he could still eat pussy like there was no tomorrow.  In a way, that’s exactly what he was acting like – there WAS no tomorrow and it was the end of the world.  Chacia zero qualms about it and moaned, whimpered and gasped when Jon got her right to the edge and then pulled back.  If he didn’t let her climax soon, she would go off without him like he did with her earlier.

 

“Jon!”

 

That’s right, he was going to drive her crazy until that embarrassing moment from Jon’s not so greatest hits was wiped from her mind.  Admittedly, pride and ego had been the driving factor in not giving into his body’s demands that they rest and enjoy the post-orgasm feel, but now… now he was just having fun, hearing her squeal and gasp, begging him for release.  He wanted to drink her dry and finally stopped backing off, driving his tongue in and out of her, a thumb working her bundle of nerves to give her more pleasure.

 

“C’mon darlin’, cum for me…” He ordered before resuming his administrations.

 

Dear lord, if he kept up this pace, she would drown him, or that was what it felt like.  Chacia was lost in the ecstasy, her mind nothing more than a thick passion haze, a fog, and all she could focus us was her building climax.  She was so close, she could taste it, feel it, sense it…gritting her teeth, Chacia had no idea how long Jon was down there for.  Hell, who would look at a clock during foreplay?  Certainly not her!

 

“Oh Jon…oh fuck, baby…” That was all she could get out, her breathing erratic, chest rising and falling rapidly, body coating in a fine perspiration and her heart was pounding in her ears. 

 

Gripping his head tightly, she managed to hold onto what little hair he had and felt her body tensed, shuddering, before her hot juices flowed, his name spilling out of her mouth.  Any other time, Jon would have drunk her dry, but not tonight.  He moved up her quaking body while she was still spasming and slid home inside of her, hearing her curse and let out his own half-grunt, half-curse as her clenching walls instantly began trying to milk him.  Jon had climaxed already, he wasn’t about to do it again anytime soon and his smile turned wicked as he bent down to brush his lips against hers.

 

“You better take a deep breath, darlin’, you’re nowhere near done.”

 

Jon was out to kill her, she simply knew it and what a fantastic way to go! 

 

Chacia inhaled a gulp of air, her pussy already sensitive from being devoured.  She gripped his arms as he rocked in and out of her body, showing her he definitely wasn’t a one-minute man.  Not that she thought he was for a second; Chacia knew better and figured his body had been through too much recently to give a proper performance.  Boy, was she wrong!  Jon pulled out of her long enough to flip her on her stomach, pushing her head down into the bed with her backside in the air.  He slid his tongue down her clit, making her shudder and then slid home inside of her again, beginning to pound her relentlessly.

 

“Jon, oh god!  Oh fuck!” She cried out, her nails digging into the comforter and could feel her body already caving into him, surrendering.

 

Now that he was 100% sure the 30 second moment was hereby forgotten and or forgiven, Jon focused on wringing every last bit of pleasure he could from Chacia’s delectable body.  He ran the tip of his tongue up her spine and to the back of her neck, not minding the fine sheen of perspiration that coated her body.  It had been a crazy, hellacious week, their physical reunion wasn’t going to be stopped, not even by his own traitorous body.  His hand slipped beneath her, his finger working her clit and was rewarded with a gush of warmth around his cock.

 

“Mmm, that’s it darlin’, I can feel that pretty little pussy tightening,” And trying to kill him, she was actually making it difficult to move.

 

Feeling him inside of her once again, after nearly 2 months, was mind-blowing and felt incredible.  Chacia did everything in her power to hold back as long as she could, wanting to make this last as long as possible.  There was nothing to forgive.  Sometimes a man just had to go off and she knew that, but Jon was more than making up for it.  Her pussy tingled with each slap of his balls against her lips and Jon pulled her up to align their sweaty bodies together, his teeth sinking into the spot where shoulder met neck again.

 

“Jon!” She cried out, moving in time with him, reaching down with her hand to stroke herself with him as their fingers entwined together. 

 

His other hand wrapped around her throat, holding her steady and Chacia was on shaky ground, already spilling over that edge, reaching that point of no return.  He lost count of how many times she came, or maybe Chacia was just experiencing one long, drawn out orgasm at this point.  Either way, every time Jon pulled back, it was like a thousand tiny hands trying to draw him back in, suffocating him in the best of ways.  He wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold out, not with her constant orgasming around him, trying to milk his cock for everything he had left.  Clenching his teeth, his fingers tightened around her throat ever so slightly.  Not enough to hurt her, just enough to cut off a bit of air.

 

“Point…proven…” Chacia coughed out in a breathless laugh 20 minutes later, feeling as though her vagina would never be the same again. 

 

It was tingling and felt numb; Jon had not taken it easy on her.  He’d finally gave into his own desire and had exploded intensely, shaking her body’s foundation.  Now, they were laying with him spooned up against her back while she tried to breathe.  His hand was over her thundering heart and he could feel how fast and hard it was beating against his palm, his own breathing erratic in her ear, against her neck.

 

“I-I love you, Jon…” It was the perfect reconciliation, even with all the bad stuff happening around them, this more than made up for it. “Goddamn, I needed that…”

 

“Yeah, I bet.” After she had teased herself by playing with him and then his body had screamed uncle 30 seconds in, he would have needed it too. “Mmm…” He palmed her breast, laughing softly when Chacia began shaking her head while arching into his hand. “I love you too, darlin’.”

 

As far as he was concerned, they were never doing this split thing again.  Though, he supposed they also hadn’t been together, so was it a split?  Their relationship did not conform to what was considered normal standards and, for the most part, he wouldn’t have had it any other way.

 

“Feel better?”

 

She turned on her back to look up into his eyes, leaning up enough to press her mouth against his and caressed his bearded face with her hand. “I’m never losing you again.”

 

Gently, she brushed her lips against his bruised nose and felt his arms wrap around her, shifting to where they lay side by side facing each other.  Her head rested on his chest, hearing his heartbeat.  Chacia finally let out a yawn, showing her exhaustion and continued stroking his face.

 

“It’s time for sleep.  We both really need it after tonight.” Turning, she shut the lamp off on the nightstand to bathe them in darkness, besides the small lights outside and snuggled back against him. “Mmm…”

 

Given the night she’d had, he was surprised she wasn’t asleep already.  Jon just lay there, holding onto her, listening to her heartbeat as he finally began relaxing, letting his mind wander.  Colby had been in the bathroom before her… there was no way he could have planned something like that, right?  No… that would mean the brown-haired idiot would have known, or suspected, that Chacia was going to get a shower in that bathroom, at the arena.  Jon wasn’t sure if she showered at arenas usually, it seemed odd given she wasn’t a medical professional.  Yawning, he closed his eyes, figuring he’d worry about it after Stephanie had information for them.

 

The reason Chacia had showered in the arena was because she had sparred with Jon for 2 hours in the ring and Larry didn’t want her stinking up the trainer’s room.  Did he suddenly forget about that?  It would be highly unsanitary of her to work while sweaty and grimy from training in the ring to gear up for her try-out match.  Thankfully, she couldn’t read his mind and slept peacefully, for the most part.  In the far back of her mind, she was convinced this was revolved around Jon because why would this person tell her he was poison and warn her not to try-out for the WWE.  Something told her nothing would come out in this investigation – whoever this was, they were slick and unless they made a mistake to expose themselves, they wouldn’t know who it was until it was probably too late.

 

She had a stalker, Jon decided, when he was up before Chacia and found a bouquet of roses with no note resting on the breakfast tray he hadn’t ordered.  He lifted the lid, his nose wrinkling at the ‘food’ that was morbid.  Someone had issues.  He wheeled the entire kit and kaboodle back down the hallway and took some pictures with his cell before calling up room service.  Somebody was either being paid well to mess with Chacia or her stalker had a lot of time on his or her hands.  It never crossed his mind that this could be meant for him because nothing was happening to him.

 

Maybe Chacia had her own crazed fans.

 

Jon didn’t tell her about the breakfast with the roses being sent to their room, keeping it to himself, though he had sent it to Stephanie.  Every little bit helped to try to solve this mystery of who this stalker was. 

 

Chapter 50

 

Chacia focused on practicing as much as she could in the ring, before shows and after, when the ring crew allowed it.  Mostly, it was at house shows because televised events were a little more hectic, which she understood.  On her days off, her and Jon went to Cincinnati to train with Cody, honing more of her skills and even worked on her character development.  Christmas and New Year’s Eve was spent in Cincinnati, due to her training and the fact Chacia wanted to spend it with her only family – Cody.  Jon had no one besides her and Cody, so he didn’t mind tagging along and it honestly felt like old times with them spending the holidays together.  Cody had started warming up to Jon again, still calling him kid, but with affection in his voice instead of affliction. 

 

Because of the investigation, it wasn’t until they brought in 2019 she had her try-out match. 

 

If Chacia knew about everything Jon kept hidden from him, she didn’t say anything. Anyone else, he would have assumed if they knew, they would say something. Given she had hidden an ominous phone call before… he could never tell with her. It seemed the investigation stalled out around the holidays, which was fair because everyone had families, well, almost everyone. His family consisted of her, and apparently really crappy cold weather in Ohio. The only reason he tolerated it was because of her. If not for Chacia, Jon would have happily never set foot there again.

 

“You nervous?” He asked, watching as she prepped to go show Paul what she had. Considering she had spent these last few months doing the shit she would have needed to do in NXT, he seen her being kept on the main show.

 

“Yeah…” Chacia wouldn’t lie and she’d be a fool not to be nervous. 

 

CrossFit training had really helped, but she also did regular workouts too.  Jon didn’t understand the whole CrossFit thing and grumbled about it reminding him too much of Colby.  Chacia didn’t care; if it helped her perform better in the ring, that was all that concerned her.  Jon would have to get over his jealousy because she truly did love CrossFit.  Other women in the company did it too and she’d joined Colby and Bayley on a few of the CrossFit workouts he did while on the road.  Colby actually put out on Instagram what gym he was at, so fans could join in on the workout, as long as they were serious.  A few had to be tossed out since they were only there for pictures and autographs, but for the most part, those who showed up did the workouts completely.  Colby pulled no punches and he was 100% dedicated to his workouts, which was why people dubbed him ‘CrossFit Jesus’.  She understood why.

 

“I just hope I don’t fuck up in there…”

 

It wasn’t that Jon was jealous of this ‘ex-can-be-friends’ thing, he just didn’t trust Colby.  Of course, last he knew, Chacia didn’t either, but at the same time, Colby hadn’t done anything or said anything that painted him wrong lately.  So maybe Jon was just a jealous asshole, he wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

 

“You won’t.  Just don’t give Paul any BS, be straight with him.” Paul didn’t play games and he didn’t mince words.  He and Stephanie were the perfect, scary couple.

 

Keep your friends close, your enemies closer – that was all she was doing when it came to Colby.  Bayley was an actual friend and sweet as could be, who was also her opponent for her try-out match.  They had been practicing in the ring ever since she had to choose her opponent and Bayley had gladly accepted.  To her standard, they came up with a well-choregraphed match that would showcase her strength, speed, agility and character all wrapped up in a hopefully beautiful package.  Bayley assured Chacia this was her time to shine and she had this in the bag, to not let the nerves overtake her.

 

“See you in a little while.” She murmured, taking a deep breath and heard her entrance music before heading down to the ring, where Bayley was already waiting on her.  Triple H, Stephanie and the officials were standing by to watch with Pavana as the referee.

 

Jon hung back to watch, knowing she didn’t need him as a distraction.  In all honesty, he had no doubts about how Chacia would do because she was like him.  She lived and breathed this business, she had just reluctantly put it on the back burner, that hadn’t meant anything.  Any ring rust she may have possessed had been shaken a long time ago and she had been busting her figurative balls for this audition.  Once the match got underway, his gaze shifted to Paul and Stephanie, both who were carefully blank with their expressions.  If by some weird chance Paul decided she wasn’t WWE material, Jon was going to explode.

 

First, they showcased her talent by mat wrestling, doing different techniques and moves to let the higher-ups see her agility.  Then they were on their feet and went back and forth with forearms, chops and kicks, followed up by a couple suplexes.  Snap drags and even an armbar played into the mix.  Her final move, which was a submission and a variation of the Undertaker’s Hell’s Gate, a tribute to her favorite wrestler of all time.  Bayley managed to get out of it, delivering Bayley to Belly and got the victory.  Both women were spent, laying on the mat and all Chacia could do was stare up at the lights, her body coated in sweat, breathing heavily from the intense match she just endured.  They both got to their feet, showing their tenacity and toughness, hugging each other before Bayley raised her arm in victory.

 

“That was awesome.” Bayley commended, laughing through heavy breathing and hugged Chacia before exiting the ring.

 

Chacia stayed put for a few minutes, gripping the rope and knew she had done all she could.  The match was smooth, and it couldn’t have gone any better; all she’d been worried about was botches and there were none between her and Bayley.  Looking around the ring, the arena, Chacia smiled before sliding under the bottom rope and headed to the back, blinking as several of the women came up to her from the division on Raw and congratulated her.  This was unexpected since a lot of the women had been here longer than her and she assumed they would feel like she was stepping on their turf coming in here at her age.

 

Nope.  The more the merrier, it meant they would have fresh opponents and opportunities for new storylines.  The women’s division was actively competing against the men’s in terms of popularity these days, so they welcomed fresh talent.  Well, most of them did.  Obviously, there would always be some of those kinds of stuck-up, backstabbing bitches, but that was everywhere and not exclusive to the WWE locker room.  Jon was right there, grinning broadly, watching as she was swarmed by excited girls and then watched as Stephanie and Paul slipped away, talking quietly to each other.  He seen the half-smile on Stephanie’s face and took that as a good sign.  Chacia would know soon enough and he would bank on good news.

 

Once she managed to pry herself away from the girls, without being rude, promising to meet up later with them, her eyes moved to Jon, who had been waiting patiently for her to finish. “You have to be honest with me.” Her hazel eyes pleaded with him for the truth on how she did, but she couldn’t quite get the question out.  Jon yanked her flush against his body, her arms wrapping around his neck and pressed her sweaty body against his, not bothered in the slightest. “How did I do out there?  Honestly?”

 

“Did all those women telling you how great you were not answer that?” Jon’s eyes sparkled wickedly. “Or is your ego not satisfied, darlin’?” He chucked when she gave him a look, obviously not finding him that amusing. “You did awesome, Chace, I think this is in the bag.” Well, it had always been in the bag.  What was up for debate had been where she would go for further training or staying here. “You’ll have to do a one-on-one session with him, talking only.” Jon explained when she looked alarmed.  Yes, her, against Paul… nope. “He’ll want to see how you do with character, but with all that training you’ve been doing, I really do think you’ll be fine.”

 

Considering Jon was one of the best promo-delivers in this generation and better than Triple H, Chacia wasn’t too concerned with going one-on-one in a promo against the Cerebral Assassin.  Jon was her teacher and she would make him proud, no matter what. “Your validation is the most important to me, you know that.” She murmured, pulling back to tighten her hair in the holder it was in and remembered their rule of no fraternizing with each other while at work.

 

“So, mine isn’t?”

 

Whipping around, Chacia felt tears sting her eyes at the sight of her cousin staring back at her.  None other than Cody Hawk himself.  She looked back at Jon, seeing the knowing smirk on his face and smacked his chest before running up to her cousin, hugging him tightly around the neck.

 

“What are you DOING here?!”

 

“I was invited.” Cody laughed, wrapping his arms around Chacia and pulled her up into a bone crunching hug. “Good job out there, Chace, you rocked it, girl!” For someone who had decided not to get into the business so long ago, he was glad she had been willing and able to after all this time. “Jon got permission from Paul, who apparently has an interest in my school now.” He beamed down at her once she was on her feet.  He had produced Dean Ambrose and, apparently, Paul, who had trained under Killer Kowalski, had seen those videos and been impressed.

 

“You were out there and didn’t tell me?”

 

Chacia couldn’t stop a few tears from sliding down her cheeks, her voice cracking from the intense emotion flowing through her.  Did Cody know about her stalker issue?  Probably not, Stephanie and Triple H wouldn’t say anything, Chacia hoped anyway.

 

“I’m so glad you’re here.” She hugged him again, kissing his cheek and heard him chuckle in her ear. “Jon approved of my match, but now that you’re here, what did you think of it?” She’d heard his compliment, but Cody was more of a psychologist when it came to the ring. “Character wise, move wise, how was it presented?”

 

Of course, he hadn’t told her.  She might’ve gotten nervous with him there, that and it was meant to be a surprise. “Honey, I didn’t see any character other than Chacia.” He said gently, shaking his head. “You were showing off your skillset, not any character.  Once you make it through character creation, you’ll pick a wrestling style that suits the character.  Today, you showed off that you have the ability to go just about any type of wrestling style, that’s pretty damn impressive and it’ll work with whatever direction you go.” Her execution had been flawless, no botches, and he knew if it had been a match, with an established persona, it would look less like what it had been, which was a try-out.

 

“Jon said I have to go against Triple H, promo wise.  I think that’s more nerve-wracking than the actual try-out.” Chacia admitted, wondering when that would happen since Triple H was rarely on the main roster, due to his obligations down in NXT.  That part also had her nerves on edge – the possibility of having to go down to NXT and leaving Jon on the road.

 

“You’ll do fine.  Just remember what I taught you and you’ll do great.” Cody assured her, placing his hands on her shoulders and giving them a gentle squeeze. “You have no idea how proud I am right now, Chacey.  You really have come a long way and I couldn’t be happier you finally achieved your dream.” Half of it, the other half would come if they actually signed her on as a WWE Superstar.

 

She smiled tearfully up at him, knowing she had to get showered and changed to start her actual job with the company.  Until she heard from Stephanie and Triple H regarding her try-out, she was still part of the medical team.

 

“Hey,” Stephanie caught up with Chacia when she spotted the other woman walking past her open office.  From the looks of it, Chacia was on her way to go get a shower. “You still need to be buddying up.” She commented thoughtfully, knowing things had sort of settled down on the stalker front since nothing had happened besides that one shower incident.

 

The cameras had shown the man in the janitor costume coming into the building, doing janitorial work, and then going into the the shower facilities, after Chacia had entered.  But since he hadn’t actually done anything and he claimed that he was freelancing, on top of threatening to press charges, she had let it go.  It was suspicious, but if he was a crazed fan or more than likely, working for someone, there was no way to find out, at least not that Stephanie had discovered.

 

“Paul is setting up the next part of the audition for tonight after the show.  You okay with that?”

 

So soon?  Chacia was glad she hadn’t said that out loud and nodded, still on somewhat of a high from her match.  If she was going to phase 2 of the audition, that had to mean Triple H liked her match, right?  He wouldn’t give her a promo audition otherwise, right?  Hell, Chacia didn’t know anymore.

 

“I’m sorry about the buddying up thing.  I’ve been walking around with Bayley lately, but she had to run to get ready for a match tonight on Raw.  I’ll make sure I’m not alone anymore.” Showering had to be done alone, but Chacia had kept her eyes peeled and her guard up, just in case. “Where will the next part of the audition take place?”

 

“I have no idea, I just know he said he wanted it done ASAP.  He has to get back to his show.” NXT was Paul’s baby, and it was kind of annoying because, at times, it seemed to surpass WWE’s flagship: RAW. “I’ll radio Pavana to come be with you, don’t take too long, okay?” She patted Chacia’s shoulder, smiling. “You did great, by the way.  I think Paul’s impressed too; he just doesn’t like to give anything away.”

 

“Thank you, Stephanie.  Sorry about this inconvenience, but hopefully, we can put what happened behind us soon enough.” Stephanie nodded in agreement and ordered her to stay put while she contacted Pavana. 

 

Chapter 51

 

Five minutes later, Pavana came walking up with a smile on her face and hugged Chacia, not bothering with a greeting.

 

“You did so great out there tonight!  I’m so glad I was able to referee that match between you and Bayley.”

 

“Yeah…sorry you have to chaperone me…” Chacia felt awkward about this considering Jon and Joe still weren’t on good terms.  That didn’t mean their women had to be enemies, however.

 

“Not a problem.  After what happened to you, we can’t take any risks and I know you’d do the same for me.” Pavana draped her arm around Chacia’s shoulders as they walked off toward the shower room, which was once again communal for both men and women.

 

Her bag was already over her shoulder, having everything in it she would need for her shower. “The second part of my audition is tonight with Triple H.  Promo.” That was self-explanatory. “I’m really nervous…”

 

“Hell, don’t be.  I came up as one of Triple H’s NXT kids and I can tell you he is one of the sweetest, kindest men I’ve ever met in my life.  He’s understanding and he’ll guide you down the right path and he won’t bullshit you either.”

 

“Good.  I really don’t need to be bullshitted because if I’m not cut out for this, I want to be told flat out.”

 

“However,” Pavana smiled mischievously, her little devil horns almost showing. “He’s only sweet if you’re not a fuck-up, he’s also damn strict.” He had learned from old school and, while he had the modern business sense, when it came to the actual wrestling, the man was not called The Game for nothing. “So, sweet and kind, and strict.  Real strict.” Business first, people second, and it was good he was married to Stephanie because she was the one to put it out that the business was contingent on the people.  She began laughing when Chacia got nervous looking again. “If he wasn’t interested, he wouldn’t be setting up this second half, trust me.  You’ll be fine.”

 

Chacia had been trained the old school way too, through Les Thatcher and mostly by her cousin, who had the old school mentality.  She completely understood where Pavana was coming from and would have to mentally prepare herself for this while in the shower.  Hell, how did she prepare for a promo with the Cerebral Assassin?  He obviously wanted the Superstars to go on the fly with their audition, to see how they responded.

 

“I’ll keep that in mind.  I just hope I don’t get blindsided by anything he wants me to do.  Thanks, sweetie.” Chacia walked into the shower room, hearing other showers going and suddenly felt déjà vu again.  Breathe, just breathe, she mentally coached herself, undressing and slipped under the warm sprays to quickly wash her hair and body.  Twenty minutes later, she walked back out dressed in the medical team’s uniform and was on her way, with Pavana, to do her actual job for the night.

 

“You’re kidding me!” Paul laughed, staring down at his wife as she relayed her idea.

 

If Chacia aced the second part of her try-out, as well as she had done the first, he seen no reason to bring her to NXT.  Well, no legit reason other than maybe he just wanted that talent on his show.  He and Stephanie had a running bet about which show would pull in better ratings.  Paul had been winning a bit more than his loving wife liked, lately.

 

“All right, I can make that work, you going to tell her?”

 

“No, I don’t think so.  She’ll be able to prepare then, and we don’t want that.” Acting, and being able to think on the fly, was something they really appreciated their Superstars being able to do.

 

Sure enough, after the show and all the Superstars were taken care of, Chacia made her way toward Stephanie’s office.  She had no idea what to expect and Jon was right beside her, keeping his hands to himself.  Pavana had already left with Joe, so Jon had to be her chaperone.  It was somewhat humiliating, and she really hoped this chaperone crap ended sooner rather than later.

 

“I’ll be fine, go out for a drink with Cody and catch up.  I shouldn’t be too long, and I’ll get a ride back to the hotel with Stephanie.”

 

Jon frowned, not liking the fact Chacia wanted to be left alone, but he also understood why. “If you need me…”

 

“I know where you’ll be, and I have your number.” Chacia waited for him to walk away before squaring her shoulders, still in her medical team attire and knocked on the door, hearing Stephanie’s voice through it.  She pushed open the door and stopped at the sight of Colby standing in the room with Stephanie and Triple H. “Oh shit, is this a bad time?  I can wait until you’re done…”

 

“No, this is a great time.” Stephanie beamed at Chacia, gesturing to Colby. “You’re going to be doing the next part of your try-out with Rollins.”

 

Colby had sort of been filled in.  They wanted to use him as a ‘talking prop’ with Chacia.  That was the sort filled in, he had a feeling there was more, but he also had a feeling it was contingent on Chacia’s performance.  He was fresh out of the shower as well, wearing a t-shirt and his skinny jeans, wet hair pooling down his neck.

 

“Hi.” He waved at her before leaning back into Stephanie’s desk, his arms folding over his chest.


“So, what we want to do is give you this,” Paul handed her a script. “You take a few moments, get the idea of what you think the act is about, and then you two are going to use that to freestyle the scene.”

 

“It’s up to you to decide how you want to portray the female.” Stephanie said encouragingly.  They had been sort of moving away from the soap opera style storylines, but… they still sold seats.

 

“Wow, okay…”

 

Chacia did NOT expect this, having just wrapped her mind around the fact she was doing this with Triple H.  Now she had to perform IN FRONT of Triple H and Stephanie with Colby, her somewhat ex-boyfriend.  Terrific!  She began reading through the script, her eyes widening and then shut because she knew exactly what was about to happen.  Stephanie was capitalizing on what happened at Cody’s wrestling school and using it to add more fuel to the fire between Jon and Colby – or in this case, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins.  This scene would be the first official meeting between her and Seth…and they had already put her ‘name’ in the script. 

 

Chasity.  That was…her old wrestling name in HWA.  So many different emotions rolled through her at once.  The thing was Seth was the babyface in this current feud and Dean was the heel, so having a woman from Dean’s past coming in to help give Seth an edge…didn’t that sound like a heelish thing to do?  Why couldn’t Chasity be with Dean instead?  It was a very good thing she had a good memory and it only took her a few times to run over lines before Chacia was ready to go.

 

“Okay, I’m ready.” She tossed the script aside, folding her arms in front of her chest and eyeballed Colby almost shrewdly.

 

“So, you must be the INFAMOUS Seth Rollins everyone is talking about, huh?  The Architect, the Kingslayer…” Chasity slid her tongue along her top lip slowly, contemplating if he was worth her time.  And it showed in her cool hazel eyes. “How very…interesting.  What’s even more interesting is why would the likes of you, a top WWE Superstar, want to meet with such a lowly person like me?” She had gestured to him and then herself with her finger, arching a slow brow.

 

“Lowly?” Seth returned with a grin that had made ladies swoon, his own hand coming up to stroke his beard thoughtfully. “I think not, Chastity,” His voice was warm, like bourbon, making its way down a throat and heating the person up from the inside. “I’ve seen some videos circulating,” He was circling her, slowly, though he made sure to leave her space. “And I think you and I have some common ground, some common… goals.”

 

Well, it wasn’t necessarily off the chart’s chemistry, Stephanie mused, as she observed the pair, but there was definitely chemistry.  She bet with the proper time and some motivation, they’d get there.  She glanced up at Paul, seeing him studying them and gathered he was thinking the same.

 

“Goals?  Common ground?  Me and you?” Chasity sounded doubtful and amused at the same time, not moving from her spot as he continued circling her. “And what might those be?”

 

“You and I share a common enemy.  Don’t play coy, Chasity.  You know exactly what I’m talking about.” Seth pressed, standing right behind her and rested his chin on her shoulder, which she immediately brushed off.

 

Indeed, she did.  A smirk curved her lips as she turned around to face him again, a knowing gleam taking over her eyes. “You mean when I kicked the crap out of Dean Ambrose and proved to him who is more superior?  What’s the matter, Rollins?  I thought you were the Architect, always steps ahead of your enemy?  Having problems taking down the Lunatic Fringe by your lonesome, are we?” While she spoke, her fingertip slowly slid down his t-shirt covered chest, her eyes never leaving his. “So, what exactly do you want from me?”

 

“Oh, Chastity,” It came out an amused sigh as his hand moved to catch hers, pulling it back up against his chest. “If I wasn’t the Architect, you wouldn’t be here.  You’d still be back in that school… beating schmucks for kicks.  Beating down Ambrose, physically, that’s a piece of cake and it’s almost kind of sad.  You’d think with all that time off, he would’ve upped his game,”

 

Paul was really amused now because even as a face, that was such a great, dick thing to say and it worked.  The reference to Dean’s rehabilitation time.

 

“He still can’t hack it, but he keeps coming back.  Maybe it’s time to hit him where it really hurts, and that’s where you come in… you don’t beat a Lunatic down… they like it.  You go play in their head, in their little fantasy,” He smiled now. “And drag them kicking and screaming into the real world.”

 

“And that’s a wrap, figuratively speaking.” Stephanie said, her blue eyes gleaming.  There was definite potential. “Thank you, Seth, for staying over for this.  We really appreciate it.  Chacia, you too.”

 

“I’ll be in touch in the morning, we’ll get things started and the paperwork ready.” Paul extended his hand to her, watching her face intently.

 

Chacia blinked, pulling her hand away from Colby’s chest and looked at Stephanie and then Triple H, not believing how zoned out she was. “Paperwork?” She swallowed hard at the man’s hand and shook it, a hesitant smile crossing her face. “So, what does that mean?  Sorry, I guess I’m…I mean, do you want me to go to NXT or…?’

 

“Oh no, not after seeing the dollar signs between the two of you.” Stephanie was beaming from ear to ear, glaring playfully at her husband. “You try to steal her from me, and I WILL make you regret it, Paul.”

 

Paul swallowed hard, nodding. “Yeah – yeah, she’s all yours.  That’s why I said we’ll get the paperwork ready.  Chacia, you’re being offered a contract to be a WWE Superstar.  You won’t be working for the medical team anymore, unless you don’t want this?”

 

A contract…they were…Chacia forced herself to remain calm, cool and collected, nodding somewhat slowly. “Yes, yes of course I do.  T-Thank you for the opportunity, Triple H – I mean Paul – I mean…what do I call you?” She was stammering, her hands shaking and felt Colby’s hands on her shoulders, beginning to massage them to help calm her down.

 

“Breathe, Chacia, one thing at a time.” Paul coached, squeezing her upper arm and nodded at Colby and his wife before exiting the office to make some phone calls.

 

If all went as planned, they would be starting this new alliance next Monday on Raw.

 

“Soooo,” Stephanie was trying not to sound amused as she stared at Chacia.  She was trying so hard not to look overly excited and failed. “You can jump up and down and squeal if you want.” She offered, clasping her hands together with a smile. “You would definitely not be the first woman, or even man, to do it.”

 

Colby shook his head. “If you’re done with me, I-”

 

“Actually, could you escort her to… do you have a ride?  Did Dean leave already?” Stephanie asked, frowning when Chacia looked uncertain. “Well, if you have a vehicle out there, I’d appreciate it if you,” She was looking at Colby now. “Could escort her to it?  If not, I’ll arrange for a ride back to your hotel.” They were the ones who had kept her after hours.

 

“He can just walk me to the parking lot.  Jon left me the rental and went out with my cousin.  I’m supposed to meet up with them.” They had a lot to celebrate and Chacia had a lot to talk to Jon about regarding her new character in the WWE.

 

“Very well then, walk her to her car.  And we’ll contact you in the morning, so don’t stay out too late.  Lots of paperwork and things to go over.” Stephanie advised, patting her shoulder and walked out, leaving Chacia alone with Colby.

 

As soon as the door shut, Chacia jumped up and down, covering her mouth with her hand to try to muffle her shrieks of excitement. “Okay sorry, I had to get that out of my system.  Shall we, partner?” They would be working closely together for a while as he opened the door for them to leave. “When did they tell you about this possibly happening?”

 

“Tonight, and are you sure you got it all out?” Colby laughed, leading the way down the hall that led to the employee parking lot. “Here, finish.” He offered, once they were outside, watching as she began dancing and jumping around like a teenage girl.  He couldn’t help smiling, shaking his head.  Colby knew those feels, he had done the same thing when he had gotten into the big leagues. “I was in the dark, until they gave us scripts, Angel.  Paul just said they needed someone to help with your try-out.”

 

“They chose you because they want to capitalize on that footage of me and Jon’s fight at the wrestling school.” Chacia informed him, even though he already knew the reasoning and continued dancing in a circle, her arms outstretched in the air. “I NEVER thought this would happen!  Never, I gave up wrestling and went to school.  I hadn’t stepped foot in a ring again until Jon came back into my life and…suddenly, the passion and intensity was back.  I started training again at Cody’s school and now I’m here and I’m about to sign on as a WWE Superstar!” She started jumping up and down again, screaming with elation and silently wished Jon was here to share this moment with her instead of Colby.

 

It wasn’t Jon here.  It was Colby and he picked her up by the waist, laughing at how exuberant she was, spinning her still shrieking ass around in wide circles.  Not too many of them, neither of them needed to get dizzy or sick on what was definitely a night for celebration.  After setting her down, he grinned at her.  It wasn’t Jon here and it wasn’t Jon she’d be partnering with.  Given her ‘addiction’ to the guy, Colby had to wonder if she’d be able to do this storyline and hesitated, the smile disappearing for a fraction of a second before reemerging.  They’d cross that bridge when they got there.

 

“Congratulations Angel, you made it.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

Chacia was too ecstatic to think about how screwed up this situation actually was.  Her ex-boyfriend was here to celebrate her dream with her instead of the man who SHOULD’VE been here, her actual boyfriend, and who she loved with all her heart.  They had trained together and now were both in the WWE…and Jon wasn’t here to celebrate with her, to see her sheer and pure elation at finally making her dream come true.

 

“I promise not to let you down and don’t you worry, my relationship with Jon won’t interfere with this.  I’m a professional.” It was as if she read his mind, like she did to Jon so many times. “You can count on me, Colby.”

 

“I know, Chacia.” He said, hoping he sounded sincere, but there was that hint of doubt.  She had issues when it came to Jon Good and she couldn’t see them anymore, not now that they were together and he hoped for her sake, she didn’t crash and burn because she was blind. “Hey, go share the good news with your… where is Ambrose anyway?  Why isn’t he here?” He had figured Jon would be waiting to hear the news, to give her some support or something.

 

“He went out with my cousin, Cody.  He came into town to see me try-out and they’re celebrating right now, catching up.  I told him to go ahead and I’d meet up with them after I met with Triple H.”

 

If Jon knew Colby was in that office prior to leaving, there was no way he would’ve listened to her.  He would’ve waited since neither one of them trusted Colby fully.  She had nobody to blame except herself for Jon not being here and Chacia had to remind herself of that.

 

“I’ll see you later, Colby.” She unlocked her rental and slid behind the wheel, raising a brow when Colby jogged over to tap on the window. “Did you forget something?” Chacia asked after rolling it down.

 

“No, just thought I’d say congrats again and, also, if they really want to push this line, we should sort out some things, you know?  Maybe you and I can spar or something, get a feel for each other’s ring work and use that, eventually.” Like a tag team, only it likely wouldn’t be that kind of deal.  Colby doubted Ambrose would go for a match where he might wind up being beaten by his woman again. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Chace.” He had considered inviting her out for yogurt or something, but… baby steps.

 

“Sounds good.  Goodnight, Colby.”

 

She rolled the window back up since it was cold outside and started the ignition, pulling out of the parking lot to head to the hotel.  Jon texted her the address he and Cody were at, but honestly, she just wanted to relax.  Stephanie would have her up bright and early, she needed her sleep, and this gave Jon and Cody the ultimate opportunity to reconcile fully.  Jon was in her life now, hopefully long-term, so Cody had to come to terms with it and forget everything else.  However, in the back of her mind, Chacia wondered how Jon would react to her having to work with Colby closely for the foreseeable future.  Another reason she was going back to the hotel instead of out drinking with them – she wasn’t ready to face him yet.

 

Admittedly, Colby was curious how that conversation between the pair would go.  What he wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall for that talk.  He bet anything Jon would lose his mind when he found out the beating he received, at the hands of his girlfriend, had not only landed Chacia a job in the WWE, but also in Colby’s lap!

 

Chapter 52

 

When Chacia arrived at the hotel room, there was a single rose taped to the door with a blood red smiley face on it.

 

“What the hell?” Chacia whispered, wondering if this was some kind of joke from Jon or…her face turned pale and she stumbled back from the door, shakily reaching in her pocket for her phone.

 

Jon was laughing at something Cody said, on his third beer, when his cell went off. “Hey darlin’, where you at?”

 

“J-Jon…you need to get back to the hotel NOW.” Chacia was shook up, her voice trembling and squeezed her fist tightly shut to keep it from shaking. “Please, get here as fast as you can!  T-There’s a rose…with a bloody smiley face on it…did you leave this here for me?  Please tell me it was you…”

 

“Hey man, did we leave a rose or something for her?”

 

“No…” Cody didn’t buy roses, as a general rule; there was no one to really buy them for.

 

Jon felt like an ass, reassuring he was on his way before hanging up.  He knew he shouldn’t have left her, they had gotten complacent when the investigation kind of went nowhere and nothing else had happened.  A rose with a bloody smiley face.  He hoped she had the good sense to go downstairs and wait by the front desk.

 

“Cody, text her, let her know she needs to get downstairs to wait for us.” Brightly lit lobby, hotel staff, that was safe, right?

 

Chacia was way ahead of them, already on her way down and took the backstairs.  She could hear rustling and commotion, staying silent and continued going, stopping at the sight of Colby with a blonde…in a very precarious position.

 

“Oh god, fuck me, Kingslayer…” The blonde was obviously a ringrat he had picked up and his growl echoed throughout the staircase, his pants halfway down. “Yes – YES!”

 

Colby hissed out, continuing to thrust in and out of the blonde and kept his eyes shut, envisioning her as someone else…a different blonde. “Fuck, CHACIA!”

 

It was like watching a horrible car accident.  She wanted to look away, but she couldn’t and Chacia felt her eyes fly open when Colby bellowed out her name.  That was a moment she definitely shouldn’t have witnessed, and she made her way quietly back upstairs to take the elevator down to the lobby.  Colby would have probably shot to the top of the suspect list if not for the fact he had left the arena after Chacia and, obviously, had taken the time to stop and pick up a relief aid in the ringrat.  As it was, it was going to be awkward at work the next night because Chacia was always going to remember what she had seen and heard.

 

Jon and Cody made it to the hotel in record time and both of them stopped in the lobby to begin looking for Chacia.  Cody spotted her first, tapping Jon’s arm before they rushed over to her.  Jon crouched down to look at her, since she was now in a chair, frowning as he took in the look on her face.  A rose had done this, who the hell had sent her a rose?

 

“You okay, darlin’?” He asked quietly.

 

No, no a rose hadn’t done this, not really.  How the hell was Chacia supposed to work with Colby when he was screwing ringrats and calling out HER name?  There was no way Stephanie would back out of this and no doubt there would be pressure put on her if she didn’t want to sign the contract.  She would have to tell them why, give a reason, and there was no way in HELL she was telling them what she just witnessed.  That was none of her business, for one, and two, she didn’t need anymore friction between her and Colby.

 

“I’m fine.” What started out was a magnificent night had quickly gone to shit in the span of an hour. “The rose is still upstairs against the door.” She sounded resigned, feeling Cody place a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it in return.

 

“You didn’t touch it, right?” Cody asked, nodding when she shook her head in response. “Then we’ll call the cops or something, maybe they can lift prints from it.” That’s how these things worked, right? “Jon said there was a bloody smiley face on it, did it look like actual blood?” That was just creepy.  He watched as Jon raised Chacia from the chair and headed for the stairwell.  He did not miss the way she swerved and headed for the elevator, cocking an eyebrow.

 

“Did you get a picture of it, darlin’?” He asked, knowing documenting everything was the only thing they were going to be able to do. “Did it have a name on it, like yours?”

 

Cody hesitated when she mumbled a no. “Are you sure it’s meant for you, Chace?” Jon had his own crazy legion of insane fans.

 

Opening up this can of worms with her cousin wasn’t an option and she hoped Jon either read her mind or kept his mouth shut. “I don’t know…”

 

What would happen going forward since she would be on television by Colby’s side?  Would her and Jon still be able to share hotel rooms, or would they have to travel separately to keep up with the kayfabe?  Hell, kayfabe was mostly dead, but if they wanted to pull this off correctly…Chacia let her thoughts take her away while Jon and Cody kept discussing the rose.  It was still there upon arrival and Jon snapped pictures of it, immediately sending them to Stephanie, like he had every other time with the other ‘surprises’ left.  Jon unlocked the door and pushed it open, immediately stopping her from entering.  The room was LITTERED with blood red rose petals and a huge message was painted on the wall in what looked like blood.

 

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR POISON

 

What the hell was that supposed to mean?!

 

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Jon demanded, staring at the wall, not aware he had basically just asked the same question Chacia mentally posed.  He began snapping pictures while Cody looked over the rest of the room. “Call front desk, Chace.” Someone had been in here and they had all the keys.  He doubted there’d be any housekeeping this late at night.

 

“That’s gross…” Cody emerged from the bathroom. “I don’t think it’s blood… but the tub is filled with something that LOOKS like it.”

 

The authorities were called immediately, along with Stephanie and Paul, since Vince wasn’t on the road at the moment.  Stephanie and Paul were the bosses and had to keep everything from flying out of control since Vince wanted the inmates to run the asylum.  Not on their watch!  Chacia told them everything she knew and then listened as Stephanie admitted to working secretly with Jon over the past couple weeks.  This wasn’t the first time a ‘gift’ or ‘surprise’ had been left for Chacia and they had documented everything.  Chacia wasn’t angry, just confused and didn’t understand why Jon would keep this information from her, this CRUCIAL information.  Fingerprints were taken, along with statements and the manager had been interrogated, along with the receptionist, both not having a clue how someone broke into one of their rooms without a keycard. 

 

Stephanie called around the city for a vacancy and found out about an hour away, apologizing profusely for what happened.  The WWE would be paying for their room and board the next few days as restitution for what was happening to their Superstars.  Cody went with them since it was a suite with separate rooms, not wanting to leave his cousin at the moment.  Throughout the drive, all Chacia could think about was everything that had happened tonight, the euphoric feeling she’d had dead and gone, replaced with fear and uncertainty.  Congratulations on your poison – Jon was her poison, according to this stalker.  The congratulations was self-explanatory, though she still hadn’t told the two most important people in her life her news, thanks to this stalker situation.

 

Jon kind of figured he was in trouble with Chacia about keeping her in the dark.  Considering they had just waded through the holidays, on top of her being nervous over the audition… he hadn’t wanted to scare her or put any more burdens on her.  He was worried she might’ve backed out of trying out for the WWE or botched said audition.  That, and honestly, there was no way to know if these gifts were entirely meant for her.  Only one had been definitive and that’s because it had been a picture of her, with the eyes X’d out in red along with a hole in the mouth.  It had been disturbing.  Whoever this person was, they were really good at the mind fuck.  Stephanie believed the messages were targeted at Chacia, but the references were geared at Jon.  So, who had he pissed off?  Once they reached their new hotel, he sighed and let himself in first, Chacia in the middle with Cody bringing up the rear.

 

“All clear.”

 

Stepping inside somewhat timidly, Chacia looked around like Jon had and breathed a sigh of relief, not seeing any signs of intrusion or surprises.  No ‘gifts’ either.  She walked into one of the spare rooms and set her bag on the bed, pulling out her night clothes.  Chacia felt the need to shower again, feeling violated and was thankful nothing had been taken from this apparent stalker.  Not even a pair of panties were missing.  She felt Jon walk in to stand behind her, his hands hesitantly resting on her hips and she leaned back against him, taking his arms to fully wrap around her waist.

“I love you, Jon.” Chacia wanted to make sure he knew that as she caressed his arms soothingly.  How could this man be her poison when he made her happy? “Are you okay?”

 

“Wait, you’re not mad at me?” Jon asked, unable to keep himself from sounding confused.  If he had been in her shoes, he would have been royally pissed.  Yet again, Chacia was reminding him she was not a normal woman by any means.  Sighing, he dropped his chin until it was resting on the top of her head, his eyes closing. “I’m concerned, darlin’, I’m not going to lie.” This was getting messed up.  Someone knew her, them, personally.

 

“I’m not mad at you, just disappointed you kept all of this from me.” Chacia admitted, not letting him off the hook completely and didn’t pull away from him.  She couldn’t, needing his comfort more than ever. “I understand why you did it, though.  You didn’t want me focusing on it or worrying me when there’s nothing to be done right now.” She knew Jon like a book and slowly turned in his arms, looking up into his pale blues. “I’m concerned about this too.  I don’t know who is being targeted or if it’s both of us, but I hope something comes to light about this soon.” Starting an angle with Colby and Jon in her debut, with this looming over their heads, wasn’t the best scenario. “Please don’t keep anything like this from me again, okay?  I need to be in the loop, so I’m not surprised again like I was tonight.”

 

“Well, now that it won’t distract from your auditions,” Since they were done and over with and she still hadn’t told him how it had gone. “I won’t.” Jon frowned, running his thumb along her cheekbone. “Did it go okay?  The audition?” He knew with everything that she just had sprung on her, it had probably taken a backseat.

 

“Yeah, I should be signing my contract tomorrow sometime.” Probably not in the morning since it was past 1 AM currently and they had dragged Stephanie and Paul out of sleep with the stalker situation.  His eyeballs nearly fell out of his head and she started giggling, unable to help herself. “Sorry…sorry, I just…the look on your face…” Sitting on the bed, Chacia felt him take her hands as Jon squatted in front of her and she suddenly brought his mouth to hers, kissing him passionately. “I have to tell you something…and you’re not going to like it, but I hope you’ll still be happy for me.”

 

“After tonight’s surprise, I doubt anything you have to tell me is going to top it.” Jon nodded when Cody appeared in their doorway, beckoning him in.  He imagined Cody would want to know. “She signs tomorrow.”

 

“I knew it!” Cody hadn’t had any doubts; the woman had busted her backside for months to make sure she had the best chance possible. “Congratulations Chacey, I knew you’d make it.”

 

“Yeah…thanks…”

 

Chacia was suddenly bothered by this storyline with Colby and Jon and she knew why.  It hit too close to home.  It would be using what should’ve been a private moment between her and Jon.  Not to mention what she just saw at the other hotel in the stairwell with Colby.  She stood up from the bed and clasped her hands in front of her, the excitement she felt earlier at the arena long gone.

 

“They had me audition tonight with…Colby.”

 

“Colby?  Who’s Colby?”

 

“Seth Rollins, Cody.”

 

“Ohhh…”

 

Cody had heard about Rollins from Chacia since they’d dated for a month.  She hadn’t had any complaints about him, but it seemed as though Jon and Colby had a history together he wasn’t familiar with.  Just like Chacia, Cody didn’t watch WWE programming, but he would start now that his cousin was a WWE Superstar.

 

“So, why does that bother you?”

 

“They um, they want to use the footage of me and Jon fighting at your school in their feud, to add more fuel to it.  They want to bring me in as this character named Chasity, who knows Dean Ambrose and who helps Seth Rollins…” Chacia could tell Jon was not happy about this, but he was maintaining his temper because Cody was here and felt her stomach tighten. “I don’t know it’ll be strictly a partnership or what, but since WWE is PG-rated, I doubt they’ll be able to do much between me and Colby…on the intimate front.” That was a silver lining, right?

 

“You would be surprised at what can be snuck under the radar.” Jon muttered, after a long tense moment.  Rollins.  Ugh, that man was the biggest pain in his backside ever and he was tempted to just curbstomp him and be done with it. “Kissing, hugs…” Which was way too much in his humble opinion, but his opinion meant jack in the grand scheme of things.

 

“Chasity…wasn’t that your Indy name?” Cody was trying to sort of change the subject.  He could feel the mild tension in the room, glancing back and forth between the pair. “Rollins is a big name right now, it’s not a bad thing, you being placed with him.” She’d be skyrocketed to the top right out the gate.

 

“I think that’s why they invited you on the road, Cody.  They want to use that footage for the feud, which means…”

 

“They want rights to it.” Cody finished for her, nodding in understanding. “Are you two all right with that?  I won’t turn it over to them, even though it’s all over the Internet and social media…” That didn’t matter to the WWE – they would not use footage that wasn’t strictly theirs for financial and legal reasons.

 

Chacia chewed her bottom lip, looking at Jon and reached for his hand, lacing their fingers together. “I don’t mind it, but it’s really up to Jon.  This is his feud and the last thing I wanna do is screw it up…”

 

“Make sure they pay you a LOT.” If Jon was going to be splashed around, even more, someone might as well make a profit off of it. “Like, a lot – a lot, and make sure you get them to do a temporary thing.  Don’t sell it to them for lifelong exclusive rights.”

 

Then Cody would wind up stiffed or something.  The bright side to this was, if the WWE did have exclusive rights, even temporary, they would issue cease and desist orders on the YouTube accounts with the current videos.  That made him feel marginally better.

 

“So… we’re going to be basically fighting each other?” Not physically, but he imagined she was going to verbally castrate him on live television.

 

“As much as I hate admitting it, since they’re using that fight in the feud, it makes sense for me to be by Colby’s side.” Even though, Jon was considered the heel in this predicament, but what Colby was doing by bringing her into the fold was a very heelish thing to do. “Colby was there tonight.  I had to audition with him, and Stephanie and Triple H really liked what they saw.  It was basically Chasity taunted Rollins and they liked it.  They also said my match was very good.” She was more worried about the match than her character, in all honesty.  Without the skill in the ring, there was no character to build. “Jon…I…” She was about to say she wouldn’t do this if he didn’t want her to, but Cody’s words ran through her mind.  Don’t sacrifice anything more for him.  Again, she was about to do that, but instead, Chacia put herself first for a change. “I have to do this.  This is probably my one and only shot at being a WWE Superstar and I’m not giving this up, no matter who I have to work with or against.  Business is business – we agreed to keep business and personal separate.  And I’ll make sure everyone benefits from this, I won’t let you or Colby or the company down.  And as far the footage goes, that’s all on Cody since it’s his wrestling school.”

 

Cody was damn proud of her, having seen that hesitation and then determination.  There was no doubt she had been about to offer not to do this.  Good girl, he mentally cheered. “Hey, if they want to do some advertising while they’re at it, awesome.” He was already seeing an upsurge in student applications and business was going to be good.  Not to mention, Paul himself had started asking questions about his students. “You know how many people would kill to be shot right to main event status out the gate?”

 

It wasn’t actual main event status since it wasn’t for the WWE Universal championship, which was currently held by Joe, but…the Intercontinental championship was almost as important and that was good enough for her. “This will benefit everyone involved.” It would also be a true test to see if her and Jon’s relationship could survive through this.  Whatever she had to do with Colby on-screen, she just hoped Jon remembered it was business only and she only loved one man. “Triple H said they would draw the paperwork up today sometime and I’m thinking they’ll wanna start this Monday on Raw.  I overheard Stephanie say something about having an emergency writing meeting rescheduled because of the stalker issue.”

 

“Not for me,” Jon chirped, shaking his head as he walked over to examine the bar.  He pulled out a bottle, eyeballing it. “Whiskey it is…” He didn’t trust anything else right now and he figured since they had cut their drinking short earlier, it was time to start up again.  He poured everyone a round, adding ice and carried the three glasses back over. “I’m going to be the heel who got his ass beat by a woman, if they decide to keep punishing me, that’ll go the cowardly route or something.”

 

“So, stop being a dick.” Cody suggested dryly, accepting his glass. “Cheers.”

 

Chapter 53

 

Chacia smirked, taking a swig of her whiskey and draped an arm around Jon’s neck, laying a big wet kiss on his cheek. “Just remember, Good, you’re the one who let me beat the hell out of you.  You didn’t have to do it, but you chose to LET me do it.”

 

She clinked her glass with Cody and then her man, giggling at the playful glare he shot at her.  Despite what happened earlier that night with the stalker, Chacia was still on cloud nine over the fact she would be a WWE Superstar.  She had made her ultimate dream come true and not even a stalker would stop her from signing on the dotted line.

 

“She makes a good point there, kid.” Cody refilled their glasses with a soft chuckle. “I got a meeting with Stephanie in the morning, so I can’t stay up too much longer.”

 

“Old man.”

 

“Don’t make me take you over my knee, Chacey.”

 

She rolled her eyes, nuzzling Jon’s neck affectionately.

 

“I’ll take her over MY knee, how about that?” Jon chuckled, catching her lips in a chaste kiss when she was done with his neck. “Not in front of the old timer.” He growled.


“Jesus Christ, you two make me sick…” Cody rolled his eyes, already deciding this was his last drink.  It should probably be hers as well. “Well, finally, my top two made it and I am so proud of you, Chacia.”

 

“Me too, darlin’.”

 

Staring into his eyes, her heart swelled at his words because he was genuinely proud of her.  Jon was happy that she made it and she knew Cody was over the moon. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Good.” Chacia murmured, giggling when Cody stood up and announced he was going to bed before he threw up over them, wishing them both a goodnight.  Once the door was closed, Chacia finished her second glass of whiskey and moved to straddle Jon’s lap, kissing him a little deeper.  The taste of him mixed with whiskey was intoxicating. “So, what was that about taking me over your knee?”

 

“You say that now, wait until you’re up bright and early to sign paperwork with a blistered ass.” He teased, raising his hand and wiggled his fingers at her.  This hand could lay a man out flat or caress his woman until she was sobbing for release.  Jon bet he could find some sort of middle ground just for her ass. “Course,” He nipped at her pulse point, growling softly. “You may always find you like having your ass paddled… especially if I’m balls deep in that beautiful pussy of yours.”

 

Grinding on his lap a few times teasingly, Chacia traced his lips with the tip of her tongue before kissing him again, pressing her chest against his. “There’s only one way to find out and I’ll sleep when I’m dead.  I’d rather have my delicious man be balls deep inside of me until dawn.” That sounded like a damn fine idea, actually, and the whiskey was loosening her tongue a little more than normal.  She wanted to make it clear to him, at the end of the night, she would always be in his bed and nothing would ever change that, not even this storyline. “Come on Jon, fuck me until I’m raw.”

 

The last time he had fucked her raw, he had left her swollen and bruised.  It had been quite some time since that moment, so… he drained the rest of his whiskey and leaned over to set the glass down on the night stand before standing up, her in his arms. “Your wish is my command, Chacia.” He informed her, dropping her onto the mattress and wasted no time in peeling those clothes from her, his eyes raking over her flushed form.  Jon did, however, take a quick second to set the alarm on the clock and then on both their cells, just in case.  Rubbing his palms together, he climbed onto the bed, kneeling over her. “Raw?” At her nod, he grinned wickedly.

 

Poor Cody probably hated them after the amount of noise they made that night, but neither cared.  It was possibly the most intense sexual encounter with Jon she’d experienced yet and every bruise, every mare of her skin, was worth it.  Chacia slowly opened her eyes when the alarm went off, her pussy still tingling from only a few hours ago when Jon was pounding her relentlessly, making her scream and beg for him.  It was such a delicious ache, she slowly pushed herself up and touched the spot where her neck met shoulder, smiling at the new mark he left on her.  He didn’t use teeth this time, but it was still a nice purple, blue and red – it looked like a blood bruise, actually.  Looking over at him snoring away, she smiled and ruffled his short hair before slipping out of bed, needing a shower desperately.

 

Cody was up, bright and early, and he had learned that he could never, ever share a suite or probably even a house with those two.  They were loud, obnoxious and he had honestly thought that Jon was beating the hell out of Chacia.  He had been gearing up to go in and save her or something and then he had heard her screaming for more, instant whiskey vomit.  Hesitantly, Cody pushed open the adjacent door once he heard movement and rolled his eyes at the sight of Jon standing up, yawning and scratching his balls, slapping a hand over his eyes.

 

“You two suck.”

 

Jon began laughing, looking around for his pants from the night before. “Sometimes.”

 

“Good morning, cousin.” Chacia was beaming from ear to ear, a towel wrapped around her body and had her hair wrapped up in another, accepting a soft kiss from Jon. “Coffee…we need coffee…and food.” She was famished after that strenuous workout with him and laughed when he smacked her backside.  It was sore, but she relished in the pain because it was a pain/pleasure mixture. “Get in the shower, there’s plenty of hot water left and I’ll order us some food.” It was her turn to smack his backside, winking at his playful growl and Cody once again left the room.

 

Jon naked, Chacia in nothing but a towel, mutual slapping of the ass.  Cody wasn’t awake enough for these shenanigans.  He was glad they were together, and happy, but dear god he did not need to see that much flesh on people he had known since kids.  Cody felt old as dirt and mildly grossed out, which was a good thing, he supposed.

 

Jon was enjoying the hot water and he made sure to take the washcloth and scour the hell out of the gouges those nails of hers had left in his chest, hissing through clenched teeth.  So worth it, every last bit and he smirked, knowing she was going to have to wear something that kept that bruise on her neck covered.  Mindful that she would be on TV soon enough, he hadn’t bitten the area, remembering how swollen it had gotten the last time.

 

Just as she finished dressing, her cell rang and it was a quarter to 11, so she wasn’t surprised it was Stephanie calling, asking her, Jon and Cody out to breakfast. “I was just about to order some breakfast for us too, Stephanie.  You have really good timing.”

 

“Yeah well, just my nature.  Meet us in, let’s say, half hour at the address I’ll text you.  It’s casual, no need to get dressed up.”

 

“Okay, we’ll see you then.” Chacia hung up and received the text from Stephanie not even 30 seconds later, smiling before going to inform her cousin what the game plan was. “She wants to kill two birds with one stone, apparently.”

 

Not only were Chacia, Jon and Cody invited, but so was Colby.  Stephanie was going to kill THREE birds with one stone by discussing the angle with all three people that would be involved, as well as finalize things with Cody.

 

“Sounds good, cuz.” Cody kissed the top of her head and packed up his things, knowing he would be catching a flight straight after breakfast was over with to return to his own job and life.

 

Chacia knocked on the bathroom door just as Jon shut the shower off and stepped out, handing him a towel. “We’re going out to eat with Stephanie and Triple H with Cody, so try to hurry up.  We gotta leave in like 5 minutes.” She wasn’t joking and closed the door, hearing him cursing with a giggle.

 

“Breakfast with Stephanie and Paul?” Jon asked when he came out of the bathroom, clean and properly dressed, frowning when Chacia relayed the conversation. “Crap… that just seems awkward.” Stephanie could be terrifying, and he rarely saw her out of work functions.  This was sort of work-related, but it was breakfast.  Weird.  He shrugged at the look Chacia gave him. “Women in power terrify me.”

 

“Bro, that’s really sexist.” Cody chided.

 

“No, no, it’s not… well, maybe.  I fully believe a woman is capable of doing a job a man can and I think Steph has done a better job than her old man,” Because Vince was insane. “But she also makes me feel anxious, like a kid, you know?”

 

“She made it clear you are to attend.  I think she wants to talk about this new angle they’re gonna do with you and Colby with me involved.” Chacia guessed, already having her shoes on and could see the anxiety in his eyes. “Hey, you have nothing to worry about.” She leaned up, softly brushing her lips against his and caressed his bearded covered face. “I’ll be right there to protect you.” Cody snickered and Jon went red before a growl escaped him, sending a shiver down Chacia’s spine. “Come on, let’s go get this over with and at least we’re gonna be eating good.  I really need coffee too.”

 

“You and me both.” Cody yawned, not getting hardly any sleep thanks to these two.

 

Chacia laced her fingers with Jon as they left the hotel together, heading out for breakfast with the bosses.

 

When they arrived, Stephanie and Paul were already seated, along with Colby, all three of them sipping their respective drinks.  Stephanie hadn’t ordered anything food wise, just the urn of coffee.  She smiled, standing up alongside her husband when she spotted the trio.

 

“Well, you look… tired.” She observed, staring at Cody intently.

 

“I’m not used to sleeping in a hotel.” He replied with an easy grin, not about to tell Stephanie McMahon the truth.  She had two Superstars with voracious bedroom appetites and loud issues.

 

Jon’s eyes were fastened on Colby, forcing himself to smile politely before glancing down at Chacia. 

 

Did she know about dipshit being here? 

 

Chacia swallowed hard at the sight of Colby at the table joining them, not having a clue he would be here.  She would’ve told Jon otherwise and hoped he knew that.  She tightened her grip on his hand a little, squeezing to keep him calm and looked up at him, her eyes conveying what she wanted to say.  Reaching out when Paul extended his hand, she shook it and then Stephanie’s before taking their seats.  Why the hell was fate out to punish her?  She was literally sandwiched between Colby and Jon at the breakfast table, never releasing Jon’s hand.  Cody was seated next to Jon while Colby was next to Stephanie and then Paul.  This was going to either be a disaster in the making or the most tense, awkward breakfast meeting she’d ever endured.

 

It was a catch 22.  Dating outside the company generally didn’t work out because not many people could tolerate the long distance, constantly on the go, traveling aspect.  Or some people just tended to cheat because those long nights alone got lonely.  On the other hand, dating within the company meant one had their partner with them, but if something went wrong, it got tense and awkward fast.  Stephanie ignored the three adults, all obviously feeling uncomfortable, and shot her husband a knowing smile.  Thank the stars she didn’t have to worry about any of that, even if Paul hadn’t loved her, he would never leave her because she’d kill what was left of his career.

 

“So, let’s order before we start getting to business, shall we?”

 

Once everyone had their breakfast ordered, along with drinks, it was time to get down to business.  It was no surprise everyone wanted coffee, needing that extra jolt of energy.  Then Stephanie turned her attention to Cody, asking him about the rights to the footage and offered him a decent amount of money for it.  Even Chacia was stunned by the amount, wondering if Cody would accept it or not and sipped her coffee slowly.

 

That kind of money would really help out the wrestling school, not to mention put him in the public eye more. “Do you want the rights permanently or short-term?” He asked, remembering what Jon said the previous night and wasn’t surprised when Stephanie requested them to be permanent for legal reasons. “So down the road, you might wanna use this footage again in montages and shit?”

 

“Precisely.  Is the amount not enough because we can give you more?” Stephanie offered, not having a problem tacking onto the amount they offered him.  It was an offer for a reason and this was a negotiation.

 

Cody shared a look with Jon, seeing the hesitation in the man’s eyes, but if they were adding MORE money to this… “How much more we talking?”

 

Stephanie smiled, writing down a new amount and passed it over to Cody.

 

Cody blinked, covering his mouth with his hand even though it looked like he was stroking his facial hair and cleared his throat. “Wow…” There was no way he could pass this up, not with the bills he had and how much it took to run his school. “I’m sold, where do I sign?”

 

Jon DID say to make sure they paid a lot of money, so Chacia was glad Cody had taken that advice seriously.

 

Hell, Jon had no idea how much Stephanie had offered, but it was probably beyond a fair price.  She wasn’t above haggling for a good deal and he bet Paul had put a bee in her bonnet about the school.  He had come from there, along with Chacia.  Paul was probably expecting more Superstars to be produced, so a high sum as an investment, as well as maintaining good relations, was just smart business.

 

“Now then, the second reason we’re having this breakfast meeting…” Stephanie pulled out a folder and handed it over to Chacia, her blue eyes gleaming happily. “This is your contract and, remember, this is a negotiation, so if you’re not satisfied with the numbers, we can work something else out.”

 

Swallowing hard, Chacia reached for the envelope and could FEEL Jon’s eyes boring into her as she slowly opened it, beginning to read.  Her eyes got wider and wider, especially when she arrived at the starting amount for a WWE Superstar.  It was MUCH more generous than being on the medical team, that was for sure!

 

“My god…” She whispered, covering her mouth with her hand and couldn’t imagine what she’d do with this kind of money. 

 

Definitely giving some to Cody to help with the wrestling school crossed her mind.  A half an hour later, while Stephanie and Paul conversed with Colby and Jon about their feud, giving Chacia time to read through her contract, she finally looked up from it and pulled a pen out of her purse, the clicking sound reverberating around the table.  This was her dream.  This was where she’d always wanted to end up.  This was everything to her, but Chacia couldn’t help hesitating anyway due to her relationship with Jon and the stalker.  Shoving all the doubts away, Chacia scrawled her signature on the dotted line and dated it before closing the folder, handing it back to Stephanie after she finished what she was saying.

 

“Thank you,” Stephanie slid it into her briefcase. “I’ll have a copy made and sent to you today.”

 

She was quite pleased with how today had turned out.  Exclusive, forever rights to that footage, an investment in Cody and his school… Chacia.  This storyline would be great, and she already knew it was going to bring in the viewers, as well as crowds.  Analytics had shown that it was one of the highest watched videos on Youtube in 2018 and it had only been put on around Thanksgiving!

 

Chapter 54

 

“You know, I had an idea to maybe spice this up a little bit more.” Chacia announced after everyone was pretty much done eating, famished herself and saw a curious eyebrow quirk from both Stephanie and Paul. “I noticed in the script last night with Colby you used my Indy wrestling name, Chasity.  Now, I don’t know how much footage they had of me and Jon at HWA, but I could make some calls and find out.  Maybe you can get their permission to use that to tie Chasity and Dean together for the feud?”

 

Stephanie was pleasantly surprised by that suggestion, taking a sip of her coffee and looked over at her husband, who had a curious expression on his face as well. “You and Dean did things together in that company?”

 

“Oh god yeah, back in – what was it?  2005 – 2006?  I think it was 2005, but I had my first wrestling match for them and so did he.  I valeted for him a couple of times too, just to get a feel for doing it since that was all women could do back then.” Chacia explained, seeing Cody’s eyes light up because he’d also been there to oversee everything and had helped out with HWA a time or two.

 

“I could make a few phone calls too.” Cody offered, taking a bite of his eggs and pointed his fork at his cousin. “That is brilliant, Chacey.”

 

“I just don’t want Chasity to come in on a whim without any background between her and Dean.  It wouldn’t feel right, you know?” Wrestling was all about storytelling, not just putting on matches for people with fancy and barbaric moves.  She looked over at Colby, who had stayed relatively quiet throughout this. “What do you think, Colby?  Is that a good idea?” Never once did she look at Jon because she assumed he would approve, due to her character being new in the WWE.

 

“I think it’s a brilliant idea.”

 

Colby had been busy just listening and he felt a tad bit awkward at her asking him and not Jon, wondering if Jon was going to lose his temper or something.  Jon had never been the most stable of people, hence the nickname Lunatic Fringe.  With the new, colder and more dangerous attitude he had adopted after returning from his rehabilitation, he was worse.

 

“I’m sure they’ll be able to add a lot of backstory for you two.”

 

“What about you, Jon?” Now she directed her attention to him, refusing to leave him out in the cold and grabbed his hand under the table to rest on his jean covered thigh. “Do you feel comfortable using some of our HWA footage or not?” They had to be a team, united for the greater good or else this storyline wouldn’t work and would fall apart. “I mean, you get where I’m coming from, right?  They’re gonna use my Indy name and since our fight happened at the wrestling school, the fans are going expect some kind of backstory.” A backstory she didn’t trust WWE to tell correctly, not without actual proof, where the footage would come into play.

 

Jon was grinning because he could practically read Chacia’s mind and it was like she was babystepping Stephanie through what was going to happen, only Stephanie didn’t realize it.

 

“We could use a different name.” Paul offered, already figuring they might if they couldn’t obtain rights to even more footage.

 

“No, use the old stuff,”

 

Jon squeezed Chacia’s hand to let her know he was fine with everything.  If they were telling this story, it would be done right and to THEIR satisfaction.  Not that the company needed to know about their motives, or Colby for that matter.  As long as Jon understood where she was coming from, that was all that mattered to her.

 

“When I get back to the office, I’ll make some phone calls and look through the video collection we have.  We might even have it.” The wrestlers had license over their content with the wrestling organization. 

 

HWA was no longer around, not how it used to be, anyway.

 

“Thanks, Cody, we appreciate that.  And we’ll pass it over to the WWE to use.”

 

“Sounds great.” Stephanie was excited about this new twist they were about to toss in Dean and Seth’s feud, clasping her hands together. “And all three of you are okay with this going forward, correct?  No animosity or hard feelings?” She pointed her fork at each of them, watching them simultaneously shake their heads in response. “Good, we’ll start doing some backstage segments at the house shows this weekend and air one or two of them on Monday to introduce Chasity to the world.”

 

She beamed, looking from Jon to Colby and then back again, winking over at her cousin to acknowledge him.

 

“Just so we are clear, there will be NO bullshit.” RAW was Stephanie’s baby, but Paul had no problem stepping in since he knew he could actually knock sense into heads. “Dean, no more of your crap, got me?”

 

Jon rolled his eyes, now returning to his food. “It’s character development.” He wasn’t feeling like a total icy prick anymore, thanks to the woman beside him, but that hadn’t stopped him from adhering to it at work.  He had the good grace to look sheepish when Stephanie and Paul both gave him ‘oh really?’ looks, swallowing his bite of scrambled eggs. “All right, I’ll behave, bosses.”

 

“Chacia, we have something else to run by you and Cody.” It was Paul’s turn to smirk, the attention on him and held his wife’s hand under the table, squeezing it gently. “For the first segment, we want to use the wrestling school where the fight with Dean took place.  Chasity could be training in the ring and Colby walks in and they meet for the first time.  It’ll be one of the two segments we air on Raw this week and possibly the week after that, we’ll actually have Chasity make her television debut.”

 

That meant Colby would have to come to Cincinnati on his days off to film the segment with Chacia.

 

“We’ll compensate you, of course, Cody.”

 

Chacia, Colby and even Jon all looked floored by the offer.

 

“You would have to wear the same exact outfit, but I’m sure that’ll be no problem.” Stephanie added thoughtfully, ignoring the dropped jaws around the table.  Dean and Seth should have been used to this by now.  If they weren’t, tough luck for them. “So, what do you think?”

 

“I uh, yeah, sure, that’s cool.” Colby said finally, nodding and looked at Chacia and then Cody. “I mean, if it’s okay with you guys.”

 

“Hellfire, I’m already giving away rights to the fight between you and the kid here.  Might as well make a couple extra bucks and lend the E my school for a couple hours, or however long it takes.” Cody didn’t see a problem with it since they’d be doing it over the weekend. “I take it they’ll miss the house shows then?”

 

“Live events.” Stephanie corrected with a grin, nodding. “And Seth and Chacia won’t be at the live events, but we need the IC champion.” She eyeballed Dean, letting him know he was NOT getting out of this.

 

That meant Chacia would be working with Colby alone, one-on-one, and her stomach bubbled nervously.  She didn’t show it, knowing they would probably do a lot better if they were alone – real reactions and whatnot.  Half the battle in wrestling was acting and there would be other people there such as the camera crew and whatnot. 

 

Now THAT was annoying and Jon snorted into his now empty plate, ignoring Paul kicking him beneath the table. “You sure I don’t need to be there?” He asked calmly, though the ice was in his eyes.

 

“Pretty positive, we have you booked all weekend.” Stephanie said sweetly, not missing the ice nor had she missed the way her husband’s leg had moved.  Men and their violence, that was why she ran business.  Women used words. “We’ll put you up for the night there, Seth.” She added, dismissing Dean by looking away and addressing the other man.

 

“No need for that, unless he’s not comfortable at my place.” Cody offered with a smile, glancing down at Colby and would make sure to be present for the upcoming segments since it WAS his building and his school.

 

“Umm…”

 

“Cody, let him get a hotel room, it’s fine.” Chacia still didn’t trust Colby and made a mental note to watch herself since Jon wouldn’t be around for the weekend. “It’ll be fine.  Everything will be fine.” She flashed Colby a smile. “And fun.  I’m looking forward to this.”

 

Colby smiled back. “Me too, Angel.”

 

“Angel?” Stephanie inquired, arching a brow.

 

“Yeah…” Colby cleared his throat. “I started calling her that when she fixed up my knee one night…”

 

“You have to call her that on-screen.”

 

Chacia wasn’t sure how she felt about that and shrugged when Colby looked down at her. “Whatever the boss wants, she gets.” She raised her coffee cup at Stephanie, who did the same and both women sipped their simultaneously.

 

“It’ll just show how deep your bond is since you’ll be partners going forward.”

 

Chacia suddenly wished Jon and Colby could swap places, foreseeing some issues in the future with this.

 

That was what he had called her throughout their relationship too and Jon was seeing some issues with this, wondering how close exactly Stephanie was going to try pushing this. Of course, if Chacia and Colby had chemistry out there and tension, it was going to show on the screen, regardless of what they did.  They just couldn’t hide that kind of thing.  It made him wonder how he and Chacia would be on-screen.

 

“I think we’re done.” Stephanie announced, now just enjoying her coffee. “Any questions?”

 

~!~

 

“Jon, please say something.” Chacia begged, walking into the hotel room an hour later, after dropping Cody off at the airport. 

 

He had a flight to catch back to Cincinnati and she promised to meet up with him on Friday.  Their two days off started tomorrow, which was Wednesday and Thursday, then Jon would have to head back on the road Friday for house shows while she went to Cincinnati for her segments with Colby.  The ride back from the airport was tense and made in silence…Chacia was honestly scared her boyfriend was going to blow his stack at any second.

 

“Look, I know it’s not an ideal scenario, but Cody will be there and won’t let anything happen to me.  You know that.  And I already told you I don’t trust Colby…”

 

“That’s just it, darlin’, neither of us trust that sack of shit, yet, you’re going to be with him.”

 

Without him there to protect her and since when did Jon think like that?  Since all those ‘gifts’ and messages, he supposed.  Chacia could take care of herself, he knew that in the rational part of his mind.  The other part was not all right with any of this, but he also knew it wasn’t her fault.  Jon sighed, pulling her into his arms and kissed the crown of her head.

 

“You make sure you’re never alone with him, not if you can help it, darlin’.”

 

“I won’t.” She slid her hands up his chest to cup his bearded face and softly kissed him, feeling him lift her against his body to deepen it a little. “Mmm, easy baby, I’m still recovering from this morning.” She murmured against his lips, pinching his side when he began chuckling at her.  Chacia dug her nails into his chest a little, knowing where the gouges were and heard him growl out, a smirk curving her mouth. “Turnabout.” Kissing him quickly, she stepped away and went to lay down on the bed, crooking her finger at him. “We’re taking a nap before the house show tonight.”

 

So they weren’t completely sleep-deprived doing their jobs.  Stephanie and Paul still wanted her to work with the medical team for tonight, already informing Larry the changes that were coming.  They had been up pretty late last night.  Jon chuckled as he joined her in the bed, watching as this time she was the one to set the alarms on their cells.

 

“It was so worth it,” He rumbled, pulling her into his arms and buried his face in the crook of her neck.  Jon wasn’t all right with her spending time without him with Colby and it wasn’t a trust issue regarding cheating or jealous.  It was a trust issue in that Colby wasn’t a trustworthy person.

 

“Mmm, yes it was…I love you.” Chacia let out a loud yawn, not bothering with the light since it was raining outside, and the sound of Jon’s heartbeat mixed with the tapping rain on the window lulled her sleep.

 

~!~

 

Since she would be spending the weekend in Cincinnati, Chacia and Jon went back to Vegas together for their days off.  She had surprised him with tickets after the show later that night, making arrangements during her lunch break at the arena.  Jon beamed and lifted her, twirling her in circles to before passionately kissing her.  They hadn’t been back to Vegas together since his return and it was long overdue.  She missed Vegas and since it was freezing in the Midwest, in Cincinnati, warm weather would be inviting.  Jon carefully and slowly made love to her to show her how much he appreciated her surprise, not wanting to cause her further discomfort.

 

Vegas was as beautiful as Chacia remembered, but they didn’t see much of it because Jon was too busy sexing her up in his bed, in his hot tub, in his pool…every room in the house had been christened with their lovemaking.  It was almost as if Jon was a man possessed, trying to get as much sex in as he could before they had to part ways for the weekend.  He let them break long enough to eat and replenish their energy, along with taking naps, but other than that, his face was either buried between her thighs, her face was in his junk sucking him off, they were orally pleasuring each other at the same time, or he was balls deep inside of her.  Some of the bouts were hard and rough and some were slow and loving, the perfect mixture of pain and pleasure.

 

The night before they had to pack to leave and go their separate ways, Chacia had just finished packing his bags when Jon came in, soaked in sweat.  He had gone mountain biking on some of the trails while she stayed behind to recuperate from being ravaged by him.  His words, not hers.  Chacia had giggled at his reasoning for going and told him not to worry about it, she could fend for herself and wound up taking a 3-hour nap.  It felt great, surprisingly, and once she got up, Chacia had ate and then packed both of their bags for the road.

 

Chapter 55

 

Jon wanted to make sure to leave himself all over her. 

 

It was stupid and very male egocentric and he knew it, but there it was.  Not that either of them seemed to be regretting all those trysts, except maybe his balls.  They felt really light and it was weird.

 

Chacia’s cell went off, showing Private Caller.  She didn’t answer it.  A few seconds later, it did it again.  And again.  And again.  When she finally answered, there was nothing except malicious laughter. “POISON!  POISON!!” The person laughed maniacally before hanging up.

 

“What the fuck?” Chacia frowned, looking down at her phone and reacted out of instinct when someone came up behind her, swinging around to punch whoever it was.

 

“WHOA!” Jon BARELY missed her fist whizzing past his head, stumbling back and stared at her wide-eyed. “What the HELL, Chacia?!”

 

Chacia was trembling from head to toe, tears stinging her eyes and socked him in his arm, clutching her chest with her free hand, the phone pressed in her palm. “You stupid asshole, you scared the shit out of me!!” She shouted, out of panic more than anything and blinked as a few tears slipped down her cheeks, not meaning to lash out the way she had. “I-I’m sorry…god…” Tossing her cell phone on the bed, Chacia slid her fingers through her hair and tried to calm down, taking several deep breaths.

 

Obviously, something had triggered her, and Jon walked over to take her hands in his, not taking offense to be called a stupid asshole because she had sounded more scared than pissed off. “What happened, Chacia?” He asked quietly, guiding her down onto the bed and didn’t let go of her hands.  When she winced at the sound of her cell going off, he frowned, glancing down at it.  Private Caller again. “Chace?”

 

Ignoring Jon, she answered the phone and began screaming at the top of her lungs, her vocal cords straining. “STOP CALLING ME, YOU WORTHLESS, SPINELESS, PATHETIC, SACK OF SHIT!!  I SWEAR TO FUCKING GOD, AND ALL THAT’S HOLY, IF I FIND OUT WHO YOU ARE, I’M GONNA BEAT THE HOLY LIVING HELL OUT OF YOU!!  I’M GONNA MAKE YOU EAT MY FIST AND SPIT OUT MY GODDAMN BOOT LACES, YOU FUCKING COWARD!!  STOP CALLING AND FACE ME, GODDAMNIT!!” Hauling off, Chacia threw her phone as hard as she could against the wall and watched in satisfaction as it SMASHED into pieces, scattering all over the place.

 

A second later, Jon’s phone went off, private caller.  He answered it cautiously. “Hello?”

 

“What the HELL is Chacia’s problem?”

 

“Stephanie?!” His blue eyes widened. “What…it says…Private Caller, and… YOU were calling her?”

 

“I’m using Google Hangouts on my laptop, Dean.  My oldest has my cell phone at the moment.” Some virtual reality game the girl had wanted to try out. “It automatically dials out as ‘private’, so… again, what the hell?”

 

Chacia heard that and all the color drained out of her face, her own eyes nearly bugging out of her head.  Sweet Jesus kill me now, she thought, sinking down on the bed and buried her face in her hands, knowing she was fired.  She was SO fired!  Screaming all of that to her BOSS?!  Chacia was mortified and felt like crawling in a hole and dying.  When Stephanie demanded to talk to Chacia, she shakily took the phone and put it to her ear, swallowing hard.  What the HELL was she supposed to say to this irate woman?

 

“I-I’m sorry…” She said in barely above a whisper, her entire body cringing while Jon just shook his head at her.

 

Fortunately for her, that call had NOT been made on the same cell phone her daughter was using and Stephanie had a Bluetooth earpiece in, so her daughter hadn’t heard the things Chacia had screamed.  If she had, Stephanie might have immediately lost her temper.  Not that she had appreciated having all that screamed at her either.  However, she decided to give Chacia the benefit of the doubt and gave the woman a chance to explain herself.

 

“I am aware…” Stephanie began slowly, her tone stern even though she was trying to lighten it. “That you’ve been having issues with this stalker.” Which was the saving grace here. “So, I am going to let all of that slide.  I apologize that the number came up as private.  It’s an automatic feature that I didn’t think to turn off.  Again, you have my apologies.  What did I just miss?”

 

Chacia felt even worse for Stephanie apologizing to her and lowered her eyes, explaining what happened in a quiet voice, prior to Jon’s return. “When the phone rang again, I instantly thought it was the stalker asshole again and I…snapped.” Another hard swallow. “I-I’m going to have my number changed…and hopefully, whoever this is, won’t get my new number and nothing like this will ever happen again.” She also had to get a new phone anyway, so more than likely she would’ve gotten a new number.

 

Chacia was going to wind up paranoid. 

 

Not that she blamed her, but she needed Chacia’s head in the game since they had just signed her on. “Maybe it’d be best if we kept you off the television until this is resolved…” Stephanie would have to talk to Paul and see what he thought.  From her understanding from Larry, Chacia was usually pretty calm and collected. “When you do update your phone number, we’ll keep it out of the WWE system, just in case.” The very idea that one of hers was doing this was both insulting and terrifying, but she had to be a realist.

 

“I assure you, Stephanie, I can do my job when needed.  I won’t let you down.  Please, give me a chance first to prove it to you.  I did not mean to go off on you, I really thought it was the stalker again.” Chacia remained cool, calm and collected throughout that statement, holding her breath while Stephanie was silent for a couple seconds on the other end.

 

“You sure you can do this?”

 

“Without a doubt, yes.  I won’t let this interfere with my job and I won’t answer my phone like that ever again.  Lesson learned.”

 

Stephanie was silent again, tapping her nails against her chin and decided it couldn’t hurt to give this woman a chance to prove what she said. “All right, we’ll continue on as we have, but anything that happens with this stalker asshole, I want to know about it.  Are we clear?”

 

“Yes Stephanie, I understand.”

 

“Good, I’ll be in touch.”

 

Chacia blew out a very large breath when the call ended and shut her eyes, trying to will the tears away.  That could’ve ended her career before it even started in the WWE.  She handed Jon’s phone back to him and walked out of the room, needing some much-needed air.  That had scared her worse than the stalker asshole calling and Jon coming in combined. 

 

That could have been a disaster and Jon wasn't surprised when he got a text message from Stephanie, letting him know she wanted him to keep an eye on Chacia and her mental state.  He felt like he was being a spy or something, keeping tabs on his girlfriend and reporting back, but he also understood why.  Stephanie wanted what was best for business as well as Chacia.  Groaning, he sank down onto the bed figuring he would let Chacia have a moment to clear her head.

 

Chacia stayed out there for a while, sitting on the lounge chair staring up at the stars, contemplating her next move with the stalker.  Whoever it was had pushed her past her breaking point tonight.  Why couldn’t they leave her alone?  Why did they not want her signing with WWE or with Jon?  Why was Jon poison to them?  Or maybe they meant Jon was poison to her.  She didn’t know and it confused the hell out of her.  Chacia shut her eyes and wound up falling asleep under the stars, her face streaked with dry tears.

 

Jon eventually went to go collect Chacia after she hadn’t returned within what he considered to be a reasonable amount of time, frowning at the sight of her curled up onto a lounge chair.  What the hell… shaking his head, he stooped to carefully pull her into his arms, the frown fading as she smiled and nestled her head right into his chest.  Even in her sleep, she knew him and sought him out; that right there told him the woman was insane, falling for a guy like him.  All Jon had done was bring her pain and this stalker was probably his fault too.  No, he wasn’t going to think about that right now.  Jon carried Chacia inside and to the bed, gently laying her down.  There were tracks streaking her face where tears had been shed and he brushed his thumb along her cheek.

 

“I love you.” He whispered, bending down to kiss her temple. 

 

Vowing to find out who was tormenting her, Jon planned on killing the person when they revealed themselves.

 

Her eyes slowly fluttered open, hearing him and a soft smile crossed her face as she looked up at him, stroking his bearded face with the back of her hand. “I love you too, Jon…” Chacia murmured, letting out a loud yawn and blinked a few more times to clear her blurred vision. “I-I fell asleep outside, didn’t I?” She blushed when Jon nodded and sat up a little more, looking over at the bags by the door, all packed ready to go. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to stay outside as long as I did.  Much less fall asleep.  Staring up at the sky at the stars and moon helped clear and calm my mind down.  Sorry about earlier too…nearly clocking you, again.”

 

“Don’t be sorry, darlin’.” He waved her words aside, though it was good that she had apologized. 

It was just one of the many things he admired about her.  It was also one of the things that made him kick himself in the backside a lot.  She wasn’t afraid to admit when she was wrong.  Chacia really was too good for the likes of him.  It seemed like this stalker person wasn’t necessarily wrong, providing he or she meant Jon was poison. 

 

Maybe he was.

 

“I shouldn’t have been so quiet coming up behind you like that.” In retrospect, not his finest moment. “You feel better?” He asked quietly, knowing she said it had calmed her mind, but… he still wasn’t sure.  Chacia had totally lost her temper and he was double-checking to make sure she was all right.

 

“Yeah…” Chacia heaved a sigh and held his hand, playing with his fingers while trying to get her foggy mind to clear a bit more. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared because I am, Jon.  I’m really scared about this stalker asshole and I just wish he, she, whoever would go away and leave me alone.  Because I’m with you for the long haul.” She looked up at him, the conviction and promise of those words swirling through her hazel orbs. “I’m not going anywhere.  If you’re poison, then so be it, I’ll be poison right along with you.  I know I nearly blew my career today with my actions and from now on, I won’t lash out and keep a level head.  I don’t really know what got into me tonight other than the phone call scared me and then when my phone went off not even 30 seconds later again…it was an instinctive reaction.  I just can’t let this asshole get to me and I must stay focused on what’s important in my life.  This stalker can go fuck themselves for all I care, they’re not going to ruin me, or you, or anything we have going for ourselves.  I won’t allow it.”

 

It wasn’t himself Jon was worried about. 

 

He had dealt with crazy fans and insane stalkers in the Indies.  Women had carved his ring name into their flesh.  He had been stalked and jumped by psychos.  He had even come into hotel rooms to find women waiting on him, naked, and hopped up out of their minds usually.  This was an entirely new ballgame for Chacia and, considering she had literally just signed her contract and this asshole, whoever he or she was, had been doing this for a while now, just seemed personal.  Someone had it out for her.  That boggled him.  The woman was pure gold, inside and out, he couldn’t fathom someone hating her so much.  Or maybe they hated her being with him, as egotistical as that sounded.

 

“You panicked and acted on instinct, just like any other normal person would, Chace.” He reassured her. “Stephanie understands that.” Jon also bet Stephanie made sure people knew who was calling if she used that google thing again. “We’ve got this, darlin’, we’re going to beat whoever this is.”

 

“Yeah, we will.  Just like me and you will get through this weekend being apart from each other.” She pressed her finger against his lips with a smile. “I know you’re worried about Colby, but you don’t need to be.  Because if he tries anything, I’m gonna knock his ass out.  He shouldn’t have taught me CrossFit because it will backfire on him if I have to defend myself.  And you can BELIEVE that.” Laughing when Jon tackled her to the bed, Chacia had stolen Joe’s line and used it on him, making him blow raspberries on her neck. “Jon, stop it!!” She squealed out, trying to get away from him and he lifted her shirt to do the same thing, making her laugh harder.

 

Jon still was on the fence about Colby.  He didn’t think the idiot was capable of physically harming a woman, especially Chacia and he pitied any man who tried.  He had been there and nearly gotten knocked out for his efforts.  Jon could only imagine what she would do in a life or death situation.  It was the obvious affection Colby had for her, the longing the man barely hid half the time, that was what bothered him.  Colby, if he was stalking her, seemed the kind to do it with love notes and frozen yogurt.  He snorted, clearing that mental image and kept right on with the raspberries, finally feeling her fingers pinching the tips of his ears.  He nipped at her instead, just below her navel and felt her automatically suck in her stomach with a gasp.

 

That was much better as Chacia closed her eyes, getting lost in Jon’s touch and mouth teasing her skin and lower extremities.

 

Chapter 56

 

Saying goodbye to each other wasn’t easy, but Chacia managed to do it without shedding tears, not even when she boarded the plane.  It was only 2 days, but it already felt like a lifetime being away from him.  Chacia had to get her head in the game because as soon as she landed, she was headed straight to Cody’s to drop her things off, change into her training gear and then would be on her way to the wrestling school.  The plan was for Colby to come in near the END of her training session in the ring, so she had to be all hot and sweaty for it to appear to the fans it was real.  It would be because she planned on training for a good 2-3 hours before she’d allow the camera crew in with Colby to film their first ‘meeting’.

 

That was all well and fine, but Colby was already there.  He knew how it was supposed to work and he was all right with that.  He’d disappear or they just wouldn’t film.  Colby was curious about where Chacia had trained and he was hanging out with Cody, who was giving him a tour of the school and filling him in on how things worked here.  It was interesting, to say the least, learning about Jon and Chacia’s upbringing in the business, though he noted that Cody made sure to stick strictly to wrestling and nothing about their personal lives or home backgrounds.  That was also interesting.

 

The less Colby knew about their background, especially Jon’s, the better, even though a lot of it had been showcased to the world.  Jon had used a lot of his childhood and stuff that happened in his promos throughout the Indies to build his career.  Chacia, on the other hand, stayed more private and didn’t do many promos because, at the time, nobody cared about the women in professional wrestling like they did today.  Stepping through the ropes, Chacia felt at home and closed her eyes to breathe it all in.  The school had a musty smell to it that always made her feel at home, relaxing and pumping her up at the same time.  Nodding, she began running the ropes as part of her warmup, going back to the old school ways of doing things.  What Cody instilled in her was never forgotten and, in no time, she had built up quite a sweat.

 

“Every day after school, she’d come here and sweep the floors, wash shit down… just waiting for a chance to get in that ring.” Cody chuckled, walking out of the locker rooms with Colby.

 

The film crew was across the street, occupying a diner while they waited for when they would be needed.  It was interesting, having Colby here and Cody had made sure to get a couple pictures for the Facebook page.  He had definitely noticed an increase in traffic on the school’s social media platforms.  Chacia hadn’t been allowed in that ring right out the gate, but she had never left the school, even while passing out fliers.  She had been taking mental notes and the day he finally let her through the ropes, she had blown him away.

 

“Just look at her now.” Cody beamed proudly, watching Chacia work in the ring, the way her body moved so effortless and flawlessly. 

 

Every move was calculated and thought ahead of time.  She was currently in the ring with one of the rookies named Sylvando, who was actually gay and a riot to work with.  He wanted to be the first gay champion in WWE and Cody told him to keep striving for his dreams, not minding the man enjoyed dick instead of pussy.  They were living in a different age, a different era where people like Sylvando were accepted.  Currently, Chacia had gotten out of a headlock and was showing Sylvando had to do a proper arm drag, ordering him to really lay it in because it had to look good. 

 

Perfectionist – that about summed up how Chacia was in the ring.

 

“I can’t believe she didn’t pursue this until now.” Colby said in awe, walking alongside Cody as they circled the ring.

 

She was something else.  He had only seen the videos, but he hadn’t been around for her physical try-out, the wrestling part of it.  Colby had worked out with her, so he knew she was in peak physical condition.  Seeing her in the ring, executing moves however, was a lot different than seeing it in a video.  He imagined it was very much how fans felt seeing it on their televisions versus coming to an actual event, a world of difference.  He folded his arms on the apron and watched the pair, dark chocolate eyes fastened mostly on her.

 

Cody whistled, letting them know they were being eyeballed.  Chacia was definitely working up that sweat.

 

Instead of looking over, Chacia continued wrestling, knowing taking her eye off the ball would be a mistake.  She couldn’t get distracted just because of whistling or the fact Colby was ringside watching her.  Out of the corner of her eye, she had noticed him walking with Cody, but nothing more than that.  Sylvando delivered a perfect dropkick, knocking her on her backside and she was up instantly, grinning.

 

“Well done, Sylv.” She commended before flipping him over into a takedown headlock, both continuing to tussle until she leapfrogged him and knocked him down with a shoulder tackle, using pure strength. “Wanna take 5?”

 

“How about 10?” Sylvando groaned, reaching his hand up to grasp her offered one and got to his feet.

 

“You got it.  You’re getting a lot better.” Chacia clapped him on the back and walked over to grab her bottled water, needing to hydrate. 

 

“She could have been a wrestler, or a trainer,” Colby remarked, stuffing his hands into his pockets, chewing on a piece of gum as he watched Chacia go to retrieve her water. 

 

His eyes narrowed in on the drop that didn’t make her mouth, instead gliding down her glistening neck and then to her chest.  She was… something else, something magnificent and he felt, again, that all that was being wasted on someone like Jon.  Not that Colby would say anything; he would just watch and see what happened.

 

“Well, she’s there now and that’s what’s important.” Cody said, though he definitely agreed.  Hell, Chacia could have been at the forefront of the women’s revolution with her ability, as well as her take-no-prisoner’s attitude. “You about ready, cousin?”

 

“Yeah, you can go get the film crew and set them up.”

 

Chacia took another long pull from her bottled water and set it down, beginning to bounce off the ropes again, which was something she did as a cool down.  One couldn’t just stop the strenuous activity without feeling nauseous, she had learned that the hard way.  While Cody went off to retrieve the people across the street at the diner, that left Chacia and Colby alone for a few minutes.

 

“So, you ready to have a partner in crime, Rollins?” She grinned, leaning over the top rope with her forearms resting against it, hazel eyes sparkling. “I think you should start the segment off by walking into the building instead of just standing here, that way it gives the illusion you just got here.  What do you think?”

 

“Oh yeah Angel, that was the game plan.” Colby flashed her a smile, glad she was on the same wave length as him.  He stepped back to stare up at her, shaking his head.  She was definitely going to make waves in the company, he could already see that. “You already got this, you’re gold.”

 

Angel?  Cody shook his head, wondering if that was what she was going to wind up being called or something.  He knew Chastity was in the cards and grinned when Chacia began nodding.

 

“All right, well-” He glanced at Colby. “You let them know it’s time to roll?”

 

Colby waved his cell phone before pocketing it again. “Yep, I’ll be back.” He winked at Chacia before heading out towards the main doors.

 

Nodding, Chacia shared a look with Cody before shutting her eyes and began bouncing off the ropes again.  When she opened her eyes again, she wasn’t Chacia Davis.  An evil gleam came over her hazel orbs, a smirk curved her lips and she had a completely different aura about her. 

 

The doors opened as she stopped running the ropes, still looking sweaty like she’d just ran a marathon and the camera zoomed in on her face as she slowed to a stop in the middle of the ring. “Who’s there?” She demanded, her voice cold and sharp, hands resting on her hips.

 

“Just an admirer,” Seth Rollin’s voice was off-screen, but crystal clear. 

 

The cameras had caught him, with his hair freshly dampened, so it hung down his neck in wet curls, walking into the building after staring at the sign out front.  Had to get that pop in for Cody’s school and all.  He stepped toward the ring, camera zooming to him though he didn’t acknowledge it and clapped his hands three times slowly.  His chocolate brown eyes raked her form, the side of his mouth hitching up into a half-smile.  Seth slid under the bottom rope, standing so they were toe to toe, just studying each other.

 

“Someone with a business proposition, Chasity.”

 

Chasity had on a black sports bra and black spandex shorts that molded to her backside and thighs, her hair pulled up in a ponytail to hang over her shoulder.  She knew exactly who was standing in front of her and arched a slow brow, the coldness in her eyes unpalpable.  Her lips pursed tightly together while studying him, not saying anything for a few seconds and folded her arms in front of her chest, running her tongue along her top lip.

 

“And what kind of business proposition does the so-called Architect, the Kingslayer, Seth Rollins, have for little ol’ me?” She demanded coyly, her curiosity slightly peaked.

 

“I’ve seen some videos circulating,” He was circulating, slowly walking around her though he made sure to leave her space. “And I think you and I have some common ground, some common… goals.”

 

It was the same words he had used during her audition and Seth made sure to lower his voice, knowing it drove a lot of women crazy when he did it.  He didn’t understand women sometimes or why low voices got their panties wet.  He finally came to a halt before her, reaching out to push a stray lock of blonde hair off her damp forehead.

 

“I think…” He rumbled slowly, his fingers lingering just a fraction longer than necessary. “You and I… would be good together.”

 

“And why would we be?  Because poor little Seth Rollins can’t fight his own battles against a certain Lunatic Fringe?” Chasity remarked, brushing his hand aside when he went to finger her chin, making it clear she didn’t want to be touched. “Common ground and common goals?  What are those exactly?”

 

“You know what they are.  Dean Ambrose has been a thorn in my side for long enough and I want my title back.  You can gain your revenge on him for whatever issues you two have together and help me become the Intercontinental champion again, Chasity.” Seth laid it all out for her, seeing the anger boiling in her eyes and a smirk curved his lips. “Unless, of course, you’re not interested…”

 

Seth must’ve seen the video footage of her and Dean’s fight, or rather her kicking Dean’s backside all around this very ring they stood in now. “The ONLY thing I want to do is destroy everything Dean Ambrose has touched.  I want to dismantle him not just physically, because that would be too easy.  No – no, I want to break him apart piece by piece, emotionally, mentally,” She tapped her temple with her fingers, her eyes practically glowing with malicious intentions. “Until he’s nothing more than a pile of dust under my boot.” Now her finger slid down his t-shirt covered chest, her eyes never leaving his. “Do you HONESTLY think you have what it takes to make that a reality?  Because if not, you’re just wasting your time, Kingslayer.”

 

Now for all intents and purposes, Seth Rollins was a face.  He had a feeling he might wind up taking a turn into heel territory with her somewhat sinister character. “I know I can.” He said confidently, catching her finger and took her hand gently. “Between the pair of us, I think we can bring Dean Ambrose to his knees.”

 

“He’s a menace to the entire WWE locker room.  I’ve been watching and I know what he’s done, how he’s acted.  Stabbing both of his Shield brothers in the back the way he did.” Granted, Seth had done it to Dean several years ago, but that was ancient history, practically. “I know how he thinks…I KNOW the real Dean Ambrose behind that Lunatic Fringe façade he placates too.” Chasity’s hand splayed against his chest now over his beating heart, her eyes softening just a fraction. “If I help you with this, Seth, what’s in it for me, hmm?  What do I get out of helping you break Dean Ambrose?  Because I can do it by myself.”

 

“Two is better than one.”

 

“Tell me your proposition then.”

 

“Well first of all, Chasity,” His smile had taken on a seductive quality, the friendliness fading into something else. “I think we need to go somewhere a bit more… comfortable.” His fingers had looped through the straps of her sports bra, his grip tightening just a fraction. “And we’ll discuss the supposed Lunatic Fringe, and our new partnership.” The camera zoomed out to show them nearly pressed together in that ring. “And all the benefits you’re going to get out of this.”

 

PG show, Colby, remember that, Chacia mentally chastised, keeping the smirk on her face for the sake of the cameras.

 

“Lucky for you, I just finished my training for the day.  Let me get showered and changed, then you can take me wherever you want to discuss these beneficial terms and this so-called partnership you have in mind.” Patting his bearded cheek, Chasity slid under the bottom rope with Seth following suit.

 

That ended the segment as the cameraman yelled ‘CUT!’.

 

“Okay, what did you think?  I personally felt it was great, but how did you feel about it?” Chacia had returned instantly, turning to smile up at Colby with excitement in her eyes.

 

Colby was well aware of the PG factor and knew Stephanie would have anything she didn’t deem appropriate for those guidelines, even with the PG rating removed from the segment.  There was still certain things that could be done and he hadn’t kissed her, so… he figured they were good.  Chaste kisses were allowed, no tongue.  Things had drastically changed.

 

“I think it went well.” He agreed, smiling down at her, her excitement was contagious. “So, is that the direction you’re going with your character, borderline heel?” Technically, he was a ‘good’ guy.

 

Chapter 57

 

Shutting her eyes, Chacia realized the mistake she made and groaned, the excitement gone. “Shit, I completely forgot about that.  You are the face in this…” That meant, if she was teaming up with him, or rather Chasity was teaming up with Seth Rollins, she had to be a face as well.  She began tapping her chin and then got back in the ring, beginning to run the ropes again to build up another sweat. “Okay, out Colby, we’re gonna do this again.  I’m gonna have to change Chasity up a bit and make her sound like a face instead of a heel.” She was a heel in HWA, which was why it came so easily to her, but being a face would push her out of her comfort zone.  It would be a learning experience. “Get the camera crew ready, please.”

 

“Angel, you want to practice with me first or something?” Colby asked, mildly surprised Stephanie hadn’t already spoken with Chacia about this. 

 

The woman was really busy running the company, he got that, but she was usually a stickler for details on characters.  Or her husband usually caught it.  He wasn’t aware of the stalker issue or how that was taking up a lot of time recently.

 

“No, no need to do it, I’m just running the ropes to give the illusion I’ve been training for hours.”

 

Technically, Chacia had been, but Colby didn’t need to know that.  She had also been training some young bucks per Cody’s request too, like Sylvando.  Closing her eyes, she began channeling a different character and hoped it didn’t royally suck or else she might blow this opportunity. 

 

When the camera crew started up again, Chasity was running the ropes as Seth walked in again to start the segment.  He clapped his hands three times, just like he did before, and it stopped her dead in her tracks in the ring.  Chasity narrowed her eyes at him, slowing to a stop and leaned on the top rope, curiosity in her cool hazel eyes.

 

“Are you lost or something?” She asked, staring down at the man and watched him slowly walk into the lights, her eyes widening. “Seth Rollins…what are YOU doing in a place like this?”

 

“Looking for you.” He said matter-of-factly, walking up to the ring and grabbed the bottom rope, signaling his intentions of joining her in it.  When she just raised an eyebrow, Seth rolled under the bottom rope and popped up, studying her thoughtfully. “I could ask you the same thing, Chasity.” He looked her over, his lips curving up into a warm smile. “What’s a girl like YOU doing in a place like this?”

 

That was a weird question to ask her considering they didn’t know each other from a hole in the ground.  She began to slowly circle him the same time he did her, both circling each other carefully. “What do you mean?  This is where I train, but I’m pretty sure you knew that already or you wouldn’t be here.  Let me guess, you saw the footage of me kicking your adversary’s ass all over social media, right?  So again, I ask, what are you doing here, Mr. Rollins?” Her tone was cool, calm and collected, not an ounce of attitude in it, just pure curiosity.

 

Of course, she didn’t know what he meant, but Seth had no problem in explaining. “You’ve got more talent in your little finger than Dean Ambrose has in his entire body, Chasity.” That was obvious, the video showed her stomping the floor with him and then mopping it dry. “You don’t belong here.  You should be under spotlights, in front of thousands of appreciative fans.” He didn’t say adoring because Chasity wasn’t the kind who needed to be adored, instead, she needed to be appreciated. “And I, as it so happens, have need of a… partner.”

 

“A partner?” Now her brow was arched, stopping the circling and simply stood there facing him, clasping her hands in front of her. “What kind of partner do you mean?  Dean Ambrose and I have…a lot of history and…it’s not good.” Obviously, judging by the footage of their fight. “There’s a lot of animosity between us and…I’m not sure the WWE would want that on their programming.  I think you have the wrong girl, Seth.” Chasity lowered her eyes, reaching up to rub the back of her neck awkwardly.

 

Seth began laughing, though not at her and reached out to place his hands on her shoulders, squeezing gently. “Chastity,” He moved a hand to her chin, cupping it and forced her to look up at him. “I know I don’t have the wrong girl, you are exactly the RIGHT woman for the job.” She was trying to look away again and he bent down, pressing his head to hers briefly before stepping away. “Why don’t we get out of here and have a chat, hmm?”

 

Staring into his dark chocolate eyes, Chasity wondered if this was a good idea to go somewhere with Seth Rollins, someone who despised Dean Ambrose.  She did too, but they had personal issues whereas his with Dean was mostly, from what she could tell, professional.  Chasity could’ve been wrong in that assumption, the hesitation clear as day in her hazel eyes.  The camera zoomed in on their faces because of how close Seth was to her, her bottom lip sucking between her teeth.

 

“What’s in it for me if I decide to be your partner?  What do I get out of this, Seth?” A hint of resignation laced her tone while staring at him, acting somewhat shyly.  Not full-blown, but there was a shyness about her character, a hidden innocence beneath the tough exterior.

 

“Well for starters, Angel,” The name slipped from his lips like warm honey, rich and soothing. “You’ll get out of training in this ring and the chance to showcase your talents to the fullest, and I’m not talking about YouTube.” Shout out to that video that had gotten her here, to begin with. “And then there’s always the pleasure of my company.” Which, if he were honest, a lot of women would kill for that spot and here he was, offering it to her, smiling at the trace of shyness.

 

He called her that nickname again and this time, it would be in front of millions when this was broadcasted.  Chacia didn’t know how to feel about that, but didn’t show it bothered her, keeping the shy factor going. “I’m not saying yes.” She was playing hard to get, still eyeballing him and walked past him toward the ropes, feeling his eyes on her backside.  Looking back at him, she slipped through the ropes to stand on the apron and cracked a smile. “I’m not saying no, either.  If you really mean what you say and you want to go somewhere else to talk, I guess we can do that.  I make no promises though and I hope you have no expectations.”

 

Seth made his way out to the floor, holding up a hand to her and smiled when she cocked an eyebrow while considering him.  His smile widened when Chastity slid her hand in his and let him help her down.  They both knew she didn’t need his help.  She was more than capable of handling herself, she had proven that in the video.  It would be a great, interesting almost contradiction.  The woman screaming at Ambrose and beating his ass in the video and then this woman, shy and almost sweet and a bit sly.

 

Colby liked this version of Chacia’s character and could see the McMahons letting her run with this ball.

 

Once the cameras stopped rolling with them walking out of the building hand-in-hand together, Chacia shut her eyes to come out of the character and released his hand. “Okay, I think that went REALLY well.” The excitement was back in her eyes as she looked up at Colby, seeing he was also satisfied and clasped her hands together. “Please tell me that was it.  That MUST be it.  Chasity will have her evil side, but for the most part, she’ll be shy and somewhat timid, but a badass when she needs to be.” It was the perfect combination for his face character.

 

“I see Chastity having an evil side, that’s going to be obvious, especially after that video.” Colby laughed, shaking his head at her.  She was like a kid in the candy store, the light in her hazel eyes made him smile. “But maybe more of a physical kind of evil, you know?  Like, outside of the ring, mild, but then in it… or maybe Ambrose is the trigger.  I have no clue, Angel, how you’ll play it, but I do know that segment is going to be gold.” He ran his hands through his hair, shaking his head. “You did great.”

 

“Well, I had help.  It takes two to make a great segment, just like it takes two to make a great match.” Chacia squeezed his shoulder, nodding at the crew walking off to go put that segment together. “Now, I think we should have a few more of those.  Stephanie said something about putting them on YouTube and then they’d be replayed on Raw right before you bring me out to introduce me to the world.  And I like the idea of Dean being Chasity’s trigger that sets her off.” That was brilliant, actually. “I think we’re going to be a great team putting this together, Colby.”

 

“I think we will too.” Colby opened his mouth, but then his stomach growled, and he flushed, clearing his throat. “Well, that’s not embarrassing at all.” He laughed at himself, tossing a thumb over his shoulder at the diner. “I’m going to grab something to eat.  You want to join me?  We can talk shop, Angel.” It was both easy and weird, getting along so well with her after the sort of relationship that had ended rather badly. “Do you know if Stephanie is going to do a build up with the videos, air them over a week or two before having you show up?” If they wanted her on-screen ASAP, he could see them airing the videos over the course of a RAW and then bringing her out at the very last minute and ending the show with her there, leaving the viewers wanting more.

 

“Umm…” Going with him wasn’t a good idea and she knew it, but Chacia was also starving after all the training she’d done that day. “I’m really sweaty and gross, will you wait for me while I shower and change?” It was worth asking because she fully expected Colby to turn her down.  However, he surprised her again by telling her to take her time and he could wait. “All right, I’ll try to be quick.”

 

She walked back inside to grab her bag and told Cody she was going to the diner with Colby for something to eat, asking if he wanted to join them.  Cody declined since he had a meeting with his current class, and he couldn’t postpone it since he’d already pushed it back for the camera crew to come in for that segment.  The money was well worth it though.  Chacia shrugged, kissed his cheek and scurried off to the showers, not realizing Jon was calling her at that moment just as she stepped under the sprays.

 

Jon had called the school when Chacia still hadn’t answered.  He knew she was busy with the segments and everything, but he had texted her a million times already.  He figured she’d at the very least let him know if it was going all right.  Or tell him to fuck off because she was busy.  He listened as the receptionist person, or maybe it was a student, explained that Colby and Chacia had just filmed the segment and had hit the showers, really hoping that was a mistake on the other person’s end because it sounded… terrible to him.

 

“Chacey!  Chacey!  You need to call Jon right now!”

 

“What the hell is going on?!  Is he okay?!” Chacia rushed out of the shower, finishing washing her hair and wrapped a towel around her body, flying out of the bathroom.  Her cousin had stuck his head in and nothing more before stepping back out to wait for her.

 

“He’s on his way here if you don’t call him back within the next 10 minutes.  He’s freaking out saying the receptionist told him you and Rollins were showering together…”

 

“For fuck’s sake…” Chacia groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose and glared at her cousin, who threw his hands up in defense. “You better find out whoever told him that and FIRE them, Cody.” She meant it, her upper lip curling in a snarl.

 

Cody FLEW away from her, not wanting any part of her temper and went to go see what the hell his receptionist was saying to callers.

 

Taking a deep breath, clutching the towel to her body, Chacia made the phone call and waited for Jon to answer.

 

“So, the receptionist there had the most jacked up thing ever to say,” Jon said by way of greeting when he answered the phone. “Obviously, I don’t believe it because that’s not you, but it’s still jacked, darlin’.”

He knew Chacia would never cheat on him.  However, he also knew Colby WAS a slimebag and he didn’t trust the other man as far as he could throw him.  Hell, maybe that was his own issues coming up.  Jon had done that, gone after her in the shower while she was with Colby.  It had been wrong and he knew it, so maybe he was scared of having the same thing done to him.

 

“Calm down, Cody is taking care of it right now.  First off, I didn’t have my phone by me, and it was on silent, so I didn’t see the bazillion calls and text messages from you.” Chacia didn’t mean to sound annoyed, but in a way, she was because it was obvious Jon didn’t trust her. “Secondly, I was doing my job and, since I was sweaty afterward, from training BEFORE doing my job, I needed a shower and I did it ALONE.” Rubbing her temples, she began pulling clothes out of her bag and setting them on the bench. “And third, I’m telling you this because I don’t keep secrets from my boyfriend – I’m going out to lunch with Colby to discuss the other segments we’ll have to film this weekend and I don’t want you freaking out about them, okay?  You have to trust me, Jon.”

 

Any other man would have gotten annoyed with her and her stupid list, it was condescending.  Jon, however, felt the need to clarify. “It’s not you I don’t trust, darlin’, and you know it.”

 

Besides, being jealous or not trusting her was stupid; he knew she was linked to him in a way that probably wasn’t healthy for her.  Though, Jon had never even attempted to pull on those strings.  Maybe for this upcoming storyline…that just sort of popped into his head, causing Jon to blink.

 

“He’s a snake in the grass, and the receptionist sucks.”

 

“I know he is.  Like I told you, keep friends close and enemies closer.  I know what I’m doing.” Chacia assured him, using a softer voice as the annoyance melted away and was replaced with the need for the man on the other line. “I miss you.  That’s crazy, right?  We just saw each other only hours ago and already I miss you.” She laughed at herself and tore a hand through her wet hair, still needing to brush it. “Are you calmer now that you’ve talked to me?”

 

“Not really, I’m bored,” Jon admitted, busy bouncing a small ball from one of those kiddie vending machines at the wall he was staring at. “It’s quiet without you around.” Hell, it wasn’t even like they talked every minute of the day, they enjoyed amicable silences, but it just felt overwhelmingly quiet without her around. “How many more segments you got left?” Probably a million, all with that idiot.  Maybe he shouldn’t have let her beat his ass; he had kind of set himself up for all of this.

 

“Don’t let Stephanie hear you say that, she’ll slap media on you left and right.  And I’m not sure.  We just finished the first one and I think Stephanie wants two or three more.  I don’t know how they’re going to bring me on television or if it’ll even be on Monday.  I think they should show two segments for the next two weeks and then bring me on right before the pay-per-view.”

 

That was Chacia’s vision and what she wanted to happen, but Stephanie might’ve had a completely different way of doing things.  She would do whatever the company wanted, obviously, but at least her and Colby had control over how the segments went.  Some control was better than none.

 

“Just think, you don’t have me around to motherhen you all over the place for 2 days.”

 

Jon chuckled, nodding his agreement, not that Chacia could see it. “That is true, darlin’, and I’m taking full advantage.” Well, he would be now that he had talked to her. “I plan on eating fried foods for every meal.”

 

Maybe even wandering around the hotel naked.  No, he nixed that idea.  It wasn’t as much fun if she wasn’t here to appreciate his fine-looking backside.  And beer, he had lots of beer and probably some television shows or something to catch up on.  What had he done for fun or in his downtime to relax before she had come back into his life?  Was it weird that he had a hard time recalling?

 

“When you’re finished, we should have phone sex or webcam sex.”

 

“Don’t forget to kick ass and take names in that ring, too.  And now that you’re working out regularly,” She hoped anyway. “You can eat all the fatty foods you want.  I won’t stop you or reprimand you unless you start slipping.” Chacia glanced at the clock, knowing Colby was waiting for her still and shut her eyes at his suggestion, chewing her bottom lip. “I’m not sure if I’d be any good at phone and webcam sex, but we can always try it.  Do you even know how to work a webcam?” Jon was not technology literate. “Maybe the phone would be better to use for that…”

 

“I can work a webcam, darlin’,” Jon laughed, knowing he was technology challenged, but every man knew the basics of a computer. 

 

How to cam for horrible reasons, how to use Incognito for porn, and how to delete browsing history and cookies.  He did not mention the lack of intent to work out, planning on being absolutely lazy and sloth-like except when at work.  Knowing Chace, she’d reach through the phone and co-cock him.

 

“We’ll try it, Chace.  Might be fun.”

 

Her cheeks reddened at the thought of having webcam sex with Jon, wondering how that would work.  Geez, she was feeling like a virgin now and shook herself mentally, knowing she’d have to suck it up in order to please her man. “I’ll call you when I’m back at my place…”

 

“You’re not staying with Cody?”

 

“No, why would I?  I have my own place and I want to sleep in my own bed tonight.” Chacia was confused by his question and heard him heave a sigh on the other end. “I’ll be busy with you on webcam, so don’t worry.” As far as she knew, Colby didn’t know where she lived either, which was a huge plus.

 

“Have you told Cody about our suspicions on Rollins?”

 

“No.”

 

“Good, best to leave him in the dark.”

 

Chapter 58

 

They talked a few more minutes before she hung up and dressed, walking out nearly 45 minutes later, where Colby was still waiting. “I’m so sorry I kept you waiting.  I had a phone call that took longer than I thought it would.” Stupid receptionist worrying Jon didn’t help either. “Ready to go get some grub?”

 

Colby was actually tempted to wring her neck for taking so long.  Forty-five minutes, his stomach was eating itself from the inside out!  He had waited, however, the perfect picture of patience, but the rudeness, the disregard, and he bet anything it had to do with Jon because that was the one person, the only thing, that could distract Chacia that way.  Because at her core, she was a decent person with an indecent choice in men.  His stomach rumbled and gurgled, almost obscenely loud and Colby crossed his eyes, running a hand through his hair as he shook his head at himself.

 

“I know I could have probably gone on without you,” She doubtlessly wouldn’t have minded and he knew it. “So, ignore those noises and save me some humiliation.” He laughed at himself.

 

“I’m so sorry, Colby.  There was an incident I had to address, and it took longer than I expected.  Come on, let’s just go to a burger joint or something.  I’ll buy since I made you wait, and I know the perfect place.  They’ll have us fed in less than 10 minutes.”

 

Pulling her keys out, Chacia lead the way to her car with him following, wondering why he was so hungry and if he’d eaten prior to doing the segment.  If he didn’t, he was an idiot, but then again, athletes like him typically ate 6-7 times daily to maintain the body they had.  The burger joint was only down the street and when they arrived, Chacia and Colby were immediately seated at a booth, ordering drinks and wings were brought out for appetizers.

 

“This is my favorite burger place to eat in Cincinnati.” It was also the place her and Jon frequented as teenagers.

 

Colby had eaten, several times, but he also worked out a lot and had been walking around outside.  Then jogging while waiting on her for something to do to keep occupied.  There were only so many times a guy could scroll his Twitter feed before it became boring.

 

“Yeah?” He was looking around, taking in the low-key vibe.  It wasn’t a place Colby would have looked twice at, which he knew was probably a mistake.  It tended to be off the beaten paths that the best food joints usually lay.

 

“So, is everything okay?” He asked finally, folding his hands on the tabletop, giving her his undivided attention. “The incident.”

 

“Yeah, everything’s fine.  The receptionist told Jon you and I were showering together or something like that.” She rolled her eyes, wanting to beat the tar out of that receptionist and sincerely hoped Cody did something about her. “Freaked Jon out.  He called and I had to calm him down.” Chacia sipped her water, not thinking anything of it and didn’t see the annoyed rage boiling in Colby’s dark eyes. “So, let’s brainstorm and figure out what other segments we can do together.  I think Stephanie said she wanted four total, but we only have two days, so we gotta make the most of it.”

 

Jon had pitched a fit over the mere idea.  It was surprising because it told Colby that Jon did not trust Chacia with her ex at all.  That both amused and irritated him.  That man-child had been what had taken up so much of her time. as if she hadn’t already devoted the majority of her life to the idiot!  Now when she wasn’t there to hold his hand, he called like a raging toddler.

 

“Well, let’s not do them all in the gym.” He advised, staring at her thoughtfully. “What about some old stomping grounds of yours and Ambrose’s?  That’d be good TV.”

 

“Old stomping grounds, hmm…” Chacia stirred the straw in her water slowly, remembering Madonna’s Bar is being one of their places too.  Jon had done some promos from that very bar for his feud with Brock Lesnar back in 2016, so that would definitely hit a home run. “Madonna’s Bar.  I know the owner and I can talk to him about possibly renting out a portion of the bar to do a segment there.  That could be where Chasity and Seth have their ‘talk’ to discuss terms and to make their partnership official.  This place, actually, is one of our old hangouts too.  Their burgers here are to DIE for, no joke.”

 

“I believe you, it smells delicious.” It smelled like a definite cheat day and his mouth was practically watering since Colby usually tried to stick to a low-fat, high-protein diet.  This place smelled like heaven and lots of calories. “You know, the owner of this bar, all you have to do is let Stephanie know and she’ll handle it.  A lot of places will rent out space, happily, once they realize WWE is going to get a shot of their sign outside before doing the inside scene.” It was a great way of promoting an establishment and something the company had been doing for years. “It helps bring in more foot traffic, kind of like those videos on YouTube have given Cody’s place a bit of a boost.” Something Cody had seemed very happy with, not that he blamed the man.

 

Usually, she was a healthy eater, but it wasn’t often Chacia came home and today, she was having one of these delicious burgers.  Their veggie burgers were all right, but she felt like having some empty calories after all the training she’d done that day.  She burned more than enough calories off to treat herself to a double cheeseburger with all the toppings.

 

“Okay, I’ll give her a call once we’re done here and we can set it up to do the segment tonight, possibly.” No time like the present to get the segments done, but that meant she wouldn’t be texting Jon for their webcam sex date for a while.

 

“A bar sounds great.” He chuckled, pulling his hands back when the waitress appeared with food, pretty sure he could live on the scent alone. “Hey, today is a cheat day, might as well add some dark beer calories to it.” Because usually, he stuck to those chick beers, the low or zero calories beers and they sucked hard.  However, Colby also knew that beer tended to give men, who weren’t paying attention, a gut and that wasn’t an option. “You still got my number? You can let me know the time and whatnot.” Because obviously, he wasn’t going to spend all day up her ass. They did two segments today, they could do the others tomorrow.

 

Would Jon be able to…Chacia immediately dismissed that idea because Jon had to wrestle later that night.  No way would she tempt fate and have his thighs go out on him by getting him worked up sexually on a webcam.  No, she would simply do her own thing until that night and it would also give her time to go to Madonna’s Bar to set everything up, with Stephanie’s blessing.

 

“Oh my god, this is an orgasm in my mouth!” She groaned at the first taste, the first bite and closed her eyes, relishing every second of it. “Cheat days are the best days, even you have to admit that.” Another bite had her nearly melting in her chair.

 

“That’s what CrossFit is for, Angel,” Colby laughed, occupying himself with his own burger.

 

She hadn’t been wrong, they WERE delicious.  An orgasm in her mouth, he could agree with that, though Colby would prefer to orgasm in her mouth himself, lowering his eyes.  He was inwardly laughing at his own joke, knowing it was a horrible one, but… all things considered between them, he was allowed to have a horrible thought every now and then.

 

“So, what other places are around here that you’ve frequented?”

 

“Well, there’s the skating rink we used to go to with Cody when we were teens.  Jon would come with us all the time.” Sleepovers galore – Jon practically lived with them, but that wasn’t something Colby needed to know.  She didn’t feel comfortable talking about Jon’s past. “It’s still standing too, and they’ve actually kept up with it, remodeled it over the years.  There’s also the rec center we used to go to because it has the best basketball hoops in the city.” It was also a place kids went to keep them off the streets and out of trouble. “Honestly though, the place we spent most of our time is the old wrestling school.  The building is still standing, but it’s vacant and they really should tear it down one of these days.  That’s why Cody had to move the school when he bought it out due to how bad the building was.” That was a heartbreaking day. “Shared a lot of good times there.  The rings and all the equipment are still the same, though.” Cody was sentimental that way.

 

“Vacant huh?  That’d be a good place to do a segment, you know, revisiting the past.” Colby hadn’t missed the way her tone had changed from nostalgic to somewhat bittersweet when she had mentioned the old wrestling school building. “Can you still skate?” He asked after a few minutes, taking a few more bites of his burger to give her time to think about whatever was on her mind before continuing. “We could do a segment there, I used to love rollerblading.” He hadn’t done it in a while, not having the time and his own tone got a little wistful. “We didn’t use the rink though, there was a blacktop parking lot we all went too, just outside a church.”

 

“God, I can’t even remember the last time I went skating.” Chacia sounded wistful again, devouring half of her burger already and began mowing on the fries.  They were homemade steak fries and they were absolutely delicious.  She was rubbing this in Jon’s face the next time they spoke. “The building should be condemned; I don’t even know if we’d be able to get inside, but we could definitely do a segment outside of it.” They’d have to run it by Stephanie and see what she thought about it. “How about we three-way call Stephanie after we’re done here and ask her if these places are okay to do the segments at?”

 

“We can, I doubt she’s going to mind, though.” Colby nodded his head in agreement, finishing off his burger before moving to grab ketchup for his fries. “You are going to have to tell me about other places like this.  I think I’ve been doing this eating out thing wrong all these years.” He laughed, knowing he was more of a chain restaurant and fast food salad menu kind of guy just because it was usually easier and quicker. 

 

Wrestlers didn’t usually have a lot of time when they were constantly on the go.

 

“Yeah definitely, that’s what friends do.  And now, we’re partners.” Chacia grinned, having a spot of mustard on the side of her mouth and Colby reached over to swipe it away with his thumb.  Her tongue instantly snaked out to wipe at it and then her own hand rose up to make sure the mustard was gone. “Thanks…” Taking a swig of her water, she went back to finishing her burger, wiping her mouth with her napkin.

 

“Mmmhmm…”

 

It was just an automatic reaction, one he had done during their month of dating.  They had occasionally done the frozen yogurt thing and, if she missed a spot, he would usually get it.  Half the time, it had been with his lips, but now he knew better.  She’d probably stomp his backside and walk it dry, if he attempted it.

 

“Where’d they put you up?  Stephanie has me staying across the city.”

 

Didn’t he realize she lived in Cincinnati?  Apparently not.  Chacia had to tread carefully with how she answered his question because she didn’t want Colby knowing where she lived.

 

“They didn’t set me up anywhere because I live here.  I have my own place.” She smiled, leaning back against the booth and groaned, rubbing her belly. “My god, I gained like 10 pounds alone with that meal, I just know it.  So worth it though.  I would have their famous chocolate shake, but the burger was more than enough.”

 

Colby knew she was from here and had at one time had a place; they had talked about it when they had been ‘together’.  Ever since she had gotten with Ambrose, she was practically living up the man’s backside and Colby figured she would have sold the apartment or something.  It was interesting that she had kept her own place.

 

“You didn’t.” Colby looked her over, leaning out of the booth to eyeball what was beneath the table. “Nope, still fit, Angel.  What famous chocolate shake?” Chocolate was not just a woman’s addiction.

 

Was Colby checking her out? 

 

Chacia didn’t let it bother her since a lot of men would be checking her out before long, once she debuted on television. “It’s all the Triple Chocolate Deluxe.  Three different kinds of chocolate are mixed together with homemade vanilla ice cream, milk and it’s topped with a dollop of whipped cream and a cherry.  It is to DIE for.  Cody and I used to treat ourselves to it once a month as a way of rewarding ourselves for the hard work we put into training and sticking to our healthy and clean eating habits.  I can never finish one by myself, they are HUGE.”

 

“Your idea of huge and mine are different, Angel.” He reminded her, rolling his eyes in a playful manner when Chacia just shrugged her shoulders with a grin.  She thought a medium was too large, but she had also just packed away a giant burger. “I’m tempted to get one.” Colby admitted, knowing tomorrow he would be in the gym for hours on end getting rid of all of this delicious, bad food. “Why don’t we walk a bit and maybe come back later, we can split one?”

 

Spending all this time with Colby wasn’t a good idea and Chacia knew it, but if she wanted to keep the enemy closer, this was the way to do it.  She just hoped Jon understood once she told him when they eventually talked again. “Sure.  I couldn’t split one right now, no way.” She giggled, standing and placed some bills on the table, tipping the owner a little extra. “My treat, like I said.” Her hand stopped him from reaching for his wallet, shaking her head and instantly took his to grasp it. “Come on, time for that walk and I MIGHT let you buy the shake later.”

 

They walked out of the diner and Chacia slipped her hand out of his to start pointing out the sights and anything else interesting Cincinnati had to offer.  Was Chacia even truly sure Colby was the enemy?  She was basing everything from Jon’s instincts and Jon had hated Colby ever since that mouth mistake with the interview he had given that magazine.  Colby had apologized up and down, took his beatings from Jon in the ring, and hadn’t done a damn thing to either Jon or Chacia.  It was probably a good thing Colby didn’t realize what she thought about him, his attention was firmly fastened on her as she gave him the ‘tour’.  It was a lot different from the polished guides, who did group tours, she was speaking from experience.

 

Nostalgia was a bitch. 

 

While they walked, Chacia had called Stephanie with Colby joining in, all three brainstorming about the possible places to do segments.  She agreed with Madonna’s Bar and where the old wrestling school used to be.  They had to do this cautiously because Colby was a face, and this was typically something a heel did.  If they did it right, great, but if not, they wouldn’t use the footage provided.  The shake was never bought or split because they had to head to Madonna’s Bar, where Chacia spoke with the owner, who agreed, with compensation, to give them the bar for a few hours.  It took a few hours to perfect the second segment, but they finally got it right.  The sun was gone, and it was night by the time they walked out of the bar.  It was going on 9 PM and Chacia could honestly say she was bushed, wanting to go home, soak in a tub and then call her boyfriend for some private time before hitting the sack.

 

Chapter 59

 

“Man, I don’t think I could ever be an actual actor, you know?” Colby yawned when they walked out of the bar, stretching his arms over his head.  He’d had two beers, not enough to even get him buzzed and it was definitely the end of his cheat day. “Doing that shit all day, and the retakes, I’d lose my mind.”

 

He could act well enough, but it was a lot different, doing live segments that required him not screwing it up.  Usually, a lot of it was just natural reactions to a predetermined outcome, that was easy.  Memorizing and redoing things, not so much.

 

“Yeah, I hear you there.  At least we got two out of four done, so tomorrow we’ll have to tackle the last two.  One at the old wrestling school grounds and the other at the skating rink.” All places her and Jon frequented and hung out together when they were teenagers.  Jon was not going to be happy about this, but it would really give Chasity’s character the boost she needed. “I’m calling it a night.  Come on, I’ll give you a lift back to your hotel.” Another loud yawn echoed throughout the night as she covered her mouth with her hand.

 

“You don’t have too, I can get a cab, Angel,” Though, in truth, he would’ve preferred a ride from her than some disgusting taxi that probably hadn’t been cleaned out in years.  Gross.  When she shook her head, he sighed. “Chacia, I’m across town, it’s 20 minutes out of your way, most likely.” If she lived around here anyway and Colby didn’t see why she wouldn’t; she seemed like the type that would stick close to old stomping grounds. “You’re tired, beautiful,” He reached out to run his thumb along her cheek before remembering his place and slipped his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “Go home and sleep, I’ll find my own way.”

 

“No, I’m not leaving you, Colby.  Not here.” It was dangerous at night in Cincinnati.  He had no idea because he didn’t grow up here the way she did. “Get your ass in my car.  Now.” It was an order and she actually shoved Colby when he didn’t move, her eyes narrowing. “Colby, I know this damn area, you don’t.  You may THINK you can defend yourself against these assholes out here, but you can’t.” Worry shined in her hazel eyes as she placed her hand against his chest over his heart. “I am willing to drive out of my way to make sure you get to your hotel safely.  You can’t trust the cab drivers around here either, not with a celebrity like you.  Please don’t fight me on this and listen to me.”

 

Unlike Jon, Colby rather enjoyed her motherhenning; it was something about her that was attractive.  It showed she was a good person and he sighed, nodding.  She was right, she did know the area.  He just felt like a giant ass because she was obviously tired.  Getting into the passenger side of her car, Colby watched as she walked around to slide into her seat.

 

“I wasn’t trying to give you a hard time, Angel.” The apology was obvious in his tone as they both fastened in. “I’m trying not to be a pain in your ass.  I know spending all day with me probably sucks for you.”

 

He was honestly surprised Chacia hadn’t had her cell phone every 5 minutes or so, to be in constant contact with Jon, especially after the incident with the receptionist earlier in the day.  Jon had trust issues, apparently.  Good, it served the bastard right, poaching on another man’s woman the way he had.

 

“You’re not a pain in my ass.  We’re partners and we have a job to do, together.  We can’t do this, pull this storyline off, without each other and I know that.” Chacia heaved a sigh, lowering her eyes from his and grasped the steering wheel, wondering why she had lost trust with Colby when he’d done nothing wrong.  The shower incident still plagued her mind because it was a little TOO coincidental for him to be there the same time that ‘janitor’ tried attacking her. “I don’t mind spending the day with you.  You said you wanted to be friends with me, right?  Well, friends hang out together and we’re going to be spending a lot of time together in the future.” Her hands dropped from the steering wheel as she looked away from him to stare straight ahead out the windshield. “I know I hurt you, Colby, with what I did.  If I could take it all back, I would in a heartbeat because I never wanted to hurt you.  I never meant for any of this to happen.  I really did want to try being with you and giving you that chance because you are a fantastic guy.  My heart wasn’t in the right place when I said yes to you, though.  I was angry and frustrated and vulnerable with Jon hurting me that I…I said yes as a way to convince myself I could move on with someone else besides him.  I didn’t say yes for the right reasons, the reasons YOU deserve.  And I know this can’t be easy for you, working with me after I what I did and spending the day with me.  I really appreciate how professional you’re being about all of this and…I really do want to be friends with you.” She meant it with all her heart, knowing she was taking a huge risk by baring her soul to Colby, especially when she didn’t fully trust him yet.

 

If Chacia would have confided about the shower thing in him, he would have been able to put her mind at ease.  Colby had been in the shower BEFORE she had even come into the room, having some ‘alone time’, and he was kind of grateful he hadn’t had to spill that except once to Stephanie, when asked why he had been in there so long.  That had been humiliating enough.  Creepy non-janitor guy had been after they were both in there and there had been some speculation that maybe the man had been there for Colby.  He was more than glad that had been dismissed.

 

“I knew what I was getting into, Chacia, you were honest about it from the start.”

 

There was nothing more that needed to be said between them.  At least Colby knew how she felt, and she had finally given him a proper apology.  That day she told him was rough and Chacia hadn’t slept well since it happened, not even with all the sex Jon had given her.  Her brain would not shut off and she felt a huge weight lift from her shoulders now that she’d finally gotten the opportunity to talk to Colby alone about this entire situation.  Putting the car in reverse and pulling out of there, Chacia drove Colby back to his hotel, stopping just outside of the back-entrance door.

 

“I’ll see you in the morning.  Sleep well, Colby.”

 

He leaned over, brushing his lips against her cheek and let them linger a little longer than necessary before pulling back. “You too, Angel.” His dark eyes narrowed as she pulled away from the hotel, clenching his teeth along with his fists at his sides, her words piercing through him like little tiny knives.

 

Walking into her apartment a half an hour later, Chacia got the surprise of her life when she flipped the light on and gaped at the sight before her.

 

“It’s not through the webcam, but I figured this would be better.” Jon laughed at the look on her face.

 

He was laying in her bed, naked as the day he was born, with a bouquet of flowers hiding his junk.  She looked like a fish out of water, her jaw hanging on the floor.  Jon propped his head in his palm, elbow resting on the mattress, blue eyes sparkling as he stared at her.

 

“Darlin’, you going to make it?” He asked with a playful grin, knowing he had probably just taken a few years off her lifespan, but the look on her face was priceless.

 

“What the HELL are you doing here?!”

 

Stephanie was going to maim him and then strip him of the Intercontinental championship!  Had Jon completely lost his mind?!  He was being stupid!  Stupid, idiotic, retarded…and sexy as hell.  Chacia picked her jaw up off the floor, figuratively, and took the flowers from his junk, which was already rock hard.  Perfect.  The roses were beautiful, her favorite flower and she inhaled them before setting them on the nightstand.

 

“What am I going to do with you, Good?” Her voice had lowered, the shock gone, and her hazel eyes had smoldered over at the sight of him naked in her bed.  Her hand slid up his muscular chest and back down until her fingers wrapped around his cock, making him groan out. “I should punish you for being such a bad boy.  Then again, I’ve always preferred you being bad because you’re so good at it.” That was a straight-out pun. “Show me how bad you can be, baby.”

 

Stephanie wasn’t going to strip him of anything because Stephanie had let him do a recorded segment to be aired at the house show, after an ‘accident’ in the gym.  He was supposedly out for the night after dropping a weight on his foot.  Such lies.  Jon was a terrible person.  It was for a good cause, however, so… His response to being bad was to grab the collar of her shirt and pull Chacia down onto the mattress, flipping her onto her back and moved, so he was laying on top of her, nestled between her legs.

 

“Beg nicely.”

 

She smiled up at him, caressing his chest with her soft hands and molded them to his shoulders, gripping the back of his neck to slam his mouth down on hers, moaning at the taste of him. “Mmm, I missed you.” She murmured against his lips, kissing him again harder and deeper, enjoying the feeling of his naked body against hers. “Thank you for the flowers,” Chacia spoke against his ear, flicking it with her tongue and arched her neck when his mouth attached to the side of it, slowly igniting her body in flames. “Answer my question, what are you doing here when you should be on the road with the company?”

 

“I am recovering from an injury to my poor, abused foot.” Jon answered seriously, watching as she raised her head up to down and wiggled said appendage at her, showing it to be perfectly fine. “Apparently, I dropped a weight on it earlier.” He raised a finger to his lips, shushing her and grinned wickedly. “It’s not… it feels weird, being without you.” He said thoughtfully, his tone going back to serious. “I’m getting used to you being around, darlin’.”

 

This man FAKED an injury just to get out of doing house shows to be with her? “Get off me.” She saw him blink and took advantage of his shocked state, pushing him to land on his back and stood from the bed, shaking her head.  Instead of stalking out of the room, she kept her back to him and removed her clothes, making sure he was watching. “That’s a naughty thing you did, Jon.  People were counting on seeing their Intercontinental champion…” Her voice trailed off as the final piece of clothing left her body before she turned back around to face him, slowly crawling on the bed until her lips met his. 

 

She swung her leg over his waist, feeling him scoot more to the middle of the bed and began rubbing her pussy up and down the length of his cock.  The fact he couldn’t stand being away from her for a measly two days did something to her, flooded her with a warmth and newfound possession she did not understand or try to comprehend.  Chacia didn’t WANT to understand it and kissed him, pouring all her love, affection, need and want for him into it.  Choosing her over wrestling – never in her wildest dreams did she think Jonathan Good would do something like that and, yet, he did.  The grinding never stopped, the rubbing, and Chacia’s face contorted, tensed, her breathing growing heavier as she worked herself up into a frenzy.  Her mouth teased his throat and Adam’s apple before going back to capture his lips, her erect nipples pressed against his muscular chest.

 

Considering she had barely been able to leave him for a measly 2 days and had felt like her world was ending, it was weird.  They were both fucked up people and Jon knew it, he had to wonder if Chacia did.  He had never missed an event before; his greatest love WAS wrestling.  It was all he had lived for.  Until he had finally realized he loved her, and she had totally turned his world upside down.  This teasing of hers was all well and fine, but when Chacia began tightening and trembling violently, he grabbed hold of her, positioned her and then arched his hips up, sliding home just as she was experiencing her orgasm.

 

“Christ!”

 

“Yes…yes…YES!!”

 

Chacia was well aware she had issues when it came to Jon, but at the same time, they had been apart for 8 years.  That was a long time not to see someone she secretly loved for years, without realizing it.  All she’d ever known was the ‘pull’ and then he’d let her beat the hell out of him, which lead to her career starting as a Superstar in the WWE.  Along with admitting he loved her in return.  Jon bolted upright during her first orgasm, wrapping his arms around her as she cried out his name, rocking her body with his.  There was no time to recover because Jon was relentless in his thrusting, holding her tightly and their foreheads pressed together, her hands squeezing his shoulders to the point of digging her nails into his skin.  Nobody would ever fuck her the way Jonathan Good did.  She would never feel THIS amount of passion, THIS amount of intensity with anyone else, THIS amount of love and devotion.  Maybe Jon was addicted to her, too.  Maybe they were addicted to each other and Chacia didn’t see anything wrong with that…as long as they didn’t jeopardize their careers for the other.

 

“Oh god baby, harder…please, Jon, I need it again…” Now she wasn’t above begging and it was done nicely, just as he wanted.

 

“Mmm, good girl,” He rumbled, letting a hand slip between their bodies, his finger finding her clit.  Jon began massaging her there, adding to the sensations she was already feeling, knowing she had to be at that beautiful place where pain and pleasure mixed.  He had been relentless, fucking Chacia into one orgasm and then another, refusing to let her come down from those highs.  She was fucked hard enough where Jon was mildly concerned that he was going to plow right through her cervix.  He was definitely banging at it, just from the way her face seemed to want to grimace, but the pain was so good, she couldn’t help moaning and want more.

 

They never switched positions.  There was no need when she kept cumming in waves for him, surrendering over and over again to the only man she would ever want and need in her life.  If Chacia could have Jon buried balls deep inside of her for the rest of her natural born life, she would’ve done it, no questions asked.

 

“Oh god…oh god…OH GOD, JON!” She shrieked out, burying her face in his neck and held on for dear life, her body spasming and shuddering against him, trying not to pass out from lack of breath. 

 

From how intense this bout between them was.

 

Pulling back, Chacia caressed his bearded face before passionately kissing him, tasting each other once again. “C-Cum for me, J-Jon, baby please…” She couldn’t take anymore, her pussy felt as if it was on fire, even though she hadn’t dried up once and the exhaustion from the training and day’s events was catching up to her. “I-I can’t take much more…” She just didn’t have the stamina tonight like normal and nipped his bottom lip, refusing to stop until he exploded inside of her.

 

Jon heard the exhaustion in her tone and nodded, resting his forehead against hers.  It wasn’t like they hadn’t made this session count because they most certainly had, and it was definitely worth missing work over.  Any time with Chacia was if he was honest, now he sounded like some chick romance novel or something. 

 

“Almost there, darlin’…” He whispered against her lips, letting go of the control he had been exerting.

 

His entire body began to tense and tighten as he felt the orgasm he had been denying finally cresting.  It was a pained cry that escaped her lips, a delicious intense pleasurable pain that rocked her body down to its foundation as soon as he exploded, filling her to capacity.  Chacia wasn’t sure if she climaxed again or not, just sagged against him as her entire body went lethargic, her eyes shutting.

 

“I love you…” She whispered while he continued rocking in and out of her body until he no longer could.

 

Jon fell back with her sprawled on top of him, her bodyweight dead because Chacia was dead to the world, already fast asleep.  It took every ounce of exertion inside of her not to pass out during sex, so when Jon finally reached his end, her body had literally shut down on her.  Jon took quite a while to recover from that intense bout, but he did raise his head up, realizing Chacia was fast asleep and let his head drop back down, beginning to laugh raggedly.  He had fucked her until she had shut down; that had to be some sort of record.  Groaning, he wrapped his arms around her, shifting until she was lying on the bed, nestled in the crook of his arm and brushed her damp hair off her face.

 

“I love you too, darlin’.” He whispered, kissing the tip of her nose.

 

Chapter 60

 

Even in her deep sleep, Chacia knew Jon was with her and nuzzled his chest, not waking until her alarm went off at 7 AM the next morning.  Her eyes slowly opened, a groan escaping her as she reached over the warm body she was against and shut her alarm off with a swipe of her finger.  Another day full of Colby she had to do for the job and Chacia wasn’t looking forward to it because that meant she had to leave Jon here by himself.  Then again, he was from Cincinnati and she was sure he’d find his way around while she and Colby did the segments needed.  Not wanting to wake him up, she slowly slid out of the bed and went straight to the bathroom to grab a much-needed shower.  Jon was up the minute he heard the water going, heading to slip under the water with her.

 

“Morning, darlin’.” He rumbled, yawning before dropping a kiss on the top of her head.  He wasn’t about to knock her over with potentially bad morning breath. “I gotta head out soon.” Jon informed her once he had woken up a bit more, smiling apologetically. “I have to make up for my absence last night with a surprise guest appearance at some signing thing today.” He was also going to be in a lot of trouble if Stephanie ever found out about his foot and made a mental note not to let her see his bare feet for a while.

 

She started laughing, still not believing he flew all the way here to get laid in person instead of doing it over webcam. “Just admit it, you flew all the way here because you couldn’t figure your webcam out and didn’t want to look stupid.” Chacia squealed when he pinched her side, ordering her to shut it and turned around to hook an arm around his neck to softly kiss him. “Whatever your reason for coming here, I’m glad that you did.  It’s a little crazy though considering we were only going to be apart for 2 days…” Were they really crazy wanting to be together this badly?  Was there something wrong with them? “Then again, you’ve always been a little eccentric and off the rails.”

 

Jon DID know how to work his webcam, he knew because he had learned how to do it on accident months ago. “Mmm, I came out here because I wanted to see you.  Two days is a bit too long, apparently.” He nipped his way down her neck, his hands sliding down her wet back to grip her ass and pulled her into him. “You’re ruining me, Chacia.” And he was letting her, with a smile. 

 

Hell, he had already ruined her; she was just more honest about it than he was.

 

“But it’s only been a day since we’ve seen each other, until last night.” She pointed out, pressing soft kisses against his chest and rubbed her nose against his, hissing out when his fingers slid between their bodies. “Jon…I love you, baby, but you really took me to the limit last night…if we’re doing this, you have to be gentle.  Slow and gentle.” Chacia was sore, to put it mildly, and really didn’t want to be walking bowlegged during the segments with Colby today. 

 

It would have to be quick too.

 

Now Jon was confused as he stared down at her, tipping his head to the side and ignored the water beginning to trail its way down his face.  She had told him harder and more.  Well actually, she had said she needed it again, so he was rough, mentally paraphrasing, but it was the same gist.  When Chacia had told him she couldn’t handle anymore, he had ended it with a bang and her blacking out.  Jon was taken back to their first time together; he had been rough with her then too, leaving her covered in marks and bruises.  Groaning, he withdrew his hand from between her legs.

 

“Sorry, Chacia.”

 

“No, no don’t be sorry.  Jon…no…” Chacia cupped his face tenderly in her hands, shaking her head and softly kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly. “You didn’t hurt me.  It wasn’t just you last night, okay?” She pulled back, seeing the confusion erupt in his eyes again and decided she had to clarify, not wanting him to think he had pushed her past her breaking point. “I trained for like 4 hours yesterday, did two segments with Colby, that took multiple takes and then was fucked as I’ve never been fucked before by my man.  That’s a lot to do in one day, baby.  I was already exhausted when I got home last night and you basically squeezed what was left of my energy out of me.  No complaints here because I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I’m just a tad sore today, that’s all.  It’s not all because of you either, so get that out of your head, Good.”

 

“And you have to do all that shit again today.” He realized, groaning and smacked his forehead with the heel of his hand. 

 

Of course, she did, he hadn’t even been thinking about what she had going on for work. To be honest, they had been prepping for this for so long and now that it was here, he had sort of forgotten that prepping and WORKING were two different things.  Chacia was doing the same things he did now; she would be more tired, have different things going and he had not taken any of that into consideration.

 

“I’m such a shit.”

 

“No, you’re not.  Do you have any idea how sweet and romantic it is to come home and see your man waiting for you, with flowers, and rose petals all over?” That would be a hell of a mess to clean up, but Chacia wasn’t worried about it.  Her entire house smelled like roses because of Jon and it was incredible. “What you did for me last night was incredible.  YOU are an incredible man and I’m so lucky to have you.  I’m the luckiest woman on the planet.” Chacia spoke from the heart and softly kissed him again, hoping she didn’t sound too corny. “You’re anything but a shit.  No man does what you did for me last night.  And if there is, they are few and far between.  You’re one in a million, baby, just as you said in the Indies.  Maybe even a billion.”

 

“More like a billion.” Jon caught her hand when she went to playfully slap his chest, bending down to catch her lips in a gentle kiss. “I love you, Chacia.” He confessed it again, knowing he had 8 years to make up to her. 

 

He’d been a selfish prick and he knew it. “All right babe, finish your shower.” Reaching for her shampoo, Jon handed it to her.  Eventually, he was planning on asking her to move in with him.  Would she want too?  Why was he doubting it when the woman had admitted he was basically her addiction?  He wasn’t used to feeling doubt.

 

“Shower with me.  You need it as much as I do.  I promise to behave.”

 

Chacia winked at him, giggling at his eye roll and began lathering her hair up in the shampoo, scrubbing her body clean.  She purred when he took over, enjoying his strong fingers massaging her scalp and wondered what was going through his mind.  There was a certain look that came over his eyes for a few seconds before it vanished, and it fueled Chacia’s curiosity.  After a normal shower with light conversation, they stepped out with Jon wrapping a towel around her body to pull her back flush against his chest.

 

“What time does your flight leave?”

 

“Two hours.” He grunted, dropping a kiss onto her shoulder. “Checking in and the line is going to take forever.” Which meant he wasn’t going to be lingering long, especially after his stomach announced itself. “Want to grab some breakfast, darlin’?  Before we go our separate ways?” His tone was playful, knowing they would be seeing each other later tonight or tomorrow, as soon as she was done filming those segments with dick face.

 

“It’ll have to be something really quick, like fast food quick.” Chacia made a face and groaned, knowing she had already had a cheat day yesterday and felt guilty she’d have to do it again. “Are you okay with that?”

 

When he nodded and smacked her backside, ordering her to hurry up and get ready, she smiled and rushed out of the bathroom, after brushing her teeth and hair.  A pair of blue jean shorts and a burnt orange tank top with brown sandals is what she had on.  Today there would be no training because of the two segments she had to film with Colby.  Opening the door to her apartment to walk out with her hand in Jon’s, they both froze at the sight of Colby standing on the other side with his hand extended up, getting ready to knock.

 

“Hi…” What was he doing here? “What are you doing here, Colby?”

 

“I tried calling to see if you wanted to get breakfast.” He said dumbly, his hand still up, eyes darting between the pair.  Wasn’t Jon supposed to be somewhere else?  Like, didn’t he have a show or something the night before?

 

“How’d you know where she lives?” Jon asked, grabbing Colby’s hand and slowly, mockingly, lowered it.

 

“She’s listed.” In fact, so was Jon, even though the man no longer lived in Ohio.  The yellowbook had been old and waterstained; he was surprised people still used the damn things.

 

“Oh.  Well, um, Jon came in last night to surprise me and he has to catch another flight in less than 2 hours.  We were just on our way out to grab something quick from McDonald’s or something.” That was all she had time for, as well as Jon, honestly. “You can join us if you want.  I know I cheated yesterday with my eating, but I’m running a little behind this morning.” For obvious reasons.  She felt Jon snake an arm around her waist and leaned back against him, refusing to push him away just because Colby was here. “Shall we three go then before we burn any more time gaping at each other like fish out of water?”

 

“Sounds good, Chace.” Colby flashed her a smile; pretty sure Jon was going to burn holes through his face with how intensely the man was staring at him.  This wasn’t awkward at all. “Remind me not to do this kind of weekend again, it’s killing me.” McDonald’s?  If he wasn’t a wrestler, he’d probably be living on McGriddles.

 

Jon mentally had commentary going.  This weekend COULD kill him, it was still in the cards.

 

“Yeah, same here.  I’m gonna be working out for a straight month after this, but you gotta admit, those cheeseburgers were delicious yesterday.” Chacia nudged him with a grin, not seeing the trouble brewing in those dark chocolate eyes and leaned against Jon’s side while they walked out toward her vehicle. “Hop in.”

 

She rolled her eyes at Jon bellowing ‘SHOTGUN’, shaking her head.  Sometimes, he was such a kid at heart, and she loved that about him.  A few minutes later, they were on the road with Jon’s bags in the back since she would drop him off at the airport after getting breakfast. 

 

No, Jon was not a giant kid at heart.  He was a giant bag of dicks.  Colby had to listen as that idiot rambled on about Vegas and something going on out that way in the next month.  He had never been so happy to actually see those golden arches in his life.

 

Jon, arm still wrapped around Chacia’s shoulders, led the way inside. “So, you took him to the diner, huh?  He eat the veggie burger?” Because Seth was such a boring, strict routine-oriented asshat.

 

“Nope, he actually ate the double cheeseburger with all the toppings.” She laughed at Jon’s shocked face and smacked his chest lightly, warning him silently to behave. 

 

Once they had their food, all three sat down at a booth -Chacia wasn’t a fan of tables and chairs, preferring booths- and began mowing down their food.  She was starving since she’d had quite the eventful, strenuous evening.  It was a good thing they were right by the airport too, so Jon would be able to make his flight on time, even with security.

 

“So, is the camera crew all set for us, Colby?” She inquired after eating a delicious, fattening hash browns.

 

“Waiting on me to call.”

 

Seth and Jon both had the same issue.  Booths like this, at places like this, sucked for tall men.  His eyes narrowed across the table as Jon played footsie with him.  The irritating bastard.  He was tempted to kick Jon in the kneecap, but he was afraid of accidentally getting Chacia.  There wasn’t exactly a lot of leg room for them beneath this table.

 

“Will you grow up?” He muttered under his breath, balling up his first McGriddle wrapper and tossing it at Jon’s face, watching it bounce off the other man’s forehead.

 

Jon’s response was to run the toe of his shoe up Colby’s calf.

 

“Okay, okay enough, BOTH of you.”

 

Chacia narrowed her eyes up at Jon and then turned those same orbs on Colby, warning them NOT to make a scene.  If they embarrassed her, she would walk out and leave them both high and dry in Cincinnati.  Jon, not so much, but Colby didn’t know his way around at all, so it would suck for him.

 

“We’ll head there right after dropping Jon off at the airport and get started.”

 

She sipped her coffee, really needing a caffeine boost after yesterday.  Jon was inwardly dying because his train of thought was similar to Chacia’s.  She wouldn’t really be punishing him; he knew this city like the back of his hand, even if he had left it years ago. Colby would be the one stranded and lost, so… he did the toe running thing again.  Colby had every intention of breaking Jon’s jaw the moment Chacia wasn’t around to witness it, brown eyes narrowed as he tried to focus on eating.

 

“Darlin’,” Jon gave Chacia his attention. “I’ve been thinking… I want you to move in with me.”

 

Orange juice, right down the wrong tube and halfway snorted up Colby’s nose.  Jon said that at the WRONG time because her coffee went spewing all over Seth, flying out of her mouth in a spray.  She had just taken a large pull from her cup and then Jon had to drop THAT bombshell on her!

 

“O-Oh god…” She coughed, seeing Jon was biting his knuckle while Colby was having a FIT.  Not that she blamed the man. “I am so, so sorry, Colby…”

 

“SON OF A BITCH!!”

 

What the HELL was Jon THINKING asking her something like THAT in front of Colby?!  She began mopping her face up with the napkins while Colby stormed off to the bathroom, cursing violently.  Did Jon do that on purpose just to get a rise out of Colby or…was he serious?  That was one way to get rid of the lurker, who wished he had Jon’s spot.  Shifting in his seat, Jon stared down at her intently, watching as she finished with her face before reaching out to cup her face in his hands.

 

“Chace, I’m serious.  I’ve been thinking about it and I want you to move in with me.” He said gently.  It had been a thought that had nearly stopped him dead in his tracks that morning in the shower. “Please.”

 

Chapter 61

 

He was serious. 

 

Jon was serious. 

 

Sitting here asking her to move in with him, in a McDonald’s restaurant, of all places, right before they were about to be separated again.  The roses…the surprise visit…it was all making sense to her now.  Jon had a motive coming here and she felt tears burn in her eyes, covering his hands with hers to lace their fingers together.  Vegas.  He wanted her to move out of Cincinnati and live with him in the City of Lights, to leave her apartment and family behind.  Truthfully, Chacia had thought what it would be like to live in Jon’s beautiful home in Vegas while staying there during his rehabilitation.  She loved everything about his house and, somehow, someway, no matter how fast this seemed, Chacia couldn’t deny how RIGHT it felt.

 

“Okay, Jon.” She softly kissed him lingeringly, pulling back to break it before she became too consumed in the moment. “I’d love to move in with you and live in Vegas.  I’m all in, baby.”

 

Jon pulled her as close to him as he could, considering they were in a booth, burying his face in her hair.  The way her emotions had played out on her face had been something else entirely to see and, honestly, he couldn’t wait to see her face if he ever proposed to her.  Whoa, now he really was rushing things, considering they hadn’t been together all that long, but did that matter? 

 

In the grand scheme of things, did the time matter?

 

It may have seemed like rushing to most people, but to those who were closest to Jon and Chacia, who really knew who they were inside and out, this was a long time coming.  Jon was IT for her.  The only man she wanted, the only man she saw herself sharing a life with, the only man she wanted to grow old with and have babies and anything else.  She felt tears slide down her cheeks while hugging him tightly, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

 

“On our next days off,” She spoke after a few minutes of silence and both allowing the moment to wash over them completely. “We’ll come here and pack up my apartment.  I’ll put my 30-day notice in before I leave here to come back on the road.” She had a flight booked first thing in the morning at 6 AM and hadn’t packed yet due to all the craziness of the segments with Colby, and then Jon showing up to surprise her.

 

“Sounds good, darlin’.”

 

He would just rent a truck or something for the big belongings she wanted to keep and have it all sent to Vegas.  He didn’t mind that they had two different styles.  Jon already knew his house would become a home once Chacia was done with it, done setting up shop and he smiled, kind of liking that idea.  He had never felt at ‘home’ with his Mom; it had been poor and grungy.  Too many clients and other nasty people there to make the place feel even remotely welcoming.  Hotels, even his house, they were places to crash.  His house was a place to crash and spend downtime, but he hadn’t invested overly much in it.  Jon knew that was all going to change.

 

Colby eyeballed them as he sat back down.  They both looked insanely happy and it was sickening.

 

Honestly, there was nothing wrong with Jon’s house décor wise.  She actually liked it, but a couple of pictures hung up and candles would make a world of difference.  There were little things she would tweak to make it feel more ‘homey’, but other than that, she wouldn’t mess with the actual décor.

 

“We’ll only have to take one trip to get everything and I’ll just give Cody the rest to either put at the wrestling school or in his house.” If things didn’t work out between her and Jon, Chacia could always move in with Cody until she got back on her feet.  She didn’t see that happening, however. “We should go soon, I don’t want you to miss your flight.” She caressed his beard covered face tenderly, lovingly, snuggling against him and didn’t see the pure disdain in Colby’s eyes. 

 

Chacia was on cloud ten with the biggest smile on her face, hazel eyes sparkling.

 

It was amazing, Colby reflected, watching them.  She hadn’t been lying at all about her addiction, her obsession.  She was totally dependent on this man for her happiness.  Colby had to wonder if she would have been able to have a properly satisfying career in the WWE, if she and Jon weren’t together.  He highly doubted it.  They were lost in their own little world and it was obvious Chacia would cater to this man.  Hell, from his understanding, they hadn’t even been together all that long and already moving in together.  Colby fully expected them to wind up engaged within days and announce a pregnancy in a month.  He kept his face carefully neutral as he gathered up his trash.

 

Twenty minutes later, Colby had to stand and witness as Jon and Chacia kissed each other goodbye before he walked off to board his flight.  They would see each other tomorrow, even though it felt like a lifetime away.  Joining Colby’s side, Chacia asked if he was ready to go and all he did was nod, his demeanor stiff.  She didn’t care.  He could be stiff all he wanted and think her love with Jon was disgusting.  As long as he kept his thoughts and feelings to himself and remained professional, everything would be fine. 

 

A half hour later, they pulled up to the old wrestling school and proceeded to go through different scenarios.  Colby wasn’t as into the segments as he had been the previous day, something Chacia noticed, but she bit her tongue and tried doing her job to the best of her ability.  Just after they finished the third segment, Chacia received a phone call from Stephanie and Colby was ordered to pack up, having an emergency flight to catch.  One of the main stars, not Jon, had injured himself and Colby was the replacement, so they had to get them there immediately.

 

It was, in his defense, a bit hard to get back into the ‘liking her role and somewhat seductive partner’ thing when he had spent his morning being badgered by Ambrose.  Then witnessing their mutual, disgusting display of affection and whatever the hell it was that they had for each other.  Colby wasn’t entirely sure love worked like that; he felt like he was watching a high-speed car chase in action and was kind of hoping he was there to see the fiery wreck it would become.  Hauling ass to the airport and then getting crammed into the coach seats, that had been the only things available on such short notice, Colby let out a slow sigh, leaning back.

 

“Well, that’s not how I expected this day to end.”

 

~!~

 

“Wait, wait, wait…rewind a second…say that again.”

 

Chacia sighed, sitting down to dinner with her cousin later that night at his house and set her fork down on the plate, her eyes on his face to study his reaction to her news. “Jon surprised me last night by coming to see me in person and then asked me to move in with him.  And I said yes.”

 

Cody had to take several deep breaths, not wanting to blow his stack at her because he thought this was VERY sudden. “You two JUST got together, though, in a relationship, Chacey…” He really didn’t want her to get hurt by Good, not after all the pain the kid already caused her. “You know I support you, but…are you absolutely sure this is the right time to do it?  What if it doesn’t work out and he hurts you again?”

 

“I love him, Cody.  I love him and when the man you love, who loves you back, who has helped you make your dreams come true, asks you to move in with him, to share a home with him, to share his life with him, you say yes.” Chacia expected this confrontation with her cousin and knew it was incredibly fast to move in with Jon, but for 8 ½ months, she did live with him. “You don’t second-guess it and you don’t start thinking about the what-ifs.  What if the plane I’m on tomorrow crashed and I die?  What if I choke on dinner tonight and die?  What if the entire planet blows up tomorrow and we’re all dead?  See where I’m going with this?  And besides, I’ve already lived with him for 8 ½ months straight, so I’ve already gone through the trial of ‘what-if’ this works.  He moved me in since I had to take care of him and his arm.”

 

That was a valid point he couldn’t dispute. “Will you at least sleep on this and think about it?”

 

“No, I’ve made up my mind and on our next days off, together, we’re coming here to pack my apartment up and I’m giving my 30-day notice to the landlord.”

 

Her mind was set on doing this, so all Cody could do was wish her well and hope this didn’t crash and burn between Chacia and Jon.  He would kill the kid if her heart wound up broken again. “Let me know when you’re moving, and I’ll help you any way I can.”

 

“I will.” Chacia beamed, taking a bite of her food. “Thanks, cuz.”

 

“If he hurts you, I’m killing him.”

 

“Deal.”

 

Cody had a million counterpoints to her argument, but once Chacia had made up her mind about something, it was damn near impossible to change it.  It was why when she had announced she would stop pursuing wrestling and go into medicine, she had done just that.  He’d had a meltdown, but she had stuck to her guns.  At least no one would ever be able to accuse her of being flighty, that was the one thing she wasn’t.  Rash?  Prone to making hasty decisions when it came to Jon Good?  Yes, indeed.  He was going to give a lecture for sure, knowing damn well that man didn’t think things through at all and he wanted Jon to be fully aware of the hell coming down on him if he messed Chacia around again.

 

After they finished their meal and watched a movie together, Chacia finally left to go home to finish packing for her 6 AM flight.  Cody didn’t go right to bed, glancing at the clock and honestly didn’t care what time it was.  He had kept in contact with Jon for years, throughout his entire wrestling career, never fully cutting contact, even if they went a few months without speaking.  This situation with Chacia moving in with him…it bothered Cody a lot because, once again, she was sacrificing her livelihood for him.  Cody needed to get a few things straight with the kid and dialed his number, having a couple beers in him already.

 

“Hey kid, didn’t wake you, did I?” He asked once Jon answered, cracking open a fresh beer.

 

“No, I was awake.” Jon sounded bright-eyed and bushytailed, which he was. 

 

He had been pacing around, contemplating this move.  Excitement rushed through him, he wasn’t going to lie, but he was also worried that Chacia was going to suddenly come to her senses and tell him to go screw himself.  Jon doubted it, but there was still that small silver of ‘what if’; he hadn’t exactly been the world’s most reliable all these years and now he was rushing it, rushing her.  Or at least, he worried he was.

 

“What’s up old man?” Which wasn’t necessarily the truth; Cody wasn’t OLD, but he was older.

 

“Chacey had dinner with me tonight…look, I’m just gonna cut right to the fucking chase, kid.  I don’t think it’s a good idea for you two to move in together this soon.  You fucked her over a lot, Jon.  You’ve hurt her more times than I care to count or remember.  I’ve mopped up more of her tears than I ever wanted to…because of you.” Cody took another pull from his beer and stood up from the couch, walking around his house. “I’m not calling to lecture you or tell you what to do, okay?  I’m looking out for my cousin because she’s the only family I have left.  So, I wanna know, honestly, why you want her to move in with you this soon, this quickly.  Why rush it?”

 

“Okay, first of all, I’m only like… half responsible for those 8 years.  I didn’t know she was in love with me.” Jon shot back defensively, automatically going on defense mode because this was not a conversation he had expected to have.  Not after Chacia had told him she was ‘all in’. “And I want her to move in because I love her, Cody.  I was an idiot, and I should’ve seen it back then, but I didn’t.  I’m not going to hurt her, and if I do, you can cut my balls off, but I’m telling you, it won’t happen because I LOVE her.”

 

“No, no.  They were your fault, Jon, and do you know why that is?  Do you want to fucking know why?  Because for 8 years, you CUT my cousin off.  So what if she was in love with you?  She was your BEST FRIEND and you cut contact with her!  It nearly destroyed her.  It made her stop wrestling, not because she lost the passion for it, but because it REMINDED her of you.  It reminded her of the man she loved for so many years, stuck by his side through everything, only to be discarded like she didn’t matter!” Cody took a deep, shuddering breath and another swig of his beer. “She ordered me not to mention her to you when I told her we still talked throughout those 8 years.  She didn’t want you to know how she was doing, and you never bothered asking about her.  So, excuse me if I have a hard time believing you actually give two fucks about my cousin right now, Good.  And I WILL cut your balls off if you hurt her EVER again.  I realize relationships go through ups and downs, but I am holding you PERSONALLY responsible if ANYTHING happens to her, you hear me?  She’s not just my cousin, she’s like a fucking daughter to me and I will KILL for her, kid.”

 

The ice was right back in Jon’s blood, in his eyes and, if anyone had been present to read his body language, they would have said he was back to that cold-blooded bastard, who had returned to the WWE after his near career-ending injury. “Cody, for the most part, I respect you.” His tone was emotionless as he stared at the wall, fingers clenching his cell hard enough to start cracking the case. “So, I’m going to tell you this only once: None of that is my problem.”

 

Because he couldn’t live in the past anymore or worry about making things right with Chacia for trespasses he had unknowingly committed.  Jon was done apologizing for being what he had been.  She had forgiven him and was giving him a chance and that was all that mattered.  What mattered was doing right by her each and every day and not trying to play the catch-up game.

 

“Feel free to lose my number for a while, old man.” He ended the call.

 

Maybe that was for the best.  Chacia had lost her mind for actually falling in love with someone as emotionally unstable as Jonathan Good.  The truth hurt and Cody never pulled any punches or sugarcoated how he felt when it came to Jon.  He sighed heavily, tossing his phone on the coffee table and leaned his head back, really hoping Chacia wasn’t making a mistake by doing this.  She was once again uprooting her entire life for this man…at what point would she finally have enough and send him packing?  Probably never because love blinded people and made them do stupid, irrational things.

 

“Fuck…”

 

Jon had every intention of letting Chacia know that Cody was probably pissed off at him and, rightfully so, he supposed.  He wasn’t doing the lying thing when it came to her family or what he had said to the other man.  Chacia knew how he was by now, he doubted she’d be surprised.  Mad most likely, but not surprised.  He wasn’t going to keep apologizing for those 8 years or being selfish and using her.  Jon had apologized to her multiple times, but not to anyone else; they could mind their own business.  Maybe he owed Colby an apology, eyes narrowing as he considered it, realizing he and Colby were in similar situations.

 

“Nah.”

 

Chapter 62

 

The following morning around 10 AM, Chacia stepped off the plane and let out a loud yawn, having slept on the plane since she’d stayed up until 2 AM packing her bags.  One carry-on, one backpack and one bag to be checked.  It was no surprise Jon was waiting for her in the lobby and she smiled, walking over to him.  The smile on her face deteriorated, replaced with a frown at the somber expression on his face and in his eyes.

 

“Hi, everything okay?” She asked hesitantly, taking his hand to lace their fingers together and she could feel the tension. “I have to grab my luggage and then we can go back to the hotel for a nap before the show tonight if you want.”

 

The fact that she wasn’t stone-faced or having a meltdown on him told Jon she didn’t know yet about what had been said between him and Cody.  If he were honest, the only concern he had was that she was going to leave him or something because of his disregard for her family.  He didn’t regret what he had said because he had meant it; he didn’t know if he was prepared to pay the price though.

 

“Okay, darlin’.” He flashed her smile and bent down to kiss her forehead before leading the way, figuring he’d just tell her everything at the hotel. 

 

Jon wasn’t about to be stuck in a car with a pissed off Chacia.

 

Retrieving her luggage, they went to the vehicle rental counter and Chacia ignored Jon’s questioning look as she retrieved a pair of keys from the receptionist. “I’m still going to share a room with you, but…it’ll have to be done secretly.  Gotta keep the kayfabe where our storyline is concerned.” That meant she would be traveling with Colby a lot of the time to keep up with appearances and the dirt sheets.  Stephanie hadn’t trodden lightly with this, thinking everything through and had a long meeting with Chacia and Colby prior to the weekend segments. “So basically, I’ll leave the arena either by myself or with Colby and then once we’re at the hotel, I’ll be with you then.”

 

Speaking of kayfabe, meeting up at an airport like this probably wasn’t the best idea, but her head was mostly covered by the hooded sweatshirts he had on, so Chacia wasn’t going to worry about it too much for the time being.  Kayfabe… that was something that hadn’t been a big deal in recent years.  A lot of WWE couples aired their business, or it was known they were with someone outside of the business and that was that.  Not many fans actually believed things like they used too.  The rise of social media and being able to snap and post a video or picture within seconds, tended to hit credibility in the nads.

 

“That sucks, darlin’.” He informed her, trying not to scowl as he thought about all that.  Jon got it though; that video did not show their relationship in the most positive of manners.

 

“It’s going to be fine.  You’ll be so busy pounding Colby’s head in, you won’t even notice I’m not by your side.” Chacia assured him with a smile, trying not to show the sadness. 

 

Why couldn’t she be on JON’S side instead of Colby’s?  Chasity was a heel in HWA and now she was supposed to be a face in WWE.  Leaning up, she brushed her lips against his once they were in the parking lot and rubbed her nose against his.

 

“See you in a few.”

 

Slipping into her rental, with her bags in the back, Chacia pulled out of there with Jon following suit not even a minute later.  Their cars were, coincidentally, right next to each other.  She was a face because she had beaten his ass, and he was a heel, which was how he preferred it.  If Jon was honest, he was somewhat glad Chacia wasn’t with him onscreen.  He already knew there was going to be talk in the back; she was being slingshotted straight up to damn near main event stories and status without paying company dues.  If she had aired alongside him, and it was known they were dating, they’d both catch a lot of grief.  No need for things to be harder on her, not when he was about to inform her he had just annihilated his relationship with the most important member of her family.  She’d take it out of his hide in the ring since the world had seen her beat him down on YouTube.  Jon imagined he was going to have to take some whippings in the ring from her, wondering just how that was going to pan out for him in the long run.

 

Once they were in the comfort of their hotel room, Chacia took her hooded sweatshirt off and tossed it in the nearby chair, pulling her hair out to fluff it out to pool down her back.  Beneath, she had on just a tank top and blue jeans, glancing out the window.  Jon walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist to pull her against him and her head leaned back, her entire body relaxing.  He wasn’t as tense as he’d been at the airport, so whatever was on his mind had apparently vanished for the time being.

 

“Cody’s not happy with me moving in with you.” She had no idea that was what had been on Jon’s mind and heaved a heavy sigh. “He said he’ll help me move, but he thinks we’re rushing it.  And maybe we are, but I don’t care.  We’re not normal and we never have been.”

 

“When was the last time you talked to Cody?” Jon asked, gathering it was before him and nodded when she confirmed his suspicions. “Darlin’, you’re not going to like me in a moment.” He frowned at the confused look that spread across her face once he had let her go and she turned to face him. “Cody called me last night.” And there was the resigned expression, and he knew in a few moments it’d be more pissed off than anything. “Sit down, Chacia…” And don’t hit me, he mentally added, taking a deep breath and launched into his own conversation with Cody from the night before, including the exact words he had said.

 

Shutting her eyes, Chacia dropped her head and shook it back and forth slowly, clenching her fists in her lap.  She was not pissed at Jon.  She was IRATE at her cousin though for sticking his nose where it wasn’t wanted or NEEDED.

 

“That mother fucker.” She hissed out between her teeth, standing from the bed and scrubbed hands down her face, letting out a strangled growl that resonated throughout the room. “Are you fucking kidding me?  He seriously called and reprimanded you for the PAST?  Something that is NONE of his business?!” Chacia was going to maim her cousin for sticking his nose in her relationship! “I’m done with him for a while.  He’s too fucking overprotective and he needs to back the fuck off and stay out of my goddamn personal life!  OUR personal life and relationship are NONE OF HIS BUSINESS!!”

 

“Wait, wait, wait…”

 

Jon held out both hands, shaking them and his head as he tried to wrap his mind around what she had just said.  He was expecting to be bitch smacked, yelled at, or worse… quiet disappointment, which he was pretty sure would break him right about now.  She had just thrown him for a total loop; this woman was crazy, and he adored her.

 

“I love you.” He said finally, snatching her up and kissing her soundly. “And don’t be too hard on the old man…” WHY was he defending Cody?  Maybe because he wasn’t in trouble. “He loves you, darlin’.” And would castrate Jon if she got hurt.

 

Why would she be angry with Jon? 

 

He only defended himself against Cody because Cody had attacked him first! “I know he does, but that still gives him NO right to go behind my back and call you and berate you about things that CAN’T be changed!  He was trying to change your mind about asking me to move in with you, I know he was!  Fucking asshole!” She wanted to wrap her hands around Cody’s neck and throttle him until he turned blue. “I love him too and I know he’s only looking out for me, but he could’ve gone about it a different way, Jon.  What he did to you…there’s no excuse for it.  NONE!” Here she thought the hatchet had been buried at Thanksgiving between them, but obviously not. “I’m so sorry he called you and upset you, baby.  You didn’t deserve that.”

 

Wrapping her arms tightly around his waist, Chacia buried her face in his chest and took several shuddering breaths to calm down.  Well, it wasn’t like he hadn’t returned it as good as he had gotten it.  Eh, Jon hadn’t threatened to kill or injure anyone, so Cody had one up on him.

 

“You’re more pissed about it than I was, darlin’.” He rumbled after giving her a bit of time to simmer down.  Cupping her chin, Jon tipped her head back, staring down into her face, blue eyes searching hazel. “Nothing is changing my mind, Chacia.  I didn’t just pop that question on you, it’s been on my mind for a while now.” Well, a few days, actually, but that was better than just blurting it out without thinking it through. “Do you think moving in is a bad idea?  Or that we’re rushing?” He asked quietly.

 

“Of course not.  Jon, I lived with you for 8 ½ months in both Vegas and Birmingham.  This isn’t a new thing for me and…there’s no point in living in separate states when we’re together all the time anyway.” Road wise. “We spend our off days together too, so might as well just have one set of bills to pay for instead of two.” It made sense for them to move in together and she cupped his bearded face in her soft hands, kissing him sensually and gently. “I love you.  That’s what happens when people love each other and want to be together – they move in together, they start their lives together and go through bullshit together.  I miss Vegas.  And I damn sure miss you when we’re apart.” He did too or he wouldn’t have come to see her on a whim, which was still incredibly insane and sweet of him to do. “Do you think we’re rushing?”

 

“Nope, not a bit, but according to other people, I’m also a little bit on the crazy side.” Jon lifted her up, so her legs wrapped around his waist and planted Chacia on the bed.  He hovered over her, beginning to rain kisses down on her face. “I’m sure someone somewhere is making bets about marriage and babies.” Joke was on them, she was on birth control. “You are on birth control, right?” He hadn’t even thought about that once in all this time.

 

She laughed at the second-guess on his face and simply kissed him, only breaking the kiss when they both needed oxygen to breathe. “Maybe.” She squealed when he growled, blowing raspberries against her neck and then moved down to her belly, making her squirm and laugh harder. “Okay – okay, yes!  Yes, I am!” Their playful nature was one of the many reasons that made them unique from every other couple on the planet.  That much Chacia was certain of. “I’m not risking having babies right now.” When the time was right and she was retired completely from wrestling, perhaps she would have a few babies with Jon. 

 

Only Jon, nobody else.

 

“Thank god,” Jon exhaled, resting his forehead against her very flat stomach, running his fingers up to press his palm against her mouth and nose. “Kill ya next time you scare me, woman.” He grunted without heat, not even cutting off any air and wrinkled his nose when she licked his palm. “That felt… weird.” Very weird.  Moving back up, he kissed her again. “Don’t get me wrong, darlin’, kids sound wonderful.  In the future.” Considering she was just starting her career, finding out she was pregnant would have been beyond a ‘minor’ setback.

 

“Yeah no, I’ve had to be on birth control since I was 16, Jon.  You have nothing to worry about, but if you want to be extra cautious since it’s not 100% effective…”

 

Nature would take its course eventually and she knew it was a risk every time they had sex without a condom.  So far, however, her birth control had worked wonders and it was the shot where she got it every 3 months.  Screw IUDs, she wasn’t going NEAR those, hearing too many horror stories about them.  She was in her early 30’s and she had no idea how long this stint in WWE would last, but by 35, she wanted to retire from wrestling all the way.  That was 3 years from now and they would fly by in the blink of an eye.

 

“Kids do sound wonderful.  With you.”

 

“Why 16?” Jon asked curiously, raising an eyebrow down at her. 

 

It was probably a good thing he wasn’t a mind reader or else he may have had a fit or something.  Wrestle for only 3 years?  Retire by 35?  He would have kicked Chacia’s ass for that.  She had busted her chops to get here, delayed her dream because it had emotionally hurt her too much, the association with him.  She needed to have herself a proper career.

 

“Sorry darlin’, but you said you’ve HAD to be on it, so why?”

 

“Do you really wanna know?”

 

Why wasn’t she surprised when he nodded emphatically?  Of course, he did because they didn’t keep anything from each other.  How was she supposed to explain something like this to him without grossing him out?  Christ, women had periods and bled once a month, it wasn’t the end of the damn world and men knew about it anyway!

 

“My menstrual cycle was fucked up and the birth control levels it out; makes it to where I have a period every month instead of skipping them…” There, that was about as clean-cut of an answer as he’d get.

 

“Ohhh, okay.”

 

Jon wasn’t bothered by periods in the slightest.  Working the Indies, and in some less than first world countries, had taught him all about women and their grossness.  How men were just as equally gross without the excuse of it being natural.

 

“Yeah, don’t blame you, darlin’, smart to be on the pill anyway in this business.” He rolled onto his side to stare at her. “Let’s you know when you’re going to have your period and you can plan for it.” Women wrestlers on their periods… he’d had to cut a tampon string once or twice in his life, just so they could ‘hide’ it while out in the ring.

 

“I don’t do the pills.  Too much of a risk to forget taking it.  I go with the shot, every 3 months, like clockwork.  It goes right in my arm and I’m set for 3 months.  Speaking of, I have to get it here again in 2 weeks.”

 

That meant she would have to deal with a straight week of cramping and soreness since those were the side effects of the shot, but luckily, it was only for one week and Chacia had a high tolerance for pain.  She laid down beside him to where they were facing each other and stroked his beard, not moving in for anything else.  Sometimes, it was just nice to lay with each other and talk about random things or whatever was on their mind.

 

“I wonder how Chasity and Dean are going to react on TV together, you know?  Remember the one segment we had to do in HWA together?” She giggled at the memory. “We definitely can’t do anything like that on a PG show.” They were kids, but it was fun, nevertheless.

 

“Yeah no, we’d get fined so fast and so hard, our banks would cry.” Jon laughed, making a mental note to be logging that shot schedule somewhere, just so neither of them forgot.  He maybe wanted kids someday, but it sure wasn’t going to be an ‘oops’ baby.  No thanks, he preferred prepared and wanted. “Last night, Steph was talking about putting something in there, so I don’t lose all my credibility, but she had to run it by you.” At her raised eyebrow, he grinned. “Darlin’, I can’t go beating the top guys in this company, and look legit, if I got my ass handed to me by you, now can I?  Well… I can, but…” It’d totally cock up things and he highly doubted the WWE wanted to explain why this badass female had beaten down Dean Ambrose, but wasn’t facing other men or something along those lines. 

 

It was a murky area and kind of new water for the company.

 

There was no reason for Jon to keep tabs on her shot because she had it set on her phone and email to remind her when it was time to get it. “Okay…”

 

Chacia was hesitant now, a thoughtful frown crossing her face.  Stephanie had brainstormed with Dean about this storyline?  She could only imagine what the Billion Dollar Princess came up with and swallowed hard at the evil gleam in Jon’s eyes.

 

“All right, out with it, Good, what did you guys decide to do to save your credibility?”

 

“I didn’t brainstorm shit, last time I went with what I wanted, I got my ass beat.” Jon teased, shaking his head at her. “Steph was just mulling over some ideas, I think she’s going to run them by you when we go back to work.”

 

He hadn’t been overly sure, but he was getting the impression he would have to make it clear somehow that he had let her beat his ass.  Or an alternative was to beat her down in return.  All fake of course, but that was a career direction even Jon didn’t want to make.

 

Very few came back from that path.

 

Chapter 63

 

“So, in order for Dean to continue to be the cutthroat heel he is, we’re going to have to do something drastic.  It won’t happen for a few Raws after Chacia’s debut, but Dean will have to get revenge on her for what happened between them at the wrestling school.  Or else Dean Ambrose will lose all credibility as a heel.  So, here’s what I’m thinking…In a couple Raws into her debut, Dean is going to attack Seth from behind and handcuff Seth’s wrist to the bottom rope while Dean makes him watch as he beats down Chasity.” Stephanie explained, remembering what happened with Randy Orton, Triple H and herself back in 2009 when Randy did the same thing to her husband.  He had RKO’d her in the middle of the ring and then kissed her to add more fuel to the fire. “After she’s down, Dean is going to kiss her and leave the ring while Seth is struggling and pulling at the handcuff, trying to break free and get to Chasity.  Sound good for everyone?”

 

Chacia swallowed hard, sitting in between Colby and Jon, her hands clasped tightly in her lap.  What choice did she have?  They had to make this believable and it would make for great drama and storytelling.

 

“Whatever it takes to make this work, I’m game.”

 

Stephanie beamed proudly at that answer, turning her attention to Colby, who nodded and then Jon. “Well, Mr. Lunatic Fringe?  Do you think you can handle doing this?” They were going in a direction where men and women interacted more with each other anyway.

 

“You want us to recycle your old lines?” Jon asked curiously, smirking when the Princess raised an eyebrow.  Wrestling had been his number one love for most of his life like he WOULDN’T have noticed that and not call her out on it?  He personally thought kissing Chacia, while in character, in front of all those people, was a bad idea because he had a feeling neither of them would be able to keep it just business.  There was a bit too much passion between them and that was going to translate onto the screen.

 

Colby was actually thinking the same thing, which made his stomach curdle. “I don’t know…”

 

“I’m in.” If Colby didn’t want to do it, Jon sure did.

 

“I know what you two are thinking.  The kiss thing since you two are an item now.” She pointed two fingers at Jon and Chacia, the smile never leaving her face. “You’re afraid it won’t come across as evil and vindictive, but it’s all how you PORTRAY the kiss.  If you go back and re-watch what happened with Randy and myself, the way he did it WAS evil and malicious.  He stared at Triple H the whole time he did it and he did it to the corner of my mouth, not full-on lips, you see.  It’s going to work and since when DON’T we recycle lines around here, Ambrose?” She shot that back at him, folding her hands on top of the table. “Unless you have a better idea how to do this?”

 

“Instead of handcuffs,” Chacia spoke up, brainstorming because, in truth, it was a great line, even if it was recycled. “Handcuffs aren’t Dean Ambrose’s forte.  Zipties are, though.  He ziptied Wade Barrett’s wrist to the post to get the man to forcefully sign a contract for an IC title shot, right?” She had done her homework and smiled at the surprised expression on all their faces. “What?  I watch the Network.  Anyway, what if Dean zipties Seth instead of handcuffs him to the rope and Seth is JUST inches away from us, but he can’t quite reach?”

 

“Zipties you say?  Hmm…” Stephanie had to admit, she really liked the way Chacia’s mind worked for this business. “Do you gentlemen have a problem with that?”

 

Colby and Jon both thought this was stupid and for very different, yet similar reasons.  The big difference between them and her schtick with Orton was the fact that Randy hadn’t been WITH her in real life.  It was easy as pie to fake things and portray things when one had no emotional ties to the person.  Jon was fairly confident in his ability to pull this off, well… most of it, like manhandling her and all that, not entirely sure about the kiss though. 

 

Colby wasn’t worried about Jon so much as Chacia and her addition, her obsession.  She was going to wind up showing it on national television.  He snorted, she’d do that and then Stephanie would turn this thing into some kind of crazy stalker crap where ‘Chasity’ had used him to get closer to her obsession from their HWA days.

 

These men had zero confidence in Chacia’s ability to separate personal from professional, so it was going to be amazing when she proved them and everyone wrong.  Chacia didn’t have an addiction anymore – she thought it was an addiction at one point to Jon, but it wasn’t.  It was love, plain and simple.  Passionate, consuming love.  However, this was her job to portray a character and Chasity was NOT in love with Dean Ambrose.  Chasity wanted to rip Dean Ambrose apart and destroy him, piece by piece.  Chasity and Chacia were completely different and it would be proven with time.

 

The meeting was adjourned once everyone agreed to the upcoming segment, but first, they had to actually get Chasity on television.  Segments had been played over the course of the past two weeks, two segments on one Raw and then one segment last week, which lead to this week – her debut.  Tonight.  Chacia looked calm, cool and collected on the outside, but on the inside, she was a jumbled mess with butterflies the size of Texas fluttering in her stomach.  Instead of kissing Jon goodbye, Chacia walked away from both men to go get ready for her debut, having the perfect outfit.  Now, it was just a matter of getting her hair and makeup done to coincide with the outfit.  The attire itself was black leather pants with see-through flames going up the sides and the top was halter, not showing a bit of cleavage, but it still sported her curves and fit body.  It had a crisscross design on the back and those were all flames to match the pants.  Seth Rollins motto these days was ‘Burn It Down’, and he had flames in his entrance video, so that was why Chacia had gone with the flame gimmick.

 

Her eyes were made out to be flames with thick black liner, bringing out the intense hazel and she had bright red lip-gloss that made her lips shimmer.  Foundation to hide blemishes, which Chacia had very few, to begin with.  Her hair was left down, curled and had some product throughout it to really bring the natural curls to the surface.  It was trimmed, resting just above her waist and split to where half was over each shoulder, showcasing the flames on her haltered top.  Looking in the mirror, Chacia didn’t recognize herself, which was a very good thing since she wasn’t a huge fan of thick makeup, to begin with. 

 

This wasn’t her, however. 

 

This was Chasity.

 

At work, Jon and Chacia had agreed to keep personal and professional separate.  Their personal life remained at the hotel, as it were.  She wanted to go full hog on the kayfabe thing and that was fine with him, he supposed.  It made things easier at work.  He and Joe had sort of made up; they were talking again, cordially and without beating the snot out of each other, or harassing each other verbally.  Fuck Colby though, Jon had no proof or valid reasons outside of ‘I don’t like him’, but there was just something shady about the other man.  Not that he voiced it, he wasn’t about to be called jealous or anything.  She’d debut tonight; things would be interesting from here on out because Chastity and Dean Ambrose were NOT going to be friends.

 

Halfway through the show, which was an hour and a half -Raw was three hours long-, the arena was bathed in a red glow as Disturbed blared through the speakers.  The commentators were confused what was going on, but then a white spotlight shined on a woman walking out to stand on the top ramp, her cool hazel eyes taking in the crowd before her.  The buzz was already in the air because she was quickly noticed as Chasity – the woman who had beaten the hell out of Dean Ambrose…and had a few meetings with Seth Rollins.  However, they hadn’t developed a partnership because the final segment had been in front of an old wrestling building, where she told him she’d think about his proposition and walked away from him. 

 

That had been last week on Raw and now Chasity was here to give her final decision as she walked down the ramp with a determination on her face and in her eyes.  Slipping through the middle rope, her feet were encased in two-inch steel toed, knee-high heeled boots that laced up the front.  She walked over to grab a microphone from the technician and the spotlight remained on her in the center of the ring, the crowd cheering her since Dean Ambrose was a heel.  The music cut out as Chasity soaked in the moment for all it was worth and finally brought the microphone up to her red glossy lips to speak.

 

“If you don’t know who I am, then you’ve been living under a rock for the past couple of months.  I’ll enlighten all of you who I am though, just so there’s no confusion.  My name is Chasity…and I’m here for one specific reason.” She moved to the ropes, gripping the top one and narrowed her flamed eyes at the top of the entrance ramp. “The Kingslayer, the Architect, Mr. Burn. It. Down,” The crowd did the saying with her. “Seth Rollins, would you KINDLY grace me with your presence?” Her voice dripped with sarcasm as she blatantly called him out to the ring, wanting to do this face to face. “I have something to say to you and I want to do it to your face, Kingslayer.”

 

Jon watched from the back, eyebrow raised.  He had been under the impression she was going to be a face since that’s what Seth was.  If she kept this up, she was heading straight in the heel direction and that was hilarious.

 

Seth’s music hit and he came sauntering out, stopping at the top of the ramp to look her over.  The make-up – Wow.  He wasn’t sure what to think and mentally prayed this did not go ball’s up.  He had seen, and maybe once or twice early on, people do great for filmed stuff, get through auditions, only to botch it when it came to crunch time live.  Slowly, he made his way down to her, finally sliding into the ring and circled Chastity, much like he had in the previous segment from the other week, finally coming to a halt before her and shrugged his shoulders as if to say ‘what’.

 

The lights were back on completely, the red hue gone and her makeup, her look, was even MORE vibrant under the bright white lights. “I’ve thought about what you said.  All of it.  It’s been at the forefront of my mind.  People don’t know why that fight between me and Dean Ambrose happened.  All they saw was a woman beating the crap out of a guy.  They don’t know the story, they don’t know just how vile, cruel, manipulative and cold he really is.  Because what he did to you, Seth, is NOTHING compared to what he did to me.” Chasity took a deep breath, showing that vulnerability again and squared her shoulders, looking around the arena at the people waiting with bated breath to see if this partnership would actually happen.  Then, she extended her hand, her eyes locked with dark chocolate brown, holding the microphone up to her lips. “If the offer is still on the table, I accept.  I’ll help you and be your partner against Dean Ambrose.”

 

Seth studied her hand for a long moment, letting the audience continue with holding their breath.  His eyes went from guarded to soft, noticeably, and his hand gripped hers, the pair shaking firmly.  He could hear the announcers loudly speculating to the folks at home about what was going on and recapping what they knew so far, it was going to be a wild ride.  The microphone dropped from her hand and he turned towards the camera, raising Chastity’s hand up into the air and used his free hand to point at her.

 

“We’re coming, Ambrose!” He said when the cameraman was in his face, smiling widely. “You hear me, bro?  We’re coming!”

 

“Nobody knows you like I do, DEAN!” Chasity shouted in the camera, tapping her temple with her red painted fingernail, her hazel eyes cold and boiling with hatred. “See you soon, Lunatic Fringe!”

 

She waved three fingers before turning to Seth, feeling his arm draped around her neck just as the show cut to commercial break.  They exited the ring with Seth holding the ropes open for her and she hopped down, not holding hands or anything.  It was a partnership, not a romance and she was here for one reason and one reason only.  To help Seth Rollins destroy the thorn in his side known as Dean Ambrose.  Standing on the stage, Chasity rose Seth’s arm up in the air and pointed at him, the crowd erupting even more than they already did before both headed behind the curtain. 

 

That was one HELL of an adrenaline rush!

 

Stephanie was practically dancing in her seat, muting the television as the show went to break, not overly caring about hearing the commentary that would be still running.  That had been perfect!  Chacia was going to wind up walking that fine line between heel and face, that gray area, and she was betting the woman would be able to pull it off perfectly.  Not many could do the anti-hero archetype, especially women, and make it work.  She could name a few legends who had managed it, but in the end, no women though.

 

Chacia was going to break new ground, she could feel it.

 

It wasn’t easy to tread that line between face and heel, but it worked for Chasity’s character.  People recognized Chacia as Chasity from HWA, just like Jon as Jon Moxley from the Indies and Seth Rollins as Tyler Black.  That was just the way things worked when wrestlers came from the Independent circuit.  Most of the women from the locker room on Raw had come to gorilla position to congratulate her on a job well done, shaking hands and even hugging her, especially Pavana.

 

Chapter 64

 

“Holy shit, girl, I love the makeup!  The look and style, you did amazing out there!” Pavana grinned, having become close friends with Chacia in the short time she’d been in the company.  Now that Dean and Joe were back on the same page, though she still hadn’t forgiven Dean yet, their friendship wouldn’t feel strained anymore.

 

“Thanks…my god, that was insane out there…”

 

“If you’re going to throw up, feel free.  We all did it.” Alexa chimed in, smiling softly.  She was a bitch on television, but backstage she was one of the biggest sweethearts. “Seriously, nobody would blame you.”

 

“I’m fine, actually.” Maybe it was due to the fact she’d already had exposure in front of crowds before, but the nerves had deteriorated as soon as she stepped through the curtain as Chasity. “I am thirsty, though.”

 

“Come on, I’ll take you.” Alexa offered since Pavana had to referee the next match, assuring her Chacia was in great hands as they walked down the hallway together.

 

In turn, that had totally left Colby standing there basically holding his dick.  He had opened his mouth to say something to her and she had gotten swarmed by the other women.  What the hell?!  Raking a hand through his hair, he went in the opposite direction.  Well, as far as debuts went, hers had been off the charts without her even getting physical.  Colby could only imagine how it would be once she actually showcased her skills in the ring.  He knew she had performed in front of audiences before, but this wasn’t hundreds, or a couple thousand.  It was THOUSANDS, these arenas held quite a bit and usually were filled to capacity.  She hadn’t tossed her cookies or faltered once.  He’d congratulate her later.

 

Promising to meet up with Alexa in catering, Chacia jogged after Colby and stopped him just inside his dressing room. “Hey, sorry about that...” She touched his arm, making him whip around and she backed up, remembering the night he shoved her against the counter in the medical office. “Whoa, sorry…” Her hands were up, hazel eyes wide and Chacia actually stepped back when he took one forward. “I-I’ll talk to you later.” When he calmed the hell down and didn’t look ready to murder someone.

 

“Sorry, don’t go,” Colby was mentally kicking himself in the backside for scaring her, reaching out and gently grabbed her hand to stop Chacia from leaving. “You startled me, Angel.” And she had, actually.  He was expecting to find Jon or something ready to beat him down. “You did great tonight out there.” He complimented, trying to recover what was rapidly turning into an awkward moment.  His eyes, softening slowly now that he wasn’t jumpy, roamed her make-up. “You do that,” He gestured to her face. “Yourself?”

 

“Yeah, right.” Chacia rolled her eyes, the smile returning to her face and hated she still felt fear with Colby.  He hadn’t hurt her any more than that night in the medical room and she had to get over it. “Sorry for acting that way.  I didn’t mean to startle you.  I just…I’m sorry the girls all swarmed me, I wasn’t expecting that.” It was the truth.  Chacia thought she would get a lot of animosity for being put in a huge storyline right out the gate. “The makeup and hair stylists did everything you see besides the outfit.  The seamstress took the idea I told her about and ran with it.  I really like it and I figured the flames would look good because of your whole ‘Burn It Down’ slogan.” Now she was hesitant, chewing her red glossy bottom lip. “Do you like it?”

 

He wanted to ask if it actually mattered.  She didn’t care if he liked it, she cared if Seth Rollins liked it, if it worked with the storyline and character. “Yeah Angel, I like it.” He said finally, reaching out to tap her chin, causing her to stop gnawing on those lips of hers. “You’re going to mess yourself up.” Colby teased, moving in just a little closer, not enough to be completely up in her space, but… he filled some of it. “You did great out there, better than expected.”

 

“Thank you.” Chacia leaned up and kissed his cheek, squeezing his hand. “I need to head to catering to meet with Alexa, but I’ll meet up with you outside of the arena after the show.”

 

They had to leave together after every show because of paparazzi and fans, who would be outside screaming and cheering at them.  When he nodded, she flashed another smile and took off, really needing some water now.  She had cotton mouth and it was almost unbearable, not to mention she was starving.  Chacia hadn’t eaten anything that day because she was afraid she’d throw up after her debut, not wanting to chance anything.  Now that it was over, and she felt comfortable, she could eat and drink to her heart’s content…healthily.

 

Chacia didn’t make it as far as catering because as soon as she passed Dean Ambrose’s wide-open door, she was snatched inside.  He had to be ringside in like 15 minutes because he was going to get to close out the show, but… he could take a few.  Laughing at her startled shriek, Jon kicked the door behind before lifting her up, guiding her legs around his waist and then planted her right against that door, kissing those glossy lips until he felt her melt against him. “Mmm, coming for me, hmm?” He rumbled, biting down gently on her bottom lip. “That was hot, darlin’.”

 

“Damn right, I am.” Technically, Colby had said those words, but she was not complaining about the attention her man was giving her. “I’ll cum for you all night long, you know that.” Of course, she knew he hadn’t meant THAT kind of coming, but Chacia couldn’t resist teasing him, tracing his lips with the tip of her tongue. “Better behave, Lunatic Fringe, you have a match tonight.”

 

Speaking of his match…Chacia wondered why she wasn’t going out there to at least survey it and figured Stephanie had another plan in mind for the night.  Giving her double duty to do on the show right away wasn’t the best idea, more than likely.  Cramming her down people’s throats right off the bat wasn’t the best idea.  They were trying to learn from their mistakes and, since Chacia had potential to be the new face of the women’s division, Stephanie was going to tread cautiously.

 

“I have 5 minutes, can you get off in 5 minutes, darlin’?” He teased, moving to begin kissing down the side of her throat. “I bet you can.” Getting her out of those pants in 5 minutes would be the issue, but he was willing to give it the old boy scout try.  Jon laughed when he got bopped upside his head. “Is that a no?”

 

“Don’t even THINK about it, Good.” Chacia breathed out, his lips feeling amazing against her skin and caressed his muscle shirt covered chest with one hand while massaging the back of his neck with her other.  She was already wet for him, just a simple kiss was all it took to get her motor revved by Jon.  That was how much of an intense effect he had on her.  Note to self: Do NOT wear a skirt the night Dean attacks Chasity, she thought, pulling back to passionately kiss him. “Better start thinking of every disgusting thing you can unless you wanna sport wood out in the ring, baby.” It didn’t help she had dropped her hand to start stroking him through the confines of his tight jeans. “Mmm, you gonna send a message to Chasity tonight in that ring?  Because that would be very hot if you did…”

 

“I’m going to send a message to Chasity right now, darlin’.” He grunted, both annoyed and amused with her contradiction.  Think gross shit, while her hand was right there on his dick. “I think you should suck me off.” He suggested, pulling his head up to look into her face, his eyes darkened over. 

 

Oh yeah, her in this get-up, those glossy red lips wrapped around his cock, flame surrounded hazel eyes staring up at him while her head bobbed up and down… dead puppies, dead puppies… He had put her down and was backing away, lacing his hands behind his head to keep from touching her.  Seth Rollins – his hard-on was gone.  Jon was the one to cause himself these issues because he had yanked her in here to kiss and get her all hot and bothered.

 

“I’ll suck you off…AFTER your match.” Chacia giggled at his head snapping to stare at her with those intense electric blues of his. “Just remember to send that message.  Chasity and I will both be watching…and waiting.”

 

Winking, she left his locker room to head to catering, hoping Alexa wasn’t too upset with her for keeping her held up.  Mickie James informed her Alexa had to do a photoshoot, passing the message along, so she grabbed something to eat quickly and found an empty dressing room with a monitor, watching Jon’s match.  For some reason, her heart was hammering inside her chest throughout the match and she knew why.  She could ONLY imagine what Jon had planned and the message Dean would be sending Chasity as she took a bite of salad.

 

A message, a message… what the fuck kind of message was he supposed to send?  Any brilliant ideas he instantly discarded because Jon didn’t have any goddamn time.  His woman was such a pain in his ass.  And his dick.  Definitely a pain in the dick.  Jon had an idea and hauled his cookies to the offices, smirking when they were able to locate and print out what he wanted.  An old picture, from way back when, and he made sure he had a lighter on him.

 

Short notice, it’d work.

 

The picture was of Jon and Chacia together from HWA.  She was on her knees before him, both doing having their fists up, grinning at the camera.  Cody had taken it.  Something…broke inside of Chacia as she watched Jon – no Dean – in the center of the ring with the picture and lighter in hand.

 

“This is what I think of you coming to the WWE to try coming after me, Chasity!” Dean shouted in the microphone before lighting the picture on fire, holding it for a moment before dropping it in the metal trash can.  He had pulled it out from beneath the ring during his entrance and nobody knew why, until now.

 

Message received loud and clear, Chacia thought, finishing her salad before tossing the plate in the nearby trashcan.

 

When Jon came backstage, he was grinning.  He thought that went brilliantly, actually, considering he had limited notice and still wanted to make his woman happy.  His woman, who was going to be riding back to the hotel with Seth fucking Rollins.  Jon wanted to bash his head into a wall, just for shits and giggles.  Speaking of his woman, he went to find her, figuring he’d get in one last kiss before she was whisked off by dickhead.

 

“That was awesome, bro.” Joe greeted when he spotted his friend.  They were getting along better, smiling when Jon knocked fists with him. “This is gonna be good for her, and you, and gives people more info about, you know?”

 

“I couldn’t agree more.” Chacia spoke from behind with a smile, laughing when Jon immediately lifted her over his shoulder to cart her off to his dressing room. 

 

Joe shook his head, chuckling and spotted Pavana talking to one of the stagehands, licking his lips.  Perhaps Jon had the right idea when it came to his woman and Joe already had his match for the night, knowing Pavana was done refereeing as well.

 

Chacia was set on her feet as soon as they were in Jon’s dressing room and she shoved him back against the door, passionately kissing him while tearing her nails down his chest. “I do believe we had a deal.” He’d be getting more than a kiss from her before she had to ride back to the hotel with Colby, already unfastening his pants. “Flip the lock on the door, baby.” She ordered, shoving his jeans down around his thighs and licked her lips at his cock springing free from the confines. 

 

Kissing her way down his chest, Jon remained against the door as she lowered to her knees and began licking up and down like a popsicle, wrapping those red glossy lips around his cock, those fire painted hazel orbs looking up at him, just as he envisioned.  Oh, sweet baby Jesus, that was a delicious sight!  Better than what he had imagined when he had been picturing this in his head earlier.  Jon reached down and fisted her hair, which was still parted on either side and over her shoulders, trying not to fuck her delicious mouth.

 

Once she thoroughly satisfied her man, with just her mouth, Chacia left him to shower while she cleaned herself up.  She decided to keep the outfit on, having a feeling her and Jon were far from done tonight and rinsed her mouth out with mouthwash before going to meet up with Colby.  He walked out 10 minutes after her and she smiled up at him, the fans shouting at both of them to sign autographs.  Since she’d made it to where their characters were partners, there was no reason to hold his hand or anything, Chacia had made sure of that.

 

“Feel up to signing some autographs for them?  It seems they’re shouting for you, Kingslayer.” She spoke to him softly and loud enough for him to hear over the fans, smirking.

 

“Fans are the reason we have these jobs, Angel,” Colby pointed out with a smile. “And sometimes, it’s a good idea to show them we can be approachable outside of sanctioned signing sessions.”

 

A lot of people had to pay to get in the line or buy something to sign.  Placing his hand on the small of Chacia’s back, Colby guided her closer to the guardrail that kept them, and the fans separate, pulling a pen out of his duffel bag.  He began chatting with the fans, nodding at her encouragingly.  She was great in the ring and on camera, how was she with the people who helped pay her check?  Better question, how would Chacia react when she ran into people who didn’t like her and would undoubtedly harass her, spit on her, and just show the worst of humanity in general?

 

“Oh my god, oh my GOD, you’re the woman who beat up Dean Ambrose!!”

 

“You bitch!”

 

“Who the hell do you think you are?!  We don’t want to see you!”

 

“Dean Ambrose is going to make you pay!”

 

Chacia took it all in stride, already feeling like a heel and chuckled, shrugging her shoulders with a coolness in her eyes. “I’m looking forward to it, sugar plums.” She winked at them before heading over to a little girl that had a ‘Burn It Down’ Seth Rollins t-shirt on and smiled at the father, his arm around the girl’s shoulders. “Hi there.  Do you have something for me to sign, sweetheart?”

 

The little girl couldn’t have been more than 7 and looked up at her father with big, wide eyes, pinching her lips together tightly.

 

“What’s her name?” Chacia asked the father, showing she meant no harm.

 

“Shelly.” The father replied with a smile of his own and looked down at his shy daughter. “She wanted to see Seth Rollins.  He’s her favorite, but…she’s too shy to call out to him like the others…”

 

“I see, hold on a minute, don’t go anywhere, okay?” Chacia waited for the little girl to give a small nod and walked over to where Colby just finished with the autographs from the women who were spouting crap at her earlier. “Come with me, Kingslayer.”

 

She looped her arm through his, flashing another smile at the bitches and guided him over to the little 7-year-old girl, murmuring to him why she dragged him away from the others.  Chacia had gotten her first taste of the craziness that was part of the female fanbase, or potential ringrats.  They had their favorite males and god help the female wrestlers who got involved.  They were bashing her for what she had done against Ambrose, even though Ambrose was the heel, but begging Seth Rollins, who was up against said heel, for autographs.  He sometimes couldn’t wrap his head around these people and how they thought.  He followed her to a man and what looked like his kid, eyeing the little girl, who suddenly looked like Christmas had come early on top of something he would call anxiety.  Taking in her shirt, Colby flashed her a genuine smile, leaning down so he was at her eyelevel.

 

After signing autographs for an hour, they finally managed to scurry away to the rental car to go to the hotel.  Chacia was exhausted, but in a good way and felt fulfilled.  Some of the fans even wanted her autograph since she was Seth Rollins’ partner and she obliged them since she was, technically, a face.  They made small talk on the ride and Chacia bid Colby goodnight before exiting the vehicle with her bag in hand, heading up the back entrance.  Jon already gave her a keycard to their room, so there was no point going through the front to check in. 

 

Chapter 65

 

Just as she stepped through the door that lead to the floor their room was on, her new cell phone rang and she answered it, not bothering to look at the caller ID.

 

“You keep ignoring my warnings, Chacia.  That’s not smart on your part.  Or should I call you Chasity now?”

 

That voice…it was the stalker again!  How the HELL did he get her new number?! “And I’ll continue to ignore them because Jon isn’t poison.  The only poisonous asshole around here is YOU, now you better leave me alone.” She kept her voice low, quiet and stern, gritting her teeth at the cackling in her ear.

 

“You don’t see it, do you?  You’ve fallen RIGHT into his trap and now there’s no escape!”

 

That confused the hell out of her. “What are you talking about?  What trap?”

 

“Mmm, curiosity killed the cat, my sweet.  You’ll find out soon enough and, just remember, I gave you plenty of chances to walk away and you didn’t.  Talk soon.  Pleasant dreams.”  The line went dead.

 

Chacia tried calling it back and received an error message, frowning.  What the HELL was going on?  Who was the stalker talking about?  What trap?  What trap had she fallen into?  Making her way to the room she shared with Jon, so many different emotions and thoughts ran through her head, wondering if she should keep that phone call to herself for the time being.

 

Jon had just gotten out of the shower after eating.  He had not expected Chacia to take that damn long with Rollins and hunger pains had been real.  He had also ordered for her and kept it under the tray on the warming mat.

 

“Hey, darlin’.” He greeted, a towel wrapped around his muscular waist, another small one around his neck.  He had taken the time to do some trimming and manscaping. “What’s wrong?” She had a very odd look on her face like she was trying to decide something.  Pale blue eyes took her in, an eyebrow raising at the blue smudge on the outside of her hand. “Is that ink, Chace?”

 

“What?” She looked down at her hand, nodding. “Yeah, we stopped and signed autographs for fans outside of the arena.  That’s what took so long.”

 

Leaning up, she softly kissed him and tried cracking a smile while mulling over the stalker’s words.  Sitting down on the bed, she began untying the laces on her boots to pull them off, groaning since her feet were killing her.  Flats were her friend, heels not so much, but they looked good with the outfit at least.

 

“What did you order for us?” Chacia had to get her mind off that phone call, firmly pushing it to the back recesses of her brain for the time being.

 

“Well I had a steak, with a loaded baked potato, and everything was drenched in sauteed mushrooms and onions.” It had been delicious, and he was going to have to work it off tomorrow.  Jon knelt down on the floor once she had removed her heels, taking one foot between his hands and began massaging her arch, watching her toes curling with an amused grin. “For you, there’s grilled chicken, steamed veggies, and…. I forgot the rest.  But there was cheesecake, as a celebratory thing.”

 

“Cheesecake?  Really?” It was Chacia’s favorite dessert and she groaned out when Jon hit a sore spot on her foot, not minding the foot massage at all.  She studied him, stroking his face and wet short hair, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. “You’re so good to me.” So thoughtful, warm and loving… “I’m one lucky woman.” Jon switched feet to do the other one and she leaned back to enjoy the pampering for a bit, only because her feet were absolutely killing her. “Remind me to switch out of my shoes after segments because wearing these bad boys for the past 5 hours SUCKED.”

 

“Darlin’, I’m a man who appreciates a fine-looking woman in a pair of heels.  I’m not going to remember at all.” Jon informed her with a grin, making sure to get every part of her foot that probably hurt.  Heels made a woman’s legs appear to go on for miles and he had been envisioning her legs around his waist almost all night since seeing her in that get-up. “You should probably take sneakers with memory foam or something in them, though.” When she pulled her foot away, Jon stood up and turned towards the trolley. “Want your dinner?  Or dessert first?”

 

“That’s a loaded line if I’ve ever heard one,” Chacia muttered good-naturedly, her feet feeling marginally better and knew she should go for her dinner first. “You said it’s a celebration, right?” At his nod, she chewed her bottom lip and decided cheating one night on her strict diet wouldn’t kill her. “Cheesecake, please.”

 

After that phone call, she needed a serious pick-me-up and smiled as Jon handed it over to her with a fork, seeing it was topped with strawberries.  Jon pulled her back gently to lay with him on the bed propped up, his arm around her while she enjoyed her cheesecake.  She even gave him a few bites of it.

 

“So, a bunch of your fangirls were calling me names tonight after the show.  I thought it was amusing and called them sugar plums.”

 

“Oh boy,” Jon pulled a face, that last bite of cheesecake suddenly not tasting so good. “How crazy were they?” He asked with a resigned sigh, knowing a lot of them had stalked his Indie career and were insane. “On a scale of one to majorly fucked up, how was it?”

 

He sat upright, looking her over.  Chacia hadn’t come in drenched in beer, blood or piss.  She didn’t have any bruises or marks either.  Well, he called that raging success.  She shoved him right back down, set the plate to the side and swung her leg over to straddle Jon, gliding her hands up and down his muscular chest.

 

“One, if that.” She shrugged, leaning down to softly brush her lips against his. “Though, if they found out we’re actually together, in a relationship, it might pose a bit of a problem.  But hey, you’re worth the risk.”

 

Kissing him again deeper with tongue, Chacia moaned at the taste of him.  His fangirls and fanbase, in general, did not bother her or scare her one bit.  Chacia could more than hold her own and she’d proven that time and time again.

 

“I love you and they can all fuck off.”

 

“Seems legit,” Jon smirked as he pushed her right back off him and put her tray in front of her again. “I love you too, darlin’, now eat.”

 

Because she was a working girl again, well… a physically working girl.  Jon was so glad he hadn’t said that aloud because, even in his head, it did not sound right at all.  Chacia was going to be joining the small, frequent meals club and…. she was going to need her healthy carbs for what he intended on doing to her here within the next hour, his eyes lighting up with wicked intentions.

 

~!~

 

Nervous energy was in the air tonight. 

 

Chacia hadn’t been this nervous for her debut, but tonight would be something special.  After Dean Ambrose burned the picture of him and Chasity, Stephanie was all for this plan of hers to come to fruition.  It would happen tonight, to spark the flames in this feud between Dean and Seth further.  Jon would be getting his revenge on Chacia tonight for what she did to him at the wrestling school.  They had been prepping for this for the past week, working out like mad, even on their days off, and practicing certain moves in the ring.  Chacia had asked him to practice the Dirty Deeds with her, but he wouldn’t.  It was a move not to be taken lightly and she understood that, but having it done to her prior to the segment would’ve been helpful. 

 

Tonight, she sported black leather pants and a Seth Rollins ‘Burn It Down’ t-shirt that was cut at the bottom to expose some of her stomach.  The heeled boots were back, the makeup was fiery again and on point, but her hair in a high ponytail for tonight.  It would make Jon grabbing her hair a hell of a lot easier.  Throughout the week, she had received various text messages from the stalker, warning her of what was coming again and almost begging her not to continue this storyline. 

 

All of them were deleted instantly.

 

Jon didn’t WANT to perform Dirty Deeds on her.  It was a double underhook DDT and god help whoever he was delivering it too if he botched it because that was not an injury one just walked off.  Performing it on Chacia… it made him squeamish and he felt like he would have to go apologize to Cody and let the man beat his ass and take his balls.  If he had known what she was hiding from him, he probably would have done the move on her out of sheer principle.

 

“You ready for this?” Colby asked when he spotted Chacia in the hallway, eyes raking over her attire and grinned.  He was ready to go as well, unable to keep from bouncing. “Smart on the ponytail.” He commented, knowing that would give her man an easy grip, as well as keep her entire head from feeling like it was being scalped, the pain would be in a central area.

 

She just nodded, not wanting to talk right now and had to get her mind focused, channeled, on Chasity.  The hatred Chasity had for Dean.  The animosity Chasity had for Dean.  How she felt when the picture was burned before her eyes in that ring.  Closing her eyes, she began jumping up and down, pumping herself up and feeling the adrenaline beginning to build.  When she opened her eyes, it was only Chasity staring back at Seth and she smiled at him coldly, knowing they would be going out any minute.  They were right by gorilla position and just waited for Seth’s music to hit.

 

“Lead the way, Kingslayer.” She gestured her hand toward the curtain once the BURN IT DOWN echoed throughout the arena, the fans screaming in unison with it, and she followed suit, standing on top of the ramp by his side.

 

For the most part, Chacia had this down, but Colby had noticed, and he knew he wasn’t the only one, that she did have a hard time pulling away from the heel persona she had developed Chastity into back in the HWA or wherever she had wrestled briefly at.  She would start out with heel tendencies and then seem to remember they weren’t heels and reign it in.  He knew she’d get it down eventually, and the fact that she was somewhat aware of it, when she was totally in her character, was interesting.  Not many people did the full in character thing anymore, where it was a switch to be flipped on and off as the Undertaker had been, for example.  The business evolved and so did the wrestlers.

 

Here we go, he thought as they got into the ring after walking down the ramp, his brown eyes taking in the audience before landing on her.

 

It was a match. 

 

Simple, clean-cut match between Seth Rollins and Finn Balor. 

 

Nothing evil or twisted about it, she just stood on the sidelines watching with her arms folded in front of her chest.  She wanted to see Seth at his strongest and weakest, pleasantly surprised both men knew each other so well.  The camera kept panning back to her every so often and Chasity had the same thoughtful expression on her face, the smallest smile curving her lips.  The gleam was still in her eyes, but she didn’t move to interfere or anything on Seth’s behalf, due to being a face.  Just as Seth was closing in on the win, the music of Dean Ambrose filtered through the speakers, but he didn’t come down the rampway.  No, he blasted her from behind, taking a cheap shot, with his forearm, knocking her to the mats below before sliding in the ring to start pounding on Seth, beating him down.  Chasity managed to get back to her feet and slid in the ring, holding the back of her neck while stumbling on her feet.  That had been a very hard blow to the back of her head, and she was feeling the aftereffects from it.  She also didn’t see Seth was ziptied to the bottom ring rope…right in front of them.

 

Jon had given the green light on rolling with this idea, even though it had been blatantly obvious neither he or Rollins was totally onboard with it.  Well, he was once Rollins had started protesting; it was hilarious for him, going against the other man.  Dean Ambrose… was Jon amplified by a bazillion and Jon himself was naturally a bit of a wild card.  He had sort of moved from the lunatic, the goofy, fun side anyway.  Still crazy, just now cold-blooded about it.  He bet the textbooks would classify that as some type of psychopath or something.  Turning, his licked his upper lip and caught Chastity by that ponytail of hers, dropping to his knees and forcing her down with him, they were just barely out of Rollins’ touch.

 

“Coming for me?” He sneered, watching as those brown eyes focused on what was going on and Seth began struggling, yelling out empty threats. “You can’t even come for her.”

 

Moment of truth, Stephanie thought, watching as Dean Ambrose twisted that ponytail around his fist to immobilize Chastity’s head, while using his free hand to grip her jaw, forcing her mouth open.  The kiss itself was brief, and she didn’t see any tongue, though it was definitely toying with the PG line.  He kissed Chasity like she was a possession, kissed her like he owned her and wanted to hurt her.  There was nothing loving about this kiss at all.  It was all about power, control and showing her just what he was to him.

 

Something to, in the words of his nemesis Seth Rollins, burn down.

 

Chasity cried out, still trying to regain her bearings from that blow to the back and looked completely disgusted by the kiss he just gave her.  She got one good shot in on the jaw with her fist that connected perfectly, dazing Dean momentarily, and that made something SNAP inside of him.  Dean headbutted her full force, sending her stumbling back since she was trained to take a beating and dish them out.

 

“LET GO OF ME, AMBROSE!” She shouted, struggling with all her might while holding her sore head and Seth was screaming by now, trying to yank his wrist free of the bottom rope. 

 

Dean was basically using her hair like a yo-yo, winding her right back to him as he delivered body shots to her abdomen that sent her to her knees, gasping for air.

 

“ENOUGH, AMBROSE!!  LET HER GO!!”

 

Here was where things got dicey.  They had put their female Superstars in positions to be nailed by the men, but nothing ever like this.  This was a full-out assault and Stephanie was praying this didn’t tank Ambrose, or them.  It was a fine line they walked in these days, the line between treating women just like the men, because female equality was a very big issue, and giving them the same opportunities or positions that usually were delegated to men.  The matter of it was – nobody liked seeing the woman getting beaten by a man.

 

Dean sent Chastity reeling backward when he abruptly released her hair mid-yank, watching impassively as she crumpled to the canvas, her arms wrapped around her stomach.  Breathing heavily, he stormed over to Rollins, getting down in his face. “You still coming, bro?” He taunted, slapping Seth across the face.

 

Despite her pain, Chasity couldn’t let anything else happen to Seth and felt her anger boil over. “GET AWAY FROM HIM!” She screamed, fighting through the pain and delivered a lethal kick to Dean’s lower back, making him grunt out. “It’s ME you want, ME who is coming for you, NOT HIM!  Punish me like you always have, DEAN!” Chasity still held her stomach, which was already sporting some bruising and narrowed her eyes at him, limping over to stand right in front of Seth. “If you want him, you have to go through ME first.”

 

“Chasity, DON’T!” Seth pleaded, looking through the space in her arm to see Dean’s eyes ice over while staring at her. “DON’T DO IT!”

 

Chasity lifted her hands toward Dean and beckoned him in, taunting him. “Show me what you got, Lunatic!” THAT was a bad move because that word was Dean Ambrose’s trigger.

 

“NO!”

 

While pitting Chasity against Dean Ambrose was a great idea, the result was mixed.  She looked fucked up, that bruising already showing, and Ambrose hadn’t been able to curtail it if he had actually bruised his real-life girlfriend.  Stephanie was ignoring Paul blowing up her cell, well aware that unless something drastic happened to turn Dean around later down the line, he was forever going to be associated with the man who had pulverized a woman on live television.

 

And Chastity was outside the ring because he had flipped her over his shoulder and right over that top turnbuckle, breathing heavily.

 

Officials were coming out now, to check on her and to set Rollins free, all of them yelling at Ambrose to get backstage.

 

Not only had Chasity been dumped over the top turnbuckle, but her head had collided with the steel ring steps.  At the last second, due to her ring presence, she had used her hands to avoid being completely split open, but she’d have a massive bruise instead.  This was the only way to get Dean over completely as a bonafide, ruthless, dangerous heel.  Randy Orton had stuck his finger in a man’s ear and TUGGED…there were lines that sometimes had to be crossed to make a storyline work. 

 

Seth was beside her instantly, shoving officials away and lifting her to stand up, draping her arm over his neck.  This would show Chasity’s tenacity and strength – that she wasn’t just some pretty face to follow Rollins to the ring.  Somehow, she wasn’t unconscious and managed to walk to the back, where Dean had already gone and nodded at Seth asking her continuously if she was all right and promising they’d get their revenge on Dean.  The crowd was in shock and cheering them on, booing Dean heavily throughout the segment, which is exactly what all three parties involved, and Stephanie, wanted.

 

Chapter 66

 

When Colby and Chacia reached backstage, Jon was pacing like a madman, his eyes narrowing in on those bruises.  He had done that, without batting an eyelash.  So, on one hand, he was a great, focused actor and on the other… he had beat the hell out of the woman he loved.  There was something really messed up about that.  More messed up was her defiance out there, Chasity provoking Dean Ambrose, was HOT.

 

“Chace, take in a deep breath for me.” Larry ordered his former protégé, not believing what she’d done out there and pressed against the already bruising areas of her abdomen, breathing out a sigh of relief. “Nothing is broken.  You’re lucky, girl.”

 

“Part of the business, old man.” She grunted out, doing her best not to wince and still had her arm around Colby’s neck, slowly removing it.

 

“Uh huh, come on, let’s get you to the trainer’s room to look you over completely.” Larry took over for Colby, who didn’t look worse for wear besides his face a little puffy and his wrist having a red line from the ziptie.

 

Chacia pushed away from Larry, shaking her head and pressed a hand against the cinderblock wall, taking a couple deep breaths.  Nothing she couldn’t handle. “I can walk on my own.” She muttered, not needing to be helped and winked over at Jon on her way down the hall with Larry. 

 

Old man was a worrywart and needed to calm down; this wasn’t her first rodeo and she’d gotten her backside beaten WORSE than this before.  There were zero hard feelings toward Jon because he only did his job to the best of his ability and she would’ve kicked his backside for real if he didn’t pull off that beatdown.  NOW, the crowd would start looking at her as a true face while he was this despicable heel.

 

Bruised ribs were the official diagnosis, which Chacia already knew and only ice, rest and aspirin was the remedy for them.

 

“Man, you could have sold that shit, made it look real without actually messing her up.” Colby had waited until Larry had escorted Chacia down the hall before whirling on Jon. “You need to check yourself, Ambrose, you could have seriously hurt her.”

 

Jon’s ice blue eyes narrowed at the other man and he slowly moved, so they were face to face, gaze raking over the swelling he had left behind.  He should have hit harder, maybe knock out a tooth or three. “If Chacia couldn’t handle it, she wouldn’t be out in that ring, Rollins.” He sneered, pushing Seth’s shoulder with two, hard fingers. “Maybe you should stop underestimating what she’s capable of and mind your own goddamn business before I start minding it for you.”

 

“Or maybe you really DO want to hurt her and send her packing since she beat the shit out of you at that wrestling school.  Maybe this was your revenge against her, and she just doesn’t realize it because she’s so goddamn obsessed with you!” Colby growled, not backing down and shoved Jon right back with two, hard fingers of his own, gritting his teeth. “Maybe you don’t love her at all and you’re just using her AGAIN!”

 

Selling a move wasn’t the same as actually doing a move.  They were both taught and trained with that mindset.  Sometimes, it was best to beat the living hell out of each other with real punches, kicks, stomps, and moves than selling them happening.  It came off as real hatred and animosity between Chasity and Dean, which is what Stephanie wanted.

 

“Payback, you little punk bitch?”

 

A second later, Jon had sent Colby flying backward with a punch coming just beneath the jaw.  Breathing heavily, he stepped forward, his eyes nothing more than icy slits.  He crouched down on Colby’s chest, making sure his weight was on the idiot beneath him.

 

“I LET her do it because, sometimes, you worthless prick, you got to swallow your pride and take your licks.  Not that a fuckin’ weasel like YOU would know anything about that.”

 

“Ambrose, enough!”

 

Jon ignored that, fingers digging into Colby’s cheeks, forcing his mouth open. “You need to move on, chump.  She was never yours and she told you up front where her heart was.  Back off my woman.” And he cemented that sentence by hocking one into Seth’s open mouth.

 

“GOOD!”

 

Security instantly arrived to pull Jon off Colby, who was gagging and throwing up after having that wad of spit sent down his throat.  That was DISGUSTING!  Colby would have to wash his mouth out at least 100 times and prayed he didn’t get some horrible disease!  Stephanie had arrived on the scene, ordering security to send Jon directly out of the building.  She would make sure Chacia grabbed his stuff, but he needed to cool down and chill out.

 

~!~

 

Chacia blinked as Pavana explained to her, via Stephanie, what happened between Jon and Colby, groaning. “Where’s Jon now?”

 

“Outside…with Joe.  He’s keeping an eye on him to make sure he doesn’t come back inside the building.”

 

“Christ, okay.” Gingerly, Chacia stood up from the chair, already showered since it really helped the soreness of her body and had dressed in more comfortable clothes.

 

“Do you want me to help you pack up Jon’s shit?”

 

“Yeah, that’d be a big help.” Chacia would be able to carry it out with little problem, but packing it all up wasn’t conducive to resting after the beating she’d taken in the ring. “Thanks, Pava.”

 

“No problem, hon.”

 

Together, they packed up everything and headed toward the arena exit, when Chacia’s phone decided to go off. “Shit, hold on.” She managed to pull it out of her purse and held it up to her ear, tensing at the voice. “What do you want?”

 

“How does it feel having that POISON course through your veins, Chacia?  You do realize Jon did that on purpose, don’t you?  He WANTS to hurt you.  He’s your poison, just like I said.”

 

“You don’t know him…”

 

“I know him better than you think, girl.” The stalker snorted, tapping his fingers against something hard and smiled viciously. “Just like I know you’ll forgive him because that’s what you do.  You ALWAYS forgive and forget, don’t you?  You ENJOY the poison…”

 

Chacia hung up the phone and shut it off, ignoring Pavana’s questioning expression and continued heading toward the exit, refusing to talk about what just happened.

 

“Hey, hey, Chacia, wait!” One of the other officials came running up, looking a little red in the face. “You have to wait for Seth, okay?  He’s still in the bathroom throwing up.”

 

Not that he blamed the other man, he had seen Seth hurling as soon as Jon had been pulled away from him.  A loogie down the throat was guaranteed to make anyone vomit.  He felt sick just thinking about it.

 

“Wait here, okay?”

 

Pavana rolled her eyes.  Sometimes this kayfabe thing was damn inconvenient. “I’ll let Joe know, he can get Jon out of here.” She had her cell back out, fingers flying.  She doubted tonight was the night for Jon to be left to his own devices, not after that explosion in the hallway.  Jon had always been prone to little fits, but that was…insane, actually.  The uppercut to the jaw… Seth was going to be feeling that for a while.

 

“Shit…” Chacia cursed, not believing she nearly walked outside to be with Jon when there were fans waiting for wrestlers. “Tell him I’ll meet him at the hotel.  And I love him.”

 

Pavana nodded, heading off with Jon’s belongings in hand while Chacia was forced to go wait for Colby.  She’d heard there was an altercation, but had no idea what exactly happened.  Knocking on the door to Colby’s locker room, Chacia pushed it open and frowned at the retching sounds coming from the bathroom.  Wrinkling her nose, she walked right back out and leaned against the cinderblock wall in the hall, seeing all the dirt sheets were already at it about how psychotic Dean Ambrose was. 

 

It made her a little giddy inside.

 

“I hope he’s clean.” Colby muttered weakly when he emerged, his bag over his shoulder. 

 

Showered, mouth scoured, he still felt sick.  He probably looked it too, the underside of his chin all bruised and swollen.  At Chacia’s confused look, he groaned, gathering she didn’t know what had just happened and raked his hands through his still wet hair.  He hadn’t wanted to linger; he wouldn’t put it past Jon right now to not come kill him in a shower surrounded by cement walls.  Colby could just see his blood smearing the dirty floor, being washed down the grimy drain and shuddered, his lips pursing.

 

“He fucking hocked a loogie down my throat.”

 

Her hazel eyes widened at his confession, her hand covering her mouth. “He…what?” Oh Jon, she thought, shutting her eyes to shake her head.  Why did he constantly have to start problems with Colby? “That’s gross…”

 

Chacia really had no idea what else to say, rubbing the back of her sore neck and hoisted her bag over her shoulder.  Apologizing wasn’t the right thing to do, so she just kept her mouth shut and walked down the hallway with him, heading outside toward the rental they would take together.  Tonight wasn’t the night to stop and sign autographs, thought the fans were still screaming for them.  Both of them.  Chacia wasn’t in the mood and Colby was green around the gills.

 

“Want me to drive?”

 

“No, you’re fucking broken.”

 

Colby was usually one of the easiest going people and, tonight, that wasn’t the case.  He was pissed.  That bastard, instead of responding with words, had resorted to fists and bodily fluids.

 

“I’ve got to get tested or something for STDs.” He muttered once they were both in the car, starting it as the safety locks automatically engaged. 

 

It didn’t occur to him, because he wasn’t thinking about anyone except himself right now, that Chacia might take offense because she would obviously have STDs if he did.  Actually no, she wasn’t broken, just sore, but Chacia had to bite her tongue, unable to lash out at him at the moment.  She was silent throughout the entire drive back to the hotel, not saying one word to Colby.  If Jon had STDs, so did she.  He probably didn’t realize his mouth mistake, but he was about to pay the price for it.  Once he was stopped and the car was in park, the door unlocked, she turned to face him.

 

“From now on, whatever happens between you and Jon, outside of that ring, leave me out of it.  I don’t care about your dick measuring contest.  I only care about seeing this line turn out successful, so you two need to get heads on straight and leave your personal shit at the door.  You’re being very unprofessional right now, and so he is, and I will be informing him of that.  And don’t worry about giving me a ride back to the hotel, I’ll find my own broken, STD-filled way from now on.  Goodnight, asshole.”

 

Storming away from the car with her bag over her shoulder, Chacia was at the end of her rope, especially after receiving yet another phone call from her stalker.  At this point, Colby HAD it with Chacia’s stupid obsession with Jon.  He didn’t care anymore.  The woman was retarded and he was beginning to see that he couldn’t fix her because she LIKED being broken and obviously confused.

 

“Yeah, it’s a real dick measuring contest when he’s the only one whipping it out.” He snorted, watching her storm inside, obviously heading up to go get her ass beaten again.  Colby bet that got her off, Jon beating the hell out of her.  It was the only logical explanation for her letting him do that to her. 

 

Did Colby NOT realize it was part of the storyline?  She wasn’t made of glass!  She wasn’t a porcelain doll and she damn sure didn’t need anybody coming to her rescue!  Chacia had nailed a man in the THROAT for TRYING to attack her in a shower, or did he not remember that?  The man, to this day, was still in the hospital because of a severely damaged trachea.  Scowling, she made her way up to the room and walked inside, tossing her bag against the wall to gain Jon’s attention.

 

“What the FUCK did you do to Colby?” She demanded irritably, hazel eyes now flashing at him. “Seriously, Jon?  SPITTING in his MOUTH?  What the FUCK are you THINKING?!  Do you realize what’s at stake here?”

 

“He was talking shit…”

 

“I DON’T CARE WHAT THE FUCK HE SAID!  YOU WALK AWAY!  YOU BE PROFESSIONAL!  CODY TAUGHT YOU BETTER THAN THAT AND YOU KNOW IT!  WHO CARES WHAT HE THINKS?!  WHO FUCKING CARES?!  FROM NOW ON, YOU TWO NEED TO GET YOUR HEADS OUT OF YOUR ASSES OR YOU’RE GOING TO FUCK THIS STORYLINE UP!!  LEAVE YOUR PERSONAL SHIT AT THE FUCKING DOOR, BOTH OF YOU!!” After that eruption, Chacia had actually shoved Jon so hard, he landed on his backside on the carpeted floor.  She stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door so hard, the hinges nearly broke off and the walls shook. 

 

She was LIVID!

 

Jon knew he had issues because instead of being overly pissed, he was more aroused.  Something about this crazy broad manhandling him got him going.  Especially after what had gone down tonight.  Maybe he was a sucker for punishment.  He was angry, but not THAT angry.  He followed her into the bathroom once he heard the shower going, not bothering to shut that poor potentially broken door.  He just got into that shower with her, still in his painted-on jeans and planted her against the tile wall, eyes raking over the bruises on display.

 

And she was still standing, still knocking him down.

 

“Not a word.” He covered her mouth with his before Chacia could start spewing at him again, swallowing all the things she was probably going to say.

 

Chacia was not in the mood for this, too angry and upset from what happened with Colby and then that stupid phone call from the stalker.  However, that pull was back in full swing, as always, and she couldn’t fight him off or push him away, no matter how much she wanted to.  He deserved to be yelled at and shoved for being stupid, irresponsible and unprofessional at work!  The water was ICE cold and it did nothing to quell the fire Jon started inside of her, ignoring her own aching, sore body.  Her legs remained around his waist as the cold water beat down on both of their heated bodies, the friction of his jeans against her nethers only heightening her desire for him.  Hands were caressing and reaching every available speck of flesh offered until her arms finally wrapped around his neck, pouring every ounce of feeling into the kiss neither refused to break.

 

She may not have initially been in the mood, but by the time Jon’s jeans were unsnapped and down far enough to release his throbbing dick, he didn’t even need to check to see if she was ready.  This icy water wasn’t doing anything to cool either of them down or stop the surge of lust flowing through them both.  Gripping her wrists in one hand, he raised them up and over her head, pinning them to the tile shower wall while he raised a knee up to support her.  His free hand moved between her legs, caressing her nethers, sliding up and down her slit.

 

“You’re soaked, darlin’…” And warm, and slick, and he slid two fingers into her core, feeling her hips arching into him.

 

“No shit, what are you gonna do about it?” Chacia retorted through gritted teeth, wiggling her wrists to try to break free of his grip, but it wasn’t happening. 

 

It was a tight vise and she was literally stuck where she was at.  Her body was bruised and sore, but it was about to have a delicious ache added to it.  A punishment she did not mind receiving, no matter what had happened to her.

 

“Oh god…” Slamming her eyes shut as he snapped his hips forward to bury his cock inside of her, Chacia knew this would not last long. “That’s it, Jon, fuck me…fuck me as hard as you can…” If he wanted to take his anger and frustration out on her willing body, instead of hocking loogies down Colby’s throat, she would gladly let it happen. “Goddamn it, harder!!”

 

Jon had every intention of repeating that loogie stunt, only he was going to do it at the next pay-per-view.  Knowing damn well that would be some epic heel move and she could rail at him all she wanted, but it would happen.  He bent his knees just a bit, hoisting her up to angle her hips a little, the leeway giving him the ability to pound her to her heart’s content.  The sound of flesh smacking flesh in this shower was music to his ears.

 

“Such a greedy little cunt, Chace…” His eyes were fastened on the sight of said greedy little cunt swallowing him whole and she was so damn tight around him, it made his teeth grit.

 

“Damn right…and only for you.” Chacia breathed out, feeling his hand release her wrists to hold onto him for dear life. 

 

If she was broken, if this was how a broken woman was supposed to feel, she never wanted to be pieced back together again.  Colby could go fuck himself for all she cared, after those horrible remarks he made!  She whimpered out as they crossed the threshold between pain and pleasure from how lethal and powerful his thrusts were.  If she wasn’t holding onto him, she would’ve been bucked off him, but thankfully, the shower wall prevented that from happening, along with the tightening of her legs.  Jon literally slid her up and down his cock, making her somewhat bounce and she cried out, feeling her climax building.

 

Chapter 67

 

An hour later, they lay in bed, both soaked from the shower, staring up at the ceiling just trying to catch their breath.  More Chacia than Jon since her abdomen was still bruised and sore from those body shots he’d given her.  Now that her anger had drained away, guilt replaced it and she frowned, recalling shoving him on his backside before storming into the bathroom.  Chacia didn’t know what came over her, but she’d been so enraged and shoving him had honestly helped relieve some of it.

 

“S-Shit…”

 

“What?” Jon asked, looking at her and then taking in her heaving chest, eyes trailing down further. “Shit, darlin’.” Now that the anger and issues from earlier in the night had been vented in what was probably not a smart way for her, he was more relaxed and chill. “I’ll get some salve, Chace.” He rolled out of the bed and padded, naked and hanging free, to his bag, rifling through it to retrieve the tub of salve pretty much everyone carried around.

 

“I wasn’t saying shit because of my bruises.  They don’t even…” Chacia sucked in a sharp breath when he pressed on one and smacked his hand away, scowling. “Hurt.  Jackass.”

 

She didn’t stop him from beginning to spread the salve on her abdomen, however, and looked up at him, wondering if now was the time to tell him about the stalker contacting her.  No, definitely not.  He was calmed down now after they had vented their anger and frustration on each other’s bodies.

 

“You did really well tonight.  Now the world HAS to believe you as a full-fledged heel and treat you like one.  I’m proud of you, I know it couldn’t be easy for you to do this to me, but it was the right call.”

 

“Yeah, I know.”

 

It was surprisingly easy, but he wasn’t going to tell HER that.  He had thought he would hesitate, to not want to lay hands on her, and he didn’t have any of those issues.  It kind of made Jon, now that he wasn’t all hyped up, wonder if they had some serious issues or something, or maybe just him.  Did he enjoy abusing her?  No because, right now, he felt like a dick.

 

“Man, I’mma be known as a woman abuser.” He sighed mockingly. “When it’s really the other way around.” Jon laughed, bending down to kiss one of the bruises before covering it with the salve.

 

Chacia chuckled back at him, sighing out at how wonderful the salve felt against her bruises and pulled him down for a sensual, soft kiss. “I love you.  No matter what.  No matter what happens in this feud between you and Colby.” She caressed his bearded face tenderly and pulled back to sink further into the bed. “Okay, you can go back to pampering me and tending to my wounds now.” She giggled at his mock groan and smacked him lightly on the chest.  Then, the giggling stopped and Chacia became serious, her eyes mirroring it. “Jon?” He looked up at her and she sat up a little, leaning on her elbows. “You don’t…resent me for what happened between us at the wrestling school, do you?  I wouldn’t blame you if you did…”

 

“Wait, with you beating my ass?” Jon asked curiously, shrugging when she nodded, pulling back, so he was sitting on his knees a little. “Darlin’, I hate to break it to you, but I let that happen.  I’m very much aware you can hold your own and would give me a run for my money.  But all I had to do was just say fuck the wrestling and lay your ass out and it would’ve been over and done.” He wasn’t bragging, it was a fact.  Of course, one well-aimed blow from her could do the same, but Jon was pretty confident if push came to shove, he’d win. “I knew I fucked up, Chacia.  I knew you were going to be mad at me, and with every reason, I… I felt like I owed you, and I know better than most that beating the shit out of what’s hurt you usually makes it feel better.  Or at least it made me feel better,” He grinned slightly, shrugging a shoulder. “Andddd… it’s hot, knowing you can knock me down to size if need be.”

 

“I know you let me beat you up.  I kind of wish you didn’t now.”

 

Chacia didn’t feel good about that and never would, even though it had landed her a job with WWE.  She didn’t care how ‘hot’ it made Jon; she didn’t want anyone simply handing her things without earning them.  That beating she gave Jon wasn’t earned, he had simply let it happen and didn’t fight back at all.

 

“Maybe you’re not the poison.  Maybe I am.  Maybe I’m the reason you and Colby can’t seem to patch things up.”

 

What if the stalker had it all wrong?  What if SHE was the poison being injected into Jon and she was slowly killing him?  Where had THAT thought come from?  Sliding from the bed, Chacia ignored the way Jon was looking at her and grabbed her bag before padding into the bathroom to get dressed.  Why was she suddenly having doubts about all of this?  Deep down, Chacia knew why and it was both Colby and the stalker’s fault for getting into her head, for allowing them to.

 

Poison?  Jon remembered that being scrawled on that hotel wall last year and frowned, rolling out of the bed and followed her.  She wasn’t getting dressed in the bathroom just because, she was hiding from him.  They spent more than enough time nude for the shy factor to be long gone.  Hell, he had even woken up one morning to her being on her period while she was still asleep and that had been a new experience for even him.  Not a squeamish one because he knew that it was natural and all that, but the point was: shyness wasn’t really a thing.

 

“Darlin’,” He leaned his still, and the rest of the night remaining, nude ass in the doorway, staring down at her. “Why would you think that?”

 

“Because ever since I came back into your life, it’s been turned upside down.  I’ve screwed with your job, I’ve screwed you over by beating you up, even though you let it happen and I screwed up by actually thinking I could be with your coworker and former friend instead of you.” She had ticked each reason off on her fingers, dressed in panties with a nightshirt in her hands, foregoing the bra.  It would hurt too much since her abdomen would be very sore come morning.  Second day was always the worst. “And now with this storyline, and you beating me down, you’re going to be branded a woman beater as you said.  There’s just nothing I’ve done, that I can think of, that’s benefitted you or helped you, Jon.” This stalker was really in her head, making her second-guess everything, including her relationship with Jon and she hated him for it. “Colby called me broken tonight…and maybe I am.  Maybe he’s right…”

 

“What the fuck?” Jon asked, amusement in his tone as he smiled at her. 

 

She had wanted him for years and now that she had him… she was second guessing it, and herself.  Strange woman.  Sighing, Jon reached out and cupped her face between his hands, the same hands that had beaten the hell out of her earlier.

 

“I love you, Chacia.” He said simply, hoping she believed him. “Having you in my life has been nothing but a blessing, darlin’, and that’s the truth.”

 

“Really?  You really believe that?” Chacia sighed against his lips when he kissed her, resting her hands on his chest and pulled back enough to wrap her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. “I love you so much, Jon.  I just want to be good for you, that’s all.  And I feel like I’ve been screwing everything up really bad.” He held her close, assuring her everything was fine and that made her feel a little bit better. “Sorry, I guess I let Colby get in my head tonight with what he said.” Along with the stalker, though Chacia was taking the phone calls she’d received from that psycho to the grave.

 

Jon wanted to ask her about Colby and what the loogie swallowing asshat had said, but he already knew not to be pushing those buttons.  Not after they had made up after her losing her temper earlier for what he had done backstage.  He kissed the side of her Chacia’s head, his eyes closing.  Apparently, Colby hadn’t learned his lesson about opening his mouth.

 

“Don’t doubt me, Chace, I’m not going to let you down again, I promise.  Don’t doubt us.”

 

His words were so heartfelt and powerful, they forced tears to burn her eyes.  The salve had done its job and she no longer felt soreness or any kind of pain. “I told him…don’t worry about giving me rides to the hotel anymore.  I don’t care that I have to pay for my own rental, I’m not riding anywhere with him again.  We can leave the arena separately, that won’t break kayfabe and, even if it does, I don’t care anymore.” Deep down, she did because she didn’t want this line ruined, but Colby had severely pissed her off tonight. “I’m sorry about shoving you, Jon.  I was angry at both of you for being unprofessional, but I had no right doing that to you…and I need to work on my temper…” She sniffled, a few tears sliding down her cheeks.

 

“Are you kidding me?” Jon began mopping up those tears as best he could with his fingers, shaking his head. “Chacia, you got this wrong… you don’t have a temper, not really.” Hell, she was one of the most patient people he had ever known, easygoing almost to a fault.  The woman was not hard to get along with by any means. “You had a rough night,” Understatement of the year. “And you got stuck in the middle of our, mine and Rollins, shit.  I’m sure he’ll… be back to normal in the morning.” Happy go lucky, backbiting idiot that he was.

 

“Yes, I do, are you really that forgetful or have you taken too many blows to the head, Jon?!  Remember my blowup at Stephanie, who I thought was the stalker calling my phone?  I nearly BLEW my damn career with that stunt!  And now I’m shoving you on your ass because of that bastard upsetting me!  I just…” He was right, it’d been a very – VERY rough night and nothing sleep couldn’t fix.  She hoped anyway. “Okay – okay, you’re right…I’m sure everything will work out as it should.”

 

She wiped the rest of her tears away and took his hand, guiding him out of the bathroom, flipping the light off.  They crawled into bed together with her removing her nightshirt and panties before snuggling against him under the covers, her back against his chest with his arms around her.  Chacia didn’t need anything more than this man spooned up against her right now, holding her close and soothing her the only way he knew how.

 

As far as Jon was concerned, that blow up with Stephanie was for a damn good reason.  She had been getting those phone calls and assumed it was the stalker; it was a logical assumption and the timing had been right.  He wondered if maybe this was the McMahons playing a game with her and then discarded that idea.  Vince, back in the day, sure.  He would have found this amusing, maybe.  The man had a very weird sense of what would sell.  Stephanie being pregnant with his kid came to mind, the day he learned THAT rumor -that that’s the line Vince had wanted to run- had blown his mind.  He listened to the sounds of Chacia’s breathing beginning to finally even out, knowing she was falling asleep and closed his eyes.

 

~!~

 

Over the next month, things had gone rather smoothly with the line and Dean Ambrose was a full-fledged hated heel.  Every person in the audience booed him whenever he came out and, unfortunately, he was dubbed a woman beater.  Chasity had gotten some kind of revenge during the last pay-per-view event and nailed Dean right between the legs with a kendo stick, allowing Seth to pick up the victory.  It was her payback for what happened to her and she’d bided her time, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.  Of course, prior to this happening, Chacia had discussed it in depth with Jon, who asked her not to do it too hard or else serious damage could be caused.  She was a professional and made it LOOK real, but honestly, the kendo stick never once touched his junk and Jon was a tremendous actor.

 

Things with Chacia and Colby were very tense, but once they were out in front of the cameras, all of that was left behind.  He had taken her word to heart about leaving the personal animosity and crap at the door and so had Jon, both deciding they didn’t want this line to fail.  She had taken her own vehicle to and from the arena, traveling with Jon whenever she could, but it wasn’t often enough.  Also, Chacia still hadn’t gotten enough time off with Jon to do the move to Vegas.  Cody had tried calling her and she sent him straight to voicemail, not wanting anything to do with her cousin for a while.  Maybe he would learn his lesson not to stick his nose where it wasn’t wanted.

 

Another month passed and then another; pretty soon WrestleMania was on the horizon for the company.  It was Dean Ambrose VS Seth Rollins for the Intercontinental championship and Chacia was stoked to be apart of this.  It was a no-holds-barred match, which meant pretty much anything went.  Outside interference included.  Imagine everyone’s surprise when none other than Samoa Joe came to ringside and began stalking Chasity around the ring, snatching a microphone from the ring announcer, Jojo, with a sick smirk on his face.

 

“Nice to finally meet you…Chasity.”

 

That voice!  Chacia, not Chasity, but Chacia’s mouth dropped wide open as she stared at Samoa Joe in shock, both Jon and Colby out for the count in the middle of the ring currently.  She kept backing up from him, slowly going around the ring and began moving up the long, long ramp. “What do you want?!” She shouted at him, her hands up and prayed either Colby or Jon got up to help her from this psychotic bastard.

 

Samoa Joe grabbed her by her ponytail and yanked her flush against his body, the microphone up to his mouth again. “I warned you and you didn’t listen to me.  And you don’t even know the REAL story of what REALLY happened.  But you’re about to find out.  First, though, I’m gonna send a message to the Lunatic Fringe and the so-called Kingslayer.”

 

He proceeded to slap the Coquina Clutch on her and dropped to the ramp with Jon and Colby just now moving in the ring.  It was too late, however.  Samoa Joe had put Chacia to sleep and left her lying prone on the ramp with him walking away, laughing maniacally.  However, he had whispered something in her ear prior to her passing out, making sure she heard him clear as day.

 

Unfortunately, she wouldn’t be able to tell anyone until she woke up from his attack.

 

“What the fuck, Stephanie?!” Jon railed when he was backstage, having had to do something extremely hard and waltz right by Chacia on that rampway.

 

After the match had ended, with him the winner, just barely because things had gone to hell after that unscripted event occurred, neither he nor Colby had known what to do.  Jon had practically danced around her prone form.  He was the heel; he had stayed professional and, while circling and laughing, his eyes had been taking in her body, looking for signs of damage.


”Now, Dean-” Stephanie was waiting as well, knowing it would be Seth carrying Chacia through that curtain if he even could.

 

He could, just barely.

 

Chacia was slowly waking up, her vision blurry at first, but once it cleared, and she knew they were in the back, she headbutted Colby without a second thought.

 

“WHAT THE FUCK, CHACIA?!” Colby dropped her like sacked potatoes, making her scramble away from him while still trying to fully wake up from Samoa Joe’s attack. “I’M NOT HIM!”

 

“I know you’re not.” Chacia was helped up by Jon, who was right there to wrap an arm around her waist and immediately began looking around. “I-It was him.  It was Samoa Joe, the one who’s been calling me…and threatening me.  Calling Jon poison, breaking into my hotel room and sending disgusting gifts…it was all him.”

 

Stephanie’s eyes widened in shock, not believing the accusatory words coming out of Chacia’s mouth. “Are you absolutely sure about this, Chacia?  If we do an investigation…”

 

“Every cell phone should have a way of finding deleted numbers and text messages.  They’re not always fully gone, even when a person deletes them.  If you check that bastard’s phone, you will find all the times he’s called and texted me.” Especially the closer they came to WrestleMania, which she hadn’t reported to anyone because Chacia just wanted to focus on the upcoming event.

 

Stephanie ordered security to go hunt Samoa Joe down, wanting him in her office immediately and folded her arms in front of her chest. “That doesn’t explain why you just attacked your partner…” She was really curious about that, arching a slow brow.

 

“I know…” Chacia didn’t want to have this conversation out in the open in gorilla position like this, still a little woozy from Samoa Joe’s attack. “Let’s go to your office and talk…just you, me and Jon, if that’s possible…” Colby could go burn in all eight circles of hell, for all she cared, and she hoped he had a migraine from that headbutt she gave him.

 

Stephanie sighed warily and gestured for them to follow her while Colby went to grab some ice for his sore head.

 

Chapter 68

 

Once in her office, Stephanie closed the door and folded her arms over her chest, studying Chacia. “I’m going to let you know right now, that whatever you’re about to tell me had better be really, really good.  I can have security bring Joe to me, but I can’t DO anything without proof.  I can’t search his phone, all I can do is call the police and, even then, they are going to want a probable cause, Chacia.”

 

She wasn’t trying to be a bitch, but she had to make sure everyone was on the same page here.  The calls, the gifts, and all of that were evidence of SOMEONE, but they couldn’t go around pointing fingers either.  Joe had been out there, yes, but whatever he had said to Chacia was between them and… circumstantial – he said, she said.  It wasn’t right or always fair, but that was the way it worked.

 

“Now,” She sat down. “Explain Rollins.”

 

The justice system was a joke, plain and simple and Chacia knew that better than most.  Hell, look at the type of environment, the lives, her and Jon had growing up.  Life indeed wasn’t fair, but he deserved to hear this because it revolved around him.

 

“Before I went unconscious, Samoa Joe whispered something in my ear…something about Jon’s attack.  The attack that sent him out of the company for 8 ½ months and nearly cost him his career.” She could FEEL the tension build in the office and inhaled a shaky breath, taking the bottled water Stephanie slid her way. “Jon…h-he told me that Colby is the one who…orchestrated it.  Colby paid him off to injure you…to send you out of the company.” Something told Chacia that bastard never wanted Jon to return from his injury.  He wanted him gone, for good. “And then he told me to enjoy my dose of reality and poison before everything went dark…” She headbutted Colby based on what Samoa Joe told her, which pissed her off because she was Jon’s physical therapist and knew EVERYTHING the man had gone through to get back to the WWE.

 

Jon remained quiet, his entire face going blank and walls up in his eyes, mulling over her words.

 

Stephanie didn’t even know what to think.  She admired and liked Chacia, but this was some heavy stuff being laid out by her newest acquisition. “Okay,” She took a deep breath, folding her hands on top of the desk. “Let’s… let’s think about this, from all sides.” She wasn’t even sure where to begin. “Why would Joe tell you all of this?” This honestly sounded like one of her storylines.  Or her Dad’s.  Rikishi plowing Stone Cold Steve Austin with a car came to mind. “Joe isn’t even on RAW.” This made no sense, she began rubbing her temples, feeling a migraine coming on.

 

Actually, it did make perfect sense and it was obvious Stephanie had forgotten a very important fact regarding Jon’s injury. “When Jon was attacked, Samoa Joe WAS on Raw at the time.  He only went to Smackdown! because of the ‘Shake-Up,’ the company did.” Once again, her knowledge from the WWE Network was coming into play. “It was the Bar – Sheamus and Cesaro – with Samoa Joe in the backstage area during Jon’s attack.  Samoa Joe is the one who rammed Jon’s arm into an equipment trunk and injured it.” Granted, Jon had been having issues with his arm for a month prior to the attack, but the attack is what ultimately sent him packing, from what he’d told her. “Colby and Jon were a team back then, I get that, but…think back to the interview he did right before Jon returned.  Think back to what happened to him right after Jon was sent out of here with that injury.  He was CATAPULTED to the top of WWE and became the Intercontinental champion.  And then he spouted that bullshit about Jon in that interview, saying Jon’s injury was a ‘blessing in disguise’ for his career!  If you really – REALLY think about it, this all makes perfect sense.  What if Samoa Joe was paid off to take Jon out by Colby, so he could have a successful single’s career instead of being stuck as Jon’s tag partner as two-thirds of the Shield?  Why would he tell me this if it wasn’t the truth?  And how would he know about the poison shit unless HE was the one who was calling, texting and sending me those ‘gifts’ all this time?”

 

“I hear what you’re saying, and it makes sense, and then it doesn’t make sense.  We have nothing tying either of them to this other than an interview and what only YOU heard, Chacia.  No law enforcement agency is going to take any of this seriously without something concrete.  Not to mention, this stalker has been one step ahead of you.  Finding out all your numbers, where you’re going to be and when that information isn’t exactly easy to obtain.  If this all happened as you allege, then most outside sources are going to look at it as being-”

 

“Kayfabe.” Jon said finally, his tone calm and cold. 

 

Kayfabe – that nonsense that should have gone out when the PG rating had come in.  As soon as people left the building and the cameras were off, kayfabe should’ve been dropped too.

 

“Now… Jon,” Stephanie was using his real name because she was concerned. “Don’t go doing anything stupid…”

 

Honestly, Chacia had known for a while it was someone within the company screwing with her, stalking her, trying to get her to leave the WWE.  She had no idea who it was, obviously, until tonight. “Well, now you know why Samoa Joe broke script and was out there.”

 

He wasn’t supposed to be anywhere NEAR the Intercontinental championship match since he was STILL on Smackdown!.  This was a Raw match and Chacia could see the frustration and confusion on Stephanie’s eyes.  She could also feel the overwhelming RAGE oozing out of Jon’s pores and stood up from the chair, seeing he never took a seat.

 

“Hopefully, you can do some investigating and find out if he’s the stalker or not.  Anything you need from me, just say the word, Stephanie.”

 

There was no point arguing with the woman because this was all based-on speculation and what Samoa Joe said to her.  Stephanie was right, as much as Chacia hated admitting it and she felt completely helpless in this situation, suddenly.  Stephanie saw the change in Chacia’s face, how she had gone from confident in her assessment and conclusion on this entire matter to… almost a defeated, helpless look and that was just strange.  It didn’t suit Stephanie’s image of Chacia at all.

 

“We are going to do an internal investigation, Chacia, I promise.” She said gently, knowing the reality bombshells she had dropped probably hadn’t helped anything. “And if we find ANYTHING that we can use to get the police to open an investigation, we will use it and we’ll let you know.”

 

That was the best she could do, for now.  She would definitely be having words with Joe and Rollins.  Stephanie was now texting her husband, letting him know the situation and that she wanted him present for those meetings.  Jon wrapped his arm around Chacia, drawing her into him.

 

“If you find ANYTHING,” He said, half mocking her words. “Let me know and I’ll just save you the hassle of getting cops involved and handle them myself.”

 

“He did it, Stephanie.  I don’t know how I know, but…we need to contact that man again, the one that tried attacking me in the shower.” She pulled away from Jon, beginning to pace back and forth, chewing her thumbnail. “I know you think Colby is innocent when it comes to that shower incident, but…something doesn’t add up to it.  How could he have soap in his eyes for at least 5 minutes?  I think that investigation should be revisited too because I know this is all connected.  And if what Samoa Joe said is true, that Colby paid him off, why wouldn’t Colby pay off someone to attack me?” It was right after she’d told him she cheated with Jon, a little TOO coincidental. “I’m sorry if I’m stepping out of line with my accusations, but…I wouldn’t be myself if I didn’t tell you what was on my mind and what I truly believe.  After Joe’s confession tonight, I’m almost positive Colby is behind all of this somehow.  Hell, he could be paying Samoa Joe off to send me those threats, calls and text messages.” She took a deep breath, wrapping her arms around herself and had determination written all over her face. “If that asshole who tried attacking me can talk, he needs to be questioned, is what I’m trying to say.”

 

“Duly noted,” Stephanie said dryly, not looking up from her cell. “The man from the shower incident cannot be questioned again because he’s in the hospital, still.  The only reason you were never charged with assault is that we agreed not to press charges for trespassing and we’re footing the bill.”

 

Because nobody could prove jack besides the man hadn’t worked for the company on his shirt and he had been outside the shower, not doing anything.  If he had been planning on it, well… they would never know because Chacia had gone on the defensive, as any smart woman should.

 

“For now, I want you to forget this conversation happened, don’t go discussing it to ANYONE, and leave Joe and Colby to me.  Jon, that goes for you too.”

 

“Sure thing.” He was lying through his teeth. 

 

Stephanie had to play even stevens and not assume sides right out the gate until she had more information.  Her hands were tied a bit by her own position.  Jon, on the other hand… didn’t have those issues.  Frowning, Chacia followed Jon out of the office and didn’t say a word to anyone, his hand clasped tightly with hers.  Her adrenaline was the only reason she was wide awake right now…wide awake and scared out of her mind. 

 

This was all connected.  She could feel it in her heart, but of course, nobody except Jon would believe her.  That night in the shower room still haunted her because of Colby being there first.  Did Colby pay that guy off to dress as a janitor and attack her in the shower?  Jon had assaulted her in a shower, but she thoroughly enjoyed it and let him pleasure her.  She sat down on the bench, mulling over everything that happened since her debut in the company. 

 

The shower incident, which was right after her and Colby called it quits because she cheated on him, the text messages, phone calls and threatening gifts, not to mention breaking into her hotel rooms, which is why she shared one with Jon now…what if Colby was behind all of this?  What if Colby was the poisonous one, not Jon?  Putting her head in her hands, Chacia could only take deep breaths to keep herself calm while Jon paced a hole in the locker room floor.

 

It wasn’t a matter of believing her or not, it was a matter of solid proof, inscrutable evidence.  Chacia could piece together her assumptions and explain the logic behind them - it did make sense - all day long, but no proper law enforcement official was going to take someone’s ‘word’ without anything else to back it up.  It was just how life worked.  Maybe not fair, but that was the deal.  And what the heartfelt… well, that was just grounds for automatic ignoring, especially coming from a woman.  Really not fair.  All of this sounded like a crazy storyline and she could have run with it if not for the fact that this situation had been going on behind the scenes for months and Jon had been documenting it all for her.  They had always checked with hotels, about who was coming and going, but nobody ever had anything for them.  Stephanie groaned, rubbing her temples as she looked blankly at the wall.  If nothing came of questioning Colby and Joe, maybe they’d have to set a trap and use Chacia as bait.

 

There was always more than one way to catch a rat.

 

To say Jon was upset was an understatement.  Not only had he lost the Intercontinental championship at WrestleMania to Colby, but his woman just told him the same guy had been responsible for his injury.  Chacia knew better than to talk to Jon right now, knowing he was seething over the news, but she refused to keep THAT from anyone, including the bosses.  When she’d woken up in Colby’s arms, she reacted instinctively by headbutting him, wanting to hurt him as much as he hurt Jon.  Chacia really wanted to confront Colby about this and find out the truth, but he would more than likely lie to her face anyway.  Not to mention, Stephanie ordered them both to keep their mouths shut until the investigation was over with.  It was a waiting game at this point, though Chacia wondered if Jon even believed what Samoa Joe told her in the first place.

 

Of course, Jon believed her. As wild and outlandish as it was, it also had a lot of truths in there and he had never known Chacia to be someone who exaggerated or lied, ever.  He had known her most of his life, or so it seemed, a liar was one thing she was not.  She kept things from people, but usually out of what she deemed necessary, not lie.  Not to mention he had been saying for months that Colby was a shady, untrustworthy motherfucker.  This was just proving him right as far as he was concerned. 

 

Finally, Jon yanked her into his arms, kissing her passionately and making sure everything he was feeling was poured into it, including his belief in her.  His intensity, anger, and hardness were met with soft, gentle compliance as Chacia wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing his body against hers.  She felt everything conveyed in this kiss and wanted to assure him she understood.  Jon had no reason not to believe her.  Tonight was supposed to be a celebration because she’d finally made it to WrestleMania – they both did.  Even if they were opponents on-screen for the show, tonight was supposed to be happy and the culmination of all their hard work paid off. 

 

If Colby was behind all of this if he was the true mastermind behind the shower incident, Jon’s injury and Samoa Joe stalking her…and she had to continue working with him, Chacia didn’t know how she would deal with it.  Eventually, while kissing, she felt the anger and hardness melt away from Jon, which was what Chacia wanted.  Taking a chance, she broke the kiss, her lips incredibly swollen and slid the pad of her thumb across his, which were full of her red gloss.

 

“I’m not gonna hold you back.  If you want to absolutely destroy him, do it.  Make him pay.  Just…don’t destroy your own career because of him.  You’ve worked too hard and too long to get here, Jon, you hear me?” She pressed her forehead to his, breathing him in and felt his arms tighten around her more. “I’m right here with you…” He was trembling and she didn’t blame him, knowing it was his way of trying to hold back his rage for Colby, for Samoa Joe, for everything he’d endured during his recovery. “Tell me what to do.  Tell me what to do to make this better and I’ll do it, Jon…”

 

“I’m a heel, darlin’,” Jon chuckled softly, the sound at odds with the way his body was currently behaving.  He was tense, on edge, though that was all physical.  His mind was somewhat calm, the ice taking over. “If I destroy him, it’s going to be in that ring.” Where it would be legal, and he could lay it all out as an accident and nobody would say boo.  Things happened, it was a fact, and even though WrestleMania was over with, there would be ample opportunities and more events in the future to get his revenge. “You just do what you got to, Chace, we’re going to get through this.”

 

“I don’t want to work with him anymore, Jon.  I know I have to, and I will be professional and do it, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

 

Chacia wanted to drop Colby like a bad habit and have Chasity side with Dean, but she had a feeling Stephanie wouldn’t go for that idea.  Not unless it was forced, which would mean breaking script and possibly getting fined or suspended.  Would that be so bad?  The company would have to go with it, regardless, and it wouldn’t stop Cody’s school from getting the recognition it currently did.  Unless the company fired her and let her out of her contract.  Was that a risk she was willing to take? 

 

Nothing else would change except Dean and Chasity would be a force to be reckoned with in WWE.  That was a delicious thought, her hazel eyes gleaming at the possibility.  The fact that Chacia was new would be seriously pushing some buttons, there was a very real chance of her being fired if she pulled that stunt.  Jon was safe; he was a proven draw and he was a wild card in ring and backstage anyway.  Jon took in the way Chacia’s eyes gleamed, cocking an eyebrow.

 

“What’s going through your mind, darlin’?” He asked curiously, though he would admit to being pleased that she didn’t look so damn defeated again.

 

That was not a look he wanted to see on her.

 

The thing was Chacia had been in the company for over 4 months now and had somewhat established her character on television.  She had a fanbase growing too and did signings alongside Colby with her own line of fans.  The WWE had even put out a t-shirt for her that coincided with Colby’s, but it was still one of the top sells for merchandise.  Sometimes, rules were meant to be broken.  Sometimes, risks had to be taken. 

 

Zero risks, zero rewards.

 

“It wouldn’t happen right away,” She paused, mulling over how to say this and tapped her chin thoughtfully. “But EVENTUALLY, what if Dean Ambrose and Chasity screwed Seth Rollins over?” They had worked together in HWA flawlessly and their chemistry had shown throughout this feud with her by Colby’s side. “Keep in mind, I’d only do this if that bastard turns out to be behind everything that’s happened, including hurting you.  Would you be okay with that?”

 

“Sure, I’m okay with that, but I’m also not about to be fired.” She had only been doing this for a few months or so and tied to two top men.  Jon wasn’t sure if that was enough to save her because nobody knew how valuable Chasity was as a solo character in the women’s division. “When we do, we should definitely say it was my idea.” And save face for Chacia, just in case everything went south.  Stephanie wasn’t one to suffer her ideas and lines being messed with. “Mmm,” He ran his hands down her sides, pulling her into him. “I like the way that wicked mind of yours thinks, darlin’.”

 

“As I said, we’re not going to do it right away.  What fun would that be?” Chacia rubbed her nose against his, stroking his somewhat still sweaty muscular, bare chest and softly kissed him again. “Stephanie told me last week at Raw they want Chasity to start performing in the ring, to see her skills.  So, I think I’m going to have my first match on Raw tomorrow night.” It would take a while before this whole Seth fiasco was figured out and the truth came out. “I really wish my character was a heel.  I really hate being a face.” She sighed heavily, pressing her forehead to his chest briefly and heard Jon chuckling, nipping his pectoral muscle teasingly. “Quiet, you.”

 

“I’ll be ready when the time comes, don’t worry.”

 

Chapter 69

 

“You will be having your first match tonight on Raw.”

 

“Okay.” Chacia stood in Stephanie’s office alone, both women deciding it would be best not to bring Colby into any of HER business when it came to the company from now on. “Against who?”

 

“Alexa wants to see what you have to offer, so track her down and you two come up with a game plan.  Your match will be around 7 minutes long.” That was standard for women these days when it was just a debut match.  Chasity hadn’t wrestled since her debut 3 months ago and it was time to rectify that. “Are you ready for this?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Stephanie smiled at the confidence in Chacia’s eyes, glad this situation with Colby and Samoa Joe hadn’t deterred her from her job. “It’ll be third on the card, so make sure your makeup and hair are done before the show begins.”

 

Chacia decided to go there now before a line began with the other women wrestlers, glad she had her wrestling gear with her at all times.  Smoked eyes, dark red gloss, and foundation with her hair braided back to hang over her shoulder.  Walking into the locker room she shared with Jon, behind closed doors, Chacia didn’t see Jon anywhere and grabbed her bag, heading into the bathroom to change into her wrestling gear.  Then, she headed down to talk to Alexa about their match that night, already thinking of a few moves they could incorporate from her arsenal to put into the match.  Her wrestling attire was crisscrossed in the back, dark red velvet with a V-shaped neckline and it was a two piece.  The top rested just at the top of her ribcage, showing her feminine abs and shorts were the bottoms, along with knee and elbow pads, black boots on her feet.

 

Chasity had been regularly mixing it up, in non-matches, but skirmishes with Dean Ambrose.  So, while the women were wanting to test their mettle against her, there was some speculation that Chasity was going to wind up being the female version of John Cena or Roman Reigns.  Unstoppable.  A superwoman.  While on one hand, it would be interesting to see a female in that position.  On the other… Cena and Reigns had been crammed down throats to the point where fans had hated them for the longest time.  It was a catch .22 for the women’s division.

 

Chasity was, so far, in a league of her own.

 

“Hey.” Alexa greeted when she spotted the other woman, flashing her a smile. “Steph told you then?”

 

“Yeah, I’m looking forward to it.  I wanted to talk to you about a few things I’m rolling around in my head and listen to your suggestions.  You’ve been here longer than me, so I’m not expecting to go over.” Paying dues, she was old-school and firmly believed the veteran should win.

 

“Actually, I think it should be you that goes over.” Alexa disagreed with that because of how unstoppable she’d been by the side of Seth Rollins, fighting tooth and nail with Dean Ambrose. “I think with how strong your character has been against Dean Ambrose, it wouldn’t make sense for me to beat you.  I don’t mind putting you over either.”

 

Chacia frowned, fighting the urge to chew her bottom lip because this made her nervous. “But you’re a multi-time women’s champion, on both brands.  You’re also on a level all your own and I don’t wanna tamper with that…”

 

“Oh, don’t worry, I’ll make you fight for it,” Alexa smirked, glancing at the clock and wondered if someone else was in the ring right now. “Come with me.  Let’s go see if we can practice a couple moves together.”

 

Chacia followed her out the door, excitement bubbling in her stomach.

 

“See, we are banking on you being the next ‘Superman’, only it’d be more like Wonder Woman, you know?” Alexa admitted as they walked towards the ring entrance. “And while it kinda sucked in the beginning for the guys who got stuck with that role, they were also the faces of the men’s division.  Since they’re letting you steamroll Ambrose, it doesn’t make sense for you to suddenly get your ass handed to you by the rest of us.” She was cool with putting over Chasity; it just wasn’t legit for the woman to be beaten by someone who could not go toe to toe with Ambrose.

 

“But I haven’t been steamrolling him.” If anything, it was the other way around, though she’d gotten a few lickings in. “Look, I know that video that came out may LOOK like I beat the hell out of him, but the truth is…he let me do it to him…for personal reasons I don’t want to get into.  I don’t want to be a ‘Wonder Woman’ of the women’s division because I honestly don’t think I’m that good.  Not compared to others on the roster, like you.” There was SOME animosity directed towards her from various women on the roster because of how she came into the company, but for the most part, the majority of the women were supportive and cheered her on. “I really hate that footage, but at the same time, I love it because it’s what got me here today.  Bottom line, I wouldn’t feel right going over you since I’m still a rookie.  I was trained the old-school way, to pay your dues and keep getting up, no matter how many times you get knocked down.  And by the way, there’s already a ‘Wonder Woman’ in the women’s division by the name of Ronda Rousey, I thought?”

 

“Yeah you’ll probably wind up steamrolling the rest of us and going toe to toe with her, it’ll be interesting to see.” Alexa waved off the old-school comment, shaking her head. “It doesn’t really work that way anymore, though it’s cool you respect the old school methods.” It was not something that was seen very much anymore, especially in the women’s division considering a lot of them hadn’t necessarily trained the way Chacia had. “If it makes you feel any better, you won’t be the first or the last to get put in the instant win spot.”

 

Chacia frowned, not wanting to be handed everything on a silver platter.  She wanted to EARN her way here with hard work and skill.  She wanted people to actually THINK and BELIEVE she deserved to be here, not because of some ridiculous footage.  Alexa would make her earn it, Chacia had not a doubt in her mind or hoped she read the woman right anyway.

 

“All right…” She had no idea what else to say as they walked through gorilla position and up the stairs to the curtain that lead out to the ring.

 

“Oh good, there’s nobody in the ring right now.  Come on before it gets taken over by someone else.”

 

Chacia jogged down to the ring with her and slid through the bottom rope with ease, once again feeling that exhilaration pump through her veins.  That feeling would NEVER get old. “All right, so what kind of moves did you have in mind?”

 

“How about we spar a bit and I’ll tell you some of them?  Or show you?”

 

“Sounds good.”

 

They were being watched as they sparred, from the nosebleed section.  A video camera with incredible zoom features showing clearly the two women going back and forth.  It was pretty even.  Chacia was good, there was no doubt about it, but so was Alexa.  If they were in an even match, there was no telling who would necessarily win, but… usually, matches were predetermined.  There was so much give and take, the women talking it out as they worked through the sparring.  By the time they were done, the footage that had been taken was already being moved, ready to be passed over for editing.  It would show Chacia DOMINATING Alexa almost seamlessly, squishing the other woman like a little bug.  When that was done, it would be uploaded on YouTube and there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that it wouldn’t go viral, just like the video of Dean Ambrose getting his ass handed to him had.

 

An hour later, both women were breathing heavy, sweaty and had satisfied expressions on their faces, shaking hands. “That was really good.” It felt good to be able to be in a ring wrestling instead of standing outside of it like a bump on a log.  The most action Chacia had seen since her debut was helping and defending Colby against Jon. “I think if we that do exactly tonight, the fans are gonna be very happy with the outcome.  The offer still stands for you to go over, Alexa.”

 

“Nah, I’ve got plenty of wins under my belt and you have this coming.  You deserve to win.”

 

Chacia hugged the woman tightly as a way of saying ‘thank you’ and both exited the ring to go get fixed up by the makeup and hair stylists before the actual show that night.

 

That would be perfect. This video of Chacia squashing Alexa would air after the show, but the match would show Chacia winning. It would be like a double win, it would be great.

 

“You look hot and sweaty.” Jon commented when he saw Chacia ducking into his dressing room since she’d had a ‘fuck it’ moment and was avoiding Colby. 

 

Not that he blamed her.  Colby was avoiding HIM and that was both amusing and depressing.  Amusing because it meant Colby wasn’t a total idiot.  Depressing because Jon really wanted to get his hands on that little punk bitch.

 

“Mmm, you smell like you’ve been in the ring…” She smelled like a workout, and another woman’s body spray. 

 

He ran his nose along her neck. 

 

As long as she wasn’t breaking kayfabe, there was no reason to share a locker room with that scumbag.  She’d rather share a room with Jon anyway, just like she did at the hotel and they’d basically tossed their ‘keep the relationship out of the workplace’ out the window, not that she minded.  Jon didn’t either; they were happy with the arrangement.  Chacia stopped what she was doing to savor a moment with her man, closing her eyes at the feel of his nose against her skin, his hot breath on her ear.

 

“That’s because I have been.” She remarked in a soft voice, shivering when his lips brushed the spot just below her ear and one of his strong arms wrapped around her waist to pull her flush against his body, back against chest. “Jon, don’t start what you can’t finish…” Her tone held playful warning as his arm tightened around her, his lips burning a trail down her neck to her shoulder. “I have a match tonight and so do you, so no sex until later at the hotel, mister.”

 

“It’s a pre-match workout, darlin’, there’s plenty of time,” That and Jon kind of liked the idea of her doing a segment or something with Colby, smelling like she had been sexed up.  He was backing Chacia up into the wall, making sure nothing was in her way, so she didn’t trip and planted his forearms flat against the wall along either side of her head. “You sure?” He rumbled, leaning in to brush his nose against hers before returning to her neck.  Cocking his hips against her, feeling her body responding to him, Jon let a hand drop to cup her sex, grinding his palm against her teasingly.

 

The makeup and hairline were insane when Alexa and Chacia returned from the ring, so they both decided to wait and come back in a little while.  Chacia did have a backstage segment to do with Colby at the beginning of the show, which would be aired live, but that was still a few hours from now.  She hissed out against his hand, sucking her bottom lip between her teeth and battled internally with herself on what to do.  To fuck him in the workplace before her segment and match or not to?  Her hand shot down to stop him, wrapping around his wrist and pulled it away from her nethers, refusing to let her wrestling attire be ruined.

 

“Is the door locked?” She asked, breathing a little heavy and watched him walk over to flip the lock on it, the predatory gleam coming over his eyes.  How could she resist him?  Her shorts were already off along with her top, leaving her completely naked to his hungry vision and took his hand to place it against her stimulated sex again. “Better make the pre-match workout count and hope to hell your thighs don’t give out during your match tonight.” A woman’s thighs didn’t need to do nearly as much work as a man’s.

 

It would be Jon suffering, not her.

 

The moment he plunged inside of her and they both rode that wave of ecstasy, every other thought flew out of her mind except the man buried balls deep inside of her. “Oh, Jon…”  She kissed him to muffle her moans as much as she could, not wanting others to overhear what was going on in here.

 

~!~

 

Raw kicked off and Chacia had gotten her makeup and hair redone, also checking to make sure her attire didn’t smell of sex.  There was no time to shower after the pre-match workout with Jon, but she didn’t mind smelling like him.  She had asked Pavana if she smelled like sex and the woman had laughed at her, high fiving her for losing her ‘arena virginity’ and that made Chacia blush furiously.  Even though she didn’t SMELL like sex, she had the afterglow from it, a ‘freshly fucked’ look, according to Pavana, and it worked for her with the look she had going.  Chacia thanked Pavana, popping some tic-tacs in her mouth and headed to Colby’s locker room to do their segment, which would be aired live after the first match of the night.  They would basically be talking about her match against Alexa Bliss and Colby would be sporting the Intercontinental championship.

 

Considering Chacia had been avoiding him like the plague, unless absolutely necessary, things were tense as hell between them.  Colby sighed when he heard the knock on his open door, not looking up because he already knew who it was.  He had spoken with Stephanie and Paul, pleaded his case that he was totally innocent and, whatever was said between the power couple and Joe was beyond his paygrade.  Stephanie was keeping things to herself, which kind of made him worry but he couldn’t worry about that right now.

 

“You ready for this?” He asked flatly, standing upright from where he had been bent over, looking through his bag.

 

She wanted to ask him, to confront him, about Jon, but Stephanie forbade it.  Chacia had to keep her mouth shut, even though it mentally and emotionally pained her to do it. “Yeah, as always.” She was a professional, didn’t he know that by now?  It’d only been 24 hours since WrestleMania, but yes, she had avoided him and would keep doing so, no matter the circumstances. “I already went over my match with Alexa, practiced with her in the ring, so everything should go smoothly tonight.” The camera crew walked in to prepare to set up for them and Chacia watched Colby nod before shutting her eyes to get into character. 

 

To become Chasity.

 

They were going to talk about her upcoming match, her first actual match and not just his glorified valet.  She was a bit like Nicole Bass had been, as an enforcer, only way hotter and definitely not a man figure Bass had been.  He shuddered, remembering watching that woman in 90’s on the television.  They would also be discussing WrestleMania and what had happened, the shit with Joe, his win.  He inwardly sighed, staring down at her.  She was in her character, he could see that, though the flames weren’t just around her eyes but in them tonight.

 

“All right, Seth and Chasity, commercial break is just about over.  You two ready?”

 

Chapter 70

 

Chasity nodded, busy slowly wrapping her hand in tape while Seth pranced around the locker room with his newly won title.  A title he didn’t even deserve.  The cameraman counted backward from 5 and there was an up-close shot of Chasity’s intense face while she continued wrapping her hand with tape, ripping it off with her teeth.  Seth was going on and on about his match with Dean and how he couldn’t believe what a coward Samoa Joe had been to come down and attack her the way he had.

 

“It’s fine, Seth.” She began wrapping her other hand and stood up when his hand landed on her shoulder. “I said it’s fine!” She snapped, pointing a finger at him with that same fire in her hazel eyes. “Tonight, I’m gonna take my frustrations out on Miss Bliss and make her EAT her words about me.” Alexa had done a pre-match promo that was aired on YouTube for the whole world to see before Raw went live. “And if Samoa Joe has any brains left in that skull of his, he WON’T get in OUR business tonight, at all.”

 

“He doesn’t have anything between his ears except a lot of empty space.” Seth snorted, flicking his wet hair back from his forehead, shouldering HIS Intercontinental championship title as he stared down at her still raised finger.  His free hand moved to grab her hand, slowly lowering it and didn’t let go. “What happened last night… it won’t happen again, Chasity.  You’re going to defeat Alexa, and we’re gonna burn it down tonight.  Bank on that.”

 

“Damn right, we are.  That’s what I like to hear, Kingslayer.” It was Chasity’s favorite nickname for her partner since that was what the company called him.  The Architect fit too, but Kingslayer just rolled off the tongue better. “And I hope you realize someone ELSE is going to be gunning for us too, especially you.” She tapped the title with her knuckle lightly, watching the darkness take over Seth’s eyes for a moment before diminishing. “We need to stay focused and watch our backs.  You never know when the LUNATIC will strike next.  He’s going to want revenge for what happened last night at WrestleMania.”

 

“That Lunatic,” The disdain just rolled off Seth’s tongue, making it very obvious how he felt about Dean Ambrose. “Is probably licking his wounds back at whatever asylum he actually lives in.” Well, Vegas WAS kind of an asylum.  Only people who were insane wanted to live in that den of vice and sin, crimes and drugs.  It fit a lunatic like Ambrose. “If he actually shows up tonight after LOSING, I’ll be surprised.” Gauntlet thrown.

 

Seth had no doubts that Ambrose would accept the challenge.

 

“Just like I’ll be sending Miss Bliss back to whatever hole she crawled out of after tonight,” Chasity promised, the camera panning in on their faces before cutting back to the ring, ending the segment.

 

The cameraman told them it was done. 

 

Chacia stepped away from Colby instantly to give them space and finished wrapping her hand, nodding at the technician letting her know her match would be after the next commercial break. “Got it, I’ll head down now.”

 

Not bothering to say anything else to Colby, she ripped the tape off with her teeth and tossed it on the nearby bench.  Heading out to gorilla position, Chacia once again closing her eyes to get into character.  When her music hit, ‘Down with the Sickness’ by Disturbed, Chasity stormed through the curtain with determination written all over her face, ready for this match.

 

Jon was watching intently from the back, all ready to go, even though it would be a while before he was needed ringside.  He knew he was going to be ‘caught’ coming in after this match and sighed when he was called from the hallway.  So much for seeing her technical debut, well, the wrestling debut opposed to being Seth’s ‘partner’.  Jon knew Stephanie had security in the building to make sure Samoa Joe didn’t show up or anyone else, but all things considered, he didn’t trust Stephanie’s abilities to do anything besides book matches at the moment.

 

The match went as planned, the women pulling off the moves flawlessly, each giving and taking.  It wasn’t an all-out massacre like the YouTube video, which was now uploaded on the Internet, showed.  After the match was over, with Chasity getting the pinfall, she went to shake hands with Alexa, only for the blonde, who was a heel at the moment, to flip her hair at her and storm out of the ring up the rampway.  Chasity was left standing in the middle of the ring, her hands on her hips and shook her head, the crowd booing Alexa until Disturbed blared through the speakers again. 

 

Fighting the urge to roll her eyes at how easily manipulated the crowd could be, Chasity rolled out of the ring and froze at the sound of Dean Ambrose’s music taking over the arena.  Chasity made a run for it through the crowd, leaping over the barricade with ease and did not stop until Dean was in the ring, with a kendo stick in hand.  She pointed at him, or rather who was behind him, and when he did, Seth was waiting with a ripcord knee followed by a Curbstomp, holding the Intercontinental title above Dean. 

 

Chasity made her way back to the ring and wrapped an arm around Seth’s waist, feeling him kiss her forehead as they stood tall over Dean.  Then, Seth did something totally unexpected and actually kissed her, shocking Chacia out of character.  He broke script!  Chacia, not Chasity, backed away from him and touched her lips with her fingertips before rolling out of the ring, stalking up the ramp to the back and left Seth standing there with question marks swirling around his head. 

 

HE WASN’T SUPPOSED TO KISS HER!

 

Well, Colby mused as he glanced down at Jon, she had finally dropped her professionalism.  Come on now, he had kissed her forehead, sometimes took her hand, hugged her, wrapped his arm around her… this was just natural progression taking place as far as he was concerned.  He leaned on the ropes, watching as she disappeared behind the curtain before sighing and turned to watch Jon climb to his feet.


Jon was met with that title belt to his head and dropped right back down, the crowd roaring for the Kingslayer.

 

NO, COLBY WAS THE ONE WHO DROPPED THE PROFESSIONALISM!!  HE BROKE SCRIPT!!  Storming through gorilla position, nobody said a WORD to Chacia because she looked ready to explode, her face a dangerous shade of red.  Stephanie immediately pushed Chacia into her office, not believing Colby broke script and planned on fining him to hell and back for it.  This put her in quite a pickle though, especially after what was uploaded on YouTube during her match with Alexa Bliss. 

 

Chacia couldn’t sit down, pacing like a caged animal and tightened her fists at her sides, knowing Jon would KILL Colby the first chance presented to him.  She would let him too!  That bastard had NO RIGHT kissing her in front of all those people, on national television, in front of millions!!  WHAT THE HELL?! 

 

When he was backstage, Colby was instantly directed to Stephanie’s office and he knocked once.  Stephanie’s very crisp ‘come in’ told him he was in trouble and he sighed, shouldering the title before stepping inside.


“Explain yourself.”

 

“I was in the zone and it seemed like a good idea.” Colby shrugged his shoulders like it wasn’t that big of a deal.

 

“It seemed like a good idea…” Stephanie echoed slowly. “I’m going to fine you, you know that, right?”

 

“Okay.” He reached up, tracing a finger along the very lovely goose egg Chacia had given him backstage the night before. “You do that.  While you’re at it, I’d like to start a complaint against your new hire,” She wasn’t exactly new, but she hadn’t paid enough dues to be called anything else. “You might want to have her see a shrink or something.  Attacking that janitor was one thing, but then she got me last night, both based on her feelings or just because.”

 

Stephanie inhaled sharply.  This little toerag was going to go tit for tat and he probably wasn’t wrong if he went over her head.  At least, he wouldn’t appear to be wrong.

 

“Don’t fine him, Stephanie, it’s fine.” Chacia smiled serenely, walking up to him with gleaming hazel orbs. “It’s fine.  Jumping script is no big deal.  He was in the moment.  He thought it was a good idea.  It’s fine.  Just like, this is fine too because I’M in the moment.” She suckerpunched him right in the gut, making Colby drop to his knees gasping for air. “I don’t give a FUCK if I’m new here or not, I will END you if you EVER pull that shit out there again, mother fucker.  I know it was you that set up that whole shower incident too, to try to either get me fired or suspended or out of this company.” She looked at Stephanie, raising a brow. “Go ahead and fire me if you want, but he deserved that.”

 

“Just get out of here and I’ll handle it.” Stephanie pinched the bridge of her nose, watching Chacia storm out of her office and shook her head at a still gasping for breath Colby. “You DID have that coming, Rollins.  Get out of here, you’re not fined, but if you pull that shit again, I WILL suspend you and you WILL be stripped of that precious title at your feet.”

 

Chacia didn’t feel any better and left the arena, her blood boiling off the charts.

 

“You better take care of her.” He rasped, pulling himself to his feet. “That’s the second time in two days she’s laid hands on me just because she can’t control herself.”

 

If Stephanie didn’t handle it, Colby was definitely going over her head.  Being assaulted by a woman with temper issues, when he was an established performer and draw, was not going to look well for either of these broads, especially if Stephanie was allowing it to happen.  He stormed out of the office, leaving Stephanie there to sit and really think about where this was going to wind up.

 

Now, on one hand, Stephanie could’ve fined and suspended Chacia, but she remembered her father’s words very clearly.  The inmates were running the asylum.  Up until this point, she had tried to keep order within the company, not wanting it all to go to hell.  But THIS – THIS was what her father wanted to see…this intensity, integrity and raw emotion.  She smirked wickedly, tapping her fingernails on the desk and watched the footage uploaded on the WWE’s YouTube website again.  NOBODY knew who had done this because everyone was feigning ignorance, and nobody came forth with the truth. 

 

Now that Colby broke script on Chacia, things would be tense between them from here on out, so maybe…maybe it was time to spice things up a bit.  From the moment Chacia came into the company as her character, Chasity, Stephanie FELT the heel tendencies and wondered if they could salvage this somehow.  The footage clearly showed Chasity beating the hell out of Alexa, though she had a feeling it had been tampered with to make it LOOK like that.  Their match on Raw hadn’t looked anything like this annihilation.  It couldn’t be ignored either, it was up there, and fans had already started commenting on it. 

 

What to do, what to do…

 

~!~

 

Wow, Jon mused, staring at his cell, watching the video.  He scrolled to the comments already showing up and whistled, shaking his head.  He hadn’t been watching the sparring session, but he was fairly certain Alexa was not going to take THAT kind of a whooping.  Someone really didn’t like Chacia and Jon groaned, knowing there were two people who hit the top of that list.  When Jon got back to the hotel and told her to look at the WWE YouTube page, Chacia balked at the footage in front of her.

 

“What the fuck?  That’s not how it happened!” She exclaimed, burying her head in her hands and gripped her hair between her fingers tightly. 

 

What the hell was going on?!  Why was this even allowed to be put on the WWE YouTube page?!  Alexa was going to hate her now and she had NO control over this!

 

“This is BULLSHIT!” She slammed the lid of her laptop shut and stood up from the couch, fresh out of an ice-cold shower and began pacing. “Our match was NOTHING like that!  Someone cut that to make me look like a goddamn monster!” This would NOT bode well with Stephanie because she was supposed to be a face and that footage just showed she was a fully-fledged heel. “I’m so fucking fired over this…”

 

Jon stared at Chacia, his eyes carefully neutral because right now she did not need his personal opinions on the matter so much as someone to just be there for her.  She wasn’t even that far into her WWE career and she was already being screwed with.  The fact that there were rumors going around back about her potentially being charged for assaulting Seth Rollins not once, but twice… well, he figured Rollins deserved it, but he was also heavily biased.  Someone inside WWE had posted that and, last he knew, nothing got posted without the media department head’s approval.  On some things, that had to be run by Stephanie or another McMahon first.

 

“If it’s on the company’s page, you’re not fired.” He said quietly, walking over to rest his hands on her shoulders.

 

Was this Colby’s doing too?  Chacia was convinced Colby was behind everything and working with Samoa Joe, but there was no proof.  Zero.  Without proof, her hands were tied and Chacia shrugged Jon’s hands off her shoulders, not wanting to be touched right now.  She was pissed – she’d never felt this much rage in her life and, usually, she was cool, calm and collected, always taking things with a grain of salt.  Colby had SCREWED with her career tonight by jumping script and kissing her.  And now this footage was on YouTube for the whole world to see, which was the OPPOSITE of what actually took place in the ring on Raw!  She didn’t care about the rumors regarding assaulting Colby either because the bastard deserved it for pulling the stunt he did! 

 

What woman WOULDN’T defend herself?! 

 

This was just like the shower incident all over again!  Why couldn’t women defend themselves against these cocksuckers?!  If it was a man doing that to Colby, nothing would’ve been done and it would’ve been swept under the rug, but because a WOMAN defended herself by sucker punching a man…it was a huge deal.  Nothing had changed about the business as far as the equality between men and women, no matter how much this ‘revolution’ claimed it had!

 

“I need some air.” She grabbed her purse and stormed out of the room, leaving Jon alone to ponder his own thoughts while she took the stairs to go outside, just needing to be by herself for a while.

 

Honestly, that kiss hadn’t had an impact on Chacia’s career one way or another.  There had been fan speculation about the nature of Seth and Chasity’s relationship outside of their mutual hatred for Dean Ambrose.  And suckerpunching him in the office long after the fact, on top of headbutting him out of seemingly nowhere, those were the things she should be worried about.  Word got around fast in this company.  Jon groaned, sinking down onto the bed and buried his head in his hands.  Maybe he was poison for her; she had never had these issues in her life, this worry and doubt, and lack of control until he had announced his love for her and things had just… spiraled.

 

Headbutting Colby was due to the fact she’d JUST found out, from Samoa Joe, what kind of lowlife, scumbag he was.  He deserved that headbutt and he DESERVED to be sucker punched in the stomach, after breaking script on her!  Chacia wasn’t worried because, if worse came to worse and the company fired her, she’d just go back to Cincinnati and resume her life as normal.  Her dream in WWE would be over, but…at least she got to experience a little taste of it.  Instead of going outside for air, Chacia drove to the nearest 24/7 gym and headed straight for the punching bag. 

 

She had on shorts and a tank top, it was good enough to workout in and she’d even grabbed her tennis shoes on the way out the door.  Pulling her hair up to pile on top of her head, Chacia began beating the crap out of the bag, picturing, envisioning Colby’s smug face and Samoa Joe, alternating between them.  What happened with Colby was her fault – she took responsibility for that and he’d lied to her about being her friend.  He was keeping her close because she was his enemy ever since cheating on him with Jon.  Samoa Joe, on the other hand…Chacia had NO idea what his agenda was, and it scared her because she had no idea what would come next.

 

This was almost too easy.  He could practically read the thoughts as they flashed across her face.  She was beating that bag like it owed her money; he could only imagine who she was seeing with those lethal shots.  He wasn’t dumb enough to get close or let her see him; he was well aware of what she could do with those lethal knees of her.  How stupid was Ambrose?  Letting his precious woman out of his sight after everything that had gone down lately?  He would have kept that precious pussy under lock and key, just because every time she set foot outside, something seemed to just… happen.

 

Stopping, Chacia could feel she wasn’t alone and sensed it in the air, hazel eyes narrowing.  It was just like the shower room incident…that same feeling washed over her, only this time the building was lit up where she was at.  There were no lights out moments and she could clearly see what was coming. “I know you’re there!” She called out, sweating profusely as droplets slid down her cheeks, not bothering to wipe it away.

 

“Come out and face me like a man instead of hiding in the shadows like a punk bitch coward!” Chacia challenged, squaring her shoulders and could hear the shuffle of footsteps, her irritation level rising.

 

It was an employee, trodding in almost meekly at the irritation in her tone. “Ma’am, did you need help?” He asked quietly, pushing his long, lanky hair back behind his ear.

 

He was a third shift employee and the gym was usually empty at this hour.  To be honest, his customer service skills were pretty non-existent.  She looked furious and he cowered a bit, wondering if she was one of those bodybuilders they sometimes got, jacked up on roids and ready to mess anything up.

 

This was hilarious.  He was filming it, trying not to snicker.  As if he was going to reveal himself?  That made things too easy, and easy was boring.  WrestleMania had put Chacia up on both the defensive and offensive.

 

Shutting her eyes, Chacia had to take a couple deep breaths and held her hands up, cracking a hesitant smile. “Sorry, I thought you were someone else.” She murmured in a softer voice, seeing the fear and hesitance in the boy’s eyes. “I didn’t mean to frighten you, what’s your name, sweetie?”

 

“R-Ryan…” The man stammered, clearing his throat to try not to show how truly terrified he was.  He took a step back when she took one forward, arching a brow. “I-I don’t want any trouble…”

 

“Don’t worry, Ryan, I’m not going to cause any trouble, I promise.  I really thought you were someone else, so I’m just going to take my leave, all right?”

 

Her hands were up in surrender, not moving toward him and kept the soft smile on her face.  She wasn’t jacked up on steroids and actually had a very feminine physique, not overly muscular like past women in the WWE.  The fury in her face and eyes had been replaced with kindness and understanding at the man’s trepidation.

 

“I’m just gonna use the bathroom really fast and then I’ll be on my way.”

 

“O-Okay…”

 

“Thank you.” She grabbed her bag and hoisted it over her shoulder before heading to the bathroom, gritting her teeth at whoever just made a fool of her AGAIN.

 

Ryan made his way back out to the front, spotting the front doors closing and assumed someone had come in and, since nobody was at the desk, had left.  He let out a slow, shaky sigh.  Third shifts were kind of scary, maybe he’d find something else, during the day, with fewer people.

 

Chacia was amusing.  This hadn’t been in the cards, not originally, but… after promises had been broken, he had decided to go freelance as it were.

 

He was going to get his one way or the other.

 

Chapter 71

 

Over the next several months, Chacia was stuck with Colby and didn’t say anything to him outside of work.  They didn’t come to the arenas together or hang out, she was extremely tense around him and it had started showing on-screen.  Chacia couldn’t help it, trying to work through this, but several other videos had popped up on YouTube.  One a week.  Showing, pushing her heel tendencies, her inner nature and the character she truly wanted to be.  It was maddening feeling like she was being watched and constantly having to look over her shoulder.  Jon was right there with her, tensed and coiled, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.  To make matters worse, Samoa Joe had been placed back on Raw and he was currently feuding with Jon, leaving Colby to do his own thing.  It was almost as if the company was trying to sway Jon from the Intercontinental championship, which didn’t sit well with him or Chacia.

 

The only GOOD and POSITIVE thing to happen was Chacia moving out of Cincinnati to Vegas.  Jon made it clear this was THEIR home now and if she wanted to redecorate, she was more than welcome.  Chacia didn’t want to change anything because she liked the way his house was, though she added little knick-knacks and blankets, just small things to make it even more ‘homey’.  They really didn’t have enough time to be home these days because of how much they traveled and were on the road.  It was always nice to visit their home once or twice a month, which wasn’t a lot of time off and both were fine with it.  At least she was moved into their house and no longer resided in Cincinnati.

 

Tonight was very important for her.  It was her versus Ronda Rousey for the Raw Women’s championship.  Chacia had bulldozed her way through the women’s division and now, two of the top powerhouses in the women’s division were squaring off at Summerslam.  It was her one year anniversary since starting with WWE, not that the fans knew that fact.  Chacia stood in Colby’s locker room, bouncing from one foot to the other, getting pumped up for her match and watched the camera crew walk in again.  Another backstage segment.  Great.  She rolled her eyes, not bothering to close them to get into character because…she already was in it. 

 

Seth was talking out of his backside about how tonight.  HIS woman would be the new Raw Women’s champion and he would be holding the Intercontinental title high in the air, once he destroyed both Dean Ambrose and Samoa Joe in the ring in the triple threat match for HIS title.  They would OWN Monday night Raw and nobody would be able to stop them.  When he mentioned being in her corner out in the ring, Chasity stopped what she was doing and turned to face him, her hazel eyes cool, calm and focused.

 

“I don’t need you out there tonight.  For once, Kingslayer, tonight isn’t about just you.  It’s also about ME and claiming what is rightfully MINE, what I’ve busted my ass for since I stepped foot in this company, in a wrestling ring, in general.  And I’m gonna do it by myself.  And then, we can hold our titles up in the air at the end of the night proudly.” The Universal championship was on Braun Strowman, the Monster Among Men and he was in a current feud with Drew McIntyre, so neither Dean or Seth had gotten opportunities at the main strap.

 

“Sounds good, Angel.”

 

Once the segment ended to be aired during the pre-show, as every pay-per-view had, Chacia nodded at the camera crew before walking out of Colby’s locker room, not saying a word to him like always.  She had kept her head down, minded her manners, bit her tongue and had to pretend to actually enjoy being in his corner, when the harsh reality was, she didn’t.  Not at all.

 

It was insane because since those videos, Chasity had been pushed as a monster and it was because of those damn videos.  She wanted to be a heel, that was just who she was, but she was more like a fricking superhero demolishing everyone in her path.  Jon could feel her pain; he lived with her and saw the irritation and how upset she was that people were pulling strings.  He was waiting for her to bust out the scissors and cut it; he would back any play she made, and he made sure she knew it.

 

She had him, as probably unhelpful as that was, in her corner.

 

Stupid videos had influenced her career to go in this direction and, because of it, resentment from the women in the locker room had grown a little.  Alexa was still her friend, along with Pavana and a few others, but the majority of the women could not stand her.  They hated getting in the ring with her because she was the woman version of Roman Reigns.  That SUCKED.  Even though she was amazing in the ring and had quite the skillset, hardly any of the women wanted to battle with her because of the outcome.  She wasn’t undefeated, but her win record was pretty impressive since she’d only been in the WWE for 9 months.

 

When it came time for her match, Chacia made her way down to gorilla position to make her entrance, determination, and intensity written all over her face.  She posed to the fans, who cheered her on since she was a face and awaited her prey.  Ronda came out, not really a heel or face since she was in-between and catered to the fans before stepping in the ring.  As soon as the bell rang, the match was on with each woman coming to blows in the center of the ring, neither budging or giving an inch to the other.

 

Unlike Roman Reigns, who had been booed regularly during his massive push as the current company version of Superman, Chasity was still cheered.  She was being shoved down throats, but the people loved her.  It was insane and showed how different things were between the men and women of this business.  Seth Rollins came out after the match was underway, determined to show his support to his woman, who was going to win that title.  She was steamrolling the women’s division, it was obvious that she was going to wear that gold around her beautiful waist.  He shot her a wink when Chasity gave him a brief, confused look before returning her attention back to Ronda.  Ronda was a powerhouse and incorporated her MMA into her wrestling style.

 

This was definitely a match for the ages.

 

That little bit of distraction was all it took for Ronda to gain the upper hand on Chasity, who had the champion down prior to Rollins coming out here.  Chasity was livid, managing to get back to her feet with a kick-up and delivered a knee to Ronda’s face, sending her flying back into the turnbuckle.  The match continued with both women trading back and forth, move after move, and Chasity was closing in on victory.  They both stumbled back into the referee, knocking Pavana out of the ring momentarily as she hit the floor with a thud.  It was completely accidental.  Instead of helping her, Seth left her laying there and grabbed the Raw Women’s title, blasting Ronda in the lower back with it as soon as she bounded off the ropes to nail Chasity with a forearm.  Pavana was up just in time to see that take place, looking confused because it wasn’t scripted, but she had no choice except to throw the match out, disqualifying Chasity. 

 

It was possibly the most devastating blow of her wrestling career as Chasity sat on the mat in the middle of the ring with wide eyes and a dropped jaw.  Seth came into the ring to try to explain himself, but the huge screen replayed what happened…what HE did.  UNSCRIPTED!  AGAIN!  Chasity slowly turned her eyes back to Seth, boiling hatred piercing her hazel orbs as Seth apologized up and down for what happened.  Instead of hitting him and risking being fined or fired, Chasity merely backed away and jumped out of the ring, stalking up the rampway.

 

The gears in Chacia’s head were already turning, planning her next move for later that night.  Colby was about to get a RUDE awakening in his Intercontinental title match against Jon and Samoa Joe.  He didn’t realize just how much he screwed up and she could hear the crowd chanting ‘YOU FUCKED UP!’ at him on her way to the back.

 

If not for the fact that that was HIS woman, who had just gotten screwed out of that title, Jon would have found that hilarious.  The look on her face, the wide-open mouth, the overly large eyeballs.  It was like a caricature of Chasity; the shock was written all over her face followed by a brief glimpse of her crushing disappointment.  Not amusing, because she had been busting her ass off for this almost all her life and Seth Rollins had totally blown it for her.  He could hear voices outside of his dressing room door, stepping out.  That hadn’t been scripted; nothing ever was anymore.  Stephanie was really running with that ‘let the inmates run the asylum’ schtick her father had started.  Well, that was working out GREAT for them.  He began making his way through the halls, going to find his woman.

 

Chacia was SEETHING and already knew nothing would happen to Colby.  There would be no fining or suspending him for breaking script, AGAIN!  Since he wanted to break script on her…Chacia shut her eyes, standing under the ice cold sprays in the locker room, trying to calm down.  Her tears ran with the water and she didn’t want to be coddled or pitied, pressing her hands against the wall to dig her nails into it.  Her entire body was trembling from head to toe and it had nothing to do with the cold water, feeling ice running through her veins.  Gritting her teeth, Chacia nodded as if convincing herself what she was about to do was right.  She could’ve thrown a major fit and complained, moaned and bitched about being screwed over.  No, that wasn’t her style.  By the time this night ended, Colby would REGRET the day he ever laid eyes on Chacia Davis.

 

Jon returned to the locker room, shaking his head when he heard the water running.  They were sharing dressing rooms now, she had no fucks to give about kayfabe and, to be honest, he never had.  He had thought he’d go meet her, and instead… he had missed her, he was a bonehead.  Jon slipped into the bathroom, leaning against the sink as he watched her shower, silence reigning between them.  It was an old-school shower, three walls, and an open door.

 

“Want me to kill him for you, darlin’?” He offered finally.

 

Shutting the shower off, Chacia stepped out with her head down, her hair hanging around her face, over her shoulders and down her back, shaking her head. “No.”

 

She took the towel he handed her, wrapping it around her body and walked past him out of the shower, going straight to her bag to pull out clothes.  Taking her towel off, she could feel Jon’s eyes on her and really hoped he didn’t think she was in ANY kind of mindset for sex.  No, she wanted to KILL, not have sex.

 

“I’ll take care of it.  Just focus on your match tonight.” She ordered in a low voice, wearing an off the shoulder black top and black jeans, pulling her black boots on to start lacing them up.  Telling Jon her plan wasn’t an option as she took another deep breath, her blood boiling all over again when the monitor replayed what Colby had done to her.  Screwing her out of the Raw Women’s championship. “Mother fucker…”

 

Sex was the last thing on Jon’s mind.  He had his own match tonight to worry about.  This three-way dance wasn’t going to be a cakewalk because neither of his opponents really cared for him.  On or off the screen.  What sucked was the fact that both of them had their own personal issues with him and he could easily see the pair teaming up on him to take him out and Jon wasn’t putting up with that.  He had every intention of walking out the Intercontinental champion tonight.  Jon had hoped they’d be celebrating their wins tonight and that definitely wasn’t in the cards.  Flipping off the monitor, he knew that wasn’t helping anything and turned to finish getting ready, letting her deal with her issues.  There wasn’t much he COULD do besides just being here for her when she needed him.

 

An hour later, it was the triple threat match for the Intercontinental championship and Seth sauntered out to the ring, with the title over his shoulder, Chasity by his side.  She pointed at him, smiling, and didn’t look enraged at all.  It took her a little while, but she calmed down and got her head back in the game, needing to cheer her man on.  Being his glorified valet since that was all he wanted her to be.  The match began and she stayed in Seth’s corner, clapping, cheering him on and slowly letting her anger fester and build with each passing second. 

 

Seth was closing in on the victory with Samoa Joe out for the count at ringside.  A triple threat match had no rules, no disqualification and there HAD to be a winner.  Drake was the referee for this match, and he’d seen what Seth had done earlier in the night to his friend.  Chasity could tell Dean was getting the upper hand and grabbed the title belt they were fighting for, crawling on the apron to get in the ring.  Seth reversed the move from Dean, nodding at Chasity to give him the title belt. 

 

Oh, she gave it to him all right. 

 

The smile melted off her face as she shoved Dean away and blasted Seth right in the face with the title belt, making the fans drop their jaws as the shock filled the air.  Chasity turned her attention, her gaze, on Dean Ambrose and walked over to him with the title belt, who also looked bewildered by what just happened. “Finish him now.” She ordered, tossing the title at him and watched as he delivered Dirty Deeds to Seth, planting him for the victory.  Placing her hands on her hips, Chasity just stood over Seth, looking down at him, having grabbed a microphone while Dean pinned him.

 

“Consider our partnership officially over, Kingslayer.” Dropping the microphone, she winked at Dean on her way out of the ring and walked back up the rampway, spreading her arms out to drink in all the hate and booing.

 

Hatred and booing there was a gracious plenty, Jon inwardly chuckled, loving the reaction the fans were giving her.  He stood in the center of the ring, a heavy boot on Colby’s chest and made sure to apply a bit, just enough to make it hurt, of extra pressure, holding up HIS title.  Jon was grinning like the lunatic he could be though that ice was still there, his eyes filled with maliciousness.  He then stormed to each turnbuckle, making those superficial fans LOOK at him and HIS belt, smirking when he was booed.  Being a heel was great and seeing Chacia finally shed the good girl image she had been forced to maintain… well, he was glad he wore a cup.  It kept his erection from springing.

 

Chasity stood on top of the ramp and clapped for Dean Ambrose slowly before saluting Seth, snorting on her way to the back.  She got everything ripped away from her tonight because of that sack of shit laying in the ring WITHOUT a title!  What would the company do now?  Fire her?  Why?  Because she stood up for herself AGAIN?  Colby had SCREWED her out the Raw Women’s championship, so she screwed him right back, throwing caution to the wind.  If Colby could break script, why couldn’t she do it back to him?  Storming to the locker room, Chacia never felt more alive and happier in her life because she FINALLY felt like herself, her TRUE self, her TRUE character, as a heel.  She started laughing, knowing Colby was supposed to defend his title successfully.  That was what happened when one SCREWED with another’s career! 

 

On one hand, Stephanie was PISSED.  She was royally PISSED because that was NOT how the match was supposed to end.  And then, on the other hand, the one that had bitten her in her own backside, she had LET all of this happen by not interceding earlier.  Instead, she had followed her father’s ‘let them run it’ motto and sat back, wanting to see what would happen.  Well, now she knew.  She also knew the ‘let them run it’ plan had to end because this was NOT working at all and tonight just proved it.  She was scowling when Chacia made it backstage, opening her mouth and then shut it, angrier at herself than anything.

 

This could be salvaged, maybe, if people could and would start playing ball.

 

Chacia REFUSED to work with Colby Lopez ever again.  They could fire her, she’d simply go to the Indies or work in another hospital somewhere in Vegas.  Plenty of jobs to come by.  Colby crossed a line when he kissed her.  He crossed a line when he screwed her out of the Women’s championship.  Those videos that kept being uploaded on a weekly basis of her CROSSED A FUCKING LINE.  It was HER turn to cross a line.  She stood there, folding her arms tightly in front of her chest and didn’t say ONE word.  No tears were in her eyes, just pure malice and anger – anger at Colby for getting into HER business and breaking script on her TWICE.  This was payback as far as she was concerned and it was the sweetest kind because now Jon held the Intercontinental championship again, thanks to HER breaking script on Colby. 

 

Chapter 72

 

Jon came practically waltzing backstage, that belt over his shoulder, sweat still running down his face and body.  The first thing he did was snatch Chacia up right in front of Stephanie McMahon-Levesque and he kissed her with an overabundance of passion, lust and a few other things that had some of the people surrounding the area clearing their throats and soaking panties.  Toes were definitely curling.

 

“Goddamn that was hot, darlin’!” He growled, biting down on her bottom lip before letting her go, knowing she probably wasn’t in the mood for his shows of affection, but that had been beyond scorching.

 

Slightly dazed, Chacia didn’t mind it a bit and smiled genuinely, leaning against his side to wrap her arm around his waist. “It felt amazing to do that.  To cut those ties with that bastard once and for all.” Jon wasn’t angry with her for breaking script, which she’d been slightly worried about. “Maybe next time, that mother fucker will think before breaking script on a fellow coworker.  You know, since women and men are supposed to be EQUALS now.” That was a direct shot to Stephanie as she and Jon walked away down the hall with him kissing her forehead and she snuggled against him. 

 

It was time to celebrate – consequences be damned!

 

Jon had told her months before, when she mentioned the idea of Dean Ambrose and Chasity working together, to screw over Seth Rollins, that he had absolutely no problem with it.  As time had gone by and nothing happened, he had figured she had shelved the idea and let it be.  So tonight was a pleasant surprise for him.

 

“Mmm, I think you need a full body massage, darlin’.” He informed her, planning on using both hands and tongue for said massage.

 

All Stephanie could do was watch them walk away, knowing she had brought this on herself, her blue eyes narrowing.  

 

Colby came stumbling through the curtain, holding his head, which had ANOTHER goose egg on it and began screaming at the top of his lungs about being screwed over by that cunt.  He was LIVID!

 

Chacia and Jon were already gone, laughing as they headed back to the hotel with their hands clasped together.  The more she thought about it, the more she did not regret a single thing that happened tonight.  Granted, she had lost her opportunity at becoming the Raw Women’s champion, but if she wasn’t fired, there was plenty of time for that at a later date.  Tonight, she had helped her man secure another IC title reign and turned heel all at the same time, really sticking it to Colby.  Something told her the idiot would retaliate and she would be ready and waiting for him when that time came. 

 

It wouldn’t be tonight, however.

 

Stephanie had flat out told Colby that he could ‘kindly shut the fuck up’ because, in all honesty, he had been courting this to happen since the first day he decided to ignore the script and take things into his own hands.  Most adhered to what the writers put out; there was a lot of back and forth between creative and the Superstars and it worked.  Sometimes, someone got froggy and jumped, but Colby had gone beyond jumping.  He had almost been antagonizing Chacia lately, so… it was done and over with and sometimes one just had to reap what they sowed.

 

Jon had switched out their hotel earlier in the night, figuring they would have been celebrating her victory instead of his.  It was a bit odd how that had panned out, but his woman needed to be pampered and celebrating was required.  They had their bags, so it wasn’t like it really mattered anyway.

 

“Come on.” He ordered once they were in the parking garage of the very upscale hotel, ignoring the look on her face as she peered through the windshield.

 

From the streets of Cincy to this, they had come a damn long way.

 

Blinking, Chacia stepped out of the rental and looked at Jon questioningly, wondering when he decided to do this.  When did he decide to switch their hotel room and come to this fancy place?  This was NOT their style at all, but at the same time, Jon was surprising her and showing her how much he cared. “What’s up your sleeve, baby?” She asked, taking his hand and laced their fingers together as they walked into the ritzy hotel, their luggage rolling behind them with bags over their shoulders.  Once they were checked in, under his name, Jon lead her to the elevator that would take them to the top floor of this place.  Just walking through the lobby made her a little uncomfortable because she was afraid of dirtying the lavish carpeting and simply allowed Jon to guide her wherever they were going.

 

Jon didn’t care about dirtying up anything.  They could more than afford this place; it wasn’t like they were breaking the bank coming to hotels like this all the time.  Not to mention, most of the staff here probably made above minimum wage because they weren’t just being paid to clean but for discretion.  Places like this drew in celebrity names.  He finally opened their suite door and ushered her inside, his eyes raking over the posh room.

 

“Stop, you’re fine,” She was standing there, pulled in on herself; she was obviously afraid of messing this room up.  That’s EXACTLY what they were going to do. “Darlin’,” Jon dropped his bag, taking her hands in his. “Come on…” He pulled her further into the suite.

 

“Okay…”

 

Chacia went with him willingly, not believing how beautiful the suite was and set her bags by the king-sized bed.  They normally got a queen, but tonight it was a king and it looked so amazingly comfortable.  Jon never failed to amaze her because, even though he didn’t buy her flowers and show he cared with materialistic things, it was moments like these that really showed how much he loved her.  Doing little things like this…or rather big, extravagant things.  This place was not cheap.  Gently, Chacia sat on the bed and instantly closed her eyes, laying back on the very soft bed.

 

“This is heaven, or damn close to it.”

 

Jon jumped on the damn thing, feeling his weight sink for a moment before this expensive bed began raising him, reshaping around him and sighed.  He made a mental note to check the label because they needed this at home.  Rolling onto his side, running his fingers lightly down her face, her neck and chest, Jon was well aware they both could probably fall asleep without realizing it.

 

“Come on, up darlin’,” He ordered in a growl, rolling out of the bed. “There’s a very specific reason I picked this place.” The bed wasn’t it.

 

She laughed at his excitement; it was catchy for sure. “Do I have to move?” It’d been a really rough night, even though it ended spectacularly.  She snickered at his eyes narrowing down at her.

 

“Get out of this bed now…or I’m gonna tickle you until you piss it.”

 

Her eyes narrowed right back at him. “Fine – fine, you win.” As always, she added in thought, rolling out of bed to stand before him.  Jon cupped her face and kissed her softly, sensually, pulling her flush against his chiseled body.  He’d already removed his shirt. “What’s the specific reason or are you going to keep me in suspense all night?”

 

“Mmm, follow me.”

 

He was walking backward, and very slowly, having scouted the room and the other wide open door before dropping on that bed, so he had a pretty good idea of where he was going.  Pulling her after him, Jon finally let go to reach over and fumble for the light switch.  Jon stepped out of the way, so Chacia could see the very, very spacious bathroom.  In the very center of said room was the crowning feature, something the description called a bathtub and something he called a small swimming pool.  Complete with shower right above it and the shower sprays were programmable, providing different types of sprays: soft, pulsing, etc.

 

Just what the doctor ordered.

 

This was possibly the most beautiful bathroom Chacia had ever seen in her life, her hazel eyes wide as saucers. “Oh my…” She whispered in awe, walking past him to glide her hand across the edge of the huge white tub. 

 

There were buttons inside that had to be waterproof and programmed the shower head above the tub.  Even though she showered at the arena, twice, a third cleansing sounded perfect.  She would be the cleanest woman on the planet and didn’t care, knowing this was more for relaxation than anything else.

 

“Jon, this is incredible…” Chacia finally lifted her eyes to meet his, the biggest smile on her face and wondered if he’d planned this thinking she’d be the Raw Women’s champion right now. “I said it once and I’ll say it again – you’re too good to me.”

 

Jon already knew he wasn’t like most men in regard to romancing his woman.  He didn’t bring her flowers a lot -he had done balloons, actually-, or candies, or jewelry and perfumes.  But Chacia wasn’t like most women.  Sure, she would appreciate it if he did, but she wasn’t going to be all giddy and excited.  Or look at him like she was now.  It was thoughtfulness that counted with her, moments where he let her know either by words or actions, that he DID think about her and her needs.  This wasn’t exactly how he had thought their night would end, but that didn’t mean it was ruined either.

 

“No, I’m not.” He rumbled, bending down to kiss her, his hands moving to the bottom of her shirt. “Want to use that… pool?”

 

“Do you really need to ask me that?  You already know what my answer is.” Chacia remarked softly, lifting her arms up and let him take the off-shoulder top off, pulling it over her head. 

 

She didn’t have a bra on beneath because of the design of the shirt.  It had a built-in bra to it, which kept her girls locked in place during her heel turn tonight.  They both reached for each other’s pants at the same time and laughed, shaking their heads.  He unsnapped hers, she unsnapped his and they took turns undressing the other.  Jon had reached over, prior to going for the button on her jeans to start filling the tub.  It was a quarter of the way full when Chacia stepped into it and sank down into the hot liquid, sighing in contentment.  Jon did the same thing, both sitting across from each other to enjoy the luxury the tub had to offer.

 

“I take back what I said…THIS is heaven…”

 

“Yeah no kidding.”

 

It was long enough that his toes barely brushed against hers and, right now, that was fine.  It didn’t always have to be sex and constant touching.  He had learned quickly that just being with her was sometimes more than enough.  Jon watched the water rise, eyeballing the buttons and wondered what each one did.

 

“I think that one is for bubbles…”

 

He had read the Harry Potter books, would they be colored and scented?  Rich people were decadent.  Jon could see the appeal just kind of fading and becoming old hat, routine if surrounded by it all the time.  He preferred their rather modest house and lifestyle, if he were honest.  It kept them grounded.

 

“I still want the bed, babe.”

 

“I really want one of these in the house too.  Can we get both?  I’ll pay for one and you pay for the other.” Chacia meant every word because this tub was incredible and she loved how he pressed his toes against hers, just to keep some sort of contact with her. “Speaking of the house, I miss it.  I miss being home with you.”

 

Just the two of them, happy and content with the modesty the house had.  However, even the modest house could have some luxury added to it and Chacia would not mind making a few changes.  Jon DID say she could do whatever she wanted to it, but Chacia still felt the need to ask permission.  Sooner or later, that would fade, she hoped.

 

“We can do both.”

 

With as little time spent home as they got, it would always seem like going to a luxurious hotel or something.  Jon grinned slightly, mentally sorting out the logistics of adding the bathtub/pool.  It was going to require some renovation of the bathroom, but he looked at it as an investment in their future.

 

“I do too, darlin’.  Maybe we oughta try getting a few days off,” On top of their actual days. “And have some downtime.” After what had happened last night, they both needed it.

 

Chacia wished they could, just a week would be more than enough.  She hadn’t even finished unpacking when they were whisked back on the road again.  This lifestyle was brutal, but at the same time, they wouldn’t have it any other way.  If they were regular people, it would absolutely suck being stuck at home at 9-5 jobs every day.

 

“With you being the Intercontinental champion and me just turning heel,” Chacia could still be fired from doing that and she knew it. “I don’t see that happening anytime soon, Jon.”

 

Closing her eyes, she sank further down into the bubbling water and sighed out at how wonderful they felt against her sore body.  It was right after WrestleMania, Jon knew that time got busy, but… he also knew right now, Stephanie was going to cut Chacia a little bit of leeway since Stephanie had sort of helped screw her over.  Stephanie kind of owed Chace and Jon knew for a fact he had some vacation time squirreled away because he didn’t go on vacations.  He took his days off and that was usually it, the occasional sick day, but nothing major.

 

Hell, this wasn’t anything major either, not really.  Their two days on top of a few more.  It was swingable, right?  He dropped down as well until his nose was just above the waterline, pale blue eyes staring at her beneath the water.  Well, even if Stephanie decided to be a royal bitch about it, she was the one who had let the inmates run the asylum, taking a page out of her dear old Daddy’s playbook.

 

Maybe the inmates wanted to leave the prison for a bit.

 

Now that the adrenaline had worn off, along with her anger, Chacia could feel the tears streaming down her cheeks and covered her eyes with her hand.  She had broken script on not only Colby, which she didn’t regret, but Jon as well.  Colby was supposed to be the champion, not Jon and she changed it with her actions.  Was she selfish for doing that?

 

“I know you’re not mad about it, but…I’m sorry, Jon.  I should’ve told you what I was planning, and I didn’t because I was afraid you wouldn’t let me do it.  I screw with your career tonight, just like that bastard screwed with mine…” Her voice cracked on that last word, knowing she should’ve been the Raw Women’s champion right now and she wasn’t because of Colby. 

 

It didn’t make Chacia feel as vindicated as she thought because that was HER title to win on this night – her one-year anniversary with the WWE.

 

Chapter 73

 

To be honest, Jon didn’t care how he had won that title; he only cared that he had.  Mostly because it had been Colby who had been holding it and therefore was entitled to all the additional perks and benefits that came with being a company title holder.  He just wanted that shady ass to suffer a little and he had.

 

Any other opponent, Jon MAY have been mad, but not tonight.

 

“Darlin’, next time, give me a head’s up.” He shifted down the large tub until he was sitting in front of her, the water was a bit on the high side now, coming up to his chest and he could feel the motion of said water rocking him almost. “I don’t care about you breaking script, Chacia.  I told you before I was onboard.” Jon took her hands, peeling them away from her face. “It isn’t really that, is it?” She was probably seeing the hypocrisy of what she had done, and he knew that would bother her. 

 

That was just the kind of person Chacia was.

 

“I had no right screwing with your career like that.  I was just so…pissed off at Colby for what he cost me tonight.  I was supposed to go over and win against Ronda.  And he fucked it all up, so I wanted payback.  I wanted revenge.” That was never a good feeling because revenge only felt good for a little while and then conscience took over, along with morals. “I’m a hypocrite, Jon.  Here I am pissed off at Colby for jumping script on me, twice, and yet I just turned around and did the same damn thing like him!  I’m no better than him.  Two wrongs don’t make a right and I should’ve left it alone and let sleeping dogs lie…” Chacia could possibly lose her career over this, depending on how irate Stephanie was and if she could tolerate what happened tonight.

 

“You are better than him.  You just had a lapse in judgment, Chacia, it happens.”

 

Jon already knew she wouldn’t accept that.  She COULDN’T accept it.  It was one of the things that he loved about her and it was also one of the things that infuriated him about her.  The woman had a steady moral compass, very set ideas of right and wrong.  She had for as long as he had known her.  Even as kids, Chacia was a good person through and through.

 

“You’re human, darlin’, and you’ve been pushed too many times lately.”

 

By their bosses, who refused to do anything about the Colby situation, or the fact that Chacia was still being stalked and filmed.  Videos were posted on the WWE’s Youtube page every week.  He wasn’t putting it past WWE management to be the ones behind it at this point.

 

“You finally hit your snapping point.”

 

It was the truth.  A person could only take so much before they completely snapped and threw caution to the wind.  Cody had instilled morals into her at a young age, especially when it came to the wrestling business.  Paying dues was part of it.  Had she paid enough dues?  Maybe the higher-ups had sent Colby out there without telling her.  No, Stephanie hadn’t been happy with Colby, from what she could tell, or her because of their script breaking.

 

“I never was a good face.  I feel like tonight my career has just begun and these past 9 months have just been a warm-up if that makes any sense.” She wiped her tears away, feeling Jon take her hands in his and relished in the warmth of them. “They’re probably going to put us together on-screen, if…if they don’t fire me for what I did tonight.  Are you okay with that?”

 

“Course I am, you and I have chemistry, Chace.” In the bedroom, in that ring, just raw chemistry in every aspect of their lives together. “We were stellar together in HWA.”

 

For what little time that had been.  They were both natural heels and, for him, it was sort of an extension of who he was, just amplified a lot.  For her, it was a total role reversal because, in real life, Chacia was a good person.  Hell, maybe that was her way of living the flip side of the coin, being a villain in the ring and doing things that her true nature would never permit her too, in reality.

 

“Stephanie isn’t going to fire you, by the way, so you need to get that out of your head right now.  She’s been letting shit happen because she doesn’t want to have to deal with the bullshit and she doesn’t want to admit she CAN’T stop it.” He bet that was a hard pill for the Billion Dollar Princess to swallow, not being able to control something. “If she fired you, she’d be liable for a lot of damages because of what’s been happening to you that SHE’S let be exploited.”

 

“Don’t underestimate her.  You have no idea what she’s capable of, Jon.  She IS a McMahon and shit can easily be swept under the rug, especially with a woman.” Chacia pointed out, her tears drying up now that she was talking things out with Jon and caressed his bare chest, sliding her hand up and down to feel the smooth skin. 

 

He had to wax once a week to keep it this smooth, especially since he wrestled bare-chested for the most part.  Jon was also right when he said they had chemistry.  She had noticed, even though Chasity was supposed to hate him, fans noticed the intensity and chemistry with Chasity and Dean Ambrose.  It was palpable and she had tried reigning it in as much as she could, along with him, but even through their hatred for each other, in their characters, was raw animalistic passion.

 

“As long as you’re not mad at me for what I did tonight, and you’re all right with us possibly teaming up together on-screen, that’s all I care about.  Oh, and getting a rematch for the Women’s title down the road.”

 

Jon wanted to reassure her about Stephanie, but he already knew Chacia wasn’t going to hear it.  He had known Stephanie for several years now and he also knew how things would play out.  Not to mention there was his weight behind Chacia and, even when he was being the biggest jackass backstage, or a woman beater out in the ring, he still put asses in seats.  Firing him would have some repercussions, especially with his legion of diehard female fans.  Was that arrogant?  Probably.  But it was true.

 

“I’m not mad and Vince is the one who said to let the wrestlers have control creatively, so… it’ll be fine, darlin’.  Just wait and see, okay?”

 

For his sake, she cracked a smile and nodded, reaching up to caress his face and brought his mouth to hers, kissing him very softly and tenderly. “You know, I have a little confession to make.  I always did enjoy our time together in HWA, working together, even if I was just your valet.  We had chemistry even back then.” They were the top heels of the company, actually.  Jon had shot straight to the top of HWA very quickly. “To think it could happen in WWE, in the biggest wrestling organization on the planet, to basically bring what we did in HWA to the biggest stage, is surreal.  I was hoping one day Chasity and Dean would find their way to each other as the biggest heel team in WWE history, instead of stuck being enemies.  I think we work better together anyway.” Both in and out of the ring, obviously.

 

See, this is why people thought she had an addiction, an obsession with him, the way she spoke.  It wasn’t how normal people spoke and Jon, being not normal at all, adored her for it.  Mostly the hoping Chasity and Dean would find their way to each other, it was… brilliant.

 

“Mmm, I love you.” He informed her with a grin, drawing her so her legs were over his hips.

 

Then, Jon grabbed the side of the massive tub, steadying himself and laughed.  It was like being in a pool or something, all it took was motion in the water to rock himself or be caught off balance.  He loved this thing.

 

“We definitely work better together… and now you can fly your heel flag high, Chace.” Right alongside him, where she belonged.

 

“I love you too…always have and always will.” In this luxury tub, Jon pushed into her body to claim her again and Chacia held on for the ride, neither caring water began flooding the bathroom floor from spilling over the edges during their lovemaking. “Oh, Jon…” Sex between them was inevitable in a place like this, but at least they could hold a conversation before getting down to business.

 

~!~

 

After being called down to Stephanie’s suite, at the hotel the WWE was located, alone, Chacia was reamed out for over an hour about her irresponsible actions.  She kept her head high the entire time, refusing to lower it because she didn’t regret what she’d done to Colby.  They did mention the fact Colby should have been reprimanded and fined for breaking script on her all those months ago and again last night.  The script called for her to go over and win the Raw Women’s championship, but Colby had completely ruined it.

 

“So, what do you think we oughta do about this unfortunate situation, Chacia?”

 

She shrugged, not having an answer and clasped her hands tightly in her lap.  There was one thing she had to make perfectly clear, however. “I won’t work with Rollins anymore.  I won’t be his partner.” Partners didn’t break script on each other the way they both had. “Two wrongs don’t make a right, I know that, and I take full responsibility for my actions.  I’ll walk before I work with Rollins again, though, unless I’m against him.” His enemy, in other words.

 

“Even though you have a contract with us?”

 

“Yes.  You don’t want me working with Rollins anymore because I will make his life a living hell.” Chacia promised, her voice lowering to a deadly tone and meant every word that came out of her mouth.

 

“You sure about that?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Good.  I was hoping you’d say that because I have a proposition for you.  As of tonight on Raw, Chasity will be called out by Dean Ambrose, the air will be cleared and you two will form a partnership.  You wanted to be a heel so bad, well, you got it.” There was no other way to salvage this situation. “And you WILL be Seth Rollins’ enemy from here on out.”

 

“What about a rematch for the Raw Women’s title?  I think I deserve one since I was supposed to win last night and got screwed over…”

 

“That’s the other part of my proposition.”

 

A malicious smirk curved Chacia’s lips as she listened to the McMahon Princess and extended her hand when all was said and done, shaking it firmly. “Deal.  I can work with that.”

 

“Good.  If you break script again, you’re fired.”

 

Chacia nodded, leaving the suite and went to the elevator, the doors sliding open moments later…with Colby staring her in the face.  Oh boy.

 

“Fucking great how, even though you assault people and are a script jumping bitch, you still get everything spoonfed to you, isn’t it?”

 

By the look on her face before she had seen him, he was gathering her meeting went well. He imagined his would not.  Colby could only assume Chacia had a golden pussy and even Stephanie was dipping into it because this woman got away with so much crap.  It was insane.  He walked around her, giving her a wide berth, his brown eyes practically daring her to do something physical just so he could send her right to jail.

 

“You used me to make Jon jealous.  And then you fucked your way into this company.  Nobody in their right mind would hire a loose cannon like you.”

 

“Considering YOU’RE the one who jumped script on me first, TWICE,” Chacia held her fingers up to emphasize her point, not backing down from him for a second. “I figured I owed you one.” Hazel eyes narrowed and darkened over. “And you’re just pissed off because I didn’t want to hop on your dick.  You’re right, I did use you and I made it CLEAR to you how I felt and my feelings for Jon.  I TOLD you I would probably wind up cheating on you with him in the first place and you STILL went along with it, you still wanted a chance.  So, don’t say I never gave you a fair chance because I did.  You screwed me last night, Rollins.  You SCREWED me out of my opportunity, so you damn right I turned around and screwed you right back!  Turnabout is fair play, sweetheart!  You thought I was just gonna stay by your side after that bullshit?  After you COST me the Raw Women’s championship?  No, not at all.  I don’t forgive and I don’t fucking forget!  And thank you for calling me a loose cannon, I take that as a compliment and obviously, the company sees something in me or else they wouldn’t have hired me or kept me around this long.  I didn’t fuck my way to anything, I EARNED my way here, unlike your sorry, pathetic ass!!  You couldn’t stand the fact Jon was more popular than you and a better ATHLETE and WRESTLER than you ever thought about being, so you paid someone off to try to end his career!  Talk about a loose cannon – the ONLY loose cannon around here is YOU and I swear to god, no matter what it takes, I WILL make you regret EVER screwing with me and Jon.  This is only the beginning, Rollins.” It wasn’t a threat, it was a damn promise.

 

“Sure, big bad dyke, backed by her boss dyke.” Colby snorted, rolling his eyes at her outburst. “Take your PMSing bitch ass elsewhere, everyone in the back knows you’re nothing but the company’s feminist bullshit propaganda.  You didn’t earn anything here, Chacia.  You were GIVEN it, which is why you were allowed to steamroll over so many more deserving women in the back.  Congrats, you REALLY showed off that Cody Hawk’s training really well.  I bet he’s extremely proud of his star pupil.” He applauded sarcastically, letting her know JUST what he thought of her and her mentor.

 

Instead of blowing up, she smiled serenely at him and showed just how evil she could be. “Well, why don’t you say hello to YOUR dyke boss as well, Rollins.  Toodles!” Stephanie McMahon was standing RIGHT there behind Colby as Chacia sauntered onto the elevator, waving three fingers at him just as the doors closed.

 

“Dyke boss, you say?  Well, correct me if I’m wrong, SETH, but this DYKE BOSS also signs your paychecks and has GIVEN you plenty of opportunities as well that you didn’t earn.” Stephanie was PISSED, her blue eyes nothing more than ice and Colby looked ready to defecate his pants full, gulping nervously. “I was wondering what kept you and now I see the reason.  I do believe we have PLENTY to discuss, Mr. Lopez.  Follow me.  NOW.”

 

Chacia was laughing so hard, tears streamed down her cheeks because Colby had just said all of that IN FRONT of Stephanie McMahon!

 

Chapter 74

 

“So darlin’, there’s been a companywide text message,” Jon said by way of greeting when Chacia finally came back to their hotel, looking like she had laughed herself silly. “About how we’re all going to be taking sensitivities training regarding appropriate and effective communication with members of the opposite sex.” That was just odd.  He quirked an eyebrow when she began cackling wondering what the Hell he had missed. “And apparently the word dyke has been banned.”

 

She was going to piss herself.  Chacia couldn’t even talk and flew past Jon to the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet in time.  He could hear her laughter echoing back out at him and she couldn’t stop, fresh tears sliding down her cheeks.  This was too great – karma was a bitch and right now, Colby was ROLLING in it.  His own mouth had caused this to happen and that just made her laugh even harder, not leaving the toilet until she was sure she had nothing left to release.

 

“Okay, I can explain that…” If she could stop laughing for two seconds, though the amusement glittered in her eyes. “I ran into fuckface after my meeting with Stephanie and…we exchanged words.” She would not repeat them, not needing to. “Well, he ended it by calling me a big bad dyke backed by my dyke boss and I’ll give you three guesses WHO was standing directly behind him when he said that line.”

 

Jon had listened to Chacia’s little story with building amusement in his pale blue eyes and, when she ended it with that question, his jaw was on the carpeted floor. “No, no way.”

 

He shook his head, bringing his hands up over his mouth because he was about to scream just out of that being the most hilarious thing EVER.  Seth fucking Rollins, Colby Lopez, company face, had been caught calling not only Chacia a dyke, but Stephanie fucking McMahon one too!  Jon began jumping in place, finally letting out the mad cackling laughter he had been trying to suppress.  Nothing he could do to Colby was going to top the hell Stephanie was probably going to put him through!

 

“Stop, stop it right now.  Just…stop…” Chacia was trying to stop laughing and it wasn’t happening, her stomach already sore because she had laughed the entire drive back here. “And yes way, he said that with her standing right behind him.  I told him to enjoy dealing with his dyke boss and got on the elevator and waved three fingers at his stupid, pig-nosed gaping face before the door closed.  He looked like he was going to shit himself.”

 

Now it was Jon’s turn to FLY to the bathroom before he pissed himself while she collapsed on the bed in a fit of giggles.  Except he couldn’t stop, even as he pissed, just barely managing to make it into the bowl.  He felt like he was 10, trying to control the stream, that’s how much he was laughing.  After he was done, he shook and tucked before washing his hands.

 

“Fuck all…”

 

He laughed harder, dropping down onto the bed alongside her, both of them starting to laugh their asses off all over again.  The mandatory training thing would suck, but now… now he got the sheer pleasure of sitting through it, staring at Colby and knowing the man was behind this.  He would die!

 

“So, Stephanie talked it over with me about where to go with my character and I told her I refuse to work with fuckface.  I won’t do it, I’d rather walk, and she told me that was fine because I’ll be teamed up with you.  On Raw tonight, we’ll start the partnership between Chasity and Dean.” Chacia turned to face him, the laughter finally died down for the time being and took his hand to lace their fingers together. “She’s also going to have me attack Ronda during her match tonight to continue our feud and at the next pay-per-view event, I’ll get another shot at the championship.” Her meeting had gone a lot better than she thought it would. “She did rip me a new verbal asshole and I’m pretty sure my ass will never be the same again, but it was worth it.”

 

Jon had told her, hadn’t he?  That Stephanie wouldn’t fire her, he liked being right.  He liked even more that Stephanie had finally pulled her head out of her McMahon backside and seen the light.  Chasity and Dean Ambrose just made SENSE, two lunatics running together, it was the perfect fit.  He pulled Chacia up onto his chest while he rolled flat on his back, folding his hands beneath his head as he listened to her, an eyebrow-raising.

 

“Want me to check your ass for you, darlin’?” He offered with a smirk. “I’ll make sure it’s as it should be…” And then maybe mess her up a bit.

 

“You’re such an ass.” She remarked softly, stroking his muscular chest and leaned down to brush her lips against his. “I don’t know if you should since I’m a dyke and all.” She giggled at Jon’s growl and kissed him harder, deeper, caressing the back of his slightly buzzed head. “You were right, happy now?” Rubbing her nose against his, Chacia hopped up from his lap and glanced at the clock, deciding they really needed to hit the gym. “Come on, up.  We’re going to the gym to work out for at least an hour or two.  We have time and we both need to look at our best tonight.” She’d been slacking as of late and pulled her phone out to scroll through her contacts. “I’ll invite Joe and Pavana to join us.”

 

“No, I don’t think so…”

 

Jon plucked her cell from her hand and tossed it aside before grabbing her and throwing her onto that comfortable, plush bed.  He liked it when she said he was right, it was something Jon didn’t get to hear often, but when it came to this company, he was a knowledgeable guy.  It came from being around a few years or so, on top of learning everything he could like he had, because prior to waking up and realizing she was his, wrestling had been his only love, his only passion.

 

“I’m thinking we need to stay here,” He was on her now, pinning her down with his weight, his nose running up along her jawline to her ear. “And you should let me fuck you into shape.” Or raw.

 

“Fuck me into shape, huh?”

 

Why did that set her blood on fire?  Why did that send her heart racing?  Because it was Jon – it was Jon, in general, saying these things to her.  Her neck arched into his soft lips and shivered at his facial hair tickling her skin, her hands on him, touching him.  This bed and Jon were heaven…she couldn’t wait until they had their own at home and melted against him when he sealed his mouth to her neck, suckling her skin softly.  He knew better than to leave any marks on her that could be seen in her wrestling gear, sticking to areas that were always covered.

 

“What exactly does that imply – fucking me into shape?”

 

“Well, first I’m gonna twist and torque you into all sorts of shapes,” He explained, quite serious as he pulled away enough to start removing some of those pesky clothes she was wearing. “And then I’m going to fuck you back into your proper shape.” And work out some muscles she probably didn’t know she had because he was feeling all sorts of experimental right now.  Jon didn’t know what kind of fetish he had, but it definitely involved seeing or hearing about her evil side coming out to play.

 

Boy, did he ever!  Chacia couldn’t remember the last time she was bent like a pretzel and fucked so thoroughly.  Jon made sure to draw it out as long as possible, forcing her body into submission and making her use muscles she didn’t know she had.  Riding him reverse cowgirl was an interesting new position they’d never tried out before, but Jon informed her it was a beautiful sight watching her pussy bounce up and down on his cock.  His dirty talk combined with his touch, grunts, groans, and growls made her drown his cock in her sweet essence.  They had finished off with him on top, her legs pushed down to where her knees were on either side of her head while he powered in and out of her, torquing her just like he vowed.  Thankfully, neither of them had a match tonight, which was probably why he’d gone all out on the sex.  Honestly, sex was a major workout, if done correctly, and it definitely was with Jon.

 

“Y-You weren’t lying…” She stammered out, drenched and coated in sweat, her thighs caked in their juices and Jon was on top of her, the feeling on his body weight on hers blissful. “My god…”

 

Jon felt no need to go to a gym because he had just seriously worked his arms and thighs, a very intense workout and he bet she was feeling it too. “Mmm no,” He ran his tongue along her damp neck, not giving a damn if it was sweat because everything about this woman was delicious. “And we should incorporate that into our workout routine, at least once a week.”

 

Providing her body, or her snatch didn’t give out on her from his poundings.  He knew he could be rough, the very first time he had taken her, he had been brutal.  This was a different kind of brutal, but still brutal all the same.

 

“I love you, Chacia.” He whispered in her ear before pulling back to rest his forehead against hers.

 

No matter how many times she heard it from his mouth, it still felt incredible to hear and made her already thundering heart skip a beat. “I love you too…and we should do this,” She gestured with a hand to the room they were in, softly kissing him. “We should get a room like this at least once a week to treat ourselves.” Then again, once they got the renovations done at home, it would be like treating themselves in their own space. “Maybe every two weeks or once a month after every pay-per-view.” They’d figure it out as she coughed, still trying to catch her breath and didn’t want him to move. “Stay with me a little longer like this and then we’ll get up a shower and get ready for the show, okay?”

 

“I’m not in any hurry to move, darlin’.”

 

Jon was pretty sure his legs had locked up and moving would likely bring on cramps or something.  It was exactly how he felt after a heavy workout and he smirked, pretty sure his feet had left tracks or something in the bed and the carpet with as hard and fast as he had been going.  It had been… interesting sex to say the least.

 

“Maybe after pay-per-views,” He dropped onto his side, hissing and pulled himself up, eyeballing what he could see of the near gouge she had left in his side. “We don’t want to get spoiled…” Oh buddy, that was going to sting later.  Not to mention, on their next days off, he was definitely getting a contractor out to the house to give him an estimate on what would need to be done to get their bathroom done and that tub in, as well as the price.

 

“It’s just us spoiling ourselves though, so we should be able to do whatever we want.  We’ve earned it.” Chacia reasoned, snuggling against him to breathe him in, sweat and all, feeling his head lower to rest on her chest with his arms still wrapped around her. 

 

She smiled, gliding her fingers over his short hair and sank back into the pillow, feeling her heart rate finally go back to normal, along with her pulse.  Knowing they had one more night in here since Raw was in the same arena as Summerslam had been.  The Barclays Center – where it all truly began for her, for them.

 

“I really don’t want to move.  Do we have time for a nap after that workout, baby?”

 

“Yeah but if we spoil ourselves too much it’s not a treat anymore,”

 

Jon did not want to get so used to five-star hotels that he stopped appreciating it, like so many rich people tended to do.  The bed, he saw that as investing in their health because he hadn’t woken up stiff and sore, but relaxed and all loose and limber.  The tub… well, that was something they both wanted, and he knew they wouldn’t be using it all the time, not with their jobs.

 

“Mmm, we do, an hour or so.” He eyed the time, knowing it was closer to an hour. “Power nap, Chace.  We got time for that.” He could do with one himself, setting the alarm on his cell before laying his head on the best pillow in the world: her chest.

 

They were out like lights in minutes.

 

~!~

 

The crowd was thunderous in the Barclays Center as the Lunatic Fringe’s music blared through the speakers, the NEW Intercontinental champion sauntering his way out to the ring.  The belt was over his shoulder – a belt he had won fair and square, even though he’d had a little assistance, surprisingly, by his nemesis from his Indie days, Chasity.  This was quite the predicament for him to be in because it was obvious Chasity had turned against Rollins, but where did that leave them?  The entire crowd was confused and didn’t know what to do, some half booed and half cheered, a mixed reaction to say the least.

 

Chacia waited backstage in gorilla position, bouncing on the heels of her feet, wearing a black corset top that laced up the front with black skinny jeans, black knee-high boots on her feet.  Her blonde hair was braided over her shoulder and she had smoky eyes with deep red gloss painting her lips.  Watching as the microphone was handed over to Dean Ambrose, she waited with bated breath and stopped bouncing, clasping her hands together and hoped this went off the way they envisioned.  In a matter of seconds, Chacia melted away and was replaced with Chasity, a smirk curving her lips at the words coming out of Dean’s mouth.

 

Dean was expressing his combined amusement and puzzlement at how last night had played out, though he made sure to point out he would have won regardless of her interference.  It was just how everything would have played out.  He wasn’t surprised she had bailed on Seth Rollins, it was only a matter of time before the REAL Chasity, the Chasity HE knew, came out to play, as it were.  His little spiel was cut short as Disturbed BLARED throughout the building and turned to stand to face the stage, shoulders squared and his face going blank, icy pale blues showing a hint of amusement.

 

“Speak of the flaming devil and here she comes!”

 

Practically skipping down to the ring, Chasity did some devil horns with her fingers at his ‘devil’ jab and wasted no time walking up the steel ring steps, entering the squared circle with him.  She stepped right up to him, their chests pressed together and sized him up, giving him a once-over while pursing her red glossy lips tightly together.  That smirk was back as she stepped back to grab a microphone from the ringside technician and heard her music taper off, spinning it around a little before once again standing in front of him.

 

“Don’t mean to reign on your parade out here or anything, Lunatic, but I couldn’t help notice you actually complimented me.  And since you wanted the REAL Chasity to come out to play, here I am, in the flesh.  Just be careful playing with the devil, you might get burned, DEAN.”

 

“Oh Chasity, sweetness,” Dean’s voice dripped with sugar and sarcasm, causing some of his more… eager fans to begin swooning, the grit coming out in his tone adding a little extra oomph. “I remember PLAYING with you a few times back in the bad ol’ days… I don’t think either of us minded being burnt.” He reached out, his title balanced on his shoulder perfectly, to cup her chin between his fingers.  Twisting her head every which way before bending down, so they were face to face. “Or did your time on the side of the righteous,” He snorted, making it quite clear what he thought about that. “Change your perceptions of play?”

 

“Make no mistake about it, Ambrose,” She brushed his hand away from her chin by grabbing his wrist, her upper lip curling in a sneer before tossing it away at his side none too gently. “I was NEVER on the side of righteousness.  I only sided with Rollins because I wanted to stick it to you, to make you suffer.” Chacia shrugged, not an ounce of remorse in her tone for what she’d done since arriving in WWE. “But there comes a time when a person can only be pushed so far.  And Rollins pushed me to my breaking point, which is why I helped YOU win that title on your shoulder right now.” She tapped it with her knuckle, hazel eyes burning with new fire and intensity. “I still loathe and detest you, Ambrose, that’s no secret.  But I have to admit, when we worked together back in those bad ol’ days, they weren’t all bad.  And you know, better than ANYONE, how much I love being a bad girl.”

 

She was precious, thinking she had anything to do with HIS win and the expression on his face conveyed those thoughts very well.  Stepping back, Dean put space between them, considering her. “I don’t know, Chasity,” He snorted, the name rolling off his tongue like it was some sort of very naughty word, and it was when it came to this saucy minx who was anything but chaste. “Here I thought we could be buddies.” Her eyes rolled at that. “Hard to be pals with someone who, ah, what was it?  Loathes and detests?  Hard to be pals with someone like that, you never know when you’ll,” He was walking circles around her, finally coming to a halt right behind her, his mouth right by her ear. “Wind up with a knife in your back.” Dean was borderline breaking the PG rating and he knew it. “Sounds fun though, doesn’t it?”

 

Her eyes slowly slid to the side to look over her shoulder at him, an evil smirk curving her lips as she brought the microphone up. “I’m willing to take the risk, if you are, Lunatic.” Chasity laughed, leaning her head back against his chest to roll the back of it, turning to look in his glacial eyes. “I’m willing to let bygones be bygones, are you?” She threw the gauntlet down, challenging him and knew Ambrose NEVER turned them down.  Grabbing him roughly by his cheeks with her hand, her nails digging into his skin a little, Chasity started laughing, the sound resonating around the arena. “I promise, if and when I put a knife in your back, it’ll be exquisite.”

 

BURN IT DOWN echoed throughout the arena, Dean and Chasity both turning their heads without moving their bodies to stare at the stage, identical expressions of disgust on their respective faces.

 

Chapter 75

 

Stephanie had sent Colby out since they were really pushing the PG thing.  She’d admit, they had raw chemistry, though Chacia’s heel version of Chasity might have to be simmered down a fraction.  It reminded her of the ‘attitude days’, though the women back then hadn’t had these opportunities.  That did not mean a lot of them hadn’t been able to work a microphone because they had.

 

Chacia and Jon hadn’t done anything non-PG rated, not to her knowledge anyway.  All she’d done was grab his face – were they kidding?  This was why the WWE didn’t have any REAL heels in the business these days because everything was SO watered down and WAY too safe.  Rolling her eyes, Chasity released Dean’s face and turned to fully face Seth Rollins storming out on the stage, pacing like a caged animal.

 

“I wasn’t aware we invited anyone else to this party, Ambrose.” She commented, once Seth’s music cut and felt his arm drape around her neck to pull her against him, both leaning against the ropes.

 

Body language and innuendo were a thing, and the body language and chemistry between Dean and Chasity was what would get them -and by them, she meant the company- some warnings from the network.  Their chemistry was making Stephanie a little hot under the collar, if she were honest.  That was just raw and… sexually charged.  Putting them together was a smart idea. 

 

Mostly.

 

“Every party has the one lame, do-gooder who comes to spoil it, sweetness,” Dean replied coldly, staring down Seth, who wasn’t dumb enough to come into this ring. “What’s shakin’, Dudley DoRight?” He rubbed HIS belt with his cheek. “Come to admire my… goodies?”

 

“You see, Kingslayer, you made a mistake when you decided it would be a good idea to come down to ringside during MY match and screw ME out of MY Raw Women’s championship.  YOU practically BEGGED me to turn on you and I gotta tell you – I’ve been wanting to blast your arrogant, smug, pig-nosed face with Dean’s title for a long, LONG time.  This could be you, you know, if you weren’t so righteous and full of yourself, Mr. Burn It Down!  What does that even mean?” She asked Dean, watching him shrug because he had no idea either, both looking unfazed by the sight of Seth glowering down the ramp at them. “Get on with it already, Rollins, what the hell are you doing out here besides stealing MY new partner’s spotlight?  You know, like you ALWAYS do?  Just like you said his career-threatening injury was a blessing in disguise for your career.  So please, indulge us with your watered-down explanation and excuses on why you decided to screw ME over last night and whine, cry, bitch and moan about losing the Intercontinental championship.  Go on, we’ll wait.”

 

They waited patiently as Seth procured the microphone he had brought from the waistband of his jeans.

 

“I got to ask, how do you fit that mic in your waistband, I know there’s… roomier spots to store it,” Dean coughed ‘junkless’, snorting when Seth’s eyes narrowed. “But those are some tight, what are they called?  Skinny jeans?  You buy your pants from the chick’s section at Walmart?”


Actually, out of the ‘young men’s’ section of stores, but that was neither here nor there and Ambrose was an asshole. “You-”

 

Dean turned his entire body to face Chasity. “Yeah no, I’m not going to wait, sweetness.  I’m yawning already.”

 

The audience laughed, even the people who weren’t necessarily onboard with this new partnership.

 

Surveying her ex-partner up the ramp, the evil intentions once again took over her features. “Actually, I happen to know for a fact he gets them from the ‘young men’ section at Walmart.” The audience was ROLLING. “Now – now, Dean, we had our turn to talk and I’m sure he has something to say.  Right, Kingslayer?  So, why don’t you SLAY us already?” Chasity taunted, gesturing with her hand for Seth to speak and began snoring in the microphone, alongside Dean, both laughing maliciously at how RED Rollins’ face had become. “Oh no, Lunatic, I think we hit a nerve or two!”

 

“Now, Chas-”

 

“You’d think,” Dean interrupted again, his eyes pure maliciousness while his face was a perfectly schooled expression of obliviousness, like he hadn’t just cut off the skinny jean wearing idiot. “Once he was able to grow out those pubes on his chin, he’d start shopping in the big boy’s section.”

 

“Ambrose, enough with your-”

 

“My WHAT?” He hissed, leaning over the top rope, nothing but ice on his face, in his eyes, lacing his tone. “Go on, Rollins, my WHAT?”

 

“YOUR BULLSHIT!”

 

His hand flew up to his mouth at the cuss word, eyes going wide.  Obviously, he didn’t mean it, that was hilarious, and the golden boy was losing his temper fast. 

 

“My, my, my language, Sethie boy!  I don’t think the higher-ups will appreciate that since this is a PG show.” Chasity chastised playfully, obviously enjoying Seth’s torment a little TOO much and slid her tongue out along her top lip.  The Golden Boy was actually deemed Roman Reigns, but at the moment, it fit Seth a lot better. “All right, all right, we’ve had our fun and games, now say what you’re going to say.” When Seth opened his mouth to speak again, she openly cackled and cut him off again. “How does that feel being cut down to the actual size you are, SHRIMP?  You’re not even in Dean Ambrose’s LEAGUE, let alone my own.  Come on, it’s called a promo, do you want me to coach you through it?  Promo class 101?”

 

“Shut up, you wouldn’t even BE here if not for me!” Seth finally got a complete sentence out and neither Chasity or Dean looked fazed in the least about it. 

 

He had been expecting Chacia to go instantly on the defensive about that.  She had the other day… he remembered that and mentally coached himself, take it slow… don’t say shit that’s going to get you into even more trouble.  That training class wasn’t a joke.  His stupid mouth had gotten all the Superstars stuck in a sensitivity training and he could only imagine the hell that would come down on him if the locker room found out he was cutting into their time off.


”What?  Here, with me?  Probably not.” Dean retorted flatly. “You’re a screw-up, Rollins.  Can’t do a promo.  Can’t keep your gold.  Can’t keep your girl.”

 

“How pathetic are you, Seth?  We’re literally TEARING you, limb from limb, verbally and you’re just standing up there and THAT’S the best you can come up with?” Chasity shook her head almost in disgust, tilting her head and again gave Seth AMPLE opportunity. “You know, maybe we should start speaking in a different language, Ambrose.  Because it seems to me, this idiot has no idea how to speak ENGLISH!  SPEAK!  Say what’s on your mind, in your heart, in your SOUL, Kingslayer!  OPEN YOUR MOUTH AND TALK!” Now she was bouncing on the ropes, leaning over them. “Clock’s ticking and these people don’t have all night, so either say what you’re gonna say or LEAVE.”

 

“I want my rematch, Ambrose.” Seth was ignoring her, focusing on the real pain in his ass.  This was all on this psychotic asshole, the source of Chacia’s issues, her fricking poison.  And now she had him, both off-screen and on.  She had managed to fuck her way right into his arms on both sides of the camera! “You can keep your… your poison,” He meant her. “I want my rematch.”


That was kind of low, actually, calling her that when the stalker had been using that taunt against her for months.

 

If it bothered Chacia -not Chasity-, she didn’t show it and simply looked up at Dean, seeing the ice piercing his eyes with the same psychotic smile on her face. “A rematch, huh?  I don’t think he deserves a rematch, do you, Dean?”

 

She arched a brow at his contemplative expression and decided to let him handle this, rolling her head against his arm, gripping the top rope.  If Seth wanted a rematch, she had no doubt in her mind Dean would give it to him and it would end the same way it had last night.  She would make sure of it, refusing to let Seth anywhere NEAR the Intercontinental championship ever again.  Just as Dean went to open his mouth, Samoa Joe’s music blared through the speakers and the smile melted off Chasity’s face, her eyes narrowing at the big fat tub of lard sauntering out to stand beside Seth. 

 

What the hell did he want?

 

Now Joe… Jon had a real problem off-screen with Joe, based on what Chacia had told him.  He hadn’t been permitted anywhere NEAR the fat mother fucker on WrestleMania when the shows were all together.  Stephanie had seen to that.  However, this was RAW, this was Jon’s stomping grounds and the only thing that kept him from rolling out of the ring and beating the Samoan back to his rock was Chacia’s hand on his elbow.  He glanced down at her, seeing the wildness of Chasity, but the silent ‘don’t do it’ buried just under those flames, which was Chacia.

 

“We-” Joe gestured to each and every one of them, Rollins included. “Need to talk.”

 

There were so many emotions flowing through her all at once at the sight of Samoa Joe.  Her stalker.  There was no question in her mind, in her heart, mind, soul…he was the one who had been following her around and putting those videos on YouTube.  He was the one who had injured Jon and sent him packing out of the WWE for 8 ½ months!  Chasity was still here, but so was Chacia and she was trying her best to stay in character, not to break it, not to break kayfabe.  She could tell Jon was having the same issue because he was slightly trembling and her hand on his elbow was his calming agent, without her realizing it.  Dean Ambrose sneered from the ring up at the two men standing at the top of the stage and both noticed one thing: Colby, not Seth, looked scared to death.

 

Lowering his microphone, Seth said something only Joe could hear, but the cameraman closest to them was able to pick up some of it.  Seth was sort of pleading, offering Joe to make ‘good on what I owe’.

 

Jon and Chacia exchanged looks.  He wanted to take her hand, but that was something that would definitely not go unnoticed by anyone and they had to stay in character.  He let his own microphone drop, knowing he was liable to say something as the man he actually was and not Dean Ambrose.

 

“You want to know why your arm got so messed up, brother?” Joe taunted, ignoring Seth’s pleas.  He had learned the hard way that Colby Lopez was a lying sack of garbage. “Because I was PAID to do it!”


Colby was white as a sheet.

 

The truth was finally coming out!  After months of speculation, after what Samoa Joe whispered to her at WrestleMania, before knocking her out cold, he had told Chacia what happened.  Why he attacked Dean that night on December 18, 2018, and sent him packing out of the WWE. 

 

Don’t break character, Chacia mentally coached herself, her eyes slowly looking up at Dean…no, this was Jon.  The rage in his eyes made her swallow hard as she brought the microphone up to try to smooth this over. “What the hell are you talking about?” She demanded, keeping the edge to her voice and moved to stand in front of Dean, feeling his arm snake around her waist.  It was to keep him grounded or else he would FLY out of this ring to pulverize those assholes. “So, what you told me at WrestleMania is true then.  The one who is really responsible for sending Dean out of here…the same man who came to ME, asking ME to side with him, be his partner, against Dean.” Chasity pointed her finger directly at Rollins, her smile completely gone and replaced with a sneer. “Tell the whole wide world, Samoa Joe, shout it from the rooftops!  Was it, Seth Freakin’ Rollins?!”

 

“Joe…” Colby was shaking his head back and forth so fast, it could have snapped right off. “Don’t, man, come on…”

 

“It WAS Seth Rollins,” Joe confessed loudly and firmly, a finger moving to point at the man who had paid him to end Jon’s career. 

 

Or so, that was what the attack should have done.  That arm had been giving Jon problems, but an injury… a really, really bad injury could have ended everything.  It SHOULD have except Jon had gotten himself a pretty little physical therapist, sports doctor chick who had worked some serious mojo magic.  Jon was moving away from Chacia, sliding through that rope.  Dean Ambrose.  Jon Good.  Both men planned on beating the living hell out of both of these bastards!

 

She had to stop him!  She had to try because there were two of them and only one of him!  Chacia was good in the ring and could pull a heel off like no other, but she couldn’t take on Colby or Samoa Joe by herself.  Dropping the microphone, she rushed up to Jon and stood in front of him, shaking her head frantically.

 

“Don’t do this, Dean!” She had to use his wrestler name, even though she knew damn well this was Jonathan Good standing in front of her, trying to get by. “Dean, there’s two of them and only one of you!  THINK!  They’ll take you out two on one, please don’t do this!  You’ll get them, I promise, I swear it, but not now.  Not tonight, just back away.” She glanced over her shoulder at both men, her own body trembling with barely contained rage. “Find another time, find another opportunity, come on…”

 

“Aw look,” Joe’s microphone was down where he couldn’t be heard. “Look, there she is playing mommy again.”

 

He had been stalking her enough to know how she operated.  Chacia was bossy, tended to take charge and treated other people like idiots when they didn’t go by what she deemed was ‘right’ or good, or however her mind worked.  It had been interesting to see her lose her mind lately.  She had totally broken away from that and he had wondered if he had maybe broken HER.  Nope.  He raised it, aware that Jon had stopped moving, but he hadn’t retreated.

 

“Rollins paid me.  Rollins promised me things, except he didn’t deliver.” His dark gaze moved onto Chacia. “So, I began TAKING what I wanted, DOING what I wanted…”

 

“Darlin’, you better get back.” Jon ordered, seeing the look on the other man’s face. 

 

He wasn’t the only one dangerously close to losing it right now.  Jon, however, could tame his, if Chacia’s wellbeing was at stake.  She, on the other hand, would wind up knocking some teeth out, breaking a nose, no doubt about it, but she’d also come out the loser.  Taking what he wanted…doing what he wanted…Chacia had to shut her eyes to block the pain and rage out, her teeth practically gnashing behind closed lips.  Did that mean he was responsible for the shower incident too?  Tears burned her eyes as she slowly turned to face them, these two assholes that had been responsible for Jon’s career-threatening injury.  This wasn’t scripted at all.  The four people out here at that moment weren’t characters portrayed on television either.

 

“One thing you’re going to LEARN about us, Samoa Joe,” She smiled sinisterly, her back pressed against Jon’s chest. “When you FUCK with one of us, you FUCK with both of us.” THAT wasn’t PG-rated either as she dropped the microphone and stormed away from Jon back down to the ring to grab something underneath it. 

 

Two kendo sticks were procured moments later as she tossed one at Jon, knowing if they went down, they wouldn’t go without a fight.

 

Chapter 76

 

Stephanie was already issuing fines, called the cut for commercial early, and was waiting to get her cell blown up by her liaison with the network. “Get them out of there!” She ordered security, knowing they had 3 minutes tops. 

 

Screw Vince’s bullshit about letting the inmates run the asylum!  If Vince wanted to do that, then he shouldn’t have allowed RAW to become a PG-rated fricking live show!  Security swarmed the four before Jon or Chacia could use those kendo sticks, pulling them to the back and away from the very loud, very confused crowd. Stephanie would have the announcers cover this, maybe they could salvage some things, do a segment, she was ignoring her cell. It was blowing up.

 

“YOU can’t say FUCK on this show, Chacia!” She squealed, blue eyes flashing as she stormed up to the group. Joe and Colby were being held away from the other two, smart idea. “YOU,” She rounded on the two insane men who apparently got their rocks off on tormenting innocent women. “ARE FUCKING FINED AND ON PROBATION!”

 

“She said fucccck.” Jon singsonged, though it came out a bit on the evil side, his eyes threatening mass amounts of violence.

 

Chacia was so enraged, she couldn’t speak, and silent tears streamed down her cheeks, her grip tightening on the kendo stick.  This was all Colby’s doing, all of her assumptions correct.  Samoa Joe had just thrown him under the bus and admitted in those few words everything he’d done.  What would’ve happened had she not lashed out at that ‘janitor’ and crushed his trachea?  Was that guy paid to rape her in the shower or just attack?  The videos on YouTube, the countless harassment and phone calls and text messages…Stephanie was LUCKY all she did was drop a couple F bombs on the show!

 

Even with Joe admitting it, the way he had done it, WHERE and WHEN he had done it, all he had to do was say it was for a storyline and everything was sunk.  Stephanie had called in her husband.  This was HIS arena.  Shady shit was HIS thing, not hers. 

 

“YOU-” She pointed a finger at Seth. “YOU and YOU,” Finger on Joe. “Are going to be paying fines for the rest of the FUCKING YEAR!”

 

She had said it again!  Jon wrapped his arms around Chacia, resting his chin on her shoulder. “On top of getting all of us in that bullshit training class?”

 

“Shut it, Ambrose,” She was going to strangle him right now, her hands clenching violently. “BREAKING one of my top Superstars!?  Harassing a woman who wasn’t part of the company at the time?!”

 

“And then while she was in the company.” Jon added helpfully.

 

“And that.”

 

So much destruction had happened at the hands of these two!  Jon’s career could’ve ENDED with the injury he had, and this pig-nosed bastard didn’t care!  All he cared about was being one of the top guys, having the spotlight on him.  And Samoa Joe had taken blood money, done the deed and apparently hadn’t reaped the benefits.

 

“G-Get me out of here, Good.  Get me out of here before I FUCKING TEAR THEM APART!” Chacia screamed, her breathing incredibly ragged and there was a wild gleam in her eyes, her hands already trying to break free of Jon’s arms.

 

Stephanie did not blame the woman one bit for how she felt or reacted, nodding at Jon. “Go.  Get out of here.  You’re off for the rest of the week, both of you, while we sort this mess out.” It would give them ample time to cool down as well. 

 

Paul needed to hurry the hell up and get here NOW!

 

“This is FAR from over.” Chacia promised in a dark voice, directing that at both Samoa Joe and Colby, who was STILL white as a sheet.  She tossed the kendo stick at their feet none too gently and stormed off down the hallway, ignoring all the looks – both sympathetic and confusion – shot her way.

 

“You should thank me, Ambrose,” Joe shouted after the two, ignoring Stephanie’s sputtering threats. “I turned her into the perfect woman for you!  Psychotic!”

 

If not for the fact that Chacia needed to get out of here, Jon would have probably turned around and put his fist through Joe’s fat face.  As it was, he clenched his teeth and just led the way out.  They were going home to regroup, home to Vegas.  He stopped briefly to grab their belongings and then it was out of the building and as far from Seth and Joe as they could get, neither saying a word.

 

The entire flight home, all Chacia could do was sit there and think back to everything that happened.  The tears didn’t stop.  Jon had tried wiping them away and talking to her, but she just turned away from him, wanting to be left alone.  It was horrible to push him away because not only had they screwed with her, but they nearly ended his career!  She knew she was being selfish and cruel, but no words could convey how she felt about this situation. 

 

They arrived home sometime around 4 AM and as soon as they stepped foot in their bedroom, Chacia heard their bags drop and turned to face Jon, her face devoid of makeup since she’d washed it away in an airport bathroom.  This wasn’t his fault and she could see the guilt written all over his face, her hands pushing the beater he had on up over his head.  They were home now as she cupped his face in her soft hands and passionately kissed him, pouring every ounce of feeling into it she could muster up.  It wasn’t nearly as much as she would’ve liked due to being emotionally and mentally drained from Samoa Joe’s confession.

 

“I love you.” She whispered, pressing her forehead to his and kissed him again, feeling him lift her to where her knees attached to his sides. “I need you, Jon…” Another softly whispered plea against his lips made his icy blues melt into a dark, smoldering cerulean.

 

Chacia was running hot and cold on him and he knew why.  This was his fault; if he had just left her alone, not made that call to Cody, she wouldn’t have spent nearly a year being terrorized.  She would have been back in Cincinnati, still working at that hospital, and safe… not mentally raped and strained like she was.  Nodding, he planted her on the bed, feeling her knees tightening against him.  She didn’t maybe have all the words, neither did he, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t speak through actions.  Jon claimed her mouth in a kiss, conveying everything he was feeling at the moment in it.

 

~!~

 

“They’re going to pay.  Both of them.” Chacia spoke a couple hours later, after intense, vigorous lovemaking with Jon, both watching the sun rising over the horizon of the mountains in their backyard. 

 

He had his arms wrapped around her, a light sheet around them.  It was already hot in Vegas, but Chacia refused to stand naked outside in the backyard, no matter how much privacy they had.  They still had neighbors and she refused to flash them the goods, just in case, they decided to look over here for whatever reason.

 

“I don’t regret anything that’s happened, Jon.  And I don’t fault you for this because it was their actions that brought us here today.  It was THEIR actions that sent you out for 8 ½ months and, somehow, brought you back into my life.  I know we wouldn’t be together if you didn’t need me to help you get back in the ring.” That confession made something break inside of her because Jon had cut her off for 8 straight years and probably never would’ve spoken to her again if not for his career-threatening injury. “They’re still going to pay for hurting you…for that shower incident because there’s not a doubt in my mind that guy was paid off to hurt me.  For all those videos that forced my push in the company…” Jon and Chacia would both be avenged for all of it and neither would be completely satisfied until then.

 

Jon had not missed the way her tone had… sort of broken when she spoke about how those bastards had brought them together.  She wasn’t wrong; he probably  WOULDN’T have reached out to her.  Jon could admit that about himself, though since he had, and he realized he loved her, that internal admission made him hurt in ways he didn’t know he could still be hurt.  And it stemmed from knowing that Chacia was hurting right now because she knew the same thing he did.  He never would have reached out if he hadn’t NEEDED to USE her.

 

“Or we send them a thank you gift basket.” He said flatly, his attempt at humor coming out really… not funny.

 

Deep down, she knew she loved Jon far more than he did her.  It had always been that way.  His passion and love for professional wrestling had taken over every aspect of his life.  It was the only thing that truly made him happy.  He’d been desperate when he reached out to her to help him get back to the true love of his life.  Chacia would always be second to Jon – he would put professional wrestling before her at every turn and she accepted that like an idiot. 

 

A lovestruck idiot and fool she was. 

 

There was no reason to dwell on the ‘what ifs’ because they were too heartbreaking to think about.  The possibility of never being with Jon, of being stuck in Cincinnati with someone she would never fully be able to devote herself to…it shattered her.  To be consumed and in love with someone so deeply, to never be able to channel that love, those feelings, to someone who was probably more deserving…it was mind-boggling.  For someone to have THAT much control over her…Chacia hated Colby Lopez and Samoa Joe even more now than she did before because they made all of her doubts resurface.

 

“I’m going to lay down.  I’m not feeling good.”

 

Giving Jon the sheet, she padded into the house naked and went straight to the bedroom to lay down in bed, pulling the comforter over her, letting silent tears streak her cheeks again.  He knew her well enough to know that all of this was bringing back those doubts he had been constantly trying to put to rest since they had gotten together.  Nothing but time was ever going to show Chacia he meant what he said.  Jon wanted HER, he NEEDED her, she was IT for him.  He had been an idiot for so long and now, even when he had given himself fully to her, instead of just taking like he always had, he was still hurting her.  Cursing, he sank down, drawing his knees up and pressed his face into them.  He wanted to kill Colby and Joe; they had done more than hurt his arm and his pride.

 

They were breaking his woman.

 

Slowly opening her eyes 12 hours later, Chacia pulled herself up out of bed and saw Jon was nowhere to be found, but she could hear the television faintly from the living room.  A shower was in order.  She really needed one after the lovemaking and then crying herself to sleep.  Washing her hair and body, Chacia came to the conclusion that everything happened for a reason and she was meant to be here.  Otherwise, she wouldn’t be.  She wouldn’t be here living with him in Vegas, sharing a home with him and building a future with him.  Obviously, fate intervened on her behalf because Jon was her true soul mate, the true love of her life and, even though she believed she was the second love of Jon’s life, one day that may very well change.  He couldn’t wrestle forever, and she would always be here by his side, supporting and loving him with every fiber of her being.  Stepping out a half hour later, Chacia brushed her hair and then dressed in cotton red shorts and a matching tank top, padding out of the bedroom to go find her man to see what he was up to.  She was also starving.

 

Jon was LIT and smoking, his eyes focused on the television, which was some kid’s show on whatever channel he had landed on.  Jon chewed, he had given up smoking a long time ago, but after spending way too much time with his thoughts, he had found himself out buying a pack of unfiltered cigarettes and a 24 pack of cheap beer, the best kind.  It had always been quantity over quality and as long as it fucked them up.  It was all the same, really.

 

“Darlin’, this show is fuckin’ stupid.” He said, leaning back in his recliner, wearing nothing but a pair of the black pants he normally sported in the ring, his bare feet stretched out before him and his cigarette dangling from his bottom lip.

 

She glanced at the television screen, raising a brow at SpongeBob SquarePants and looked back at him, wondering why he was watching this ridiculous, idiotic cartoon. “Yeah, it is.” The smell of smoke didn’t bother her as she walked over to crawl on his lap on the recliner, curling up on his lap to snuggle.  Her hair was still wet, but she didn’t care since he was bare from the waist up anyway and felt his chin rest on top of her head. “Sorry I slept so long.” Slowly pulling her head up from his chest, Jon set his cigarette to the side and she shifted to straddle him, softly brushing her lips against his. “Did you eat?  I’m going to make something and then we need to start talking about the renovations we’re doing to our house.  I really want that tub with the above showerhead and the bed.  I’m also going to unpack some of my things and hang my clothes up in the closet since we have a week off.” Plenty could be done in that amount of time. “Now tell me what you want to eat, baby.”

 

“Ate earlier, babe.” Jon grunted, reaching down onto the floor beside him, raised his can of beer at her in a salute before draining it.  He crushed the now empty can in his fist before tossing it over his shoulder and right into the waiting trashcan he had put there.  He smirked, overly pleased with himself. “No matter how fucked I get, can always do that.” She wanted to talk renovations; he was pretty sure what he currently had in mind was a product of his inebriated mind and she wasn’t going to go for it. “Mirrors, a sex swing, and a pole in our bedroom.” He caught her hand, bringing it up to his mouth and began kissing her fingertips. “Sorry, Chace.”

 

Chapter 77

 

She laughed, caressing his bearded face and leaned further into him, softly kissing him again and hummed softly against his mouth. “I don’t know if I’d be any good with a pole, but we can definitely discuss having a swing and mirrors.” It was around 7 PM, a little past dinnertime, but by now, they’d be a show getting ready to perform in front of thousands at a house show. “You have nothing to be sorry for.  I’m sorry for the way I acted earlier.” Chacia pressed a finger against his lips, shaking her head. “I need to say this, and I need you to hear me.  I know I’m not number one in your life and I’ve accepted that.  And I know you love me, I don’t doubt that.  I just…I want to be your everything like you are mine and I know that’s not possible.  And I can’t keep wishing for it to change because you’re stubborn and you don’t change your ways and it’s not fair for me to ask you to change.  You treat me like gold, give me more passion than I know what to do with and have more than made up for all those years you cut me off.  I will never punish you for them again, Jon.  Those assholes can say whatever they want because, the truth is, even without them, something tells me you would’ve found your way back to me.  Something would’ve brought us back together because we’re IT for each other.  And I have to believe that because the thought of not having you in my life at all…I can’t fathom it or picture it and I don’t want to.  The past is the past – I’m leaving it there where it needs to stay.  I’m moving forward and building a life with you and I’m not going anywhere, ever.  And they are going to pay for what they did to you, for trying to end your career.  We’re going to end them together and when we’re done with them, they’ll wish they’d never MET us.  Nobody is going to hurt you the way they did and get away with it, not while I’m alive and breathing.”

 

And this was why he was drinking!  He gently but firmly moved her off his lap, so he could get up and go get another beer.  Not number one… he had kind of stopped right there.  Oh, he had heard everything else, but what was he going to say?  She had her mind set, made up.  She wasn’t his number one.  The woman was fucking insane!  Hell, weren’t they both?  Jon drained two beers right there at the fridge, tossing the empties into the kitchen sink and listened to her feet padding the floor.  Turning, he stared down at her, ice blue eyes narrowed as he took her in.  She had bared her heart and he still thought she was wrong, about him.  THAT was punishing because nothing was ever going to change that thought of hers.

 

Poison.

 

“Marry me.”

 

Chacia’s mouth slowly fell open at those words and she wasn’t sure she heard him correctly, staring at the beer can in his hand.  He was drunk.  Jon was drunk; he wasn’t thinking clearly and if he was sober, there’s no way in HELL he would’ve…he would’ve…had he lost what was left of his mind?!  She opened her mouth several times to say something, anything, trying to get her mind to work, but nothing was coming out!  Oh god, now she was hyperventilating and pacing, feeling as though her heart might fly out of her chest to land on the floor in front of him. 

 

This was a panic attack. 

 

It had to be, or maybe it was an anxiety attack.  No, anxiety was different than panic…Chacia’s thoughts were jumbled and she started laughing, fresh tears streaming down her cheeks.  Marry me…marry me…those words kept piercing her brain as she gripped her hair in her hands and finally stopped to look at him, seeing the daze, the haze, in those beautiful icy blues she always melted for.

 

“Ask me again when you’re sober and you’ve thought this through clearly, okay?” She congratulated herself on keeping her voice neutral because the rest of her was quaking on the inside. “I need food…” And a lot of alcohol because he’d just thrown her for a serious loop.

 

“Ah nope, darlin’, I’m asking you now.”

 

Jon tried not to grin, but she had opened and closed her mouth so many damn times, it reminded him of a fish out of water.  Her voice was so calm and cool, collected, but drunk or not, he had just watched her start acting like she was about to go insane.  Pacing.  Panting.  Gasping.  The damn tears.  He leaned against the counter, watching as she began moving through the kitchen like she had a purpose, opening and closing cupboards and shook his head, now sipping a beer instead of downing them.

 

“I sized your finger a month ago.” Jon informed her. “And bought a ring.” He didn’t have it here, however, he had it safe where he couldn’t get to it, just in case he had a moment of stupidity.

 

Her head snapped up upon hearing that, wide, watery hazel eyes turning to stare at him, seeing he was completely truthful and serious. “A month ago…” She said the words slowly, reiterating them and closed the drawer she’d opened, for what she had no idea anymore. 

 

Chacia was no longer hungry, even though she hadn’t eaten in over 12 hours.  Jon bought a ring…he had a ring for her to propose with.  Why had he waited a month to tell her this?  If that crap with Colby and Samoa Joe hadn’t happened, would he have asked her to marry him or kept the ring until he was actually ready to do it?

 

“No.  No, I’m not…I’m not the marrying kind and neither are you.  Why would you even ask me this?  No – NO!  No.  Goddamn it…” It was so hard saying that to him, declining his offer of marriage, but Chacia knew what it meant. “Do you know what happens to married couples in wrestling, Jon?  Eventually, the woman ends up pregnant and stuck at home to take care of crying babies while the husband is on the road, banging rats because the wife is too goddamn tired from dealing with the kids and doesn’t want to give him pussy when he eventually comes home a few times a month!” Why couldn’t they leave things the way they were? “Marriage ends relationships, poisons them, makes them obsolete.  I love you, but no, I won’t marry you.  Not now, not ever.”

 

Her parents were on the verge of being divorced when they were killed by that drunk driver and that was why she had to be raised by Cody.  Jon’s grin disappeared so fast, even if one didn’t blink, one wouldn’t have caught it, his eyes going guarded, his expression neutral.  That was… surprisingly sobering and he did not like it at all.  Who was she to tell him what he was?  She fucking thought she still wasn’t first in his life!  The fact that he was HERE, taking time OFF from the supposed love of his life to be with HER, when he could’ve been back to work kicking those fucker’s asses in legally… Women didn’t have to get pregnant and stay home, what the actual fuck?  He knew their lives had been shitty, but is that what she still thought?

 

“Fucking. POISON!” That’s all this was, and he ripped open the fridge, tossing what was left of the beer into the sink angrily.

 

Chacia jumped back, not expecting that outburst from him and frowned, seeing how badly he was trembling while holding onto what was left of the pack.  Her heart fell into her stomach at the sight of him, not remembering EVER seeing Jon this angry.  She could feel it oozing out of every pore of his body and had no idea what to do to make this right.  Did he really want to marry her that badly?  She had a panic attack and maybe some of the things she’d said were harsh, but…she honestly didn’t expect him to propose to her.  Maybe he did think they were poison and that shattered her all over again.  Or maybe she was poison to him…maybe he didn’t want to be with her anymore.

 

“What’s poison, Jon?” She asked, regaining her bearings and tentatively took a step toward him, not reaching out to touch him.  Years of experience with him taught her when and when NOT to push him or touch him.

 

“What fucking isn’t, Chacia?” Jon snorted, not turning to look at her as he began emptying the beer into the sink, watching the amber liquid fizzle right down the drain, leaving the white foam in its wake. “You still don’t believe me when I tell you YOU’RE the most important thing in my life.  We both know I’m a goddamn using scumbag!” That was one harsh reality this entire outing from Joe that neither of them could deny: would she be here today if he hadn’t been injured?  She said yes because they were meant to be, but that kind of got lost in the shuffle of all those other things…those damn doubts. “And you’re fucking TELLING me what kind of person I am. Not the marrying kind?” He whirled on her, filling in those few steps between them, his hands curling over her shoulders. “I’m NOT my Mom and you are NOT your goddamn parents!  We are WE, and careers don’t end when people get married, and it doesn’t mean you have to retire or have a million fucking kids.  It means I LOVE YOU and I want to commit myself to YOU in every way I can.”

 

“I know you’re not your mother.  You’re nothing like her and you never have been.” Jon was so much better than his mother ever thought about being or his sperm donor of a father. “You’re not a using scumbag either.” Maybe at first, he’d been, but that was only because he didn’t know how she felt or how he felt for her in return.  Their feelings had been complicated because of the friendship factor. “I didn’t think you were the marrying kind!  I know I’m not!  I’m committed to you in every way, why do we need jewelry and a piece of fucking paper to prove that?!” Did he really think she was the white gown, aisle walking, vow giving, type of woman? “I’m already yours completely; I’m tied to you in every possible way I can be!” She uprooted her entire life for him, TWICE! “This isn’t poison and you’re not poison either!  You’re my everything, Jon!  I’m incomplete without you!  Don’t you get it?  You’re half of me – without you, I’m not whole!” She was scared to death marriage would change all of that. “I’m scared of marriage, okay?  Marriage terrifies me and…I don’t want to destroy what we have together.  I don’t need anything, not even wrestling, except you.”

 

“Tell me something I DON’T know, Chacia.” He shook his head, pushing himself away from her and scrubbed a hand down his face. “I KNOW how you feel, I KNOW you’re with me 100%.” That wasn’t the problem. “You refuse to believe ME when I say the damn same thing!  Don’t marry me, I don’t fuckin’ care.”

 

Paper and jewelry didn’t need them.  Jon did, however, need to get sober and stormed past her, heading outside.  He shuffled out of those black pants and dived into the pool, the automatic sensor lights coming on.

 

Appetite was gone.  Long gone.  Chacia felt nauseous and had a feeling she just put a dagger in Jon’s heart, hurting him all over again.  Would they ever stop hurting each other?  She looked at the boxes with her belongings in them and could only sink down on the bed, burying her face in her hands.  What was she supposed to do?  Lie to him and accept the proposal, push how she felt aside AGAIN? 

 

What did he mean she refused to believe him when he said the same thing as her?  She didn’t know where this was coming from because Jon spoke in riddles and was never forthcoming with her.  Or maybe she was an idiot and didn’t hear him correctly or clearly.  Hell, Chacia didn’t know anymore and felt hopeless, wishing the pain she felt would go away.  She was with Jon and all of her dreams had come true, so why did it feel like her world was falling apart at the seams?

 

She was an idiot and she didn’t listen to his words or his actions.  That or her self-confidence when it came to him, to them, was non-existent.  He had told her many times, showed her many times, she was his number one.  Wrestling didn’t even mean the same as it had once.  It was now second to him, and the fact that she worked in the same company as him, that was just icing on the cake.  Chacia was never going to believe him because he had royally messed it up for all those years.

 

Instead of trying to coddle him and make things right, Chacia left Jon alone for the next 2 days and unpacked her things, hanging her clothes up in the walk-in closet and whatnot.  Jon was up and gone out of the house by the time she woke up and she had no idea where he’d gone, but obviously, he needed time to think.  He needed time alone.  The tears had stopped, but there was a feeling of sadness and anguish that came over the house.  The tension was thick in the air and it felt like Chacia was suffocating slowly.  Once she finished with her clothes and unpacked everything, she couldn’t stand being in the house, leaving to get a workout or two in.  Four hours later, she came back to the house, with Chinese food, and walked inside, heading for the kitchen to grab a bowl with a fork.  She was already freshly showered and clean from her workout, so all she had to do was eat and then possibly fall asleep watching a movie.

 

“You’re fucking kidding me.”

 

“Nope, for that, you’re going to have to redo the bathroom completely and you’re going to want it enlarged.  That’s a big ass tub, Jon.”

 

Jon shook his head, laughing.  He trusted this contractor, a guy he had met when he first moved to Vegas.  He walked with Trent, eyeballing the area the other man had used a washable marker, black, on and pinched the bridge of his nose.

 

“And then this shower you want right above it…” Trent stared down at the floor, cocking an eyebrow. “I’m going to go down into your basement and check out the plumbing and drainage.  This is a pretty big project, Good.  What’s up with the indoor pool?”

 

“My woman deserves some pampering when we’re home.”

 

Chacia was halfway through with her dinner when Jon and a guy she didn’t recognize, or know, walked down the hallway into the dining room.  This was awkward because she and Jon hadn’t spoken in 2 days and she had no idea what kind of mindset he was in. “Hi…” She stood up, eyeing the strange man curiously.

 

Trent smiled at the blonde and extended his hand. “Trent Woodsmith.  I’m a friend of Jon’s and his contractor.”

 

Contractor?  What would…it clicked in Chacia’s head why he was here and she smiled a little warmer, shaking his hand. “Nice to meet you, Trent.  I’ll just get out of your way.” She could be cordial and walked out of the dining room to clean up her dinner mess, putting the leftovers in the fridge.  Honestly, she was drained and just wanted to go to sleep to wake up to another non-talkative day with her boyfriend.

 

“No, while I got you, let me get your input,” Trent said with an easy grin, pulling out his small tablet and pen. “Jon told me, and showed me, pictures of the new setup you guys want, but it’s going to require that entire bathroom being redone.” Good thing they had the second, somewhat smaller, but manageable bathroom. “Since it’s being redone, do you have a preference on materials?  Colors?  Where you want things, besides the tub.”

 

Jon grinned from behind Trent, flashing her two thumbs up and was rewarded with a slight smile.  Well, it was a start.  He had been a drunk cock, he knew it.  But he hadn’t forgotten what she had said about discussing the bathroom.  This was the absolute last thing she wanted to deal with after everything she’d been through lately.

 

“The entire bathroom has to be redone?” Trent nodded and she blew out a large breath, knowing that wouldn’t be cheap to do at all. “I don’t know the first thing about materials or anything like that.  I’m sure whatever you guys come up with will be fine.” It was truthful enough. “I’ll leave it to Jon to decide how the bathroom should be.  Excuse me, I need to use the bathroom now, actually.”

 

Chuckling, she walked out of the kitchen to leave Jon and Trent to talk more about the remodeling.  Her stomach didn’t feel so good and it was probably because of how much stress she was under and the thick tension in the house.  It had seriously jacked her stomach up – or maybe it was the Chinese food since she normally ate a lot healthier.

 

“I’ll leave my sample book with you, Jon.” Trent said after Chacia had vacated, turning in time to catch the frown on his friend’s face. “Maybe you two can pick out something together.” To him, Chacia leaving it up to Jon was another female version of ‘fine’ and that wasn’t a word any man wanted to hear because it meant trouble was brewing.

 

“Yeah thanks man, get me that estimate yeah?”

 

“Yep, I’m going down to the basement now and then I’ll be out of your hair.  I’ll send you the base estimate later tonight.  We’ll figure out the new total once you decide on the fixings.”

 

“Sounds good.” Jon was already going after Chacia.

 

Chapter 78

 

“DON’T COME IN HERE!” Chacia shouted, her eyes widening at the turn of the doorknob and shook her head frantically while trying to take a crap in peace. “Be out in a minute!”

 

If it was Trent, that would’ve been incredibly embarrassing.  It was time to get back on her diet and healthy eating bandwagon because her body had rejected that Chinese food like there was no tomorrow.  Twenty minutes later, after spraying the hell out of the bathroom and turning the fan on to air it out, she emerged and wasn’t surprised to find Jon waiting for her, sitting on the bed.

 

“Sorry, didn’t mean to snap on you, but…you REALLY didn’t need to be in there for what was going on.”

 

“Toxic ass?”

 

Jon grinned when she nodded, having absolutely no shame or embarrassment.  She had been like the only chick at that wrestling school and, back in the day, there were only a few bathrooms.  Chacia had walked into so many nasty bathrooms, right after a guy got done besmirching it, that the day she finally returned the favor, a lot of the guys had given her proper ‘bro credit’ for being as nasty as they were.

 

“Trent left like 5 minutes ago, he’s sending a base estimate later.” He informed her, laying out on the bed and patted the spot beside him. “Come here, we need to talk, darlin’.”

 

Frowning, Chacia joined him and rolled on her side, placing a hand on her stomach to settle it faster.  It was just something she did whenever she had an upset tummy.  Even though she had ‘repaid the favor’ back in the old days at the wrestling school, that didn’t mean she wanted Jon to see her grossness again.

 

“Okay, but I’m warning you now, I might have to run in there again if my stomach starts rumbling.  I’m definitely going back to eating greens and healthy shit.  Screw this.” Sighing, she snuggled into the pillow and watched Jon turn to face her fully. “What do you wanna talk about?”

 

“You want some Pepto or something?”

 

What had she eaten?  Apparently, nothing healthy.  Not that he could say much.  Jon had woken up the other morning coughing his lungs up, so what the hell had he been thinking?

 

“About the other night, Chace.” He said patiently, knowing his drunkenness had made a mess of everything and then the mutual avoidance these last few days hadn’t helped.

 

“Well duh, I know that much.”

 

Chacia rolled her eyes playfully, reaching her hand out to caress his bearded face and scooted closer to him.  She missed him these last two days, even though they were in the same house and had slept in the same bed.  Jon hadn’t stayed away from her in that aspect, but they hadn’t spoken since their blowup about the proposal.  She opened her mouth to continue, but decided to let Jon talk first this time, wanting to know what was on his mind.

 

“Talk to me, baby.  Please.”

 

Jon considered her, knowing deep down anything he said, she was always going to have doubts.  But that wasn’t on him anymore.  He knew he couldn’t keep trying to fix the past and that the hurt he had selfishly inflicted on her were going to have to be mended with time.  Hopefully, evidence as he continued standing at her side.

 

“I’m sorry I was a jerk the other night.” He said finally, knowing an apology had to be made. “And I’m sorry for springing the marriage thing on you.  You’re right, we don’t need jewelry or papers saying what we already know.”

 

He was either going to erupt or beat her ass until it was blistered for what she was about to say next.  Chacia actually looked sheepish as she sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, a tad nervous. “No, Jon.  YOU were right.  I freaked out because marriage scares the hell out of me, and I didn’t expect it.  It shocked me and I…overreacted…and I should’ve thought it through, instead of blowing it all to hell.” She couldn’t move because her stomach was FINALLY starting to settle down and could see his eyes narrowing down at her. “What I’m trying to say is…if the offer is still on the table, if you still want to marry me, my answer is yes.  Because you were right – it’s not about jewelry and a piece of paper, it’s about being committed to each other in every way possible.  Being each other’s first before everything and anything else this world throws at us.” Including wrestling.

 

“I’m going to fucking beat you, Chace!” Jon growled after a moment, forgetting her stomach was upset and made to tackle her, but then she held her stomach and he groaned, dropping away. “WHEN you’re not… having tummy issues.” He amended, eyes narrowed as he stared at her. “Do you mean it?  Honestly. I don’t want you saying yes because you’re afraid of losing me, Chacia.”

 

“I’m always afraid of losing you, Jon.  That’s never going to change.” Chacia admitted, trying not to find his eruption amusing and sucked her lips in tightly when he just stared at her hardening. “And yes, I mean it.  I thought about it for the past 2 days and I realized how foolish I was.  I told you, I freaked out and marriage scares the hell out of me.  But…I’ve taken so many risks with you already, what’s one more, right?  I want to marry you, Jon.  You’re the only man I will EVER want to marry and take this step with.”

 

Well, that wasn’t reassuring, but then again, he knew it was going to take time to make her realize she was stuck with him.  Jon had already blown a decade with her just about.  He’d just have to spend the next 10 years making sure he was there at her side.

 

“You’re waiting for your ring.” He informed her, laying back and laced his hands behind his head, so he didn’t yank her into him.  Nothing like an upset stomach to threaten a potentially romantic, sexy moment. “I wasn’t kidding when I said it’s not here.” Joe had it, actually, since they were talking again.

 

“Okay.”

 

Her stomach was finally settled as she sat up and swung her leg over his waist to straddle him, planting her mouth on his in a passionate, toe-curling kiss.  Jon sat upright, wrapping her legs around his waist and their tongues dueled together, tasting each other for the first time in two days.  That romantic, sexy moment wouldn’t be ruined, not if she had anything to say about it and rubbed her nose against his once the kiss broke.

 

“Ask me again.” Chacia requested, breathing heavily from the kissing and caressed every inch of him she could get her hands on. “Please, ask me again, Jon.”

 

“No.” Jon shook his head, grabbing her hands in his and keeping them firmly tucked between their bodies, so she couldn’t squirm away from him.  Or potentially slap him. “I’ll ask you again, Chacia, but not right now.”

 

He’d do it when he had the ring and they were just finally talking after 2 days of nothing.  It would feel like a shallow gesture on his part.  He wasn’t the kind to take her to a fancy place, wine and dine her and get on one knee before a bunch of snooty strangers.  No.  He’d have the ring, and he’d ask her.  But first… he had something else he had to do.  He had to settle fences with Cody.

 

“Fair enough.” The fact this man wanted to marry her and still did after her freak-out, just proved further how much he loved her. “I can accept that.”

 

Hopefully, he could make things right with Cody because she had to do the same thing.  Chacia hadn’t talked to her cousin in a while, so maybe she would call him tomorrow to try to mend their relationship and forgive him for running his mouth to Jon behind her back.  Jon started telling her about the renovations that would take place in the bathroom over the next month, as soon as he gave Trent the green light to get started.

 

“Is this gonna be worth it?  Maybe we should leave it the way it is…” It wasn’t that bad and still comfortable, just not as luxurious.

 

“Is it the money issue?” Jon asked curiously, cocking an eyebrow down at her. “Because I don’t care about the money.  Unless you decide you want a new place, later on, this house was meant to be it for me, so I don’t see a problem with investing money in it.  Hell, even if we decide to move, the new bathroom just adds to the home’s value, darlin’.  Besides, that bed is already on its way here, we’re going to have the bathroom too.” He carefully moved with her still on his lap, reaching for that tablet Trent had left. “You help me pick out the shit for it, Chacia.  This is OURS and it’s worth it.”

 

Did he not hear her earlier? “Jon, I don’t have any idea what I’m looking at or what to choose.  I don’t want to choose something that is shit.  You seem to know more about this than me…” Groaning when he shoved the tablet in her face, she scowled and snatched it, beginning to scroll through the ideas. “Okay…I like this, actually.” She turned the tablet around to show a huge black tub, not white, with a dark grey flooring that looked either granite or tiled and the sink was black.  Everything was pretty much black besides the dark grey flooring and white walls. “I can already tell by the look on your face you don’t like it.  See?  I’m not good with this…”

 

“The problem, Chacia, is that you’re basing your choices on what you think I like and don’t like, stop it.  You like this?” He tapped the image. “Well, the tub’s been picked out already, we’re looking for… like the flooring and the sinks, that sort of thing.  Colors and then here,” Jon moved his finger to the side, where samples of different granite, tiles, and others were. “Are more options.  I don’t mind black… just not for the tub.  You remember the YMCA in Cincy, back by the old middle school?” Of course, she did, he did not miss the way her nose wrinkled in disgust. “Remember how black it was, from not being taken care of and they had to eventually close the place down because the city health department was fining them left and right?  I’ve never been able to get that out of my head.”

 

They had gone a few times and usually left within minutes.  Jon had stepped a toe in that pool ONCE, that black pool with its green water.  He found out the hard way it wasn’t that the pool was black, it was the BUILDUP of crap over the years.

 

“Ugh, did you HAVE to bring that disgusting place up?” Chacia groaned, lowering her forehead to his shoulder and tried to ignore the barrage of memories that hit her from that particular place. “Okay, okay, let’s see…” Black was all right, but…she really liked this burnt orange countertop.  It was a darker orange that looked almost golden with black specks throughout it. “What about this?” She turned the tablet back to him, pointing at what she liked and saw the thoughtful expression on his face. “Orange is my favorite color and you know that, so I went with that…” Not a lot of people realized that about her.  Orange was not a popular favorite color, but she always loved it. “I really do like the dark grey flooring, but the burnt orange would look good with that, I think.”

 

Jon stared at it, trying to envision it for their bathroom and then smiled because he could see it. “I like the burnt orange, darlin’.” It reminded him of the desert and, of course, orange was a color he associated with her since she had worn it a lot back in school.  Chacia had also gotten teased about it, including by him -though always in private- and she had always shrugged it off. “We could do the black floors with the orange if you prefer that over the gray.  Just no black tubs…” Ever. 

 

He shuddered, wishing he had never thought about that.  His cell went off and he began reaching into his pockets, finally pulling it out.  That was quick.  He flashed her the screen, letting her read the base estimate.

 

“It’s not so much, Chace, not as bad as I thought it would be.”

 

It would’ve seemed like a lot of money to old Chacia and Jon, but they were WWE Superstars now.  They could splurge on the house a bit if they wanted to.  They had no other obligations, no kids, just them and this beautiful home he brought her into to make it theirs.

 

“Okay, let’s do it.” The biggest smile spread on her face, her hands clasping together to rest against her nose and mouth while Jon sent another text to Trent. “When will the bed be here?  A couple weeks at least, right?”

 

“Uh, next week and that was on express order.”

 

Jon grinned because he had thought she was going to have kittens at the price tag.  Property and costs this way were a lot more expensive than the Midwest, where they had grown up, so to him… it wasn’t so bad.  He had to remind himself that Chacia was still sort of ‘new’ to Vegas.

 

“Sex swing came in today, however.” That he had not forgotten, smirking after shooting off the ‘okay’ text. “Hey, is that what you want for the bathroom?  I can just let him know if it is.” Burnt orange, he liked it.  It wasn’t normal, and it suited them.

 

“S-Sex swing?” Chacia gaped at him, not meaning to stammer that out in question, but…he actually GOT one of those?! “Oh my god…”

 

Her cheeks were FLAMING red now as she touched them, feeling the temperature rising several notches in the room.  Chacia was still straddling him and that did NOT help her cool down any.  It only fanned the flames worse.

 

“I thought you were JOKING!  I can’t…Jon, I’ve never been on one of those before…Christ…” She smacked his chest none too gently when he began laughing at her, scowling again. “Fucker.”

 

“See darlin’, that’s the fun part,” For him anyway, his hands on her hips to keep her from moving and he tightened his grip when he felt her trying. “There are restraints built in, for both supporting you and to keep you from doing anything you’re not supposed too.” Like trying to get out of it or kneeing him in the balls. “Need a drink or two before we try it out?” The idea of her, in that swing, suspended in air while he fucked her senseless, he was straining his jeans right now, just thinking about it.

 

“Umm…”

 

Oh boy, her stomach did flip-flops for an entirely different reason and it was from the smoldering look in those deep pale blues.  He was staring at her like she was a meal, his meal he was about to devour in a damn sex swing, of all things.  Chacia swallowed hard, looking up and gaped, not realizing Jon had already installed the damn thing while she was gone most of the day.

 

“Oh my…” She couldn’t even finish that statement, hazel eyes wide and felt her mouth go dry at all of the straps and whatnot involved. “W-What makes this different than the regular sex we’ve been having, exactly?  I just don’t see how I get turned on by being suspended in midair…”

 

“You’re going to have to wait and find out, Chacia.” He purred, gently pushing her off him and got to his feet, rolling his shoulders before cracking his neck. “Go get a shower and relax.  Maybe have a glass of wine.”

 

Jon knew that swing would stand up to whatever they did with it because, after he had installed it, he had swung on the damn thing.  Making sure it would bear his weight while he was doing things, applying that extra weight and force.  He wasn’t risking her getting hurt.

 

“Go on, darlin’.”

 

Chapter 79

 

“What makes you think I need a shower?  Do I really smell that bad?” She sniffed her pit in front of him for emphasis, shrugging because it was still her deodorant. “I showered at the gym earlier.  I don’t need a shower.  I do need a beer, though.”

 

Hopefully, he restocked it because she wasn’t that big of a wine drinker and never had been.  Where did he get wine from anyway?  Since when was Jon a wine drinker?  She walked out to the kitchen and popped the tab on the beer can, taking a few gulps while trying to slow her racing heart.  Sex swing…he bought a sex swing…and HOW DID SHE MISS THAT EARLIER?  It was hanging RIGHT there, plain as freaking day!

 

“Christ…” Another gulp went down the hatch.

 

Jon was trying to be nice because she’d had an upset stomach earlier and he already knew how that went.  He had those issues a time or two and usually showered afterward, if he knew he was getting laid.  Stuffing his hands into the back pockets of his jeans, he slowly trailed after her, his bare feet scuffing the floor.  He stopped to watch her, smirking slightly at how fast she was chugging that beer.

 

“Did I give you issues, Chacia?” He drawled teasingly, bringing a hand up to his face when she snorted beer, cursing when he was wearing it a second later. “Woman!”

 

“Shit!” Chacia cursed, setting the beer down and grabbed the towel hanging on the stove rack, wiping it away from his bare chest. “And that’s a goddamn understatement, Good.  YES, you gave me issues with that contraption in there.  I just need…I need a minute to wrap my head around it.” And now, she needed another shower because when she snorted the beer, it went all over her as well as him. “Come on, we both need a shower now.”

 

Maybe Jon could entice her about the sex swing because, right now, she was all kinds of nervous and a little scared.  It was like a circus swing, with some extra safety features, Jon didn’t see what the big deal was.  On the other hand, Jon wasn’t the one who was going to wind up getting plowed like there was no tomorrow either.  That would be all her.

 

“Don’t trust me, darlin’?” He asked curiously, following her to the bathroom because he did need that shower.  They both smelled like a brewery and he wasn’t climbing into bed after he had just put fresh sheets down covered in beer. “You’re supposed to swallow, Chace.”

 

“Oh my god, Jonathan David Good, stop it!” Chacia groaned, reaching in to start the shower and felt him whip her around to face him, followed by his mouth descending hungrily on hers. “Of course, I trust you.” She breathed against his lips once the kiss broke, rubbing his nose gently with hers. 

 

They undressed each other and showered with Jon stimulating her to get her ready for the swing.  His fingers against her nethers, his mouth sealed to her neck were surefire ways to get her in the mood and Jon kept telling her how much he was looking forward to plowing her pussy in that swing.  Apparently, there were 30 different ways to use the thing and something told her they would be trying out every one of them. 

 

Makeup sex, in a sex swing…could it really get any better than that?

 

Just the idea of her being in that swing, completely exposed to him and unable to do anything about it… well, it got Jon going without any extra stimulation.  He did understand Chacia’s trepidation, which was why he was taking time to get her in the mood, the right mindset.  There was a certain vulnerability that came with being exposed to someone, in their power, it was a major trust thing.  When he felt Chacia’s legs trembling, he smiled against her neck, his fingers never stopping.

 

He didn’t let her climax, only bringing her to that fine razor edge and then pulled her back at the last second, assuring her it would happen…in time.  When he asked in her ear if she was ready for this, ready to surrender to him completely, Chacia nodded without hesitation and the shower turned off.  They had washed each other already, so they were nice and clean for what was to come.  Jon towel-dried her off, not wanting her to slip in the swing and did the same thing to himself before lifting her over his shoulder to cart her into the bedroom, where the swing awaited.  They stood on the bed together and Chacia stared at it, chewing her bottom lip and looked back at Jon, his fingers and lips beginning to stimulate her all over again.

 

“How do you want me, baby?”

 

“Soaking wet and spread…”

 

He licked his lips, knowing one of those things had already been achieved and carefully walked across the bed to pull the swing open.  Gesturing to the harness where her back would be supported and then positioned the smaller two for her legs, right behind her knees was where these would go and there were several ‘ropes’ that held it up, which she was to hold onto.  He had left off the velcro cuffs, meant to secure arms to said ropes, pretty sure that would be a deal breaker.

 

For her first time, she’d likely want some semblance of control, an ‘out’ of sorts.

                                                  

~!~

 

After experimenting with their new toy for the rest of their time off, along with getting some things done around the house, it was time to head back on the road.  Chacia and Jon decided what they wanted to do about Colby and Samoa Joe, refusing to let the company handle it.  No, they were both wronged, more Jon than her, and both men were going to pay the price.  They weren’t supposed to come back until Monday for Raw, but Jon was chomping at the bit to get his hands on Colby and Samoa Joe, so they went back on the road Saturday for the house shows. 

 

Chacia snuck in during Colby’s match to blast him with a kendo stick in his bad knee, knowing exactly what part of the body to target.  She had worked on that knee countless times and enjoyed the sounds of agony coming from him.  Ten shots later, she felt marginally better and rolled out of the ring to walk back through the fans, laughing maliciously.  Jon had come in from behind, once Colby got to his feet, and delivered a Dirty Deeds that knocked the pig-nosed bastard OUT.

 

Paul was amused, chomping his gum obnoxiously as Stephanie wailed at him. “I warned you, letting people call their own shots was a bad idea.”

 

Not to say he hadn’t been doing it for years, but he had also paid more than his fair share of dues and his shot calling had usually been within the safety of a storyline.  Creative control and input were one thing, taking total free reign was another, entirely.  Hell, it wouldn’t even be an issue if not for the company’s supposed PG rating.  They couldn’t have real people with real-life animosity and drama have FREE REIGN on a PG show, it didn’t end well.

 

Jon had his arm wrapped around Chacia’s neck once they had met up from that little bit of destruction. “Feel better, darlin’?” He asked, dropping a lazy kiss on her head.

 

That had been beautiful, seeing her going to town on Colby.

 

“Damn right I do.”

 

Yanking him down, Chacia, not Chasity, kissed her man in front of all those people and had no fucks to give, laughing as he lifted her to wrap her legs around his waist.  The fine they would be slapped with would be worth it.  The crowd actually cheered them on as the kiss broke and Chacia laughed, pressing her cheek against Jon’s as both looked back at a writhing in pain Colby in the center of the ring.

 

Samoa Joe was met with a tragic accident that resulted in his femur being shattered, outside of the ring.  He was attacked in the parking lot of a strip club he had frequented in the area whenever WWE was in town.  Chacia and Jon had dressed from head to toe in black, making sure Samoa Joe didn’t know it was them, even using disguised voices.  Samoa Joe would learn never to mess with people from Ohio because they would come back to END him.  That blood money he got from Colby would be spent on medical bills and, just to make sure he wouldn’t be back anytime soon, Chacia had slit his Achilles tendon, which was a career-threatening injury.  It ended A LOT of careers because, nine times out of ten, the injury never fully healed.  Samoa Joe had been knocked out with several shots to the head with a crowbar as well, just so he was dazed throughout the entire attack.  Not to mention, he was a little tipsy from drinking in the club.  Peeling out of there in a black tinted window car, Chacia pulled her mask off along with Jon, both of them feeling vindicated for what happened to both of them.

 

God help them if they were ever caught because with what they had done, especially with the crowbar to the head and leaving him there, that was assault with intent to kill.  Jon did not want to go to prison because of that fat son of a bitch, though at the same time… getting retribution for the months of stalking and terror he had put Chacia through, maybe prison would be worth it.  Joe would not be stalking or terrorizing ANYONE ever again.  The fat bastard would be lucky if he could walk without a limp after that Achilles tendon being slit.  That one had made Jon CRINGE.  He had seen grown men, manly men, the full definition of a man’s man, been reduced to TEARS and screaming like little girls over injuries related to that tendon.  He had made a mental note to NEVER piss Chacia off THAT bad because he now knew she was capable of.

 

“Feel better, darlin’?” He asked, reaching over to take her hand in his, lacing their fingers together.

 

“Yeah, I do actually.”

 

They had talked about this for hours on end at home, making sure the plan was precise because there could be no mishaps.  It was clean-cut, simple and effective.  It also wasn’t the first time they had to get their hands dirty because, living in Cincinnati the way they did, especially Jon, it was all about survival.  Samoa Joe deserved that beating and so did Colby, but now it wouldn’t be two on one with Jon anymore.  It would be one on one – Jon against Colby, with Chacia doing her own thing and sticking by her man’s side.  Chacia had her own feud going on in WWE with Ronda Rousey and was slated to face her at the next pay-per-view event.  She WOULD win the title and start building her legacy, by being the first woman to dethrone Ronda and beat her clean in the middle of the ring.

 

“Sorry I didn’t tell you what I planned on doing to him.  Probably should’ve pre-warned you, but at least he won’t be getting in a wrestling ring anytime soon.”

 

He knew what she was talking about and couldn’t suppress the full body shudder that overtook him, wrinkling his nose as he tried not to think about that one.  Hell. No. “Yeah, that would have been cool, you know… a head’s up.” He said, trying to sound nonchalant, but he was squeamish just thinking about it.  Jon had seen some messed up stuff in the Indies, including one case of testicular torsion.  He wasn’t sure even that beat a slit Achilles tendon. “At least it’s done and fuck that fat bastard, next time… well, there won’t be a next time for him, will there?”

 

Jon had cut his own nipple off in the Indies and sewed it back on himself!  That had been gruesome because she had to hold the nipple in place while he sewed it. “Nope, I made sure of it.” She dug that knife in deep enough to where there would be nerve damage, her schooling coming into play with the attack. “He’ll probably walk with a cane for the rest of his fucking life and he deserves it for what he did to both of us.” Sometimes, people had to play dirty and fight fire with fire in this world. “Now, you can have Rollins all to yourself without any distractions or that fat fuck double-teaming you.”

 

Taking Samoa Joe out was the right thing to do.  The videos had stopped going on YouTube during the 5 days they were in Vegas to cool off.  There was a major difference between nipple damage and that tendon, not that Jon was complaining. He’d take the nipple that no longer got hard and had a great scar over a severed Achilles tendon.

 

“Man, I hope you were kinda slashy about it.  A clean, precise cut might look suspicious.” Well, at least they hadn’t KILLED the guy, which he would have deserved. “Maybe we oughta try that trick on Rollins next.” His eyes lit up maliciously at the thought.

 

“You’ll have to do it.  And I cut into it and twisted.” That made Jon groan out, the wince on his face telling the entire story. “Need any more details?”

 

“Fuck no.”

 

“Good.”

 

Once back at the motel they were shacked up in for the night since they weren’t technically supposed to be back on the roster until Monday, Jon took their clothes, gloves, and masks, throwing them all away in a garbage bag.  They would dump it in the next city, so it didn’t tie to the city they were in currently.  After showering, Chacia padded out to where Jon sat in just a towel and stood between his legs, drawing his head to rest and snuggle against her chest.

 

“Are you okay?” She asked quietly, stroking his short hair and dropped soft kisses on his forehead, comforting him the best way she knew how.

 

“I don’t know, darlin’, maybe?” Jon wasn’t sure right now.  On one hand, Joe and Colby deserved it and a lot more.  On the other… this wasn’t necessarily survival like it had been back when they were younger. “Fuck, Chace.”

 

He didn’t like second-guessing them, doubting what they had done, and he wasn’t overly all right with the potential consequences if they were caught.  They’d probably never see each other again and forensics and technology had come a LONG way.  Bending down, Chacia captured his mouth and unfastened the towel around his waist to straddle him, her towel dropping as well.  There was only one way to distract Jon and jolt him out of his dark thoughts, moaning softly at the taste of him, the feel of him in general.  The moment he pushed inside of her, Chacia let him take control and held onto him for dear life, continuously kissing him.

 

Chapter 80

 

Word spread around the locker room about Samoa Joe being mugged outside of a strip club he visited.  Everyone assumed it was drug dealers or maybe Samoa Joe had pissed someone off inside the strip club.  It wasn’t farfetched considering a lot of those places weren’t the safest to go.  The best part was Samoa Joe was in a coma with brain trauma, feeding and eating through a straw.  Rumors had swirled around he probably would never wake up from the assault and authorities would still investigate on it, but it was hard to catch the assailant in these types of situation.

 

Nobody suspected Jon and Chacia, not even with the current storyline between him, Samoa Joe and Colby.

 

Sure enough, at the next pay-per-view event, a month later, Chacia finally beat Ronda Rousey for the Raw Women’s championship and held it in the air proudly, crying her eyes out.  There was a very special reason for that.  Cincinnati, Ohio was where the pay-per-view event was located, her backyard, her stomping grounds, and Cody was front row and center to witness her win her very first title.  She hopped out of the ring and immediately went over to him, hugging him tightly since they’d mended their problems and kissed his cheek, laughing at the tears in his own eyes.  She squealed out, being grabbed from behind and lifted on a broad shoulder, shaking her head at none other than the Lunatic Fringe coming out to celebrate her victory with her.  He had scared the hell out of her with that stunt and she was going to kick his ass once they were behind the curtain.

 

The coma thing was not something Jon had intended, though it did serve a purpose he imagined.  Meant Joe couldn’t give any recollection of what had happened to him, providing he even remembered any of it.  Doubtful.  The man had been messed up during the entire thing because he had taken that crowbar right out the gate.  In retrospect, after everything they had done to him, that was probably a mercy shot.  That was all shoved out of mind as he paraded Chacia around the outside of the ring, letting everyone see HIS woman had made it.  She had done it.  Cleanly.  Without interference and Ronda had NOT let herself be steamrolled, and that had been clear.  She had given it as well as she gotten it and Chacia had had to fight to earn that victory and come out the undisputed winner.  Those fucks in the back would have to eat their words.

 

Once they made their way to the back, Stephanie, Paul, and Vince were there to greet her, with Jon behind her as they each gave her a big hug, congratulating her.  Chacia proved all the doubters wrong and everyone who thought she couldn’t make it to the big leagues, that she didn’t have what it took to be a champion.  Ronda came through the curtain and they hugged tightly, becoming friends throughout their feud behind the curtain.  Ronda congratulated her and then went on her way to get ready to head home for a while, needing some time off to recuperate from small injuries she’d been battling through.  Chacia would be carrying the Raw Women’s division into the fall/winter and WrestleMania season.

 

Granted, Stephanie had rolled with the Wonderwoman, powerhouse thing, but those Youtube videos hadn’t given her much choice.  She couldn’t have Chacia losing and getting her ass kicked after those videos made her out to be some insane, badass bitch.  It just wasn’t flying.

 

“That was great, it was definitely one of the best matches of the show.” She said with a grin, glad that those videos had stopped. “We’ve also, effective tomorrow, rescinded my father’s… rule about giving the superstars too much control.”

 

Paul smirked, rolling his eyes down at her.

 

“I give you my word, I won’t break script ever again, no matter the circumstances.  I just really wanted payback for what Rollins did to me and Jon.” Chacia leaned back against Jon’s chest, feeling his arms wrap around her waist and ruffled his short hair.  She was glad he kept it short, he looked so much better and clean-cut than the unruly curls he used to sport. “Thank you for giving me this opportunity.”

 

Pavana came through the curtain, having been the referee for the Raw Women’s title match and yanked Chacia right out of Dean’s arms to hug her tightly.  Joe still had hold of the ring Dean entrusted to him and she wondered when the Lunatic Fringe was going to pop the question. “So freaking happy for you, girl!  We definitely need to go out and celebrate tonight!”

 

“Okay, I’ll talk to Jon and let you know.” She had no idea what Jon had planned after this or if they were just going back to the hotel for the usual dinner, sex and sleep routine.

 

“Or you could just talk to him now since he’s literally right here.” Pavana said with a laugh, shaking her head.

 

“Forget about me, darlin’?” He teased, taking the belt from her to feel its heft.  Not bad.  He lay it gently back down on her shoulder, pride shining in his pale blue eyes. “We can go out, tonight definitely calls for a celebration.” If Jon had known that Pavana knew about the ring, he would have popped Joe a good one for being a snitch.

 

Women were not to be trusted when it came to things like that.

 

“I meant after I get a shower and your match with fuckface, DEAR.” Chacia retorted, rolling her eyes and nudged him playfully.  He wasn’t until the match before the main event and her match was second on the card, so they had a while before he had to get in his Dean Ambrose character. “Fine, we’ll meet you and the Samoan outside after the show and figure out where to go from there.  Sound good?”

 

Pavana giggled with a nod, having kept her mouth shut about the ring.  Joe swore her to secrecy, and she kept it, refusing to upset her husband by blabbing about something that wasn’t any of her business.  Not all women were like that.

 

“I’ll go tell Joe.  Congratulations, NEW Women’s champion.” They hugged again before she took off, leaving Chacia to walk down the hallway with Jon. “So, on a scale of 1 to 10, how awesome was my match?”

 

“It was a solid 5.” He said with a straight face.

 

Clearing his throat, Paul ushered his wife the hell away, trying not to laugh at Chacia’s jaw on the floor.  He personally would have given it at least an 8.

 

“Hey, that belt is to be respected and not-” Jon was laughing as he dodged backward. “As a weapon!” He wrapped his arms around her when she lowered the belt, trapping her arms and said belt against her stomach. “It was a 10, darlin’.”

 

“You are such an ass!” She muttered good-naturedly, turning her head when he went to kiss her, and his lips brushed against her cheek. “You’re lucky I love you so damn much.” Chacia turned in time to catch his lips with hers, laughing as he lifted her up and carted her down the hallway to their dressing room.  Their playful banter and actions weren’t new to the roster, so everyone was used to their PTA and if they didn’t like it, they could kiss the darkest parts of their backsides. “No sex, Good.  You have to defend your title tonight and we have to go out with our friends afterward, so keep it tucked in your pants.  And stay out of the shower because we both know what happens when you join me.” Motherhenning was in full swing as she winked at him, kissed her title and grabbed her bag to take a much-needed shower.

 

Rolling his eyes, Jon went to go grab a light snack and something to drink, knowing he had a bit of time yet.  He wasn’t about to screw up his main event status with ANYTHING, not even mind-blowing, potentially thigh blowing, sex. That could and would come later, they were going to have TONS to celebrate.  He nodded at Joe, dropping down alongside him at a table.

 

“We’re going out tonight.”

 

“The girls?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“All right.” Joe really didn’t have any problems with it and sipped his water, the Universal championship sitting beside him on the chair. “Hey, I got the ‘you know what’ in my bag if you want me to bring it tonight.” He offered, no pressure or anything in his tone and clapped Jon on the shoulder.

 

They were best friends again, which he was thankful for because having Jon as an enemy SUCKED.  After that fight they had in the ring, before the house show, both men had sat down and talked for a few hours, where Jon spilled all his feelings to Joe, not leaving anything out.  Of course, Joe understood and made it clear, if he could give the title to Jon, he would, but Vince refused to let anyone be the Universal champion except him.  It was Vince’s doing, not Joe’s and Jon had finally come to terms with that, mending their friendship with apologetic ice-cold beer.

 

“Dude, what the FUCK are you doing carrying that thing around?” Jon demanded with a frown.  He wasn’t going to propose tonight, sure as shit not in front of people.  That wasn’t his style. “You were supposed to keep it home, in your safe, man.” Because luggage got lost in the shuffle and came up missing out of hotels. “I want it back, Uce.” It was going straight home to Vegas.

 

“Bro, there’s NO way in hell I’m keeping something like THAT at home, not even in a damn safe!  Do you have any idea how many break-ins and robberies happen a year?  No, carrying that ring on me at all times is the only way to ensure it’s safety and it’s right in my carry-on bag.” Joe assured him, blinking when Jon still demanded to have it and finished eating first before tossing his junk in the trash. “Come on then, you gotta come to my locker room to get it, man.”

 

Pavana was just on her way out the door when Joe and Jon walked up. “What’s going on?”

 

“Nothing Pava, just got to talk is all.” Joe said, dropping a kiss on her head, not about to say anything with so many damn people milling around.  All it would take is just the word ring and gossip would fly everywhere.

 

This place was a giant rumor mill.

 

Jon flashed her a big cheesy grin. “He never kisses me like that anymore.”

 

“You’re such a child…” She rolled her eyes and kept on walking, trying not to sound amused.  It was nice that they were talking again though.  Joe had been miserable without Jon and she was pretty sure deep, deep, deep down, Jon had felt the same too.  Really deep down because he was a prick like that.

 

“Pavana.”

 

She turned to look at Jon, cracking a tentative smile and blinked when he pulled her into his arms, kissing the top of her head. “All right, Dean, it’s okay.  I forgive you.”

 

“How many times do I gotta tell you to call him Jon, baby girl?”

 

Pavana rolled her eyes, still hugging Jon and pulled back to tap his nose with her finger. “Glad to have you back…Jon.” She giggled when he bowed at her and punched him lightly in the arm. “You ever call me a bitch again, and we’re gonna dance.” Pavana was a referee, but she also used to wrestle in that ring and could whoop anyone’s ass.

 

Joe chuckled as his feisty wife sauntered down the hallway, shaking his head. “You better heed that warning, bro.  I wouldn’t piss her off if I were you.”

 

“Nah. I’d lure her out to the ring and win.”

 

“That’s not funny…” Pavana had PTSD.

 

“You’re trying not to laugh.”

 

Joe doublechecked to make sure Pavana hadn’t been in hearing range, shoving Jon into the locker room. “You’re such a douche, Ambrose.”

 

“What happened to Good?”

 

“Good is the one thing you are NOT.” He snorted, dropping down onto the bench and began rifling through his bag. “Fuck… “


That wasn’t good.

 

“Fuck, fuck, FUCK!”

 

That REALLY wasn’t good.

 

“I swear to god, I had it right in here!” Joe exclaimed, a deep frown on his face and began sifting through the bag a little harder, pulling items out. 

 

Wrestling gear, toiletries of all kinds, towels, flip-flops he wore in the shower as to not get warts or anything nasty on his feet.  Joe did not trust arenas to be clean at all.  Jon shoved his ass to the side and began rifling around in the bag, freezing and tensing, his head lifting to narrow icy blues at Joe, the ring box in his hand.

 

“You deserved that, asshole.”

 

Jon was mildly tempted to co-cock his ‘friend’, his eyes remaining narrowed while he considered it.  Finally, he nodded his head in defeat, conceding the point. “Yeah, I did.”

 

Actually, he had deserved worse and he would never have made that comment to or around Pavana.  Hell, even when she had royally pissed him off with her nosy interference, he hadn’t said a word about that.  Maybe he wasn’t a total wash after all.

 

“Son of a bitch.” Jon slumped back against the wall, sliding down until his ass was on the floor. “You fuckin’ gave me a heart attack!”

 

“Yeah well, that was kind of the point.” Joe snorted, tossing Jon a bottled water while he tried calming his racing heart down and saw the ring box in the man’s hand. “You should just give it to her already, bro.  Don’t know why you’re waiting when I know you love her and she’s IT for you.  Hell, you’re IT for her too, especially after everything she’s done for you.” He was the voice of reason with Jon and he could tell the man was hesitating, but he wasn’t sure why. “I know she freaked out when you first asked her, but that wasn’t the right time or place.  Maybe tonight, with her winning the title and already on a cloud…maybe you should make the night even MORE unforgettable for her.  You already know she’s going to say yes.” That was a simple fact. “Or is something else weighing heavy on your mind?”

 

“Nope, just not going to be pressured into it by you.” Joe was an idiot. “And what the fuck is up with this making shit perfect?  Why does it have to be perfect in the storybook sense?  Hate to break it to you, but Chace and I ain’t no fuckin’ fairytale couple.  When I propose to her, again, it’s going to be without you pushing me too, or as some fucked up ‘perfect’ moment.” Jon already knew when and where he was proposing again.  He had been thinking about it. “I got this, bro, don’t you worry about that.”

 

Chapter 81

 

“AND STILL WWE INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPION – DEAN AMBROSE!!”

 

Try as he might, Seth gave Dean a run for his money and it was all for naught.  Dean dominated and destroyed him, outwrestling and maneuvering the Architect at every turn.  It was beautiful to witness, and Chasity ran out, in fresh clothes, to congratulate her man the same way he did to her.  Only, she couldn’t scare or lift him on her shoulder as he did, but that didn’t stop her from hugging him around the waist and then raising his arm in the air with the title.  She had her own as well, both champions and high on the totem pole in WWE.

 

Cody snapped a picture of them, already planning on blowing it up and framing it at the wrestling school to show the kids their dreams CAN come true if they believed and worked hard enough.

 

Hopping out of the ring, they backtracked up the ramp while Seth watched them, holding his head from the Dirty Deeds he just received, tears in his eyes.  Chasity laughed, blowing him a kiss and waved three fingers before turning to walk the rest of the way with her man, her arm wrapped around his waist.  Now it was time for a shower for Lunatic Fringe and then the celebration could really get started.  After the shower, Jon let Chacia drive while he was busy on his cell.  Mended fences with Cody did not make it any less awkward to talk to the guy so texting was the way to go for sure.

 

“Hey, we’re gonna do Thanksgiving next month with Cody, right?” He asked, not looking up from his screen. “He said he has to eat his own shoe, we’re almost at a year, darlin’.” They were doing Thanksgiving with Cody and Jon had plans.  He had been thinking about it since that night in Vegas and then the knowing looks from Joe, the pressuring thing… why did people think that was all right?  Pushing someone into something because THEY thought the time was right.

 

“Um yeah, if that’s what you want to do, sure.” Chacia recalled last Thanksgiving with Cody, the tension in the air because she brought Jon with, after kicking the hell out of him. “I’ll be honest, I haven’t really thought that far ahead.  Maybe I should start doing that.” She chuckled, stopping at a red light and saw the thoughtful expression on Jon’s face, wondering what was going through his mind. “Everything okay?  You and Cody are good, right?” It really was hard to believe they’d been together nearly a year – Thanksgiving was technically their anniversary…when it fell on that specific day, anyway.

 

“Yeah, we’re square now.  He still says he’ll feed me my balls if I fuck up, but I think that’s just him having ‘Dad’ syndrome.” Jon snorted, pocketing his cell and shifted in his seat to face her. “I’d imagine there are a few things he’d like to say to my face and, all things considered, he’s earned that right.”

 

In reality, it had always been Cody there to pick up the pieces of Chacia that Jon had left behind.  Cody, who had practically raised her and taken Jon under his wing.  Jon owed the guy, more than he could say and, at the very least, Cody deserved an apology in person.

 

“He still shouldn’t have gone behind my back to talk to you about something that’s none of his business and I think he knows that now.”

 

She hoped anyway.  It was hard not talking to Cody all those months – practically half a year, now that she thought about it – and she never wanted it to happen again.  Cody meant a lot to her; he really was like her father and she loved him, no matter what.

 

“I invited him out with us tonight, but he said he’s an old man and doesn’t want to reign on our parade.  So, he’ll meet us tomorrow for breakfast before we hit the road for the next show.”

 

“That’s cool.”

 

Jon already knew Cody would never make the mistake of staying on the road near them ever again, smirking at the memory of the last time.  They’d had a shitty night somewhat, coming back to find the stalker had struck and they had had to relocate.  After all THAT, he and Chacia had kept the old man up with their sexcapades, good times.

 

“What time?”

 

If he knew Pavana, she was going to keep their asses out late celebrating tonight’s victories.  Jon had no problem with it, as long as Joe minded his business.  He had buried that ring at the bottom of his bag, tucked into a pocket of a pair of jeans he didn’t plan on wearing anytime soon.  Sure enough, Pavana kept them out until 3 AM, drinking and dancing, having a great time together.  Joe hadn’t mentioned the ring once, keeping his mouth shut from here on out since he was used to Jon’s ways by now.  This was a celebration of Chacia finally making it to the top of the mountain in the women’s division.  Jon had been Intercontinental champion for a while now, along with Joe as the Universal champion, after defeating Braun Strowman shortly after WrestleMania. 

 

They stumbled into their hotel room, holding onto each other so neither fell flat on their face and hurt themselves.  Even drunk, they were respectful and kept the noise level down until they were in their room, not wanting to cause a disturbance for the rest of the people staying here.  Jon was trying to be quiet, giggling and failing miserably.  Being drunk was a bad idea because they were loud and rambunctious when they were drinking and then sex.

 

“Mmm, wish that swing was here.” He growled, his glassy eyes moving to the boring ceiling.  Though, it was probably a good thing that swing was home; in their current state, they would have seriously hurt themselves. “Get naked, Chace…” He pushed her gently towards the bed, licking his lips. “I’m ready for another drink.” His eyes dropped to her crotch, the corner of his mouth curving upwards.

 

“Yes master, right away, master.” Chacia giggled back at him, shucking her boots off and pulled her short-sleeved shirt over her head, going for her jeans.  His hands stopped her, shoving her to lay back on the bed and removed her jeans and panties himself, not wasting any time to bury his head between her thighs. “Mmm, Jon…” She moaned uncontrollably, her world spinning off its axels as always whenever her and Jon were in bed together, whether it was foreplay or actual intercourse. “God, I love you so much, baby…” Even though she really inebriated, those words that fell from her lips were complete truth and she cried out as his tongue drove in and out of her harder and deeper, devouring her.

 

Maybe it was how liquored up he was, but tonight she tasted better than usual and that was saying something.  This woman’s pussy juice was heaven sent.  He used his lips, tongue, and teeth to torment her, pleasuring her until she was crying for mercy, but since she still kept gushing for him, and he kept on drinking her up.  If he could’ve, Jon would have passed out right here, with his face buried in her snatch, chuckling under his breath at the thought.

 

Chacia would’ve probably killed him.

 

“S-Stop…s-stop…p-please…c-can’t take a-anymore, J-Jon…” Chacia was going to be the one that passed out as she shoved away from him, using her leg strength and needed a reprieve. “J-Jesus…” She gasped out, feeling him crawling to hover over her and his lips caressed her neck, pulling her to lay out beneath him. “G-Gentle…please g-gentle…” She hissed out as soon as he pushed past her aching, swollen folds and shuddered, incredibly sensitive.  It would not take long for her to reach another climax, whimpering at every thrust he produced inside her body, her feet planted on the bed while her nails dug into his shoulders.

 

“Fuck, darlin’,” Jon hissed, bringing his arms up to rest on either side of her head, slowly and methodically moving in her. Gentle, like she had asked, knowing even in this state if he wasn’t careful, they would wind up having another brutal session as they had started with almost a year ago.  She was addictive like drugs had been, but in a very different way and he never wanted to be free of this addiction. “I can feel you, Chacia, your quivering around me.”

 

He was just as addictive, a drug she never wanted to be rid of and somehow, Chacia met him for every thrust, their bodies moving in rhythm with each other.  They’d always been in rhythm, even when they fought or argued, or didn’t see each other for 8 years.  Had it really been almost a year since that day at the wrestling school?  This year just seemed to fly by in the blink of an eye and it was both fulfilling and scary.  She didn’t want time to fly by with Jon, wanting it to last forever if possible.

 

“F-Faster…” Chacia wanted him to reach his end because her pussy was throbbing at the moment, way past that line of pain and pleasure. 

 

She was on another level entirely.

 

Jon read it in her face; she was starting to hurt.  Part of him felt like a bastard because she was hurting, but still wanted him to get off, to reach his end.  The bastard part was that he wanted the same thing, he was selfish, but pulling out seemed like a crime.  Gripping the headboard, he pounded into her relentlessly, knowing it wouldn’t take long and, within a few thrusts, his knuckles turned white as his eyes clenched shut, teeth grit together, feeling himself unloading into her throbbing, convulsing body.

 

“Chacia….” Shit, she was clenching around him and he couldn’t breathe for a moment.

 

“JON!” Chacia shrieked out, feeling her own climax cutting through her like a hot knife through butter while he exploded inside of her, the collision intense and earth-shattering. 

 

Jon didn’t stop thrusting until he was sure she received every last drop of his seed before reluctantly leaving her quivering body, collapsing on his side to instantly pull her against him.  Even as drunk as they were, the sex was still incredible between them.  Her eyes drooped and drifted shut, falling fast asleep moments later with Jon following.

 

~!~

 

“TIME TO WAKE UP, SUNSHINES!!”

 

Chacia and Jon bolted upright out of bed with Jon flying over the side and Chacia’s heart leaping into her throat. “WHAT THE FUCK?!” Her blurred vision cleared enough to witness Jon tackle her insane cousin to the carpeted floor, both men scrapping for a few minutes while she tried waking up. “Cody, you are an asshole!”

 

“Hey,” Cody was laughing as he easily fended off Jon’s half-awake punches, finally putting the kid in a headlock and shifted his body, keeping Jon down. “You two are late.  We were supposed to meet up an hour ago.” It wasn’t HIS fault they had stayed out all night and then stayed up the rest of it doing only god knew what.  He didn’t want to know.

 

“You’re an ass,” Jon wheezed when he was let go, getting up onto his knees and glaring at the older man. “You only won because I let you.”

 

“I got mad skills, kid, don’t you forget it.”

 

“I’m naked, you twat!” Chacia growled, thankful she was still covered up by the comforter and stood up from the bed, wrapping herself up in that same comforter.  Jon could suffer naked for all she cared, she did NOT want to flash her body at her cousin, who she thought of as a father. “ASS!” She called out over her shoulder, groaning since her head felt like a Mack truck plowed into it and turned the shower on, grumbling under her breath. 

 

What a HORRIBLE wakeup call!

 

“I think you’re a lonely, old man, because you just wrestled me while I’M naked.”

 

Cody’s eyes narrowed and he shook his head. “You’re not my type.”

 

“I’m everyone’s type.”

 

“Not with that haircut.”

 

Snorting, Jon ran a hand over his head. “We’ll meet you downstairs soon, okay?” At Cody’s nod, he sauntered right into the bathroom, spotting Chacia leaning against the shower wall. “Hangover, darlin’?”

 

“Ugh, please keep your voice down!” She winced, needing to take her own advice and gripped her head, stumbling into the shower.  Coffee…she needed coffee and greasy food, but first, a shower was in order. “Oh god, please remind me to never drink that much again…” She groaned, narrowing her eyes at Jon, who looked right as rain. “I hate you.  You’re not even in pain, are you?” The man could always hold his liquor and she sighed as he began rubbing her temples with his fingers, melting against him. “Mmm…”

 

Jon was one of those fortunate lucky few who could handle his liquor and not get blitzed up on it.  Well… not suffer a hellacious hangover from it, anyway.  Beer, on the other hand, if he plowed through enough, he’d wind up spending his day wrapped around a toilet and puking his guts out.

 

“What if I promise to feed you a lot of greasy bacon on top of toast?” He was speaking quietly, not wanting to rattle those shards of glass in her head. “Will you still hate me then?”

 

Despite the pain she was in, she chuckled and leaned further into his fingers because it felt wonderful having her temples massaged. “No, I’ll love you even more than I do now.” She murmured just as quietly, sighing as the warm water enveloped them both and Jon proceeded to wash her body before his own. 

 

Chacia was in no condition to bend over too much or else she’d probably vomit.  Once they were showered and dressed, Jon made her pop two Advil liquid gels, lacing their fingers together to guide her out of the hotel room with their bags in hand.  Right after breakfast, they had to hit the road to get to the house show that night.

 

“Bout time you two made it.”

 

“Cody, if you don’t lower your voice, I’m going to punch you in the throat.”

 

Cody smirked, handing out a cup of coffee and watched her take a long pull from it. “Forgiven?”

 

“I need greasy food now.”

 

“Come on, we’ll go to the pancake house down the street.  The one we used to go to after a bender when you were younger.”

 

That punch to the throat was looking more and more promising.

 

“Don’t deck him, that’d be rude.” Jon teased as they walked out of the hotel, glad she had put on sunglasses because even though it wasn’t sunny, it was bright. “I think she needs to go back to bed.”

 

“After she eats something.  If you’re going to drink like that, you should at least be sipping on water.” Cody had learned that early on. Hangovers were the result of being dehydrated usually.

 

“In our defense, Pavana kept ordering for us.” He had drunk so many chick drinks last night, he was pretty sure his man card had been rescinded.

 

Chapter 82

 

Instead of getting breakfast, Chacia went with a triple cheeseburger with steak fries and a huge glass of lemon water.  Coffee too, of course.  Both Cody and Jon watched as she HORKED that thing down like it was nothing, devouring it in a matter of minutes.  Feeling their eyes on her, she raised a brow when she took her last bite and muttered ‘what?’ while still chewing.  Her stomach felt MUCH better and the pounding in her head had diminished, leaving her feeling a bit sluggish, but it was nothing she couldn’t handle.  Her diet had gone to HELL again, even though she’d been eating very healthy for several months.

 

“Need to hit the gym when we get to the next area.”

 

“Yeah, I don’t even think so. You’ll throw up.”

 

Even HE did not scarf food like that.  Well, Jon used to as a kid and then when he was broke all the time in the Indies.  Drugs were expensive.  Eating had become something he did fast because sometimes he had to fight for meals.

 

“It’ll be great, you’ll be doing something basic and vomit everywhere.”

 

“Thanks for the description.” Cody muttered into his breakfast platter.  He and Jon were like… halfway done with their food and they had ordered more. “If you do throw up, Chace, aim for him.”

 

“I feel so much better though.  And my headache is gone.” Chacia shrugged, sipping more of her water and swiped a piece of bacon off Jon’s plate, winking at him. “And my stomach will be settled by the time we get there since it’s a 2-hour drive.” Or she’d take a nap and hit the gym twice as hard the next day.  Chacia would decide later and leaned back against the booth, letting out a long yawn. “So, Jon asked if we were spending Thanksgiving with you again this year, cuz, and I told him it sounds good, but I wanted to make sure you were fine with it.”

 

“I invited you guys.” Cody reminded her with a shrug, taking a moment to chew his food before looking at her. “When we were talking last night.  Well, him and I.”

 

“Yeah, that.” Texts more like it, but Jon wasn’t going to nitpick. “That and he wants pecan pie.”

 

That was also true, and Cody grinned at the look that spread over Chacia’s face. “And of course, I’ll even let you do the stuffing if you want.” Since he made his wrong, apparently.

 

“You’re not stuffing that damn bird again.  You leave the stuffing and pies to me.  Pecan is my specialty.”

 

They would have to check the schedule and make sure they were off for Thanksgiving or plan to have it on their days off.  She didn’t foresee a problem with it either way, but then again, they were both champions.  It wouldn’t be good to have two champions from Raw off of the house shows.

 

“Would you mind if we had to change it to a day that’s not Thanksgiving?”

 

“Nope, just let me know what day works for you both.”

 

Chacia smiled widely, thankful Cody was finally coming around to the idea of her and Jon being together. “Thanks, cuz.”

 

The rest of breakfast was made with cheerful talk about the upcoming holiday.  After it was over, Chacia hugged Cody tightly and promised to call him soon before sliding into the passenger seat.  Jon refused to let her drive, wanting her to get in a nap before they arrived for the house show.  He didn’t get a lot of sleep either, but he assured her he was fine and he’d get a quick cat nap in at the hotel.

 

“I love you, Jon.” Their fingers laced together as she closed her eyes, already feeling the darkness begin to overtake her.

 

They would wind up getting days off prior to Thanksgiving, which would be perfect since he hadn’t gone to see her on that actual day.  Like the day before or something.  Jon had talked about what he wanted to do with Cody via text -once Chacia had fallen asleep- and then had to step out into the hallway to answer the old man’s phone call.  Cody had eventually, reluctantly, gave his permission because it was going to happen regardless.  Jon knew the key with Cody was time and proving he was in it for the long haul.  Figuring that ring, where she had beaten his ass, was the perfect place to propose because it was the day he had announced that he loved her.

 

~!~

 

“Oh god no…”

 

Chacia covered her mouth with her hand, eyes wide and tears streaming down her cheeks.  It’d been a little over a month since she became the Raw Women’s champion and…it was over.  It was all over.  Her eyes closed as more tears fell, squeezing the white stick in her hand with the plus sign in the little window.  Pregnant.  She was pregnant with Jon’s child.  They had talked about having kids SOMEDAY, but not now, not when they were both at the peak of their careers!  She would be nothing more than a fly-by-night WWE Superstar now because there was no way she could get rid of it. 

 

This was a being her and Jon created together and it was her fault for only sticking with the birth control instead of having him wrap it up.  Sniffling, she wiped her tears away and tossed the stick in her purse, not caring that she peed on it.  Jon couldn’t find out about this right now, not when they still had Raw to get through before they could go to Cincinnati for Thanksgiving.  Shakily, she took her phone out and dialed Stephanie’s number, trying to keep her voice from trembling when the woman answered on the third heart-stopping ring.

 

“Hi Stephanie, it’s Chacia and…I need you to – um – I need to cancel my match tonight on Raw.  I just found out I’m…pregnant…” She started crying all over again.

 

It took Stephanie a long-time process that one.  Their female Superstars were asked to use birth control while under contract because obviously, pregnancy was bad for business.  Occasionally, accidents happened.  Just by Chacia’s tone and the crying, she was guessing it wasn’t a pleasant surprise either.

 

“I’m guessing this is a surprise?” She asked finally, her voice coming out gentle. “I know this is very insensitive and I’m not saying to do it because I’m your boss, but we do offer…. services for situations like this.” Just in case this was an ‘oops’ and Chacia was leaning that way. “Either way, I’ll cancel your match.”

 

“No…no I…I don’t want to…to get rid of it.  I-It’s Jon’s and…I’m so sorry, Stephanie.  I’ve been getting my shots regularly and I don’t understand how this happened!”

 

Chacia was on the verge of having a nervous breakdown, knowing the company was relying on her to carry the women’s division currently and she couldn’t do it anymore because the risks finally caught up to them.  How the HELL was she supposed to Jon something like this?!  They were finally happy, at peace and now…she was about to throw a wrench into their lives.

 

“We’ll do a segment tonight, have your opponent back out or something, this will be fine. I’m gathering you haven’t told anyone, have you?” Stephanie was not surprised at all when Chacia began asking her not to tell either, taking that as her answer.  So, Jon didn’t know he was going to be a father and her Women’s champion was having a panic attack. “You need to breathe, Chacia.” She said sternly, figuring the tone of voice might snap Chacia out of her panic attack. “In and out, deep breaths.  Start focusing on things you can touch around you.” Her oldest daughter had anxiety attacks, they used a 5-step grounding routine with her to bring her down from the anxiety. 

 

Things she could touch, taste, smell, hear and see.

 

What if she lost Jon over this?  What if Jon didn’t want kids anymore?  What if her wrestling career really was over from this?  Of course, it was!  She wasn’t getting any younger and this was probably her only chance at having a baby.  Obeying Stephanie, she began taking deep breaths in through the nose and out the mouth, slowly, her stomach tightening at how she was going to tell Jon this news.  She began touching the wall, the sink, the shower curtain, anything she could get her hands on and could feel the panic slowly subside.

 

“T-Thank you, Stephanie…for everything.  I really didn’t mean for this to happen.” They weren’t as careful as they could’ve been, which was irresponsible, but Jon assured her birth control was enough protection for them.  It had worked…until now. “I-I’m not gonna tell him until we’re off the road…” Chacia needed time to mull over this and get her head on straight, her thoughts in order.  Christ, what would Cody have to say about this?

 

“Mmm, good idea.” Jon might lose his head and his focus, and the ring was no place for that to happen.  That was how accidents happened, how careers and lives ended. “I’ll get on writing you out.  I’m assuming you won’t be making this information public anytime soon.” Not that she blamed Chacia, this was a big thing.  The woman had just made it and now… now she was going to be out for at least a year and a half. “Would you like me to move you back to the medical team, Chacia?” This way the woman still had a job, insurance and could travel with Jon. “I’m sure Larry would love to have you back.”

 

“R-Really?  You’d do that for me?” Chacia wouldn’t be able to compete in the ring anymore, but she would still have a job to contribute to their home in Vegas.

 

“Of course.  You were an asset to the medical team.”

 

Sniffling, Chacia wiped her tears away and started feeling a bit better about this situation, placing a hand on her still flat stomach. “All right, yes, thank you…again.” How many times had she said those words to Stephanie in this phone call alone? “I will handle Jon and just tell him I have a stomach bug or something like that for tonight.”

 

“Sounds good, we’ll talk soon, and I want you to get plenty of rest and relax as much as possible.  Stress is not good for you or the baby.” Her stern voice had returned. “Also, you need to make an OBGYN appointment immediately to get a blood test done, just to rule out a fake positive on a pregnancy test.  Larry can do that discreetly for you, the blood test, and send it over to whatever OBGYN you have.”

 

This was a lot to take in all at once. “Can he do it tonight?”

 

“Yes.  Come to the arena right now and he’ll get it done without anyone knowing.”

 

“Okay, I’m on my way.”

 

Chacia hung up the phone and rushed out of there since Jon was currently at the gym with Joe.  She had to stop on the way to vomit in a nearby garbage can before continuing on her way, sending Jon a quick message she had to leave for the arena early and would meet him there.  Larry also made Chacia piss in a cup, so they could do another stick test.  Most of them today were really good about detecting the HCG hormone and getting two false positives was highly unlikely as those were actually fairly rare.

 

“This one is positive as well.”

 

This wasn’t a drugstore test.  He began filling out the paperwork to send to her OBGYN, as well as the sample he had drawn.  Stephanie had briefed him on what was needed, and he was good about keeping his mouth shut.  This would not be the first female Superstar, who had had an ‘accident’.  Birth control was never 100% effective and, with the schedules the Superstars kept, he was surprised most of them remembered to take their pills, or change their patches, keep shot appointments, etc.  It was just insane.

 

“Would you like me to write out a prescription for anti-nausea medication and prenatal vitamins or would you rather wait to see your physician?” He asked gently, turning to face her.

 

“Those would be great, the sooner I start them, the better.”

 

The anti-nausea would really help because she didn’t want Jon finding out about this.  He would start questioning and suspecting if she was throwing up at all hours of the day.  She had recently started throwing up two days ago and was unbelievably exhausted, which wasn’t normal for her since Chacia was a ball of energy usually.  That and she was a week late on her period, which was the reason why she took 5 pregnancy tests bought from Walgreens in the first place.  Larry wrote down everything and instructed her to get them filled right now while everyone was still out and about doing their own things.  Chacia did as she was told, after being hugged and welcomed back to the medical team.  She murmured a ‘thank you’ and was on her way out of the arena again to go fill the prescriptions at the local Walgreens, hoping it wouldn’t take too long.

 

Stephanie was able to write Chacia off for the night, but unless Chacia told Jon, there was no way she was going to be able to rationally explain why she had shelved her Woman’s champion and put her back on the medical team.  People were going to speculate and gossip.  She’d rather not have to give a bunch of excuses just to keep this a secret from Jon.  Stephanie made sure to send Chacia a text, friendly but also informing her about what she was and wasn’t able to do for her in the next few weeks.  She was sorry that Chacia was in this position, and glad because babies were wonderful, but she was also running a major company. 

 

Jon and Chacia, parents… that would be… interesting, to say the least, but on the bright side, there was no more stalker or crazy stuff happening to them.

 

Naturally, after Raw was over with that night, Jon asked her if everything was all right and Chacia told him she had an upset stomach.  It would explain why she was overly tired, vomiting and wanted to rest.  She hated lying to Jon, but he needed to keep his focus in the ring since they had to do a house show tomorrow.  Well, he did, not her.  Stephanie would cover for her again at the house show and she was very grateful for having an understanding boss. 

 

Before they knew it, Wednesday had arrived and it was time to head to Cincinnati, Ohio for Thanksgiving, snow beginning to fall already.  She had the pecan pies to make and informed Cody that was all she was doing because this exhaustion was nothing to mess with.  Jon was worried about her, she could tell, but he hadn’t said anything and luckily, the nausea pills had been working for her, so she was no longer throwing up.  Cody welcomed them with open arms, holding Chacia close a little tighter than usual, but she brushed it off thinking he missed her.

 

“We have to go somewhere first.” Cody announced, remembering the plan Jon had in mind and saw Chacia’s eyebrow slowly raise.

 

“But I need to get the pies done…” They were staying with him because her apartment had been sold when she moved to Vegas to be with Jon. “We seriously have to do this right now?  This minute?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Groaning, Chacia was ushered toward Cody’s truck and didn’t see the knowing expressions on both men’s faces or their secretive smiles.

 

Chapter 83

 

Now personally, Jon would have preferred surprising Chacia here.  He had originally planned on bringing her here to ‘spar’ since it was something they would have done anyway back in the day, but… she was sick.  Hell, he felt bad enough dragging her out in this snow, this cold, just to propose and he had almost said no to the whole thing, but Cody had insisted.  He had said it would ‘perk’ her up.  Personally, Jon though Cody was getting sentimental in his old age because Chacia looked miserable sitting there in the backseat.

 

“Babe, we don’t have to do this.” He said quietly, ignoring the look Cody shot his way. 

 

This was NOT working out the way he had envisioned it.  Jon hadn’t wanted to be pressured by Joe; now it was Cody up his backside.  She was sick and miserable and he was a selfish cunt for this.

 

“No, no it’s fine.  Sorry, I’m bringing the mood down.  We’re not here all that often and if this is important to Cody, then I’ll suck it up.”

 

Chacia felt she owed him one after cutting him off for those months and moving to Vegas at the drop of a dime.  Yes, she definitely owed him as she leaned back against the seat, wearing a long-sleeved reddish-brown top with brown pants, brown knee-high boots, and a black peacoat buttoned up.  Her hair was down and had been trimmed recently to the middle of her back, but she was thinking it was time to chop it to her shoulders now that’s hew as about to be a mother.  Long hair and babies didn’t mix very well.

 

“It’s all right, Jon, really.  Don’t worry about me, I’m fine.” Chacia was STILL trying to find the right time to tell him about the major changes that had already affected their lives.

 

Cody was starting to realize that Jon wasn’t… as excited about this as he had been before and inwardly groaned as they pulled up to the empty building.  Maybe he should have backed off and let nature take its course.  It was obvious now that Jon loved her.  The way he kept looking back to assess how she was feeling was starting to tell him quite a bit had changed between the two in the last year.  Once there, he stepped back, watching as Chacia was helped down from the truck.

 

“I’ve got to pop into the office.” He announced, knowing he wouldn’t be able to see, but if she went crazy, he’d hear it. “Just give me a few.” Cody unlocked the building and held the door open for them.

 

Nodding, Chacia watched him walk off while Jon took her hand to guide her inside, staring at the wrestling rings that surrounded them.  Wrestling was where they had started and how fitting it was where they would probably end.  Jon guided her toward the wrestling ring where she had beaten the hell out of him for stringing her along and driving her crazy.  She had to fight the urge not to stop and walk out of the building because it still hurt too much to step into a wrestling ring.  That was exactly what Jon wanted her to do.  Timidly, she stepped through the middle rope and slid her hand along it, closing her eyes to try memorizing what it felt like.  The smell in the air, the feeling of the mat beneath her boots, the sound echoing around them with every step.  Blinking, huge tears slid down her cheeks as the pain radiated from her heart to her face, her hand covering her mouth while Jon stared down at her worriedly.

 

“I’m sorry…” She whispered, trying to shake herself out of this and wiped her tears away with her free hand since he still had a hold of her other one. “What are we doing here?  What’s going on?”

 

“I’m not sure anymore, darlin’.” Jon admitted quietly, reaching out to caress her face with the back of his head, worry in his pale blue eyes. 

 

She was crying, and he hadn’t missed the way she had caressed that ring rope, the way her eyes had shut and the look of concentration on her face.  He knew that… he had recognized it.  She was afraid of never being in a ring again and he couldn’t understand why.  Pulling his hand away from her, he ran it over his snow damp hair, finally reaching down to gently pick her up.  Carefully, he lifted Chacia until she was sitting on the turnbuckle, now able to look up into her face.

 

“Why are you crying, Chacia?” He asked, a hand sliding into his pocket, fingering that ring box.

 

“It’s nothing, really.  I’m fine.”

 

She cracked a smile, trying to play it off and hated the fact her hormones decided to go haywire at THIS precise moment.  Chacia saw the doubt in his eyes and hated lying to him, but this wasn’t the time or place to tell him this life-changing news.  Was it?

 

“What do you mean you’re not sure?  Cody brought us here for a reason, right?  I see the new wrestling rings he’s purchased, the new setup he has going on.” Why did he bring her into THIS ring though?  This very ring that held so many memories for them. “Jon, I’m okay and you need to stop worrying about me and tell me what’s going on.” Leaning down, she brushed her lips against his, rolling her forehead against his and had hold of his face. “I love you, so whatever is on your mind, just say it.”

 

“Cody brought us here because Cody is an impatient, pushy prick.” Jon said with an easy grin, though he was glad Cody had taken a hike. 

 

He wasn’t someone who did well under pressure, not with shit like this.  This was life-changing news, regardless of which answer she gave him this time.  This wasn’t a three-ring circus people needed to line up to see.  Taking a deep breath, Jon pulled that box out.

 

“I asked you before to marry me and you said no.” He reminded her. “But then you wanted me to ask again and I said no.” He took another deep breath, holding the box out and popped the lid. “I’m asking again, Chacia.  Will you marry me, darlin’?”

 

He was asking her to marry him where it really all began for them. 

 

And he didn’t even know everything that was about to happen!

 

“Oh god…” She began crying all over again, covering her face with her hands and her crying turned to sobs, feeling Jon’s arms wrap around her as she buried her face in his neck, clinging to him for dear life. “Y-Yes…” Chacia stammered out, her voice incredibly shaky and pulled back to look in his pale blues that melted her insides and made her heart race a little faster. “But before you put that ring on my finger, Jon, I…I have to tell you something.  And if you want to take this all back, if you don’t want to marry me, I’ll understand.” Now his eyes were wide, fear swirling through them as she began wringing her hands together in front of her. “I’m…retiring from wrestling.  Stephanie is putting me back on the medical team because…I’m…” This was a lot harder than she thought it’d be to say, to admit out loud. “I’m pregnant, Jon…” Her voice cracked as she pressed a trembling hand against her flat stomach, fresh tears streaming down her cheeks. “I-I’m so sorry…”

 

When Chacia had said that bit about having to tell him something, and then if he wanted to take back the marriage proposal, she’d understand his heart had PLUMMETED.  In those short few seconds, a million scenarios had flooded his mind.  She didn’t love him.  She had cheated.  She had cancer.  She was dying.  It had just steadily gotten worse and then she had dropped the P word on him and all those thoughts fled as his mind blanked out in relief.

 

“Okay, what’s the bad news?” He asked after a moment, raising an eyebrow at her. “Chacia… I told you before, I wanted kids.  Admittedly, down the road darlin’,” Because he hadn’t wanted her to give up her career, not when she had just gotten it off the ground. “Why are you sorry?  What do you want, Chace?” Because he would support her 100% any way she wanted to handle this.

 

“You.  It’s…god…” Chacia felt his hand press against hers over her stomach and cried harder, gripping his shoulder to keep from completely breaking down. “It’s always – ALWAYS – been you, Jon.  I can live without wrestling.  I can live without traveling or the craziness.  I can’t live without you.  And I want this baby…with you.  This is something we created together, half of you and half of me.  I’m willing to give up my career for this, even though it was very short-lived.  Larry is happy to have me back on the medical team and when I’m close to my due date, I’ll have to get off the road to wait for the baby to be born.” Maybe Cody would come to stay with her in Vegas during that last one or two months she wasn’t on the road. “I was afraid you wouldn’t want to marry me because I got pregnant…and I know that’s really stupid to think because I know you love me, and you put me first above everything else.  I shouldn’t have been scared to tell you this news because we have talked about this possibly happening.  I just didn’t…think it would happen THIS soon.” On their one-year anniversary being together, practically. “So, if you still want to marry me, my answer is yes.”

 

“You’re such a…” He growled, trailing off. 

 

Now that he knew she wasn’t considering terminating the pregnancy, he felt the tension leave him.  He would have supported her through it, no doubt because it was ultimately her choice.  Her body, her career, he wasn’t giving up a damn thing unless he wanted too, and he knew it.  They both had known it.

 

“I love you.  Pregnant or not.  Whether you’re beating my ass or saving it.” He pressed his forehead against hers. “Larry is happy to have you back?” That finally registered and he realized he was not the first to know.  Made sense about Monday now, it wasn’t the flu. “Shit… Cody, CODY!!”

 

Cody came running, taking in the tears on Chacia’s face. “You fucked it up already?”

 

“She’s pregnant, old man!”

 

“For fuck’s sake, did you have to say it like THAT?!” Chacia scowled at Jon, planting her hands on her hips and saw her cousin’s eyeballs look ready to fall out of his skull. “I know, I know, surreal right?  I didn’t plan this, we didn’t plan this, Cody…” She blinked when he moved quicker than a man his age had the right to, stepping right in that ring and pulled her in for a bone-crunching hug, making it hard for her to breathe. “C-Can’t…O-Oxygen…” He released her abruptly, making her wheeze and cough out, nodding when Jon demanded if she was all right. “Fine, holy shit cuz, you’re stronger than you look.”

 

“Dude, don’t fuck up my kid!” Jon had a feeling he was going to be very overprotective of his wife, well… eventual wife. 

 

He liked that he was already thinking of Chacia as his wife.

 

“Sorry…” Cody shook his head, staring down at Chacia and then narrowed his eyes at Jon. “You know boy, I’m pretty sure you were told to wrap it up more than once.”

 

“She was on birth control… and I am an asshole.”

 

Jon had assumed that would be enough and obviously, it wasn’t.  He wasn’t about to feel too bad over it though, she seemed happy and he was downright giddy.  He should have been scared out of his mind.  Coming from a broken background, she had too.  But he had meant it when he told her that they were not their parents; they didn’t have to live those lives, walk those roads… they could and would do better.  They had been facing obstacles and beating the odds all their lives, this was just one more challenge they would face.

 

Together.

 

“All right, Good, I’ve waited long enough.” She extended her left hand to him, raising a brow. “Where’s my ring?”

 

The biggest smile crossed her face as he shook his head with a soft chuckle.  A few seconds later, he slid a beautiful orange sapphire ring on her finger.  It was princess cut, set on a white gold band with a tiny black diamond on each side of it.  Chacia covered her mouth with her hand again, not believing how beautiful it was and looked up at him, the sparkle in her hazel orbs telling him exactly what he needed to know.  She loved it.

 

“It’s so beautiful.”

 

Orange was her favorite color and Jon had taken that into consideration when picking the ring out, which made her love it even more.  Leaning up, she pressed her lips to his in a searing kiss and pulled back to caress his face with her left hand.  The orange sapphire glittered under the lights above.

 

“I love you so much.  And I can’t wait to be your wife.” They were definitely eloping; neither wanted a big wedding.

 

“You two…”

 

Cody was not a mind reader, but he was happy for them.  To see them, after all this time, and after all their trials and tribulations, finally managing to make their way to each other.  Well, it did his old heart good.  He still had a few issues, a few doubts, but they were HIS issues and doubts, and he knew they were only there because he had practically raised Chacia and didn’t want to see her heart broken, again.

 

“You should do a small wedding here.” It was fitting.

 

Wrestling was what had brought them together and this place – technically, if the old building didn’t count – had a lot of great history for them now.

 

“Cody, that’s really sweet of you to offer, but…”

 

“Sure, we can do that.” Jon cut her off, smiling down at her shocked face and kissed her soundly. “A small wedding here, in this building, would be perfect.”

 

“But I thought you said…”

 

Jon shook his head, cupping her face in his strong hands and pressed his forehead to hers. “That was before we mended fences, darlin’.  That was before everything in our lives changed, before we knew we were starting a family.” He was going to be the best damn father on the planet, unlike his old man, who had run off when he was a baby.

 

Tears shined in her eyes as Chacia looked back at him, seeing all the love and truth in his own and covered his hands with hers. “W-We won’t have time to plan anything…”

 

“We’ll make time for this.”

 

“If you want, let me handle all the preparations and planning.  Just let me know when you two have another stretch of days off and we can do it then.”

 

“I’d want to do this before I start showing…” Chacia didn’t want to look fat in her wedding photos and she wanted to be married to Jon before the baby was born.

 

Jon thought about it for all of two seconds. “Your cousin can marry us.”

 

“Wait, what?!” Cody blinked, his jaw dropping.

 

“Go online, become a minister.” Chris Irvine -everyone knew him as Chris Jericho- told him about it since he’d married people in the past. “It only takes a couple hours and then we can get married.  We can do it on Friday or Saturday, right here, and go back on the road married.”

 

Chacia beamed brightly, loving the idea more and more, softly kissing her brilliant fiancé again. “It’ll be the match of a lifetime.”

 

“Best match of my career, darlin’.”

 

Cody couldn’t deny them anything and nodded, already looking up on his phone where to go to become an online minister for the small ceremony.

 

“I have to pass a ten-question quiz… register and the fee isn’t bad.  Says I’ll be licensed for two years.”

 

That was just odd, but Cody could see how it would work out.  There were people out there who weren’t religious, or not ‘traditional’ religious and needed an official, who would agree to perform according to their wishes.  It turned out, there was a high demand for ordained ministers, who weren’t affiliated with any particular reason.  Cody was in the wrong business, apparently.

 

“I can do this.” His eyes narrowed slightly. “You have to write your own vows.”

 

“You just read, we’ll figure out what we want you to say.”


He snorted, mentally raking his mind for a small story or two he could slip in. “And you’ll need to figure out who you want to invite.  This building only holds 250 people, legally, so try not to go buck wild.” That was him teasing; he knew damn well even combined Jon and Chacia weren’t going to invite nearly half that amount.

 

They had no real family, outside of him, and he doubted Jon had many friends.

 

Chapter 84

 

Since it was Thanksgiving, Chacia didn’t feel it was right to pull everyone away from their families just because they were getting married.  Thanksgiving was spent telling stories, good ones, while eating turkey and pecan pie, the three enjoying each other’s company.  Cody was teased, yet again, about not having a woman in his life, as usual.  Friday morning, Chacia had gone out and found a nearby dress shop, which had a simple ivory dress, refusing to wear white.  She was not the virgin Mary by any stretch and the dress fit her perfectly, which was a plus. 

 

It was an old vintage store, so the dress had lace arms and overlay, reaching her ankles, slim with a sweetheart neckline.  Combined with the orange jewelry she would be wearing, it was the perfect dress in her eyes, especially with such short notice.  Jon had to go out and purchase his own suit, tuxedo, whatever he decided to wear.  Hell, he could wear jeans for all she cared, and it would’ve still been just a romantic.  She snickered at the thought, driving back to Cody’s to put her dress up and yawned, really hating how easily exhausted she became lately.

 

If Jon was going to do this, he was going to do it right and he had made Cody come with him.  All his life, Jon had never bought a proper… tux, or whatever they were.  He had worn suits, sort of, to WWE events, but this was a whole new ballgame.  Cody did not tease Jon while they hunted for the right outfit because he knew Jon had never had a proper male figure in his life, besides Cody.  This was important to the younger man and it was almost endearing, seeing how nervous Jon was about clothing.

 

“You could show up naked and it’d still make her day.  Don’t show up naked though.”

 

“Yeah, no kidding.  Your stingy ass doesn’t turn on the heat in the building, my nads would freeze in mid-vow.”

 

Turns out, Jon had flown two specific people in for the ceremony and when Chacia opened the front door to reveal them, she couldn’t help squealing out and crying.  Pavana and Joe.  They needed witnesses besides the ordained minister and Joe and Pavana were more than happy to come witness the event.  It would just be the five of them in a very intimate ceremony at the wrestling school.  That night, Pavana and Joe were informed of Chacia’s pregnancy, which made the women cry and gush about what the sex could be and baby names.  Pavana wanted to throw her a baby shower and invite all the women in WWE that had supported her throughout her short, but lively career as Chasity.  The fact she was still going to be part of WWE made Pavana extremely happy because they had become best friends throughout Chacia’s time in WWE.  They didn’t always hang out, but there was plenty of texting and whatnot, especially when Jon and Joe were fighting.

 

Joe listened as Jon explained how he had proposed, nodding and then rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “I’m sorry for putting pressure on you, bro.” He said finally, offering an apology he knew he had to give.  Joe had assumed that because there was a ring, there should have been an immediate proposal.  In a place where Chacia would be in the spotlight, and not everyone was like that. Definitely not Jon and Chacia. “You had this planned out perfectly.” For them, definitely.  It was amusing.  Chacia had beaten Jon’s ass in the same ring he had proposed in, his buddy had an odd sense of what was perfect but it worked for them.

 

They were not traditional at all. 

 

The same ring where she had beaten him down and he proposed to her would be the very same one they were pronounced husband and wife in. 

 

The day of the wedding arrived with them waking up in each other’s arms, followed by Joe taking Jon away to get him ready.  She giggled, watching Jon grumble under his breath because they’d been in the middle of getting heated in bed.  There would be plenty of time for sex later…when they consummated their marriage and made it official.  Around 5 PM that day, two cars pulled up to the wrestling school as Chacia stepped out, a long black overcoat on hiding her dress. 

 

Her beautiful curly blonde hair was French braided over her shoulder, a few tendrils framing her face as well.  The makeup was simple black liner, natural eye color, and red lip gloss, which really brought out the dress and everything else.  It was also paying homage to Chasity, her other half, her counterpart.  Jon walked in first to take his position while Cody set up the CD player, which would play a song of Chacia’s choice to walk down the aisle.  Once it began, the door opened and she began walking down the ‘aisle’, which was covered with a thin, linear red carpet that lead right to the ring. 

 

Flowers were on each turnbuckle, the ropes streamed with red and orange, reminding both of them of the desert.  Jon had been covered in a long black overcoat too, so when she saw him, Chacia temporarily lost her breath, the biggest smile on her face.  She was glowing not only from being a bride, but because of the pregnancy as well.

 

The wedding dress she had picked out was gorgeous.  It was simple and accented her still lean figure beautifully, taking away Jon’s breath as he stared at her.  Cody had brought in a photographer, who was keeping out of the way as not to distract from their small and simple ceremony, wanting every moment of this captured, so they would be able to always cherish this day not only with memories but with pictures.  Jon grinned when Joe nudged his arm and told him to stop drooling, knowing it was a joke but damn if she wasn’t beautiful.

 

And soon, all his, in every way.

 

Once she stepped through the ring ropes to join him in the center, Chacia handed over the small bouquet of flowers, red roses with some kind of orange flower.  She didn’t remember what it was called, but it went with their colored theme.  To put all of this together in a day and a half was remarkable and Chacia let out a very slow breath, trying to keep the tears at bay.  Cody began once the song ended, Pavana stepping out to turn it off before coming back into the ring.  She had on a red dress while Joe was in black, along with Jon.  All black, it was perfect, and he looked absolutely incredible from head to toe.  Their eyes remained lock with each other, the world once again vanishing around them as it always had, even from the first day he walked into the old wrestling building to pursue his dream.

 

Their dream. 

 

Cody instructed Chacia to go first with her vows if she had any and she did, squeezing Jon’s hands in hers. “From the moment I met you when we were 16-years-old, I knew you were someone special, Jon.  There were plenty of guys that came and went in the school, but you stood out to me the most.  I always knew you would make it big in the wrestling industry because of your drive and your love for the sport.  It mirrored mine.  And as I got to know you, both the good and bad, I realized you were someone very special and important to me, and I never wanted to lose you.  Even after 8 years of no contact, when you called to ask me to help you get back in the ring, I did it without any hesitation, without an ounce of doubt, because that’s what you do when you love someone.  My love for you never faltered and it will continue to thrive as we build our lives together.  I call our relationship and everything we’ve been through an art of war.  Because while we were painting something beautiful and profound, everlasting, it was not easy to get to where we are today.  We really did have to go through war to find our way to each other, to realize we loved each other, and we were IT for each other.  We put each other number one and as I told you a few days ago – this IS the match of a lifetime, my greatest achievement in a wrestling ring and I will spend the rest of my life being as loyal, faithful and devoted to you as you are to me and our baby.  I love you, Jonathan David Good.”

 

Blinking, tears slid down her cheeks as the emotions overtook her, the hormones from the pregnancy not helping matters any.  Well hell, she was making him tear up and Jon had to clear his throat multiple times as well as blink his eyes, which only made it worse.  He really, really hoped it was from this beautiful moment and the heartfelt words she had bestowed on him and not sympathy pregnancy.

 

“When we first met, and throughout those early years, I was an idiot.  A blind, arrogant idiot.  I would say you weren’t cut out for the business, you wouldn’t last even if you made it.” Hey, Jon hadn’t been wrong, but that was a technicality and partly his fault. “I was wrong.  About a lot of things.  I was wrong about you and your passion, your drive.  I was blind because I couldn’t see everything you did for me, and I was an idiot because I didn’t appreciate it until long after I had hurt you.” He wasn’t very good at this; Jon had decided to wing it and just say what was on his mind and in his heart. “I love you, Chacia, and I’m going to make sure, for the rest of our lives together, that my eyes always remain open, my ego will be leashed, and well,” He smiled crookedly. “I’m still going to be an idiot, darlin’, but that doesn’t change the fact that I love you now and always.”

 

She giggled tearfully, taking her hand out of his to wipe a tear from her eye and tried not to smear her makeup before cupping his bearded face with her hand lovingly. “You’re MY idiot, don’t ever forget that.” Chacia reminded him, pulling her hand back to take his again as they turned to face Cody again. 

 

Cody was a ball of tears, not bothering to try holding them back and his voice cracked during the rest of the vows. 

 

When he arrived at the part, they both had been waiting for, Chacia locked eyes with Jon with another heart-stopping smile. “I do.”

 

Jon said the same thing once Cody asked him the same question to take Chacia to be his wife.  Then, the rings were exchanged as they each slid rings onto their left ring fingers.  Jon’s was a black gold band and hers was a black thin band with black diamonds all the way around it, matching her engagement ring perfectly.

 

“By the power vested in me, by the state of Ohio, I now pronounce you husband and wife.  You know what to do, kid.”

 

Jon wrapped an arm around her waist to press her body against his and captured her mouth in a passionate, searing kiss, pouring all his love and everything he was feeling at that moment into it.  It took Chacia’s breath away as she kissed him back with equal fire and passion, only breaking it when Cody cleared his throat, giggling against Jon’s lips.  Jon flipped him off and dipped her, carefully, kissing her even more fervently and it made both Joe and Pavana laugh while they joined each other to applaud their friends.

 

After the lengthy kissing session as the couple delighted in being Mr. and Mrs., it was time for group and individual photos.  Since it was an extremely small wedding party, the session didn’t last very long but everyone in those pictures was brimming with joy and it would translate through the media.  Jon and Chacia would have these memories to cherish forever.  Cody hadn’t known what else to do for them as a gift, besides agreeing to be the officiant and he figured this was something neither of them would have thought about.

 

Joe and Pavana had already informed the newlyweds that they were buying dinner and putting them up in the most extravagant suite in the city as their present.  Jon and Chacia were established in their household, with renovations underway, so there really wasn’t any point in buying them things they might not like or need.

 

No drinking, obviously. 

 

Jon was kind enough not to drink either, not wanting his wife left out. 

 

They had a beautiful dinner full of steak and seafood before the newlyweds bid everyone farewell to start their wedding night. “Oh my god, my feet are KILLING me.”

 

These heels were not a good idea, but they did go with the dress.  She just wished she would’ve brought flats with her.  They checked into their room and took the elevator to one of the best suites the hotel had to offer with Jon having the key.  He slid it into the slot and stopped her from walking in, confusion filling her eyes.

 

“What is it, baby?”

 

“Well, we’re gonna do this semi-traditional, right?” He asked with another crooked smile, his eyes drinking her in.

 

His wife.

 

Chacia was his wife.

 

His beautiful, pregnant wife.

 

He reached out, caressing her face with his fingertips, hardly believing it even though it had only been hours ago that Cody had married them. “Come here, darlin’,” Jon cupped the back of her neck, drawing her against him and bent down to kiss her, smiling against her lips when her own hands clasped his neck in return.  A second later, Jon had stooped and swept her right off her feet, laughing. “I get to carry you in.”

 

“I thought tradition wasn’t our cup of tea?” She remarked with a smile, cupping the side of his face to kiss him again, tasting him as her husband. 

 

Her husband. 

 

Jon was her husband. 

 

It was surreal and she didn’t realize he was having a reflective moment himself as he stepped across the threshold with her in his arms, setting her down gently on the bed. “I guess that tradition isn’t so bad.” She joked, still in her wedding dress since there was no time to change out of it and bit her bottom lip as Jon bend down in front of her to start taking her heels off. “Oh, thank you…my dogs are barking, dear husband.”

 

Husband, he was a husband.

 

More importantly, he was Chacia’s husband.

 

If he had known, at 16, this was the woman he was going to spend the rest of his life with, he wouldn’t have… no, he probably would have remained the same.  Jon would have scoffed it all off.  Sixteen-year-old Jon, hell, even into his 20’s, he didn’t believe in the happily ever after bullshit because he had seen how THAT concept had played out for people around him.  Her parents, his own whore mother.  Like he had told her though, they weren’t their parents.  They were BETTER, they would DO better, and so far, they had beaten all the odds their shitty starts had stacked against them.  He pulled her foot up, beginning to rub and massage the areas he knew would be tender.

 

“You look beautiful, wife.”

 

“Mmm, as great as that feels,” Chacia paused, pulling her foot away from his hands and scooted forward to capture his mouth with hers, pushing him further down on his knees as she turned around. “Help me out of this dress and make love to your wife.” 

 

They ate dinner, their food was settled, the celebration had been great and now it was time for them to come together, to become Mr. and Mrs. Good officially.  His hands slid up her sides as his teeth clasped the zipper to slide it down, carefully removing the top portion of her dress.  She turned around, wearing a white strapless bra and pushed the material all the way down her legs to step out of them, not bothering with nylons of any kind.  Her panties were actually a white lace thong that matched her strapless bra perfectly.

 

“You have way too many clothes on, let’s fix that, shall we?”

 

“You just hold on a minute, darlin’, let me enjoy this.” Jon ordered with a chuckle, his darkening eyes sweeping over that strapless bra and he turned her around in a slow circle, letting out a whistle at the sight of those thong panties.  Well, honestly, he was whistling at the sight of her bare asscheeks, that tiny strip of fabric was just icing on the cake. “We need wedding cake… and I know where I want to eat it from.” He growled, reaching out to lightly smack each cheek.  He could hear her laughing and began tugging off his formal attire, eventually down to nothing but his slacks and bare feet.  Lowering to his knees, Jon reached for that thong, contemplating removing it with his teeth, his eyes moving to her face.

 

Art of war was exactly what their relationship was, but now everything had changed with her pregnancy and their marriage.  The war was over between them and now they could just make their work of art that would transcend through the ages, through time itself.  There would never be a love as intense and profound as Jon and Chacia Good and they would spend the rest of their lives strengthening their already unbreakable bond.

 

The End.