Eyes on Me

Chapter 1

“Where were you?”

Her eyebrow raised in question, staring back at her overbearing husband with disdain, and rolled her eyes heavenward before taking her wet jacket off. It was pouring rain outside and the lightening crackled as she kicked her shoes off, setting them by the door.  “Does it matter?” She retorted, running a hand through her sopping red hair, her light blue buttoned up blouse soaked through.

Slowly rising to his near seven-foot frame, his blazing green eyes stared a hole through her as he crossed his arms in front of his chest and growled, not appreciating her tone of voice.  “Yeah it does, especially since I’ve been sittin’ here for the past three hours worried sick bout ya.” He wasn’t going to raise his voice until she started, which wouldn’t take long with the short fuse she had lately.  She brought the worst out in him and he couldn’t stand it anymore.

“Oh please!  You were only worried about your precious wifey coming home and tending to your every whim and call.” She shot back swiftly, hanging her jacket up after shaking the excess water off of it, and brushed past him to walk into the kitchen.  “I went out after work with some of the girls for a drink.”

“Why didn’t you call?” He pried, narrowing his eyes when she just shrugged, and sighed heavily as he lowered his head shaking it back and forth.  “Tessa, how long are we gonna go on like this?”

“I don’t know Mark.  Maybe when you stop being an overbearing prick?” She retorted, pulling out a bottle of wine and stood on her tiptoes to grab a glass out of the cabinet.  She then popped the cork on the bottle and poured herself some, sighing when she felt her husband’s eyes boring into her back.

“Maybe you should stop actin’ like a self-centered bitch?” Mark growled, clenching his fists tightly at his sides, not believing the way she was speaking to him.

Tessa whirled around to face him, her eyes ice cold, and crossed her arms in front of her chest.  “Excuse me?” She demanded, slamming her glass down on the counter, surprised she didn’t break it.

Mark smirked, knowing he was aggravating her.  “You heard me.  I don’t like repeatin’ myself, Tessa.” He replied nonchalantly, growling when she went back to drinking her wine. Suddenly, the bottle was swiped from the counter and thrown against the nearest wall, crashing into a million pieces and landing on the white tiled kitchen floor.

Tessa watched in stunned silence as her precious wine she specially ordered from online was destroyed, not believing her husband just did that!  “You asshole!” She shouted, turning around and shoved him as hard as she possibly could against his rock hard chest, tears pooling in her blue eyes.  “Why do you have to be such a bastard all the time?!”

“I wouldn’t be a bastard if you would stop bein’ a bitch all the time!” Mark shouted back, his green eyes inflamed and grabbed her hand when it swung to hit him, catching it firmly in his grasp.  “I wouldn’t try that again if I were you.”

“Or what?  You’ll hit me?” She taunted back, a natural born spitfire, and ripped her wrist out of his iron grip, the tears not leaving her eyes.  “Do you have ANY idea how much that shit costs?” She demanded, wanting to hit him, but refrained due to the fact that he was about ready to snap at any given moment.

His green eyes widened when she said that, not believing she even THOUGHT he’d hurt her!  He loved her, damn it!  Why couldn’t she see it?  Mark growled lower as he shook his head at her in disgust, not believing she was angry with him for being concerned.  Isn’t that what a husband was supposed to do when his wife didn’t come home or calls for hours on end after getting off of work?  Apparently not.

“I’m not fightin’ with ya anymore, Tessa.” Mark quietly said, all the anger and emotion draining from his face and eyes, refusing to do this anymore.  He was tired; he was too old for this shit and her childish behavior.  “I was only worried bout ya, but obviously that’s a crime nowadays.”

“Oh you were so worried that you had to throw my near NINE HUNDRED DOLLAR bottle of wine against the wall?” She nearly shrieked, shaking from how much anger was flowing through her body and started grinding her teeth so she didn’t attack him. 

He looked incredulous, that was the only word that could describe the look on his face as he stared at his wife in complete disbelief.  “Ya don’t need to turn to that shit every time we have a fight, Tessa!  Christ, when are ya gonna fuckin’ grow up and realize the world doesn’t revolve around yer ass?” Mark demanded gruffly and raked a hand through his jet black hair. 

It was naturally red, but after his mother died a few years ago, he decided black was a more suitable color.  He married Tessa right before his mother’s death, her last wish and he loved the woman in all honesty.  He thought Tessa loved him too, but he was starting to question that after all the fighting they’d done lately.

“When are you going to wake up and realize that I like going out for drinks with my friends and I refuse to check in like a fuckin’ teenager?” She retorted hotly, placing her hands on her slender hips that were currently encased in a pair of black dress pants.

Tessa was a local photographer for a nearby studio she opened with her best friend, Carsyn, a few years back before she met Mark after Carsyn’s motorcycle was totaled in a near death.  A semi was driving down the road and the driver fell asleep at the wheel, plowing over five different bikes, Carsyn’s being one of them in parked zones.  The driver was fined heavily, but Carsyn honestly thought about suing the cocksucker for destroying her second prized possession.  Her first was her husband Glen, who was a professional wrestler along with Mark.  They were best friends just as Tessa and Carsyn were. 

“Okay what the Hell is goin’ on in here?” Carsyn demanded as she walked into the Calaway household, carrying a few bags of groceries with her husband Glen following.

Glen groaned at the looks on their faces.  “You two aren’t fightin’ again’ are ya?” He asked hesitantly, sighing when they both shot him a look.  “Forget I asked.”

“I’m going to take a bath.” Tessa announced abruptly, refusing to fight with her husband in front of their best friends.

“Oh that’s it, go ahead and leave just when things get a little too fuckin’ real around here!” Mark snapped causing Tessa to glare back at him, silently telling him now was NOT the time to start up again.  Mark didn’t care and ignored her warning look as he raised a challenging eyebrow up at her.

Carsyn sighed and ran a hand through her honey blonde hair, her sea green eyes staring back at her best friend, wondering what started this.  “Okay who started it and why?” She asked bluntly, taking a few boxes out and putting them in the cabinets. 

One thing Carsyn knew about Tessa was the woman was NOT a shopper and Mark hardly had the time what with being on the road constantly with the World Wrestling Entertainment Company him and Glen wrestled for.  The guys were lucky if they got four days a week off to come home, but sometimes it was reduced to two.  Carsyn just rolled with the punches because she loved Glen more than anything and would wait for him to come home to her without complaining…much.

“Ask Mister I Need to Know Where My Wife Is All the Fucking Time.” Tessa snorted and walked over, helping Carsyn with the groceries as she put some things in the freezer.  Honestly, the woman was a saint and Tessa honestly didn’t know what she’d do with her.

“Fuck you Tessa!” Mark snarled, his entire body tensing, not believing how much she was antagonizing him in front of their best friends.  “Why don’t ya tell’em how ya been fuckin’ round on me?”

Tessa froze mid-step on her way to the freezer that was in the garage, not believing what Mark just said, and closed her eyes painfully shut.  “So that’s why you’ve been keeping tabs on me…” She trailed off softly, her voice filled with unhidden emotion, and fought to keep the tears in her eyes.

“You damn right I do!  Yer out all the fuckin’ time when I’m home, never wantin’ to spend any time with me, always sayin’ yer out havin’ a drink with one of the girls!” Mark snapped, sick of this shit and decided to just air their dirty laundry in front of Glen and Carsyn, not like they didn’t know anyway.

Tessa spun around so fast, the groceries whipped from her grasp and slid on the floor, hitting Carsyn’s ankles as she glared daggers back at her husband. “That’s not true!!  I’m always here when you’re home and I hardly go out with the girls!!  You need to learn to trust me, prick!” She shouted defensively, not believing he was actually accusing her of cheating on him!

“Maybe we should leave…” Glen muttered, raking a hand through his brown curly locks, his head lowered.

“Glen, stop being a pansy ass.” Carsyn snapped as she picked up the frozen pizza that was now cracked down the middle, shaking her head at these two. “I think it’s time for a time out.”

“I think it’s time fer ya to keep yer nose outta our business.”

“Mark, don’t you dare talk to her like that!” Tessa snapped, gaping at her husband when he just shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.  He definitely did change, that was for sure.  “You are a complete asshole and I hate you!”

“Good, I hate you too, lyin’ cheatin’ whore!” Mark wasn’t holding back anymore, not caring if he hurt her feelings anymore.  He refused to allow her to stand there and berate him like he was some five year old when she was the one acting like one!  “Go ahead and tell’em about Steve, Tessa.”

“What about him?” She demanded, crossing her arms in front of her chest, knowing what was coming and was ready for it. 

“God not the Steve thing again.” Carsyn groaned, sick and tired of hearing the accusations herself that Mark shot at his wife.  None of them were true!

“So being friends with one of YOUR co-workers is wrong?” Tessa shot back, not waiting for him to answer her first question, completely and utterly livid by now.

“When you spend more time with him then me!”

“That’s a load of bullshit and you damn well know it, Mark!  I don’t spend all of my time with him!  He comes over when you’re on the road and keeps me company…”

“By fuckin’ your brains out.” Mark finished, daring her to contradict him when he knew it was true.  He’d caught them on more than one occasion in situations that were border lining adultery and he wasn’t going to ignore it anymore. 

“Mark that’s going a little too far.” Carsyn piped up, not about to watch him put her best friend down like this.  It wasn’t happening.  This was her girl, her sister-blood or not-and she wasn’t going to let him talk to her like this.

“No it’s not!  She’s fucked him and I know it!” Mark snapped, advancing on Carsyn, but Glen immediately stepped in front him.

“Back off man.  She’s got nothin’ to do with this.”

“Then tell her to keep her fuckin’ mouth shut about shit she knows nothin’ about!”

“Come on Cars, let’s go home and make dinner together.” Glen suggested, knowing Mark was about to get in one of his shit fits and he’d be damned if his wife got hurt in the process.

“What about-”

Glen simply shook his head and guided her out the front door, closing it behind him, leaving the Calaway’s to go through their war by themselves.  Before they could even get in the car, Tessa suddenly rushed out the door with tears streaming down her cheeks, getting in her car, and peeled out of the driveway with Mark stumbling out of the door, holding his head.  Glen and Carsyn gaped as they seen Mark bleeding from the forehead while his wife peeled off down the road, blinking.

“What happened?” Glen demanded stepping out of the car, and suddenly could hear a crash down the road.  It sounded through the crisp, night air, as metal mangled.  That’s how loud it was as all three took off down the street, knowing deep in their hearts it was Tessa.

That was the night Tessa Calaway died.

Chapter 2

Driving to the funeral a few days after the accident was a blur for Mark as he sat in the backseat, refusing to drive.  Glen and Carsyn agreed to take him, not needing another one of their best friends to die in a car accident as Tessa had.  They still couldn’t believe she was gone.  Before they even arrived, the car had exploded in flames along with Tessa, who was no more than ashes now.  Her body was burnt to scorching ashes so Mark opted to buy an urn, putting rose petals inside along with her ashes, knowing how much she loved roses.  There was no reason to buy a coffin and no reason to have a visitation.

The service was also a blur for Mark as he stared at the beautiful blue urn that was sitting next to a small tombstone he bought for her.  It had her name engraved and it was cut into the shape of a rose since they were her favorite.  No matter how hard he tried, Mark couldn’t get the last words he said to her out of his mind.  Instead of saying he loved her; he accused her of sleeping with one of his best friends in Steve, who was also at the service. 

Blue eyes narrowed, not believing the son of a bitch actually showed up as Steve kept his eyes locked on the urn, shaking his head sadly.  She was a beautiful woman, kind hearted and sweet, one of his few friends.  There were so many fond memories he had with her like bringing her gallons of ice cream when her and Mark had another one of their fights or taking her out to a movie.  He sighed heavily, the tears pricking his eyes, wondering if Mark had ONE ounce of remorse in his body after what he put this woman through.

“I hope yer happy.” Steve said after the service was over with, his blue eyes lit on fire, staring holes through Mark.

Mark didn’t say a word as his eyes stayed focused on the urn.

“Ya destroyed her.” Steve snarled softly, refusing to cause a scene at Tessa’s funeral.  She deserved to rest in peace and that’s what she was going to do.

Again, he just stood there frozen solid, emotionless eyes and body posture.

“That’s enough Steve.” Carsyn stated as she stood in front of Mark, who was still in shock apparently, not having spoken a word since Tessa’s tragic accident.

“He feels bad enough.” Glen piped in, his voice low, wearing a pure black suit, his hair pulled back in a loose ponytail while Mark’s was in a tight braid.

“He damn well should after what he said to her.” Steve refused to let this lie, knowing Tessa had died with a broken heart and he hated Mark for that. “We weren’t sleepin’ together.” He still couldn’t believe Mark actually thought he’d betray him like that and shook his head in disgust.  He looked up and felt his eyes widen at the sight of his girlfriend, who was walking up to the urn, her blue eyes unreadable.  “Teagyn.”

Both Carsyn and Glen raised eyebrows as Steve headed over to the jet black haired woman, wondering who she was and when Steve started dating her. 

“What are ya doin’ here honey?” He asked quietly, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as they both looked down at the urn.

“I am sorry for your loss.” She quietly whispered, wearing a long black skirt with a long sleeved blacked shirt, her wavy black hair cascading down her back with a black veil over her face.

Steve sighed sadly and nodded, pulling her into his arms and stroked her black hair, resting his cheek on top of her head.  “Come on honey, we’d better go.  It’s gettin’ late.” He said causing her to nod once, and without a word threw a black rose near the urn before walking back to the car she was sitting in. 

“That was weird.” Glen commented after Steve drove off with his mystery woman named Teagyn, raising an eyebrow.

“Too weird, but that’s Steve for you.  Come on, we gotta get Mark out of here before he ends up being buried with the urn.” Carsyn said, soft enough to where Mark could hear, even though she knew he was in another dimension at the moment. 

“Yeah…this is gonna be a long road to recovery.” Glen groaned inwardly, not looking forward to the mood swings Mark was going to go through.  They walked over, each standing on either side him, staring down at the small grave that was dug up to bury the urn in.

“Mark, we gotta get going, sweetie.” Carsyn softly said, grabbing his arm, biting her bottom lip when he didn’t even pull away.  It was almost as if the man had no feeling, he was in a zombie state and had been ever since he seen the car explode right before his very eyes, holding the love of his life inside.

“Come on man, I’ll buy you a drink.” Glen murmured, patting Mark’s back gently with his hand, and sighed when he received nothing in return.

Suddenly, Mark spoke in an eerie, calm tone of voice as he said, “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Mark, please…”

“Leave!” Mark barked, his voice low and demonic, so many different emotions in his tone, but the most that was unmistakable was anger.  Real, pure anger that he hadn’t felt in a long time.

Glen sighed, raking a hand through the top of his hair, knowing his best friend was going to break down at any given moment.  “Mark man, this isn’t the way-”

“LEAVE!!”

“Come on Glen…” Carsyn murmured, gently tugging on her husband’s arm, knowing Mark would find a way back to his house when he was ready.  She had a feeling he wanted some alone time with Tessa’s spirit, to reflect on their memories, and in all honesty they hadn’t allowed him to grieve alone ever since the accident.

With great reluctance, Glen went with his wife as they walked away from the gravesite and to their car, leaving a few minutes later.

Once everyone was gone, Mark finally dropped to his knees, sinking into the dug up earth below as the tears flowed down his cheeks freely.  He gripped the urn in his hands and pressed his forehead to it, shaking his head slowly back and forth, asking why his angel was stolen from him so soon.  They’d only been married a few years, that wasn’t even enough time to start a proper family!

“Tessa…” He whispered heartbrokenly, his chest rising and falling quickly, heaving with grief as it flowed throughout his huge and muscular form. 

The memories started back from when he first laid eyes on her.  It was at one of his wrestling events, Smackdown, and she was sitting front row and center at ringside with her best friend Carsyn, who drug her along.  Tessa was never a big wrestling fan, but Carsyn wanted her to see Glen again along with everyone else who’d been at their wedding.  Tessa reluctantly agreed and they closed the studio down for a night on the town in Houston, where the wrestling event was being held.

Tessa argued with Carsyn about wrestling not being real, though when she seen Jamie Noble busted open with a steel folding chair, she changed her mind quickly.  The night progressed until it was time for Mark’s turn to come out.  His entrance was eerie and morbid along with his character, which was called the Undertaker, and still was today. 

He walked out in a long, black leather trench coat with fingerless black gloves, a black hat on top of his head.  His long black hair flowed down his shoulders and back to the middle, his fathomless green eyes boring straight ahead as he headed down the ramp way.  He had on black wrestling tights with a purple design of a devil imprinted on the side along with black boots, moving slowly and deliberately down the ring. 

When he walked up the steel ring steps and raised his arms to turn the arena lights back on, his eyes instantly locked on the woman with Carsyn.  It was instant love, instant attraction, sparks flew and Mark’s stomach clenched tightly as he stepped through the ropes, no emotion showing on his face.  On the inside though, his stomach was in knots and his palms were growing sweaty.  She was the most beautiful woman he ever laid his eyes on.  Flowing red hair that shined in the lights, a gorgeous figure as the blue jeans she wore fit her perfectly along with the black corset top that laced up the front and had purple lace throughout it.  The most enchanting thing about Tessa though was her eyes.  They were two blue pools full of fire and life as he locked them on her before removing his hat, rolling his eyes in the back of his head. 

After he beat the snot out of his opponent, who was someone he couldn’t even remember, he stepped out of the ring after posing a bit and walked past her.  The barest hint of a smirk curved his lips as he headed back up the ramp way, knowing he had her attention.  He was good at doing that, at getting what he wanted.

He had her that night when Glen and Carsyn introduced them, suddenly remembering he’d danced with her at their wedding.  Prior to the reception, Mark actually pulled her into a nearby dark closet and kissed her breathless, remember how beautiful she looked in her red wine gown that clung to every curve of her body.  It was strapless with a sweetheart neckline and flowed at the waist, V shaped in the back so he knew she wasn’t wearing a bra.  He remembered dancing with her at the reception afterwards, holding her close to his body, but he couldn’t remember her name and decided not to ask Glen about her.

Imagine his surprise when she showed up three years later on the road with Carsyn.

Mark sighed as he gripped some dirt in his hands, letting it fall between his fingers to join the earth below, not moving anymore than that.  He swallowed hard, past the pain and tears, trying to bury his sorrow to the depths of his black, darkened soul.  Nothing worked though.  The memories kept flowing as he closed his eyes, their first date running through his mind.

It was nothing big, but enough for both of them.  Mark asked her to go on a ride with him through the country, which Tessa instantly complied too.  He remembered placing her in front of him on his bike, her back pressed against his chest while he wrapped one arm around her waist, the other steering the bike.  It was exhilarating, the best ride he’d ever been on in his life.  Though he quickly changed his mind when they pulled over on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere and decided to get to know each other a lot better.  He could still feel her, seeing her gripping the handlebars as he took her to the heavens and back again.  Granted, it was their first date, but not their first romp.  After that, Mark and Tessa officially started dating and introduced her to his mother, who adored the woman from the first moment she laid eyes on her.  Mark remembered his mother saying what a kind and brilliant woman she was, which was true.  Everything about Tessa was entrancing and drew people in with just a smile or a laugh.  Both were intoxicating and made him drunk with love for her as it grew with each passing day.

A year later, one week before Mark’s mother passed, they had a private small wedding ceremony in the back of his ranch under a white pillar with purple and white roses hanging from it.  Tessa was in a beautiful, yet simple white gown made of silk and was spaghetti strapped, her hair down up in curls with white roses, little tendrils hanging down her face.  He would never forget the sight of her walking toward him down the aisle and making her his bride, making her Mrs. Tessa Calaway.

His eyes slowly opened as the tears fell, thunder rumbling in the far distance, and knew it was getting ready to rain.  He stopped the men who were getting ready to bury her and shook his head, standing and taking the shovel from them.  When they tried taking it back, Mark growled, needing to do this without anyone.  He waited patiently, silently as they all got in their cars and drove away, promising to tell their boss what happened in an email so they didn’t get fired.

When they were gone, Mark picked the urn up and kissed the top of it, his tears coating the lid before placing it gently in the ground.  He fingered the ring around his neck that was hanging from a silver chain, contemplating burying it with her, and decided to keep them both.  Tessa hadn’t worn her wedding ring that night of the fire and Mark found it in her jewelry box, instantly adding it to his on the silver chain.  It hurt, but he wished to have her back so he could make it to up to her, to make their marriage work with no fights.

“Goodbye Tessa.  I’ll always love you, darlin’.” He murmured softly before beginning to bury the urn on his own, each tear that fell soaking into the soft earth below.

Mark vowed then and there to never love another woman again as Tessa was buried with his heart.

Chapter 3

“I’m worried about Mark.” Carsyn stated a few months later as she brushed her honey golden locks, wearing a silky blue nightgown that went to her thighs, and watched as her husband paced back and forth.

“I know, so am I, Cars.” Glen replied, wearing a pair of black pajama pants, not in the mood to make love to his wife.  How could he when his best friend was driving deeper and deeper into depression?  “I don’t know what to do anymore.  He’s like a whole different person.”

“I know baby, I know.” Carsyn cooed, pulling him down on the bed as she began massaging his shoulders with her soft hands, trying to get him to calm down and ease his fears, his tension.  “He’s grieving the only way he knows how.”

Glen sighed heavily and just nodded; burying his head in his hands, wishing Mark would talk to him.  He’d tried several times on so many occasions, but Mark always brushed him off with a few choice words that both saddened and angered Glen.  Mark was his best friend, always would be, but the man had to realize he wasn’t the only one in pain here.  Carsyn and Tessa grew up together practically and owned a business.  They were partners; they were closer than any sisters he ever saw.  Not to mention Tessa was like a baby sister to him.

“I miss her so much.” Carsyn whispered out painfully, finally breaking down as the tears coursed down her cheeks, stopping the massage.  “Tessa…” She felt her husband gather her in his arms and heard him croon in her ear soothingly, running his fingers through her hair.

He didn’t know what to say so he just held her, knowing the best way to grieve was silence.  Carsyn rarely cried and hadn’t since the funeral.  Glen knew his wife was bottling up her emotions and also knew it’d come out sooner or later…like now.  “Shhh it’ll be alright doll.  It’s gonna be fine.” He whispered softly, soothingly in her ear, feeling her curl up in a ball on his lap and wrapped his arms around her fully, giving her the comfort she desperately needed.

“I just wish Mark would realize that he’s not the only one hurting.  I lost my best friend and sister, the only woman I ever trusted!” Carsyn shouted angrily, her emotions spilling forth as she extracted herself from her husband’s arms.  “I’m going to beat some sense into him.”

“Carsyn, that’s not gonna help honey.” Glen said, trying to reason with her, but didn’t get up from the bed yet.  He knew she was thinking irrationally right now and was prepared to stop her if she so much as put a foot out that door.  “He’s not gonna listen to you or anyone right now.  Like ya said, he’s grieving the best way he knows how.”

“But shutting out everyone who loves and gives a damn about him isn’t right!” She snapped, clenching her fists tightly at her sides, gritting her teeth angrily as she began to tremble.  “Tessa is gone and she wouldn’t want him doing this to himself!  Do you realize what he’s been doing?”

Glen could only nod, hating to even think about what Mark had been doing lately.  At first the man was silent and didn’t talk to anyone, and then he changed his name to ‘Taker, refusing to be called Mark.  Anyone who did suffered the brunt of his anger by getting thrown through a wall or shoved out of his way.  The only people allowed to call him Mark were the Jacobs, Glen and Carsyn.  Then the ring rats…Glen felt sick to his stomach as he thought about how many women Mark slept with over the course of the past few months since Tessa’s death.

“We have to do something, Glen, before he ends up hurting himself.” Carsyn sounded both helpless and scared, knowing what kind of diseases were out there and lost count after the twentieth woman Mark brought back to his hotel room to screw.  It was sickening and made Carsyn want to throw up all over him. 

“What do you suggest we do?” Glen finally snapped, standing up from the bed, wishing she’d just let it go and let Mark do what he wanted. 

He was tired of them fighting over something that was out of their control.  Not only was it not good for the marriage, but their bond they’d worked so hard to acquire.  He refused to let it be ripped away just because his best friend was going through a hard time right now.  Glen felt sorry for him and would be there for him, but his marriage came first and he be damned if someone screwed that up!

Carsyn sighed as she raked a hand through her hair, finally walking over and plopping down on the bed, the tears never stopping.  “I don’t know.  I don’t know anymore.” She whispered and closed her eyes, wishing she knew what to do about Mark. 

She missed her best friend and wished they could relive that moment and change something.  Maybe if Tessa would’ve just gone to take her bath and ignored Mark, the accident would’ve never happened.  Then again, fate worked in twisted ways and Carsyn had a feeling Tessa’s time was up regardless if she died in that explosion or not.

Deciding on forgetting about it for now, Glen crawled up the length of his wife’s body, glad she was still alive and with him.  He kissed her salty tears away while removing her panties, wanting to make her forget too.  He wanted to focus his energy on making her happy, which is what he always did, even if it meant forgetting about what Mark was doing to himself and Tessa being dead.  Carsyn and he were still alive and they weren’t acting like it.  Mark was a grown man capable of making his own decisions as Glen’s mouth descended on her neck.

“Glen…not tonight.” She whispered painfully while running her fingers through his silky brown locks, arching her body into him, unable to resist what he was doing to her.

“No Carsyn, tonight.” He murmured huskily, disagreeing with her, and slowly began discarding their clothes.  “I love you, forget with me.”

The tears fell from her eyes as Carsyn stared into her husband’s hazel orbs, finally nodding as her legs wrapped around his waist, allowing him to take her places only he could.  She let him make love to her slowly, let him make her forget even for a few hours of the torment and anguish they’d both been through since Tessa’s untimely death.

~!~

He sat at the bar; nursing a beer after the brutal encounter he had in the ring earlier that night, sighing heavily.  He stared down at the brown liquid broodingly, snorting and downed it in one gulp, not even wincing as it burned down his esophagus to the pit of his stomach, slowly eating away at his insides.  He didn’t care.  He didn’t care about anything or anyone anymore ever since his beautiful wife died and took his heart with her to the other side. How he longed to see her again, how he longed for death to consume him whole and drag him to the place where she was.  He’d have to be patient, but knew it would happen sooner or later.  All people died one way or another, it was a fact of life and he wasn’t scared anymore.

A slow smirk spread across his lips as a hot blonde with size D cups sauntered up to him, an hour glass figure with a short black cocktail dress on that went to her thighs, her dark brown eyes piercing him.  They didn’t affect him, nothing did anymore, but she didn’t need to know that.

“Can I buy you a drink?” She asked coyly with an annoyed giggle, flashing pearly whites, and began running her nails up his arm.

He chuckled, his long pitch black hair flowing down his back and over his shoulder in wet waves, fresh from a shower.  He had on tight form fitting black jeans that hugged all the right places, a black leather vest that was left open and black shades over his eyes.  He refused to see light again as he downed another shot, watching as she flirted with him.

“Come.” He ordered, standing up from the bar stool he was sitting on, extending his hand and wasn’t surprised when she immediately took it. 

He led her to the elevator, guiding her onto it, and pressed the third button that would bring them to his floor.  He watched as her predatory hands began exploring his body, her nails barely grazing his flesh, and seen the smirk spreading across her ruby red lips.  She was attractive, but she wasn’t his Tessa. Tessa.  The pain flashed in his eyes, thankful he was wearing black shades, and growled as the anger consumed him.

As soon as the elevator dinged, signaling their arrival, he took her hand and literally dragged her to his room, anger radiating from his pores.  If this slut wanted to get fucked by the Phenom, she was going to get that and more.  He unlocked the door, sliding his key card in the slot, and shoved the door open before tossing her inside, slamming the door shut behind him.  He wanted to make her pay for causing him pain in thinking of his deceased wife, the love of his life. 

“On your knees.” He ordered his voice low and demonic, holding no sense of regard for her or what was going to happen.  She asked for it and now she was going to receive it.

“Oh yes my Dark Lord, make me pay for defying you.” She giggled, thinking this was a game, and licked her lips hungrily as his zipper slid down, the sound radiating off the hotel room walls. 

He chuckled wickedly, arching an eyebrow, and shoved his pants down as they pooled around his ankles.  “Satisfy me then, creature of the night.” His low baritone rumbled as the blonde very willingly slid over to him and began doing exactly what he wanted.

Hours went by before he was done, staring down at her through brooding acid green eyes, stark naked as he sat on the bed.  Her entire body was bruised, her throat, arms and thighs especially.  He was rough with her.  It served her right, dumb slut. 

Slowly standing up, he walked over to stare out the window, pouring himself a glass of bourbon, and stared out at the night sky.  He knew Tessa probably hated him right now, but he was healing the only way he knew how.  He refused to talk to Glen and Carsyn, especially Carsyn, she reminded him too much of Tessa and it hurt.  It hurt more than anything as her blue eyes flashed through his mind again, tears burning his orbs, and downed the bourbon with a low guttural growl. 

“My Lord, come back to bed.” Her voice sounded behind him, the tone weak and resigned, causing him to simply stand there holding his empty glass.

“Get out.” He hissed dangerously, not turning around to face her, not wanting to feel sickened by the sight of what he’d done to her, the monster he became.

She blinked, wondering if she heard him right, and slowly slunk out of bed to wrap her arms around him from behind.  “I don’t want to leave.  I want to be punished more.” She seductively said her voice low as she ran her fingernails down his broad, muscular back. 

Was this woman sick in the head?  She actually ENJOYED what he did to her?  He spun around so fast it caused her to stumble back, her brown eyes widened in shock.  “I said get OUT.” He growled, his large hand wrapping around her slender throat and nearly tossed her toward the door with one shove. 

He grabbed her clothes, or what was left of them, throwing them at her and opened the door.  When she was far enough in the hallway, he slammed the door in her face and leaned back against it, burying his head in his hands and gripped his hair, fighting back tears.  What was he doing?  This was grieving? This was trying to get over the love of his life that was taken away from him?

“Tessa…” He whispered out painfully as the memory flashed through his mind of the car exploding, shards floating in the night air along with embers. He’d been haunted with that memory for the past few months and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t forget it.  He couldn’t forget her and probably never would.

After allowing a few tears to fall, he finally stood up and walked over, grabbing the bottle of bourbon and drowned himself in it like he did every night.  It was the only way to get through the pain his heart was feeling, get through what he was feeling inside.  It temporarily numbed his black heart and made him forget that horrible memory, though his last words to her couldn’t escape.

“I’m…sorry…” He managed to get out before collapsing on his bed, naked, the empty bottle of bourbon in his hand with his face turned and laying on the pillow.

Chapter 4

“I’m not sure this was a good idea…” Glen muttered low enough to where only his wife could hear, who was dragging him through the local club she spotted when they got into town for the show earlier on that day.

Carsyn rolled her eyes as she held onto her husband’s hand, needing a night out instead of in the cooped up hotel room.  “Glen, I just want to live alright? I just want to have fun.  Please, do this for me?” She asked, slowly stopping and turning around to face him, staring deep into his hazel eyes. 

He groaned, knowing he couldn’t resist those beautiful sea green orbs of hers and sighed resignedly as he took her hand, pressing a kiss to the back of it. Carsyn grinned as they walked to the bar, ordering herself a cosmopolitan while Glen opted for a beer before sitting down at a nearby booth.  They hadn’t gone out in ages, Carsyn couldn’t even remember the last time, and honestly thought they could use a night on the town with everything that happened lately.

“This place isn’t so bad.” Carsyn said as she sipped her drink, leaning against her husband, and smiled when a song of her liking came on.  “Dance with me?”

“That’s where I draw the line.” Glen stated, shaking his head, and crossed his arms in defiance.  “I don’t dance.  Go on, have fun.”

Carsyn sighed as she kissed his cheek and slid out of the booth, wearing a silver dress that went to her mid-thigh and was spaghetti strapped along with matching heels.  Deciding to just let her hair down, Carsyn began moving to the beat, swaying her hips and moving her body, knowing her husband was watching her every move.  Now if only she could get him to dance with her.

Across the way in a dark corner, Mark sat with a bottle of bourbon, downing one shot after another, drowning his sorrows.  A fiery redhead was currently eyeing him, but he wasn’t in the mood, just wanting to be left alone for the night.  That wasn’t to happen because a few seconds later, none other than Steve Austin came walking up with a beer in hand, causing Mark to arch a black eyebrow.  They hadn’t spoken since Tessa’s funeral and honestly, Mark hated the man and knew Steve reciprocated the feelings. 

“This seat taken?” Steve asked, not waiting for an answer, and sat down as he stretched his long legs out under the table.  He was wearing a pure black muscle shirt along with tight form fitting blue jean shorts, sipping his beer.  “How’ve ya been, ‘Taker?”

“Dark.” Mark grunted in response as he downed another shot, hoping a buzz would happen so he didn’t have to remember this conversation.  “What’re you doing here?”

Steve shrugged.  “Just thought a night on the town would do me good.” He said nonchalantly, leaning back further in his chair.  “Ya know you haven’t been the same since Tessa passed.”

“I refuse to talk about this.” Mark stated heatedly, his green eyes flashing before pulling his black shades off and tucking them in his vest.  “Tessa is none of your business.”

“Wrong Mark, she was my best friend and ya hurt her with yer accusations, man.” Steve stated, refusing to drop the subject, seeing the man was about ready to explode and he didn’t care.  Mark had put himself in a shell when Tessa died and it was about time he came out of it.  “Ya gotta talk bout it, man. Ya can’t keep it bottled like ya have been or else it’ll eat ya inside and out.”

“You think I don’t know that?” Mark growled from low in the back of his throat and slammed his glass down, burying his head in his hands.  “I know I hurt her and I’ll never forgive myself.  You’re not helping me by sittin’ here and reminding me of the mistake I made.”

“What the fuck did ya say to her to make her leave the house that night?” Steve asked bluntly, the question burning in his mind ever since Tessa died.

Mark cleared his throat, raking a hand through his hair, and sighed as he closed his eyes painfully shut.  “I accused her…of sleepin’ with ya.” He finally admitted, refusing to look up at Steve, and sighed wearily before downing another shot.  “I really thought ya two were sleepin’ together with how much time ya spent.  I seen ya hug and her kiss ya on the cheek…” He sighed again.  “I don’t know what happened, I just kinda snapped…”

“Kinda?” Steve echoed and snorted, finishing off his beer before ordering another round, shaking his head.  “Do ya have any idea what we talked bout while she and I were together?” When Mark shook his head, Steve actually bit back a roll of his eyes and just stared down into his beer broodingly.  “She talked bout how much she wanted to cheat on ya, but knew it wasn’t right.  She didn’t love ya man.  She thought ya weren’t bad enough fer her.”

“Do you want me to kick your ass, Steve?” Mark growled, his eyes flashing dangerously, and shook his head when the man just snorted.  The bourbon was kicking in and Mark wasn’t feeling too bad, leaning back against the booth and crossed his arms in front of his chest.  “Yer serious aren’t ya?”

“Man, I’m tellin’ ya.  Tessa was a wild cat and she had to be unleashed.  I never slept with her though.  I wanted too, but she wouldn’t be unfaithful to her husband.” Steve snorted again, downing more of his beer and set it down.  “What did ya do to keep her under you?”

Mark actually choked on his beer, blinking.  “Excuse me?  I don’t think that’s any of yer business, Austin.” He couldn’t believe this!  This man was actually talking about Tessa like she was some sort of whore and the woman was dead!

“Not like it’s a big secret, Mark.  Do you know how many guys Tessa slept with before you?” Steve asked, causing Mark’s eyebrow to rise as he downed another shot, feeling a really great buzz going on.

“How many?” He gruffly asked, wondering why he was allowing Steve to talk about his deceased wife like this.  At the same time, it was oddly comforting talking about Tessa like this, like she was still alive, and that caused Mark to down another shot.  He’d lost count, but knew he’d killed nearly half the bottle of bourbon alone.

“Sixteen.” Steve answered without hesitation, causing Mark’s bloodshot eyes to widen, rubbing a hand over his bald head.

“Yer lyin’.”

“Am I?” Steve countered, leaning back in his chair and propped his feet up on the table to get more comfortable.  “She told me she used to date three guys at one time, man.  She was very experienced before marryin’ yer ass.”

“And she told you this?” Mark questioned, sounding almost in disbelief, but then again Tessa and Steve had been rather close.  He somehow believed she didn’t cheat on him, but that still didn’t stop the pain and anger from radiating through his body.  Why couldn’t she have confided in him, her own husband?  The more Mark thought about it, the angrier he became and the more tempting that hot fiery redhead seemed.

Steve didn’t miss it and smirked inwardly, turning around and staring at the foxy redhead who had Mark’s attention currently.  “She’s not bad.” He commented low enough to where only Mark could hear.  “I’d fuck her.”

“You’d fuck anyone.” Mark retorted and chuckled ruefully while Steve called the hot redhead over, giving her a seat right next to him. 

“Hey honey, can I buy you a drink?” Steve asked, causing the redhead to smirk coyly back at him before her dark green eyes fell on the man she’d had her eye on all night.

“No thanks sugar, but I’d LOVE it if this man would.” She purred scooting closer to Mark in the booth, her breasts looking like they were about ready to pop out of the top she was currently wearing.  “Do you have any idea how hot you are?”

“Rigamortis, I think she’s talkin’ to ya.” Steve added, stoking the fire more as he leaned back and chuckled, taking another swig of his beer.

“Darlin’, I-” Mark didn’t finish and simply stared straight ahead, his green eyes widening with every second that passed. 

He’d been looking around the bar at all the people, trying to distract himself with something other than the conversation him and Steve were currently having.  That’s when he saw her.  Long red hair pooled down her back in waves along with those hypnotic blue eyes that always sent his heart racing. Was it her?  Was it Tessa?  No, she was dead…Mark shook his head and looked down, mentally clearing his head, and looked back up.  When he did, she was gone, no traces or signs of her anywhere. 

‘Christ now I’m seein’ her everywhere.’ He thought miserably before shooting down another shot, ignoring the current ring rat biding for his attention.

“You alright there, Deadman?  You look like you seen a ghost.” Steve commented, concern swimming in his blue eyes, and looked over his shoulder at the people who were swarming the place.  He’d seen Mark had been distracted, but by what was the unsolved mystery.

“So…any special plans tonight?” The ring rat was persistent and wouldn’t give up until she had what she wanted.  “I could use some company tonight…”

“I’m sure you could darlin’.” Mark drawled the current buzzed state he was in causing his Texan voice to thicken as he downed yet another shot.

Steve looked back and forth between the two, shaking his head, knowing Mark would end up taking the ring rat back to the hotel.  It wasn’t like he was cheating on Tessa anymore since the woman was dead.  Men healed faster than woman when it came to tragedies and things like that.  In Steve’s mind, Mark was a moron, but he wouldn’t stop the man from making mistake after mistake.  It wasn’t his job to do that.

“Go on Rigamortis; show the lady a good time.” Steve smirked when Mark glared at him, clucking his tongue, and took another long swig of his long neck beer bottle.  “Show her yer not as dead as everyone thinks.”

A voice cleared from behind all of them, causing three heads to turn, and there stood Laura Manning, the personal assistant of Chris Irvine A.K.A. Chris Jericho.  Her long, chestnut locks cascaded down to the middle of her back, her chocolate brown eyes peering back at the gentleman while Chris stood beside her.  Tears filled Laura’s eyes as she slowly walked over, shoving the ring rat aside like the trash she was, and hugged Mark tightly around the neck, sniffling.  Tessa and Laura were good friends when Mark brought her on the road with him, which was quite often.

“I am so sorry…” She whispered brokenly, having heard of Tessa’s death at Vince McMahon’s meeting the day after her accident. 

Laura tried making it to the funeral, but at the last minute, she had to rush home to an emergency of her own.  Her five year old daughter, Whitney, fell off the monkey bars at pre-school and broke her ankle.  She was currently at the hotel resting with her nanny, Nora Price.  She was a mid-aged woman in her forties and Whitney adored her along with Laura.  The three of them were one big, happy family.

For some reason, this little lady had a soft spot in Mark’s heart as he hugged her back, sighing heavily, knowing she missed Tessa.  “It’s alright darlin’…don’t cry.” He soothed, stroking her hair, and snorted when Chris cleared his throat loudly.

“Christopher, I am merely sending my condolences.” Laura quietly said after breaking the hug with Mark, turning to face the man she was the personal assistant for.

“I know, but it’s getting late.  Whitney doesn’t sleep without you there.” Chris reminded softly, hating to break up the moment, but in all honesty he had to get out of there before he throttled Mark.

Laura sighed and nodded, knowing he was right and turned around to face Mark, running her finger down his cheek.  “Do not take anymore into your bed, Marcus.  You are hurting, but this is not the way to heal your pain.” She kissed his cheek before sliding from the booth and walked away with Chris, her head lowered.

Mark sighed heavily as the ring rat took her place right beside him again and snorted, downing his last shot.  “You want a taste of the Dark Side?” He drawled again, causing her to nod eagerly, the hunger unmistakable in her eyes.  A smirk curved his lips as he stood up, the empty bottle of bourbon setting on the table, and nodded silently at Steve before guiding the fiery redhead out of the club.

Steve stared back at them and shook his head, downing the remainder of his beer, and decided to call it a night as well.  He whipped his cell phone out once he was outside and smiled when she answered.

“Hey Teagyn.”

Chapter 5

“Did I do well?”

“You did perfect honey.  You should’ve seen his face when he saw you.”

She giggled wickedly, staring down at her long black painted fingernails, and sighed wistfully.  “Such a shame.  He had potential too.” She said almost sadly, leaning back on the bed.  “When are you coming home?”

“I’ll be there soon, I promise.”

“Okay, I’ll be waiting.”

He groaned and pressed his forehead against the steering wheel before heading back to the hotel, having had his fun for the night.  The plan was coming along perfectly and he couldn’t wait to see the rest of it unfold slowly.  Mark Calaway was going to wish he’d never been born on this earth when they were through with him.

~!~

“Oh yes…”

He growled, hearing her soft moans as he pressed her against the wall, his rock hard body tense as he massaged her sides with his thumbs, smirking when she arched against him.  She was beautiful, the most gorgeous creature he ever laid his eyes on, and she was his.  His hot lips attached to her soft neck, suckling on the tender flesh, and groaned when she simply melted against him.  He loved it when she did that and it made him hotter than a boiling pot of water.

Her soft hands moved down his shirt covered chest before ripping it open, buttons flying in all directions, but neither cared as her dark blue eyes locked on his.  Her long nails slowly slid down the smooth flesh that was no longer covered before running up to his broad muscular shoulders, pushing it off before attaching her hot mouth to his chest.  Mark growled, loving it when she did this, and gripped her hips tighter.  He could do nothing; he wouldn’t stop her that was for damn sure!

“Mmm…” She purred, her nails digging into his sides as she traveled lower to his abs, nibbling on each one and taking her time, tormenting him as much as she could…or what he would allow. 

Mark was never a patient man when it came to getting down to business in the bedroom.  He was the dominator and she honestly didn’t mind it because there were times when he’d allow her to have the upper hand…like now.  She smirked when he growled, the sound resonating around the room and vibrating deep within his chest, shaking her body’s foundation.  Her eyes looked up, locking with his as she slowly lowered herself to her knees in front of him, her eyes suddenly on the zipper of his jeans.  It was between her and what she wanted most as she scooted closer, causing his eyebrow to raise in question.

He was about to ask her what she was doing, but got his answer as he watched her wrist flick and his button unsnapped.  Her mouth took the zipper of his jeans between her teeth and tongue, slowing sliding it down.  His cock was bulging and pulsating with need for her, but he managed to control himself.  It wasn’t often that she took matters into her own hands like this and Mark loved it.  They were rare, but moments in their love making he’d treasure always.

The sound of the zipper going down echoed through the room as her pussy tingled with anticipation and slowly pushed his jeans down his long, muscular legs, freeing his painful erection.  She licked her lips hungrily and took it in her hand, the warmth radiating in her palm as she slowly began moving it up and down the length.  Mark growled from low in his throat and immediately buried his large hands in her silky tresses, his head falling back as his eyes slid shut, the feeling overwhelming him.

“Yer killin’ me…” He grunted out, not gripping her hair because he didn’t want to hurt her.

No words sounded from her lips as she purred in satisfaction before scooting closer, taking her shirt off and tossing it over her shoulder.  Her eyes were for this man and only him as she leaned forward and flicked the tip of his cock with her tongue, smirking when he shivered.  She loved the affect she had on him, always did.  “Mmm so hard…” She moaned before beginning to lick up and down the length of him like it was a juicy Popsicle.  A guttural growl escaped his body as he tried maintaining composure, wanting her to pleasure him.

“Darlin’…faster…” He grunted, gritting his teeth and looked down at her when she deep throated him for the first time.  “Christ…”

Not about to let him down, her nails gripped his outer thighs and began moving him in and out of her mouth, increasing the tempo every few seconds along with speed.  With every plunge, she deep throated him, the tip meeting the back of her throat and making her glad she didn’t have the gag reflex. “Cum for me…” She purred, raking her nails down his outer thighs and back up, encouraging him the best she could.

He was so close and could feel his cock pulsating and reacting in her mouth.  Just the sight of her giving him head was enough as he finally gripped her hair tightly in his fingers, feeling his thighs tense, and exploded when she deep throated him for a final time.  She drank him in, not missing a single drop and swallowed him whole, refusing to spit.  He tasted wonderful, very addicting, and slowly sucked him off as her mouth pulled away from him, sucking on his tip to get the extra essence. 

That was it.  Mark couldn’t take it anymore as he lifted her up by the arms, refusing to do it by her beautiful hair, and pressed her against the wall.  His lips descended on hers, running his hands from her  arms to her breasts, molding them in his warm palms as his tongue explored every crevice and space of her mouth.  She instantly melted against him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressed closer to him, her body engulfing in flames.

Sweeping her off of her feet, Mark carried her to the big king sized bed that was in the center of the room, gently laying her down.  With a swift flick of his wrist, he unsnapped her jeans and pulled them off, running his large, warm hands up her smooth legs.  “So beautiful…” He murmured softly before settling himself between her thighs, burying his face in her neck and inhaled.  Her scent was always so intoxicating, it made him drunk with desire for her. She was the only woman who could affect him this way and Mark didn’t understand it.  Hell, he didn’t care.

“Mark, please…” She pleaded softly, spreading her thighs for better access, giving herself fully to him with no regrets as the desire coursed through her dark blue eyes.  “Take me…”

He smirked back at her, his green eyes darkening to a forest green color before nodding and attached his lips to her neck.  He reached behind her back and unsnapped her bra, pulling the offending clothing off, and threw it over his shoulder before going on the attack.  His cock brushed against her, settling right on her swollen bud as he felt how wet she was.  He knew it was going to be a rather quick bout, but figured since she teased him he would tease her.  Fair was fair after all.

“Ohhh Oh yes!” She cried out softly, the feeling of his cock pressed against her almost too much for her to handle.  Her body arched into his mouth as he suckled on her nipples like they were candy, his candy.

He growled as he felt them turn to little hard pebbles before smoothing them over with his hot, long slick tongue, repeating the torturous movement over and over again.  He wanted to drive her to the brink of insanity just as she did to him with the blowjob.  After he was finishing with her breasts, Mark slowly moved down along with his tongue down her body, dipping his tongue in and out of her naval.  He took her piercing between his teeth and tongue and gently tugged, chuckling when a yelp sounded throughout the room.

He kissed it better and traveled lower, leaving a trail of fire ridden kisses in his path, and groaned as the scent of her arousal filled his nostrils.  It was pure ambrosia to him, the sweetest and wonderful scent.  He nibbled on her soft inner thighs, not going for what he wanted most.  He wanted to make her suffer just as she made him and smirked when her hips bucked against him. 

“Mark, please…

Ignoring her pleas, he continued with the assault until he finally couldn’t stand smelling her any longer.  Locking eyes with her as he positioned his head at her dripping sex, Mark rumbled from deep his chest one word before going in for the kill.

“Tessa…”

~!~

He was going crazy.  No insane.  No…there wasn’t a word for it.  He couldn’t believe it; he’d finally lost his damn mind!  Over the course of the next few weeks, weird things were happening and Mark couldn’t understand them.  He was a man of few words, only talking to Steve since Glen and Carsyn basically gave him the cold shoulder.  Some friends.  Steve was there though and it surprised Mark, but also relieved him.  He could talk about Tessa with the man and it didn’t bother him in the slightest.  It hurt, yes, but it also helped get his feelings out, which is what he needed at the moment.

While he had rekindled the friendship him and Steve once had, things inside of Mark’s head weren’t so great.  He often stayed up at night hearing noises coming from the other room and he swore up and down it was Tessa.  Granted, he knew what the couple was doing next door and could hear them through the paper thin walls, but he would’ve bet all the money in the world it was Tessa screaming and not some strange woman.  He would lie in bed and stare up at the ceiling, thinking of her, missing her like crazy and finally the tears would start while he listened to the couple make love on the other side of the wall.

No matter how hard he tried, Mark always seemed to get stuck with the oversexed couples and hardly slept.  When he got to the arenas, he’d sleep instead of work out, which caused his body to drain of energy.  It affected his in-ring ability, which was why he wasn’t champion at the moment.  Not to mention, cause him a serious elbow injury that required heavy physical therapy.  Luckily though, it didn’t need surgery…yet.

Tonight was no different as Mark lay in his hotel bed, his hands folded beneath his head, just staring up at the ceiling with an unreadable expression on his face.  As soon as he felt his eyelids close, the noise would start.  Mark pinched the bridge of his nose, wondering when this nonsense was going to stop.  This was the FIFTH time in a row he’d been stuck next to a room with an oversexed couple.

“Ohhh Ohhh Mark!” Her cries echoed through the wall, causing him to bolt upright in bed, his green eyes widened and shining through the darkness.

What the Hell was going on?

Mark growled and finally ripped the sheet off of him, pulling on a pair of jeans, ready to end this madness before he ended up in a nuthouse with padded walls.  That’s probably what he needed, but Mark would never admit it.  He sighed and took his keycard before stalking out and went next door, banging on the door, growling when there was no answer.

‘I should kick the door in.’ He thought miserably, deciding against it since there wasn’t a vacant hotel for miles and they were at the only half decent one. With a heavy sigh and heart, Mark went back to his room, slamming the door behind him, and pressed his back against it. 

Why did he keep hearing her?  Why was she haunting his every thought and memory?  Did she not want him to heal and move on?  Did she enjoy tormenting him and driving him crazy?

“Tessa…” He whispered out painfully, gripping his chest, and sighed heavily as he slowly headed back to the bed.  “Darlin’, I love ya…”

With that said, Mark closed his eyes and fell asleep, knowing he could at least have his beautiful wife in his dreams instead of in reality.

Chapter 6

“What is up with you lately, man?” Glen asked as he approached Mark’s table in the cafeteria, plopping down, and crossed his arms in front of his chest. 

It’d been three months since Tessa’s death and Mark was getting worse by the days, refusing to talk about it, except to Steve.  Glen would be lying if he said he wasn’t jealous and a little suspicious of their friendship…if it could even be called that.  Steve would take Mark out to the clubs and barhopping, making him worse, at least in Glen’s eyes.  When he confronted Austin on more than one occasion about what he was doing, Steve simply said he was helping Mark grieve.  Glen didn’t buy it obviously.

“Nothing.” Mark grunted, taking a swig of his water, bare from the waist up.  He had his wrestling tights on, but hated having the straps on his shoulders while backstage.  They annoyed him, but he managed to get through the matches usually without pulling them down. 

“Mark-”

“‘Taker.” He corrected, cutting Glen off and took another swig of his water, acid green eyes staring straight ahead.

Glen snorted and shook his head.  “I’m not callin’ you that.” He stated, trying to keep the anger out of his tone, but it was almost impossible to do so. Mark was acting like a jackass.  Granted, he knew the man was grieving over the sudden loss of his wife, but that was no reason to shut out the handful of people left who gave a damn about him!

Mark growled, his eyes landing on Glen, knowing he couldn’t force the man to do something he didn’t want too.  “What the fuck do you want?” He demanded gruffly, crushing the empty plastic bottle in his large hand, the anger radiating from his pores.  Glen was seriously pushing his luck.

Ignoring the tone of his voice, Glen simply sighed and raked a hand through his brown locks, the pain entering his eyes.  “Look man, I wanted to know if ya wanted to go out and get a drink tonight.  Just you and me.  We have some talkin’ to do.” He said, finally giving the reason why he sat down at Mark’s table to begin with, and hoped he just accepted the offer without any hassle.

It wasn’t meant to be.

“Hey ‘Taker, what’s goin’ on?” Steve said by way of greeting as he sat down, his friendly smile turning sour at the looks Glen was shooting his way. “What?”

“Nothin’.” Glen snorted and stood up, refusing to be around Mark with Steve, crossing his arms in front of his chest.  “Let me know your decision.”

“Now just hold on a damned second!” Steve snapped, standing up, his blue eyes blazing at Glen as he squared his shoulders.  It stopped Glen in his tracks as both men went nose to nose.  Granted, Glen was a few inches taller than Steve, but that didn’t matter to him.  “Just what the Hell is so wrong with me that ya can’t talk to me in front of ‘Taker?”

“You’re a piece of shit.” Glen stated bluntly, meaning every word he said, and raised an eyebrow when he seen Steve turn redder than he already was. “You know it, I know it, but for the life of me I can’t figure out why MY best friend hasn’t figured it out yet.”

Steve was pissed and rightfully so.  “I never did a damn thing to you!  Oh, so yer angry at me for tryin’ to get ‘Taker out of the funk he’s in?” He accused, blue eyes turning to pure ice.  “Or are ya mad it’s not YOU who’s takin’ him out at night and showin’ him how to have a good time?”

“Fuck you Austin!  You think I don’t know what you’re up too?” Glen growled his temper up and clenched his fists tightly at his sides, using every ounce of resolve in his body not to attack the bald son of a bitch.

“What exactly is he up too, Glen?” Mark finally asked, raising his head to stare up at who used to be his best friend, slowly getting to his feet.  “He’s been there for me since the accident and where’ve you been?  You haven’t been around to help me in the slightest.”

“Oh, so screwing every ring rat you lay your eyes on is considered grieving, Mark?” Glen shot back angrily, not believing the man was taking Steve’s side instead of his!

Mark simply shrugged, crossing his massive tattooed sleeved arms in front of his chest, green eyes spitting venom.  “I’ll do what I want, when I want and HOW I want, Glen.  There’s nothing wrong with having companionship.  I’m hurting and I’m dealing with this the best way I know how, thanks to Steve’s help.” He explained evenly, refusing to justify his actions when it was nobody’s business to begin with. 

“Yeah and if I were you, I’d keep my nose outta other people’s business and focus on yer own.” Steve chimed in, standing by Mark’s side, knowing he hit a low blow with that comment, but honesty didn’t care.  Glen pissed him off and this was how he showed his anger, by pissing others off.

His blue eyes narrowed to slits at Steve, wondering what he meant by that.  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He grunted, his eyes moving to Mark, asking him silently if he really was out of his mind.

Mark ignored him.

“Oh no?” Steve challenged, raising an eyebrow, and shook his head.  “Man you really are dense aren’t you?” He actually chuckled, though it was dry sounding with no humor in his tone. 

“Spit it out Austin before I kick your ass.” Glen threatened tired of his games and looked like he was about to lunge, but knew all that would lead too was trouble with Mark.  After all, they were close and Glen had to accept it, as hard as it was.

Just to make sure nothing happened, Mark walked to stand between both men, ready to intervene if a fight did break out, remaining silent.

“Yer marriage is fallin’ apart and yer takin’ it out on others when ya should be tryin’ to fix it.” Steve stated bluntly, causing Glen’s eyes to narrow even more.  

It was true.  Carsyn and Glen were having problems, but how Steve knew that was beyond him.  Then again, it didn’t take long for gossip and rumors to swirl around a WWE locker room nowadays.  Carsyn was good friends with Chris’s personal assistant along with a few of the Divas. 

“That’s none of your business, Austin.” Glen finally said after a few moments, unable to come up with a good comeback so he settled to say that.

Steve sighed and shook his head sadly, lowering it a bit, but still kept those cool blue eyes on Glen incase he attacked.  “Look man, I don’t know why ya hate me so much.  All I’m tryin’ to do is help ‘Taker out.  Whether ya like it or not, Tessa and I were close and I’m grievin’ along with him.  We’re helpin’ each other in a way.” He explained, his voice a little softer, and scrubbed his bald head with his hands. 

His anger deflated when he heard that as Glen’s eyes softened, knowing no matter how much he wanted to deny what Steve just said, he couldn’t.  The man had a few good points and Glen was acting selfish.  He knew it.  He just missed his best friend and wished things could be the way they used too.

“I know…” Glen muttered, his eyes casting downward, suddenly not able to look at Steve as he shoved his hands in the front pockets of his jeans.  He didn’t have a match that night and was suddenly thankful for it.  “I just thought goin’ out and havin’ a drink with’em might help too.”

Steve smiled and nodded in understanding.  “Yer always welcome to join us, man.  Right ‘Taker?” He looked at Mark, who just nodded, no smile coming to his lips.  It took a lot to get Mark to smile nowadays and nobody blamed him.  “So what’d ya say tonight, Glen?  Just the men?  Leave yer wife with the Divas and Chris’s flame.  I’m sure they wouldn’t mind being alone for a night.”

Steve was very convincing; Glen had to give him that, and sighed as he raked a hand through his hair.  He couldn’t believe he was actually contemplating spending an evening with Steve.  They never did see eye to eye, but maybe things could finally get back to semi-normal.  He truly wondered if Mark would ever heal from Tessa’s untimely death, but decided not to ask that.  It would not only be rude, but dumb as Hell and Glen wasn’t prepared for an ass kicking courtesy of his best friend. 

“Fine, where and what time?” Glen finally said after a few long moments of silence, not believing he was doing this.  Was he out of his mind?  With the way his life had been going lately with Carsyn, Glen wouldn’t doubt it.

Steve grinned, his blue eyes lighting up.  He gave Glen the information and time, deciding they’d all just meet at the bar instead of going together.  Of course, Steve and Mark would be coming from the arena while Glen came from somewhere else.  Steve had a promo later on that night, just making a quick guest appearance while Mark was in the main event against Mark Henry.

“I’ll see ya there then.” Glen grunted before walking out, not entirely sure if this was a good idea or not.  He’d find out and headed toward Chris’s locker room, having a feeling Carsyn was hanging out with Laura and her daughter.

“There’s trouble in paradise.” Steve muttered low enough for only Mark to hear after Glen left, holding a bottle of water in his hand. 

Mark nodded silently, his eyebrows drawing together.  “See you tonight.” He stated before walking out of the cafeteria, needing to do his shadowboxing ritual before his match.

~!~

Carsyn sighed as she sat on the couch, her hands folded in her lap, listening as Whitney chattered on about nothing in particular.  The little girl loved to talk and it was both cute and annoying.  “That’s wonderful sweetheart.” She murmured, smiling when Whitney’s eyes lit up, and watched her walk over to color in her coloring book.  For a three year old, Whitney was very smart.

“Is everything alright, sweetie?” Laura asked quietly when her daughter was occupied with something else, having been typing away at her laptop trying to get Chris’s schedule right.  The man was picky, but nothing she couldn’t handle. 

“No.” Carsyn wasn’t going to lie and say everything was hunky dory when it was really the complete opposite. 

Ever since Tessa’s death, things hadn’t been the same between her and Glen.  She couldn’t understand it and honestly didn’t want to try anymore.  Glen was depressed over the fact that Mark was no longer his best friend and took it out on Carsyn, causing a fight to stir between them.  She was always the one to walk away or he would get so pissed he’d leave before the fight turned from verbal to physical.  With the fights being so frequent, the sex had dwindled down to practically nothing.  The only time they really had sex was to either escape their problems or when both were angry and had to let their aggression out.  It was both healthy and dangerous considering how huge Glen was compared to Carsyn.

Laura frowned, placing her hand gently on Carsyn’s hand, silently telling her she was there incase she needed a shoulder to cry on.

“Things have been…weird between Glen and me lately.  I just…” Carsyn let out a shaky sigh and raked a hand through her hair, already feeling the tears sting her eyes.  “He’s upset about Mark and I don’t know what to do anymore.  I try to help him, but he won’t let me.”

Laura nodded in response, not sure what to say.  “I am positive everything will work out for the best, Carsyn.  You just have to have a little faith and patience.” She finally said, knowing she didn’t word it right, but that was all she could come up with.

“Thanks.” Carsyn replied softly and looked up when the door to Chris’s dressing room opened, Glen standing there.

“Carsyn, I’m going out with Mark and Steve tonight.  Just thought I’d let you know.” He stated evenly, informing her of his plans so she didn’t accuse him of not telling her later on.

Carsyn could only nod and looked down at her lap, knowing he didn’t want to be around her right now.  “Have fun.” She murmured, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

As soon as the dressing room door shut, Carsyn finally broke down as the tears spilled down her cheeks, knowing she was losing her husband slowly but surely.

Chapter 7

It was a little after ten when Glen arrived, knowing the show ended up at nine.  The bar was a giant cloud of smoke as he stepped through the doorway, wearing a pair of black jeans with a red polo shirt, his hair pulled back in a loose ponytail.  His eyes surveyed the bar, seeing how many ring rats were lurking and groaned inwardly.  Why had Steve chosen a bar where so many women were halfway dressed?  With a sigh, Glen headed to the bar for a beer, hoping he wasn’t bothered.

No such luck.

A petite blonde came sauntering up, wearing a black tank leather dress that went two inches above her knee, and barely covered her ass.  “Hey there handsome.” She greeted coyly and slid on the stool next to him, her brown eyes staring at him hungrily.

Glen groaned and downed his beer, trying to ignore her, but it was close to impossible.  “Hey.” He finally greeted, the sound of his voice solemn, and ordered a shot of Jack to go with his beer.  If he was going to make it through the night, he would need hard liquor.

This intrigued the blonde and she smirked, gently beginning to slide her hand up and down his jean covered thigh.  “What brings you here?” She asked conversationally, but there was no hiding the lust that filled her tone.

“Meetin’ some buddies for a drink.” He answered, knowing there was no harm in having a conversation with her, and downed his first shot of what would probably be many.

“Buddies eh?” She quipped with a smirk, continuing to inch her hand up his thigh further while smiling innocently at him with wicked intention filled eyes. “Would you like a buddy tonight, say, in your hotel room?”

Was this woman serious?  Did she actually just ask him a stupid question like that?  Glen actually snorted and removed her hand from his thigh, downing a second shot, chuckling ruefully under his breath.  It’d been a while since he was hit on by a woman or given attention for that matter, but Glen wasn’t the cheating type.  Never had been.

“You see this hand?” He asked, causing her eyes to stare at it.  More importantly, what showed on his left ring finger?  A single silver band, no stones, but it still marked him regardless.  “That should pretty much answer your question, honey.”

Scowling, the blonde’s eyes suddenly turned from seductive to stormy as she slid off the stool, not believing he lead her on.  “She’s a lucky woman.” She murmured in his ear before turning and walking off, glaring at her group of friends who were laughing.

Glen chuckled more; knowing they probably had some sort of bet going on, and ordered another shot while he took a swig of his second beer.  Where the Hell was Mark and Steve?  He was going to be pissed if they stood him up, as moronic as that sounded.  Just as he was about to lose hope, they walked in, Mark’s head stapled and wrapped in gauze.

“Fuck man, what happened?” Glen demanded, sliding off the stool and walked over to stare at his best friend.

“He took a nasty chair shot from Henry.  The fucker decided to jump script.” Steve grunted, not happy, and walked over to the bar with Mark, setting the man down and ordered him a beer along with one for himself.  “Had to get six staples in his head.”

“Christ…you okay, man?” Glen asked, concerned for his friend, and sighed when Mark simply shrugged before downing half of his beer.

Steve waved him off absentmindedly, taking a long swig of his own favorite beverage, and patted Mark on the shoulder.  “He’ll be fine.  He’s tough.” He stated and started surveying the bar, looking around, raising an eyebrow at all the fine looking ring rats that cluttered the place. 

Some blondes, some redheads, even ebony colored.  Steve’s favorite was redheads, his second being blondes.  Mark headed for the blondes first usually and Steve knew why.  Tessa had red hair so Mark was staying away from them naturally.

After they had a beer and each got another one, the men vacated to a more secluded area and sat down at a table, leaning back against their chairs. Mark just stared broodingly down at his beer, not much of a talker nowadays.  Steve shared a look with Glen, letting him know silently this is what Mark had been going through.  Steve wanted to get him in a half decent mood and nudged him, causing his head to lift, green eyes unreadable. 

“See any one that ya like?” He asked, causing Mark to raise an eyebrow, and slowly looked over at all the eligible, half dressed women in the bar.  If he said they weren’t attractive, he’d be lying. 

“The blonde with the red dress isn’t bad.” Mark finally admitted, downing more of his beer, and looked over at Glen with a slow smirk curving his lips. “See any that you like?”

“I’m married.” Glen reminded, flashing his hand, and that caused both Steve and Mark to snort. 

“Man when are you gonna grow a set and live a little?” Steve asked, half joking, causing Glen to scowl before downing more of his own beer.

“I’m faithful to my wife unlike you were to the past three.” Glen shot back swiftly, causing Steve’s eyebrow to rise, but surprisingly it didn’t hit a nerve like Glen wanted it too.

Steve simply shrugged and downed the rest of his second beer, snapping his fingers to get the waitress to bring them another round.  “Shit happens.” He leaned back in his chair, stretching his legs and smirked when the waitress came over, eyeing him specifically.  “Hey honey.”

Her cheeks tinged red, wearing a short black skirt with a white button up blouse, her uniform.  “What’ll it be handsome?” She asked with a smirk, no fear or intimidation in her eyes.  She was used to this, always had been.

“Three beers gorgeous.” Steve said before tucking a few huge bills in her apron, winking, causing her to roll her eyes before going off to get their order.

“I can see she is the one you’ll pursue tonight.” Mark quietly said, leaning back in his chair and stared over at Glen, who looked uneasy.  “You said you wanted to talk.”

Glen cleared his throat, snapping out of his thoughts, and nodded.  “Yeah…” He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, not knowing how to approach this.  “Why are ya hanging out with Steve so much?  You hated him when Tessa was alive.” He pointed out the obvious, ignoring Steve’s disdainful glance.

“I know.” Mark quietly replied, glancing over at Steve before turning back to Glen, sighing heavily.  “Steve also knew Tessa better than most, includin’ me.”

Glen raised an eyebrow at that and turned to stare at Steve, wondering what the man had told Mark.  “Such as?” He pried, his curiosity peaked.

“None of yer business.” Steve answered before Mark could, eyeing Glen with those icy blue eyes again.  “I just knew her better than most thought.  She confided in me to keep her life and business confidential and I did just that.”

Deciding a change in subject was in order, Mark cleared his throat as he glanced over his shoulder at the woman who was hitting on Glen prior to them coming to the bar.  “She’s eyein’ you.” He quipped with a smirk, causing Glen to snort before downing more of his beer.

“Yeah, fuckin’ ring rat was putting the moves on me earlier before you two showed up.” He stated, not sounding thrilled, and that caused eyebrows to raise all around from both Mark and Steve.

“Well fuck man, why didn’t ya hit that?” Steve blurted, not able to keep it to himself, and wondered if Glen was truly insane.  “She’s smokin’!”

“I’m MARRIED.” Glen reminded them gruffly, flashing the silver band around his left ring finger just like he’d done to the ring rat earlier, and finished his beer off before requesting another.

“So?” Mark shot back swiftly.  “You and Carsyn aren’t getting along very well lately.  Don’t you think she’s finding the sex elsewhere?”

Steve decided to stay out of this and focused on his new beer the waitress brought them, pinching her ass as she walked away.

“What the fuck does that mean?” Glen growled, tightening his grip on the beer bottle, raising an eyebrow at his best friend.

Mark smirked, not fazed, and shrugged nonchalantly before eyeing the petite blonde again.  “Just exactly as it sounds.” He took a swig of his new beer, looking calm, cool and collected.  “Have you two been fighting?” He pried, getting his answer when Glen just narrowed his eyes.  “That’s what I thought.”

“So what if we’ve been fightin’.” Glen shot back weakly, his defenses crumbling.  “It’s cause of your depression bullshit that we’re fightin’.”

“Don’t blame yer marital problems on ‘Taker, man.” Steve ordered, his voice dropping to a dangerous octave, and took another swig of his beer before slamming the bottle down on the table, sending a clear warning.  “It’s nobody’s fault but yer own that yer marriage is on the rocks right now.”

Glen sighed heavily and just stared down at his beer broodingly, wondering what Carsyn was doing at the moment.  “I think she’s having an affair…” He finally admitted, his voice low and quiet, not looking up at the men and closed his eyes painfully shut.  “Ever since Tessa’s death…she’s been distant…”

Mark had to close his eyes for a moment and drop his head, the painful memory that his wife was gone overwhelming him, and raked a hand through his hair hastily.  “They were closer than sisters.” He grunted, pushing the thoughts of Tessa out of his mind for the time being.  “If you think she’s cheatin’ then you should be doing the same thing.  Hell, we’re men and we have needs.”

“He’s got a point.” Steve piped in, shrugging his shoulders and smirked when the waitress walked over, setting down a bowl of peanuts before receiving another pinch to her ass.  “You need to live a little man and forget about being married.”

He had to think for a few seconds, wondering if Carsyn would ever cheat on him.  “You know, come to think of it, she’s been hangin’ around that kid Cena.” Glen said thoughtfully, though the jealousy and anger was evident in his tone as he clenched his fists.  “Son of a bitch…”

“Now don’t go jumpin’ to conclusions…” Mark tried reasoning, but knew it would do no good.  Glen was already up and heading over to the blonde who’d been flirting with him prior to his and Steve’s arrival.  “Shit, this isn’t good.”

Steve just shrugged, staying out of it, too busy making eyes at the waitress who kept flirting with him.  “Mark, I suggest ya just let’em do what he wants.” He finally said before standing and walking over to said waitress, striking up a conversation.

Sighing, Mark downed the rest of his beer before getting up and doing the same, knowing he probably just screwed up his best friends marriage.  He saw the first woman come his way that had jet black hair and sea green eyes.  He knew he shouldn’t be doing this, but he couldn’t help it.  He was lonely and had needs, Tessa dead or not.  That sounded so pathetic, but it was true.  Mark missed her more than anything, but had to get over the fact that she died because of him.  That thought made him cringe as he started striking up a conversation with the sea green eyed goddess. 

Before he knew it, Mark had pulled her over to a dark corner and was ravaging her body, his lips on her neck, his hands running up and down her sides. While he was assaulting her sexually, his eyes drifted over towards Glen, who was dancing with the blonde, and sighed inwardly.  He pushed it out of his mind and went back to focus on the task at hand, which was making this woman melt for him.

Chapter 8

“Calm down love, I’m sure there is a perfectly good explanation for this…” Laura stated, trying to calm Carsyn down over the phone while her daughter tugged at her skirt, wanting juice.  “Hold on one second, darling.”

“Wuicy!” Whitney crowed, holding her empty plastic cup up, waving it at her mother adorably.

“I can’t believe this!” Carsyn snapped, sitting down and putting her head in her hands, the tears falling freely down her cheeks while her body shook.  To think her own husband thought she was cheating was something Carsyn couldn’t fathom.  “How could he even THINK I’d do something like that?”

Laura sighed, nodding silently at Whitney, and walked over as she pulled the mini fridge open and slid a juice box out of it.  She pulled the straw off of the container and stuck it in before giving it to her daughter, ushering her to the living room part of the suite.  Chris was at a signing so she was free to do as she wished until later on that night.  Laura rarely got any time to spend with her daughter so when she did, it was a treat.

“I don’t know.” She didn’t know what else to say to the near hysterical woman on the other line, biting her bottom lip.  “Did he say why he had these suspicions?”

Carsyn snorted and rolled her eyes, raking a hand through her hair.  “No.  He simply said and I quote, ‘you’re hanging out with that Cena kid an awful lot lately instead of your own husband.  Are you fucking him?’  Can you believe that?  I didn’t know what to say to him, Laura.  I just stood there frozen solid and started crying…like I’m doing now.” She explained her tone full of heart break and despair.  She missed her husband more than anything and he wasn’t helping matters by continuously pushing her away.  “I don’t know what to do anymore.”

Her heart went out to Carsyn, especially with everything that had happened lately.  First Tessa’s untimely death and now her marriage was crumbling right before her eyes.  Laura didn’t know what she’d do if the roles were reversed.  Then again, she wasn’t married and had a three year old angel to look after with her life.

“Love, I really do not know what to tell you.” Laura finally said after a few moments of silence, popping in ‘Aristocats’ for her daughter.  Whitney was a huge Disney fan and the DVD had recently come out.  Of course, Laura rushed out and got it as soon as she got paid, knowing Whitney would love it. Even she had to admit the movie was adorable.  “I cannot fathom why Glen would go off the deep end like that though.”

“Momma kitties!” Whitney crowed happily, clapping her hands with a bright smile on her face, her eyes lighting up like stars as the movie started.

Laura smiled at her, trying to focus on the conversation, but in all honesty all she wanted to do was spend time with her daughter.

Carsyn could sense Laura wanted to get off the phone and made the first gesture.  “I’m going to the restaurant downstairs for a sundae.  Have fun with Whitney.” She then hung up, not waiting for a response, and wiped her tears away before gathering her things.

Just as she was about to walk out the door, Carsyn heard a faint ringing in the corner and raised an eyebrow.  The theme was Glen’s ring entrance and she sighed knowing he’d forgotten his cell phone again.  She walked over and picked up his jeans he’d worn the previous night, coughing since they smelled of smoke, and held them out at arms length while fishing for his phone.  When she got it out, Carsyn flipped it open and pressed the green button, wondering who was trying to get a hold of Glen.

“Hey Glen baby…” A low, seductive purr sounded through the other end, causing Carsyn’s eyes to widen in shock as she dropped the phone instantly, tears rushing down her cheeks.

So the bastard was cheating on her?  He had to be!  That phone call wasn’t just a regular one from the guys!  Carsyn was beside herself as she practically ran down the hallway of the hotel, the tears not stopping.  She didn’t care how she looked, she was both pissed and heartbroken; her heart shattering over and over in her chest as the tiny shards fell down to the pit of her stomach.

The elevator took too long so Carsyn opted for the stairs, taking two at a time, and jumped down each flight, wanting to get to the restaurant before she ended up hurting herself.  She was a huge alcoholic before meeting Glen and after several AA meetings, Carsyn learned to limit her intake.  Granted, she loved a beer every now and then, but the hard liquor was calling to her in a sort of trance at the moment. 

Finally arriving in the restaurant, Carsyn seen an empty booth and made a beeline for it, sliding inside and buried her head in her hands, gripping her hair between her fingers.  How could he do this?  How could he cheat on her?  She never even THOUGHT of the possibility Glen would ever do something like that!  Granted, he was hanging out with Mark and Steve a lot more lately, but Mark was a great friend and Steve was slowly growing on her.  They would never let him do something that deceitful to her.

“Cars?” A voice sounded from behind, causing her to sigh as she closed her eyes, not even turning around.  She knew who it was.

“Hey John.”

A frown crossed his handsome face, blue eyes filling with concern as he walked over, sliding in the booth next to her.  He blinked when she suddenly broke down, turning her head and wrapped her arms around his muscular body, burying her face in his chest.  He could do nothing, but sit there and allow her to do this, wondering what the Hell happened.

“Shhh it’s alright, Cars.  It’s alright sweetie.” He crooned soothingly in her ear, knowing she needed comfort at the moment from something that was still a mystery to him.  “Whatever it is we can talk about it.  I’m here for you, you know that.”

She could only nod and snuggled up further against him, needing his comfort and drank it completely in.

They didn’t see the pair of narrow, slit hazel eyes watching the interaction or the individual stalking out of the hotel with clenched fists at their side.

~!~

“Hey Glen…” Steve trailed off, his greeting dying at the look in Glen’s eyes, actually swallowing hard.

“Liquor.  Now.” Glen ordered, his voice deadly and low as he practically snatched Mark’s bottle of Jack Daniels him and Steve were currently sharing, downing half of it in three large gulps. 

“Whoa!” Steve gaped, blinking, wondering what the Hell had come over Glen.  “Man, slow down before you- Never mind.” He didn’t like the glare Glen shot him and decided to let the man have whatever he wanted.  Steve really didn’t feel like beating his ass at the moment, especially when him and Mark were in a current drinking contest.

“Yer turn, Austin.” Mark sneered with a smirk, raising an eyebrow, having just downed his fifth shot of Jack.  They were seeing who would either pass out or throw up first.  It was a guy thing.

Steve smirked as he downed his sixth shot with ease, not even wincing as the liquid burned down his esophagus, holding a pool stick in his hand.  “Come on ‘Taker, I know ya got it in ya.” He taunted good-naturedly with twinkling blue eyes.

“Son, you ain’t got shit on me.” Mark shot back before downing his sixth shot, smirking wickedly as he sauntered over to the pool table they’d taken over for the evening.  There were five striped and four solid along with the eight ball.  Mark was the solid, Steve striped.  “I’m gonna kick your ass in drinkin’ just like in pool.”

Steve growled, not liking that, and took his shot, sinking two balls in.  He smirked at Mark’s disdainful look and walked over, downing his seventh shot that Mark poured out of their freshly purchased bottle of Jack Daniels.  Glen was busy finishing off their old one, already drunk.

“So tell yer buddies why yer in a drinkin’ mood tonight, Jacobs?” Steve suggested, raising an eyebrow, and sighed when Glen snarled at him in response. “Man, if yer gonna act like that then get the fuck lost.”

“Carsyn is cheating on me.” Glen stated gruffly, causing both men to look back at him with raised eyebrows, wondering if they heard him right.

“How do you know?” Mark asked immediately, after sinking three balls in, causing Steve to scowl before downing his seventh shot.  He wasn’t even drunk yet; it took A LOT to get a man of his size toasted.

Snorting, Glen finished off the bottle before tossing it over his shoulder.  It landed in the garbage, which just happened to be placed behind him at the moment.  Pure luck is what Mark and Steve chalked it up too.  “Saw her shacked up in a booth in the hotel restaurant with Cena.  That fuckin’ kid is going to die.” Glen cracked his knuckles as the sound echoed throughout the bar, soft country music playing in the background.

Steve’s blue eyes widened while Mark’s jaw dropped, both not believing what they just heard.  “Are ya sure ya seen her man?  Maybe it was someone else?” Mark suggested raking a hand through his hair, not wanting to believe Carsyn would actually cheat on his best friend.  Then again, nothing surprised him anymore.

“It was her.  She was snuggled against that fuckin’ kid, rubbing on him and shit.  We had a fight and I accused her of cheatin’ on me with him and she didn’t deny it.” Glen explained, remembering his fight with Carsyn that happened a few hours prior, and growled before ordering a bottle of Southern Comfort, wanting some hard whiskey to drown his sorrows away.

“Fuck.” Mark cursed and shook his head, sighing heavily as Steve sank his balls in, leaving the eight ball along with his own.  He was too distracted and ended up missing, giving Steve the win.  Mark’s focus was on Glen right now, who looked like he would either explode and rip things to shreds at any given moment or break down and cry.

“Here, just drink up and have a good time.  There’s plenty of fish in the sea.” Steve stated, sitting down as well with a shit eaten grin on his face, knowing he’d taken advantage of the situation and beat Mark at pool. 

That’s what they did.  Glen, Mark and Steve all got completely plastered, three sheets to the wind, whatever it was called.  Suddenly, the jukebox switched songs and started playing a song that hit home to Mark in more ways than one.  It was their wedding song ‘Everything I Do, I Do It for You’ by Bryan Adams.  The tears instantly filled his eyes as he closed them, the words playing in his head as it began just as a blonde made her way towards him. He wasn’t paying attention and slowly looked up, his eyes moving around the bar and passed a redhead before landing on her again. 

There she was again, in the flesh.  The spitting image of his wife Tessa.  The red hair, the stunning blue eyes.  She was sitting in a nearby booth, twirling her straw around in her drink, and he blinked when she winked at him.  The blonde touched his arm, bringing him out of his trance, and looked back at her for a split second.  When he turned back to face the redhead who he thought was his wife, she was gone.

‘Fuck.’ Mark cursed mentally and suddenly felt the anger course through his body again when the blonde touched him.  If she wanted to be touched, he’d touch her…and not in a good way either.  “Hey darlin’.” He drawled, his voice hinting slight danger giving her a chance to back out if she so chose.

“Hi there.” Her voice was low and seductive, like so many of the others, but for some reason it lit Mark’s blood on fire.  Maybe it was the alcohol or maybe it was the fact he just seen his wife who seemed to be haunting him as of late.

“Wanna get out of here?” His mouth was right by her ear, smirking when she shivered, and knew he had her right where he wanted her.

Within moments, Mark was guiding her out of the bar, having told Steve and Glen he’d catch up with them later. 

~!~

She giggled in the phone, not believing how well that played out, and ran a hand through her hair.  “You should’ve seen his face!  This is turning out to be perfect, baby.”

“I know, you did well, honey.”

“When will I see you again?  I miss you so much.”

“You’ll see me soon enough, I promise.  Right now, you need to focus on driving Calaway to madness.  Keep up the good work.”

The phone went dead and she sighed, throwing her cell on the seat beside her, sitting behind the wheel of her slick black car.  When would this game ever end? 

‘When he wants it too.’ She thought, starting the ignition and drove down the road, no one noticing or being the wiser.

Chapter 9

“He left in a hurry.” Steve quipped, walking out from using the bathroom, shaking his head and chuckled, knowing exactly why Mark had left in such a rush.  He seen the hot blonde on his arm and smirked, having a pretty good idea what those kids were going to be doing.

“He looked dangerous.” Glen pointed out, raking a hand through his hair before downing another shot of his whiskey.  “I hope he’s alright…” It felt weird talking to Steve like this, like they were friends, which is what they’d grown into recently.  Glen decided Steve wasn’t that bad of a guy and embraced his friendship, knowing he was just trying to help Mark grieve over his wife’s sudden death.  Nothing more, nothing less. 

Steve waved him off absentmindedly and downed another shot, knowing they’d both be sharing a cab back to the hotel, and snorted.  “Oh hey, you got your phone on you man?  I gotta make a quick call.” He explained, scrubbing his bald head with his hands.

Glen raised an eyebrow, wondering who Steve wanted to call this late at night and set his shot glass down before reaching in his pocket to get it out. “Who you calling?” He asked suddenly, curiosity peaked, and sighed when he didn’t find it in his pocket.  “Must be in my coat.”

“My friend Teagyn.  She’s been havin’ a hard time lately and I wanted to check on her.” Steve answered as he followed Glen over to the coat racks, swaying a bit.  He was still on his feet though and had to have more liquor.  Steve liked going to bed completely toasted, it helped him sleep better as weird as that sounded.

“Teagyn?” Glen questioned, staring back at the bald man with confusion evident in his eyes.  “I thought ya were single?”

“Which is why I called her my FRIEND?” Steve reminded, emphasizing that word strongly, and crossed is arms in front of his chest impatiently.  “You got that phone or what?”

“I’m lookin’ hold yer damn horses.” Glen growled as he checked the first pocket before turning it around, checking the other.  “So where did you meet her and how do you know her?” He pried, suddenly curious about this Teagyn, wondering why Steve hadn’t mentioned her until now.

Steve sighed, not in the mood for a trip down memory lane, but knew Glen was still skeptical of him.  “She’s an old family friend.  I basically grew up with her; we’re a few years apart.  Three I think.” He explained, smiling at the thought of Teagyn.  “I was her protector in high school, kept all the morons away and shit.”

Glen actually smiled, thinking that was mighty noble of Steve, and sighed when he pulled his hand out with nothing.  “Damn it, I forgot it at the hotel again.” He grunted, raking a hand through his hair and suddenly felt like another shot was in order, going back to their table.  “Sorry man that damned thing is in my jeans I wore last night when we went out.”

Steve waved him off again and shrugged.  “Don’t worry bout it.  I’ll just call her when I get back.  I forgot mine too.” He laughed and poured each of them a shot before slamming them back.  “I’m thinkin’ bout bringin’ her on the road with me soon.  She needs a vacation.”

“That’s cool, man.  I’d like to meet her.” Glen replied as they toasted each other, downing another round, slamming their glasses on the table before leaning back needing breaks.

“She’s off limits.” Steve warned immediately, the protective mode kicking in, and Glen actually smirked, his hazel eyes twinkling with amusement.

“I’m married man; I don’t do the cheatin’ thing unlike my wife.” Glen suddenly growled, the anger entering his eyes at the thought of Carsyn, and had to down three shots in a row to get himself calmed.

Steve sighed and shook his head, taking the bottle from the man before he ended up with alcohol poisoning.  “She ain’t worth it, man.  Don’t be stupid.” He stated gruffly, placing the bottle beside him in the booth, knowing Glen would probably get pissed, but that was tough.  Steve wasn’t spending his night in the ER.

“I just wish I knew why she would cheat on me with the likes of HIM.” Glen spat that last word, thinking Cena was a boy compared to him, and in truth he was. 

“Ya know…she’s been makin’ eyes at Mark lately.  They were close back when Tessa was around.” Steve said out of nowhere, causing Glen’s eyebrow to rise, wondering what the man was getting at.

“What are you saying?” He demanded suddenly, no longer concerned with the liquor.  “You think her and Mark…” He trailed off, refusing to say the words.  No, it couldn’t be.  Mark was like his brother, there was no way he’d do something like that to him.

Steve simply shrugged and downed another shot, having poured himself one, and poured Glen one as well.  “I’m just sayin’ I’d watch him carefully and more closely when around yer wife.” He wasn’t the bad guy, he wasn’t trying to start anything, but he had noticed Carsyn and Mark making eyes at each other lately.  Whenever Glen wasn’t watching or they thought nobody was noticing.  He was just warning the man, not wanting him to wind up with a broken heart.

That thought didn’t settle with Glen in the slightest as he downed his final shot, deciding to call it a night.  He had a long talk ahead of him with his wife, wanting to find out where they stood.  He wished Steve a good night and stalked out, the amount of anger flowing through his body overpowering the alcohol level.  In all honesty, he was sober and could see clearly.  He wasn’t even swaying and downed nearly half a bottle of Southern Comfort. 

Deciding not to wait for a cab, Glen got in his car and sped down the road, heading straight for the hotel.

~!~

His lips sealed to her neck as soon as they arrived in his hotel room, kicking the door shut, ravaging her body.  Her moans echoed throughout the room as he buried his hand in her hair and ripped it back, causing her to cry out in a mixture of pain and pleasure.  His tongue began attacking the front of her neck, trailing down to her breasts and smirked wickedly against her soft skin.  Her blood was on fire along with his desire to have her, to hurt her, to let his aggression out.

“On your knees.” He ordered gravely, just like he did with every ring rat whore, and slid the zipper of his jeans down. 

Mark felt sick at how fast she complied, licking her lips hungrily.  The bitch actually enjoyed having her hair ripped and her body ravaged!  He pushed his pants down past his ankles and smirked at her, green eyes glinting as the moonlight spilled through the window.

“Yes master.” She crooned eagerly and slowly brought her mouth to his throbbing member, her mouth engulfing him and sending his mind to spiral out of control.  Even he had to admit she could suck a cock better than most.

After she had her fill of tasting him, Mark decided it was time to get down to business.  He growled and buried his hand in her bleach blonde hair, yanking her up as she pressed against him, and roughly kissed her lips.  Of course the whore responded, curling her arms around his neck and sighed when he simply placed her arms at her sides letting be in complete control.  She couldn’t believe she was actually going to sleep with the Undertaker, the Phenom himself!  She was mad with delight and slowly pulled away, needing air, and gasped when he threw her on the bed.

His shirt was ripped off, the shredded clothing lying on the floor, and pounced on her, ripping her dress clean off.  It was a flimsy, silver thing that couldn’t even be called a dress when it looked like a towel.  He growled and attacked her neck, pressing himself against her, wanting to forget.  He wanted to forget Tessa ever existed.  He just wanted one night where he wasn’t thinking of her and she wasn’t haunting his every thought and dream.

“Ohhh…Oh yes…” She moaned out, arching her body against him, her fake breasts pressing against his chest and suddenly stopped.  “W-Wait…”

Mark growled, wondering what had her distracted, and tried getting her back in the mood.  It wasn’t working.

“W-Wait…w-what is that?” She gasped out breathlessly, trying to get his attention, and pointed with a shaking finger.  The curtains were moving, reflecting the moonlight off of them as the mere glint could be seen across the room.

Growling angrily, Mark whipped his head around, still on top of her naked form and felt the blood drain from his face when the moonlight caught the object.  He immediately stood up, trembling from head to toe, suddenly forgetting about the ring rat he was getting ready to screw into the mattress.  He walked over until his hand felt around on the wall, flipping the light on, and his face went completely pale as he read the words that were painted on his full length mirror.

Look into your heart-you will find

There’s nothing there to hide

Take me as I am-take my life

I would give it all-I would sacrifice

“W-What is going on?  What does that mean?” The blonde asked as she pulled her dress on, even though it was nearly shredded from him ripping it off of her body.

“Get out.” Mark whispered, his eyes not leaving the lipstick painted mirror, the words clear as day though.  They were lyrics from their wedding song that was playing in the club before he took this trash back to his hotel room. 

What the fuck was going on?

The ring rat wasted no time and bolted out of the door, suddenly not caring if she got screwed by the Lord of Darkness or not.  She was scared to death by that message and needed to get as far away from this hotel as possible.

He was afraid.  Truly afraid.  Mark had never been this scared in his life as he backed up from the mirror, the words haunting and plaguing him more than words could say.  He snatched up his jeans, shoving them on, and rushed out of the room.  He hoped Steve was still awake; he had to see this for himself.

She watched him leave the room in a hurry and snickered wickedly, knowing he’d seen her message she’d left him.  So pathetic to see a man of his caliber run out of his room like a scared five year old.  She snickered more and looked around, making sure nobody saw her, and entered his room.  He was in such a rush he didn’t close the door all the way.  Pity.  The man wasn’t smart that was for damn sure.  She sighed and walked in, looking around, and whipped out her small bottle of cleaner along with a rag before going over and wiping away the evidence.  When she was finished, she tucked the contents back in the bag she brought with her and left the room, no evidence proving she’d been there except the clean mirror.

“Man I’m TELLING you, I’m not going insane!” Mark growled as he dragged a half awake Steve down the hallway, shaking from head to toe, and stopped outside of his cracked door. 

“I’m gonna kick yer ass, Mark!” Steve growled back, rubbing his tired eyes, having been in a great dream when he was suddenly disturbed and yanked out of bed.  He only called the man by his real name when he was pissed and right now, Steve was just that.  “Now what the fuck am I supposed to do again? Do I LOOK like a ghost chaser?”

Mark narrowed his eyes to slits and practically shoved Steve through the door, not following him.  He couldn’t go back in there.  He just couldn’t.  Those words would haunt his memories for weeks to come and Mark groaned, knowing he was slowly going insane.  His eyes shot open when Steve came back out, looking downright bewildered.

“Well?” Mark croaked out in a demand.

“Uh Mark…” He cleared his throat awkwardly, not quite sure how to word this, and rubbed the back of his neck.  “There’s nothin’ there, man.”

“WHAT?” Mark exploded and rushed past the man, blinking when he seen the words were gone as if they’d never been there before.  Something DEFINITELY wasn’t right!  “They were there!  The whore even saw’ em!”

Steve sighed heavily and shook his head, knowing this would’ve happened sooner or later.  “As fun as this has been, I’m goin’ to bed.  Good night, jackass.” He yawned and walked out, trudging back to his room, deciding he wouldn’t kill Mark.

Mark just blinked at the clean mirror and wondered if he truly belonged in a nuthouse.

Chapter 10

For the next several days, nothing happened.  Not one thing.  Mark would look around, paranoid, searching every crevice and space of his hotel rooms. When he was satisfied, he finally relaxed, but no sleep came to him.  Every time his eyes closed, those words flashed through his mind, the lyrics, and the pain would start all over again.  When was it going to end? 

Mark knew he was driving Steve crazy, but he couldn’t help it.  He wasn’t losing his mind, goddamn it!  She was there!  Tessa was haunting him and driving Mark out of his damn mind!

When a week passed without any indication or sign he was being haunted, Mark finally started relaxing, knowing he was probably going insane and taking everyone with him.  So it was a Saturday night and Mark just got back from the house show, wanting a little R&R.  Of course, he had a bottle of Jack Daniels along with room service, just wanting to stay in for the night and be alone.

It wasn’t meant to be.

He’d just stepped out of the shower when a knock sounded at his hotel room door.  Raising an eyebrow, Mark wrapped a thin white towel around his muscular waist and went to see who it was, knowing it was probably Steve trying to get him to go barhopping again.  In all honesty, he just wanted to stay in and relax, was that so much to ask for?  Apparently so.

“This better be fuckin’ good…” He growled and ripped open the door, only to be met by a heart broken Carsyn who had a tear streaked face.  “Darlin’, what’re you doing here?” Mark asked, not sure what else to say at the moment. 

“I-I need to talk to you.  Please.” The pleading tone of her voice broke Mark’s heart as he allowed her in, closing the door behind him, and raked a hand through his sopping wet hair. 

“What’s goin’ on, Cars?” Mark asked, sounding exhausted and quite frankly, he felt awkward talking to her.  They had not spoke since Tessa’s funeral and Mark suddenly wondered why she was here in his hotel room while he was half naked.

She shook her head, the tears falling again, and walked over to sit on the bed.  “I don’t know.” She breathed out solemnly, her head dropping.  What was she doing here?  Why had she come to Mark’s hotel room of all places?  “I miss her, Mark.” Her voice cracked.  “I miss her so much…”

He didn’t know what to do, what to say.  Mark had tried for the past several days to get Tessa out of his mind…and just when he finally did, Carsyn had to come along and bring her up.  “I miss her too…” He murmured gruffly, suddenly seeing his relaxing night flying out the window.

“I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t bring her up, but we haven’t talked about her and I think we should, Mark.” Carsyn was sick and tired of walking on eggshells around this man, tired of being afraid of him.  Tessa was dead, it was tragic, but it happened and it wasn’t her fault.

“Darlin’…” What could he honestly say?  Sorry but he refused to talk about his deceased wife to her best friend?  Mark felt a migraine coming on and pinched the bridge of his nose, blinking. 

“I mean I know you’re angry about her leaving you, but that’s not my fault.” Carsyn voiced her opinions and what she’d been thinking, refusing to hide from him any longer.  “We used to be great friends.  What happened, Mark?”

“Life?” He said it in a question, not entirely sure to be honest.  He knew though.  He knew the reason and was in denial.  “Look Cars, you remind me a lot of Tessa and…when she died, it hurt.  I’m going to be honest with you, it stung like a bitch to see you and Glen so happy the way me and Tessa used to be…” Maybe he went too far, but Mark wasn’t one to bottle up his emotions and thoughts inside.

Her eyes narrowed as she stood up from the bed, glaring at him, and crossed her arms in front of her chest.  “But that is not my fault!  How dare you blame me for something that wasn’t in my control?” She was pissed and probably being irrational, but his words stung her more than anything as the tears followed.  “It’s not my fault she died!  It’s not my fault she ran out of the house when you two were fighting!  It’s not my fault I knew her since childhood and she left us too soon!”

She was near hysterics and Mark knew he went too far.  He sighed as the tears slipped down her cheeks and walked over, knowing he had to make things right…somehow.  “Cars…” He murmured, his voice low, trying to hide the obvious pain that was resurfacing.  “God, I’m sorry.” He took her in his arms, trying to soothe her the best way he knew how.  “Shhh calm down darlin’, I didn’t mean it…” That was a lie, but she didn’t need to know that as Mark stroked her hair, trying to calm her down.

“Sorry.” She mumbled and slowly pulled away, wiping her tears away and took the tissue he held out, blowing her nose.  “I just wish things could be the way they used to be?  When did things become so complicated?”

“That’s life in general.” Mark grunted and rose to his feet, glad the towel was still intact, and raked a hand through his damp hair before walking over to get his brush out.  “Do you want a drink?”

“Tequila, if you have it.” She requested softly and stood up, wrapping her arms around herself and walked over to stare out the window.  Carsyn couldn’t believe she broke down in front of Mark like this, especially with everything he had gone through lately.

Mark handed her a glass of Tequila while he stuck with his Jack Daniels, deciding he wouldn’t kick her out.  In truth, he could use the company as much as he hated admitting it and walked over to sit down on the bed, his back to her.  “I think she’s hauntin’ me.” Mark couldn’t believe he said that and had to take a long swallow of his liquor before continuing.  “Steve thinks I’m goin’ nuts.”

“Maybe we both are.” She hadn’t turned from the window, still staring out at the night sky, still wondering why she had come here when she could have easily went to John’s room.  Obviously her husband did not want her so she was going to find someone who did…without the sex because Carsyn wasn’t a slut.  “I don’t think you’re crazy.  I believe in the after life and ghosts.”

He stared down into the gold liquid and sighed, thankful someone believed him, but it still didn’t make the burden of what happened and what he’d gone through any easier.  “Do ya think she’s up there lookin’ down on us right now?” He wondered aloud, causing her to slowly turn around to face him.

“Yeah I do.  I believe she’s our guardian angel.” Carsyn’s eyes were filled with tears, but she would not let them fall.  She refused.  She had shed enough tears for Tessa to last them both a lifetime and was done with mourning.  Tessa would not have wanted this and she knew it.  “I think Glen is cheating on me.”

“What?” Now Mark was officially uncomfortable as he slowly turned to face her, wondering if he’d heard her right.  Glen cheating on Carsyn?  He couldn’t even fathom the thought.  “He told me you were the one cheatin’.” He admitted his voice low and full of unanswered questions.  “What’s been goin’ on between you two anyway?”

Carsyn shook her head, wishing she knew the answer to that question.  “I don’t know…” She whispered and took a long shot of her own liquor of choice, not even wincing as it burned down her esophagus before lighting her stomach on fire.  No matter how hard she tried, Carsyn couldn’t stop herself from going to the liquor.  She didn’t care about her past and had a limit, but right now, she just needed a drink to calm her nerves and mind.

Mark sighed, having heard that same excuse over and over lately it seemed.  “Come here darlin’, come sit with me a minute.” He held his hand out, feeling her take it, and pulled her on his lap before wrapping his massive tattooed sleeved arms around her trembling body.  “Now calmly, tell me what happened.”

“He thinks I’m cheating with John, but we’re just friends.” She explained, still holding her liquor, and rested her head on Mark’s shoulder.  They used to be great friends until Tessa passed and she honestly missed having him hold her.  Whenever her and Glen would have a fight, Carsyn would turn to Mark and he always knew the right things to say.

“Okay…” Mark paused, swallowing down another gulp of his liquor.  “How did yer fightin’ start?” Due to the liquor, Mark’s thick southern accent was shining through along with his exhaustion.

“It started when you went on your sexual rampages after Tessa’s death.  Glen got so frustrated, especially when Steve entered the picture…” She explained refusing to keep the truth from him like Glen probably had.  The man had the right to know what was going on in his best friend’s lives.  “I tried helping him…I tried so hard…” She started crying again, her tears coating his shoulder, but she didn’t care.  Carsyn needed this release in the worse way right now.

Mark sighed, having a feeling this was his fault, and started crooning softly to her, stroking her back with his large hands, feeling terrible that their marriage was on the rocks because of him.  “Hell…” He couldn’t say anything else and just held her, knowing Glen wasn’t that affectionate toward her lately.  “Come to think of it, Glen has been a bit of a prick lately…”

She looked up and wiped her tears away, nodding in agreement.  “I know.  It’s like he doesn’t trust me anymore and I hate it.  I never did anything to him!” She was near hysterics again and relied on the liquor to calm her down as she downed another shot from her glass.  “I mean we were trying to have a baby before Tessa died and now…Now it’s all gone to shit!”

That was something Mark did not know and he had no idea how to react.  Glen and Carsyn were trying to have a baby and now they were stopping because of what had happened?  Mark decided he had to have a long talk with Glen before his marriage went down the drain.  This wasn’t worth it and he knew how much Glen and Carsyn loved each other.  They were soul mates; it didn’t take a blind man or a genius to figure that out.

“I’ll talk to him.” Mark finally said after a long pause, downing more of his own drink, and sighed.  “I’ll see what’s going on in his head.”

“Good luck.” She snorted, not moving, very content with where she was at the moment and didn’t want to leave.  Mark always comforted her; he was like her big brother that chased away all the bullies.  They’d known each other for a few years now, ever since she and Glen started dating, and they sparked a friendship.

Mark was about to say something when his door opened, causing Carsyn’s head to whip up as they both stared at a very irate looking Glen.

“Mother fucker he was right!” Glen shouted, his face red, and both could tell he was fighting the urge not to lunge at Mark.  “You cheating whore!”

Now Mark was hot.  He stood up after placing Carsyn on the bed, shooting acid green venom back at his best friend.  “Don’t talk to her like that!” He snapped, slamming his glass down on the nightstand.  “She came here to talk about Tessa and how her marriage is failing because of yer dumbass!”

Glen snorted, not buying a word of it.  “I can’t believe I trusted you.  I knew somethin’ was going on, but I never thought my own brother would betray me.” His voice was low and dangerous, eerily calm.  That was never good.  When Glen was calm, that meant the storm was quickly brewing and would explode at any given moment.

“Nothin’ happened, man!  Fuck Glen get your head outta your ass before you lose the best thing that’s ever happened to ya!” Mark snapped again, refusing to back down, especially to a man who was acting like a complete jackass at the moment.

“Fuck you Mark!  Carsyn, have fun with him, I hope it was worth it.” He then stalked out, slamming the hotel door behind him.  When Mark went to chase after him, Carsyn stopped him by placing her hand on his arm, shaking her head slowly. 

“Don’t.  It’s not worth it.  Not anymore.” Her voice was quiet as she finished her drink off before placing the glass on the nightstand, standing up.  “Thank you for the talk, Mark.  Thank you for listening.” She leaned up and kissed his cheek before hugging him and walked out, closing the door quietly behind her.

A few minutes later she was standing outside of John’s hotel room and a few seconds after that, she was in his arms sobbing her heart and soul out.

Chapter 11

“Come on ‘Taker, nothin’ has happened in two weeks.  I think ya finally beat the ghost.” Steve stated as he sipped his fifth cup of coffee, staring back at the man who had drove him nuts due to Tessa’s haunting ways lately.  “Just come out for a drink tonight.”

Mark sighed and ran a hand through his hair, looking down at his own coffee, tapping it lightly with his fingers.  “I don’t know man…” How could he tell Steve he just wasn’t interested in the bar scene anymore?  “I kinda just wanna go back to the hotel and chill out.”

He snorted and shook his head, scrubbing his bald head with his hands.  “Mark…yer goin’ out with me tonight.  It’s time ya stop this shit with Tessa and move on.  It’s been long enough.” He knew he probably sounded like a jackass, but Steve was doing it for his own good.  “Just a few beers, some pool, and then you can go relax at the hotel like ya want.”

Somehow, someway Mark knew he wasn’t getting out of this and sighed heavier, raking a hand through his hair.  “Fine, one drink and then I’m gone.” He stated finally, his tone matching his words, and downed the rest of his coffee.

“Awesome and one game of pool.” Steve grinned, knowing Mark would thank him for this later, and stood up as he finished his own coffee.  “I’ll see ya later, man.  I gotta go make a few calls.”

“I’ll meet ya in the parkin’ lot.” Mark stated and chuckled ruefully, shaking his head before walking out of the cafeteria.  He had to do his shadowboxing ritual before his match.

Meanwhile Steve was in the parking lot on the phone, waiting for the recipient to pick up.

“Hello?”

“Hey Teag, it's Steve.” He greeted with a smile and leaned against the wall of the arena building, enjoying the cool night air.

“This is a pleasant surprise.” Teagyn replied, sitting up in bed a little more, having been dozing off.  “What’s up?”

“Nothin’ just figured I’d call ya and see how ya were doin’.” In truth, he wanted to hear her voice and ask her a very important question. 

Teagyn sensed it as she stood up, walking over and staring out the window, her forehead pressing against the cool glass pane.  “Something’s on your mind.” She murmured, her voice low and soft, and slowly ran her fingertips down the glass.

Steve chuckled and nodded, not believing how well she could read him.  “Yeah, there is.” He admitted after a slight pause, the sound of her voice sending a shiver down his spine.

“Stop stalling and get to the point.” She ordered with a smirk, walking away from the window and over to her liquor cabinet, pulling out a bottle of wine. 

“Bossy wench.” He muttered good-naturedly, loving to hear her voice, but her laughter was like music to his ears.

Teagyn giggled as she poured herself a glass of wine.  “Damn straight now get to it, Stevie.” She put the wine back in the cabinet, closing it, and walked back over to sit on the bed. 

Steve chuckled again, this time deeper, and could feel her shiver over the phone.  “I was wonderin’ if you wanted to come on the road with me.  I miss you.” He finally said, admitting what he’d been feeling, and craved to have her on the road with him.  “I want ya with me, honey.”

Her eyes drifted closed, setting her wine glass down, and laid back in bed staring up at the ceiling.  “I miss you too Steve.” Teagyn couldn’t deny it even if she wanted too.  “When were you thinking of bringing me on the road?”

Steve smiled and gave her the information, promising her things to come between them.  After that, Steve went to get ready for barhopping with Mark, knowing the man needed to live a little.  Otherwise he’d more than likely wind up in a mental institution.  However, all Steve could think about was Teagyn and couldn’t wait to see her again.

~!~

“I can’t believe I let ya talk me into this…” Mark grunted as they walked inside a local bar, raking a hand through his hair.  He left it down, pooling over his shoulders and down his back.  He decided to wear pure black that consisted of his vest, left open, and his tight black form fitting jeans with black boots. “One drink.”

Steve waved him off with a snort.  “Go get a table, I’ll get the beer.” He stated and shoved Mark in the direction as a hot blonde eyed him instantly.  Steve didn’t miss it and smirked as he walked over to the bar, ordering two beers while Mark took the last pool table. 

“Hi there.”

Mark turned at the voice and raised an eyebrow, the blonde looking at him like he was her dinner.  “Darlin’, I’m gonna make this short and sweet, I’m not interested.” He meant it too and walked over to grab a stick, ready to play some pool and kick some Rattlesnake ass.

The blonde huffed and turned, stomping off, her platinum blonde hair whipping around with her.  It didn’t bother Mark.  Let the whore pick someone else up.  He wasn’t interested and probably had more sex in the past couple months than in his entire life.

“She looks pissed.” Steve commented as he walked up, handing Mark a beer with a shot of Tequila.  “The real drink and the chaser.” He explained before downing the shot followed by a huge swig of beer.  “Now come on Deadman, get ready to have yer ass kicked.”

Mark snorted as he downed his own shot, followed by the beer, knowing that was a challenge and he couldn’t back out.  “Correction Austin, get ready to have YOUR ass kicked.” He used his Undertaker voice and smirked before setting the balls up.  “Who shoots first?”

“You can, it’ll be even more painful since I gave ya the upper hand.” Steve said and downed more of his beer before ordering another, knowing Mark’s one drink policy was flying out the window.

As soon as Mark broke, the game was on along with the beers and fun.

~!~

It was three in the morning when Mark arrived in his hotel room, stumbling in with his head heavy.  He only had a few drinks or so he thought, maybe he lost count.  Him and Steve played three games of pool before calling it a night.  He sighed and barely made it to the bed before collapsing on it, his entire body feeling heavy and numb.

“Damn…” Mark slurred, blinking as his eyelids grew heavy, and tried bringing his hand up to rub his tired eyes.  He could not do it.  It felt like a ton of weight was on top of him and he could not move.

“Hello Mark.” A voice sounded in the room, from the shadows.  He had not turned the lights on when he stumbled in, just wanting to get to bed as fast as possible.

That voice.  It sounded familiar and Mark tried lifting his head to see who it was, but he could not even blink.  He just laid there on the bed, sprawled out; knowing the figure in the dark was going to do whatever she wanted.  He knew it was a woman and he knew it was probably whoever had been messing with him lately. 

“Now I know you can’t talk so just lay there and listen.  You’ve talked enough.” Her voice was low with a hint of danger as she slowly walked out of the shadows; the shades drawn so not even moonlight could reveal her identity.  “Such a pity…” She murmured, now standing right in front of him and smirked wickedly.

Mark could do nothing no matter how much he wanted too, no matter how hard he tried to lift just one hand.  His head was cloudy and he could barely keep her words together, but managed somehow.  “Who…are…you?” He said it slowly, slurring.

“If you don’t know who I am then you never really loved me.” She replied, taking another step toward him, knowing he could do nothing.  “Now pay attention Mark…”

“T-Tessa?” He closed his eyes when her hand ran up his thigh, the touch unmistakable and could not believe this was happening.  “T-T-Tessa…”

She nodded through the darkness, her knee landing between his thighs, and pressed it against the crotch of his jeans against his pulsating cock.  “Yes Mark, it’s me.  I’m not a figment of your imagination and I’m not a mirage.  It’s really me…” Her body pressed against him, straddling his waist, and brushed against him.  “Mark…I can’t stay…”

“W-Why?”

Her face buried in his neck, running her nails down his chest as she began undoing the buttons of his vest before feeling his soft flesh beneath.  “I came to tell you something.” Her tongue flicked his ear, not surprised when he did not touch her in response.

Mark could only lay there, the words dying on his lips before they could come out.

“Mark,” She purred in his ear, pausing, and began grinding against him.  “You can’t trust Glen.  You can’t trust anyone except Steve.  You know we were best friends, I confided in him, but I never screwed him.  I loved you and only you.  I would never cheat on you.  But I know how Carsyn really feels about you.  I know Glen talks about you behind your back.  I’ve seen it all happen from above and I don’t want you to get hurt anymore.” She explained her voice low and soft with a hint of seduction evident as she continued assaulting his neck while grinding into him.  “Steve is the only one you can trust, Mark.  He’s the only one who will guide you to the right direction.  Forget Glen.  Forget Carsyn.  Forget everyone else and do what Steve tells you.  Drink, have fun.  Fuck every single woman in sight that you want too.  Do what makes you happy and forget me, Mark.  Forget all about me, forget what we had.  Forget our love and forget the incredible sex we used to have.  I’m dead, you’re not.  It’s time to move on and forget me.  Find someone else.”

Mark tried opening his eyes, but all he could focus on was the hard on he currently sported thanks to his deceased wife’s ghost.

She slowly slid off of him, her nails digging into his thighs, and raked a hand through her hair.  “Forget me Mark.  I’m gone.  Move on with your life and live it to the fullest.  Don’t trust anyone except Steve.  He’s your one and only TRUE friend.” With that said, she leaned over and brushed her lips against his, barely grazing them and stood up before walking out of the room or evaporating. 

Mark did not know and lay there in darkness before it engulfed him whole.

~!~

“Why the fuck are ya doin’ this to me?” He demanded angrily, pacing back and forth as the moonlight shone down on him.  He couldn’t believe what he was doing.

After Mark’s meeting with his wife’s ghost, he decided to fly back to Texas and confront her.  He skipped out on the house show, telling Vince he had a family emergency to attend, and he’d be back on Monday.  So now here he was, pacing at the foot of his wife’s grave, and all he could feel was the anger coursing through his veins.

“I admit, I was stubborn and a bastard at times, but I never stopped lovin’ ya.  I never fuckin’ stopped!  I will never stop either Tessa!  No matter what you say, I cannot forget you.  I gave you my heart and yer buried with it!  I…” He could not go on and dropped to his knees in the soft earth below, the tears coursing down his cheeks like two rapid streams, knowing nobody else could see them except her.  “Darlin’, I can’t do this anymore.  I can’t have ya hauntin’ me like this.  I haven’t slept in months, I’m always out with Steve doin’ god knows what with god knows who…”

His forehead pressed against the dirt, not caring how he looked at the moment.  He was hurting and he didn’t know how to express it.  He did not know how to move on.  “I’m gonna try to do what ya said as far as Steve goes, but I can’t forget ya.  I’ll try to move on, I’ll try to find someone new and live my life.” He was making an effort and that was all Tessa was going to get.  He could not promise her anything.  “But no matter what, I can’t forget ya.”

Mark slowly rose to his feet, wiping his tears away, and looked down at the wedding ring that was hanging around his neck on a silver chain.  No matter how hard he tried, he could not take it off.  Now that he was here, Mark knew what he had to do.  He dug a three foot hole that was the size of a quarter and dropped his wedding band in before burying it along with Tessa. 

Not only did she have his heart, but now she had his ring.

Chapter 12

It was another Tuesday night and Carsyn was sitting in the cafeteria with John and, surprisingly, Mark. 

After the whole hotel incident, Carsyn had slowly rekindled the friendship her and Mark once had while staying with John.  Glen flat out refused to speak to any of them and nearly ended John’s career in the ring the previous night on Raw.  He jumped script and ended up choke slamming John so hard, he put him through the ring…literally.  To say John was sore would be an understatement.  He needed help standing up and walking, his entire back was covered in nasty black and purple bruises.

Mark ended up taking John to the emergency room after Carsyn asked through sobs, knowing he could not stand to see her cry.  He liked the kid, Mark had nothing against him and knew her and John were just friends.  Glen was being an asshole and Mark did not understand why.  Did he really think Mark would betray him that way by sleeping with his wife?  Carsyn was like a sister to him for Christ sakes!  It would feel like incest to him and Mark felt sick at the mere thought of screwing Carsyn. 

Granted the woman was gorgeous and had a nice figure, but Mark thought of her too much as a sister.  He was her big brother and would protect her at any costs.  Sure, Glen walked in at the wrong time with them in an awkward position, but that was neither Mark or Carsyn’s fault.  The man needed to learn how to knock before entering people’s private rooms.  Mark did not remember giving Glen a spare keycard to his room so that raised the question who DID give it to him.

His thoughts reversed and went to his deceased wife that had been haunting him for the past few months.  Ever since her visit in his hotel room and him going to her grave, Mark had not seen any glimpse of her.  He started sleeping halfway decent; every now and again having dreams about her, but that was to be expected.  He still wondered if that woman was really her that broke into his hotel room and drugged him. 

Before Mark went to the gravesite in Texas, he went to the emergency room and got tested.  It turned out he had the date rape drug Rophynol in his system and it lasted for nearly twelve hours.  Due to his massive size, the drug didn’t last as long as it should’ve and Mark wasn’t given a high dosage of it.  Just enough to last for Tessa to come into his hotel room and haunt him so more, not to mention give him a hard on that was tough getting rid of.  The fact that he had been drugged made Mark wonder if it was Tessa or just a bitch who was signing her death certificate. 

For some strange reason, Mark didn’t go to Steve and confront him about this.  He knew the man would never do something like that, but he wondered if Steve somehow set his drink down while doing something else.  Probably flirting with a ring rat or two.  That would explain it and would bring Mark that much closer to solving this mystery on who was pretending to be his dead wife.  The more Mark thought about it, the more pissed off he got.  Not only was his life going down the drain, but Carsyn’s marriage was on the rocks because of this prick who thought messing with other people’s lives was amusing. 

“Mark, you’re quiet.” Carsyn said, jolting him out of his thoughts, and sighed when he simply stared at her.  “What’s on your mind?”

“Just thinkin’ bout the bitch who drugged me.” He muttered, not hiding it from her, and took a long swig of his bottled water.  “I swear if I ever find out who did that, I’ll strangle them to death, woman or not.”

John sighed and just nodded, not blaming the man in the slightest.  That drug could’ve killed Mark since mixing it with alcohol usually had horrible effects to a person’s system.  “No clues then?” He asked evenly, blue eyes unreadable which wasn’t common for John.  Usually a person could tell what he was thinking and feeling just by staring into those blue pools.  Lately though, it had not been the case.

“Not a fuckin’ one.” Mark growled softly, tearing a hand through his hair, and sighed heavily.  “It’s someone who knew Tessa, I know that much.” There was no denying it because Mark rarely took Tessa on the road with him.  Though everyone on the rosters knew her because she befriended a few of the Divas along with Laura.

“Who would do something like this?” Carsyn wondered aloud, her voice cracking as the tears formed in her eyes. 

She hated showing weakness, but with everything that’d happened lately, she was physically and emotionally drained.  She could not hide anything anymore and wanted to know if this was really Tessa messing with them or someone who was portraying her.  Carsyn’s bet was it was someone else considering the explosion and the human ashes found afterwards.

“I don’t know, but ya can bet yer ass I’m gonna find out.” Mark was sick of this game and wanted it to end before he ended up committing murder. 

“It’ll be alright, Cars.” John soothed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to lean against him, knowing she needed it at the moment. He always seemed to know the right time to reach out and when to back off.  That’s what Carsyn liked most about him besides his sense of humor.

“Excuse me.” She whispered and extracted herself from John’s arms, standing up and walking out of the cafeteria.  She needed some time to herself and knew John wouldn’t follow.  This was one of those times he backed off, knowing she needed space.

John sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face in frustration.  “She’s hurting bad, man.” He stated, shaking his head slowly back and forth.  “She misses him.”

“I know.  Glen’s actin’ like a complete jackass right now.” Mark growled clenching his fists tightly as his knuckles turned as white as a ghost.

“If he doesn’t watch it, he’s gonna lose her.” John commented, knowing it was true and wasn’t about to hide his feelings.  He found Carsyn incredibly attractive and would not mind dating her…when she was single.  Though he wasn’t going to help destroy her marriage.  He wasn’t the type to do that and if it was meant to be, it would happen on its own.

Mark eyed the younger man with those piercing green eyes, seeing the emotions flickering in his own, and sighed heavily.  “She loves Glen, ya know that right boy?” He asked, not wanting to bring it up, but knew it had to be done.  He did not want John getting involved in something with Carsyn he knew would be chalked up to vulnerability.

John nodded.  “I know, but a man can dream.” He replied, raking a hand through his short, soft brown hair, knowing he didn’t have a shot in Hell with Carsyn. 

It both saddened and intrigued him because John loved a challenge.  Though she’d grown to be a really great friend and he loved talking to her.  She was a great listener and gave him criticism on his raps when he asked for it.  Sometimes she went too far, but that’s what he loved about her.  Carsyn spoke her mind regardless and wasn’t ashamed of it. 

“Have ya both…” Mark trailed off, raising an eyebrow, not going to finish the question.  If he had too, the boy was dumber than he originally thought.

“No.” John answered immediately, no hesitation evident in his tone.  “We sleep in separate beds.” It was the truth and he didn’t care if Mark believed him or not.

“Good.” Mark replied before finishing his water and tossed it in the garbage behind John, the bottle whizzing past his head and caused the boy to jump. Mark actually chuckled, which was very rare nowadays, and snorted before pulling out a piece of chewing tobacco.  He stopped when he married Tessa, knowing she hated it, but now that he was single again, Mark did not see the harm in doing it.

John made a face when he saw what Mark was doing and groaned.  “Man, that shit is nasty.” He grunted, shaking his head, and could not look at the man any longer. 

Mark smirked and when John turned back around, he showed the fully piece of chewed tobacco.  He laughed when John left the cafeteria slowly, knowing he could go no faster due to his extensive injuries.  “Pussy.” He muttered under his breath and shook his head, standing to his full near seven foot frame when Glen entered the cafeteria.  Deciding he had enough of this, Mark stalked over to where Glen was, near the coffee machine, and confronted him.  “Hey.”

Glen snorted and rolled his eyes, busy fixing himself a cup of coffee.  “Shouldn’t ya be fuckin’ Carsyn right now?” He shot back, stirring his beverage with a straw.  His eyes went wide as saucers when the coffee was smacked out of his hand and strewn across the cafeteria, stinging any skin it made contact with.  “Fuck!”

“You done bein’ a jackass yet?” Mark demanded angrily, green eyes spitting pure venom as he clenched his fists tightly at his sides, wanting to deck this man more than he’d ever wanted to deck anyone in his life.

“I’m not the one who decided to betray my best friend.” He shot back again, refusing to back down from Mark, and started wiping off the stinging coffee that landed on his face and chest.  He was bare from the waist up, in his Kane costume for the show that night.

“I didn’t fuck her, Glen!  I’ve never fucked Carsyn and I never will!” Mark shouted, getting everyone’s attention in the cafeteria, but he didn’t care.  He was tired of this and wanted his best friend back.  “Fuckin’ Christ open yer damn eyes and realize what yer doin’!”

Glen raised an eyebrow and let out a rough, cruel laugh, tossing the napkin in the trashcan that was beneath the counter.  “I do realize what I’m doin’. For the first time in a long while, I finally realize exactly what’s been goin’ on, Mark.” He stated, his voice low and deadly, hazel eyes cold and dark.

“No ya don’t or else you’d fuckin’ sit down like an adult and listen to fuckin’ reason!  Yer losin’ yer wife, Glen, do ya realize that?  Yer losin’ Carsyn and when ya finally DO wake up and realize what yer doin’ and accusin’ her of, it’ll be too late!” Mark stated keeping his own voice lowered as hard as it was. This was their business, but he wasn’t afraid to explode if Glen did.  He wasn’t backing down anymore, he wasn’t going to walk on eggshells and he was going to get him and Carsyn back together even if it killed him.

“Fuck you!” Glen snapped, shoving Mark a good three feet away, and squared his shoulders before cracking his neck.  “She’s losin’ me, not the other way around!” He corrected angrily, his teeth gritted as the anger poured from his body in harsh waves.

“All because ya think she’s cheatin’ on ya?” Mark demanded, shaking his head when Glen simply nodded.  “For yer information, Carsyn has been more than faithful to ya.  I didn’t sleep with her.  She came to my room to talk bout Tessa-” A flicker of pain shot through Mark’s eyes when he said her name and he had to pause, getting his thoughts back in order.  “Her and John have been sleepin’ in separate beds too.”

Glen snorted, not buying a word of it.  “Yeah right.  I’m not fuckin’ blind and dumb so stop treatin’ me like it.  She fucked Cena, I know she did.  You, I don’t know about fully, but I KNOW she’s fucked that worthless kid.” He refused to believe Carsyn hadn’t with all the evidence lately and wasn’t going to be swayed.

 Mark threw his hands up in the air and finally decided to give up.  This wasn’t his fight and he didn’t know why he was even getting involved.  “Fine, you believe what you want.  I’m done.” He muttered his voice low with a hint of danger as his piercing green eyes met Glen’s cold blue orbs.  “Just remember this, Jacobs, when you finally DO realize what yer doin’, it’ll be too late and you’ll lose the best thing that’s ever happened to you…just like I did.”

“Did I miss somethin’?” A voice sounded behind them, causing both Mark and Glen to turn around, their eyes widening at who Steve had with him.

Chapter 13

Steve raised an eyebrow at both Mark and Glen, having an idea on what they were arguing about, and sighed.  “If ya two are quite finished…” He trailed off, peering over at the individual standing next to him.  “I’d like ya to meet someone.”

“Hello gentlemen.” Her soft voice floated through the air, causing Mark to raise his eyebrow while Glen just nodded knowingly.  Steve had told him about this woman and had a feeling who it was.

“Nice to finally meet you Teagyn.” Glen murmured, stepping forward first and extended his large hand, a small smile gracing his lips when she took it and shook it gently.  “Yer as beautiful as Steve described.”

A small blush crept into her pale cheeks as she quickly pulled her hand out of his, nodding.  “Thank you.” She murmured quietly and ran a hand through her short black, ravenous hair. 

Her bangs were angled to rest over her left electric cerulean blue eye, the other showing.  Her clothes consisted of black jeans with an Austin 3:16 t-shirt that was loose, not clinging to her curves.  She had a skull necklace around her neck and matching earrings in her ears that hooked in a chain to go in her second holes.  Her nose was pierced as well, but she refused to wear the round rings.  It was small and could barely be seen unless looked at from a specific angle.  Her eyes were decked out in heavy black eyeliner and her lips were painted black.  She was the total opposite of the women Steve had picked up in the bars with Mark, covered and pale.

“Who is this?” Mark asked, not moving from his spot, his eyes landing on the mysterious woman named Teagyn and wondered where she came from. 

The woman definitely wasn’t the type Steve usually picked up in the bars or on the streets like they had done for the past few months.  This intrigued him to no avail as Mark brushed past Glen and walked over, introducing himself properly.

“Her name is Teagyn.  She’s a great friend of mine.” Steve answered before she could, knowing this was overwhelming for her, and did not want the behemoths scaring her out of her wits.

“Teagyn…” The sound of her name floated from his lips smoothly, piercing green eyes staring back into hers.  “Nice to meet ya darlin’.  I’m Mark, but most call me ‘Taker.”

When he extended his hand, Teagyn backed away to stand behind Steve, feeling very uncomfortable around this large man.  She did not know why, but something about him rubbed her the wrong way as she raked a hand through her hair.  Maybe it was the fact that they walked in on a near fist fight him and the man named Glen were going to have.  Teagyn honestly didn’t care, it wasn’t her business.

“Nice meetin’ ya.” Her southern accent replied, dripping of uncertainty before looking up at Steve and grabbed his hand, seemingly looking for some sort of strength.

“It’s alright honey.” He murmured in her ear, running his fingers through her silky black tresses, and looked back at Mark.  “Everythin’ alright in here?” He asked, shifting his attention to what was happening prior to him and Teagyn walking in.

“Perfect.” Glen muttered shooting daggers back at Mark and finally decided now was not the time to get in a fight.  Teagyn was new to the company and he did not want to turn her off of it.  “See ya later.” He then brushed past them before stalking out of the cafeteria, waves of anger following.

Mark sighed heavily and scrubbed a hand down his face, shaking his head, and grunted.  “He’s still pissed.” He wasn’t going to hide it and felt a headache approaching, pinching the bridge of his nose before squinting his eyes shut briefly.

Snorting, Steve released Teagyn’s hand and walked over, patting Mark’s shoulder gently.  “Man, fuck him.  If he believes ya fucked his wife then he never was a real friend to begin with.” He stated, the anger evident in his tone, and couldn’t believe what an asshole Glen was being lately.  “Isn’t that right Teag?”

“Sure.” She shrugged, not really paying attention, and walked over to get bottled water from the nearby machine, her throat suddenly dry for some reason.  Nerves is what she chalked it up too.

“How did ya meet her?” Mark asked quietly when him and Steve were alone for the time being, his eyes trailing up and down her small form.  He knew beneath the baggy clothes a figure was there, and felt the need to want to get to know her better.

Steve somehow sensed this and narrowed his blue eyes, clearing his throat loudly to jolt Mark out of those thoughts.  “Don’t even think bout it.  She’s spoken fer.” He stated emphatically, his tone low and cool, but a hint of danger was clearly evident.

Mark raised an imperious eyebrow back at his friend, wondering what the Hell was going on.  “Yer settlin’ down?” He asked, causing Steve to snort in response before cracking open fresh bottled water he’d gotten before his confrontation with Glen.

“Hell no.” Steve replied, cracking open a beer he’d pulled out of his back pocket, and took a long swig of it, sighing.  “Teagyn isn’t exactly the most friendly person in the world, Mark.  She’s had some bad shit happen to her and she only trusts me.  That’s probably why she didn’t shake yer hand.  Hell, I’m surprised she shook Glen’s.” He shrugged nonchalantly before downing half of his beer.  “Just keep yer distance, man.  She’s not the ring rat, fuck as ya go type.”

Mark nodded, deciding to respect his friend’s wishes, and suddenly wondered what had happened to this woman.  This intrigued him and peaked his curiosity, but he could tell how protective Steve was of her.  For the time being, Mark would keep his distance and slowly find out what was going on in time. 

“Whatever ya say man.  Ya do realize yer gonna have to keep the rest of’em away from her though right?” He pointed out, smirking when Steve scowled, and knew he got under the man’s skin.  “Hey I’m just sayin’…”

“Don’t remind me.” Steve grunted before turning around.  “Teag, time to go…” He trailed off when he seen her nowhere in sight and raised an eyebrow, wondering where she disappeared too.

Teagyn needed some air, deciding to go out the exit doors, and kept her head lowered.  She still could not believe she was here with Steve and missed him immensely.  Being with him made her happy and she felt secure when in his presence.  These past few months hardly seeing him had really thrown her for a loop and she did not understand why.  Perhaps it was the fact that Teagyn nearly died after getting beaten by her ex-husband. 

She shuddered at the memory of Steve telling her and he didn’t sugarcoat anything, which would explain the tiny scars on her arms and one right across her forehead.  The prick.  If Teagyn ever found him again, she would end up killing him for beating her to the point where she lost consciousness.  She could not remember anything except waking up in a hospital room with Steve by her side.  He hadn’t left since then.

Her thoughts drifted to the man she just met, wondering what was his story.  Steve had mentioned him quite frequently, calling him ‘Taker, but slipping up a few times by saying Mark.  Mark.  That name rung a bell in Teagyn’s head, but she could not understand why.  Sighing, she kept walking and shoved her hands in the front pockets of her jeans, rounding a corner and ended up running into a brick wall.

“Damn…” She muttered quietly, her head swimming as she tried shaking the cobwebs from her brain, and blinked rapidly.  When she lifted her head, Teagyn locked eyes with soft blue eyes that had spiked blonde hair.

“Shit, I’m sorry bout that!” Chris cursed and extended his hand, helping her up by the arms to place her back on her feet.  “Are you okay?”

Teagyn nodded, not speaking and raked a hand through her hair, her mind still fuzzy from the collision.

Chris raised an eyebrow, wondering who this woman was and quickly scanned over her body, seeing she wasn’t wearing a backstage pass.  “Who’re you here with?” He demanded, crossing his arms in front of his chest, suddenly wondering if he should call security.

“Steve Austin.” She answered evenly, her voice low before looking up at him through those electric blue eyes of hers.  “Do ya have a problem?”

This woman had a serious attitude problem and a lot of balls for talking to him like this, but he decided to ignore it.  “Shouldn’t you be with him instead of roaming the hallways?” He asked, prying more and smirked when he seen her scowl.  He was pissing her off and Chris was thoroughly amused.  “Not a one, but you’re more than likely trespassing on private property right now, ring rat.  I think I’ll have security escort you out.” Chris stated nonchalantly, studying his fingernails, and his smirk broadened when she glared daggers back at him.  “Hey, it’s the rules honey.”

He was not about to allow this ring rat to prance around backstage without security knowing.  It was bad enough the wrestlers got harassed when they ate in restaurants.  He would be damned if it happened backstage without a pass of some kind.

“Chrissy!” A voice cried down the hallway and ran toward him, causing Chris to turn around and chuckled as he scooped Whitney in his arms.  She was shaking and he frowned, wondering what was going on. 

“Sweetheart, calm down…”

“Momma is mean.” She whimpered burying her face in his neck just as Laura came walking up, not looking amused in the slightest.

“Whitney, how many times must I tell you not to run off on me like that?” Laura scolded, her eyes narrowed at her daughter, who simply clung to Chris tighter.

“Me wanna stay here with Chrissy.” Whitney murmured innocently, her eyes widened in a plea, hoping her mother allowed it.

“Absolutely not.  It is past your bedtime.” Laura stated sternly, causing Whitney to whimper more followed by tears.  “Do not give me those crocodile tears, Whitney darling.  Come now, it is time to head back to the hotel for a bath and bed.”

“No!” She cried out, being stubborn and disobeying her mother as she jumped out of Chris’s arms and ran over, hugging the strange woman around the knees.

“Uh…kid ya mind?” Teagyn grunted with a snort, pulling away from the little girl and blinked when she just hung on tighter.  “Yer kid is annoyin’.” She commented gruffly, causing Laura to look at her with a raised eyebrow.

“At times she can be, but not always.” Laura admitted and sighed, trying to pull her child off of this woman who obviously did not like children.  “Who are you?” She eyed Chris shrewdly, her mind thinking she was another ring rat.

“A ring rat that got backstage somehow.” Chris grunted, causing Teagyn’s face to turn completely red.

“I’m here with Steve Austin, asshole.” She growled clenching her fists at her sides tightly, ready to deck him right in the face as the child was finally pried off of her.  “Ya need to handle yer kid better.  Huggin’ strangers like that ain’t safe.” She amended before turning and stalking down the hallway away from them.

“That was rather rude…” Laura commented after she was gone, blinking, and looked down at her daughter with a stern expression.  “You are going to be punished for defying me.”

Whitney could only lower her head in shame and nodded, knowing she deserved a good thrashing after pulling what she had. 

Chris chuckled down at her and lifted her up in his arms, both staring at Laura with those adorable faces.  “Now come on Laura, she just wants to stick around me.” He said, sticking up for Whitney like he always did, knowing it irritated his personal assistant.

“She is not your child, she is mine.  Now release her so I can take her back to the hotel for a bath and bed.” She ordered gravely, crossing her arms in front of her chest, and watched as Chris set her down.

“Fine, you win.” Chris sighed resignedly and set the little girl down, patting her on the head.  “See you later, angel.”

“Bye Chrissy.” She mumbled and scowled as her mother guided her away, with Laura shooting a look back at him that said they were talking about this later.

Chris simply smirked at her before heading down the hallway to find Steve, needing some answers regarding this woman he supposedly brought with him on the road.

Chapter 14

His arms wrapped around her from behind, his hot breath on her ear as they both stared out the window of their hotel room.  He smirked, nuzzling her neck, feeling her melt against him, and splayed his large hand against her stomach.  “You feel wonderful.” He murmured huskily, the silk doing nothing for the heat that emanated from his hand.

“So do you.” She breathed out, leaning her head back against his shoulder with her lips barely parted.  “Take me.”

He did not have to be told twice and spun her around by the arm, staring deep into her hypnotic eyes and ran his finger down her cheek.  “You’ve done well honey.  I think it’s time you’re rewarded.” His lips met hers, not waiting for a reply, and ran his strong, muscular hands up and down her sides.  “You belong to me.”

“I know…” She breathed out, completely giving herself to him, and smiled when he swept her off of her feet, carrying her to bed.  Her back met the cool comforter below, staring up at him through the darkness, and brought his face down to passionately kiss him while unbuttoning his jeans.  “I need you…”

“The way you’ve been handlin’ Calaway lately, I think I can give you some lovin’.” He murmured, his mouth attaching to her neck, and pressed her against the bedding.  He growled when her hand reached in, running a nail up the length of his huge shaft. 

“I’d do anything for you.” She purred before shoving his jeans down his legs, lifting her hips so he could remove her panties, needing him more than anything at that moment.  “Did you see how I made him believe I was his dead wife?” She giggled wickedly, causing him to chuckle as their voices joined together.

He nuzzled her neck more, settling between her thighs, and nodded.  “You were so fuckin’ hot, baby.” He groaned, feeling how wet she was, and had to restrain himself from not taking her right then and there.  “He actually thinks she’s still alive.”

A cackle resonated around the room as a cold smile spread on her lips, nodding.  “Of course he does!  I’m a fabulous actress.” She stated and moaned when the tip of him entered her, gasping as her nails dug into his muscular arms.  “Mmm I do love driving a man insane…”

He chuckled more when he heard that.  “I love watchin’ you drive a man insane, especially Calaway.” He practically spat the last name out, sliding further inside of her, teasing and tormenting every nerve of her body.

Crying out, she immediately wrapped her legs around his waist, pressing further against him, and waited with baited breath as her walls stretched to accommodate his massive size.  “Oh yes…Ohhh...” She moaned out, not able to help herself, and raked her nails up his back, over his shoulders and down his muscular chest.

“Damn yer tight…” He grunted out, beads of sweat coating his forehead, and kissed her while steadying himself.  “I want him gone, do you understand?”

“Y-Yes…anythin’ just don’t stop…” She pleaded, crying out again, and wrapped her arms around his neck as she started meeting him thrust for thrust, feeling him powering in and out of her.

He smirked and nodded, liking what he heard, and proceeded to give her what she craved and deserved.  He watched what she did to Mark over the past few months after his wife’s untimely death, loving the torment he was inflicting on him.  With this woman’s help, he had managed to drive Mark to the brink of insanity and split all of his friendships apart.  The only thing left to do was send the man to his grave and he was bound and determined to do so…at all costs.

~!~

“You okay?”

Carsyn slowly turned around and stared back into John’s eyes, shaking her head slowly back and forth.  “No.” She whispered, the tears leaking out of the corners of her eyes, and sniffled.  “I miss him so much…”

John sighed heavily and pulled her in his arms, stroking her hair soothingly, wishing there was something, anything he could do to take her pain away.  “I know baby girl, I know.” Her tears broke his heart and made John even more pissed off at Glen than what he already was.

“I-I just wish he could believe and have trust in me.” She sobbed, wrapping her arms around his neck, and buried her face in it.  “I’m sorry; I just need to let this out.”

“I know.  It’s fine.” He replied softly, running his strong hand up and down her back, waving off her worries absentmindedly.  “He’ll come around and realize what he’s doing, Cars.”

“And what if he doesn’t?  What if I end up losing my husband over this?” She shot back defensively and stood up, wrapping her arms around herself as the tears continued to fall.

He raked a hand through his soft brown hair, not sure what to tell her in all honesty.  To be brutally honest, John did not think or believe that Glen deserved Carsyn.  He treated the woman horribly and did not even give her the chance to defend herself against his accusations.  Glen was acting like a spoiled five year old with a hormone imbalance and John just wished Carsyn could see the light and move on.  Of course, he would never tell her that.

“I don’t know…” He mumbled, lowering his head and clasped his hands together tightly, wishing he had the answers she needed.

“I mean, I’m not the one who’s cheating, he is!” She snapped, tearing her fingers through her hair and gripping it, a low growl escaping her.  “I still love him even if he did cheat on me.”

“Whoa back up a minute,” John paused to stand, raising an eyebrow at her, wondering what Carsyn meant by that.  “He’s cheated on you?”

More tears flowed down her cheeks and she could only nod, her head lowering in shame.  “Yes.  I forgot to tell you.” She muttered, peaking John’s curiosity even more.  “I was going to tell you, but it slipped my mind until now.”

“Tell me what exactly?”

Carsyn sighed as she started walking back and forth, wringing her hands together before clasping them together, knowing she had to come out with it. “The reason why you found me in the restaurant that night is because…well…” How could she tell him what happened?  Carsyn knew she had no choice and took a deep breath.  “Look I was heading out the door when Glen’s cell phone went off.  He always forgets his cell phone and I thought it was something important so I answered it…”

When she didn’t go on, John stood up and walked over, placing his hands on her shoulders, silently telling her to continue.

She took in a shaky breath and closed her eyes, swallowing past the lump that formed in her throat.  “It was another woman.” She whispered, barely able to get the words out before feeling the sobs erupting again.

Now John was pissed.  No he wasn’t pissed.  That wasn’t the word for it.  John was absolutely LIVID.  First the man accused his beautiful, innocent wife of cheating on him only for it to be a cover up to his OWN infidelity!  He could not believe it and wished she would’ve told him sooner.

“Have you told Mark about this?” He asked suddenly, knowing the answer, but he figured hearing it from her would make it clear.

“No.”

“Alright, I won’t say anything then.” John said as he took a few steps away from her, needing to think about this and digest what she told him. 

How could she still love a man who would accuse her of something he did?  It didn’t make sense and the more John thought about it, the angrier he became.  It wasn’t fair!  Glen didn’t deserve her love and never would after pulling a stunt like this! 

“I figured it was better left unsaid.” She said, turning around to face him, and wiped her tears away.  “John please don’t be angry with me.”

“It’s not you I’m angry with, Cars.” He said softly, his entire body tensed with held anger, not wanting to lose his temper.  “He doesn’t deserve you.”

Carsyn sighed heavily, raking a hand through her hair, and nodded.  “I know, but you can’t help who you love, John.” She reminded softly and bit her bottom lip, lowering her head and sniffled.  “I think I’d better go.”

A hand shot out before she could get to the door, turning her around to face those soft blue eyes.  “Don’t leave.  Stay with me.” He pleaded softly, running his finger down her cheek, and wrapped one strong arm around her waist.

She could not say no to him even if her life depended on it, truly liking John and the friendship they acquired over the past few months.  “Alright, I’ll stay.” She murmured and hugged him around his massive waist, burying her face in his chest.

A knock at the door interrupted their moment, causing both John and Carsyn to sigh before they broke apart.  Carsyn went to get a glass of water while John answered the door, surprised to find Chris, Laura and little Whitney.  He ushered them in, wondering what they wanted, and cleared his throat before calling out to Carsyn.

“Hey guys.” She greeted solemnly, her eyes still red and puffy from crying, and sighed when Laura started fussing over her.  “Laura, I’m fine.” She sighed with a roll of her eyes before walking over, scooping Whitney up in her arms.  “How’s my favorite little girl?”

“Fine.” She murmured, snuggling against her Aunt Carsyn, and frowned when she seen how distraught she looked.  “Auntie sad?”

Carsyn smiled back at her and shook her head gently.  “Not that you’re here, sweetheart.” She kissed her forehead before setting her down, watching her pull John over to the television to put something on for her to watch.  “What’s up?” She immediately asked once John had the little girl occupied, knowing Laura was there for a reason.

“I wanted to talk to you about the new woman Steve brought on the road.” Laura said and walked over, sitting down beside her, taking her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.  “She was rather rude and inconsiderate.”

Chris snorted.  “Laura’s too nice.  That woman deserved to have her ass handed to her.” He growled, low enough to where Whitney would not hear him. He did not cuss in front of the little one, having somewhat of control.  He slipped with the word damn or shit once in awhile, but always got a long lecture from Laura afterwards.

“Really?  Who is she?” They just wanted to bullshit and talk so she was fine with it.  It gave Carsyn an escape with her own life and crossed her arms in front of her chest, putting her attention fully on the subject.

“Some bitch Austin decided to bring on the road.” Chris wasn’t amused, still angry with the woman’s attitude, and snorted when the women just glared at him.  “I’m going over here.” He muttered before walking over to sit next to Whitney and John, who were currently watching Family Guy.

“Christopher, that is not appropriate…” Laura began, but Carsyn cut her off, pulling her over to the kitchen area.  “I really wish he would respect my wishes…”

“Forget that for the time being; tell me more about this woman.” Carsyn stated, leaning against the counter of the mini bar in the suite, staring at her intently. 

Laura sighed and shrugged.  “All we know is her name is Teagyn and she came on the road with Steve.  And she’s very rude.” She added that last part, still not appreciating the attitude Teagyn had toward her beautiful Whitney.  “For some reason, something struck me funny about her, but I do not know what it is.  Perhaps I am going insane.”

“Hmm…maybe we should get her alone, see what her story is?” Carsyn suggested, this woman peaking her interest for some reason. 

She still did not trust Steve fully, no matter what.  Somehow she knew he was not his fault Glen and her were split up, but at the same time he went bar hopping a lot with Mark and Glen was with them a lot of the time.  She sighed, feeling a headache coming on.

“Carsyn, I do not think that is wise, but I will do what you wish.” Laura murmured before standing, having sat on a stool, and walked over to her daughter.  “Come darling, it is time for bed.”

Whitney sighed resignedly and nodded, standing up and taking her mother’s hand, but not before kissing John’s cheek.  “Thankies.” She murmured before walking with her mother.  They said their goodbyes and walked out, causing John to raise an eyebrow in question.

“What was that about?”

“I don’t know.  Laura is worried about this new girl so we’re going to try to get close to her to find out what her story is.”

John just nodded and sighed, hoping this didn’t blow up in their face.

Chapter 15

“Steve?  Steve?  Austin!”

He jolted out of his thoughts and stared back at his best friend, raising an eyebrow.  “What?” Steve demanded gruffly, downing more of his beer, and slammed his glass down on the table.

Mark chuckled at his reaction and took a swig of his own before leaning back against the booth.  “What’s goin’ on?  You’re spacin’ out on me.” He pointed out the obvious, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

“Sorry…” He grunted out, scrubbing his bald head with his hands, and sighed heavily.  He couldn’t get Teagyn out of his mind and wondered what she was doing at that given moment.

Mark knew what he was thinking about.  In truth, that’s the only person Mark could think about for the past few days.  She was intriguing and Mark wanted to get to know her better. 

Ever since he lay eyes on her, he hadn’t picked up another ring rat.  He tried, but every time he stared back into the ring rat’s face, he saw Teagyn and immediately stopped what he’d been doing.  Of course, he would never reveal any of this to Steve, knowing the man was overprotective of her and he could tell the man had strong feelings for his childhood friend.

“What’re you thinkin’ about?” Mark asked, knowing the answer, but he felt like prodding the man for more information. 

Steve smirked and looked back at Mark, nodding over at a hot redhead that was coming their way.  “She has her eyes on ya.” He mused, causing Mark to look up and sighed before shaking his head.

“You know I don’t do the redheads, Steve.” He reminded gruffly, they reminded him too much of Tessa.  The pain shot through his green eyes briefly before blinking it away, sighing heavily.

Steve could sense Mark wanted to leave and he was more than willing to do so he stood up.  “He’s not interested tonight, honey.  Get movin’ along.” He stated, causing the redhead to scoff before stomping off, and that got a chuckle out of him.

Shaking his head, Mark stood up from the table, draining the rest of his beer and pulled his black leather duster on.  “I need some rest anyway.” He quipped, causing Steve to nod as they headed out of the bar without any ring rats on their arms.  It felt weird, but good at the same time.

“Yeah and I need to check on Teagyn.” Steve said as they walked toward the car, knowing with only a beer in each of them, they weren’t over the driving limit.

~!~

“Do you think this is such a good idea?” Laura whispered, starting to have second thoughts, and bit her bottom lip when Carsyn just shot her a look. Whitney was with Chris at the moment swimming in the hotel pool area.  Laura promised to join them after she was finished with the business Carsyn had in mind.

“Yes.  Come on.” She took Laura’s hand and dragged her over to Steve’s room, number 316 ironically, and wondered what she was in store for.  The way Laura described Teagyn; this wasn’t going to be exactly the easiest thing to do.

Her head shot up when a knock sounded at the door, causing Teagyn’s eyebrow to raise slightly, wondering who it was.  Normally Steve just walked in. Maybe this was just one of his co-workers.  She sighed and stood up, wearing a pair of black pajama pants and a tank top, pulling on her cotton black robe and tying it around her waist.  She slipped her black fuzzy slippers on and headed to the door, peeking out through the peephole and frowned. 

It was that woman again.  Laura.  She had another woman with her and Teagyn wondered what they wanted.  She didn’t have to open the door, but something inside of her was prodding, demanding her to do so.  With a resigned sigh, Teagyn unlocked the door and opened it, crossing her arms in front of her chest at the two women. 

“Can I help ya with somethin’ ladies?” She asked, her southern drawl leaking through.  It happened when she was incredibly angry or annoyed.  At this point, she was both and it wasn’t a great combination.

Laura just stepped back as Carsyn stood in front of her, eyeing the woman almost shrewdly with her sea green eyes.  “Just wanted to welcome you to the WWE, Teagyn.” She finally said, causing the woman to arch one black eyebrow.  “Laura told me your name.”

That explained it as Teagyn narrowed her eyes at the other woman, wondering why she would even tell people she met her.  “That’s nice.” She muttered, crossing her arms in front of her chest, and leaned against the door frame while narrowing her eyes at these two ladies.  “So what do ya two want?” Teagyn had a feeling it was more than just the welcome wagon and she was growing suspicious fast.

This woman did have an attitude problem, Chris had been right, but it didn’t faze Carsyn in the slightest.  If anything, she grew more amused and placed her hands on her hips, tilting her head slightly.  “What gives you the right to be a total bitch to us?” She demanded after a few short seconds of silence.

“Carsyn, I do not think that is the appropriate approach,” Laura began and sighed when she was shot another look, finally throwing her hands up in the air in defeat.  “Never mind.”

Teagyn snorted back at this woman with obvious disdain, her cerulean blue eyes quickly turning dark with anger.  “What gives YOU the right to come to my hotel room and be a total bitch to me?” She shot back defensively, ready to slam the door in this woman’s face, and blinked when something flashed in her mind. 

It was fast, but it was still there.

The vision showed this woman standing before her, but nothing else.

As quickly as the vision came, it was gone, almost in a flash.

Concern brewed in Carsyn’s sea green eyes as she furrowed her eyebrows together, not missing the emotions coursing through Teagyn’s eyes.  “Are you alright?” She asked, the anger deteriorating from her tone and replacing with worry and confusion.

“Fine.” She grunted in response, not about to share what just happened with this woman, and wrapped her arms around herself.  “Look, if this is ‘bout what I said to yer little girl, I’m sorry.  I just don’t like kids.” Teagyn figured apologizing would get these women out of her sight faster.

“It is quite alright.” Laura murmured softly, her head lowering somewhat, and tucked a strand of hair behind her hair. 

She wasn’t expecting an apology, but at least she was getting one…somewhat.  It wasn’t heartfelt, she knew that, but it was better than nothing. Though her hearing the fact this woman did not like children was tough to swallow regardless.

“You sure you’re alright?” Carsyn asked once more, causing Teagyn to nod, and gently patted her arm with a smile.  “Look, I didn’t come here to give you a lecture or whatever.  I didn’t mean to come off as a bitch either.  I just wanted to welcome you and I hope you have a nice time on the road with the WWE.”

If Teagyn was surprised, she did not show it as she nodded, raking a hand through her hair.  “Thanks…I guess.” She mumbled, not comfortable with this, but she wasn’t going to be rude either.

Carsyn smiled softly and nodded.  “No problem.  If you ever want to talk or just hang out, I’m not hard to find.” She offered, sea green eyes holding so much emotion as she stared back into Teagyn’s face.  She looked familiar, but Carsyn could not quite put her finger on it.  She was not going to mention it until her and Laura were alone.  “I’m Carsyn by the way.  Carsyn Jacobs.”

“Okay.” What else could Teagyn say?  “Teagyn Nelson.”

For some reason, that name jolted Carsyn’s mind as she blinked, staring back at the woman, and knew it was time to go.  Mark and Steve would be back soon, she just had a feeling.  “It was nice meeting you, Teagyn.  Have a good night.” She then walked away, pulling Laura with her that name still plaguing her mind for some ungodly reason.

Laura could only blink as she was whisked away from Teagyn’s doorway and down the hall, wondering what was going through Carsyn’s head. 

Teagyn sighed and shook her head before closing the door, pressing her back against it and closed her eyes.  Carsyn Jacobs.  Why was that name screaming in her mind?  Teagyn was slowly losing her mind, she knew it, and walked away from the door to sit back on the bed. 

She needed Steve to be here right now and hold her, telling her everything was going to be alright.  First that vision and now this sudden name.  What in the Hell was going on lately?  That was the only question Teagyn could ask herself as she lay down and turned the television on.

~!~

“Man I don’t care what ya say, that redhead would’ve been smokin’ in the bedroom.” Steve argued as him and Mark walked through the hotel lobby doors, both ready for a relaxing night sleep. 

Mark growled and shot Steve a look.  “You know I don’t do the redheads.” He reminded gruffly as they received their key cards, having went straight to the arena that evening instead of going to the hotel first.  “Have a good one Steve.”

“You too man.” Steve replied, clapping him on the back, and walked over to the elevator while Mark opted to take the stairs. 

Miraculously, they were both on the same floor as Mark went to his room, sliding his key card in.  Steve was just stepping off of the elevator when both stopped, hearing something coming from the room next door to Mark’s.  It was that damn voice again!  Growling, Mark slammed his door shut and looked at Steve, nodding silently as the man joined him.  He had finally broke down and told Steve about the noises that kept happening and said if it happened again, he would find out who was doing this no matter what.

Steve promised to help Mark solved this mystery as they walked over to the door silently, with Mark pressing his finger over his lips, and took a deep breath as the voice sounded in his ear.  It sounded just like Tessa, his deceased wife, but he knew that wasn’t possible.  Steve blinked and looked at his best friend, now realizing Mark had not been making it up, that it was really happening.

Mentally counting to three, Mark’s foot hammered into the door, causing it to pop off the hinges before exploding open, slamming against the wall.  The room was pitch black and Mark was shocked he did not hear any screams or cursing by the couple who had kept him up for the past few months.  Steve stepped in after him and looked around hesitantly, wondering if he should flip the light.  Mark stopped him and shook his head, walking further inside the room.

“Oh Mark!!” Her voice screamed throughout the room, causing him to stop momentarily and pressed his hand against the wall.  That knocked Mark for a loop and he had to steady himself, feeling his knees growing weak.  He never thought he’d hear that voice again and felt the tears sting his eyes.

Steve was officially pissed off now as he stormed past Mark, growling menacingly.  He found the light switch and turned it on; blinking when he saw there was nobody in the room.  “What the fuck?” As he walked further into the room, he could hear the voice intensifying and followed it, suddenly stopping when he saw an object lying in the corner of the room.

Mark had followed and was staring at the object as well, his normal emerald colored eyes turning to pure acid, clenching his fists tightly at his sides. “Please tell me that’s not a fuckin’ voice recorder…” He grunted angrily, causing Steve to sigh as he walked over and pressed the stop button with his t-shirt, not wanting to put any prints on it. 

“It is.  Who the fuck would place THIS in a hotel room next to yers?” He wondered aloud, downright angry along with Mark, shaking his head in disbelief.

“I don’t know.” Mark was dumbfounded and that was hard to do to the man as he blinked at the video recorder that held his wife’s voice.  “That’s Tessa’s voice…”

“I know…” Steve blinked as well as they both stared back at each other before down at the voice recorder.  “What do ya wanna do with it?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Mark quipped as he wrapped the voice recorder in a towel and carried it out of there.  “I’m takin’ it to Vince to prove to him that I haven’t been goin’ insane.”

Steve did not blame the man and decided to go with him, knowing Teagyn would be fine for a few more hours alone.

Chapter 16

To say Vince was flabbergasted when Mark and Steve showed him the voice recorder they found in the room next to Mark’s was an understatement.  He honestly thought, along with everyone else, that Mark was slowly going out of his mind.  It was hard to call him that with the evidence staring him in the face now.

“Mark…I don’t know what to say.” Vince finally said after a few moments of hearing Tessa’s voice sounding throughout the room.  She was moaning Mark’s name in the heat of passion and Vince wondered who the Hell someone got THAT close to her to record it.

“Now ya know I’m not fuckin’ lyin’ and I’m not goin’ insane.  Someone is out there tryin’ to torture me over Tessa’s death.” Mark stated heatedly, slamming his finger down on the desk to put an exclamation on it.  “Now you know why I’ve hardly gotten any sleep and why I’ve been shitty in the ring lately.”

Mark nearly killed David Bautista in the ring after delivering a monstrous choke slam a few nights prior to this moment.  He had not meant to do it, but at the time Tessa and everything that was happening was going through his mind and Mark admitted he sort of snapped.  David was still in the hospital with spinal injuries and he hoped the man came out of it.  He called, but David refused to talk to him and Mark understood that.  He had been a prick and was now paying for it.

Vince sighed and just nodded, knowing there was no denying it, and looked up at Steve who looked downright pissed off.  “What are you doing in here anyway, Austin?” He demanded, suddenly rising to his feet, and crossed his arms in front of his chest.  “This doesn’t concern you.”

“The Hell it doesn’t!” Steve snapped, his blue eyes blazing with anger with his fists clenched tightly at his sides.  “Fuck you McMahon, Tessa was my best friend and I have every right to be here.”

“He’s right, Vince.” Mark chimed in, stopping a fight from starting between the two, knowing their past.  They never did see eye to eye, Mark knew enough about it, and forced Steve to sit down in his chair that he bolted up from.  “Steve has been helpin’ me through this tough time and he’s the only person who fuckin’ believed me when nobody did.  He’s the only one who said someone is fuckin’ with me while ya turned yer back on me!” Mark was pissed and rightfully so, but he wasn’t going to let his temper get the better of him.  “There’s yer proof now, BOSS, so what the fuck are ya gonna do bout it?”

He glared back at his employees, not believing the way they were speaking to him, and remained standing.  “I’ll have it put under investigation.  In the meantime, I think it would be a good idea if you two shared joining rooms together until we figure out who’s doing this.”

Mark and Steve looked at each other and nodded silently, knowing it was the only way to make sure this torture wasn’t continued.

~!~

“Wait, what do you mean you know who she is?” Chris demanded, raising an eyebrow at both his personal assistant and Carsyn, who was currently borrowing his laptop.

“It’s just like it sounds.  I know her.  I can’t put my finger on it, but I know Teagyn from somewhere.  Her name rang a bell as soon as she mentioned it.” She explained, her eyes never leaving the screen as she typed in some information.

After her first encounter with Teagyn, Carsyn decided to do some investigating of her own and got online to a site in her high school class.  For some reason, that name was boggling her and Carsyn just had a feeling she had to look up the high school records.  She didn’t know a lot of people ever since high school so she figured it was the best way to start.  Laura thought she was going nuts, but Carsyn didn’t care.  When she had a gut instinct, Carsyn just went for it, no remorse, no regrets because usually they were right. 

She wasn’t disappointed this time either.

About an hour later, an email was sent to her as Carsyn clicked on it, opening her Hotmail account, and read the list.  There it was in black and white print. Teagyn Nelson.  So she went to school with this woman?  Carsyn felt something gnawing in the pit of her stomach as she slowly rose from the chair, clicking out of the windows, and shutting Chris’s laptop down.  She then walked over to where Laura was currently resting and shook her, causing her eyes to slowly flutter open.

“What is it?” She murmured, rubbing her tired eyes, and stared up at a confused looking Carsyn.

“This is going to sound really stupid, but I need your help.  I need you to come with me to Texas.” Carsyn whispered, not wanting to disturb Chris and Whitney’s restful slumbers, staring back at Laura with such pleading in her eyes.

“Why, what did you find?” Laura asked, her curiosity rising with every word that came from Carsyn’s mouth, and crossed her arms in front of her chest.  “I cannot leave Whitney.  If I go, she is coming with us.”

Carsyn sighed, knowing she could not deny Laura that right, and simply nodded.  “You might want to bring Nora with us so she can watch over Whitney.”

“Why?  What else are we going to do?” Laura asked, wondering what was going through this woman’s mind, and sighed when Carsyn simply shook her head in response.  Without a word, Laura began packing her and Whitney’s belongings, trying her best not to wake Chris.  The man slept like a rock and was very hard to wake up so Laura knew he would not be disturbed.

Carsyn did not say anymore and raked a hand through her hair, needing to piece this puzzle together.  She did not know why, but something was fishy about Teagyn Nelson and Carsyn was bound and determined to find out.

~!~

The plane ride was long and boring, but the four women finally arrived in Houston, Texas, where Carsyn, Glen, Mark and Steve lived.  Where she lived. Where Tessa had lived.  Tears stung her eyes as they walked through the airport terminal, going through security, and finally made it out to the parking lot an hour later.  No words were spoken as Carsyn hopped in the driver’s seat, Laura in the passenger while Whitney and Nora sat in the back. 

Nora was a blessing in disguise and kept Whitney quiet throughout the plane ride by reading her books and just talking to her.  Whitney was a chatter box, always loving to hear of Nora’s stories from England, where she was originally from.  They got along great and it made Carsyn wonder how Laura found her.

After they were settled, Laura began working in the kitchen, her area of expertise, while Carsyn decided digging around upstairs in the attic.  She was wearing a pair of black cotton shorts and a black tank top that had a rip in the stomach.  She was wearing her old clothes; not wanting her new ones ruined, and started digging through boxes.

So many memories flowed through her as she found a box of old pictures of her and Tessa, tears instantly cascading down her cheeks.  They went to Panama Beach for their senior trip, a memory Carsyn would always cherish as long as she lived.  It was her and Tessa in a boat holding margaritas, having gotten fake ID’s.  Back in the day, they were easy to acquire and Carsyn didn’t regret it.  Tessa was wearing these bug eyed black sunglasses with a black and purple bikini while Carsyn opted for a black and red with red tinted sunglasses, their hair clinging to their heads.  Those were the happy days when nothing mattered except them.

Placing the photo back in the box, Carsyn shoved it aside as she shook her head, the pain too much to take.  It was too soon to go down memory lane and look at Tessa’s beautiful smile and face.  She sniffled a bit and wiped her tears away before pulling another box out, coughing as dust went flying.  She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been up here, but knew it’d been years.  She sighed sadly and whipped out her pocket knife she took up there with her before slicing through the tape and pushed the flaps back.  She coughed more; the dust like a thick smog.

One by one, Carsyn pulled book by book out and set them aside gently, blowing most dust off of them to see what they were.  That’s how thick the dust was, she could barely see the title of each book she pulled out.  She smiled sadly, they were all her old high school books she used and kept for future references.  Carsyn snorted, they came in handy, NOT.  Though the next book she pulled out did.

Her yearbook.

There it was in black and white as she brushed the dust off of it, tears already brimming her eyelids, and knew she was getting overemotional about this entire thing.  She couldn’t help it.  Carsyn spent so much time in that high school with Tessa and she knew she was about to open the flood gates and go down memory lane.  She had too though.  It was the only way to find out why the name Teagyn Nelson plagued her mind so much.

Page by page Carsyn flipped, scanning the pages for any clue or trace of this Teagyn woman.  She was halfway through when she stopped, staring back at a picture of her and Tessa.  Tessa’s arms were around her and she was leaning it for a kiss on Carsyn’s cheek, both of them in their soccer gear.  The sun was shining in the background and both of their eyes sparkled with happiness.  Carsyn could feel the tears falling, but she didn’t care and did not try to stop them. 

After staring at the page for what seemed like hours, Carsyn continued on as she flipped another page…and another…and another.  She finally got to the list of her classmates and looked down, frowning deeply when she saw the name Teagyn Nelson under the not photographed section.  Damn it!  She flew all the way back home only to wind up at a dead end?  Carsyn sighed as she closed the yearbook and tossed it to the side, burying her head in her hands. 

Why was this so hard to figure out?  Teagyn Nelson.  Why did that name haunt her and plague her every thought?  ‘I’m slowly going out of my mind.’ She thought miserably and started placing the books back in the box before re-taping it, having brought extra up with her along with her knife.  When she was finished straightening up, Carsyn headed down the ladder that lead to the attic and closed it, raking a hand through her dust-filled hair.  ‘I need a shower now.’ She concluded and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her, and started the shower sprays.

~!~

Meanwhile, Glen was going stir crazy trying to find out where his wife had gone.  He had to talk to her about this; he did not want to lose her.  John wouldn’t tell him anything so he ended up putting the man through a wall, no remorse obviously.  He was currently searching through their hotel room while John was carted off to the emergency room; having a feeling the man wouldn’t press charges on him.  Glen wasn’t in his right frame of mind what with his marriage ending along with his friendship him and Mark had.

Then his thoughts turned to Steve and growled, tossing things left and right as he searched for one trace of evidence on where his wife would go.  He turned around and stared back at Chris, who entered her room, not looking happy.

“Laura went with her.” He stated, causing Glen’s eyebrow to raise, wondering what the man was talking about.

“What are you talking about?” He demanded, continuing to search the room, and felt his blood boil when he didn’t come any closer to the truth.

Chris sighed heavily and raked a hand through his blonde hair, handing a piece of paper to Glen, who snatched it out of his hand. 

~Christopher

I am sorry to have to do this darling, but Carsyn needs my help.  She is skeptical about Steve’s new woman that has come on the road with him so she has asked Whitney and I to go to Texas with her.  Please understand and do not be angry.  I will still do your schedule and whatnot while I am away.  We shall return on Monday. 

All my love,

Laura and Whitney~

“Mother fucker…” Glen cursed, raking a hand through his hair, wondering what Carsyn was doing.  “Why would she go back to Texas?”

“I don’t know, but I’m worried about Laura.” Chris said, expressing his worries to this man he honestly did not like or respect.  “I’m heading there if you want to join me.”

Glen stared back at him and nodded, needing to talk to his wife, and find out what was going through her head.

“When do we leave?”

Chapter 17

After her shower, Carsyn decided to investigate this more thoroughly and went to talk to Laura.  She was now in a pair of blue jeans with a black sweatshirt, her hair pulled back in a low ponytail.  Laura was currently sitting in the living room, a sleeping Whitney’s head resting on her lap comfortably while she ran her fingers through her hair.  Carsyn found the sight to be sweet and tender, but they did not have time for this.

“What is it?” Laura asked, not even turning her head to look at Carsyn, her eyes remaining on the television while she continued stroking her daughter’s head gently.

Carsyn blinked, wondering how Laura knew she was there, and waved it off as she walked over to stand in front of her.  “I’m going for a walk.” She announced, causing Laura’s eyebrow to raise.

“Alone at this time of night?” She amended gently, not wanting to disturb her daughter’s rest, and looked over at Nora.  The older woman was currently swaying back and forth in the rocking chair, knitting a sweater.  “I do not think so.  I will go with you.  Nora…”

“Do not worry on it my darling.  Go on, I’ll make sure she gets to bed.” Nora replied without stopping her knitting, humming gently under her breath as she continued rocking.

Laura smiled at the woman kindly and nodded, standing up, and smoothed her blue and white sundress down.  “Lead the way.” She said quietly, causing Carsyn to nod as they both slipped their shoes on before heading out the door.

“Here, you’ll need this.” Carsyn handed Laura a flashlight as they started on their walk down the empty gravel road, each feeling the tension building with each step they took.

“So,” Laura cleared her throat, pausing briefly.  “What exactly are we searching for?”

“You’ll see, just keep your eyes peeled.” Carsyn said in a hushed voice, shining the flashlight over anything and everything the darkness covered.  There were huge cornfields on either side so this would make things rather difficult to look for, but Carsyn was determined.

Laura simply nodded and looked around, her brown eyes scanning the dark recesses with watchful senses.  They walked for what seemed an eternity before Carsyn stopped, flashing the light at a huge object that was probably around five hundred feet from them or so.  The closer the girls got, the more visible the object became. 

“Oh god is that…” Laura could not finish her sentence and felt the chunks rising in her throat while Carsyn just stared at it, solemnly nodding.

“The scene of the accident.” She whispered and headed over to examine the tree. 

She was surprised it was still standing and could see the dried blood on it along with the singe marks the explosion left.  The tree was dead; it was just a matter of time before it fell and evaporated into the earth.  Out here in the country, nobody really came and checked on those types of things.  It saddened Carsyn because this land was beautiful, yet nobody took the initiative to take care of it.

“So what exactly are we looking for?” Laura asked softly, knowing it was just the two of them, and watched as Carsyn walked closer to the tree, her heart lurching painfully in her throat when an owl howled in the distance.  There were woods not far off that ended the cornfields.

“Just look around and see if you can find anything that would link to the accident.” Carsyn ordered as she stood before the tree, running her fingertips down it, and felt the tears already falling as they sunk into the earth below.

“Alright…” Laura was hesitant and she would not deny it, but did as she was told, beginning to look around with her flashlight.  Whatever Carsyn was feeling had to be right for them to walk nearly three miles to arrive at this destination.  She just hoped Whitney wasn’t giving Nora trouble in going to bed without her there. 

After Carsyn had a moment to herself, she quickly gathered her emotions and started searching the grounds, not sure what she was looking for. Something was telling her, urging her to come here and look around.  She knew what happened to Tessa was an accident, but that still did nothing for the pain she currently felt in her heart and soul.  To lose a sister was rough and Carsyn would get over it in time, after she was done investigating Teagyn Nelson.

“Carsyn, why are we here?” Laura tried again, the question refusing to rest until it was answered as they continued searching. 

“I don’t know, it’s just something my sixth sense is telling me.  Just keep looking.” She stated, walking further down the road and raised an eyebrow at the object in a ditch. 

A car?  Why would a car be here…unless it was ditched long ago?  Somehow Carsyn doubted it and carefully went into the ditch, groaning at the foul smell the car gave off.  She had a feeling it’d been sitting here for a few months, maybe years.  She didn’t know and didn’t care, but that sixth sense was kicking in again as she tried opening the passenger door.

“Carsyn?” Laura called out, walking in the same path she was, and gasped as the rugged car stared back at her.  It looked like a dark blue pickup truck, but what was it doing here?  “Do you need help?”

“Yeah, I can’t get this door open.” She grunted in reply, using all of her strength and sighed when it didn’t open. 

Laura joined her moments later as both of them yanked the rusty door open, nodding when it finally gave way.  Both women groaned as the foul odor flowed into their nostrils, but Carsyn was bound and determined to look inside.  It was almost as if she wasn’t controlling her body anymore, that some unknown magnetic force field was directing her to search further into this.  It was like holding a treat out to a dog, but not giving it to them. 

“I am getting rather frightened…” Laura murmured, causing Carsyn to smirk over her shoulder and patted her hand gently before climbing into the car. 

“Don’t worry, we’ll be fine.” Carsyn assured her as she slowly looked around, hitting her flashlight a couple of times and shined it on the ripped and tattered seats.  Why had the police not investigated this?  Did they think it was not apart of Tessa’s death and did not feel the need to search it?  ‘Damn pigs.’ She thought angrily and raked a hand through her hair, still searching for something she did not even know.

Just when she was about to give up hope, there it was, glinting back at her as her flashlight shined on it.  Digging in the seat, Carsyn was a woman possessed as she dug her hand into the crease of it, finally digging out the object she spotted.  She fingered it between her middle finger and thumb, swallowing hard, and rubbed the dirt off of it before slowly sliding out of the car.  Laura was standing there, looking apprehensive and waiting for her to finish up.  Carsyn could not help it and smirked, knowing she was petrified.

“Come on; let’s get back to the house.” Carsyn said causing Laura to sigh with relief as both women crawled out of the ditch. 

She slipped the object into her pocket and patted it, not wanting it to fall out on accident.  When she got home, she’d examine it more and hopefully get a little closer to solving this mystery with Teagyn Nelson.  If there was one.

~!~

“I can’t believe this shit.” Glen muttered as he drove his truck from the airport with Chris, wondering what his wife was thinking.  “What do you think the motive was for her to come back here?”

“I have no idea.” Chris grunted in reply, buckling up since Glen was driving like a maniac.  “Man, if you don’t slow down we’ll never see them.”

Glen growled in response and shot Chris a glare as he stopped at a red light, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel impatiently.  He just wanted to get home and see his wife, to hold her and tell her he made a mistake by accusing her.  He didn’t care what it took, but he was not going to lose his wife over this mess.  He flat out refused too.

“How much longer?” Chris asked, breaking Glen’s thoughts as he stared out the window, the air conditioning of the truck blowing in his face.  It was hot in Texas, no wonder Chris never wanted to move here! 

“Not far, just a few more miles.” Glen replied, not looking happy as they sped past the wreckage sight of where Tessa lost her life.  He pushed that thought and memory of his mind, needing to focus on something else like getting his marriage back in order.

Chris just nodded and hoped Laura wasn’t angry with him for tagging along.

~!~

After Carsyn and Laura arrived back at her house, Carsyn went upstairs to her room to study the object she’d found a little more carefully.  She walked into the joining bathroom and sighed, placing the ring in some jewelry cleaner, and dropped it in the glass.  She watched as the dirt dissolved from the silver, raising an eyebrow.  Sighing, Carsyn decided to let it set for the night and walked out, closing the bathroom door behind her.  She stopped dead in her tracks and couldn’t believe who was standing in front of her. 

“What are you doing here?” She demanded gruffly, the hurt entering her eyes as she walked over to her bag of belongings and slowly started putting them away.  She was going to be here for the weekend and go back on the road Monday with John.

Glen sighed and raked a hand through his hair, shuffling his feet back and forth on the floor, and cleared his throat awkwardly.  “I live here too.” He weakly shot back, causing her to scoff before going back to what she was doing.

“Is that all?” She demanded, wanting him out of her sight, and could already feel the tears swelling in her sea green eyes.

“No, that’s not all.” Glen replied his voice softer and lowered an octave, taking a step toward her.  “Carsyn…” Her name came from his mouth in a purr, extending his hand as the pleading entered his eyes.  “I came here for you.”

“Why should I believe that?” She shot back, the hurt entering her tone no matter how hard she tried masking it.  “Why should I believe a word that comes out of your mouth?”

Glen sighed and walked over, sitting on their bed as he stared back at his wife with such love and sorrow burning in his hazel eyes.  “Because I love you and you love me and something this trivial shouldn’t come in the way of that.”

Was he serious?  Carsyn wanted to laugh at him, but held it back as she simply hung up her outfits from her suitcase.  “There is no love between us anymore, Glen.  My love stopped for you when I found out you were cheating on me.”

Glen blinked when he heard that and raised an eyebrow, wondering where she got that idea from.  “Uh…do you wanna explain that accusation?” He asked, his tone demanding, but soft at the same time.

Carsyn had to stop what she was doing and gripped the dresser in her hands; tears flowing down her cheeks at the memory of that woman calling her husband’s cell phone flowed through her mind.  “How could you not know, Glen?” She whispered out and didn’t push him away when his arms encircled her waist.  It felt wonderful being back in his arms, too right. 

“I swear to God I don’t know what you’re talking about, Cars.” He murmured in her ear, nuzzling it, and sighed when he felt her begin pulling away.  He simply held her tighter and kissed her neck, urging her to tell him.

“Fine, do you remember the last time we saw each other and you stormed out of the hotel?”

Glen nodded, but did not speak, silently urging her to continue.

Carsyn felt her heart lurch in her throat as she bit her bottom lip, wondering if she should indeed tell him or not.  “You forgot your cell phone, like you always do and it started ringing…so I answered it…” She trailed off again, feeling the sobs beginning to surface, and wiped them away before they could fully fall.

“Who was it?” He asked softly, stroking her back, wanting to know who had called his cell phone to upset her this much.

“It was another woman.” She finally whispered causing Glen’s to tense and slowly turned her around to face him.

“Cars, I swear to you I’ve never cheated on you.  Why would I cheat on someone I love?” He gently asked, fingering her chin in his strong hand.  “Did you erase her from it?” If she didn’t, Glen was going to do some investigating and find out who exactly called him and tried breaking up his marriage.

“No.” She whispered, slowly looking up to meet his warm, caring hazel eyes, knowing somehow, someway he was telling her the truth.  “I never cheated on you with John either.”

“I know…” He murmured, running his fingers through her hair, believing she would never do it just like he’d never cheat on her.  “Can you ever forgive me?”

She searched his eyes for the truth, finding it right away and slowly let a smile break out on her face.  “Of course.” She murmured and leaned up on her tiptoes, kissing his lips softly and curled her arms around his neck.

They were finally back together and hopefully the healing could finally begin.

Neither realized just how difficult the road to healing was going to be.

Chapter 18

“So…how’s Teagyn?” Mark asked Steve while they were working out in the hotel gym a few days later, pumping the iron, loving the feel of how his muscles strained slightly.  He needed a good workout to burn off all the liquor he consumed recently.

“She’s good.” Steve grunted busy doing squats since his arms were already huge.  He had to focus on his knees because of his neck injury that put him out of action as far as the ring went.  He was a movie star now…or so he liked to hope.  Though the WWE ring would always be his number one home and favorite place to be.

Mark nodded as he continued lifting the bar up and down, beads of sweat beginning to form on his body, and wondered why Steve didn’t talk about Teagyn.  The woman was obviously important to him, special, and yet the man never brought her up.  She’d been on the road with them for close to a week now and Mark still had not gotten a chance to talk to her, find out some dirt on Steve for the future.  That’s what best friends did after all with their lady loves.

“Do ya love her?” He asked out of nowhere, causing Steve’s eyebrow to quirk in question while he stared back at Mark through the mirror while continuing doing his squats. 

“What do ya mean?” Steve countered, deciding to take a break since he could feel the tension in his legs beginning to build, and set the weight down gently before slowly getting to his feet.

Mark chuckled and shook his head, dabbing his forehead with a towel.  “It’s a simple question, man.  I don’t think it needs repeatin’.” He stated, unscrewing the cap of his water, and proceeded to down it in three large gulps, sighing before tossing it in the garbage.

To say Steve was caught off guard would be an understatement as he scrubbed his bald head with his hands.  “I…don’t know.” He finally answered, letting out a heaving sigh, and looked up at Mark through cool blue eyes.  “I care about her…a lot.  It’s hard to say those three words though after two failed marriages…”

Mark nodded in understanding and walked over, clapping the man on the back.  “I know how ya feel, man.  I didn’t think I’d ever love again after Sara, but then I met Tessa and it just kinda…I don’t know…flowed together.” It was getting a little easier to talk about Tessa as time went by and Mark found himself actually smiling at the memory of her.  It was all thanks to Steve, he knew it.

“Sara was a cunt.” Steve spat bluntly, causing Mark to chuckle and nodded in agreement.  “Honestly, what the Hell were ya thinkin’, man?  The woman must’ve slept with half the WCW roster while she was on the road with ya durin’ that whole Alliance angle.”

Mark sighed and nodded again, shrugging his shoulders.  “Hell I don’t know.  I don’t know what I was thinkin’ marryin’ Tessa either.  It was love with Sara, but she couldn’t keep her legs closed.  As for JoAnne…” He had to pause and actually raked a hand through his sweaty hair.  “I did cheat on her and she did deserve better than me.”

“Hey man, we all make mistakes.  Yer a good man, Mark, don’t ever let anyone tell ya different.” Steve stated and hugged him in a brotherly way before smirking and began to walk away.

“Hey Steve?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks, man, for everythin’.”

~!~

“I can’t believe this.”

“Neither can I.  We have to tell Mark.”

Carsyn sighed as she scrubbed a hand down her face, nodding, knowing there was no way around it.  “I know, I know.  I just wish there was someway to get him away from Steve long enough to talk to him with just us.  I don’t trust that man.” She didn’t know why, but Carsyn had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that wouldn’t go away when it came to Steve.

“His TRUE friends.” Laura piped in quietly her head lowered, and was currently picking at her fingernails.  Nora had taken Whitney out for a stroll around the block so they could have a chance to have this meeting.

“How about if I called him?” Chris suggested suddenly, looking up at the three other individuals.  “Hey, he doesn’t hate me like he does you two.”

Laura smacked him in the arm, causing him to growl out.  “Christopher Irvine!  That was rude!” She amended with a stern look on her face, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

“Damn woman, did ya have to hit me so damned hard?” He growled back, causing both Glen and Carsyn to start laughing at them both.

They were adorable.  Chris and Laura were meant for each other, but the two were too blind to see the truth.  Whenever Chris would step out of line, Laura would be right there chastising and berating him.  She kept him out of trouble and both Carsyn and Glen knew Chris secretly thanked her for it. Sooner or later they’d find each other it was just a matter of time, especially since Chris already called Whitney his little girl.

“Well you were being rude.  That was not nice now apologize.” She ordered, that stern look never leaving her face, and this just caused Carsyn and Glen to giggle more.

“Sorry.” He mumbled, rubbing his arm, and shot her a glare before focusing on the current task at hand.  “Anyway, I think I should call him simply because he’s angry at you two for no reason right now.”

Laura smiled and nodded, pleased with that phrasing. 

Carsyn sighed as she looked up at her husband, squeezing his hand, and nodded slowly.  “He’s not angry at me.  He’s just mad at Glen for the way he was acting.” She quietly corrected, causing Chris to nod, and mumbled another sorry.  “It’s alright Chris, I’ll call him.  He’ll come more willingly without Steve if I do it.”

“Good.  While you do that, I’m orderin’ up some food cause I’m starvin’.” Glen stated, dropping a kiss on his wife’s lips before standing and going to the nightstand to pull out the menu for room service.

“Hey Glen, get me something too.” Chris called out softly, telling the big man what he wanted, and looked at Laura as he grabbed her hand.  “What do you want?”

“I’m alright Christopher.” She murmured quietly, feeling the electric shocks from his touch of her hand shooting up her arm, and managed to suppress a shiver.

“No, you’re going to eat something.  Now what do you want?” He ordered, causing her to sigh resignedly, and looked up into those blue eyes that haunted her dreams day and night.

“Just toast and tea please.” She answered, smiling when Chris looked pleased, and grumbled when he added some eggs to her order along with pancakes.  “Insufferable man.”

Chris grinned and kissed her hand before releasing it.  “That’s me sweet cheeks.” He winked, causing her to giggle quietly in spite of herself.

“You have a massive ego that quickly needs deflating.” Laura commented, crossing her arms in front of her chest, and sighed when he pulled her to sit on his lap.

“Only you can deflate it, beautiful.” He murmured in her ear since she was sitting sideways on him, her purple and white sundress flowing down to her knees.  Chris took a chance and kissed her neck, causing Laura to tense slightly before relaxing, and he growled softly before nuzzling it.

“Christopher now is not the time…” She softly chastised, though her arms were already curling around his upper body, and let out a contented sigh.

He sighed, knowing she was right and slowly pulled back, running a finger down her cheek.  “Later?” He asked hopefully, blue eyes pleading with her to open up to him.

A blush formed on her cheeks, making them a pretty pink, and Laura nodded as she lowered her head somewhat.  “If you wish.” She whispered, causing his fingers to hook beneath her chin and lift it up so chocolate brown met a dazzling blue. 

“I more than wish it.”

Carsyn smiled as she watched what transpired, knowing they were good for each other, and decided to give them some privacy.  She walked out on the balcony that linked to their hotel suite and slowly pulled her cell phone out of her pocket.  Tears formed in her eyes, knowing what she was about to do, and looked out at the sky as they slowly fell down her cheeks.  ‘He has a right to know as well.’ She decided and pressed the button that speed dialed straight to Mark’s cell phone.  As it began to ring, Carsyn fought back the urge not to hang up.

“Calaway.” He answered after the fourth ring, sounding a little out of breath, causing Carsyn to sigh heavily.

“Mark, it’s Carsyn.” She finally said after a few seconds of silence, knowing he would hang up if she didn’t say anything. 

He smiled at the sound of her voice and stood up, a white towel wrapped around his waist.  “Hey darlin’, what’s up?” He asked, walking over to pick out some clothes to wear to the arena that night.

“A lot actually.  Listen, I know it’s a lot to ask, but I need to come to Laura and Chris’s suite before you go to the arena.  There’s something I want to talk to you about.” She said, hoping he didn’t question her, and raked a hand through her honey blonde locks as she paced back and forth on the balcony.  “It would mean a lot Mark if you came here first…without Steve.” She crossed her fingers and hoped he agreed to it.

That got an eyebrow raise from him as Mark held the phone with one hand, pulling out a pair of black jeans with a black muscle shirt, not one to dress up like the rest did.  Him and John Cena were the only exceptions to that rule of Vince’s and he loved the man for it.  “What’s goin’ on, Cars?” He had a feeling this was something that was probably best discussed face to face, but he couldn’t stop the question from coming out of his mouth.

“Just come to Chris and Laura’s suite.  It’s number 320 on the third floor.” She then closed the lid of her cell phone and let out a heaving breath, gripping the railing in her hands so tight, her knuckles turned white.  ‘Please don’t let this blow up in our faces.’ She pleaded silently and jumped when a pair of arms encircled her waist, causing her to sigh as she leaned back against her husband.

“Is he comin’?” Glen asked quietly, feeling how saddened his wife was, and it pained him as he held her closer.

“I don’t know.  I hope so.  I gave him the room number and told him to come without Steve.” She replied, causing Glen to heave a sigh of his own, and, bit her bottom lip.  “I’m sorry Glen, but something is telling me that we shouldn’t tell Steve about the ring.”

“I know I just hope Mark decides to come alone.  You know him and Steve had been joined at the hip for awhile now.” He reminded her gently and began massaging her shoulders, trying to get her to calm down somewhat.

Carsyn nodded as her eyes drifted closed, letting out a content sigh, and slowly opened them as she looked out at the sunrise.  It was very early in the morning; they’d just gotten back from being in Houston over the weekend.  It was wonderful.  Carsyn was pampered to the fullest by Glen, he even bathed her.  Her favorite part was his slow passionate love making, showing her how much he loved and missed her.  She decided life was too short and she knew Glen hadn’t meant to hurt her.  It was just the whole unexpected death of Tessa that knocked everyone for a loop, but slowly, things were starting to come together again.  She could only hope and pray it lasted and closed her eyes, saying another silent prayer.

A voice cleared behind them as they both turned, seeing Laura standing there.  “Breakfast is here.” She murmured before closing the door, giving them the privacy they deserved.

Glen chuckled as he slowly turned Carsyn around, staring deep into her eyes.  “Everything is goin’ to work out.  You know that right?” He ran his finger down her cheek, seeing the troubles and worry in his wife’s eyes and it broke his heart.

She could only nod and leaned up, kissing his lips softly before taking his hand in her own.  “Come on big guy, let’s get you fed.  I have a feeling we’ll all need our strength before this day is over with.” She stated and together, they walked back inside the suite to join Chris and Laura, knowing Whitney was probably out eating with Nora.

Chapter 19

About an hour later, a knock sounded at Chris and Laura’s door, causing Carsyn’s entire body to tense while her husband wrapped his arm around her in comfort.

“I will get it.” Laura said and stood up before sitting on the carpeted floor, walking over and opening the door with a soft smile.  “Hello Mark.  Please come in.” She stepped aside, gesturing to the cart of food that was in his vision, and sighed with inner relief when she saw he was the only one.  She closed the door and walked back over to join Chris.

“Help yerself, man.” Glen stated evenly, taking a bite out of his toast, still holding his wife against him while she picked at her own food.

Mark’s eyebrow shot up when he saw Carsyn in Glen’s arms, wondering when the Hell that happened, and crossed his massive arms in front of his chest. “What’s goin’ on?” He demanded gruffly, eyeing Carsyn first before moving to the man who used to be his best friend.

“Glen and I got back together.” She answered softly with a small smile, causing Mark’s eyebrow to go further into his hairline.  “We talked things over and decided life is too short to fight about the silly shit we were.”

“Him accusin’ ya of cheatin’ is silly?” Mark retorted, causing Carsyn to sigh and stopped Glen from standing by placing her hand on his thigh.

“We worked things out, end of story.” Carsyn stated in a final tone and patted the bed for him to sit down, knowing he’d be here awhile.  “That’s not why I asked you here.”

Mark snorted, deciding he’d much rather stand, and continued staring at Glen with green venom spitting out of his eyes.  “Then why did ya?” He ordered, already losing his patience, and could not believe Carsyn actually took this sorry son of a bitch back after what he did to her.

Carsyn sighed as she slowly sat up from laying in her husband’s arms, raking hand through her hair, and cleared her throat.  “Did Tessa ever wear her class ring from high school?” She asked bluntly, causing Mark’s eyes to shoot open before slowly sitting down on the bed, wondering where that came from.

“No…why?” He asked, blinking at Carsyn, suddenly not concerned with the fact that she’d taken Glen back so suddenly and willingly.

She did not speak and pulled something out of her jean pocket, laying it on the bed.  “This is why.” She murmured, causing Mark’s eyes to bore into the object with a cocked eyebrow.  He went to pick it up, but stopped, afraid to touch it for fear of something happening.  “Mark, after Teagyn came on the road with Steve, I got suspicious and went back to Texas to look through my yearbook…” She began, causing Mark to look up at her with unreadable green eyes.

“Why would ya do that?  Do ya know Teagyn?” He asked his curiosity more than peaked and blinked when she just nodded.

“We both did, Tessa and I.  Tessa and I went to school with Teagyn Nelson, but the problem was that she was transferred into our senior class right after the yearbook photos were taken.  There were no second ones so there’s no picture of her in the yearbook.” She explained, causing Mark to nod, and Carsyn could already feel the tears burning in her eyes as she sniffled a bit.

Mark sighed and reached out, patting her leg comfortingly, urging her to continue.  “What is it, darlin’?” He pushed gently, knowing this was hard for her considering they were talking about her sister again and his wife.

“After I found her name in the yearbook, I started thinking and suddenly remembered where I knew Teagyn from.” Carsyn admitted, causing all four individuals to look at her with shocked eyes.  She neglected to inform Chris, Laura and her husband on that fact, but now wasn’t the time to berate her.

“So you’ve met her before?” Chris asked, blinking, causing Carsyn to nod and raked a hand through his hair in disbelief.

“How do you know her, sweetheart?” Laura asked softly, standing and sitting on the bed as the four surrounded the object lying on the bed while Chris stayed on the floor next to the bed.

Taking a deep breath, Carsyn let out a heavy sigh and started fiddling with the necklace around her neck Glen bought her while in Texas.  “When we were seniors, I got into a fight with Teagyn.  She was flirting with my boyfriend, who was captain of the basketball team.  Ayden Webber.  He was the hottest boy in school, lean and muscular, tall.” She sighed wistfully and giggled when Glen growled.  “Sorry sweets, just telling it like it is.”

“Get on with it.” He ordered gruffly, causing Chris and Laura to laugh at his jealousy.  It was adorable.

Mark wasn’t laughing as he stared holes through Carsyn, wondering what she was getting at, and crossed his arms in front of his chest.  “So go on, what happened next?” He urged impatiently, causing her to sigh as she slowly stood from the bed, needing to pace to get her mind going.

“Anyway, she was the head cheerleader for the Varsity football team so whys he was hitting on Ayden was beyond me.  So at the homecoming game, I confronted her about it and we ended up getting into a fight.” Carsyn said, causing everyone in the room to gape at her, and she just let out a rueful chuckle.  “I’m sorry, but when it comes to my man, I’m very possessive.”

“I’ll vouch for that.” Glen stated, causing Carsyn to smile back at him over her shoulder, and sighed as she knew Mark was getting impatient with her.

“What happened after the fight?” Mark asked, suddenly intrigued by this story, and raked a hand through his damp hair that he decided to leave down.

“Nothing.  I never saw her again after that.  The principal banded me from the football games and her from the basketball games.  I only saw a glimpse of her at graduation, but that’s it.” Carsyn explained, now beginning to pace more, and chewed on her thumbnail.  “So after I had that explosive trip down memory lane, I decided to go for a walk…with Laura.”

Laura tensed slightly as her head bowed, causing Mark to stare at the woman with many questions in his eyes, but he decided to let Carsyn talk first.

“We ended up walking the three miles to where the wreck happened,” The tears were starting to flow down her cheeks again as Carsyn paused, needing a minute to regain her composure.  It still hurt her to talk about that, but she knew it had to be done.  “I don’t know why, but something was telling me to go there.  It was like I was doing it against my will, like I wasn’t in control of my body.”

Mark nodded, knowing how that went, especially since he had a few out of body experiences in his life thus far.  “Go on darlin’, what happened?” He urged his voice low and full of comfort, letting her know he wasn’t upset with her.

Carsyn sniffled a little as she walked over, staring out the window, and wiped her tears away.  “We searched the grounds for something, any shred of evidence.  I don’t even know what I was looking for, Mark.  I just knew I had to be there at that moment…and it was a good thing I was…” She trailed off, slowly turning around to stare at him and then the object on the bed.

Mark’s eyes followed hers and he finally picked it up, fingering it slowly between his middle finger and thumb, studying it silently.  He did not say a word.

“We just about gave up the search when I noticed something in the far distance…or rather Laura did…I don’t remember.  Anyway, it was a car and it wasn’t Tessa’s car that exploded either.” Carsyn explained slowly, causing Mark’s head to whip up as his green eyes bored at her, suddenly not interested in the object as he stood up to his near seven foot frame.

“What do ya mean it wasn’t Tessa’s car?”

“Just like I said.  It was a beat and broken down pickup truck, blue.  It was lying in the ditch a few miles down from the wreckage.  Laura and I walked further than we thought.” She let out another rueful chuckle and sighed before continuing.  “So I got in the pickup truck, it was a bitch getting the door open, and started poking around.  I swear I didn’t know what I was looking for until I saw that…” She pointed to the object that was lying on the nightstand now, where Mark laid it, and swallowed hard.  “I had to dig pretty hard to get it out and then I took it back home to clean it up and examine it further.”

“Okay…so what the Hell does this have to do with Steve and Tessa?” Mark growled, his patience draining, suddenly not amused anymore and shot the object on the nightstand a look like it’d personally done him wrong.

“Mark, please calm down…” Laura murmured, causing him to whip his head down to glare back at her, and sighed before lowering her head again.

Carsyn sighed as she slowly walked over and picked the object off of the table, holding it in her palm, and walked over to stand in front of Mark.  “Look at these symbols on the ring carefully.” She stated, placing the ring in his hand, and took a step back as she wrapped her arms around herself.

Quirking an eyebrow, Mark did as she said, even though he didn’t see the point in doing so.  His green eyes scanned over the piece of silver jewelry, a ruby stone on top, and sighed when he didn’t see anything wrong with it.  “What am I supposed to be lookin’ at?” He demanded again, causing Carsyn to sigh as she walked over and pointed at the symbols on the side of the ring.

The first symbol was a cheerleading pom-pom that had their school initials on it.  “Tessa was never in cheerleading, Mark.” She quietly said, the tears forming in her eyes as she tried in vain to keep them from falling.

“So yer sayin’-”

“That’s not Tessa’s class ring.” Laura finished his thought and stood up, walking over to wrap her arm around Carsyn’s shoulders.

Mark could not believe it as he studied the ring, his eyebrows drawing together.  Granted, he never did ask Tessa about her high school days, figuring it was none of his business.  Now that he stared at this ring, he could not help but wonder what she was like back then and felt the tears sting his own eyes.

“Tessa’s ring had a soccer ball on it.  She was on the soccer team and I remember this clearly because we picked out our rings together…” Carsyn trailed off and walked over, pulling something out of her bag, and went to Mark before flipping the top on a small black velvet jewelry box.  “We got the exact same ones except my birthstone is emerald while hers is ruby.  See?” She pointed at the soccer symbol and on the other side it was her zodiac sign of Gemini.  “Tessa had the crab on hers.” She gently said and snapped the lid shut on the jewelry box before walking back over, placing it back in her bag.

Mark blinked as he stared down at the ring he was still holding and looked on the other side, his heart lurching in his chest at the sight.  It wasn’t a crab at all.  In fact, it wasn’t even a zodiac sign.  It was the symbol of a football with the schools initials on it he would guess.  This wasn’t Tessa’s ring, so then who’s ring was it?

“Mark,” Carsyn paused as she slowly walked back over, placing her hands over his, and stared up into his emerald green eyes.  “I think this might be Teagyn’s class ring…”

“But why would she be there so close to the site where Tessa died?” He asked quietly, not sure what to think, what to believe at this point. 

“That’s the question unanswered.” Carsyn replied solemnly and slipped her hands out of his, the tears spilling down her cheeks, and held her hand up to her husband when he went to comfort her.  She did not need that right now.  “I think Steve has something to do with this…”

“What?” Mark shot back, his eyes narrowing and shoved the ring in his pocket, crossing his arms in front of his chest.  “What makes you automatically assume it’s Steve behind this?”

“Man, open yer damn eyes!” Glen snapped standing beside his wife with those fiery hazel orbs of his.  “Don’t ya think this is just a LITTLE ironic how he brings Teagyn on the road with him after takin’ ya out to bars and shit?”

“No because we don’t know fer sure if this ring belongs to Teagyn or not!” Mark shot back, defending Steve to the fullest, refusing to listen to this garbage.  “Steve didn’t do any of this!  Tessa is dead!  Just let it go and let her rest in fuckin’ peace!” He then stormed toward the door, but Glen stopped him, shaking his head.

“What if there’s more to the story?”

Mark’s eyes turned from fiery to unreadable as he stared back at the man he once called his brother.

“What if somethin’ else happened that night that involves Teagyn?”

Again, Mark was silent.

Carsyn walked over and stared back into his emerald green eyes, biting her bottom lip.  “All we want to do is get Teagyn alone and find out what happened that night and why we found her ring in that truck.” She stated, causing Mark’s eyebrow to raise.

“How do ya suppose we do that?” Mark asked gruffly, finally letting his guard down a bit even though he was still pissed.  “Steve has her under lock and key.”

Laura walked over along with Chris, smiling coldly for the first time, and stated evenly, “I think I might have a way around that.”

Chapter 20

Teagyn sighed as she sat in her hotel room a few nights later, once again alone, and slowly began brushing her hair out.  She was wearing a pair of black pajama pants with a black tank top, only wearing those when she was alone.  She liked being covered up for some reason, feeling as though her flesh should only be revealed to Steve’s eyes.  Steve.  Her insides gave off a warm tingling sensation at the thought of him as she stood up, placing her brush on the dresser, and stared in the mirror.

Those eyes reflected back at her as Teagyn winced, seeing a white light flash in front of them, and slowly backed away as her eyes tightly shut.  Visions, mere flashes of her past flowed through her mind, causing her breath to tighten in her throat as she shook her head back and forth.  She still had not remembered her accident or anything prior to it.  Though her dreams had been giving her clues as of late and she did not understand why.  More importantly, the man who haunted her dreams every night was driving her mad.  Again, she did not understand why.

As fast as the visions came, the puzzle pieces, they vanished as her eyes slowly opened, her hand pressed over her beating heart.  “What is going on?” She whispered and suddenly heard a song start to play in her head.  With every ounce of mind power, Teagyn managed to push it away, not wanting to deal with another memory at the moment.

A knock at the door caused her to look up and raised an eyebrow, wondering who it could.  She quickly slipped her robe on and pulled her short black hair out before going to answer it.  She was pleasantly surprised to find both Carsyn and Laura standing before her.

“Hello ladies, what can I do for ya?” She asked politely, deciding they weren’t so bad, and leaned against the doorway.

“Can we come in for a moment?” Laura was the first to speak up, smiling sweetly, and held up a platter that was covered.  “I made a cake for you and figured we could all sit down and eat it together.”

Teagyn could not pass up cake even if she wanted too and smiled before ushering them in, closing the door, and walked over to grab some plate and silverware out of the kitchen part of the suite.  She handed each girl a plate and fork before sitting down herself, crossing one leg over the other.  “This was very kind of ya to do, Laura.” She said, her Texan drawl coming out more.

“It was no trouble at all.” Laura replied and glanced over at Carsyn, who looked incredibly uneasy, and started cutting into her special chocolate raspberry caramel cake.  It looked and smell delicious.

“Teagyn, we were wondering if we could talk to you about something for a minute or two.” Carsyn said, causing the woman’s eyebrow to rise, and Carsyn instantly knew this was not going to be easy.

Mark had managed to lure Steve away to the store for an hour so they didn’t have much time to kill.  They had about a half an hour, if that, so Carsyn had to work fast as she cleared her throat.

“What about?” Teagyn asked, taking her plate from Laura, suddenly not feeling that great about having cake with these two women.

“It’s about my best friend Tessa.  Tessa Calaway.” Carsyn answered, causing Teagyn to cross her arms in front of her chest, that eyebrow still raised.

“What about her?” She shot back, that name causing her to snarl, but she did not say anything more.  Carsyn and Laura didn’t miss what she did either and both secretly smirked.

“Do you know who she is?”

Teagyn looked nervous now as she bit her bottom lip, slowly nodding.  “Yeah, vaguely, but yeah.  She was married to that guy Steve always hangs around.” She answered nonchalantly, studying her black painted fingernails.  “Heard she got scorched in a fire of some sort.  Steve told me about it.”

Carsyn felt her anger rising quickly, but managed to suppress it, wondering why Steve would tell this woman about her best friend’s death.  “I see…” She said quietly and pulled something out of her pocket, slamming it against the table, causing both Laura and Teagyn to jump.  “Then would you mind explaining this?”

A look of apprehension crossed Teagyn’s face as she stared at the box, wondering what it was, and tilted her head slightly.  “What is it?” She asked nervously, looking from one woman to the other before staring back at the box.

“Open it and find out.” Carsyn replied evenly, taking a bite out of her cake before shoving it aside, suddenly not hungry. 

The cake deploy was perfect and Teagyn fell right into their trap.  Now there was no place to go and nowhere to run.  She was stuck with them until Steve got back, then whatever happened after that was none of their business.

Deciding she would humor the bitch, Teagyn took the box and flipped it open, no recognition crossing her features as she stared back at the class ring. “What is this?” She asked, looking up at Carsyn with a million questions swirling through her mind.

“Why don’t you tell me?” Carsyn retorted and leaned back in her chair, seemingly not affected by the look that was on Teagyn’s face.  “Does it ring a bell? Do you recognize it?”

Teagyn slowly plucked the ring from the box and examined it, her eyebrows furrowing together, and shook her head.  “No, I don’t.” She muttered, placing it back in the box and shoved it back over to Carsyn before standing up.

Carsyn was not going to drop the subject that easily though and crossed her arms in front of her chest.  “Where were you on the night of Tessa Calaway’s death?” She bluntly asked, sounding like a professional investigator, but she did not care.  This was her sister and she was going to link the pieces together even if it killed her.

Teagyn’s head was swimming by now as she felt the tears sting her eyes, wrapping her arms around herself, suddenly wishing she had not answered the door and invited them in for cake.  “I-I don’t know…” She finally whispered causing Carsyn and Laura to share glances before their focus went back on her.

“What do you mean you don’t know?” Carsyn pried, shaking now as she slipped the ring back in her pocket, refusing to back down.  Even if Steve walked through that door at the moment, Carsyn would still get answers.

“I was in the hospital when she died.” Teagyn murmured, loud enough for both to hear as she walked over to stare out the window, the tears leaking from her eyes.  “I woke up in the emergency room.  My ex-husband decided to rough me up a bit the night before our weddin’ after accusin’ me of sleepin’ with his best man.” She explained, wondering why she was even opening up to these two.

Carsyn was silent along with Laura, who was busy putting the cake away, knowing they were getting down to real business now.

“I woke up and had cuts all over my arms and a gash in my forehead.  If you look close enough, you can see it.  I refused to have plastic surgery done so I mostly cover it up with makeup.  Though it’s not that noticeable.” She explained further, not turning around as she began rubbing her arms up and down, arms that were scarred for life with tiny little slash marks.  She still did not remember what happened with her ex-husband and honestly did not want too.

Now Carsyn and Laura were both intrigued as they both walked over, each standing on either side, silently giving Teagyn the comfort and strength she needed to continue.  They remained silent.

“Steve was there when I woke up and I couldn’t remember what happened.  I lost my memory, ya see.” She raked a hand through her short black hair, continuing to stare out the window, and bit her bottom lip, wondering if she should continue.

“Does a beat up, broken down blue pickup truck ring a bell?” Carsyn asked quietly, ignoring Laura’s glare, and waited patiently for Teagyn’s answer.

“No, nothin’ does.  The ring doesn’t, I’ve tried rememberin’, but it’s hard.” Now that she was upset, her southern drawl became deeper as a heavy sigh escaped her lips.  “It’s so damn frustratin’.”

Nodding in agreement, Carsyn wrapped her arm around Teagyn’s shoulder and sighed when she shoved her away.  “Teagyn…we found that ring in a beat up blue pickup truck not far away from Tessa Calaway’s accident site.  Are you sure you don’t remember anything?  Anything at all?” Carsyn knew she was probably pushing this woman too far, but she couldn’t help it. 

Something inside of her told her to keep pushing, to keep at it and she’d get the answers she needed that linked to that class ring that was from their graduating class.

“No, I don’t.  I’m sorry.” She whispered and abruptly walked away, beginning to clean the table off and threw the dishes in the sink with a loud clatter. “You two get the fuck out right now.” She growled, not believing she’d let her guard down when all it caused her was more pain.

“We’re not going anywhere until you tell us why we found YOUR class ring in that damned pickup truck!” Carsyn snapped, ignoring Laura’s warning look, and started walking into the kitchen.  She stopped when Teagyn grabbed the butcher knife and knew she crossed the line.

“I said get the fuck out.” Teagyn ordered, a wicked gleam in her blue eyes, a snarl on her lips as both Carsyn and Laura slowly backed up.

“We are leaving, Teagyn.  Just do not do something you will regret later.” Laura softly said, trying to be the peace keeper between the two, and raked a hand through her hair as she slowly backed up toward the door.  “Come along Carsyn, we must go.” She slowly pulled her to walk, causing Carsyn to shake her head, though she was walking along with Laura.

“This isn’t over.” Carsyn snarled before finally stalking out of the door, not wanting for Laura, and wiped her tears away.  She pushed too hard and was paying for it, but at least she knew now some of Teagyn’s back story.

As soon as they left, Teagyn sighed and dropped the knife, falling to her knees and buried her face in her hands.  Why would Carsyn intentionally aggravate her?  What was the deal with this ring and pickup truck too?  What made them automatically assume it was linked to her.  Teagyn started wondering about Steve and decided not to tell him about this.

“He has enough worries on his mind right now.” She murmured and picked up the cake before tossing it in the garbage can, closing the lid. 

She then raked a hand through her hair and started cleaning up the table of the crumbs before doing the few dishes in the sink.  No matter what she did, Teagyn could not get that ring and pickup truck out of her mind, and found herself trying to remember.  What was the connection?  She needed answers, but knew Steve would not have them.  He already told her all he could and she appreciated it as she finished cleaning before walking back into the bedroom part of the suite. 

That’s when her eyes landed on Steve’s bag.

Chewing on her bottom lip, Teagyn decided to do a little investigating of her own, needing answers as badly as anyone, and walked over as she slowly began unzipping it.  She smiled when she saw his Stone Cold shirts and slowly pulled them out, not wanting to unfold them because then Steve would know she’d been snooping.  That was the last thing Teagyn wanted as she took out his bag of personal items, continuing on her quest.

Just as she was about to give up hope, a zipper was found on the bottom of the bag, which struck Teagyn funny.  It had a lock on it, causing her heart to begin pounding, and looked around frantically for something, anything to pry the lock open with.  She found a pair of nail clippers and decided that would have to do as she pulled out the filer part and began prying at the lock.  What would be so secretive that he had to have a lock on this particular zipper on the bottom of his bag?

It took five minutes, but Teagyn managed to finally get it open as she took it off, and suddenly felt the butterflies erupt in her stomach.  Whatever was behind this Teagyn had a feeling would unlock the answers she desperately needed.  Taking the black zipper in her hand, Teagyn undid it and raised an eyebrow at what she found.  She quickly pulled the object out, unfolded it, and felt the tears pour down her cheeks as the words read back at her.

A Woman Gone Missing

Teagyn Nelson

It was a newspaper article about her.

Chapter 21

“How did it go?”

Carsyn glared at her husband as she kicked her shoes off, walking over and laying on the bed beside him.  They were in their own suite, deciding they wanted some private time together.  She snuggled against his side and felt the tears course down her cheeks, shaking her head back and forth.

“I failed…” She whispered heartbrokenly, causing Glen to pull her closer to him, and felt his fingers running through her soft blonde locks.

“You did the best you could, honey.” He soothed, burying his nose in her hair, and inhaled deeply.  “Just don’t give up, something will come up when you least expect it.”

Carsyn could only nod and snuggled further against him, enjoying his scent.  “Glen…” She slowly looked up into his warm hazel eyes, her hand running up and down his bare chest, the tears shining in her sea green orbs.

“What is it baby?” He asked softly, pressing his forehead to hers, and sighed when the tears started falling down her cheeks again.  “What do you need?”

She did not answer him and stood up from the bed, peeling her shirt and pants off, leaving her clad in her dark red bra and panties.  “You.” She murmured and crawled up the bed to straddle him, causing his big muscular hands to grip her waist.  “I need to forget.”

He knew what she meant and simply nodded as he rolled them so he was on top.  His lips met hers in a soft, tender kiss that was filled with passion and promises for the future as he slowly removed the remainder of what she was wearing.  Glen then proceeded to make his wife forget everything except them as he took her to the stars and back again, loving her the only way he knew how.

~!~

“That was a disaster.” Laura muttered as she arrived back at her own hotel suite, knowing Whitney was probably back from her afternoon stroll with Nora.  She smiled when she seen her daughter watching cartoons while Nora fixed her some lunch.

“Hello dear, are you hungry?” Nora asked gently, seeing the troubled look on Laura’s face, and sighed deeply.

Laura simply shook her head and walked over to sit next to her daughter, pulling her into her lap, and wrapped her arms around her from behind.  It was very rare nowadays that they got to spend any time together and she hated it.  A mother was supposed to spend all of her time with her daughter, but due to the job she had, that was impossible.

“Mother loves you darling, you know that right?” Laura softly asked in her daughter’s ear, causing Whitney to nod back at her with an adorable smile.

“I know momma.  I love you too.” She replied and laughed when something happened on her program.  Whitney turned around to show her mother and frowned, seeing the tears falling down her cheeks.  “Momma, what’s wrong?” She asked, her bottom lip trembling slightly, and wondered what she’d done to make her cry.

Laura smiled watery back at her and shook her head gently.  “I’m fine sweetheart.  I was just thinking about some things.” She admitted gently, stroking Whitney’s hair gently and urged her to watch the television.

“I’m home!” Chris shouted from behind, causing Whitney to squeal as she ran over and jumped into his arms, giggling when he caught her.

“Chrissy!” She squealed happily and hugged him around the neck, missing him even though he was only gone a few hours.  That’s how attached Whitney was to Chris and Laura was worrisome over it.

“How’s my favorite little girl doing?” He asked with a grin, gently carrying her into the living room, and sat down beside Laura.  “How are BOTH of my girls doing?”

Whitney giggled as she pointed at the television, letting him know silently what she was watching.

“We are doing fine, Christopher.” Laura murmured and stood up, walking into the kitchen for a glass of juice.  She was suddenly thirsty and nodded at Nora who finished making Whitney her grilled cheese sandwich.  “Whitney darling, you must eat at the table.”

“Ohhh come on Momma.  There’s a good show on!” She whined, causing Laura to sigh resignedly, and rubbed her temples with her fingers.

Chris noticed how agitated she was becoming and lifted Whitney up, carrying her into the kitchen.  “Listen to your mom.” He stated, setting her down in the chair, and smirked when she simply scowled in return.

“Not fair.” Whitney grumped and started eating her grilled cheese, her bottom lip sticking out adorably.  Chris felt his heart melt just staring at her.

“There are more important matters than the telly my darling.” Laura said, running her fingers through her daughter’s hair, and looked up at Chris with a silent thank you smile.

He nodded and walked over to stand behind her, his hot breath on her ear.  “Come with me for a minute.”  He requested, causing her to stare straight ahead while continuing to play with her daughter’s hair.

“Whitney, we’ll be right back sweetheart.” She said, causing her daughter to simply nod while eating her food.  Chris guided them in one of the spare bedrooms of their suite, closing the door behind him, and Laura suddenly felt her stomach tighten with nerves.  “What did you want to discuss, Christopher?”

He didn’t answer her, deciding to let his actions speak louder than words.  Pulling her into his arms, Chris wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing her against his strong rock hard body, his blue eyes piercing hers.  Without a second thought and no regrets, his lips captured hers in a soft, passionate kiss, forcing her to melt against him.  He groaned, holding her even closer and coaxed her lips open with his tongue for better access.  Laura immediately complied, curling her arms around his neck, and completely melted against him quicker than a chocolate bar in the sun. 

When they broke to come up for air, Chris was all smiles as he ran his fingers down her cheek, and pressed his forehead against hers.  “I want to get to know you better, Laura.  I want us to try this.  I’m crazy about you and Whitney.  I think of her as if she is my own.  I love you both and I promise if you give us a shot, you won’t regret it.” He was laying it out on the table for her, giving her the cards, and now it was her move.

Laura blinked at him in shock, wondering if she heard him right, and bit her bottom lip.  She never thought he’d feel that way about her and to say it was overwhelming would be an understatement.  She searched his eyes for any sign that he was messing with her, that this was a joke.  When she didn’t find any, Laura smiled and leaned up to kiss his lips softly, giving him his answer.

Chris grinned from ear to ear and lifted her up, spinning her around in circles and passionately kissed her, knowing Whitney would be thrilled they were finally going to try to be a family.

~!~

Teagyn paced back and forth, chewing on her thumbnail, and felt the tears burn her eyes as the image of the article refused to leave her mind.  Was this some kind of sick and twisted joke?  Why would Steve have something like that in his bag?  So many questions and so little answers, it was driving Teagyn crazy. 

She decided she needed time to herself and started getting dressed.  She felt a bit bold that night and decided on a short black skirt along with a light purple halter top.  She contemplated putting her contacts in, but decided against it, just wanting to feel some kind of freedom on this night.  The cerulean color did nothing for her so she opted to keep her midnight blue eyes along with the outfit.  The purple brought them out as she smiled, pulling on her steel toed boots that went to her knees, zipping up the sides.  She took one last look in the mirror, wrote Steve a quick note, and jetted out for a night by herself.

Mark sighed as he sat in the bar downstairs, raking a hand through his hair, and ordered another shot of Tequila.  Steve was currently at a bar down the street after Mark kind of deserted him, needing time to think on his own.  He just wanted to be alone and reflect on the past few months, think about his wife, and try to piece this mystery together. 

The ring was a clue that Teagyn was somehow involved in the accident with Tessa, that much was obvious.  Tessa swerved and hit the tree so maybe Teagyn pulled out in front of her and forced Tessa off the road?  Mark sighed, feeling his temples throbbing, and tried pushing out of his mind as he ordered another shot. 

“Keep’em comin’.” He stated to the bartender, who just shook his head back at him, and sighed heavily as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Mind if I join ya?” A voice sounded from behind and Mark turned around, staring back at the mysterious Teagyn, raising an eyebrow at how she was dressed.

“Sure darlin’, pop a squat.” He gestured to the seat beside him and downed his shot before chasing it away with a beer.  “Hey man, anythin’ the lady wants, she gets.”

Teagyn smiled gently, running a hand through her hair.  “Just a strawberry daiquiri please.” She requested and had it a few minutes later, just sitting next to Mark in silence.

Mark had been trying to get Teagyn alone ever since Steve brought her on the road and he was astonished his luck was finally starting to turn around. “Not a hard liquor gal, eh?” He questioned, breaking the ice, and slowly turned to face her with those emerald gems of his.

She didn’t look back at him; her eyes focused on her daiquiri, and raked a hand through her hair as her bangs fanned over her eye again.  “Sometimes, depends on what type of mood I’m in.” She replied evenly, stirring her straw, and leaned her hand on her chin.

Mark frowned, seeing something was troubling her, and took a chance.  He lifted her chin up and slowly turned her around, staring deep into her…midnight blue eyes.  They were no longer electric; these were midnight blue orbs that haunted his dreams day and night for the past few months.  Her lips were full and pouty, her pale complexion making her even more beautiful with the short black hair.  No wonder Steve was so protective of her.  She was an absolute knockout.

“What?” She asked, brushing at her nose out instinct, raising an eyebrow when he continued staring back at her.  “Do I have a booger up my nose or something?”

Shaking his head, Mark simply threw a fill bills on the table and extended his hand to her, slowly rising from his stool.  Teagyn blinked, wondering what he was doing, and could feel some kind of force field drawing her hand to his.  Mark smiled as she took it and pulled her gently off of the stool before guiding her to the back doors.  He didn’t want to take the chance of Steve catching them together, especially when this could be his only chance to spend with Teagyn.

“W-Where are we goin’?” She demanded in a whisper, not wanting to make a scene, and looked up at the stairs when were alone in the stairwell.  “Are ya goin’ to answer me or not?”

He simply swept her up off of her feet and carried her upstairs the three flights, knowing she didn’t feel like trying to keep up with his long strides. Moments later, they were standing in front of his hotel room and he slowly let her slide down his body before setting her back on her feet.  Teagyn was beside herself and wanted to say something, anything, but that damn plaguing of her mind wouldn’t go away.

“I-I can’t do this…” She whispered out as his hotel room door opened, causing him to slowly look back at her, and extended his hand again. 

Teagyn knew this was wrong.  She knew what was going to happen if she stepped foot inside his room.  Still somehow, someway she knew this was right and she did not understand why.  So many questions were in her eyes as she raked a hand through her hair, his hand still extended as he stood there seemingly like a statue.  Though the look in his eyes was enough to drive any woman to their knees.

“Come with me Teagyn.” His voice was low and husky, the desire clear in his tone as she continued staring back at him, the trouble slowly evaporating and replaced with something she did not understand. 

‘Steve is going to kill me.’ She thought and slowly slipped her hand into his, allowing him to guide her into his room as the door closed behind them.

Chapter 23

When Mark woke up the next morning to an empty bed, he wasn’t happy in the slightest.  Granted, he did not know what was going to transpire with Teagyn, but he finally felt like he found someone with the connection he used to have with his wife.  Sighing, Mark stood up and raked a hand through his hair, deciding a shower was in order.  He turned the sprays on and stepped inside, allowing them to cascade down his muscular body as the events unfolded in his mind from the previous night.

Her soft skin, her hair, but especially her eyes are what captivated Mark the most.  She was by far the best fuck he had since Tessa died and he wanted more of her.  He smirked and poured shampoo in his hair, lathering it up and rinsed it out before washing the rest of his body.  He could not help but wonder what shower sex would be like with Teagyn and made a mental note to find that out the next time they saw each other.  Of course without Steve because Mark just wasn’t into the whole three-way scene.

After he was done showering, Mark shut the sprays off and stepped out, drying himself off, and pulled on a pair of black form fitting jeans along with a black beater along with his steel toed boots.  He then proceeded to braid his hair and sighed, the pain entering his heart again at the memory of Tessa. She used to braid his hair when he couldn’t reach the back and was too lazy to pull it forward to do so.  Not only that, but he loved feeling her soft hands doing it.  Mark just hoped that Tessa forgave him for slowly moving on because he had a feeling more things were going to transpire between him and Teagyn.

~!~

Teagyn was pacing back and forth in a hotel room she got under a false identity, knowing Steve was going out of his mind with worry.  She didn’t care; she couldn’t see him right now and felt the tears sting her eyes.  Her eyes focused on the object on the bed she found in his bag and had to pull away before she completely broke down, raking a hand through her hair.  Not only that, but the fact that she slept with Mark the previous night was more than she could take and she had to leave.

After getting herself settled in her hotel room, Teagyn called the one person she thought she’d never turn too, and was currently waiting for them to show up.  She had to piece this puzzle together before it completely destroyed her.  Not only did that bother her, but she also remembered everything that happened after Mark fell asleep the previous night.  That flash of light caused everything to flow back to her in one fluid motion and Teagyn could feel the tears sting her eyes once more.

A knock sounded at the door, causing her head to whirl around, and started trembling as she threw a towel over the object before rushing over to answer the door.  Standing before her was Laura, Chris, Glen and Carsyn.  Tears filled her eyes as she simply ushered them in and closed the door quietly behind her, her head remaining lowered.  How was she going to come out and say this without sounding like a total nutcase?  The best way to do was to just come out and say it and that’s what Teagyn did.

“Thank you all for coming.” She said, causing all four to nod as they shared the two beds that were in her hotel room.

“What’s going on, Teagyn?” Carsyn demanded, not in the mood for this woman’s game, and would leave if she didn’t get to the reason why they were here.

“Don’t call me that.” She replied, causing all four to stare back at her with raised eyebrows, peaking their interest further.

“Why not?  That is your name, is it not?” Laura quietly asked, her eyebrows furrowing now, and felt Chris take her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“I-I’m not sure.” Teagyn replied hesitantly, wondering if this was such a good idea after all, but she needed to know the truth.  She needed to know if this who she really was or if…she shook the thought out of her mind and slowly walked toward them.

Glen could see the nervousness and feel it pouring from her body, knowing she was terrified right now, and he did not know why.  “Relax Teagyn.  We’re here to help you.  Now if ya know something that we don’t regarding this whole mess, please enlighten us.” He stated in a soft, soothing tone, hoping to ease some of her tension and fear.

Teagyn sighed heavily, raking a hand through her black hair, and slowly walked over to where Laura and Chris was.  “Do you remember that ring you came to me about a few days ago?” She asked, the southern accent no longer in her voice, and that spiked Carsyn’s interest even more.

“Yeah, what about it?” She shot back, causing Glen to shoot her a glare, and took her hand to squeeze it comfortingly.

“After you and Laura left, something happened…I can’t really explain it.  I just had a feeling like I should look around the room…more importantly in Steve’s bag…” She trailed off and began pacing back and forth, knowing she probably sounded ridiculous and this was all in her head, but somehow she knew it wasn’t.  “I found something in there…something that…” She couldn’t go on as the sobs threatened to take over her body, wrapping her arms around herself, still not able to fathom it.

Laura frowned and stood up, walking over and pulled the frightened woman in her arms tightly.  “Ssh everything is going to be alright my dear.  Come now and sit.  Tell us about what you found so we can help you.” Her voice was also soothing and kind, warm.  Teagyn wondered if she was always like this and got her answer when Laura simply smiled.

“The ring isn’t mine.” She finally said, causing all four to nod in understanding.  Her stomach tightened even more as she walked over and pulled something from beneath her towel, holding it firmly against her chest as the tears fell.  “T-This is what I found in Steve’s bag…” She sniffled and wiped her tears away, the pain radiating throughout her entire body.

Carsyn’s heart was pounding in her chest as she stared at the newspaper Teagyn held tightly against her, protecting it with her life like a lioness would for her cub.  “What is it?” She softly asked, standing up, but Glen pulled her back down.  She had to do this on her own time, but Carsyn was dying to see what was on the front of that newspaper.

“I-I can’t believe I’m telling you this…” She sobbed quietly and dropped to her knees, still holding the article tightly to her as her entire body trembled. “I-I can’t believe this is really happening…”

Carsyn was in a frenzy now and Glen had to physically hold her back from going to Teagyn, her eyes widened with both fear and hope.  “Teagyn…show us the newspaper.” She tried not to sound desperate, but knew whatever was on the front of that paper would unlock all the answers to their questions.

Swallowing hard, Teagyn slowly released the paper as it fell to the floor, showing them what was on the front.  Carsyn was the first one up and snatched it from the floor, looking over it as the tears instantly slid down her cheeks.  She couldn’t believe it.  Glen couldn’t believe it.  Laura was flabbergasted and Chris was beside himself.

A Woman Gone Missing

Teagyn Nelson

It was in bold black print on the front page of the newspaper the morning after Tessa died.

Chris had the newspaper and was currently reading it aloud.

Teagyn Nelson, age 34 and single, went missing late Friday night and has been missing for a week.  Police report there have been no signs of Teagyn anywhere and no evidence besides an old 54’ dark blue pickup truck that was found a few miles down from the Calaway ranch.  Investigators say she probably will never be found as nothing in the car gave them any clue to her whereabouts.  Please, if you know the whereabouts of Teagyn Nelson, please contact the authorities of Houston, Texas so we may lay this to rest.

The number is 555-282-4282 if you have any information to help us locate her.

“Oh my god…” Carsyn whispered out in disbelief, her eyes widened, and her hands were shaking from head to toe.

“You’re not Teagyn are you?” It wasn’t a question from Chris and the woman merely shook her head in response.

“Who are you then?” Carsyn demanded between sobs, plucking a tissue from the nightstand and blew her nose as she leaned further into her husband’s warmth.

She sighed and stood up, knowing this next piece of news was either going to have her killed or hugged.  She wasn’t sure yet.  “It gets worse.” She admitted quietly, her head once again lowered, shielding most of her face.

“What could be worse than finding out this?” Laura asked in a soft whisper, wiping her own tears away, and had to shove the article on the floor before she ended up ripping it to shreds.

The tears filled her eyes again as the woman paced back and forth in front of them, chewing on her thumbnail, and talked as she did this.  “I…did something last night that answered not only my questions, but all of yours as well.” She sniffled, wiping her nose with a tissue Chris handed her.

“What did you do?” Glen asked, suddenly feeling his stomach twist violently, and suddenly thought of Mark out of nowhere.  He had not thought about the man in months, but for some reason, staring at this woman jogged his name to pop in his mind.

“I slept with Mark.” She admitted, blurting it out, and felt more tears fall down her face as she walked over to stare out the window.  “I-I didn’t mean too, but we were both drinking and I was hurt from finding out that Steve lied to me…”

“Lied to you about what?” Carsyn pried, slowly standing up and walking over to turn this woman who she knew as Teagyn around, staring deep into her midnight blue eyes for the first time.  “Oh my god…”

She could only nod, the look on Carsyn’s face telling the entire story as she reached out to touch her.  She was not surprised when Carsyn pulled back and smiled sadly.  “I can’t believe it either, but it’s true.” She whispered, causing Carsyn to stare back at her with so many different emotions playing on her face.

Without warning, Carsyn suddenly tackled her with a massive hug, the tears pouring down her face as she clung to her for dear life.  “I-I don’t know what to say…” She whispered, pulling back to cup her face in her hands, seeing the truth in her eyes.

Glen was more confused than ever while Laura and Chris just blinked, never seeing Carsyn this affectionate with anyone except her husband.  “What the Hell is goin’ on here?” He demanded finally, causing Carsyn to turn around with that old spark in her eyes that left when Tessa died.  “Carsyn…”

“Glen…” She could barely get his name out before turning around and tackling this woman with another tight embrace, sniffling harshly.  “I thought…”

“I know…so did I.” She whispered back in Carsyn’s ear and slowly broke the hug, wiping her tears away with a shaky smile.

“How can this be?  The car exploded and you…” Carsyn trailed off, suddenly forgetting there were three other people in the room besides her and this woman.  “Do you remember what really happened?”

The woman nodded and raked a hand through her hair, swallowing hard.  “It’s fuzzy, but yes, I do remember…everything.” Her eyes went to the window again, seeing it was getting ready to rain, and felt a shiver course through her as the thunder rumbled in the distance.

“Well for fucks sake don’t leave us in the dark!” Chris snapped, his mind spinning too much and he was becoming quickly aggravated because these women weren’t talking.

Smirking, the woman turned around to face both Laura and Chris, locking eyes with them as the realization broke out on their faces.  She giggled when they were tackling her with hugs before finally walking over to where Glen sat.  She got down on her knees and lifted his chin, the tears pooling in her eyes as she stared back at him with such emotion. 

“Glen…”

His hazel eyes went wide as the tears stung his eyes, though he never blinked, staring at her through blurred vision.  “My god…” He whispered and pulled her into his arms, burying his face in her hair as the sobs started tearing throughout his body.  “Tessa…”

Chapter 24

Steve was going out of his mind with worry, pacing back and forth in his hotel room, wondering where the Hell Teagyn was.  She left him a note, simply saying she was going out and she’d be back later.  Well later didn’t include the next damn afternoon!  He growled and stalked over to the phone, trying her cell phone again only to get that same repetitive message over and over again. 

“I’m sorry yer call did not go through as dialed, please check the number and dial again.” He mockingly crowed before slamming the phone down on the receiver and buried his face in his hands.  “I’ll kill her.  I’ll fuckin’ kill her when she gets back here.”

He did not have to wait long because the door flew open a few minutes later and a happy, half dressed Teagyn came strolling in the room with a grin. “Hey Stevie baby.” She crooned, winking over her shoulder, and set her things down.  She was wearing a satin mid-thigh blue robe with something underneath obviously and Steve suddenly let his threat fly out the window.

“Where were ya honey?” He asked, standing up from the bed and walked over to her, seeing she did a little shopping. 

“Shopping, exploring the town before we have to leave it tonight.” She replied nonchalantly and sprays some perfume on her, sighing in contentment at the smell.

Steve growled in her ear, causing her to smirk as she slowly turned around to face him, allowing to pluck the perfume out of her hand and put it back in the bag.  “Ya love drivin’ me insane don’t ya?” He murmured huskily and carried her over to the bed, lying her down.  “I think it’s time ya were punished fer runnin’ off on me last night.”

Teagyn licked her lips hungrily up at him, her electric blue eyes blazing with need for him, and moved when he went to pounce on her.  “I have a better idea.” She purred with a smirk, gently pushing him down as she walked over to her bag.  “I went to a sex store today and picked up some toys.”

Steve groaned when he heard that and anxiously laid on the bed while she fished through the bags for the toys.  His blue eyes went wide with wonder when she pulled out a black fuzzy set of handcuffs, having a good feeling what she was going to do with those.  He wasn’t disappointed as she straddled his waist and took his wrists, shackling them to the iron bed they were lucky enough to get.  Steve loved the bars on him and now so did Teagyn.  When she was finished shackling his wrists and ankles, she slowly stood up and turned around, her back to him.

“Honey, why don’t ya get over here and show me what yer gonna do?” He suggested breathlessly, causing her lips to curve into a smirk.

Slowly untying the robe, Teagyn allowed it to slide down her body, revealing a midnight blue corset top with matching panties and garter belt that hooked to mid-thigh black nylons.  She slowly turned around and stared down at this man before turning and digging further into her bag.  Next was a black riding crop, a whip, and she ventured back over with the most wicked smirk on her face. 

Steve was practically drooling with anticipation and she loved it as she slowly ran the leather part of the crop up his chest, her eyes gleaming.  “Feel good?” She asked seductively.

“Damn good, baby.  Get on up here.”

She shook her finger at him and smirked again.  “Not so fast, big boy.  There’s just a FEW questions I need some answers too.” She stated before walking over and digging back into her bag, making him think she was going to ask him something dirty or perverted.  When she walked back over and slapped the newspaper article she found in his bag on his chest, Steve’s eyes immediately widened.  “How long have you had this?”

“Does it matter?  What the fuck were ya doin’ searchin’ through my bag anyway?” He shot back, trying to reverse the conversation to her, and began yanking a bit on the handcuffs.

“That’s a good question.  I suppose you DO owe an explanation don’t you?” She sighed resignedly, still running the crop and down his muscular chest, her eyes turning ice cold.

“As a matter of fact I do.  So spill it and let’s get on with this shit.” Steve growled, yanking harder at the handcuffs, and suddenly realized they weren’t the play ones most could get out of.  These were real.

“Now then, you said that I was in the middle of a divorce when my husband beat the shit out of me right?” She asked wanting to make sure she had this story right.  “I can’t remember exactly how you said it.  Tell it to me again.”

Steve sighed, knowing she wouldn’t get down to business or release him until he did so.  “Yer husband was a real asshole, put ya down all the time and even accused ya of cheatin’ on him…” He began, but she cut him off abruptly.

“How would you know that though?”

“We were best friends.  Christ Teagyn, come on now.  I’m gettin’ antsy here.” He grunted, not looking amused, and that just fueled the fire in Teagyn’s eyes further.

She wasn’t going to let him go that easily and smacked him once with the riding crop right on his cheek.  “Do us both a favor and tell the truth.” She hissed dangerously before getting off of him after brushing herself against his risen erection.

“What truth?  I told ya everythin’!”

“Oh really?” She snorted, not believing what a fool he actually took her for, and crossed her arms in front of her chest.  “You lied to me Steve…about everything.”

“I did not!  Ya don’t know what yer talkin’ bout now get yer ass over here now!” He ordered, causing her eyes to roll heavenward back at him, and that only fueled his anger more.

Steve stared back at her and narrowed his eyes, seeing a faint mark on her neck that was behind her ear he did not catch before.  “Who the fuck did ya sleep with whore?” He demanded angrily, yanking more on the handcuffs, not believing he allowed himself to get in this predicament.

She did not answer him at first and walked into the kitchen, only to return a few minutes later with the red hair and midnight blue eyes, glaring back at this man who she once considered her best friend.  “My husband.” She answered without preamble, causing Steve’s eyes to burst in flames.

“YOU FUCKIN’ WHORE!!” He bellowed, his temper getting the better of him as he started yanking harder on the handcuffs, almost to the point of cutting himself, but it did not good.

Tears were sliding down her cheeks by now as she walked over and punched his in the chest, knocking the air out of him, and slammed her finger against the article.  “Tell me what you did!” She slapped him across the face.  “Tell me what you did to me, you prick!!  What you did to her!!”

A maniacal laugh escaped his lips as Steve simply stared at her, mocking her almost, and chuckled darkly as the sting in his cheek only intensified his lust for her.  “I did what I had to do.” He simply stated, causing her eyes to widen in fright.

“W-What did you do Steve?” She asked in a quieter tone of voice, trying like hell to keep her tears at bay, but it wasn’t doing it.  “Tell me your plan.  TELL ME WHAT YOU DID TO US!”

Steve snorted and crossed his arms in front of his chest, simply staring at her out of cold, unforgiving eyes that once were so warm and friendly.  “You really wanna know?” He demanded, causing her to nod as she dropped to her knees, dropping the riding crop. 

“Yes, tell me what you did.”

Sighing and knowing he didn’t have a choice, Steve got as comfortable as he could and started the whole story.  “Do ya remember all them times Mark would hurt ya and you’d come to me, Tessa?” He asked, causing her head to snap up, only nodding.  “Well durin’ those times, I somehow fell in love with ya…and I grew kinda possessive…”

Tessa could only sit there on her knees and listen to this, her heart shattering with every word that came out of his mouth.

“I decided the only way I could have ya was to wipe yer memory clean from Mark’s life…and I did to a point.” He chuckled wickedly.  “Of course all those games we played on him were fun, huh?”

“You tricked me into doing them by lying to me!” She snapped and stood up again, suddenly shaking from head to toe as she recalled everything she’d done.  What she put her husband through.

“Come now Tessa, it’s not all bad.  We had some fun and wild times.” He chuckled more, causing her to spin around with daggers shooting out of her midnight blue eyes. 

“What did you do the night of my accident?” She demanded, changing the subject back to it’s rightful place, and locked eyes with him as hers narrowed slightly.  “TELL ME WHAT YOU DID!”

Steve grunted and rolled his eyes before staring out the window, not able to look at her.  “I had a secret camcorder hidden in yer house the last time I came over, wantin’ to wait for the perfect moment to put my plan into action.  I knew when ya ran out and peeled down the road, that was it.  The week before, I met a girl named Teagyn Nelson.  Quite the fox she was and not bad in bed either.” No remorse dripped in his tone as he spoke, causing Tessa’s stomach to clench violently.

“Go on.”

“I figured the only way to get ya in my life fully and out of Mark’s was to make ya wipe yer memory clean…or somehow make ya believe it was Mark’s fault for ya runnin’ off.” He explained, still not looking at her, and cleared his throat.  “Where ya do think he got all the ideas of the accusations from that ya were cheatin’ with me?”

Tessa’s head shot up as her eyes widened, covering her mouth with her hand, and shook it back and forth.  “H-How could you?” She whispered out painfully, wrapping her arms around herself as she began rocking back and forth while sitting on the dresser.

“I told ya honey, I did what I had to do.” He replied and continued on; twisting his wrists to try to get out of this, but there was no way out.  He was stuck and caught like a rabbit in a trap.  “I ended up slashin’ Teagyn’s throat the night of yer accident and took her truck to speed in front of you so you’d hit the tree.  It was easy, just a little rewirin’ and whatnot.  However, I didn’t know the car was gonna blow up and I smelled the gas so I had to act fast.  So I pulled Teagyn’s body out of her pickup truck and pulled yers out of yer car, swapped ya, and allowed her dead body to burn while yers came with me.  Of course I had to ditch the truck so I took it a few miles down and ditched it, knowing the cops wouldn’t look that far.  They had no reason too cause the tire marks on the road were too frigid for them to tell if there was one or two cars involved.  So I took ya away before the police and yer hubby arrived and took ya to the hospital, puttin’ ya under a false identity.”

“You’re a monster.” She whispered harshly, pulling her knees up to her chest and began rocking back and forth.  “So what did you do after that?”

“It was pure stroke of luck ya lost yer memory in the accident, which is what I wanted, and I took ya back to my ranch in Victoria to rest for a bit.  I’m sure ya remember that.” He smirked coldly at her, causing Tessa to spit icicles back at him as she remained curled up on the dresser.

“So everything you told me, everything I believed was a total lie…” She said it in disbelief and slowly shook her head, not believing she ever put any trust in this man. 

“It was easier than takin’ candy from a baby…that was until the article came out for Teagyn’s disappearance.  I knew I couldn’t let ya see it so I burned the papers that were close by my house that ya were stayin’ in and kept one in my bag in that special holder at the bottom.  Never thought ya would get snoopy and go through my shit.  Should’ve planned it better.”

“So why did you befriend Mark?” She asked quietly, slowly standing from the dresser, and pulled her robe back on.  She felt very violated and could not believe this horrid plan Steve was telling her.

“Simple.” Steve snorted and yanked on the handcuffs more.  “I knew if I could get close to him, I’d get more ammo to use against him in our games.  He honestly thought he was goin’ insane, but I knew the voice recorder would become suspicious sooner or later so I decided to pretend like I had nothin’ to do with it.  Of course, Vince doesn’t have a brain either and he couldn’t trace the person back to renting the room beside Mark’s.”

Before Tessa could say anything else, the door swung open and a rather pissed off Mark stalked in, causing Steve to snap his mouth shut instantly.

Chapter 25

“Man, she’s fuckin’ crazy!  She’s-”

“Save it for someone who gives a flyin’ fuck, Austin.” Mark growled, his entire body tensed from head to toe, and didn’t move to go stand beside his wife.  The woman who he thought was dead.

Tessa crossed her arms in front of her chest and walked over, opening the door to where Glen, Carsyn, Laura and Chris were all staring at a monitor that had everything Steve ever did to Mark recorded.  “Now we don’t have to go for whose word because you just revealed everything to the authorities’ asshole.” She said sweetly, causing Steve’s eyes to widen in realization as he started yanking harder on the cuffs.

“YA FUCKIN’ BITCH!!  I’LL KILL YA FER DOIN’ THIS TO ME!!” He bellowed, causing her to shrug nonchalantly, knowing he wasn’t going anywhere.

After the four found out Tessa was really alive, they all came up with a plan to give Steve a taste of his own medicine.  Mark wasn’t in on the plans, Glen simply called him up to the room they were all staying in and had him watch what Tessa did to Steve.  Mark was confused and rightfully so, but he did as his best friend asked, shocked and angered by what he heard.

“I hope a fat, smelly, disgusting guy named Bubba rapes you repeatedly for what you’ve done to me.” Tessa spat back at him hatefully, wrapping her arms around herself, and felt a shudder course through her. 

“I DID IT FOR YOU!  I DID IT FOR US!!”

“Ya did it for yerself, asshole!” Mark snarled, wanting to beat the life out of this man, but knew this had to be handled by the proper authorities.  He would do it if another woman wasn’t murdered, who was the real Teagyn Nelson.  That’s whose ashes the police found in the car explosion, not Tessa’s.

“You killed an innocent woman all for your selfish needs.  You deserve a fate worse than death.  You deserve to rot in prison for the rest of your natural born LIFE!” Tessa snapped and lunged, but Mark’s thick arms wrapped around her, preventing her from doing so as the tears coursed down her cheeks. “I hate you!!  I HATE YOU STEVE!!  I HATE YOU FOR WHAT YOU DID TO ME AND MY FAMILY!  FOR MAKING THEM BELIEVE I WAS DEAD AND FOR TRYING TO RIP ME AND MARK APART!!”

Mark just stood there holding her, allowing her to get whatever needed to be said off of her chest. 

When she was finished, she simply spun around and buried her face in Mark’s chest, shaking violently as the sobs ripped through her worse than any natural disaster could.  “I-I need to get out of here…” She sobbed, causing Mark to nod as he guided her into the room where her friends and family were waiting. 

Carsyn was the first person up and rushed over, wrapping her arms around Tessa and held her close.  “It’s over now.  It’s over sweetheart.” She murmured soothingly in her best friend’s ear, causing Tessa to nod in agreement.

“I know…I just wish Mark could kill him.” She sobbed and buried her face in Carsyn’s neck, dropping down to her knees and taking her along.  “All those horrible things I did to him…”

“You didn’t know darlin’.” Mark’s voice sounded from behind, causing her to slowly turn around and looked up into those emerald green eyes.  “Ya didn’t know what ya were doin’ or who ya were.”

Tessa knew that, but the guilt still gnawed away at her insides and she felt sick to her stomach.  “I-I want to go home…” She whispered painfully, wrapping her arms around herself, and squeezed her eyes tightly shut.

“As soon as the police get here and cart that piece of shit away, we’ll be on the first flight.” Mark said, not sure what to do at the moment.  He looked over at Glen, who was motioning for him to take Tessa in his arms, but Mark was hesitant. 

She gasped when her body was lifted off of the floor, away from Carsyn, and into her husband’s arms as her head rested on his shoulder, her arms wrapped around his thick, muscular neck.  “I-I love you…and I’m so sorry for what happened…” She sniffled, inhaling that scent, and closed her eyes as she breathed it in.

“I love ya too, Tessa.  God I love ya so much.” He murmured and felt the tears prick his eyes, hoping and praying this wasn’t another dream. 

That this was real and he wouldn’t wake up only to have her gone.  To prove to himself that it wasn’t a dream, Mark lifted her chin up with his strong hand and passionately kissed her.  That was something he could never do in the dreams and as soon as her lips touched his, he knew more than ever it wasn’t and this was real.  Tessa instantly responded as her arms encircled his neck, her head moving from side to side, her tongue massaging his own as she let out a content sigh.  They broke apart when the police stormed into Steve’s suite and knew they weren’t completely out of the woods yet.

It took about an hour if that.  Tessa handed over all the video tapes and her written statement on everything.  Mark didn’t press charges against her, but he did Steve, refusing to send his wife away for something that was out of her control.  When that business was handled, Mark did as he promised and booked a flight for him and his wife, which would be leaving in the next few hours.  Glen and Carsyn wanted to come with, but Mark declined, needing to spend some alone time with his wife.

Suddenly, an idea registered in his mind as Mark watched his beautiful wife, the woman he thought was gone, talk with Laura and Carsyn.  He suddenly stood up and walked over, grabbing her hand and getting her full attention.  Getting down on one knee, Mark’s green eyes glittered back at her and Tessa felt tears sliding down her cheeks as she covered her mouth with her hand.

“Tessa Marie Calaway, will ya be my wife again, darlin’?” He asked nervously, hoping and praying she accepted.

“Yes.” She whispered, not trusting her voice, and squealed out when he lifted her up in his arms and spun her around in circles.  “Yes to a new beginning.”

“I like the sound of that.” Mark whispered huskily in her ear, causing Tessa to shiver and snuggled against him as she smiled for the first time in months.

A few hours later, they were on their way back to Houston.  Tessa told Mark everything on the plane that happened, how she woke up in the hospital to find Steve, and he told her about her abusive husband.  Mark snorted, knowing that was Steve’s way of getting her to warm up to him faster.  When she admitted she slept with him, Mark got angry, but he didn’t direct it at her.  That’s why he wanted to marry her again.  He wanted to wipe the slate clean and start from scratch, knowing that’s what both of them needed.

It was around midnight when they arrived back home, Mark carrying his beautiful wife over the threshold.  They decided to go to an all night wedding chapel at the last minute since they were already in Vegas for a live show.  They called Carsyn, Glen, Laura and Chris, who brought Whitney and Nora along since they were like family.  The wedding was quick and Mark hopped on a red eye flight with his newlywed wife back to Houston to start their three month honeymoon.

While in Vegas, Laura and Chris decided to get married after Mark and Tessa, knowing they belonged together.  Whitney could not have been a happier little girl and called Chris dad, which got his waterworks flowing.  Laura was trying not to cry, but she could not help herself as she watched a family develop right before her eyes.  Also, Carsyn and Glen dropped a bomb and announced they were with child.  Carsyn asked Tessa to be the godmother and she automatically accepted while Mark was the godfather. 

Tessa sighed as she was laid gently on their king sized bed, staring up at her husband with such longing in her eyes, and stroked his cheek with the back of her hand.  “You know you brought me back right?” She murmured, smiling when he kissed her hand, and bit her bottom lip when he sucked her index finger in his mouth.  He was always a very sensual man and that was one of the things she loved about him.

“Whatever I did, I’m glad I did it cause nothin’ is gonna tear us apart.” Mark replied softly, gently letting her hand go, and gave it a gentle squeeze before pulling his shirt off, back muscles rippling.  “Do ya want any kids?”

Tessa blinked as she slowly sat up, wearing a white satin nightgown, and ran a hand through her newly dyed red hair that was close to her original shade. “I don’t know honestly.” She said, chewing on her thumbnail.  “I mean…I would like one or two.  Do you?”

Mark smiled over his shoulder at her as he took his boots off, simply nodding.  “I wouldn’t mind havin’ a few red haired, blue eyed munchkins runnin’ around.” He chuckled and finally pulled off his jeans before joining her in bed, both getting under the covers.

“I want them to have your eyes.  My hair and your eyes.” She smiled, running her finger down his cheek, and kissed him passionately, pressing her body against his.  “I need you, Mark…”

He wasn’t going to pass up that opportunity and crawled on top of her, passionately kissing her lips, and slowly made passionate love to her, hoping they made a baby on this night.

~!~

“YOU STUPID SON OF A BITCH I’LL KILL YOU!!” Carsyn shrieked as she lay in the hospital bed seven months later, sweating bullets while Glen wiped her sweat off with a damp towel.  “That’s IT!  We are NOT having anymore of these things!  Uh-uh, there’s NO way you’re sticking THAT dick in me again!”

Glen sighed and just ignored her, knowing it was her hormones and the labor pains forcing her to say that.  “Breathe baby, you’re almost there.” He crooned in her ear and took her hand, allowing her to squeeze his as he kissed it softly.

“Come on work for your baby work!” The nurse coached while the doctor was slowly guiding the baby’s head out.

“The head is out!  One more push and you’ll see your baby!” The doctor stated, causing Carsyn to shake her head as she collapsed back on the bedding, not able to go any longer.  “I-I can’t do it…”

“You have too!  Come on Cars, don’t give up!  Don’t be a quitter!  You’re the most beautiful, wonderful woman I know and I love you for going through all this pain.” Glen locked eyes with her, wiping more sweat off and passionately kissed her.  “Do it for us and the baby.”

“One more and that’s it!” She said with determination and cried out before pushing for the final time, the tears caked on her cheeks as she collapsed back on the bedding. 

The sound of a baby’s cry sounded around the room, causing both Glen and Carsyn to tear up, knowing they just brought a life into the world.  “It’s a boy!” The doctor announced as they cleaned him off and wrapped him up in a soft blue blanket before carrying him over to his parents. 

Carsyn couldn’t help but cry as she held her baby boy in her arms, running her finger down his cheek, and looked up at her husband as their lips touched. “I love you.” She murmured softly and handed the baby over to Glen for him to go show everyone out in the waiting lobby.

Mark was currently rubbing a near seven month pregnant Tessa’s feet when Glen came out, causing him to stand up with a grin.  “It’s a boy!” Glen crowed proudly, holding him up for everyone to see, and handed him over to his godparents.

“I’ll break’ em.” Mark said softly, causing Tessa to giggle as she shook her head, kissing the baby’s forehead gently.

“What did you name him?” She asked, causing Glen to grin proudly.

“Jordan Michael Jacobs.”

Tessa teared up as she lifted little Jordan in her arms and started walking around with him, cooing to him, and nuzzled his forehead with her nose. “You are about the cutest little boy I’ve ever seen in my life.  Yes you are!” She crooned, causing Mark to chuckle as he took the baby from her and put Jordan back in his father’s arms. 

“Congratulations, man.  He’s definitely a heartbreaker.” Mark commented, causing both men to hug carefully before Glen headed back to Carsyn.

Tessa walked up behind Mark and wrapped her arms around his waist, causing him to turn and look down at her with glossy green eyes.  “I can’t wait for our baby to get here.” She murmured, snuggling against his side.

“Me either, darlin’, me either.”

“Will you always keep your eyes on me?” She asked suddenly, sitting down with her husband since they were the only ones in the lobby while Chris and Laura took little Whitney home.

Staring deep into her eyes, Mark smiled and kissed her lips softly.  “Only if yers are on me.” He stated causing her to nod as they both snuggled together in the waiting lobby.

Mark had always kept his eyes on Tessa, even with all the ring rats he slept with because of Steve’s encouragement.  He would never take his eyes from her; she was his everything and more.  Even after death, Mark made a vow that no matter what; she would always be the one his eyes remained on.

The End.