Reverie

Chapter 1

Blasius Chocolate Factory.

As soon as the clock struck 3 PM, footsteps stomped down the hallway toward the exit, clocking out in their respective departments. It was another day, another dollar. Most of them were going home to loving families that would listen to complaints regarding work while others went straight for the booze. It was Friday, so most of them didn’t have to be back to work until Monday morning at 6 AM bright and early.

Not all had that luxury, however.

Must be nice, she thought bitterly, lighting up a cigarette as soon as she stepped out of the building and let the nicotine filter through her system.

“Bar again tonight?”

Amber eyes slid over to the man standing beside her, a fellow coworker who had a crush. “When am I not working at that dump, Brandon?”

“Yikes. Sorry, that was a dumb question, Keyla.” Brandon mumbled, scuffing his sneaker covered feet on the ground and acted like a scolded 5 year old.

“You’re forgiven.”

Brandon wasn’t bad looking, the standard dark hair and eyes with a heart of gold. He stood around 5’9 or so, too short for her taste. Hell, when did she have time for a man in her life anyway? Never. He’d asked her out for coffee one day while they were working the line at work and Keyla declined, flat out telling him she wasn’t interested in a relationship. Surprisingly, he respected Keyla’s wishes and they became friends – of sorts. Sometimes he annoyed her to the point where she wanted to pluck his eyes out with a fork. Other times, he was the perfect person to vent her frustrations out on, a good listener if anything. One day, Brandon would make a woman very happy and he would worship the ground she walked on, but that wasn’t Keyla. Finishing her cigarette, she glanced down at the watch around her wrist and sighed, knowing she had to go home to change for her second job of the day.

“Gotta jet, talk to you on Monday.”

“M-Maybe I’ll stop by for a drink tonight!” Brandon called out, stammering and mentally cursed for always being tongue-tied when it came to Keyla Jensen.

Shaking her head, Keyla didn’t know what it was about her that attracted Brandon so much. They were polar opposites. She had shoulder length dark hair that looked black, but once under lights the blue came out in it. Friends called it midnight blue, but Keyla didn’t have a preference or name for it, enjoying the color of her hair. The interesting part was Keyla never once dyed her hair and always thought it was black. Blue did not occur naturally in human hair pigmentation, but for some reason everyone saw it that color instead of black. Keyla went with it, though she was asked countless times how she kept the blue in her hair from fading from coworkers. They laughed it off when she replied with the standard ‘never dyed it’, thinking she was lying. She didn’t let it bother her and the same went for her citrine colored eyes. If people didn’t believe she was 100% natured, dye and contact free, that was their problem, not hers.

Sliding behind the wheel of her 1979 AMC pacer, Keyla fired up the ignition and rolled the window down manually, pulling out of the parking lot heading home. It was unbelievable this little beater vehicle had lasted as long as it had. She bought it at 175,000 miles and it now had over 200,000, reaching closer to 205,000 now. She bought a few years ago for $500 from a small car lot, all she could afford, and her insurance was low at $30 a month. The owner warned her the vehicle wouldn’t last her much longer, but so far Keyla only had one problem with it and that was the radio going out. Since it had a tape player instead of CD like normal in the 21^st century did, she bought an MP3 car adapter off EBay for $20. It worked like a charm and the speakers weren’t bad in her beater either. Blasting 30 Seconds to Mars, Keyla sped down the road heading into the city part of Philadelphia.

20 minutes later, Keyla pulled into the driveway of her 3 bedroom house she could barely afford. Working 2 jobs, one being full-time at the candy factory, Keyla somehow couldn’t keep up with all the bills she had and spotted another notice hanging outside of her screen door. Great. Who the hell wanted her money now? It seemed like every time Keyla thought she was ahead in bills, more came piling in. Shaking her head with a sigh, she shut the beater off and stepped out, reluctantly moving up the stairs to her house to grab the mail along with notices.

PAST DUE

OVERDUE

LATE NOTICE

PAY NOW

It was never-ending. Unlocking her door, Keyla tossed everything on the table by the door and took her hooded sweatshirt off, the closest thing she had to a winter coat. She couldn’t afford one. Keyla had tried downsizing to an apartment, but most of them cost more than the house she had, so it was pointless to move. It made her wonder how the hell apartments could be more expensive than houses, but in this day and age with the screwed economy, nothing surprised her. Even in Philadelphia, jobs were scarce and hard to come by, so having 2 was a godsend. She just wished both of them kept her head above water since she was starting to drown in bills. Kicking the door shut, Keyla flipped the lock on it and undressed on her way to the bathroom, leaving clothes strewn behind her. She didn’t care, desperately needing a shower to get the smell of burnt chocolate off of her before going to the bar later that night.

While showering, Keyla started contemplating if maybe she should try to find some roommates to share the burden. This was a big city after all, a simple ad in the paper couldn’t cost that much, right? She loved living alone, but making ends meet had become extremely stressful for her. Keyla was losing sleep at night and had nightmares about being kicked out on the streets, even sleeping in her beater. No, she couldn’t let that happen. Maybe she could find 2 people who were struggling as much as her and band together with them to tell the government to go screw themselves. Snorting, Keyla washed her body and hair, rinsing the soap out before stepping out wrapping herself in a towel. Work started at 9 PM, so she had 6 hours to dress, eat something, take a small nap and jet out the door to continue her already long day. Before she decided to put an ad in the paper for roommates, Keyla would talk to her best friend, Lennox, and see what she thought of the idea. Maybe Lennox would have a better idea. Keyla doubted it though.

Leftover spaghetti warmed in the microwave while Keyla sat at the kitchen table writing out an ad. Quick, simple and to the point. “Hmm…I really don’t need any druggies coming to my door…” She mumbled, scrubbing a hand down her face and heard the microwave ding, standing to retrieve her dinner for the evening. It would be the only time she could eat until 1 AM, when Keyla left the bar to come home, get 4 hours of sleep and be up at 5 AM to get back to work by 6 AM. Then she suddenly remembered it was Friday, so she had all of tomorrow to catch up on sleep until 9 PM when she had to go work at the bar again. Sunday was her only day off from both jobs.

ROOMMATES WANTED

3 bedroom, 2 bath spacious house

Located in Philadelphia

Kitchen, washer & dryer, 2 car garage

MUST BE CLEAN – NO DRUGS!!

$700/month – Includes Utilities, Wireless Internet and Cable!

$700 deposit – NO CREDIT CHECK

NO LEASE – Month to month payments only!

AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY!!

Call 215-576-2357 to schedule interview if interested!

“That’s about as good as it’ll get.”

Folding the piece of paper she wrote the ad on, Keyla shoved it in her back jean pocket and ate dinner, glancing out the window watching a little girl fly out of the door to stop her father from leaving. They were her neighbors, Ed and Vicky, and he worked 3^rd shift, hardly seeing his family. She overheard a few of their arguments about how he works too much and she had to give up her job or find another one that’s the same shift as his. Keyla felt for Vicky, though she didn’t know what it was like having someone to care about and love. Not many relationships were in her past or future, just a few one night stands here and there whenever the craving came up. She never slept with anyone from the bar though since most of them were either drunks or cheaters. Finishing her dinner, Keyla crashed on the couch and was out minutes later, already having the alarm set on her cell phone to wake up at 8 PM.

~!~

Nicky’s was a local bar across the way from The Arena, as most people called it these days. Some kind of pro-wrestling event was held there once or twice a month, depending on bookings. Most of the wrestlers came to Nicky’s on a nightly basis, especially after a show. Tonight apparently there’d been a show because cars were lined up outside of the bar, filling the sides of the street and parking lot up. Wonderful, Keyla thought, rolling her eyes and reluctantly walked through the door, her blackish blue hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. She had cut angled bangs, thanks to Lennox, that somewhat fell over her eyes, but they weren’t long enough to bother her yet. Otherwise she would’ve cut them already.

“Key!!” Nicky, the bar owner, crowed her name and a few of the customers turned their gaze on her, making her shoot a cool golden glare at him.

“I’m not late.”

“I know, just greeting you. Geez, lighten up, kid.”

“Sorry, long day.” Keyla smiled apologetically, patting Nicky on the shoulder and bypassed him to start her job.

She spotted Lennox at the end of the bar with her boyfriend of 3 years, Danny Havoc, and headed over there. He was a professional wrestler for the company who took over The Arena once a month – Combat something or rather. Keyla couldn’t remember until she saw the CZW t-shirt Danny wore and flashed a smile at them, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. Combat Zone Wrestling – why she couldn’t remember that was beyond Keyla’s comprehension, but it was a good thing Danny wore a reminder so she didn’t look idiotic whenever they talked about it. Danny was handsome in his own way, but definitely not Keyla’s type. He definitely belonged with Lennox though with all the piercings he had, including the bridge of his nose, on either side of his hazel eyes –They were mostly brown with green specks- ears and other places Keyla was sure couldn’t be seen. Danny had dark brown curly hair with a soul patch connected to a small beard hanging from his chin. Most of the time, his hair was covered by a hat on backwards.

Lennox looked up and smiled brightly at her best friend, violet eyes sparkling. They were technically blue, but had a shade of purple to them. Another biological mystery. She had waist length dishwater blonde hair that had purple streaks throughout it –Dyed of course-, matching her eyes. Her left eyebrow was pierced along with her tongue, ears lined in piercings as well with a chain one dangling. Owning her own tattoo/piercing shop called Insanity, Lennox didn’t have a lot of tattoos or piercings like she probably should’ve. Nonetheless, her beauty was flawless and the best part was she didn’t let her looks go to her brain like 90% of women in today’s world. Very rarely did she wear makeup besides black liner under her eyes and gloss on her lips to keep them from getting chapped. No foundation, no eye shadow, no color whatsoever. Keyla admired her for letting her natural beauty show and wished she was half as beautiful as Lennox.

“I was wondering when you’d get here.” Lennox’s smile instantly disappeared from her face, noticing the tension in Keyla’s expression. “What’s wrong, sweetie?”

“Nothing, just tired. Long day.” Keyla gave her the same excuse as Nicky, not in the mood to discuss her problems with people pouring into the bar. “I take it there was a show tonight?”

Danny nodded, wrapping an arm around Lennox’s waist. “Yeah, might be a late night for you. You should try coming to a show sometime, might enjoy the ultraviolence of it all.” He grunted when Lennox plucked at his nipple piercing through his CZW t-shirt and growled against her neck, nipping it with his teeth. “Tease.”

“Behave.” Lennox warned, turning her violet gaze back on her troubled friend. “And try again, Key. I know you better than anyone and something is bothering you.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Keyla walked away after retrieving beers for them to go serve other customers and spotted another wrestler walk inside the bar.

Nick Gage. Or as they called him Nick ‘Fuckin’’ Gage, another wrestler that made advances toward Keyla every chance he got. He was disturbing and gave Keyla the creeps, but she never treated him with anything except kindness. She couldn’t afford to lose this job and knew the wrestlers gave Nicky the business he needed to keep the bar up and running. Keyla ignored him to the best of her ability, not interested and tried avoiding him at all costs. Naturally, he came up to the bar and requested a beer, his beady eyes giving her a slow scan that made her skin crawl.

“Thanks, doll.”

“You’re welcome. Next!” She called out a little louder than needed, but Nick got the message and vacated from the bar.

2 AM rolled around and Nicky finally sent Keyla home so she could get some sleep, assuring her he’d clean up the bar. Keyla thanked him and promised to stay later tomorrow since it’d be busy. Saturdays always were. Before she went home, Keyla decided to drop the ad off at the local newspaper before she changed her mind. They had a slot for ads and she’d snatched an envelope from the bar to put it in with her address along with a check to cover the cost to publish it. All Keyla could do was try and if worse came to worse, she’d have to find a cheaper place to live, even if that meant moving out of Philadelphia. She couldn’t handle the stress of bills anymore and trying to live in a place that wasn’t affordable. Trudging up the stairs to her house 20 minutes later, Keyla managed to unlock the door and stumbled inside, yawning loudly. Even with a 4 hour nap before going to the bar, she felt rundown and drained, all of her energy gone. She was out cold before her head hit the pillow, collapsing on her bed with her shoes still on as darkness overtook her body.

Chapter 2

Would he ever learn drinking and staying up late was a bad idea?

Probably not. Cracking one eye open, Jon Moxley stretched his sore body and closed his eyes, feeling the effects from his match the previous night. When would he realize using panes of glass, light tubes, barbed wire and other weapons in wrestling wasn’t a smart thing to do? Never. Honestly, he got the biggest high being sliced open and tasting his own blood. It was a euphoric feeling unlike any other. Grunting at a twinge in his back, it took a couple minutes for Jon to sit upright in bed and tried working the kinks out by stretching some more. Nothing a hot shower and beer couldn’t fix.

“Fuck.” He grumbled, rubbing his eyes and pushed up with his hands to stand, a loud crack resonating around the room moments later. “Goddamn…” That relieved some of the pressure, but not nearly enough.

Danny had one hell of a swing on him and Jon would have to remember to return the favor at some point down the road. They were meant to clash again, especially since Jon was slated to win the CZW championship at the 11^th Anniversary show against B-Boy. He still couldn’t believe Drake Younger was pinned last night, looking forward to defeating his longtime nemesis and friend for the most prestigious title in CZW. Up until last night, Drake had been champion for 567 consecutive days, nearly 2 years, so how B-Boy defeated him was beyond Jon. Maybe Drake was tired of being champion. Or he was simply scared to face Jon again, not that he blamed the man. They had spilled each other’s blood up, down and across the entire country, trying to destroy each other in every promotion they wrestled for. Still, Jon wanted it to be Drake he faced for the CZW championship, ticked off he’d let a nobody like B-Boy defeat him and end his historic reign.

Pulling a cigarette out of his crumpled pack and lighting the tip, Jon took a long drag from it letting the nicotine filter through every vein of his 6’4 frame. He wasn’t a small man by any means, though people underestimated him due to his weight. 220 pounds was scrawny when it came to professional wrestling, but it was too heavy to be in the cruiserweight division. Jon knew how to use his height and weight to his advantage, a lot of his in-ring repertoire on the psychological side. The promos he did made him seem psychotic and out of his mind, but in truth Jon was aware who he was. He made his opponents question everything and that was a huge psychological advantage on his part because it was just a small sliver of what a professional wrestler necessitated. In a nutshell, Jon was himself with the volume cranked full blast and worked his way to the top of CZW by destroying everyone in his path.

Wrestling was all Jon Moxley knew.

Growing up in the streets of Cincinnati, Ohio, Jon had to grow up very fast and didn’t have a normal childhood like others. At a young age, Jon knew he wanted to be a professional wrestler. It didn’t matter how he made his dream come true, but with all the violence and chaos in his life, wrestling was an escape from reality. It made him temporarily forget about the crappy apartment he lived in with his mother and the fact she stood on street corners selling her body in order to put food on the table. It made him forget about thugs forcing him to sell drugs and getting beaten afterwards or the men his mother brought back to their apartment only to end up robbed. In some of his promos, Jon mentioned pieces of his childhood because it fired him up and increased his intensity. That was his trigger and fuel – how he turned his stricken life into something positive.

Finishing his cigarette and stubbing it out, Jon walked out of his bedroom stark naked –He never slept with clothes on unless absolutely necessary- and went into the bathroom, closing the door. He turned the shower sprays on, making them as hot as he could stand before stepping inside, groaning at the hot liquid drenching his body. Planting his hands on the shower wall, Jon lowered his head to let the sprays attack his sore neck and back, not realizing how long he stood there until the hot water disappeared.

“MOTHER FUCKER!” He roared, jumping out of the freezing ice cold shower and gritted his teeth, wanting to kill the landlord of the atrocious apartment building he lived in with his roommate, tag team partner and best friend, Sami Callihan. “I’ll fucking cut his dick off and feed it to him.”

“I was wondering when you’d get up.” Sami greeted cheerfully, walking into the bathroom while Jon dried his body off with a towel and set a cup of coffee down on the sink, pure black. “Been up since the crack of fucking dawn because of that goddamn construction going on across the street.” He sounded as grumpy as Jon currently felt.

“Is that what that fucking banging was?”

Sami nodded, rolling his green eyes. “Unfortunately.” He walked past Jon and lifted the toilet lid to relieve himself while Jon brushed his teeth. It wasn’t weird to them since neither had a woman in their lives and they were brothers. “I hate saying this, man, but it might be time to move.”

That was an evil word and Jon refused to talk about it until he consumed his weight in coffee, already downing the cup Sami brought him. “No.”

“Jon…”

“No.” He walked out before Sami could start ranting about moving, shaking his head. “Too early for that shit.”

Jon and Sami met in HWA (Heartland Wrestling Association) back in 2006 when Sami became a member of the faction Jon was part of called The Crew, alongside Dick Rick and Pepper Parks. Back then, Sami was heavy set and not a lot of promotions took him seriously, but the way he moved in the ring at his size and girth was unbelievable. He did things wrestlers his size shouldn’t and proved all of the critics wrong claiming he couldn’t wrestle. However, the thick weight bothered Sami and he ended up shedding the fat, slimming down and building his muscle mass, becoming known throughout the Independent circuit as ‘The Callihan Death Machine’ and ‘The New Horror’ Sami Callihan. It depended where he wrestled what he was called.

When Jon took some time off from wrestling after hitting rock bottom, -He’d gone to Puerto Rico for 6 months and got into drugs- they lost contact for a year. In mid-2008, Jon had finally found some kind of closure and peace with his personal life and got back in the world of wrestling, working for HWA and IPW. He’d heard of CZW and had dipped his toe, figuratively, into the world of hardcore with Drake Younger, so he decided to make his way east and just showed up at a random show. Turned out it was the 10^th Anniversary show of CZW. They immediately used Jon and he joined Sami Callihan to make the infamous tag team known as The Switchblade Conspiracy. They were still a team, lethal and unforgiving when needed, but Jon wanted more – craved more. He hoped B-Boy was ready to have a short title reign because Jon would not leave the 11^th Anniversary show without it in his possession.

CZW ended up becoming one of the main promotions Jon and Sami wrestled for, so a move from Cincinnati was in order. Shortly after Jon came to the company, they looked for a place to split together and found this forsaken dump a few blocks from The Arena. Jon had a vehicle at the time, but naturally it broke down on his move from Cincinnati and Sami had to help with his own. It was currently the only vehicle they had, sharing it because The Arena and gymnasium they frequented were within walking distance from the apartment. Maybe it was time for a change. Jon really hated moving and had a feeling they wouldn’t find a roof over their heads as cheap as they had it now.

On his 3^rd cup of coffee, Sami finally made his presence known from the bathroom and joined Jon in the small kitchen. “Look, I know moving is a pain in the fucking ass, but this place is not working out anymore.” He refused to drop the subject. “We need a different place to crash, preferably one that keeps hot water for more than 10 fucking minutes.”

Jon scrubbed a hand down his face, heaving a sigh and downed the rest of his coffee while lighting a cigarette. “What makes you think we’ll find a place this close to The Arena and gym, Sami? Every place we’ve looked at is booked to capacity.” This wasn’t the first time they talked about moving and Jon would do it, but they had to be careful with their money too.

“I know you don’t wanna hear this…”

“Don’t say it.” Jon shook his head, reading Sami’s mind. “We have to stay on this side of the city or we’re staying right here.”

The frustration showed clearly on his face, but Sami wouldn’t give up until Jon agreed it was time to find a better place to live. “We could look in the paper and-”

How many times did Jon have to tell Sami living with other people was a bad idea? It seemed as though bad ideas were a constant topic today. “No.”

Tossing his hands up in the air, Sami grabbed a cup of coffee and glared at his friend, knowing they were stuck together no matter what. They both had to agree with the move or it wouldn’t work. “Fine, a different place just the two of us…”

“Preferably cheaper. Around HERE.” Jon added gruffly, not looking forward to moving, but it had to be done. This place wasn’t habitable anymore.

“If we can’t-”

“We will.”

~!~

His workout was pretty straightforward, though Jon wanted to increase his agility and quickness in the ring. B-Boy could be a high-flyer when the situation called for it, so Jon had to be prepared. He wanted to be 10 steps ahead of his opponent in all matches, having studied some of B-Boy’s matches throughout the year he’d been in CZW. If B-Boy could knock off Drake Younger, one of the toughest men Jon ever faced in the ring and business to date, then he really had to be on his A game. Jumping up and down on boxes helped with that, strengthening his legs and thighs immensely. Once they went to train at The Arena to spar for a while, the agility would come into play and Jon wouldn’t leave until he felt it was perfected. There wasn’t a lot in life he took seriously, but training and working out was definitely one of them. He never missed a workout, no matter how sick or hung-over he was. After jumping boxes, he went to the military press and put 250 on the bar, which wasn’t his max, but Jon didn’t want to push himself too much. He sat down and began lifting, doing 100 reps without stopping. Sami glanced over at him and knew Jon was prepping for the biggest match in his CZW career, but also didn’t want his friend pushing too much.

Training at The Arena went the same way, though Jon kept knocking Sami down. Sami got his own licks in, but he let Jon had the brunt of the sparring contest. He had to make sure Jon was ready for B-Boy, still not believing it wasn’t Drake Younger Jon was facing. They were both beat up and tired from the night before, each of them having small stitches in their foreheads from the tag match against Danny and Necro Butcher. Sami ended up being pinned by Necro Butcher to earn a match against The New Horror at the 11^th Anniversary show. So that’s who Sami had to prepare to face, not too worried about it since Necro Butcher wasn’t in shape these days and the man wrestled barefoot for some reason.

“Goddamn it, Jon!” Sami growled, holding his sore jaw and hit the mat several times, glaring up at his smirking partner. “Look, I know you’re worried about your match with B-Boy…”

Jon snorted, planting his hands on his hips. “You’re diluted if you think that asshole intimidates me. It’ll be like taking candy from a baby when I beat him in February. Now stop your bitching and get up. We’re not done yet.”

5 hours later, Sami called it quits and headed out with Jon, both of them spent from training and sparring. Jon was ready and Sami felt like he could sleep a straight year. They headed to the grocery store to pick up a few things for dinner. If Jon mentioned cheeseburgers again, Sami would sock him in the nose and he’d end up having a broken nose going into the 11^th Anniversary show against B-Boy. Walking down the food aisle, Jon grabbed a few things while Sami hesitated on what he wanted. They ended up agreeing on grilled chicken sandwiches and tossed in some beer along with it. Just for kicks, Sami picked up a paper and ignored Jon’s scowl, looking through it while waiting in line to checkout.

“Yo check this out.” Sami folded the paper and flashed it in Jon’s face, pointing at the ad that caught his eye. “I know it’s not a place of our own, but-”

“I said no living with anyone else.” Jon scrubbed a hand down his face and fought the urge not to strangle his best friend right in the store.

“Will you just LISTEN and shut your mouth for 5 seconds?” Sami growled, slamming his finger on the paper emphatically, forcing Jon’s attention to it. “LOOK, $700 a month that includes everything – even fucking cable! Where the fuck else are you gonna find that? It’s a 3 bedroom house, spacious and no lease, so we can leave whenever the hell we want if we don’t like it. It’s month to month, Moxley.”

Jon was not a social butterfly, though he did hang out with a few of the wrestlers from CZW like Sami and Danny. He mostly kept to himself and minded his own business, just making his way up the ladder of the Independent circuit. His main goal was to make it to the WWE, but then again he had tried that route and honestly thought they didn’t give a crap about him. Weirder things had happened in the industry though. If Jon made it to the top of CZW, it would no doubt mark the beginning of his ascend to the top of every promotion in the country he wrestled for. Glancing at the ad again, Jon heaved a reluctant sigh and didn’t say a word, paying for the groceries with Sami. It wasn’t until they were in the car on their way back to the apartment that Jon finally spoke again.

“We can check it out, but no fucking promises.”

Grinning, Sami clapped Jon on the shoulder and shook him a little, happy his friend was finally seeing things his way.

Chapter 3

“So, what kind of internet do you have?”

Keyla arched a brow at the nerdy man sitting in front of her with a Super Mario Brothers t-shirt and jeans, black rimmed glasses over his brown eyes and messy hair. “Regular, I guess?” Did it matter what kind she had? Apparently so with this joker.

“I’m a gamer and I need the highest speed internet possible for my World of Warcraft account.” He sniffled and wiped his nose with his finger before depositing it on his jeans.

That wasn’t gross or anything, Keyla thought, feeling nauseous since this was the first of many interviews. “I just have regular and I’m not changing the ‘speed’ or whatever.” There was no way in hell this idiot was stepping a TOE in her house! “Any other questions?”

“No. I don’t think this will work out. Goodbye.” He stood up abruptly and walked out of the coffee shop, his drink already paid for.

“Good riddance, jackass.” Keyla muttered, crossing his name off the list and sipped more of her coffee while waiting for her next interview. “I’m gonna need a drink after this.”

Whipping her cell phone out, Keyla decided to give Lennox a call and see if she wanted to come over for that night to catch up since they hadn’t hung out in a while.

~!~

“Oh Danny!”

Lennox was in the middle of being thoroughly satisfied from her boyfriend, every thrust he produced inside her receptive body making her tingle. She hadn’t expected this to happen, especially when he was preparing for the next CZW show at the gym. For some reason, Danny came home early from working out and he didn’t waste time attacking her, claiming she looked irresistible in what she wore. What Lennox didn’t realize was, since she didn’t have a bra, Danny could clearly see the dark areolas of her breasts through the thin material of the tank top she wore. She had lunch made for him and, instead of eating, Danny swiped the food to the floor before crushing his mouth to hers. His tongue ring caressed against hers, the iron balls clicking together only heightening the intensity of the moment. He broke the kiss, whipped her around to where her abdomen bit into the counter and bit into the side of her neck, grinding against her short covered backside. It didn’t take long for Lennox to get the hint on what he wanted, not concerned with the destroyed meals because they both had a different appetite.

“Naughty girl.” Danny groaned when he removed her shorts, only to discover she hadn’t worn panties either. No panties and no bra, just the way he liked her. “Time to check and see how ready you are for my cock, baby.”

“Oh I’m more than ready.” She purred out in assurance, bending over spread eagle in front of him and whimpered, the anticipation killing her.

Danny smirked, already knowing that, but he couldn’t resist teasing his beautiful woman a little. “Just to be on the safe side, I’m gonna check you anyway.” Then he slid two fingers deep inside of her, groaning at how tight her walls clamped around them. “Ohh yeah, wet and ready for me...”

“Like I wouldn’t be?” Lennox remarked, shooting him a playful glare over her shoulder and purposely jutted her backside out, wiggling it against his basketball short covered erection. “If you keep playing with me, I’ll get off on my own.”

Danny growled at her threat and smacked one cheek, shoving his shorts down kicking them to the side. He always went commando, not a fan of boxers, boxer/briefs, underwear or anything constricting. Gripping his pulsating cock, Danny stroked the tip a few times up and down her wet slit, pushing Lennox down to where the top half of her sprawled against the counter. He didn’t bother removing her tank top because it was easy access to get to her breasts, even with the offending material. Lennox quivered, gripping the counter and cried out when Danny slammed inside of her out of nowhere, enjoying both pain and pleasure he gave her.

“So fucking hot and wet, goddamn I love fucking your pussy, baby…” Danny groaned, burying his fingers in her purple streaked hair and pulled her up, his fingers delving under the tank top to tweak her nipples. “Tell me how my cock feels deep inside of you, Lennox…”

“Incredible, so fucking good, Danny…” Lennox breathed out, pushing back to meet every thrust he gave her, her backside bouncing off his pelvis as hard and fast as he could. “I love your cock inside of me…It feels like you were especially made for me. Pound me, make me cum all over your dick. I need it!”

He smirked, moving his hands from her breasts down her sides and gripped her hips again, having an idea on how to make her cum buckets full for him. Violet eyes shot open when Lennox felt her feet leave the tiled kitchen floor suddenly and her legs arched around Danny’s waist. Her hands gripped the counter tightly while her chest pressed into it, his cock hitting her sweet spot repeatedly. If he kept this up, Lennox would climax in no time and she wanted this to last as long as possible, knowing Danny did too. Lennox was in such a state of ecstasy, she didn’t notice the phone ringing until Danny ordered her to answer it.

“W-What?!”

“Answer the phone while I’m fucking you.” It was a command, not a request.

Swallowing hard, Lennox reached over and picked up the house phone, pressing the green button holding it to her ear. “H-Hello?”

“That’s so fucking hot, baby.” Danny murmured in her ear and flicked the lobe with his tongue, increasing the pace of his powerful thrusts. “Go ahead, talk.”

Danny was into some of the weirdest and unique things, but this was a first for Lennox. Why he thought she was hot talking on the phone to… “OH hey Key!” Of course it would be Keyla on the other line!! She had impeccable timing and Lennox knew Danny wouldn’t let her end the call unless Keyla did it first. “What’s up?” Lennox tried keeping her voice as steady as possible, keeping the phone away from her mouth because of how heavy her breathing was.

“Stuck at the coffee shop interviewing morons for roommates. This is awful.” Keyla muttered, looking up when her second interview of the day came strolling up and held her finger up in a one second gesture. “I was wondering what you were doing tonight.”

“Uh nothing, why?” Not that she knew of anyway unless Danny wanted to have an all-day sexual escapade, which they’d done before. “Oh fuck…”

Keyla arched a brow when she heard that. “What’s wrong?”

“Stubbed my toe.” Lennox said in a rush of words, feeling her eyes drift shut and could feel the hot coil developing within her abdomen. “I-I’m fine, oh fuck that hurts…” So good, she added in thought, hearing Danny’s evil chuckle in her ear and gripped the counter tighter. “So you wanna hang out then?”

“If you’re not too busy…” Keyla wasn’t looking forward to the other 4 interviews she had lined up that day and felt like blowing her head off. “I could really use some girl talk and preferably with alcohol.”

“Sounds good. I’ll be over around 5.” Lennox would pay Danny back for this if it was the last thing she did, not that she wasn’t enjoying it. She just hoped Keyla didn’t figure out what was really going on through the phone. “I-I need to go ice my toe…” And finish her bout with Danny.

Keyla knew what it was like to stub her toe, a natural-born klutz and so was Lennox. “Sounds good, see you then and wish me luck on the interviews…” She glanced over at the hot pink haired punk rocker looking woman sitting at her table and groaned, not realizing Danny did it at the same time. “I’m gonna need it…”

“Good luck, see you later tonight.” Lennox couldn’t have been more relieved when the call ended and growled, shooting a glare over her shoulder at a grinning Danny. “You are so bad.”

“Bad to the bone, baby.” Danny agreed, feeling the tingle in his balls and gripped the sides of her thighs to the point where his own nails dug into her flesh. “Now make that sweet pussy cum all over my cock.”

“With pleasure.”

~!~

“You WHAT?!”

Lennox flushed from the top of her head to the tips of her toes and took a shot of Tequila, their favorite booze. “I did not think he could get any kinkier, but I was SADLY mistaken.”

Keyla blinked, wondering if she’d heard her best friend correctly and pretended to clean her ears out with a finger. “So…when I called earlier today while at the coffee shop, you two were…”

“I plead the 5^th.” Lennox cracked a sheepish smile and poured each of them another shot, both needing it desperately. “He said it was fucking hot to watch me talk on the phone while he fucked me over the counter in the kitchen.”

“Wow, and here I thought I’d met the freaks of the day.” Keyla muttered, swallowing down a shot and leaned back against the couch, draping her arm across the back of it. “I swear, I’m never going to find two sane people to take over the rooms in this godforsaken place. I might as well start looking for places to move.”

Lennox didn’t like the sound of that, frowning. “It’s only the first day of interviews, woman. You need to give it time. Wait a week and see what happens. Your problem is you have no patience.”

“Right because I hate waiting around. I hate not being in control of the situation. If I get one more ‘final notice’, I’m gonna burn the fucking place down and hopefully get away with collecting from the insurance company.” Then Keyla started laughing, slapping her jean covered thigh. “Oh wait! I don’t have insurance on this place because I can’t afford it!”

“Just give it a little more time. Tell you what, I’ll ask around Danny’s friends and see if anyone is looking for a room to rent. Preferably no bad freaks since you’re best friends with a good one.” Lennox winked, both girls laughing and she nudged Keyla, draping an arm around her shoulders. “Don’t worry, girl, we’ll figure it out, even if Danny and I have to move in with you.”

Keyla shook her head instantly. “No, I’m not THAT desperate yet.” They took another shot while music played from the stereo in the corner of the living room. “Enough about the roommate shit, tell me more about what kind of freak you are in the bedroom. Maybe you can give me some tips since I can’t seem to keep a man in my bed for more than a night.”

“First of all, it’s called sadomasochism.” Lennox said informatively, crossing one leg over the other and laughed at the confusion crossing Keyla’s face. “Basically, it’s sex that includes both pain and pleasure along with some Dom and Sub shit, depending on what you’re into. It’s also called BDSM. Bondage, Discipline, Sadomasochism and Masochism.”

“BDSM? Dom and Sub?” Now Keyla was intrigued, scratching her head slightly. “Do I dare ask what that is?”

Lennox laughed, wondering how she could explain this without mortifying Keyla or making her friend think Danny was abusing her. “Basically, a Dom is the ‘Master’ or whatever he wants to call you. You do anything he/she is asked. It also involves role-playing among other things I’m not gonna get into tonight. And there’s some WEIRD shit people will do for pleasure, things I won’t even go NEAR and Danny knows it.”

“Such as?”

Thinking it over, Lennox suddenly thought of the perfect example off the top of her head. “Fisting. Both anal and vaginal.”

Keyla nearly choked on the shot of Tequila she’d taken, amber eyes wide as saucers. “A-Are you – I’m sorry – WHAT? People actually…”

“Yeah, Danny knows a few of the guys in CZW who enjoy doing that type of shit. How a woman can stand a man’s fist sliding into her asshole is beyond me. Danny wouldn’t even do that because he’s afraid of hurting me with the kinky shit we do as it is.” Lennox had more than likely put images into Keyla’s mind that would give her nightmares that night, but she wouldn’t hide the truth from her friend either.

It took her a few minutes to get past the ‘fisting’ conversation before Keyla spoke again. “So…what exactly constitutes to you as ‘kinky’?”

“Handcuffs. I LOVE being cuffed to the bed or cuffing Danny and both of us torturing each other. Not to the point of pain, though there is some of it. But it’s all in good fun and he’s never hurt me to the point where I told him to stop.” Lennox looked at her phone and smiled at the text message Danny sent her, showing it to Keyla. “He can be a real sweetheart when he wants to be too.”

I hope I didn’t hurt you today and you’re having fun with Key. Love you.

Keyla smiled, handing the phone back to Lennox and wasn’t worried about Danny hurting her best friend. “Yeah he is, for a smelly wrestler who enjoys inflicting pain on others.” There was no malice in her tone. “So what else?”

“Bondage, blindfolds, sex toys like whips and feathers, chains, vibrators, food and even candlewax. It’s all erotic for the most part. You have no idea how hot it is to play with his eye and nipple piercing. Tugging them with my teeth and hearing him hiss out in both pain and pleasure…” Lennox had to take another shot and turned the fan toward them to cool off, clearing her throat. “I don’t do spanking though. He can slap me on my ass once or twice, but not full-out spanking. That’s one of my rules. I want to be fucked and enjoy myself with my man, not be treated like a child.”

“Right.” Keyla agreed, wondering how they used whips against each other without being hurt and immediately pushed that question out of her mind. There were just some things best friends didn’t need to know about each other, especially their sex lives. “Well, as long as you enjoy Danny and anything he does to you, that’s all that matters. But fisting…”

Lennox cringed at the word and shook her head. “New topic now. So what can I do to help with the roommate situation?” She’d had enough talk about BDSM and S&M, wanting to focus on Keyla’s current problem.

Keyla couldn’t have been happier for the change in topic and shrugged, looking down at her shot glass. “Maybe it’s hopeless, but you’re right. I do need to give it more time.”

Suddenly, Lennox remembered Danny mentioning something about his friends looking for a new place to live, not believing she let it slip her mind until now. “You know what? I think I might have two people looking for a place to live. Their name is Jon and Sami.” She didn’t bother mentioning last names. “They’re wrestlers, mind you, and work with Danny in CZW. Great guys, I can personally vouch for them.”

“Why are they looking for a place? Don’t they have one already?” Keyla could feel the Tequila working its magic and the buzz was incredibly strong.

Lennox felt the same way. “Something about living in a shithole apartment building falling apart and the landlord is a scumbag who refuses to fix it. Hey, you can at least meet them and see how it goes. I know you’re not fond of wrestlers…”

“That doesn’t bother me. What they do with their lives and bodies is their business.” Keyla didn’t see the harm in meeting with Danny’s friends – Jon and Sami – and seeing what they were like. “Hell, maybe this will be a match made in heaven.” Or hell, she added in thought, not realizing they’d already killed off a bottle of Tequila and Lennox was popping the second one open.

She’d have one hell of a hangover in the morning, but all Keyla could think about was finding roommates to share the burden of finances. Hopefully, Jon and Sami worked out so she could take the ad out of the paper. That would stop the lunatics of Philadelphia from calling her about the rooms. Both girls ended up passing out on the couch together sprawled out with their heads on opposites sides, their legs entangled together.

This was what a true friendship consisted of.

Chapter 4

“I’m never drinking again.”

Danny chuckled down at his groaning girlfriend while rubbing her temples with his forefinger and thumbs, trying to lull her current hangover migraine to a dull pounding instead of an intense beating drum.  The moment she came stumbling through the front door at 6 AM that morning, Danny had taken action because it wasn’t the first time Lennox had a night of binge drinking with Keyla and he knew it wouldn’t be the last.  They were best friends.  Hell, when he went binge drinking with his friends, Lennox took care of him.  All Danny really did was returned the favor.  It happened once a month with Keyla because the woman worked so much, she rarely had time to wipe her backside properly let alone hang out with Lennox.

“You always say that, baby.  Then you get to feeling better and wanna party all over again.”

Lennox flipped him the bird, not moving since she currently had a cool cloth draped over her eyes and the whole house was pitch black for the most part. “Shut up smart ass and let me whine.” She grumbled, which made Danny chuckle harder.

“So what was the binge for this time?”

Lennox hadn’t told Danny about Keyla looking for roommates yet, but now that he brought it up, Jon and Sami suddenly popped in her mind. “Key is having a financial crisis and…she put an ad in the paper looking for roommates.  $700 a month, including all utilities, cable and internet.  Deposit is the same as first month’s rent and there’s no lease.  And everyone who’s interviewed or called about the ad has driven her crazy.  She’s ready to throw in the towel and leave Philly if she can’t find 2 semi-normal people to share her house with.  I told her if worse comes to worse, we’ll move in with her and she declined that.”

That attained Danny’s interest immediately. “Really?  You actually told her that?” He watched Lennox nod and scratched his goatee thoughtfully. “I can’t believe she turned that offer down…”

“She’s not desperate enough yet, babe, that’s why.” Lennox muttered, feeling the Excedrin start to kick in and sighed with relief. “I’m not letting her move, so we’re her last resort whether she likes it or not.” She didn’t have many friends in this city besides the people Danny hung around and Keyla was her escape from Danny’s ultraviolent world when it became too much for her. “Anyway, didn’t you say Mox and Callihan were looking for a new place to live?”

They really did share a brain and mindset, Danny thought, smiling warmly down at her. “Yeah, they are and before you ask, yes I’ll talk to them about Keyla’s place.” It was a nice house, no roaches or bugs of any kind and clean with no crooked landlords. “Is her ad still in the paper?”

“For another week or so, yeah.  She wanted to take it out today, but I told her she had to be patient and the right people would come along.”

“Mox is rough around the edges and Sami is…Sami.” Danny really couldn’t describe his friends and CZW cohorts because they were definitely unique individuals. “Do you think Key would mind living with wrestlers?”

“No, but they’d have to do their parties or whatever somewhere else because Key has 2 jobs, one she has to get up for early in the morning.”

Danny nodded, not sure how Jon and Sami would feel about that or living with a female for that matter. “I’ll talk to them, see what they say and let you know.”

“Thanks babe, now turn on a movie and keep rubbing my head.”

“Bossy wench.”

~!~

“He’s at it again, eh?”

Sami nodded, watching Jon bounce off the ropes and clothesline Scotty Vortekz almost out of his boots.  The man did a complete flip in the air before landing face first on the mat.  Both Sami and Danny cringed simultaneously and shook their heads while Jon helped Scotty to his feet.

“Goddamn Mox, I told you not to do it so hard!” Scotty growled, holding his busted chin and had a feeling he’d need stitches. “This isn’t the actual show, fuckwad!”

Jon merely shrugged, leaning over the ropes with a smirk. “If you can’t hack the training, why bother doing the actual show, Vortekz?  Maybe you should quit and go back to the minor leagues, boy.  Leave the hardcore stuff to the real men.” He loved taunting people, even his friends and could see the anger pooling in Scotty’s eyes.

“Fuck you, prick.  I’m outta here.” Scotty grunted, stalking out of The Arena and slammed the door behind him so hard, the sound echoed throughout the building.

“Nice going, Jon.” Sami shook his head while Jon began bouncing off the ropes again.  They’d been training for nearly 5 hours and Sami was bushed, wanting to go sleep for the next year or so. “What are you doing here, Havoc?”

“Came to talk to both of you, if you’ve got a couple minutes to spare.”

Sami raised a brow, wondering what Danny wanted to talk about and nodded. “Take 5 Jon, Havoc wants to discuss something!” He called out, turning tentative green eyes on Danny.

Vaulting over the top rope and landing on the ring apron, Jon hopped down to join Sami and Danny, chugging bottled water. “What’s up?” This better be important or else Jon would ram Danny’s forehead into the nearest ring post.

“First off, still looking for a new place to crash?” If they found one already, Danny wouldn’t be happy considering he left his beautiful girlfriend at home to make the trip down here.

“What about it?” Jon asked impatiently,

“Jon…”

“I told you I’m not living with a complete stranger, Sami.  How many fucking times do I have to say it?”

“Until you’re blue in the face.” Sami retorted with a straight face, eyes narrowing. “Whether you like it or not…”

Danny pinched the bridge of his nose and simply snatched the newspaper out of Sami’s hand he’d been reading. “Is this the ad you were looking at?” Fate really worked in mysterious ways.

“Yeah, why?”

“Renting 2 rooms from an idiot that will either hack us to pieces in our fucking sleep or want to fuck us because she’ll be a bitch in heat wanting our money.  No thanks.” Jon ranted, hating that Sami was considering renting a room when they had enough money to potentially get their own place.  It would strap them financially though.

“Boys, lady luck is on your side tonight.  This ad is from Lennox’s best friend Keyla.  She works at Nicky’s, bartends at night.” Danny explained, watching Sami’s eyes grow wide while Jon raised a very slow brow that almost went up to this hairline.

“Wait a minute, you mean the midnight blue haired hottie that Gage always hits on?”

Danny grinned with a nod. “She’s looking for 2 roommates to help run her 3 bedroom house.  And it’s a nice one.  Everything in the ad is there and more. You boys would definitely be better off living with her then in the dump you are now.”

“I’ll be damned.  Jon agreed to look at this place with me and you know the woman.” Sami was in heaven, but Jon didn’t look thrilled at all.  In fact, he looked downright agitated.

“Like a said, a bitch in heat who will want our dicks and money.”

“Hey!  Don’t talk about Keyla like that, man.  She’s like a sister to me, or something.” Danny really didn’t know what to categorize Keyla as, but she was close to him because of Lennox. “She’s practically Lennox’s sister, they’re just not blood.  Keep your mouth shut about her wanting your dick and money.  She needs help because she’s drowning in bills and, honestly, where the fuck else are you gonna go when your rat trap finally caves in one night while you’re sleeping?”

Sami smirked when Jon scowled wordlessly at Danny, glad someone had finally put his big mouth best friend in his place. “There’s no harm in checking it out and meeting her, Moxley.  Danny’s right and you even looked in the paper yourself.  There’s NOTHING else available right now.  We can always keep looking for our own place, but right now, this is our way out of the current shit hole.”

Truthfully, Jon had no idea who Keyla was because he didn’t pay attention to the bartenders at Nicky’s.  He walked in, went to his usual table and his beer was brought to him.  Granted, he spotted the midnight blue haired woman a few times, but her face didn’t register clearly in his mind.  His memory was fading with every shot he took to the skull throughout his career, but that honestly didn’t bother Jon.  If he wound up with Alzheimer’s one day, he’d die a happy man because then he could forget about what a horrible childhood and life he’d had from age 16 and younger.  Losing those memories would be a blessing.

“She’s legit?” Jon directed that question to Danny, blue eyes full of intensity.

“I wouldn’t tell you about her unless she was.” Danny remarked coolly. “Or refer to her as family.”

“We appreciate the help and recommendation, Dan man.” Sami shot Jon a warning look that told him to back off because he knew how protective Danny could be over Lennox.  And if Keyla was Lennox’s best friend, practically sisters, then showing Danny respect was the least they could do. “When can we meet Keyla and look at the place?”

“Probably tomorrow, but I’ll talk to Lennox to make sure.  Why don’t you call that number and talk to her?” Danny suggested, gesturing to the newspaper in Sami’s hand. “Make the arrangements and I’ll make sure Lennox is over there so you don’t feel too awkward.” He was more concerned about Jon than Sami at this point.

Sami thought that was a fine idea and Danny left to go back home to be with Lennox. “We’re really considering this?” Jon demanded as soon as Danny drove off, glaring at Sami. “The place we’re is livable.”

“Yeah for trash with no money.” Sami grunted, pulling his cell phone out and began dialing the number on the ad. “Just keep your mouth shut and let me do the talking or you’ll blow this for us.”

Jon bit his tongue to keep from lashing out at Sami and merely stood there, both of them waiting for the bartender to answer.

~!~

Keyla had a hangover from hell and had just gotten home from working 8 straight hours.  Mondays always sucked.  All she wanted to do was collapse in bed and sleep, her head pounding vigorously.  No sooner had she stepped foot in the house her cell phone rang and it was from an unrecognizable number.  Probably from the ad, she thought, contemplating sending the caller straight to voicemail.  She was not in the mood to deal with another jackass today, having dealt with them all day at the candy factory.

“Hello.” She didn’t bother sounding chipper or thrilled, her voice laced with exhaustion.

“Hi, I’m calling about your ad in the paper.”

“What about it?” Keyla kicked her shoes off and leaned back against the couch, stifling a yawn.

Sami could tell this woman was tired, so he wouldn’t keep her on the phone longer than necessary. “I was just wondering if the rooms were still available to rent.”

“Yeah, are you interested in coming to look at them?” Oh god, she couldn’t handle another interview with idiots.  Keyla suddenly had the taste for alcohol and felt her stomach gurgle, fighting back a groan.  On second thought, maybe not.

“Absolutely.  When would be a good time to come look at them?” Sami snatched a pen from a reluctant Jon and jotted down some notes. “5 PM tomorrow?”

“I get off work at 3, so be here no later than 5 because I work at night too.” This man didn’t sound too bad, but Keyla had thought that about the nutjob gamer and look how that turned out.

“Tell her this isn’t definite.” A gritty voice that sounded different from the cheerful one resonated through the phone in Keyla’s ear. “We’re just coming to take a look.”

“She knows that.” Sami fought the urge to belt Jon in the face for that asinine comment and shook his head. “We’ll be there tomorrow around 4. Oh one thing, we’re wrestlers…”

Now Keyla’s interest skyrocketed at those words. “Wrestlers…you mean as in the CZW shows?”

Sami raised a brow the same time Jon did, both of them sharing surprising looks. “Yeah, are you a fan?” Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.

Keyla couldn’t hold back the snort if her life depended on it. “I’m far too busy with my life working and trying to make ends meet to go see a bunch of ridiculous men half-dressed rolling around a mat together.  Definitely not my cup of tea.  What are your names?” She grabbed a pad of paper and pen from the table in front of her.

Jon didn’t know whether to be relieved, amused or insulted by what this woman said, the perplexity in his face making Sami smirk. “You should give it a shot sometime.  We don’t just roll around on a mat together.  It’s brutal, barbaric and too knarly for TV, sweet cheeks.”

“Yes well, like I said I work too much to go to those shows, but more power to you.” Sarcasm filled her voice while talking to these men. “Names now please.”

Snatching the phone from Sami, Jon walked outside and lit a cigarette, taking a long drag. “You first.” He was taller than Sami, so when the man reached for the phone, Jon merely raised his arm to where his buddy couldn’t reach it.

Keyla wasn’t in the mood for games, tempted to hang up, but something stopped her from doing so. “Keyla.”

“Keyla what?”

She rubbed her temples and popped open a bottle of Advil, popping a few. “Jensen.  Keyla Jensen, now yours?”

This woman had fire and Jon liked that, a smirk curving his lips slowly. “You didn’t say please.”

“Jon, for fuck’s sake…”

Keyla heard that and laughed softly, hearing the annoyance in the other man’s voice.  It was more high-pitched than the gritty voice that belonged to Jon apparently. “Jon what?”

“Goddamn it, Sami!”

“Sami, awesome.  That’s enough information for now.  You guys have a great night and see you tomorrow.” She hung up before either of them could respond and laughed, shaking her head.

Lennox would get a kick out of that story when Keyla told her.  Even though was screwing with her over the phone and they were wrestlers, Keyla somehow knew they would work out as roommates.  She didn’t mind what their profession was.  Hell, they could be male strippers for all she cared just as long as they paid their $700 every month.  That probably wasn’t the greatest mindset to have going into letting strangers partially take over her house, but at this point Keyla just wanted to stop getting final and overdue notices from various companies wanting to be paid.  Not bothering to eat, Keyla went straight upstairs to her room and collapsed in bed, falling asleep before her head hit the pillow.

Chapter 5

“So, what are you doing tonight?”

“You mean besides working at the bar?” Keyla retorted, walking out of the candy factory with Brandon again and shouldered her purse. “I’m meeting with potential roommates from my ad.”

Brandon raised a brow, not understanding what she was talking about. “Ad? When did you put an ad in the paper?”

Keyla learned long ago Brandon wasn’t the brightest crayon in the box and had to expand her patience level with him or else they wouldn’t be work acquaintances. “Yeah, I’m having trouble running my house alone and put an ad in the paper for 2 roommates that weren’t psychotic nutjobs.  I might’ve found them, thanks to Lennox.”

“Lennox…Lennox…She’s the one dating the wrestler, right?” Brandon was a fan of CZW and went to all the shows, or as many as he could afford. “Danny Havoc, right?”

“Yeah.” Keyla didn’t understand what was so special about this CZW company and wondered if all the fans were as clueless as Brandon when it came to reality. “They’re wrestlers too, the ones I’m interviewing today.”

Brandon’s eyes lit up like stars. “Really?  Who?” He suddenly had an extra bounce in his step while walking to the parking lot with Keyla.

“I don’t know.  I only got their first names and I’ll find out more tonight.” Keyla was getting annoyed at how close Brandon was to her.  He didn’t know what personal space was.

“Awesome.  So, what are you doing on your next day off?” Brandon suddenly felt a surge of bravery course through him and decided to use it to his advantage.

Keyla knew what was coming and tried to cut him off. “Brandon…”

“Just hear me out, Keyla.” Brandon stepped in front of her, forcing both of them to stop walking and smiled, his brown eyes shining in the sunlight. “Look, I know you’re not in the mood to date and I get that, but…I like you. I like you a lot and something tells me you’ve known for a while.  So, I’m just gonna do it because if I don’t, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.  I’m not asking you to jump into bed with me.  I’m just asking for a chance to get to know each other better.  A dinner and movie scenario or maybe a walk in the park?” He took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, not looking away from her hypnotic citrine orbs for a second. “It doesn’t even have to be a date, it can be two people getting to know each other and seeing where things go.”

The amount of spirit and hope in his eyes hurt Keyla to look into because she felt absolutely nothing for Brandon besides the friendship they had or whatever it was.  Maybe she’d been sending him mixed signals without realizing it.  Keyla pinched the bridge of her nose, wishing she didn’t have to break this man’s heart, but there was no way out of it.  He wouldn’t stop asking her out unless she made it crystal clear she wasn’t interested and never would be.

“Brandon, you know I value our friendship a lot and you’re a great guy, but I don’t think of you as anything else.  You’re a friend, an acquaintance, and that’s it.  Going out to dinner and a movie or a walk in the park would only give you false hope that there could ever be something between us.” Keyla released his hand and stepped back, seeing the smile on his face deteriorate instantly at her harsh words. “Now I could stand here and tell you I’m so busy with my life that I can’t be in a relationship right now, but that’d be lying.  That’d be horseshit, actually.  The thing is you’re not the type of guy I see myself fucking and being with.  I’m sorry if that sounds bitchy, but I don’t know how else to say it.  I’m sorry.”

There was no response to what Keyla said and Brandon watched her walk away from him to her car, lowering his head dejectedly before heading to his own to go home.

~!~

Keyla wasn’t surprised to find Lennox sitting on her front porch steps when she arrived home from work, stepping out of the car. “I really need a stiff drink.” That was her greeting and Lennox laughed.

“What happened, sunshine?” Lennox stood up and followed Keyla to the front door, placing her hands on her friend’s shoulders.

“I’ll give you 3 guesses and the first 2 don’t count.” Keyla muttered, unlocking the door and walked in, tossing her stuff on the nearby table before kicking her shoes off.

Lennox knew exactly what put Keyla in a sour mood and shook her head. “When is he going to get the hint you’re not interested?”

“Oh I think he finally got it today.  I laid it out for him and made it clear nothing would ever happen between us.” Keyla pulled two wine glasses out of the cupboard and poured each of them a healthy dose of wine. “I’ve never seen him look so hurt and pathetic before.  It broke my heart.”

“Well, it’s not your fault he doesn’t understand the word no or concept of not being interested.” Lennox didn’t blame Keyla for laying down the law with Brandon and wished she’d done it sooner. “Don’t worry about it.  He’ll get over it and move onto the next vixen that crosses his path.”

“I know, but I don’t want things being weird between us.” Keyla plopped down on the couch beside Lennox and leaned her head on her best friend’s shoulder, sipping some wine. “We work together and we’re on the same line.  I just don’t want him to make my life miserable since I have enough misery in it right now.”

Lennox understood that and ran her fingers through Keyla’s midnight blue hair, trying to soothe her somehow. “Well, if he starts shit with you, let me know and I’ll have Danny beat the fuck out of him.” She grinned, though it didn’t touch her mischievous violet eyes.

“Hell, Danny would probably welcome an ass kicking from him since he’s a fan of CZW crap.  Hey!” Keyla jumped when Lennox pinched her side and squealed out, reciprocating the motion. “You bitch!  You’re gonna make me spill my wine and then I’m gonna rub your nose in it!”

“I’d like to see you try, shorty.” Lennox laughed; glad she’d gotten rid of the surliness Keyla had, at least for the moment. “Speaking of Danny, I think he found you potential roommates, so you won’t have to deal with idiots from the ad anymore.”

“I know.  They called me last night.” It was Keyla’s turn to laugh at Lennox’s perplexed face and wide eyes, rolling her own. “Jon and Sami, right?  I didn’t catch their last names, but Jon messed with me a little.  Sami sounded downright annoyed with him.  It was amusing.”

Keyla had NO idea what those two men were like together and almost felt sorry for her. “So, I take it you set up a meeting with them to come look at the rooms?”

“Today actually, fuck I should get in the shower.” Keyla looked around her messy house and frowned, not the greatest housekeeper. “This place is a disaster for company…”

“Go shower, I’ll cleanup for you.” Lennox nudged Keyla in the direction of the bathroom downstairs and downed the rest of her wine before getting started on cleaning.

Keyla was truly blessed to have such a great friend like Lennox looking out for her.  They’d only been friends for a couple years, but both felt like they’d known each other all their lives.  Turning the shower sprays on, Keyla undressed and stepped under them, letting the water wash away all of her worries for a little while along with the day’s events.  Brandon wouldn’t talk to her again, she was sure of it and Keyla wasn’t sure how to feel about that. On one hand, it would be a relief not to deal with him constantly asking her out in subtle ways.  However, on the other, Brandon was a great friend and person to talk with about her problems and he made her days at Blasius Chocolate Factory fly by since she hated working there.  It was one of the main reasons she loathed anything with chocolate, which should’ve been a blessing in disguise.  Chocolate was fattening and Keyla enjoyed having a nice body to actually be proud of.

Once she finished, Keyla stepped out wrapping a towel around her body and brushed the snarls out of her hair along with her teeth.  She would have quick interviews with Jon and Sami, then get something to eat and grab a few hours of sleep before heading to Nicky’s for her night shift.  At least that was the plan.  Lennox was more than welcome to stick around until the wrestlers left since she obviously knew them, but after that Keyla was kicking her out so she could snooze for a bit.  Sleep was detrimental to her life considering she worked 2 jobs and barely made ends meet, a lot of the time failing evidently.  The doorbell ringing through the house and echoing to the bathroom jolted Keyla out of her thoughts as she finished getting dressed.  She decided on blue cotton shorts and a matching spaghetti strapped tank top, not caring about appearance as long as the house looked semi-decent.

“Thanks again for cleaning up, honey.  I owe you one.” Keyla said on her way to the door, frowning when the doorbell rang again.  These men were impatient, that was for sure.

It wasn’t the wrestlers.

An elderly couple stood on the porch, both dressed in a suit and dress.  The woman had grayish honey blonde hair and amber eyes while the man had graying black hair and brown eyes.  The woman’s hair was pulled back in a neat slick bun with a few curled tendrils framing her face and the man had an army-like style, both of them looking stoic.  Keyla narrowed her eyes at both of them and tried keeping her upper lip from curling up, but it did anyway.

“Mother, Father.” She greeted in a low even tone, folding her arms in front of her chest. “What are you doing here?”

Sheila and Marvin stared back at their only daughter, only child, both frowning at her taciturnity towards them. “Keyla, darling…”

“Save it.” Keyla held her hand up, shaking her head and refused to be lured by their cunning charm like everyone else was in their dysfunctional family. “I won’t ask again, now tell me what you want or get off my property.”

“Now see here, young lady…”

“Marvin, don’t!” Sheila begged, stopping her husband from making a fool out of himself and pushed his arm back down to his side. “Keyla, we don’t want to fight with you anymore, sweetheart.  We’ve seen the error of our ways and we want to start over fresh with you.”

“Why, so you can weasel your way into my will and poison me to claim the family fortune?” Keyla shot back angrily, squaring her shoulders with tears burning in her eyes. “Not happening.  I don’t know how many times I have to tell you I want nothing to do with either of you.  And showing up UNINVITED to my house is unacceptable!”

Lennox overheard Keyla shouting and put the final dish in the strainer before going to see what the fuss was about. “Key, what’s going on, honey?” She stood beside her friend and looked back at the angry man and somber woman standing on the porch.

“What’s going on is my parents are trying to get back into my life and good graces.  Trying to suck up.  Pathetic, truly pathetic.” Keyla snarled, not bothering to hide the disdain and hatred in her voice because these leeches made her sick to her stomach.

“THESE are your parents?” It was Lennox’s turn to narrow dangerous violet eyes on them, knowing exactly what they did to her best friend and wrapped an arm around Keyla’s shoulders to keep her from ripping their throats out. “Leave now before I make you.”

Marvin snorted, not moving an inch from the porch. “And who the hell is this cunt, Keyla Jane?”

Keyla LOATHED her middle name and clenched her fists at her sides, physically shaking by now.  The fact her worthless parents showed up at her front door was enough to anger her, but her father calling Lennox that awful word had sent Keyla over the edge.  She felt Lennox tighten the hold around her and all Keyla could do was stand there, huge tears sliding down her cheeks.  How she came from such cruelty and greed was beyond her, but Keyla thanked whoever watched over her above every day she was alive for not ending up like her scumbag parents.

“Her lesbian lover, asshole.” Lennox replied, not missing a beat and kissed the top of Keyla’s head affectionately. “Now get the fuck off our porch before I call the cops on both of your stupid asses!” Stepping back with her arm still firmly around Keyla’s shoulders, Lennox slammed the door in their face and flipped the deadbolt on it. “Fucking dickheads!”

Keyla couldn’t help it and burst out laughing through tears, not believing Lennox just said that to her parents.  Lennox hadn’t met them face to face, but knew what happened and the history of her messed up family.  She could tell Lennox was irate at being called a cunt and went to grab her friend some water to try calming her own temper down.  While Keyla did that, Lennox happened to look out through the window near the front door and felt her eyes widen.

“KEYLA!!”

Unlocking the door and tossing it open, Lennox flew out of it with Keyla hot on her trail, both of them witnessing Marvin clutching his chest falling to the sidewalk outside of the house.  Sheila screamed out, tears rushing down her face and all Keyla could do was stand there in shock while Lennox whipped her cell phone out to call for help.  It all happened in slow motion.  Keyla didn’t move near her screaming crying mother or gurgling father, not noticing Lennox had stayed by her side the whole time.  Even as they loaded her father on a stretcher and lifted him up in the ambulance with his mouth covered by a plastic breathing mask, Keyla didn’t move an inch.  She couldn’t.  It wasn’t until the ambulance pulled away from the house and a police officer approached her that Keyla finally snapped out of her shocked state, answering any questions he had.

“What do you wanna do, Key?” Lennox asked after the police officer sped away with the report in hand, getting all the information he needed to confirm nothing violent had happened to the older man.

“I-I don’t know…” Keyla stammered, tearing a hand through her hair and swallowed hard, fighting back tears. “I hate them; I really do, but…”

“They are still your parents, sweetie.  No matter how much you hate them, the love never dies either.” Lennox knew Keyla would never forgive herself if she didn’t go to the hospital to check on her father, guiding her toward her vehicle. “Come on, I’ll drive and if you change your mind, we’ll come back here.”

Keyla could only nod and slipped in the passenger seat, staring out the window while Lennox sped off toward the hospital, too many emotions and thoughts rushing through her at once.

Had she just witnessed her father’s demise?

Chapter 6

“I’m not going with you tonight.”

Sami arched a slow brow at Jon, sipping coffee while looking through the paper like he did every morning. “You’re not backing out of this, Moxley.” He left no room for argument.

Jon was far more stubborn than Sami and he hated being ordered around. “No, I’m not.  I don’t think it’s a good idea and this place isn’t so bad.” He yawned, walking over to grab a cup so he could drink his weight in coffee.

From the moment Jon got up later that morning, he couldn’t shake the feeling going to meet Keyla was a bad idea.  He knew it was his paranoia setting in and Jon rarely ignored his gut instincts.  It was one of the main reasons why he survived as long as he had thus far in life.  Besides, who was this Keyla broad anyway?  Just because Danny knew her and thought of the bitch as family didn’t mean Jon and Sami had to trust her.  Jon didn’t trust anyone, not even Sami fully, and they’d known each other a long time. That’s how Jon was wired and there was no changing him.  The thought of moving in with a bossy bitch –Jon figured that out quickly from the short conversation he had with Keyla the previous day- made his stomach twist violently.  No, they could find a better place to live, preferably their own. Jon was used to living with Sami, so sharing a place with him had become second nature.

“You’re fucking kidding me right?” Sami stood up and pointed to the living room, which was just off the small kitchen area –if it could be called that- up to the ceiling. “Do you see that crack?  If that caves in, the roof will go with it from all the damage and rotting wood.” This building was definitely not up to code or safe to live in. “Look, I know you’re scared…”

Jon snorted, cutting him off instantly. “I’m not scared of anything, Callihan.  I just think we should keep looking for a place BY OURSELVES instead of living with a bitch that bleeds and goes nuts once a month.” A woman on her period was something Jon NEVER wanted to experience and he’d managed to avoid PMS for the most part.

“So you’re telling me Jon Moxley is afraid of living with a woman?”

“Think whatever the fuck you want, bro.  I don’t care.  I’m not meeting her, end of story.” Jon’s tone was filled with finality, but it was obvious Sami would not give this up until he caved. “Nothing you say or do will change my mind either.”

“Not even if I told you I already gave the piece of shit landlord our notice?”

Jon’s blue eyes blazed with fury and he stood up so fast, coffee sloshed around the cup splashing against his bare chest. “YOU WHAT?!” He bellowed, not feeling the hot liquid temporarily sear his skin. “How the FUCK did you manage to do that without me?” He paid half the rent and his name was on the lease too!

“Told the dickhead you were preparing for an important match coming up and he said he didn’t care.  He’s condemning the building apparently.  So we have no choice, we HAVE to move out.” Sami informed him coolly, folding his arms in front of his chest in defiance. “If I have to drag you out of here kicking and screaming, I will.”

Jon rolled his eyes heavenward, setting his coffee down on the table. “You and what army, little man?” Sami LOATHED that nickname and Jon only used it when he wanted to get a rise out of his friend.

Narrowing acidic green eyes at Jon, Sami clenched his fists tightly at his sides and growled. “You’re going and nothing you say or do will stop it from happening, Moxley.” They were leaving this dump and Jon would get over it or find his own place to live alone.

“Then you’ll have to make me submit…” Jon trailed his words off, a malicious smirk curving his mouth. “Little man!”

“THAT’S IT!!”

Sami attacked without preamble and tackled Jon to the kitchen floor, both of them throwing punches in every direction.  Jon connected with Sami’s arm and Sami threw a hard shot at Jon’s jaw, both of them rolling until they arrived in the living room.  If Sami had to get Jon to submit in order to make this move happen, he would do it.  Standing at just 5’10, Sami was given a lot of grief throughout his career because of his height, but the man could go in the ring.  He was a brawler and high-flyer, mixing the styles up to throw his opponents off.  One second he could be in a full-fledged fist fight and the next climb top ropes to land on his opponent.  His kicks were lethal and one of his signature moves, the Koji Clutch, won a lot of his matches along with the double axe handle.  Sami had to fight for every single thing he achieved in life, along with every title he won in the Independents thus far, including being Tag Team champions with Jon as the Switchblade Conspiracy.  If Sami could lock the Koji Clutch on Jon, he would win this argument and in turn force Jon to meet Keyla.

“I don’t think so, mother fucker!” Jon growled when he realized Sami was trying to slap the Koji Clutch on him and turned it into a headlock, both of them using each other for leverage to get back to their feet. “You can’t trust bitches, man!  How many fucking times do I gotta say it?!”

“This place is a shithole and we need to…MOVE!!” Sami used all of his strength and drove Jon as hard as possible against the wall, trying to fight out of the headlock. “STOP BEING STUBBORN!”

Jon held on like a tenacious pit bull, refusing to surrender without a fight and ignored the spine-tingling sensation shooting up his back from crashing into the wall. “Come on, little man, get out of this and make me surrender! That’s the only way you’re getting me out that fucking door today to meet the bitch!”

“Have it your way then.”

Snarling with determination, Sami managed to break out of the headlock and planted a lethal kick in Jon’s abdomen.  It sounded like a gunshot had went off in the apartment with how loud the impact was.  Jon doubled over and turned away from Sami, the wind completely knocked out of him from that shot.  Sami didn’t stop though and kicked Jon again, this time square in the backside and sent him FLYING into the wall.  Jon made the mistake of stumbling away from the wall and turned his back on Sami, so naturally he took advantage.  This time, Jon collided headfirst into the wall and left a small dent in it, not able to get his hands up in time to stop the impact.  Sami went to attack again and stopped, green eyes shooting open when the small dent grew, cracking and crawling up to where the ceiling had threatened to cave in.  This time it did – right on top of Jon.

“OH SHIT!!”

“WHAT THE FUCK?”

It was pouring rain outside, so Jon was left sitting there with a small cut on his forehead with debris and rain pelting him.  He was covered from head to toe in rotted material from the ceiling and roof.  Sami didn’t move to help him up and merely stood there, planting his hands on his hips with narrowed eyes.  He completely missed being clobbered with the debris and rain, thankfully.  Jon looked around; glad he didn’t suffer a concussion or worse injury from the cave in and glared up at Sami, wondering if he somehow planned this to happen.  Maybe he set the whole attack up just to prove a point.  Then again, how the hell could Sami plan the ceiling and roof to cave in at that precise moment?   No, he wouldn’t give Sami that much credit and began pushing the debris off of him, trying to get out of the pouring rain.

“You gonna help me up or what, asshole?”

“Depends.” Sami stepped forward, fighting to reach a hand out to his friend. “Are you ready to start listening and stop being a stubborn jackass?”

Jon reviled being proven wrong and Sami had done it somehow.  There was no way out of it now.  They had to move and Keyla Jensen was their ticket out of this condemned place.  Being stubborn and bullheaded wasn’t an option anymore.  Without Sami’s help, Jon managed to pull himself from the debris and shook the rain water from his hair, wet curls hanging in his eyes. He was used to it, that’s how he wore his hair to the ring.

“Fuck off.” Jon muttered, groaning at all the dirt on his upper body and decided a shower was definitely in order. “I think it’s time to pay Danny boy a visit.”

~!~

“What in the hell happened to you?” Danny asked, holding a half-eaten sandwich in his hand and raised a brow at a dirt covered Jon and smirking Sami.

“Don’t ask.” Jon grunted, walking past Danny inside the house and shook more water out of his hair.  The rainfall had only intensified on the way to Danny’s. “I need to use your shower.”

Danny couldn’t help screwing with Jon a little. “Why?  What’s wrong with yours?”

“It’s having…maintenance problems.” Jon wanted to strangle Sami when he started laughing, Danny joining seconds later. “Can I fucking use your shower or not, cocksucker?”

Danny rolled his eyes, waving Jon off dismissively. “You know where it is, ass bag.  Clean up after your nasty ass too!”

Jon flipped him the bird over his shoulder and stalked to the bathroom, already knowing as soon as he stepped under the sprays Sami would blab what happened.

“Do I even wanna know what happened?” Danny didn’t waste any time questioning Sami, both of them sitting on the couch with longnecks.

Sami couldn’t hold back the laughter if he tried, green eyes glittering. “You sure you wanna know?”

“Hit me, what the hell?”

For the next half an hour, Sami explained to Danny what happened at the apartment and how Jon ended up showered with filth.  Danny was laughing so hard by the time Sami finished the story, he had tears streaming down his face.  He didn’t cry EVER, but his stomach hurt so much from laughing, it was impossible not to.  Just picturing Jon sitting on the carpet with a throbbing head and the ceiling caving in on him was too much for Danny.  He ended up bolting to the 2^nd bathroom of the house to relieve himself before he pissed his pants like a little boy.  Sami had to empty his bladder next, both men laughing harder when Jon made his presence known, fresh out of the shower.

“Fuck you both!” He growled, stalking outside for a much needed nicotine fix before he ended up going to prison for murdering his friends. “Fucking chuckles 1 & 2.”

Danny managed to calm down enough to catch his breath, wiping the tears from his eyes just as his cell phone rang.  It was Lennox. “Babe, you’ll die laughing after I tell you what happened to Moxley today.” He couldn’t wait to tell her, knowing she’d get a kick out of it.

“Yeah well, I’m not sure I’m in a laughing mood after what happened today.” Lennox muttered, scrubbing a hand down her face while standing outside of the hospital, a cigarette dangling between her fingers.

The laughter instantly died from Danny. “What happened?  Are you okay?  Is she okay?  Where are you?”

Lennox could hear the worry in Danny’s voice and sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “We don’t know yet.  Key’s parents showed up out of nowhere today shortly after she got home.  I went over there to talk to her about Jon and Sami and wanted to be there when she met them.  But that’s not going to happen today unfortunately.”

Considering what just happened to Jon, Danny was afraid this news would push the man over the edge. “What did her parents want?” He didn’t know much about Keyla, but Lennox had told him they were scumbags and she couldn’t understand how Keyla ended up the way she did.

“Who knows?  Who cares?  I told them I was her lesbian lover because her old man called me a cunt and-”

“HE WHAT?!” Danny exploded; his voice booming throughout the house as both Sami and Jon came rushing to see what was wrong. “ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS?  I’LL CUT HIM!!  I’LL SLASH HIS ASS!!”

Sami had no idea what set Danny off on a rampage and snatched the cell phone from his hand before he smashed it, walking outside while Jon tried calming their friend down. “Len, what’s going on sweetheart?” He cringed when something smashed inside the house and hoped it wasn’t their new flat screen television.

It took every ounce of resolve inside of Sami not to blow up the way Danny did when he heard what Keyla’s father had called her.  Lennox was anything BUT a cunt!  The old man deserved the beating of a lifetime for calling her that awful word!  Sami took a few deep breaths to calm down, listening to Lennox cry over the phone, which nearly shattered him.  Lennox rarely cried, always in a great mood with a beautiful smile on her face, but currently she sounded broken.  He couldn’t remember ever hearing her sound so down and vulnerable.

“I’m sorry, but you won’t be able to look at the house today, Sami.” Lennox sniffled, feeling horrible for setting her boyfriend on a rampage and hoped the Switchblades could calm him down.

“Don’t worry about it, sweetheart.” Sami wasn’t worried about seeing the house right now, more worried about Danny’s mental stability since he kept shouting how much he wanted to kill the old bastard. “So they have no idea what happened to him?”

“No.” Lennox looked through the emergency room door windows and could see Keyla sitting in the waiting room with a blank expression on her face. “As soon as we hear something, I’ll call Danny.  Please don’t leave him until I get home.  I’m staying with Key because her bitch mother is here blubbering over her asshole husband.”

Sami nodded, turning when Jon walked out of the house and he didn’t look too worse for the wear, his bottom lip busted open. “We’re not leaving. Matter of fact, we’re gonna have to stay with you and Danny until we can either see Keyla’s house or find a new place to stay.  I’ll explain later.  Keep us posted.”

“What the fuck is going on?” Jon demanded as soon as Sami ended the call with Lennox, lighting up a fresh cigarette.

“Better question: Where is Danny?”

“Out.”

“Do I even wanna know what you did?”

Jon shrugged, blowing smoke out of his nostrils and mouth. “Sent him to another world for a while.”

Shaking his head, Sami lit a cigarette up as well and explained to Jon what Lennox told him, glad Jon was on board staying with Danny and Lennox until everything was hashed out with Keyla.

Chapter 7

Why was she here?

Keyla wasn’t sure if it was shock or her bleeding heart once again surfacing. After everything her parents put her through, Keyla should’ve been at home meeting potential roommates to help her run the house. Instead, she was stuck in a hospital with her mother and waiting to hear news on what happened to her father, both people she legitimately hated in life. Lennox had gone with her, stepping outside to make a phone to Danny to inform him on what happened and cancelling the meeting with Jon and Sami for Keyla. She truly was a godsend, the best friend a woman could ask for and Keyla would be lost without her.

Sheila Jensen sat across the waiting lobby sniffling and didn’t bother fighting the tears streaming down her cheeks. She didn’t dare sit next to her daughter or…her lesbian lover. That just made Sheila cry harder. Had she been responsible for her daughter’s lesbianism? Granted, she hadn’t been the most reliable and loveable mother in the world, but nobody was perfect either. Being pregnant at age 16 and spending the rest of her life with Marvin, who had to give up a full football scholarship in order to take care of her and Keyla, wasn’t easy. Keyla would never understand that though unless she experienced it herself. Dabbing her eyes, Sheila glanced over at her daughter and frowned at the dazed look on her face. Wasn’t Keyla even a little upset her father could possibly be dying?

“Well that was fun.” Lennox grumbled, plopping down in the seat beside Keyla and shook her head.

Keyla didn’t like the sound of that. “Do I even wanna know what happened?”

“Danny is LIVID.” Lennox kept her voice down so Keyla’s mother didn’t overhear their conversation. “I – uh – told him what your Dad called me…”

Keyla physically cringed and closed her eyes, burying her head in her hands. “Oh no…”

Danny was extremely protective of Lennox and always had been from the moment they started dating. Keyla had gone to a backyard wrestling event Danny was performing at one time with Lennox to show support. They’d only dated 6 months prior to the event and it’d only been a few years into his wrestling career as a whole. Lennox practically begged Keyla on her hands and knees to come; Keyla finally caved only because she wanted to be a good friend to Lennox. Going to this event was also the primary reason why Keyla would never go to another one again, though it had nothing to do with the actual show itself. The show went well with hardly any injuries and Keyla enjoyed it, even though she had no idea what the hell was going on. The half-naked muscled up men was definitely appealing, but other than that she didn’t understand the moves or anything they did.

After the show, Danny led Lennox and Keyla out of the gate toward the car to leave when they were approached by another wrestler. It was the same guy Danny faced earlier that night in the main event and beat – DJ Hyde. Lennox had caught his eye and, in not so many words, told her to jump on his dick instead of Danny’s. Danny didn’t think twice about it and punched him so hard, DJ went down like a sack of potatoes with a busted nose, blood pouring out rapidly. Keyla could not recall ever seeing a man stand up for Lennox, much less punch someone’s lights out, the way Danny did for her. That was the night Lennox gave Danny her heart by saying she loved him and he felt the same way about him, both of them kissing while DJ writhed in pain on the ground from Danny’s fist. As sweet as the moment was, also barbaric, it wasn’t Keyla’s scene and she ended up calling a cab to take her home while Danny and Lennox went somewhere else. Ever since that happened, Keyla steered clear of all wrestling events and Lennox finally got tired of asking her to come to them. Though, every once in a while she would sneak an invite, but Keyla always declined.

DJ was now the CZW owner, but back then he was an arrogant pompous prick that thought the sun shined out of his backside. Danny and DJ still had their issues, but there was also a mutual respect between them due to DJ owning CZW. He never came after Lennox again, so Danny never had to pop him in the nose again. Lennox had been hesitant to attend his first CZW show, but Danny assured her everything was copasetic between them. She was happy to discover Danny was right, though DJ kept his distance from her. The only thing DJ did was greet her respectfully, shook her hand and they hadn’t spoken since. Even though Danny and DJ worked their issues out, Keyla still stayed away from the business as much as possible. It was bad enough she had to work at the bar all the wrestlers frequented after shows, especially the ones who lived in the Philadelphia area.

“What did he do?” Keyla asked quietly, jolting out of her trip down memory lane and wrapped a comforting arm around Lennox’s shoulders.

“Flipped his shit and Moxley had to calm him down while Sami talked to me on the phone.” Lennox blinked tears away and clasped her hands in front of her, hoping Danny was alright. “I didn’t mean to blurt it out. I’m so stupid.”

Keyla scooted closer, shooting a glare over at her mother who currently stared at both of them with pure disgust in her eyes. She ignored the witch for the moment. “You don’t have to stay here with me, Len. You can go check on Danny. I don’t even know why I’m here myself, but something is keeping me from leaving until I find out what happened to…him.” There was no point in calling Marvin her father when Keyla didn’t think of him that way, dying or not.

“No, I’m not leaving you here alone with…them.” Lennox folded her arms and remained glued to her chair, knowing Danny would be alright since Jon and Sami were currently with him. “He’s got his friends and I got mine. You’re more important right now.”

“Stubborn ass.”

Lennox smirked in response. “Would you want me any other way?”

“Nope.”

“Thought so.”

Another hour passed before a doctor finally emerged from the back and called out Marvin’s name. Keyla rolled her eyes watching her mother nearly tripped on her high heels trying to get to the doctor, once again being overdramatic. Didn’t the woman have a shred of dignity? Both Keyla and Lennox shared a look of disgust together and didn’t say a word, listening to the doctor explain what happened to Marvin.

“Your husband suffered a heart attack today, Mrs. Jensen.” The doctor informed them all, though his eyes were on the wife. “He has a clogged artery and requires immediate surgery, but we need your approval first.”

Sheila couldn’t believe this was happening and covered her mouth with her hand, eyes wide. “I-Is he going to m-make it?” She stammered, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks.

“We’re going to do everything we can for your husband, Mrs. Jensen, I promise.” The doctor replied, handing over a clipboard with paperwork on it for her to fill out and sign. “As soon as we get these processed, we’ll prepare an OR and you can have a moment with him prior to surgery.” Then his eyes slid over to the two women standing on the other side. “I assume you are his daughters?”

“Just her.” Sheila squared her shoulders, ignoring the paperwork momentarily and pointed at Keyla. “The other one is…never mind, when can I see my husband?” She refused to pay one iota of attention to Keyla’s…lover.

This woman was a class A cunt, Lennox thought angrily, keeping her mouth shut until the doctor left. Keyla couldn’t believe the audacity of her mother to cut down Lennox in front of the doctor and wanted to dot her eye, not sure how to feel about her father’s condition. The man couldn’t go a day without eating a greasy cheeseburger of some kind and weighed over 300 pounds, so Keyla wasn’t surprised by the diagnosis.

“Shortly, we have to move him upstairs to a room and then you can see him before we take him to surgery. So get the paperwork done as quickly as you can. We won’t prepare an OR for him until it’s finished.” The doctor swept out of the room to go prepare Marvin’s move from the ER to the surgical floor.

“I can’t believe this is happening…” Sheila shakily began filling out the paperwork and sat back down, only for shadows to cast over her moments later.

“We’re leaving.”

Sheila looked up at her angry daughter and set the paperwork aside, standing up only to be shoved back in the chair moments later. “How dare you!”

“Sit down and shut up.” Lennox ordered, folding her arms in front of her chest, which were covered halfway in tattoos.

Keyla didn’t stop Lennox from touching her mother because, quite frankly, the old witch deserved it. “You look like you want to say something, Mother. I suggest you say it while I’m still here to my face instead of behind my back like a coward.” That’s how her parents always worked, but Keyla decided to give the woman who gave birth to her a chance to speak her mind. “Go ahead, get it all out.”

Snorting, Sheila rolled her eyes and set the paperwork aside. “Fine, how could you betray your family this way by being with…HER?” The amount of filth and disgust that came out of that one word made both Keyla and Lennox narrow their eyes at the older woman. She didn’t care. “You’ve broken our hearts, Keyla.”

“Just the same way you broke Grandpa’s.” Keyla shot back angrily, trying to maintain her temper, but it was hard when she thought of the awful way her parents treated her beloved deceased grandfather.

“You don’t know anything!”

“I know enough, Mother. And I know Grandpa George didn’t deserve the way you treated him, especially when it came to his assets.” Keyla kept her voice down, not wanting to direct attention at them, but she would not stand by and let her mother treat her best friend like a piece of garbage.

Sheila couldn’t believe she was bringing this up in a hospital of all places, when Marvin was fighting for his life. “You haven’t…”

“I haven’t what? Heard your side of it? Did you NOT try to kick me out of the house as soon as Grandpa George died? And did you NOT hire a lawyer to TRY to take what he left his only granddaughter?” Keyla gritted her teeth, tears burning her eyes at the memory of all the court dates and time she wasted fighting her parents over her grandfather’s ironclad will.

Keyla never got along with her parents. Probably do to the fact they chose to go on cruises and to cocktail parties, always leaving her home with a nanny. Naturally, Keyla acted out because she wanted attention from her parents, so they sent her to live with Sheila’s father, George Hart. She didn’t have one problem with Grandpa George and bonded with him, giving him the companionship he longed for. His wife, Mable, died while giving birth to their only child and daughter, Sheila, and George had been alone for years, living as an outcast. Sheila claimed her father hated her and blamed her for her mother’s death, but Keyla didn’t believe that for a second. When Grandpa George died and left everything to Keyla in his will, Sheila threw the biggest fit and hired a lawyer to fight her daughter for the assets. He didn’t have much, some money and the house he built with his own hands. It broke Keyla’s heart, but after she won the case, she could no longer live in that house and sold it for half of what it was appraised for. She’d rather have the house go to a loving family than her wretched, heartless parents. After lawyer and court fees were paid off, Keyla had nearly nothing left from Grandpa George’s inheritance, which put her in this current predicament looking for roommates just to make ends meet.

“That house was MINE!!” Sheila growled, clenching her fists at her sides and stepped up to her daughter, pressing their chests together. “You stole it from me, you little ungrateful bitch!!”

Lennox could not believe the audacity of this woman and shook her head, pulling Keyla away to take her place against Sheila’s silicone filled chest. “You’re the ungrateful bitch, not her. I can’t believe the way you treat your own daughter, your only child. You should be ashamed of yourself. What kind of mother tries to throw her daughter out a home she grew up in because her parents were too fucking lazy to take care of her? What kind of mother would send their only child to their father to take care of and raise? You’re worthless and pathetic along with that asshole husband of yours. And if he does make it through his surgery, I hope he can find some kind of love in his black decrepit heart, but I doubt it. You’re nothing but money-grubbing cunts and your judgment of people is way the fuck off.”

Sheila swallowed hard, not believing what her daughter’s lover was saying to her. “Keyla…”

“Is no longer your problem.” Lennox cut the old bitch off, taking a step forward while Sheila took a step back. “Not that it’s any of your fucking business, but we’re not together. Your daughter didn’t ‘betray’ your family, or what’s left of it, by being with a woman. We’re best friends and I’ve been more family to her than you ever thought about. So the next time you open that mouth to Keyla, make sure it’s pleasant or else you’ll lose what’s left of your teeth. I hope you both rot in hell and your husband dies.”

“Keyla!”

“Come on Lennox, let’s go check on your man before he blows a gasket wondering where you are.” Keyla ignored her mother and walked out of the hospital with Lennox, both of them having their arms wrapped around each other.

It wasn’t until they arrived at Keyla’s vehicle that she burst into tears and Lennox held her close, letting Keyla cry as long as she needed to. The horrible things her parents put her through ticked Lennox off and she didn’t regret one word said to Sheila Jensen. Once Keyla stopped crying, Lennox pulled back looking into soft amber eyes and kissed Keyla’s forehead, tears of her own forming.

“I said this once and I’ll say it again: It’s a miracle how great of a person you turned out compared to your parents.”

Keyla let out a watery laugh and nodded, not able to deny that fact. “I know, I don’t understand it either. Do you mind driving me home? I can’t get behind the wheel right now.”

“No problem, sweetie, hop in.”

A few seconds later, Lennox peeled out of the hospital parking lot and headed toward Keyla’s house, texting Danny at a red light to let him know she’d be home soon.

Chapter 8

“CHUG, CHUG, CHUG!!”

Doing a current handstand, Danny, Jon and Sami all watched Drake Younger suck down pitcher after pitcher of beer from the keg as fast as possible. There was no way to tell how much he drank if it was straight from the keg, so Danny improvised a little. Danny held the stopwatch in his hand while Jon, Sami and a few other friends cheered Drake on. Drake had a minute to consume 4 pitchers of beer and some people booed because they placed bets against Drake. If less than 4 were consumed, Jon, Sami and a few others would owe the ones booing $50 and vice versa. Drake was a heavy drinker and partier, so Danny had no doubt in his mind he wouldn’t make it. However, Drake’s girlfriend, Hadley, had a different opinion on this and kept her mouth shut, not wanting to upset her boyfriend during his drinking bet.

“He’s going to puke all over the place when he’s done.” She muttered loud enough for only Sami and Jon to hear, standing between them shaking her fiery redhead back and forth slowly.

“I know, isn’t it great?!” Sami exclaimed excitedly, green eyes wild while he jumped up and down continuing to cheer Drake on.

“This is going to be all bad…”

Hadley didn’t know if she could watch Drake consume his 3^rd pitcher with 30 seconds left on the clock. How the HELL did a person consume 2 pitchers in a 30 second time span? It baffled her to no end. Drake had a lot of brutal barbaric matches in CZW, -Some of them scared the hell out of her- but Hadley never once stopped supporting any decisions he made with his career. Hadley was just afraid Drake would up end 6 feet under the ground if he kept living his life in the fast lane as much as he currently was. Where the hell was Lennox when she needed someone to gripe with since Danny did this kind of thing too? Only with Danny, he did shots of Jack Daniels and he held the record at 55 for most shots taken in one hour. So at the very least, Drake chose to do this contest with beer instead of hard liquor.

“10 seconds left!!” Danny announced, his eyes glued to the stopwatch while Drake continued sucking down the beer like water. “5, 4, 3, 2…1…TIME!!”

“What the HELL is going on here?”

Danny snapped his head around at the sound of his girlfriend’s voice while Jon and Sami helped Drake to the nearest couch to sit down. He barely got the 4^th pitcher down, but did it and Hadley was right beside him, rubbing his back. Hadley could tell Drake was incredibly drunk and felt his head lull against her shoulder, stroking the back of his neck while he nuzzled hers. Jon and Sami walked away from Drake and Hadley, knowing she would take care of their friend and watched Danny move toward an annoyed looking Lennox.

“Hey babe.” Danny greeted with a tight smile, standing in front of her and could see how tired she was. “I told you I was having a few friends over tonight…”

“You call 20 people or more a few?” Lennox shot back, folding her arms tightly in front of her chest. “I’ve had a really shitty day, Danny.”

He could see the tears building in Lennox’s eyes and immediately pulled her into his arms, letting her face bury in his chest. Lennox hated crying in front of people and Danny didn’t blame her, having the same mindset she did regarding tears. They were a weakness. However, she also needed a release after the day she had with Keyla. Lennox blinked the tears away and clutched Danny’s t-shirt, her whole body trembling while he stroked her back soothingly. She was both angry and sad at the same time – angry at Keyla’s parents and sad for Keyla because nobody deserved to be treated that horribly.

“Talk to me. What happened?” Danny murmured in her ear, but Lennox refused to budge and didn’t move except to wrap her arms tightly around his waist. “Wanna go in the bedroom and talk where it’s quieter?”

Lennox nodded, feeling her feet leave the ground as Danny lifted her up, immediately wrapping her legs around his waist. She immediately buried her face in his neck to hide her face and closed her eyes, arms encircling his muscular shoulders. Not saying a word to anyone else, Danny headed down the small hallway toward their bedroom and kicked the door closed, though it didn’t shut all the way. He didn’t care and Lennox wasn’t paying attention, only lifting her head once they were completely alone to stare in his eyes.

“What happened, baby?” Danny kept his voice low and soothing, stroking her face with the back of his hand while she now sat straddled on his lap. “Don’t hide anything from me.”

There was so much love and worry in his eyes that it took Lennox’s breath away. Suddenly, she didn’t want to talk about what happened today with Keyla and her parents. Desire and lust mixed with love for this man clouded her violet eyes and Lennox began pulling Danny’s t-shirt from being tucked in his jeans. Danny didn’t question it and lifted his arms, his t-shirt falling to the floor moments later. His own eyes darkened to a deep forest green as Danny watched Lennox pull back to remove her own top, her bra joining it moments later.

“Lennox…” He groaned, massaging her breasts in his hands while she began kissing, sucking and nipping down his neck to his collarbone until she arrived at his pierced nipples. “Oh baby, tug on them…”

A devious smirk crossed her lips at Danny’s request and Lennox pushed him to lay back on the bed, his legs hanging off the bed with his feet planted on the carpet. “Want me to make it hurt, baby?” She purred seductively, sliding her tongue down his Adam’s apple and middle of his chest while slowly grinding against his jean covered erection.

“Make me fucking scream for you.”

His growling command sent shivers throughout her body as Lennox lowered her mouth to his left pierced pectoral and enclosed her teeth around it. They could be as loud as they wanted since the music was thrumming throughout the house. Even if their guests heard them having sex, Danny and Lennox didn’t care and would continue their bout with all eyes on them if necessary. Lennox tugged hard, forcing the piercing to pull from his nipple, stretching it slightly and increased the pace of her grinding. She craved to feel Danny’s cock inside of her, her panties already drenched and ruined. That’s the kind of effect he had on her body and right now, Lennox just needed him to make her forget everything else in life except this moment in time.

“Ah – AHHHH!!” Danny yelled, gripping her hips so tightly there would be fingerprint bruises later on. “Harder! Oh Lennox!” There was something about having his nipple rings tugged on that turned Danny into a sex fiend, suddenly sitting upright with his fingers buried in Lennox’s hair. “I’m about to fuck the shit out of you and I don’t give a fuck who hears us.” He snarled, slamming his mouth down on hers and Lennox returned it with equal amount of passion, reaching down to tug on his piercings with her fingers. “Remove your panties now.”

“You first.” Lennox ordered, gripping his facial hair harshly to force his eyes to meet hers. “Fuck me and don’t you dare hold back or you’ll regret it.”

Animalistic lust had consumed both of them and Lennox could handle anything Danny had to offer. “I’ll pound that cunt until it’s numb, baby, don’t you worry.” He promised in a growl, waiting until she removed the rest of her clothes before forcefully whipping her around, bending Lennox over the bed with her beautiful backside sticking in the air. “Oh baby, it’s been far too long since my cock felt your juices.”

“Shut up and fuck me already, Havoc.” Lennox demanded impatiently, her pussy quivering when the zipper of his jeans slid down, the sound echoing throughout the bedroom. “Danny…”

Danny smirked, wrapping an arm around her waist and descended his hand down her stomach until it came in contact with her soaking wet sex. He knew she was more than ready for him, but Danny wanted to make his woman beg for his cock. It wasn’t often Lennox begged for anything in the bedroom, but currently Danny had her right where he wanted. The fact she was clean shaven and smooth just heightened his desire further and Danny gripped his cock, teasingly gliding it up and down her slit. While doing this, his other hand methodically stroked her clit in a circular motion, Lennox’s moans quickly filling the room.

“Say you want my cock.” Danny commanded in her ear, his voice rough and laced with ecstasy.

“I – I want your cock…” Lennox couldn’t fight him right now, every nerve-ending of her body crying out for a much needed release, one Danny could only give her. “Danny…”

He wasn’t done though. “Tell me what you want my cock for.”

“To fuck my pussy until we both either go blind or pass out from exhaustion.” Lennox’s mouth had gone dry at his teasing and her nails dug into the comforter, her breathing ragged.

“And does it matter who sees my cock fucking your cunt?”

“N-No…” Lennox heard the door open and that just made her want him more, knowing his naked body was covering hers, so none of her intimate parts would be shown. “If you don’t start fucking me, I’ll find someone else out there who will get the job done, Havoc.”

Arching a brow at her threat, Danny chuckled evilly in her ear and nipped the lobe, two fingers sliding inside of her throbbing pussy. “You could try, but we both know this is MY cunt. There’s an invisible tattoo with my initials on the lips and don’t you fucking forget it. You belong to me, Lennox. Nobody can fuck your sweet cunt and make you cum the way I can.”

“Then shut up and make me cum for you.”

Somehow, Lennox always managed to say the words to make his blood ignite. Gripping her shoulders, Danny guided his cock between her slick folds and snapped his hips forward, not letting her acclimate to his size and girth. Thrusting like a madman inside of her, the sounds of flesh smacking flesh quickly echoed throughout the bedroom and down the hallway. Neither of them cared. If anyone wanted a show, all they’d see was Danny’s finely sculpted backside flexing while he pounded his girlfriend into oblivion. The bathroom was right off the living room in the hallway, so their audience would have to come all the way down to see the show.

“Oh fuck baby, your cunt feels so fucking tight and good around my cock…” Danny panted, suddenly lifting Lennox by the hips to plant on her on all fours in front of him on the bed, his cock never leaving her body.

He was at the perfect height to slam in and out of her without constantly sliding out. Danny gripped her hips and spread her thighs wider, driving as deep, hard and fast inside of Lennox as he could, looking down to watch her backside bounce off his pelvis repeatedly. He reached up with one hand to entangle his fingers in her hair and pulled Lennox’s head to lull back, smacking each of her cheeks with his other hand. Lennox whimpered, enjoying every second of this rough bout and wouldn’t have it any other way with Danny. He wrapped her long hair around his wrist once and then held on, keeping full control of how fast or slow he thrust inside of her. There would be no slowing down, not when Danny knew how badly his woman thirsted to climax and he would not disappoint her.

“Your cunt ready, Lennox?” He smacked her other cheek, making her cry out in both pain and pleasure, red handprints on each from his hand. That sight alone made him swell further inside of her, if that was possible. “Oh fuck, I’m close, baby…”

“I – I’m there – DANNY!!!” Lennox bellowed out his name, the hot coil deep within her abdomen springing free and the climax crashing over her harder than a tsunami wave.

Danny snarled, feeling her hot juices coat his cock and rode out her first orgasm, gritting his teeth trying to control when his own release. It wasn’t easy. Lennox’s walls milking him for everything he was worth and more didn’t help the control, but Danny held on. He never released her hair and increased the pace of his thrusts, driving it home inside of her welcoming body to the point where both were completely breathless. This was it. The sensation of his balls tingling and his cock bulging was too much for Danny to take, especially when Lennox came a second time. He came hard and fast, filling her body with his seed in an explosion that rocked both of their bodies’ foundations. The thrusting didn’t stop until Danny went completely limp inside of Lennox, sliding out of her unwillingly and released her hair, pressing his forehead against the small of her back.

“You guys done fucking yet?” Jon stayed halfway down the hall, not wanting to see his friend’s naked backside or their sexual escapade.

Danny knew Jon wanted to talk to Lennox about Keyla and sighed against her back, both of them chuckling together. “Maybe – maybe not, man. What’s it to you?”

“I just wanted to know when we were gonna be able to look at the fucking rooms from the bitch.” Jon folded his arms in front of his chest, keeping his eyes on the wall in front of him.

“She’s not a bitch, Moxley.” Lennox scowled, not appreciating her afterglow from sex being interrupted by this arrogant dick. “Let me up so I can get dressed.”

Danny reluctantly complied, softly kissing her mouth and dressed himself, wanting to strangle Jon for the interruption. “This couldn’t wait until we weren’t fucking, asshole?” He growled, buttoning his jeans while Lennox simply threw on a robe, tying it around her waist.

“Stay in here.” She ordered, pushing Danny to sit on the bed and stood between his legs, kissing him lingeringly. “I’ll handle him and then we can get back to what we were doing. So get those jeans off, I’m not done with you yet tonight.”

Smirking at his feisty woman, Danny nipped her bottom lip gently and smacked her backside, squeezing it with both hands. “Hurry the fuck up so I can spend the night buried inside your body.”

Lennox walked out of the bedroom and stood right in front of Jon, violet eyes narrowing. “Keyla is my friend, so either treat her with respect or you can find another place to live, Moxley. She’s had a rough day today and I’m not telling you what happened because, quite frankly, it’s not my place. You can look at the rooms when she’s damn good and ready to show you and if you don’t like it, find another place. It’s really that simple. Now keep your attitude up and you won’t be staying under our roof until you can find another place to live, got me?”

Jon gritted his teeth and bit his tongue, knowing better than to smart off to Lennox. She was the ONLY woman on the planet who could talk to him like this and walk away unscathed. He nodded silently and watched her turn on her heel, stalking back to the bedroom to be with Danny. Rolling his eyes, Jon went outside and lit up a cigarette, staring up at the sky hoping he wasn’t making a mistake by waiting out Lennox’s friend.

Chapter 9

After the fiasco with her parents and countless phone calls from some of the most annoying people in the Philadelphia area, Keyla had enough. She pulled the ad out of the newspaper and wished she could take time off work to recuperate, but that wasn’t an option. Bills had to be paid or else she would end up on the streets. There was no choice in the matter when it came to work. However, she did take a few nights off from Nicky’s to get her head on straight and it helped her avoidance of Lennox. That included shutting her cell phone off as well as cancelling her landline, not wanting to be bothered by anyone. Lennox would understand, she hoped anyway, but after what happened with her parents, Keyla honestly didn’t know what to say to her. She was embarrassed because it was the first time she’d met Keyla’s parents. Not a lot of people knew the truth regarding what happened between Keyla and her parents. Lennox was one of the few who did know the whole story, so her malice toward them wasn’t surprising.

Rain poured in gallons outside as Keyla stood at the gravesite of her grandfather in a black hooded sweatshirt and jeans, the hood over her head. Whenever things in life went downhill for Keyla, she found peace and solitude at Grandpa George’s grave. It was down the road from the house, so she didn’t have to drive to get there and always walked. It helped Keyla clear her mind because all she ever did every time she visited Grandpa George was cry. She missed him so much. Up until she met Lennox, Grandpa George really was her only friend in the world. Everyone else in the family had turned their back on her the moment she started living with her grandfather. Nobody knew the real story, the whole truth and at this point, Keyla never wanted to talk to any of them again. Her funeral would be very short and small since Keyla didn’t trust a lot of people in her life. Lennox would be her benefactor, Keyla had decided that after the deep raw connection both women had.

“Hey Papa.” Keyla whispered, reaching out to touch the granite stone and set a single red rose on top of it. That was all she could afford to give right now. “God, I miss you. I’m so lost.”

Tears instantly slid down Keyla’s face and she didn’t bother wiping them away, dropping to her knees in the soggy wet grass. For an hour straight, shivering and crying, Keyla didn’t move an inch and wept openly in front of her grandfather’s grave. Her parents showing up was something Keyla hadn’t expected and it hit her harder than she originally thought. She hadn’t reacted at first. For the past week, she’d been in shock over what happened. Her father’s heart attack and what her mother said to her while they both waited to hear what his condition was. Why couldn’t she hate her parents, the people who sent her away to live with Grandpa George in the first place, because they couldn’t handle her? Soaked to the bone, Keyla finally managed to get to her feet and pushed the hood from her head, wiping tears away from her already wet cheeks.

“Sorry Papa, I didn’t mean to blubber. I know you’re watching over me wherever you are and I know you saw what Sheila and Marvin did. And I want to hate them. I want to hate them for everything they’ve done to both of us. But I can’t…” Her voice cracked on that last word, fresh tears falling. “And I don’t know why I can’t. They gave me life, so maybe that’s why I can’t. I don’t know, but…Papa, I’m struggling right now and I don’t know what to do. I love the house, I don’t want to lose it. And they came back and Sheila had to toss the fact you left everything to me instead of her. And I still don’t know why you did that. I don’t understand it, but I don’t question your decision either. I fought them tooth and nail and won, but not without a heavy price. I’m not – I’m not blaming you for it, I’m just – I don’t know. I’m confused about this whole roommate situation, I guess. Lennox says I can trust these two guys Jon and Sami, but…I don’t wanna disappoint you and I don’t wanna make the wrong choice. And I know what you’d say if you were here right now. ‘Keyla, do what you feel is right, my sweet pea.’ Yeah, big help Papa – NOT!”

Her cell phone buzzing jolted Keyla out of her deep thoughts, especially when the name Lennox flashed across the caller ID. They hadn’t spoken since Lennox dropped her off at home from the hospital the day of her father’s heart attack. No doubt the woman was worried sick about her. Keyla sighed and pressed the ignore button, deciding to call Lennox back after she was finished having a heart-to-heart with her grandfather.

“I’ve decided to meet these guys. And I swear to you, I won’t let them treat the house with disrespect. They will know their place before stepping a toe in our home. I will not let anyone destroy what you built. You have my word.” Keyla vowed, stepping up to the stone and dropped a soft kiss on it, letting her lips linger a bit before pulling away, trying to fight back tears. “I have to go now, Papa. I love you and I’m always thinking of you. I’ll be back soon.”

Turning, Keyla walked out of the cemetery and back home, keeping her head somewhat lowered to avoid drawing attention to herself. Just in case someone tried getting frisky, she had a can of mace and Swiss army knife she knew how to use if need-be. Once home safely, Keyla immediately stripped out of her sopping clothes and headed straight for the shower, stepping under warm sprays. They weren’t too hot, but not too cold either, somewhere in the middle. It was the perfect temperature and warmed her body from head to toe, shivering throughout the beginning of it. Eventually, Keyla stepped out and changed into a pair of grey pajama pants and short sleeved top, brushing her dark blue hair back into a ponytail. She curled up on the couch with a blanket and finally called Lennox back, not surprised when her friend answered on the second ring.

“So you ARE alive.” Were the first words out of Lennox’s mouth.

Keyla knew it was coming, but those words made her guilt thicken. “I’m sorry, Len…”

“You’re lucky I love you, bitch. And you’re damn lucky I didn’t come over there and kick your door in to make sure you were still alive. The only reason I left you alone was because Nicky told me you were at the bar this week.” Lennox informed her, sitting outside on the porch while Danny was inside playing a video game. “Why didn’t you answer my calls or text messages?”

There was no answer that wouldn’t hurt Lennox’s feelings and Keyla didn’t know how to answer her question. “I just – I needed time to myself.” She kept her voice low and quiet, hoping Lennox would take some kind of pity on her for being a horrible friend.

“Uh-huh.” Lennox knew there was more to it, but decided not to push Keyla. “Next time, a simple ‘fuck off, I wanna be alone’ will suffice instead of completely cutting all contact with me for a week. You understand?”

“Yes.” Keyla pinched the bridge of her nose, already feeling a headache coming on from being out in the cold rain for a long period of time. “So how’ve you been?”

Lennox held her hand up when Danny walked outside to sit beside her, warning him not to disturb her phone call with Keyla. Danny didn’t listen though, worry etched in his features and it grabbed Lennox’s attention. “Hold on, Key. Danny’s stupid ass won’t leave me alone.” She didn’t pull the phone away and listened to what he said, violet eyes widening with every word that came out of her boyfriend’s mouth. “WHAT?!”

Keyla heard it too. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

“He’s stuck in Indianapolis. The fucking thing won’t start and he’s desperate.” Danny couldn’t believe what was happening, especially since it was their car currently stuck in another state. “There’s no way for me to get there. Scotty’s not answering his phone, Sami is out somewhere and has no vehicle of his own and Drake is MIA with his girl. I wouldn’t ask this if it wasn’t an emergency, baby.”

This was not the way Lennox wanted to start her conversation off with Keyla, not after they hadn’t spoken for a straight week. “Key…”

She knew it was coming. “Yes?” Keyla asked reluctantly, having heard every word Danny said.

“I know you heard him…”

“Yeah I did.” Why did the moron have to go all the way to Indianapolis though? “And I suppose I owe you a couple for cutting you off all week.” She tore a hand through the top of her hair and heard Lennox sigh over the line, cracking a small smile. “Who is it?”

“Jon.” Lennox planned on killing Moxley as soon as he brought their vehicle back safely. “He had a show tonight in Indianapolis and we let him use the fucking car. I knew that was a mistake.”

“Like he knew something would go wrong with that hunk of shit?” Danny piped in, folding his arms in front of his chest glaring down at his woman. “Come on babe, you know Mox hates asking for help to begin with. You think this is easy for him to call and tell me the fucking car won’t start?”

Keyla raised a slow brow, suddenly sitting up more on her couch. “Is this Jon – THE Jon? As in one of the guys who want to rent a room from me?”

Lennox grumbled at Danny, rolling her eyes. “Yeah. You don’t have to go if you don’t want to, Key. We can figure something else out…”

“No – no I told you, I owe you a couple. But since I have to drive nearly all night to do this, let’s just call it even.” Keyla stood up from the couch and grabbed her keys and wallet, having everything she’d need in it. “I’m just glad I don’t have to work tomorrow at either job.”

“Yeah me too.” Lennox couldn’t have been more grateful to Keyla for doing this and felt Danny sigh a huge breath of relief beside her. “Do you know how to get there?”

“I have a GPS on my phone. Just give me the address and I’ll head out right now.”

Lennox did as her best friend asked, thanking Keyla once again before they hung up and turned to face her boyfriend. “You owe her big for this.”

“I’ll repay my debt, baby, I promise.”

“You better because, until you do, no sex.”

“FUCK!”

~!~

10 hours later, Keyla finally arrived in Indianapolis and had to slap her face to keep awake. It was nearing 3 AM, she’d left the previous night around 5 PM and had to slap her face to stay awake. Pulling into the arena parking lot, a simple lit ball of orange caught her eye and Keyla somehow knew it had to be him. Jon Moxley. Every hair on her body stood up the closer she inched toward Jon and pulled into the parking spot beside Lennox and Danny’s car. She would recognize it anywhere. Cutting the ignition, Keyla took a deep breath and stepped out of her own vehicle moments later, swallowing hard at the tall man leaning against the trunk of the broken down car.

Curious blues slowly slid over to where Keyla stood, locking with apprehensive amber and smoke instantly billowed out of Jon’s mouth. Keyla. So this was the bartender he’d ignored ever since joining CZW. Danny had called 10 hours ago or so and told him a woman was coming to his rescue. He planned on plowing his fist down Danny’s throat once they returned to Philadelphia for that comment.

“Keyla, I’m guessing?” A low raspy voice resonated through the air and Keyla could swear her heart skipped a beat at the sound of it.

“Jon, I’m guessing?” She shot back playfully, folding her arms in front of her chest and didn’t move from the driver’s door.

“If I’m not, what do you plan to do about it?”

Jon couldn’t help messing with her a little, the dim lighting of the parking lot barely making out her face. But those citrine eyes had him intrigued already. So this was the woman he was supposed to rent a room from along with Sami? Interesting, maybe it wasn’t such a horrible idea after all, he thought, flicking the cigarette across the parking lot without moving his eyes from her.

“Then you’ll have a face full of mace and a knife in your thigh.” Keyla replied truthfully, pulling the Swiss knife out of her pocket and swinging it around her finger expertly, raising a slow daring brow in his direction. “So what’s wrong with the car?”

Jon admired the woman’s tenacity and found himself drawn to her, reluctantly pulling his gaze away to stare at the broken down vehicle broodingly. “Don’t fucking know, honestly. I checked a few things, but nothing seems to stand out. The only thing I can think of is it being a dead battery.”

If she drove all the way out here for a dead battery, Jon Moxley would not make it back to Philadelphia alive. He would be in a body bag. “Let me have a look and see what’s going on.” Keyla brushed past him and quickly popped the hood, locking it in place so it didn’t slam down on her. “Is there any power coming on in the car when you turn the key in the ignition?”

“Nothing.” Jon noticed how tired she looked and suddenly pushed her away from the vehicle, shutting the hood of the vehicle. “Not tonight.”

“What?” Keyla couldn’t hold back the yawn and frowned, tilting her head slightly. “We have to fix this…”

“Not. Tonight.” Jon said the words slower, making it a simple command and could see the confusion in her eyes. “Let’s get a hotel room and-”

“Whoa – whoa – whoa, hell no!” There was no way on earth Keyla would share a hotel room with a complete stranger. Lennox’s friend or not, she didn’t know Jon Moxley from a hole in the ground! “No, we fix this and go back to Philadelphia.”

Jon had promised Lennox he would be nice to Keyla, but now she was grating on his nerves. “Look woman, you’re ready to keel over from exhaustion and I’m tired from my match. So either come with me to get a few hours of rest and THEN fix the car, or do this on your own.” The hotel wasn’t far up the street and Jon had already reserved a room just in case he couldn’t drive back to Philadelphia that night.

“My name is Keyla or Key, not woman.” She corrected him with a scowl, glancing back at the car and then at him, knowing deep down he was right. Keyla also noticed the exhaustion on his face that mirrored hers, not realizing it. “How many beds?”

“One. And fair warning, don’t be surprised if you wake up pinned underneath me.” Jon would be gentleman enough to inform her of that fact and headed to her car, slipping in the passenger seat. “Are you coming or not?” He called out the window, tapping his fingers against the half-rolled down glass.

“Fuck.” Keyla cursed, slipping behind the wheel of her vehicle moments later and shot another glare Jon’s way. “Just remember, I will hurt you if you try anything with me.”

“Trust me, darlin’, I don’t take what isn’t offered to me.” Jon assured her with a snort and lit up another cigarette, raising a brow when she snatched his pack to pluck one for herself. “Just help yourself then.”

“I will, thanks.”

This would definitely go down as one of the most bizarre early mornings in Keyla’s life to date.

Chapter 10

“You missed another one, Keyla.”

“What?”

Brandon pointed at the piece of unwrapped chocolate slowly skating by on the conveyer belt and Keyla cursed, snatching it up. “What’s on your mind?” He asked curiously, wrapping the next piece of chocolate and kept an eye on Keyla to make sure she didn’t miss anymore. That’d been her third piece in the span of an hour.

“Nothing, just a long weekend.”

Boy was THAT an understatement, Keyla thought, rolling her eyes and continued wrapping pieces of candy. It had been one of the most surreal weekends she ever experienced. Driving 10 hours to Indianapolis to help Jon Moxley was only the beginning of what they went through together. Sleeping in a motel room and sharing a bed had also filled her thoughts several times. There was something about Jon Moxley, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. She stayed on her side of the bed, but Jon had warned her about being grabbed in the middle of the night. Jon ended up falling asleep before her and Keyla finally had the chance to survey him. The way his auburn blonde short curly hair fell over his eyes along with his strong muscular chest rising and falling in even breaths captivated Keyla.

Jon was 6’4 of dripping sexuality and Keyla had to do everything in her power from reaching out to touch him. Eventually she’d fallen asleep, only to wake up sometime in the late morning hours the next day in Jon’s arms with her back spooned up against his chest. Keyla didn’t remember falling asleep nor did she feel Jon grab her in the middle of the night to snuggle against. His face was buried in her hair and back of her neck, hot breath puffing against Keyla’s skin along with his arm wrapped securely around her waist, leg draped over hers. It did NOT help her already overheated body to feel Jon’s morning wood swelled against her backside either. Keyla eventually fell back to sleep and they didn’t wake up again until noon. Surprisingly, Jon didn’t say a single word to her regarding the snuggling and Keyla didn’t bring it up, both focused on getting back to Philadelphia.

It took another 2 hours to have Lennox and Danny’s car fixed. Keyla figured out it was the alternator instead of the battery, which required a mechanic. Jon didn’t have the correct tools to fix it and honestly didn’t feel like dealing with it. So they found a nearby mechanic to fix the vehicle so Jon could drive it back to Philadelphia. Lennox tried telling him to ride back with Keyla and she’d take care of it, but Jon refused to leave the car in Indianapolis. He borrowed it and would return it. They could pay him back for the mechanic if they wanted and Lennox reluctantly agreed to that. Keyla kept her mouth shut and let them argue over it, not wanting to be in the middle. Apparently, neither did Danny, not that she blamed him.

By the time they hit the road, it was after 3 PM, which meant they wouldn’t get back to Philadelphia until the early morning hours. Keyla had slept enough and they only stopped once to use the bathroom along with grabbing food to eat while driving. Around 2 AM, they arrived and Keyla went straight home to salvage what little sleep she could before having to get up for work earlier that morning. It was nearing 10 AM and Keyla felt like capsizing from sheer exhaustion. Lennox had tried calling to check on her and Keyla simply texted the worry wart back letting her know she was fine. Tired, but fine. Now she stood there wrapping chocolates in shiny paper thinking about her weekend with Jon Moxley.

3 PM slowly arrived and Keyla nearly bolted out of the candy factory to her car, not waiting for Brandon like she normally did. Not today. She was going home and collapsing in bed to sleep for a decade. The drive home took forever with traffic, thanks to a bus overturning at the intersection where she had to turn down to get home. So instead, Keyla had to spend another 20 minutes fighting other drivers and didn’t get home until a quarter to 4. Exhausted, angered and annoyed, Keyla squealed her tires in the driveway and shut the ignition off, stepping out slamming the driver’s door harshly. Then she realized the company currently standing and sitting on her front porch steps.

Lennox, Danny, Jon Moxley and who Keyla could only assume was Sami Callihan. What were they doing here? This was the last thing she needed right now after getting little to no sleep and barely making it through her shift at the candy factory. If they really wanted the rooms that badly, they could have them. Keyla just didn’t care right now and kept her gaze away from Jon as much as possible.

“Before you say anything and try to make us leave, hear me out.” Lennox held her hands up at the resigned look on her friend’s face, smiling softly. “We’re not here to bug you about the rooms.”

Jon snorted, black shades covering his eyes and arms folded in front of his black t-shirt covered chest. “You don’t say?”

“Mox, not now.” Lennox barked, keeping her eyes on Keyla and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “We’re cooking for you tonight. Well, me and Danny. And we thought Jon and Sami could come by to hang out and MAYBE look at the rooms. But that’s not the reason for us being here, girl.”

“It’s our way of thanking you for helping the asshole.” Danny chipped in, moving to stand beside Lennox. “And we are gonna reimburse you for gas since it was a long drive.” He hadn’t realized how long until Lennox went on MapQuest and showed him. Then Danny really felt like a piece of garbage.

Too tired to argue, Keyla shrugged and trudged past everyone up the stairs to the front door, unlocking it. “Make yourselves at home and don’t expect me to be a proper houseguest tonight.” She kicked her shoes off and went straight to the couch, collapsing on it with her face burying in one of the pillows.

Jon tilted his head to the side and admired Keyla’s backside for a moment, the memory of it pressed against his raging hard-on flying through his mind. “Comfortable?” He lifted her legs enough to plop down on the couch and let them sprawl across his lap, not minding being her leg rest.

Keyla shrugged in response, her shoulders being the only part of her body that moved. Lennox, Danny and Sami were in the kitchen trying to figure what to make, so Jon decided to take advantage of the situation. Using his height, Jon managed to lean over Keyla’s small frame until his mouth rested over her ear, letting his hot breath cake it. Every part of Keyla’s body flooded with warmth, but she still didn’t move and waited to hear what Jon had to say.

“You know, it’s not nice to ignore people. I could always make you less comfortable.” Jon had to mess with her a little, just to see how Keyla would react. He was weird and enjoyed people’s reactions to odd things he said and did.

Shifting, Keyla ended up on her back staring up into pale blues full of amusement and folded her arms in front of her chest. “Do it and it’ll be the last thing you do, Moxley.” It wasn’t a threat, just a mere promise and her amber eyes told him she was not kidding. Her voice remained low, both of them slowly becoming lost in each other’s gaze.

“Just lay back and enjoy.”

Gently but firmly, Jon pushed Keyla to lay back against the couch pillow and slipped her shoes off along with the socks. Surprisingly, her feet didn’t stink and he was thankful for that. Keyla had to bit her bottom lip to keep from squealing out since her feet were incredibly sensitive and ticklish. She couldn’t let Jon know that fact though. Somehow, the warmth of his hands massaging them felt exhilarating instead of bothersome like it normally would have with any other man.

“You don’t-”

“Yes I do. Now close your eyes and relax.” Jon ordered in a low rasp, starting with her toes and continued up until strong fingers came in contact with her sore heels.

In no time, Keyla had fallen asleep from Jon’s foot massage and he didn’t stop, even when Lennox, Danny and Sami rejoined them in the living room. “If any of you wake her up, I’ll personally castrate you.” Lennox threatened, knowing Keyla was exhausted from helping Jon out and he was trying to repay the favor in his own way. That was the only reason she didn’t stop his foot massage. “We’re having tacos tonight, by the way.”

For the next 5 hours, Jon didn’t move an inch and eventually stopped rubbing Keyla’s feet in order to play a game with Sami and Danny. Luckily, Keyla had a PS3 with a few decent games, much to Jon’s surprise. They took turns and yelled out a couple times whenever one blew up the other, but Keyla wasn’t disturbed the least bit. She was dead to the world, chest rising and falling slowly, so Lennox didn’t bother yelling at the boys to pipe down. Instead, she brought out plates of food and popped each of them in the back of the head, putting extra force behind the blow to Danny.

“Sorry babe.” He muttered, clearing his throat awkwardly and ignored both Sami and Jon calling him pussy-whipped.

“Yes you are.” A quiet groggy voice murmured, causing all eyes to turn to face a slowly awakening Keyla, her arms stretching above her head yawning loudly.

Lennox smiled at Danny’s scowl and kept her eyes firmly on Keyla to make sure she was alright. “How are you feeling, sweetie?” She asked softly, noticing the color had returned to her friend’s cheeks. Before, Keyla had been white as a ghost and looked sickly.

“A little better.”

Keyla let out another yawn and finally realized the position she was in, noticing her legs were draped over Jon’s lap. Had they been there this whole time? The last thing she remembered was being pampered by his strong warm hands and fighting back moans of contentment. Jon continued playing, his thumbs slamming against the controller buttons furiously and not moving from pushing Keyla’s legs off his lap.

“Are you hungry?” Lennox’s question jolted Keyla out of her thoughts and swept into the kitchen as soon as she nodded. “Danny, come help me for a second, please.”

“Coming babe!” Danny handed the controller over to Sami and jumped up to join his beautiful girlfriend in the kitchen.

Jon snorted, shaking his head and never looked Keyla’s way, but he could feel her eyes on him. “They won’t be back out for a while.” He informed her, blowing Sami’s character up and finally turned his intense blues on the citrine eyed beauty with the roughest feet he’d ever felt.

Pausing the game, Sami decided now was the perfect time to talk to Keyla about them possibly moving in. As much as he loved hanging out with Danny and Lennox, they were far too loud when it came to sexual activities. “So, when are we moving in here? Or do you have someone else in mind?”

“Dude…”

“No, I’m tired of beating around the bush about this, Moxley. You can act coy all you want, but we gotta get out of D & L’s before my dick falls off from masturbating so much.”

Keyla blinked at that blunt confession and studied Sami for a moment, his green eyes searing through her. They’d never met, to her knowledge anyway, so why was she getting a feeling of familiarity? Like she knew him personally or something? No, it wasn’t possible. Keyla yawned again and sat up a little more, finally pulling her legs from Jon’s lap reluctantly to tuck them beneath her backside.

“Have you looked at them yet to make sure you like them?” Keyla asked quietly, voice still groggy with sleep and she yawned again, covering her mouth with her hand.

Sami nodded the same time Jon shook his head, making Keyla look from one man to the other. “Well, perhaps you should and make sure it’s what you’re looking for, Moxley.” She suggested, folding her arms in front of her chest.

“I would’ve looked sooner, but someone had my lap captive.” Jon shot back with a playful tone, pushing up from the couch to stand. “Why don’t you show them to us now while Danny has Lennox preoccupied?” He extended his hand to her and Keyla felt that rush of warmth take over her body again.

“Sure…”

Slipping her hand into his, Jon pulled her off the couch to stand in front of him and Keyla immediately turned to lead the way to the rooms. They were standard size, nothing too big and fancy. That’s not how Keyla and Grandpa George lived, contrary to popular belief. The whole family was lead to believe Grandpa George had been loaded and left all of his millions to Keyla. If only, she wouldn’t be living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania clawing and struggling to survive or living paycheck to paycheck.

“If you want to live here, I do have conditions.” Keyla announced once they were all seated back in the living room in their respective spots. “First, no parties in the house. I inherited this place from someone very special to me and refuse to have it disrespected. If you want to party, go somewhere else.” She knew how the wrestlers acted, having seen it several times at Nicky’s, and would not subject her grandfather’s house to that kind of chaos.

“Not a problem.” Sami answered before Jon could, clamping a hand on the man’s shoulder to make sure he stayed calm. “That’s a reasonable request.”

“Second, as the ad said rent is $700 a month and includes everything. So $1400 of that comes from both of you and $700 comes from me. We’re splitting this 3 ways, but this is still my house. I have the right to kick you out if you don’t abide by my rules.”

Jon wasn’t sure how he felt about having rules to follow, especially from Keyla, but he kept his mouth shut and listened to what she said.

“I do have neighbors, so loud noises need to be limited after 11 PM. That’s not just my rule, but the block’s in general. I’m friends with my neighbors and would like to keep it that way.” Keyla rubbed the back of her neck, trying to relieve some of the tension in it and continued. “What you two do in your own rooms is your business, but there will be no fucking on the living room furniture. Actually, no fucking around the house, period. Just your rooms or outside somewhere.”

“And here I thought I’d bring a bitch over to bang her on the kitchen table.” Jon remarked coolly, ignoring Sami’s glare and rolled his eyes in response. “You’re not very adventurous, are you Keyla?”

“You’d be surprised.” Keyla retorted, letting Jon think what he wanted about her because she honestly didn’t care. “Moving on, if you eat what’s in the fridge and cabinets, replace it. Chipping in for groceries is a must because I’m not buying food that’s supposed to last a week and it barely goes past two days. You want to eat? Buy your own shit or eat elsewhere.”

Surprisingly, Jon and Sami agreed to all of Keyla’s terms and she announced they could move in immediately. Lennox and Danny were ecstatic because it meant they could go back to being as loud as they wanted in their house. Keyla ended up falling asleep again shortly after eating and Lennox asked Danny to move her up to her room, but Jon did it instead. He laid her down in bed and pulled the comforter up, brushing a few strands of dark blue hair away from her face that fell over her eyes. She really was a gem and enthralled Jon in a way no other woman had before. And now she had opened her home to both him and Sami, giving them a real chance at an actual home. Slowly lowering his mouth to her forehead, Jon brushed his lips across her soft skin and walked out, leaving the bedroom door open behind him.

Chapter 11

Jon and Sami wasted no time moving into Keyla’s house. It felt like they lived in a lavish mansion compared to the falling down tiny apartment and it was cheaper. How that happened, the boys didn’t question it and went with the flow. With $2400 in hand, Keyla used most of it to pay all the overdue bills and felt better than she had in years. With these two men living with her, hopefully she would never get another overdue notice again. Sami and Jon didn’t have a lot to move in, just a dozen boxes a piece or so. Most of it was their wrestling gear and had memories attached to each piece. Even though Keyla trusted Lennox with her life, she didn’t know these boys from a hole in the ground and drew up leases for each. Inside, it listed all the rules of the household she talked to them about along with agreeing to pay $700 a month for rent. That included all utilities, cable and internet.

“Are you sure about complete strangers living with you?” Brandon had asked while Keyla was on a smoke break, flicking ash off the tip.

“Not sure about anything, really, but I trust Lennox and if she says they are trustworthy, I believe her.” Why had Keyla divulged personal information to this love-struck idiot anyway? “Forget I said anything, alright?”

“Easier said than done.” Brandon mumbled, scuffing the point of his shoe against the gravel. “If you needed help, you should’ve just asked me and I would move in with you.” He’d do almost anything for Keyla.

Precisely why Keyla didn’t ask him, she preferred to live with strangers as opposed to someone constantly needing attention. “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind if they don’t work out.” She lied flatly, finishing her cigarette and walked back inside the building to resume work.

By the time Keyla left the candy factory and stopped at the local Kinkos to make copies of the leases, it was after 5 PM. She knew Sami and Jon had moved in while she was at work, not having a problem with it. To be on the safe side, however, Keyla warned her neighbors so they didn’t think she was being robbed. Stepping through the door, Keyla would have to get used to hearing the television blaring and commotion from upstairs where the bedrooms were located. Oh if her grandfather could see her now, Keyla thought, shaking her head hoping he wasn’t rolling over in his grave currently because of her decision. Keyla took her coat off and hung it up before kicking her shoes off, unwrapping the scarf from around her neck. Then she took the leases and headed upstairs to greet her new roommates, starting with the room farthest from hers, which was Sami’s. Jon had chosen the room next to hers. Tapping on the door with her knuckles, Keyla heard a rough voice call out she could enter and eyeballed the boxes scattered all over the room, shaking her head.

“Well, at least you’ve made yourself comfortable.” Keyla commented with a smirk, wide green eyes snapping up to meet her.

“This’ll all be cleaned up and looking better…”

Keyla waved him off dismissively, handing over the lease and took a seat on the bed, giving Sami time to look over it before signing. “Take your time to settle in. I don’t care as long as you don’t bring bugs in the house. It’s all explained in the lease and if there’s something you don’t agree with, feel free to tell me so we can discuss it.”

It looked pretty standard to Sami and he scrawled his signature on the dotted line designated, handing it back over to Keyla. Only then did she noticed he was shirtless and had quite the muscular body on him, even if he only stood 5’10. A black and white bandana covered his head, but crazy black hair still came out the sides and back. It brought out his deep green eyes and the facial hair was a major plus in her book as well. Keyla took the document from him and looked down at it, averting her gaze from his to glance over it. His last name suddenly popped out at her, a thoughtful frown crossing her lips. Callihan. His last name was Callihan? Why hadn’t she noticed that earlier? And where had she heard the name from before? The same feeling came flooding back to Keyla – the feeling she knew Sami from somewhere, but couldn’t pinpoint when, why or how. It was impossible, yet the pit forming deep in her lower abdomen strongly disagreed.

“Good, I’ll leave you to finish settling in, then.” Keyla rushed out of the room and closed the door behind her, sucking in gulps of oxygen because her heart rate had kicked up several notches.

The amount of nervous energy she felt whenever around Sami was baffling and Keyla couldn’t understand what caused it. Perhaps she knew Sami in another life. Maybe they were star-crossed lovers or something. Did she really just think that? Keyla shook her head, rolling her eyes at her stupidity and moved down the hallway toward Jon’s room to have him sign his own lease. Tapping on the door the same way she had with Sami, the door swung open with a half-naked Jon in front of her. He had black basketball shorts on hanging low on his hips, strings out and a lit cigarette between his sensual lips, hair somewhat hanging in his face.

“What?” He demanded, taking a drag and blew smoke away from her the best he could, not moving out of the doorway.

“Your lease. Need you to look over and sign it for me before I go to work tonight.” Keyla congratulated herself for keeping a calm voice and straight face considering her body temperature had skyrocketed immensely.

Plucking the piece of paper from her, Jon let her enter his room and kicked a box out of the way, leaning against the wall near the open window. He wasn’t totally careless since this wasn’t his house. Keyla didn’t seem to mind since she too was a smoker, but tried going outside when she could out of respect to her grandfather’s house. It still didn’t feel like hers, even though the man was dead.

“So, this $700 bucks is for everything included? You’re not gonna come to us halfway through the month and demand more money?” Jon demanded, eyeballing the blackish blue haired woman who had opened her home to him and his best friend when nobody else would. “Because I don’t let skirts fuck me around…”

“Excuse me?” Keyla was highly offended and didn’t bother hiding it, planting her hands on her hips. “First off, I’m not a skirt. Second, I don’t go back on my word and that’s exactly what the lease is – my word. So either sign it or find another place to live.”

He struck a nerve with her and Jon enjoyed it, wanting to see how far he could push her and what made Keyla tick. “No need to get your panties in a twist, sweetheart. Just making sure all my ducks are in a row before signing onto something that could fuck me over.”

If Keyla didn’t leave this room now, she would end up committing murder and be on America’s Most Wanted list. That’s how much Jon’s callous cold words affected her and she didn’t understand why. Tons of guys at the bar were giving her hell, hitting on her and even pinched her backside a few times, but NONE of them made her blood boil quite like Jon Moxley.

“One more time, I’m NOT going to fuck you over.” Keyla gritted out, clenching her fists tightly at her sides and pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache coming on.

Jon figured if he didn’t sign the lease now, she would blow a gasket and take him out along with the rest of Philadelphia. He had an important match coming up and had tempted fate enough for one day. Scrawling his signature on the line, Jon walked over to his pissed off landlord –he didn’t know what else to call her- and handed over the lease, thrusting it in her face. Keyla caught the paper and stalked past him toward the door, but not before getting the last word in.

“Sleep tight, asshole.”

Slamming the door behind her, Keyla went downstairs to start dinner because she was already running behind schedule. Kinkos had been busy, making her vow to never go there after work again. Spaghetti was on the menu for the night since it was the easiest meal to make at the moment. She would put something in the crock pot tomorrow, but right now her aggravation level was at an all-time high. Banging pots and pans downstairs made Sami curious what was going on, so he ventured out of his room to investigate and saw Keyla in the kitchen cooking. The mouthwatering scent of food permeated the house and forced Jon out of his room next, both men letting their noses lead the way. Keyla rolled her eyes at the sight of both men and didn’t say a word to them, focused on finishing up her sauce while boiling the noodles. Sami had a feeling Jon had something to do with her icy attitude toward them and shot a glare in his friend’s direction, deciding he would have to be the peacekeeper if this arrangement had a prayer working out.

“Need any help, Keyla?” Sami offered softly, blinking when she tossed a box of garlic bread over her shoulder and he received the message on what to do.

Jon ignored Sami’s glare, folding his arms in front of his chest while sitting at the kitchen island with his eyes firmly on Keyla. Maybe he’d crossed a line with what he said up in his room, but he honestly didn’t want to be screwed over by a woman. Jon wouldn’t hesitate to mess up her pretty face if Keyla tried dicking him and Sami out of their hard earned money. Male or female, anyone who screwed him over paid the price and he always screwed them back tenfold. So if Keyla was smart, she would take the $1400 a month from them combined and not ask for anything extra. He noticed Keyla was having a hard time lifting the huge pot of spaghetti noodles and didn’t want her getting hurt, rushing over covering her hands with his.

“Let me do it.” He grunted, the spark shooting through both of their bodies as soon as their fingers touched. Jon was sure she felt it too just by the look in her amber orbs. “Move.”

Keyla pulled away and took a step back while Jon drained the noodles, wiping the sweat from her forehead from all the steam in the kitchen. She’d cracked a window, but it didn’t seem to help and figured turning the ceiling fan on in the living room would help spread cooler air faster. Not bothering to thank Jon once he placed the pot of noodles back on the stove, Keyla proceeded to grab 3 bowls out of the cupboard handing one to each of her roommates. She turned just as Jon did and nearly collided with his chest, amber eyes snapping up to meet questioning electric blue. His hands gripped her upper arms instinctively to keep her from slamming full force into his chest and once again the heat sparked.

“Here.” She whispered, lowering her eyes from Jon and waited for him to take the bowl before taking her own. “Help yourselves, there’s plenty.”

Either she guessed they both ate enough food to feed a small army or had a big appetite like them. There was enough to feed all 3 comfortably with possible leftovers, though Jon doubted it. They let Keyla get her food first since she had to work that night and dove in, all 3 sitting at the table. Sami groaned at how delicious the spaghetti was while Jon remained silent, devouring the food in front of him. He acted as if he hadn’t ate in days when he had. There were days they went without eating while in the crappy apartment, but now they were in a nice house, a huge upgrade from where they previously lived, with a woman who could cook. Life really was sweet at the moment for both Sami and Jon.

“Thank you, Keyla. That was great. We’ll clean up the kitchen since you cooked.” Sami ignored Jon’s scowl shot at him and squeezed Keyla’s shoulder, putting his dish in the sink along with hers.

“Sounds good. I need to get ready for my second job, so please don’t destroy the house and clean up after yourselves.” It wasn’t much to ask and Keyla refused to be a maid to anyone except herself.

“You look dead on your feet. Call off tonight and relax.” Jon remarked, sounding somewhat commanding and Keyla ignored him, walking out of the kitchen to head upstairs for a much needed shower.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Sami turned on Jon with blazing green eyes. “What the fuck, bro? She pulled us out of that shitty place! Treating her like every other bitch is not the way to make things work here!” He chastised angrily, tossing the towel at Jon and pointed to the sink of clean dishes that had to be dried and put away. “You’re helping me and don’t give me that look.”

“Fuck off. I didn’t ask to be here.” Jon growled, rolling the towel up and snapped Sami on the neck with it, smirking at his friend’s bellow.

“THAT FUCKING HURTS!!”

“Don’t be a pussy and deal with it.” Jon snorted, snapping Sami on the thigh and then backside before cleaning up his mess on the table. “Look, you can cater to the broad all you want, but I’m not nearly as trusting as you. A woman who opens her house up to two strange men doesn’t set well with me. I’m only here because of your stupid ass, so if anything goes wrong it’s on your fucking head, not mine.”

Sami understood why Jon didn’t trust many people and he was the same way, but Lennox and Danny were close friends of theirs. “Len and Danny boy wouldn’t steer us wrong, bro. You gotta remember that. Keyla is Lennox’s best friend and if you don’t wanna get on her bad side along with Danny’s, start treating her with an ounce of fucking respect. Or we’ll be out on our asses and back on the streets. And I really don’t wanna sleep in my fucking car again with you.”

Jon hated when Sami made sense and he had to remember those facts regarding Lennox and Danny. “Whatever. Cater to her and kiss her ass all you want, but don’t expect me to do it, Sami. I’d rather be on the streets than kiss a broad’s ass.”

“One more thing.”

“What now, dick?” Jon demanded, irritated with this conversation and gripped the back of the chair he’d been sitting in to eat.

“Do not fuck her.”

Chapter 12

“Wow, you look like someone ran you over with a truck.”

Keyla didn’t doubt it and flipped Lennox off anyway while wiping down the counter for new customers. “Fuck you very much, bitch.”

“I’m sorry, but it’s the truth. Do you want me to lie to you?” Lennox retorted, tossing a $20 on the counter and finished off her first beer while Danny played pool with a few of his friends.

Keyla rolled her eyes in response, popping the cap on another longneck for her friend and poured a shot for someone else seated at the bar. “You can blame Kinkos and dealing with an asshole roommate for my lack of sleep and appearance tonight.”

“Let me take a WILD guess at who it is.” Lennox already knew who pushed Keyla’s buttons and felt her temper rising. “I told Moxley to behave himself with you…”

“Well he didn’t heed your warning. He actually accused me of trying to fuck him out of more money. When the lease clearly says how much he owes monthly to live in my house.” Keyla scoffed, feeling her own temper rising and tossed the towel to the side before refilling the bottles of alcohol that were nearly gone.

“I’m gonna shove my foot up his ass.” Lennox grumbled, taking a long swig from her beer and felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist from behind. “If this isn’t my boyfriend holding me, I suggest you put your arms elsewhere.”

Danny smirked, nuzzling his girlfriend’s neck and tightened his hold on her. “And if you don’t know your boyfriend’s touch by now, we have a serious problem to rectify.” He rumbled in her ear, nipping it gently with his teeth and finally directed his attention to a tired looking Keyla. “You look ready to fall over, girl.”

“And fuck you very much too.”

Danny chuckled, grunting at Lennox’s elbow nailing him in the stomach. “Sorry!” He wheezed out, enjoying the punishment from his girlfriend because he knew later on when they were alone at home, he would repay the favor pleasurably. “What’s going on?” He listened to the women complain about Jon and heaved a sigh, having a feeling this would happen the moment Lennox suggested Jon and Sami move in with Keyla.

“I’m gonna beat his ass and make him apologize to her.” Lennox vowed, demanding a shot of tequila to help her sudden agitation.

“Key, Jon is wired very differently than the rest of us.” Danny took a seat at the bar beside his woman, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and downed a shot with her.

Keyla raised a brow at Danny’s comment regarding Jon. “What do you mean?” She poured them a second shot and slid longnecks to each for chasers.

“I don’t know how to explain it, really. He’s not like the rest of us or an average guy. He has certain ticks and whatnot that separate him from the rest of us. Sami is the only one who really gets him. Half the time, I can’t handle what he says and does, so I just walk away and save myself a headache from trying to figure him out.” Danny admitted, enjoying the feeling of Lennox massaging the back of his neck while he talked about Jon. “Don’t get me wrong, he’s my boy and I’d kill for him just like I know he’d do the same for me. We’re bros, but…nothing compared to him and Sami. They have this…weird connection and maybe it’s because both are from Ohio, I don’t know. Just…be patient with him and don’t take anything he says to heart. Jon doesn’t know how to be friendly to people he doesn’t know and until he gets to know you, he will continue being an asshole.”

Keyla didn’t know how to respond to any of that and walked away to serve other customers. Maybe letting Jon and Sami move in with her wasn’t a smart decision. Sami was fine, respectful and didn’t give her a hard time. Jon, on the other hand, was trouble with a capital T. Not to mention it wasn’t fair how incredible gorgeous he was, especially in basketball shorts. From Danny’s explanation of who Jon was, it sounded like the man had a lot of demons and didn’t trust easily. So she could either deal with his callous attitude until she proved to Jon she could be trusted or Keyla could cut ties with him and Sami. Avoiding them was out of the question and Keyla decided she wouldn’t make any rash decisions, wanting to see how all of this played out.

What did Danny mean by Jon being wired differently from other men? She didn’t fully understand what all that entailed. Maybe he was into guys instead of girls? Dick instead of pussy? She highly doubted that given the heat they both felt earlier on when Jon helped drain the spaghetti noodles for dinner. Through the attitude and sarcasm, Keyla had a feeling a lot of pain and anguish begging to be released or soothed. Jon wore a figurative mask and presented him as indestructible to the world, but on the inside he was slowly falling apart. There had to be something she could do to slice through his exterior and get to the person Jon truly was on the inside instead of what he showed everyone on the outside.

Maybe it was hopeless. Jon would only show who he truly was if he didn’t feel threatened and trusted the person. That much she gathered from Danny’s explanation, anyway. Why did Keyla feel the need to want to get to know Jon better? Did she honestly think she stood a chance with someone like him? Keyla was an average woman and the only asset worthy on her body was her hair, only because of the dark blue color. Other than that, she didn’t think much of herself and hadn’t thought about dating since her last relationship crashed and burned. Being cheated on didn’t feel too great and definitely didn’t boost the ego any or self-esteem for that matter. Still, he was nobody and Keyla knew deep down they wouldn’t last the moment he revealed he’d been previously married. Turns out, he ended up using Keyla as a rebound screw and ended up going back to his ex-wife, remarrying her and moving far away from Philadelphia.

Her thoughts switched to Sami and this overwhelming familiarity she couldn’t seem to push aside. Did she know him? Her memory couldn’t be that messed up, right? Oh god, what if she was getting Alzheimer’s or early dementia?! Keyla glanced over at Lennox and saw Danny rejoined his pack of friends at the pool tables, wondering if she should talk about how she felt regarding Sami. Lennox would probably think she was insane, crazy, stupid or all three combined. Still, Lennox was the only person she trusted and if Keyla didn’t talk about this, it would surely eat her alive from the inside out. She waited on a few more customers and finally received a momentarily reprieve from her job, heading back over to where her friend sat.

“So, I need to talk to you about something and…it’s going to sound ridiculous. And it’s not about Moxley either.” Now they were onto the other roommate.

“Okay…” Lennox wasn’t sure if she should be scared or concerned for her friend, noting the trouble in Keyla’s citrine eyes. “What’s on your mind?”

Keyla suddenly popped open a beer of her own and took a long swig, keeping it hidden beneath the counter so nobody saw. The bar owner didn’t mind bartenders drinking as long as they didn’t get sloshed to the point where they couldn’t serve customers. Rarely did Keyla drink on the job, but this mystery with Sami Callihan had her tied up in all kinds of knots.

“Out with it, woman.”

“It’s Sami. It’s nothing bad…I don’t think anyway. I just…I feel like I know him and I don’t know why.” Keyla’s brows drew together and her eyes drifted down to the longneck in her hand, frowning deeply. “I don’t know what’s going on, but…I just have this overwhelming feeling I know him from somewhere and it’s…it scares me a little, if I’m being honest. And I feel bad because he hasn’t done anything to me and he’s actually been really nice unlike Jon. I just don’t understand where this feeling of knowing him is coming from.”

Lennox stayed quiet for a few minutes, letting everything Keyla said sink into her brain and chose her words carefully. “Maybe he reminds you of someone you do know.” She suggested, taking a drink of her own beer. “Or maybe you knew him in another life?” Lennox was a huge believer in the afterlife and reincarnation, going as far as doing some extensive studying on both just for the hell of it.

“You really do know me too well.” Keyla muttered, both women chuckling and clinking their bottles together. “Seriously, I was having the same thoughts about reincarnated lovers from another life or star-crossed lovers, something along those lines. This is crazy…”

“I wouldn’t dwell too much on it, honestly. He’s a good guy and is helping you with the house just like Jon. And yes, I know I just referred to Moxley as a good guy and he really is. He’s just…rough around the edges and wired differently, like Danny said earlier.” Lennox considered Jon family because of how close he was to Danny, but even they were kept at arm’s length. “And if this bothers you too much, just ask Sami if you two know each other and be done with it.”

“Oh yeah sure – because that conversation wouldn’t be awkward as fuck. ‘Um excuse me, Sami, even though I don’t know you from a hole in the ground, I feel like we know each other from somewhere or a past life. What are your thoughts on this?’ Somehow I DON’T see him talking about it freely or openly for that matter.” Keyla snorted, rolling her eyes at Lennox’s giggling and flipped her off again. “You are zero help right now, woman. Just thought I’d let you know that.”

“Well what do you want me to say? You’re worried about something that is out of your control, Key. Just leave it be and enjoy some of your bill burden being lifted off of you because of two wrestlers. Bottom line, like I said don’t dwell on it. Just let whatever happen, happen.” Lennox didn’t have any other advice for her friend other than that and hoped she helped Keyla a little, having a feeling she didn’t. “Just don’t sleep with either of them and, if you do, make sure it’s strictly sex and nothing else. They are both womanizers and enjoy pussy all over the road. Wear a condom too because you don’t know where their dicks have been.”

“And that is my cue to take her home.” Danny shook his head at Lennox’s filthy mouth and lifted her up over his shoulder, setting the half empty longneck on the bar. “See you later, Key.”

2 AM couldn’t come fast enough for Keyla.

~!~

“What time?”

“Don’t you want to know who you’ll be facing?”

“Nope. Don’t really care. I’ll beat their ass and win the match like always.”

This phone call couldn’t have come at a better time for Jon after what happened between him and Keyla. A few days apart would do wonders for both of them, especially Jon. He knew he was cruel to her, but it was his way of hiding who he really was. Keyla was new and new people in his life unnerved Jon. He’d always been that way. Lennox was the only woman in his life he tolerated and he thought of her as a little sister, somewhat. He probably would’ve nailed her in bed had it not been for Danny putting his stamp on her first.

“Be here tomorrow no later than 5 PM, Mox.”

“Got it. Later.” Jon hung up the phone and leaned back against the headboard, lighting a cigarette up for a nicotine fix.

Standing up from the bed, he walked over to stare out the window and blew smoke out into the cool night, the moon full shining down at him. HWA was one of the many wrestling organizations Jon worked for, wrestling all over the place including overseas. He never turned down a single opportunity presented to him, not seeing a reason considering pro wrestling was all he had in life. There was no loving family waiting for him. Jon learned from his childhood not to expect a happy fairytale in life because that wasn’t realistic. The only thing that made him happy and gave him everything he possibly wanted out of life was professional wrestling. He’d cut a promo in HWA a few years ago about his match against Jake Crist, but it was mostly about his unconditional undying love for the sport of professional wrestling. And he meant every word he said. Professional wrestling saved his life in more ways than one and Jon felt complete every time he stepped through the ropes to collide his fist against his opponent’s jaw or any body part he saw fit to target.

The love of his life was professional wrestling.

Now he was living with possibly the most gorgeous woman on the planet and Jon felt intimidated by her. He didn’t want his love for professional wrestling to falter and Keyla threatened that. Citrine eyes pulled him in and all Jon wanted to do was bury his fingers in her ravenous blue tinted hair while screwing her senseless. Those were not the thoughts he should be having, not when his love for professional wrestling was calling him back on the road again. Yes, he definitely needed this break. Sami had already threatened to beat the hell out of him if he hurt Keyla in any way, shape or form. So to avoid any temptation to pursue his new roommate and lifesaver, Jon had to leave and HWA was the perfect distraction.

When all else failed, professional wrestling was the one consistency in his life and betraying his true love was out of the question. He owed professional wrestling everything he had in life – including the breath in his 6’4 muscular frame. As enticing as Keyla was and as much as he wanted her in his bed, Jon didn’t want to ruin the arrangement they had with her. Now if she pursued him and came to him willingly, all bets were off. There’s no way he would turn Keyla away, not for a second, and something told him she wanted him as much as he did her. Shaking his head, Jon finished his cigarette and stubbed it out in the ashtray on the window ledge, leaving it open to let the cool air circulate his room. It would help cool his heated body down at the thought of going back on the road to once again come in contact with the true love of his life.

Chapter 13

They were dead.

Every single person responsible for this travesty was DEAD!

Sami slammed the door of his vehicle and stalked up the stairs to Keyla’s house – home, his mind reminded him – unlocking the door before slamming it shut with authority. His friends were dickheads! How the hell did he manage to get himself into these situations? Sami growled, feeling the towel around his waist loosen and tightened it instantly. He wasn’t alone, not even with Jon gone, because they now lived with a woman. Keyla wouldn’t take kindly to seeing Sami’s junk either, at least not right away.

“I warned Jon away from her and now I’m thinking of fucking her.” Sami grunted to the silence of the house, shaking his head and made the trek up the stairs with his bag of destroyed clothes in hand.

Danny and a few of the other CZW guys thought it’d be hilarious to play a prank on Sami during wrestling practice. Sami always showered after working the ring, especially now that he lived with a woman. If it was just Jon still, he wouldn’t care, but Keyla was Lennox’s friend and Sami respected the woman far too much to showcase his disgusting habits. Such as coming home stinking to high heavens of sweat and showering when there was a perfectly good shower at the arena to use. After tangling with Danny and Scotty Vortekz for 3 hours, Sami had enough and brought his clothes into the shower room to clean up. While making himself smell good for Keyla’s sake, Danny snuck into the bathroom and snatched Sami’s duffel bag, coming up with a brilliant prank idea. There were cans of old paint leftover from the last person who bought this place and tired fixing it up, but apparently it’d been a lost cause. They left the paint behind, so Danny, Scotty and Drake Younger all popped the lids open on them, dipping Sami’s clothes into it.

Now his clothing was nothing more than pink, blue and white colors swirled together, seeping into the material. “Mother fuckers.” He hissed, tossing the ruined clothing over his shoulder since he was in his room. “I’ll kick all of their asses and douse their shit in paint! Assholes!”

His ears perked up at the sound of the shower running in the bathroom, which was in-between Jon, Keyla’s and Sami’s room. Keyla’s was right next door to Jon’s and Sami’s was down the hall on the other side of the bathroom. Jon hadn’t left yet to go to his match. There was no way Keyla was home from work yet. Sami had been so irate he didn’t realize Keyla’s car was in the driveway, however. Or the female clothing on the floor leading up the stairs to the bathroom for that matter. Walking out of his room, Sami decided to pull the towel off since it was just Jon in the house and they’d seen each other’s junk a million times. Nothing new. He heard the shower sprays shut off and waited for the door to open, wanting to know if Jon had anything to do with the prank the boys pulled on him at the arena. If he did, Sami wouldn’t be held accountable for the beating Jon would receive by his hands.

~!~

Stumbling through the door, Keyla was ready to fall over from lack of sleep. She didn’t leave the bar until close to 4 AM that morning due to a fight breaking out right before close. So naturally, she went straight to work for some overtime instead of sleeping for a measly hour and a half at home. The adrenaline in her body was officially gone and she was completely spent, tossing her keys on the table while kicking shoes off. It didn’t matter who was home right now, she had to get out of these clothes. So Keyla undressed on her way up the stairs to the bathroom, leaving stinky clothing behind smelling of booze and sweat.

Stepping under the hot shower sprays, Keyla groaned out in contentment and let all the tension leave her tired body. Her thoughts turned to Jon, hoping he made it safely to Cincinnati for his match with the wrestling organization he worked for there. She couldn’t remember what it was called since Jon only mentioned it once. H something or rather, Keyla shrugged and poured shampoo in her hands, lathering her hair the smell of Dove permeating the air. It didn’t have a flowery scent to it or anything, just clean and that’s all Keyla needed. How she longed to have Jon join her for a shower, her mind turning south instantly.

What would it feel like to be touched with his long fingers? Keyla had noticed how big his hands were and had a feeling he packed even more in his boxer/briefs. It’d been a while since Keyla felt a strong attraction toward a man or felt the urge to bring herself to a climax over one for that matter. As much as she wanted to know Jon better, Keyla had given up on that after her talk with Danny and Lennox. Now, all she wanted was his body on top of hers and his cock inside of her. Sex didn’t require talking unless it was the dirty kind, right? There were no feelings except ecstasy and Keyla would worry about feeling guilty afterwards later or any consequences that followed. Honestly, would it be wrong to dive into bed with Jon Moxley? Would it destroy the arrangement she made with Jon and Sami if they slept together?

Her fingers had a mind of their own and soon Keyla was moaning out Jon’s name, stroking her clit at the thought of his sizzling blue eyes and muscular body. There was something about his slightly long curly hair draped in his eyes that completely turned her insides to molten lava. A quick masturbation session in the shower would wear her body down more and make Keyla sleep a lot better because of the tension release. Bringing someone home from the bar was an option, but Keyla had to be attracted in all ways to the individual. So far, the only man who walked into the bar and made her feel that way was Jon Moxley.

“Jon…” She moaned, the shower sprays muting her cries of ecstasy while climaxing hard and fast, her eyes remaining closed. “Mmm yeah…”

Just as the hot water began to running out, Keyla finished up rinsing her hair and stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around her body securely. She wrapped another one around her hair, twisting it up on top of her head and brushed her teeth. Then Keyla towel dried her hair and brushed it out, wincing at the tangles having it twisted up caused. Once done, Keyla finally stepped out and screamed bloody murder at the sight of Sami waiting outside of the bathroom, beginning to rant at her.

“THOSE STUPID MOTHER FUCKERS DIPPED MY SHIT IN PAINT!!”

“WHAT THE HELL?”

Sami’s eyes nearly popped out of his skull at the sight of a nearly naked Keyla standing in front of him, his jaw dropped to the floor. Could this day get any worse? First he was pranked by close friends he worked with and now – NOW the woman he’d been fantasizing about stood in front of him in just a towel! And the worst part was Sami was still in his!

“I – I uh – I um…” No matter how hard he tried, Sami could not form a coherent thought much less a full sentence, opening and closing his mouth several times. “I just…”

“What the fuck are you doing here, Sami?” Keyla demanded, breathing a little heavy and gripped the towel around her body instinctively to make sure it didn’t fall off.

“I should be asking you the same question.” Sami became defensive, though his voice was nothing more than a low mumble.

Keyla raised a brow, cheeks reddening with each passing second they stood in front of each other in towels. “I got off work early and I shouldn’t have to justify it to you!”

“Well I didn’t expect you home this soon!” Sami shot back, planting his hands on his hips and didn’t remember to fasten it around his waist. “AND I LIVE HERE!”

The towel dropped and Keyla immediately slapped a hand over her eyes to shield her view, gasping in shock. “PICK YOUR TOWEL UP! COVER YOURSELF UP! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?”

“Fuck!” Sami cursed, scrambling to pick the towel up and by the time he stood upright again, Keyla was already in her room with the door slammed shut. “FUCK!”

Keyla pressed her back against the door, trying to get the image of Sami’s naked body out of her mind and groaned, knowing it was seared in her memory for life. “Oh my god, oh my god…” She whispered repeatedly, pushing away from the door and sat on the bed, no longer tired.

Sleep was the last thing on Keyla’s mind. Between her vastly growing lust for one roommate and seeing the other naked, Keyla’s brain felt like it was ready to explode. Not that Sami didn’t have a nice body because he certainly packed a punch. Any woman would be lucky to have him in their bed. Hell, if Keyla wasn’t having crazy déjà vu feelings about Sami and didn’t find Jon attractive, she definitely would’ve gone a few rounds with him. Keyla had serious issues and scrubbed hands down her face, needing a distraction.

Any distraction.

~!~

Lennox looked up from cutting tomatoes for dinner when Danny walked through the front door of their house, laughing so hard he was doubled over. At first she thought he was in pain and started rushing to his side, but when he wheezed out he was alright, she went back to cooking dinner. Lennox could only imagine what made Danny laugh this hard, remembering the last time he came home in this state. Scotty Vortekz had his butt cheeks superglued together after being temporarily knocked out by Drake during wrestling practice. So not only did he have to wrestle that night at a CZW pay-per-view event, but the poor man had to literally CUT his cheeks apart. The glue was too thick for an adhesive, not to mention it was too expensive to purchase. Scotty ended up needing stitches for cutting too deep and Lennox paid for the hospital visit. Danny felt terrible for his girlfriend paying for a prank he pulled and paid her back, putting the money in her bank account once he was paid for the month by CZW.

“Do I dare ask what you did this time?” Lennox asked resignedly, putting the cut tomatoes in a bowl and started on the lettuce, eyeballing her boyfriend sternly.

It took Danny another 10 minutes to calm down before he could talk without laughing harder, managing to tell Lennox what happened. “There was no superglue involved, but we had to get Sami somehow. He’s the only one that hasn’t been pranked. So, we dipped his clothes in the paint that was left behind by the original owner of the building before CZW bought it. It was hilarious!”

“DANIEL!” Lennox screeched, using his full name and popped him as hard as she could upset the head, shoving him out of the kitchen. “I TOLD YOU NO MORE PRANKS!! POOR SCOTTY’S ASS DIDN’T HEAL FOR 2 MONTHS AFTER WHAT YOU ASSHOLES DID TO HIM! DO YOU REMEMBER THE EXPENSIVE HOSPITAL BILL I HAD TO PAY FOR BECAUSE OF YOUR RIDICULOUS SUPERGLUE PRANK?! YOU DIDN’T LEARN A DAMN THING FROM IT, DID YOU?”

Danny cringed at Lennox’s screaming, hating he’d upset her and figured she would think the prank was funny. “It was just paint, babe…”

“I DON’T GIVE A FAT FUCKING DAMN WHAT YOU DIPPED HIS CLOTHES IN! YOU ARE BUYING HIM NEW ONES OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MONEY AND IF YOU DON’T HAVE YOUR HALF OF THE RENT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MONTH, I’M TOSSING YOUR ASS OUT AND YOU CAN STAY WITH SCOTTY OR DRAKE OR ONE OF YOUR OTHER BUDDIES UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE!! DO YOU FUCKING UNDERSTAND ME?!”

Lennox needed air before she ended up murdering her boyfriend and didn’t feel like dumping his body somewhere unknown. She stormed out of the house, slamming the door shut so hard, the windows rattled and went to her car with cell phone in hand. Then she had a horrible thought. If Sami didn’t have any clothes on when he left the arena, what the hell covered him up? Keyla didn’t get off work for another hour, but she still felt the need to warn her best friend. She speed dialed Keyla, hoping she was out of work by now and hadn’t made it home or else she’d get an unwanted surprise with a naked Sami.

“Yes I already know what your scumbag boyfriend did and I’m going to kill him.”

That answered Lennox’s worries. “I’m so sorry, I just found out what he did to Sami, Key.”

Keyla snorted, wearing white cotton shorts with a matching tank top and hadn’t left her room since Sami dropped his towel in front of her. “Please let him know I’m fucking mortified.”

“What happened?” Lennox was almost afraid to ask, looking back at the house and leaned against her car in the cool night air.

Cringing with each word Keyla spat in her ear, Lennox grew further annoyed and angry with her boyfriend. Danny had to stop these pranks before someone seriously ended up hurt. She couldn’t believe Sami actually dropped his towel in front of Keyla, trying not to laugh, but Keyla hard her snicker.

“And now my best friend is laughing at me. Great.” Keyla muttered, hearing the front door downstairs close and looked out the window, seeing Sami jump in his car speeding down the road away from the house. “Thank god he left.”

“Probably embarrassed as you.”

Keyla rolled her eyes, walking out of her bedroom and downstairs to make something to eat. She wished Jon would call to let her know he made it safely to Cincinnati, unable to stop worrying about him. Something told her Sami would not be home for the rest of the night and Keyla was perfectly fine with that.

“So what are your plans for the rest of the evening?”

“Besides calling off work from the bar and making dinner, I have no idea.” Keyla pulled out some bread, lunchmeat and mayonnaise to make a quick sandwich. She would figure out dinner later on, if she didn’t pass out. “What about you?”

“Trying not to beat the shit out of Danny for his cruel prank on Sami and making tacos for dinner – or was. I think I’ll force him to finish dinner and then make him my bitch for the rest of the night.” Lennox smirked, tapping her chin thoughtfully at all the possibilities. “Guess I better head in and start barking orders.”

“Don’t be too hard on him. I’m sure he didn’t know Sami would drop a towel in front of me and run out of the house.”

“Uh huh, we’ll see what happens. I’ll call and check on you later. Call if you need anything.”

“Will do.”

They hung up and Keyla laid on the couch turning the television on, sleep coming in no time after eating with Jon on her mind.

Chapter 14

“HONEY, I’M FUCKING HOME!!”

“Congratulations, now close the damn door and stop letting the cold in.” Sami ordered, his tongue sticking out one side of his mouth while pressing the buttons violently on the PS2 controller. “Son of a bitch!”

Jon flipped him off with both middle fingers and kicked the front door shut, setting his bag down shaking the snow off of his leather jacket. “Serves you right for not helping me, asshole.” He smirked when Sami gave him the same gesture, looking around the house expecting to see Keyla since it was after 5 PM. “Where’s the woman?”

“The woman has a name, you know.” Sami took a long swig of beer and paused his game, leaning back against the couch. “She’s upstairs in her room. Probably napping for the bar.” Or avoiding him like the plague, which Sami didn’t blame her for.

Sensing tension in Sami’s voice, Jon walked over and sat next to his best friend, draping his arm over the smaller man’s shoulders lazily. “Out with it. What happened while I was gone?” He demanded, blue eyes narrowing suspiciously.

One thing about Jon was he could be very observant when the situation warranted. There was a change in the atmosphere from when Jon left a few days ago to now. Something wasn’t right. Jon grew up in an environment where he knew when things were bad and it helped him escape a lot of the beatings from his worthless mother’s ‘clients’. Whoring on the street in order to put food on the table wasn’t the best job in the world, but it got the job done. However, if her clients weren’t happy –there were quite a few who didn’t think she deserved the rate she charged- they would break into the apartment to steal the money back and any other possessions she had worth value. It was a habit more than anything, a survival mechanism that Jon carried with him his entire life.

“Did you visit your mother while in Cincinnati?” Sami quickly changed the subject and groaned when Jon’s arm tightened a little around his neck, gritting his teeth.

“No. Now stop stalling and fucking tell me what happened now before I pop your head off like a daisy.” Jon wouldn’t do it, but Sami usually fell for his threats and scowled darkly at his friend.

“That’s a dandelion, fucker.” Sami corrected through a grunt, trying to fight Jon’s grip, but it was no use. He was stronger than Sami and taller, giving Jon the advantage.

“It could be a rose for all I care. Now out with the truth!” Jon locked his hands together, having Sami in a full headlock and slowly began putting pressure on his brain, which would cut off oxygen slowly. “You can end this if you just tell me what happened, bro. Not that hard.”

Sami really didn’t want to tell Jon what happened with Keyla because he would either laugh until he passed out or beat the hell out of him. He was the one who warned Jon away from Keyla and Sami turned around dropping his towel in front of their new roommate like an idiot. It’d been 3 days and he couldn’t face Keyla without the embarrassment flooding back, reminding him of what happened. He had to admit though, only to himself, she looked amazing wet and naked in just a towel.

“Fine – FINE!” Sami bellowed, feeling Jon relinquish the hold on his head and shoved his friend harshly, rubbing the back of his neck groaning. “Fuck man, you sure you wanna know?”

Why did Jon have a feeling he would end up beating the hell out of Sami by the time this conversation ended? “I wouldn’t ask unless I did, dick. Now enough stalling or I’ll go back to squeezing your tiny head.”

Licking his lips nervously, Sami went over everything that happened between him and Keyla while Jon was gone. How Danny and the others from CZW decided to dip his clothes in paint, leaving him with no choice except to come home in just a towel. He thought Jon had been in the shower and when Keyla walked out, he started bitching about what the guys did, making her scream at him in return. By now, Jon was laughing so hard he couldn’t talk and tears had formed in his eyes, his stomach aching since he’d taken a few hard hits during his match at the HWA event.

“NOT funny, bro.” Sami scowled, folding his arms in front of his chest huffing indignantly. “It gets worse…”

“How the fuck could it get worse?” Then Jon stopped laughing, the words Sami said only moments ago entering his mind. “Wait, Keyla walked out of the bathroom and you started bitching about what happened, thinking it was me?”

“Yeah dumbass, did you just now cotton onto that fact?” Sami snapped, standing up from the couch and turned to face Jon. “She just got out of the shower and I – I was so shocked to see her because I thought she was still at work. I thought for sure it was you. And I – well – I uh…” He did NOT want to tell Jon about dropping his towel in front of Keyla and showcasing his junk to her.

“SPIT IT OUT!!”

“I DROPPED MY TOWEL AND FLASHED MY DICK AT HER!”

That was it. Jon completely lost it and began bellowing with laughter at the top of his lungs, slapping the arm of the couch repeatedly with his hand. He couldn’t help it. Sami warned him to stay away from Keyla and what does the prick do in return? Flashes her accidentally by dropping his towel since their friends decided to prank him! Jon owed Danny a pitcher of beer for this, thoroughly enjoying Sami’s embarrassment and torment over the situation.

“So – So let me get this straight. You tell me not to fuck Keyla because you don’t wanna ruin the arrangement we have with her. Then you go and flash your junk at her?” Jon shook his head when all Sami did was lower his head shamefully, nodding. “Dude, if you want to fuck her that badly, no need to make up a lame ass excuse about staying away from her. Just do it.”

“But I DON’T!!” Not anymore at least, Sami added in thought, covering his burning cheeks with his hands. “Shut up, asshole! It’s not funny!”

“No you’re right.” Jon popped a cigarette in his mouth and lit the tip, taking a long drag to let the nicotine flow through his body. “It’s fucking hilarious! Hell, you probably fucked the arrangement up and didn’t even get laid!” He laughed harder, coughing when he inhaled too much smoke and patted his chest a few times.

“Serves you right for laughing at me, dick.” Sami grumped, snatching the PS2 controller off the coffee table and began playing his game again, ignoring his growling stomach. “Man fuck this, I’m leaving to go to the gym for a few hours. You wanna come or settle in?”

After the long drive, all Jon wanted was a hot shower, meal and bed with a fifth of Jack Daniels. “Not tonight, man. Go knock it out and…try to keep your clothes on.”

Sami cursed when Jon started laughing at him again and stormed out of the house, slamming the front door shut. Once Jon settled down for the third time, he stood from the couch to go sift through the fridge to see what they had to eat. Keyla had gone grocery shopping, so they were stocked for a good solid week if they stretched the food out. Jon and Sami were eating machines though, so they would have to restock for her. Shutting the fridge, Jon’s thoughts turned to the woman currently upstairs held up in her room and he wondered if she was alright. He hoped Sami’s accident hadn’t scared her from them because the living arrangement would turn awkward in a hurry. Jon didn’t want to live somewhere he had to walk on eggshells, so the sooner they worked this issue out, the sooner everyone could move on from it.

Throughout the 3 days he’d been away, all Jon thought about was Keyla and hearing what Sami did made him jealous. He wanted to be the one who dropped a towel in front of her, to see her in one, only the scenario would be completely different. Jon wouldn’t run away like a scared little boy. No, he would’ve taken Keyla in his arms and kissed the breath out of her body before carting her to his bedroom. For countless hours, he would screw her into the mattress like he wanted and show Keyla how crazy she made him. Jon couldn’t remember the last time he’d masturbated so much in his life because taking a rat back to his hotel room didn’t sound appeasing. He could have his pick of any woman on the planet, but the only person Jon wanted currently was his new roommate – the one woman he couldn’t have.

Taking a step toward the stairs, Jon suddenly stopped and felt a surge of anger flood through him suddenly. It wasn’t at Keyla though. It was at himself for being a pussy and not going up there to claim what he wanted. Since when was Jon afraid of anything life offered or tossed his way? NEVER! Sami’s words rang through his mind, reminding him what would happen if he slept with Keyla and that enraged Jon further. Turning, Jon stormed out of the house instead and hopped in his vehicle, speeding out of the driveway down the road, blasting AC/DC. He didn’t notice the pair of citrine eyes watching him from the upstairs window.

“What was that about?” Keyla wondered aloud, towel-drying her hair from a fresh shower she just stepped out of.

She overheard Sami and Jon talking downstairs when she strode out of the bathroom, but didn’t stop to eavesdrop on their conversation. It wasn’t the warmest weather outside and the house was incredibly drafty. Keyla heard the front door slam shut and glanced outside, seeing Sami storming to his car nearly slipping on a patch of black ice in the driveway. It had snowed earlier that day and the temperature dropped into the single digits, not including the wind-chill. Keyla expected Sami to leave since he normally worked out at night alone after Danny’s prank, but Jon departing surprised her. After the long drive, she figured he wouldn’t want to be in his car another second. Apparently she was wrong. Keyla shrugged, dressing for the bar that night and brushed out her hair before piling it up on top of her head in a messy bun. Simple skinny blue jeans and a long sleeved wine colored shirt and white camisole beneath accompanied with black knee high boots completed her outfit.

Grabbing her purse with everything she needed, Keyla headed out into the wintry weather with her black coat, bundling up since it felt like the icy wind could slice through her body. Luckily, her car fired up and Keyla took her time getting to the bar, not wanting to get into an accident. This was the only vehicle she owned and if anything happened to it, she was stuck walking in the dead of winter. Not happening. Keyla managed to make it to work unscathed, cursing since it started snowing again and rushed inside without slipping on the icy sidewalk. Lennox noticed her first and left Danny’s side, helping her friend out of her coat hanging it up on the hook behind the bar.

“You are insane for coming out in this weather, woman.” Lennox chastised, eyeballing the commotion across the bar by the jukebox and hoped Keyla didn’t look in that direction.

“That makes two of us. At least I’m here working.” Keyla retorted, shaking some of the snow out of her hair and walked behind the bar to get started, serving two customers.

Then, she spotted what Lennox had earlier and felt sick to her stomach, hiding the disappointment the best she could. Jon was across the bar with a leggy dark redhead that had barely enough material covering the main parts of her body. She was a whore who frequented the bar and slept with over half the roster of CZW – a ring rat was the actual term. Why was Jon interested in a rat? God only knew what kind of diseases she carried, no matter what kind of protection he used! Keyla poured a round of shots for another customer and made her way down the bar just as Jon came sauntering up with his arm draped over the whore’s neck.

“Two beers, Keyla.” Jon ordered, ignoring the rat’s annoying giggle and slid his tongue up her cheek to her ear. “How about some body shots?”

The whore’s brown eyes grew wide with wonder and she licked her lips hungrily, nodding mutely. “Do you just want a bottle then?” Keyla asked politely, trying to maintain her professionalism, but all she really wanted to do was reach across the bar counter to rip the fake extensions out of the whore’s skull.

Jon smirked, sliding his hand down to grab a handful of the rat’s backside and nodded toward Keyla. “Two shot glasses too.” He added in a grunt while the whore played with the hoop in his left ear using her tongue. “Mmm…”

This was sickening. “Here you go. Thanks.” Keyla snatched the money off the counter Jon flicked her way and made the transaction, willing the tears not to form in her eyes.

Lennox wanted to kill Jon for that disgusting display in front of Keyla, not understanding what had gotten into him. “Since when is he into rats?” She demanded to her boyfriend once Jon and the whore were out of earshot.

“Beats the hell outta me, babe. I have no idea. He’s never looked her way and now suddenly tonight, she shows him the slightest bit of attention and he’s all over her. Makes no sense.” Danny sipped his beer, worry clear in his eyes for his friend and glanced over at Keyla with a raised brow. “Is she upset about Jon being with the rat?”

“What was your first fucking clue? God, are all men blind and idiotic?” Lennox snapped, moving down the bar counter to where Keyla currently sat refilling the liquor bottles. The pain on her friend’s face broke Lennox’s heart, but she had warned Keyla not to get involved with Jon and hoped she hadn’t yet. “Key, you alright?”

“Fine.” Keyla smiled up at her, but it didn’t reach her watery amber eyes.

“Oh sweetie…”

“Don’t.” Keyla shook her head, keeping her voice low and cleared her throat, not wanting to draw any attention to herself. “You warned me and I believe you now that I’ve seen what he’s really like. I’ll be keeping my distance from him from now on, I promise.”

On her break, Keyla went outside for it and lit up a cigarette, finally letting a few hot tears slide down her cheeks while staring up at the snowy sky. Lesson learned the hard way, but sometimes it had to happen in order to open someone’s eyes. Keyla would not be pursuing Jon any further, realizing he was nothing more than a womanizer and all he’d want from her was sex, if anything at all. It snapped her right back to reality.

They were roommates and nothing more.

Chapter 15

“Are you sure this is alright?”

“Does it matter?” A male voice grunted, the shuffling of his shoes and the woman’s heels squeaking across the wooden floor. “You’d fuck me anywhere, remember?”

All the woman could do was nod, letting the blue eyed god lead her up the stairs to his room of the two story house. He said something about living with two other roommates, so she didn’t know if it was alright he brought someone home. Hell, why wouldn’t it be? He was single and so was she, after all. Slamming her against the wall as soon as they were up the stairs, his mouth sealed to her neck and she giggled, the sensation ticklish. He growled in response to her giggling and bit down into the flesh of her neck, the giggling immediately turning to deep moans of pleasure.

“Oh Mox…”

Jon rolled his eyes, but continued teasing and nipping her neck, not overly minding being called by his wrestling name. “You like that, kitten?” He demanded in a deep raspy voice, pressing his body further against hers and nibbled on her lobe.

“Y-Yes…”

They were in the hallway near his room, but Jon didn’t want her in his bed yet. No, he wanted to rile her up first until she begged him to end her torment. Pinning her to the wall was step one; step two involved his fingers delving under the short skirt she wore that barely covered her plump backside to find she didn’t have panties on. She was bare too, smooth as a baby’s bottom and Jon had to admit he enjoyed it when women took the time to wax themselves. His tongue enjoyed having a little girl to play with and wouldn’t have to worry about pubic hair stopping him from devouring her.

“Such a pretty little cunt you have.” He hissed, voice remaining low and gritty, avoiding eye contact with the whore he brought home from the bar.

She wasn’t anywhere near the beauty Keyla possessed, but it was a way to get his dick wet and hopefully stop him from thinking about his new roommate. His fingers probed her wet sex, letting the juices soak them completely and pulled his hand from beneath her skirt, licking them clean groaning at her flavor. It wasn’t bad, a little salty from all the beer and liquor they consumed together. Jon’s head swam in a drunken euphoria, the taste of pussy on his tongue driving his lust further.

“Taste me, Mox…” The ring rat pleaded, licking her fiery red lips and gasped when his hand wrapped around her throat, sliding his hot tongue up the length of her face.

“You don’t give the orders, I do, kitten.” Jon informed her before spinning the whore around and lifted her skirt to expose the pert backside she had. “Mmm such a nice fuckin’ ass. Let’s see what your pain tolerance is.” His hand then landed on one cheek and then the other, the rat crying out since the blows were harsh against her pale skin.

“Oh god!”

~!~

Much to Keyla’s relief, the bar closed at 1 AM and she was home by 1:30, under the covers in her bed lying on her side, trying to fall asleep. What she witnessed at the bar made her nauseous and when Jon finally left with the whore around midnight, she finally relaxed finishing her job without any other incidents. Her boss asked if she was alright and all Keyla did was smile sadly at him, wishing everyone a good night before heading home for some much needed sleep. Working two jobs was hard, but Keyla did what she had to do in order to survive. Having Jon and Sami living with her now to help pay the bills helped a great deal, but something told her they wouldn’t be there forever, so Keyla had to be prepared for that. Saving money was the key to survival or else she would end up losing everything her grandfather left her and that couldn’t happen.

Just as her eyes closed, the sound of growling and giggling made them snap back open. Keyla immediately recognized the growling belonged to Jon and felt shudders rush through her body. So that’s what he sounded like during an intimate moment with a woman, she surmised, chewing her bottom lip and tried not to eavesdrop, but it was impossible not to. Shoes shuffling along the wooden floor and the whore he’d brought back to the house moaning uncontrollably lit Keyla’s blood on fire. She wanted to rip open the door, shove the whore down the stairs and show Jon what it felt like to be with a real woman instead of a fake big breasted streetwalker. Of course, Keyla wouldn’t do that, not wanting to jeopardize the arrangement she had with Jon and Sami. She didn’t give any rules about bringing people home besides having wild parties – that had been her only stipulation. There’d been nothing discussed regarding bringing the opposite sex home for a quick romp.

“Oh Mox…”

Mox? The woman didn’t even have the decency to call Jon by his actual name and she was getting ready to screw him in his bed? Keyla shook her head sadly, wondering why Jon enjoyed being with whores who only wanted him because of his status in wrestling instead of the man himself. Whereas Keyla wanted him for just…him – the man, not the wrestler. She didn’t know a thing about the wrestling business, never having a care for it, but her feelings for Jon were steadfast. Hadn’t she vowed not to act on them and to keep them strictly roommates at the bar during her crying fest?

Easier said than done, unfortunately. Keyla couldn’t turn her emotions on and off like a light switch. Life didn’t work that way and neither did feelings. The fact was she wanted to be the one Jon currently pleasured in his bed, to scream his name and feel his cock balls deep inside of her. Just the thought alone sparked every nerve-ending in Keyla’s body and she found herself growing heated with each passing second. When Jon’s bedroom door closed and she heard his bed squeak on the other side of the thin wall separating their rooms, the sparks turned into a raging forest fire.

“Fuck.”

~!~

“Fuck stay there, kitten. Mox has some exploring to do.”

The whore merely nodded, staring up at him through wide brown eyes full of anticipation. “Do whatever you want to me, Mox. I’m yours.” She purred, reaching her hands out for him and gasped when he pushed her back down on the bed, both of his hands grabbing her wrists to plant her arms above her head.

“Don’t move or I will kick your ass out and you won’t be fucked tonight.” Jon warned, refusing to screw a disobedient ring rat and smirked when she obeyed his command, taking his warning to heart. “Good, now bend those legs up and spread your thighs for me. First though…” He trailed off, hooking his thumbs in the waistband of her skirt and yanked it down her legs, tossing it over his shoulder. “That has to go.”

“Am I allowed to speak, Mox?” The whore asked in a soft whimper, positioning herself on the bed without moving her arms from where he wanted them.

“The only sound I want you making is moaning and screaming my name while I fuck the shit out of you with my cock and mouth. Understood?” Jon didn’t wait for a response and lowered himself on his knees in front of her, yanking the rat’s body down the bed until his face was eyelevel with her glistening sex. “Mmm you smell good, kitten…”

She bit her bottom lip to keep from responding and instead closed her eyes, the softest of moans escaping her mouth as soon as his tongue began nipping and licking her inner thighs. Rumors circulated throughout the Philadelphia area about CZW wrestlers being incredible lovers in bed. The moment she landed eyes on Jon Moxley, she had to have him and pursued him for months. When he finally gave into her advances, she was on cloud 9 and had been since, even with him bossing her around. Anything to have a slice of him, she was willing to go through hell and back.

Jon finally tired of teasing her inner thighs and could feel his erection straining painfully against his blue jeans. He slowly glided his wet tongue up her dripping slit and groaned at the taste again, enjoying the smoothness of her lips. Running his tongue in circles around the lips before attacking the slit again, Jon draped both of her legs over his broad shoulders before sinking his tongue inside of her. The whore cried out against him, unable to hold back and her thighs trembled along with the rest of her body. He didn’t stop, adding fingers for extra sensation and knew it wouldn’t be long before he could guzzle her essence.

“M-Mox – MOX!!”

~!~

How could he handle the annoying shriek of that whore’s voice? It hurt Keyla’s ears and she decided it was time to drown out the noise. Opening her nightstand drawer, she pulled out the only lover she could rely on in times of need. It was a dark blue vibrator with a small hook on the end to help make a woman cum harder and faster. How sad was it a vibrator could pleasure a woman far better than a man these days?

“Hope you’re listening to what you’re missing out on, Jon.” Keyla murmured, sinking down in the bed and set the vibrator down beside her to remove her panties.

Pushing the button on low, Keyla closed her eyes and lowered the vibrator down to her already wet cleanly shaven sex. She didn’t wax, but hated shaving so she used Veet since it was painless and lasted far longer than waxing or shaving. Whoever invited the substance was a genius. Keyla breathed in and out evenly, sliding the vibrator up and down her slit with thoughts of Jon penetrating her mind.

“Mmm Jon…” She moaned out, not bothering to do it quietly because the shrieking from the whore would surely drown her moans of pleasure out.

After riling herself up a little, Keyla pushed the vibrator fully inside of her and pressed moved the pressure up to the next level. It was unbelievable how every vibration struck her sweet spot, forcing her breathing to become ragged. Her heart pounded vigorously against her chest to the point where Keyla thought for sure it would fly out at any given moment. Mouth parted halfway, Keyla kept her eyes closed and envisioned Jon on top of her with the vibrator being his cock and her fingers plucking the nipples of her breasts being his.

When Jon finally stopped feasting on the whore and got down to business with actual sex, Keyla quickly picked up the rhythm of his thrusts. The headboard from his bed collided against the wall and she could hear the sounds of their pelvises crashing together. When he sped up, she did the same thing with the vibrator, plummeting it in and out of her body. Another notch put it on high and it took no time for Keyla to climax, hot juices flowing out of her body over the vibrator and her fingers. She didn’t stop though, mouth dry and continued, wanting more than one orgasm. The whore had already climaxed twice, not taking long and she could hear Jon becoming frustrated through the wall.

“Hold on for me, I need to cum now before you do…”

Was he coaching the whore into holding off her release? Keyla covered her mouth to keep from screaming out and bit into her palm, eyes rolling in the back of her head. It didn’t take long for her to shatter again, crying out Jon’s name against her hand to try muting her masturbating the best she could. The last thing she wanted to happen was Jon hearing her call his name and him rush into her room demanding to know what was wrong.

Then again, that would be hilarious.

~!~

The whore wasn’t tight enough for his cock, making Jon realize she’d been with several other men. He wasn’t surprised, but the image of Keyla forced him to continue on with the session. Normally, he would’ve tossed out a whore for being too loose for him. However, Jon really needed to release some of this built-up tension in his body and this whore was his only outlet right now.

“Hold on for me, I need to cum now before you do…” Jon grunted, gripping her hips tighter and could hear the whore whimpering, not stopping his deep powerful thrusts inside her body.

It was close to impossible not to cum with this man deep inside of her, but the whore managed to do what he commanded. “Oh Mox, I-I can’t hold on m-much longer…” Her voice was nothing more than a tremor of words spilling out and her insides felt like they were on fire from the long session. “Fuck it hurts…”

“Just a little longer, kitten. Hold on for me…” He really needed this and if she couldn’t deliver, Jon would make sure to toss her out the front door by the roots of her hair into the freezing snow. “Come on, work that pussy on my dick…”

He ripped her up by her hair to where her back clashed against his muscular chest and bit into the side of her neck, plucking her nipples with his fingers. Somehow the whore forced her body to saturate enough to make it easier for Jon’s thrusts. The sounds of flesh smacking flesh echoed throughout the room with Jon’s grunts and growls and the whore crying out in whimpers of both pain and pleasure. Before long, Jon finally reached his limit and shoved her back down on all fours, thrusting as hard, fast and deep inside of her as he could feeling his balls tingle.

“Fuck yeah – oh fuck I’m there!” He growled, feeling his seed explode into the condom he had on and managed to trigger a third climax from the whore. “That’s it, goddamn!”

“MOX!!” The whore shrieked out, tears stinging her eyes and finally collapsed on the bed face first, every part of her body aching from head to toe.

Jon slipped the condom off, tying the end in a knot and tossed it in the small trashcan by the nightstand, shaking his head at the exhausted whore in his bed. “Get up, you gotta get dressed and leave.” He refused to have her spend the night and saw the disbelieving expression cross her face.

“Excuse me, I don’t-”

“GET THE FUCK OUT AND SHUT UP!! I’M TRYING TO SLEEP!! SOME OF US HAVE TO WORK IN A FEW FUCKING HOURS!!”

Keyla had waited 5 minutes after they finished having sex to make her presence known. Smiling triumphantly when the whore rushed out of the house like her backside lit on fire, the front door downstairs slammed shut moments later and Keyla shook her head. Jon bellowed with laughter from his own room, doing Keyla’s heart and conscious good because at least he wasn’t angry at her for chasing his flavor of the night out of the house. With a satisfied smile on her face, Keyla fell asleep in no time with Jon once again invading her dreams.

Chapter 16

“I only have one day off, Len…”

“I know and I’m closed on Sunday, so it’s the perfect day to get shitfaced and catch up on things.” Lennox insisted, washing her tattoo gun since she had several customers coming into the shop today for ink. “Come on, I miss you and I know you got some shit on your chest you wanna hash out.”

That was putting it mildly. Truth be told, Keyla had tried her best to avoid both of her roommates, especially Jon. She wondered if he overheard her masturbating in her bedroom while he screwed the whore in his bed. It’d been a few days since that incident and Jon hadn’t brought anymore strangers into the house, thankfully. She didn’t know how long it would last, enjoying the reprieve and had kept her thoughts on Jon to a minimal. Or so Keyla tried convincing herself. Then there was the situation with Sami flashing full frontal nudity at her accidentally. And the fact Keyla couldn’t stop the déjà vu feelings whenever they were around each other. She hated the feeling of knowing someone, but not able to place them in her memory. It was awkward having two roommates she had to avoid because of separate incidents, but Keyla had agreed to the arrangement and she wouldn’t kick them out of the house.

“Danny is already dragging Jon and Sami to his house for a guy’s only poker game that’ll result in them getting shitfaced and passing out. So it’ll just be the two of us at your house with alcohol, ice cream and doing anything we damn well please.” Lennox coaxed, knowing she was breaking through Keyla’s resolve and smirked, taking the ink out of her tattoo gun and replaced it with a new color.

Maybe having a girl’s night with Lennox wasn’t such a bad idea now that Keyla knew Jon and Sami would be out of the house. “Fine, you win.” She conceded, holding the phone from her ear when Lennox began squealing on the other end and shook her head. “Get your ass off the phone and attend to your customers, woman. I’ll see you later.”

“Love you, Key!! You won’t regret this!!”

Rolling her eyes, Keyla hung the phone up and headed back inside the candy factory to finish her shift, taking the call during a smoke break. Brandon was out sick, but Keyla knew better. It was one of the main reasons she refused to date him and kept him friend-zoned. Drugs. He was a cokehead and missed more work than she cared to count or remember. It wasn’t Keyla’s business and if Brandon wanted to destroy his life by snorting the white substance, there was nothing she could do about it. Her thoughts suddenly shifted back to Jon and how she made sure he was sleeping before getting ready for work every morning. Just to avoid running into them at all, she showered after getting home from the bar and left an hour early to go to work, missing out on sleep all to avoid her roommates. One she was infatuated with and the other making her feel like she was losing her mind.

~!~

Jon, Sami and Scotty all stood around the ring while Danny sparred in it with Drake, trying to get his mind off of what happened the previous night with his girlfriend. “So what exactly happened with Lennox?” Sami asked, folding his arms on the ring apron and watched Danny put Drake into a headlock.

Danny didn’t want to talk about it, but his friends could tell something was bothering him. “She found out.” He grunted, swinging Drake into the ropes and took a shoulder tackle, hitting the mat staring up at the lights of the grungy building.

“Wanna be a little more specific? We can’t fucking read your mind, bro.” Jon grunted, wrapping his hands in white tape to get ready to hop in the ring and take over for Drake. He’d make Danny talk or hurt the man trying, a smirk flittering across his lips.

Not moving from the mat, Danny left his arms outstretched and shut his eyes briefly, groaning in frustration. “She found out about the fan kissing me. There was a photographer at the last show and he snapped a picture of her kissing me. Didn’t show me pushing her away, just us kissing. Lennox was pissed off and tried leaving me over it, but I managed to convince her it was just a crazed fan having their 5 seconds of glory.” He explained, sitting up with elbows resting on his bent knees.

Then everyone in their group of friends suddenly remembered the incident. “The cunt was tossed out by security, right?” Jon demanded, squaring his shoulders before stepping in the ring to take over for Drake.

Danny nodded, gritting his teeth along with clenching his knuckles. “Yeah. I could kill that whore for putting her hands on me. She’s a fan though and I didn’t wanna hurt her. But now Lennox thinks I’m cheating on her when I’m not and she’s made me sleep on the couch for the past 3 days.”

At least Jon wasn’t the only one having issues with a woman in his life. “She’ll get over it, man. Shit happens and you can’t control what the fans do. We should hunt that asshole photographer down and shove his camera up his ass. Then fuck up whoever wrote the article or cut their lying tongue and fingers off.” He could be diabolical when the situation called for it. “That’s just my suggestion though.”

Whenever someone messed with Jon, he had to make a statement with his revenge. One of the new CZW guys, Robert Anthony, had taken the liberty to take one of Jon’s beers out of a 12 pack he bought. So Jon took the whole cooler, dumped it over Robert’s head and bashed him in the face several times with a beer can until the man’s blood was on his hands. Then he smeared it over his chest and warned Robert if he ever touched something of Jon’s again, he wouldn’t be working for CZW because he’d be in the hospital permanently. It wasn’t enough to simply steal something of Robert’s for Jon. No, he had to pummel and dismantle anyone who wronged him, to send a message so that particular person would never mess with him again.

“No, I just need to get my mind off shit and she’s going over to your place on Sunday for a girl’s night with Keyla. So you assholes are staying at my house.” Danny informed both Jon and Sami, both snapping their heads simultaneously to shoot glares at Danny. “Hey! Don’t blame me. Talk to Keyla if you have a problem with it. Though, Lennox informed me if you try to screw this girl’s night up by not staying with me, she’ll make you regret it.”

“We should get a pass on rent for that night then.” Jon grunted, not minding staying at Danny’s since he’d done it a lot prior to moving into Keyla’s.

“Christ Jon, just give them the night and we can hang out at Danny’s. Not a big deal.” Sami had no problem with it because it meant he could avoid Keyla further, still not having the courage to clear the air with her regarding showcasing his dick. “Poker then?”

“Absolutely.”

~!~

“So let me get this straight: Jon brought home that slut, fucked her and you overheard it all?” Lennox poured Keyla a shot of Tequila along with herself, both downing it together.

Keyla nodded, dressed in white cotton shorts and a matching tank top since the boys wouldn’t be home. Lennox was in red and black plaid pajama pants and a matching tank top, both spaghetti strapped with no bras. A girl’s night required a ton of alcohol and comfort, neither caring if their nipples poked out slightly since there was a slight chill in the house. Philadelphia had a winter weather advisory out until 6 AM the next day, but neither cared and had the fireplace roaring to life to keep them warm in the living room.

“It’s fine. He can bring home whoever he wants to fuck, but for the love of god have some courtesy for other people living in the house.” Keyla leaned back against the couch and felt good, just tipsy enough to give her a buzz. “I admit it hurt a little. Nothing I can do about it though. He’s gonna do what he’s gonna do and fuck who he wants to fuck.”

Lennox could tell it bothered Keyla a lot more than she was letting on, pouring them another shot. “You have feelings for Mox, don’t you?” It was more of a statement than a question. “Don’t bother denying it, Key. I can tell it hurt you to hear him fucking another woman in your own house. It’d hurt me too if Danny did that. And I’m telling you right now, don’t go down that road with Jon. He’ll hurt you. He’s selfish, inconsiderate and a huge player. As long as his dick is wet, he doesn’t care who he hurts in the process because he doesn’t feel. He just does.”

As much as that figurative slap to the face stung, Keyla knew Lennox was only trying to protect her. Everything Lennox said was the cold hard truth and Keyla already knew it. She just didn’t want to accept it because of her feelings for Jon. Somewhere deep inside, there had to be a man longing and yearning for companionship, but he refused to show it. If Keyla continued this path, it would end in heartache and pain. The problem was she had no idea if she could stop, thinking she’d already gone too far after the masturbation session she was sure Jon overheard.

“Enough about me.” Keyla shook her head of the memory, clinking her shot glass against Lennox’s. “Tell me about what’s going on with you and Danny.”

Lennox lowered her eyes instantly, trying to control her emotions because the situation still bothered her. “I don’t know. I mean – I don’t know.” She heaved a sigh, leaning back against the couch on the opposite side of Keyla to where their legs rested side by side. “I guess at the CZW show I couldn’t attend because of my damn tattoo convention in Atlanta, some fan jumped the barricade and…kissed Danny.”

“WHAT?!”

“Wait, let me finish before you castrate my man.” Lennox couldn’t believe she was defending Danny, but her heart refused to believe he’d cheat on her for a second. “There was a photographer there for one of the trashy wrestling magazines and they snapped a shot of the woman kissing Danny, but nothing else. He pushed her away and security escorted her bodily out of the building, but of course none of that was written in the article either. I saw it on the newsstand at the market a few days ago, bought it and then confronted him about what happened. He told me it meant nothing and it was a crazed fan wanting a piece of him. I tried to leave, but he wouldn’t let me and we – we ended up fucking.” She couldn’t meet Keyla’s eyes by now, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. “I love that asshole so much and I want to believe him. I want to believe he’d never cheat on me with a rat unlike the rest of his buddies. But it’s hard since I wasn’t there to see what happened with my own eyes. I have to take his word for it and…hope he didn’t cheat on me while I was out of town.”

“Wow…” Keyla thought she had issues with men, but the fact Lennox possibly caught Danny cheating on was scandalous. “I – I don’t even know what to say to that, Len. I mean, Danny loves you I know that much and I would hope he’d have enough common sense not to cheat on you…” It was possible though and Keyla couldn’t deny it, even if she wanted to.

“Yeah well, I won’t be missing anymore shows just to make sure another ‘incident’ doesn’t happen again. And if one bitch makes a move on my man, I’ll rip her hair out and send her out in a body bag.” Lennox vowed, taking another shot with Keyla before they settled in to watch a movie, not wanting to discuss the complicated men in their lives anymore.

~!~

“So, how’s the arrangement with Lennox’s friend going?” Scotty asked, looking at his cards rearranging them to his liking and looked up at the Switchblades.

Jon shrugged, not wanting to discuss anything when it came to Keyla. He still couldn’t believe he’d overheard her masturbating the night he brought the rat to the house and chased her out after they were done screwing. Not that Jon overly-minded. He wouldn’t let the rat spend the night anyway, but the fact Keyla had been the one to chase her out amused and confused him all at the same time. It made him wonder why she did it in the first place and no matter how hard he tried, Jon couldn’t get the sound of Keyla’s moans out of his head.

“Just another roommate, man. Nothing to talk about.”

Scotty didn’t buy it, eyeballing a wary Sami. “What about you, man? She been giving you guys shit for anything?”

The feeling was mutual when it came to not wanting to talk about their roommate for Sami. “It’s fine. Better than the apartment we were living in.”

Danny chuckled, shuffling around his own cards and placed 2 on the table to switch out. “I’d hope so. That place was a dump and falling apart at the seams.”

“No shit.” Jon snorted, draining his beer while Sami took his time nursing his, noticing how troubled his roommate looked. “Sami, you gonna play or fucking daydream, bro?”

“Sorry…” Sami muttered, tossing 3 cards down not really paying attention to the game because he had Keyla on his brain again.

Jon knew what was bothering Sami and decided to come clean to the boys since his best friend refused. “Actually, I do have something to tell you guys about Keyla…” Then he launched into the story on how he’d gone to HWA for a few days for some shows and that left Keyla alone with Sami. Danny, Scotty and Drake roared with laughter at the beat red face of Sami, the embarrassment climbing to an all-time high.

“You mother fucker!” Sami growled, shaking his head at Jon and slammed his cards down along with his head on the table. “I didn’t mean to flash her! It just happened and I thought it was you in the bathroom!”

That received an even bigger round of boisterous laughter. “So you were hoping to flash Jon your dick?” Scotty wheezed out, holding his stomach from how hard was he was laughing. “Damn bro, didn’t know you swung that way!”

“I DON’T!” Sami roared, standing up from the table and tore a hand through his hair, lighting up a much needed cigarette. “I was pissed at you assholes for the prank and didn’t think Jon had left for the road yet. When Keyla came out of the bathroom instead, I – I panicked and forgot to keep my towel clutched!”

Then the conversation made an interesting turn. “So, was she hot in the towel? Did she drop it too?” Drake asked, wiggling his brows suggestively and didn’t notice the dark expression coming over Jon’s face. Nobody did.

Sami recalled watching the dark blue haired beauty step out of the bathroom with the steam rolling behind her and cleared his throat, already feeling a problem develop in his pants. “She was hot, I can’t deny that.” He admitted, plopping back down in the chair. “Hell, she’s smoking hot. She could give Lennox a run for her money for sure.”

“So why aren’t one of you hitting that pussy?” Scotty demanded, folding his cards as well since they were playing Texas hold’ em. “If she’s that hot and it’s just sex, I’d be pounding that pussy as much as possible. She’s not with anyone, right?”

“No.” Jon spoke before Sami could, his voice low and gritty while shuffling the cards since it was his turn to deal. “She’s not.” For some reason, talking about Keyla this way bothered Jon and he couldn’t figure out why. “Danny, how’s things with Len? Did you make up with her yet?”

The subject was abruptly changed and nobody questioned it, though Jon wondered if Sami had feelings for Keyla he was also fighting off.

Chapter 17

Another few days passed by with no incidents or communication between Keyla, Jon and Sami. Jon and Sami focused on the upcoming CZW show, which was the 11^th anniversary of the company. They wanted everything to be perfect and run smooth, especially since the company was recently bought by their fellow colleague DJ Hyde. People didn’t know how to react to the news when it first came out, but that didn’t deter Jon from his ultimate goal. He planned on walking into the show as the number one contender for the CZW World Heavyweight Championship and walking out with the strap over his head. The excitement and anticipation was electric, every practice and workout more intense than the next. Jon had never pushed himself as much as he did recently, but it would all be worth the payoff when he became the top guy in CZW.

Jogging helped build Jon’s stamina, especially being a smoker so he’d started going in the morning. Long sleeved black CZW shirt and a pair of black basketball shorts with a baseball cap on his head backwards, Jon pushed the ear buds in his ears blasting music to make the jog less tedious. Surprisingly, it was refreshing and he breathed in the fresh morning air, feeling better than he had in a while. However, in the far recesses of his mind, Keyla was still clawing away at him and Jon knew he’d have to talk to her eventually. It was hard when she worked 2 jobs and had avoided him like the plague, but Jon couldn’t worry about her right now. He had to stay focused on the CZW show and afterwards, he’d make things right with Keyla somehow. Why he even cared what the woman thought of him was beyond Jon, but he was drawn to her and no amount of other women in his bed would make him forget about the dark blue haired beauty.

An hour later, Jon arrived back home and tossed open the front door, stretching his arms in the air with a loud groan. It was time for a much needed shower since his body was caked in sweat. He pulled the long sleeved shirt over his head, dropping it on the couch on his way into the kitchen to grab a water out of the fridge. Chugging the whole thing, Jon lit up a cigarette and tried finding something to munch on to hold his hunger over until after a shower. Then it was back to the gym and practice to prepare for the show once again since it was right around the corner in another week. After his after run cigarette and scarfing a premade sandwich down, Jon headed upstairs still listening to music bobbing his head to the beat. Rolling his shoulders doing his own groove, he continued to the bathroom and opened the door, shedding his clothes. With his ear buds still in, Jon ripped the shower curtain back and let out a roar when a fist plowed into his nose.

~!~

Covered from head to toe in chocolate, Keyla was tempted to maim Brandon for causing the explosion in the factory. He was an idiot and decided to place his lighter on the conveyor belt to tie his shoe, not realizing the thing started back up again. Sure enough, the lighter sparked inside the candy making machine and chocolate exploded all over the place on the employees. Luckily, no fire was started and everyone was sent home immediately with pay. Keyla would have to replace her seat cover and throw the clothes she had on in the garbage. They were coated heavily in chocolate. Shaking her head, Keyla sped home as fast as she could and stepped out just as the elderly neighbor woman walked out of her house, jaw dropping.

“What happened to you, Keyla?!” She demanded in a high-pitched voice, rushing over to the fence separating their yards. “Is that-?”

“Chocolate, Marian, I promise.” Keyla muttered, not in the mood to converse with her neighbor and trudged up the stairs, wondering how she would remove her clothes without getting chocolate everywhere in the house. “This sucks.”

Once inside, Keyla stayed by the front door and carefully peeled her long sleeved top and camisole off, grabbing a nearby Walmart bag one of her roommates left behind, tossing both materials into it. Then she unhooked her bra, also saturated in chocolate, and focused on removing the jeans. The chocolate had hardened in her hair, so only little dry bits cracked off to hit the wooden floor. Keyla felt disgusting, desperately needing a shower and hoped Jon and Sami weren’t home. This would definitely be a show never forgotten since she was stripping by the front door to avoid trekking a huge chocolate mess throughout the house. Once fully naked, Keyla made a beeline for the stairs and flew up them, slamming the bathroom door. She immediately started the hot sprays and wasted no time stepping under them, the chocolate softening in her hair to swirl down the drain. Washing her hair for the third time, Keyla was sure she’d gotten all of the chocolate out and leaned her head back to rinse the shampoo out of it. The shower curtain suddenly jerked back and she reacted on instinct, letting out a scream of surprise before plowing her fist forward into none other than Jon Moxley’s face.

“FUCK!” Jon bellowed in pain, stumbling away from the shower to hit his side on the sink and held his nose, hoping it wasn’t broken.

Keyla had soap running down over her shoulders from her half-rinsed hair and immediately grabbed the shower curtain to shield her body, amber eyes wide. “What the fuck are you doing in here?! Didn’t you hear the goddamn shower running?!” She demanded, trying to slow her heartbeat back down to normal instead of feeling like it would jump out of her chest.

Ripping his ear buds out, Jon could feel the blood rushing out of his nose rapidly. “NO!” He shouted, wishing he’d taken the music out of his ears prior to entering the bathroom and didn’t even notice the light had been on.

It served him right for not checking the bathroom prior to entering, but Keyla still felt horrible for punching him. She hadn’t meant to. It was an instinct more than anything. First Sami surprised her by thinking it was Jon in the bathroom and dropped his towel to flash his junk accidentally at her and now this! Keyla couldn’t catch a break with her new roommates, ripping the shower curtain from the hooks to wrap it fully around her body. There was no towel close enough for her to reach and flashing her goods at Jon was NOT an option. Reaching out, Keyla began stepping out of the tub and made a mistake touching Jon’s arm. Within seconds, his hand wrapped around her throat, slamming her back into the shower wall. He didn’t squeeze, controlling some of his temper, but touching him right after making him bleed was not a smart move on Keyla’s part. Blue seared into amber and Jon snorted a clot of blood on the bathroom floor, his whole body trembling with barely contained rage.

“L-Let me go.” Keyla ordered in a shaky voice, swallowing hard and quivered against the shower wall, truly afraid what Jon was capable of with her in this position. “I can h-help you, but you have to let go of my t-throat.”

Her offer jolted Jon out of his rage, perplexed and shocked by Keyla’s offer, dropping his hand from her throat instantly. Jon refused to apologize considering she possibly shattered his nose by freaking out. Not that he blamed her. Keyla managed to keep her eyes level with Jon’s face and swiped his basketball shorts off the bathroom floor, tossing them at his chest.

“Get dressed first.” She stumbled out of the tub, keeping the shower curtain around her body the best she could and sifted through the bottom cabinet under the sink for the first aid kit. “Here we go. Sit on the toilet.”

Jon did it silently and kept his head tilted back since this wasn’t his first bloody nose, closing his eyes. Keyla opened the first aid kit, finding some gauze and ripped it open with her teeth. Working with one hand was incredibly hard, but she had to take care of Jon. There was no amount of apologies in the world to make up for what she’d done, thankful Jon had simmered his temper down after slamming her against the shower wall. Keyla’s neck and back would be sore for a few days, but it was nothing she couldn’t handle.

“I’m sorry I hit you.” She murmured, wiping the blood from his nose and cleaned up his face, hitching her breath when Jon’s electric blues locked on hers again. What was it about this man’s eyes that made her insides turn to mush?

“Got quite the right hook on you.” Jon grunted in response, his way of accepting her apology and watched the barest hint of a smile cross her soft lips.

“Thanks…I think.” Keyla chuckled, increasing the hold on the shower curtain a little when she felt it start slipping.

“Still got soap in your hair, by the way.”

Keyla forgot about her soapy hair and groaned, shaking her head. “I’m so over this day.” She mumbled, tossing another bloody gauze away and finally tilted Jon’s head forward enough to where he would no longer get a head rush.

“What happened?” Wasn’t she supposed to be at work, Jon questioned in thought, not flinching even though his nose throbbed painfully.

“My luck sucks lately, that’s all. Explosion happened at work today and forced all employees to evacuate.” Keyla jumped slightly when Jon took her hand, concern filling his eyes to give her some kind of comfort. “Besides coming home drenched from head to toe in chocolate, I’m fine. That’s why I’m home earlier than usual.”

Good she answered his question and Jon found himself feeling relieved the explosion wasn’t deadly. He released her hand when Keyla turned away from him, a light bulb suddenly going off in her head. Bending down, Jon caught a glimpse of her backside and licked his lips, wondering what it would be like to squeeze it with his hands. He immediately sat upright when she turned back around, blue eyes growing wide at the object in her hand.

“What the fuck do you need that for?”

Keyla rolled her eyes at his reaction and opened the small package, tossing it in the nearby trashcan. “This is a little unconventional, but I know it’ll work and stem the blood flow.”

Jon raised a brow, not believing a word she said and shook his head. “How the fuck is a tampon gonna help this situation?” He demanded irritably, scooting back a little on the toilet and watched Keyla cut the female hygiene product in half, suddenly cottoning onto what she was doing. “Oh fuck no…”

“Do you want to stop the bleeding or not?” Keyla didn’t wait for his response and moved to stand in front of him with each piece of the tampon in her hands. “Now tilt your head back.”

This was degrading and humiliating, more so than Sami flashing his junk at this broad, Jon thought, not wanting to do this. He winced at Keyla shoving the tampon pieces in each of his nostrils, hoping this was a bad dream he woke up from. Reaching up to pull them out, Keyla slapped his hand away and snipped the string dangling from one of them.

“Now go downstairs and sit on the couch with your head tilted back. You won’t be able to shower until the blood stops. Let me rinse my hair out and then I’ll make us something to eat. And do not pull those out of your nose or I’ll kick your ass.” Keyla threatened, meaning what she said and pointed to the bathroom door, hearing Jon snort followed by a groan of pain, following orders. “Idiot.”

20 minutes later, Keyla walked down the stairs freshly rinsed off and dressed, padding into the living room to check on Jon’s condition. He sat there watching a music video on MTV, doing what Keyla said and it made her smile. Gently stroking his hair, Keyla watched his blue eyes focus on her and didn’t stop doing it, feeling the overwhelming urge to pamper him for some reason.

“What do you want for lunch?”

“Don’t care, need to take a shower though.” Jon couldn’t skip the gym and practice either, not with the show only a week away. He had to stay in shape and keep focused, leaning into Keyla’s hand stroking his hair. “Keyla…”

“When the bleeding stops, you can do what you want. I’ll just make us some grilled cheeses.” She walked away before he could say anything, leaving Jon sitting there with his thoughts and began the task at hand.

The scent of her shampoo intoxicated Jon, made him want to yank her down on his lap and kiss the breath out of her body. And what a body she had. Jon knew if he stood up from the couch to join her in the kitchen, he would get a tongue lashing from Keyla. He’d rather do something else with her tongue, groaning at that thought and smacked his growing dick in his basketball shorts to keep it from making an appearance. Keyla brought in Jon’s grilled cheese 20 minutes later along with her own, sitting on the couch beside him snatching the remote to turn something else on. He didn’t care what was on the television, devouring the 4 grilled cheeses within minutes while Keyla took her time eating.

“Oh by the way, Lennox told me about the show coming up in a week or so, something like that.” Keyla hadn’t paid much attention and they’d both been a bit tipsy during the conversation.

Now she had Jon’s undivided attention. “What about it?”

“Somehow, she convinced me to go.” Keyla made it sound nonchalant, not remembering agreeing to attend until Lennox called her that morning reminding her about it. “Are you gonna perform or whatever?”

“Wrestle.” Jon corrected her, folding his arms in front of his chest. “And yeah, I’m gonna be in the main event.”

“Oh. Cool.” Keyla had no idea what a ‘main event’ was and continued eating, folding her knees beneath her backside to get more comfortable on the couch. “Well I’m going, so I’ll get to see what you do.”

Keyla would be at the 11^th anniversary CZW show where Jon would win his first championship in the company. She had no idea how big and important this show was to Jon because she’d never been to a wrestling event before. Why did it have to be the night that would catapult Jon’s career in CZW? Her nonchalant attitude about it unnerved him, but he didn’t blame her considering she had no idea what wrestling was about. What his body was put through whenever he stepped inside a ring to do battle with his opponent. Standing, Jon needed a shower more than ever and didn’t care if his nose had stopped bleeding, yanking out the tampon pieces to toss them in the trashcan on his way up to the stairs. Amber eyes watched him go up the stairs and Keyla shook her head, finishing off her second grilled cheese before settling in for an afternoon of relaxation before heading to the bar to do her other job.

Chapter 18

Another night at the bar.

It was welcoming to Keyla after what happened between her and Jon earlier that day. She received a call that the factory wouldn’t be repaired for several days, so for the time being her only job was the bar. Keyla was relieved, thinking she could catch up on her sleep since she’d been deprived of it lately. No matter how hard she tried, Jon would not leave her mind and still felt his touch against her skin. Her neck was slightly bruised, but nothing a turtleneck top couldn’t cover up. It was cold out, snowing heavily and nobody had questioned her attire thankfully. Lennox was stuck at her shop with her vehicle buried in knee-deep snow and Danny was at the arena practicing for the upcoming show with Jon.

For a dangerous night to be on the road, the bar was busy and in turn kept Keyla distracted from thinking about what was going on at home. She wiped down the bar counter, keeping her eyes lowered until a hand clamped down on her wrist, stopping her cleaning a spill one of the customer’s made. She looked up into the glazed brown eyes of Nick Gage. He’d been a thorn in her side ever since doing this job and Keyla lost count how many times he asked her out. Keyla turned him down every time, wanting nothing to do with the drug addict. It was obvious he was hooked on something, probably cocaine or heroin. Either way, Keyla kept her distance from him as much as possible without being rude since he was a frequent customer of the bar.

“Hi.” He greeted with gangly teeth, not releasing her wrist and Keyla swallowed hard, not pulling away because she didn’t want to cause a scene.

“What can I get for you tonight, Nick?” Keyla asked softly, her voice even and low so nobody else around them could overhear the conversation.

Unbeknownst to both of them, someone was paying attention and listening intently.

“Why so tense, baby?” Nick crooned, sliding his hand down from her wrist to start playing with her fingers. “You need a drink. Have one on me.”

Keyla picked that opportunity to pull her hand away from him, feeling disgusting by his mere touch and shook her head. “No thank you, I’m fine.” She went to walk away, but Nick stopped her again, this time with the inevitable question.

“Wanna grab a bite after your shift?”

For some reason, the question grated on Keyla’s nerves and she suddenly couldn’t be polite to Nick Gage anymore. “No. My answer is no. Just like my answer has been no since I started working here. Every couple of weeks you ask me out and every time I give you the same answer. It won’t change. I want nothing to do with you, Gage. I’d rather walk over broken glass on top of hot coals on top of needles than go out with you. So please, stop humiliating yourself and find someone else to bother. Unless you want a drink or refill, don’t talk to me again.” She walked away from him to serve other customers, not seeing the dangerous look flash across Nick’s face.

The bitch could’ve just given him a simple ‘no’ instead of making it sound like a lecture. He was a grown man and didn’t need a bartender telling him what to do. If he wanted to ask her out every day of the week, that was Nick’s right. Besides, he was quite the catch being a CZW wrestler and rats were lined up at the door wanting to screw him. Still, Keyla was the one conquest Nick couldn’t seal the deal with and it was a blow to his ego. No woman had ever spoken to him the way she did and Nick wouldn’t let her get away with it, not without repercussions. Sure, she was Lennox and Danny’s friend, but what they didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them. Same with Jon Moxley and Sami Callihan, who she was probably sexing up on a nightly basis since they all lived together in her house.

Deciding to teach Keyla a lesson on what happened when she ran her mouth to the wrong person, Nick shifted his eyes around to make sure nobody watched and dropped a pill into her water bottle. It was still busy, so she wouldn’t take a drink out of it for a while and the pill would dissolve by then. Nick smirked wickedly, chuckling to himself and downed a shot of Jack Daniels he ordered. One way or another, he would have Keyla in his bed by the end of the night whether she liked it or not. For now, he’d simply watch her to make sure nobody else made a move or Nick would beat the hell out of them. More importantly, he wanted to personally watch her drink the bottled water with his drug of choice inside of it. Then Nick would make his move.

Right before shutting the bar down, Keyla finally took a sip of her water, dying of thirst and began cleaning up. Because she’d only taken a sip, it took an hour before she started feeling lightheaded. It was 2 AM and Keyla stumbled out the front door, her head swimming. What was going on? She didn’t drink a drop of alcohol that night, not even when customers offered. The snow hadn’t ceased, so she had to trudge through a good foot of snow and ended up falling flat on her face, shivering. Her vision had become blurred and Keyla couldn’t focus, no matter how many times she blinked to try clearing it. Maybe she was more sleep deprived than she thought.

“Keyla?” She heard a distant voice behind her, trying to register who it was, but they sounded miles away from her. “Come on, we gotta get you out of the snow.”

Her body rose up from the cold snow and Keyla lulled her head against a shoulder, trying to keep her eyes open. It wasn’t happening. She felt so tired and just wanted to sleep, her entire body growing limp almost as if being sedated. Lifting her hands seemed to be a chore, her legs complete jelly. So when she was set down on her feet in the snow again, whoever carried her made sure she didn’t fall down and leaned her against the building.

“Keyla, you still with me?”

“W-What…?” She couldn’t make her brain work enough to ask a simple question, lulling her head back against the building while the person in front of her tried getting her to focus. “Mmm tired…”

Fingers slid down her cheek to the side of her neck and all Keyla could do was stand there with glazed amber eyes. “Come on, stay with me. I promise, this won’t take long.”

Then a mouth covered hers while hands roamed her body, a hard body pressing her further into the brick building of the bar. Her attacker had a black face – a black blobbed face – and that was all Keyla saw, her whole body relaxing against her will. The mouth continued assaulting hers while hands unzipped her heavy coat before sliding up her turtleneck top, fondling her cotton bra covered breasts. They quickly delved under the bra to tweak her nipples, making her moan out quietly. It was all she could do. The assailant smirked viciously and suddenly ripped the black face off, which was a mask to reveal a sexually charged Nick Gage.

“Goddamn your boobs feel so fucking good.” He groaned in her ear, keeping one hand on her breast while pulling out a knife from the back pocket of his jeans. “Sorry baby, but this has to go.” Slicing the material from the middle of her neck all the way down her breasts and stomach, Nick licked his lips at the sight of her beautiful body in his vision. “Oh yeah, so fucking pretty…”

Pushing the coat and split top aside, Nick used his strength to rip the bra off and did after a few tries, tossing the material over his shoulder. Then he tweaked her nipples again before sealing his mouth to the side of her neck, enjoying the feeling of Keyla’s body against his. They didn’t have much time. He had no idea how long the drug would last since he mixed it with his dope before smoking it to gain a stronger buzz. The bitch had nothing to say now and Nick preferred it that way, moving down to unsnap her jeans with a flick of his wrist. Hastily, he unfastened his own belt and shoved his pants down around his knees, just enough to have enough room to screw Keyla.

“You – no – please – we…” That was all Keyla could muster out and her hands were planted on Nick’s shoulders loosely while he worked on pushing her jeans and panties down.

“Just close your eyes and enjoy this, baby.” Nick coaxed, the frigid cold air doing nothing to get rid of the flames erupting throughout his body and he knew Keyla felt the same way.

Stroking his freed cock to make it harden a little more, Nick busied stimulating Keyla’s body by playing with her bundle of nerves with his fingers. She was dry as a bone, but that would quickly change. Soon, he felt the warm substance against his fingers and groaned, knowing Keyla was ready for him. Just as Nick slid the head of his cock up and down her wet slit, ready to plummet into her hot depths, he was yanked away from Keyla roughly. Keyla hit the snow covered ground like a ton of bricks, unable to stop herself from falling and closed her eyes, her entire body frozen like a block of ice.

“WHAT THE FU-?!”

A fist plowed right into Nick Gage’s face, making the man stumble back hitting his bare backside in the freezing snow. Standing over him was an irate Sami Callihan, pure fire erupted in his acidic eyes and Nick swallowed hard, scrambling back into the snow. Sami had watched what happened between Keyla and Nick earlier in the bar, hearing the tongue lashing she gave his CZW colleague and thought that was the end of it. Something told him it wasn’t though. He hadn’t witnessed the drugging, but Nick had stayed in the bar until near closing and Sami refused to leave unless he did. It was a good thing he listened to his instincts, though he’d fallen asleep in his car while waiting for Keyla to leave the bar. That’s why Nick had gotten as far as he had or else Sami would’ve been on him the second he helped Keyla up from her fall in the snow.

“Sami…now listen…”

Sami wasn’t though. “You’re gonna pay for touching her, Gage.” He promised in a deadly voice, punching Nick again in the face and saw the blood spurt from his nose. “YOU NEARLY RAPED HER!”

“S-She wanted it…”

“BULLSHIT!” Sami began kicking him relentlessly, stomping his steel toed boot right into Nick’s chest as hard as he could, hoping it caved in around his black heart. “YOU FUCKING LIAR!!”

Lifting Nick up from the snow with his pants still around his knees, Sami collided him face first into the building, doing it several times to make sure his face was nothing more than a crimson mask. Once Nick was completely unconscious in the snow and didn’t move an inch, Sami went to walk away when a something slid out of Nick’s pocket. A pill bottle. He lifted it up, cursing reading what the drug of choice was he’d used on Keyla. It was a date rape drug called Rohypnol, which was odorless, colorless and tasteless, used mostly in drinks.

“Keyla…” His eyes widened, remembering she hadn’t moved when he yanked Nick away from her and rushed to her side, swallowing hard at her unconscious state. “Fuck – FUCK! No – No Keyla, wake up. Come on girl, you gotta wake up for me.” If he was too late saving her, Sami would never forgive himself and lifted her from the snow, quickly pulling her jeans and panties back up.

She was cold as ice. He had to get her home immediately, contemplating if he should bother Jon about this. The man was more than likely sleeping since he practiced for a solid 8 hours that day. Sami didn’t know what else had transpired between Keyla and Jon either or the fact she’d nearly broken his best friend’s nose accidentally. No, it was up to him. He had to take care of her, glaring back at the bloody Nick Gage lying in the snow and hoped he died. Sami refused to help a rapist, his eyes and worry solely focused on Keyla. It took him 20 minutes to arrive at the house because the roads were slick from the winter storm they had going on. Sami slid Keyla’s limp body into his arms and slammed the door shut with his foot, carting her inside princess style trying to be as quiet as possible. Jon couldn’t find out about this. If Nick Gage somehow recovered and survived being out on a night like this bloody and beaten, he would no doubt finish the job.

“It’s gonna be okay, Key. I got you, girl.” Sami murmured, heading upstairs to her room and laid her lifeless body on the bed.

A peaceful sleeping angel, Sami thought, brushing a few strands of dark bluish hair away from her pale face. He had to make sure she’d be alright, grabbing as many blankets as he could find to pile her with. Her body temperature had to be hypothermia level, so warming her up was the first step to getting Keyla better. No doubt she would get sick from this, but at least she’d be alive instead of lying dead in the snow on the side of the bar. Sami had an electric blanket in his room and rushed to get it, turning it on lifting Keyla’s head off the pillow to wrap her in it. The drug would last 8 hours in her system and hopefully Sami wouldn’t regret not taking her to the hospital for proper medical treatment.

“I’m here, Key.” He took her ice cold hand and pressed a soft kiss to the back of it, not releasing it while sitting beside her in the dark silence of her room.

Sometime the next day, early afternoon, Keyla’s eyes had slowly opened and a low groan escaped her, jolting Sami out of his sleep. Her head turned to face him, her entire body sweating and Keyla felt like her head had a brick on it. Sami breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of her beautiful amber eyes opened and took the heated blanket off of her along with the blankets.

“What happened?” Keyla whispered, her throat incredibly dry and rubbed the back of her neck, sore from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.

She didn’t remember any of it. Sami decided that was a blessing in disguise, hoping it stayed that way and simply told her she passed out in the snow. He found her outside of the bar and brought her back home, thinking she had too much to drink. Keyla believed him, frowning at her stupidity and kissed his cheek, thanking him for helping her out. As she walked into the bathroom to relieve herself and to take a bath, Sami looked up at the ceiling and hoped he did the right thing by keeping the fact Keyla had been drugged by Nick Gage and nearly raped.

Chapter 19

Snapping intense pale blues open to stare at the ceiling, Jon didn’t move right away from bed, knowing today everything in his life changed. All the blood, sweat and tears would pay off. Every promo cut, every city traveled to, every battle and injury he worked through had all lead up to this moment. Tonight was his time to shine and Jon would not disappoint, cracking a small smile at the thought. The only bittersweet feeling about tonight was Jon not having another colossal battle with Drake Younger. They spilled each other’s blood throughout the Midwest and east, pushing each other to their absolute limits and putting on five star performances. Drake was the longest reigning CZW champion, everyone thinking he was unbeatable and it was supposed to be Jon Moxley conquering the unassailable. It was supposed to be the pinnacle of their long-time rivalry throughout the Independent circuit with Jon pinning Drake for the CZW championship he’d held for nearly 2 years.

However, the company decided to go another route for the 11^th anniversary CZW show.

It was about 2 weeks ago at one of CZW’s shows. Drake faced B-Boy and ended up losing the CZW championship, a last minute decision by the company. Jon didn’t understand the booking and neither did Drake, both of them questioning the decision in not having Moxley take the strap off of Drake. All management said they knew what they were doing and to focus on the upcoming 11^th anniversary show, calling Younger VS Moxley predictable. They figured putting the belt on B-Boy would make fans believe there wasn’t a chance in hell of Moxley winning the match and the title switching hands again so soon. What they failed to realize was Jon had soared to the top of CZW within a year’s time, debuting at the 10^th anniversary show and now after tonight he would be the top guy in the company.

Pulling a cigarette out of his pack, Jon slid it between his lips and lit the tip with his lighter, closing his eyes letting the nicotine work its way through his system. To make his victory sweeter, if that was possible, currently slept behind his head in the room connected to his, a thin wall separating them. Lennox had convinced Keyla to attend the show and Jon made a mental note to thank Danny’s woman for succeeding. Granted, Jon was a little nervous at what her reaction would be since he planned on going all out in this match, no holding back. If Keyla had an inclination of what pro-wrestling was all about, she was about to get an eye-opening experience she’d never forget. Smirking, Jon flicked ash in an ashtray on his nightstand and took another long drag, suddenly sitting upright in bed feeling a rush of adrenaline course through his body. A mixture of excitement, nervousness and arousal all wrapped up in one strong current.

Lowering to his knees on the carpeted floor, Jon planted his fingers in the soft yet firm material and began pushing his body up and down, cigarette still dangling out of his mouth. He always worked out prior to leaving the house, a warmup so his muscles didn’t strain during weightlifting, which he planned on doing during his regiment today. It would help his physique stand out a little more than usual and Jon wanted to look his best for the show. Finishing his cigarette, Jon didn’t stop the pushups and continued doing them one-handed, stubbing his cigarette out in the ashtray he moved in front of him prior to starting warming up. After doing several 100 pushups, never getting tired of doing them and feeling a slight burn in his arms, Jon relented landing back on his knees breathing a little heavy.

Now a shower was in order.

~!~

“I’m so excited for this!” Lennox squealed in excitement, parking the car after letting Danny out in the front so he could get ready for the show. Sami and Jon were already here.

There were two shows happening today – an afternoon and night – with Danny and Sami in the afternoon one and Jon main eventing the night event. They were calling a fan appreciation show, wanting to showcase everything CZW had to offer. It was an all-day event, Keyla not realizing how big this show was until Lennox explained to her the company was celebrating their anniversary. Every anniversary show was huge for CZW and they generated the most fan interest throughout the year. It was a good thing Keyla had taken off work from the bar that night, her other job at Blasius still not up and running yet, but hopefully it wouldn’t take too much longer. Luckily, they were allowing the employees to collect unemployment to compensate for loss of work.

“Wow, this is crazy…” Keyla murmured thoughtfully, seeing all the fans already piling into the building and looked back at Lennox, wondering what exactly she was in store for.

“I know! Come on, let’s get inside. We’re front row!” Lennox practically jumped out, sporting a CZW tank top over a long sleeved fishnet top, yellow pants with black knee high boots that zipped up the sides and a black choker with little spikes.

Keyla wanted to look somewhat nice for the event, stepping out of the vehicle wearing black pants and a deep blue long sleeved top that hung off one shoulder, a tunic style with black swirl designs throughout it. Everyone else attending wore jeans and Keyla suddenly felt foolish, following Lennox into the building. Instead of going to their seats, however, Lennox brought Keyla backstage, embracing a few of the wrestlers Danny was friends with. Keyla nodded her head to acknowledge them, only focused on finding one man and spotted him leaning against the wall, a cigarette dangling between his fingers. His auburn blonde curls were combed over his eyes in water to keep them in place, a nearby spray bottle on the table beside him to keep them damp.

Upper body covered in a long sleeved top, his muscular legs were encased in white washed jeans clinging to all the right places, black boots on his feet. A single silver chain link necklace hung around his neck. Feeling her mouth go dry at the sight of him, Keyla had second thoughts with approaching her roommate and turned to rejoin Lennox’s side, but a hand wrapping around her upper arm stopped her. Other than a little too dressed up for the show, she looked absolutely beautiful. Jon had felt eyes on him while talking to Drake and when he turned his head, Keyla had started walking away. She actually came to see him perform. Her arrival did something inside of Jon’s heart, but he quickly dismissed those feelings and pulled her closer to him.

“You made it.” Jon broke the silence between them, her enchanting citrine eyes once again spellbinding him.

“Told you I would.” Keyla replied softly, reaching up to pick a piece of link off of his shirt and never tore her gaze from his. “Lennox brought me back here and…I just wanted to – um – wish you luck or tell you to break a leg out there or whatever the correct phrase the wrestling business uses.” Wow, she felt like a complete idiot talking to him and looked away, clearing her throat awkwardly.

Jon chuckled at her jumpiness, finding it cute she’d just wished him luck in his match that night in her own unique way. Flicking his cigarette away on the concrete floor, a light bulb suddenly went off in his head. “Come with me.” Before she could respond, he pulled her down the hallway into a private room, immediately pushing Keyla back against the door until it closed.

“Jon…” Keyla felt breathless suddenly, her brain in a passion haze fog with Jon this close to her. “W-What are you doing?” There, she managed to get one coherent question out and saw the predatory smile cross his mouth, showing her the dimple in his cheek.

This opportunity was too good to pass up. “If you want to really wish me luck or break a leg out there tonight, there is something else you can do for me.” He made it sound conversational and planted each of his huge hands on either side of her head.

“Really?” Keyla folded her arms in front of her chest, tilting her head slightly. “And what might that be?”

“This.”

Without preamble or a shred of doubt in his mind, Jon captured her mouth in a rough passionate kiss, one hand delving in her dark bluish tresses and the other settling on her side. Keyla should’ve pushed him away, but instead she returned the kiss with equal fire, neither able to hold themselves back. It was no secret Keyla wanted to be with Jon and he felt the sexual tension between them since the day they met, before he moved in alongside Sami. Jon slid his tongue along her sweet lips, tasting the mango gloss on them and groaned, begging Keyla for a true taste of her mouth. Trembling hands gripped handfuls of Jon’s long sleeved top to pull him closer and Keyla opened her mouth, their tongues touching for the first time. Her mouth was pure ambrosia to Jon, addicting and he wanted more, both hands now gripping her hair to fully control the kiss. They reached and searched every crevice of each other’s mouths, sampling what the other had to offer and Keyla craved more, completely lost in the explosive moment. It was a good ten minutes before Jon broke away for air, his chest rising and falling a little faster than before while Keyla stood there with flushed cheeks and swollen lips.

“W-What – How does that help you out in the ring?” She stammered softly, not releasing her grip on his shirt and felt a shiver rush down her spine at Jon’s husky chuckle.

“Besides giving me an excuse to finally kiss you? Think of it as a good luck kiss, if you want.” Jon relinquished the hold on her hair and smoothed it down her shoulders before taking her hands, wrapping his around both of her wrists. “You’ll have to let me go eventually. Got a show to do, Keyla.”

Those words jolted Keyla back to reality, the haze in her brain clearing and her fingers snapped open to release the material of his shirt holding him captive against her. “Well then…” Keyla tore her gaze away from him, letting out a shaky breath and tried slowing her racing heart down. “Be careful out there.” Since she knew it was a physical sport, but not any details, Keyla felt that was the right thing to say. “See you out there.”

Jon nodded, opening the door for her and leaned down to where his mouth rested over her ear. “Looking forward to it.” Then he took a chance to reach out, grabbing a handful of her backside and smirked when she jumped in response.

“There you are!” Lennox crowed, making her way through the wrestlers toward a dazed looking Keyla and grinned, thinking her friend was overwhelmed by the atmosphere. “Come on, the first show is about to start and I won’t miss my man performing.”

“S-Sure…”

A half an hour later, the afternoon show kicked off with Sami Callihan against the Necro Butcher, a barefooted man who looked like something out of the movie Deliverance. The match was brutal with Sami gaining the upper hand quite a few times. Keyla cringed several times at the brutality dished out on each man, worried more about Sami than the Necro Butcher for obvious reasons. When it was all said and done, Sami was declared the winner and had his arm raised in victory. Both Keyla and Lennox stood cheering him on while most of the crowd booed, apparently liking the Necro Butcher better. Sami noticed Keyla as soon as he entered the arena, thankful she looked well and happy, not able to get what Nick Gage did to her out of his head. He still hadn’t come clean about it, torn on what to do. Kissing each of their heads, Sami winked before heading to the back to clean up, fired up from his match.

5 more matches happened before the main event of the afternoon show happened, pitting Danny Havoc against a wrestler named tHURTeen. What kind of name was that? Lennox’s eyes focused solely on her man, standing the entire match to show support and several locals recognized her. Lennox couldn’t get the image of that magazine cover out of her head with Danny and the whore throwing herself at him. Nothing would split them up though, she knew without a doubt Danny loved her and only her. The match was a good length with a lot of risks that made both Lennox and Keyla jump, but in the end Danny won the match. Lennox couldn’t stop from jumping the barricade and sliding in the ring, jumping in his arms wrapping her legs tightly around his waist. Danny caught his beautiful girlfriend, their mouths meeting in a passionate hard kiss in the middle of the ring and didn’t care what management backstage thought.

“You’re crazy.” He murmured once the kiss broke, seeing tears form in her eyes and rested his forehead to hers. “My woman – one and only.”

“I better be.”

Lennox kissed him one final time and jumped down to raise his hand in victory, both embracing before Danny finally lead her out of the ring. He helped her over the barricade, smirking when Lennox pulled him down for another hot kiss to remember her by and Danny reluctantly walked away from her to go to the back to clean up. Keyla shook her head at the cocky grin on her best friend’s face and laughed, knowing exactly why Lennox pulled that stunt. Not that Danny was complaining because he definitely enjoyed having his woman’s tongue down his throat.

Several hours passed by with the 11^th anniversary show having some incredible brutal matches, but the one Keyla did not like was DJ Hyde against Nick Gage. She never did like Nick Gage, always getting a bad vibe from him for some reason. If she only knew what transpired with the psycho a few days prior to this event, Keyla wouldn’t have shown up and probably kicked Jon and Sami out of her house. Thankfully, she didn’t. Finally, the main event was upon them and Keyla’s eyes locked on a different Jon Moxley than she was used to seeing at the house. Cold, cocky and calculating electric blues lit up the arena as Jon made his ring entrance, the music blaring through the speakers to fire the crowd up more.

The way his skimpy –it was the only word Keyla could use to properly describe his attire- black wrestling trunks hugged his perfect backside made Keyla’s entire body ignite in flames. On the back in huge white print were the words ‘Explicit MOX Violence’ and on the front in the left corner by his hip, the word ‘MOX’ was also embroidered into the trunks. Was this really the same man who kissed her hours ago for good luck and turned Keyla into a stammering mess? Yes, yes it was, Keyla answered her own question in thought, unable to take her eyes off Jon. He was the only one she was interested in watching right now and Lennox noticed it, especially since Keyla hadn’t sat down in her seat yet even as Jon’s opponent, B-Boy, made his entrance. Before the ring announcer could properly publicize B-Boy as the CZW World Heavyweight champion for the first time in his career, Jon was on him attacking viciously from behind. That was a dick move, but Keyla loved it and watched the match immediately kick up intensely, gasping whenever Jon took a hard fall on the mat.

“What is that move called?” Keyla asked Lennox when Jon hooked both of B-Boy’s arms behind his back and lifted him up to plant the man face first into the mat, sliding her tongue over her bottom lip almost hungrily.

“Hook & Ladder.” Lennox replied, snapping her fingers in front of Keyla’s face and both groaned when B-Boy kicked out of the finishing move. “Goddamn it!”

That had to be the hottest thing Keyla ever seen a man do and she suddenly wondered if Jon would be opposed to performing that move on her in the bedroom. “Christ…” She gasped, covering her mouth with both hands when Jon performed it again, only for B-Boy to kick out. “What the fuck is it gonna take to beat that asshole?!”

Lennox laughed at her friend’s enthusiasm, clapping her hands along with the rest of the crowd. “Come on Mox! You got this!” She would never not cheer for her friend, even though he was one of the biggest dicks in the company character-wise right now.

With a third Hook & Ladder, Jon pinned B-Boy with his back pressed against the man’s chest, holding on with every ounce of strength he had while the referee counted the pin fall. Jon was on his feet instantly, the bell ringing and his name being announced as the NEW CZW World Heavyweight champion. He took the belt from the referee and pumped his fist up in the air with the title, so much pride and relief coursing through his body because he finally made it to the top of CZW. One year exactly after his debut, the company gave him what he deserved and Jon had no words to express his gratitude for the opportunity. Sliding out of the ring, Jon walked to the back with the CZW title over his shoulder, not looking back at the fans his entire body aching from head to toe.

Chapter 20

Right after Jon’s victory, the party began backstage with everyone dousing the new CZW World Heavyweight champion in beer and champagne. Keyla stayed off to the side to avoid getting wet, laughing when Jon put a few of the guys in headlocks. Then she watched Jon’s opponent, B-Boy, limp up shaking his hand, not hearing the words they exchanged. Keyla could tell Jon didn’t like B-Boy, but they were professional enough to show respect to each other after the brutal match. She still didn’t understand what it was about this particular sport Jon loved so much. Or the fact Jon had just shaken hands with the man he beat the hell out of only minutes ago. It was confusing to her. Through the crowd of people, Jon zeroed in on the one person he wanted to see more than anyone else, making his way over to her.

“I guess the good luck kiss worked.” Keyla remarked once Jon stood in front of her, slick with sweat and alcohol, the CZW World Heavyweight championship draped over his shoulder.

Jon smirked, shaking his head a little to get some of the excess fluid out and repositioned the title. “Guess it did.” He agreed in a raspy voice. “What did you think of the show?”

“Interesting.” Keyla didn’t know how to answer that question and leaned back against the wall, her eyes never leaving Jon. “It wasn’t bad and I did enjoy myself.”

That was good enough for Jon. Honestly, he didn’t care what Keyla thought of the love of his life. Nothing would stop him from wrestling, planning on doing it until the day his life ended. Jon saw the confusion swirling through her amber eyes and possible worry, reaching out to run a finger gently down her cheek. He couldn’t get the image of Keyla naked in the shower out of his mind, catching a glimpse when he ripped the curtain opened. His nose was still somewhat bruised, but hardly noticeable and nobody had questioned what happened. The kiss they shared prior to his match was a sample of what Keyla had to offer and Jon wanted more – all of her if he had his way. Taking her hand silently, Jon led Keyla away from the crowd of people and pulled her into a private room, once again pushing her back against the door until it closed firmly.

Keyla opened her mouth to speak and her words were swallowed by another toe-curling kiss from Jon, one strong arm snaking around her waist to pull her closer against his sweaty wet body. Soft moans escaped her lips and Jon slid his tongue inside her mouth, tasting Keyla for a second time. The kiss grew rough and heated, her fingers gripping his hair while their tongues danced in a dance of seduction and domination. Jon felt his dick grow in his trunks and flipped the lock on the door with his free hand, never breaking the kiss. Pushing Jon away wasn’t option for Keyla, not when she wanted him as much as he did her. Her panties quickly grew damp, especially when Jon’s mouth ventured to the side of her neck, suckling on her tender soft flesh with his tongue and teeth.

“Oh fuck, Jon…” Keyla hissed out, her neck one of the most sensitive areas on her body and shivered against him, soft hands caressing his massive shoulders, upper back, neck and upper chest.

He had her in the palm of his hand, gliding his mouth from one side of her neck to the other, giving the same attention. “Give me your hand.” He rasped in her ear, his tone low and husky, placing Keyla’s touch against his full erection through the thin material of his trunks. “You feel that? That’s what you fucking do to me every time I see you. And I can’t think of a better way to celebrate tonight than being buried balls deep inside your sweet pussy and making you scream my name - the same way you did the night you scared the rat out of the house.” Only it would be louder if Keyla took him up on his offer.

“Why wait?” She breathed, chest rising and falling rapidly, delving her hand into his trunks to stroke Jon’s cock with her fingers. They both groaned at the contact for different reasons and Keyla whimpered at Jon lightly tugging her ear. “Fuck me now, Jon.” Keyla tilted her head back at his soft growl, gripping his wet hair again. “Right against this door…”

“Only if you agree to spend the night with me.” Jon compromised, wanting more than a quick screw against this door in the arena. “Fuck you smell so good…”

Jon Moxley wanted to spend the night with her? She didn’t expect to hear that, but couldn’t deny anything this beautiful man wanted. There was no point denying it; her cheeks were still inflamed from Jon’s assault on her neck and his confession of hearing her masturbate crying out his name. There was far too much sexual tension between them not to end up in tangled in bed together. It was just a matter of when the right time would be and apparently Jon chose it after winning the CZW championship.

“I’m yours, Jon.” Keyla moaned, shoving his wrestling trunks down his strong thighs to free his pulsating cock and licked her dry lips.

Jon worked on her black dress pants, managing to get them unbuttoned and pushed them down her legs along with her panties. They didn’t have time to explore each other, but Jon would more than make it up to Keyla once they were home. Keyla stepped out of them and Jon lifted her up against the door, legs draped around his waist to give him more control of her lower body. Her body trembled against him with sheer anticipation, no fear in her cloudy dark gold eyes. They looked almost caramel right now with how dark they were and it made Jon hungrier for this dark bluish haired vixen in his arms.

“Gotta check to make sure you’re ready for me, darlin’.” Jon grunted, probing her already drenched sex and buried his face in her neck at how tight Keyla was around his fingers. “You protected?”

Keyla knew what he meant, nodding. “Yeah, do you wanna use a condom?”

Normally, Jon wouldn’t have sex unless he had a condom, but with Keyla he was willing to take the risk and wanted her too much to pull back now. “You’re wet for me, but are you ready?” He wanted to make sure Keyla was fully prepared because he was well-endowed.

“Been ready for a while.” Keyla remarked breathlessly, hooking an arm around Jon’s neck and shut her eyes at the first feeling of Jon’s cock touching her bundle of nerves. “Stop teasing me…”

“Teasing’s half the fun.”

Jon purposely slid the head of his cock up and down her slit a few times, enjoying driving her as crazy as she made him feel on a daily basis. Not only was Jon tormenting her, but himself as well and he couldn’t hold back any longer, needing to be inside of her. He pulled back a little, keeping her pinned against the door and slid his hands down her sides until they hooked under both of her thighs. Keyla held on tighter, reaching up with her free hand to try holding onto something and instead dropped it back down to grip his bicep. Lowering her body, Jon snapped his hips up to thrust inside of her warm wet folds, both groaning at the friction. He didn’t wait to let Keyla adjust to him, his muscles aching from his long match, but Keyla’s sex tightening around his length was the perfect distraction.

“Oh fuck yeah…” Jon groaned in her neck, keeping his thrusts at a steady pace for the moment and wished he would’ve removed her top. It would definitely be off when they were alone later on. “Fuck you’re so tight…”

“And you’re so big, oh god harder…”

Keyla somehow met Jon for every powerful thrust he produced inside of her, already knowing she’d having fingerprint bruises from his hands on her thighs and didn’t care. She would gladly sport any markings he wanted to put on her body. Her back slid up and down the door her backside bounced off the door, Jon controlling everything. All Keyla could do was lean back against the door and let him have his way, enjoying every second of it. She gripped his hair to force his mouth from her neck and their lips collided in another searing kiss, their tongues tangling together. Jon increased the pace of his thrusts, rising and dropping Keyla off and on his cock, both getting lost in each other. The sounds of flesh smacking flesh echoed off the room’s walls, mixing with moans and groans of pleasure.

By no means was Jon a one minute man and a quick session with him lasted at least a half an hour. Keyla climaxed three times before Jon finally ended his own torment, the feeling of her hot juices soaking his cock and milking him for everything he was worth too much to ignore. By now, Keyla was caked in sweat along with Jon, both of them breathing heavily with pounding hearts. A few more thrusts and Jon finally felt his cock explode, squeezing Keyla’s thighs harder growling while pounding relentlessly in and out of her receptive body. Jon wasn’t a gentle lover, hoping Keyla wasn’t expecting lovemaking because with him it was straight screwing. His release triggered Keyla’s fourth climax, sending both of them over the edge together and Jon managed to keep his balance with her, his thrusts slowing down until his limp cock slid out of her.

Lifting his head from her neck, hazy pale blues met dark gold and Keyla couldn’t stop smiling, coughing a little trying to catch her breath. “If that’s a sample of what’s to come tonight, I’m all in.” She murmured softly, caressing his face with her fingertips and brushed her mouth against his.

“That and more, Keyla.” Jon promised, carefully lowering the woman until she was on her feet in front of him again. “Think anyone out there heard us?”

“Probably.” Keyla laughed, pulling her panties and pants back on while Jon slipped his limp dick back in his wrestling trunks. “Don’t really care though, do you?”

Jon snorted, yanking Keyla against him before she could button her pants up again and playfully bit her neck. “Nope.” He captured her mouth in another kiss, softer this time and held onto her throat without squeezing to control it. “Mmm looking forward to many more of those tonight too.”

“Get ready so we can leave.”

It was no surprise when Keyla found out Lennox had already left with Danny, leaving a message with Drake. Keyla didn’t mind, feeling Jon’s arm drape around her neck and left with him while Sami stayed behind with Drake. He was a little concerned about Jon and Keyla leaving together, but judging by her flushed cheeks and Jon’s shit eaten grin, they were more than roommates. Jon drove back to the house with his hand on Keyla’s pant covered thigh the whole time, squeezing it every couple minutes to keep her focus on him. Keyla simply covered his hand with hers, their fingers lacing together and stared out the window, holding his CZW championship on her lap. It was heavier than she thought, lighting a cigarette to smoke with Jon and enjoyed the crisp icy air rushing over her already exerted body. Pulling into the driveway of their house, Jon shut the ignition off and stepped out of the car, grabbing Keyla’s hand to lead her up the stairs to the front door. Then his mouth claimed hers once the door pushed open, both stumbling in with Jon kicking it firmly shut.

“Don’t need a small break?” Keyla asked while they headed toward the stairs, his mouth once again sealed to the side of her neck.

“Nope. You?” He pulled back long enough to remove Keyla’s top, leaving her bra on and began ascending the stairs.

“Absolutely not.” Keyla peeled his own t-shirt off and tossed it over her shoulder, clothes layering the steps while they undressed each other on the way up. “Your room or mine?”

Jon didn’t care, spotting hers was closer than his and pushed Keyla against the door with her arms above her head, passionately kissing her to taste her sweet mouth again. He was addicted to her mouth, it was official. Keyla tilted her head up to deepen the kiss more and Jon reached around her to unsnap the bra with his hand, yanking the offending material away. He wanted this woman completely naked and at his complete mercy, already having several ideas on how to make it happen. Keyla gasped, turning her head to give Jon better access to her neck and cried out softly once she felt his sinful mouth capture one of her nipples in his mouth. While teasing one breast, Jon reached down to where the knob was to her bedroom and opened it, lifting her from the floor to plant her on the bed. Now Jon really had where he wanted Keyla, pale blues darkening and shimmering with wicked intentions.

It was a night full of passion, lust and intensity, both parties involved pushing each other to their absolute limit. Keyla let Jon have his way with her body for a while, feeling more pleasure than she ever experienced with a man. Granted, she’d experimented with women before once or twice, but there was nothing like a big throbbing dick driving in and out of her pussy to make her cum in gallons. That’s exactly what she did for Jon. He also pleasured her orally better than any other man or woman had, Keyla losing track how many times she climaxed for him. Once Jon had his fill, it was Keyla’s turn to return the favor and she didn’t disappoint him. Her mouth taking his dick fully in shocked and turned Jon on more than words could say, especially when he felt the tip of him hit the back of her throat. Her humming method sent tremors through his big body too, making Jon climax in no time filling her mouth with his hot seed. Keyla swallowed him whole, not wasting a single drop and both tasted each other’s essence on their tongues.

After the foreplay was over with, Jon positioned Keyla on her hands and knees, wearing the CZW championship around his waist at her request. It was their favorite sexual position and Keyla enjoyed his balls slapping tenaciously at her pussy lips while the belt scratched the top of her backside. The cool metal pressed against her lower back when Jon ripped her up by her hair to finish them both off was incredibly erotic. Keyla didn’t mind her hair pulled or being spanked, which is exactly what Jon did while she remained on all fours. When it was all said and done, their final orgasms shattering each other, Jon collapsed back on the bed with Keyla sprawled on top of him back first. She managed to turn around and buried her face in Jon’s neck, playing with his damp curls from showering at the arena and perspiration. Jon removed the belt from around his waist to get more comfortable, holding Keyla tightly against him and closed his eyes, falling fast asleep with her shortly following.

It truly was the best celebration Jon could’ve imagined.

Chapter 21

Foolish.

Lying in bed, all Keyla could do was stare at the ceiling, her naked body having a thin sheet draped over it. She didn’t know what time it was and didn’t care, not moving an inch. Being sexual satisfied wasn’t all Keyla wanted to happen between her and Jon, but her roommate had other ideas. Hours after screwing each other’s brains out left Keyla exhausted in all ways and she fell asleep before Jon. The cold spot on the other side of the bed indicated Jon had left sometime in the middle of the night to go back to his own room. His clothes were picked up and the CZW belt was gone too, no trace of Jon Moxley left behind. It was almost as if last night had been nothing more than a dream, but the ache between Keyla’s thighs was a sign they did have sex.

Keyla didn’t know how to feel about the situation. Lennox had warned her to steer clear of Jon Moxley because he was a womanizer. He used women for his own pleasure and needs, then tossed them away. Did Keyla honestly believe it would be different with her? Granted, Jon had given her some of the best oral sex of her life and stayed buried between her thighs for an obscene about of time. Not to mention took her body in every position besides anal, not in the mood to have a dick shoved up her backside. There was no lovemaking in what they did, just straight screwing and Keyla enjoyed every second giving Jon the celebration he wanted. However, she thought he would stick around to at least wake up in his arms and possibly take a shower together.

Instead, all Keyla had was the faint smell of sweat, sex and cigarettes, remembering Jon lighting one up sometime in the early morning hours. She passed out on him before Jon finished his cigarette and maybe that’s what made him leave. Keyla didn’t know, too confused to cry and too tired to deal with her inner pain. Another notch on Jon Moxley’s belt was all Keyla ended up being and she had to accept it. Just another conquest. Keyla hated herself for giving into Jon at the arena, for allowing his ‘good luck’ kiss to turn into a night full of torrid passion that left her heart in shambles. It made her wonder how they were supposed to continue living under the same roof together.

Jon hadn’t promised her squat the previous night, just asking to celebrate his victory. Slowly sitting up in bed, Keyla decided it was time to finally get up and continue living her life. She and Jon had sex, a onetime deal, and now the sexual tension between them was gone. Maybe it was for the best, Keyla tried convincing herself, standing from the bed with the sheet still wrapped around her body. Keyla padded into the bathroom, starting the shower sprays and dropped the sheet before stepping inside, letting the hot sprays wash away the previous night’s events. There was no work for at least another couple days at Blasius, so Keyla could eat and then go back to sleep for her job at the bar later that night.

~!~

“You fucked her?”

Jon stood in front of the stove making pancakes for him and Sami, not knowing when or if Keyla would join them. He was a dick for leaving her in the middle of the night/morning, but Jon didn’t regret his decision. Staying the entire night in her room would’ve given Keyla the inclination he wanted more than a night of screwing. His career had lit on fire and catapulted to the next level, choosing Keyla to properly celebrate his ascension in CZW. That was it. Granted, he missed her mouth against his and his hands caressing every part of her beautiful body, but there was no changing what happened. He was kind enough to wait until she fell asleep before sneaking back to his room, not wanting an uncomfortable conversation about feelings. The only love in Jon’s life was professional wrestling; nothing and nobody would ever change that, not even Keyla.

“The whole night and most of the early morning.” Jon answered without hesitation, sipping his third cup of coffee and could feel Sami’s green eyes burning into his back. “It was just sex…”

Sami didn’t believe that for a second. “Bullshit.” He walked around the kitchen island and shoved Jon, his eyes turning to pure acid. If Jon only knew what happened to their roommate only days ago…Sami suddenly regretted keeping Nick Gage’s attack on Keyla secret. “She deserves better than that, man!”

Clenching his teeth when Sami shoved him, Jon flipped another pancake on the platter and turned to face his best friend, setting the spatula down. “You got feelings for her?” He demanded, asking the one question that’d been on the tip of his tongue since they moved in the house. “That why you’re pissed off I fucked her because you wanted it to be you?” He shoved Sami right back, both men instantly measuring each other up pressing their chests together.

“She deserves better than being another notch on your fucking bedpost, Jon.” Sami growled, not backing down for a second and clenched his fists tightly at his sides.

Jon noticed Sami skate by the feelings question and decided he would not let it go. “Do you have feelings for her?” He asked again, seeing the different emotions swirling through Sami’s green orbs and couldn’t tell if the man felt something more than friendship for Keyla or not.

“Do you?” Sami shot back, raising a thick black brow and tightened his lips, barely containing the rage he’d unleashed on Nick Gage.

“No.” Jon locked eyes with Sami before answering to prove he meant what he said. “It was sex between us and she knows that as well as I do. So if you want a piece of her, go for it. I’m sure she’ll spread her legs for you just like she did for me.”

That was all Sami could handle hearing. “Watch your mouth when you talk about her, asshole!” His fist flew forward to nail Jon in the jaw, forcing his friend to stumble back with a hand over his mouth. “You have NO idea what you’ve done!”

Where the hell was this hostility coming from? How deep did Sami’s feelings run for Keyla? Jon and Sami would playfully spar with each other in the ring, sometimes getting hurt, but it all came with the territory. Being a tag team made them extremely close; not everyone could handle Jon’s attitude and antics. They did a promo shortly after Jon joined the CZW for a company called AIW (Absolute Intense Wrestling) for their Absolution 4 event in a tag team scramble match. Sami had tried talking during the promo about how they were going to kill their opponents and Jon kept whipping a towel at him, striking him repeatedly on the back of the head. Fed up, Sami shoved Jon and yelled how it wasn’t a game before ending the promo by simply saying their opponents were fucking dead. After that event, the Switchblade Conspiracy took off wrestling throughout the Midwest, East and overseas in Germany. After everything they’d been through, a woman was starting to come between them and Jon wouldn’t let it happen, rubbing his throbbing jaw from Sami’s sucker punch.

“Oh really? And just what the fuck did I do that was so wrong?” Jon remarked coolly, reciprocating the violence Sami directed at him and threw a punch of his own. “You’re pissed off I made the first move you didn’t have the balls to make!”

“NO THAT’S NOT IT!!” Sami roared, holding the side of his throbbing face and glared maliciously at Jon. “You told me you wouldn’t and then you went behind my fucking back. We’re supposed to be best friends, asshole. And if you knew what happened…”

“I don’t give a flying fuck what you know or what happened! I fucked her; I enjoyed her pussy wrapped around my cock while she screamed my name to the point her voice went hoarse! She wanted me, not you. Deal with it.” Jon advised in a noxious voice, finished with this conversation and turned his back to start another pancake on the griddle.

Before Sami could open his mouth to respond, a third voice entered the fray and both men turned to face the dark blue haired woman. “Is there a reason both of you are fighting down here and acting like fools?”

Jon pointed the spatula at Sami, a vicious glare in his glacier eyes. “Why don’t you fucking ask him? He attacked me first.”

Cool amber eyes moved to stare hardening at Sami and all he did was lower his head in shame, making Keyla plant her hands on her hips. “Well? What do you have to say for yourself, Sami? Why are you attacking Jon?” She fired off the questions one after the other, pursing her lips tightly together when Sami refused to meet her eyes.

“Go ahead, BRO. Tell her why you’re so pissed off at me.” Jon taunted, ignoring Keyla shooting him a warning glare and flipped the pancake over.

Sami’s cheeks burned with embarrassment and shook his head, refusing to have this conversation right now. “Nothing. Just…something about the show.” He lied flatly, snatching his phone from the floor that fell out of his jean pocket when Jon decked him. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Oh but I am going to worry about it since both of you are throwing fists at each other and yelling.” Keyla overheard some of it and knew it had to do with her, but she wanted to hear it from the horse’s mouth. “Sami, there’s no point lying to me. I know you’re upset about Jon sleeping with me. What I don’t know is why and I want the answer.”

“It’s not what you think…” Sami couldn’t tell her what happened, still wondering how Keyla blacked out Nick Gage’s attack at the bar. Was the drug that strong to cause memory impairment? Apparently. “Keyla…”

“Then what exactly is it? Because I was under the impression we were all on the same page around here and what people did behind closed doors was their business. Nobody else’s.” Keyla kept her voice calm and even, slowly walking toward Sami with a raised brow. “Do you think I’m not good enough for him?”

“N-No of course not!” Sami stammered incredulously, green eyes snapping up to meet hard citrine stone.

Every time Keyla stared into Sami’s eyes, she got the déjà vu feeling again and had to pull her gaze away from him, looking back at Jon. “It was a onetime deal and won’t happen again. So whatever fears you have about your pal, don’t worry about it.” Snatching a bagel off the counter, Keyla made her way back upstairs again and slammed the bedroom door behind her, flipping the lock on it.

She just wanted to be alone right now.

Sami frowned the whole time he watched Keyla rush up the stairs, wondering what scared her away from him and tore a hand through his thick black hair. “I’m going to work out. Talk to you later, Mox.” He mumbled, storming out the front door to his car and took off down the street, not realizing Keyla had watched him leave from her bedroom window.

What was it about Sami that made Keyla both weak in the knees and terrified at the same time? Why did she keep getting this familiarity feeling? It was becoming stronger every time they ran into each other or spoke. She didn’t understand it. Keyla had racked her brain ever since they moved into the house to be her roommates and couldn’t come up with a legitimate explanation. What the hell was wrong with her? Keyla nibbled on her bagel and laid back down in bed, closing her eyes falling back to sleep almost instantly, not realizing how exhausted she was from the night she spent with Jon.

~!~

“I never should’ve left you there alone with him.” Lennox felt like the worst best friend in the world for putting Keyla in such a vulnerable position. “Danny was eager to leave and I couldn’t find you…” It never occurred to Lennox her friend was busy screwing Jon in his dressing room.

Keyla shrugged with a small smile, grabbing a longneck for one of the regulars and slid it down the counter expertly. “I definitely wasn’t complaining while it was happening either. Or any other times once we got back to the house last night.”

Lennox groaned, banging her head on the bar counter. “Key, what are you thinking? Didn’t I warn you to stay from him? God knows what kind of diseases the asshole has from how much ass he gets on a daily basis!” Jon was her friend, but he was also a scumbag when it came to sexing up women. “If he told you he wants to be with you and made promises in your ear just to get in your panties…”

“It was just sex, Len.” Keyla assured her softly, leaning against the counter while Lennox continued rolling her head back and forth against it. “Trust me, I overheard him and Sami yelling at each other today about it. Jon made it crystal clear it was just a onetime thing between us.”

Lifting her head up, Lennox could see the pain and heartache in her friend’s eyes, wanting to kill Jon for pursuing Keyla. “How do you feel about that?” She was almost afraid to ask, staying quiet so nobody else in the bar overheard their conversation.

Keyla shrugged, pouring Lennox a much needed shot and one for herself since the owner of the bar wasn’t around tonight. “Part of me hoped he wanted something more with me, but…I don’t know. We didn’t really talk about it and he didn’t promise me anything past last night. He just asked me to help him celebrate his win and I couldn’t deny him.” She was in love with Jon Moxley, but there was no way Keyla would admit that to Lennox.

Both slamming their shots simultaneously, Keyla refilled Lennox’s and let her friend have a minute to wrap her mind around the fact she screwed one of Danny’s close friends. Keyla didn’t mean for it to happen, but her mind and heart were on the same page last night. There was no point denying Jon a night of passion. It was either her or another whore he’d no doubt bring home from the bar. Jon’s words to Sami hurt to hear, but at least Keyla knew how he felt. It was better than wondering if Jon wanted her for more than sex or hoping for an actual relationship. Maybe they could go back to being roommates now that the sexual tension was gone because they slept together.

Keyla highly doubted it though since Jon Moxley already had her heart.

Chapter 22

Halfway through Keyla’s shift at the bar, she stepped out the backdoor in the icy weather and leaned against the building, lighting up a much needed cigarette. All night, she couldn’t stop thinking about what transpired between her and Jon – the passionate evening they shared together. Only for him to pretend like nothing happened. Keyla was heartbroken, no matter how much she wanted to deny it. The pain slowly searing in her chest and rushing through every vein in her body strongly fought against her stubborn fine mentality. She wasn’t fine; far from it. Being in love with someone who was not only out of her league, but a friend of Lennox’s wasn’t easy to brush off and ignore. Keyla could deny it all she wanted, but when she had to go home and look in the mirror at her reflection, the truth was irrefutable.

What was she supposed to do? Lennox had warned her to stay away from Jon and she ignored it. There was nothing to do or to be said. Kicking him out wasn’t an option. They had sex and that’s all it was. She had to get over it, deal with her pain and move on. Making the mistake to sleep with Jon was her fault, no one else’s. Falling in love with Jon was her doing; he had nothing to do with it. He was innocent and straightforward in everything he wanted from Keyla. Leaning back against the wall, Keyla continued smoking her cigarette while staring up at the snowy sky and leaned her head back against the wall. Suddenly, it was almost as if a gunshot plowed through her head and she squeezed her eyes tightly shut, dropping her cigarette to the snow to clutch the sides of her head.

~!~

“Keyla?”

“Come on, we gotta get you out of the snow.”

“Keyla, you still with me?”

“W-What…?” She couldn’t make her brain work enough to ask a simple question, lulling her head back against the building while the person in front of her tried getting her to focus. “Mmm tired…”

“Come on, stay with me. I promise, this won’t take long.”

Then a mouth covered hers while hands roamed her body, a hard body pressing her further into the brick building of the bar. Her attacker had a black face – a black blobbed face – and that was all Keyla saw, her whole body relaxing against her will. The mouth continued assaulting hers while hands unzipped her heavy coat before sliding up her turtleneck top, fondling her cotton bra covered breasts. They quickly delved under the bra to tweak her nipples, making her moan out quietly. It was all she could do. The assailant smirked viciously and suddenly ripped the black face off, which was a mask to reveal a sexually charged Nick Gage.

~!~

“NO!” Keyla cried out once the short choppy vision ended, the face of Nick Gage and his hungry dilated dark pupils searing her brain.

By now, she had dropped to her knees in the snow with her hands still clamped over her ears, shaking her head repeatedly. Keyla’s whole body shook from head to toe and her stomach churned violently, tears freezing to her face as soon as they began falling. What the hell was THAT? When did that happen? When was she alone outside with Nick Gage, of all people? Maybe she was dreaming and this was a nightmare she had. Then why did it feel so real? Another stab of pain signaled a fresh choppy memory and Keyla couldn’t fight it off, the tears not stopping.

~!~

“Goddamn your boobs feel so fucking good.”

“Sorry baby, but this has to go.” Slicing the material from the middle of her neck all the way down her breasts and stomach, Nick licked his lips at the sight of her beautiful body in his vision. “Oh yeah, so fucking pretty…”

“You – no – please – we…”

“Just close your eyes and enjoy this, baby.”

Just as Nick slid the head of his cock up and down her wet slit, ready to plummet into her hot depths, he was yanked away from Keyla roughly. Keyla hit the snow covered ground like a ton of bricks, unable to stop herself from falling and closed her eyes, her entire body frozen like a block of ice.

“WHAT THE FU-?!”

~!~

Worried when Keyla didn’t return 15 minutes later from her smoke break, Lennox ventured out of the bar and could hear sobbing. She took off through the deep snow and stopped at the sight of Keyla curled up in a tight ball, her clothes soaked through from being in the cold snow. Lennox immediately looked around and pulled out her Swiss army knife she carried with her in case someone attacked Keyla during her break. The streets of Philadelphia were dangerous, especially at night and weren’t to be taken lightly. Once Lennox knew they were in the clear, she rushed over to where Keyla still lay and dropped to her knees in the snow, seeing her friend’s eyes clenched shut.

“Jesus, you’re ice cold…” Lennox muttered, wondering what the hell happened during Keyla’s smoke break and looked down at her helplessly. “Keyla? Key, snap out of it, girl! Come on, we have to get you inside before you freeze to death!”

“P-Please d-don’t…” Keyla stammered out in a whisper after a few minutes, her face white as a ghost. “No – NO!!”

Lennox flew back in the snow when Keyla snapped out of whatever state she’d been in, shoving the person touching her away. “KEY! IT’S LEN! What the fuck, woman?!” She shouted out of surprise, scrambling up on her feet in the snow and watched Keyla backtrack on her hands and feet.

The only thing Keyla could see currently and feel was Nick Gage surrounding her, sexually assaulting her. She could feel his sick touch on her breasts and her jeans being pushed down her legs. There was nothing she could do to stop him. Something did though. Whatever happened, Nick never got what he truly wanted from her and Keyla cried in relief. It was broken pieces of her fuzzy memory, but Keyla knew who her attacker was, never forgetting a face. So who or what stopped Nick Gage from raping her? She continued keeping her eyes closed, a dark figure coming into the picture ripping Nick away before he could finish what he started.

“Keyla, snap out of it!!”

She couldn’t, needing to know who saved her from being raped by Nick Gage and squeezed her hands around her head tighter, hoping it would help piece together more memories.

~!~

“…now listen…”

“You’re gonna pay for touching her, Gage. YOU NEARLY RAPED HER!!”

“S-She wanted it…”

“BULLSHIT! YOU FUCKING LIAR!”

“Keyla…” His eyes widened, remembering she hadn’t moved when he yanked Nick away from her and rushed to her side, swallowing hard at her unconscious state. “Fuck – FUCK! No – No Keyla, wake up. Come on girl, you gotta wake up for me.”

~!~

Lennox was in a panic mode by now and did the first thing she could think of, slapping Keyla across the face. Instantaneously, amber eyes snapped open to lock with worried violet and Keyla reached out to clutch Lennox’s upper arms. The vision ended and there was no getting it back, the face of her savior too fuzzy to make out.

“L-Len?” She chattered viciously, ignoring the throbbing in her cheek and Lennox yanked her into a tight embrace, cupping the back of her head.

“Fuck you scared me.” Lennox murmured, slowly pulling back to make sure Keyla was with her and could see the panic in her friend’s eyes. “What happened?”

Keyla couldn’t talk about it, not right now. “H-Home… I-I n-need to g-go h-home…” Work was the least of her problems after that vision and Keyla didn’t want to be at the bar anymore, not where she was nearly raped. “P-Please…”

“Okay, alright let me help you up and I’ll take you home.” With the current state Keyla was in, Lennox couldn’t deny her anything and rose the woman out of the freezing snow on spaghetti legs. “Come on, sweetie. Let’s get you home.”

“T-Thank y-you…” Keyla looked back at the bar, fresh tears stinging her eyes and trekked through the snow with Lennox’s help to the car.

~!~

Jon planned on having a relaxing night at the house by himself, watching MTV since they had a rock marathon going on full of videos. It was also the perfect distraction to keep him from thinking about Keyla. She seemed fine with them having sex once and getting rid of the sexual tension. Maybe now they could go back to being roommates. Jon doubted it, remembering how good it felt to have her legs wrapped around his waist. How their bodies molded against each other and her begging him to drive deeper inside of her. He hadn’t experienced sex quite like that in a long time, possibly ever. Maybe she would be open to a sex-only arrangement with him because Jon wasn’t sure one night was enough when it came to Keyla. However, he didn’t want to ruin the roommate arrangement between them since this was her house and she could send him on the streets at any moment.

Angry at Jon’s defiance, Sami left the house for the night and stayed at Scotty’s to cool off. He was livid Jon slept with Keyla. Jon could tell Sami felt something for their roommate, but it wasn’t his fault the man hadn’t pulled the trigger. When Jon saw something he wanted, he went for it – consequences be damned. He wanted Keyla in his bed to celebrate his title victory and Jon refused to apologize for it. They had a great time together, naked fun, and if Jon had his way it would happen again. If Sami wanted Keyla badly enough, he would let his balls drop and tell her. Just because Jon had sex with her didn’t mean Sami couldn’t. They weren’t in a relationship; it was just sex. If Sami wanted something more than a tango in the sheets, Jon would back off and let him have it.

His thoughts severed when the front door was thrown open and Lennox stumbled inside, carrying a violently trembling Keyla. “What the fuck?” He jumped off the couch instantly and rushed to them, blue eyes focused solely on Keyla. “What the fuck happened to her?”

“I don’t know.” Lennox replied truthfully, trying to hand Keyla over to Jon, but she resisted shaking her head repeatedly.

“No – no p-please…”

“That’s all she’s been saying since I found her outside of the bar curled up in the snow. She won’t talk to me. I think she’s going through some kind of panic attack.” Lennox frowned, wishing there was something she could do to help Keyla. It was hard when she didn’t know what triggered this in the first place.

“Give her to me.” Jon ordered, stepping forward and could see the trepidation in Lennox’s violet eyes. “You’re about to fucking collapse and she needs to lay down. I won’t hurt her.”

Lennox knew he was right, no matter how much she wanted to deny it, and could feel her arm weakening from carting Keyla to the door from her vehicle. “Be careful with her.” She instructed in a low voice, taking Keyla’s arm from around her neck and placed it around Jon’s, pushing her friend into his strong body.

“Like I wouldn’t?” Jon snorted in a retort before hooking one arm under her legs and the other around her back, lifting her with ease from the floor. “I got you, Keyla.”

Another vision overtook her as soon as those words came out of Jon’s mouth, though it was brief and a single sentence.

“It’s gonna be okay, Key. I got you, girl.”

“I’m here, Key.”

Keyla lulled her head against Jon’s shoulder while he carried her upstairs to the bathroom instead of her room. Lennox had no idea what he was doing until she watched from the bathroom doorway, Keyla’s body being set in the bathtub. Then he reached over and turned the shower sprays on, making sure they were warm enough to get rid of the chill in her body. Keyla would be lucky if she didn’t come out of this with pneumonia. Lennox watched Jon kneel down in front of the tub and helped Keyla remove the upper part of her clothes, leaving her bra on in case she was attacked. He took Keyla’s loofah sponge and dipped it in the water, gliding it around her shoulders and arms, trying to get her to calm down since she couldn’t stop crying.

Long after Lennox left, Jon didn’t leave Keyla’s side and pulled her out of the bath, wrapping a towel around her body before removing her sopping wet jeans. Then he lifted her in his arms again and carried her into her bedroom, setting her down on the bed. The warmth of his body seared through Keyla, like a heating blanket, and she wanted him closer to her. Jon tried not to show concern for her, even though there was a ton of it, and he began pulling away from her when her hand shot out to stop him.

“D-Don’t leave.” Keyla finally spoke coherently for the first time since the visions started, watery amber locked on confused blue. “S-Stay.”

Jon heaved a sigh, staying in his hovering position over her towel covered body since he’d removed her bra and panties. They were soaking wet and it was too cold outside to let her stay in wet clothing of any kind. If it was summertime, Jon would’ve left them on, but not when it was below zero outside with the wind chill.

“What happened tonight?” Jon demanded in a soft raspy voice, ready to kill anyone who dared to put their hands on Keyla. “Talk to me.”

Keyla’s bottom lip trembled, not wanting to relive the awful choppy memories because she didn’t know if it was real or not. She didn’t know for sure if Nick Gage tried raping her or if it was a figment of her imagination. Shaking her head, Keyla tightened her arm around Jon’s neck a little more and pulled him closer, feeling his hot breath puff across her frosty lips. Every part of her body felt like a block of ice and she desperately wanted to be warm. Jon was the only one who could do it and Keyla hoped he didn’t deny her, needing him more than anything right now.

“Keyla…” Jon felt his mouth go dry when her trembling hand pulled the towel back to reveal one of her bare breasts along with the rest of her naked body. “No…”

“M-Make it go away, Jon.” Keyla pleaded, reaching up to cup his face in her soft cold hands and shivered at the slight stubble outlining his jaw. “P-Please warm me up…”

He wouldn’t have sex with her, not in this condition, but Jon couldn’t deny Keyla’s sweet request either. So instead, he pulled the towel completely from her body and swung one leg over hers before the other, settling beside her on the bed. Keyla was in no shape to have sex and if she wanted to be warmed up, holding her was the next best thing he could do. He removed her arm around his neck to pull the t-shirt from his body, tossing it on the floor before pulling her flush against his body, skin on skin.

“I got you, Keyla. Just relax and close your eyes. I’m here.” Jon murmured in her ear, feeling her face bury in his chest with one arm hooked around his body and the other curled up against her.

“I-If it was you, t-thank you…”

Jon pulled back enough to watch Keyla’s eyes drift shut and wondered what she meant, resting his chin on top of her head.

“You’re welcome.”

Chapter 23

Walking on Pins and Needles.

That was the name of the next CZW show Keyla was coerced into attending, thanks to Lennox. She was worried about Keyla after her panic attack a month prior. Jon tried talking to Keyla about it, but she completely shut down and told him not to worry about it, chalking it up to lack of sleep. Sami slowly started staying at the house again, but he and Jon weren’t on the best of terms ever since the small fight they had. Keyla stayed out of it, figuring they would work things out sooner or later and focused on her own life. Sleeping in Jon’s arms the night of her panic attack opened Keyla’s eyes and made her realize they could never be together. The next morning when she woke up and Jon was once again gone, she received the message loud and clear. Ever since then, they barely spoke to each other except when Keyla had to collect the month’s rent to pay the bills. Jon was gone a lot, wrestling for countless promotions and had several titles whenever he came home from the road. There was the awkward conversation they had a week prior to the show Keyla still couldn’t get out of her head.

Jon had just given her the month’s rent along with some money for groceries and a list on what he wanted. “I’d do it if I had time, but I gotta be back on the road again tomorrow…”

It was now or never. “There’s something I need to tell you.” Keyla looked into his electric blues and chewed her bottom lip, always feeling her insides turn to mush whenever locking her gaze on this man.

“Shoot. Everything okay?” Jon asked, setting his cigarette down in the ashtray and could feel the nervousness dripping out of every pore of Keyla’s body.

“Yeah, it’s nothing bad, I don’t think anyway. Lennox is sort of forcing me to go to your next show on the 13^th.” It was March 13^th to be exact and she’d taken off work from the bar and chocolate factory, which was back up and running, in order to attend. “If you have a problem with it, you need to tell me now and I’ll come up with an excuse not to go.”

Jon arched a brow up at her, picking his cigarette up again to take a long thoughtful drag from it and leaned back against the couch. “Why would I have a problem with that? You wanna go – go. I’m not gonna care either way.”

His laid back demeanor about the situation and Keyla didn’t know how to respond, so she walked away from him to go back up to her room. The living room always belonged to Jon whenever he was home since it wasn’t often lately. All the traveling he did had to take a toll on his body sooner or later, but then again Keyla had no idea what the wrestling business involved or how long he’d been doing it. She didn’t get far however because Jon was on his feet and grabbing her upper arm, turning her around firmly to face him again. She thought he could’ve had a change of heart and felt hers plummet to her stomach at what he said next.

“Just wanted to let you know to put headphones on or something tonight. I’m bringing a girl home to fuck after training.” Jon had a date that night and they always ended with the woman naked in his bed. “Didn’t want you getting pissed like last time from all the noise.”

Keyla flashed a phony smile and removed his hand from her arm, nodding stiffly. “Thanks for letting me know.” Then she turned and headed upstairs to her room to have a good solid cry, blasting music to drown her sorrows out.

After that day, Keyla hadn’t spoken a single word to Jon and avoided him at all costs, making sure to carry headphones with her at all times. Sure enough, when she came home that night from the bar, moaning and groaning instantly filtered through the house all the way from Jon’s room. Keyla immediately turned her headphones on full blast and made herself something to eat, ignoring what was left of her heart crumbling in her chest. Why was he doing this to her? Maybe Jon Moxley enjoyed destroying women for his own amusement. Keyla slammed the refrigerator shut and went upstairs to her room, her appetite gone especially when she heard whoever Jon had in his room scream his name.

“Hey, you alright?” Lennox asked, jolting Keyla out of her deep thoughts about the past month and handed over a can of Pepsi. “Sorry, they don’t have much here for beverages or a snack bar.”

Keyla cracked a smile, shrugging and cracked open her soda can to take a swig of it. “It’ll do.” She looked at the ring, already knowing Jon wouldn’t be out until the main event. “You gonna go to the back and check on Danny boy?”

“Nope, I’m not leaving you alone.” Lennox wrapped an arm around her best friend’s shoulders, leaning her head against Keyla’s. “Are you sure you’re alright? You know you can talk to me about anything, right?” They hadn’t discussed Keyla’s panic attack either, though Lennox tried and was shut down just like Jon.

“Yes Mom, I know.” Keyla half-joked, trying to lighten the mood a little and sighed when Lennox gave her a stern look. “I’m fine, I promise.” She was far from it, but didn’t want to worry Lennox any more than the woman already was.

Leaning closer so they could talk quietly and not be eavesdropped on, Lennox tapped her fingers against Keyla’s shoulder pensively. “What did Jon do now?” She inquired, already knowing it had to do with the idiot who broke her best friend’s heart.

“Nothing.” Keyla lied flatly, lowering her eyes to her clasped hands in her lap and heaved a sigh. “I’m just…tired, I guess. A lot has happened and I just want one night where you’re not worrying to death about me or I’m not on the outs with my roommates.” She hadn’t done anything to Sami, but for some reason he kept avoiding her the way she did Jon and it unnerved Keyla.

Lennox opened her mouth to respond and felt her phone vibrate, blinking when the message said 911. What the hell? It was from Danny. Something was wrong and she looked at Keyla, not wanting to leave her alone out here. Then she looked up and saw Sami watching them from the back, knowing he could get to Keyla in seconds if anything happened while she was gone.

“Danny needs me, I’ll be right back. Do you want anything while I’m back there?” Lennox asked, standing up from her chair and saw the confusion in Keyla’s eyes. “You know how he is. Probably a trick to get me backstage so he can try getting me to have sex with him in one of the locker rooms.” They had an ongoing bet to see who would break first and so far Lennox had resisted her boyfriend.

“Take your time.”

A few minutes later, Lennox was backstage and in one of the empty rooms while Danny paced back and forth in front of her. “Baby, what’s wrong?” Lennox had never seen him so worked up before and stepped in front of him to stop the pacing, brows furrowed. “What’s going on?”

“Jon’s match tonight. Fuck, I completely forgot to tell you about it.” Danny felt like an idiot, trying to calm down now that his girlfriend was with him. Lennox had a calming effect and no matter how angry Danny was, she could always settle him down with just a touch. “It’s against Nicky.”

Lennox didn’t understand what the problem was and stroked Danny’s arms soothingly. “What’s wrong with that?” Then it occurred to her what he said and suddenly the color drained out of her face. “You mean Nicky as in…Nick Gage? He’s facing Nick Gage for the title tonight?”

“Yeah, NOW do you see why I’m a little worried here? Keyla isn’t used to seeing the barbaric side of CZW and the match is going to be brutal. Nicky said he’s gonna see what Jon Moxley is really made of in this match tonight.” Danny should’ve remembered, but with his own match going on that night and his tag team partner being the Necro Butcher, he hadn’t paid attention until now. “You need to get Keyla out of here.”

“Oh yeah sure because that’ll go over really well. ‘Oh I’m sorry, but we have to leave because the man you have feelings for and possibly love is about to get his ass handed to him and he’s gonna bleed like a stuffed pig and we don’t want you seeing it’. Really Danny? She’s gonna want to stay and watch to make sure Moxley doesn’t get hurt.” Now Lennox was pacing and lit a cigarette, handing one to her boyfriend while racking her brain trying to figure out what to do. “I’m the one who invited her here.”

With everything going on between Keyla and Jon lately, this was the last thing she needed to see. “Find a way to get her out of here. Tell her you have a family emergency or something.” Danny knew Lennox had never lied to Keyla before, but it was for their own good. “I normally wouldn’t do this babe, but it’s gonna be bad…”

“I can’t fucking believe this shit. Sami is keeping an eye on her out there and now I have to go try convincing her to leave, so she doesn’t see Jon get fileted out there. Is he winning the match or dropping the title to Gage?” Lennox had to know, puffing on her cigarette trying to calm herself down before going out there to confront Keyla.

“I don’t know…Jon won’t tell us.” Danny nearly dropped his cigarette when the music began playing to signal the start of the show and shut his eyes, knowing it was too late to get Keyla out of the arena. “Fuck, that’s Ego’s music…”

“Okay – okay we can deal with this. We can handle it.” Lennox tried sounding convincing, but she had to ease Danny’s mind somehow. “This isn’t the first bloodbath I’ve seen and Keyla will have to get used to seeing them if she plans on coming to anymore events. Relax, let me handle it. She’ll be fine. Just focus on your match tonight and be careful. If Damage hurts you, I’m gonna beat the shit out of him along with tHURTeen.”

Danny chuckled, pulling her against him and flicked his cigarette away, capturing her mouth in a passionate kiss. “My vicious woman. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

The show started with Keyla being alone in the arena and the crowd roaring for their favorites in the first bout. It was two wrestlers named Azrieal and Egotistical Fantastico. She recognized Ego from the previous event, but not Azrieal and looked up when Lennox sat beside her, handing over another Pepsi she grabbed from Danny’s locker room. He was a Pepsi fiend besides beer and she wouldn’t let him drink alcohol before a match.

“Everything alright?” She leaned in to ask, watching Egotistical Fantastico fly around the ring and it made her somewhat dizzy, pulling away to look at Lennox’s tense face. “Len, what’s going on?”

Lennox didn’t know if warning Keyla about Jon’s upcoming battle with Nick Gage was the smartest thing to do. The show began and Danny was right, there was no way they could leave the arena undetected. Jon knew they were out there too, so if Keyla left now he would demand to know why. She knew Moxley well, sometimes better than he knew himself. Danny’s warning kept flooding through her mind about it being a potential bloodbath and her worry was suddenly for Jon’s wellbeing instead of her boyfriend’s. Nick Gage was brutal and dangerous in the ring, fully believing in his Nick ‘Fuckin’’ Gage mentality. It was hard to keep him grounded and calling spots in the ring, which was left to his opponents to do because he became so hyped up with his character.

“Danny had to tell me something about the house. Unimportant. I think he was trying to get me to lose the bet.” Lennox felt terrible about lying, but she had no choice and clapped slowly when the first match ended with Egotistical Fantastico winning.

4^th match on the card was Danny and Necro Butcher against the team Cult Fiction (Brain Damage and tHURTeen). It was a solid 12 minutes of back and forth action, Lennox flinching when Cult Fiction won the match. Necro Butcher was a slob in the ring, wrestled barefoot and Lennox could tell Danny was at the end of his rope with the man. She clapped for her man while he limped to the back holding his side and hoped he was alright. Leaving Keyla wasn’t an option right now and she would only do it if he absolutely needed her. A few more matches came and went until Sami Callihan came out, having a very short match against the company’s owner DJ Hyde. Lennox knew what was next and swallowed hard, glancing over anxiously at Keyla. Why hadn’t Danny warned her about this weeks ago before she hounded Keyla to come to the event?

Keyla watched Jon enter the ring in a pair of dark blue wrestling trunks, his hair dripping wet hanging over his face across his eyes. She stood up clapping and cheering him on despite the fans booing. They hated him and for good reason since he was the top heel in the company. Keyla did a little research on CZW, curious about it and asked Lennox some questions regarding what was a face and heel. Jon played to the crowd well, making them hate and boo him further while he taunted them holding the CZW championship. Then Nick Gage made his entrance, a bandana over his face along with one around his head to mostly hide it. She frowned, feeling uncomfortable when he came toward their part of the crowd and locked eyes with him, swallowing hard at the dark sinister orbs staring back at her. Lennox was on her feet next to Keyla and pointed at the ring, pursing her lips tightly together daring Nick to screw with them simply because Keyla was Jon Moxley’s roommate.

The barbaric nature of the match took Keyla’s breath away, especially when Nick Gage took a pizza cutter of all things and sliced Jon’s forehead wide open. He was trying to disfigure him! Lennox couldn’t watch when Nick took a metal rod of some sort and began whipping Jon with it, nailing him right in the back of the leg leaving a large red welt. It was brutal and Keyla’s heart broke at the sound of Jon’s screaming out in agony. She wanted to hop over the barricade and stop Nick Gage from hurting him further, but managed to stay glued to her seat. When Jon back dropped Nick on a steel guardrail they set up on the ring apron and barricade, she breathed a sigh of relief, cheering – hoping this brutality ended soon. After 18 long minutes, Jon finally pinned Nick Gage to retain the CZW championship and rolled out of the ring, stumbling to the back holding it over his head. Lennox and Keyla immediately rushed to the backstage area to make sure Jon and Danny were alright, not bothering to watch the last match of the night.

It was no surprise to witness Jon high-fiving his friends backstage and smoking a cigarette, bleeding profusely from his forehead while the doctor on staff tried treating him. Keyla wanted to go to him, to wrap her arms around his waist and tell him how much she loved him. She wouldn’t though. He was happier without her and maybe things were better this way. Jon noticed Keyla standing a little ways from the group of people and locked eyes with her, watching her turn walking away to find the exit to leave the building. He merely shrugged, receiving multiple hugs and shook DJ Hyde’s hand on a job well done with the match.

That night catapulted Jon’s stardom in CZW.

Chapter 24

If she thought the chocolate factory exploding and coming home drenched in the sweet substance was a bad day at work, Keyla was sadly mistaken.

No explosion happened, but from the time she woke up to start the day till coming home from work had been pure hell. To start her day off, the pipes froze in the house, so she couldn’t take a shower and had to call a professional to repair them. Keyla knew that would cost a pretty penny, but with Sami and Jon paying 2/3^rd of the bills and rent, she could barely afford it. Even with the week and a half off from the factory, -She had collected unemployment to compensate some of the financial loss- Keyla was smart with money and started saving the moment Jon and Sami moved in for emergencies like problems with the house.

With no shower, Keyla brushed her hair and headed out in the icy morning winter air, groaning when she couldn’t get her car door open. It was completely iced over from a storm that blew through Philadelphia the previous night. Driving home was horrible, but Keyla figured with her car warmed up at nearly 3 AM in the morning, the doors wouldn’t freeze shut. Her assumptions were wrong – dead wrong. It took a half an hour to pry the door open, after retrieving a blowtorch from the garage, for Keyla to slide behind the wheel of her vehicle. She slid the key into the ignition, turned it and…nothing. Nothing happened. The car was completely dead. Keyla was distraught by now, freezing from standing out in the cold for a half an hour and slammed her hands against the steering wheel harshly.

Brandon was only too eager to pick her up when Keyla called him, knowing Lennox and Danny were out cold. There was no way they would answer their cell phones this early in the morning. Brandon no longer worked for the factory, but it didn’t stop him from coming to Keyla’s rescue in his yellow rusted old beater. Who the hell drove one of these anymore? Keyla had no room to talk since her car had decided to crap out on her. Brandon told her to wait in the car while he surveyed her vehicle, quickly finding out the reasoning behind her car not starting. Her battery was dead due to the dome light staying on all night. Keyla almost cried in relief and asked Brandon if he would go to the store to grab a battery for her. She would pay for it along with an installation fee, but of course he turned the money down and promised it would be done by the time she returned home from work.

Being an hour late for work went on her record for the company and butchered Keyla’s perfect attendance. She didn’t mind though, thankful she didn’t have to call off and Brandon was kind enough to give her a ride. Keyla’s thought process of having no more bad luck that day wasn’t a smart move. During her work day, she broke 3 of her real nails, refusing to get them done professionally, on the conveyor belt. The chocolate fountain the company installed while repairing the main machine had a minor explosion and Keyla just happened to be standing in the right spot at the wrong time. She wasn’t covered from head to toe in chocolate like before, but the front of her shirt and jeans were splattered in milk chocolate liquid. On her last smoke break, there was a block of ice Keyla seemed to hit just right and the heel of her boot split wide open, snapping it off. So she had to finish her shift unbalanced, putting more pressure on one foot than the other and dealing with her broken heel boot covered foot falling asleep continuously.

Once her shift ended at the factory, Keyla once again had to call Brandon to pick her up and he took forever doing it. By 5 PM, she trudged up the stairs of her house and pulled her keys out, not realizing the wrong key slid in the slot. It was the key to the garage instead of the front door and Keyla couldn’t get it out, fed up by now. She tried yanking on it as hard as she could, the sun quickly going down and the icy air kicked up a notch, freezing her face. Cursing violently, Keyla was tempted to kick the door in, but didn’t want to scare her roommates in case they were home. Sami’s car was in the driveway, but Jon had used it for his traveling needs the past few days. She tried pounding on the door for 5 minutes, only to receive zero response. Either they were sleeping or nobody was home. Gritting her teeth, Keyla walked around the side of the house through the snow, stumbling since the heel of her boot was destroyed and saw one of the windows were low enough for her to reach. It would cost her a pretty penny to fix, but all Keyla cared about was getting in her own house and warming up.

Luckily, the window wasn’t locked and Keyla reminded herself to start leaving it open in case this happened again in the future. It was also the only window she forgot to put the storm window down on, thankfully. Hitting the screen a few times, Keyla felt it give and fall out the window into the living room before pulling herself up, trembling from how cold her body was. Brandon had taken off right after bringing her home because he had plans of his own to do. Somehow, she managed to crawl through the broken screen and hit the wooden floor with a thud, groaning in pain. A second later, there was a baseball bat coming for her head and Keyla barely rolled out of the way, scrambling back on her hands and feet away from the attacker until her cherry red face came in contact with an angry Sami Callihan.

“Keyla?!” Sami immediately dropped the bat, his heart racing a mile a minute and simply stood there in shock. “What the fuck are you doing coming through the window, girl? I could’ve seriously hurt you!”

“I-I – M-My k-key s-stuck i-in d-door…” Keyla chattered out violently, curling up in a tight ball on the kitchen floor trying to get warm. “S-S-Sorry…”

Sami frowned at how hard her body trembled and wondered how long she’d been stuck out in the cold, immediately snatching a blanket from the couch to wrap around her. “Come on, I got you.” He lifted her up in his arms and carried her to the couch, sitting down with her in his lap rubbing her back to try warming her up. “You need to get out of the wet clothes.”

The day’s events all flooded back to Keyla at once and she couldn’t stop the breakdown from happening, feeling like her entire world was in shambles. From her love life, work life and home life – everything had turned to crap. Keyla sat on Sami’s lap crying her heart out, covering her face with her hands and felt helpless. She was in love with a man who didn’t feel the same way about her, she had flashbacks of Nick Gage somehow nearly raping her and had no idea who helped her out of that situation and now – now Sami was comforting her when they hadn’t spoken since he moved in. Enough was enough. Keyla couldn’t take much more and felt Sami pull her to rest her head against his shoulder, using his own body heat along with the blanket to warm her frigid body.

“I-I’m so s-stupid…” Keyla stammered from both being cold and sobbing, hiccoughing squeezing her eyes shut.

Sami had a feeling he knew why she said that and gritted his teeth, wanting to strangle Moxley for hurting this beautiful kind-hearted woman. “No you’re not.” He murmured softly, stroking her back with one hand while pressing his other one against her ice cold cheek. “You’re far from stupid, Keyla.”

“H-How would y-you know?” She didn’t pull back from him and instead rose her amber eyes to meet forest green, the tears continuing to flow down her face. “Y-You’ve a-avoided m-me since y-you m-moved in…”

That was a point Sami couldn’t deny and he hated himself for doing it, but the déjà vu with Keyla wasn’t easy to handle. Somehow he knew her, not knowing how or why. The name haunted his mind day and night, along with his dreams, but for some reason Sami couldn’t jar his memory. One too many chair shots to the skull would do that to a person. It was time to stop running away from her. The night he saved her from Nick Gage’s assault was a wakeup call for Sami, so he’d been staying at the house a lot more. He just made sure to come home when he knew Keyla was either at the bar or sleeping, especially while Jon was out of town at other wrestling promotions.

“I-I’m s-so c-cold…”

“Let me warm you up, Keyla.”

“H-How?”

Keyla shivered pugnaciously against Sami, his warm hand against her ice cold cheek feeling wonderful. Her eyes never left Sami and Keyla didn’t stop him when he learned forward to press his warm lips against hers. She trembled against him from being both cold and nervous, but Keyla didn’t pull away. His lips felt too warm and good against hers to stop this from happening. Jon didn’t want her; Sami obviously did, so there was no problem. Sami tightened his arm around her waist to pull Keyla closer against him and she moaned with another shiver in his mouth. There was a familiarity in this kiss, almost as if they’d done it before and both parted at the same time to stare at each other for a few moments, amber and green eyes wide in wonder and confusion.

The warmth of his body called out to Keyla and she craved more, sitting up to shift on his lap until she straddled him. Sami could only watch Keyla’s hands remove her top, leaving her clad in a cotton purple bra. The erection instantly grew in his basketball shorts and jumped painfully against the material at the sight of her gorgeous body, curves in all the right places. Keyla became a little bolder and initiated the kiss this time, pressing her mouth to his in another slow passionate kiss. Unlike Jon, it was sensual and they took their time exploring each other thoroughly, that déjà vu feeling flooding through both of them. Whatever the reason, they would deal with it after Keyla warmed up and pushed the bandana from Sami’s hair to release it, gripping handfuls of ebony in her fingers.

Sami immediately took control of the situation and broke the kiss, his mouth sealing to the soft flesh of her cold neck. Lifting her in one strong arm, he turned them to where Keyla’s body planted on the couch with him hovered over her, making sure to keep his weight off of her. The last thing he wanted to do was crush Keyla. Sami wasn’t a small man, much like Jon, just a little shorter standing at 5’10. He was muscular from head to toe, having worked his backside off for years to acquire the body he had today with countless working out. After exploring her neck for a few minutes, Sami finally moved down while sliding his hand between the couch and her back until his hand found the clasp of her bra. He looked up at her, meeting her eyes and silently asked if she wanted him to continue. All Keyla did was nod, a small smile flitting across her mouth and felt her bra loosen moments later, Sami pulling the offending material away before lowering his mouth to one of her already rock hard nipples.

Before long, Sami had removed Keyla’s jeans and panties along with his basketball shorts, both in a sexual frenzy. They wanted each other and if this was the only way to warm Keyla up fully, Sami was more than willing to do it. He wanted her from the moment they met, but Jon had gotten in the way and had her first. It wasn’t the first time they shared a woman and probably wouldn’t be the last knowing his best friend. Sami made sure to slip a condom on, not knowing if Keyla was protected and slid his mouth barely against hers down her jaw to her neck and back up again. No words were spoken, just sounds of moaning, groaning and heavy breathing from each party. The moment – the second – Sami slid his pulsating cock inside of her receptive body, Keyla felt warmth spread through all of her limbs and especially loins.

“Fuck me, Sami…” Keyla mewled, gasping when Sami slid out and slammed back inside of her, moaning in pure satisfaction. “Fuck you feel so good inside of me…”

“So tight, girl – so fuckin’ good…” Sami growled, moving his hips in a gyrating motion along with the rest of his body, wanting to make this last between them as long as possible. He nipped her bottom lip with a smile, their eyes cloudy in a thick passion haze. “Spread those thighs, I wanna go deeper inside of you…”

One leg hooked over the back of the couch while Sami angled Keyla’s body, her other leg on his shoulder. She was literally spread as far apart for him as possible without making her do the splits. Sami enjoyed her flexibility, working his cock in and out of her at a methodic pace. He wanted to hear her beg and cry out his name before he decided to end both of their torment. It didn’t take her long, her whole body coated in a fine sheen of perspiration by now along with Sami’s, and Keyla was pulled on top of Sami to ride him on the couch, gripping the back of the couch for leverage. Rolling her hips as hard as she could, soon Keyla was bouncing on and off of his cock, the sounds of flesh smacking flesh echoing throughout the house.

“Ohh yeah, oh fuck yeah, just like that, baby…” Sami growled, being careful not to mark her body because he didn’t know what happened after this moment ended between them. “Ride my cock, it’s all yours right now…”

Keyla whimpered through breathless moans, not expecting to have a workout once she got home from a horrible day, but Sami had made it better. “S-Sami, I’m close, I’m gonna cum…” She didn’t stop, squeezing her eyes shut and dug her nails into his shoulders when Sami pulled them from the couch, wanting to feel how hard they dug into his flesh.

They both came together in an earth-shattering orgasm that rocketed through their bodies intensely, shaking against each other. Sami continued thrusting his hips up while Keyla rolled hers until he grew completely limp inside of her, both groaning in unison at feeling empty. Keyla dropped her forehead on Sami’s, their sweat mixing together and his arms tightened around her waist, their chests pressed together as well. Just as the passion haze began to slowly lift, banging on the front door ensued and Keyla’s head snapped up, hearing Jon’s voice on the other side.

“Someone open the goddamn door! What the fuck is a key stuck in the damn lock for? IT’S COLD OUT HERE!!”

His angry raspy voice pierced through Keyla while she scrambled up from Sami’s lap to collect her articles of clothing, tossing Sami his shorts. There was a can of lavender Febreeze on the nearby table behind the couch that lead to the kitchen, so Keyla grabbed it and doused the living room. She didn’t want Jon knowing what just transpired between her and Sami. Receiving the message loud and clear from Keyla, Sami shuffled into his shorts and waited until she was upstairs in her room before stumbling over to open the door, letting Jon inside the house.

“Bout fuckin’ time, asshole.” Jon grunted, stomping inside and dropped his bag, coughing at the strong lavender scent infiltrating his nose. “What the hell?” He didn’t bother greeting Sami and stormed upstairs to his room for some much needed rest, having a tiring workout with Danny and Drake.

Sami breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed back on the couch, groaning when a waft of Keyla permeated around him from the pillow she’d laid on while they had sex. “Fuck, what the hell are we gonna do now?” He mumbled quietly, putting his head in his hands and scrubbed them down his face.

They had officially crossed a line and nothing would ever be the same again.

Chapter 25

This was awkward.

Being crammed between the two men she shared a house and had sex with had to be the most awkward moment in Keyla’s life. Jon had no idea her and Sami slept together. In fact, Keyla hadn’t told anyone, not even Lennox and that was uncharacteristic of her since they didn’t keep secrets from each other. Sex with Sami was the last thing Keyla expected to happen and there was no excuse for it. Sure, she had a rotten day from the time she woke up to arriving home and nearly being creamed with a baseball bat by her surprise lover.

Somehow, Keyla was suckered into going to another CZW event and the company forced Jon and Sami to wrestle against each other for the championship. Her eyes danced back and forth between the two while they wrestled, cringing at the moves. They didn’t hold back from trying to tear each other apart. There wasn’t a lot of bloodshed, but the CZW fans still cheered and appreciated the match nonetheless. Keyla hated watching them wrestle against each other, a queasy feeling developing in the pit of her stomach. It was one of the only times Keyla remembered being thankful to get out of the CZW arena.

“Key, what’s going on?” Lennox demanded once they were outside while the men showered and changed after the show, lighting up a cigarette.

“Nothing, why?”

“I don’t believe you, that’s why.” Lennox retorted swiftly, taking a long drag of her cigarette and flicked some ash away.

Now wasn’t the time to talk about what happened between her and Sami. “I hated watching that.” She admitted, telling the partial truth and scuffed her tennis shoe against the rocky gravel. “I know they’re wrestlers and it was all part of a storyline or whatever, but…it was hard to watch nonetheless. This is one show I wish I didn’t attend.” The tension between Jon and Sami in that match was real just like it’d been at home lately ever since they fought in the kitchen.

“It’s no different than scrapping in the ring during practice.” Lennox pointed out, trying to ease Keyla’s mind and leaned against her vehicle. Danny’s was currently in the shop being worked on. “Hell, I thought it was gonna be a bloodbath.”

“Thanks, that makes me feel SO much better.” Keyla grunted, snatching the cigarette from Lennox and took a drag before handing it back, folding her arms in front of her chest. “If they face each other at the next event, I’m not going.”

“I don’t think they are.” Lennox tightened her coat around her a little more and looked up at the sky when light snow began falling. “They need to hurry up. Come on, let’s warm up the car.”

Nodding in agreement, Keyla climbed in the backseat and sat in the middle, knowing Danny would be driving, leaving Lennox with the passenger seat. “I can’t believe it’s still snowing in April.” Keyla muttered, leaning her head back against the seat and shook her head. “Hopefully it won’t last long and not stick.”

“I doubt it will. I heard it’s supposed to warm up next week.”

“Good, this winter has sucked and I really can’t wait for it to be warm enough to where I can sleep in an extra half an hour every morning.”

Something was definitely going on with Keyla. Since when did she make small talk about the weather with Lennox, of all people? Lennox couldn’t force her to talk about it, but had a feeling Moxley was responsible for her change in attitude. They sat in silence for a while, each in their own thoughts and Keyla began dozing off just as ruckus laughter infiltrated the vehicle. Her eyes opened to first stare at the roof of the vehicle and then turned her head to lock citrine on electric blue. Then moved her head to glance at Sami before sitting upright while Danny and Lennox swapped seats so he could drive.

“Did you enjoy the show?” Sami asked, trying to make polite conversation and lightly touched her jean covered knee.

“No.” Keyla answered truthfully and swallowed hard when Jon grabbed her other knee, stroking it gently with his strong fingers. It felt like her knees were suddenly engulfed in flames at both of their touch.

“And why not?” Jon’s hot breath and gritty voice rasped in her ear, lighting up a cigarette since Danny had his window cracked. “I would’ve thought you’d enjoy an actual wrestling match instead of the blood and gore for a change.”

Jon made a valid point, one Keyla couldn’t dispute against and hated him for it, keeping her eyes straightforward. “I don’t like seeing you two…on opposite sides of the ring. You’re better as a team…” After her heated intimate moment with Sami, the last thing she wanted to see was her roommates, the man she loved and the man who made her weak in a vulnerable moment, wrestle against each other.

“You do realize now that I’m champion, there’s no more Switchblades for a while.” Jon pointed out the obvious, taking another deep drag and leaned his head back while staring out the window. “Sami wants the same thing everybody else does in CZW and that’s to hold this.” He held the CZW championship up from his lap briefly before placing it back where it was…where it would stay until he was ready to relinquish it. “Isn’t that right, Sami?”

“Yeah, happy for you though, bro.” Sami felt guilty for sleeping with Keyla behind Jon’s back, so he’d agree with whatever Jon said, only half-paying attention to what was said. “Everything is gonna be fine, Keyla. Don’t worry so much.”

That was easier said than done, Keyla thought, taking Jon’s cigarette to suck a drag from it before handing it back, letting the nicotine calm her racing mind down temporarily.

~!~

Before long, 2 months passed by and summer was upon them, Philadelphia already feeling the first stings of heat in mid-May. It was in the high 80’s today, the sun shining brightly and birds chirped happily while Keyla jogged down the sidewalk for her morning run. Running in the winter would’ve been suicide, but as soon as the snow melted and the first glimpse of spring was shown, Keyla had started her morning run routine again. It was always an hour before she had to leave to go to work and sometimes if Keyla ran late, she’d simply run all the way to the candy factory. It helped clear her mind of everything, mostly Jon, who was gone for most of the 2 months.

He was the champion of nearly every promotion he wrestled for, besides Dragon Gate, leading a group called Kamikaze USA throughout the organization. Keyla ordered every event on pay-per-view she could to watch him along with Sami, both of them becoming friends after their moment of passion. Neither had brought it up again, much to Keyla’s relief and somehow the sexual bout had broken the ice between them. They became friends, watching movies together and hanging out enjoying each other’s company. It was the perfect distraction, but at night once Keyla was alone in bed, all she thought about was Jon and missed him fiercely.

CZW had been on somewhat of a hiatus, skipping the month of May to let the wrestlers heal up since they’d been going strong for a while. The owner, DJ Hyde, insisted on it and it gave their champion time to work his other promotions. Keyla was afraid Jon would end up burning himself out from all the traveling and wrestling, but every time he came home, there was an aura of success that surrounded him. The sparkle in his tired eyes told her he was thoroughly enjoying the current run, for however long it lasted. She was proud of him and always greeted him with a home cooked meal after a week straight, sometimes 2, being on the road hard at work.

“By the way, there’s a show in 2 days at the arena, if you wanna go. I’m sure Lennox will be there.” Jon informed her nonchalantly while inhaling the pot roast dinner Keyla threw together in the slow cooker, potatoes and carrots along with small thin slices of onion to give it flavor. “Up to you though.”

“I’m going.” Lennox had already talked to her about it a week prior and Keyla had requested time off from the bar. “I’ll be there cheering you on again.”

Jon smirked, standing up from the table with his plate and set it in the sink, standing right behind the dark blue haired beauty. He’d had his fill of pussy while on the road, but the only woman he thought about was the one with her back turned to him. Jon didn’t understand these feelings toward her, battling with himself on what to do about them. He could tell she felt something towards him and didn’t want to lead her on or promise her a future when he didn’t know how long he’d be alive. Hell, he could be hit by a bus tomorrow and his life would be over, leaving her high and dry. As stated in a few of his promos throughout his wrestling career, Jon knew he wouldn’t have a long life and figured he might as well live it on the edge.

“I look forward to it.” He tested the waters with Keyla while she rinsed his plate before washing it, planting his hands on her hips to press his chest against her back. “Thank you for dinner, Keyla.”

She was having a hard time breathing properly, her heart rate escalating and turned the water on cold to rinse the plate, setting it in the strainer. “You’re welcome, Jon.” Keyla replied softly, shutting her eyes when his nose brushed against the pulse point in her neck and fought back a full body shiver. “I should go get changed and head to the bar.” Turning the water off, Keyla made a quick escape away from Jon up to her room and closed the door behind her, hating how the effect he had on her didn’t cease a bit.

~!~

“Lines in the Sand.” Keyla read aloud, tilting her head at the name of the CZW event posted outside of the arena. “Interesting…”

“Well, Moxley hasn’t been getting along with the new owner of the company, DJ Hyde, storyline wise. I think that’s what they’re referring to. Lines being drawn and a war beginning or something. Who knows at this point?” Lennox draped an arm around Keyla’s shoulders and could feel how tense her friend was. “Ready to talk to me about what’s bothering you yet?”

“Not yet. Soon, I promise.” Keyla murmured quietly, her eyes glued on the ring and fiddled with her fingers in her lap, wearing black shorts and an ‘Explicit MOX Violence’ tank top Jon brought home for her the previous night. “When I’m ready to talk, you’ll be the first one to know.”

Lennox nodded, not pressing the issue further because she didn’t want to upset Keyla. Something happened and it killed her not to know, but ultimately it was Keyla’s life. If she didn’t want to talk about whatever was troubling her, Lennox would not push her. Eventually, Keyla would come out with the truth and when she did, Lennox would be there to comfort her best friend, hoping it was sooner rather than later.

Jon was the main event for the evening and walked out in a red Cincinnati t-shirt, looking better than Keyla remembered. It’d been 2 months since his match with Sami and he’d definitely hit the gym hard to bulk out a little. She listened him cut a promo on DJ Hyde, rolling her eyes when he said he had a hotel room in DJ Hyde’s name and invited halfway decent slutty girls to an after show party. Lennox laughed, both of them knowing it was false and shook her head at Jon’s cockiness, both women raising their brows when the music of Greg Excellent blasted throughout the arena. He cut a promo on wanting to prove himself to DJ Hyde and challenged to face Jon for the title. Being the champion and cornerstone of the company, Jon accepted and beat the bigger man 7 minutes later.

If everyone in the arena thought that’s how the CZW show would end, they were sadly mistaken. Jon cut another promo after the match, talking trash about DJ Hyde and that in turn forced the owner of the company to walk out to defend himself. Just as DJ Hyde and Jon began going at it, Sami ran out with a few other wrestlers and grabbed a pane of glass from beneath the ring along with a chair. Keyla had to look away when Sami slammed the steel chair on the pane of glass over DJ’s head, effectively lacerating him. The crowd went nuts, exploding in both cheers and boos because half of them loved the Switchblade Conspiracy and the other half loathed it. Jon ended up pinning DJ Hyde with his boot for the victory, the ring covered in shattered glass. Keyla suddenly got a bad feeling well up in the pit of her stomach, wanting the show to end and Jon away from the glass.

It was far from over, however.

‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ rang throughout the arena and none other than Nick Gage made his presence felt in the arena, making the crowd erupt. Jon stood his ground in the ring and they began brawling, wrestling around in the shattered glass. It was bloody, brutal and Nick ended up pinning Jon in a non-title bout, ticking him off since he thought it was for the championship. Jon was a bloody mess, cuts all over his body from the glass and his forehead gushing with blood. Lennox noticed how pale Keyla was from watching the barbaric match and lead her friend to the back to check on Jon. There he was standing against a wall dabbing his forehead with a towel and the small lacerations on his arms, back and legs making little rivulets of blood.

“Oh my god…” Keyla mumbled, walking over to him and could see the illuminating blues of Jon’s eyes through the crimson mask covering his face.

What was she doing back here? Jon raised a brow at his roommate and blinked when she took the towel away, grabbing his hand to lead him into one of the nearby empty rooms. “As much as I enjoyed what happened between us here last time, I need to get cleaned up, Keyla.”

He was bleeding like a stuffed pig and making a joke. Keyla shook her head, pointing to the metal folding chair and tried keeping her expression completely neutral. Though it was, her citrine orbs could not hide how she truly felt, the worry coursing through them. “I don’t want your dick. I want you to sit down and shut up while I clean you up.” She shot back crossly, having grabbed a first-aid kit Lennox handed over to her before making her way over to Jon. “Does it hurt?”

“Not really. I’m used to it.” Jon once again acted standoffish and acted like it was no big deal he was gushing blood out of his forehead along with orifices of his body.

Keyla shook her head, taking the towel to wet it in the nearby sink in the room and began cleaning off the rest of the blood from Jon’s face. “I don’t understand…” She murmured, shaking her head and could feel the anger welling up inside her body.

“What’s not to understand?”

“THIS!” She tossed the towel to the side and snatched some antibacterial wipes to make sure the wound on his head didn’t get infected. “What you do to your body. I don’t know if you’re diluted or crazy at this point, but no NORMAL human being would enjoy being split open and wrestling around in shattered glass! Why do you have to be so…careless…in the ring, huh? Why do you do this to yourself?”

Jon hadn’t expected her to blow up at him, finding it both sexy and amusing at the same time, but he managed not to smile while she cleaned him up. “I love what I do and the pain is a turn-on.” He shrugged, being truthful with her and didn’t grimace when it came to plucking the shards of glass out of his skin.

Not questioning him about anything else regarding wrestling, Keyla helped as much as she could before Jon was stitched up by the CZW physician on staff that night. They hired him from the hospital and he was one of DJ’s closest friends. An hour later, Keyla drove home with Sami in the back and Jon in the passenger seat smoking a cigarette, his forehead wrapped in a thick white bandage. Keyla feared if Jon didn’t stop being reckless in the ring, he wouldn’t live past age 30 and that thought alone scared the hell out of her.

Chapter 26

“Keyla, I’m sorry to inform you…”

She was frozen stiff while her father’s brother, Uncle Raymond, explained what happened and how her parents were murdered over the phone. They were both shot during an attempted robbery at their house and stabbed to death. Sheila tried hurting the intruder with a butcher knife and ended up having her throat slit while Marvin was shot multiple times in the chest. The murder happened while Keyla had been at the CZW event watching Jon mutilate himself. An image Keyla still couldn’t erase from her memory and probably never would.

“Keyla, you still with me?”

“Y-Yeah…” She sounded a million miles away and sank down slowly on the bed, silent tears sliding down her cheeks. “W-When is the funeral? Or do I have to make the…arrangements?”

Raymond could tell the poor girl was in no condition to plan a funeral service for her dead parents and knew he’d have to do it. He was Marvin’s only sibling and hadn’t spoken to his brother in years, ever since finding out he’d sent his only child to live with his pathetic wife’s father, George. Raymond had nothing against George Hart and when he found out the old man left Keyla everything he owned, he supported the decision completely. It was Keyla who was the one that took care of George, not Sheila, though she tried taking all the credit at his funeral. Now, he had to plan his brother’s funeral and burial services because Keyla wanted nothing to do with her parents ever since her grandfather’s death. It also alienated her from Marvin’s side of the family and this was the first time he’d spoken to his niece since George’s funeral. The only way he’d found Keyla’s number was from George’s lawyer and Raymond was thankful the gentleman hadn’t given him a lot of grief.

“No sweetheart, I’ll take care of it.” Raymond felt his wife take his hand and squeeze it, offering as much support as she could. He was still reeling from the phone call informing him Marvin and Sheila were gone. “I will let you know when the services are. Give me a few days.” That’s all he had because the bodies were currently in the morgue at the hospital. He was the one who identified them.

“Don’t forget to tell her about the telegram.”

Keyla overheard her Aunt Mildred, jumping when the doorbell rang throughout the house. “Someone’s here…”

Raymond glanced at his wife sadly. “You better answer it. Your parents had something sent to you from their lawyer whenever they perished. It was set up long ago.” He didn’t know how else to explain it. “If you need to call me back when you’re finished, I’ll be here.”

Ending the call, Keyla numbly made her way out of her room and downstairs to the front door, reaching out a shaky hand to open it. Sure enough, it was a delivery man with an envelope addressed to her from…her parents. Just as Uncle Marvin and Aunt Mildred warned. She signed the slip the delivery man handed to her and shut the door, staring down at the envelope in her hands. It looked somewhat old, the sides crinkled and her name was in calligraphy black font. What could her parents possibly have to say after they died instead of while they were alive? Keyla swallowed hard, a sudden wave of nausea overtaking her and sat down on the freshly steam cleansed couch. She had to make sure Jon never found out what happened between her and Sami, figuring it needed a thorough cleansing anyway. Taking a deep breath, Keyla broke the seal on the envelope and pulled the piece of paper out, beginning to read the letter from her dead parents.

Our dearest Keyla Jane,

If you are reading this, your father and I have both perished, but we are not able to find true peace without revealing a deep secret we’ve kept from you. Since you were 16, actually. Daddy and I loved you so much and didn’t want to let you grow up. But it happened anyway. We did our best to stop you from making mistakes – again, we failed you, especially when you were 16. We know we hurt you with what we did and why you went to live with Grandpa George, even if we did send you away. It was for your own good, to get you away from the scumbag that nearly destroyed your life.

Samuel Callihan was nothing more than a fat liar and nowhere near good enough for you, Keyla. Daddy and I had to make sure he stayed away from you, even after we sent you away. This is the secret we’ve kept from you all these years and it’s finally time you knew the truth. When we found out you were pregnant by Samuel, we requested a meeting with him at the house behind your back. You have to understand, we were only thinking of you when doing this, sweetheart. The meeting ended with paying Samuel off to stay away from you and letting us go through with the abortion. He took the money and ran instead of fighting for you. Shows how much he cared about you, huh? It’s also the reason why he left town shortly after finding out you were pregnant. He had dreams to pursue just like you and we helped him do that.

We knew once Samuel abandoned you, unwillingly or not, you would consent to the abortion as well. You were so young and had your whole life in front of you. Besides, now looking back at it, you’ve no doubt had children and a loving husband at this point in your life. At least, that’s what Daddy and I hope. There’s not a doubt in our minds you’ve grown into a beautiful, intelligent woman and have made an even better mother and wife. So I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive your parents for doing what we felt was best for you at the time when you were a rebellious teenager. Maybe you can look back and think we actually did a good thing for you, even if it was sneaky and underhanded. The choice is entirely up to you though.

We love you, Keyla Jane, no matter what you have thought or felt over the years towards us. You were the best thing that ever happened to us and now your father and I can finally rest in peace with you knowing this secret. It was not easy keeping it from you and, just so you know, Grandpa George didn’t know about anything. We didn’t tell him the reason for sending you to him, only that he needed to spend more time with his granddaughter. So he also died with a positive memory of you instead of a knocked-up 16 year old stuck with a fat scumbag, who didn’t do anything with his life. Just remember the huge bullet we forced you to dodge and maybe the forgiveness will happen a lot quicker.

Goodbye, sweet daughter.

Teardrops splashed on the paper Keyla held in her hands for what seemed like hours, rereading it countless times to make sure she was reading the letter correctly. Her abortion and the fact her high school boyfriend left town…was because of the wretched people who gave her life. Keyla remembered the pain and heartache she went through when Samuel broke up with her through an email of all things. The bastard didn’t even have the decency to do it face to face! She hated him and consented to the abortion, at the insistence and pressure of her parents, not wanting to be a 16 year old abandoned teenage mother. Samuel had the biggest heart of any guy she’d ever met and it didn’t make sense why he skipped town, leaving her behind without any explanation. Now, everything made sense and Keyla’s hatred for her parents expanded further, the tears falling from her eyes full of resentment and anger.

Pulling her watery gaze from the letter, Keyla started thinking back to her high school days with Samuel. Sami…Callihan…Why did that name sound familiar? Her amber eyes suddenly shot open and Keyla stood up from the couch, running up to her room as fast as she could. She dove in her closet, pulling boxes apart and tossing debris over her shoulder, searching for something specific. When she found it, Keyla yanked the heavy box out of her closet by sliding it across the carpet and wiped the thick dust off the top of it. She coughed a little since there was a lot and hadn’t opened this box in years, ever since she moved into the house with Grandpa George. Pulling out folders full of papers she wrote in high school, Keyla finally found the one she’d been looking for and blew the dust off of it before opening the pages. Her blood ran cold at the picture staring back at her, fresh tears burning her eyes.

The photo was black and white, but it was undoubtedly him. Pudgy face, shaggy dark brown hair and no facial hair either. Samuel was over 300 pounds when they were together and Keyla honestly didn’t mind his weight. She loved him, it didn’t matter if he had a toned muscular body. His heart was big enough to overlook all the other flaws, though when Keyla looked at him, she saw none. He was precious to her and she loved him, giving her whole young heart to him only for him to crush it. Sami Callihan…Keyla set the yearbook down on the bed and walked over to her nightstand drawer, pulling out the leases Jon and…Sami signed prior to moving in. She hadn’t paid attention to the signatures and never thought to look, only knowing them as Jon and Sami because of Lennox.

Now, however, Keyla’s eyes were wide open and the harsh reality crashed down all around her regarding Sami. Why she felt the sense of familiarity and déjà vu whenever around him. It was all so clear and she’d been a fool not to see it sooner. Sami was her old high school boyfriend, the one who abandoned her and took the bribe from her parents to leave town to pursue his dream. His wrestling dream…Keyla clenched her teeth tightly and dropped the leases on the floor, feeling sick to her stomach. She barely made it to the bathroom before emptying the consents of her stomach into the porcelain bowl, vomiting violently. The same Sami who left her high and dry is the one she had sex with on the couch downstairs…the one who was supposedly Jon’s best friend. And he had fulfilled his wrestling dream…with blood money.

When there was nothing left in Keyla’s body, she backed away from the toilet and leaned her head back against the wall opposite of it, the tears falling continuously. Every part of her anatomy quaked and her heart shredded in her chest, so many emotions coursing through her veins. How could Sami do this to her? Did he even know who she was? He had to. He had to know who she really was and didn’t care. Maybe that’s why he offered to warm her up the day she came home from work early and was locked out of the house in the snow. She let him touch her intimately and the fact they had sex sickened her more, almost to the point where Keyla began dry-heaving. Not to mention her parents were dead and Keyla would never be able to confront them about this. They kept the truth from her all these years and it wasn’t fair she now had to live with the fact they were responsible for the death of her unborn child. Yes, she consented to it happening, but she was 16, heartbroken, confused and they took advantage of her vulnerability.

“I-I have to get out of here…” She whispered to the silence, not able to face Sami right now, needing time to wrap her mind around everything.

When Lennox opened the door and found a sobbing Keyla on her porch, she didn’t hesitate in leading her friend inside, shutting the door behind her. Jon was gone on the road wrestling for another promotion he worked for and Sami was MIA. Nobody knew where the man had gone, though he did call Danny the previous night to check in and let him know he was alive. That was better than nothing, Lennox supposed, breaking out of her deep thoughts to console Keyla. Lennox was the only one Keyla trusted right now, everyone else either keeping secrets from her, lying or being shady. She was the only one Keyla could confide in without having judgment thrown her way.

Through heart wrenching sobs, Keyla spilled everything to Lennox while Danny stayed in his gaming room to give the women privacy. Lennox would end up telling him anyway unless Keyla asked to keep everything she said between them. She hadn’t. All Lennox could do was sit there and listen, hardly believing anything that came out of Keyla’s mouth. She knew it was the truth though, all of it. Keyla and Sami were high school sweethearts and at age 16, she ended up pregnant with his baby. Sami had taken blood money, a blood bribe from her heartless parents and left town while Keyla had to stay behind, going through the pressured abortion alone. And now they were dead, so Keyla couldn’t get an ounce of vengeance or revenge against them.

Breaking out the Tequila, Lennox poured each of them a shot when Keyla confessed there was other secrets she had to tell. Everything that happened between her and Sami and Jon was laid out on the table that night. The sex with Jon at the CZW arena, then screwing Sami on the couch in her house while Jon was away on the road and Jon nearly catching them in the act. All of it. Keyla didn’t leave out a single detail, finally getting to her parents death and what happened to them. Fitting end to heartless schmucks, was Lennox’s first thought, but she quickly snapped out of her own anger to comfort Keyla. Even though they had taken away something Keyla would never be able to get back, Marvin and Sheila were still her parents nonetheless. Somehow, Keyla still loved them and Lennox understood it, knowing how difficult it was to cut parents off because she’d done the same thing to hers.

“Is she okay?” Danny asked quietly, walking into the living room and eyeballed the half-empty bottle of Tequila. He could tell Keyla consumed most of it and watched Lennox shake her head, immediately enveloping his girlfriend in his arms. “What happened?”

“Not tonight.” Lennox whispered, not wanting to wake Keyla up since she’d passed out after hours of confession and could feel tears sliding down her own cheeks. “Danny…”

He cupped her face in his strong hands, hating to see Lennox cry whether it was tears of joy or sadness. It nearly killed him every time. “What is it, baby? Talk to me, please. I hate seeing you cry.” Danny murmured, letting her take his hand and guide them down the hallway to the bedroom.

Pushing him down on the bed, Lennox straddled his lap and removed his shirt before capturing his mouth in a soft slow kiss. “Promise me something.” She requested once the kiss broke, caressing his muscular chest with gentle hands.

“Anything baby, you know that.”

“I-If you ever want to stop this – to end our relationship…” Lennox frowned when Danny pressed his finger to her mouth, stopping her from continuing.

“That will NEVER happen.” Danny vowed, caressing her bottom lip with the tip of his thumb. “Because I love you and there’s not another woman on this fucking planet who compares to you. Your heart, mind, body, soul and spirit – all of it I’m addicted to. And once I make it big, I’m marrying your cute little ass and there’s nothing you can do about it. And then we’re having at least a dozen babies or however many you can handle having with me. Understand me?”

His words made Lennox smile widely in spite of the tears falling and she kissed him again, this time more passionate, pouring every ounce of feeling into it she could muster. Nothing more had to be said that night. Danny spent the majority of it making love to his girlfriend, wanting to assure her they were for life. He would never abandon her or any of the children they had, if that’s what ended up happening. This woman was his whole world and, if she told him to give up wrestling tomorrow, he would do it in a heartbeat. Closing his eyes, Danny snuggled with Lennox after hours of lovemaking and kissed the top of her head, hoping whatever happened with Keyla didn’t interfere with his relationship with Lennox.

Chapter 27

“Get your head in the game, Sami.”

“Sorry…”

Danny could tell Sami was distracted, their lockup loose and sloppy when it should’ve been crisp and tight. He partially knew the reasoning behind it, not a hint of compassion for his friend. Sami was a great man, or so Danny thought. Lennox didn’t go into a lot of detail about it, but Danny heard enough to get the nucleus of what happened. Somehow, Sami hurt his woman’s best friend, someone he considered a sister, and that wasn’t fine with him. One thing about Danny people knew was how protective he was to those close in his life. Keyla wasn’t just a friend to him; she was his little sister and would kill for her because of Lennox.

Another lockup had Sami beyond frustrated and he called for a break, sliding out of the ring to slam half a water bottle down his throat. “Just give me a minute…” He mumbled, leaning back against the ring post on the outside and shut his eyes, trying to push what was bothering in the back of his mind.

“Wanna talk about it?” Danny stood on the ring apron and dropped down to sit next to where Sami stood, folding his arms in front of his chest.

Sami trusted Danny completely and Jon was out of town again for another event with a different wrestling organization. If he came home and Keyla wasn’t there, he would start asking questions. “If I tell you, don’t tell anyone else. Keep this between us.” He had to talk to someone about what happened between him and Keyla before it drove him to the point where he made a mistake in the ring.

“Done. Now talk.”

Listening intently to Sami explaining what transpired between him and Keyla a few weeks ago, all Danny could think was what the hell? They slept together?! They had sex in the living room on the couch?! This was not what Danny expected to hear after Lennox cried on him for hours the previous night, making him promise to never leave her. He kept assuring her it would never happen, even after they made love, but as she fell asleep she said it again. It twisted Danny’s heart and insides because he could never dream of leaving Lennox, not for anyone or anything on the planet. She was his whole world, his reason for existing and living as long as he had. Why he hadn’t taken brutal bumps in the ring compared to Jon and Sami.

“She hasn’t been home in 2 days, man. 2 fucking days and I’m starting to get worried because she’s always home, ya know? What if she regrets what happened between us?” Sami didn’t want it to be a onetime deal between him and Keyla because he really liked her. Hell, maybe he even loved her; he didn’t know yet. “Has Lennox said anything to you or have you guys heard from her?”

Danny was at a crossroads because, even though Sami was like a brother to him, Keyla was in his life first and he wanted to help her. She needed time to get over whatever happened between her and Sami; he would give it to her. “No, not a word. Lennox is worried too, but I’m sure everything’s fine. Don’t worry so much, man.” He clapped Sami on the shoulder roughly, sending a clear silent message not to screw with Keyla. “She’ll come back when she’s ready. That is her house after all.”

That made sense, Sami supposed, and he shook his head from overthinking this situation too much. “Thanks Danny, I needed to hear that.” He hopped up on the ring apron and stepped through the ropes, Danny following suit. “Come on, I’m ready to continue practice now.”

Danny suspected what he said would come back to bite him on the backside sooner or later, locking up with Sami to continue practice.

~!~

Keyla had not moved from bed in 2 days, calling off at the bar and using bereavement time from the chocolate factory because of her parents’ death. Uncle Raymond called her early that morning to inform her the funeral was in 3 days and she would need to fly to Florida, where they asked to be buried. The visitation would be Friday followed by the funeral and buried Saturday morning. He offered to pay for her to come down, but Keyla declined the offer, assuring him she would be there. She had to be since she was the only child of Sheila and Marvin. Uncle Raymond told her to travel safe and that was the end of the conversation, both of them feeling awkward with each other since they hadn’t kept in contact much over the years.

A knock on the door jolted Keyla out of her thoughts, her back facing it and continued staring at the wall, silent tears sliding from the corners of her eyes. “I’m not hungry.” She murmured, smelling the food Lennox had in her hands and curled up further with the comforter.

“Key, you have to eat something, sweetie. It’s going on 2 days now…” Lennox didn’t know how to help her friend and it killed her to hear Keyla’s sobs through the thin walls of the house. “You can’t just give up like this…”

“And why the hell not? I’m in love with a man who clearly isn’t in love with me. And his best friend turns out to be my ex-boyfriend from high school who helped my parents kill our baby. And now those assholes are dead and I’ll never get the chance to ask why they did it – why they paid my boyfriend off to leave me and coerce me into getting an abortion.” Keyla ranted inaudibly, the tears falling harder with each word she said and felt her heart shatter in her chest all over again. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t lay here and rot away. Nobody would miss me if I was gone anyway.”

That was all Lennox could handle hearing as she slammed the tray down on the nightstand and yanked Keyla up by her upper arms. “Are you fucking kidding me?! Are you seriously going to lay there and say ridiculous asinine shit like that to me, of all people?! You know who would miss you? Me! I WOULD! You’re my best fucking friend and we’ve been through hell on earth together! If you think for a second, one millisecond, I’m gonna let you lay here and let you wallow in self-pity, THINK AGAIN! I’ll kick your ass out the door and slam it in your face before I let that happen, Keyla! Do you hear me?!” To put emphasis on her vow, Lennox shook Keyla a little to try to fire her up and make her fight back.

“There’s nothing left for me to live for!!” Keyla sobbed out frantically, covering her face with her hands and lowered her head while Lennox continued holding her upright on the bed. “Please Len…I can’t take anymore. I don’t even know how to face Sami or confront him. I still can’t believe I didn’t recognize him.” Then there was Jon and the fact he knew nothing about her and Sami’s past. Nobody had until Keyla remembered who Sami Callihan was. “I don’t know what to do…”

Lennox didn’t blame Keyla for the way she felt, but now was not the time to fall apart. “You hold your head up and keep moving forward. Key, life isn’t all wine and roses, not even for me. It may seem that way, but it’s not. Every time Danny steps in the ring, I’m scared he won’t walk out of it because of how dangerous the company is and what he puts his body through. Believe it or not, I want a family someday with him. Not now, obviously, but…in a few years. I want to marry him and have babies and grow old together. But how am I supposed to depend on that future when he does all this crazy shit to himself that I have no control over? It scares me to death, but I support him because I know it’s his dream and what he wants to do with his life. Sure, I have my own tattoo parlor and it’s booming with success, but at any second the carpet could be ripped out from under me. I could lose everything, including Danny, in the blink of an eye and I always fear that will happen. You are not the only one with fears, hopes and dreams in the world. So get your ass out of this bed, eat something and pick up the pieces of your life. Because you only get one and giving up is not an option, not while you’re friends with me.”

“I-I’m sorry…” Keyla whispered, not realizing how much pain her own friend was in when it came to her life and knew everything Lennox said was the truth. It came from her heart. “I’m so – so fucked up right now, Len.”

Pulling her into another warm embrace, Lennox cupped the back of Keyla’s head and shut her eyes, letting her friend cry as much as she needed to. Whatever it took to get Keyla back on her feet, Lennox would do. They both broke apart when shouting ensued from outside, making Lennox and Keyla rush out of the room to find out what was going on. The front door was open and when they stepped out on the porch, the women did not expect to see Sami and Danny rolling around in the grass shouting obscenities at each other.

~!~

“Home sweet home.” Jon rejoiced, unlocking the door and stepped inside, letting his bags drop on the wooden floor.

It’d been a long trip and brutal battle with him coming out the winner, still holding onto the FIP World Heavyweight Championship. He was hungry, tired and planned on trying his hand at seducing Keyla into his bed. Jon would never admit aloud, but he missed her and couldn’t get the night they slept together out of his head. He expected to come home to her cooking or getting ready to work at the bar, not a somber Sami sitting on the couch in the living room with a box of cereal in hand. Keyla was nowhere in sight.

“Hey bro.” Jon greeted, snapping Sami out of whatever deep thoughts he was in and snatched the box of cereal away, tilting his head. “What’s wrong?” Sami only delved into the cereal when he was really upset about something.

“Everything.” Sami was melancholy, his green eyes full of sadness and guilt. “Have you heard from Keyla?”

Considering Jon just arrived back in town about an hour ago, he thought that was a stupid question on Sami’s part. “No. We don’t talk while I’m out of town.” He popped a few pieces of dry cereal in his mouth and walked into the kitchen to grab something to drink. “Why do you ask? She not here?”

“No and she hasn’t been in 2 days.” Sami had gotten back from practice, hoping to find Keyla back and tried calling her cell phone, once again getting her voicemail. “I’m worried about her, Jon.”

“Try calling her?”

“Voicemail.”

“Alright, what the hell did you do to piss her off?” Jon slammed the refrigerator door shut, cracking open a beer to swallow a few gulps down. The plane ride had fried his brain, thanks to a little brat who wouldn’t stop playing their ridiculous portable game. “Don’t tell me you tried fucking her and couldn’t get it up?”

If Jon only knew, Sami thought, refusing to come clean about what happened between him and Keyla. Not the time or place; Sami just wanted to find her and make sure she was alright. “I asked Danny if Lennox heard from her and he said no. Maybe we should go over there and ask her anyway.”

Before Jon could stop Sami, he was out the door headed toward the car and cursed, following to make sure nothing bad happened to his friend.

~!~

“YOU SON OF A BITCH!! YOU LIED TO ME!!”

“DAMN RIGHT I DID, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!!”

Jon’s head was on the verge of exploding while watching two of his best friends rolling around on the grass, throwing punches at each other. He looked at the front door and saw both Lennox and Keyla standing there, immediately noticing Keyla’s appearance. Red swollen eyes, tear streaks on her face and her bluish black hair was in disarray. It looked like she hadn’t showered in a few days, her nose red and raw from probably blowing or rubbing it. The t-shirt and pajama pants was also a dead giveaway since she was normally getting ready to head to the bar by now.

“FUCK YOU!!”

“UP YOURS!!”

“ENOUGH!!” Jon ripped Sami off of Danny and received a sock to the jaw for intervening, immediately shoving him away.

Both Sami and Danny stopped fighting when that happened, Sami’s eyes wide as saucers while Danny merely stood there, his cheek lacerated from Sami’s fists. As retaliation, Jon socked Sami back harder and then struck Danny because he felt he had to, standing in between them. He was tired and pissed off after being struck in the face for no reason, not in the mood to deal with this. Whatever their problem was would be solved some other time, but not tonight, not when he just got home from a long trip.

Jon wasn’t the only one who wasn’t in the mood for this. Keyla just wanted to go back and lay down, turning to walk back into the house when a strong hand wrapping around her wrist stopped her. She knew that touch anywhere and sucked in a sharp breath, slowly turning around to lock amber eyes on confused electric pale blue. Instantaneously, Keyla pulled away from him and took a step back on the porch, not wanting to be touched right now. Jon and Sami were best friends, so he had to know who she was just like Sami had and took advantage of her lack of memory or temporary amnesia, whatever she had to make her not remember her high school ex-boyfriend. That was what her irrational, overly emotional brain was screaming at her and for once, Keyla listened to it loud and clear.

“Keyla…” Jon frowned, moving toward the porch and stopped when Lennox stepped in front of him. “Just tell me you’re okay. I don’t know what happened between you and Sami…”

“Why don’t you ask your best buddy then? I’m sure you’ll both get a kick out of what he did to me.” Keyla stormed back into the house, unable to face either man at the moment and ran back to the spare room she’d locked herself in for the past 2 days.

Sami overheard that, stumbling over to stand beside Jon and held his hands up at the deathly glare Lennox shot him. “Whoa Len, I didn’t hurt her!” He exclaimed, pure confusion and perplexity in his green eyes, swallowing hard. “Please tell me what I can do to fix it.”

“Not sure there is anything you can do, Daddy.” Lennox spat, shaking her head in disgust and couldn’t look at Sami, turning her gaze back on Jon. “Do what she said. Ask Sami and don’t come here again. When she’s ready, she will come home. Until then, both of you stay away from her.”

Danny didn’t argue with what Lennox wanted, walking inside the house after his girlfriend and shut the door in his friends’ faces to go clean up his lacerated face, leaving Jon and Sami standing on the porch.

Chapter 28

The ceiling had become his friend as of late. Sami lay in bed later that night wide awake and restless, replaying Keyla’s words in his head. It felt like his brain was on a one way track, or maybe a VCR that kept rewinding what happened at Danny and Lennox’s earlier. He could not for the life of him figure out what he did to anger Keyla so much. Something told him it had nothing to do with their sexual encounter Jon nearly caught them in. The ride home with Jon had been silent, which was never a good thing when it came to his friend. Only when they were parked in the driveway of the house all 3 shared did Jon ask the obvious question.

“What is Keyla talking about, Sami?” Jon demanded, putting the vehicle in park and cutting the ignition, staring straight ahead out of the windshield.

“I swear, bro, I don’t know.” Sami heaved a sigh and buried his head in his hands, gripping his wild black hair. “I’m gonna figure it out though. I gotta make this right with her.”

“Yes you do. Because if you don’t, we’ll be out on our asses and I don’t feel like fucking moving again. I told you this was a bad idea to become roommates with her and you convinced me otherwise. Whatever you did, fix it.” Jon took the keys and stepped out of the vehicle to head back into the house, needing food and sleep.

All Sami did in the car was stew in his own rage, not believing Danny lied to his face about not hearing from Keyla. The woman was staying at his house for Christ sakes! He wanted to hurt Danny for betraying their friendship and knew it was because of Lennox the man did it. He couldn’t fully fault Danny considering Lennox had his balls in a vise grip. Truth be told, Keyla had his as well and didn’t even realize it along with his heart. The fact Lennox called him ‘Daddy’ had Sami’s mind whirling as well because he didn’t recall a child being involved between him and Keyla. Hell, who knew at this point? Maybe she was going through her monthly menstruation and all he had to do was give her space. Why would Lennox call him ‘Daddy’ though? Did Keyla know something he didn’t?

I’m sure you’ll both get a kick out of what he did to me.

Growling in frustration, Sami turned to face the wall and shut his eyes, determined to get some kind of sleep. It evaded him, however. Sami kicked the covers off and sat up in bed, green eyes moving from his bedroom door to the wall that separated his room from Keyla’s. Was the answer in her room? It was a place he hadn’t stepped foot since moving in. Sami had to find the answer or else he would never get any sleep. It was a necessity and one he thoroughly enjoyed, just not lately. If Keyla wouldn’t tell him what was going on, Sami would have to do some investigating and find the answer himself. What she didn’t know wouldn’t kill her; besides, Sami would make sure everything was put back the way it was when he finished snooping.

Before he could talk himself out of it, Sami stepped out of his bedroom into the hallway and could hear loud snoring coming from Jon’s room. The man was out like a light. He wouldn’t be getting up anytime soon. Good, Sami didn’t feel like explaining what he was doing in Keyla’s bedroom anyway. Standing in front of her door moments later, Sami took a deep breath and pushed it open since it wasn’t fully closed, cringing at the creaking it gave off. He quickly entered and closed the door partially behind him, leaving it open a fraction in case Keyla decided to come home at that moment. Turning the bedroom light on was out of the question and Sami was glad he remembered to bring a flashlight with him out of his room, flicking it on to start the investigation.

The first thing Sami spotted on the bed was an open book, but he ignored it and kept looking, not realizing what it was right away. Instead, his eyes landed on a piece of folded up paper on the floor near the bed and an envelope a few feet from it with Keyla’s name on the front. Something told Sami he would find a clue to why Keyla was upset with him in whatever was on the piece of paper. Maybe they met in the past, he was a total douchebag to her and couldn’t remember it. Sami settled on the bed and held the flashlight, swiping the letter from the floor to open it up beginning to read. As soon as his name popped up on the paper, a wave of nausea washed over Sami and his brain unlocked, memories of his high school life flooding him all at once.

~!~

She couldn’t stop crying. From the moment Sami picked her up, his girlfriend could not stop the tears and it killed him seeing her cry. Her parents were dicks and often made her want to leave the house, especially on the weekends when she was stuck with them. Often, he received phone calls from her asking to be picked up and they would always go for a long drive so she could vent about whatever was on her mind.

Beautiful from the top of her bluish black hair to the tips of her freshly pedicured toenails, everything about Kayleigh Jensen was perfect, or damn close. How a pretty girl like her ever wanted someone like him was beyond Sami and he often questioned it. He was a fat 300 pound nerd with a passion to become a professional wrestler and she fully supported him on it. Any show he went to, Kayleigh was there front and center, cheering him on. So anytime she needed him, Sami was there in a heartbeat and this night was no exception.

“Stop here.” Kayleigh requested softly, unable to meet Sami’s eyes and dabbed her eyes with tissue he handed her, chewing her bottom lip nervously.

Sami followed her request, pulling over on the side of the road and shut the ignition off since it was a crisp summer evening. The sun had just gone down on the horizon and the mosquitos would be out, so Sami made sure to leave the air-conditioning running so they didn’t get ate alive. He turned to face her, taking her hand and frowned when she snatched it away, feeling his heart plummet into his stomach.

“Kay-Kay…”

“Sami…” Her voice cracked upon saying his name and finally looked up at him when he took her hand a second time, lacing their fingers together. “Oh god, what are we gonna do?”

He didn’t understand, pulling her over to lean against him and wrapped his strong arms around her upper body, letting her cry on him. “Whatever’s going on, we’ll work it out. We can get through anything, Kay-Kay, I promise…” Sami rumbled softly, kissing the top of her head and watched those watery citrine orbs look up at him, red and swollen. Still hypnotic nonetheless.

“Kiss me.”

Kayleigh reached up to caress his face, enjoying the slight stubble he was trying to grow out and kept her eyes locked with his. He wouldn’t deny his girlfriend anything and pulled back to let her sit straddled on his lap, putting the seat back a little. Her back would be pressed against the steering wheel and Sami didn’t want her in any discomfort. Then he cupped her soft face in his warm hands and kissed her, his hunger for her never ceasing. They’d been together for 3 years now, all throughout high school and people didn’t understand it considering she was a knockout beauty and he was a fat nerd.

“I love you.” Kayleigh breathed out once the kiss broke, rubbing her nose against Sami’s and took his hand to plant it against her lower abdomen. “Sami, I need to tell you something.”

He was still dazed from the kiss and couldn’t fully comprehend what Kayleigh was trying to tell him. “You know you can tell me anything, Kay-Kay…” Sami assured in a husky voice, caressing her side with his free hand and kept his other hand where she rested it. “Talk to me, baby. What’s going on?”

Boys really had to have everything spelled out for them. Kayleigh pressed his hand a little further against her lower abdomen and watched his green eyes slowly widen with comprehension, snapping up to meet hers seconds later. His eyes danced across her face, noting her hesitant smile and tears filling her eyes again. They were…she was…and he was…Sami blinked several times, trying to wrap his mind around this news and it took him several minutes to digest what Kayleigh hadn’t told him. Instead, she showed him.

“How far along?” Sami asked in fascination, immediately lifting Kayleigh to sit her beside him and lifted her top to feel the bare skin of her lower abdomen. “It’s hard as a rock…”

“It’s supposed to be. And I’m just shy of 6 weeks.” Kayleigh was relieved he wasn’t angry they were pregnant and could feel another wave of emotion mixing with her hormones roll over her. “Sami, what are we gonna do?”

His dreams of becoming a professional wrestler had just gone down the drain. Everything he wanted to do in life would have to be put on the backburner because he was entering fatherhood. He wasn’t the only one who would have to give up dreams, Kayleigh did too and he had to be there for her. Sami would not let her go through this alone, no matter what he had to do.

“W-What do you wanna do about this?” Now she was somber again, looking down at his hand still on her stomach and placed hers on top, their eyes meeting. “Do you wanna keep it or…?”

“We’ll do whatever you want, Kayleigh. This is your decision and I’ll support you in whatever you wanna do. It’s your body and we are young, but if you wanna have the baby with me, I’ll be there for you.” Sami softly brushed his lips against hers and rested their foreheads together. “I love you, Kay-Kay.”

“I love you too, Sami.”

~!~

Kayleigh…Sami reread the letter again and didn’t see her name anywhere on it, just Keyla. Why would they call her Keyla if her birth name was Kayleigh? It made no sense! Sami’s head spun, his eyes moving behind him to rest on the book he ignored earlier. Now they were glued on it and Sami was afraid to touch it, almost as if it would leap out and bite him. Kayleigh – Keyla…what was the connection? Sami grabbed the yearbook and saw his chubby young self staring back at him in a black and white photograph, still not believing how big he used to be.

He flipped through a few pages to find the J’s and stopped, looking down the list of J names until he came to Jensen. Kayleigh Jensen. There she was, looking beautiful as he remembered. One person he never forgot was Kayleigh – the girl he had to leave behind in order to pursue his dreams with blood money. It was one of the worst mistakes Sami made in his life and he regretted it, knowing it was because of his consent Kayleigh had the abortion. Her face looked much younger in the photograph, but there was no doubt in his mind Keyla was Kayleigh – HIS Kayleigh from high school.

Tears ran down his face like a rapid waterfall, the yearbook dropping to the carpeted floor at his feet and Sami felt the chunks rise in his throat. Dinner was definitely coming up. He didn’t care if Jon or the whole world heard him, not after what he found out. Sami flew out of Keyla’s bedroom and tossed open the bathroom door, barely making it to the toilet before emptying the contents of his stomach. Breakfast, lunch and dinner all came up, Sami not stopping until he had absolutely nothing left in his system. Trembling, Sami pushed away from the toilet and wiped his mouth off with a towel, leaning his head on the wall shutting his eyes.

What the hell was he supposed to do now? Sami knew he would have to move out of the house. Jon was going to kill him when he found out the past he had with Keyla – Kayleigh. Why did she change her name? He used to call her Kay-Kay in high school; did the woman hate her birth name that much or maybe it was a nickname? Sami was confused, but knew without a shadow of a doubt Keyla was really Kayleigh. Now that he thought about it more in depth, the last name should’ve jumped out at him. Jensen wasn’t that rare of a last name though, not like Kayleigh or Keyla.

Sami didn’t know what bothered him more: the fact Kayleigh – Keyla knew the truth about the bribe her parents gave him in order to pursue his wrestling dream or having sex with the same woman he had throughout high school and not piecing this together sooner. Scrubbing his hands down his face, Sami pushed himself up from the bathroom floor and washed his face, brushing his teeth to get the taste of vomit out of his mouth. Then he went back to Keyla’s room to put the yearbook back on the bed and letter where he found it to the best of his ability. Once he was satisfied nothing looked out of place, Sami went back to his room and lay in bed, once again staring up at the ceiling.

Having that meeting with the Jensen’s had been one of the biggest mistakes of his life. It was at their house and Marvin had flashed the check in his face while Sheila convinced him getting rid of the baby was the best thing he could do. Sami was young, naïve and impressionable, desperate to have his dream of becoming a professional wrestler become a reality. Granted, he was 17 at the time, but that was still no excuse to take the blood money. Every cent he spent, Sami felt sick over it and tried to forget about Kayleigh the moment he broke up with her. It hadn’t been easy, but as the years passed by and he shed the pounds to turn it into muscle, she became a faded memory from his past.

Being called ‘Daddy’ should’ve also triggered something within Sami and it had, only he couldn’t piece together Keyla really being Kayleigh. He had to make this right somehow, someway. She wasn’t over what he did to her, that much was clear or else she wouldn’t have left home to go to Lennox and Danny’s. Then he thought about Danny lying to him and felt horrible because now Sami understood why he did it. Turning on his side, Sami grabbed the pillow and shed more tears, eventually falling asleep from pure mental and emotional exhaustion.

Chapter 29

“Are you sure you wanna go home?” Lennox asked for the umpteenth time, cracking a small smile. “You can stay here as long as you want, you know.”

Keyla wasn’t sure about anything, but since she had a flight to catch tomorrow to attend her parents’ funeral, she had to go home and pack for it. There wasn’t nearly enough clothes she brought to Lennox’s to suffice and, besides, running away from her problems, from the past, wasn’t the answer. It was time to go back to her house and confront Sami and Jon, hoping Jon wasn’t in cahoots with her ex-boyfriend. It would break her heart further if that was the case.

“I appreciate the offer, but it’s time to get back to reality.” Keyla replied, zipping her duffel bag up and turned to face Lennox, not returning the smile. She couldn’t, not with everything happening currently in her life. “I’ll call you when I get to Florida.”

“You’ll do better than that. You’ll call me when you get home, so I know you made it.” Lennox dictated, standing from the bed and pulled Keyla into her arms for a hug.

Her friend didn’t know it, but Lennox and Danny had talked about the funeral, deciding they would join Keyla. They didn’t want her to be alone. CZW wasn’t having another event for several weeks and Danny had nothing going on. The tattoo shop was being ran by a wonderful woman named Lauren, so Lennox didn’t have to worry about her business. Lauren was smart, educated and a former store manager of Hot Topic, so she had a lot of experience in customer service. Not to mention, she was covered in tattoos and knew how to do them, owning her own tattooing equipment with a license included. The moment Lennox met her, she knew Lauren was the perfect person to make the store manager while she remained the owner. Decisions still went through Lennox before anything was finalized, but she encouraged Lauren to make a few on her own since she wasn’t always around the shop.

“Thank you for everything, Len.” Keyla whispered in her ear, not wanting to let go because Lennox had been her security blanket for the past few days. “I’ll never be able to repay you.”

Lennox pulled back enough to cup Keyla’s face and softly kissed her forehead, shaking her head. “Don’t thank me. You’re my little sister, never forget that. Now get out of here and go pack up. I’ll see you soon.”

Nodding, Keyla swung the duffel bag on her shoulder and grabbed her car keys along with her purse. “Thank Danny for me too, will you?”

“No need to thank me, Keyla.” Danny entered the room with a smile and pulled her into his strong arms to hug her the same way Lennox had. “Sorry, didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”

“It’s okay.” Keyla whispered, pulling back after a moment and looked up into his worry-filled green eyes, tugging lightly on his chin hair. “Make things right with Sami, please.”

Danny shook his head, the smile instantly turning into a frown. “No, he…”

“What he did to me has nothing to do with you or your friendship. Jon too. They don’t deserve to be hated on by you just because we’re friends. Don’t burn bridges, Danny boy.” Keyla didn’t want to be responsible for his friendships with Jon and Sami deteriorating. “You asked if there was anything you can do for me. That’s it. Do that for me and I’ll be happy as a clam.”

Keyla didn’t play fair, Danny thought, a grumble rumbling from his chest. “Fine – fine, you win I’ll talk to them when we all work out again.”

“Thank you.” Kissing his cheek, Keyla managed to crack a smile to show her appreciation and patted the other side of his face gently. “Take care of my girl here. I’ll see you both in a couple days after I get back.”

Danny and Lennox watched Keyla leave the house to get in her vehicle, speeding away down the street. “She doesn’t know we’re coming, does she?”

“Nope.” Lennox grinned up at her boyfriend and pulled him down for a soft kiss. “Now get your ass moving. We have a flight to catch in a couple hours and then I’m spending the rest of the day and night fucking you in our hotel room.”

Danny growled, green eyes glittering with wicked intentions. “Not unless I fuck you raw first, baby.” He smacked her jean covered backside for good measure and licked his lips, watching her saunter down the hall of their house toward their bedroom.

It took him 3 seconds to follow, deciding they had time for a quick bout before heading to the airport.

~!~

The smell of bacon permeated the house when Keyla arrived, her heart picking up speed slightly. Someone was here and she hoped it wasn’t Sami because Keyla wasn’t ready to face him yet. If it was him, she would have to and refused to run again. This was her house and Grandpa George’s; nobody would force her out of her own home unless she left willingly. That wasn’t happening anytime soon either. Keyla loved this house and fought to keep it several times, which was the main reasoning for letting Jon and Sami become her roommates in the first place. Licking her suddenly dry lips, Keyla shut the front door and stopped in the middle of the living room when Jon’s head poked out from standing at the stove.

Jon hadn’t expected Keyla home so soon after the fight between Sami and Danny, but wasn’t complaining either. He had taken the last piece of bacon out of the frying pan to place it on several paper towels to soak up the grease before checking to see who was home. Taking another paper towel, Jon wiped his hands off and tossed it away, fighting the urge to take Keyla in his arms. She looked broken, the light in her amber eyes gone and he wanted it back. What the hell happened while he was gone on his trip? Merely standing there, Jon didn’t move toward her and Keyla stayed where she was, her eyes remaining on him. Since when did they act like foreign strangers with each other? Finding the courage somewhere inside of her to make the first move, Keyla turned to head toward the stairs and froze at the sound of Jon’s voice cutting through the awkward silence between them.

“What happened, Keyla?” There was no point exchanging pleasantries, not after the fight between Sami and Danny. “Hey, I’m talking to you, damn it!” Jon growled when Keyla tried escaping up the stairs again, quickly closing the distance between them. “What the fuck is going on around here?”

He looked genuinely cross and confounded, questions swirling through those electric blue eyes Keyla couldn’t stop dreaming about. Of course Sami didn’t tell him about their past. Why would he? It was back in high school and Sami had taken the blood money from her parents to pursue his dream. They were too young to be parents anyway, but that still didn’t excuse Sami’s actions toward her. Leaving her high and dry to deal with the abortion alone and shattering her heart at the same time. Dealing with both changed Keyla and, soon after, she was shipped to Philadelphia to live with her grandfather. It was because of him she slipped into a deep depression and never fully recovered from what happened. Lately, her nightmares about the abortion had returned and most of them ended with her dying during the process, Sami and her parents standing over her grave laughing.

“Darlin’…” Jon took another step up the stairs, only a few away from her now and reached his hand out, seeing the hesitation and fear in her eyes. “You can trust me.”

Up until now, Keyla had fought off her emotions and the tears burning her eyes, but Jon’s pleas were tearing her insides apart. She wanted to trust and believe him, for him to love her the way she did him. Extending her hand toward him, Keyla immediately snatched it away and froze when the front door opened, Sami walking inside.

“Hey Jon, I need to-” The words died on Sami’s lips as soon as he walked in and saw Keyla and Jon on the steps, tears flowing down her cheeks. “Kayleigh.”

That was a name she hadn’t been called in years and it also verified Sami was her ex-boyfriend from high school. It was all speculation until now. “It really is you, isn’t it?” Her voice remained calm, cracking from the intense emotions flooding through her body.

Jon looked back and forth between Keyla and Sami, feeling completely out of the loop. “Would someone mind telling me what the fuck is going on before my head explodes?” He demanded, more than a little irritated now.

“Trust me, bro, you’re better off not knowing.” Sami muttered, slipping his black shades off and set them on the kitchen island, looking away from his ex-girlfriend. “Kayleigh…”

Suddenly, all the pain, angst and anger filled Keyla from head to toe, her fists clenching at her sides. Jon noticed her body shaking and backed away down the stairs, having a feeling she was about to either explode or topple down them. He wasn’t sure yet.

“Don’t you EVER call me that again!” She erupted, shoving past Jon down the stairs until she stood in front of Sami, amber eyes nothing more than pools of molten gold rage. “You don’t have the right to call me that anymore, do you understand me?!”

“I’m sorry…” Sami whispered remorsefully, not knowing what else to say to make this right between them.

That mediocre apology fueled her temper more. “Sorry? You’re sorry and that’s all you have to say to me? HOW FUCKING HEARTLESS CAN YOU BE, SAMUEL CALLIHAN!!” Before Keyla could stop herself, her hand connected with the side of his face and the sound echoed throughout the kitchen. “HOW DARE YOU STAND THERE AND TELL ME YOU’RE SORRY! YOU DON’T KNOW HOW SORRY YOU ARE BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I WENT THROUGH – WHAT YOU PUT ME THROUGH!! I-I thought you didn’t love me anymore and you left me of your own free will, not because you took blood money from my wretched parents!! I thought you were better than that, Samuel, but I was wrong. DEAD WRONG!! You broke me and I’ve never fully recovered from it, because you along with my parents convinced me to get rid of our baby!! YOU LET IT HAPPEN AND DIDN’T FIGHT FOR US!! YOU TOOK BLOOD MONEY AND USED IT TO MAKE YOUR FUCKING DREAMS COME TRUE!! YOU ARE SCUM OF THE EARTH AND I HATE YOU! I FUCKING HATE YOU, SAMUEL CALLIHAN!!”

All Sami could do was lower his head shamefully, her words cutting through him like a hot pulsating dagger right into his heart. He had cried for hours after the puking incident, not believing the information overload he discovered regarding Kayleigh. She would always be Kayleigh to him, not Keyla, no matter what happened between them or what she did. Kicking him out was inevitable and Sami didn’t blame her, hating himself for taking the blood money from her parents because there was fixing that. There was no returning it either or bringing their dead unborn child he helped murder back into their lives. The damage was done and it couldn’t be changed.

His silence made her back up because it was clear Sami had nothing to say to her. So she decided to wedge the dagger in his heart a little deeper, refusing to live with this information by herself a day longer. “Thanks to you and my dead parents, I won’t be able to have any children in the future. The abortion was botched. There was a complication and now I can’t have children anymore.” Now that Keyla thought about it, her mother and father more than likely ordered the doctor performing the abortion to sever her fallopian tubes to make it look accidental. “You blew my only chance at being a mother and having a family, if I wanted it. So I hope you’re happy while you stand there stewing in your own self-pity, Samuel. I hope your dream of becoming a professional goddamn wrestler was worth costing me a shot at motherhood and parenthood.”

Hearing that was all Sami could take, his head snapping up at her confession with wide watery green eyes. He had no idea the abortion had been botched because after receiving the money, Sami took off and never looked back. Jon watched his best friend, someone he thought he knew, flee from the house like his backside was on fire and Keyla crumbled to the floor in a heap, his arms catching her before she hurt herself. He held the shaking woman against him, wrapping his arms around her waist and tried digesting everything he just heard. It was a lot to take in, an information overload, but Jon had to stay strong for Keyla since she had fallen apart at the sight of Sami.

“I got you, darlin’. Come on, you gotta lay down.” Jon murmured, lifting her in his arms and carried her upstairs to her room, laying her down on the bed.

Keyla’s hand shot out to grab Jon’s hand when he tried to leave, shaking her head with tears still pouring from her eyes. “Please stay.” She whispered pleadingly, not wanting to be alone right now and squeezed his hand, desperately needing his warmth.

“You sure you want me in here?” Jon had to ask, knowing Keyla was incredibly vulnerable and he caught what she said regarding her parents being dead. “I’m not the best when it comes to comforting, Keyla…”

“I don’t care.” Keyla pulled him closer to the bed and scooted over to where Jon had enough room to join her, immediately wrapping her arm around his waist burying her face in the side of his neck. “The funeral is tomorrow for my parents and…I don’t want to go by myself.” She looked up into his eyes and felt his thumbs wipe away her tears. “Please come with me.”

Only because he didn’t want her to be alone, Jon agreed, or so he tried convincing himself. Truth was, he cared deeply for this woman in his arms and Jon didn’t know how to handle emotion or feelings. Usually, when he screwed a woman that was it. He never saw her again unless the broad showed up at one of the CZW events. Even then, Jon always kept the women he slept with at arm’s length, but Keyla was the exception to so many of his rules. Long after Keyla had cried herself to sleep on his chest, Jon stayed and stroked her back, resting his chin on top of her head. What the hell was this woman doing to him? More importantly, what would happen once they returned from her parents’ funeral regarding Sami?

Chapter 30

“I’m not wearing a suit.”

“You don’t have to.”

Keyla wasn’t worried about Jon’s appearance and continued staring in the full length mirror, smoothing the black dress down her sides. It was simple and went to her knees, sleeveless with a hoop neckline. Her hair was pulled back in a simple smooth ponytail to keep the hair out of her face. It had gotten longer over the past couple months and she needed a haircut. Again, it wasn’t in her list of priorities – not today. For today was about saying goodbye to her parents and performing their eulogy. As angry at them as she was, Keyla would show respect because they did bring her into the world. Her eyes were outlined in black liner and clear gloss painted her lips, black flats on her feet. It was hot in Florida, muggy and it was bad enough Keyla had to wear black, but thankfully the funeral home would be air-conditioned.

The bathroom door opening jolted Keyla out of her thoughts, her breath temporarily stolen at the sight of Jon stepping out. Black jeans and a black buttoned down dress shirt tucked in the waistband complimented Jon’s lean muscular body perfectly. A silver hoop dangled from his left ear, a ball chain necklace around his neck and a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. He had black boots on and his hair hung in his face haphazardly in a wet mess. Keyla’s family would despise him and she loved that fact, turning her gaze from him to stare back into the mirror.

“Nice dress.” Jon complimented, electric blues giving her a thorough onceover before he walked over to plant his hands on her waist, staring back at her through the reflection in the mirror. “You look hot. How are you holding up?”

“I’m fine.” Keyla began applying mascara to her lashes and was stopped, forcefully turned to face Jon.

“Don’t lie to me.” Jon had taken a huge risk coming here with her, so the least Keyla could do was be straight with him. “Bullshit everybody else, I don’t care, but you’re not gonna do it to me.”

“I just want this day to be over with already.” Keyla said truthfully, reaching up to brush some hair out of his eyes and fingered his strong chin. “I’m not lying to you, I really am fine. Just hate the fact I have to spend the day with my family mourning heartless assholes, that’s all.”

Jon understood that and wanted her to reassure him she was fine, knowing a lot of times at funerals people lied through their teeth to get through the day without breaking down. If Keyla started doing it, Jon would be there to catch her and take her back to the hotel. He didn’t care who her family was or how much money they had. The most important person today was Keyla and Jon would keep a hawk eye on her to make sure she really was fine. Maybe the shock from her parents’ death hadn’t fully registered yet and how could it? After finding out what her parents and Sami did back in her high school days, it wasn’t a far stretch to assume Keyla used her anger from that to hide how she truly felt about her parents’ death.

“Thank you for coming with me.” She leaned up on her tiptoes to reach his cheek and brushed her lips against it, breathing his scent in. “It means more to me than you know.”

It took every ounce of willpower not to turn his head to make their mouths connect, especially when her hot breath puffed across his earlobe. “You’re welcome, darlin’.” Jon rasped out, his voice low and gritty with a hint of huskiness, slowly pulling back to lock electric blue with searing molten gold. “Keyla…”

A knock on their hotel room door brought both Jon and Keyla back to their senses. Keyla wasn’t expecting anyone and the flowers were to be delivered to the funeral home. They hadn’t ordered room service either because there would be food at the visitation, if anyone was hungry. Jon was hot on her trail and stopped her before her hand landed on the door handle, shaking his head.

“Let me open it.” Jon gently but firmly pushed Keyla to stand behind him and opened the door a few seconds later, eyes flying open at the unexpected visitors. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“Now is that any way to talk to your bro?” Danny demanded, shoving a bag of booze in Jon’s arms and pushed open the door, Lennox standing beside him.

Keyla’s eyes instantly filled with tears at the sight of her closest friends, the first time she’d cried since arriving in Florida earlier that morning. “Oh my god, what are you doing here?” They embraced tightly and Keyla started crying, not wanting to let Lennox go. She didn’t expect any of her friends to show up for the funeral.

“Couldn’t let you go through this alone, girl.” Lennox simply replied, trying not to mess up Keyla’s hair or hers since it was currently pulled back in a neat bun. Her dress was black with a white strip going down each side, a small slit to show some leg and went to her knees. It clung to every curve of her body unlike Keyla’s. “You look beautiful.”

“So do you.” Keyla reluctantly broke the hug and dabbed her eyes with the tissue Danny handed over while he spoke quietly with Jon. “When did you get in?”

“Last night. I didn’t know you were bringing Jon…” Lennox eyeballed Moxley, not sure if she approved of her best friend sharing a hotel room with him or not. “Are you guys…?”

Keyla immediately shook her head. “No, nothing like that. I asked him to come because I didn’t want to be completely alone. If I would’ve known you two were coming…”

“You still would’ve invited him.”

“Probably.” Keyla sighed resignedly, glancing over at Jon and met his gaze briefly before turning her attention back on Lennox. “You can call me a love-struck idiot tomorrow, okay? Just not today. Let me have today with him.”

~!~

Walking into the funeral home, the smell of death instantly permeated the air and Keyla felt Jon squeeze her hand, their fingers laced together. He wasn’t fond of funeral homes and still came with her; it lifted Keyla’s heart a little to know Jon would put himself in an uncomfortable situation for her. Danny and Lennox went to sit down while Keyla kept Jon beside her, greeting a few people she recognized politely.

“So sorry for your loss, Kayleigh. Your father was a great man.”

“My condolences to you and your family, Kayleigh. Your mother was an outstanding woman with a kind heart.”

Keyla never had to bite her tongue so many times, afraid it would come off if she wasn’t careful. She wanted to remove the wool that had been pulled over their eyes for years and show the true Sheila and Marvin Jensen. Again, she refrained, not wanting to upset anyone today. The day was sad enough already.

“Little Kayleigh, is that really you?” A deep voice asked from behind Keyla and Jon, both of them turning to stare into warm brown orbs.

“Uncle Raymond.” Keyla knew why he used her birth name because it would get her attention since she wouldn’t recognize him after all this time. “Yeah it’s me.” She would have to get used to being called Kayleigh until after the funeral ended since that’s what she used to go by.

“Well, do I get a hug or what?” Raymond smiled at his only niece and enveloped her in his arms, breathing her in. He hadn’t seen a speck of his niece since George’s funeral, which seemed like forever ago. Time really did fly by. “I’ve missed you so much, Kay.”

“Me too, Uncle Ray.” She whispered, breaking the hug and stepped back to once again take Jon’s hand, not wanting him feeling left out or ignored. “Uncle Ray, this is Jon Moxley, a close friend of mine. I’ll introduce you to Lennox and Danny later, they went to find seats.” The funeral home was quickly overflowing with people.

Raymond eyeballed the young man with his niece, noticing their clasped hands and wondered why Kayleigh referred to him as a friend. It was clear they were much more. “Nice to meet you, son.” He extended his hand, a tight smile on his face and surprised registered on his face at the strong handshake.

“You too.” Jon replied in a low voice, immediately finding Keyla’s hand again and felt the craving for a cigarette overtake him. “Mind if I step outside for a smoke, darlin’?”

“Not at all. Find me when you come back inside.” Keyla shut her eyes when he kissed the crown of her head and headed for the exit, turning wary citrine eyes back on her Uncle Raymond. “Funerals make him nervous.”

It was a good thing Jon made himself scarce because Raymond had to talk to Kayleigh about something very important. “Come with me for a minute.” He extended his hand, leading her into one of the empty quiet rooms of the funeral home and slid the door closed behind them.

“What’s going on, Uncle Ray?” Keyla watched him pull out a stack of papers from his dress coat and handed them over to her, feeling her mouth go dry. “What is this?”

“Official documents stating what everyone already knew at the will reading.” Raymond answered solemnly, his heart aching because he truly missed his brother more than words could say. “Still can’t believe they’re gone…”

“Me either…” Keyla unfolded the paper and read, her eyes growing wide as saucers at the realization of what the documents said. “Does this mean…?”

Raymond placed a hand on her shoulder, nodding. “Everything is yours, Kayleigh. Their fortune has been entrusted to you. Marvin left me his collection of watches though because he knows how much they mean to me since they were Dad’s. Everything else is yours, though.”

Feeling her legs growing weak, Keyla plopped down on the nearby cushioned available and covered her mouth with her hand, not believing this. Did her parents feel so guilty for what they did to her they thought making her the main beneficiary would magically fix everything? They took away her ability to have children and destroyed her relationship with Sami. Keyla blinked the tears away from her eyes, refusing to shed a single one for them and folded the papers back up, slipping them in her purse.

“Thank you, Uncle Ray. I hope this isn’t rude, but I need to be alone for a few minutes.”

Raymond didn’t blame her and kissed her forehead, knowing this was a lot for a young woman to take in. “If you need me, I won’t be far away.”

~!~

The visitation was over at 8 PM to prepare the bodies for burial the following morning, so Keyla went back to the hotel with Jon, Lennox and Danny. She took a shower, trying to get her mind off what Uncle Raymond told her at the funeral home and couldn’t get the documents out of her mind. Stepping out nearly an hour later, Keyla dressed in a pair of cotton shorts and a matching tank top, brushing her teeth and hair before walking out to give Jon access to the bathroom.

“I was about to send the search party in after you.” Jon joked, laying on the bed in a pair of dark green pajama bottoms, bare from the waist up. “Everything good?”

“Yeah.”

No it wasn’t, but Keyla didn’t want to talk about the documents or tell Jon what her parents did. She laid down on the bed beside him and noticed what he was watching on the television, rolling her eyes. Professional wrestling, why was she surprised? Keyla snuggled down into the pillow and felt her hand brush Jon’s, his reaction immediately lacing their fingers together. It made her smile and insides heat up, but Keyla wouldn’t read too much into it. Jon made it clear he didn’t want a relationship because of his career and she accepted that.

“So why did you change your name?” This had been bothering Jon since he found out her birth name was Kayleigh and his curiosity had gotten the better of him. “What’s wrong with Kayleigh?”

Keyla expected this question and leaned up on her elbow, looking up at Jon. “My grandfather used to call me Keyla all the time. He didn’t like my birth name, so he put his own spin on it. Honestly, if you swap the A and E in my name, the beginning spells Keyla. It just always sounded better to me and I officially changed it when my parents sent me to live with Grandpa George.” She explained, settling down into the pillow again when Jon did, both of them on their sides facing each other.

“I’ll stick with Keyla then. Just curious about your name change, that’s all.” Jon reached out to brush a few wisps of her hair from Keyla’s face, stroking her cheek with the back of his fingers. “You impressed me today.”

“Wasn’t meaning to.” Keyla remarked softly, feeling an overwhelming desire course through every vein in her body and scooted closer to him. “I know people there were wondering why I didn’t cry, not even during the eulogy. If they knew the truth about my parents, they’d understand. I just wanted to show respect today and not start any fighting.”

She was strong to face this head-on, especially since the wound was still fresh from finding out what Sami did to her. Jon still didn’t know which side to take, wondering if there was one. Sure, Sami was cruel with what he did, but at the time he was a vulnerable teenager being handed a way out of parenthood. He looked at both sides, deciding he would stay out of it and let Keyla and Sami work their issues out on their own.

“Jon?”

“Yeah?”

Instead of saying what she wanted to do, Keyla simply did it and pressed her mouth against his, softly kissing him. His arm instantly wound around her waist to pull Keyla closer and she ended up laying on top of him. Jon knew sex was an outlet, a momentary reprieve and he was more than happy to give it to her. His hand slid down between their bodies to slip beneath her panties and cotton shorts, quickly finding her bundle of nerves. She was soaking wet already and both groaned in each other’s mouths. Keyla sat astride Jon to remove her tank top and bra and he sat upright, wrapping her legs around his waist fully to capture the supple skin of her neck in his mouth.

“Fuck me, Jon. Please fuck me…” Keyla pleaded breathlessly, grinding on top of him and gasped when her back hit the bed, Jon now hovering over her.

“You sure about this?” Jon asked, already removing her shorts and panties to expose her naked body completely to him, taking his own pajama pants and boxer-briefs off.

“Yes, I need you.” Keyla pulled him back on top of her and hooked a leg around his waist, eyes drifting closed the moment his cock began pushing past her silk slick wet folds until he could go no further. “Mmm…”

The rest of the night was spent with Jon and Keyla taking each other to the limit, soaring to heights only they could reach together. Hours later, Jon lay in bed with Keyla curled up against him fast asleep, his hand stroking her bare back gently. A warmth in his chest developed and Jon realized it was his heart, electric blues looking down at the bluish black haired beauty against him. If Jon wasn’t careful, he’d end up falling for Keyla and that couldn’t happen. He would not break her heart, if he could help it.

Chapter 31

“What are you gonna do about Sami?”

Keyla looked up at Lennox while packing her things away for the long drive back to Philadelphia, raising a brow. “What do you mean?” She lowered her attention back to the task at hand, tensing at the mention of her ex-boyfriend from high school.

“Come on, don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about.” Lennox walked around the bed and sat down, pulling her best friend to join her for a few minutes. “You DO remember your other roommate, Sami Callihan, right?”

Of course she did, how could Keyla forget him? The first boy she gave her heart to and who was her first love betrayed her and used blood money to further his dream. Keyla didn’t want to talk about Sami right now, already feeling her temper rising and angry tears stung her eyes. She had loved him back then and trusted him completely, even at their young ages. Sami was the sweetest boy she ever met, or so she thought, but now every time Keyla looked at him, all she saw was the painful reminder of what he helped her dead parents take away from her.

“You wanna know if I’m gonna kick him out.” It wasn’t a question, Keyla knew how Lennox’s thought process worked most of the time.

She was friends with both Sami and Jon; closer to Sami since Jon was hard to get close to. Still, they were Danny’s best friends; Jon and Sami were like brothers and if she kicked out her ex, there was a chance Keyla would lose Jon as well. They hadn’t discussed Sami since coming to Philadelphia for the funeral, much to Keyla’s respite. Burying her parents was traumatic enough without having to think about Sami, taking a reprieve from that situation to focus on the funeral arrangements and small fortune her parents left her. Keyla hadn’t told anyone about it yet, afraid to lose people in her life if they found out she had a lot of money. It happened all the time.

Lennox nodded, worried for both of her friends and wanted to strangle Sami for not coming clean about knowing Keyla sooner. “You have every right to be pissed at him. Hell, I am too and it didn’t even happen to me. But Jon and Sami are best friends and closer than brothers. If you kick Sami out, Jon may follow despite what our asshole friend has done. I just…I want to prepare you for that happening, Key. I don’t want you to be blindsided.”

“So you’re saying kicking out Sami will more than likely make me lose Jon.” Keyla summarized, knowing deep down she already knew that would happen, but hearing it come from Lennox’s mouth made it real instead of just a mere possibility.

“Where Sami goes, Jon usually follows. But who knows? Maybe he’s so pissed off at Sami for what he did to you he’ll stick around and continue being your roommate.” Lennox tried injecting some kind of faith and hope in her tone, but she didn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth. “Have you talked to Jon about all of this yet?”

Lennox had no idea about Keyla having sex with Jon after the funeral a few nights ago. She had to stick around to accept the fortune her parents left her and Uncle Raymond wanted to spend a few days with her as well. So that left Lennox, Danny and Jon alone at the hotel to do whatever they wanted while she spent quality time with Uncle Raymond. He flew home earlier that morning, promising to keep in touch, though Keyla doubted he would. It was the same promise he made when Grandpa George passed away and Uncle Raymond broke it, never once trying to contact his niece to check on her. So between the funeral, receiving the inheritance and spending time with Uncle Raymond, Keyla’s time was filled to the brink and, at the end of the night, all she wanted to do was pass out in bed. However, she did have sex with Jon every night they spent together and both were under the assumption it would be a kept secret between them. Telling Lennox wasn’t an option; Keyla didn’t feel up to hearing a lecture about sleeping with a man who was clearly unavailable.

“No and I know I should, but I’ll wait until we get home. I just don’t wanna face everything yet. Maybe after we drop you off, I can bring it up and figure it out. I doubt Sami will be there by the time we get home anyway.” Keyla stood up to continue packing, hoping she wasn’t wrong on that assumption.

“Are you chicks done yakking and packing yet?” Jon grunted, walking into the hotel room with Danny, both of them getting in a much needed workout down the street at the local gym. “I’m ready to hit the road and get home.”

He wasn’t the only one. “Almost. Go shower and by the time you’re done dressing, we’ll be ready to leave.” Keyla instructed, not looking up at Jon for fear of her facial expression would give away what they had done while rooming together.

Not to mention, Jon all sweaty and shirtless was something Keyla couldn’t handle seeing, afraid she would tackle him to the floor in front of Danny and Lennox. Jon noticed Keyla hadn’t looked up at him and smirked, shrugging tossing the sweaty towel in the pile of dirty laundry they would bag separately. Danny lead Lennox back to their room to finish packing, knowing she wasn’t ready yet and he knew how much she enjoyed showering with him after an extensive workout.

“So is not looking at me a way to keep our fucking secret or do you regret fucking me?” Jon bluntly asked, standing directly in front of her with the bed being the only object separating them. If he had to, he would jump it to make Keyla look him in the eyes. “Keyla?”

Maybe it was, but then again Keyla knew their sexual rendezvous had to come to an end once they were back in Philadelphia. “Of course I don’t regret it. I’m the one who initiated most of it.” She pointed out, folding the last of her shirts and then started on her jeans, having the hotel do their laundry prior to leaving.

“Then why can’t you look at me?” Jon had rounded the bed and stood next to her, staring down at the citrine eyed beauty, sliding his finger down her arm. “Look at me, Keyla.” It wasn’t a request as Jon took the piece of clothing out of her hands to drop it in the suitcase, turning her with his hands on her shoulders to look at him. “Don’t make me say it again.”

Obeying his command, Keyla swallowed hard and did it, those electric blues once again sweeping her away, increasing her heart rate and pulse. “What do you want?” She asked quietly, bracing herself for anything and gripped his wrists the moment his hands cupped her face, capturing her lips in a soft passionate kiss that made her toes curl.

Only when she completely melted in his arms did Jon break the kiss, seeing the hazy look in her now molten gold eyes and pulled her closer to him to remove her top and bra. He didn’t have to say what he wanted, Keyla could read it clearly on his face and she didn’t have the desire or will to deny him. Standing there, Keyla allowed him to undress her completely and gasped when Jon lifted her off the carpeted floor to wrap her legs around his waist, his jersey short covered cock pressed against her hot flesh. No other words had to be said as Jon carted her into the bathroom to shower with him, relieving Keyla of packing duties for the next hour.

~!~

Keyla and Jon weren’t surprised to find Sami packing up his belongings, his car halfway packed with a few boxes on the lawn. It was slowly getting warmer and most of the snow had melted. Pulling into the driveway, Jon cut the ignition and looked over at Keyla, seeing different emotions flashing across her face. As much as he loved Sami like a little brother, the man had definitely made a mess of things. He decided to let Sami deal with this problem himself and he wasn’t going anywhere if Keyla did decide to tell Sami to leave.

“What do you want me to do?” Keyla questioned in a barely audible voice, feeling Jon take her hand giving it a gentle squeeze.

“What do you wanna do?” Jon retorted, glancing up at the house and could see Sami’s bedroom light on, the shades drawn.

Lennox asked her the same thing earlier and Keyla still had no idea what to do about Sami. Could they keep the personal drama out of the business being landlord and tenant to each other? Keyla couldn’t get Lennox’s words out of her brain about losing Jon if she did kick Sami out of the house. This was the first time any mention of Sami or their living arrangements had been mentioned. On one hand, what happened between her and Sami was the past and neither of them recognized each other without clues. However, on the other, it was a deep betrayal and Keyla barely survived Sami walking away from their love and relationship, forcing her to make the grave decision to have an abortion. She thought he didn’t love her anymore, but in fact he had walked because of her parents flashing money in his face to fulfill his dreams in life.

“I’ve made up my mind.”

Keyla stepped out of the vehicle before Jon could stop her and made her way up the stairs to the front door. Twisting the door handle, Keyla stepped inside and took her coat off, tossing it on the couch. There were boxes all over the house and on the stairs leading up to the room Sami occupied, a few already sealed and packed. Keyla slowly began ascending the stairs and felt a hand stop her, citrine eyes looking back to meet electric blue. She could see worry and apprehension in Jon’s eyes, cupping his face to assure him she knew what she was doing silently. This was something she had to do alone though; she and Sami didn’t need an audience for this long overdue conversation.

Receiving the message loud and clear, Jon released her hand going back outside to bring in their luggage. He didn’t know why he cared so much about Keyla’s decision regarding Sami. Maybe he’d taken one too many shots to the head and wasn’t thinking clearly, especially since he screwed Keyla senseless during the trip. She needed the release and, truthfully, so did Jon. The moment she asked him to sex her up, Jon couldn’t and wouldn’t deny her, both of them understanding it was sex and nothing more. At least, that’s the attitude he got from Keyla. Did he want more with her or was secret sex enough between them? Did it stop now that they were home and did they go back to the way things used to be before Jon agreed to go to her parents’ funeral? So many questions and not nearly enough answers.

Standing outside of Sami’s bedroom door, Keyla stared at it for several minutes trying to muster up the courage to knock. Just as she rose her hand to do it, the door opened and both exes came face to face with each other, citrine locked on leaf green. Sami felt his breath temporarily leave his body at the sight of Kayleigh, – Keyla – his eyes widening not expecting her to be home until after he was gone. Danny filled him in on what happened to Keyla’s parents and Sami wanted to go to pay his respects, but thought better of it. Lennox was angry with him and Danny was afraid she would try pulling his scrotum up over his head for what he did to her best friend.

“Sorry about your parents.” Were the first words out of his mouth and Sami immediately berated himself, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “I’m – uh – moving out…” Another bonehead thing to say.

“No you’re not.” Keyla had to be the bigger person and gently but firmly pushed Sami back into the room, closing the door behind her to give them privacy. “You can stay, you don’t have to leave.”

Blinking, Sami wondered if he heard her right and set the box he had under his arm on the floor, perplexity swirling through his leaf green orbs. “W-What are you talking about? I can’t stay here knowing what I did to you, Kayleigh…sorry, Keyla.” Old habits indeed were hard to break and he knew her as Kayleigh, not Keyla, even though she was one in the same. “I have to get outta here before I do more damage…”

Being called Kayleigh didn’t bother her as much as it had when she first found out who exactly Sami Callihan was. “You didn’t do it though.” She thought of nothing except this situation the entire ride back to Philadelphia and came to the conclusion she couldn’t fully put the blame on Sami. He was a teenager – a scared boy watching all of his hopes and dreams go up in flames because of one mistake they made together. Age shouldn’t have been an excuse, but it was nevertheless. Not many teenagers would turn down the amount of money Keyla’s parents offered and Sami did what he felt was right at the time, what any normal sane teenage boy would’ve. It was wrong to hate on him when the real culprits were her deceased parents. Keyla refused to take her feelings out on Sami that were supposed to be directed at the people who gave her life.

“I don’t blame you for what happened. I understand why you took the money and ran. Were you wrong for doing it? Yes, but you had no idea what they had planned or I know you wouldn’t have agreed to keep quiet.” Keyla cupped his face in her hands, hot tears sliding down her cheeks the same time Sami let his flow, knowing he too lost a child because it took two people to make a baby, not just the mother. “So stay here with Jon and I, don’t run. It won’t do us any good and you know I’m right. My parents are dead and will never be able to hurt me or you or anyone else again. Let’s just leave the past behind us and move forward.”

Crying in front of his ex-girlfriend from high school was something Sami never thought he would do. Hell, he never thought he’d see Kayleigh again as long as he lived! Yet here they were, standing in front of each other and she was comforting him for a despicable thing he did. Not only that, but they had also had sex with each other and didn’t even realize they had a link to the past. This really was muddled up and Sami had to find a way to make it up to Keyla, to show her how sorry he was for what he did. All wounds healed with time; Sami wasn’t the patient type, however.

“I never meant to hurt you, Kayleigh.” He rested his hands on her hips, not moving them anywhere else on her body and tried to stem the shudders threatening to overtake his body. “I hate myself for taking their bribe. There wasn’t a day that went by I didn’t think about it while pursuing wrestling. I’ll find a way to make everything right between us, I promise you that.” That’s all Sami could offer her right now until he figured out what that way was.

Nodding, Keyla stepped back from Sami and wiped her tears away, sniffling. “It’s alright, I forgive you. I wouldn’t have been a good mother anyway.” Walking out of his room, Keyla went to hers and grabbed her luggage from outside her door, Jon already in his. Shaking her head, she walked into her room and closed the door, collapsing on her bed in a fit of tears. A few minutes later, her phone buzzed and Keyla grabbed it, immediately sitting up in bed at the message staring back at her.

It was from Lennox. Blasius Chocolate Factory is gone, went bankrupt. Found out from the newspaper. Thought I’d let you know. Let me know if you need to talk.

How the hell was she supposed to keep her inheritance a secret from her roommates now?

Chapter 32

“Remind me how I got roped into doing this again?”

“Because for the past month you’ve been moping over losing your job, which for the record you hated and you need to get your ass out of the house. Besides, what better way to spend the night than watching half naked sweaty men go balls to the wall on each other?” Lennox retorted, draping an arm around Keyla’s shoulders and grinned, sitting in the backseat of the vehicle they were all traveling to the arena together.

Tonight was another CZW pay-per-view event called Swinging for the Fences. Jon was still the CZW World Heavyweight champion and carried the gold with pride, cockiness and arrogance permeating the air around him. Keyla had to admit the gold strap looked amazing around his waist or over his shoulder, however he wore it. Sometimes he draped it around his neck like an oversized necklace. Currently, he had on a red Cincinnati t-shirt and a pair of ripped jeans, his black wrestling trunks with the small MOX near the right hipbone underneath. His boots and kneepads were in his gear bag in the trunk because he did have a match that night, but didn’t know who it was yet. Something told Keyla she would not like the opponent, trying not to worry about Jon. The last time she saw him wrestle had been against Nick Gage and he wound up bleeding from every orifice of his body. Keyla really didn’t want to see a repeat of that tonight and hoped Jon took it a little easier, even though he was the champion.

“Relax Key, everything is gonna be fine.” Danny assured her, glancing back at the girls through the rearview mirror and winked at Lennox, making sure she was alright as well.

He knew she worried every time he had a match, but never once demanded him to quit what he loved to do in life. No wonder he loved her so much and wanted to marry her one day. Hell, maybe he could convince her to pop out a few puppies for him too, but one thing at a time.

“That’s easy for you to say, you’re not on the card tonight, bro.” Jon snorted, riding shotgun and had the window cracked to smoke his cigarette, staring out the window with the CZW championship on his lap.

“Hey! Not my fault that dickhead Hyde won’t let me compete with a concussion.” Danny suffered a huge blow to the head in one of the off-air shows they did a few weeks ago and he wasn’t medically cleared to compete tonight. “It’s fine, I’ll just hang out backstage with the beautiful ladies and soak up the attention while you go out there to get your ass beat, Moxley.”

“You wish.” Jon blew out the smock in his mouth, flicking some ash out the window and made sure it was far enough to where it wouldn’t blow back at the girls in the backseat. “I think they’re gonna pit me against Sami tonight, so should be an interesting night.”

“Seriously?”

Keyla shot a glare at Lennox and folded her arms in front of her chest, not at all fine with watching her two roommates rip each other to shreds in the ring. “I thought you said he didn’t know who he was facing?”

“He didn’t! This is the first I’m hearing of it! I swear! Tell her, Moxley!” Lennox shoved Jon’s shoulder, glowering because she was in deep hot water with her best friend if he didn’t back her up. “Danny?”

Danny merely shrugged, smoking his own cigarette. “First I’m hearing of it too, Key. Why does it matter who Jon faces anyway?”

“She doesn’t want us fighting given the situation lately.” Jon stage whispered to Danny, growling when Keyla punched him in the arm and cracked his neck, knowing if they were alone she wouldn’t get away with that action. “You worry too much, sweet cheeks. I’m gonna be fine and so is Sami. We love wrestling against each other.”

‘You’re DEAD.’ Keyla mouthed to Lennox, regretting letting the woman coax her into attending this event to get her out of the house and some fresh air in her lungs. What a crock that had been! “Oh yeah sure, I don’t believe that for a second after your last match I witnessed. Since we’re allowed backstage, I’m staying there. I don’t want to see you two fight each other in person.”

Jon shrugged, not bothered by Keyla not wanting to watch him do his job and what he loved, leaning his head back against the seat. “Your loss.”

Anyone who didn’t want to see CZW up close and personal had no idea what they were missing because it was, in Jon’s biased opinion, the greatest wrestling show going today. Better than anything WWE, TNA, ROH or any other promotion delivered, though he did wrestle for a few of them. Dragon Gate came into a close second, but CZW was his first home and where Jon caught his big break. They took a chance on him, believed in him to be their champion and Jon owed them everything as well as professional wrestling.

Arriving at the arena, Danny parked the car and everyone stepped out to head inside to get ready for the show. Lennox and Keyla were given passes to wear around their necks, signaling they were special guests with the company. Turning the corner, Keyla stopped at the sight of Sami walking out of his dressing room and lock eyes with him across the way. It’d been a month since their brief talk where Keyla forgave him for what he did to her back in high school and told him to stay in the house. They barely said 3 words to each other, Sami avoiding her like the plague by doing extra workouts and spending all of his time training for his job.

“Key, you coming or what?” Lennox noticed her best friend stop dead in her tracks and spotted Sami, cracking a small smile his way.

“I’ll catch up with you in a minute.” Keyla walked away from Lennox, sidestepping a few people so she wasn’t bulldozed and stumbled against Sami, immediately planting her arms at her sides. “Is there somewhere we can talk? I’ll be quick.”

Sami nodded, pushing open the dressing room door he currently occupied and shut it behind him, blocking out most of the backstage noise. “What is it?” He tried to keep the gruff tone out of his voice and failed, avoiding eye contact with Keyla.

“You’ve been avoiding me.” She accused softly, folding her arms in front of her chest and didn’t pull her eyes away from him. “I told you I forgive you for what you did to me. Why can’t you just accept it and why can’t we go back to the way things used to be before we found out all this bullshit?”

“Because I can’t just forgive and forget, Kayleigh.” Damn it, he had to learn to use her right name, what she changed it to, instead of reverting to the past girl who had completely changed from who he used to know. “You may have forgiven me, but I haven’t forgiven myself and until I do, I just need my space to deal with it.”

Keyla frowned upon hearing that, not wanting Sami to beat himself up mentally when he was about to step in the ring against Jon. “Is it because of what you did to me with my parents or…the fact we fucked and Jon doesn’t know about it?” She had to lay it all out on the table, unable to get what happened between them out of her head. “Sami…”

“Don’t!”

Sami held his hand up, pacing like a caged animal in front of her and stopped her hand from coming in contact with his face when she raised it, wrapping it around her wrist gently but firmly. He was trembling and Keyla didn’t know how to soothe him, to make him understand what he did back in high school wasn’t his fault. Touching him wasn’t the right move or smart decision, but she did it anyway and never once pulled her citrine orbs away from intense fern.

“I-I can’t…hurt you again, Kayleigh. Jesus, I can’t even call you the right fucking name!” Ever since he found out who she really was, HIS Kayleigh from the past, Sami couldn’t get the name out of his head or his heart. “And I already know you don’t…feel the same for me as you did back then. I know your feelings have gone to Jon and I’m fine with it. I just – staying away from you is my only option right now before I do something we’ll both surely regret.”

“Like what?” Keyla tilted her head, confused by his words and gasped when he backed her up until she hit the wall, his hand still holding her wrist hostage. “Sami…”

As far as he knew, Jon hadn’t staked his claim on Kayleigh – Keyla and, until he did, she was fair game. “I wanna kiss you all over and pick up where we left off all those years ago, Kayleigh. And it doesn’t matter where it happens at. It could be right now in this dressing room before my match against the guy you really wanna be with, my best friend. I don’t care if we end up sharing you at this point as long as I get a piece of you, however small. But I won’t force it, not after what I did to you. That’s why I’m distancing myself because it’s taken all of my willpower and patience not to make you mine again. Do you get it now?”

His words made her breathless and they were everything she wanted to hear...from the wrong man. “Yes.” She whispered, the amount of intensity in his eyes making her stomach twist violently. “I – I should go…”

“Yeah, you should and don’t look back.” Sami grunted, releasing her wrist and stepped several feet away to put space between them, the scent of gardenias infiltrating his senses.

“Be careful tonight, please.”

Keyla still cared a great deal about him, more so now that she knew who Sami was and the feeling of déjà vu didn’t keep haunting her. The mystery had been solved. Part of her wanted Sami to kiss her and take away all the pain Jon caused her since they met, but a bigger part, a stronger part, felt like she was betraying Jon by being with her high school sweetheart. Walking out, Keyla didn’t seen Sami drop his head forward or the few tears slip down his cheeks, the amount of pain in his eyes overtaking the intensity. He still loved her and had never stopped, his feelings magnified now that he knew exactly who Keyla was. Sami just had to weather the storm and wait for an opportunity to get Keyla back, if one ever arose.

~!~

“There you are! I was about to send the search party after your ass!” Lennox crowed the moment the door opened and Keyla stepped inside, thankful she was alright. Nick Gage was in the building, so they had to be very cautious in case he tried something. “Everything alright?”

No it wasn’t, but Keyla decided to keep her true feelings to herself. “Yeah, just wished him luck in the match.” Citrine eyes moved to where Jon stood in the far corner of the room, shadowboxing with an annoyed look on his face. “What’s with him?”

“Well, you know how Jon is involved in multiple organizations to wrestle?” Lennox waited for Keyla to nod before continuing, heaving a sigh. “He’s got his own cameraman to film various promos for the different companies and, apparently, the asshole quit tonight. Jon was supposed to do a promo for one of the companies and now he can’t because none of us can operate the equipment.” Then a lightbulb went off in Lennox’s head, raising a slow brow at a distraught Keyla. “Didn’t you go to school briefly for film production?”

Keyla scoffed, waving her best friend off and leaned against the wall away from the door in case Jon had any other visitors. “BRIEFLY being the key word there, Len…”

Briefly or not, Keyla had SOME experience, even if it was schooling only. “Perfect. Come here.” Taking her friend’s hand, Lennox lead her over to where Jon continued shadowboxing and smiled sweetly up at him. “Moxley, meet your new camerawoman.”

“W-WHAT?!” Keyla exclaimed, gaining the attention of Danny and Drake Younger, who were talking amongst themselves on the other side of the room. “No, she’s fucked in the head. Don’t listen to her Jon, I don’t know the first thing about being a camera person, woman or whatever it’s called.”

“Only one way to find out.” Lennox sing-songed, convinced Keyla could do this and, besides, what else did Keyla have going on in her life right now? She had no job besides working the bar part-time, so being a camerawoman of Jon’s could be her big break. “We’ll give you guys some privacy. Danny, Drake, come on let’s go get some grub before the vultures steal it all.”

Keyla opened her mouth to protest again, but Lennox was too fast for her and the door closed behind their friends, leaving her alone with Jon. Truthfully, they hadn’t been alone together in a month and Keyla could already feel her insides quaking, especially watching his arms fly back and forth in front of him. A cigarette dangled out of his mouth, making Jon sexier if that was possible in his wrestling gear, the t-shirt all he had on with the jeans gone.

“Leave if you don’t wanna do it. I’m not gonna beg you.” Jon informed her bluntly, taking the cigarette out of his mouth and flicked ash on the trashed carpeted floor, raising a brow down at her. “Well? You in or not?”

How hard could it be filming him doing a promo? Nobody else was there to do it and Keyla knew somewhat how to work a…camcorder? “This is what you use?” She questioned, sounding somewhat shocked and slipped her hand through the holder to keep it steady.

Jon chuckled, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, I’m not rich or anything and neither are these companies I work for. Just hold it as still as you can and don’t make a sound.”

Since she agreed to do this by taking the camcorder from him, Jon decided to give her a small audition and squared his shoulders, waiting to see the red light on the camcorder turn on. Keyla could only stand there listening to every word he said, his voice dropping several octaves at times and then rising to an intense yell, emphatically getting his point across. She didn’t pay attention to what he said, just the way his body moved and his voice. It amazed Keyla how every word he said sent a shot of warmth directly to her panty covered sex. Good thing she wore black jeans or she would have to leave the show early to go home to get a fresh pair. When he finished a few minutes later, Keyla slowly lowered the camcorder and shut it off, feeling Jon’s heated gaze on her. No sooner did she turn her back, Jon moved to stand directly behind her and cigarette smoke blew across her cheek, his mouth hovered over her ear.

“Did I scare you?”

It sent shivers down her spine and Keyla wasn’t sure if it was from fear or desire, maybe a mixture of both. “No, you didn’t.” Her eyes shut the moment his mouth brushed against the pulse point of her neck and Keyla clutched the camcorder tighter so she didn’t drop it.

“You sure?” Jon slowly turned her around until those hypnotic citrine orbs locked on his, taking one last drag from his cigarette before flicking it away against the wall. “Alright then, you’re hired.”

Chapter 33

Receiving a phone call from a panicked Keyla had Lennox racing over to the house, asking the assistant manager of her tattoo parlor to watch over the place. They were slow, so it wasn’t a big deal for Lennox to leave for a couple hours to check on her best friend. Rushing up to the front door, Lennox didn’t bother knocking and walked inside, stopping at the sight of Keyla sitting on the couch in the living room with her head between her legs. That position told her one thing: Keyla was having a panic attack and Lennox could hear her heavy breathing, noting her whole body trembling from head to toe. What the hell could’ve happened in the span of 12 hours?

“Key…”

“I can’t do this.” Keyla cut Lennox off, not bothering looking up and continued sitting in the same position, feeling incredibly nauseous. “I’m insane; I’m absolutely crazy for doing this and I don’t know what to do.”

Raising a confused brow, Lennox joined Keyla on the couch and placed a hand on her shoulder, concern flooding her violet eyes. “You’re not making sense, woman. What the hell is going on?” Did watching Jon and Sami fight the previous night really bother Keyla to the point where she had panic attacks?

Surprisingly, this had nothing to do with Jon and Sami’s match. Keyla couldn’t focus on it after what transpired with Jon and the fact he hired her to be his new on-road camerawoman. Hiring her meant Keyla had to start traveling all over the place with him, wherever he wrestled, in all of the promotions he worked for. Jon needed someone he could trust and who was reliable, who wouldn’t stab him in the back or simply not show up whenever he needed something recorded. It was a fulltime position, which meant Keyla had to cut back on the hours at the bar or just nix the job altogether. While the pay was decent and better than the bar, Keyla was worried about traveling all over the country and world with Jon alone, afraid she would give more of her heart to him than she already had.

“Why the hell did I do this?” Keyla groaned, her voice somewhat muffled by her thighs, but Lennox could still hear what she said.

“Well if you would tell me what the fuck you’re freaking out about, I might be able to help you.” Lennox retorted, folding her arms in front of her chest and waited for Keyla’s panic attack to subside.

10 minutes later, Keyla finally removed her head from between her legs and looked at her best friend, partially blaming Lennox for this happening. She was the one who stuck the camcorder in Keyla’s hands before hightailing it out of the dressing room with Danny and Drake! Still, Keyla didn’t have a lot of friends in the world and she wouldn’t lose Lennox simply because the woman was trying to help her.

“I – um – I got a new job.” Keyla muttered, standing up from the couch to walk into the kitchen, suddenly dying of thirst.

Lennox followed, leaning against the kitchen island and accepted a bottled water Keyla slid over to her, uncapping it. “And this is a bad thing because…?” Sometimes she wanted to strangle Keyla, especially in situations where Lennox was forced to leave work thinking something horrible happened to her best friend and it hadn’t! “Jesus woman, just fucking say it!”

“JongavemeajoblastnightandItookit!” Keyla mumbled in a rush of words, not able to meet Lennox’s eyes and chugged down the rest of her water, beginning to pace again. “My parents just died and I’m doing something completely stupid and I need you to talk me out of it. I need you to be my reason not to do this, Lennox. Just tell me not to do it and I won’t.”

Lennox didn’t have the foggiest idea what Keyla was talking about because of the mumbled confession she didn’t understand a word of. “First off, you need to calm down and pop a squat before you end up giving yourself a stroke or something.” Lennox ordered, walking around the island and stopped Keyla from pacing, shoving her down in one of the stools. “Tell me again what’s going on and this time don’t mumble because I didn’t understand a damn word you said to me.”

Taking several deep shaky breaths, Keyla wiped her sweaty palms off on her jeans and clasped her hands on her lap, locking eyes with worried, slightly annoyed, violet orbs. “Last night, after you left the dressing room with Danny and Drake, I – um – helped Jon out with his camera issue and…when it was done, he…he offered me a job to be his permanent on-road camerawoman. And I accepted.”

“Holy fuck.” Lennox slapped a hand over her mouth, not meaning for that to come out the way it did, but she was too baffled by the news. “I mean wow…yeah – wow…” No wonder Keyla was freaking out and having a spaz attack! “Now you’re having second thoughts about it and want me to talk you out of taking the job?” Had Keyla whacked her head one too many times or lost her mind? “I’m not going to do that.”

“Why the hell not? This is the LAST thing I should be doing right now, Len, and you know it! Traveling all over the place with the man I’m in love with, but can never have, working for him, closely I might add, permanently!” Keyla would’ve thought the one person in her life who wouldn’t condone this happening would be her best friend, who didn’t particularly care for Jon Moxley. Were they suddenly buddy-buddy now too?

Those were all facts Lennox couldn’t dispute, but it didn’t change Keyla’s unemployment situation either. “Key, the bar isn’t gonna pay your bills forever. Your job at the candy factory is gone, or do you not remember that? You need some kind of income and, if Mox is offering it, you need to take it to stay afloat. Do I like the fact you’ll be traveling all over the place with him? No, but its income right now that you need in order to survive. I will NOT – I REFUSE – to talk you out of a great opportunity like this. Not happening.”

It was at that moment Keyla remembered the inheritance from her parents’ – something Lennox knew nothing about yet. “Then maybe you’ll feel differently and talk me out of doing this if I tell you I no longer have to worry about my finances for the rest of my life.”

Now Lennox was confused again for the second time since arriving, her eyebrow quirking slowly. “What the hell are you talking about?” Feeling the need to sit suddenly, Lennox took the stool beside Keyla with both girls facing each other. “You lost your job…”

“My parents.” Keyla revealed barely above a whisper, scrubbing a hand down her face before rubbing her arms to try warming her body up. She felt cold as ice at the moment because she’d never kept anything from Lennox before. “They left me everything in a will Uncle Raymond showed me after the funeral privately. He didn’t want anyone else knowing for whatever reason. Probably some legal bullshit with the family or something, but he assured me if I kept everything quiet until the papers were signed, I’d be fine. They should be arriving here by UPS in a few days and then anything my parents left behind is mine. Bank accounts, savings, stocks and bonds, the house – everything.”

Lennox had no idea what to say or how to react to this news, feeling her mouth go dry as a desert from Keyla’s second confession of the day. “I need a beer.”

Standing from the stool, Lennox opened the fridge and snatched two longnecks before sliding one over to Keyla, knowing her best friend definitely needed some alcohol in her system to calm down. It had always been an instant calming agent for Keyla and, if she drank too much, it turned into a sedative. One beer wouldn’t do anything besides keep her grounded in both mind and body. Taking her seat back on the stool, Lennox cracked her longneck open and took a long swig, not saying anything for a few minutes while digesting the slew of news Keyla bestowed upon her. She wasn’t upset about the inheritance, glad Keyla’s parents finally did one thing right by their daughter after all the malicious secrets and hell they put her through, including taking away her chance at motherhood. What worried Lennox was how strong Keyla’s feelings ran for Jon Moxley, hoping if she decided to keep his job offer, her heart wouldn’t end up shattered into a million pieces when it was all said and done.

“So if you’re well-off, why take the job?” Lennox questioned, breaking the silence between them and glanced over at Keyla, already knowing the answer. Because it was Jon Moxley offering it and anytime she could spend with him was better than none. “I’m sorry about forcing that camcorder in your hands last night. If I would’ve known…”

“No, it’s not your fault.” Keyla cut her off, sipping her own beer and heaved a sigh, scoffing. “I should’ve been up front about the inheritance with you. You, of all people, I should be able to trust with that information because I know you won’t go blabbing to anyone, not even Danny, if I ask you not to. Which I am, just so you’re aware. I don’t want Jon and Sami thinking they get a free ride around here just because I came into a fortune.”

Lennox understood that completely and agreed, resting her elbows on the island. “Back out of the deal if you don’t want to work for Moxley. He’ll find someone else. Don’t put yourself in a situation you’re uncomfortable with, Key. It never ends well, trust me on that.”

There were already two confessions Keyla laid on Lennox, but sadly that wasn’t all of them. “There is one more thing I should tell you…”

“Jesus, I don’t know if I can handle any more surprises…” What the hell else had her best friend been hiding? “Is this going to piss me off more or less?”

“Depends.” Keyla paused to take another long swallow of beer and kept her eyes locked on the island counter. “Are you gonna be pissed about me sleeping with Jon the night of the funeral?”

It took every ounce of willpower inside of Lennox not to lose her temper the moment those words left Keyla’s mouth. “I see.” What was she supposed to say to that? Keyla was a grown woman capable of making her own decisions in life and, if she wanted to screw Jon Moxley, more power to her. “So where are you headed tomorrow, should you decide to take the job? And you need to make the decision tonight because he’ll need to find another camerawoman, person or whatever before leaving tomorrow morning.”

“That’s it? That’s all you have to say to me after I just told you I fucked Jon again?” Keyla demanded, not sure how to feel about Lennox’s response and rubbed the back of her neck nervously. “No ‘you’re making a mistake’ or ‘get a hold of yourself before you end up hurt’? Nothing? You’re just gonna blow it off and talk about the road trip that is Jon’s current life?”

“What do you want me to say, Key? Don’t do it? You’re going down a bad road with Moxley and he’s going to end up slaughtering your emotions and heart? You already know all of it, so I shouldn’t have to say it. You know what you’re doing with him is wrong and that’s why you’re getting bent out of shape yelling at me because you want me to make it right for you. And I can’t do that!” Lennox slammed her longneck down on the island counter and stood up from the stool, frustration building at the way Keyla snapped at her over Jon Moxley. “What I CAN do is be there for you when things go to shit with him and help you pick up the pieces of your heart. To be your best friend and shoulder to cry on when you need it, and you will if you keep sleeping with him. You know what you need to do. Maintaining control and resistance against him is the only way this will end without disaster striking, even if that means getting separate rooms while on the road alone.”

She deserved that verbal lashing and more from Lennox, shame coursing through every part of Keyla’s body because, deep down, she knew her best friend spoke the truth. Jon wasn’t interested in a relationship and never would be. Filing away Lennox’s advice in the back of her mind, Keyla changed subject to talk about the upcoming journey she was about to embark on with Jon. It would start in Crystal River, Florida, where the FIP (Full Impact Pro) wrestling event was being held. Keyla had already given her word to Jon and accepted the job, so it would look pretty stupid and selfish on her part to back out when he needed her the most. After spending several days in Crystal River, they would come back until May 1^st and then make their way to Rahway, New Jersey for a promotion called Evolve, where Jon would make his debut in a match against Drake Younger. So they would end up traveling with Drake during that time, which Keyla didn’t have an issue with. Throughout the whole explanation, Lennox did not envy Keyla’s situation and hoped Moxley took care of her or else there would be hell to pay.

~!~

“I fucked up, Dan boy. I fucked up big time and I don’t know what to do now.”

Jon was having his own moment of freaking out and second thoughts, wondering what possessed him to offer his on-road camera person job to Keyla, his roommate and sometimes fuck buddy. Had he lost his mind? This upcoming match in FIP was for the vacant FIP World Heavyweight championship and the last thing Jon needed to worry about was Keyla. His opponent was Roderick Strong, no pushover, but Jon planned on winning the title, no matter what and at any costs. Danny’s laughter jolted Jon out of his thoughts and he flipped the bird, rolling his eyes.

“Glad you find my fucking problems amusing, bro.”

“I’m not sure how else you wanted me to react after hearing you mumble and beat around the bush about fucking Keyla again.” Danny could only imagine what his woman would think of this news and stopped laughing, becoming serious. “I need to know something though.”

Biting at the tape around his wrist, Jon brushed his long wet hair from his forehead and kept pulling at it, becoming somewhat frustrated. Why had he wrapped his hands so damn tight? “I don’t know what I want with Keyla right now, if that’s what you’re about to ask. I have no fucking clue and I’m not in the position to have a relationship right now. Besides, she and Sami have history. I’m not about to deal with that bullshit when I’m on the brink of taking over the Indies.” Jon had worked too long and hard to get to where he was right now for some woman to come along and demolish it.

Nodding in agreement, Danny stopped Jon from ripping at the tape on his hands and clasped his hand on Jon’s forearm, their eyes locking. “Friend zone her, then.” He advised, knowing it was for, not only Keyla’s own good, but Jon’s as well. “I’m serious; don’t fuck her again and keep shit professional between the two of you. Or else you will end up hurting her.”

Watching Danny walk out of the arena, Jon didn’t know if friend zoning Keyla was an option since they’d slept together twice now. Shaking his head, he decided to deal with this later and finally removed the tape from his hands, balling it up tossing it in the trash. Then he poured a full bottle of water over his head and headed out of the arena with gym bag in hand, needing to head to the house to pack up for his trip with Keyla to FIP to claim the title of that company. Jon had no idea Keyla was having the same doubts and second thoughts he was at that very moment while he drove, hoping this job offer didn’t blow up in his face.

Chapter 34

“Keyla, time to get up.”

“Mmm 5 more minutes…” She mumbled, rolling away from the deep raspy voice in her ear and snuggled further into the pillow, only for the blanket to be ripped from her body, groaning in protest. “Noooo…”

“Yessss…” Jon growled in her ear, planting his hand on her side and gave his sleeping roommate a thorough scan, appreciating the way the peach nightgown hugged every curve of her body. “Mmm, don’t make me wake you up my way, darlin’. You may not like how I do it.” Then again, they had slept together twice and Jon had already gotten a grand taste of her delicious flesh.

Friend zone her.

Danny’s voice resonated in Jon’s head, reminding him of the line he was about to cross again and shut his eyes, knowing pulling back was his only option with Keyla. She was a sweet woman and deserved a lot better than a scumbag like him. Sure, Jon was awesome at what he did for a living and in the ring he was flawless, but as far as relationships and feelings went, he sucked with a capital S. There was no way he could give Keyla what she wanted, what she truly desired. And he would not make her sacrifice her happiness for a few rounds of incredible sex between them that would result in him satisfied and her heart smashed to pieces. Nope, he’d pass.

“Up now. We’re running late enough as it is.” Jon ordered gruffly, rising to his full height and flipped the light on to flood the room, heading out to give Keyla privacy to wake up.

Grumbling, Keyla reluctantly snapped her eyes open and looked at the clock, gritting her teeth. 6 AM…6 AM REALLY?! They couldn’t leave at a decent hour like 8 or 9 AM? It had to be at the crack of dawn?! Keyla was already regretting taking this job and pushed up from the bed to stretch her arms above her head, cracking a few parts of her body. Everything she planned bringing with had been packed the previous night, so all Keyla had to do was get dressed and join Jon downstairs before hitting the road. 10 minutes later, Keyla trudged down the stairs, letting her luggage hit each step on the way down and shot a glare in Jon’s direction, her hair pulled back in a simple ponytail. Nothing fancy, no makeup on her face; she was in dire need of java, unless Jon planned on dealing with a very moody woman all the way to Crystal River, Florida.

“Remind me again why I’m doing this?” Keyla demanded, snatching her favorite coffee mug out of the cupboard to fill it up to the brim, deciding to drink it straight black.

Jon noticed that, surprised Keyla hadn’t added sugar or cream to the dark liquid to make it turn milky. He preferred his coffee black, straight and strong. “Because I offered you a job and the thought of being your boss makes me feel all tingly.” He joked, a smirk crossing his lips.

“Whoa, let’s get one thing straight right now, Moxley. You are NOT my boss. We are equals and I’m taking this job to help you out.” Keyla laid it out for him and, if Jon didn’t like it, she would gladly go back upstairs to get a few more hours of shuteye while he scrambled to find a new camerawoman to torture.

Stepping up to her, Jon backed Keyla into the counter until it met her lower back and once again he was sucked into those hypnotic citrine orbs. All he wanted to do was kiss her, to capture her mouth and make her bend to him in every which way he desired. Jon had already done it twice, both times very memorable and stupefying, hearing her voice scream his name in the throes of passion purely symphonic. Why couldn’t they just have fun together without adding feelings and emotions to the mix?

“Thanks.”

“For what?” Keyla catechized, genuinely confused by the different swirl of emotions coursing through his electric blues. “Jon…”

The moment she reached up to brush some hair from his forehead was the one movement Jon needed to snap back to reality. He stepped back, acting as though she scorched him and used both hands to hold his coffee, averting his gaze from a baffled Keyla. Glancing at the clock, Jon saw it was closing in on a quarter to 7 and they still had to stop to fill up his car – a present he bought for himself after winning the CZW title since his pay slightly increased being the champion. It was a standard small black 2002 Ford Ranger truck that cost him 3 paychecks, not including rent to Keyla, and Jon had paid all $3,000 of it in full with cash in hand. It had a little over 100,000 miles on it already and was several years old, but got him from point A to B safely unlike Sami’s vehicle.

“Grab your shit, we gotta head out now. Already running late.”

Keyla wondered if she would ever get used to Jon’s abrupt mood swings and grabbed her luggage bag, rolling it behind her. Locking the front door, she looked back at the house so many memories held for her, both good and bad, mentally bidding farewell until they returned with Jon holding another championship belt hopefully. The honking horn from Jon’s truck jolted Keyla out of her thoughts, citrine eyes looking back at the man behind the wheel and, despite everything that happened between them, a smile crossed her face. Spending time with him alone on the road and watching him wrestle didn’t sound like a bad idea suddenly.

~!~

“Fucking hell we made it.” Jon grunted, stepping out of the truck and took the keys from Keyla since she had driven the past almost 8 hours. It was a little over 15 hours to get from Philadelphia to Crystal River, Florida, both deciding it would be best to split the driving. “Need food, shower, booze and bed.”

“Maybe you should skip the booze for tonight.” Keyla suggested tiredly, pulling her luggage out of the bed of the truck and began heading inside the motel Jon had stayed in before. “Get a good night’s sleep and be ready for your match tomorrow.”

Normally, if it was anyone else, Jon would’ve ripped Keyla apart verbally and told her to mind her own business. This wasn’t an ordinary person or woman though, so Jon thought best to keep the peace between them as much as possible. He merely shrugged in her direction and opened the door, letting her walk inside first before heading to the check-in and out counter, paying the receptionist cash. Jon did not believe in credit cards or having a bank account, always keeping his cash close to him for fear of someone trying to steal it. If they tried, it would have to be pried from his cold dead fingers. Once checked into their room, Jon realized there was only one bed for him and Keyla to share, both looking at each other apprehensively at the same time.

Maintaining control and resistance against him is the only way this will end without disaster striking, even if that means getting separate rooms while on the road alone.

Lennox’s words pierced through Keyla’s brain, reminding her of the extensive talk they had the previous night. No matter how much Keyla wanted to tear her clothes off and let Jon ravage her for hours on end in this room, it couldn’t happen. She had to keep it strictly professional between them or else she might as well rip her heart out of her chest and hand it over to Jon. That would be the type of pain Keyla would experience if she went down the sex only path with Jon, knowing it wasn’t possible since she was already in love with him and he didn’t reciprocate her feelings. Sharing a bed would be easy as long as they laid out ground rules, which would basically be no touching.

“I’m taking a shower first. Order some grub.” Jon tossed a business card Keyla’s way and walked into the small bathroom, closing the door behind him to start up the shower sprays.

Looking down at the card, Keyla could only imagine what kind of place this was and heaved a sigh, plopping down on the bed. “Mama Duke’s huh?” She muttered to the silence of the room and took out her cell phone to make the call, ordering Jon a cheeseburger while she stuck with a chicken sandwich, both orders coming with steak fries.

Once that task was done, Keyla kicked her shoes off and took the time to gaze around the room, noticing a few cracks. It wasn’t fancy, just clean and simple. A small table sat by the window with the shades currently drawn over it to keep anyone from looking inside. Walking over to the air-conditioning unit, Keyla turned the knob on high since it was stifling in the room and took her socks off, glancing at the bathroom door. She could still hear the shower sprays running and, once again, felt the ball of heat erupt in her lower abdomen. Just envisioning Jon in the shower with the water cascading down his rock hard muscular body was enough to force Keyla out of her short sleeved top and then jeans, leaving her clad in just bra and panties. What would Jon do if she decided to join him in the shower? Would he kick her out or take what she had to offer and not question it? Just as Keyla stood up from the bed to walk toward the bathroom door, the shower sprays suddenly shut off and she heard Jon coughing on the other side.

“Shit!”

Scrambling to her luggage bag, Keyla quickly pulled out a long white and black nightshirt, tossing it over her head and barely got her arms through before the bathroom door opened. It was a miracle she was able to smooth it down her body before Jon spotted her near the window by the air-conditioning unit. Keyla glanced over her shoulder and cracked a small smile at a quizzical Jon before moving back to peek out of the curtain, distracting herself from the man being clad in just a towel only a few feet away from her. Letting out a huge silent breath of relief, Keyla came to the conclusion maintaining control around this man would be a lot harder than she thought and hoped it was possible to do.

~!~

Keyla’s instructions were simple.

Have the camcorder ready to film Jon after his match against Roderick Strong, which he already assured he would win. Jon woke up earlier that morning ready to fight, getting in an extensive workout while Keyla stayed at the motel room by herself. He asked her not to join him because he didn’t want any distractions, needing to focus solely on winning his match that night against Roderick. Keyla understood, assuring him she would be fine and ended up receiving a text from Uncle Raymond regarding the documents of her parents’ fortune they left her. She explained about her new job, leaving out the fact the man she worked for was one of her roommates and assured him she would take care of the paperwork first thing when they went back to Philadelphia in a few days.

“Ladies & gentlemen, the winner of the match and NEW FIP World Heavyweight champion…JON MOXLEY!”

The biggest smile filled Keyla’s face the moment Jon was announced the winner, standing near the curtain out of sight of the few fans that filled the place. It was a school gymnasium from the looks of it; FIP was a very small company, not a very good fan following, but Dragon Gate was the main owner and kept it alive somehow. Keyla wanted to congratulate Jon on his victory, but instead all he did was grab her upper arm and pulled her away from the curtain while holding up the title over his head, stopping in a narrow hallway with storage units and folded up tables against the wall.

“Turn it on now.”

Obeying, Keyla pressed the record button on the camcorder and backed up when Jon started yelling demands, wanting a blue cooler because it was a celebration on his victory. “GOOD TIMES COME ON!” She jumped as he screamed that, keeping her distance while he walked back and forth with the FIP World Heavyweight title in his clutches. “That’s what I do. See I’m like Tiger Woods – not just ‘cause I like the skanks. Because I am a clutch performer! When the string is pulled to its tightest, and there is no room for error, I don’t make mistakes. I’m ice cold and now I’m the FIP world champion. Yeah understand that – hear it again – I’m the FIP world champion. TASTE THAT!”

Frowning at that comment about skanks, Keyla tried not to let it bother her too much and kept the camcorder steady, not listening to Jon anymore besides him yelling a demand about wanting an open contract. Was he insane? Jon just went through a brutal match with Roderick Strong to win the championship and now he was demanding another fight from ANYONE who wanted to take the title away from him? Keyla would never understand the wrestling business as long as she lived, swallowing hard at the intensity in Jon’s eyes. It never ceased to amaze her how much passion, drive and fortitude he had when it came to professional wrestling.

“Give me your area’s best. Anybody. You know – Around the world - Anybody. I’m gonna…ANYBODY who wants to take this away from me, who doesn’t like the sight of me having it, come and get it. Because I want EVERYBODY!”

Pushing the stop button once Jon walked past her out of the camera’s view, Keyla slowly lowered it and chewed her bottom lip, not moving toward Jon yet. She knew better than to touch or talk to him when he was still in ‘Moxley’ mode, his adrenaline pumping through every vein of his 6’4 frame. Jon noticed the trepidation from Keyla and immediately took the camcorder from her hands before pushing her against the steel gated storage unit, ignoring the alarm bells ringing in his head.

“Congrat-”

Before Keyla could get that single word out, Jon’s mouth found hers and her arms instantly encircled his neck, her own alarm bells ringing in her head muted. His sweaty warm body pressed against hers was pure heaven and Keyla didn’t care where they were or the fact the gate slightly scratched her back. None of it mattered, especially when Jon lifted her from the concrete floor to wrap her legs around his waist and continued kissing her. Due to how hot and humid it was outside, Keyla came to the arena in blue jean shorts and a white tank top, not wanting to swelter inside since the school didn’t have central air. So currently she was also sweaty and her body temperature had skyrocketed the moment Jon’s mouth found hers. Setting her back down on her feet, Jon whipped Keyla around to where her hands grabbed at the gate while Jon divested her of her shorts and panties, shoving his own black wrestling trunks down. Right there in the middle of the school hallway, where anyone could catch them at a simple glance, Jon took Keyla for his own and didn’t stop until she came buckets for him…and only him.

Chapter 35

July.

Had it really been 2 months since Keyla took the job to be Jon’s personal on-road camerawoman? Hard to believe considering she couldn’t stand being near Jon and only put up with him as long as necessary. Everything between them turned strictly professional the night Jon won the FIP World Heavyweight championship. After the sexual bout they had in the school’s hallway where she’d filmed him giving an explosive promo, Keyla went back to the hotel while Jon went out with friends he knew in town. It was a celebration for his victory and, as much as Keyla wanted to go with him, she needed to decompress from the hectic day and night. Not to mention wrap her mind around the fact she once again let Jon have his way with her. Somehow, she managed to fall asleep a little after midnight that night after a hot bubble bath in the dinky hotel bathtub. Her peaceful slumber was disturbed when the door to the hotel room her and Jon shared together crashed open after 4 AM, 2 people in drunken stupors collapsing on the bed on top of Keyla. Even through the darkness, she could see Jon’s silhouette and the giggling of some whore pulsated through her ears. Disgusted and appalled, Keyla managed to slip from the bed, freezing the moment Jon’s hand wrapped around her wrist and stopped her from leaving.

“Join us, Keyla.” Jon slurred, the strong Jack Daniels on his breath blowing right in her face. “Come on, it’ll be fun, sweet cheeks…”

Ripping her wrist out of his grasp, Keyla shook her head and backed away from him, the nausea deep in her stomach intensifying. “I don’t think so.”

Snatching her bag from the floor, -She’d packed everything prior to going to bed earlier that night- Keyla escaped the room, hearing Jon and the whore’s laughter resonating behind her. Lennox tried to warn her to keep things strictly professional with Jon and she hadn’t listened. Now her heart was shattered into pieces and Keyla had no idea how to fix it, how to piece the shards back together to make it whole again. That had been the most humiliating experience of Keyla’s life and she never wanted a repeat of it again, so for the past 2 months she’d gotten her own room. The worst part was Jon didn’t seem the least bit fazed by what he did that night, unless he didn’t remember it. Keyla doubted it, but he had been wasted too, so it was a huge possibility. Crying herself to sleep that night, Keyla made a vow to keep her guard up around Jon and, so far, she hadn’t broken it.

Slipping from the bed, Keyla felt like she was in a sauna since the air-conditioning unit stopped working the previous night and rubbed the back of her neck, letting out a yawn. Somehow, she managed to get a few hours of sleep while sweltering. It was July 14^th and the sun was beating down on the town of Middletown, Ohio, where Jon would be defending his HWA championship against Gerome Phillips. They arrived the previous night late, grabbing food at a local diner and went to their separate rooms, Keyla paying for hers. Money wasn’t an issue since her parents’ fortune had gone through with flying colors, something Jon still didn’t know about. As far as he knew, he had helped Keyla with the finances by offering her the job to be his camerawoman. She decided to keep the secret for now since they barely spoke unless it had something to do with his promos or the way she recorded them on the camcorder.

After a cool shower, Keyla changed into a pair of blue jean shorts and a burnt orange spaghetti strapped tank top that had a lace hem on the top and bottom, leaving the straps alone. White sandals were on her feet and her dark blue hair was pulled back in a small ponytail with hair sealing to the side of her face since she’d gotten layers put in it the last time it was cut. Sometimes it was annoying to deal with, but for the most part the hair was off her neck and that’s all Keyla really cared about. Turning the camcorder on to make sure it’s fully charged, along with her cell phone, Keyla replaced the disc in it and slid the full one back in the case. She would load it on her laptop later, render it and upload it to YouTube, after approving it with the wrestling company it was for first. For the most part, this job was easy and Keyla had a lot of leeway to do whatever she wanted, thankful Jon was thrilled with her work.

Packing up the rest of her things, Keyla double-checked to make sure she grabbed everything. After the show, they were heading back to Philadelphia for a couple days off…or so Keyla thought. Grabbing her hotel room key and purse, Keyla headed out wheeling her luggage bag behind her, taking the elevator down to the hotel lobby. It was no surprise to see Jon in the lobby already waiting for her and signing a few autographs for fans who recognized him. One thing about Jon was his uncanny ability to make his fans happy, no matter what kind of mood he was in. Keyla commended him for it a few times and Jon always had the same response every time she did it.

“They are the reason for my success. Without them, I would be nothing. I owe them and professional wrestling everything. So the least I can do is sign a few fucking autographs and put smiles on their faces because of the gift they give me day in and day out.”

As cocky and arrogant as Jon could be, he was also a genuinely humble man who did what he could to give back to his fans as much and often as he could. Checking out of her room and handing over the key to the receptionist, Keyla turned around nearly colliding with Jon, accepting an iced coffee he grabbed for her and himself. It was far too hot to think about drinking anything warm.

“Thanks.” Keyla sipped it, walking side-by-side with Jon out of the hotel and toward the parking lot toward Jon’s truck they’d been traveling in nonstop for 2 months. “You ready for your match tonight?”

Jon shrugged, black shades over his eyes to shield the light from them. He was a nocturnal person and always had been. “Somewhat.” Keyla had no idea he was about to lose his match and the HWA championship to his opponent that evening, not wanting to tell her. “It’s gonna be brutal, fair warning.”

Indeed it was.

Keyla stood backstage with the camcorder in hand and watched the match peeking through the curtain. HWA was a small organization and couldn’t afford monitors to watch the matches on, using those types of resources on their own camera crew and making DVDs to sell. She understood that completely and gasped when Jon took a hard hit to the mat, visibly cringing. If he kicked out of that move, he truly was invincible and couldn’t be beaten. Sure enough, the referee’s hand smacked the mat for the count of 3 and Keyla stood up from the chair she’d occupied, a huge frown marring her face. Jon lost…he lost the HWA championship. Why hadn’t he told her about losing? Did he want her to be as surprised as the audience or just flat didn’t care enough to tell her about what happened in his matches? All Keyla was there for was to film his promos and anything else Jon wanted to put on the internet. Jon stumbling to the backstage area past her jolted Keyla out of her thoughts and she walked down to the trainer’s room with him to get stitched up. He was bleeding from the forehead, thanks to a deep laceration Gerome gave him during the match.

Truth be told, Jon’s run in HWA was coming to an end because he wanted to focus on other wrestling promotions who actually helped catapult his career. Sure, HWA was a great way to begin it, but they were struggling and Jon couldn’t keep wasting his time on a company that wouldn’t last. It was shallow and he did have a love for HWA that could never be replaced, but Jon also had to do what was best for him and his wrestling career. HWA wasn’t it. CZW and Dragon Gate were his tickets to fame and hopefully reaching his ultimate dream, which was working for the biggest wrestling organization on the planet.

WWE – World Wrestling Entertainment formally known as the WWF – World Wrestling Federation.

While being stitched up, Jon looked over at Keyla and could tell she was upset, not cringing or wincing once anytime the needle threaded through his skin. “Nasty ‘Nati isn’t far away from here.” He broke the silence between them, clearing his throat a little roughly.

“Nasty ‘Nati?” Then it dawned on Keyla what Jon referred to and her head tilted slightly in his direction, wondering why he brought up Cincinnati of all places. “An hour or so, right?”

“More like 40 minutes, depending on traffic.” Jon moved his eyes from her back up to stare at the ceiling, keeping his arms at his sides and perfectly still. “Wanna see where I was born and had to raise myself? Could be fun.”

He was feeling nostalgic for some reason, not remembering the last time he paid Cincinnati a visit. Doing it with Keyla would make it twice as special, not that she knew that. Against better judgment, Keyla figured it couldn’t hurt and decided to do whatever Jon wanted since he lost his match and the HWA championship. She was surprised he wasn’t angrier about it and figured he would eventually explode. Deciding not to think about that, or injecting further negative energy into the vehicle, Keyla and Jon drove in companionable silence to Cincinnati from Middletown, Ohio. Jon’s adrenaline was too heightened at the moment to simply drive back to Philadelphia, not when Cincinnati was so close he could practically taste and smell the city. An hour later, due to somewhat heavy traffic the closer they approached Cincinnati, Jon pulled up outside of what looked like a poorly constructed apartment building. They were definitely in the projects and dangerous side of the city, making Keyla stick to Jon’s side like glue.

“W-What is this place?” Keyla asked, trying to keep the stammer out of her voice and failed, looking up at Jon to lock their eyes on each other.

“Where I grew up…and raised myself.” Jon replied solemnly, taking her hand and laced their fingers together, leading Keyla up to the front door pushing it open.

Jon grew up in poor conditions, to say the least. Keyla didn’t know what to call this rat hole and kept her thoughts to herself, simply listening while Jon pointed out little things in each hallway while making their way up to his old apartment. The building was condemned to be taken down and they were trespassing, but Jon didn't care. He’d heard about the apartment building being bought out and, instead of fixing it up for families in need, the city was simply tearing it down to build a gas station. Just what the projects side of Cincinnati needed. Finding the apartment on the 3^rd floor of the building, Jon picked the lock on the door with a Swiss army knife and pushed open the door, clouds of dust immediately engulfing both of them. Coughing, Keyla waved off the smog and followed Jon further inside, the floor creaking dangerously beneath their shoes. She opted to change her sandals into tennis shoes after leaving Middletown once the show was over with.

“My Mom…and I lived here most of my life. Until I turned 16 and joined the wrestling school I found on a flyer at a fleet market.”

It seemed like only yesterday Jon was doing his best to survive the jungle known as Cincinnati and walking 15 miles every day to get to and from the wrestling school. Now he was slowly making his mark in the Independent circuit and sooner or later would make it to the big leagues of professional wrestling. Just a little longer, Jon could feel it down to his bone marrow and, until then, he would continue dominating every wrestling organization until the WWE finally took notice. Then again, maybe Jon’s opportunity had already passed him by and, honestly, he didn’t know if he’d fit in with the whole PG rated system WWE had going on currently.

“Where is she now? Your mother?” Keyla was hesitant asking and placed a hand on Jon’s shoulder while peering into the bedroom he had when he was a little boy.

“Ran off with some lowlife that lives in New York. I don’t know, don’t talk to her, but last I heard she got married.” Jon shrugged nonchalantly, rarely discussing his mother with anyone, so talking about her to Keyla was awkward and uncomfortable. “Alright, enough of this. Time to leave.”

Frowning, all Keyla could do was follow Jon out the door and down the stairs until they were outside of the apartment building, fresh air engulfing both of their systems. Jon stood there for what seemed like hours with his hands shoved in the front jean pockets of the shorts he had on, a black t-shirt clinging to his upper body and a white and black bandana around his head to hide the injury he suffered during his match earlier that night. Keyla didn’t realize it was just touching midnight until she checked her watch and wondered how much longer Jon wanted to hang around the dark parts of Cincinnati before hightailing it back on the road to Philadelphia.

“Jon…”

“See that street corner across the way?” Jon pointed adjacently, glancing down at her briefly to see her nod and heaved a sigh. “Mom worked there every day and night…to keep food on the table for us. She whored herself out to keep the bills paid and food in my mouth. Yet I hate her and I don’t know why. I don’t understand it.”

This was not Keyla’s area of expertise and, again, she was stumped on what to say or do. So she did the first thing that came to mind and wrapped her arms around Jon’s waist, burying her face in his chest. Surprisingly, he returned the embrace, resting his chin on top of her head and both stood there holding each other for a while, the silence nearly suffocating.

“You’ve evolved so much from where you grew up. You made something of yourself and followed your dream. Not a lot of people that grew up in conditions like these succeed in life, but you have and…it’s inspiring.” Keyla pulled back enough to look up into his deep electric blues and could feel her heart doing another leaping dance deep in her chest.

“I’m sorry…about what happened and what I did to you 2 months ago.” Jon had been counting the days since he held a decent conversation with Keyla that didn’t involve work. “I was a fucking idiot for what I did. I was drunk and didn’t think and hurt the one person I vowed never to hurt. You.” Hadn’t Sami put her through enough in life? Why did Jon have to add his own insult to injury? “Look, I know why you’ve gotten your own rooms lately and you can keep doing that, but…what happened in Florida will never happen again. I’m tired of walking on eggshells around each other. I want you back, darlin’.”

There it was. The apology Keyla had waited 2 months for and she felt zero satisfaction from it. If anything, it just made her feel guilty for shutting Jon out when they should’ve talked about what happened. She was a coward, making a promise to herself never to do it again unless he did something unforgivable.

“Don’t worry about it anymore, Jon. It’s in the past and there’s no point dwelling on it.”

Kissing his cheek, Keyla walked around Cincinnati with him a little more before they decided to call it a night, renting a motel room on the outskirts of the city. They shared a bed together, no sex, with Jon resting his head on Keyla’s chest, both falling asleep in no time at all. It was the best night sleep each had in a long time and hopefully this was the beginning of mending their friendship and relationship.

Chapter 36

“Come on, Key! I haven’t seen you in ages and miss you! You have to come and I’m not taking no for an answer.”

It was the first weekend in 2 and a half months Jon and Keyla were home and Lennox was taking advantage of the situation. It was mid-July, 100 degrees outside and the last thing Keyla wanted to do was go to an amusement park. Sure, it would have water rides and they could soak up some Vitamin D, but more than likely Jon would not want to spend his days off being active. The man was nonstop for 2 and a half months defending countless titles and winning almost all of his matches besides the one in HWA.

“It’s so hot outside…”

“DUH! That’s why we’re going to a waterpark, woman! Come on, get your sexy bikini on and let’s hit the road! Jon is off the road for a couple weeks now and Danny wants to hang out with him.”

Being shacked up in motel rooms, some without air-conditioning, and then working in stuffy environments throughout the East hadn’t been appealing. Keyla did the best she could at her job, however, and Jon seemed to be content with her work effort. A waterpark did sound fun and since they had a couple weeks off to relax and chill out, why not do it with their friends they hadn’t seen in a while? Then again, they didn’t have to do everything together and be conjoined at the hip constantly. Maybe Jon didn’t want to go, but that didn’t mean Keyla couldn’t. She would still ask him though, not wanting to leave Jon out of anything regarding their friends.

“Alright, alright…” Keyla conceded, pulling the phone away from her ear before Lennox could blow her eardrum out from squealing so loudly. “I’ll ask Jon if he wants to go, but don’t be surprised if he doesn’t. Tell Danny not to get his hopes up.”

“Will do!” Lennox could care less if Jon joined them, too excited to spend time with her best friend and felt Danny’s arm encircle her waist. “Be ready in a half an hour…” Danny nibbling on her ear made her change her mind. “Make that a full hour…”

Shaking her head, Keyla heard the dial tone from her cell and slipped it in her back jean short pocket, walking out of her room down the hall toward Jon’s. Sami was nowhere to be found; the last time they saw each other Keyla forgave him for what happened back in high school and approved of him staying in the house. Ever since then, Sami avoided her like the plague and Keyla was fine with it, just as long as he kept paying his rent and utilities. Just because they weren’t roommates didn’t mean they had to be friends. Knocking on Jon’s door, Keyla stepped back when it opened and felt the breath leave her body entirely, swallowing hard. The man she loved and drove her crazy on a daily basis stood in front of her in just a towel hanging loosely on his muscular toned hips.

“What?” Jon muttered, a cigarette dangling from his lips and rivulets of water slid down his muscular chest, arms and face, hair slicked back from running his fingers through it.

Keyla had to learn how to breathe again and took a tentative step back, putting a little more space between them. “L-Lennox called. They’re going to a waterpark today and…wanted to know if we wanted to go. Actually, she invited me and Danny’s going, so I figured you’d want to go to hang out with him. She convinced me to go.” Coerced was a better term for it, but she wouldn’t throw Lennox under the bus with Jon.

Letting smoke filter out of his nostrils, Jon thought it over for a couple seconds and shook his head, leaning against the doorframe. “I’ll pass.” Then, a vision of Keyla in a skimpy bikini filtered through his mind, her body soaked from head to toe.

“Okay…” The disappointment couldn’t be missed in Keyla’s voice as she started to turn away from him, stopping when he grabbed her hand to stop her. “What?”

“I changed my mind. Let’s do it.”

Keyla blinked, not expecting Jon to have a change of heart and let him pull her closer, a few water droplets marring the front of her tank top. “Really?”

He owed her this much after everything he put her through lately, especially the drunken night in Florida. “If you don’t want me to go…”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Keyla cut him off, reaching up to caress his damp face with the back of her hand. Jon had shaved, so his skin was currently smooth as silk against her fingers. “Of course I want you to go.”

“Not sick of me yet, eh?” Jon chortled, pulling her into the bedroom until they reached the bed and sat down on it with Keyla straddling his lap. “Be honest with me, Keyla, are you okay? Are we okay?”

She smiled softly and pressed her forehead against his, pecking his nose. “Everything is fine, I promise.” Keyla pulled back enough to kiss his forehead and ruffled his hair playfully, enjoying being this close to him. “I know you’re sorry for what happened in Florida and I’ve forgiven you. Now get up, find your trunks or whatever you wanna get wet in and meet me downstairs in 15 minutes.” Pecking his cheek, she stood up from his lap and walked out of the bedroom, heading toward her own to change for their waterpark outing.

20 minutes later, Lennox and Danny pulled into the driveway blaring the horn. Keyla rushed down the stairs with her bag of stuff and glared at a chuckling Jon leaning against the kitchen counter eating an English muffin. Rolling her eyes, Keyla snatched the muffin out of Jon’s hand and took a huge bite out of it before pushing him out the front door. Luckily, Jon managed to grab his bag and Keyla locked up behind him, both heading toward Danny and Lennox’s vehicle, hopping in the backseat.

“Took you fuckers long enough!” Lennox chastised, turning around in her seat to grin at her best friend and Jon. “You better hope we don’t hit traffic, Moxley.”

“If we do, sue me. Or better yet, sue Keyla. She’s the one who took forever getting ready.” Jon had no problem putting the blame on her and lit up another cigarette, cracking the window enough to flick ash off the tip since Danny had the air-conditioner cranking. “So, what waterpark are we raising hell at anyway?”

“Carousel Water & Fun Park. 3 hours away, give or take.” Danny answered, pulling onto the highway heading toward Beach Lake, Pennsylvania. “We’re staying the night, so I hope you kiddies packed extra clothes.”

Jon had a mental image of a map carved in his brain. “Which direction?”

“Northeast.”

“So Pennsylvania?”

Danny looked in the rearview mirror back at Jon. “How the hell did you figure that out?”

“Been traveling the roads and these parts a long time, Danny boy.” Jon blew smoke out of his mouth and nose, wrapping an arm around Keyla’s shoulders when she leaned against him. “It’s one of my special gifts, bro.”

“Special gift, my ass.” Lennox muttered, hearing Jon growl from behind her seat and giggled, reaching over to squeeze Danny’s jean covered thigh. “Now YOU on the other hand, baby…”

“Hey! No hanky-panky until we’re out of the car.” Keyla ordered, looking up at Jon and smiled as he kissed the crown of her head softly, both enjoying being together without having an agenda.

Danny was kind enough to reserve 2 rooms at a motel down the street from the waterpark, so they could stay for a few days and have fun. He could tell Jon was stressed out about balancing the countless wrestling organizations he worked for, especially being a champion. Honestly, Danny waited for the day Jon collapsed from exhaustion and hoped the man was taking care of himself while doing all this traveling. Keyla had called Lennox crying the day after Jon’s threesome offer with a ring rat; it took a lot of resolve on Danny’s part not to drive to Florida to beat the hell out of his friend for being so disrespectful and heartless. When Keyla texted Lennox to let her know Jon was onboard going to the waterpark, Danny made it his personal mission to make it a weekend getaway for everyone. He invited Sami and wasn’t surprised by the decline, not pushing the issue because of what transpired with Keyla lately.

Halfway through the trip, Lennox turned around to check on Keyla and Jon since both had gone quiet, smiling at the sight staring back at her. Keyla’s head was on his chest and Jon’s cheek rested against the top of her head, his arm wrapped completely around her waist. Her hand lay on his chest over where Lennox assumed Moxley’s black heart resided and they both looked peaceful sleeping together. Not able to resist, she pulled her phone out and snapped a few pictures, immediately saving the ones that didn’t turn out blurry. If people didn’t know them, they would automatically assume Keyla and Jon were a couple. Nudging Danny, Lennox tapped the rearview mirror and watched him look before glancing back at her wide-eyed. Both could only wonder what was developing between Jon and Keyla, each hoping nobody ended up hurt when all was said and done.

“What do you think about that, babe?” Danny asked quietly, keeping his voice down and reached over to lace his fingers through Lennox’s.

“I don’t know.” Lennox heaved a sigh while flipping through the pictures she took and frowned, not remembering ever seeing Jon or Keyla this content in all the years she knew them. “I don’t want her to get hurt. And if he hurts her…”

“She knows the risk she’s taking being with him, Lennox. You can’t protect her forever. Key is a big girl and, if she wants to be with Jon right now, there’s nothing we can do to stop her from doing it.” Bringing her hand to his mouth, Danny brushed his lips across the top and smiled encouragingly, letting her know everything would work out. “This trip is to relax and take a load off, babe. Don’t worry about anything else and have fun, promise me?”

All Lennox could do was agree reluctantly and leaned over to kiss the side of his neck softly, suddenly wishing they were alone so she could thank her boyfriend properly for being so wonderful.

~!~

Being a scorching 97 degrees outside, not including the heat index, by the time Danny pulled into the motel parking lot 4 hours later, everyone was ready to get their tan and swim on. Both couples checked into their rooms to change into their swimsuits, Keyla taking over the bathroom. She stepped out 10 minutes later, stopping in the doorway and felt her mouth go dry at the sight of Jon’s bare muscular back staring back at her. He’d just pulled on a pair of black swimming trunks and reached for a white beater, slowly turning around feeling eyes on him. Keyla’s swimwear was…captivating and sexy, clinging to every natural curve her body had. It was a dark blue bikini, the top a halter that simple wrapped around her neck and tied around the middle of her back. The left side had crystals on the strap with a silver hoop that connected the breast part of the bikini top and the strap. It was the same design for the bottoms, only the crystals went all the way across the top hem, the hoop on the right hip. Jon was having a hard time restraining himself, his eyes slowly devouring Keyla from the top of her dark blue hair, which was pulled back in a crystal clip and exposed the flesh of her neck and shoulders.

“Almost ready?” Keyla broke the silence between them, clasping her hands in front of her and suddenly felt incredibly exposed. Maybe this wasn’t the best bathing suit to wear to a waterpark of all places, though she would be wearing a camisole and jean shorts. “Jon?”

“Are you trying to fucking kill me? Or give me a permanent erection? Because wearing THAT is damn sure getting the job done.” Jon retorted bluntly, closing the distance between them and grabbed her wrists, unclasping her hands while pushing her against the wall near the bathroom door. “You think I’m gonna let you walk out of here looking like that, darlin’?”

Keyla had to be strong against him, remembering the last time she allowed him to take control of her. She wouldn’t let it happen again. “Yes you are because I’m not having sex with you while we’re here.” Pushing her hands against his muscular chest, she gently but firmly forced Jon back a few steps to put space between them. “I said I forgave you for what happened. Doesn’t mean I’m stupid enough to have sex with you again.”

“I thought everything was cool between us?” Jon was confused, considering they started sharing rooms on the road again and slept in each other arms. No sex had transpired, but he figured that would come with the package on this getaway. “Keyla…”

“I’ll kiss you.” Keyla did it, brushing her lips against his and brushed some of the curls from his face to see his electric – currently dark – blues staring back at her intensely. “And I’ll let you touch me.” Taking his hand, she pressed it to her hip and felt it slide up the length of her spine, stopping it just before his fingers could undo her bikini top. “I’ll even share a bed with you and let you hold me at night, if you want, like we have been. BUT no sex.”

Jon didn’t like that compromise because it resulted in him having a lot of blue balls in the future unless he found another rat to screw. “Not fair. How long are you gonna keep me on the bench before letting me back in the game again?” Any kind of time frame he could work with, knowing this was Keyla’s way of paying him back for the drunken night in Florida.

“I don’t know. Maybe never.” Keyla replied, congratulating herself for keeping her voice steady because Jon had dipped his head to seal his mouth to the side of her neck, finding the spot that made her weak in the knees.

So she was challenging him, Jon thought, a devilish smirk curving his mouth as he pulled back to lock on molten gold orbs. “Very well.” Then he captured her lips in a passionate searing kiss, lifting her up to where her legs wrapped around his waist and planted her back first on the bed with him on top. “I won’t make it easy on you though, darlin’. Bank on that.”

A knock on the door jolted Keyla and Jon out of their passion haze, Jon reluctantly letting the blue haired goddess off the bed so they could go enjoy the day at the waterpark as planned with their friends. He had plenty of time during the weekend they were staying to change Keyla’s mind about her ‘no sex’ policy, knowing she wanted him as much as he did her. Besides that, Jon loved a challenge and if Keyla was putting up one, he would accept and obliterate it.

This wasn’t over, not by a long shot.

Chapter 37

The Carousel Water & Fun Park was chaotic, busy and had a little bit of everything for everyone. Go-carting, countless water slides, rollercoasters, ground rides with loud music, games to play to win prizes and more. At least, that’s what Keyla noticed from the parking lot as Danny pulled into a space a half a mile or so away from the entrance. Walking was definitely on the agenda that day. Lennox bounced in her seat excitedly, wearing a black and purple lace bikini. The top had an adjustable triangle halter style that also tied around the back as well as the neck. The bottoms stayed together by being tied at the hips and had a pucker back style. It was simple, classy and sexy all rolled into one, matching Lennox’s purple streaks in her honey blonde hair perfectly, not to mention making her violet eyes pop. Currently, it was swept up on top of her head in a messy bun, tendrils of hair framing her face.

Once they arrived at the entrance and paid the fee to enter the waterpark, Jon pointed to the go-karts while Danny and Lennox wanted to ride a rollercoaster. Lennox didn’t want to split up, so she pulled out a quarter and flipped it, calling heads while Jon took tails. Jon won, so go-karting in 100 degree muggy weather was the first thing the group did. Keyla didn’t care what they did as long as the group stayed together and had fun doing whatever activity. They had the entire day to nail every single part of the park; there was no need to rush. After go-karting, it was onto the rollercoaster Danny and Lennox wanted to ride, Jon and Keyla joining in the fun. Keyla couldn’t remember the last time she’d been on a rollercoaster, the natural fear and clenching of her stomach almost stopping her from experiencing riding one with Jon.

“Keyla, you alright?” Jon asked in her ear, noticing the trepidation she felt and placed a hand on the small of her back.

“Yeah…”

“You’re lying.” Jon hooked his finger beneath her chin, forcing citrine eyes to meet his. “You’re scared. You don’t like rollercoasters, do you?” It was a rhetorical question.

Keyla didn’t want to disappoint Jon, Danny and Lennox because all of them were on board to ride the death machine. She had to be strong and conquer her fear of heights, taking her tank top off to stuff it in her purse. Jon drew her closer and softly brushed his lips against hers, forcing every nerve-ending in her body to ignite. Kissing, touching and exploring wasn’t off the table, just actual sex, according to Keyla’s rules she set up between them. Technically, Jon wasn’t breaking them by kissing her and, honestly, Keyla enjoyed being in his arms too much to push him away.

“Aww is the big bad Moxley worried about me?” Keyla teased in a mumble against his mouth and slid her lips across his jaw up to his ear, standing on her tiptoes to nibble the lobe. “I’ll be just fine with you.”

Of course she would, Jon thought, relishing the feeling of her teeth and tongue caressing his ear. The line moved slowly, but after standing in line for 45 minutes, Jon and Keyla finally made it to the front. He guided her by the hand toward the front and helped Keyla into the seat, settling in beside her. Jon was crazy to choose the front cart of the rollercoaster! Keyla was on the verge of having a nervous breakdown, trying to hide it and jumped slightly when his hand landed on her inner thigh, stroking it gently. There was a reason Jon chose the front cart and the dark blue haired beauty was about to discover why as soon as the ride started.

“J-Jon…” Keyla stammered out, looking up at him with terrified citrine eyes and froze the moment the rollercoaster began moving. There was no turning back.

“Trust me.” He murmured in her ear, not wanting anyone else to overhear what they were about to do. “Do what I say and enjoy.”

“W-What are you…talking…Ohh…” The question died on her lips and turned into a moan hidden by the loud tracks they were on. “J-Jon…” This time his name came out in a moan instead of a fearful stammer, Keyla lulling her head back while the coaster continued making its journey up the first drop.

Jon had to work fast, glad Keyla’s jean shorts she wore were already unbuttoned. It was a flashing neon sign to him to delve his hand inside and explore what he’d already had a few times. Never on a rollercoaster with a woman terrified of the ride while he thoroughly enjoyed the exhilaration it gave off. Not wasting time, just as the rollercoaster arrived at the top of the first drop, Jon pushed the bikini bottoms to the side and slid two large fingers inside of her, making her buck against them. He groaned at the tightness of her walls wrapped around his fingers, the screaming behind them drowning out the noise of passion between Jon and Keyla. She couldn’t remember feeling this euphoric, keeping her eyes locked on Jon and didn’t stop him from touching her intimately. They were in the front, so nobody would see what was transpiring.

“Oh fuck!” Keyla cried out along with the screaming of the other passengers on the ride, shutting her eyes even as they did upside down loops. “Yes – YES!”

By the time the ride ended, Keyla had a newfound love for rollercoasters, thanks to having multiple orgasms because of Jon’s skillful fingers. He pulled his fingers out just as the ride came to a close, licking them clean and then smashed their mouths together in an explosive kiss. All Keyla could do was give into him, both not realizing the ride had come to a stop until a throat cleared above them. It was Lennox and Danny, both of them shaking their heads with Lennox giggling wickedly.

“Shut up, bro.” Jon grunted, pushing up out of the cart and turned to help Keyla, wrapping a strong arm around her waist. “I say we go on a waterslide after that. Any objections, darlin’?”

“None.”

Ice cold water sounded like heaven and would hopefully calm down the raging fires Jon started in her body. Lennox and Danny agreed, but first they wanted to stop at a food court for something to drink. The 45 minute wait to ride a 4 minute rollercoaster made everyone thirsty and hungry. Since it was 100 degrees outside, they had to keep a fair amount of liquid in their systems, not to mention put sunblock on to prevent sunburn. However, the beverage of choice wasn’t water like it should’ve been.

“Wow, this place actually sells beer?”

“Of course! Drink up!” Lennox grinned, sucking down the cold beverage of choice and leaned back in her chair under an umbrella at one of the food courts. “This really was a great idea, sweetie.”

Danny wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed the side of her head, glad Lennox was enjoying herself with some of their closest friends. “As long as you’re happy, babe.”

“How did you find this place anyway?” Keyla was curious considering Danny wasn’t a family-orientated person; at least that was her assumption.

“My family used to come here once a year in the summer when school was out. I haven’t been here in years and figured Lennox would enjoy it.” Danny smiled down at his love, accepting a soft kiss from her and sipped more of his beer. “You guys hungry yet or do you wanna do some water rides first?”

“Water ride.” Both Keyla and Jon said simultaneously, her cheeks immediately turning a crimson red while Jon finished his beer. “Let’s go, don’t wanna waste the day away.” Taking Keyla’s hand, he led her away from the table and their friends, leaving Lennox and Danny staring after them curiously.

The water rides and slides this place had were incredible, even better than Cedar Point, which Jon had been to a few times. Once again, Jon and Keyla took the front of the ride on almost all of them, but nothing sexual happened since Keyla wasn’t scared like she’d been on the rollercoaster. However, seeing Keyla soaking wet from the huge wave of water crashing over her did nothing to suppress the erection Jon sported in his black trunks. Thankfully they were baggy and hid it from the public or else he would have to run to a bathroom to rub one out. Keyla was oblivious to Jon’s problem, too busy having fun and enjoying herself, not remembering the last time she did something like this.

By 4 PM, the sun blazed down on all of Carousel & Water Fun Park with Jon, Keyla, Danny and Lennox playing mini golf, taking breaks from rides and blowing money on games. Keyla figured staying soaked from the water rides was hydration enough for her body and the heat decreased her appetite, so she hadn’t ate when everyone else had earlier in the day. Lennox noticed, but didn’t say anything and kept a close eye on her best friend, suggesting mini golf since it wasn’t strenuous. However, there was no shaded areas, the entire course engulfed by the sun and Keyla felt weak while standing holding her golf putter. They were in the middle of a game and she didn’t want to forfeit, drinking a bottled water she bought right before they began mini golfing. She hoped it helped her nausea, thinking she might be dehydrated. Not only that, but her skin had a nice red tint to it, the sunblock wearing off from all the water rides she had partaken.

“Keyla, it’s your turn.” Lennox called out to her friend and noticed her friend was a million miles away, turning worried eyes on Danny and Jon. “Keyla?!”

“Y-Yeah…” Keyla snapped out of the daze she’d escaped in and stepped toward the ball, stumbling a little. “Whoa…”

Now Jon noticed something was off with Keyla, immediately going to her side and placed a hand on the small of her back. “Darlin’, what’s wrong?” He demanded, keeping his eyes locked on her face and could see how badly she was sweating. “Keyla?”

“I-I’m fine…my turn…” She lied, stepping up to the ball to make her shot and felt a wave of dizziness overtake her, an arm wrapping around her stomach.

“Shit!” Jon cursed, catching Keyla’s body the moment it collapsed and lifted her in his arms, her head lulling against his shoulder. “We gotta get her out of here. Something’s not right.”

“What was your first clue?” Lennox snapped out of both fear and anger because she should’ve pointed out something wasn’t right with Keyla earlier. “I think she’s got a hint of heat stroke.”

“What?!” Danny exclaimed, seeing the worry and concern etched all over Jon’s face; it was the first time he clearly noticed Jon had feelings for Keyla and he didn’t know how to feel about it. “Why didn’t you say anything sooner, babe?”

Lennox frowned, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly and knew it was time to call it a day. “I don’t know. I figured she’d be alright and would say something if she wasn’t feeling good. I asked her a couple times and she just brushed me off. I should’ve known better. We need to get her to a hospital…”

“No.” Jon hated hospitals, knowing they would just prod and poke at Keyla until they came to the conclusion she had minor heat stroke. “I’ll take care of her. You two head back to your room and chill out. I’ll call if I need anything.” He was slightly perturbed at Lennox for not opening her mouth and pointing out something wasn’t right with Keyla.

“Not feeling good…” Keyla mumbled, suddenly grabbing at the trashcan they passed by and vomited, Jon holding her the entire time. “Oh god…”

It was definitely time to head back to the motel for the night and possibly the rest of the trip. Jon pulled her back and Lennox handed over a napkin to wipe her mouth off, glad she hadn’t gotten any vomit on his arm. It was a long walk to the entrance, but eventually everyone made it and peeled out of the parking lot with Keyla still in Jon’s arms in the backseat. Lennox and Danny both shared a worried glance, hoping their friend was alright and Jon really did take care of her.

3 hours later, citrine eyes slowly fluttered open and Keyla could feel a warm hand caressing hers, her head turning slightly to see who was with her. It was Jon. Taking a few minutes to look around the room, Keyla quickly came to the conclusion they were no longer at the park and back in the air-conditioned motel room, all the shades drawn and lights shut off. The last thing Keyla remembered was vomiting in Jon’s arms before she passed out. Had he stayed with her the entire time? Chewing bottom lip, her fingers twitched against his and Jon’s eyes immediately looked down at Keyla, relief coursing through his electric blues.

“Thank you.” Keyla whispered softly, feeling the after effects of what she considered to be heat stroke. It had to be. She had all the signs and the sleep she’d gotten from passing out helped tremendously. “H-How long have I been out?”

“3 hours or so.” Jon answered in a gritty low voice, turning on his side and sank further down on the bed to be eyelevel with her, reaching out to stroke her cheek with his free hand. “Why didn’t you say you weren’t feeling good?”

“I didn’t want to ruin the day for everyone.” Keyla sighed heavily, knowing she made a mistake by not keeping herself hydrated and not eating didn’t help matters either. “I was an idiot, what can I say?”

Jon snorted, releasing her hand and stood up from the bed, still not believing he showed concern for her in front of Danny and Lennox. “That’s an understatement, darlin’.” He pulled out a cool ice pack from the mini fridge the motel came with and pressed it against her forehead, pushing Keyla down when she tried sitting up. “Keep your ass in bed. Are you hungry?”

“Not right now.” Citrine eyes followed Jon around the room as he grabbed a tube of something out of his bag and began applying it to her sunburn. “Aloe Vera?”

“You need it. This sunburn is bad.” Jon cleared his throat, trying to keep his voice steady while applying the green substance and could see Keyla’s eyes already drooping to fall back asleep. Good, sleep is what she needed right now. “You fucking scared me today. Don’t do it again.”

Keyla was already out cold and didn’t hear his demand, her chest rising and falling in steady deep breaths. Finishing up, Jon put the Aloe Vera on the nightstand and settled back into bed beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist carefully since it was sunburned. Her red skin was already bronzing surprisingly and he knew she would be darkly tanned in no time. Shutting his eyes, Jon soon fell asleep beside her and light snoring permeated the air of the motel room, both exhausted from the day’s events.

Chapter 38

CZW Southern Violence.

August 7, 2010.

It was a date and event that would forever be seared in Keyla’s mind as long as she lived. Possibly the most brutal and sadistic match Jon ever participated in throughout his entire CZW career. He walked into Lumberton, North Carolina in front of an audience of a little more than 50 people and they were the best crowd Jon ever wrestled in front of. Keyla was front row for the match and witnessed the massacre of three men all vying for the richest prize in CZW. For some reason, she was nerve wracked over the fact Nick Gage was in the match, but it did make her feel better since Drake Younger was the third participant. Why she took up Jon’s offer on sitting front row for the match was beyond Keyla, but she regretted it the moment she saw all the death match weapons being set up in the ring. Light tubes and barbed wire surrounded the ring and, the moment Jon entered it, the match immediately started with all competitors going crazy on each other.

3 and a half minutes into the match, Gage had Jon on the mat and set a yellow light tube on the back of his head before climbing the top rope. Keyla had to hold back a scream, watching helplessly as Gage launched off the rope in the air and nearly had a stroke when Jon moved out of the way just in time, forcing Gage to crash through the light tube alone. Then Jon proceeded to take a piece of the light tube and lacerated Gage’s forehead, following up with busting the rest of the light tube over his lower back with his boot. Once they were outside of the ring, Jon grabbed one of the back row chairs to hit Drake with in the gut, nearly decapitating Drake with it. Drake moved and Gage had grabbed his own chair to use as a weapon, launching it right into Jon’s face connecting.

The brutality continued with Keyla following the chaos as much as she could, her heart clenching painfully in her chest the moment Drake tossed Jon against the wall, busting him open. It was payback for destroying Drake’s back with a set of light tubes earlier on in the match, his back bleeding profusely. Keyla was certain he’d need a blood transfusion. Before long, the match couldn’t contain the violent tendencies the wrestlers had in store for each other. She lost count how many times she jumped, cringed and squeaked at the moves, especially when the match moved outdoors. Fans chased them down to watch the match, handing over weapons for the wrestlers to use and Keyla made the mistake of following.

“Jesus…” She whispered in her hands cupped over her mouth, watching Jon take a nasty spill from the side of a parked truck and hit his knee on the gravel.

The sickening thump echoed throughout the parking lot they were fighting in. Keyla had to fight back the urge to run to Jon’s side, knowing he was hurt and unable to do anything about it until after the match ended. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Jon somehow fought through the pain in his knee and had his head smashed into the back door of a van, courtesy of Drake.

“FUCK HIM UP!” The fans screamed as loud as they could every time a big move was made by the bleeding hurt wrestlers. “YEAH!!”

“Please end this. Please end the match already!” Keyla whispered, not wanting to be booed by the fans or take away the incredibly brutal performance Jon displayed. “Christ, how much more can they take?”

Eventually, the match was brought back inside with Jon laid out on the outside of the ring, Drake and Gage beating each other up trying to gain the pin. Keyla didn’t care about them, her eyes focused solely on Jon as he tried crawling and scratching his way to get back in the ring to defend his championship. Tears stung her eyes as Keyla clasped her hands together and refused to let them fall, sniffling quietly to herself. All she wanted was to see Jon walk out of here on his own without ending up in a wheelchair or taking a trip to the local hospital. Miraculously, Jon made it back into the ring and delivered a devastating cutter on the stack of light tubes in the middle. Nick Gage took advantage and grabbed Jon from behind, pile driving Jon headfirst into the carnage of the light tubes, pinning him for the victory. The moment the referee made the 3 count, Keyla nearly dropped to her knees and instead sat down, wiping away a few tears sliding down her cheeks. She couldn’t let Jon see how upset this match made her because he hated drama and crying women.

Get it together before he sees you, Keyla chastised herself in thought, standing from the chair and made her way to the back while Jon made it to his feet in the ring, stunned by what happened. It took him a few minutes to make it to the backstage area, Jon spotting Keyla waiting for him with medical supplies since CZW didn't have a medical team on standby. She stood up from the chair she occupied and guided Jon to sit down in it, being careful since he had shards of light tube glass sticking out of his skin. Dipping a washcloth in the bowl of water and holding a pair of pliers, Keyla began the task of cleaning Jon up from the match, plucking pieces of glass out of his arms. It was a smart decision for him to wear jeans and a white beater because it protected his back and legs, leaving his arms, neck and hands exposed. Even through a crimson mask of blood, Jon could tell Keyla was visibly upset and saw the tears streaking down her cheeks silently. She wasn’t making a sound or saying a word to him. Jon grunted, grabbing her wrist to stop her from cleaning him up and looked up in her bloodshot red rimmed citrine eyes, his chest tightening slightly.

“Why the fuck are you crying?” He demanded gruffly, releasing her wrist and pushed Keyla away, wincing at his sore knee. “What is it?”

Speaking would open the flood gates and Keyla’s face would look like Niagara Falls, so she opted to keep her mouth shut. She didn’t mean to cry, but seeing him bloody, bruised and broken like this broke her heart in ways Keyla never experienced before. Watching the man she was in love with put his life on the line night after night was taking its toll on her and Keyla didn’t know how much longer she could handle doing this job.

“You have to get used to this, Keyla. I’ve been through worse than this. It doesn’t hurt as much as you think and it’s not that bad either.” Jon decided to take the blunt approach with her, needing to make Keyla understand this was the life he lived and nothing would change it. “Getting hurt and cut up and beat up is part of the job, darlin’. And I LIKE it. I like having my body smash through light tubes and being hit with steel chairs. I LOVE the sound of a body crashing to the mat when someone misses their mark on me and I take advantage by smashing their face to the mat in a Hook & Ladder and pinning them for the win. Having my arm raised in victory and hurting someone at the same time is orgasmic to me. So you either deal with it or you stop coming on the road with me and I’ll find another camera person that can handle watching me destroy myself. I don’t need a woman crying over me or caring enough about me to cry over me. I just need you to do your fucking job, realize I’m a professional wrestler and this is my life.”

Not able to keep her mouth shut any longer after that verbal berating, Keyla felt the anger well up inside of her and picked up the first-aid kit, tossing it at him as hard as she could. “YOU ASSHOLE!! You egotistical, self-righteous, inconsiderate, no good SON OF A BITCH!!” At this point, Keyla didn’t care who overheard her and shoved Jon, making the chair tip over to land on the floor with him growling in response. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry I cared about you because I forgot who I was dealing with for a minute! I’m sorry for wasting tears on the likes of YOU!! Take care of your damn self and go to hell while you’re at it, Moxley!”

Storming out of the room, Keyla slammed the door behind her and went outside to get some fresh muggy August night air, leaving Jon alone to tend to his wounds alone.

~!~

January 2011 – Dragon Gate.

“Turn the camcorder on.”

Keyla’s head snapped up when she heard the command, seeing Jon had just lit a cigarette and was leaning against the nearest white cinderblock wall. He had on a dark blue t-shirt that fit him like a second skin and light blue jeans with holes ripped in the knees, his hair wet hanging over his eyes. There was no match that night, but Jon had spent countless hours behind closed doors with the owner of Dragon Gate, apparently cutting deals for his group known as Kamikaze USA. It consisted of Jon Moxley, Yamato and Akira Tozawa – one of the most lethal groups in the Dragon Gate wrestling organization. Keyla started learning a bit of Japanese to communicate with them, thanks to Jon, and they were sweet men behind the scenes. Unlike Jon, they had manners and always pulled her chair out whenever they went out to eat after shows. She thought Yamato was adorable and Akira Tozawa was a little self-indulged, but still sweet nonetheless.

As far as her and Jon’s relationship went, ever since Keyla snapped at him 5 months ago in North Carolina after the Southern Violence match, things had changed between them. They were friendly with each other – sometimes too much. Depended on the moment and mood Keyla and Jon were in. There were times Keyla allowed him to have his way with her body, but no sex happened. Never once. That lead to a lot of oral sex between the two and Jon kept questioning why Keyla wouldn’t let him have her fully. Keyla shut him up by saying she would only have sex with her next boyfriend and Jon never asked again, sticking with the strict foreplay. Not only were they getting along sexually, but Keyla’s blowup showed a different side of her, one Jon respected and he realized he didn’t want to lose her as his on-road camerawoman. No more tears were shed during any of his matches, at least not in front of Jon, and Keyla made it a personal goal of hers to never cry in front of him again as long as they worked together.

Without a word, Keyla flipped the camcorder on and pressed the record button, zooming into Jon’s face and upper body. He started off talking about how Kamikaze USA accomplished a lot in the year 2010 and made the champion’s life, BB Hulk, miserable throughout. But he was still walking and that wasn’t satisfying to Jon Moxley, so as far as he was concerned, 2010 was a big failure, a big fat zero. Keyla couldn’t remember the last time she saw so much intensity in Jon’s eyes, her mouth going dry while filming him as he continued on with the promo, explaining the deals he cut in exchange for bowing out of the tag team tournament coming up in Dragon Gate.

“Because I keep thinking back to Chicago, thinking back to BB Hulk saying ‘I’m gonna take out Kamikaze USA one by one!’ Really?! Are you now? Well GODDAMN!” He yelled, walking toward the camera and lowered his voice slightly. “Here’s your chance. January 28^th, 29, 30 – you can, in a manner of speaking, run the Kamikaze USA gauntlet. Manhattan, Philly, Union City – face Yamato, Jon Moxley and, if you’re still breathing, Akira Tozawa. Title on the line all 3 nights. It’s what you wanted – and it’s on the table, all you gotta do is say yes! So what kind of champion are you? What kind of MAN are you? Are you gonna hide behind your belt? Or are you gonna at least TRY to stand up and back up your words? I would, but that’s just me, you know, ‘cause I’m not a coward! But you do whatever you want. If you choose not to accept, I won’t judge you. I won’t call you a lame ass paper champion…”

Keyla wanted to stop filming, toss the camcorder aside and jump on him, the pool between her thighs warm and wet by now in her dark washout jeans. Christ he’s going to kill me, Keyla thought, trying not to tremble while holding the camcorder.

“In 2010, I wrecked everything everywhere! I pissed off the whole world! I set the trends, I shifted the power, I changed the game! In 2011, Kamikaze USA GUTS Dragon Gate like a fish!” Jon promised vehemently, bringing his arm down right in front of the camcorder as if he was the blade doing the cutting. “And that’s STILL just the beginning, it won’t be long, I’m gonna change everything. Because I am energy that cannot be created or destroyed, manufactured or copied! I don’t have to dream. I’m gonna make a lot of things, a lot of frightening things, become stark reality.” With those last words, Jon’s face was nearly pressed into the camcorder before walking away and effectively ending the promo.

Slowly lowering the camcorder from her eye, Keyla turned it off and set it down on the nearby table, walking forward Jon intently. “Is that all you wanted to say?” She asked, reaching out to stop Jon from lighting a new cigarette since he flicked the other one across the room during the promo he just cut.

Another moment that scorched her lower extremities.

Jon could see something different about Keyla, her normal citrine eyes a deep molten gold blazing into his electric blues. “Yeah, I’d still be talking if I wasn’t done.” He blinked as Keyla reached up to cup his face and brought his mouth crashing down on hers, both engaging in a passionate kiss.

Not breaking the kiss, Jon cupped both of Keyla’s jean covered cheeks and lifted her to where her legs wrapped around his waist, spinning around to plant her against the wall where she couldn’t escape. It’d been a while since Keyla initiated something with him and Jon had no idea why she was attacking him, but she would hear no complaints either. Every time they were entangled in an explosive kiss and Jon undressed her to pleasure her with his mouth, tongue and teeth was definitely a good night. However, it was getting to the point where he wanted more than just oral – he wanted all of Keyla completely, just not a relationship. In the back of his mind, Jon had something brewing on his mind and had been for a month – something that would forever change what he and Keyla had, whatever it was. He had to tell her and it had to be tonight before anything else transpired.

“K-Keyla…” Jon mumbled against her mouth, pulling back while she tried stopping him from doing so and suddenly got diarrhea of the mouth. “I got an offer from WWE…and I’m thinking about taking it.”

Chapter 39

Standing outside in the backyard of her house, which was completely paid off thanks to some of the inheritance, Keyla stared up at the snowflakes falling rapidly from the sky. So much had happened in the span of a month, she felt like she was on autopilot, only going through the motions. Jon just finished having the Kamikaze USA gauntlet he threw down in a promo at the beginning of January. Luckily, the second night of the gauntlet was in Philadelphia, so Keyla was able to sleep in her own bed for a change. However, the next day they had to be up in the early morning hours to make it to Union City, New Jersey for the final day of the gauntlet against BB Hulk for the Open the Freedom Gate championship.

Unfortunately, Kamikaze USA was beaten all 3 nights.

It’d been a week shy of a month since Jon dropped the bombshell of WWE contacting him, wanting Jon to sign a contract. It was for their developmental department and Jon would receive a paycheck in the mail regularly instead of waiting for weeks on end to get paid AFTER an event. Keyla knew it was an incredible opportunity and Jon would be stupid not to take it, but that meant she would lose him. And not just as a roommate. Wrapping her arms around herself, Keyla could already feel fresh tears stinging the back of her eyes and didn’t bother fighting them off. Along with the offer came more heartbreaking news. Jon would have to move from Philadelphia to Tampa, Florida permanently to start in developmental. There was no way he could live in a different state while in the WWE; it didn’t make sense emotionally or financially.

“I don’t know if I’m taking it or not.”

“This has been the dream since day one, for all of us. For any professional wrestler, WWE is the biggest wrestling company in the world and they want me.”

“If I take the offer, I’ll have to move to Tampa, Florida for good.”

“I have until March to decide.”

One month is all Keyla had left with Jon. Of course he would take the offer! This was his dream, what he worked his entire life for and why he became a wrestler in the first place. To turn down the biggest wrestling organization would be a mistake, but Keyla secretly hoped Jon loved the Independents too much to simply give up all of his fame and fortune. His status as the King of the Independents hung in the balance along with Keyla’s heart. Somehow, she knew Jon had already made his decision and it was only a matter of time before he told her.

Before she lost him forever.

“Kay-Keyla?”

She turned around at the sound of the familiar voice and watery citrine eyes locked on concerned green. “Yeah Sami, it’s me.”

Keyla wiped her eyes with the sleeves of her thick black hooded sweatshirt. Now that she thought about it, the sweatshirt belonged to Jon, remembering the night he gave it to her to keep warm and she never returned it. Wearing his clothes only made everything harder to accept and the tears started pouring like two rapid streams down her cheeks. Sami noticed how upset she was and immediately wrapped her in a strong friendly embrace, letting her cry on his chest. For the past 7 months or so, Sami had shacked up with his girlfriend, Gina, instead of staying in the house, but still paid his part of rent and utilities because he didn’t want to leave Keyla stranded. It was the least he could do after everything he put her through. This was the first time in over 7 months Sami and Keyla saw each other and he was thankful because there was something they had to discuss before another 7 months flew by without communication.

“I’m not gonna ask why you’re crying because I have a pretty damn good idea already.” He muttered in her ear, shutting his eyes as she began sobbing and continued holding her close. “Talk it out, Kayleigh. Get it all out.”

“What am I supposed to say?” Keyla whimpered, shaking her head back and forth while clinging to Sami with every ounce of strength she had in her body. “He’s going to leave. He just hasn’t told me when and it’s killing me inside. I just wish he would put me out of my fucking misery already!”

“Ssshhh calm down, honey, before you make yourself sick over this.” Sami crooned soothingly, doing what he could to help and pulled back to take her hand in his. “Come on, let’s sit down on the porch swing and talk.”

Letting him guide her up to the back deck, they both sat down on the swing and Sami gently moved it with his feet, his arm encircling her shoulders again. “Go ahead, you can tell me.”

“Tell you what?” Keyla was confused at first, not understanding what Sami wanted from her until she looked up into his knowing eyes, averting hers instantly. “Oh. That.”

“Say it.” Sami coaxed, knowing it lift a huge weight from her shoulders as soon as she said the words out loud. “I won’t be pissed. Just say it, Kayleigh.”

Hearing her birth name forced Keyla to summon the courage to admit what she’d been feeling for months. What Lennox and Danny already knew for months. “I’m in love with Jon Moxley.” She admitted, the confession instantly making her feel a lot better because at least it wasn’t a secret anymore. “I-I love him so much…”

Sami had his suspicions for months, even after their sexual bout in the living room, which Jon still didn’t know about. He sincerely hoped Keyla planned on taking that to the grave because Sami planned on doing so. Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, he rocked them both in the swing while the snow continued to fall and tried finding the right words to say next. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her further than she already was.

“And now that you got that off your chest, there’s something I need to tell you. Something I’ve been hiding from you and I don’t want any more secrets between us.” Sami pulled his arm away from Keyla and clasped his hands in front of him, hunching over a bit to stare out at the snow covered yard thoughtfully.

Keyla wasn’t sure if she could handle another bombshell from Sami, already feeling her insides twisting violently. “What is it?” She kept her voice quiet and low, waiting patiently for Sami to spill the secret he’d been carrying with him all this time.

“Do you remember the night you woke up with me taking care of you? I wrapped you in heated blankets because you were freezing?” Sami didn’t want to bring up Nick Gage nearly raping her, but Keyla had a right to know, even after all this time and if her memory blocked it out.

“Yeah…vaguely, but yes. What about it?” Keyla tilted her head slightly, remembering the visions she had regarding Nick Gage nearly raping her and felt her amber eyes grow wide with realization. “Oh my god…”

Sami had no idea about the visions she had because Keyla hadn’t mentioned them or told anyone, not even Lennox. “Something happened that night…”

“Nick Gage raped me, didn’t he?” Keyla watched Sami’s green eyes widen in shock and sat up a little more on the porch swing, drawing her legs beneath her backside to warm them up since it was cold outside. “I had visions after it happened. I don’t know what triggered them, but I was at the bar when it happened and I had a freak-out that scared the shit out of Lennox. I didn’t mean for it to happen, it just did and I figured it was just a horrible dream I had…” How did Sami know about this anyway?

“He didn’t get that far with you. I made sure of it.” Sami kept his voice stoic, already feeling the rage welling up inside of him as the memory of what Nick Gage did to Keyla, HIS Kayleigh, that fateful night. “I stopped him before he could get too far, which is why I didn’t take you to a hospital. I should’ve told you about it sooner than this, but…you were out of it and then the shit with your parents went down. I was trying to find the right time to tell you…”

Keyla was silent for several minutes, trying to digest what Sami told her and felt her heart slowly piece back together. “You saved me that night. It was you?” She scooted closer to him, placing a hand on his arm and felt fresh tears swell in her eyes for a completely different reason. “Sami, I had no idea…”

Clearing his throat, Sami patted her hand gently and pulled the white and black bandana he wore over his crazy black hair lower on his forehead. “I’m just glad I was there in time before he got too far with you. I beat the shit out of him and left him to die in the snow. I thought I honestly killed him and didn’t give a shit after what he did to you. And I don’t regret it either. He may have cleaned his act up for the most part, but that gave him no right to try taking something from you that wasn’t offered. I made him pay for it and, if I could go back to that night, I would’ve ended him.” In spite of being in a relationship, Sami’s love for Kayleigh – Keyla ran deep and he would never not be there for her or not protect her from harm. “I’m sorry I kept it from you all this time, Kayleigh.”

“I understand why you did.” She murmured, not able to be angry at Sami because Keyla understood why he kept a secret. “What made you decide to tell me tonight?”

“For one, this is the first time we’ve seen each other face to face in months. And I meant what I said about having secrets between us. I don’t want any. I know I fucked up by taking that money from your parents and I’ll never forgive myself for it. But you deserved to know the truth about that night and I wanted to tell you sooner, but we haven’t seen each other until now.” Sami wanted to rebuild the friendship they had prior to discovering they were past lovers in high school and Keyla finding out the horrendous teamwork he was involved in with her parents. “I took a lot from you, Kay, but no more. I swear it’ll never happen again and I’ll never keep anything from you as long as I live.”

She appreciated his honesty, suddenly remembering she too had a secret she’d been keeping from both of her roommates ever since her parents’ death. As much as Keyla wanted to come clean about the inheritance, it was nobody’s business and had nothing to do with the boys. Jon and Sami didn’t need to know she was well-off financially unless it involved them, which it didn’t. Sure, it was a secret, but it was also her personal business and Keyla didn’t feel the need to tell them. Even though she was financially stable for the rest of her life, thanks to her parents, Keyla would not let anyone stay under her roof without paying their own way.

“You may not want to hear this tonight, but…Jon does care about you. I know it may seem like he doesn’t, but I’ve known him a long time and he’s fighting his feelings for you. So you need to go to him. Tell him how you feel and don’t hold back. Lay all your cards on the table and demand his choice.” It was a big risk Sami was taking sending Keyla after Jon, but he also didn’t want Jon having any regrets when it came to her either. “Go to him, Kayleigh.”

“W-What if he does leave?”

Sami shrugged, smiling sadly and stood up from the porch swing, helping her up from it. “At least you’ll have the answer and you can move on with your life after he’s gone.”

After the long talk with Sami and making amends, Keyla did what he suggested and currently stood outside of Jon’s bedroom door. She could hear shuffling from inside and pushed it open, her heart breaking at the countless boxes full of packed stuff all over the room. They were labeled TAMPA and GOODWILL in big black lettering from a permanent marker. It was actually happening; Jon was leaving Philadelphia and walking out of her life to pursue his dream of professional wrestling.

Was there ever a doubt?

Stepping out of his closet, Jon froze at the sight of Keyla standing in his doorway and the guilty expression on his face spoke volumes. “I was gonna tell you…”

“Don’t worry about it.” Keyla swallowed down her anger, heartache and pain, not sure what else to say to Jon at this point. “I’ll consider this your 30 day notice.”

Turning, she started walking away from the doorway and was dragged back inside by a huge hand around her upper arm, her back pressing against the door to close it effectively. Jon didn’t waste time with words and captured her mouth with his, pouring everything he felt into it, telling her with actions what he couldn’t verbally. No matter how hard she tried, Keyla couldn’t stop the tears from falling and returned the kiss, feeling her back meet the bed moments later. If this was to be their goodbye to each other, Keyla couldn’t instate the ‘no sex’ policy, wanting to feel inside of her one last time. That night in Jon’s bedroom, Keyla allowed him to undress her completely like so many times before and begged him to take her, to claim her as his. Jon more than obliged, both of them groaning the moment his cock slid past her slick tight folds to wrap him in a warm wet cocoon. Both lost track of the time of night, too involved in each other and making this final sexual bout last as long as humanly possible.

When it was all said and done, Keyla rolled off of Jon to lay on her side facing him, caressing his chest while he simply turned his head to stare at her. “Go to Tampa, Jon. Live your dream and don’t look back.” She meant it as sad as it was because she was in love with him, a confession Keyla would take to the grave with her.

“I feel something for you, Keyla. I just don’t know what it is and my life is too fucking complicated for a relationship right now. I did plan on telling you, I just didn’t know when.” Jon took her hand and brought it to his mouth, brushing his lips against the soft skin lovingly. “Don’t hate me for this, okay?”

Keyla didn’t pull away from him because at least he was honest with her about his feelings and what he wanted to do. What he had to do. “I don’t. Now stop talking and fuck me again. I’m not done with you yet, Moxley.”

Smirking, Jon had no issues with her command and this time took it slower, savoring each and every thrust he produced inside her receptive body. They didn’t stop until well past sunrise, both falling asleep in each other arms content. However, since Jon was the first one to pass out, that gave Keyla the opening she needed to shed more tears, eventually joining him in a restless slumber.

Her days with Jon Moxley were officially numbered.

Chapter 40

“So he’s really leaving, huh?”

Keyla nodded, pursing her lips together while staring down at her beer and tried keeping the tears at bay. “Y-Yeah…” Her voice slightly cracked as Lennox reached out to take her hand, squeezing it. “I quit the job too since he doesn’t need a personal camerawoman anymore…”

“And the fact you’re in love with him, he doesn’t feel the same way about you and it hurts to be around him right now.” Lennox finished, taking a long swig from her own longneck and leaned back against the couch. “You know, even though he’s a jackass, the bastard still made it big and signed with the WWE. We need to do something for him.”

Raising a brow, Keyla could only imagine what Lennox had in mind. “Like what?”

“A going away party. It’ll give Mox a chance to say goodbye to people that helped him along the way and, as much as it pains me saying this, he deserves it. Not everyone makes it to the big leagues. It needs to be celebrated.” Not to mention Jon and Danny were best friends, so she knew her boyfriend wanted to do something to celebrate Moxley’s success.

The next chapter of Jon’s wrestling career was about to begin and he’d worked very hard, putting his body on the line every time he stepped in the ring. Keyla knew firsthand because she’d seen bloodbath after bloodbath transpire, losing count how many times she’d cleaned him up after the brutal matches. They would have time to plan the perfect going away bash because Jon had to leave to go on tour and tie up loose ends with his Independents career. He would be gone for 3 and a half weeks, spend his last few days in Philadelphia and then make the big move to Tampa.

“Alright, let’s do it.”

~!~

Sami was there for Jon’s final match against Austin Aries, a brilliant wrestler that took everyone he fought against to the limit. Jon was no different, losing his final match in Evolve and received a standing ovation for giving his all in the match. The fans read online about Jon Moxley signing with the WWE, so they knew they were losing a rare treasure from the Independents. A true King. Nobody had the mindset, fortitude or passion Moxley did and all of his fans, his cult following included, knew he would succeed in the WWE without any doubts. They were one of the reasons Jon had gotten a call from WWE in the first place and they signed him without having a tryout. That almost never happened and Jon had once again made history in the company he was about to wrestle for.

Afterwards, Jon gave a brilliant promo on how he thought he could beat Austin Aries that night and cracked jokes about saying the word ‘fuck’. Since he wouldn’t be able to use it again once he was in WWE, a PG rated company. What the hell was he thinking? Jon Moxley was the total opposite of PG rated – more like R or XXX rated! Still, this was all Jon ever wanted in his life and the fact he was getting this opportunity was still mind-numbing. A few of the wrestlers he battled over the years with came out to congratulate him and handed Jon a beer, giving him a proper farewell with the fans chanting his name as loud as they could. However, Sami Callihan, one half of the Switchblade Conspiracy, being there for his tag team partner’s final match meant the world to Jon. Sami told him to go make the big bucks and never look back, both of them embracing tightly through the ropes.

Later that night after the emotional ending to the Evolve pay-per-view event, Jon and Sami went out for a few beers to talk. “I’m doing the right thing…right?” Jon glanced over at his best friend, the only person who had been on his side through thick and thin.

“Is there a reason you shouldn’t go to WWE? Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted, bro?” Sami turned the tables on Jon, knowing exactly why he was second-guessing his decision to take WWE’s offer and not stay in the Independents. “I mean, if you didn’t sign the contract and move to Tampa, what more is there to accomplish in the Indies? WWE is the dream. Or is this about a certain roommate of ours?”

Jon snorted, shrugging and ran the pad of his thumb around the rim of the glass before downing the rest of it. “Both.” He couldn’t deny how he felt for Keyla anymore, knowing it didn’t make a difference now that he was running off to Tampa to join the WWE. “I don’t wanna be a fucking coward. WWE is the dream and always has been. I just wanted your honest opinion.”

“Then don’t be and tell me the truth.” Sami turned to fully face one of his best friends, arms folded across his chest and could feel Jon tense up instantly. “Do you love her?”

“What kinda question is that?”

“Answer it.”

“What if I do?” Jon retorted, keeping his eyes locked on the beer in front of him and refused to meet Sami’s somewhat hardened gaze. “You gonna kick my ass for having feelings for your ex?”

Sami scoffed at that, shaking his head. “I would’ve already kicked your teeth in if I had a problem with it, bro. I know she doesn’t belong to me anymore and I let her go long ago. Now answer my question.”

Up until now, Jon had fought his feelings tooth and nail for Keyla, not wanting to admit them because he didn’t think he was capable of love. He grew up in a messed up environment full of drugs, sex and violence. Keyla deserved better than a scumbag like him who couldn’t even confess how he truly felt. But this was Sami, his ex-tag team partner and best friend, both sharing countless hours on the road throughout the years since they both started pursuing their dreams of being professional wrestlers. Whenever Sami was down and out, Jon picked him up and vice versa, neither letting the other give up, even in the darkest hours of their lives.

“This stays between us, understand? If you tell her, I’ll fuck you up.”

“Just say it, Jon.” Sami ordered, feeling a sense of déjà vu since he’d had a similar conversation with Keyla a few weeks ago about her feelings for Jon. “Go on.”

Pushy fucker, Jon thought, requesting another refill on his beer and shut his eyes, scrubbing hands down his face. He’d recently cut his hair short, doing it while on the road, so Keyla had no idea all of his curls were temporarily severed. They would grow back no doubt, but Jon felt like he needed a new look entering the next chapter of his wrestling career.

“Fine, I fucking love her, alright? I love Keyla. There’s nothing I can do about it either because I’m moving to Tampa and she’s staying in Philadelphia.” The confession left a bittersweet taste in his mouth, but surprisingly Jon felt marginally better now that he told someone.

“True.” Sami wondered how long Jon had been battling his feelings for Keyla, but decided not to push the man more than he already had. “You could always, you know, ask her to join you on the road in WWE…”

All Jon could do was stare at Sami like he’d grown 3 heads and ended the night on that note, heading up to his room for some much needed sleep.

~!~

The day of Jon’s going away party and celebration on his WWE signing came faster than Keyla wanted. She was shocked Jon had actually cut his hair, but didn’t comment on it. No matter what he did to himself, she still loved him and those feelings would never change. Standing on a ladder, Keyla held one end of the huge banner Lennox and Danny had made up for the party while Lennox held the other side. They were trying to make it as level and straight as possible, the lettering on the banner matching the font Jon used to make his MOX wrestling trunks. It was white and black, his colors, and countless tables were set up throughout the huge backyard. Food was catered in, courtesy of Keyla, along with other decorations featuring WWE. With every piece setup, Keyla’s heart slowly cracked with little fragments falling to the pit of her stomach. Tomorrow, Jon would get in his vehicle and make the long drive from Philadelphia to Tampa, Florida, only this time he wouldn’t return.

He would be gone forever.

“That’s good enough.” Taking out the staple gun, Keyla put enough in the corner of the banner where she knew it wouldn’t fall and then tossed it over to Lennox. “I need to check on the desserts.”

“Keyla…” Lennox frowned, watching her friend walk inside the house and knew this had to be incredibly hard to deal with. “Damn it…”

Standing in the kitchen, Keyla could only stare out the window at the festive looking backyard, thankful the snow had melted in time. It was 60 degrees outside, the perfect weather for an outdoor event and Keyla hated Mother Nature for being so subtle on this day. Why was she putting herself through this pain and agony? Why did she agree to have the going away party at the house she shared for nearly a year with Sami and the man she loved? It didn’t make sense, but then again not a lot had in Keyla’s life lately. Turning the faucet on in the kitchen sink, Keyla splashed her face with the cool liquid to keep her tears and emotions in check, shutting it off a few minutes later.

“Need help with anything?”

She jumped out of her skin at the sound of the gritty voice behind her and whipped around, holding the towel against nose and mouth, amber eyes wide. “Fuck, you scared the shit out of me, Jon!” Keyla whacked him with the towel and shook her head, walking past him to the fridge to check on some of the desserts to spent most of the night making.

Sleep evaded her these days.

“You’re jumpy. What’s on your mind?” He asked, leaning against the kitchen counter watching her through slightly narrowed electric blues. “You can only check on whatever is in the fridge so long before you have to face me again, Keyla.”

Shutting her eyes momentarily, Keyla closed the door to the fridge and sucked in a sharp breath before turning around to face him, plastering on a smile. “You are the guest of honor, so you’re not helping set up your own party. Are you all packed up?”

Jon nodded, closing the distance between them and pressed Keyla against the refrigerator door, his eyes boring into hers intensely. “I’m gonna miss you.” He admitted openly, sliding his hands up and down her sides, not realizing just how much that confession nearly drove Keyla to her knees.

It nearly killed her to hear those words and Keyla was sure the waterworks would start up again. Luckily, they didn’t. “Me too. I hope you’ll come visit the little people in Philadelphia sometime when you get time off. Don’t forget who your real friends are.”

“Never.” Jon vowed, able to make her that promise without hesitation and slid his fingers down her cheek. “Especially you. I won’t ever forget you and we’ll always be friends, no matter what. If you ever need anything, day or night, I’m a phone call and plane ride away.”

Keyla didn’t believe that, knowing Jon was just saying what he thought she wanted to hear and cracked a small smile up at him that didn’t touch her eyes. “I know.” Caressing his t-shirt covered chest, she breathed in as much of his scent as she could consisting a mixture of cigarettes, gasoline and his own personal musk. “You’ll always be my reverie, Jon Moxley.”

Confused, Jon didn’t understand what that meant and groaned when Lennox came walking through the backdoor leading into the kitchen, ruining the private moment. Keyla extracted herself from his arms and went back outside to finish setting everything up for the going away party. Lennox didn’t know what to say to Jon and walked past him to set up the table with another tablecloth Keyla bought. The balloons would arrive soon to put the final touches on the décor, but all Lennox could think about was how much this was killing her best friend to say goodbye to the man she loved.

“She called me her reverie…” Jon broke the silence between him and Lennox, grabbing a beer from the fridge, needing something to take the edge off the tense moment. “Do you know what that means?”

“A daydream or fantasy; impractical idea too.” Lennox answered, taping down the tablecloth and was surprised when Jon stepped up to help her. “You are more than her reverie, Jon. Trust me when I say that.”

~!~

Standing on the front porch slightly hungover, all Keyla could do was watch as Jon loaded the remainder of his boxes in the back of his truck. She was convinced he would end up selling it, but apparently the vehicle meant a lot to him. It was the first major purchase he made right after winning the CZW championship for the first time. Now that she thought about it more, through a hazy cloudy brain, it made perfect sense why he didn’t sell the truck. Sipping a cup of java to keep her hands busy doing something else other than clinging to Jon begging him to stay, Keyla leaned her head against the bannister and blinked tears away.

Not yet, not until he was gone, then she could lose control and cry her heart out.

“That’s the last of it.” Jon announced, breaking Keyla out of her deep thoughts and stood on the second porch step, shoving his hands in the front of his jean pockets. “Thanks for letting me stay here for a while and putting up with my ass. I owe you for saving us from the shitty apartment…”

Keyla smiled softly, waving him off dismissively and took another sip of her coffee. “No thanks needed. It was fun while it lasted…” Damn it, the tears were coming on fast and she had to think of something to stop them before a single one fell. “You have the trip mapped out and everything so you don’t get lost, right?”

“Yeah…” Jon could hear the shakiness in her voice and went to her, taking her coffee to set it on the ledge of the wraparound porch. “Keyla…”

“Y-You don’t have to say anything, Jon. Just give me a hug and get your ass on the road before you run any later.” Keyla couldn’t handle hearing anything emotional from this man, not now when she was trying to stay strong enough until he left. “You’re going to do great in WWE, I just know it. You’ve got everything it takes to be the top guy in the company. And don’t let anyone tell you differently. You hear me?”

Nodding, Jon held her tighter and buried his nose in her dark blue hair, feeling his own emotions welling up threatening to explode out. “I will. I won’t let you down, I promise.” He whispered, not trusting his voice at the moment and didn’t release her, never wanting to let go.

Keyla was the one who pulled back first, tears shimmering in her amber eyes and smoothed out the front of his t-shirt like she had so many times throughout their complicated time together. “Go. Don’t look back. And remember, you always have a home here if you need it.” Caressing his cheek with the back of her hand, Keyla reached up on her tiptoes until their mouths connected for the final time – the final kiss.

As she watched him climb into the driver’s side of the truck, Keyla wrapped her arms around herself and let the tears slide down her cheeks freely. Never would she forget his electric blue eyes or handsome smile, when he cracked one. Or the way his hair fell in his eyes whenever he got hyped up during his promos, the caring side only he showed to her, nobody else. Jon Moxley truly was Keyla’s reverie and she wondered if she’d ever see him again, sniffling. Heading back into the house, Keyla didn’t know how she would continue her life without Jon in it and would have to figure out a way.

The End.