She had watched his career from the sidelines and made a choice to not interfere with his life after their breakup. Yet she never stopped loving him. Contrary to what most would think he was the most gentle and loving man she had ever been with. He made her laugh and that was one of the biggest things that she wanted in her life. Sitting here now on her couch watching Monday Night Raw, she remembered those moves. She remembered going to the CZW events and she remembered the first time he locked eyes with her…she remembered the kisses, the love making…the man he was to her.
A tear ran down her cheek and she just watched Dean in the ring. He had talked many nights about making it to the WWE and she was so happy that he had made it. It was a simple thing, a simple relationship in the many that he had since her, she wasn't his speed anymore, she of course had grown in her age, and his life was in an entirely different bracket. She heard he was dating someone in the wrestling business and she was sad, but at the same time happy that he had gotten past all the pain he had experienced.
Angel was still in the city of Pittsburgh, still living her life, still working in the office she was when she met him that cold winter night. Her mind replayed it openly, as she drifted off into another world.
Dean wasn't Dean at the time, he was Jon Moxley, a wild card that some were not used to, and some loved. He got love and he got hate when he came to the ring, but he kept his cockiness in tact, because as he told her one night after making love, he didn't really care what anyone else thought or had to say, he was great at what he did and was going to be even greater at some point. He walked into the ring and she watched him. His hair hung slightly past his shoulders and she instantly felt an attraction to him. She of course wasn't expecting an attraction from him, until he turned and looked at her and winked. She took a step away from herself and looked behind her and he pointed to her and mouthed out I winked at you and no one else. Which made her smile.
As the show went on he of course beat his opponent and exited the ring. Yet he took a detour to her, her heart began to beat solidly in her ears and he headed over. She watched closely and as the smile spread upon his face and his dimples and blue eyes overshadowed everything in the room he reached down, took her hand and kissed it.
"I want your number."
"Um, I don't have a.."
"Before you leave, I want your number. You can leave it with that guy over there by the door. What's your name?" He said pushing his hair back from his eyes as the sweat rolled off of his forehead.
"Angel…I..ummm…but"
"No buts I want your number, leave it with him…" He said with a smile as he walked away.
Angel sat in awe as one of the women behind her patted her on the shoulder and asked if she was ok. She didn't understand what had just happened, but it had happened. She sat with her best friend Taylor on the front row and watched the remaining matches and when the time came to leave, she almost walked by the security guard that Mox had told her to leave her number with until the he guy stopped her.
"Hey, didn't Mox say you were supposed to leave your number with me?"
"Um yeah, but I don't have a pe…"
"Here you go." He said as he reached into his pocket and handed her a pen and a piece of paper. She had no choice now but to give it to him, which she did. Not expecting a call anyway.
As they got to the car, Taylor laughed at her and the shock she was showing. She knew how shy her best friend was, she called her wallflower all the time, but she had never really seen it up close and personal. It was the funniest thing in the world to her to see the redness of her face, the fact that she could not even really speak and this was only the tip of the iceberg. Taylor said they should go get some drinks so they went to a local dive called The Party Mixer. The two of them walked in and as usual they got the attention.
Taylor was one of the most beautiful women Angel knew. Her brown complexion was so smooth that it was like she was human chocolate. When she walked into a bar with her biker jacket and the spikes on her wristband the guys saw a beautiful chocolate woman that they wanted, so she was always swept away from her when they walked in. Angel was beautiful in her own right she was voluptuous with curves where her curves had curves. Her hair hung just past her shoulders and it was natural, so the waves and curls would make their way into a frizzy mess but the end of the day, but she didn't care she was comfortable being who she was and people could tell.
Angel walked over to the table in the corner and sat down and watcher her friend dance with a tall bearded white guy with long hair, she loved all nationalities but white buys with beards were her weakness. The waitress walked over and asked her what she wanted to drink and she chose a long neck Budweiser for herself and she told the waitress to bring Taylor a shot of whisky with no ice. Sitting watching her friend she smiled.
"Didn't think I would see you so soon."
Angel looked up and there he was, in the flesh..hair wet, obviously from showering, shirt half opened, jeans tightly wrapped around him. She just stared for a second and then, hoarsely, replied.
"Didn't know you would be here."
"Well I am, so buy you a drink."
"Nah, I have one already I am nursing, I don't drink a lot."
"Yeah I can tell," He said as he lit a cigarette and turned his head to blow the smoke away from her. "Thanks for leaving your number, I was actually about to call you."
Looking down she said nothing, just stared at the table in front of her. "
"You know if you don't say something soon, I am going to think you don't like me."
"I don't know what to say, I am kind of confused right now."
"Why?" He said quietly as he put his arm around her
"You picked me to talk to out of all those women, just funny..must think I'm an easy lay."
"No, actually you have some of the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen, so I just wanted to see if you were cool or crazy."
She laughed loudly and he looked at her smile and it was infectious to him, and he joined her in laugher, and it was a comfortable laughter that he was not used to, after that meeting for months at a time she would wait for his call, his visit…or his time. When he was with her it was beautiful..when he was on the road she knew what he was doing and she accepted it, because she had heard about him before she decided to settle for him.
Breaking his heart was not in the plans, but she was so lonely that night. He hadn't been home in months and she had met Matt…a guy from her office…he offered to take her out to dinner..and she needed the touch of someone…no calls, no text, nothing ..he didn't have time for her anymore..he was gone…she needed to be loved, if only for one night…she didn't know that night would bring Mox home..she didn't know he would use his key…she had no idea he saw her and Matt on the couch..until he broke the glass he had in his hand on the wall, until he began turning over the television…until he punched Matt in the face…until he busted Matt's teeth out of his mouth before he fled the apartment…until he grabbed her and looked her in the eyes and said "fuck you for hurting me..it will never happen again..fuck you Angel."…until he left to never be seen again…that was four years ago.
She didn't know how much she loved him, until she laid the first night without him there, she called him several times the next day, and he answered once, knowing it was her. She could hear the anger, frustration and pain in his voice and it tore her apart.
"Why are you calling me?" He said as his words slurred
"Mox are you drunk?"
"What business is it of yours if I'm drunk or not Angel, hell do you want haven't you done enough?"
"Mox, please come home..please I am so sorry..please.."
"Home…what home…the home you fucked that asshole in…the home that you promised me you loved me in….the home that you fucking defiled last night!"
"Mox…I…I can't make any excuses, I got lonely…I…I hadn't heard from you in months, and I know you were doing you on the road, don't lie."
"Answer me this oh Angel of mine...what if I wasn't..what if I was being totally faithful to you and simply perusing a dream of mine …what if…what if by chance I was doing what was fucking right for once in my life! What if I was so fucking in love with you that it was my reason for fucking breathing…what then…HUH!"
"Mox…I…Mox…" She whispered as tears ran down her face.
"Well that was exactly what I was doing…Going from town to town…literally getting my ass pounded on so I could get a good name under me. I am getting paid pennies…trying to make a name for myself out here. Crashing on friends couches and in dive hotels..so we..yeah I said we could get the fuck out of dodge and you couldn't just wait…you couldn't just be faithful until I came home..and you want to sit there saying Mox..Mox…WHAT!"
"I love you so much, I am so sorry.."
"Angel you love me huh? You didn't love me enough to keep your legs closed though did you? Fuck the hell off." The phone then went dead.
As she snapped back to reality she looked at the television with tears in her eyes and turned it off, she couldn't look at him any longer, it was killing her. Funny thing is Raw was over in Philadephia tonight. He was so close and yet so far….as her phone rang she turned on Pandora and wiped her tears.
"Hello."
"What's wrong poo, are you crying." Taylor said and papers rambled in the background
"Yeah in a mood, what's up?"
"Get your clothes on we are heading out tonight."
"Where are we going?"
"The Ball Joint Pub."
"I really don't feel lik…"
"Get dressed I will be there in an hour." Taylor said and hung up.
She never won when it came to Taylor and she was fine with that. If it had not been for Taylor getting through her breakup with Dean she probably would have sulked the entire four years, but within two months she was better. They had been to this pub a thousand times so this was nothing new…they would go and laugh and have fun, drinks would be bought by others and at about 1am they would call the cab and leave and Taylor would crash on her couch. As she got dressed in her jeans, baseball cap and white t-shirt she wanted this to be a quick night, she was already ready to come back home.
Taylor came and scooped her up at about 9pm and they headed out. They sat at their normal booth and Angel wasn't too into things which made Taylor head to the dance floor "You are so not bumming me out tonight."
She sat and sipped on her drink and smiled as she always did, she watched closely just in case she had to come across that room to get someone off of her and fight. At this point though she was sitting back licensing to Rascal Flatts "What hurts the most" which made her think even more of Mox..so that familiar, scruffy voice made her heart jump when she heard it.
"I seem to always meet you in a bar don't I."
"Seems that way doesn't it." She said looking under the brim of her cap.
"Mind if I join you?"
"I don't know, I always wondered how I would feel if I ever saw you again, now I just don't…I just don't." Before she could get out another word, Dean kissed her softly. His touch hadn't changed, he was older and his beard tickled her lips as she stared at him…was she dreaming again? The answer was yes as she jolted herself back awake when she heard all the noise coming from the back of the pub.
She wasn't aware the noise was coming from the entrance of a WWE superstar that was known around the area due to his indy days. Dean walked in and looked around, it was like old times. He had not been to this pub in almost four years so when he walked in most of the old crews called him Mox and he gladly responded with a smile. Renee, Roman and Cesaro all in tow behind him. They all walked in and immediately the Mox cries began. Dean loved coming to the towns he indy'd at, it was always like a brother coming home to visit for the holidays, type feeling. So this was no different.
A smile tickled his lips as the bartender, Mike who served him beers after some of his matches for free many times, smiled and greeted him.
"What's up Mike." He said shaking his hand
"What's going on Mox."
"Nothing just popped in, wanted to bring my friends and my girl into the old areas."
"Have a seat man we got you..drinks on the house."
"Thanks man thanks."
Dean scanned the bar and saw an old face on the dance floor. Squinting slightly he saw Taylor on the floor dancing with her normal type. Tall, grungy bearded guy. Smiling to himself he headed to the floor to say hello to her. As he crossed the end of the bar, he looked to his left and there she was. Nursing a drink that she had probably been sipping on for an hour. She hadn't changed much..she was still beautiful. He loved when she wore hats, it was a turn on to him…her hair had grown…he could see the sadness that she was carrying…her eyes were empty…her smile gone…and she was so busy watching over Taylor on the floor that she didn't even see him.
Turning his cap backwards he made his way towards her. The closer he got to her the more the memories began to flood back to him..their first meeting…their nights out…the matches she had attended…the talks..the struggles..the love making…the asshole…the fight…the words he said to hurt her…how she had truly hurt him. It still stung to see her, why did he even want to talk to her? He stood over her for a bit and finally she acknowledged his presence without knowing it was actually him.
"I'm sorry, I am just here to drink my drink and go home…alone…"
"It's been a long time Angel."
Her head snapped up from its current position and she almost dropped her glass, but Dean grabbed the hand the drink was in and steadily guided it to the table. He could see the fear within her. He could feel her heart beating and it just made the memories flood back stronger.
"Yeah it really has, too long."
"Your still beautiful."
"Thanks, your eyes are still mesmerizing." She said as she looked back down at the table. Dean could see a tear drop from her face and he wanted to hug her, but he just stood there.
"How are you?"
"I've been better Mox…I mean Dean sorry."
"What's wrong?"
"I lost the man that I loved by being a complete jackass. I lost my friend, my lover and my all and I still haven't gotten over it."
"It took him sometime to get over it too. He actually hated you for a year or so, then he realized if he had just picked up the phone and said I love you you would have been fine..not condoning what you did, but just admitting that he knows now that there were things that pushed you to it."
"I still love you." She whispered
"I will always love you..." He whispered back "I have to get back to the table my girl is here with me. We need to talk."
"Yeah we really do."
"I'll get your number…you will hear from me soon, I promise." He said as he turned to walk to the back of the pub.
Angel pinched herself quickly to make sure she wasn't dreaming then smiled to herself.