AN: First off, I want to apologize for not updating my other two fics but I'm on vacation right now and I had started to write my chapters and I saved them but the problem is that I forgot to bring my floppies with me so I can't work on my other two fics unless I want to start over the chapters and I've written too much to start over from scratch. So you guys will have to bear with me but I figure I can make it up to you guys by posting one shots instead. I have some other ideas in my head but I can't promise when I'll be able to write and post them. So for now, enjoy and please, feedback is always appreciated. Oh and I'm warning you guys from now, it's pretty long so you might wanna grab a snack and something to drink before you sit down and read this, lol.
I Disclaim
Trish sighed as the elevator doors chimed open and she stepped foot into the hallways of the Hilton hotel, which was currently home to the RAW superstars for the next four days. She casually made her way down the corridor, seemingly minding her business while she waited. She was too preoccupied to think about anything else to notice her best friends sneak up behind her.
"Boo" Jericho yelled. A startled Trish jumped back with her hand over her heart and wide eyes. She turned around and smacked the self proclaimed "Sexy Beast" in the chest before admonishing him.
"You idiot…you could've given me a heart attack. It would serve you right as well because I promise you Jericho, if I die before you, I'm gonna haunt your ass until you join me on the other side" she said pointing a finger in his chest. She tried to keep a straight face but it didn't work because after only a few moments of staring at one another, both Trish and Chris bursted into a fit of laughter. Sure, it probably wasn't normal for friends to bicker so much, but for Trish and Chris, it meant a healthy relationship. Their other friends often teased them about it but Trish had to admit, that of all of her guy friends, he was the only one she could probably have a heart to heart with without him cracking a joke in the middle of the conversation. It may sound very uncharacteristic of Chris, but there was a lot about him that most people didn't get a chance to discover about him…like what a great friend he was.
Trish's mental praise of her long time friend was interrupted by her other three best friends: Amy, Adam and Jay.
"We came to see if you wanted to join us for a late meal in the restaurant downstairs it the lobby" Amy offered as she threw her hands around Trish's shoulders and gave her best friend a smile. Trish's habit was to instinctively say yes but before she could, her eyes momentarily darted a hotel room a couple doors down.
"Actually guys, as much as I'd love to spend some time with you guys, I'm not that hungry and I'm actually really tired from the drive over here so I think I'm just gonna retire for the night" Trish replied with as much dread as she could muster up.
She truly hated herself right now. She was giving up time with her friends…people who actually cared about her and she was doing it all for…nothing. Absolutely nothing. She gave herself foolish hope in thinking that things would change but they never did. She hadn't even told her friends about her dark secret. A secret that she was both ashamed yet addicted to. She didn't to find out what they would think of her if they were to find out and that's why she planned on never telling them.
"Are you okay, Trish?…You've been kinda out of it for the longest while now?" Adam inquired with concern. Trish ducked her head to hide her expression. She heard her friends chorus in agreement. She could never hide anything from them and it was a wonder how she held on to her secret for so long.
"I don't know what you guys are talking about…but I promise you guys breakfast tomorrow. I'll even splurge on the cheque." She smiled brightly. Though the guys mentally made a note to broach the subject later with her, they all agreed to let it go for the time being since they were going to get a free meal out of it. Trish and Amy couldn't help but think that their friends truly did define the stereotype of luring a man through his stomach and luckily for Trish, it always worked like a charm. However, her luck wasn't that great with Amy. Amy gave her blonde friend an inquisitive glance.
"If you're sure…" Amy began, allowing time for Trish to reconsider.
"No, I'm sure but like I said, we're definitely on for tomorrow."
The guys quickly nodded and gave Trish a hug before making their way downstairs to the lobby. Amy lingered back a while longer as she turned to Trish.
"I know you're hiding something from me Trish and I know whatever it is, is bothering you. We've been friends for the longest time and I hope by now that you know that whatever it is you're going through, you know I'll always stay true to you and help you out with whatever I can. You've always been there for me without judging me and I hope you know that I'd only to do the same for you after all we've been through."
Trish was taken aback by the short yet meaningful speech. Amy couldn't have summarized Trish's fears any better than she did and though Trish felt uneasy about her situation, she instinctively made the decision that she would tell Amy what was going on…and she would do it soon. Trish moved forward and hugged her friend who returned the sentiment.
"You're right Ames and I do trust you. I just don't trust myself right now but I promise you, I will explain it to you when I get the chance but not right now."
Amy momentarily tightened her grip around Trish before letting go and pulling back to look at her.
"I'm always there for you babe" she said with a smile. With a wink and another quick hug, Amy was on her way to join the boys. Trish smiled at the thought of her friends but her smile soon faltered at the sight of another redhead.
"Trish" the spunky redhead sneered.
"Christy" Trish nodded her head in acknowledgment.
Trish could admit that she wasn't the biggest fan of Christy's and it was more than just the fact that she had to win a contest to earn a contract in the WWE. But Trish's true dislike for Christy began when she was forced to do an angle with Christy for Wrestlemania 21. Trish wasn't stupid…she knew the purpose of the feud was solely to promote Christy's Playboy Cover but Trish's wasn't one to complain. She was always a hard worker, and it didn't matter whether she was put to work with the other divas, the men or even the inexperienced likes of Christy. However, Trish didn't take too lightly to the fact that Christy had the audacity to assume that Trish earned her success through laying on her back. She wasn't sure where Christy's animosity was coming from but she sure as hell wasn't going to sit back and be played the fool. She was sure that Christy's problem had more to do with just Trish because her attitude also extended to her Amy, Victoria and even Stacy who is possibly the most passive person backstage one could come across.
Without any more words, Christy purposely brushed against Trish as she made her way to the elevator. Trish didn't miss the smirk on her face on she passed by her but she would've be bothered with that. Trish had somewhere to be and even Christy couldn't detain her.
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The blonde Canadian quietly opened the hotel room door and slipped inside. She made her way through the luxury suite as she began to remove her black cap and jacket.
"You're late" a voice behind her whispered in her ear as a large pair of hands snaked around her waist from behind.
Trish leaned back and closed her eyes for a split second before responding.
"I was only three minutes late" she said as she eyed her watch that read 8:18 pm and then turned around and offered a small smile.
Dave Batista pulled her close so that she was flush against his body as he took in her beauty and inhaled her scent. Not only was she smart, talented and high spirited, but she was also the sexiest thing he had ever laid eyes on and right now, she was all his.
He gave her a smirk as he bent down so that their lips almost barely touched.
"It was three minutes too long" he whispered in his deep, masculine voice. He looked delectable standing in front of her in a black dress shirt and black slacks and as much as she wanted to let him have his way with her, her mouth was working faster than her head.
"That's because I had an unpleasant encounter with your girlfriend" Trish bit out. That did it and the mood was broken. Dave stepped away from Trish and ran his large hand through his short black hair.
"You're starting to make a habit of mentioning her a lot" he said with curiosity.
"Well…there's only so much of her bitchiness I can take and since you're her loving boyfriend, I'm hoping that you'll get the hint and tame her before you let her out and let her mingle with civilized people." Now she spared none of her thoughts.
"Whatever happens, she's still my girlfriend" he said with a bit of agitation.
"Yeah, that's the problem" Trish muttered.
"What was that?" he asked.
"Nothing." After a long pause, Trish figured she might as well say what she's been wanting to say for a long time now.
"I don't get how you can defend her and take every opportunity to remind me how much you love her yet every other night , I'm the one sleeping next to you in your bed. Is she the one you're thinking about it?"
Dave closed his eyes. He didn't like where this was going. He moved towards the couch and plopped down on it before leaning his head back, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath to calm his nerves down. What was meant to be relaxing turned into an opportunity for him to reminisce about how this whole predicament began.
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Walking down the hallway of the arena, Dave Batista was feeling pretty good about himself. He successfully defended his World Heavyweight Championship belt at Backlash, management was confident in his abilities as champion and he was currently enjoying his newfound relationship with the 2004 Diva Search winner, Christy Hemme. She was hot, spunky and fun to be around and Dave couldn't have asked for anything more. This was his first real relationship since his divorce and though his daughters weren't too fond of Christy, he was sure that they would come around. They had only been dating for three months and in that time, his daughters had only met her three times…in time they would grow to accept her, he was sure of it.
After finding his girlfriend chatting it up with fellow Diva Search contestants Maria and Candace, Dave suggested dinner and perhaps going back to his house so that they could spend some time with his daughters. It wasn't very often that the WWE did shows in his hometown and he figured he might as well kill two birds with one stone by spending more time with his children and giving Christy the opportunity to get on the girls' good side.
Six hours later and Dave found himself in a populated bar as he threw back the beers. His idea of quality time with Christy and his daughters didn't go nearly as he expected. The girls weren't too happy with the idea of having to share the little time they had with their father with a woman they didn't even like. The night ended with three very angry young girls and lots of shouting and door slamming. It didn't help that Christy didn't even try to get along with them. Dave could hear Christy mumble in the corner about his "bratty" daughters and after an argument, it seemed very much like Christy was giving him an ultimatum between her and his daughters. They weren't going out long enough for him to have to deal with all of this and he began to seriously question whether she should just give up on women all together and be alone for the rest of his life. That's when he spotted a gorgeous blonde take a seat beside him and order a shot of tequila.
"Rough day?" he asked as he turned to face the woman.
"As a matter of fact…yes." Dave was a bit taken back with coming fact to face with Trish Stratus. From what he knew, she wasn't much of a drinker and when she came out to bars, it was usually with her friends. Tonight she was all by herself and looking very seductive in a tight black dress that ended way above mid thigh. It accentuated every single one of her curves and Dave was more than sure that Trish knew it. His plan to sulk by his lonesome self changed as he found himself engaged in hours of chit chat with the blonde Canadian. They both drove back to her hotel room and what Dave insisted was just a gentleman thing to do by making sure she made it back safely, turned into one of the most exhilarating nights of his life. A night that he wouldn't soon forget. It started out with soft touches and nervous giggles, but by the first kiss, the sexual hunger looming in both individuals couldn't be suppressed. She tore at his shirt buttons to feel him as he hiked up her dress to her waist at first so that she could straddle him as they continued to tease each other with their hands and tongues. He was sure he had never felt such a longingly ache in himself and judging by Trish's reaction, he could tell she was just as needy for his touch as he was for hers. Not long after he was rhythmically moving inside of her as she moved along with, heightening the pleasure. They both reached their most intense climaxes before he rolled over and pulled her close. It was too much to think about it so he simply held her…he would figure out the rest later.
The next day, Trish awoke to an empty bed and a note that read
'Sorry I had to leave but I wanted to say thank you for last night'.
Dave.
Trish wasn't sure what to make of things but she got a pretty good idea when she saw Dave and Christy holding hands later that afternoon in the arena during the pre-RAW meeting. They noticed each other but neither dared to say anything. They didn't owe each other any explanations. They weren't together and they were both free to do what they pleased. Trish didn't know about his fight with Christy, therefore there was no reason why she would need to know about them solving their problems and agreeing to give it another go…at least, that was Dave's reasoning, but it wasn't doing much for his guilty conscious.
After two nights of avoiding one another, Dave couldn't bare the ache inside himself which consequently lead him to Trish's hotel door. He could love Christy, but his body needed Trish and that's how it began. He let it be known that he wanted sex, and she let it be known that she had nothing better to do so she was willing to give in to the temptation.
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"Do you plan on answering me anytime soon?" Trish questing with her hands on her hips and eyes glaring at the man they call the "Animal". Dave sighed loudly and let it be known of his distraught mood.
"We agreed that it was only sex….yet you bring up Christy all the time" he answered.
"Yeah…well so do you big guy so don't be pointing fingers" she retorted.
He was beginning to get mad now. Why was she trying to make him question his relationship with Christy? He was comfortable and he didn't need Trish ruining it all. Sure, he felt really bad for cheating on Christy but it wasn't like he hadn't tried staying away from Trish. She was like a drug and he was addicted.
"I love her Trish…I've told you that many times already"
"Then when are you gonna start acting like she's the love of your life?" she challenged him.
That was it. Now he was pissed. The woman just could not let it go.
"I'll start when you stop being my slut" he bit out. The moment the words escaped his mouth, he could see the clouded look that overcame her eyes. Her face went stoic and Dave could've cursed himself and his quick mouth. She stood there for several minutes looking right past him and he could tell she was struggling to maintain her composure. Well it was pretty safe to say that the night's plans were shot to hell but what was he going to do about the impending fight that was about to ensue between himself and Trish? As his mind struggled for ideas to rectify the situation, Trish's next actions shocked him. She moved towards the bed and began removing her clothes. When she was down to her bra and underwear, she simply turned towards him and with an emotionless face she spoke:
"Well are you coming or am I suppose to do this by myself?" she asked.
He hesitated before walking forward and proceeding to take off her clothes. She wrestled his clothes off of him and the moment he kissed her, he felt her stiffen a bit. He felt nothing from her and just as he was about to say something about it, she pulled away from him to look at him. Her hands were wrapped around his neck and for the first time, she looked right into his eyes and he saw it all. He saw hurt, anger, lust and most of all sadness.
She leaned forward and kissed him hard. She tightened her hold on him and as he lay her down on the king sized bed, he slowed down their pace. They touched and teased, probed and ached for one another until they both gave in. As he moved in and out of her, he opened his eyes to look at her. It was only through the light of the moon he saw her tears escaping her eyes and that's when he felt it…it felt a lot like his heart breaking. When they both reached their high, she settled into his arms and he watched her drift off to sleep. He began to wonder:
"What am I gonna do?" he asked himself. Unfortunately for him, he received no answer.
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"Hey guys, sorry I'm late" Trish smiled as she saw her friends sitting in a booth at the back of the restaurant.
"No problem, you're only ten minutes late" Amy offered but the guys were less than pleased. They were always hungry and Trish was sure that those ten minutes meant at least an extra fifty bucks added to the bill. They had bottomless barrels for stomachs but its part of what her love them so much. It was always something to tease them about.
Sure enough, the guys had to order extra food to make up for their ten minutes of hunger while they waited on the blonde vixen.
"I swear Ames, sometimes I wonder if they're even part of human kind" Trish giggled.
"I know what you mean…I've never met anyone who can eat as much as these guys" Amy chuckled at the sight before her.
A half hour later, the guys were still eating and Trish and Amy couldn't help themselves from making the quip comments. Trish missed this. Life was so much easier when it was just her and her friends. She was about to comment on their caveman eating habits when she spotted the 6 foot five Dave Batista walk into the restaurant with Christy on his arm.
Trish couldn't fight the emotions stirring up inside of her nor could she fight the ache inside her chest.
"Uhhh…Ames, I've gotta go to the ladies room, care to join me?" Trish asked. Amy immediately sensed Trish's silent message and readily agreed.
"I'll never understand why women insist on going to the bathroom in groups…I wonder what they do in there?" Jay pondered.
Chris laughed as Adam gave his friend an odd look.
"Actually, I don't wanna know".
In the bathroom…
The moment they reached the bathroom, Trish quickly checked the stalls before locking the bathroom door.
"What wrong Trish?" Amy asked as she grew more concerned by the second as she watched her friend grow more and more frantic.
"Remember that thing I said I would tell you about it?" Upon Amy nodding her in encouragement, Trish continued.
"I don't know how to really say this so I'm just gonna be blunt….I've been sleeping with Dave for six months now…"
Amy's mouth slowly dropped open.
"Dave…as in Dave Batista?" Amy asked for confirmation. Trish nodded her head.
"Dave as in the one going out with the Diva Search Bimbo who's known as Christy?" Amy inquired.
Trish nodded again.
"You must think I'm horrible…" Trish began.
Amy quickly silenced her.
"No, I don't. I know you Trish. I know that you would never plan something like this and I know that you would never intentionally try to hurt someone, even if you hate them. I could care less about Christy in this situation. It's you I'm worried about. I can just look at you and tell that you've gotten yourself in way too deep with Dave to save yourself from walking away without getting hurt and that scares me Trish. I've never seen you like this."
"I love him Amy…but I can't do this anymore. He has no intention of leaving Christy nor does he feel anything for me besides lust. " Amy quickly embraced her friend, stroking her hair and whispering words of encouragement.
"It's his loss Trish and besides, maybe if you told him that you're in love with him, he might actually tell you how he feels" Amy suggested.
"He already called me his slut last night…I highly doubt that he could say something like that if it weren't true" Trish sobbed.
"He called you what?" Amy said as she pulled back to look at her best friend. Her eyes were blazing and her blood boiled with fury.
"How dare he…I don't care if he's three times my size…I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind!" Amy stomped towards the bathroom door.
Before Trish could even protest, Amy was out the door and heading straight for Dave.
"Listen you piece of shit, you have no idea what you're losing and the fact that you would even associate yourself with the likes of this bimbo certainly assures me that not only are you more muscle than brain, but you have exactly what you deserve." Amy bent down and looked him dead in the eye. She was so close to him he could feel her breath against his face. She began to speak again and this time her voice was so low and menacing that only he could hear and understand what she was saying.
"She doesn't need you…and in time, she'll figure that out for herself. And if you ever call her a slut again, I promise you will feel the wrath of the people who actually care about her and I assure you, it won't be pretty."
Trish looked on in shock as she stood just feet away from the confrontation. Dave met her eyes but she didn't hold his gaze for long as she pulled outside of the restaurant by Amy. Not five minutes later they were joined by the guys.
"I'm sorry guys…" she said as she opened her purse.
"Who paid for the bill?…" she asked as she leafed through her dollar bills ready to repay one of them.
"Don't worry about it" Chris said as he put an arm around her.
Trish looked between the guys and then Amy and with her silent encouragement, Trish decided to tell them the truth.
"Guys, there's something I need to tell you guys."
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After listening to Christy for two hours go on about his confrontation with Amy and demanding to know what she was talking about, Christy finally gave up and decided to 'teach him a lesson' by leaving for the night. She called it punishment, but at the moment, he called it a break.
He eyed the clock anxiously. It read 8:10. She would come he assured himself. She still had five more minutes to show up. He turned on the TV to distract himself. He eyed the clock once again…8:17...no biggie..she was running a bit late.
He continued to dismissively watch television until he eventually fell asleep. More than three hours later he awoke to the sound of the television set. He once again glanced at the clock….12:30. He felt his throat constrict and his chest ache…she wasn't coming.
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The Next night….
Trish quietly sipped a cup of coffee as she sat on the balcony of her hotel suite that overlooked the city. It was one of the most breathtaking views she had ever seen yet she couldn't bring herself to enjoy it. It had been hard for her to finally spill the beans to Chris, Jay and Adam but she was surprised by the amount of support they lent her. There wasn't a split second of judgment or weird looks. They understood just like Amy that she hadn't meant for things to turn out they way they had. She didn't mean to fall in love, hell, she had never meant to sleep with Dave Batista ever let alone making it a ritual. If she had known that he was dating Christy to begin with, she would've never have let things get as far as they did six months ago when they were in Washington.
Fortunately, she was able to spend the entire day with her friends. They guys even braved going shopping with her and Amy. It was such a nice feeling being with people that appreciated her and didn't judge her or look down on her. She had made a mistake…one she very well may pay for a long time but she wasn't sure if she regretted what happened with Dave or not. She had such conflicting feelings when it came to him…mainly between what he made her feel and how he made her feel. She knew that it sounded the same but they weren't. She couldn't explain it herself because he barely understood it as well. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. She decided to ignore it but the persistent knocking wouldn't let up.
'That could only be one person' she thought to herself.
"I'm coming" she called out.
As she reached the door, she pulled it open.
"Amy…you don't have to keep checking up on…" her voice trailed off when she realized that her visitor wasn't Amy.
Her eyes slightly narrowed as she turned around and walked back into her hotel room.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
Dave took it upon himself to invite himself in. He closed the door behind him before further making his way in.
He didn't know what he was going to say but he knew he had to say something. Trish was mad at him, Amy was mad at him, he was sure that Chris, Jay and Adam were furious with him and Christy was furious with him. Everyone was mad at him and he knew he had to figure out things for himself but he just didn't know how to go about doing it.
"Look, I've never been good with words and I've never been very expressive with my feelings but I think we really need to talk" he began.
"We have nothing to talk about…I'm done with this" Trish interrupted him.
"Trish…." he whispered hoarsely.
"Christy and I had a fight…"
Trish whirled around. All of the emotions bottled up inside of her just spilled over. She picked up the vase of flowers and threw it at him. He quickly moved out of the way.
"Don't talk to me about Christy!" she yelled. She was crying now and she didn't care to hide it anymore. There was no turning back now and she wasn't going to pretend anymore. She wasn't going to be his lapdog anymore…no matter how she felt about him.
"I hate you…you know that?….I hate you…and I love you" she brokedown and sobbed. She felt her knees buckle and she allowed herself to collapse on the ground. Dave slowly moved towards her and bent down. He cautiously put his arms around her and brought her close into a hug. She allowed him to hold her as she sobbed into his chest. It was the moments like these when he was so gentle and loving with her…she could swear that he felt the same but just like every other time, he would always end up back with Christy the next day.
She pulled away from him and looked into his eyes. His heart broke at what he saw but it wasn't until she spoke again that he lost his composure.
"I may love you Dave…Sometimes I can't figure out why it is that I love you…but all I know is that I won't be your slut anymore Dave…" Trish broke her gaze and stared at his large chest.
'Was this there goodbye? Was this the way it was going to end?' she asked herself. Her thoughts were interrupted by a feelings of wetness on her face and it wasn't from her. She looked up to see the few strands of tears that escaped Dave's eyes. She blinked a couple of times to make sure she wasn't imagining it.he looked down at her before saying anything.
"You're not a slut and I don't expect you to forgive me for ever saying that to you. I never meant it, I only wanted to shut you up. The only reason I came here and the only reason I said those things was because I was scared of getting emotionally attach to you so I tried to ignore it. I felt the feelings Trish, but I convinced myself that they meant nothing…." he stopped when she pulled away from him and got up.
"Don't feed your bullshit to save face Dave."
The words hurt. She didn't believe him…he didn't blame her but her words still hurt.
"It's not bullshit…it's the truth. I totally understand you not wanting to believe me but I'm willing to take chance….God Trish…I look at you and this strange feeling overcomes me. At first, I explained all of my feelings using lust as an excuse. You've made me feel things that nobody has ever made me feel and it wasn't just between the sheets though I tried to convince myself of it. When I look at you, I see a woman that I could marry and come home to everyday and a woman who would be a great mother to my children and it doesn't make sense but it scares me."
"Dave…" Trish began.
"No, let me finish. I'm not gonna say that I regret what happened between us and how it happened because I'm tired of lying to you and to myself…."
"Dave….leave…I don't want to hear anymore" Trish said in tears.
"Trish…" he pleaded.
"Just go".
He regretfully nodded and headed for the door but before he walked out he turned to her.
"I love you….whatever that's worth…know that I truly do love you and I'm sorry that it's taken me so long to realize it…" he said and finally left.
Trish looked at the emptiness left behind…whether he was telling the truth or not, she had to say it out loud…
"I love you too."
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Trish watched backstage as Dave took a steel chair wrapped in barbed wire to the face. She immediately saw his face slash open and the blood began to spill over. She had to close her eyes and regain her composure before turning her attention back to the screen. The sight was gruesome but she couldn't look away. She looked on as Hunter grabbed his signature sledgehammer and took it to Dave. Dave laid helpless and thanks to the recovering referee, Hunter was disqualified and meds from the back immediately ushered down the ramp to aid the Animal who was currently laying helpless in the ring. It was as if he wasn't even paying attention to what he was doing. She had never seen him get hurt this bad and she would be lying if she said she didn't care. She was in the process of bolting out the door to make sure he was okay when a particular conversation had her stop in her tracks and listen attentively.
"He dumped me Candace…he told me he loved someone else and he couldn't be with my anymore. That was it…nothing else. He didn't even say it who it was. If anything, I'm sure his bratty children will be happy" Christy barked out bitterly. Trish didn't have time to ponder what she overheard as she continued on to find Dave. When she reached trainers room she wasn't allowed to go in because they were stitching up his wounds. Luckily, they told her that they cuts weren't as deep as anticipated and within a couple of weeks, he'd be healed perfectly. She sighed in relief and though her mind argued that she only came to make sure he was okay…he heart beg to differ. Despite learning of his condition, she had to see him first. After an hour of waiting, they finally let her into the room. He was laying down on the cold table, hardly moving.
"Dave…" she said softly. She saw as he turned to face her. She could tell that it pained him to do so but what was even more surprising to her was that he attempted to sit up. She quickly made her way over and gently pushed him back down but he refused to be beaten. He struggled and with some help from her, he finally managed to sit up.
She carefully examined his face and body. He had a couple of cuts on his arms, he got knocked with sledgehammer in his knee, which she was sure must be killing him at the moment, and his forehead was covered in bandages. She gently brushed her hand against his face as she took a good look at the damage Hunter did. He didn't say anything but only looked down as though he were ashamed to look at her. She cupped his chin and lifted his head to so that he could meet her gaze.
"Where does it hurt the most?" she whispered softly. She wasn't prepared for his answer. He slowly but gently grabbed her hand and placed it over his heart.
"Right here" he whispered hoarsely. Tears immediately welled in her eyes and he wiped the away as they fell from her hazel orbs.
Without words, she bent down and kissed him softly. She didn't want to hurt him but she had to taste him…she had to show him that she loved him too and that wanted to give things a try.
They both pulled away breathlessly.
"I love you…and I'm gonna take a big risk in openly giving you my heart, but I realize I can't walk away from you Dave without knowing whether or not we can make this work."
"Are you saying you're gonna give us a chance at real relationship?" he asked hopefully.
She nodded her head as she smiled brightly at him.
He held her hand within his much larger ones…
"I'm sorry for everything that I've put you through but I honestly believe that God works in mysterious ways and if things had happened for us any other way, I probably wouldn't have been able to appreciate you and my love you for you the way I do now. I never realized how comfortable I felt with you without having to say a word to each other until I finally lost you. I love you Trish and I will spend the rest of my life showing you because there will never be another woman that can make me feel the way you do."
With tears in her eyes she had to break the tension,
"You should write for Hallmark."
Dave let out a chuckle. "It's so obvious that Chris, Jay and Adam are rubbing off on you" he said with a laugh.
She giggled before turning serious again.
"So what now?" she asked as she nervously bit her lip in anticipation of learning where there journey begins.
"Well, as much as I'd love to seal the deal in a more physical way…" he said with a mischievous smirk, "My aching body won't let me so I was thinking that maybe you could come home with me while I recuperate…you can meet my daughters" he suggested.
"I don't know Dave…what if they don't like me?" she asked.
"Oh trust me…you're definitely an improvement from Christy…they hated her. And besides who wouldn't love you?…You happen to be their favourite diva so if anything, the only thing you have to worry about is how to explain to them how someone as cool as you ended up with someone as lame as their father" he chuckled.
It lightened Trish's mood.
"I think I can handle that."
"Oh…and what exactly will you say to them?" he asked with curiosity.
"That there's no one I would rather be with than you" she said with a smile.
"Good answer" he said returning her smile before capturing her lips in a soul searing kiss.
After all, there's only one happiness in life…to love and to be loved and luckily for Dave and Trish they realized it in each other before they lost their chance at life's greatest gift. Yes…life worked in mysterious ways and even though they learned it the hard way, it was worth it because in their hearts, they knew this was the real deal and they wouldn't have it any other way.