Linger

Chapter 1- Heartache and tears.

Trish quietly sipped her hot chocolate, curled up on her cream colored couch, staring into the fireplace, watching the flames dance before her. She was engaged to be married in 3 weeks time to Ron Fisico. She had been with him for about 8 months now, he proposed to her a month before, promising her the world. She had accepted.

But now, she was a bottle of emotions. Happiness. Fear. Devastation. Anger. One thing was for sure, she was an emotional wreck. A ticking time bomb that was ready to explode at any given moment. It should have been the happiest time of her life. She loved Ron…she was almost sure of it

She stared blankly into the brown liquid she held in her hands. In her mind, it seemed like a bottomless pit she wished she could dive into and never return. She sighed sadly, reminiscing about the night that had taken place 3 years ago today, a night she had tried desperately to forget.

Flashback

"So, you and Jeff are coming to the club tonight, right?" asked Amy.

"Uhh, yeah I'm pretty sure we are." Replied Trish

"Awesome, we are gonna dance till we can't dance no more!" replied her over excited best friend.

Trish raised her eyebrows, "Geez, Aimes, hyperactive much?"

Amy looked down, "Sorry I had a chocolate bar before…"

Trish giggled at her. She felt a warm hand on the small of her back, "Hey, Baby, can I talk to you for a minute?"

She turned around, he hazel eyes meeting with his emerald ones, "Sure, sweetie."

She turned back to Amy, hugging the red head and pecking her on the cheek, "See you later, hun."

Amy smiled as she watched them walk off, "later guys.'

Trish placed her hand in Jeff's and let him lead her into the nearest vacant locker room. She smiled to herself as he shut the door behind them, god she loved him so much.

He walked over to her, placing a hand on each of her shoulders, "Trish, darlin', I love you, you know that right?" Trish smiled up at him, "I love you too."

He smiled softly before taking a shaky breath. Her brow furrowed, "Jeff is everything ok?"

"Uhh, Trish…I've come to…I've come to realize that I've lost my passion for wrestling. That…that fire that once blazed through my heart every time I stepped into that ring…it…its gone now."

Trish listened intently, trying to understand.

"I need to take a break. I need to get away from everything…and everyone. I need to get that fire blazing again, Trish. Tonight was my last match, I'm leaving tonight…indefinitely and I don't know when im coming back.

Confusion and hurt had replaced the happiness that only moments before had graced her beautiful features. Jeff swallowed hard, willing the tears welling up inside of him to go away, at least for now. He began to speak, his voice shaky now, "Trish, I need to be alone. I never wanted to hurt you, darlin'. I just…I need this. I do."

Trish took a step back, trying not to completely fall apart. She tried to speak, managing to utter the words, "you…you're leaving me?"

"I need to, honey. I promise you…I promise I'll come back for you…I'll never stop loving you…never."

Trish shook her head, trying to comprehend the events unfolding before her, a salty river of tears streaming down her face. She looked up at him with a slight glimmer of hope in her eyes, "please, baby, don't do this. I'll come with you and we can be together…please."

He shook his head no, unable to hold back the tears any longer, "You can't, Trish…I'm so sorry." She backed herself into the cold, unwelcoming brick wall behind her. He approached her, holding her as she gripped onto his shirt never wanting to let him go, sobbing into his chest. He inhaled deeply, breathing in the scent of her Strawberry shampoo that he would miss so much and reluctantly pulled her away from him, placing a light loving kiss on her forehead before walking out the door, never once looking back.

She slid down the wall, landing in a crumpled heap on the concrete floor beneath her, sobbing uncontrollably with no intention of stopping.

Amy ran to the locker room, having just been informed by Matt of what had taken place moments before, only to stop in the doorway, watching her once vibrant friend utterly destroyed, lying on the cold, hard floor, an image of fragility. Amy's heart was breaking at the sight. She walked over and sat beside the tiny blonde, who crumpled into her arms the moment she noticed Amy was with her. Amy sat there holding her for what seemed like hours. She didn't try to make her talk; for she was sure she would when she was ready. No, she just sat there stroking her hair, every so often telling her everything would be okay. Although she knew in her heart, it never would be.

Present

Trish let out a shaky breath, reaching up and gently brushing her fingers across her forehead as she felt a single tear trickle down her cheek. She could still feel his lips.

She gasped, frantically wiping the tear away with the back of her hand as she heard the key in the door. She stood up watching as her fiancé stumbled in the door. She sighed, drunk again. She walked over; helping him into bed as she secretly pitied herself and her miserable existence.