Disclaimer: I own nothing.
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Kylie Saunders pushed open the door to her apartment, excitement racing through her veins. Throwing her gym bag on the ground next to the door, Kylie dropped her keys on the hallway table as she hurried into the kitchen.
"Devon? You here?" Kylie called out as she opened the refrigerator, pulling out a bottle of water. As she waited for an answer, Kylie drained half the bottle in one breath. Twisting the top back on, she placed the remaining water on the counter.
"Devon?" She called out a little louder.
When she still didn't get an answer, Kylie's forehead knotted in confusion. Normally Devon was home by the time she returned from the gym and since their apartment wasn't very large, she knew that he should be able to hear her calling. Since Kylie didn't hear the shower running or the TV, she couldn't figure out why Devon wasn't answering her. Leaving the tiny kitchen, she wandered into the bedroom in the back.
At the doorway Kylie let out a small cry of surprise, her hand flying to her mouth in shock. Eyes wide open, Kylie surveyed the disaster of the normally neat room. Clothes were thrown everywhere, the closet doors stood open, and the dresser drawers were all pulled out. Kylie's first instinct was that someone had robbed them but as she continued to look around she noticed that her jewelry hadn't been touched and the only things missing seemed to be Devon's things.
"No, no, no." Kylie didn't even realize that she was speaking aloud as she shook her head, unwilling to believe that Devon had left her.
Kylie backed away from the door, turning she fled to the living room, snagging her cell phone on the way. Quickly she hit the speed dial for Devon, waiting impatiently for him to answer as she paced around the small room.
"Hi. You've reached Devon's phone. You know what to do."
"Devon? Where are you? I got home today and the room is a mess. Anyway, call me as soon as you get this so I know that you're okay." Kylie paused for a second. "Okay, well I miss and love you. Call me soon." Kylie hung up the phone sinking to the couch.
As her mind raced with all sorts of possibilities, Kylie sat on the couch staring at the blank wall across from her, willing the phone to ring. Exhaustion from the day soon over took her and before she knew it, Kylie fell asleep on the couch.
When she woke several hours later, Kylie blinked her eyes several times, trying to figure out where she was. The first thing that Kylie remembered was the phone call that she received as she was leaving the gym. Excitement burned through her veins as she recalled the conversation.
Suddenly the memory of the destroyed bedroom stripped Kylie of any and all excitement. Frowning, she looked down at the phone that she had clutched in her hand willing there to be a message or at least a missed call but only a blank screen stared back at her. An empty feeling took up root in her stomach as Kylie pushed herself off the couch. For a couple of minutes, Kylie stood in front of the couch trying to figure out what to do. Her mind flashed back to when she had met her brother for lunch several months ago. She had excitedly told him that she was going to be moving in with Devon.
"You can't to this Ky." Greg gripped his sister's arms.
"Why not?" Kylie shrugged off her brother's hands. "It's the perfect solution. I need a place to stay once my lease is up and since Devon and I have been dating for almost a year this time; it's time for us to take that next step."
"This isn't a good idea." Greg shook his head. "Devon's just going to end up hurting you like his done every other time."
"It's different this time." Kylie insisted. "I don't know why you can't just be happy for me."
"Because I know what he's going to do. As soon as your heart is fully engaged, he'll run off, breaking it once again." Greg snatched a cherry tomato off of Kylie's salad, popping it in his mouth with a wide smile as she glared playfully at him.
"He's changed." Kylie slapped at Greg's hand as he tried to steal one of her olives. "Things are going to be different."
Greg sighed. "I'm not going to be able to talk you out of this, am I?"
Kylie shook her head. "I believe Devon when he says that everything will be different."
"I hope to God that you're right." Greg ran a large hand through his blond hair that was so similar to Kylie's. "I don't know if I could handle watching you get hurt again."
Kylie smiled at the obvious concern in her brother's voice. "Thanks for looking out for me but things will be okay."
Greg just shook his head at Kylie's naiveté. "Well I gotta get back to the office." Leaning over he kissed the top of the petite blonde's head. "Watch out for yourself, okay kiddo?"
Kylie wrinkled her nose at her brother's pet name for her. "I'll be okay. Stop worrying so much."
"I can't help it. That's what big brother's do." Greg ruffled Kylie's hair as he stood up and dropped some bills on the table. "Call me if you need help moving."
Kylie nodded absentmindedly as she started to make a mental list of things she needed to accomplish in the week that she had left before she moved.
Kylie blinked back tears that threatened to fall as she shook her head to rid herself of the memory. Refusing to believe that her brother was right once again, Kylie dialed Devon's number again. When she got his voicemail again, she quickly left another message asking him to call her.
Running a weary hand over her face, Kylie made her way into the kitchen to see if she could find something to eat. Even though she wasn't hungry, she knew that she needed to keep her strength up. Pulling out a leftover grilled chicken breast, Kylie quickly chopped it up and constructed a salad that could rival any five star restaurants.
Carrying her salad back into the living room, Kylie flipped on the TV so that the apartment didn't feel so lonely. Finding a channel that was running an X-File marathon, Kylie began to pick at her salad as she watched Mulder and Scully race to find the truth.
Hearing the faint strains of Home Sweet Home, Kylie realized that she had left her phone in the kitchen. Setting her salad on the coffee table, Kylie rushed to grab her phone before it went to voicemail. Without taking the time to look at the caller ID, Kylie flipped her phone open.
"Hello?" She asked breathlessly, hope coloring her voice.
"Hey sis." Greg's cheerful voice tumbled through the phone lines.
"Oh, hey Greg." Kylie tried to keep the disappointment out of her voice but she knew that she had failed when Greg's voice took on a steely tone.
"He did it again, didn't he?" Greg's voice was tight with anger.
Hearing her brother voice her greatest fear, Kylie couldn't stop a tear as it slid silently down her face. "Don't jump to conclusions." Kylie struggled to keep her voice even. "I don't know what's going on yet."
"Come on, Ky. You do know what's going on; you just don't want to admit it yet." Greg knew that his voice sounded harsh but he was trying his best to control his anger.
Kylie shook her head even though she knew that Greg couldn't see her. "No." She stubbornly said. "He didn't leave again. I know that there is a good explanation."
"Ky, don't do this." Greg's voice became gentle. "Don't put yourself through this again. You know that he's gone and this time he probably won't be coming back. You need to move on with your life."
Kylie's reserve broke and tears began to fall in earnest. "I don't know if I can." She whispered. "Devon helped define who I am."
"No!" Greg practically shouted, hating Devon with ever fiber in his body for making his little sister doubt herself. "You know exactly who you are and you don't need that loser to tell you what it is."
Wiping at her tears, Kylie tried to believe as her brother did but it was hard. For as long as she could remember she had always been Devon's girl. He had been the one to help get her interested in wrestling. He had been there every step of the way, encouraging her, helping her, and in general being her loudest fan. Kylie had never been blinded to Devon's faults. She knew that he had a tendency to pull away when things got to serious but she never forgot what he had told her after he left the first time.
Upon his return, Devon had woven a complex story about his dysfunctional family. He had explained that he had grown up the middle of twelve children and his parents hadn't had enough love to go around. His father had beaten him and his siblings, saying that they weren't worth anything while his mother watched with weary eyes, too tired to even say a kind word to her son. Devon had grown up to believe that he wasn't worth love so he had hardened his heart and when Kylie had started to break through that wall he had constructed, Devon had gotten scared so he had split. When he finally realized that he needed Kylie, he had come running back.
That wasn't the last time that Devon had left Kylie. Every time that Kylie thought things were going well and that maybe everything would be okay, Devon would pull up stake and leave her heartbroken. A couple of days later Devon would call her and tell her that he needed time but would always ask Kylie to wait for him, which, of course, she always agreed to do. Then a couple of months to a year later he would return, all apologetic saying that things would be different, that he was different. Kylie always took him back and for awhile things would be different and Kylie would let herself begin to hope that finally things would work only to have the vicious cycle repeat just as she was letting her heart love again. A part of Kylie knew that she really needed to break out of the relationship but the rest of her just couldn't do it. She had been with Devon since she was fifteen and he had convinced her that she couldn't survive without him.
"Ky? You still there?" Greg was concerned when Kylie didn't say anything for several seconds.
Kylie took a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm still here. Just thinking about things. I know that you think Devon is the lowest of the low but he'll be back, you just wait and see."
"Kylie, don't." Greg pleaded. "Please come stay with me until this whole matter is resolved. You know that this cycle is only going to repeat itself until you do something about it."
Refusing to accept what her brother was telling her even though part of her already knew the truth; Kylie simply hung up the phone so that she didn't have to listen to Greg any more. Almost immediately her phone started to ring again. Kylie glanced at the caller ID and seeing her brother's number, she hit the button to ignore the call.
Pressing her fingertips to her pounding temples, Kylie shut her eyes, unwilling to let the tears that lurked behind her eyelids to fall. Slowly, Kylie made her way to the bedroom, reassuring herself that Devon would call the next day and they would be able to work everything out. As she slipped off to sleep, Kylie suddenly remember that in one week she was suppose to report to the WWE headquarters to that she could sign her contract. From there she would be joining the Raw roster.
A/N: I know that there really isn't any wrestling in this chapter but I promise it is coming. This chapter is necessary to the rest of the story so I had to write it. I hope that everyone will stick with the story as Kylie begins to meet the wrestlers in the next chapter. As always, please review. Thanks for reading!