"I can't believe that you actually have to leave." Lori said to the Hardys as they dropped off at her home.
"I know, but we'll be back if we can after RAW." Jeff said.
"We'll try as hard as possible. I definitly want to spend more time with you." Matt said.
"We want to spend more time with you." Jeff corrected. "We'll try to get as much time free as possible." he smiled at her and gave her a hug. "We'll be back." he gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"See you later." Matt said hugging her. "You look good Lee." he kissed her cheek.
"Thanks." she said. "I'll see you later." she looked on helplessly as they drove away.
"Lori darling, it's hot out why don't you go swimming," her mother said in a way that made it seem like she knew what Lorelie was feeling.
"Jeff what was going on between you and Lee back there?" Matt asked Jeff as they were driving to the arena.
"What are you talking about? Before when we said good bye?"
"No, I'm talking about at the hotel last night and you know that."
"Nothing was going on between us and you know that."
"No I don't know that, it wasn't what I saw. I saw two people looking at eachother like they never have before. I saw my brother, and best friend looking as if something was happening as I walked in that door."
"You're wrong Matt. Nothing happened. We wrestled around like we use to do."
"And you always sat on top of Lori like that?" Matt asked getting a little louder with every word that was spoken.
"What is up with you man?" Jeff said angry and disbelieving of Matt's behavior. "Nothing happened last night. I don't care if you believe it or not. I don't know why you are so upset about anything from last night anyway. I like her so what?"
"There's a lot of what here." Matt said. He looked at Jeff who had a face that he only saw when he was annoyed at his brother. "The first what is that she has been like a sister to us and I want to know what's going on."
"I don't know if you didn't notice Matt, but she has changed."
"You think that I didn't know this? God Jeff, I guess what I am trying to tell you is that I see something new and different in her that I am attracted to."
"And what do you want me to do about this? I can't control anything that you do or that she does."
"I know all that, but you can control what you do."
"Matt, are you telling me something?"
"Yes, I'm telling you that I want you to stay away from Lee."
"Sorry man, I don't see why you are telling me this. This is Lorelie that we are talking about. Not like she wants me anyway."
"But you want her." Matt said slowly. "Just stay away."
"Why? So you can go and get with her while I stay away and watch you get the happiness that you want? I don't think so." Jeff didn't say another word to Matt the rest of the drive. Matt banged his fist against the steering wheel. Jeff didn't say a thing to Matt's physical display of anger.
"Did you have fun last night?" Lorelie's mother asked as they sat outside.
"I did, I had a lot of fun."
"You miss him don't you?"
"Who?" Lorelie asked a little nervously. She didn't want to tell her mother that she was feeling something different about Jeff.
"Jeff, you miss Jeff."
"Yes, I miss him. I miss both of them."
"I can see that you miss Jeff more, it was in the way that you seemed as he hugged you. I know, I've been there before."
"Did you feel that way about daddy?"
"I use to think that I did, but now I don't think that I could have ever felt that way about him."
"I'm confused, and I don't know what I am going to do."
"Go with your heart."
"What if my heart takes me where I am not wanted? What do I do then?" she asked almost near tears. This was a confusion that she had never had to deal with, and she didn't know how to deal with it.
"You'll go down that crossroad when you get there." That was the end of the conversation about Jeff. There wasn't much more to say then what was already said. Her mother was right about what she said. Why worry about what was out of her control?
When the sunset Lorelie went to her room. Her mother didn't ask what was wrong or if she needed anything. By the time the sunset it was already nine, Lori wasn't tired at all, she just didn't want to be around people, even if it was her own mother. Then a thought entered her mind, she remembered that Matt and Jeff had told her when they were on and to watch. She turned on her t.v. and watched. She didn't know who anybody was or what the storylines were but she wanted to see Matt and Jeff. About half way through the first hour Matt and Jeff had a match. They walked out like normal, and Lorelie saw Lita, the fellow memeber of what they had called Team Xtreme. She was amazed at the things that Matt and Jeff did. Matt was more ground oriented, but very good to watch. Jeff was like a bird with no wings. He flew all over the ring and Lorelie thought it was great. There was a part of her that felt that she wanted to go in that ring and do what Jeff did, but she knew that it was only because she wanted to be Lita, and be with Matt and Jeff any chance that she could.
"God, how am I going to figure this all out?" Lorelie said when the show was over. She turned off the t.v. and was only left with the soft humming of her fan. "What am I going to do with these feelings?"
She heard the phone ring through her door. She didn't really care who was on the phone.
"Lori dear it's Matt." her mother said handing her the phone through the door.
"Thanks mom." she grabbed the phone excitedly. "Hello."
"Hi Lee." Matt said. "Did you watch us tonight?" he asked.
"Yes I did. The two of you are amazing in that ring. I didn't know that you did things like that. When I thought of wrestling I always thought of fake punches and things of that sort."
"Now you know different right?"
"Yes. Are you sore or bruised or anything like that?"
"Almost every day of my life. But I wouldn't have it any other way. This is what I feel I was meant for and I love what I do in life."
"I hope that I feel that way when I get the job that I want."
"I think that you should have fun at your job if you want to stay sane."
"That's very true and good advice,"
"So I'm coming around tomorrow afternoon, do you want to go to lunch or something?" Matt asked her.
"Just you and me?"
"Yeah, it would be you and me, Jeff's got something to do already."
"Sure, that sounds like fun. We need to catch up."
"All right, I'll be there around one."
"I'll see you then."
"I should be going, I have to get up early and head to an early interview." Matt said. "Good night." he said.
"Night, tell Jeff that I said hi and sweet dreams."
"I will."
"O.k. I'll see you tomorrow. Sweet dreams." she said hanging up the phone. She had butterflies in her stomach. There was something different about the way that Matt was talking to her. It almost seemed as if he thought that it was the first time that they had ever talked. She was hoping that Jeff would have come along, but whatever was to happen would happen. She was a very strogn believer in fate and that you had a certain destiny to fulfill. If she was meant to be with one of the Hardys then it would happen.
She hopped out of her room. "Mommy, Matt is coming by tomorrow. We're going out to lunch."
"Oh, it's your first date huh?"
"It's not a date, it's just a two oldfrineds catching up lunch."
"If that's what you want to think then where is Jeff going to be?"
"I don't know Matt said that he had something else to do."
"I'm sure he does. Just be careful because even if you don't think that it's a date the guy might."
"Matt's not like that, he doesn't like me in the slightest. We're just going out to lunch to catch up."
"Lori, be careful. I've seen the way that he looks at you lately, there's more to this then meets the eye, I am a hundred percent positive of that."
Lorelie fell silent. She didn't want to think about what would happen if her mother was right. What would she tell Matt if it did turn out to be that he had more feelings for her then she knew of. She couldn't tell him that she liked his brother and that she wanted a relationship with Jeff instead of Matt. She knew that it would crush him. It would be wrong to tell him that, but how do you explain to a brother that you want the other one, when the brothers are practically joined at the hip? This would mean a total division of what was known as with the Hardy Boyz. She finally decided that she would act on that when it came her way. At that time it was a problem that seemed small and seemingly something that wouldn't happen. She never worried about things, especially things that seemed to be out of her control.
"Hey Matt." Lorelie said as Matt walked into the house as he had thousands of times before.
"Lee, ready to get going?"
"Yes I am." she said. She smiled and studied the way that he looked and the way that he smiled. She was now going to be more aware of what was going on with Matt, thanks to her mother. And already she was seeing signs of things being different. Lorelie knew Matt and the way he smiled at the girls he wanted to be future girlfriends. At that moment she felt as if she was getting one of those smiles from him.
"Then let's get out of here. I'll see you later Mary." Matt said to Lorelie's mother.
"Bye mommy." Lorelie said. There was a little nervousness in her voice that Matt didn't pick up. The seemingly impossible situation with Matt was seemingly getting bigger and looked as if it was going to be hard to deal with.
"So where are we going to eat?" Lori asked Matt as they were driving.
"Visiting a little childhood spot." he answered.
"Too bad Jeff couldn't be here." she said. "It would have been nice to hang out with the both of you once again. I haven't seen you in almost two years." she said.
"I know, it's been a while and it doesn't seem like anything at all."
"Well, things have changed, but it just doesn't feel like we have been away from each other for that long."
"I know. I can't believe that it's been two years."Matt looked over at her. "You have changed within the last two years."
"How? I feel like I am the same person, nothing different. Is the change good or bad?"
"No it's all good. I mean, you toned up and you seem to have more confidence in yourself."
"That's what college will do to you." she answered. "What about you? The two of you are more crazy then ever before. You seem more fearless then you have been."
"It's a reputation that I have to keep. Jeff does a good job at keeping that one alive."
"I know that one. The two of you are crazy for doing what you are doing in the ring. I have never seen anyone do the things that you and him do."
"Jeff is utterly insane."
"Then what are you?"
"I have my sanity, I'm just having a little bit of fun in the ring."
"Whatever you say."
The two pulled into a local diner that they always rode down to for special dinners and to have fun.
"I haven't been in here in so long." Lorelie said walking in.
"Neither have I." Matt looked around. "But I bet that everyone still remembers you."
"Remembers me?" Lorelie looked on the wall. "Not me, I think that they remember you" she pointed to a promo picture of Matt and Jeff.
"What can you do." Matt said. "Times like these you always use your stardom for the better."
Because Matt was so well known he got seated quickly and had the best service he could possibly ask for. Lorelie felt a little weird to see childhood friends there, working their ways through college. Lorelie loved her town, but was never satisfied with it. So many had stayed behind, Lori knew that it was time to move on, so it felt weird to constantly be asked why she had left.
"Did you have fun?" Matt asked after they had eaten.
"I did." she said. "Thank you for the lunch Matt. I really wish that you were here for the rest of the week." she said.
"Right now so do I." Matt said. "I don't want to leave, especially when you're here."
"That's flattering." she said. "What are we going to do now?" she asked.
"I have about an hour before I have to get going." he said. Matt squinted his eyes a little as he was thinking. "I know." he said.
They drove over to a small park. "It's so quiet here." Lori said.
"I know, things don't usually get busy until after lunch."
"I know, we use to come over here everyday." she said.
"I know, that was fun. I use to watch you and wish that you liked me the way that I liked you."
"What?" she asked. She was hoping that that was all that he had to say on her and his crush. This was something she never knew and right then didnt' want to hear.
"I thought you knew. I liked all through high school." he said.
"No way. You had so many other girlfriends, that's not true, your lying to me and you know it. Don't be so mean."
"I'm not lying," Lorelie sat down on a swing and Matt started to push her. "I use to wish above everything that you would finally start to like me, but you never did. All the others were nice and I liked them, but they weren't you and I always knew that."
"Oh please. You never liked me, you told Jeff all the time that you didn't like me when he asked you."
"You think I didn't tell Jeff?" Matt asked. "Jeff knew after everytime that he asked me. Whenever he asked me it was when I was going to ask a girl out. I didn't want to tell him, but he knew."
"So you lied to your own brother?" she laughed a little. "Funny thing is that I use to like you too." she said. "I never thought that you liked me though, because you always had a girlfriend."
"I guess that we were to blind to see what was really in front of our faces." he said.
"Maybe at that time," Lorelie said. "But hey you move on right?"
"Yeah, you move on and then move back to it." Matt said.
"What?"
"There's still that crush that I have on you."
"Matt that was four or five years ago."
"And as we speak it's getting stronger and stronger."
Lorelie stopped swinging. She sat still hoping that this was all a dream and she didn't have to hurt Matt in any way. Matt walked over to face her and kneeled down.
"Matt your bad, you're just joking with me, you are going to tell me that you were kidding and laugh at me and watch my face as you laugh."
"I'm not laughing, and I'm not joking." he said very seriously. "I've matured a little bit and I'm telling you now how I feel. I want to know how you feel."
Her true feelings ran through her head. There was no way that she was going to tell Matt that she liked Jeff and that her thing for Matt had ended when he left to go wrestling at the age of nineteen.
"Don't you have to get to the arena?" Lorelie said. Matt sighed and looked down. "I don't know Matt. I flattered that you feel the way that you do, but you broke my heart when you left and I got over you. I don't want to go back to that again."
Matt nodded and stood up. "I think it's time for us to get going."
"Matt," Lori stood up from the swing and pulled him into a hug. "I'm sorry, I really am. Still friends right?"
"Always friends," he smiled at her and started to walk to the car.
What a way to end an afternoon with a life long friend she thought to herself.
"I told you sweety. Mothers know things for a reason. What did you tell him?"
"That I didn't feel the same way."
"Poor Matt," her mother said.
"Don't make me feel any worse mom."
The conversation was interrupted by the phone.
"That might be Jeff," her mother said. "He called before and said he would call back.
"O.k." Lori ran to the phone and sure enough it was Jeff.
"Hi Lori, what's going on?"
"Nothing much, I just got back, too bad you couldn't come along."
"Come along where?"
"Out to lunch with Matt and I."
"You went out with Matt today?"
"Yeah." she said as if he knew and forgot about it.
"Oh, did you have fun?" he asked her.
"It was nice. It would have been fun if we had the three of us together again. But hey, you had other things to do."
"Um, yes, I had plans." Jeff said quietly. "So what did you do with him?"
"We just went out to eat and then talked a little in the park."
"Glad that you had fun. I was just calling to talk for a little. I'm a little bored, I don't have to go out until a little later on."
"What did you do today?" Lori asked Jeff.
"Not much, I went out and got some pants and shoes. Can I ask what you and Matt talked about?"
"About the past." she answered. "He told me that he had a crush on me during high school and told me that he still liked me and all of that stuff."
"And what did you tell him?" he asked a little concerned and anxious about what she was going to say.
"I told him the truth, I told him that I didn't like him that way and that I left that all behind when you left to go and wrestle."
"That's nice of you to tell the truth." There was a sound in the back that Lori heard. "Matt just came in, I guess it's getting closer to show time."
"Do you have to go now?" she asked.
"Yes, I have to go." he said. "Have a couple of things that I need to do. I'll call you after the taping."
"I'll be here."
"So I guess that I'll talk to you later."
"Bet on it."
"All right, love you."
"Love you too."
"Bye."
"Bye," Lori said and hung up the phone.
Jeff turned around to look at Matt.
"Is something wrong with you?" Matt asked him.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Tell you what?"
"Why didn't you tell me that you were going out with Lorelie today?"
"You had plans."
"After you told me that you were going out. Some brother. You take her out and then tell her how you feel."
"Jeff-"
"You want me to stand by and get what you want all the time, I'm sick of it."
"Jeff I needed the time with her,"
"So you tell me. Do you think that I am that selfish that I wouldn't let you go out with her?"
"I don't know what I was thinking."
"Matt you went behind my back. You are throwing away all my trust in you for Lori."
"I had to do what I had to do. It was a great day and I have no regrets about it."
"Except for this," Jeff looked at Matt, punched him and walked away. "You just screwed yourself over."