Three weeks ago…
Holding the pillow over her head, Amanda didn't notice that Finn was in the locker room… until he moved the pillow away and his eyes widened when he saw the bruise that surrounded her left eye as well as dried blood on her forehead.
"Stay here." Finn responded before he left… it didn't take long to find Seth's locker room and charge in, grabbing Seth and punching him hard across the face.
"Ow, what the fuck?!" Seth yelled.
"That's for putting your hands on Mandy! She's not your fucking punching bag!" Finn shouted.
"How else is the little bitch supposed to stay in line?!" Seth replied angrily before the fight escalated… only for Luke and Bryan to split it apart.
"Don't make us put you two into timeouts!" Bryan yelled.
"Fucking put him in jail, he's been hurting Mandy!" Finn shouted, Luke turning to Seth.
"I didn't mean to!" Seth pleaded.
"Oh shut up!" Luke yelled before punching Seth and knocking him out.
"Go get her to the ER, we'll take care of him." Bryan said.
"Bryan get the ballgag and duct tape." Luke said.
Finn left, walking back into the locker room and closing the door… he walked over, pulling Amanda in his arms after seeing that she was crying which was a result of the screaming.
"It's okay. They're muffling his screams." Finn responded quietly, kissing Amanda on the top of her head as they held each other before he took her to the ER.
It was the next morning that police had shown up at the hotel room and Seth answered it.
"Officers, there a problem?" Seth responded, thankful that Ashley wasn't there.
"We got a report of an assault and we are aware of the business you're in as well as the incident being unscripted. There hasn't been any decisions made on whether to arrest you yet but you put your hands on Miss Cena again and if we find out you had no storyline reason to, you will be arrested and charged." The officer explained before she and her partner left, Seth closing the door.
"Fucking bitch!" Seth cursed as he leaned against the wall…
Present time…
"Are you out of your mind?!" Ashley yelled.
It was the morning after Raw and Ashley and Seth had been told by Hunter that the storyline had been dropped.
"No, I'm not. He's used this storyline to abuse Mandy both on and off camera and now she's got a fractured wrist. I'm not gonna let it continue. And some surrogate sister you are, sitting back while your boyfriend deliberately hurts her. He cracked her damn eye socket and split her head open a few weeks back, where were you then?! The cops had to be called or did he neglect to tell you that assault charges will be pressed against him if he hits her off screen? And if he told you and you still choose to act like this to Mandy, you're as depraved as Seth is!" Hunter replied before he motioned to the door.
Ashley and Seth left, looking at each other.
"Let's go see how bad this 'injury' is." Ashley responded before they went to go find Amanda.
California Love by Tupac played through Amanda's earbuds as she kept her casted wrist elevated, her legs on Finn's lap and his right hand resting on her right knee as he talked to Shawn on the phone.
"Yeah… of course, bring her over, I haven't had the chance to introduce her to Mandy yet. Alright, see ya in a bit." Finn replied before he hung up, Amanda taking her right earbud out.
"Bring who over?" Amanda asked.
"A friend of mine. And trust me, she's a lot calmer than Ashley and Seth." Finn explained, Amanda nodding before putting the earbud back in as Rusty Cage by Soundgarden started to play.
Finn knew that Amanda rarely listened to early 90s or modern music with a few exceptions… and it spoke to how she was trying to handle last night's chaos, reverting back to the battle hardened attitude that helped her through the past 10 years of her being in the business.
It was as he rested his left hand on her right wrist that they heard a knock at the door… a clearly angry one.
Amanda closed out Spotify and set her phone and earbuds aside as Finn helped her stand up and then walked over to the door… when he opened it, Ashley was about to talk when she saw the burnt orange cast on Amanda's left wrist.
"Clearly, my injuries mean fuck all to you because you can't tell one abusive bastard from another! The storyline won't be picked back up so you and your worthless boyfriend can be as pissed as you want, Hardy, it won't change anything!" Amanda responded, Ashley realising that Amanda felt like Ashley chose Seth over her and Amanda was done fighting for both lost friendships.
"Mandy, we can-" Ashley responded.
"Shut your fucking mouth! What, do you want me suffering to the point where what, I would end up abusing pain meds just to make it through the day?! Or spiralling like you did?! Walk a mile in someone else's shoes is, in this case, a sorely misued expression!" Amanda replied angrily as Finn placed his right hand on her back and his left hand on her left shoulder as a way of supporting her and encouraging her to not hold back anymore… and Amanda resting her right hand on Finn's left one. "This man has been gentle and supportive, has helped me be strong when I felt like giving up… how dare you two try to destroy that?" She responded as her demeanour changed when Finn wrapped his right arm around her waist.
And Ashley and Seth could see that the gesture was in not only support but genuine love and care, Ashley and Seth leaving and Finn closing the door.
"Thank you." Amanda whispered as Finn kissed her on the side of her head.
"Always here, Darlin'. Through everything that's thrown at us." Finn replied.
Ashley and Seth reached their locker room, walking in and Ashley closing the door.
"I can safely say I didn't expect that." Ashley responded.
"You bought all of what just came out of her mouth?!" Seth replied.
"Well why didn't you tell me what the police told you, why did I have to find out from Hunter that the hospital she went to reported the incident?! Were you scared about me finding out about all of this?!" Ashley demanded.
"Yeah, I was. I was also angry that she told them instead of keeping her mouth shut!" Seth responded.
"Mandy's been telling the truth… you are possessive and you lash out whenever she does something you disagree with, it all makes sense on why she and Finn are so close and why you refuse to understand it. You're looking in from the outside of their friendship." Ashley replied, Seth turning startled at that.
"In from the outside?! It's not an innocent friendship!" Seth responded angrily.
"It is and you know it asshole!" Ashley growled before leaving the locker room and slamming the door shut.
Seth sat down, putting his head in his hands.
He was feeling so lost now.