A/N: Here's the final part of the last installment. Enjoy.
Tyia walked into the arena the Raw taping was taking place at later that night, a silly grin etched onto her face. She was finally back on the road after spending the past few days with Joe in Pensacola, simply enjoying the weather and relaxation. After their first night, Joe took her on her own personal sightseeing tour of his hometown, showing her where he went to school and a few of his favorite places to hang out at when he was younger. Tyia thoroughly enjoyed listening to tales about Joe's childhood, finding out more about him throughout their stay there. By the time their mini vacation ended, neither of them wanted to leave but knew they had to. While their time together was magical and wonderful, they knew they had to return back to work and tell Eva Marie and Colby their decisions. There was no more room for excuses.
Tyia rounded the corner to look for Lena at her work station when she saw a big crowd standing in the hallway. Her face crinkled in confusion as she slithered her way through the group, trying to see what was going on. She glanced to her left and saw a few divas standing near a wall.
"What's going on?" Tyia whispered since she still couldn't see since a bunch of bodies were standing in front of her.
"Eva just snapped," Arianne informed her shaking her head. "She's literally losing her mind."
Tyia's stomach dropped once her eyes finally landed on Joe and Eva standing in the middle of the circle of people. Eva was waving her hands in Joe's face and screeching at him while Joe stood stoically, his facial expression devoid of any emotion.
"What happened?" Tyia asked although she knew exactly what had Eva acting deranged.
"Apparently Joe broke up with Eva this morning and she lost it," Nicole Garcia, also known as Nikki Bella, told her. "It's just so sad because Eva was looking forward to moving in with him too."
"Please, she was looking forward to hanging off his arm like a trophy wife 24/7," Trinity retorted with a roll of her eyes. "Everybody knew Joe wasn't feeling her like that. She was just a quick fuck but she thought she was more and now she feels dumb as hell."
"Well Joe shouldn't have lead her along. If he knew his feelings weren't that deep for her, then why even keep up the charade? Why agree to let her move in with him?"
"Because he's a man girl. And men are notorious for stringing chicks along. One minute they're whispering in your ear about how much they wanna be with you. Then the next they find some other chick that they wanna dick down and leave you high and dry. Joe isn't shit at all just like a lot of these men back here aren't." Arianne shook her head again and crossed her arms over her chest.
Tyia bit the inside of her bottom lip to keep her anger in check, not wanting to say something that would make the divas suspicious. She didn't appreciate how they were talking about Joe. They didn't know him like she did but they were making assumptions. Sure, Joe might've had a reputation of being a player backstage in the past. But after the weekend the two of them shared with one another, the trainer knew that he wasn't like that anymore. He only had eyes for her, despite what other people may have thought.
"Tell me who she is Joe!" Eva's elevated voice interrupted Tyia's thoughts. "Tell me who is the other chick you're fuckin!"
"Eva, for the millionth damn time, it's none of your business whether there's another woman involved or not. This is the exact reason why I dumped you. I tried to be civil towards you and end things outside of work. But you wanna bring our personal shit to work which is completely out of line. Did you really think I would want to deal with your immature ass?"
A resounding slap echoed throughout the hallway, making the bystanders gasp in shock. Joe visibly shook from anger as it took his all to not attack the redheaded diva standing in front of him. Unable to watch anymore, Tyia stepped forward and stood between the exes. Joe's expression softened once his eyes landed on her, his stare lowering to the floor to avoid Tyia's gaze. He didn't want her to witness the altercation between him and Eva because he didn't want her to jeopardize her job by snapping on her arch nemesis.
Turning on her heel, Tyia crossed her arms over her chest. "Eva, you need to chill and go take some time to yourself."
"This is none of your business Tyia," Eva told her with a sneer, her voice taking on a mocking tone.
"This is Colby's friend and I'm not gonna let you physically attack him at his place of employment like you don't have an ounce of fuckin sense. Now go ahead and leave before I tell management how you're putting your hands on people. Then your day will go from bad to worse."
Eva scowled at Tyia, stepping closer to the shorter woman. Tyia stood her ground, her eyebrow raising in amusement. Although she was smaller than Eva, she knew without a shadow of a doubt that she could take her if it came down to it. Tyia smirked as Eva glared at her, silently daring the woman to hit her so she could embarrass her in front of everybody like she just did to Joe. Before she could make a move, Arianne and Nicole walked up and grabbed Eva by the arm.
"C'mon girl you need some fresh air," Arianne told her, pulling her away.
With one last lingering look, Eva finally turned on her heel and walked away, tears trickling down her face. Tyia rolled her eyes as Eva started to dramatically sob while being lead away by her friends.
"Ok, y'all can get back to work. Show's over!" Tyia exclaimed, gesturing for the crowd to disperse. Once she watched the last person leave the area, she turned around and came face to face with Joe.
"Are you okay?" she asked him softly, stepping closer towards him.
Joe nodded his head, shrugging his shoulders. "Can't say I'm surprised she reacted like that. I just thought she would at least have some type of decorum to not bring the drama to work."
"Yeah, she was out of line for that shit. I'm surprised I was able to stop myself from slapping the shit out of her."
Joe smirked, amused at Tyia's scrappiness. "Thanks for intervening," he said as he dragged a hand over his face. "You really didn't have to-"
"You actually thought I was gonna let that Raggedy Anne looking ho berate you in front of a group of people? Oh hell no, that wasn't about to happen Anoa'i."
Joe chuckled as his grey orbs darted around the corridor. Once he saw the coast was clear, he grabbed Tyia by her wrist and pulled her closer to his body. She whimpered when she softly rammed into his muscular frame.
"Didn't I tell you not to call me that anymore?" he asked quietly.
"Well it is your name so…"
"Yeah but I rather you call me those other names you were calling me back in Pensacola."
A crimson blush crept onto Tyia's cheek at the memories of their time together the past weekend as she pushed him in the chest playfully, giggles falling from her lips. Joe swiftly grabbed her other wrist and held her hand to his heart, stopping her laughter. Tyia held her breath as Joe's eyes were fixed on her mouth, his tongue sneaking out to lick his bottom lip.
"Do you know how hard it is for me to keep my hands off of you right now Tyia? I just want to feel your lips against mine as I thrust inside you and make you scream my name to the heavens."
Tyia's body shivered at Joe's words, her desire for him causing her panties to dampen. "Joe-"
"I know, we can't do anything until we tell Colby the truth. So I'll try to be a good boy but I'm not making any promises," Joe replied with his signature smirk creeping onto his lips.
"Just be a bit more patient babe. Once we tell Colby, we can kiss each other senseless all over the place while you make me call you Daddy all night long." Tyia flashed him a tiny smile as Joe growled softly at the image that appeared in his head.
The vibrations of her phone in her pocket interrupted their conversation. Rolling her eyes, Tyia pulled it out of her back pocket. Once she replied to Lena's text inquiring where she was, Tyia slipped it back inside her pocket.
"I should go. I'm meeting up with Lena for lunch."
Joe exhaled. He didn't want Tyia to leave. He would rather spend the rest of his day with her. He chuckled to himself at the fact that he was in so deep with her that he wanted to spend every waking minute possible in her presence. But he knew that wasn't possible, not until they both told Colby the truth. Joe leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on Tyia's forehead, his thumb absentmindedly stroking her cheek.
"I'll see you later," he whispered. Tyia glanced up at him, her eyes hazy with love and passion before she nodded her head and backed away from him. Joe watched as she walked in the opposite direction before he sighed again, turning around to make his way towards his own locker room.
Tyia yawned quietly as she walked towards The Shield's locker room, running a hand through her black curls. Raw was well under way and she was on her way to check on Joe, wanting to make sure he was okay before his segment began. Her lips pursed together as she thought about the incident from earlier. She couldn't believe that Eva confronted him at work in front of his peers. That simply reeked of unprofessionalism and Tyia simply hoped Joe wouldn't be reprimanded because of Eva's actions or else she wasn't sure she could stop her fist from plowing into the fake redhead's face.
While she didn't care for Eva, a large part of Tyia couldn't help but feel extremely guilty for her mental breakdown. The main reason Joe ended things with her was so he could be with Tyia. If the two of them hadn't hooked up months ago, this wouldn't be happening. Seeing Eva snap the way she did made Tyia nervous as to how Colby would react. She knew things wouldn't be peaceful once he learned the truth but she had a feeling deep within her stomach that the fall out would be ten times worse than she imagined.
Tyia shook the thoughts out of her mind as she sighed. Despite her not wanting to hurt Colby, she knew she had to tell him the truth. She couldn't go on acting as if she was still in love with him when she knew that wasn't the truth. Sure, the Iowa native would hate her and Joe and a severe blow may be dealt to the working relationship and friendship between the two men. But that was a consequence she had to deal with in order to be with the man that she loved.
Tyia knocked softly on the closed door before turning the doorknob. She rolled her eyes once she saw the messy locker room, shaking her head as she walked in. It amazed her how three grown men couldn't keep a small space tidy and somewhat clean and she wondered how they even found anything. Without thinking about it, Tyia started to pick up a few items to straighten up. Nobody was inside so she inferred that they were either in catering eating or somewhere strategizing for their segment and match later that night. Tyia knew she was taking a risk. She should've just sent Joe a text to see how he was doing as opposed to stopping by his locker room. But she had to look into his face when she asked him how he was doing. She knew Joe would try to downplay how he really felt through text. But if she was able to look into the gorgeous greys, there was no way he could lie to her. Joe, if nothing else, was a gentleman despite what others believed. He understood that he hurt Eva by breaking up with her and so he allowed her to take her anger out on him so she could get it out of her system. However there was only so much berating a man could take, and Tyia would understand if his entire psyche was affected from the encounter earlier.
Once the room looked somewhat presentable, Tyia ran a hand through her hair, deciding to stop by later once the show was over. As she began to walk towards the door, her hip ran into a duffle bag she placed onto one of the benches, once again making the contents spill out on the floor. Releasing a frustrated growl, Tyia bent down to scoop the items back inside. The moment her eyes caught sight of the ADTR t-shirt, she frowned realizing that it was Colby's bag. The shirt was one that she bought him when they first started dating and the fact that he still carried it around with him after all this time made her feel even shittier than she already did.
Pushing her thoughts to the back of her mind, Tyia continued her task when her knuckles ran across a box. Hazel eyes widened as she pulled the velvet box from between the t-shirts, warily eyeing the small item.
'No it couldn't be,' Tyia thought to herself, staring at the object as if it was infected. Her shaky hand slowly moved towards the box, hesitantly opening it. Tyia's breath became hitched in her throat once her eyes landed on the gold engagement ring. A large diamond stone sat in the middle of the ring, smaller diamonds etched onto the band along with a bezel set diamond halo. The ring was breathtaking, everything she would want it to be and she knew it would look gorgeous on her small hand.
Then the thought of Colby planning to propose to her while she was plotting to leave him crossed her mind. Tyia snapped the case shut, tossing it in the bag hastily. Here she was about to break his heart when he was planning on spending the rest of his life with her. What a cruel, twist of fate.
She quickly stood to her feet and tossed the bag back on the bench. She snatched the door open eager to leave the room that she felt was closing in on her, needing a breath of fresh air to calm her nerves.
"Whoa babe where's the fire?"
Tyia's head snapped up at the sound of Colby's voice. Her mouth dropped open as she stared at him standing in front of her, Joe right behind him. Her throat immediately became dry like cotton as she blinked her eyes rapidly to stop tears from cascading down her face.
"I..uh..I have to-"
Colby bit his bottom lip as a frown appeared on his countenance. He grabbed Tyia's hands, rubbing the back of them soothingly. "T, take a deep breath. You look like you've seen a ghost. Is everything alright?"
Tyia's mind screamed no but she felt herself nod her head, a shaky smile curling on the corners of her lips. Her eyes locked with Joe's and she could see the concern radiating from his gaze as his brow dropped to the bridge of his nose. She could tell that he knew she was lying. But could she possibly tell him what she found? She didn't want to make Joe feel as guilty as she did or have him reconsider telling Colby about the two of them. No, he couldn't find out about the ring.
"Yeah I'm fine. Just came by to see you," she said, her eyes still locked onto Joe. "Wanted to check on you and see how you are."
"I'm doing great now that you're here," Colby replied with a cheeky grin. He pulled her close to him, rubbing her shoulder blades through her t-shirt. "I missed you and your lips though." He grinned wickedly at the hazel eyed beauty.
Before she could stop him, Colby brushed his lips across Tyia's, groaning at the softness. Tyia stood frozen in place, watching Joe's jaw twitch in anger, upset that another man was kissing on something he had claimed as his. Tyia pulled away and flashed Colby an uneasy smile.
"I missed you too Lopez," she said, quickly moving out the way as Joe brushed past her to walk into the locker room. She glanced over her shoulder watching as the larger man roughly snatched his duffle bag off the bench, his gaze avoiding hers. Exhaling, Tyia turned her attention back to Colby.
"How about you come to my room later so I can show you how much I missed you." Mischief danced in Colby's eyes, indicating exactly what he meant by the statement.
"I have an early meeting tomorrow morning and I'm completely exhausted from this past weekend. But I'll see what I can do."
Colby leaned forward and pecked her on the forehead. Her eyes fluttered closed as she tried to steady her breathing, trying to will herself to not cry. Once they parted, Tyia stepped out of Colby's embrace.
"I should get going so I can find Lena to watch the show with."
Colby nodded his head, squeezing Tyia on her elbow gently before walking around her and into the locker room. She turned her head once again to see Joe staring directly at her, his lips pursed together. She knew he didn't like the fact that Colby kissed her in front of him but there was nothing they could do at that moment. They hadn't told Colby the truth yet, deciding to wait until after the Smackdown taping the next night so he wouldn't be too distracted in the ring. But until then, the charade had to continue as much as it pained Tyia to continue to lead Colby along and to force Joe to watch the woman he loved be kissed by another man.
Without another word, Tyia exited the locker room, deciding to look for her best friend so she could vent to her about the newest twist in the messy love triangle she was involved in.
"Hey man why are you so quiet? You good?"
Joe nodded his head as he shouldered his duffle bag, lips pulled together in a tight line. Raw was finally over and he couldn't wait to rest his aching bones in his comfortable bed back at the hotel. He exhaled softly as he closed his eyes, imagining Tyia straddling his back dressed in nothing but her underwear and massaging every inch of his body. Snapping his eyes open, he turned slightly to face Colby. "Yeah, just tired. Nothing sleep can't handle."
A frown appeared on Colby's face, concern flashing across his face. "I heard about what happened with Eva this afternoon."
Joe shrugged. "Yeah, guess I should've listened to you and Jon and not mess with her crazy ass. I just got what I deserved."
"But why did you break up with her? You two were about to move in together and it appeared like things would become more serious. Why now?"
Joe bit his bottom lip as the two of them exited the arena, walking towards the rental car they rode in. As he tossed his bag into the trunk, he wondered whether he should finally tell Colby the main reason why he dumped Eva. He was tired of hiding his relationship with Tyia and felt the sooner Colby learned the truth, the better it would be for all of those involved. But he made a promise to Tyia to tell Colby together and he wouldn't dare break the promise.
"I just realized she wanted something I couldn't give her. Guess I finally decided to stop leading her on and let her know things between us wouldn't progress anytime soon."
Colby started the car, effortlessly pulling the vehicle out of the parking space and driving away from the arena as he tried to avoid as many fans as he could. "Well I'm glad you came to your senses. You deserved somebody better than Eva, Joe. She was only interested in riding your coattails as you climbed up higher on the proverbial ladder at work. You two had different mindsets and just didn't mesh well together," Colby told him, turning his head slightly to glance at his friend. "So what's next? Are you looking to start dating anybody new?"
Tyia's face flashed through Joe's mind, making a smirk curl up on the corners of his lips. "I got my eye on somebody. But I'm just going to take it slow. Don't want her thinking she's a rebound chick."
"Well, whoever it is I hope she brings you as much joy as Tyia brings me." Colby chuckled and shook his head, amazed at how much of a sap he sounded at that moment. He approached a red light as his hands reached inside the pocket of the North Face jacket he was wearing. "I got something to tell you."
Joe's eyebrow raised curiously. "What?"
Colby's hand emerged from his pocket before dropping a small velvet box into Joe's hand. Joe felt his breathing become labored as he stared at the object before his eyes landed back on Colby. "What's this?"
"Man what do you think it is? It's an engagement ring! I'm gonna propose to Tyia."
Joe's back slumped in the passenger seat as the light turned green causing Colby to pull off. He felt as if somebody knocked the air out of his body as he replayed Colby's words in his mind. He was proposing to Tyia. The thought of his best friend kneeling on one knee before the woman Joe loved made uneasiness wash over him. He knew Tyia was having trouble coming to terms of telling Colby the truth about them. What if she decided to stick with the Iowa native once she saw the ring, memories of the love they shared for each other floating back to her. She could very well drop Joe with the snap of her fingers, leaving him a heartbroken and mangled mess in the aftermath. If Colby proposed to Tyia, Joe stood to lose the most important thing he wanted.
"Propose? Man, are you sure?" Joe asked after a few minutes of stunned silence.
"Never been more sure in my life. I've known for years I was gonna marry her but now I'm finally ready to make that leap. I told you when she first came to WWE I was gonna make her my wife. I'm just following through on my word."
Joe placed the unopened box in the cup holder that sat between the two men and folded his hands in his lap. "So when are you gonna propose?"
"I don't know. Soon though. I don't know how much longer I can keep this a secret. I just told you because I haven't told anybody and I needed to get it out."
Silence filled the car again as Colby continued to drive towards the hotel. Once they pulled into the parking lot, Colby parked the car and cut off the ignition. He turned to face Joe. "Look I know you don't like Tyia that much but she's a great woman. I just hope now that she's gonna be more of a permanent fixture in my life, you two can learn to get along. I can't have my wife and my best friend hating each other." Colby chuckled.
Joe flashed the two toned hair man a nervous smile, his mind being filled with memories of his and Tyia's getaway to Pensacola. He was so happy during the trip, loving every moment he spend with the woman that managed to capture his heart unexpectedly. Although they just recently admitted to each other how they felt, Joe was still looking forward to possibly building a life with Tyia: having kids with her and eventually marrying her. But now Colby's announcement was throwing a monkey wrench into his plans.
His thoughts returned to earlier that night. Tyia's uneasy eyes popped into his mind, her erratic behavior now making sense. She saw the ring before Colby and Joe returned to the locker room. Yet she didn't tell Joe about it. He bit his bottom lip wondering why she would hide such a thing from him. Was Joe's nightmare coming true? Was Tyia considering sticking with Colby and ending things with him?
"Joe, did you hear me?"
Joe was jolted out of his thoughts by Colby's voice. He nodded his head once his grey orbs locked with Colby's chocolate brown eyes. "My bad, told you I'm exhausted." He ran a hand over his face and exhaled deeply. "Colby, I have something to tell you before you propose to Tyia."
"What's up?"
Joe parted his lips to reveal everything from the initial hook up to the declaration of love on the beach. Colby may have been in love with Tyia but so was Joe. And he wasn't gonna give her up without a fight. The feisty woman would be upset that he went ahead and talked to Colby without her but it had to be done sooner than later.
The ringing of Colby's cell phone halted Joe, making an exasperated groan escape his lips. An apologetic smile appeared on Colby's face before he pulled the cell phone out of his pocket and glanced at the caller ID. "I have to take this. Can we finish this conversation later?" he asked his friend.
Joe stared at Colby, guilt gnawing away at his conscience as he observed the happiness that emanated from the other man's stare. It was obvious how excited he was about the idea of proposing to Tyia, eager to make her his wife. Could Joe truly ruin his entire life with one statement? Could he be so cruel to take a pin and pop Colby's dream bubble of living in a house with a white picket fence with Tyia and their two kids once he told him that he was in love with his girlfriend?
Joe nodded his head, deciding to let Colby be happy for at least one more night before his entire world came crashing down around him. "Yeah, don't even worry about it. It's not important."
"So..."
Tyia's eyes snapped up, her hazel orbs connecting with concerned amber irises. "So what?"
Lena exhaled as she took a sip of her steamy coffee, glancing over her mug at Tyia expectantly. "Have you made a decision?"
Tyia bit her bottom lip, nodding her head sheepishly, indicating she had indeed made her choice. She sighed before taking another drink of her coffee. "Joe."
Lena reached across the table and grabbed Tyia's hand and squeezed it tightly. She already had an inkling on what Tyia's decision was based off the rumor going around backstage about Eva Marie slapping Joe in front of everybody the previous night. However, she wanted her best friend to confirm her suspicion and admit aloud that she indeed wanted to be with Joe. "Are you sure you made the right choice T? Because you looked like you just been sentenced to life in prison."
A sardonic chuckle fell from Tyia's mouth as she shook her head. "Once I thought about everything, I realized, I'm in love with Joe. He just makes me feel things I've never felt before. Makes my body respond in a way I never thought it could. He's the one for me and he's in love with me too. He told me he has been for a long time."
"I feel a but coming on."
"But," Tyia paused, licking her dry lips. "Last night I went to their locker room to check on Joe, to make sure he was doing okay after the incident with Eva. However I found an engagement ring in Colby's bag instead."
"Oh no." Lena ran a hand over her face.
"I'm still agonizing about how much this is gonna tear Colby apart. He's a great man and I still can't get over how I betrayed him. I care about him very much and I just don't want to destroy him or his spirit when he learns the truth."
Tyia stood to her feet to rinse her mug in the bathroom sink before she walked back into the bedroom. Once she dried the dish, she turned around to face Lena, crossing her arms over her chest. "I didn't let Colby know I found the ring. I haven't even told Joe."
"Girl why the hell not? You're just digging yourself deeper and deeper."
Tyia exhaled. "I know. But I just didn't want to add more stress to the situation. As much as he tries to hide it, I know it's eating Joe alive to know that we're about to break his best friend's heart. It would just make him feel guiltier if he knew that Colby was preparing to propose to me right at the same time we were going to tell him that we're in love."
"Tyia I know you and Joe care about Colby and want to make this as easy as you can. But the fact is, you can't. He's gonna be pissed and hurt no matter how gently you two tell him. Y'all need to stop bullshitting and tell Colby the truth before somebody else does. You and Joe can't keep hiding how y'all feel about each other. It won't be long before somebody notices the secret looks you two share with one another or how you start blushing whenever somebody says his name or how he starts grinning when somebody discusses you. Would you rather tell him yourself or have somebody else do it for you?"
Tyia nodded her head, silently agreeing with Lena as she lowered her head, staring at the mauve colored polish on her toes. "You're right," she replied softly. "I wish I never got in this situation in the first place. Yes, I love Joe and I want to be with him. I just wished it didn't come at the expense of Colby's happiness. I fucked up so bad Lena. I'm such a horrible fuckin person."
By this time, Lena was standing in front of Tyia, engulfing her in a tight hug as Tyia buried her head into her shoulder, sobbing. Lena rubbed her back in a soothing circular motion.
"T, you're not a horrible person. You're a normal, flawed person in a horrible fucked up situation. But there is a glimmer of happiness for you. You can be with Joe and be happy. It won't be perfect, people may hate you two but as long as you're with the man you're in love with, who gives a damn what other people think? Hell, you already know I'll be by your side too." Lena pulled away and wiped the tears from Tyia's face with the pads of her thumbs, smiling at her best friend.
"Thanks for having my back as usual Lena," Tyia mumbled.
Lena nodded her head before hugging Tyia again, hoping everything would work out for Tyia.
Joe's intense grey eyes surveyed the contents of his red plastic cup before downing the liquor in one gulp. He was exhausted both physically and mentally. The Smackdown taping, which was in Florida, ended a few hours prior and he was dragged to his cousins' house for what was supposed to be a small get together. However, all he wanted to do was climb into his warm bed and wrap his arms around his woman.
If he only knew where Tyia was.
His eyes scanned the room, silently awaiting her arrival. It didn't take a rocket scientist to determine that Tyia and Joe were avoiding each other. Ever since the night that they separately learned of Colby's plans to propose to the trainer, the two had kept their distance from each other. Joe was waiting for her to reach out to him and tell him about finding the ring but she didn't. As more time passed without a call or a text from Tyia, Joe could feel the anxiety slowly blossoming inside of him. He hoped she wasn't having second thoughts about being with him now that they were back on the road with Colby. Joe meant every word he told Tyia on the beach in Pensacola. Anything less than being with her, in the open, was unacceptable. He was in love with her and wanted nobody but her. He wanted to be the only man to caress her and make love to her, and seeing the man he considered his best friend kissing her in front of him the night before ignited an anger inside of Joe that he never experienced before. The Samoan man knew being with Tyia would cause a shit storm and they would definitely lose a few friends as a result. But he was willing to endure the aftermath if she was standing by his side through it all.
As Joe awaited for Tyia to arrive, he mentally kicked himself. He should've just told Colby the truth during the car ride back to the hotel. All this time he had been urging Tyia to stop hiding behind excuses and prolonging the inevitable, yet when the opportunity presented itself for him to come clean, he chickened out as well. Joe was quickly reminded how tough the task of telling Colby really was. And for a brief moment, he considered that maybe Tyia and him should end things with one another to spare Colby.
However, memories flooded his brain of making love to Tyia on the beach, strengthening their connection. Thoughts of showing her around Pensacola as he shared pieces of his childhood that he didn't share with any other woman along with waking up with her body snuggled tightly in his arms plagued his mind. Shivers ran down his spine as her declaration of love replayed over and over in his mind, her emotional hazel orbs haunting him. Joe couldn't deny that their rendezvous felt right. He hadn't felt more content in his life and he knew that Tyia was the one for him. They came together in a fucked up situation but they belonged together and with nobody else.
That's why Joe determined the night couldn't end without Colby learning the truth.
The ringing of the doorbell disrupted Joe's thoughts. He watched as Trinity, his cousin Jon's fiancee, opened the door, grinning widely as she stepped out the way. Joe sucked in a breath as he watched Colby and Tyia walk through the door, the latter hugging the diva. Tyia wore a simple red dress that stopped slightly above her knee, black patterned tights on her legs. Her hair was pulled up into her usual sloppy bun and the natural colored gloss she always wore was applied to her lips. She looked gorgeous and Joe felt the fluttering sensations in the pit of his stomach intensify once he saw her.
At that particular moment, Tyia looked up and locked eyes with him. A silent conversation took place between the two, before Tyia quickly excused herself, making her way towards the guest bathroom around the corner, a sign indicating she wanted Joe to follow her. Waiting a couple of minutes, Joe slipped away unnoticed and followed her trail, the scent of her sweet perfume leading him to her spot.
Tyia stood at a window, watching droplets of rain trickle down from the sky, sighing contentedly. She turned around to see Joe standing behind her, hands in the pockets of his jeans.
"Hey," she greeted softly, switching her weight from one leg to the other nervously.
Joe tilted his head in greeting. "Why didn't you tell me about the engagement ring?"
Tyia sighed and lowered her gaze to the floor. "How did you-"
"Colby told me last night. As expected I was caught of guard but I really shouldn't have been. He really loves you."
"I know I should've told you but I didn't want you to feel guiltier than you already do. I didn't want to complicate things."
"Baby girl, things are already complicated as hell." Joe chuckled wryly as he shook his head. "You've changed your mind haven't you." It was more of a statement than a question.
Tyia's eyes snapped up so she could look into Joe's gorgeous ash colored orbs, her brow knitted in confusion. "Why would you think that?"
"You've been avoiding me. Haven't called or text me. Didn't even tell me about the ring. So you must be having second thoughts."
"After everything we been through Joe did you honestly think I was gonna let you down like that?" Tyia questioned as her voice cracked with emotion.
"I wouldn't blame you if you did."
Tyia scoffed and turned her body away from Joe, opting to stare out the window. Lightning flashed as thunder rumbled, the loud clap soothing her in a weird way. She quickly wiped the tears that cascaded down her face. "When I told you I was in love with you, I meant every single word. Joe as much as I tried to hide it, you're the one for me. I hate how I've betrayed Colby. But I'm happy to be with you. I don't envision any place else I would rather be."
"Well why are we still sneaking around like this T?"
"Because this shit is hard! I didn't want you to deal with being humiliated twice in one night by both Eva and Colby. And I can't just break his heart like he's insignificant. I told you we've been together for a long time, I can't just ruin his life so easily."
"And you don't think it's not tearing me up inside Tyia?!" Joe growled quietly. Her body tensed when she felt his chest resting against her back. "He's my fuckin best friend and I fight with myself every damn day about whether what we planned to do is right. But then I think about you and I decide, you're worth whatever anger he tosses my way. I'm willing to give up Colby's friendship for you because I'm in love with you and I thought you loved me too!"
"I do!"
"Well why are we still playing these games Tyia? Why do I have to continue to sit back and watch him kiss you in front of me or listen to him proclaim his love for you thousands of times? Why are we keeping up this bullshit ass lie?!" Joe asked, his voice elevating slightly.
He squeezed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger, slowly feeling his temper about to spiral out of control. A few moments passed before he spoke again. "Watching another man touch you the way that I yearn to touch you in public is hard as hell for me T. I can't deal with that." Joe placed his hands on Tyia's shoulders and turned her body to face him, his hands cupping her chin. "Baby I love you. But I refuse to keep us a secret anymore. We both deserve better than that."
Without waiting for her to respond, Joe stormed away and walked back into the living room. He blocked out Tyia's appeals for him to stop as he approached Colby, who was standing with his cousins and Jon, engaged in an animated conversation. Once his eyes landed on the Samoan, Colby smiled widely. "Joe, man what's up? Where you been hiding?"
"Colby, we need to talk," Joe told him, skipping the small talk.
Colby's smile slightly faltered at the tone of Joe's voice, realizing his stable mate was serious. He sat his beer on the counter as his eyes watched Tyia walk up to the group of men, nervousness radiating from her gaze as his brow knitted in confusion.
"About?" Colby asked, eyes darting between Tyia and Joe as other occupants of the room turned their attention to the three of them.
"About what I tried to tell you last night before we got interrupted." Joe exhaled and clenched his fists closed nervously. His eyes glanced down when he felt a tiny hand grip his, some tension leaving his body when he realized Tyia was standing by his side like the two promised each other. "Look I love you like a brother, you're one of my best friends and I'm grateful you've always been by my side. But there's something you need to know."
"Ok, you aren't about to confess your undying love for me are you?" Colby joked with a slight chuckle.
"No," Joe replied as he shook his head, turning to face Tyia, his heart breaking when he saw the tears brimming in her eyes. He knew she was scared. Hell he was scared too. But there was no turning back now.
Joe turned back to face Colby, seeing the confusion reaching his gaze once he finally noticed Tyia holding Joe's hand. He cleared his throat nervously. "Tyia and I are in love with each other," Joe announced firmly causing a few guests to gasp in shock.
Jon, who was standing behind Colby, eyes widened astonished at the bombshell Joe just dropped while Lena gripped his shoulder from behind him, holding her breath. Colby stood frozen in place, his face remaining emotionless.
"Wait..what? Did you just say you're in love with my girlfriend?" Colby asked, his voice dangerously low.
"I've been in love with her for years but I never made a move out of respect for you. But I can't hide it anymore. I love Tyia with every fiber in my soul and I want to be with her. And she feels the same way."
Colby's attention landed on Tyia watching tears run down her face in a rapid succession, her body slightly rocking with sobs. "Tell me this shit isn't true T. Tell me this is some sick fuckin joke," he begged.
"Col..I..I'm...so sorry," Tyia stuttered through the sobs. "I didn't..We never..."
Tyia's was abruptly cut off the moment Colby's fist landed on Joe's nose. Tyia screamed as everybody else moved out the way from shock, the blow startling Joe. Colby stalked towards the larger man as he tried to regain his footing and punched him again, fire clouding his brown eyes.
"This is how you repay me for all that I've done for you?!" Colby bellowed as he ignored the pleas from everybody to stop. Red flashed before his eyes as he continued to pummel Joe with punches, not allowing the larger man to gather his bearings. "How fuckin dare you smile in my fuckin face, call yourself my best friend all the while you're fuckin my girlfriend behind my back!" he exclaimed as Jon pushed him away from a fallen Joe.
"It wasn't like that. It just happened."
Colby rolled his eyes as a sarcastic chuckle tumbled from his lips. He could literally feel his heart crumble into pieces as he watched Tyia rush to Joe's side, helping him stand to his feet along with help from Joe's cousin, Joshua. Before anybody could stop hip, Colby rushed Joe again, ready to attack. However, Joe was ready for him and caught him with a punch of his own, the hit landing directly on Colby's right eye. Colby stumbled backwards, dazed a little bit from the powerful punch. Jon caught his body before he hit the floor and wrapped his arms around his shoulders to prevent him from hitting Joe again.
"Stop this shit now! You two are fuckin best friends! You will not beat each other to a bloody pulp over this shit!" Jon growled at his two stable mates as they stood on opposite sides of the room, chests heaving up and down, their eyes locked onto one another's.
"Best friends don't fuck each other's girlfriends! You're nothing but a fuckin traitor Anoa'i!"
"Did you think I wanted this Colby?! Did you think I fuckin woke up one day and said, 'I'm going to fall in love with my best friend's girl today'? Because I didn't. Like I told you, I had feelings for Tyia way before I knew she was your girl. I tried to suppress my feelings but I can't anymore. The shit just happened. I didn't plan it!"
"Oh please! Love? You don't know the first thing about love! You're too busy chasing anything in a skirt around backstage, wanting to stick your dick in any chick that's willing. That's not love that you feel for Tyia, it's lust. But by all means, of course she would fall for that! No chick can say no to your magical dick!"
"Lopez it's not like-"
"SHUT UP!" Colby yelled, his face turning beet red as he looked at Tyia, his finger pointing directly in her face. "I don't want to hear shit you have to say! Nothing! I was there for you when nobody else was Tyia. I helped you in the ring when nobody else would and I dealt with your emotional baggage carrying ass for years! Yet that wasn't good enough for you? You had to cheat on me?! How long have you been lying to me Tyia?!"
Tyia sobbed softly as she brushed the tears away with the back of her hand. "Since the day you came back from the European tour," she admitted quietly.
A strained laugh fell from Colby's lips again. "Oh that's just great. All this time I was trying to prove to you that I wasn't stepping out on you, that you had nothing to worry about. Yet, you were doing what you were accusing me of. Isn't that some shit?" Colby shook his head, ripping a hand through his hair as he softly mumbled to himself. "And to think I was gonna propose to you. I was gonna take you back to the spot where we had our first date and ask you to be my wife. I loved you with all of my heart Tyia. I wanted you to be the mother of my children and my partner for life. But now I guess that's not an option anymore."
Colby started to pace in the kitchen, trying to wrap his mind around the bombshell that was dropped onto him. "All this time you two were acting as if you hated each other. Despised each other even. But now all of a sudden you're in love. God, how could I be so fuckin stupid?! I guess that was a lie just like the last six years were a fuckin lie!"
"No that's not true!" Tyia stepped closer to Colby, reaching for his forearm. She flinched when he snatched his arm out of her reach.
"Don't fuckin touch me ever again. I don't know where your filthy ass hands have been," Colby told her through gritted teeth.
He stepped back as tears pricked his eyes but he refused to let them fall. Colby didn't want anybody to see how much he was hurting inside. As much as his brain was telling him he should hate Joe and Tyia, his heart wasn't cooperating. Joe was like his brother, their connection with one another going deeper than friendship. The two instantly bonded once they met in FCW and Colby was positive that they would remain friends for the rest of their lives. The only other person that was closer to Colby than Joe was Tyia. The moment she first sassed him at ROH, he knew she was the one for him. He was enthralled by her fiery personality. Enchanted by the vulnerability she desperately tried to hide. Fell in love with her underlying tenderness. Despite being a logical and intelligent man, Colby knew Tyia still had him trapped in her web. If she were to tell him at that moment that she made a mistake and wanted him instead of Joe, he would take her back in an instant and forge ahead with his plans to marry her. He would forget about the past 30 minutes if it meant he could have her back in his life.
However, as his decimated chocolate browns connected with her remorseful hazel irises, Colby realized his dream wouldn't come into fruition. The love Tyia had for him simply didn't compare to the love she had for Joe.
Without another word, Colby turned on the heel of his foot and brushed through the crowd, unable to look at the two people closest to his heart that backstabbed him any longer.
Tyia closed the door to her rental car shut, beeping the alarm. She slipped the key into her purse and sighed when she looked at her shaking hand before her gaze landed on the arena standing in front of her.
The past few days had been an emotional roller coaster for Tyia since Joe and her revealed their clandestine relationship too Colby. Once she arrived back at her apartment, Tyia couldn't help but cry as she thought about the two former friends coming to blows because of her. She was the main reason their friendship was destroyed and Tyia would have to live with that stigma for the rest of her life.
She couldn't shake image of Colby's face as he stared at her that night. An array of emotions flashed across his face, ranging from disappointment, anger, and heartbreak. She could tell he had more questions he wanted to ask her: what made her turn to Joe, what did he do to drive her away, and why couldn't she love him as much as she loved Joe. Instead he opted to leave the house, unable to bring himself to ask the questions, unable to handle the truth. However, Tyia didn't know if she had the answers he was seeking since she didn't know herself.
That was the last time Tyia saw Colby and by the time she returned to her apartment later that night, the key she gave him to keep was waiting for her on her nightstand but the clothes and toiletries he kept there were gone.
A hand clamped down on Tyia's shoulder making her jump slightly. She turned around quickly to see Joe standing behind her, shades covering his eyes, his lips formed into a tight line. The two stared at each other and without a word, he pulled Tyia into a hug, letting her soak his grey t-shirt with her tears. The two stayed in the embrace for a few minutes before Tyia finally pulled away.
"What are you doing here?" Tyia asked softly, mentally kicking herself for the foolish question.
A sad smile appeared on Joe's face as he played with the soft tendrils that grazed Tyia's neck. "To help you cope with the backlash that you're gonna receive the moment you walk through the door. I told you I was gonna be by your side and I meant it baby."
Relief filled Tyia's body once the words left Joe's mouth. In addition to not hearing from Colby the past couple of days, she also hadn't heard from Joe. She assumed that after the chaos died down and once he thought everything over, he would conclude that she wasn't worth the drama. She wouldn't blame Joe if he wanted to cut ties with her and make up with the man that had been by his side through thick and thin since their days toiling around in FCW, wanting to try his best to mend the relationship with the man he had to work with on a nightly basis.
"I just thought-"
"That I was gonna leave you and let you deal with these vultures by yourself? I told you I'm in love with you and I want to be with you. Nothing has changed on my end. Have you changed your mind?"
Tyia shook her head. "No, I haven't. I still want to be with you too Joe."
Joe pushed his sunglasses up revealing the white bandage on the bridge of his nose along with his tired eyes, revealing the lack of sleep he had gotten the past few days. "I know I was MIA since the fight but I wanted to give you some time to cope with everything without me hovering over you." He leaned down and brushed his lips across Tyia's, cupping her face in his hands. "This won't be easy. People are gonna whisper about us. But fuck what they think. I love you and as long as I have you by my side that's all that matters to me baby girl."
"I love you too Joe." Tears dropped down onto her lips and Joe quickly wiped away.
"So are you ready?" he inquired, holding out his hand.
Glancing back at the back door stood before them, Tyia exhaled deeply and nodded her head. "As ready as I'll ever be," she replied before placing her hand inside of his.
Joe squeezed her hand before he lead her to the door. With one final kiss on her temple, he held open the door, letting her step in first before following suit, prepared to brave the wrath of their coworkers, side by side.
The End.
A/N: I just want to say thank you all to those that reviewed, favorited, followed the mini series. What originally started out as a story idea then became a one shot then was changed into a mini story after clamoring was one of my favorites to write. I swear I haven't written as much smut as I have for this story but I loved every bit of it! Now, I know that I said this was THE FINAL part of the series. However, don't be surprised if you see a future one shot or two shot featuring the trio of Joe/Colby/Tyia in the future. I've been playing around with a few ideas and you never know when I'mma drop something unexpected like I'm Beyonce or Jay-Z or some shit. But once again thanks for the love. And if you enjoyed my writing, feel free to check out my other stories. #ShamelessPlug #DealWithIt
-Cara