FLASHBACK
Monday Night RAW: June 26th, 2015. Verizon Center Arena in Washington D.C.
Backstage at RAW was chaotic. There was officials and makeup crew all over John Cena who was about to begin another one of his United States Championship open challenges he has been doing since he won the title from Rusev at Wrestlemania 31. This of course was before the Hell in a Cell 2015 event where Joey Kennedy had beaten Cena to claim the US title and extend his undefeated win streak over Cena to eleven wins. Speaking of Joey, he was watching from afar in his grey and black hooded leather jacket and navy blue jeans as he witnessed all the attention John was getting. He was disgusted. Joey had always believed Cena was getting undeserved attention due to him being handed everything by the boss, Vince McMahon. It was a disturbing sight for Joey and wanted nothing of it even though he always considers himself better than Cena.
Joey walked the halls of the Verizon Center doing his usual rounds of checking in all the talent, making sure all is well. Along the way, he spotted the Bella Twins at a merchandise table and decided to approach them. He immediately noticed Nicole rocking a black and white dress with her long shining hair flowing. She was so beautiful and it felt like Joey was back in high school drooling over the hot girl.
"Hey Bellas!" Joey said as he finally approached the twins.
A mixed response occurred as Nicole welcomed Joey and Brie only responded with "Uh oh! Trouble walked in!" Joey immediately smelled Brie's sarcasm and brushed it off.
"Oh Brie! You're so funny."
"So Joey, your parents made it back home ok?" Nicole asked.
"Yeah, they made it back fine." Joey replied. "My mom also wanted to thank you for having us at your table and it was great to see you again."
"Awe, I do love your mom." Nikki said.
"Yeah and she adores you! Who doesn't? Kinda like how I do." As Nicole blushed hard, Brie let out a bit of a scoff as she is witnessing another back and forth cute banter between her sister and her ex.
"Can you guys like take a chill pill here please? Joey, you need to chill with the flirting!" Joey was taken back a bit by Brie's defensive remark.
"What are you talking about, Willis? I am having fun and chatting around."
"You are flirting with my sister and it is kinda awkward for me just sitting right here all because you have still feelings for her!"
"So what if I do!?" And just like that, the awkwardness did kick in as Brie was proud to get a now silent Joey to confess with Nicole trying to step in.
"Ok guys, that's enough. Brie, leave him alone. This is how Joey and I always talk. We're just having fun, right Joey?"
Joey couldn't answer Nicole right away as the bottle of emotions and feelings inside of him finally cracked open and spilled out. He had to say something and now was the time for it.
"Hmph….Nicole, can I talk to you alone please?" The twins stared at each other with wonder. Could this be what they think it means?
"Ok, one minute." Nicole said as she got up to leave with Joey. "If she's not back in five, I'm coming after you!" Joey responded to Brie's warning with his usual snarky comments. "Yeah, yeah you'll charge at me with your goat horns! We'll be right back!"
As Joey and Nicole walked out to the parking lot to talk, John Cena's music can be heard blasting in the arena. That only means one thing and that was that the Boy Scout himself was making his usual crappy entrance.
"Jeez, every time I hear that music, I just wanna blow up!" "Oh hush." As Joey made his usual joke bashing on Cena, he and Nicole arrived at Joey's bus and finally got to talk. It was now or never. Joey began first.
"Thank you. I don't think I can talk with Brie hounding on me."
"What is this about Joey? Please don't make this weird." Joey laughed shockingly at Nicole's comment.
"Me making this weird? If anything, Ms. Brie Mode just couldn't help but suddenly have a problem with how we talk."
"Well, it is weird now that you didn't say just kidding about feelings for me."
"I'm not kidding….." Joey stopped and took a huge breath. It was now.
"Alright Nicole, I've always been honest with you ever since I met you and I'm not gonna stop now because you deserve better. I've had this bottled up for years and I got to let it out before I freak. We have a great close relationship. Even after 4 years from when we finally started dating, We still get along so well where almost everybody is jealous of us! We always have so much fun together and we are always smiling and happy and that's all I want and you can't tell me that's not true! So bottom line, yes I still am crazy about you."
It was truly a lot for Nicole to take in but she could not help but be touched as well.
"Joey, that is very sweet and everything you said is true! I will never deny it! But I think it's just disrespectful to John and I don't want be disrespectful to him." This made Joey bust a fake laugh out at the thought of his nemesis being disrespected.
"Ok, I get that. I really do but let's think about this here. How about the times where I consider he disrespected and hurt you? The fact that he straight is up denying you two things that you have always wanted since you were a kid just because of his mistakes in his past is selfish and it bothers me a lot because you are affected and have to sacrifice both dreams just for him. Let's also add in that idiotic ultimatum he gave you about choosing marriage and no kids? I think that's pretty disrespectful and completely stupid of him to do such a thing to you!"
Nicole couldn't speak. She wanted to try to defend John but Joey was telling the truth with so much passion in his voice and she could not go against that. Joey suddenly but slowly held Nicole's hand in his.
"Nicole, I really do feel strongly about this because I care about you. I want you to be happy. I feel this way because of you. Even though it was shorter than wanted, you made a huge difference in my life for the better. You mean so much to me, it's crazy. You make me as happy as ever and I want to make you as happy as ever. I won't let anyone hold me back from you this time. I want to make up the time we were robbed of. Hell, I've even thought of the fact that if I were asked would I make you my only wife and the mom of my kids, I would say yes in a heartbeat and you are the only person I've said this to and the only person I feel in my heart I can say it to. I guess what I'm trying to say right now is….I love you Nicole. I still love you and I really….want you back to continue what we had."
There it was. Joey just laid out his heart to the woman he loves. He told her exactly what he needed to say and what she needed to hear. Not only telling Nicole his true feelings and intentions but also putting John Cena on the spot for all of his flaws. Nicole grew numb in feeling. She knew Joey felt a way for her still but had no clue it was this much. She attempted to speak but softly.
"Joey, I…" Nikki sighs in a short tense moment of silence "...Like I said, this is very sweet, and I could not have asked for a better partner in crime..I do feel we what we have is special and it feels good to know that I can share anything with you, and we have truly shared a lot. Trust me, you're words have spoken volumes since the day we met. It really means so much to know you really feel this way still and that I mean so much to you" Nicole took a deep breath as she started to choke with emotion. Joey raises his hand quickly and responds
"Nicole, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you upset or feel awkward or anything." Nikki giggled while also tearing up with emotion. "No. It's ok. You're just telling me the truth of how you feel. I don't expect anything less." And with that, Joey grew a big smile too. He loved that she appreciates his honesty and knows they can always trust each other.
"Hey, How bout we both call it a night, maybe we can go out with your sis and Bryan sometime soon and enjoy an epic dinner, like us partners in crimes use to do!" Nikki looks relieved as she extends her hand "Sounds like a perfect plan to me."
As Joey reaches out his hand, and holds her hand again for a split second, implying he wants her by his side no matter what, and after what felt to be the longest five seconds of both their lives, Nikki cracks a slight smile before breaking eye contact with the person she now feels at this very moment is the one and only man in her entire life. As she turns away to return to her sister, Joey cannot help but to know he has immediately took a path in which there is no turning back. No matter what, or who... is in his way, he is determined to get the love of his life back.
As Joey turned away for a walk in the parking lot, Nicole was still on her way to reunite with Brie. Along the way, Nicole felt more emotional and conflicted than ever with Joey's heartfelt confession rocking around in her head and heart. She didn't know what to think. She truly felt that John Cena was the one for her but after listening to Joey, all of their special moments were coming back to her. Thinking about it, she was always happy to the fullest whenever she was around Joey and his goofiness, even while she was with John. Whenever asked, Nikki always denied still having feelings for Joey. But now after all that has happened, and knowing for sure that someone that always makes her happy truly loves her and wants to marry her and make her a mother, it all hits her like she was getting hit by her own signature elbow strike. She started to wonder herself...does she indeed still love Joey? In the hallway, an emotional Nikki, who had her hands covering her mouth, had to lean back on a wall to collect her thoughts. Joey's confession truly made things more difficult. Even so, she knew without a shadow of a doubt Joey had no intention of bringing conflict or harm upon her. Nikki noticed staff walking by and looking. She immediately rose up while wiping a tear she had running down her cheek. She picked herself back up and had to return to Brie for help on this matter.
Nikki finally saw her sister down the hallway from the table where she and Joey left her at. They finally locked eyes and Brie's gut instinct immediately told her something was wrong. She noticed the redness in Nicole's eyes, indicating she had been crying. She grew curious and furious to think Joey had said something that hurt her.
"Nicole? Are you ok? What's wrong?" A concerned Brianna asked as she walked her sister somewhere private to get to the bottom of things.
"Oh god Brie…" Nicole slowly said as she tried to prevent any more tears from making their debut on her face. "I really don't know what to think right now." Brie was devastated seeing her her sister broken like this. She had to ask if it was what she thinks it was.
"What did Joey say? Did he hurt you? I will kill him!" Nicole immediately noticed the anger in her sister's voice and felt the need to defend her former love.
"No Brie! No!" Brie was taken back by Nikki's sudden defensiveness. "Joey would never hurt me. You know that….It's just he said some things that really got me thinking." Brie was somewhat surprised by her sister's fast defense of Joey. But at the same time, she knew she should know better that Joey would never hurt Nikki.
"Tell me exactly what happened. Did he say what I think he said?" Nikki looked at Brie and nodded her head.
"Yeah. He professed his love for to me." Brie let out a huge sigh. She knew this day would come eventually but it happened thanks to her calling Joey out on his flirting.
"What's kind of messed up is I knew he still had something for you, then again we all had a feeling...But I feel bad he snapped because of me. Sorry, continue."
Brie remained silent as she let her emotional sister speak. "He basically just poured his heart out to me. He said that he had been holding this in for so long and he had to finally tell me how he really feels. I was so touched" "What did he say?" Brie asked with a wonder.
"He told me that I really made a huge difference in his life for the better and that he feels this way about me because I mean so much to him. He also told me that I am the only person that he sees a future with as his wife and the mother of our kids…." Nicole started tearing up again. Brie grabbed and napkin nearby and gave it to her sister to stop the tears. "Thank you….and then he said it." "It?" Brie asked. Nikki tried to keep herself calm as she dropped the bombshell on Brie.
"Joey still loves me...and he wants me back to continue what we had."
