Thanks to everyone who's left feedback so far. It means a lot and I hope you enjoy this next installment...


Chapter 3

He inhaled sharply when she finally appeared. It had felt like an eternity waiting here for her. A hint of a smile traced his lips as his besotted eyes followed her across the parking lot.

"Stephanie. Over here."

He saw her turn to the voice and the cries of excited, pushing bodies. Fans began handing her papers, autograph books and snapshots which she began to sign. White flashes surrounded her as the cameras began snapping at her. He shook his head knowing everyone was wasting their time. Those pictures would never do her justice. How could they when they could never capture her essence, Stephanie's real true beauty. Because it was her soul and her amazing spirit that made Stephanie McMahon not her face or her incredible body. They were just the vessels carrying it around. Of course he couldn't expect these stupid fans to understand that. They were idiots. They only saw what they wanted to see. They didn't know her. Not in the way that he did.

Turning the single stem in his fingers, he saw Stephanie walk closer, his heart beating madly in anticipation. She was only a matter of feet away, almost close enough to touch. It had seemed like an eternity since the last time he had last touched her, a long four years and seven months. Or thereabouts. That was when they had parted ways. They had both been eighteen. They had both graduated high school together and taken a summer job at Titan Towers. They had promised to stay in touch when Stephanie had left for college. But that promise had gotten broken. He had never forgotten her when he had let her go but somehow along the way she had forgotten him. But that wasn't her fault. He understood she had just been so busy with school and everything. Stephanie was so dedicated and committed to anything she did. But now that part of her life was over, this was their chance to reconnect. This was his chance to help her remember him.

Hearing her laughter carry in the breeze, his eyes momentarily closed as he struggled to gather his composure. Inhaling a calming breath, he swore he could smell the familiar scent of her fruity perfume. He took a second to cherish a past memory before his eyelids fluttered open and saw that he and Stephanie were only inches apart. His grey eyes stared at her mesmerised. Her beautiful smile was captivating. His hand gripped the flower a little more tightly as he tried desperately to control his trembling fingers. He couldn't get nervous now. God knows he had been waiting for this moment for so long. Almost a month had passed since he had discovered the RAW show was coming to this city and since that day he had been sending Stephanie his flowers, her favourite red roses, preparing her for the moment when they would meet again finally. God knows it had killed him to be without her. She was the only one that understood him. The only one he could ever turn to apart from his mother. But now that she was gone, Stephanie was all he had left in the world. That's why he needed her. That's why he was here tonight. To tell her that.

"What's your name?"

The soft lull of her voice to the small boy next to him was music to his ears. He'd never heard anything so sweet or so beautiful. It was a voice that was uniquely Stephanie; a voice that made his heart soar.

"There you go Ryan."

Stephanie handed back the signed poster and that was when he realised he was next. He pushed aside the screaming hysterical teenager that suddenly lunged into him. Nervously clearing his throat and holding out the flower, he leant against the barricade smiling at her waiting for the recognition on her face, the moment when she noticed it was him.

"Hey Steph! We gotta go."

The deep shout caught her attention. Stephanie's blue eyes darted around distractedly as she offered him an absent apologetic smile and turned away from him, not even giving him a second glance as her fingers slipped from the offered green stem. She walked in the direction of the voice. A man was standing by the shiny black limousine waiting for her. It was him. It was Triple H. As Stephanie greeted her work colleague, he gritted his teeth and tried not to feel disappointed that she had failed to realise who he was. After all it wasn't her fault. It was that stupid fucking wrestler. He had called out at the wrong time destroying his perfect moment. But it was a moment he would have again. He just needed to be patient. Although patience was hard when his need was so desperate and even more so now he had seen her tonight. God, his soul ached just remembering how beautiful she was and how incredibly attractive she had become. Somehow Stephanie was more captivating now than she ever was.

He managed to catch one final glimpse of her before she got in the limousine. He stared at her longingly as his hand dropped to his side and the rose dangled from his fingers. The ends of the white silk ribbon fluttered in the light refreshing wind. The car was reversing in his direction. His heart skipped a beat and his eager eyes sought out the limo window. It had been rolled down half way due to the balmy evening and his eyes searched impatiently for her.

That was when he saw her. She was leaning across the seat, her eyes closed and kissing him. She was kissing the fucking wrestler. His jaw clenched and his stomach twisted as he stared at them angrily and felt the black mist descend on him as he watched the limo pull out of the parking lot. As the bodies pushed by him to leave, he stood there practically frozen to the spot. His chest heaved with his heavy breaths as he tried to process what he had just witnessed. Because he couldn't believe his eyes. He didn't want to. Because then he would be forced to face the truth. That the persistent rumours circulating the net were somehow true. That Stephanie was with someone else now. Someone that wasn't him. Someone who got to touch her and hold her like he was supposed to. Because that was how it was meant to be. Stephanie was supposed to be with him damn it. She fucking belonged to him! No one else!

Clenching his jaw tightly, his cold dark eyes glared into the night. His brow furrowed deeply as he stood there at the deserted barricade. His hand slowly lifted to his chest. The stubby fingers of his other hand violently tugged at the rose petals and they scattered around him in the breeze. He was going to find a way to get her attention. He'd make sure of it. If it was the last thing he did Stephanie would remember him. She'd remember them. She had to. She had no other choice.