2.

"You look like death warmed over."

Had the statement not been true, Joanna would have been insulted. Instead, she pulled the knit cap lower over her head and mumbled into her steaming cup of coffee. It was weak, bitter, and the bar in the hotel lobby hadn't had any cream. She vowed to stop at the first coffee shop she came to and buy a real cup of her fuel. Pushing the driver's door of the rental car open, she poured the slop out and tossed the Styrofoam cup onto the back seat floorboard.

"Didn't you get enough sleep last night?" Cody asked from the passenger seat. He glanced up from his phone as Joanna buckled her seat belt. "I thought you were asleep before I turned out the light."

"I kept waking up," she explained. Grouchy over bad coffee and only a stale muffin for breakfast, not to mention a lack of sleep, she yanked the steering wheel down and looked over at her boyfriend. "The light kept waking me up."

"Oh. I was getting to the good stuff, I couldn't put it down." He fiddled with the controls of his seat as the air blowing through the vents grew warmer. "You should read it when I finish. I think you'll like it."

"Sure." Joanna put the car in gear and maneuvered to the exit of the parking lot. "I'm going to stop for coffee as soon as I can. Do you want any?"

"Maybe some hot tea. Switch in about two hours?"

She nodded in agreement. It was a five hour drive to the next city. She wasn't upset about being first behind the wheel; they had begun alternating driving duties more than a year ago. She wasn't even upset about him staying up late to read. In all honesty she couldn't think of why she felt so grouchy. She'd had bad coffee before. She'd even had to deal with a stale muffin here and there. What was it, then?

Cody toyed with the GPS, pointing out three coffee shops within a mile of the hotel. Joanna chose one that was on the way to the interstate. She left him in the car when she went inside. The bitterly cold air outside encouraged her to walk swiftly. Once through the doors she breathed a sigh of relief. The thick aroma of coffee enveloped her, leading her to the line at the counter. Her gaze drifted to the menu.

When she reached the counter she began digging in the pocket of her jeans for cash. She rattled off her order, making sure to include Cody's requested hot tea. When the large cup with its paper sleeve was handed over she sighed in delight. Dropping a tip in the jar she moved over to add her required sugar and cream. Cody's tea to the side, she stirred her coffee and took a slow sip, eyes closing as the warmth spread through her.

"Joanna?"

Her eyes snapped open. Her lips parted in surprise upon seeing him beside her. A cup of steaming coffee nearly disappeared in his large palm. "Stephen," she murmured. "What are you... Hi."

"Good morning," he greeted. His blue-gray eyes swept their immediate area.

"He's in the car," she whispered, knowing the object of his search. "I just stopped for this. The coffee at the hotel was—"

"Tar," he finished with a quick smile. He stepped closer, reaching past her for packets of sugar. "Yeh look exhausted love."

"I couldn't sleep very well." She avoided his curious gaze and focused on affixing the plastic cap to her cup. His bicep brushed her shoulder as he selected his sugar, then his hand briefly rested on her arm. He gave a gentle squeeze. "I'll be alright, Stephen. Day off tomorrow so I can sleep all day."

"I hope so. I don't like seeing yeh like this."

They stood side by side; he preparing his coffee, she adding sugar to Cody's tea. "Are you riding with Drew and Wade?" she asked softly.

"Yeah, they're in line." He glanced over his shoulder, then his hand cupped the back of her neck. The gentle movement of his fingers soothed the ache she hadn't known she had. "I'll call yeh after lunch, right?"

"Yes. We should get there a little after eleven."

"I'm going to make sure yeh get some sleep," he muttered as they were joined by his traveling companions.

Joanna lamented the loss of his hand on her neck. Pasting a bright smile on her face, she greeted them. The Scotsman mumbled sleepily as he prepared his drink then was gone, leaving her between Stephen and Wade. Realizing that Cody's tea had been stirred enough she put the lid on and hesitated.

"See you in the car, mate," Wade told Stephen.

She finally looked up and met his gaze for the first time in two weeks. Surprised at the lack of judgment in them, she felt a bit of relief. Perhaps he wouldn't tell Cody after all.

"See you later, Joanna. Drive safe." With a nod of his head, he headed out.

Joanna breathed out a sigh and lifted her cups. Turning to Stephen, she gasped at the sudden feel of his lips over hers. It was such a brief kiss she barely tasted his lips. She regretted the haste but understood. "Be careful," she whispered.

"Yeh too." His eyes searched hers. "I'll see yeh after lunch, love."

He watched her leave the coffee shop, wishing she were about to climb into his vehicle. But of course, that could not be. One day. Never. He pushed away the negative thought and gripped his coffee as he left the building.

When he climbed into the car Drew was already asleep in the backseat. His head was lolled back, mouth open, a gentle snore rattling from his throat. Stephen looked to his friend in the passenger seat and shook his head. It never failed. Drew could have slept for twelve hours and still fallen asleep as soon as he climbed into the car.

They were on the interstate when the man at his side broke the silence. "I've kept my mouth shut until now, but do you think that was wise?"

He didn't have to ask what 'that' was. He should have known that Wade had been watching. "It was just a quick kiss. No one saw... Except you apparently."

"Yeah I saw it." Wade shook his head in...disgust? "Why are you still messing with Cody's girl, fella?"

A glimmer of a smile touched Stephen's lips. "It's not messing. I... I think I love her."

That had his friend sitting up straight. "What now? You love a woman who's in a relationship with someone else?"

When put that way, it sounded absurd. "I said I think I do. And obviously she's not in love with him. If she was, would she have come to me?"

"I know she's willing, but that doesn't make it right. Why is she pulling you two along?"

"I don't know, yeh'd have to ask her." Stephen never had. He kept hoping that one day she would tell him. Yet at the same time he knew without asking. "She's not happy with him."

"I just don't want you to get hurt lad. Just... Be careful or it'll get real ugly."

"I'll be careful." Stephen thought back to when his friend had come upon. A moment of weakness that had resulted in being found. The palpable fear that after so long of hiding they would be exposed. The relief upon realizing that the man would breathe not a word. Then the hours afterward with no reply to his messages. The terrifying worry that she was putting an end to them. But she hadn't.

In the backseat Drew continued to snore. The miles flew by and Wade put on some music. Upbeat, lively rock music filled the car but Stephen couldn't ease the heaviness within him.

"I kind of lied to you when you asked me a couple weeks ago," he announced as they crossed into the next state. A glance to Wade showed a curious lift of an eyebrow. "About how long it's been going on. It's been a little longer than a month or so."

"How long, Ste?" Wade sighed. He obviously feared the worst.

"Today makes it a year." A year. His longest relationship since moving to America. And no one could know.

"A year? A damn year?"

"Yes, a damn year. And you're the only one that knows." Stephen glanced into the backseat to see Drew was still sleeping. He'd slouched down, long legs folded so his body could fit onto the seat. Returning his gaze to the road, he tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "Please don't – never mind, I know you won't say anything to anyone."

"I won't." A long moment of silence followed Wade's promise. Stephen didn't break it, knowing there was more to come."But that doesn't mean I condone what you're doing."

"What, no advice from the English Casanova?" he snorted.

A half-hearted chuckle. "I'd give plenty if she wasn't attached."

"If she wasn't attached I wouldn't need it."

The miles continued to sweep by. Stephen wondered if the speed with which they passed were a metaphor for his relationship with Joanna. Quickly the car neared the halfway mark. Was he approaching the end with her? How much longer could they keep their secret? The man next to him knew, there was no telling when others would learn as well.

I... I think I love her.

There was no thinking to it. He did love her. The words had never passed his lips in her presence but there was no denying the emotion. He knew some would argue that if he loved her he wouldn't let her do to Cody what she was, but by the time he'd realized he loved her it was too late. They were too enmeshed in the affair – he cringed at the thought of the word – for him to turn back now.

They stopped to refill the car in a small town. Drew climbed out and shuffled into the building in search of a restroom. Wade leaned against the car, eyes on the digital display.

"Yeh've spent more time with him than I have." He didn't have to say the name. They both knew. "Does he talk about her?"

The Englishman heaved a deep sigh. Stephen regretted putting him in this position; it wasn't fair to ask him such things.

"Not as much as he used to. When he does it's always nonchalant. Like he's going through the motions."

"What the fuck does that mean?"

"You're smart, Ste." Wade jammed the nozzle back on the pump. "It shouldn't be hard for you to figure out."

"She doesn't talk about him. Not when we're alone, at least. I've watched them, but it's..." Stephen shrugged, hands deep in his pockets to ward off the cold. Neither of them made a move to go inside; instead they stood beneath the canopy, both looking down at the stained cement.

"You do know that everyone thought they should be together, right? You've been around here longer than me, mate, you should know that."

"I try not to listen to gossip."

"They've grown comfortable. Like any couple, Ste. After a few years the feelings go away but you stay together because you don't know anything else."

"I'd like to think that if she had any sort of feelings for him she wouldn't have looked twice at my arse."

Wade sighed, his breath coming out in a huge cloud that floated upwards before dissipating. "They were there, Ste. Even I saw them. Cody used to sound so ecstatic when he talked about her. It just faded. And what if they come back?"

With a grunt, Stephen turned to get into the car. Drew returned, climbing once more into the backseat. As Wade climbed behind the wheel it became obvious that their friend in the back wasn't going back to sleep.

Instead, the Scotsman launched into conversation about a movie he'd seen the night before. Stephen was grateful for the topic change. It gave him a chance to push away the dark feelings that kept creeping into his mind. As they covered distance Drew's voice faded. Stephen's attention was on the passing scenery when one statement drew him back into the conversation.

"Ya heard about Rhodes, right?"

"Heard what?" Stephen asked with a glance at Wade. His friend kept his gaze firmly on the road looking as though he hadn't heard the comment.

"Some of the guys were talking in the locker room the other night. Word is he's about to pop the question. Ya know, he's been dating that Joanne girl for years."

"Joanna," Stephen corrected.

"Right. They've been together for fucking years, though. I guess it's about time."

Stephen felt his hopes deflate as quickly as a popped balloon. He tried to come up with an innocuous comment but found himself unable to speak. Feeling sick to the stomach, he kept quiet. His gaze moved to Wade, who was still silent and the sick feeling increased.

He'd known.

"This is a rarity," Joanna whispered as Stephen closed the door. Chilled after her lunch, she had changed into her favorite pajamas. The cozy pink flannel with rubber duck was possibly the furthest thing from sexy she owned, but she knew Stephen wouldn't mind. The slippers on her feet whispered across the carpet. She smiled upon seeing his open bags on the spare bed. His things littering the top of the dresser. Though he had only been in the room for little over an hour, it already smelled of him. Being in the room he would sleep in was indeed a rarity. Between having to share with others and the fear of being seen she had grown accustomed to seeing him in out-of-the-way places. Sometimes she toyed with the idea of asking him to her room but that was an impossibility.

"Nobody's on this end of the floor. And with the stairs right there, I thought..."His voice trailed into nothingness and when she turned to look at him she saw his quick shrug. "Yeh don't mind, do yeh?"

"Not at all," she promised, crawling onto the bed and settling against the pile of pillows at the headboard. She tossed her phone onto the nightstand, assured it wouldn't ring anytime soon. She had set an alarm to go off when she needed to return to her room downstairs. Four hours. She had four hours with him. Watching him cross the room, she smiled when he joined her. Instead of lying beside her he crawled over her, lips descending over hers in a gentle kiss.

His lips parted over hers, beckoning her, and she sank into the kiss, savoring the flavor of his toothpaste. Until him she had never kissed a man so keen on dental hygiene. She welcomed the brunt of his weight over her. She likened his presence to a shield; nothing could get through him. When the kiss broke she looked into his eyes, following him as he settled on his back. Her fingers crept through his hair before moving to rest on his neck.

"Get some rest, love," he murmured. His arm slid around her to pull her close to his side. Fingers that were always so gentle smoothed her hair as her head settled on his chest. The gentle thrum of his heartbeat soothed her.

Tucking herself closer to him, she let her eyes close.

When she awoke she was momentarily disoriented. She shuffled into full consciousness and smiled at the feel of Stephen's arm still around her. She couldn't put a finger on what had awakened her. A door slamming down the hall, perhaps a sigh from his lips. With no idea of how much time had passed, she worried that her phone would start to blare the alarm at any second.

"Yeh didn't sleep long."

Relief swept through her. She shifted her head so she could meet his eyes. "I feel like I slept for hours," she murmured. It was true; she felt more rested than she had in ages.

"Just about an hour. Yeh get tomorrow off right?"

"Right." She saw his eyes brighten.

"I'm off, too." The brightness fled. "He'll want yeh to go with him, I suppose."

"He's going with Ted and Randy to the next town after the show tonight," she murmured. "Something about seeing an old friend." She didn't dare to give in to hope. Not yet.

The hand on her shoulder squeezed then moved to smooth her hair from her face. His fingers cupped her chin and her head tilted back. "I got yeh something."

"What?" Joanna was certain she'd heard wrong. In the year of their...whatever it was, he'd never bought her more than inconsequential items. Things she wouldn't have to explain. "You bought something? For me?"

His grin was quick, but not as quick as the kiss he gave before sliding out of the bed. "Yeh make me sound like a miser. It's just a little thing, nothing to get too excited about love."

She didn't dare mention that he hadn't bought her anything in ages. The usual roses and chocolate for Valentine's Day, yes, but nothing spontaneous. Just because. Lying on the bed she looked at the ceiling, smiling at the crinkle of plastic. Flowers? It had been over two years since anyone had bought her flowers, aside from the prerequisite roses. Back then, in the beginning, she had teased that he owned a florist's shop.

But when Stephen returned he wasn't carrying a bouquet. In fact, at first, she thought it strange that he held nothing. She sat up, folding her legs in front of her. A gasp pulled from her throat when his hand opened and she saw the necklace. The small pendant swung from his fingers like a pendulum as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"Stephen," she breathed as she took in the emeralds arranged in the shape of a shamrock. She knew he eschewed Irish stereotypes in the ring but was immensely proud of his heritage when he was no longer Sheamus. When he was just Stephen. The pendant landed on her palm and she brushed her fingers over the fine gold chain. "It's beautiful."

"I wish I could buy yeh more," he murmured as she watched the light dance on the deep green gems. She knew he wasn't insinuating he was too poor to purchase things for her. "Yeh deserve the world."

She clutched the pendant in her fist as she wrapped her arms around him. A feeling of dread settled in her heart; tears burned her eyes. Pressing her face to his shoulder, she knew she didn't deserve him.

She didn't deserve anything.

A/N: Thank you all for the reviews, alerts, favorites, etc. A very special thank you to my girl (GURL) Amber for her help in this chapter. *blows kisses* Hope you've enjoyed! ~ Josie