Chapter 3
The last few days had been some of the most meaningful that Juli had ever had in her life. Mike was perfect. He never tried to do anything more than kiss her or hold her. Even that was perfect. She found that the thought of him leaving made her genuinely sad because she didn't want him to leave she wanted him to stay here with her forever. So instead she tried to pretend that tomorrow wasn't going to come and that today would just go on forever. Than without trying to Mike dashed all of her happiness and brought her out of happy little world to the present.
"I have to leave tomorrow and I don't want to," he said as they rocked outside in the backyard swing. His arm was around her, she was lying on his shoulder and he was looking up at the stars.
"Thanks, Mike." She said sitting up and slapping his arm playfully.
"What?" he said looking at her confused.
"I was trying to pretend like you didn't have to go tomorrow so that it wouldn't ruin the day."
"Sorry," he said pushing her hair behind her ear. "Come back and lay on me and we'll pretend like I didn't say it."
"That's cute but it isn't going to work now. I wish you didn't have to leave." She said laying back down on his shoulder.
"Part of me wants to stay here with you and the other part wants to go and do what I always dreamed that I would do."
"I wouldn't stop you from going," she said taking his hand into hers.
"I know you wouldn't. You could always come with me."
Sitting up quickly she looked into his eyes. "Seriously, I am not sure that is such a good idea."
"Why not? What would be so bad for you to go on the road with me? You don't have to tell anyone who you are."
"You are forgetting that someone will know who I am."
"Oh, yeah huh," he said. "I forgot about him."
"I don't think I would talk to him." I said getting back into my spot on his shoulder.
"I don't blame. I don't really want to talk to him either. I mean what if he was to realize what he lost and he tried to get you back."
Juli laughed. "Mike you have nothing to worry about. He lost all his chances a long time ago."
"I just don't want to lose you and if I walk away tomorrow I think I might." He tilted my chin up so that our eyes connected again. "I am pretty sure I am not wrong about that. For some reason you decided to let me in even though you didn't want to."
"How'd you know that?" she asked him.
"I'm pretty good at reading people. You are no exception."
"Do you really want me to go with you tomorrow?"
"Of course I do. I wouldn't of said it if it wasn't what I wanted."
"Than yes, I will go with you for this weekend but you have to understand that I can't guarantee that I will stay or that I will ever go back with you again."
He shrugged as he pulled her to him. "I fully accept your conditions."
She giggled as she pulled away from him and kissed him. When Juli pulled away she whispered into his ear. "Why don't you come to bed with me?"
"What? Really?"
"I don't mean to have sex." She laughed.
"You can be such a tease, do you know that?" he said as she kissed him again.
As she pulled away she looked at him with a grin. "You love every damn minute of it."
"Oh I do. You won't ever see me deny that. Let's go to bed." He said getting up and putting his hand out to help her to her feet like the perfect gentleman would do.
The next day…
Juli sat backstage at the arena in the catering area. Mike had left her about a half hour before and she was reading the book that she had brought with her. Suddenly she was broken out of her concentration by the chair at her table being pulled out and someone sat down across from her. Looking up she came face to face to the last person that she wanted to see.
"What's up babe? Long time no see." He said with that cocky grin because he knew he was hot shit. She closed her book, pushed her chair out and walked away from the table but he caught up to her and grabbed her arm turning her around so that she faced him. "Do you really think I am going to let you walk away from me that easy?"
Her eyes connected with his. "It was that easy for you to walk away from me."
"What? Why would you ever think that? You were the one who kept calling me and when I called you back you didn't return any of my calls."
"I am glad you turned the whole story around and made it into how you were the one that was wrong." She said finally getting his grip off of her arm.
"Juli I would swear to you on anything that I called you back every single time. I told you that I couldn't get time off to get to you and when the calls stopped coming I just figured you hated me for not coming to you dad's funeral. I loved Drew like he was my own father, you should of known that I would of have done anything to be there."
Her eyes filled with tears and she tried to be strong. "Than you should have because I thought you hated me. I thought you didn't care that I was hurting."
"Of course I cared," he said taking her hand, leading her back to the table and they sat down. "Though that doesn't explain where all my messages went. Actually, come to think of it. I am pretty sure that I talked to Trina once."
"Trina? That bitch." Juli said shaking her head. "She was there the whole time. She must've erased all your messages. She and I aren't friends anymore. I learned that the hard way."
"Now that we have squared away that I did return your calls what are you doing here?"
"I'm here with someone," she said looking away awkwardly.
"I'll be damned. Mike did find you and he got you to come back."
"I'm here with Mike. I'm not here for the wrestling."
"Wait." He said looking at her curiously as she looked at him for his reaction. "You are with Mike?"
"I guess you could say that," she said with a shrug. That was when she saw Ted DiBiase walk up to Cody. She hadn't seen him since she broke up with Cody and she couldn't help but to smile.
"Juli?" he said looking at her and completely disregarding Cody.
Standing up they hugged each other. He was one of the few people who had known the two were dating at the time. "Ted it has been way to long."
"You got my card when your father died?" he said pulling away and he watched her sit back down.
"Course thanks you. It meant a lot to me," she said with a smile.
"What are you doing here?" he asked her as he pulled up a chair. The chair was turned around the wrong way and he was leaning on the back of the chair.
"She's with Mike," Cody said making Ted realize that he was still sitting there.
He looked from him back to her. "Mike? Really?"
"Yeah, what's wrong with Mike?"
"Nothing. Nothing. Really. Just thought you'd always pick me." He joked.
"Why, Ted, I always thought you were a happily married man."
"I am. Doesn't mean you couldn't pick me." He said still smiling at himself.
"I am pretty sure I always picked you because it use to make Cody so angry." She said and they both laughed as Cody groaned from his chair.
"Oh, Codes it isn't that bad. She had to pick you Kristen would of killed us if she did pick me." Ted said looking at Cody.
Juli stopped laughing and listened to what Ted said. "Woah, hold on. Are you saying you would have left Kristen to be with me?"
"Back than, yeah, would of done in a heartbeat. Right now, I'll let you know if you do." He said with a wink. "I gotta run. I'll see ya around." He said as he took off.
She looked at Cody. "I understand now why you never wanted me hanging around Ted but you have to understand too that even if that option had been there I never would of have picked Ted because I was too in love with you."
He moved himself into Ted's chair and moved closer to her. "Than tell me that you want to start over again, just me and you. I still love you. I've always loved you."
Juli looked down at the table unable to hold the tears that began to fall from her eyes as she looked back at him. "I'm sorry. I do care about you. I always will but I don't love you anymore."
"So you really would rather be with Mike?"
"Mike makes me happy and I don't want to let go of how he makes me feel."
"I think you should reconsider," He said putting his hand on hers.
"I think Juli gave you her answer," the unmistakable sound of Mike's voice sounded from behind them. They both jumped at the sound of his voice as they turned around.
Without a word Cody stood up defeated and walked away from the table. Mike sat down next to her and he picked up her hand into his.
"How long were you behind us?" she asked him.
"Long enough for me to know that I was wrong to think Cody was a threat," he said with a smile.
"He didn't really abandon me when my dad died someone deleted the messages on me."
"Oh, really and you believe him."
"Yes, he wouldn't lie to me about that besides I have this uncanny knack for being able to tell when that man lies or not."
He stood up, looked down at her and kissed her forehead. "I have to go get ready. Do you want to come and sit in my locker room to wait for me?"
"Please, I can't stand this room."
He put it out his hand and helped her up. "Come my sweet queen." As she got up they made their way down the hall and to his locker room
