Chapter 4: No Excuse

Jackie turned around and looked at him dropping her Kingdom shirt and plastic baggy full of M&M's, "Hey Jacks, is all you have to say after you walked out on our wedding?" "Let me explain." He said holding his hands up. "Let you fucking explain? You did that enough in your letter. I'm sorry, I'm not ready, I do love you." She mimicked his voice, pain and anger filled her green eyes.

"I have no excuse for why I walked away." He said folding his arms, every ounce of his being calling for him to reach out and hold her and make all the pain he had caused her go away. But he couldn't, she wouldn't let him.

"Then don't sit here and give me that crap. I deserve at least that.' She said bending down and picking up her shirt and bag of candy.

"I will work with you on screen for the sake of work but other than I don't want to talk to you or see you at all." She stepped into the hallway and shut the door behind her. Matt who had been quiet the entire time decided to speak up then.

"You know you deserve that and whatever else happens to you in the next few weeks.' "I know." Matt nodded his head as he fixed his headband on his head,

"Why did you leave? Other than Maria and Mike, I have never seen a couple more in love than you two."

Adam licked his lips as he tightened his ponytail and looked at him. He didn't want to explain it not when he would just have to explain it again when Michael and Maria walked into the locker room. And he really didn't want to deal with the over protectiveness of Mike and Maria. But sooner or later he knew that he had too.

Jackie had went down to the ringside area and sat down in one of the folding chairs and buried her face into the soft material of her t-shirt. Seeing him brought back so much of the pain of him leaving her before the wedding and how she felt after it really sunk in that she was alone. A soft sob escaped her as she rocked back and forth gently .

"Hey are you alright?" Matt Sydal asked coming over to her, he was visiting the Ring of Honor roster while they were in Tampa and was concerned to hear the quiet sobs from the woman sitting by herself.

She nodded her head wiping her stray tears away. "Fine." she muttered.

"I don't really believe that. There shouldn't be any reason for a pretty girl to be crying especially alone." He said leaning against the railing and folding his arms across his chest.

"I have done this alot lately." She said motioned to her eyes, 'I try and not do it around my brother or Maria. They just get more upset about it."

"Why can't you do that around them?"

"I was suppose to get married last month but the guy I was suppose to marry left me before we could." Matt's eyebrows raised as he whistled lowly. "Damn." "You're telling me. I was a mess after it happened, I didn't get out of bed for almost two weeks and then Mike my older brother had enough threw my ass into the shower and I kind of snapped out of it. This is only my first show since it happened." She said. Matt nodded his head. "I am Matt Korklan by the way." "Jackie Bennett, sorry you had to hear that." "No it's fine." He said waving his hand, "Your brother is." "Michael Bennett and Maria is his future wife." He nodded his head as she continued talking mostly about the faction that been forming and how she got into wrestling.

"Hey there you are." Avery Parker greeted coming down the ramp way a while later, "We have been looking for you."

"Oh?" Jackie asked looking up from the odd yoga pose that Matt was in the middle of. She nodded her head, "Your brother is going blow a gasket. Adam in the locker room, you gone.'

"Well Mike will just have to get over it." She said standing up and stretching her arms above her head. Avery nodded her head, she figured she would say as much but she didn't tell Mike that.

The elder Bennett was close to freaking out and she didn't want to push him to that breaking point. "It was nice meeting you Matt." Jackie said taking a folded up receipt out of her jeans pocket and scribbled her number down on it. 'Text me sometime." She said putting it on his chest before walking up the walkway, Avery following her questioning her about what happened and if she was okay..

Matt's eyes followed her up the ramp way a smile forming on his face.

"You okay?" Maria asked looking at Jackie who quickly grabbed her change of clothes and stepped into the bathroom to change.

"I'll be fine. Adam and I talked then I took a walk talked someone and came back here.' She answered, "I promise Ria, I am okay. Its going to take me a while to fully get better." Maria nodded her head and kissed her forehead. "That's all we can hope for. I will let you get ready in peace." Jackie nodded her head smiling softly, for the first time since Adam left her she felt almost happy.

Maria looked up at Adam who was waiting right outside the door in hopes to talk to Jackie once again. "Don't Adam, just don't. I am not going to let you hurt her again. Just leave her alone, let her process and get over everything that is going on then come talk to her not before. Mike may need up killing you if you do."