"So, where are we going?" Liz asked John again.

"Just some restaurant downtown." John replied, his mind on other things at the moment.

"Is it the same place you were going to take her." she asked, giving John a sideways glance.

"Yeah, it is. I didn't think I should waste the reservation since it was already made." John said, rolling his eyes.

"Sure, whatever." she said, staring out the window and smiling to herself. "You're with me and that's all that matters."

He knew where the conversation was going and soon, it would lead from just merely talking to a full blown argument. He didn't want that; at least not tonight. He didn't have the energy to fight with anyone, seeing as his evening was not going according to his plan. He knew the rest of his time, at least until he went home, was going to be filled with the two women arguing. And usually, Liz was the one to start the arguments. Adaline had never been the type of person to back down or not defend herself. It was in her natural; much like his.

As much as he loved and admired Adaline, Liz was the polar opposite. Sure, he loved her, but ever since they had gotten together, especially since it had gotten serious, he had questioned whether he had made the right decision by asking her out, asking her to move in with him and talking of marriage with her.

Adaline might have gotten under his skin, but Liz drove him up the wall, down the other side and completely insane. Liz had class and was high-maintenance, which was alright at times, but she had control issues and if things weren't going her way, everyone within ear shot and within sight knew about it from the inside out. She had tried keeping John on a very short leash, controlling his every last move and even Adaline's job, or at least where his schedule was concerned.

Liz would often try lessening John's work load, by manipulating the schedule Adaline had perfected, per their boss, Vince McMahon. Liz didn't seem to mind; not in the least. She didn't care if Adaline lost her job, or worse, even John. That just meant he would be at home, with her, day in and day out. Of course, Adaline had learned her lesson once she realized her schedules were being messed with, and she began doing them alone, only calling John to give him the heads-up or giving him copies that were already finalized by their boss.

John pulled up to the curb, waiting for the valet. He turned to Liz, his face softening slightly as he grabbed her free hand and took it into his own. She looked at him, a bit shocked at first, before returning the smile.

"Let's just not fight tonight, alright? Let's eat and we can go back to the hotel and get some sleep, alright?" he said, almost pleading with her.

"John, I'm not the one who starts the arguments, baby. I just wish you would see my side of things for once. I have valid reasons why I get upset. You just don't understand me." she said, giving him another huge smile.

He drew a deep breath in, fighting back the words he longed to say to her. He simply smiled in returned and squeezed her hand before releasing it.

"Liz, I'm trying here. Work with me." he said, through clenched teeth.

"Fine, John. We'll eat and go back to the hotel and sleep or whatever. As long as she isn't with us, we'll be fine." she agreed.

John fought back saying everything that was one his mind, especially defending Adaline. She had never really ever been the source of their arguments. It had always been a means of defense, or at least to John that's how it seemed. Liz made it seem like there was so much more to him and Adaline, and as much as he wished it were true, it wasn't the case.

Maybe he didn't understand Liz or they way she was, her manners or the way she went about things. Maybe Liz had hit the nail on the head about something. But, in the bottom of John's heart, he knew he didn't care anymore; he didn't care to understand her or try to any longer.

John knew at that moment that everything between he and Liz was gone. A thing of the past – ancient history. He knew he had never truly loved Liz.

Liz was just a replacement for the loneliness he had felt for so many years. So many years without Adaline.

Now, the hard part was, telling Liz.

She had managed to tear the hotel room up into shreds, her clothes a mass pile on the floor, scattered in different places. She was left on the floor, cuddling her pillow close, crying to herself. She didn't care anymore and she wasn't even sure why she was crying. She knew she and John weren't together and technically, he had no obligations to her.

She felt like for the first time in their entire friendship, they had started something and tonight was going to prove that. Rather she was leading herself on or not; she knew. She could see it in his eyes, feel it when he touched her, hear it in his voice. Something was there.

Without an admission from John himself, however, she was left in the position she was now. Crying her heart out on the white satin pillow case, her thoughts scattered and wondering what could be. What might have been if she would have admitted her feelings sooner.

She wouldn't step in between his relationship. She had never been that girl and now wasn't the time she was going to start either. She would never lower herself to those standards.

Regardless of her feelings, she was pissed off at John for ditching her the way he did. For disregarding the way she felt – as a friend – and leaving with Liz. She understood his commitment towards Liz. She understood they were together, but they were still friends and at the end of the day, they always had been.

But, tonight, he had treated her like another roadie; another ring rat wanting a wild night with a Superstar of the wrestling world. As if he didn't know her at all. As if the 20 years they had been friends meant nothing to him.

"It's time he grows some damn balls and stands up to that slut of a girlfriend." she said in the empty room.

She was pissed, and when she decided to speak to John Cena again, she wasn't sure, but tonight was not that time.