Chapter 7 – As Long As You Need Me
Roman had showered in his room and when Avery invited him to come to her room and talk – he wasn't going to deny her anything. He wouldn't and he couldn't; it was impossible. Dressed in navy pajama bottoms and a navy beater he walked down to her room in flip flops he noticed she's changed as well into dark red pajama bottoms and a white tank top. He couldn't help but think she looked more beautiful every time he saw her.
Roman sat there in silence as he watched Avery chew her bottom lip and then she started chewing on her thumbnail. He could tell she was just a bundle of nerves. Roman leaned over and took her hand in his as his thumb rubbed the back of her hand softly. "Talk to me Avery. Tell me what you need to tell me."
Avery blinked a few times as a couple of tears slid down her cheeks. "I met Brian two years ago. He was in a meeting with Vince, I found out he was party of the creative writing team and we started talking and pretty soon we grew closer and we dated a few times, but we remained friends; I guess you could say sort of a friends with benefits thing. With as much traveling as the WWE does it's hard to have a normal relationship with anyone who doesn't understand your work ethic or your workout schedule or that you're on the road almost 300 days a year – it just became second nature to us. We spent the time together and had some feelings exchanged but not enough to ever say we were in love enough to actually be together."
Avery sighed heavily as she combed a hand through her hair. "6 months into us being what we were he was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. He went to specialist upon specialist, but the results were always the same. 'Sorry Brian there's no way to get to it without turning you into a vegetable.' It was a sad situation all around. He was like my best friend so when we decided to get married it was easy. Best friends getting married because you don't want someone that you love to feel like they are dying alone. I loved him; maybe not in the conventional way, but I did love him; he was my lover, my travel companion, my best friend, he just wasn't the great love of my life."
Avery could feel more tears slipping down her cheeks. "The tumor kept growing and his mental stability was getting worse and worse. By the time the tumor took his life my depression was so bad I had to get away from everyone and everything and just heal me. I mourned my best friend and husband for a year; when I decided to come back to work is when I decided I was done mourning. I can't mourn forever for someone I was never in love with, but I can mourn the loss of a friend that I loved and cared for deeply."
Ramon frowned at her tears. He wanted to hold her or comfort her. Clearly it was a touchy subject. "What can I do to help Avery? I hate to see you like this. I'm not used to seeing the tears." He leaned over and grabbed the box of tissues and handed her a couple.
Avery shook her head as she took the tissues and wiped her eyes and nose. "Oh the tears will stop soon. I can never explain my situation with Brian without crying." Avery swallowed hard as she wiped her eyes again. "I know this is going to sound really ridiculous, but will you – will you stay with me tonight and hold me?"
Roman smiled softly as he pushed a couple of strands of her hair behind her ear. "It's not ridiculous and I'm not going anywhere unless you tell me to get out. I'll stay until you fall asleep. I'll stay all night. I'll stay as long as you need me." Roman moved closer to her as he held out his hand.
Avery felt him move closer to her and looked at Roman's hand; slightly hesitant at first she finally placed her hand in his and as he gathered her into his arms pulling her over onto his lap; being mindful of her sides and torso.
Roman looked down at her as she pulled her knees into her chest and just leaned into his body. His left arm around her waist holding her in place as his right hand softly went through her hair. She was quiet; too quiet for him. He was used to her laugh and voice and wanted to hear all of it right now, but didn't push the issue. She was still fragile, no matter how 'over' her husband's death she might have been; whether they were friends or actually in love. He still played a role in her life. At that moment Roman knew he'd have to let her dictate what they were or what they became. He could wait; he could wait forever, because she was WORTH the wait.
"You want to watch some TV or get something to eat or drink? What do you want to do Avery?" Roman's voice rumbled softly.
Avery looked up. "TV would be good. I ate before you got here. Have you eaten?"
Roman nodded slowly. "Yes, I ate at the arena with Evie and the guys." Roman carefully lifted her as he stood and moved around the room as he placed her back on the bed gently as he turned the TV on, turned the light off and then sat next to her as they both rested against the headboard. The more she relaxed next to him the more he relaxed with her. AS she leaned against him, his arm went around her pulling her closer to him and he felt her snuggle into him and practically bury herself into his side. Her head was rest on his chest and the scent of magnolias overtook all of his senses as he inhaled deeply several times.
About 3AM Roman's eyes opened as he tried to blink the blurriness from them as he tried to focus on something around the room. His eyes finally focused on the infomercial that was playing on the TV. He felt something rub against his side as he looked down and the earlier evening's events came flooding back to his brain as he stared at the raven haired beauty still lying against his chest; who had apparently also fallen asleep.
Roman carefully extracted himself from the bed; he didn't want to wake up Avery. He walked into the restroom and groaned softly as he relieved himself; not realizing how full his bladder was until it woke him up. Once he flushed and washed his hands, he walked back into the bedroom and turned the TV off, the little lamp on the wall was on as he walked over; he chuckled as he saw her head drooping as she was sleeping sitting up against the headboard still. He leaned over and softly kissed her cheek. "Avery – move down in the bed sweetie, you're going to hurt your neck sleeping like that."
"M'kay." Avery mumbled. She slowly moved around and as she turned onto her side as her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at Roman through half lidded eyes. "You're not leaving are you Roman?"
Her sleep filled question made him smile down at her sweet angelic face. Roman shook his head negatively as he watched her flip the covers back. "No I'm not going anywhere." He slowly crawled into the bed and felt her snuggle into him as he carefully wrapped his arm around her pulling her closer as she buried her face into his chest. He buried is nose in the top of her head as he quickly fell back asleep with Avery in his arms.
When 9AM rolled around later that morning, Roman was being brought out of his coma induced sleep with soft fingertips touching his back. He felt himself shudder and heard a giggle behind him. "Man Avery that better be you and not some half crazed fan you let in the room."
Avery laughed harder. "Oh no it's me." She smiled as she watched as his soft grey eyes opened slowly and blinked away the sleepy look then they locked with hers as he returned the smile. "You know you really didn't have to stay all night."
Roman nodded. "Yes I did. You don't even have to ask. All you have to say is you need me and I'm here; no questions asked."
"Why are you so nice to me? I mean all of you have been really nice, and you just don't seem like you are when you're on TV all hyped up and pissed off." Avery had to ask.
Roman chuckled. "It's the way the creative team has us written. We don't socialize with the other wrestlers because Vince said he wants us to look like monsters to them; he wants us to have the edge. Then they threw Evie in the mix and as sweet as she is, she could disassemble any diva just like you did AJ that first night we were back. And why shouldn't we be nice to you? You've been nice to us. The other wrestlers they've been dicks to us since we got here last November; half the time they don't stick to the script. We walk away winners with a few more real bruises. But it's nothing we can't handle."
They climbed from the bed as Avery disappeared into the bathroom to change. She brushed her teeth and then pulled her jeans on with a white t-shirt and white sneakers as she was brushing her hair she walked out of the bathroom and noticed Roman had changed as well. "How did you get clothes?"
Roman chuckled. "Seth had housekeeping bring my bags. Apparently they are also inviting us to breakfast. Dean left a note on my bag for us to get our asses in gear and get down to the hotel restaurant."
Avery couldn't help laughing as she nodded. "Do you think Dean will ever tell Evie how he feels about her?"
Roman's eyes snapped open as he was brushing his teeth in her bathroom. "Excuse me?" He mumbled.
Avery laughed as she wiped the side of his mouth with a towel. "Don't tell me you don't see it Roman. That man has it for her bad. I can tell with the way he plays with her and the way she plays back. Like yesterday morning with the whole cigarette incident. Her breaking the lit end and letting him having the rest of it; they are very sweet together."
Roman rinsed his mouth as he stepped out after brushing his hair and pulling it back into a low tail. "If you see it between them; tell me you see it between Seth and Kaitlyn as well?" He asked and watched as she smiled and nodded. He watched as she started to walk by him when his hand caught her waist and stopped her in front of him. "Then tell me you see it from me as well." His voice was low and husky as their eyes locked.
Avery smiled as she pushed up on her toes and their foreheads pressed together. "Yea, I see it from you. I can feel it from you too." She brushed a soft kiss across his cheek. She dropped back down to the flats of her feet. "We better get going before Dean comes to get us."
Roman nodded as he took her hand in his and laced their fingers together and watched as she smiled up at him and squeezed his hand softly. "So what are you doing for your days off?"
"Evie invited me to come back to Pensacola with you guys." Avery answered. "I'm switching my plane ticket out when we get to the airport later."
Dear God Roman owed Evie BIG TIME now!