Chapter 7 – Blame & Pain
Khloe couldn't have been happier with Seth. She honestly had never been so happy with one human being in her entire life. On January 16 Seth was given a non-title match against the ROH World Champion Steven Haworth defeated Steven Haworth –Who wrestled as Nigel McGuinness.
The following night, number one contender Daniel Solwold –Austin Aries- refused to face Steven Haworth, so Seth faced Haworth instead, but was unsuccessful as the match ended in a time limit draw. On June 26 at Violent Tendencies, Seth defeated Chris Scobille -his old tag partner but still good friend- in a steel cage match to end their feud.
Something went terribly wrong in their cage match and Seth had been hurt. He tried to play it off as just a muscle spasm or bruise, but Khloe knew it was serious. On her insistent and tears he finally caved and went to the specialist ROH had on file.
Khloe didn't like being right; in fact she hated it.
Seth had a bulging disc in his neck and he had to have surgery. In four weeks the doctor was going to open him up and fix it. They were sitting in the Specialist office as he stepped out to give them a minute. Khloe grabbed Seth's hand the minute the doctor said surgery.
"Baby…Talk to me." She requested in a quiet voice as she squeezed his hand softly.
"What's there to fucking say?" Seth spouted' jerking his hand away from hers.
Khloe's head snapped around when he jerked his hand out of hers. "Say whatever you feel." She answered honestly.
Seth continued to pace as he raked his fingers through his raven hair. "You heard what he said, Khloe. Are you fucking happy now?"
"Are you seriously going to blame me for you needing neck surgery?" Khloe stood up to be face to face with Seth. "You're honestly going to stand there a blame me aren't you?
"I could've worked through the goddamn injury, but you just had to pour on the goddamn waterworks and now – NOW; I have to have NECK surgery!" He snapped, not happy about this news at all; shaking his head. He paced the carpeted floor of the doctor's office.
Khloe shook her head as she scoffed. "You know what Seth, go ahead and blame me. It's my fault. It's my entire fault. I made you get in the ring."
"Shut up Khloe." Seth mumbled.
"I forced Chris to botch the move so you could fall wrong and hurt yourself." Khloe stated
"Shut up - Khloe." Seth stated a little clearer. She was pushing his buttons now with her mouth.
"Never mind the fact that I've been worried about you so much that I've had insomnia so bad that I don't sleep for 5 days at a time or that I see you in pain and can't do anything to help you. Never mind all of that." Khloe exhaled deeply. "You wanted me to say it Seth – I'll say it. It's my fault."
Seth growled as he grabbed Khloe and slammed her into the nearest wall back first. "I SAID SHUT THE FUCK UP." He screamed as he slammed his fist into the wall next to Khloe's head.
Seth was seething as his chest rose and fell with his labored breathing. He could see the tears budding in her eyes and immediately looked away, not able to handle them right now. "I need some fucking air." He grunted as he backed away from Khloe, stalking out of the room and slammed the door behind him, leaving Khloe standing against the wall wide eyed with tears streaming down her face.
Seth knew he was being an asshole right now, but his wrestling career had just been severely halted and it was all because of her insistence to get checked out. "Fuck!" He growled, kicking over a garbage can outside of the building and walked to the car, letting her deal with the rest.
Khloe spoke with the doctor for a few more minutes, when he came back into the office and got a few extra details before she walked out of the medical building in downtown Tampa.
Seth's car was gone.
He left her there…alone; by herself.
She shook her head as she pulled her cell phone out and called a taxi to take her home, because she was clearly NOT going to Seth's. This was the first time since they started dating a YEAR ago; they'd be apart for more than 30 minutes. When she got to her apartment she bolted and double chained the door.
He might have had a key to her place but he wasn't getting in. She couldn't believe he just left her there. She laid across her bed after shutting the curtains as she cried her heart sank into her stomach.
"So he hasn't tried to call you or come by yet?"
Khloe was pulled from her thoughts at the sound of Marika; her older sister's voice. She looked up as she shook her head negatively. "No he hasn't tried to contact me at all." She swallowed hard trying to fight back the tears that were threatening to fall. "But even if he did I don't think I would answer the phone or the door. Seeing him right now would be too painful."
Marika scowled. "You guys have been together for a year and this is how it's going to be? Him being pissed off at you because he has to have surgery? I don't understand! No one forced him to get in the ring and no one forced him to pick wrestling as a career. This is just fuckin ridiculous. The next time I see that little puke I'm going to pull his scrotum up over his fucking head!"
Khloe couldn't help as she let out water laughter. The tears slid down her cheeks as she watched her older sister pace and rant at the same time. Marika may have only been a year older than Khloe but she was fiercely protective of her; Khloe was just as protective of her older sister.
Marika had been into kick boxing since she was 5 and was currently teaching several classes at the local CrossFit gym in Tampa. She worked with all age groups starting from 5 up to adults. "Actually I think I'll kick his head off his shoulders and then stuff his head up his own ass with a flash light so he can eventually SEE his way out."
Khloe couldn't help laughing again at Marika's ranting. She was starting to sound like a pissed off crazy person and honestly Khloe wouldn't have her any other way. "Rika, just calm down before you go kicking anyone's head off anyone's shoulders. I think that could be considered murder in most states." She called her sister by her nick name.
Marika stopped pacing as she turned and faces her little sister. "Khlo, he laid lands on you, he scared you, he blamed you for some bullshit and then his stupid ass left you in downtown Tampa BY YOURSELF! I want him to hurt. You've been sitting in this apartment for the last two days crying. You haven't left once. You need to get out and get some fresh air. Come to the beach with me."
Khloe shook her head. "I just want to be by myself. I know I shouldn't lock myself away but right now; I just want to be left alone. Our idiot brother keeps calling me and I just do NOT want to talk to him right now."
"Maybe Bryan will take his head off." Marika mumbled under her breath and didn't miss the glare her little sister shot her.
"Rika he's still my boyfriend…for now; at least I think he is." Khloe whispered to herself.
Marika walked over and hooked her sister's chin with her index finger and pulled her head up until her watery gaze locked with her own. "Don't let him make you feel bad baby sister. I understand he's in pain; his career just took a big hit and I understand he feels the need to lash out at someone but it doesn't need to be the woman he's in love with. And he is in love with you. You don't get to know someone a year without there being some kind of love in the mix. This is the happiest you've ever been and yea Bryan isn't that thrilled that you're dating a wrestler and co-worker but the heart wants what the heart wants and that he doesn't understand. He's been too focused on his career and eventually love is going to hit him so hard it will knock him on his ass when he least expects it."
Khloe nodded. "I know, we go back on the road day after tomorrow and I'm not really sure if I'm looking forward to it or not."
Marika leaned over and kissed her sisters forehead and hugged her tightly. "Call me if you need anything. And try to get some rest. You look worn out." She dark bruise like circles under her eyes were just one of the signs that her baby sister hadn't been sleeping since the fiasco with Seth. If Seth hurt her anymore he was officially going to be a dead man!
Khloe watched as her sister left her apartment; leaving her to herself as requested. She walked over and locked and chained the door again before going back into her room and lying across her bed. She stared at her cell phone and cried. It hadn't gone off once with a call or text from Seth. She was mad and hurt.
Khloe had listened to the doctor. He told them both had Seth continued to wrestle with the bulging disc and took a bump wrong or made a miscalculation in anything and landed badly the disc could slip and he could wind up paralyzed from the neck down. Did he really want to risk his ability to run let alone walk ever again just because he thought he could work through the injury?
She knew Seth was stubborn enough he would go back on the road and do stupid shit. He'd do run in's and promos to help promote the matches and upcoming venues. He wouldn't wrestle but he'd keep himself busy in the company to bring money in until his surgery.
Seth sat in a local bar nursing a beer, staring down at the table broodingly. He was so pissed off he couldn't think straight and his neck was killing him. Chris had tried talking to him about it, but he shrugged his friend off. Honestly, he wanted to kill Chris for doing this to him. The man botched the damn move in the ring and caused Seth to have this bulging disc in his neck. It was because of him that his wrestling career was halted and his dreams of going to the WWE would probably never come true.
He loved Khloe, but right now he just needed some space to think about things and what he was doing with his life. God he missed her, he knew by leaving her at the doctor's office; he may have potentially damaged their relationship, but he needed the time alone. When he was with her he couldn't think of anyone else but her, the space he placed between them would help him get his mind on the right track; even though his heart was with her. He wanted to marry her, to have a family with her, but not until he was well off financially so he could take care of his entire family; then and only then would Seth be satisfied with his life.
The WWE was his dream, so the sooner this surgery happened, the sooner he would be able to get back on track.
Seth finished his beer and taped on the bar to let the bartender know he wanted a second beer. He watched as the bartender popped the top off the bottle and slid it down the bar top to him when a hand shot out and grabbed it before it reached his hand. He looked over and rolled his eyes. "Here we go."
"Hello asshole."
"What do you want Marika?" Seth asked in a clipped tone.
"I don't want anything from you. I just want you to know while you're sitting here drinking your pity into oblivion; my sister is sitting at home crying and worrying about your lame ass. I don't normally get involved in her relationships, but I guess just this one time I decided to let you know you're an asshole. You are one of the most important people in my sister's life and she supports your every thought, feeling and whim and you treated her like shit. I know what you did to her because she's done nothing but cry, miss you and worry about you. You think about that as you sit here drinking and feeling sorry for yourself and your career; which by the way she supports you with that too."
Marika shoved the beer bottle at Seth before she turned and walked away.
Seth closed his eyes as he stared down at the long neck bottle in his hand. He finished his second beer before he headed back to his place. He was going to call the doctor and set up the surgery and when it was time to go back on the road he was going to be a man and face Khloe and then beg her for her forgiveness.
Even though he knew he didn't deserve it.
