A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing, hope you enjoy the chapter and if you like it, think about leaving a review or if you didn't like it, think about leaving a flame. ;)


"Chris, come on."

Chris looked down as he felt her warm hand nestle into his. He looked up at her, "Come on where?"

"We'll go inside the arena and we'll just go to my office, okay?" she said as if she was talking to a child. That poor guy. I mean, how could she do that to him right here in the parking lot in broad daylight? What kind of person does that? He must be in shock right now, that's why he's saying how this is easier. They've been dating for a while, how can this be easy for him?

"I'm okay, Stephanie," Chris told her. This really did make it easier on him. Ever since he'd been able to read her thoughts, the appeal of Barbie had decreased steadily until he wanted to be as far away from her as possible. She was the most vapid, petty, ugly person he'd ever met in his entire life. He knew she was young, but the way she behaved and thought was inexcusable.

"Chris, you might say you're okay, but—"

"I'm really okay," Chris told her again, cutting her off before she could say anything else. I don't understand how he's okay. I mean, if I caught Paul cheating on me…I'd be pretty upset. "I'm not married to her or anything."

Stephanie looked up at him sharply, but then shook her head a little, more to herself than to him and then looked away. "Are you sure? I mean, this is not something that you should…I mean, why don't we just go to my office and you can grab that music and we can listen to it."

"Yeah, that sounds good," he said, "but I wanted to do something first."

"Chris?" What could he possibly want to do? Chris started walking towards the car as Stephanie's thoughts became dimmer as he got further and further away from her. Oh my God, what is he going to do? Is he going to beat up whoever Barbie is with? Should I get security or something? I don't want to cause a scene here. "Chris!"

"It's okay," he told her, then walked right up to the window where a guy's back was pressed against the window. Chris knocked on the window and then leaned down a little. Barbie looked over the guy's shoulder and her eyes widened as she pressed herself against the guy, who looked over his shoulder. It turned out the mystery guy was Jake Hager, otherwise known as Jack Swagger, which was perfect since the guy was married. Chris gave them both the thumbs up before walking away and towards Stephanie.

Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck…

Serves that jerk right…

"Come on, Steph, I think I was going to show you some music in my locker room," Chris said, grabbing Stephanie's hand and pulling her towards the entrance.

"Chris," she said, but then didn't say anything more when he smiled at her. He really does have such a nice smile and he was so nice to me today. Nicer than anyone has been to me in a really long time. I think people just take me for granted, like I'm someone that doesn't have feelings. Oh great, there you go again, acting like your problems are the biggest problems in the world. Keep some focus, Stephanie, if this is your biggest worry, you've got it pretty good. Now I feel guilty as hell. I think I'll volunteer over the weekend to make myself feel better.

"You volunteer?" Chris asked before he realized that Stephanie had thought all of that and not said it out loud. He cursed under his breath as Stephanie studied his face as they walked.

Did I say that out loud? Oh my God, Stephanie, can you look more stupid? "Oh, um, I didn't mean to say anything, it's nothing really," Stephanie shook her head. "I really don't…it's nothing."

"No, actually, that's honestly pretty cool, what kind of volunteering do you do? I never see anything about you volunteering and I figured if you were, they would have filmed it or something."

"Nobody films it, I don't do it to, you know, look good in front of the cameras or anything," Stephanie said humbly, not wanting to sound like she was bragging or anything. "It's really nothing. I just sometimes go help out at the food kitchen or I read to kids at the library, but my favorite is when I help out at the local animal shelter."

"I never figured you for an animal lover," Chris said.

Well, I never said it so I guess he wouldn't. "Yeah, I love animals, I always have. I just can't have any at the moment, but when I don't travel with the show, I actually do foster animals until they can find a more permanent home. Paul hates it though, but that's just because he's a neat freak."

"His loss, animals are awesome," Chris said, "when Jessica and I were married, we had a couple dogs, she has them now for obvious reasons, but I do get to see them every once in a while."

"That's nice that you still get to see them," Stephanie told him. And…this conversation got really awkward very fast, but I've got to keep talking so he doesn't have to think about his girlfriend cheating on him. I guess that what everyone says about Barbie is true. I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt, but that can only go so far really.

"Here we are," Chris said, pushing the door open and allowing Stephanie entrance. "The music is on my ipod, but you can listen to it, I don't mind." He went over and retrieved the mp3 player and handed it to her. She took it and put the earbuds in her ears before they sat down next to each other, Chris holding the ipod and then flipping through the music. While it was playing, he couldn't hear Stephanie's thoughts and he was glad for it, glad for the quiet moment even though he was getting better and better at tuning everyone out.

After the second song, Barbie sauntered into the locker room, her clothes still looking a little askew and Chris could feel Stephanie freeze as Barbie stood by the door. "Chris, we need to talk?"

"Do you think so? I didn't think so," Chris told her with a shrug.

"You know that is serves you right that I cheated on you," Barbie sneered at him. "I'm a woman, Chris, and I have needs and if those needs aren't going to get met by you, then I'm just going to go find someone else." He'll come crawling back to me, I'm sure, I'm probably the best fuck he's ever had. That's what all the guys tell me.

"So you go and whore yourself out to any guy that's willing to stick their dick in you? That's what that means?" he asked her.

"You're here with…with her!" Barbie pointed accusingly at Stephanie. "I bet you're fucking her behind my back. Lunch, my ass, you were probably in some cheap motel getting your rocks off inside of her!" There, let's see him try to come back from that!

"Whoa, wait a second," Chris said, standing up and taking a step forward. "Don't you dare talk to her like that! There's never been anything between me and Stephanie and we certainly weren't having sex in the parking lot like some people in this room."

"You've been ignoring me!"

"Because you are a horrible, horrible person," Chris said, "and it's taken me this long to see you for what you truly are, a little, immature princess who can't take care of herself and expects to fuck wherever and whenever and don't blame that on the youth, Barbie, blame it on the fact that you're obviously a slut."

"I should probably go," Stephanie whispered. This is getting too uncomfortable. I wonder if there's a way I can just slip out or if I'm going to be too conspicuous. Why couldn't Barbie do this when nobody was here? And why would she think Chris and I were sleeping together? Not that he's that bad to look at, but…oh my God, I have got to get out of here!

"No, stay, I'm almost through here," Chris said, so mad that he didn't even bother to register her thoughts and her uncomfortable posture.

"I am not a slut!" Barbie argued with a scoff. "You weren't saying I was a slut when you were fucking me senseless."

"Well, I got my senses back, thank you very much," Chris said, "and it made me see what you truly are. And a married man, Barbie, in a parking lot? Have you no shame? Or standards for that matter?"

"Like I said, it serves you right for what you did to me, ignoring me like that. In fact, I should go finish Jake off because he appreciates me more than you ever did!" Plus, he's better in bed…or maybe I just make all the guys better in bed because I'm clearly the best lay in the company. The Bellas have nothing on me, stupid idiots that they are.

"Oh, I should tell you now, you were probably the worst lay in my entire life," Chris added for effect. "I bet there are blow-up dolls better than you are."

Barbie's jaw dropped and her face turned red from the anger. "You…you fucking asshole!"

"No, I think that's you…or just where you like it," Chris said.

Oh my God, ignore it, Stephanie, ignore it, ignore it, you're not here, you're part of the wall, you are part of the wall, just fade into the wall. If I crawled out of here, would they notice? Jesus Christ, too much information, too much information…

Worst lay? Oh, he will pay for that, I'm going to fuck every guy in this locker room and then we'll see who's a worst lay.

"I hate you!" Barbie screamed at him.

"Likewise, darling, don't let the door hit you on the way out," Chris pointed towards the door and Barbie looked aghast for a moment. I can't believe he doesn't want me and isn't begging on his knees to be with me. What is…this…I don't have to stand for this! Barbie huffed one more time before turning on her heel and stomping out of the room. The room was silent for a few minutes before Stephanie quietly cleared her throat. Chris turned to her. "So how much are you just wishing the floor would open up in front of you?"

Stephanie laughed, "You just read my mind actually."

If Chris had been drinking something, he would have spit it out, "What?"

"I'm joking," Stephanie said, "just trying to ease the tension." That was a weird reaction…but it's been such a weird day. "Are you okay, do you want to talk about it? I'm a really good listener." Paul makes me listen to him all the time so Lord knows I know how to listen when someone is talking.

"I'm okay," he sat down next to her, "what did you think of the songs?"

"Chris, you pretty much just ended a relationship, you have to be feeling something," Stephanie said and her thought was the exact same thing, no bullshit or anything, just thoughts and words being the exact same thing. "I don't want you to feel like you can't say something just because this friendship thing is new. I'm a woman, I have a different perspective."

"She was a fling," Chris admitted to her. "It was nothing more than that, really, just something to tide me over. The divorce…it was a difficult divorce with Jessica, messy and ugly and I guess I just needed someone for a while that I didn't have to think about."

Well now that makes so much more sense. "I understand," Stephanie nodded. "You just wanted a relationship that didn't have as many strings."

"Exactly and Barbie is exactly that."

Well, I imagine she doesn't have many strings to begin with. Chris laughed and Stephanie smiled shyly at him. "There's something about you, Chris, I don't really know what it is, but there's something about you that makes me feel like you know everything about me. Like I can just say whatever I'm thinking because even if I don't, you'll know anyways."

Chris swallowed hard, "You're really easy to talk to, I think it stems from that."

"You deserve better than that girl," Stephanie said, patting him on the knee. "You deserve someone who won't cheat on you and who you can hold a conversation with and who you want to be around. Barbie wasn't that, you said as much yourself."

"It would be hard putting myself out there."

I know how that goes. That terrifies me. "Sometimes you have to, don't you think? Sometimes you've just got to dive in headfirst and see what's in there, right, that's what they always say."

I just wish I could take my own advice.