Chapter Ten

2009

"Ari? Earth to Ari…Is anyone home in there?"

"What?"

The sound of Drew's voice in her ears snapped Ari from her thoughts with a blink of her eyes. Her gaze shifted from the glass of rum and Coke she absently swirled on the Formica tabletop to the man sitting across from her. Their eyes locked, mint on chocolate, and the two of them exchanged tight, bemused smiles with one another.

It was quickly approaching midnight, and the two of them were seated at a back table at Grumpy's Tavern, removed from the pleasant buzz of conversation happening around the dimly lit bar. While they were both teetering on the edge of exhaustion, Drew was willing to bet money that it was far more visible on Ari than it was on him; after all, this was his life – he'd been wrestling for years. He was used to functioning on a steady diet of chaos and insomnia.

He wanted to be at home, face-planted in his bed, fast asleep, but staring at the woman sitting across from him, Drew realized there was nowhere else he'd rather be.

The bloodstained duo had been at the bar for close to forty minutes. Ari was only halfway through her rum and Coke, confirming Drew's suspicions that not only was she not a heavy drinker, but she wasn't enjoying the drink he'd bought her. He was pretty sure she was trying to finish her drink in an effort to be polite. Ever the responsible adult, Drew was nursing a large glass of water that was garnished with a lemon wedge.

He studied her intently. Her eyes looked vacant; it was almost as if she were staring right through him. Red stained her clothing and matted her hair. His sad, tight smile turned into a frown as his eyes fell on the red welt across her cheek that was definitely going to morph into a bruise in a few hours. It had been a complete accident on Moxley's part, and he'd apologized when it had happened, but it had been enough to mark her.

Cutting Jon Moxley out of barbed wire and stitching him up had been a thoroughly exhausting and traumatizing experience for both of them. The things he'd said to Ari left Drew infuriated; Moxley had said things so personal that Ari found herself shaking while she worked.

She'd begged and pleaded with him to go to the hospital. Drew had tried to do the same, but Moxley wasn't listening to a word he had to say. Ari pleaded; she'd explained to him that she didn't have anything to numb him while she stitched. But he hadn't cared. He'd jolted and shifted when the needle pierced his skin the first time, his elbow catching Ari hard in the side of her face. It happened so fast; Ari's head had rocked back so violently that he was sure she had whiplash.

The moment his elbow made contact with her flesh everything came to a screeching halt. Drew had been horrified; he'd rushed to Ari to look her over. The hit seemed to sober up Moxley. Ari, on the other hand, seemed to shut down the moment she was struck. Drew saw her shrink before them; every movement that followed after had been done in silence, out of pure instinct. Since then she'd been borderline catatonic, not speaking, keeping her head down and doing the best work she could with hands that violently trembled. When she was done, Drew had tried to get her to take a shower, but she needed to leave. She didn't want to stay in the building for another moment; she wanted the night to end.

"I'm sorry," she offered quietly.

"Ari…"

"Am I masochist? God, I don't know why I keep doing this to myself."

Drew offered her a sympathetic smile. It was all he could do; words failed him. Moxley had cast a spell over her, the way that he seemed to do with so many other women who came to the shows. She did everything he asked of her, against her better judgment sometimes, and Drew always got to watch the despair she felt in the aftermath. Instead of offering her advice or lecturing her the way he was sure Bryan would, Drew just kept his mouth shut and listened while she poured her heart and soul out to him. The last thing he wanted to do was make her feel worse.

He looked at her cup, his mouth twisting at the spot of blood on her knuckles. Eight of her ten fingers were bandaged; two of her fingers were striped with Band-Aids. The battle scars were a consolation prize for following Moxley's request, for caring about his health and his well-being. She'd tried to be careful, but in the end, his unpredictability had wounded her. Drew couldn't think of a more apt situation to describe Jon Moxley if he tried.

Even though they were both barely making ends meet, Ari had quietly offered to pay Drew's dry-cleaning bill when she saw Moxley had gotten blood on Drew's shirt. While he didn't have a lot of nice dress shirts to spare, there was no way he was going to let her spend money on him. It struck him that she was taking the blame for everything in the situation, especially after getting hit in the face. While it had been an accident that left Moxley and Drew mortified, it had the effect of flipping a switch; Drew saw the lights go out almost immediately. Since then, he'd been struggling to get the lights back on.

It had been his idea to stop and get a drink. He'd pitched it in the car. She'd barely acknowledged it. He thought a stiff drink would steady her nerves and bring her back to reality, but so far the plan had mixed results.

"I'm sorry. I'm not normally like this," she offered, sniffling softly. Drew nodded.

"I know – that's why we're here," he told her. They fell silent for a few moments. Drew took a sip of his water. He looked around the bar, scanning his surroundings. A group of bros were surrounding the pool table, ready to play a few games while they got a good buzz going. "Do you need to talk about it?"

"No," she said with a sigh, looking down at her fingers. "I just want to forget tonight ever happened." Leaning back and slouching a little in her chair, she huffed. "God, I'm such an idiot."

"No. You're not. You're easily the smartest person I know."

"I've seen the crew you roll with – it's not really high praise." Drew snorted.

"They have their moments." He sighed. "But you're right – they do a lot of stupid shit. Not on the Moxley scale, but stupid shit, nonetheless. I can agree with that."

"Anything to get their name out there, right?"

"That sounds awfully jaded, Ari," Drew teased. She shook her head, lips pursing into a thin line. She was quiet for a few moments, lost deep in thought. She took a really small sip of her drink.

"Have I ever told you about the first time I ever went to a wrestling show?"

"No." It was on the tip of Drew's tongue to add that she hardly ever spoke of her life before Philadelphia, but he kept his words under lock and key. There was a lot about her that left him curious, but he never wanted to pry and make her uncomfortable. "What was it like?"

"I was fifteen. I begged Bryan to take me with him. He was doing this backyard wrestling show in a small town just past the Idaho border. I can't even remember the promotion's name now, but it was so bush league."

"Ah, a hot dog and handshake sort of deal. Been there," Drew added with a smirk.

"The match before Bryan was full of bad ideas. Barbed wire, fluorescent lights. But their big spot at the end had them light a table on fire. The one guy…he went through the table, and he just…went up in flames. I'd never seen anything like that before. The scream…

"I jumped into action right away. This place was so low-rent that the ring apron was literally just ropes with blankets draped over it." Drew facepalmed. "I grabbed one and dove on the guy to put him out." She shook her head. "I thought I did this great thing, using my first aid knowledge to help save a life, but Bryan went ballistic."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. It was a big brother thing. He hated the idea of me putting myself in danger. After that, he refused to let me go back out on the road with him. I think I embarrassed him. I never went on the road with him again until the year I graduated. I was so surprised, because he offered to bring me out to see Ring of Honor. I jumped on it. I was about to head out here for college, and I didn't know when I'd get to see him again."

"What made him cave?"

Ari stared at her drink. "I don't know," she told him honestly. "But he did, and it was one of the best weekends I've ever had with my brother." She took another super small sip.

"Was the guy okay? I mean, he went to the hospital, right?"

She looked Drew in the eye. "I mean, yeah. God, I mean, I learned at a young age how to do a lot of things. I can stitch. I can suture. I can treat almost any kind of wound and infection known to man. I've taken just about every health, wellness, and first aid course there's been to take since I was thirteen. If I even started listing the courses I've taken, my head would probably start spinning." She looked back at her glass and shrugged. "In spite of everything I know, in all my experience…there's just some things, and there are some times, where you just need a fucking hospital. If I had half a brain I would have told Moxley that tonight." She punctuated her angry statement with a big swig of her drink, grimacing as she swallowed all of it.

"Why first aid?" he asked. The way her eyes darkened made him regret asking the question.

"Huh. I don't think I'm drunk enough to talk about that," she answered honestly. Drew nodded, but he would have been lying if he said he wasn't suddenly fascinated by her past life. It struck him that after all their time as friends, she was still withholding a lot of information about herself from him. He wondered if it was out of fear, if she was afraid that he would change his opinion of her if he knew the things she'd done.

"Maybe one day," he mused.

"Maybe." The word sounded cold on her lips. "I think I'm ready to call it a night."

"Whenever you're ready."

"I should finish this. I could just call a cab…"

"Nonsense. Your place is on my way home anyway."

She looked down at her drink. "If it's okay…I think I just want to go." He nodded, shifting in his chair so he could reach for his jacket hanging on the back of his seat.

Outside, Ari found herself comforted by the cold air, though she winced as the breeze hit her swollen cheek. Drew led her across the parking lot gently, his hand ghosting over her spine in a way that was downright gentlemanly, moving ahead of her so he could open the passenger door for her to get inside. He made sure she was comfortable inside before shutting the door. While he rounded the front of the car to get the driver's side, Ari looked out the window at the bar and found she couldn't help but think about what Jon was doing. Did Sami take him to the hospital like he had promised? Or was Jon drinking his pain away at another bar? Did he find a house party to crash with free booze, or did he find a woman to share a bed with? She looked at her bandaged fingers and gasped at the crushing feeling she felt inside her chest.

The drive back to her apartment was quiet. Every now and then Drew's gaze would shift to her, taking in the way she leaned her head against the window, head on her hand. He wished he could help her feel better somehow, but there wasn't a whole lot he could do but be there when she needed to talk.

Pulling to a stop on the curb outside her apartment, he watched her fish through her bag for her keys. "Thanks."

"You'd do it for me in a second," he told her. She nodded.

"I would."

"I'll pick you up tomorrow morning before I go to work so you can get your car." She nodded.

"Thank you." She got out of the car, surprised when he did the same. He rounded the car. "What are you doing?"

"Walking you to your door," he told her, holding his arms out, his gaze incredulous. "It's late, and I want to make sure you make it home safely."

"Always a gentleman," she told him with a roll of her eyes. The exhaustion in her voice had tempered her tone.

"It's the way my parents raised me," he told her with a grin.

"Drew…just go home."

"I will when I see you've made it inside safely," he told her. "Not negotiable."

They stared at each other for a few moments. She rolled her eyes, but a smile began to tug at the corners of her mouth. They fell into step together, walking towards the stairs that would lead up to her apartment. "If you need anything, call me, okay?"

"Drew, you need to sleep. I'm not going to call you."

"I mean it." They stopped at the foot of the stairs. He looked her in the eyes. Instead of finding a nice way around his words, he found himself blurting out his thoughts. "I'm worried about you, Ari."

"I'm fine," she insisted. "Please don't worry about me, okay? I promise. I'm just going to have a shower, throw out these clothes, sleep, and I'll be just fine in the morning." There wasn't a lot of conviction in her voice, but she knew Drew wasn't going to believe her, no matter how convincing she was. They made their way up the stairs, walking along the concrete path to her apartment door.

"Ice your cheek down before you call it a night."

"I will." They came to a stop in front of her door. "Well…here we are. Go home and get some rest."

"I will. I'll text you when I'm on my way in the morning, okay?"

"Sounds like a plan."

"Get some rest."

"You, too."

Drew turned and began to walk away. He was only a few steps away when she called out to him. "Drew?"

He turned back to her. "Yeah?"

It was then that she pounced, trapping him in the tightest embrace he'd ever received. She held onto him as if he were her anchor, keeping her steady in a sea of chaos. It only took him a fraction of a second to hold her just as tightly, stroking her hair with his left hand, whispering words of comfort when the sound of her sniffles hit his ears.

Ari wasn't sure if it was a welcome development or an indictment of her hometown, but Aberdeen was exactly the way she'd remembered it, down to the dreary grey sky and the drizzle of rain. She stared out the passenger window, her eyes glazed with reverie, the dam of repressed memories breaking under the weight of being back home. There seemed to be a story and a memory for every location that passed her by. Some memories made her smile sadly; others left her hands shaking and left her flooded with a twinge of retrospective embarrassment.

Aberdeen had shown her both sides of humanity, kindness and gentility sprinkled in a sea of cynicism and ridicule. She supposed if she had been younger, instead of thirteen; if she had been too young to understand what had happened, things could have been different for a while. But she'd been old enough to read the papers and watch the news, keen enough to see the way the parents of her classmates stared at her, a mixture of fear and disgust that still remained at the forefront of her mind so many years later. While Ari loved the beauty of Aberdeen, its sleepy quality and its rain, she didn't consider it home. There was too much baggage here, too much pain beneath its quaint charm, too much judgment to every truly feel at peace.

"How does it feel to be back?"

Ari turned her head to her adoptive mother, Dr. Barb Danielson, her smile both tight and sad. "It's strange," she confessed, staring back out the window. "This place hasn't changed very much. I don't know why I expected it to."

"It's changed." Ari turned back. "Sure, it has. Your old bedroom is an arts and crafts room now." Ari couldn't help but laugh. "The bed is still in there – it's just pushed against the wall now to make room for the craft table."

"You finally got around to that." It wasn't a question, just a general, flat statement. Barb nodded. "I'm surprised you didn't do it when I left for college."

"Oh, I thought about it, but I wasn't sure if you were going to come home after you graduated." There was a pause between the two of them. "It's nice to have you home, Arista. It's been too long."

"I'm sorry," she offered. No matter how much she apologized on this trip, it never seemed to feel good enough in her ears. "I left, and then I blinked, and six years passed. It's so awkward being back."

"You're home now, and that's what matters," she said. "You look great. I'm happy to see you."

"I'm happy to see you, too. It's been a bit overwhelming trying to fit everyone in, but it's been so nice to catch up."

"How long do I have you for?"

"A couple weeks. I'm gonna meet Brie and Bryan at Money in the Bank, and from there I'm gonna head to Philly for a while and see everyone out there."

"That should be nice. Have you spoken to anyone out there yet?"

"Just Drew."

"Well, that's a name from the past," she remarked. "I haven't heard his name in forever. You used to talk about him so much, and then you just stopped."

"Well. we kind of fell out of touch for a little bit. You know, life." Ari knew she was oversimplifying things, but she didn't want to go into things any further. Luckily, her mother didn't push for any answers.

"It can happen. How is he doing?"

"Great. Him and Bryan are colleagues now." She shook her head. "It's kind of weird how many people I knew back then are in the big leagues now, but it's kind of heartening." Ari looked back out the window. "I didn't expect to see so many familiar faces."

"That's good, though." They fell silent for a few moments. The car turned onto another street. Ari watched vaguely familiar homes and trees pass her by. "Are you planning on seeing her while you're here?"

The question hung in the air between them. After a few moments, Ari took a deep breath. "I don't know. I haven't decided yet. I've been going back and forth. I feel like I should, but…I don't know. I guess I've got a few weeks to figure that out, don't I?"

"You do. Just remember you don't have to feel obligated to do anything while you're here. Just enjoy your time and do what's best for you." They came to a stop at the light. "How was your time in Phoenix?"

"It was nice. I've never been. Brie is a hell of a tour guide. She knows every little shop in that city, I swear." She smiled. "Have you been out there at all?"

"I made a trip out there last summer while Bryan had some time off." Ari knew that it had to be hard for Barb, to have so much distance between her son and her granddaughter, but his life of traveling the world made her used to it. "I probably won't be able to head out there until Brie has the next one."

"Yeah, she was mentioning she wants to expand," Ari said. The idea of settling down, with a house and kids and a picket fence, was such a foreign concept to Ari. While she'd known some normality living with the Danielson family, she'd long ago abandoned the fantasy; over the years, she'd decided that things like that weren't for girls like her.

Drew had mentioned wanting those things, back in the days when they talked about everything and anything under the sun. He wasn't sure how he was ever going to balance it with his schedule, but he was sure that he didn't want to go through life alone. Ari understood the desire to share life with someone, but trust was a hard thing for her. There were a small number of people – small enough that she could count them on one hand – that she believed in. Drew was one of them. She trusted him with her life.

The car pulled into the driveway, and Ari's thoughts ceased. Everything about Aberdeen cast a giant shadow over her, the memories leaving her dazed and overwhelmed. The home she'd spent her teen years in looked exactly the way she remembered it, save for the new chrysanthemums and gardenias in the garden.

She got out of the car, blinking as the rain hit her nose. Turning, she looked down the street. "The Gardeners still across the street?" she asked.

"Michael died last year of a heart attack. Eva moved back home to take care of Edith."

"Oh, jeez." Ari ran a hand through her hair, giving it a quick ruffle. She remembered Eva, the ringleader of the cool kids, the one who was quick to tell all the other kids information Ari wished could have stayed secret. Eva listened to her parents and parroted everything they said. There was a time where the bullying had been so bad that Barb had thought about home school for Ari, but somehow she'd pushed through it. By high school, things had evened out, though she remained a pariah. By then, it didn't bother her as much as it did when she was a child; she was too busy cramming herself full of medical courses, studying, and preparing for college. Ari stared at the Gardener house and smiled; she could say with absolute certainty that she was the first one in her biological family to attend and graduate college.

She rounded the vehicle to meet Barb, who opened the trunk. Ari reached in and grabbed her bag. "You could always stop in and say hello," Barb told her. "Eva's been pretty lonely since the divorce, and with her mom and her dad…I'm sure she'd like the ear."

Ari nodded. "I wouldn't mind just getting settled in first."

"Of course."

Together, they walked up the driveway, Barb moving a few steps ahead to unlock the door for Ari. Standing on the front stoop, Ari turned once more to look at the Gardener house, feeling a twinge of sympathy for a girl who had caused her so much pain so long ago. She walked into the house, putting her luggage down beside the coat-rack to take off her shoes. Her eyes fell on the staircase, and she couldn't help but think about her senior prom. Bryan had been her date. She'd come down those stairs, and Barb had wanted a picture of the two of them together, and neither of them wanted to do it, but they had. Ari smiled; Bryan had a black eye for her prom, thanks to a mistimed shot during a match a few days before. He'd been very against having pictures, but they had ended up with a couple.

It wasn't her plan to go to prom. She had no real friends in high school, just people she was cordial with, and nobody asked her out. Her plan was to stay at home and start making preparations to move out to Philadelphia, but Barb and Bryan had been on her case about it, promising her that she would regret it if she didn't go.

"I'm just going to take this up to my room. I'll be right down."

"Okay."

Ari picked up her suitcase and made her way up the stairs for the first time in a long time. Family photographs lined the wall, and Ari saw there were even pictures of Bryan's wrestling career, including his WrestleMania XXX win. Confetti streamed down around him as he held two belts in his hand. It was only a year or so after that when Bryan found himself blindsided by forced retirement. Looking at the picture, she knew it was the happiest moment of his professional life. WWE was the goal for every wrestler, the chance to get their craft seen on the biggest stage with the most eyes watching. Not only did Bryan make it to the big leagues, but he'd thrived in spite of terrible curve-balls.

Her old bedroom had changed. All the posters of movies and musicians she loved were long gone, the girlish bedding she'd taken with her to Philadelphia. It was now replaced with a plain gray duvet and white pillows, an almost sterile look. There were plastic drawers everywhere, filled with beads, paints, canvas, needles, and anything else Barb could think of. Bird would love this, she thought to herself with a smile. Placing her suitcase beside the door, Ari walked further into the bedroom that had used to be hers. The walls were still a neutral taupe colour, but it was in need of a fresh coat.

Pulling back the white lace curtains, Ari looked out the window. The rain was falling a bit heavier now, the heavy raindrops bouncing off the roof of the car. She let the curtain fall back into place before she walked over to the bed and sat down, her hands clasped on her lap. She looked around a room that had once been her sanctuary.

This is weird. All of this just feels so weird.

"Ugh."

Legs straight, Drew fell forward onto the bed in his hotel room, landing on the mattress face-first. Across the room, Tony dropped his bag beside Drew's, observing his roommate with a smirk. It resembled a tree falling in the woods, a Greg Valentine-calibre drop. "I've never been so happy to see you," Drew murmured into the pillow.

"You're ridiculous," Tony told him.

"You're ridiculous," Drew shot back, shifting his head so he could speak unmuffled by the sheets. He was exhausted; it had been a long day, saying goodbye to Ari, dealing with the guys, and then heading to 205 Live where he had a very physical match with Mustafa Ali.

His stomach rumbled, and he groaned. "I need to eat, but I don't want to move," he announced.

"I don't know how to help you there, man," Tony told him, moving over to his bed. They were quiet as Tony turned on the television. "Have you heard from her at all since she left?"

"No. I was thinking about texting her, but she's probably settling in." Drew shifted so he could roll onto his back. He looked over at Tony. "What do you think I should do here?"

"Whatever you want to do."

"That is a terrible answer."

"Well, I'm a terrible friend." Drew snorted. "What? I'm not that guy. You want sage advice, talk to Ali."

"That dirty high-flyer? Not on your life." The two men shared a snicker. Drew clapped his hands over his face and sighed. "I should probably shoot her a message and make sure she got in okay. But after food." He propped himself up on his elbows. Tony changed the channel.

"Is there even anything open at this hour?"

"I don't know. But I don't have the energy to go out and look. There's gotta be a vending machine around here somewhere." Drew let his arms collapse and he fell back down onto the bed. "Ugh. I don't know what I want to do more – eat or sleep."

"If it were humanly possible, I'm sure you'd do both."

His stomach rumbled again. "Fine." Drew sat up and pulled himself off the bed. "I'm gonna see if I can go find a vending machine or something. You want anything?"

"Nah, I'm good. I'm getting ready to call it."

"Okay. If you change your mind, shoot me a text." Tony nodded. Drew walked across the room and slipped his shoes back on before leaving the hotel room.

The hallway was well-lit, with dark grey carpet and taupe wallpaper that appeared gold under the lights. Drew moved down the hallway, his gaze on his phone, debating whether or not he should send a text message to Ari.

He hated this. Back in the day, he could send her a text without second guessing his entire existence. One of these days, they were going to have to have a serious talk, and he hoped to do it when she was in Philadelphia, unable to run or ignore his messages. He needed some answers. Even if she felt like they weren't good enough answers to give them, he still wanted to hear it. With a sigh, he used his thumb to tap on her name in his contacts list.

Hey. I know it's late. You're probably asleep. Just wanted to see if you made it back okay.

He came across the third floor vending machine, silently cursing when he saw the paper with OUT OF ORDER typed on it tacked to the front with tape. Shaking his head, he made his way to the elevator. As the doors slid shut, he was surprised by his phone vibrating in his hand. He looked, expecting to see Tony changed his mind; instead, he saw it was a text message from Ari.

Can't sleep. I'll be up a while. Made it and got settled in okay. Shouldn't you be sleeping?

I will be after I eat something. The elevator doors slid open with a ding and Drew crossed the lobby. He was sure he saw a vending machine just off the pool area. He made a turn just before the desk and walked down the corridor that led towards the pool.

How did 205 go?

Good. What did you do tonight, since you weren't watching the show?

He waited for her to respond to that, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth when she replied. I'll have to stream it later. Is there a pop quiz or something?

Something. He exited the side door on the far left, ending up in another hallway of rooms. What are you up to?

He found the vending machine, between the ice machine and the soda machine. His eyes scanned the selection; it would have to do until everything opened up in the morning. He slid the change into the machine and got himself a bag of Cheez-It's and a Twix. His phone went off as the Twix bar fell into the bottom.

Just in bed. Trying to sleep. It's been a long, weird day.

Drew's eyes narrowed. You want me to call? We can talk about it if you want.

He began to make his way back towards the elevator. He stopped when his phone went off. I appreciate that, but you need to get some rest. You've probably got to be on the road early tomorrow.

Not that early, he typed out with one hand. But I am definitely at risk of crashing sooner rather than later.

I know. I'll let you go so you can sleep. Sweet dreams.

The last two words made Drew jolt. His eyes kept scanning over it. Their correspondence had been pretty sterile since she'd come back from Honduras. This was a personal touch, and he wasn't expecting it. The tug in his chest left him sucking in a breath. It was a touch of normality that he had been craving between the two of them.

Sweet dreams, Ari. I'll hit you up in the morning.