Chapter 10 (Giving In)
Monday Night...
-John-
I couldn't think of a time in my life where I had been happier. I'll admit, getting married was a huge point, one I had imagined lasting forever, but this was something entirely different. I couldn't put my finger on it, didn't know how to describe it...All I did know was that I was in love with an amazing, incredible woman, and she loved me right back. Smiling to myself, I held Reilly's hand in my as I drove to the arena for RAW that night.
Once in the arena, I had to tear myself away from Reilly to get my pictures signed for the merch booth as well as meet my newest Make-A-Wish kid. I stopped into Vince's office on my way to the locker room to get my script for the night. I hadn't really had a true laid out story line lately and was eager to get involved in something concrete again.
"Afternoon boss." I breezed into the office, plopping myself down on the couch next to Vince's desk.
"John, glad you stopped by. You're just the person I wanted to see." He crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned back in his black executive chair. "You know we've got quite a few new rookies around here that we just pulled in, and I'm trying to figure out how to work them into the show."
"Just give them a shot Vince. Give them a match with someone and see how they do. You gave me that chance, let me take my match against Angle, and I owe you everything for that." I said. As I said it, I couldn't believe it had been ten years since Vince had given me that first chance.
"Well, I'm glad you think that John, since one of the rookies came to me asking for their one chance...specifically against you." Vince's tone turned serious as he clasped his hands on the desk in front of him.
"No problem boss. You know I'm willing, especially when it means giving another man the same chance I was given. I don't have to go easy on him though do I?" I questioned, wringing my hands at the thought of breaking in a newbie.
"John, it just wouldn't be a Cena match if I asked you to do that now would it?" Vince teased, smiling as he glanced through some papers in front of him.
"Not at all. Thanks Vince." I responded, standing and making my exit from the room.
I made my way down the hallway toward my locker room, humming as I went. Reaching the door, I pushed it open and took one step into the room before stopping, frozen to the floor. My eyes had fallen on my beautiful Reilly, curled up on a corner of the couch reading her script for the next few weeks. Her hair had fallen from behind her shoulder, half hiding her face so that all I could see were those sapphire eyes of hers. She didn't notice me at first and I just stood there watching her, noticing the little quirks that made me love her even more. Her fingers tapped themselves on the script as she read and she chewed on her bottom lip...Reilly was never one to just sit still and I couldn't help but chuckle softly.
Hearing me at the door, she glanced up quickly, her cheeks flushing when she caught me watching her. "Do you always creep on people like that?" She teased, setting her script down next to her and crossing her legs in front of her.
"Yup." I stated, walking over and scooping her up off the couch and into my arms. "Especially when they look like you." She smacked my arm as I plopped us both back down on the couch, tightening my arms around her waist so she couldn't escape. "I've got a match tonight." I said in a sing-songy type of voice.
"Oh really? And who's the poor unfortunate soul this time?" Reilly questioned, laying her head against my chest.
"Not sure." I answered, resting my chin on the top of her head and running my hand through her hair.
"How do you not know who you have a match against?" She wondered, looking up at me.
"I didn't catch his name. Vince said one of the rookies came to him and specifically asked for a match against me so..."
"NO!" Reilly exclaimed, cutting me off abruptly. "You can't do it John...tell Vince you changed your mind!" She flew up away from me and starting pacing back and forth across the room.
"Whoa, slow down Reilly. What the hell is going on?" I was incredibly taken back by the way she had just freaked out.
She stopped in front of me, running her hand through her hair and taking a deep breath before she continued. "I'm sorry John, I don't know what got into me. I guess I just worry about you going into a match where you know nothing about the other person or how they wrestle."
"Reilly, come here." I said, holding my arms out to her. She looked hesitant for a minute and scanned the room, as if deciding what to do before coming back to me and curling into my arms on my lap. She was shaking as I wrapped my arms around her and she buried her head in my chest. Whatever it was that had upset her was obviously really getting to her. "Have you ever known me to not be able to handle my business, no matter who I'm up against?"
Sighing, Reilly shook her head, knowing I was right. She had never worried about me this much before and I knew there was something else behind her worries but decided not to push it at the moment. "Wanna come down to my Make-A-Wish with me?" I asked, wanting to get her mind off of whatever it was that was eating at her.
"No, it's ok, go ahead. I'm gonna finish reading my script before I need to go start getting dressed for the night." Reilly answered, sliding off my lap onto the cushion next to me.
"You can always change here." I teased, standing from the couch and turning toward her.
"Out Cena..." Reilly threatened, pointing her finger toward the door and smiling. I leaned down and kissed her quickly before heading back out to the hallway. Something was bothering her and I just couldn't get it out of my mind.
-Reilly-
I hadn't wanted to freak out when John mentioned his match, I couldn't help it. As soon as he said that it was one of the rookies who had "specifically requested" his match to be against John, I knew it had to be Jesse. What worried me the most was that I knew what Jesse was like outside of the ring, not caring what, or who, he took his aggression out on, but I had no clue as to what he would be like in the ring. As John left the locker room, I pulled my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around them in an attempt to keep the shaking at bay. I didn't want to believe that Jesse would actually follow through on his threats against John if I didn't leave him but I was getting proved wrong at every turn. Knowing what John was walking into was tearing me apart and as I thought about having to watch everything happen on a tv screen in the back of the arena, the tears came pouring down my cheeks. I wanted to run to John, to beg him not to go through with the match, even if it meant telling him everything but I knew telling him about Jesse would only give him more of a reason to take the match.
Collecting myself, I finished reading my script, trying to get excited by the fact that this storyline was leading into my second shot at the Diva's championship after my fall at Wrestlemania. Finishing, I wrote some notes on the back before checking the clock. It was 6:30 p.m., time for me to start getting ready for the night. I was supposed to come out in the middle of Alicia's match and disrupt her, causing her to lose her chance at the title Beth currently held.
Once inside the Diva's lockerroom, I washed my face and examined the now yellowing bruise in the mirror. The purple color had mostly disappeared and I hoped soon enough it would be completely gone so I wouldn't have to worry about hiding it. I redid my make-up, then curled my hair and piled it up into a high ponytail on top of my head, leaving a few small curls out to frame my face. Since I wasn't in an actual match, I had more liberty with what I wanted to wear and sorted through the rack of clothes left for me before finally settling on this... [polyvore] , tying up the shirt just below the middle of my back. After giving myself the once over in the mirror, I decided to head back to John's locker room to wish him luck before his match.
I pushed the door open to find John, his back to me, shirtless and searching through his bag. No matter how many times I saw him, I couldn't get over just how built he actually was. I watched the muscles in his back stretch and flex as he moved, mesmerized by the pure sight of him. I hated the idea of him going into this match but I knew if I told him the real reason behind my fears he would only plunge into that much faster so I bit my tongue and leaned against the door frame, watching him move about the room. He didn't notice me for awhile and I did nothing more than watch, overcome by the man in front of me. How was I lucky enough to have the love of this amazing person? What had I done to deserve everything he felt for me, everything he gave me time and again? I felt a tear form at the corner of my eye and just let it slip down my cheek, too engrossed in trying to figure out my thoughts. I was completely and irrevocably in love with him...and I was terrified as to what his match held for him tonight.
A sniffle escaped me and John turned around, smiling his million-watt smile when he saw me standing there. I stayed where I was for a second, our eyes searching the others for the words neither of us could find before my emotions got the best of me and I ran to him, jumping into his arms as my own flew around his neck. He scooped me up effortlessly, my legs wrapped around his waist and I leaned back far enough to look at him. Placing one hand on either side of his face, I stared into his eyes, full of questions, before I whispered, " You really love me?"
You couldn't wipe the smile from John's face if you wanted to as he rested his forehead against mine and answered, "With everything I am."
I was shaking as I reached up and pressed my lips to his, knowing this time was different. All the times I had thought I was in love were nothing now compared to the way my heart was ready to burst out of my chest and I realized my past was just leading me up to what could very easily become the rest of my future. Without breaking the kiss, John managed to find his way to the couch, setting himself gently down on stayed that way for what felt like forever but was really more like a few minutes when a knock came at the door, signaling we had 5 minutes until RAW went live. John ran his hand through his hair, gazing at me thoughtfully before speaking. " You should come down to the ring with me for my match."
I sat there for a second, contemplating the idea before thinking better of it. I knew if I was down there it would only give Jesse even more enjoyment getting to watch me squirm. Shaking my head, I replied simply, "taking it slow remember?"
John sighed, obviously disappointed. "Reilly, when am I going to be able to go out and say, 'Hey,everybody, this gorgeous woman is all mine.'?"
"When everything finally settles down John. I love you and you know I want to be with you but I refuse to make things worse for you." My voice was soft and I held his head in my hands, forcing him to look at me.
"Damn it Reilly, I don't care whether or not it's easy anymore. The only thing that is as easy as breathing for me anymore is this..." He grabbed my hands and pulled them to his chest, holding them there so I could feel his heart beating rapidly. "This is it for me Reilly...the way you make me feel, the way I love everything we have...that's all there is for me, all I care about. I want you and I don't care who knows it...Why is that such a god damn bad thing?" John's voice was raised and he held my hands tight to him, preventing me from going anywhere. It was obvious to me that this had been bothering him and he wanted to sort it out.
"It's not a bad thing John, but don't you want this over? Don't you want to have nothing to worry about so that we can just BE together?" I questioned.
"Of course I do, but I don't give a damn if it's easy anymore. If it's complicated, then damn it I'll deal with it. I'm tired of having to worry about anything but you and I. I'm in love with you and I want everybody to know it." John released my hands and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me right up against him and burying his face in my hair. I felt his lips against my ear and shivered slightly as he whispered, "I just want you Reilly...and everything about you."
" I know baby, and I want you too...I'm just so worried about you having issues with the divorce hearings. I don't want to end up giving her lawyer anything they can use against you. I want it over and done with..." I tried to keep my composure, tried to keep from falling apart.
"Please, please let me worry about the divorce. I'll take care of it I swear to you I will, please trust me. Just give me a chance to prove to you that this can work for us." His words were whispers on my ear, goosebumps forming on my arms as his breath tickled me. I sighed, wanting nothing more than to give in, to be able to walk out to the ring on his arm and show the world just how proud of him I was. A smile formed on my lips as the picture began to form in my head, a wicked smile on my face as John pinned Jesse for the 3-count.
I pulled far enough away from John to look at his face, and in his eyes I saw everything I had been afraid of being wiped away. A long, slow breath escaped my lips as I nodded wordlessly. John's eyes widen for a minute in shock before a smile crept into the corners of my mouth and he knew I couldn't say no any longer..I didn't want to. His lips captured mine instantly and I felt a huge wave of relief wash over me, knowing that maybe he was right about this. Maybe it was finally our time to be together.
"Guess we better go talk to Paul (Triple H) and have him rework the storyline?" I murmured against his lips and John just nodded before kissing me again. A few minutes later, we pulled ourselves away and made our way, hand-in-hand down to Pauls office and for a minute, I completely forgot about John's upcoming match later that night...