A sequel to A Different Kind of Game.

Getting Ready for a Car Crash
The story takes place right after WM29.

I hope you enjoy reading.
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Getting Ready for a Car Crash – 11

Stephanie's POV

I parked my car in front of Joe's house and turned the engine off. Taking a deep breath before I stepped out, I thought about the conversation I had with Angie earlier. If I could just get him to have a relationship, I could stop worrying about him and my husband being naked in bed. I needed him to move on and Angie was a sweet girl. It didn't surprise me when she said she liked him.

They could be good for each other. Any woman would be good for him as long as it keeps him away from Paul. I believed them both when they said they will never hurt me again, but the fear was still there and even though I tried, I couldn't let go of the pain they caused me.

Looking around the green surrounding the secluded house, I took all the smells in as I tried to convince myself I was doing the right thing. I have to try and make this work for my sake and for my family's sake. Joe was sitting on the swing with his dog covered with a blanket. Lorena opened the door and waved as I locked the car and walked towards her.

I was glad she was there for him. No one in his condition should be alone, even if they wanted to. I always go back to that night we found out he had cancer. I looked at my broken husband and through his eyes I realized how much he really meant to our family.

You can be hurt and angry with someone and you can hold a grudge, but how can you hate someone who is dying? How can you hate someone your entire family adores? The truth was I could never hate someone who put a smile on my girls' faces.

I was still hurt and a part of me will always be angry at both of them for having an affair, but a part of me will never forget that Joe left the moment I found out and never looked back. He never tried to contact him, even when he found out he was sick. My husband meant the world to him, but he was willing to die and still keep his distance just because he promised me.

I believed him when he said he would never hurt me again, but I knew he still loved Paul. I could see it in his eyes and I understood better than anyone what it meant to love Paul.

"Hi." I smiled at him and handed him the take away coffee I brought. "Just like I promised."

"Hi." He smiled. "Thanks."

I hugged Lorena as Joe ordered his dog off the swing and then took a seat next to him.

"How are you feeling?"

"Tired." He answered as he tasted the coffee.

"Paul said he will bring the girls later if you're up for it."

"I don't think I will be."

Good luck, Steph. I said to myself as I decided it was the right time to bring it up. "So, Angie and I had an interesting conversation this morning." I smiled. "I think she likes you."

"It's just pity."

"I don't think it is. I think she really likes you."

"I need to talk to you about something." He suddenly said. "And I want you to promise me you'll keep it between us and not say anything to anyone, especially Paul."

"Joe, you know I can't promise not to tell Paul."

"Listen, Stephanie. This is really important to me and I need you to understand that this is for the better. It's best for everyone."

"What are you talking about?"

"Look, I know how much you love Paul and I know you would do just about anything to keep him happy, even at the expense of your own happiness."

"Joe…"

"Let me finish, please."

"Okay."

"I know you see more then he think you see and I'm sure you'd feel a lot better if I'm not around. So I just wanted you to know that if I do get over this and get better, I'm going to leave Connecticut. I don't want to stay here and have you worry and wonder all the time. You deserve better and I want you to feel secure about your marriage and not be afraid."

"Joe, I'm fine. I trust Paul and I trust you."

"Steph…" He hesitated as he looked away. "I know you don't want me here. How could you want your husband to be around someone who loves him?"

I swallowed hard as I looked away too and felt the tears roll down my cheeks. Of course you love him. How could you not? "What do you expect me to say?"

"I just want you to know that I appreciate everything you've ever done for me. I hurt you badly and you still found it in your big heart to help me which is why I don't want to be around and cause you more pain. I don't want to take him away from you and if I stay here, he will be here a lot and you will resent him for it."

"You understand that he won't like this plan of yours?"

"Steph, it's better for everyone that I leave. I won't disappear. I will talk to him on the phone and maybe Skype with the girls, but I don't want to be around. I know this is hard for you, I know that being here right now is hard on you. I admire your strength and your love for your family, that's why I don't want to ruin it."

"Are you trying to say that if you stay, something might happen between you and Paul again?"

"I'm trying to say that if I stay, your mind and heart will never be at ease. You will always be afraid and you will never be okay with us spending time together. I mean he offered me a job before. Do you think he won't do it again if I recover? Is that what you want?"

My whole life nearly flashed before my eyes as he mentioned him working with Paul. Just the thought of them on the road together, alone in a hotel, I suddenly couldn't breathe. I was torn. If he left, Paul would blame me for not telling him about his plans, but if he stays, I could lose my husband.

"Where would you go?" I asked as calmly as possible, trying to hide my fears.

"Probably Europe."

"Are you out of your mind?" I gasped. "You want me to keep all of this from Paul? Europe, Joe? He'll never forgive me if he finds out I knew about your plans."

"Would you rather have your family together with Paul a little angry at you or would you rather let the past hover over you and destroy your marriage?"

The tears started pouring as I covered my face. A little angry? Paul would be furious if Joe left and he found out I had something to do with it. He would turn the entire globe upside down until he finds him and I wasn't sure I wanted to witness how powerful his love was for the dying man sitting next to me.

I felt Joe's cold hands over mine as he moved them to reveal my face. "I'm doing this for you. You know what it means to love him. I've tried to get over him, but I can't and as long as I'm here, you will never feel safe."

"You're right." I nearly whispered and he smiled.

"Steph, he loves you and the family that you gave him. I'm just a distraction we both know he doesn't need in his life."

"I need a minute." I said as I got up. I wiped my eyes with one of the napkins I brought with me as I paced from side to side. I never expected this from him. I was so sure that once he found his way back to Paul's life, he'd do anything to stay there. This was a surprise I didn't know how to handle. "I don't get it. Were you planning on just leaving one day without saying goodbye to him?"

"That was the plan, yes."

"Joe, I'm not going to stop you from leaving. I think you and I, we have a lot in common. You see things too and I know you see how hard this is for me. I know Paul loves me and I know he chose us, but he loves you too… and I don't think I can change that. I love him more than life itself, but I don't want him to resent me for letting you run away."

"He chose you because he loves you and the girls more than anything. I know this for a fact, because during that time we… you know… his love for you hasn't changed. You said so yourself. Steph, you know I'm right."

"But he loves you. He told me."

"It's totally different. He doesn't love me the same way he loves you."

"He's attracted to you. I can see it in his eyes."

"It's complicated."

"It is. It's very complicated.

"That's exactly why I have to leave."

"But maybe you could stay and give this thing with Angie a chance. She's amazing. If you could open up to a woman, maybe this could lead to something good."

"Steph, I don't know what you think you saw, but I only met her the first day I came here and yesterday was the first time I ever talked to her."

"And yet, she's a match for you and she's going to try and save your life. She told me this morning that there's something about you and I think this is just too good to be a coincidence."

"You women are hopeless romantics. Not everything happens for a reason. Sometimes things just happen. I know you. You have us married with kids in your crazy imagination."

"Is that so wrong? Don't you think you deserve to be happy?"

"I'm…" He said as he looked away. "It's just that…"

"What?"

"I'm not sure I can be with another woman. It was easier to be with… you know… because he wasn't a woman and I felt like I wasn't violating my wife's memory, but I'm not gay. I was never attracted to guys. I love women, I just don't think I can open up to a woman and say those words to someone else again."

"Oh, Joe." I whispered as I wrapped my arms around his shoulder and brought him near. It was so sad listening to him speak about his wife. The love he still had for her was beautiful in my eyes. "I can never fully understand how you feel, but I do think you should at least try. I think it's time you start thinking about your future and leave the past where it belongs. Honor her memory, love her, but don't condone yourself to a lonely life. You deserve to love again and have a family."

"I've tried. It's not that easy."

"Of course it's not easy. If it was easy, you'd be married by now. Any woman in this world would be lucky to have you and I've told you this when we met. You just have to understand that by moving on with your life, you're not violating your wife's memory. You think she would want you to be alone for the rest of your life?"

Joe's phone suddenly beeped and he took it out of his pocket. He took one look at the screen and a smile appeared on his lips. He handed me the phone and I took one look at it and smiled back at him. Paul's name was on the screen and a text message that said. Get your hands off my wife! We looked up at the driveway and saw Paul standing there looking at us.

I smiled as he walked towards us. "So you two seem cozy."

"Oh, honey, stop." I got up and gave him a kiss.

"Have you been crying?" He asked in concern.

"I'm fine."

Murphy and Rory came running from the car and jumped on the swing. "Joe, you have a swing."

"I do. You like it?"

"We love it."

"I'm sorry I didn't ask if I could bring them. They really wanted to come."

"It's okay."

Angie came from behind holding Vaughn and handed her to me. "Hi." She smiled at Joe. "How are you feeling today?"

Joe smiled shyly as he looked at he and then at me. I winked at him and he said. "Just tired."

Paul chuckled and smiled at Angie. "You'll get used to it. He's not a man of many words."

"It's fine."

"So, kid, did you eat yet?"

"I'm not hungry."

"Are you up for a car ride or should I go get a takeout?"

"We have food. I cooked this morning before I went to the hospital."

"Anything good?"

"You take that back right now." Joe pointed at him.

"I'm sorry, how rude of me. Of course it's good. What's on the menu?"

"I made chicken noodles with vegetables, chicken teriyaki with rice and sweet potato croquettes." He answered with an arrogant tone.

"See." Paul chuckled. "You have to annoy him to get the real Joe to come out."

"You made all this food in the morning?" I asked in surprise.

"Yeah, I figured you'd be hungry after work and Angie said she was coming and of course I assumed this guy will come and he eats a whole supermarket. I had to make something."

"Okay, girls, go inside and take your sister with you."

"Let's all go inside." I suggested.

"I need some air." He said. "I'll stay out here for a little while if you don't mind."

Paul sat next to him and smiled at me. "I'll stay with him, babe. We'll come inside in a few."

The girls were playing with Hunter and Lorena when Angie and I walked in. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to stay outside with them. As I looked through the window, I watched as they were laughing about something. Paul had that gift in him. He could make anyone smile, but the connection he had with Joe was different than anything I had ever seen. It took me back to the days when Shawn was still active. They were like little boys together, but looking at my husband and Joe, I saw how unordinary their friendship was.

He made me feel like me again. I remember Paul's words as he tried to explain to me how he feels for him. In Joe's eyes, as well as in mine, Paul was a real king. He was larger than life, the strongest and the toughest man in the world. It was obvious to me now. He loved Paul, but he wanted to walk away for my sake.

The danger was real. I could sense it. The feelings they had for each other wouldn't keep them apart for long. Even though they promised and I know they meant it. It felt like I was Chyna suddenly. Something was going on, but there was nothing I could do to stop it.

How do you share your husband and the love of your life with someone that not only loves him just as much, but also loves and respects you and your family? I know Paul made his choice and stayed with us, but his heart was torn.

"They have something special." I suddenly heard someone say from behind me. I turned to find Lorena smiling.

"Yes, they do."

"Joe used to talk about you guys in his sleep and I used to think it was just the meds talking for him. I never believed he knew you and Paul."

"He used to talk in his sleep?"

"He still does. Sometimes it's Gracie he dreams of. He begs her to take him with her." She explained as her expression completely changed. "Sometimes it's the girls and you and something about a boat. Other times it's about Paul, but I never understand the things he says about Paul."

"Why?"

"I don't know. Look at them. They are so close and Paul is basically the only one I know who could make Joe say more than 3 words at the time, but in his dreams he always says goodbye to Paul or begs him to let him go."

"And you hear this every night?"

"No, he doesn't talk in his sleep every night. If he had I wouldn't be sleeping much. He wakes up after those and starts crying."

"I had no idea."

"There's a lot of pain inside him. I had no idea too, until I started spending all this time with him. I wish I could just take his pain away. I wish there was something I could do to make him feel better."

"Well, his cure seems to be a tall, scary badass who beats up people for a living." I smiled as I tried to make it about wrestling, which wasn't so far from the truth. Joe loved Triple H and was probably his biggest fan. As was I…

"True. The first thing he does when he comes back from a treatment is watch Paul in the ring. Sometimes it's Shawn or Undertaker, but most times it's Paul. When I ask him how he could watch so many wrestling matches, he just says that wrestling saved his life. When I was little, I used to be afraid to watch it, because I thought it was real, but he always explained to me that it was a show, like in the theater or the movies. He watched it ever since he was 9 or 10 years old."

"I can relate to that. I've been to arenas ever since I was a baby. I loved it. Our girls love it too."

"Our father used to beat him up for watching it, but Joe didn't care. The only thing he cared about was hiding me so that my dad wouldn't do it to me too."

"I'm sorry you had to go through something so terrible."

"Joe has been through worse than me. I will never understand why he had to endure all that suffering, but I'm glad you are all here for him. He loves you guys so much."

We spent most of the afternoon with them before we left. We ate and laughed. Murphy never left Joe's side and I saw just how much Paul enjoyed seeing her play with him. On the way home I thought about Joe as I looked at Paul drive. There was certain calmness about him that I haven't seen in a while and at that moment I knew what needed to be done.

The girls ran to play in their room as soon as we arrived. Paul went upstairs and I followed him, knowing I had no choice.

"We need to talk." I said as I closed the door behind me. Fighting for Paul was something I was always prepared for. I had to fight for my man, my husband and the father of my children.

Paul looked into my eyes and smiled. "What's up?"

"When and if he makes it and gets better, he has to go. It's either us or him. You can't have both." As I saw the expression on my husband's face change, I couldn't believe the words that came out of my mouth, but I couldn't take it back now.

Thank you for reading :)
Your opinion matters. Please share :)

I've been getting a lot of messages about the direction this story has taken.
Some people think Joe should die, some think he should live and marry a woman and some thinks he should end up with Paul. I'd like to say that I have already made up my mind, but would love to get your thoughts.
You never know... I might change my mind if it would feel right :)