Chapter 11: 3 weeks and counting
Haley took another sip of her green tea as she walked down the corridor of the Amalie arena in Tampa, Florida with Steph stuck to her side like glue both of their feet in rhythm with one another. Steph had been by her side more often ever since the fight happened with Randy, she`s been checking up on her at the arenas, calling her for a few minutes everyday, she was honestly acting like a big sister, very concerned and protective which in all honesty Haley didn't mind at all! Haley needed something to take her mind off the events that happened that night and Steph's random phone calls or check ins were exactly what made her feel better. Well, Steph wasn't the only one checking up on her, she can't forget a certain former WWE wrestler who goes by the name 'the animal' who has kept very well to his promise and he`s always there when she needs him to be.
Steph shook her head at the comment Haley had previously given her a few moments ago "3 Weeks?" she questioned as if in disbelief "Its been 3 weeks since you spoke to Randy?"
Haley sighed looking over at Steph with a pained expression on her face "3 weeks and counting, he won't answer my phone calls or texts and he avoids me here at work." She explained "When we do happen to run into each other backstage he just glances at me for a split second and then looks away." It felt so weird not speaking to Randy for so long, it felt like something in her body was way off and it needed fixing. The days felt longer and harder, especially if she`s had a bad day. Not having your best friend around is like not having an umbrella during a rainstorm.
Steph just shook her head again, she was honestly disappointed in Randy and proud of Haley for how strong she was being "You guys have been best friends for god knows how long, you've had things way worse than this try and destruct your friendship…" she paused in thought "Why now, Why does he choose this to be so pissed off about that he's willing to throw away that long friendship?"
Haley shrugged her shoulders and snickered "You know how many times I've asked myself that question?" she gives a pained laugh "But then I think Oh well its my own fault for lying to him and not trusting or confiding in him."
Steph tilted her head toward her friend sympathetically "Don't be so hard on yourself Hales, in my opinion what Randy is doing is taking it a bit too far."
Just then they stopped, reaching the door for hair and makeup, the Divas inside could be heard laughing and chatting up a storm. Haley just leaned herself against the frame of the door, looking down at the floor and whispered "Part of me thinks he is too and another part thinks that he has every reason to be doing what he`s doing."
Steph reached over placing a finger under her chin, lifting it to meet her own gaze, she smiled softly "Listen to me, just give him some more time and I'm sure he will come around sooner than later." She paused and shrugged "There's going to come a day where he's going to need his best friend, you know?"
Haley couldn't help but mimic Steph's smile "I wish he knew how much I needed him."
Steph was about to reply but suddenly saw a large frame coming from behind Haley in the distance and it instantly made her smile, Haley now confused by the sudden change in emotion from Steph turned around to see HHH coming towards them. Haley chuckled softly and shook her head, she swore those two were as happy now as the day they first met. She watched as Hunter walked over to Steph, leaning down giving her a kiss on the lips.
Haley shook her head waiting for their kiss to end, when it didn't, she cleared her throat and watched as Steph and Hunter parted, ending with Steph giving a soft laugh and Hunter letting a small grin crept upon his face. "About time." Haley commented with a small smirk on her face, seeing these two together always made her happy, even if it was only for a split second.
Steph gave her friend a light smack on the arm "Oh hush."
Hunter smirked leaning down and giving Haley a small kiss on the cheek "Hey Hales, How you holding up?"
Haley shrugged and her smirk soon washed away from her face "Not bad, considering…"
Hunter sighed and shook his head, he felt bad for her, he knew she was in pain, he saw it in her eyes and he saw it in her body language every time her and Randy past each other in the halls, it was like she was waiting for that moment he would finally walk up to her and apologize but her hopes faded when he never did. "He`ll come around Hales." He said reassuringly but then quickly added "And if he doesn't maybe now is the time to you know…" he paused seeming very cryptical about what he was going to say.
Haley's raised a brow at the so called 'Game' "What?"
"Help yourself, and start getting over him." He finished off in a low tone, knowing its not exactly what she wanted to hear.
"Oh…" was her only reply before she heard Steph gasp from beside her husband.
"Oh my god, Haley he's absolutely right!" she exclaimed
"Here we go…" Haley mumbled under her breath. She knew Steph and Hunter just wanted the best for her and wanted her to just be happy with someone who could make her happy but to be completely honest she wasn't sure if she would ever get over Randy.
Steph reached over grabbing Haley's arm "I'm serious, this is maybe the separation you need to get over him! I kept telling you to distance yourself and not hang out with him as much and it might help you get over him." She paused, looking Haley dead in the eyes "Sweetheart this is exactly what you needed."
Before Haley could respond, Hunters thick voice cut in between them "Not to cut this short but – " he looked down at his wife "The writers wanted to speak to you about something babe, something new they have planned."
Steph nodded her head and sighed "Ok, Ok." She turned back to her friend "Just think about it Hales." She smiled and gave her a tight hug before taking off in the other direction with Hunter. Leaving Haley alone, outside the hair and makeup room. She groaned and closed her eyes taking a deep breath and praying to god to get her through tonight without any problems. She knew she was bound to run into Randy and she wanted to run into him, she wanted to shake this crazy fight off and get her best friend back to her but she was starting to think it wasn't going to happen and it was hurting her so bad.
Later that same night:
Haley rounded the corner with a grilled chicken salad in one hand and her phone in another, she was on her way back from catering to pick up her equipment from hair and makeup. All she wanted to do at the moment was get in bed and sleep, her feet were killing her from being standing up for the past few hours, her head was beginning to form a migraine and she was starving, it was a deadly combination in her books. She was already upset and hurt because of this fight she had going on with Randy and now she was feeling like a total mess, it was just another day of work stress and life. She wanted to handle it like a champ but she was failing miserably, every time she tried to forget about Randy, the thought of trying to forget just made he remember him and everything about him, she was not only losing her best friend but she was losing the man she loved which made everything 10 times harder.
She fought the urge to let tears fall from her eyes and brushed a few strands of hair away from her face with the back of her hand and just as she looked up, she came face to face with the man who has been haunting her mind day and night, the viper himself. His icy blue eyes watched hers, she stood frozen in her spot, she had no idea what to do, she wanted to talk to him, she wanted to try and pull him to her but before she knew it he tore his eyes away from her, turned his back to her and began walking in the opposite direction.
"Randy wait!" She choked out, finding her voice.
He didn't stop, he just continued on almost disappearing around the corner from her.
Well that was to be expected, she thought, but he wasn't going to get away that easily. She picking up her pace and began jogging in the direction he was going. "Randy, Just stop!" she didn't know where she was getting the courage to go after him and call out to him but she was doing it.
Suddenly, out of nowhere he stopped and she collided with his back, not expecting him to stop for her. She missed the familiar scent of Armani cologne and the smoothness of his skin, it gave her light shivers as she placed her hands on either side of his lower back to push herself away slowly. "Randy." She whispered
He didn't bother turning to face her but responded in a low voice "When someone doesn't answer you, it doesn't mean you continue to follow behind them until they stop."
Haley bit her lower lip and watched his back, his beautifully tattoo covered back, glistening from sweat from his match that just took place a few minutes ago. She had to fight to snap herself out of her trance "When its your best friend who you miss so much, you do."
Randy's POV:
"Randy Wait!" I heard her shout out from only a few feet behind me, her soft voice, I can tell from the way she spoke, she was different, I knew that tone, she was in pain and the fact that I was the cause of her pain, cut me like a knife but I couldn't forgive her, I couldn't bring myself to do it, not yet.
I just continued on walking, ignoring her calls, like I always have, for the past 3 weeks or so, when we run into each other during shows but this time it was different, no, this time she actually called out to me and before I knew it I heard her feet jogging a few feet away from me to catch up with me, I was shocked she was never able to follow behind me, she would always just let me walk away and it made it that much easier for me, less confrontation, less pain because every time I saw her or heard her voice, it made me want to go running back to her and forgive her.
I knew she wasn't going to stop until I did, I just knew Haley and when she had her mind set on doing something, she was persistent, to say she was a pain in the ass was an understatement, that thought made me want to smile, smile at all the times she would be so annoyingly persistent but in spite of our fight, I swallowed down those feelings and didn't bother with a smile.
"Randy just stop!" I heard her call out again
I stopped in my tracks and seconds later felt her body collide with my back and it took all I had in me not to turn around and slam her against the wall and kiss her with all the anger and passion I had burnt deep inside myself. For the past few weeks, these thoughts of her had been invading my mind and I have no idea why, I never thought of her in this way, shape or form before but now, ever since I found out it was her I slept with and I remember ever detail, it has changed everything about how I feel when I'm with her and its honestly scaring the shit out of me at this point.
"Randy." She whispered
I clenched my jaw and squeezed my eyes shut to shake off the feeling I had when she continuously said my name "When someone doesn't answer you it doesn't mean you continue to follow behind them until they stop."
She didn't answer for a minute and I didn't dare turn around to face her, I was being as much of a stubborn bull as she was. Then I heard "When its your best friend who you miss so much, you do."
Fuck, that did it, that cut through my heart like a knife when she said that. This fight was taking a huge toll on me but I couldn't give in, I just couldn't forgive her, this was so serious to me and I felt like what made it more serious was that now, I have no idea of my feelings towards my best friend. With these things playing out in my mind, I have no idea how I feel about my best friend and until I do, I cant have her around me, its too hard.
So I pushed her away, I scoffed "Leave me alone Haley." It killed me to say that to her, but I had to do it, I needed to figure out everything that was going on with myself before I could forgive her and have things go back to being how they were.
End Pov:
He scoffed and shook his head "Leave me alone Haley."
She watched him walk away and finally disappear around the corner. She held a hand over her mouth and let out a soft cry, letting tears now run freely down her cheeks. She walked over to a walk and slowly let herself slide down it, letting her head fall back and hit against the cold stone wall. She couldn't believe he just said that. Its like he was as cold as ice, like he didn't care, he still seemed so pissed at her and it was hard to believe how cold he was being towards her. In all the years she had known him, he never acted like that towards her, not even in their worst of fights! She was beginning to think, was this the end of their friendship? Did she really lose her best friend because of that one fateful night weeks ago? She prayed to god that what she thought wasn't true, she prayed that maybe he was just being overly stubborn and pissed.
She forcefully wiped the tears off her wet cheeks and couldn't help but think was Steph right, would he come around sooner or later? Because to Haley it very well didn't seem like it, and then Hunters words rung around in her head like a bad song, 'Finally get over him'.
Just then, a familiar ringtone and a buzzing in her hand woke her from her thoughts. She sniffled and wiped off the last of the remaining tears before checking the caller ID. She smiled and shook her head softly, of course it was him, who else would call her as if on cue? She stood back up from her current position on the floor before answering the phone call.
"Hey Dave." She gave a soft reply as she began to walk to her original destination.
She heard nothing for a moment but then his deep voice "Ok, what's wrong?"
She shook her head with a sigh, he knew her too well "Nothing, why?" she lied.
"Because I hear it in that beautiful voice, you think I don't know your tone of voice by now?" He questioned
Haley let a soft laugh escape her throat, this was true, she didn't know why she would even try lying to him, it always knew. "Ok so maybe something is wrong but I'm trying to push away the pain."
"Well maybe this will make you feel better."
Haley raised a brow before turning another corner to reach her destination "What?" she questioned confused.
"Look up."
She looked up from the floor and she was met face to face with the animal himself. His lips curled up into a grin as he stood leaning against the door frame to hair and makeup. She couldn't help but let a genuine smile form on her lips and a mountain of butterflies rise in her stomach just seeing him standing there, waiting for her. She felt so genuinely happy he was there, something she hadn't felt in 3 weeks!
She quickly walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, laying her head on his chest and hugging him tightly. She felt him hug her back and chuckle softly as he kissed the top of her head and whispered against it "Seems like I came right in time, you looking for a friend?"
She didn't say anything, she just nodded against his chest and she couldn't help but notice that the sensation of butterflies wasn't going away 'What is going on with me?' she thought to herself before slowly pulling away from his embrace and looking up at him. As her eyes met his she smiled again, watching as he smiled back at her, reaching up and putting strands of hair behind her ears, his smile soon faded and a sigh escaped his mouth "You were crying?"
Haley cleared her throat and looked away from him, suddenly the tattoos that covered his forearms becoming very interesting. She didn't want to say anything, she didn't even want to explain to him what had happened, she didn't feel like reliving it over again, she just wanted to forget all about it.
She felt his finger under her chin and gently lift her chin for her gaze to meet his "We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to but you know I'm here if you need to."
She nodded and smiled, then let her hands fall down his arms to her sides "Dinner?" she questioned.
He let a small grin come to his lips again "Hales you asking me out?"
Haley just rolled her eyes with a smile on her lips "In your dreams big boy." She patted his chest before turning to open the door.
Dave smirked and couldn't resist the next comment coming out of his mouth "Funny, that is what you say to me in my dreams."
Haley gasped and turned to face him with her hands on her hips and when she did she saw a devilish smile on his face. She leaned over and punched him playfully on the arm. He held his bicep in pain and put a discomforted look on his face as if she had actually hurt him.
"Oh yeah right!" She snickered not buying any of his acting skills before she turned to her things and began packing up her bags, before grabbing her purse and keys so they could leave for dinner. Haley couldn't help but think, this is exactly what she needed, she needed to laugh and take her mind away from everything that was happening. Not but 2 minutes ago she was crying because of the stunt that Randy pulled in the hallway but now she was smiling at stupid innuendos that Dave was throwing at her. She was so lucky to have someone like him with her right now to make her forget everything.