Disclaimer: As usual, I own nothing associated with the WWE. I am making no money from this little tale. I am simply a HUGE fan-girl who likes to visit their playground now and again
Without further ado….I present
Chapter 11
"Go with me….Go with me…Go with me! The words were on an endless repeating loop cycling through her rattled mind. 'Was he serious? Did he really want her on the road with him? Was he asking as a friend? Did he think of her as something more?' Peyton tried once…twice to speak…to say anything. Both times she shut her mouth without ever uttering a sound. What was she supposed to say to him?
The silence was deafening. Stephen was torn between wondering if she out right hung up or if he scared her off. Of the two, he would willingly choose hanging up hands down any day of the damn week. "Peyton" he pleaded "baby-girl talk to me…"
"Stephen…" she paused her breathing becoming somewhat shallow. Forcing herself to take a one deep breath and then another she began again. "Stephen, I'm not sure I know what to say. Are you serious – you want me to go on the road with you?"
Questions and disbelief were not exactly how he pictured this going. Standing from the bed he began to pace the length of his hotel room, grateful for the distraction of sorts. Searching for the right words, he counted himself grateful that he was met with the questions and disbelief as opposed to out-right rejection. Coming to an abrupt stop, Stephen leaned against the glass balcony door and gazed out over the lights of the city. This was going to be an up-hill battle; a battle he had every intention of winning. He just had to convince her to go with him without scaring her way for good. "Make no mistake baby-girl Ah am very serious indeed. Come with meh this summer."
"I don't understand Stephen…I'm just…" her voice trailed off sadly.
"Just what Peyton…talk to me baby-girl. Tell me what you're thinking?"
Tell him what she was thinking; was he insane? She could barely admit to herself what she was thinking. How could she tell him? Her thoughts tangled with her emotions leaving her shaken and unsure. There was so much about her that she had never told him. So much darkness, ugliness, and pain that she had kept hidden from him. If she went on the road with him, could she continue to prevent him from seeing her past?
"Ste…Stephen" her voice broke emotion choking her. "Stephen" she began again "There's so much you don't know about me….just don't know…."
Stephen resumed his pacing back and forth across the rather large hotel room. Her every word, driving him, pushing him, wishing she were right there in front of him. Why did he 'feel' this woman so much? He could practically taste her fear, it was that strong. What he didn't understand was why? Why? What was she so worried about?"
"Peyton" he began slowly drawing her name out long and rich. "What ah' know is enough to make meh realize ah want to know more. Don't yeh see that baby-girl?"
She laughed short, cold, and bitter. At a loss for words she too began to pace the floor moving from the bed to the dresser and back again. Soon the short distance was not enough; she quickly found herself pacing around her living room and up and down the short hall way. "I'm damaged!" she uttered soft, low, and sad."
As silence reigned Stephen wondered if she were even aware that she had spoken those two short, telling, heartbreaking words. Going with his gut he pushed forward "Hell baby-girl we're all damaged in one form or another that's life. Ah can deal if yeh can!"
Peyton laughed for the first the time in more than five minutes she really laughed deep, rich, and almost normal. "You have no idea what you're getting yourself into big guy."
"Well lass like yeh said Ah'm a big fella – broad shoulders ah think ah can handle it." As the conversation once more stopped with silence reigning he pushed one last time "So baby-girl is that a yes?"
"What about money? Going on the road has to be expensive. I don't know if I can afford that!" Peyton smiled, the possibilities swirling in her head. Never in thirty years of living had she ever considered anything so spontaneous. After all the chaos of her past, she struggled to give her life structure and meaning. Was she really prepared to examine what her relationship with Stephen was beginning to mean? Looking at herself in the wide dresser mirror, she wondered what it was that Stephen saw in her. This trip would take their relationship to new levels; was she prepared for that?
"Don't worry about the money lass….the biggest cost is the hotel room. Ah can handle that." He reassured her calmly.
"Stephen hotel rooms are expensive. I cannot ask you to pay for my rooms all summer long. That's too much money for you to spend on me."
Stephen laughed "Sweetheart it's meh money and ah can't think of a better way to spend it then on a beautiful lady."
"You're so sweet…but I can't let you do that for me…it's too much."
"Ah've got it!" he exclaimed wondering why he didn't think of it of sooner. "Yeh worried about the cost of the hotel room – right? Well ah already have a room – yeh could just share mine. Then there would be no hotel cost for yeh. Whattya say lass?"
"Stephen…I…we shouldn't….I mean" she nearly stuttered before simply clamming up all together.
Stephen was pretty pleased with himself for solving the hotel problem. Her stuttering had him a little confused. Then it dawned on him, "if yeh worried about the sleeping arrangements, we can get double beds – one for yeh and one for meh."
There were a million things coursing through her mind. Her mind was screaming at her; part of her wanting desperately to go the other wanting to stay home where she was comfortable. As she debated her options, she heard the familiar beep of her caller id announcing that someone was beeping in. Looking at her phone she saw it was Carrie calling. 'Probably wants to continue are little girl talk from earlier' she thought. As she thought about calling Carrie back later, she wondered what her best friend would have to say about this. Smiling she shook her head. Who was she kidding there was no doubt what Carrie would say. She would be over in a flash helping her pack a bag and be shooing her out the door in record time. Laughing at the thought, she was inspired. Finally she spoke "Ok."
'Ok' a simple word really, barely more than a whisper thought Stephen. Yet that one word was enough to make him a very happy man indeed. "Peyton…baby-girl that's great! Let me take care of few things here on meh end. Ah'll call yeh tomorrow with the details – ok?"
"That works!" she replied feeling very light and carefree for the first time in a very long time. Each talked for several minutes longer, before the restlessness of the night before caught up with each of them. As they said good-night, Stephen promised to call her first thing tomorrow with all the details.
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There were few things that Peyton enjoyed nearly as much as sleeping in on Saturday morning. It was nearly ten am before she finally decided to get up and motivated. Searching her dresser she found her favorite pair of dark wash jeans. Hanging on the back of the closet door was the perfect shirt to wear today. She had talked with her grandmother right after she and Shannon went to see Raw with Stephen. She told her grandma all about the fun they had. When her grandma asked what kind of man Stephen was? She was quick to point out that he had been a complete gentleman the whole evening. She even mentioned that she and Stephen were continuing to talk, but nothing more was really said on the subject. That is until two days ago, when the mail man delivered a package for her. Turns out, grandma had ordered her the latest Sheamus brogue kick t-shirt. Shaking her head she laughed, guess this was grandma's way of telling her something. Slipping on the brand new t-shirt felt good. As she admired herself in the mirror, she liked the new design with the giant boot print smack dab in the middle of the shirt." She would definitely have to do something extra special to say thank you. Pulling her thick hair up into a messy bun, she grabbed her purse and keys heading out to meet Carrie and Shannon for lunch.
Meeting at the local Big Boy restaurant for burgers and fries with a shared hot fudge ice cream cake for desert was just what the doctor ordered. After lunch she followed the girls across the street to the mall. Shannon was anxious to spend some of her birthday money at the new arcade. Peyton and Carrie sat watching Shannon as she ran from game to game. Her excitement was almost contagious.
Nearly ten minutes passed, both women enjoying the companionable silence – watching Shannon play. Finally Carrie laughed "Ok…sister dear, I've been patient. I've waited patiently all afternoon. I said nothing during lunch. I figured maybe you were waiting till we could talk privately; something you didn't want to talk about in front of Shannon." Looking at Shannon across the way engrossed in her video game Carrie continued "Shannon's been playing almost ten minutes now – it's time for you to talk!"
Watching Carrie from the corner of her eye, Peyton continued to watch Shannon "I don't know what you're talking about" Peyton almost managed to say that with a straight face; almost.
Carrie smiled "you cannot hide from me Peyton Kathleen Ross – now talk."
There was nothing Peyton wanted more than to share with her best friend, but suddenly she felt a little tongue-tied. She was almost certain that Carrie would support her going, but was it really the right decision. After a moment, without taking her eyes off Shannon, she spoke "Stephen called last night. He invited me to travel with him this summer. I've agreed to go."
When her words were met with continued silence, Peyton finally hazard a look at Carrie. Sitting perfectly still, Peyton chuckled; her best friend looked about ready to explode with excitement. If they hadn't been in public, she was certain her dearest friend would have been screaming and dancing around the room.
"You…he…what did you…he say?" Carrie stuttered, not usually the type to be at a loss for words this was not a familiar situation for her.
Peyton laughed enjoying her friend's rare case of twisted tongue. "You laugh" Carrie scoffed, "you laugh, but you better have said yes!"
In less than a heartbeat, Peyton stilled growing deathly quiet she had said yes, but she could feel the dangerously cold tendrils of doubt beginning to cloud her mind. "I did!" she smiled short and scared.
Carrie reached for her hand and squeezed holding on tight. "You listen to me Peyton Ross. You listen and listen good! This is a good thing. You deserve to be happy. Don't let anything or anyone rob you of this. If Stephen makes you happy; then you grab onto the big hunk of man with both hands and never let go. Do you hear me?"
Squeezing her friends hand in return, Peyton smiled "I hear you…." Looking into Carrie's face she saw the doubt…the yeah right expression painted across her face. Peyton repeated "I hear you Carrie…honest I do…!"
A short time later as they were exiting the arcade, Peyton's cell phone began to ring. "It's shame that they lost their head; a careless man who could wind up dead." Blushing hotly, Peyton anxiously searched the bottom of her bag for her ringing phone. Walking beside her across the parking lot, Carrie chuckled with a smirk "Oh boy – that's original!" she muttered. Shannon laughed "What is momma?"
Peyton shot Carrie a frustrated glare, glancing at Shannon as she found and answered the phone "Don't worry sweetheart your mom just thinks she's got jokes today that's all." Quickly she turned her attention the phone. "Hello Stephen,"
Stephen laughed "Who's got jokes today?"
"Peyton flushed her cheeks a deep inviting rosy color. "OH that! Just a little girl talk – its nothing"
Stephen smiled what he wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall one afternoon when Peyton and Carrie had their little girl-talks. He couldn't help but wonder if his name ever came up in conversation. The idea of Peyton being girly with her best friend over him interested him more than it really probably should – Oh well!
"Ah've talked wit Stephanie and made some arrangements. Ah' can be in Michigan in just over a week. Does that work for yeh?"
Just over a week…...less than ten days really. Wow when this man gets an idea in his head he sure doesn't waste any time does he? She wondered. "When would you arrive? When would we leave?" she questioned as the spastic butterflies fought for control of her stomach. She could hear the rustling of paper; as though he were checking his notes or something.
"Here it is" he exclaimed providing here with the exact dates he explained, "I would arrive late Friday evening and our flight would leave early Sunday afternoon."
Her mind felt if it were on overload. This was really going to happen. Stephen Farrelly was actually going to fly to Michigan and pick her up. It was on the tip of her tongue to say yes, when she suddenly slumped against the trunk of her car.
As the silence continued, Stephen worried that she had changed her mind. Tossing the pages across the hotel desk, he wanted to growl his frustration. He was almost relieved with Peyton sighed at least that some sound; anything was better than the silence.
"My grand-parents sixty-fifth wedding anniversary is that Saturday. We've been planning them a surprise party for months now. I just cannot miss it."
Stephen sighed, a sound of pure relief. "Of course not lass…Ah' wouldn't ask yeh too. Ah would love to meet yeh folks; If that's ok with yeh?"
"You really want to come to the party? It's going to be an over blown picnic – you sure you want to be there?"
"Ah' can't think of anything ah would rather do lass."
"Ok then" she replied "What time does your flight land – I'll pick you up at the airport.
Author's Note: Next up a huge step for our red headed hero, meeting the family; grandparents, older brothers, Carrie, and of course young Shannon. Thank you to everyone who is reading, reviewing, adding to favorites or following – you guys are the best. Special thanks to LilOrchidJenny, ZizFox, Shamaness1171, Sharona1981( I couldn't agree with you more), boston246, and RandyOrtonxWifexx
