I had a terrible time falling asleep. The fact that Pete lay feet away from me on the other side of my bedroom wall was incredibly thought consuming.
Part of me wanted to march out through the door and tell him to leave. Part of me wanted to offer to share my bed to keep him from sleeping on my uncomfortable sofa. Part of me wanted to do things with him I hadn't done in months and I tried my best to shut that part down before it even got started.
I would not allow myself to fall back into that trap. The cycle of jealousy and sex and the magnetic pull that we had over each other. I was too far removed from it now. At least, I had hoped that I was until tonight. I knew now that I wasn't. Months meant nothing, time apart meant nothing…If I still loved him.
The pain he had put me through was still real, raw and the driving force that kept me from him.
I would not be hurt again.
Somewhere around two in the morning, I managed to shut my brain off enough to go to sleep. I didn't stay asleep for long. I was jolted awake around three by the burn of the night's festivities sliding up my throat. My stomach felt like someone was stabbing a knife into it, twisting it deeper and deeper.
I capped my hand over my mouth and raced out of the bedroom.
The apartment only had the one bathroom, which was unfortunately not an on suite.
I barely made it onto the cold tile in front of the toilet before I began to violently throw up. I had never felt so sick in my life. The alcohol burned just as strong as when I had drank it hours earlier. I felt tears sliding down my cheeks as I struggled to stay up right.
Suddenly, I felt Pete's hands grab hold of my hair and pull it away from my face. He held it at the nape of my neck and his other hand rubbed my back gently with his knuckles.
I was too nauseated to even think of rejecting him. I coughed so much that I began to dry heave and I finally lowered the lid to the toilet and weakly raised my hand to flush it.
"You all right?" he whispered into the darkness.
I hadn't bothered to turn on the light in my haste and the room was only illuminated by the tiny nightlight near the sink.
"No," I whimpered, managing with his help to sit up on the side of the bathtub.
"One too many scotch," Pete sighed, crouching down in front of me "Regal should've known better than to make ya drink all of that."
"It's part of my job," I sighed, running my hand over my mouth, across my dry lips.
"To get drunk with the talent?" he scoffed angrily "No, love, that's not your job."
I let the nickname pass. I was too tired to argue and at the moment, it was surprisingly soothing.
"You're a tough as nails business woman now," he smirked as he looked up at me "I'm damn proud of ya for that."
I bent over, clutching my stomach as another pain shot through it.
"Fuck," I grunted "It hurts so bad."
"Dehydrated," Pete ran his hand over my clamy forehead.
I found myself leaning in to his touch as he felt the sides of my cheeks. I could hear his breathing become more labored in the dark. I assumed it was exactly what I was feeling inside. We were touching. Not in a sexual way or an angry way, but a concerned and caring way. It had been far to long since we had been like this.
"You're sweatin' all over," he shook his head "And fuckin' cold as ice."
"I, I don't know if I can walk," I stammered "I can barely…"
I tried to stand up and I fell hard against his chest, as he rose to his feet at the same time.
Before I knew what was happening, his arms grabbed me up and he began to carry me toward my bedroom.
"Pete," I tried to protest.
He sighed, his hands gripping my body tightly.
"Ya can't even hold your head upright," he replied matter of fact.
Once he sat me down gently on the bed, he went into the kitchen. A minute later he returned with a Gatorade that I had bought a few days before.
I never bought Gatorade or Powerade or any of that stuff. Why had I bought that? Then I remembered…Pete used to drink it and I would sometimes drink some when I didn't have anything else. Great, my subconscious was making purchases without my consent.
"I forgot about having that," I sat up slowly.
He opened it and handed it to me.
"Can ya drink it?"
I nodded, taking tiny sips of it. He sat down beside me and pushed my wet hair off my forehead. Again, it didn't burn. It didn't hurt for him to touch me. Maybe it was because I had my guard down? I was too distressed to think about the reasons it burned in the first place. The reasons that I made it burn.
"Ya feeling hot?"
I nodded, taking a bigger drink. I ran my hand down my throat that was slicked in sweat and back up on my neck, underneath my damp hair.
It was only then that I remembered I had on a nightgown. When we had been together, I mostly slept in t-shirts. Tonight, I had on a skimpy little purple gown and I mentally cursed myself for trying to dress cool in the Florida heat.
"Ya want the air condition' on?" he offered.
"No," I sat the bottle on my nightstand "I'll get too cold…I think."
He stood to leave the room. I couldn't let him walk out without saying something. I had been treating him terribly and yet…
"Pete," I spoke as he neared the doorway "You didn't have to do that…After the way I treated you tonight…Thank you."
"I'd do anythin' for ya," he drew in a deep breath "I told ya I'll prove it, if you just give me a bloody chance."
A smile unknowingly curved on my lips before another stabbing pain shot through me and I doubled over again.
"Damn it," I groaned, my throat burning ever so slightly "Why did I think drinking all of that was a good idea?"
"Ya gonna be all right if I go back in there?" he motioned to the couch.
"I don't know," I grimaced truthfully.
He came back and slid on the bed beside me. I lay down, bunching my pillow up underneath my head to make it as high as possible. Pete sat up straight with his back against the headboard.
It was quiet for a while. It gave me enough time to gather my thoughts and process what had happened in the last ten minutes.
"You're actually proud of me?" I glanced up at him.
He looked down at me and a pleased smile turned up on his lips.
"Thank you," I whispered "That actually means a lot to me."
"This was your dream too. I'd say that you're makin' the most of it. Regal can't say enough good things about ya."
"You've been talking to Regal about me?"
"I've been talking to Regal about a lot of things," he shifted and his eyes fell to his lap.
It was silent again, as I tried to decipher what he meant.
"Go to sleep. I'm not gonna leave ya," he spoke, his eyes staring straight ahead at the wall.
I nodded and nestled into my pillow a little more.
We lay in silence until I finally was able to fall back asleep.
I woke up with my back turned away from Pete and my arms wrapped tightly around one of my spare pillows.
I felt breath against my shoulder and I jumped a little. Glancing over my shoulder, I could see Pete. He was lying flat in the bed next to me, his body turned toward me. His head was centimeters from my back.
I stared at him for a moment. This man who had done so much to hurt me, who even days ago I couldn't afford to look at…He was here. Next to me. He had taken care of me all night., expecting absolutely nothing in return for his effort.
I slowly rolled over so I could look at him more closely. His lips lightly parted as he slept, his hair hanging over in his eyes.
His eyes.
Those fucking eyes that could undo all the progress I had made with a single look.
Then, as if on cue, there they were staring at me.
I shifted quickly, pretending that I hadn't just been staring longingly at him.
"Ya feel better this mornin'?"
"Besides a headache I completely deserve? Yeah," I laughed, sliding up to sit in the bed.
I reached for the blankets, pulling them over my far to exposed body. He sat up too, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"Thank you, for staying with me," I turned to him "It was really…sweet of you."
"Sweet," Pete laughed nervously, "Now there's a word ya don't hear about Pete Dunne every day of the fuckin' week."
"Or ever?" I kidded lightly at him as our smiles met one another and then died on our lips.
"I guess, I should get goin'," Pete ran his hand over his mouth as he slid to his feet.
"Do you have a ride?"
"Yeah, called Trent last night…He should be here in a few minutes."
I climbed out of the bed and stood in front of him.
Now came the incredibly awkward part. You're my ex and you ripped my heart out but now here you are taking care of me and I can't just pretend it didn't happen…
I shifted on my feet when I caught him staring at me in my nightgown.
"Sorry," he sighed, "I…You're still tha most beautiful girl I've eva seen."
"Pete," I whispered in defiance.
"I know," he nodded "Fuckin' worthless words right?"
"No," I shook my head "I believe them….That's not the problem."
"I haven't been with anotha girl," he broke the awkwardness with even more awkwardness.
"What?" I recoiled back with a little laugh of surprise "What does that have to do…"
"I don't know what ta say all right?" he crossed his arms nervously "I don't know what ta do to get ya to understand how much I want anotha chance. Nobody has eva in my entire life made me beg for anythin'…But I'm beggin' ya…"
He stepped closer to me and I felt my breath rise in my throat as his fingers danced across my cheek.
It didn't burn.
Suddenly, the sound of Trent's fist pounding on the door startled us both and I grabbed my robe out of the closet, sliding it on and beating Pete to the door.
"Ya all right there, sweetheart?" Trent laughed lightly.
"I'll survive," I smiled.
"Come on, we gotta be at the gym in an hour!" Trent beckoned Pete.
He headed for the car as Pete made his way toward the door. I stepped aside to let him pass and he stopped in front of me.
We stared at each other for a few seconds before he followed Trent into the parking lot.
Monday morning came and thankfully my hangover was gone.
I had been in Regal's office all morning, typing up notes, when he came in with coffee.
"Oh, are you the barista now?" I raised an eyebrow at him.
He chuckled, sitting my drink down in front of me.
"Don't press your luck."
I kept typing for a while and finally, the question burning in my brain got the better of me. I watched as he meticulously went over his own notes, handwritten.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Hm?" he mumbled, without looking up.
"Have you…been having meetings with Pete?…Without me?"
"Don't you think it best to keep the hostility at bay?" he raised his head.
"What kind of meetings?"
He sighed, dropping his pen to the table and taking a long sip of his coffee.
"Are you sure you want to know?" he sat his cup down.
"Yes," I nodded but I felt a little scared by his tone.
"A month ago, Pete was offered a Raw contract," Regal began.
"What?" I gasped softly.
"He turned it down. Oh, he gave a list of ridiculously arrogant reasons but I wasn't really listening because I knew the truth…After the meeting, I pulled him aside and we had one of our…talks."
"Why would he do that?" I shook my head "It's all he's ever wanted…"
"He wouldn't leave you."
I froze in my seat.
"He said as long as you were working for NXT that he wanted to be here…I suppose he is determined to try to win you back, even at the expense of a rather promising place on the main roster."
"How promising?" I leaned forward against his desk.
"Outta the gate, shot at the US title," Regal sighed "Hunter insisted it would be his within a month…He said no."
"How could he?" I felt tears start to burn at my eyes "Why would he do this to himself?"
"He loves you," Regal answered quickly "He's a bloody fool in love and the longer you two keep up this ridiculous game of cat and mouse, instead of talking about what's keeping you apart…The more opportunities he's going to miss."
"So, you think I should forgive him?" I sat back and asked him honestly.
"I didn't say that," he shook his head "I do, however, think the bloke is owed a chance to redeem himself."
"Why didn't you tell me all of this?" I shut my laptop nervously, fidgeting in my seat.
"You didn't ask," he shrugged "Besides, I didn't want you to be distracted…Which is clearly the case now."
"Can I…take a few minutes?" I whispered, standing to my feet.
"As long as you're back before your coffee is cold. I won't having you waste my money," he smirked at me.
I nodded and walked out of the room. Immediately, I pressed my back against the wall and ran my hands over my face.
What had he done?
He was offered everything and he turned it down?
For me?
Once I had gathered myself, I marched in my heels as fast as I could to the gym.
I walked in, pushing passed performers and trainers, my eyes set on Pete who was standing near the weights with Tyler.
"Pete!" I shouted his name and a few people turned to stare.
Tyler's eyes lit up and a little grin came across his face.
Pete turned around, wiping sweat off his forehead and looked utterly confused.
"Why didn't you tell me?" I grabbed his face in between my hands angrily before slinging it away.
"Tell you what?"
"About your contract," I hissed as we walked near a corner "The Raw contract that you turned down!"
"Regal told you that," he scowled.
"Why would you do that?" I found my voice wobbling "Why would you give that up?"
"For you," he answered flatly "I'm not leavin' ya. Not while I've fucked things up like I have…"
"You go back to Hunter and you fucking beg for that contract, you hear me?" I pressed my finger into the middle of his chest.
"Say you'll go out wit me then," he pushed back, just as sure of himself as I was.
"What?" I scoffed "Pete this isn't…."
"Say it," he tilted my chin up toward him "One date."
"A date?" I laughed.
"I never really planned one but I can give it a go," he clenched his jaw in determination.
I stood there for a few seconds, my mind racing on what one simple little date could mean. Twenty four hours ago, we had made zero progress but that was because of me. Maybe we owed each other just this one thing.
"Fine," I whispered before turning and leaving him behind.