Mercedes did not open her eyes until she felt a burst of chilly fresh air blow over her face. She opened her eyes to find that she was snuggled against Jeff's chest.
"What's happening?" she asked trying to figure out exactly where she was and what was going on.
"Hey Cedes," Jeff smiled down at her still carrying her.
"Hi Jeff, not to be rude or anything but why are you carrying me?"
"The show was over and you were still passed out so I carried you to the car and now here we are at the hotel."
"The show is over? Oh no, I was supposed to go out with you tonight."
"Vince understood why you didn't. He knew the new story line would hit you hard."
"Oh, that, I was hoping that it would all just be one bad dream; but then again it never is."
"Mercedes don't think about that now. Anyway I told him what happened between you and Shane and he was fine giving you one night off. Wasn't like you were supposed to get involved or anything."
"Jeff," Mercedes looked up at Jeff who still hadn't bothered to put her down. "You can put me down now, I am awake."
"Oh right," Jeff gave a crooked smile and blushed a bit. He knew that she was awake he was just simply enjoying having her snuggled up against him. They had been friends for years but he had never had the chance to hold her the way he was now. He put her down and made sure that she was able to stand before taking his arms off her waist. "Sorry, you're light and I just- " he trailed off not knowing what to say.
"Thank you Jeff," she reached up and kissed his cheek. "Would you mind staying with me tonight? I'd really prefer that I'm not alone tonight."
"Maybe Paul could come by; he's been really worried about you."
"No, he has Stephanie and I don't want to keep interfering with their time alone. Besides he'll try to do that whole big brother thing."
"What 'big brother thing'?" Jeff asked. He was trying to find a reason to say no. Mercedes had always had something that Jeff found attractive but Jeff simply ignored it. He had seen Mercedes and Shane and knew that they had feelings for each other. And Jeff always felt that they would always be better friends than anything else. But holding her in his arms all night long brought something alive inside of him. Something that Jeff was afraid to feel for her.
"Ya' know try to talk to me about what happened, and make sure that I'm feeling ok."
"And that's a bad thing why? Cedes you passed out from everything you went through tonight, you need someone there to make sure you're ok."
"I know that Jeff, and you can do that for me. Jeff you're the only one that I have left, please stay with me."
The look in Mercedes eyes said more than she ever could. Jeff stared at her for a minute seeing the look of a frightened child. How had he never seen it before? She was always so put together and so strong. But standing in front of him was no more than a hurt and needy girl. She needed someone to be with her and tell her that things would get better. How could he deny her the one thing that she needed most?
"Alright Cedes I'll stay tonight. But don't you get used to it." He smiled at her and took her hand. He didn't know why he did it, but it was comforting to both of them as they walked into the hotel together.
"Jeff," Mercedes said once they were asleep in bed with the lights out. A soft mumble from the other side of the bed told her that Jeff was almost asleep. "I just remembered I never said thank you, for everything tonight."
"There's nothing to say thank you for," he said quietly.
"No but there is," she turned to face him. "Everyone always assumes that I can take care of myself and that I never need anyone to help me. But you never did, you were always there to take care of me. Even when I didn't ask for it. I've never had anyone but Paul do that for me before. If I don't say thank you for that then- "
"Mercy you don't have to thank me for that, I love you and I'll always be here when you need me. Now get some sleep it's late and it's been a very long day."
"I've had a very long nap, and now I'm not that tired."
Jeff opened his eyes and looked at her smiling at him. "Well I haven't, and now I need to get some sleep. We've got another long day tomorrow."
"Then what am I supposed to do?"
"Sleep too."
"But I told you I'm not really tired."
"Mercy you've been crying all night, your body is still reeling from it. If you let yourself relax then you'll fall asleep."
Jeff really was tired, he had a hard night and only wanted to get a bit more rest than usual. Not only that but, there was something about having Mercedes lay next to him that relaxed him. He was lost in his thoughts of how warm she was and how she always smelled like gentle flowers. He had stared at her all night long, his heart aching for her. Not only because he knew that she was in pain, but because he knew that he wanted to be with her. The feelings had been growing inside of him for some time. He knew that she deserved more than what Shane was giving her. And Jeff wanted to be the one to give it to her.
"Jeff?"
"Yes Mercedes," he was trying not to get annoyed, but she was starting to test his patience.
"Don't be mad at me ok? I just wanted to ask you if it was ok if I snuggled against you, it makes me relaxed."
Jeff couldn't help but smile and let out a bit of a laugh. "How could I possibly be mad at someone as sweet as you? Come here," he opened his arms and let her get comfortable before wrapping his arms around her. "You can stay here for as long as you want."
"I just wish that today could've gone so much better. I mean it started out great and that just kind of went down from there."
"Don't worry Mercy, things will be better tomorrow. It's going to be alright. We'll make sure of it." Jeff whispered. He kissed the top of her head and went off to sleep.
Mercedes' heart skipped a beat when he kissed the top of her head. She wasn't even fully sure if Jeff had kissed her head or not. But if he had, why had he? Jeff was an amazing friend to her, and he had stayed over nights with her when she was having a bad day. But he had never kissed her in any way. She had never even spent the night cuddled up with him. Why was he lying here with her wrapped in his arms? Why was he telling her everything that she needed and wanted to hear from Shane? Mercedes snuggled herself deeper into Jeff's chest and fell asleep once more wondering why Jeff was going so far out of his way to make sure that she was comfortable and getting through the night without any more incidents.
When Jeff opened his eyes the next morning he realized that Mercedes was no longer in bed with him. Panic ran through him wondering where she was and what had happened that made her leave. But before he could get too overworked he heard the shower and smelled a scent so familiar to him that the smallest hint of it would send a million memories of Mercedes into his mind. He stood by the door listening to her humming to herself and taking in the wonderful smell of jasmine and roses coming through the door. He debated on whether or not he should go in or not. He knew if he went in he would startle her for a minute or two. What he didn't want was Mercedes thinking that he had crossed the line. The simple thought of being within ten feet of Mercedes unclothed sent a heat surging through his body that he hadn't felt in a long time. Every male primitive impulse was telling him to bust in and rip back the shower curtain. This in the end was why Jeff decided that it would be a bad idea to just walk into the bathroom while Mercedes was showering. But he couldn't pull himself from the bathroom door. There was something about listening to Mercedes humming and smelling the scent of her body wash that kept Jeff right by the door unable to move any farther.
"Hey Mercy," Jeff knocked on the door after a few minutes of listening to her singing bits and pieces of different songs. "Mercy," he said louder hoping that she would hear him. "I'm coming in alright? I just want to wash off my face a bit before I get going for the day."
He figured that she heard him when he opened the door and no scream came from her.
She was still singing, and to Jeff it sounded sad and soul wrenching. He barely paid attention to the words but in her voice he heard the heart ache she was experiencing. Every sound that came out of mouth was full of pain. He knew that she wasn't crying, but hearing her almost brought tears to his own eyes.
"Are
you feeling a bit better today?" he asked. He heard a small scream
and watched the shower curtain pull back a bit. "Sorry I knocked
and everything, I was trying not to scare you."
"It's ok I
was really zoned out I wasn't paying attention to anything really."
A smile crossed her mouth and she began to blush a bit making Jeff's
heart skip. "How long have you been there?"
"Honestly I've been listening to you for a while now."
"Oh God, I didn't realize. I never sing in front of people. I know I sound horrible."
"No actually I was thinking you sound pretty sad."
Mercedes disappeared behind the shower curtain once more before saying anything. She was sad, she was more than sad. She was broken and crushed. There was nothing but pain and regret inside of her. The echoes of everything she should have done and should have said deafened her to any rational thoughts. She found it hard to believe that how she was feeling was anything less than her own fault. Had she not shown Shane her weaker side he would have never been able to hurt her as deep as she was hurting now.
"I'm feeling better today," she was lying down to the very core of her. But she wanted it to be true so badly that she would say it over and over until it began to ring true. "I had a hard night last night, a hard few weeks really, but I'm doing better."
The silence in the bathroom was beginning to make Mercedes feel awkward. Why wasn't Jeff talking? He should be saying that he was glad she was feeling better. Or something along those lines at least.
"Jeff? Are you still- "
"Mercy," he voice was low and deep. He seemed filled with just as much sadness as she was. It seemed to be coming from right by the shower curtain although he never looked in so Mercedes could never be fully sure. "Don't lie to me. You can say what you like to anyone else, but please, don't lie, not to me."
Before she could open her mouth to apologize or stick her head out from around the curtain again she heard the bathroom door open and close. Jeff had left her alone to think about what he just told her. And for what seemed like the hundredth time in the last twenty four hours Mercedes let her tears fall freely, letting them get washed away by the warm water beating on her face.
"I'm sorry," was all that Mercedes could say when she walked out of the bathroom.
Jeff had to work hard to ignore the fact that she was standing in front of him in no more than a towel. He hadn't meant to make her feel guilty or make her feel a need to apologize. He just wanted her to stay honest with him. The relationship between the two of them was so important to him; the thought of having her treat him like just another person who wasn't privy to her innermost thoughts hurt him. He hadn't expected for it to affect him as much as it had but he was truly bothered by thinking she was beginning to shut him out.
Mercedes sat down on the bed next to him and took his hand in hers. With trying to figure out why he was beginning to feel emotions wake up inside of him that had been silent for long, Jeff hadn't noticed that he didn't respond to Mercedes or that he was silent for at least a good two minutes staring at the floor.
"Jeff, I am sorry, really I am."
Jeff looked at her and smiled. "I know you are, but there isn't anything to apologize for. I just don't want you shutting me out. Don't treat me like everyone else; tell me what's going on with you. That's all that I ask."
Mercedes smiled back at him. "I won't I promise. I just figured the more I can ignore the pain, the faster it will go away. I know it won't work, but I thought maybe I would try it for today. I never meant to make you feel bad or anything."
"Don't you worry about that, just focus on you. As long as you are honest and open with me I'll be right here for you no matter you need." Jeff kissed her hand without thinking and stood up. "I've got an early day today, but I'll see you at the arena."
"Of course," Mercedes said. She was still shocked at the type of behavior that Jeff was displaying. Since when did he kiss her? Since when did he hold her and talk to her the way that he had been doing since last night? Jeff was pretty much a brother to her. A not as protective, more supportive brother, but brother none the less. Now he was beginning to confuse her. "I'll see you tonight."
Jeff hugged her and kissed her head once more before leaving. He didn't care what she thought of it. His heart was in turmoil and a simple kiss on the head every now and again helped ease the pain tugging at him. There was no way that he would try to make a relationship happen with her, not now. Not when she had just had her heart ripped out and then made a mockery of in front of most of the modern world. He knew it would never work between them. But he knew that he couldn't just turn off every feeling that was going on inside of him. New passions awoke inside of him and he was inspired to write once more as he was sitting in the locker room waiting to see that one shining face he was beginning to depend on.
"Hey, Jeff," Mercedes called out to him walking in the locker room. "I've got a question to ask you, I need a bit of advice."
"What is it that you need?" He asked trying to hold down his school boy excitement seeing Mercedes in her wrestling clothes.
"I ran into Shane this afternoon, it wasn't that pretty. We managed to stay civil but only just. Things are really weird now, with everything going on. He wants to take me to dinner tonight to talk to me. He said that he wants to try and fix things between the two of us and explain his side of things."
"He has a side?"
"Apparently enough of one to beg for a chance to explain. Do you think that I should go?"
Every part of Jeff wanted to scream no. He wanted to look her straight in the eye and tell her that she should be going home with him. He wanted to declare his intentions of winning her heart through and through. He wanted to rip into Shane and tell her all of his bad qualities making Shane look like he should be shot right where he stands for being such an awful person. But instead all Jeff could say was the one thing that he wanted to deny was true.
"You have to do what you think is right for you. If you think you need this time with him to let him talk to you then do it. But don't go if you think it'll only break you down further."
"This is why I love you Jeff. You always tell me exactly what I need to hear. Even if it's painful and a bit hurtful you'll tell me anyway."
"That's what I'm here for."
"Ok I'm going to go tell him that I'll meet him tonight. Thanks again Jeff, you've been my life saver."
Jeff managed a weak smile and she ran out the door to go and talk to Shane. "If only I could tell you what I need to say. You might be with me tonight." He said quietly trying to focus on his match instead of the beautiful girl filling his every thought.
