Chapter Thirteen

Acelynn let out an exasperated sigh. "I just don't know, Tina. What the hell is Candice playing at?"

Her friend sat across from her, nestled tightly in the oversized armchair she always claimed for herself whenever visiting Acelynn. "Are you sure she's not really just being a whore? I mean, it wouldn't surprise me…much…."

Acelynn shook her head, having gone over everything before. "No. Definitely not. She's not flirting with him, Tina. She's picking at him. I just wish I knew why."

Melanie stirred from somewhere in the kitchen. "And you really thought she was going to tell you?" She came gliding into the room, a tray of mugs filled with hot chocolate in her stable hands. Her gaze traveled from Acelynn to Tina, signaling nonverbal messages to the latter while hoping Acelynn didn't notice.

She did notice, but chose to ignore it with a scowl. "No, but I thought if I saw her – saw her reaction or something – I would get a feeling or… or…"

Melanie handed out the mugs, then took her seat next to Acelynn on the sofa. "So she doesn't want to steal your husband away from you. That's a good thing, Ace. Why are you still freaking out?"

"I'm not freaking out! I'm just…" How could she explain it? "I'm just… curious. John said himself, drama seems to be attracted to me. I've tried to ignore it, and look where it got me. I might as well ride this out, try to figure out how to fix it."

Tina sipped politely. "Speaking of John."

Melanie's eyebrows raised with interest. "Yes, what about John?"

Acelynn shook her head, stealing her eyes away from her friends. "I haven't told him a thing, and I intend to keep it that way."

"Lying isn't the best way to start off a marriage," Tina scolded, shaking her finger.

"I'm not lying! I'm just… trying not to worry him. JC doesn't exactly approve of the situations I get myself in. And besides, he knows what's going on. He just doesn't see it the way I do."

Mel leaned backwards, making herself more comfortable. "Is he blind to the situation or is he ignoring it?"

Tina giggled. "Oh! Good question."

Acelynn put down her hot chocolate, standing. Chuckie danced around her ankles, nipping at her for attention. She scooped the puppy up in her arms, squeezing for a small hug and then loosening her arms so the puppy could get comfortable.

"You're stalling…" Tina chimed, watching her intently.

Acelynn inhaled deeply, some annoyance washing over her. "I'm stalling because I can't answer your question. Now will you two stop playing Dr. Phil and help me figure this out?"

Tina jumped from her seat, nearly spilling her cocoa in the process. "Oo! CSI time! Boston style!"

"Except," Melanie laughed, "there are no dead bodies, not crime scenes, and we're not forensic scientists."

"So we can be the detectives," Tina pointed out. "Like that hunky Eddie Cahill from the New York one…."

"New York is my favorite one! But, really? Don Flack? He's cute but," Melanie continued, "I'd prefer that Carmine Giovinazzo. Danny Messer and his New York accent could investigate me any day."

Tina giggled louder. "You did not just say that…"

"Girls!" Acelynn interjected, returning the puppy to his position on the floor. "Can we focus please?"

Tina frowned, plopping back down into the chair with her hands in her lap. "Sorry if we aren't taking this seriously, Ace, but…"

Melanie say her imminent struggle with words, and spoke on her behalf. "… we just think that you're looking too into this. That's all. Candice does have a reputation for being something of an agitator."

Acelynn grimaced, pulling her arms around herself. "So…what are you saying?" She made herself look as pathetic as possible, knowing that she was eventually going to get what she wanted. If she looked sad and pitiable enough, she knew that it would speed up the process.

Tina and Melanie looked at each other, shrugging. "Alright," she agreed in unison.

"We'll help you figure out what is going on…" Tina started, turning her back as she rolled her eyes.

"…but you have to promise to drop this the moment we figure it out. The exact moment…." Melanie continued.

"…and that'll be that." Tina finished.

Acelynn smirked, nodding. "I can agree to that. Anything else?"

Tina paced, looking irritated but still cooperating. "You have to tell John."

Melanie pointed her finger in Acelynn's direction. "Yes! That, too! Sooner rather than later."

Acelynn looked to her feet, running the idea over in her mind. She had to tell her husband her suspicions. No doubt he would think she was crazy? Was she? No, she knew Candice had an ulterior motive. Candice herself had made that very clear in their last meeting. For John to believe her, she would need evidence that wasn't merely speculation. To get that, she was going to need Tina and Mel. Tina and Mel would only help her if she told John.

It looked like she had no real choice.

"I guess I have to say yes," she nodded. "Yeah, okay."

Acelynn turned her back on them, feeling their smug smiles cut through her as she made her way into the kitchen. The back door handle began to jiggle, and Tina and Melanie were quickly at Acelynn's elbows. "No time like the present, huh?" Tina smiled.

Acelynn stole her arms away from her friends as they tried to lead her to the door. She twisted away from them, receding from the door. "I'm going to tell him…" she instructed, retreating as her friends chased her.

"Now," Melanie informed, raising her eyebrows. "You're going to tell him now."

The handle jiggled again, the door giving way in its frame as John walked through the portal. Acelynn smiled at him, waving her hand to greet him before turning back to the two girls. "I believe I have to talk to my husband, ladies. If you'd be so obliging as to get out of my house…"

"Fine," Tina frowned, realizing it was a joke but still acting offended.

"Come on, Christina. Let's go plan some CSI," Mel announced, watching John enter and settle himself. She leaned in to Tina, linking arms with her as she passed John and exited. " Some Candice's Scandalousness Investigation, that is."

Acelynn's stomach turned, John approaching her and pressing his lips against her cheek. "Hey, babe," he smiled, pulling away from her. "What were those two whispering about?"

She waved her hand in the air. "Nothing… something…"

- - - - - -

John had turned and was on his way up the stairs. He stopped, mid step, and pivoted back to face her. "Like what?" It was the way she said it that made him stop and direct his full attention to her. His muscles were aching from a particularly hard day at the gym, and he desperately wanted to shower. Her tone, the look in her eyes, made his legs freeze in place, however. Something was up. Something he wasn't going to like.

"Well… you see…"

"Ace, come on," he coaxed, wanting the moment to be over so he could retreat to the bathroom. Her shoulders sagged, her hands on her hips. She dropped her head to her chin, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. He recognized the look. "Aw, Ace, what'd you do?"

She just shook her head again. "It's not that bad…" she started. "And I didn't necessarily do anything. I just went to talk to Candice and…we had an interesting conversation."

John rolled his head on his neck, directing his gaze to the ceiling. "About what?"

"You. And me. And her. And the whole… work thing."

He didn't like how she was emphasizing words. She only did that when she had something to confess, which meant that she had been sticking her nose where it didn't belong. He rolled his eyes at her, nonverbally telling her that he was going to run out of patience with the situation if she didn't move it along.

She sighed, still staring at her feet. "Remember before the last show, when I was late to the ring? Remember how you said you thought you should lock me in the bathroom? Well… I'm glad you let me run off."

John realized that, by the way she was dancing around whatever it was she had to tell him, he was not going to get his shower any time soon. He sat down on the step where his foot had landed, lowering himself using the banister for support. His rested his forearms on his knees, then gestured with his hands for her to continue.

"We shared some banter back and forth… and well... I just wanted to make sure we were all on the same page." She fidgeted in her spot, twisting the tip of her shoe into the floor.

"And what page would that be, Ace?"

She looked at him then, her eyes glistening. She was on the verge of tears, but he could tell they were only there to so he might pity her. Or maybe not. He wasn't quite sure about these near-tears. "I lied to you when I said Randy never told me anything," she confessed, taking a step towards him. She pulled at her fingers, the wedding ring on her finger getting tighter and tighter. "He told me what Candice said before the wedding, outside on the sidewalk. She was trying to psych you out, JC. I wanted to find out why she said the things she did, and that's what she basically told me."

John arched his eyebrows, his head resting in his hand. "Verbatim?"

"It was in the context. She did tell me that she was interested in stealing you away from me, though. Verbatim."

John rolled his eyes again, sighing and casting one long, last look towards the top of the stairs. He patted the stair next to him, and wrapped his arm around her shoulders as Acelynn conform into his side. Her near-tears were real. She was genuinely distressed. "Why does that bother you so much? Ace, I just married you. It's not time to trade in for a new model yet…"

She scowled at him, her eyes wide.

"Okay, maybe we can't laugh about this just yet."

"No," she snapped, "we can't."

"I love you, Ace. You should know that by now."

She shook her head, her hair falling about her shoulders. She rested the back of her head on his collarbone, her palm grazing his knee. "I do know, but it doesn't seem like she knows…"

John scoffed. "She doesn't have to know! I love you, Ace. You."

She fell silent, as if choosing her next words carefully. He waited for her to select, only squeezing her closer to him when he couldn't bare the silence anymore. "It's just…" she stuttered, covering her hands with her face. "You just make me question it all the time."

"I do?"

"You were fussing with your tie. Randy told me, you were freaking out on the alter. You were having second thoughts…"

"Whoa, whoa!" He slowed, taking her chin in his hand and guiding her face towards his. "I wasn't having second thoughts, Ace. I was scared. A nervous scared. A good scared. And the friggin' tie was on too tight."

Acelynn let out a small laugh before wiping the tears from her eyes before they got a chance to run down her cheek. "You sure?"

"Ace, they only way I wouldn't have married you that day is if that tie suffocated me to death. Nothing Candice said would have ever…"

Before he could finish his sentence, she had sprung up from her seat and wrapped her arms around his neck. Burying his face in his wife's hair, smelling the sweat strawberry shampoo she used, he smiled widely. He did love her. But, somehow, the word "love" couldn't encompass the feelings he had for her.

Plus, if he agreed with her and made her feel like her drama was no big deal to him, he could get to his shower sooner and soothe his contracting muscles.

His hand found the side of her neck, guiding her face back so he look her square in the eye. "Feel better now," he asked.

She shook her head. "A little, but… there's still…"

"So much drama," John mocked, rolling his eyes.

Acelynn smiled. "Only until I sort this out. Somehow, I think there's someone else behind this. Someone with the last name McMahon."

John couldn't help but smile back at her. "Somehow, there always is," he agreed.

"I just don't understand, though. I mean, why would…"

John kissed her on the forehead before moving to stand. "There's always a reason to the madness, Ace. Some stupid, cock and bull reason that isn't always visible to both parties involved. The most you can do to find out is ask."

Acelynn squinted, watching her husband climb the stairs towards their bedroom. Was it all that simple? Was it the answer to all the problems she'd been having for the past couple of weeks? Could all the drama be stopped with a single question?

"Well, Ace," Acelynn spoke out loud to herself, "there's only one way to find out."