"I told you, Jeff. We can't do this," Hope whispered.
"You said you can't do this," Jeff corrected.
"Well, now I'm saying we."
"Why are you hiding the fact that you love me?"
"We're just friends. Accept it."
"I can't be just friends with you."
"Can't? Or won't?"
"Don't twist my words around."
Hope looked down at her black and red Ed Hardy sneakers. Jeff was right. She was hiding from the fact that she loved him. But, what else could she do? She couldn't just leave Punk. She wasn't that kind of person. Hope turned away from Jeff, folding her arms across her chest. She leaned her head back on the brick wall of the diner. This all started with her training. The first time she saw Jeff. She knew it was the same with him. Hope still couldn't hate him. She'd tried to hate him and always failed. You couldn't really hate someone you loved. But, how could you love someone you didn't trust?
Jeff didn't take his eyes off Hope. He didn't care that Michelle was probably pissed off at him. He'd come out here partly to make sure that Hope was okay. Now, he just wanted her in his arms. That didn't come as a surprise though. Jeff slid his arms around Hope's slender body. Much to his surprise, she hugged him back. He'd half expected her to shove him away again. He wanted to say in this moment forever. They were both happy and nothing else mattered. The two of them had shut out the world.
"You're a like drug to me," Jeff sighed.
"Don't say that," Hope whispered.
"Why not?"
"It makes me fall even harder."
"That's not a bad thing."
"It is if you're with someone else."
Jeff sighed, knowing she was right. As much as he wanted Hope, he didn't wanted to hurt Michelle. If he could take back the kiss, he'd do it in a heart beat. That wasn't happening anytime soon. No one he knew had time machine. For now he'd just stay here in Hope's arms, pretending that she his and only his.
John desperately wanted to help Hope out. But, he couldn't. he could cheer her up all he wanted to but it wouldn't help much. He couldn't choose a guy for her. Well, he could. But, she'd never listen to him. That was part of the problem. Hope was incredibly stubborn. John was on his way to Matt's hotel room. Hopefully the two of them would be able to figure something out. Matt looked like he'd been sleeping when he let John in.
"I need to talk to you about your brother," John said.
"Why? What'd he do to Hope?" Matt asked.
"Nothing. Other than breaking her heart."
"You want to set them up?"
"Yeah. He makes her happy and I want her happy."
"Like when she slept with you?"
"How do you about that?"
"Loose lips sink ships."
"Thank you, Pete Wentz."
"You're a real comedian, John."
"I'm serious. Jeff and Hope are meant to be."
"Too bad they don't see it that way."
Punk and Michelle had already left. Michelle had gotten pissed at Jeff and stormed off. Punk, on the other, didn't mind Jeff being with Hope. He'd ventured off to meet up with Matt Striker about their upcoming ECW match. He'd asked Jeff to take care of Hope and make sure that she got back to the hotel safely. Punk wasn't sure if trusted the two alone together but decided to chance it. Honestly? The less he knew, the better.
Michelle didn't even say goodbye to Jeff. She knew he probably didn't even notice. Too wrapped up in that bitch's arms, she thought. She scowled as she started walking back to the hotel. Michelle knew Jeff loved Hope, so why was she fighting for him? Was she in love with him? Or was she in lust? The latter the more obvious reason. Lust had overpowered her when it came to Jeff. So what she was hurting an innocent person. That didn't mean anything to Michelle. At least not at the moment. Michelle knew she was bound to be hit with a wave of guilt pretty soon.
Hope didn't make a sound as she and Jeff walked back to their hotel. She was afraid to say anything. She didn't want to make things worse. Could things get worse? Yes. Jeff could hate her. She jumped when she felt Jeff lace his fingers with hers. Hope couldn't bring herself to pull away from him. Why was he doing this? Did he know that he was making her blissfully insane? But, she loved every minute of it.
The silence was killing him. Her silence. Jeff had tried about fifty conversation starters and Hope didn't uttered a single word. Not even when he grabbed her hand. She was making him crazy. Did she know it? Did she enjoy making him crazy? Jeff pulled Hope closer to him, feeling the warmth of her body against his. He wasn't lying when he'd said she was a drug to him. She was. Jeff found himself needing her, wanting her, desiring her. This feeling was too crazy to put into words. Only actions could describe it.
Another kiss.
This time Hope had been the one to initiate the kiss. Jeff scooped her up into his arms, carrying her to his hotel room. She kissed him again, sending such a rush through his body. Hope pushed him onto the bed as she took his shirt off, smiling that smile of hers. That's what did for Jeff. Her smile. And her eyes. He was hooked. His lips found hers once more as his hands wandered her body. They both were conscious of the fact that what they were doing was wrong but they didn't stop making out. This was better than any drug. This was a pure adrenaline rush. Jeff couldn't tear his lips away from Hope's delicate olive skin as he pulled off the halter she'd been wearing.
"Jeff, stop," Hope mumbled.
"Please don't say you can't do this," Jeff whispered.
Hope rested her head on Jeff's chest, listening to his heartbeat. She felt him put his arms around her, neither one of them moving to put their shirts back on. Hope closed her eyes, letting some tears fall from her eyes. A tiny part of her wished she'd never trained to be a Diva. None of this would've happened. But, you know what they say. It's better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. Hope was having trouble believing in that lately. However, she wasn't giving up hope.
Jeff knew that this shouldn't have been happening. He knew this probably made things harder for Hope. But, he couldn't help himself. He couldn't get rid of this feeling. Jeff was with Michelle and he wanted to be faithful. He didn't want to pull a Lita and cheat on her. He'd never forgive himself if he did that. So why was it so hard for him to push Hope away? Because this wasn't just lust. This love was so great that the words 'I love you' weren't enough to satiate his feelings. He saw that Hope had already fallen asleep.
"You're a drug to me," Jeff whispered in her ear.
Matt had finished plotting with John about an hour ago. He'd hit the hotel's gym before going back to his and Jeff's room. Would Jeff be back yet? Matt wasn't sure. He was going to make Jeff and Hope know they were meant to be even if it killed him. Well, that was just a little extreme. He doubted this whole thing would kill him. He really had to stop exaggerating. Matt slid the key into the slot, opening the door to his room. He flipped on the lights and he was shocked at he saw. Jeff and Hope asleep together, bodies entwined. Matt heard footsteps behind him and turned around.
CM Punk took it all in. His girlfriend with one her alleged best friends in bed together. He felt hot tears sting his eyes. He wasn't going to wake them up and start yelling. How could he be that stupid? He should've known Jeff was going to try something. Or did Hope try something? That starling revelation made Punk go weak in the knees. He stormed out of the room, the anger building up inside of him. How could she do this to him?
Maybe it wasn't what it looked like. Maybe they'd simply fallen asleep together. Yeah, and maybe O.J. Simpson wasn't guilty. Punk decided to let Hope explain herself. Not that it really mattered anyway. He still planned on beating the shit out of Jeff the next time their paths crossed. For now, Punk was going to forget what he saw. Or at least try to. It hurt because he didn't know what had gone on. He was probably blowing things out of proportion.
Once he was back in his hotel room, Punk collapsed onto the bed. He closed his eyes, letting his thoughts wander. How could one girl make him feel this way? Hope was just a girl. That was the problem. She wasn't just girl. At least not to him. Or Jeff. That pretty much sucked for both of them. In actuality, Punk had no idea what he was going to do. He wasn't sure if fighting with Jeff was the rational solution. That didn't stop him. He was running on pure anger and betrayal. The one thing Punk knew was that he wasn't taking his anger out on Hope.
Matt still couldn't believe what he was staring at. He had to admit that Jeff and Hope looked good together. Punk didn't look too happy and Matt couldn't blame. He probably would've felt the same way. Matt grabbed a blanket and draped it over Jeff's and Hope's sleeping bodies. He knew they'd be in for a rude awakening the next morning. They just seemed so happy together. Matt knew Punk was up to something wicked. This whole feud wasn't going to end well. Not at all.
Would Jeff be able to handle another broken heart? Matt wasn't so sure. Jeff still hadn't fully recovered from his break up with Michaela. If only Punk was out of picture. Matt knew Hope was the one girl that could bring Jeff out of his little depression. For Pete's sake, Jeff still had some of Michaela's things. But, there was no easy way to get Punk out of the picture. Matt would just have to think long and hard.
Jeff was the first to wake up the next morning. He smiled down at Hope who was still fast asleep. Matt cleared his throat letting the younger Hardy know that he wasn't alone. Jeff nudged Hope, trying to wake her up. Once she was awake, she quickly pulled her shirt back on. Jeff did the same. They both looked at Matt, knowing he had something to say. Matt glanced from Jeff to Hope and back to Jeff. Did he really need to say anything? They should've known by the look on his face. It didn't matter. He was going to say something anyway. All three of them knew that.
Hope refused to meet eyes with either Hardy brother. If she looked at Jeff, she'd just want to rape him over and over again. If she looked at Matt, she'd just start babbling on about what happened the previous night. Either way it wasn't good. Hope could feel both Hardy brothers staring at her, Matt staring into her soul and Jeff picturing her without clothes. Typical Hardys. She knew them too well.
"Punk saw you two in bed," Matt said.
"Nothing happened," Jeff replied.
"That's not what he thinks."
"I have to go talk to him," Hope sighed.
Jeff grabbed her arm. "I don't want you to go."
"This can't happen. You know that."
Jeff watched Hope leave, unable to think of anything to say. He had a feeling he was going to get his ass kicked the next time he saw Punk. What had he gotten himself into? Why couldn't he just focus on his wrestling like he'd wanted to? Jeff noticed the look on Matt's face and knew that he wasn't getting out of this that easily.
Matt knew something happened between Jeff and Hope. It was all too obvious. She was glowing and he was all smiles. Would Jeff admit anything? Maybe. But, Matt was sure that his little brother knew he wasn't getting out of this that easily. He never did. The Hardy brothers locked eyes, waiting for the other to speak.
"Nothing happened?" Matt asked.
"We kissed. Then she freaked," Jeff answered.
"She's making you crazy."
"No shit."
"What are you gonna do about it?"
"Nothing. She's with Punk."
"And yet you still tried to sleep with her."
"I couldn't help it."
"That's no excuse."
"I love her."
"You know Punk's ready to kill you."
"I'll figure something out."
Matt shook his head. He knew Jeff would figure something, he always did. But, this seemed different. This seemed like it wasn't going to end anytime soon. That was the unfortunate part. Matt just didn't want see his brother or Hope get hurt. Well, it was just a little late for that. They had been hurt. Pretty badly too. Matt saw the look in Jeff's eyes when Hope told him that what they were doing couldn't. He'd been crushed. Even Matt felt crushed too. He could tell how much Hope wanted to stay with Jeff. He knew that if the kiss between Jeff and Michelle never happened, Hope would've been with Jeff. From the look on Jeff's face, he knew it too.
Jeff knew he screwed up with the kiss. He knew that if it never happened, he'd have Hope in his arms. That little fact was tearing him apart inside. Jeff tried telling himself that Michelle was an amazing girl and he was lucky to have her. It didn't change anything. He still he felt crappy. This crappy feeling wasn't going away anytime soon. That was the only thing Jeff knew for a fact.
"Punk?"
Hope stood in the doorway of Punk's hotel room. Punk was sitting on his bed, his back towards Hope. He knew she was there but he didn't want to acknowledge her presence just yet. He was kind of hoping she'd just go away. Punk didn't want to deal with this now. It still hurt like hell. Like someone pouring lemon juice on an open cut. Punk felt Hope wrap her arms around him, her lips gracing his neck. He couldn't hate her even if he tried. He was just pretty pissed off.
"I saw you," Punk said.
"It wasn't what it looked like," Hope replied.
"You slept with him."
"I wouldn't hurt you like that."
"I saw you."
"Nothing happened. We fell asleep."
"Then why were you both shirtless?"
"We were--"
"Forget it. I don't want to know."
Punk pushed Hope away, moving towards the window. He didn't know what to say or what to do. What could he do? Other than kick Jeff's ass, probably nothing. He was playing with people's hearts here. That was something could hurt them all. Surprisingly, that was the last thing he wanted to do. Punk wasn't stupid. He knew something happened between Jeff and Hope. The look in her eyes said it all. Punk saw the mixed feelings in her eyes. Like she was happy about whatever happened her and Jeff but she was guilty because she'd hurt Punk. That's what Punk hated. How he'd been the one to hurt Hope and she felt guilty for even talking to Jeff.
Hope watched Punk stand by the window, his back still to her. She didn't say another word to him, knowing he didn't want to hear it. She just wanted to be back in Jeff's arms and fall asleep with him again. How could something so wrong feel so right? It was…amazing, to say the least. Hope got up and moved towards Punk. She whispered an 'I'm sorry' in his ear before kissing him and heading back to her hotel room.
Punk turned to watch her go. Was he wrong in ignoring her presence? No. he just couldn't look into her eyes. She could convince you to rob a bank with just one look. Punk wasn't used to girls like Hope. Girls that knew what they wanted and did whatever they wanted. He was used to those small-town, shy girls. The ones who got all shy in his presence. Hope was a whole new experience for him.
Jeff wasn't sure if he should apologize or not. Hope had obviously wanted him too. But, it was still wrong and he shouldn't have taken advantage of her. Or did she take advantage of him? It didn't matter. Jeff was hoping this apology would make him feel better. Somehow he doubted that. Which is why he stood pacing outside of Hope's hotel room. His eyes lit up when he heard footsteps. However, he saw Punk's face when he looked up. This wasn't going to be good.
"What are you doing here?" Punk demanded.
"I was just looking for Hope," Jeff replied.
"Stay away from her. She's mine."
"You don't own her."
"And neither do you."
"I never said I did."
"I don't even want you talking to her."
"Good luck getting her to agree with that."
Something inside Punk snapped. He speared Jeff and started punching him in face. Jeff tried to get a hit in but Punk wouldn't let him. Punk was out of control and part of him knew it. He just couldn't stop punching and kicking. All the anger that'd built up inside just exploded. Jeff managed to knee Punk in the face and get to his feet again. That's when Punk started to choke him. Jeff kept gasping for air, trying to pull Punk's hands away from his throat. Matt heard the commotion and quickly grabbed Punk off of Jeff.
Punk shoved Matt away and stormed off. That had been kind of the opposite of how he'd wanted to handle things. Why did this whole thing seem to keep getting more and more complicated? Or maybe it was just Punk. Was this whole thing worth it? Possibly. Things couldn't possibly get worse, could they? Hopefully not. Things were already crazy enough. Punk didn't need for things to get any crazier? Should he apologize to Jeff? No. Jeff never should've been with Hope. That's how Punk saw it.
Hope was overly anxious about her match. Not because it was for her title but because it was against Michelle McCool. And Hope had been dying to kick the crap out of Michelle. Raw was in Cameron, North Carolina this week, Matt and Jeff's hometown. Jeff. Hope couldn't get him out of her mind. But, he'd been avoiding her for the past week. Why? Damned if she knew. Hope sat in the women's locker room getting ready for her match. She heard the door swing open and rolled her eyes when she saw Michelle.
"Ready to lose?" Michelle taunted.
"Don't you think you should direct that question to yourself?" Hope replied.
"Bite me, bitch."
"You know I'm right."
"Maybe so. But, I still have Jeff."
"So? What's your point?"
"I know how much you want him."
"You know nothing."
"We'll see."
Michelle shot a glare at Hope before heading off. She might've been a bitch but that didn't stop her from being right. Not that Hope would ever admit that out loud. The brunette heard the door open again was shocked to see Punk coming towards her. He kissed her, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"You shouldn't be in the women's locker room," Hope said.
"I wanted to wish you luck," Punk replied.
Hope pulled him into a kiss, resting her head on his shoulder. She was glad they'd worked things out. She was also glad that Punk hadn't attacked Jeff. Well, that's what Punk had told her. That he hadn't kicked the crap out of Jeff. Punk hated lying to her but he knew she'd be pissed off. Candice Michelle entered the locker room, a towel wrapped around her body. She pretty much freaked out when she saw Punk. She started shoving him towards the door.
"Punk, get out of here! You can't be in women's locker room!" Candice whined.
Punk gave Hope a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving. Hope couldn't help but laugh when she saw that Candice was still freaked. Candice shoved her, sticking out her tongue.
"Why didn't you tell me he was here?" Candice asked.
"I didn't know he was gonna sneak in!" Hope replied, grinning.
"I'm in a towel for God's sake!"
"You should've got dressed."
"Bitch."
"Hoe."
Hope laughed as she made her way out of the locker room. Her match was next and she was ready to kick ass. Michelle's ass. She knew Michelle had a few tricks up her sleeves but Hope was prepared. The brunette heard Michelle's music play, hearing a mix of boos and cheers from the crowd. Michelle was the type of diva that didn't care about what the fans were chanting. Especially since her recent heel turn. The brunette waited to hear 'Crazy Bitch', her entrance so she could just get on with the match. Hope decided to nix her usual entrance. When her music played, she dove into the ring, spearing Michelle.
She didn't give Michelle any chance to hit back. She just kept throwing punches, left and right. Hope dragged Michelle to her feet, slamming her head into the turnbuckle. Michelle attempted a spinning kick but Hope caught her leg. She shoved the blonde to the ground, putting her in a headlock. Unfortunately, Michelle quickly countered and tried to pin Hope. Hope kicked out after the one-count. That's when Michelle started her trash talk. She mouthed the words 'He's mine' and Hope lost it. She used her finishing move on Michelle and pinned her one, two, three.
"Here is your winner…Hope!" Lillian announced.
Hope shot Michelle a lethal glare before getting out of the ring. Michelle stood up, holding her back in pain. The anger was pretty damn evident on her face. This wasn't over. Michelle McCool didn't give up that easily. This meant war. Michelle headed to the back, listening to the crowd boo her. She was too pissed off to notice anything.
Hope ran into Jeff on her way back to the locker room. He looked her in the eye but quickly turned away. It seemed to Hope that he walking faster just to get away from her. What was that about? As far as Hope knew, she hadn't done anything wrong. The brunette quickened her pace to catch up with Jeff, grabbing his arm.
"What's with you?" Hope asked.
"What do you mean?" Jeff countered.
"You've been avoiding me this whole week."
"Don't be ridiculous. I have not."
"Oh? What about just now?"
"Don't, Hope. Just don't."
"Did I do something wrong?"
"You were right all along. We can't do this."
"You're twisting my words."
"I think it's better if we don't even talk."
"No. Don't say that. You don't mean it."
"Yeah, Hope. I do mean it."
Jeff saw the tears forming in Hope's eyes. He turned away, listening to her run off. That was a stupid move. He'd just hurt Hope again. That was such a great feeling. He was such an idiot sometimes. Hope was probably never going to speak to him again. It would've been different if they didn't work in the same industry. It would've been different if Matt and Hope weren't so close. Jeff felt overly guilty for making Hope cry. It was ironic because he hated seeing her cry.
He felt like a total idiot. This whole situation could've been fixed if he'd just talked to Hope. Why couldn't he just do that? Was it because Punk told him to stay away from Hope? No. Jeff wasn't listening to that. But, then why was he ignoring Hope? Jeff wanted to end this. Let Punk have Hope. He couldn't handle another broken heart. If Hope was meant to be with him, she'd come on her own. End of story.
But, what if she wasn't? No. Jeff couldn't think that way. He knew deep down in his heart that Hope was meant to be his. So why were there so many things standing in his way? It didn't seem fair. Punk had lied and cheated to get Hope. Why did the nice, honest guys finish last? It seemed that they only got the girl in the movies. Despite all the drama, this was certainly no movie.
Hope found herself in the lobby of the hotel. She needed to think, clear her thoughts. Get Jeff off of her mind. People were staring at her, watching her cry her eyes out. Hope felt someone pick her up and walk with her in their arms. What the hell? Hope couldn't see who was carrying her. Not another mystery guy, she thought. The mystery figure entered a hotel room and dropped her onto the bed. Hope looked up to see Randy Orton standing over her. She punched him in the arm.
"What the hell, Randy?" she snapped.
"You looked like you needed to talk to someone," Randy replied.
"Yeah. I got a lot of stuff on my mind."
"Tell me. I'll listen."
"That's a shocker. Randy Orton wanting to have an actual conversation with a female."
"Hey, I'm not always such a manwhore."
"Most of the time you are."
"Guilty as charged."
"Jeff hates me. I'm in love with him and Punk."
"And you say I'm a manwhore."
"Damn it, Orton!"
"I'm sorry. Jeff's in love with you, how could he hate you?"
"We're not talking anymore."
"Not talking?"
"Do I stutter?"
"It's just hard to believe."
Hope frowned at that thought. Regardless whether she was in love with Jeff or not, he was a great person to talk to. He'd listen to whatever you had to say, even if he was busy doing something else. Hope missed that already. But, she wasn't going to think negatively. She and Jeff would patch things up. They just had to. Feeling some tears start to form, Hope hugged Randy, crying into his chest.
Randy was a bit shocked when she hugged him. He hesitantly put his arms around her, trying to comfort her. He wasn't good at comforting people. Especially women. When it came to women, Randy was only used to sex. But, this was Hope. She was pretty much the only person, other than his wife, that tolerated his arrogance. Randy grabbed a tissue and handed it to Hope, pulling her closer to him.
Was it weird that Hope found comfort in Randy Orton of all people? Not at all. He wasn't that bad of a guy. Cocky as all hell, but he had a sweet side. Though, Randy only showed his sweet side to Hope and his wife. Besides, Hope didn't mind talking to Randy. He was a pretty good listener. Like now, he'd just let her vent her feelings.
The moment John heard that Jeff had made Hope cry, he was enraged. Who the hell did Jeff think he was? John understood that he was hurt and angry. But, no one told him to go and kiss Michelle. It was his own fault. Hope did nothing wrong. She was the innocent pawn in Jeff and Punk's twisted game. Punk had learned his lesson after John kicked his ass. Apparently he had to teach Jeff know. He banged on the door to the Hardys' hotel room. Matt answered the door, surprised to see John.
"What are you doing here, John?" Matt asked.
"Where's your brother?" John countered.
"I don't know. Maybe with Michelle."
"Tell him that I'm gonna kill him."
"Why? What happened?"
"Well, he told Hope that he never wants to speak to her again. She's been crying her eyes out ever since."
"I'm going to kill him."
"I don't understand his problem."
"And you think I do?"
"You're his brother."
"That doesn't mean I understand him."
"He's an asshole."
"Is Hope okay?"
"She'll be fine as soon as she stops crying."
"When he gets in, I'll call you."
"That's all I ask, Matt."
"Later, john."
John turned and stormed out. Matt shut the door, turning to glare at Jeff. Jeff tried to pull an innocent look but Matt wasn't amused. Jeff and Matt hardly ever lied to one another. Especially when it came to their friends. That's what pissed Matt off even more. Jeff could see the anger in his older brother's eyes.
"You told me you and Hope agreed to not talk for a while," Matt snapped.
"Well, it's kind of like truth but different," Jeff tried.
"I'm not amused/ John said you really hurt her."
"I know! I feel shitty about it."
"So go apologize."
"You know I can't."
"But, you could go fuck Michelle."
"Fuck you."
"I'm right, aren't I?"
"It's just different with Michelle."
"Different my ass."
Jeff let out a sigh. Matt just didn't understand. He should've understood the love triangle thing. Especially what happened between Edge and Lita and him. But, this was different. This love triangle wasn't a triangle. It was a war. A love war. Once again, Jeff wondered how he'd gotten himself mixed up into this whole thing. Oh, right. Vince had asked him to train the new Diva. Why couldn't she have been manly like Beth Phoenix? It would've saved a lot of broken hearts and bypassed a few fights.
Michelle was still in pain after her match with Hope. Hope wasn't kidding when she said she'd bring her all. Even though she lost the match, she still had Jeff. Michelle knew that fact was eating away at Hope. The downside to her vindictiveness? Jeff was getting all angry with her. Michelle didn't care that most of the divas weren't talking to her. She had her alliance with Beth Phoenix and Melina. That was fine by her. As long as she could make Hope's life miserable, she was happy.
Was it cruel? Yes. Was it wrong? Probably. Did that stop Michelle? Not at all. For the strangest reason, she enjoyed Hope's pain. Maybe she should stop talking to Snitsky. The funny thing was that Michelle was actually a really sweet person. Hope just so happened to bring out the uber bitch in her. She was pretty sure that Hope felt the exact same way.
While deep in thought, she noticed Ashley and Candice Michelle headed her way. Just great, Michelle thought. She knew Ashley was really close with Hope. Which explained the icy glare from the punk diva. Ashley and Candice stopped in front of Michelle, both of them glaring with their arms crossed. Michelle glared right back, waiting for one of them to speak up.
"You've got some nerve," Ashley snapped.
"Seriously. Hope never did a damn thing to you," Candice added.
"How about you guys stick with what you know. Playboy bunnies," Michelle shot back.
"That's cute. Screw with Hope again and you'll deal with me," Ashley said.
"Is that a threat, Punk Princess?"
"Of course not. It's a promise."
Ashley slapped Michelle hard across the face before storming off with Candice close behind. Michelle stood in shock, holding her jaw. She could taste her blood in her mouth. She should've known not the screw with Ashley. Ashley never took crap from anyone. Especially when it had to do with her friends. Michelle stormed off as well, hoping to find Jeff and have her way. It'd been surprisingly easy to get what she wanted from him. She had a feeling she knew why. Michelle pushed those thoughts from her mind as she made her way towards Jeff's hotel room. As she got there, Matt was on his way out. Michelle flashed him a smile but for some reason he shot her an icy glare.
Jeff was actually genuinely happy to see Michelle. He scooped her up into his arms, kissing her roughly. The rainbow-haired warrior starting taking off Michelle's clothes, pushing her onto the bed. Michelle pulled Jeff's body closer to hers, tugging at his lip ring with her teeth. Why was it so easy to have her way with him? Did he finally have a change of heart and realize that she was the one for him? Yeah and Hawkins and Ryder are smarter than a fifth grader. Michelle was done with the negativity. She wanted to be happy. Happy with Jeff.
Was Jeff happy with her? Right now, it seemed that he was. Michelle was oddly okay with that. This just proved that Jeff could be happy with her. Hopefully he realized that too. Michelle was sure that Jeff had always been happy with her, he just didn't know how to show it. Was that true in any way, shape or form? Probably not. But, hey. Couldn't a girl just dream? Michelle was fine with her fantasy.
"I love you, Michelle," Jeff whispered.
"I love you too," Michelle smiled.
After talking with Randy, Hope headed to Punk's hotel room. She was going to let things be with Jeff. People who are meant to be together always find their way in the end. Hope was going to give that phrase a try. Right now, she just wanted to fall asleep in Punk's arms. She wanted to be close to him and feel safe. The brunette heard her Sidekick LX vibrate, informing her she had a text message.
Feeling better? -J.
Hope smiled at the text. John had flipped his lid when she'd told him what Jeff said to her. Hope had been a wreck then, crying her eyes out. John had managed to console her before vowing to kick the living crap out of Jeff.
Stop worrying. I'm fine. -H.
Hope slid her sidekick back into her pocket, opening the door to Punk's hotel room. Punk was in bed, watching last week's taking of SmackDown. His eyes lit up when he saw her, motioning for her to join him. Hope moved towards the bed, laying next to Punk as she kissed him. Punk draped an arm over her slender figure.
"Feeling any better?" Punk asked.
"I'll be fine. I've been hurt worse," Hope answered.
"It makes me feel guilty for hurting you."
"It's okay because I love you."
"You know I love you more."
"More? I don't think that's possible."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah really."
Punk started tickling Hope, a grin dancing on his lips. Hope couldn't stop giggling as she tried to get away from Punk's grasp. She'd always been pretty ticklish. Hope grabbed Punk's wrists, straddling him. She kissed his lips then his neck. A grin was dancing on her lips now too. The brunette pinned Punk's arms above his head as leaned close to his ear.
"Do you surrender?" Hope asked.
"Never," Punk grinned.
He kissed Hope again, wrapping his arms around her body. This was exactly where he wanted to be. In a room, alone with Hope in arms just enjoying the silence and their time together. This was how it should always be. Punk knew he and Hope were meant to be. They just had to be. If they weren't, then why did Hope keep coming back to him? Why did she always end up in his arms? Punk didn't care about the answers. They weren't important to him. He had his dream girl.
Hope truly enjoyed being with Punk. So why was her mind stuck on Jeff? His smile. His accent, the way he held her close. Stop it, Hope, she scolded herself, Just be happy. Just be happy. If only it was that easy. John's words echoed through her ears. It's as easy as you make it. As much as she wanted to, Hope couldn't believe that. It would've been easier to forget about Jeff and Punk and just date Shannon. But, Hope wasn't going to do that. She was happy with Punk. She loved him.
Punk reach over to the nightstand, grabbing a tiny box. This was it. This was the moment. It was now or never. Oh no. his throat was dry, he couldn't speak. Punk took a deep breath, looking down at Hope. Once Hope felt Punk moving around, she sat up and looked him in the eye. She tilted her head to the side, wondering what he had to say.
"Hope," Punk started. "Will you marry me?"