For what it's worth, in this story, Stephanie is bugging the hell out of me too. Thanks again for all your lovely reviews. I hope you enjoy this chapter :)

Chapter 25

Paul walked through the silent, empty gym and into his office. His nose wrinkled in disgust as he saw the paper littering his desk. It was everywhere and there wasn't a spare inch of wood to be seen. The grey metal filing cabinets were lying open too. In fact the whole place was in disarray. He was going to kill Tim when he got his hands on him. Every time he had a day off, it was always the same. He would come back to chaos only this looked worse than usual. The place looked like a bomb had hit it.

Paul shrugged off his leather coat and threw it over the back of his chair. He scratched his head and he sighed feeling like this was the last thing he needed especially when he already felt like total shit. His drinking binge with Matt was definitely biting him in the ass right now. He should have known he had the hangover from hell the minute he opened his eyes this morning and the room had started to spin. He had been sorely tempted to pull the covers over his head and go back to sleep but instead he had gotten out of bed and made a quick exit from the apartment while everyone else was still asleep.

Paul flopped down in the chair and rested his elbows on the desk. His fingers rubbed at his temples wearily. Stephanie was moving out today so leaving was self preservation on his part. There was no chance he was sticking around to say goodbye because he didn't want to see her. He couldn't. Not when all he wanted to do was pull her into his arms and ask her to stay. Fuck. He was so weak when it came to Stephanie. He couldn't resist her and it seemed he never could. That was why he had left so early this morning. He wasn't going to put himself out there again. He wasn't going to give her yet another opportunity to take his heart and stomp on it. Because he would try and get her to change her mind, he knew he would. The thought of her walking out that door scared him to death.

Paul closed his eyes and bowed his head. His fingers clutched his long blonde strands tightly as he licked his dry lips. He couldn't sleep last night. Instead he had tossed and turned thinking about Stephanie. He had been so angry with her. She had promised him she was going to leave Luke. Now she was running off to be his fucking nurse. She had lied to him when she had told him things were over between her and Luke. It was obvious she still cared about him. Moving in with him went far beyond feeling an obligation to the guy. Maybe she was confused. Hell, maybe she even still loved him. He just wished she had been honest with him from the start. Maybe then he wouldn't feel like she had taken his heart and literally ripped it in two. But his anger hadn't lasted. It never did with her. In fact, it had disappeared the minute he had turned his head and breathed in her familiar scent on the pillow next to him. Instead his anger had been replaced with his pain. But not regret. Never that. How could he regret the two most incredible experiences of his life? Experiences where he remembered every single little thing..

"Tell me again." His brown eyes gazed at her tenderly as his lips brushed against hers so gently.

"I love you, Paul."

His tongue slid across her bottom lip teasing her. Her lips parted allowing him entry. She moaned softly as their tongues brushed together, tasting one another. When they broke apart, her blue eyes shone at him.

"Do you love me?" Her words were a hushed whisper as her nails scraped lightly down his bare chest causing a sigh to escape from his lips.

"Of course I do."

"Tell me. I need to hear it."

He kissed her again as he nudged her thighs gently apart. His big fingers tangled in her long soft hair as he slid slowly inside her. He murmured against her open mouth.

"I love you."

"Boss! You're early."

Paul quickly lifted his head at the sound of his voice. His hands dropped to his lap as he sat back. He cleared his throat, taking a few seconds to compose himself before turning round towards the door.

"I wasn't expecting you to be here." Tim lingered in the doorway. His hand ran through his short, dark hair and he wore a nervous smile on his face.

"Obviously." Paul replied as he got up from the chair. He grabbed his coat and pulled it on. "The place is a fucking mess, Tim. I want it cleaned up."

"Yes boss."

Paul shook his head in amusement as he flicked his hair over his collar. "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?"

"Sorry boss." Tim grinned as he approached the untidy desk.

Paul chuckled and he playfully slapped him upside the head as he passed. "I'm going for some strong coffee. Can I get you anything?"

Tim shook his head and smiled knowingly at the tell-tale bloodshot eyes. "Was it a hard night last night?"

"Oh yeah." Paul walked towards the door calling out as he left. "I want this place sorted when I come back."

He shook his head as he walked through the gym. Tim was a good guy. He just needed to be kept in line. Left to his own devices, he caused more problems than Paul cared to remember.

The bitter wind hit him as soon as he stepped outside the door. He buttoned his jacket and placing his hands in his pockets, he walked down the almost deserted street. The sun had begun to rise behind the tall granite buildings casting a pinkish glow across the sky. A milk cart slowly rumbled by. Paul couldn't recall the last time he had been up so early. Probably the last time he had made a quick escape from some nameless woman he had picked up. Although that seemed a long time ago now. The tree lined street was like a different place to the familiar hustle and bustle he was used to. Usually he found himself weaving in and out of the busy pedestrians. It made a nice change not to have to fight his way through them.

As he turned the corner to head towards the coffee shop, Paul literally stopped in his tracks feeling his breath catch in his throat. Stephanie was standing less than three feet in front of him. She was holding two Styrofoam cups in her gloved covered hands. Her chestnut hair blew in the wind. Her cheeks were red, pinched by the cold. He swallowed thickly as their eyes connected. She raised one of the cups slightly as a nervous smile traced her lips.

"I was bringing you some coffee. I thought you might need it."

Paul stood there, unsure what to say. He had to admit this was the last thing he had expected. Stephanie never confronted a situation. She preferred avoidance. And that was what he had been prepared for. He wasn't prepared for this. For her to be standing here in front of him, obviously on her way to find him, it shocked him. He was confused as hell. But then again, his confusion was par for the course nowadays.

"I thought we could talk." Stephanie said softly.

Paul sighed. He dug his hands deeper into his pockets pulling his coat tighter around him. "I'm not sure talking is going to solve anything, do you?"

Stephanie bit down her lip as her blue eyes looked at him sadly. "Maybe not but I have to try. I can't leave things the way they are between us."

Paul swallowed thickly. He knew this was probably a bad idea. Nothing was going to change between them. She was still leaving. He was still heartbroken.

"Please, Paul." Stephanie pleaded.

Her words carried in the wind as those perfect eyes looked at him. He knew he couldn't refuse her. She was his weakness. He nodded slowly. He saw the look of relief that crossed her face.

"We can talk in my office."

Stephanie slowly approached him. He quickly turned round ignoring the ache in his chest and they walked along the quiet street in silence. Both of them were alone with their thoughts. Neither of them seemed in the frame of mind for small talk as they approached the granite building.

Paul held open the door for her. Stephanie smiled at him tentatively as she brushed past him. Their footsteps echoed through the empty gymnasium as she followed him to his office. She remembered when Paul had just opened this place and had started out on his own. He had been so nervous but excited too. It had always been his dream to have a place of his own and she always felt so proud of him when she thought about here. He had accomplished so much in such a short space of time.

"Hey, Tim."

Tim looked up from the desk when he heard Paul's voice. His face was surprised. He clutched a bunch of papers in his hand. "You're back quick."

His eyes moved to the doorway and he noticed Stephanie lingering there. A wide grin crossed his face.

"Steph! It's great to see you."

Stephanie smiled as she slowly wandered forward into Paul's office. "It's nice to see you too, Tim."

Paul's thick fingers began to unbutton his coat. "Just leave the mess for now. We can sort it out later."

Tim smiled as he looked between Paul and Stephanie. His smile slowly faded as he felt the obvious tension between them. He had never seen them like this before. They were avoiding looking at one another. Both of them looked so serious. Usually the pair of them laughed and joked, teasing one another constantly. Something was up that was for sure. He quickly dropped the papers back down on the desk. He gestured towards the door, suddenly eager to leave. "I'll leave you guys to it."

Paul nodded and smiled at him gratefully as he took off his coat. "Close the door for me, would you?"

Tim nodded and the door clicked shut behind him.

Stephanie stood watching Paul as he removed his coat. She couldn't help but admire him. He was wearing a black shirt. She loved him in black. It was the way the colour contrasted with his blonde hair as it fell across his broad shoulders. Paul pushed his hair behind his ear. She swallowed thickly. She remembered how soft the strands felt. She loved brushing her fingers through it and it always smelled so good. It wasn't so long ago that she found herself opening the bottle of his hair product while she was in the shower. She spent minutes breathing in the familiar smell, remembering. Of course, she had no right to remember now. It was her fault it was all over between them. Not that it had ever really started in the first place. And now she was in danger of losing Paul for good. God, she had treated him so horribly. She couldn't cope if there was a chance he hated her. He meant so much to her. More than he probably would ever know.

"You'll have to excuse the mess I'm afraid. It was the human tornado out there."

Stephanie's lips upturned into a small smile grateful for the break in the silence. It felt weird and uncomfortable. There was never usually a lack of words spoken between them. They could usually talk about anything and everything. "You need to get Tim his own office space. That way he won't mess up yours."

A slow smile crept across Paul's face. Her heart skipped a beat. "That's a very good point. I'm sure I have a spare broom closet or something around here."

As they stood across from one another, the silence descended again. Stephanie shuffled her feet nervously.

"Give me those and you can take off your coat."

Stephanie smiled at him gratefully as she handed him the warm Styrofoam cups. She tried to ignore how his hands brushed against her gloved ones and lingered just that fraction of a second. She cleared her throat as she pulled off the gloves from her hands. "Yours is the strong black coffee."

Paul's brown eyes twinkled as he smiled at her appreciatively. As she removed her coat, he cleared a space on the desk and placed them down. He saw her hover uncertainly beside his desk, her long black wool coat lying across her arm. "Grab a seat."

Stephanie nodded and took the chair at the opposite end of the desk. She placed her coat across her lap. When she looked up her hot chocolate was sitting in front of her. She smiled. "Thanks."

Paul nodded as he took a sip of his drink. The hot liquid instantly relieved his dry mouth. His cold hands wrapped around the warm cup.

"You left early this morning."

He tried to act non-chalant, shrugging his shoulders. "I had a lot to do."

"I heard you leave." Stephanie bit down on her bottom lip pulling on it with her top teeth. "I was wide awake. I couldn't sleep."

Paul let out a sigh as he rested back against his chair. He stretched out his long legs in front of him. It had crossed his mind to make this difficult on her. He could try to pretend like he didn't care. His pride wouldn't give her the satisfaction of knowing juts how much she had hurt him. Yet somehow he knew he would make it easy for her because it seemed his head and heart were always in conflict when it came to one Stephanie McMahon. "Funnily enough, neither could I." he said, softly.

Stephanie smiled weakly. She felt an ache in her chest hearing the strain in his voice. Sitting here in front of Paul, her reasons for her actions became blurred. She didn't know what the hell she was doing any more. But she did know she had hurt the one person in the whole world that didn't deserve it. Paul was such a good man. He was thoughtful, generous, kind and caring. In her wildest dreams, she had never expected him to love her. Yet he had. He had given her his heart and she had repaid him by not handling it with care. She had treated him badly. She could never forgive herself for that.

"So, you wanted to talk."

Stephanie sniffed. She slowly nodded her head as she shifted in her seat. She tilted her head slightly upwards and her gaze met his. The expression in his brown eyes was sombre. She could see the pain lurking there. Pain that only she had caused. Her mouth opened and then quickly closed. She had so much she wanted to say. She just didn't know where to start.

"What did you want to talk about?"

She let out a shaky breath. "Us."

Her simple reply somehow angered him. Paul said nothing as he placed the coffee on the desk. His brown eyes stared at her as he sat back in the chair. They were usually warm and inviting. Now they were cold and hard. "There is no us, Stephanie or have you forgotten?" he replied bitterly.

"Look, that's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean because honestly, I have a hard time understanding anything you say or do to me anymore."

Stephanie's bottom lip quivered. She felt her eyes sting. "I'm sorry."

Paul snorted. "You know, you keep saying that to me."

"But I am sorry. I really am." Her voice wavered as tears welled in her eyes.

Paul sighed heavily as he sat forward. He hated seeing her upset like this. He never could handle seeing her cry. But he couldn't comfort her. Not anymore. He clutched his hands together and rested them in front of him on the desk. "Your apology doesn't change anything though, does it? I mean, you're still moving out aren't you?"

Stephanie pressed her lips together and nodded her head. "I have to."

Paul looked away, his eyes focusing on the papers in front of him. He wasn't going to ask her to change her mind. He refused to do it even though everything inside of him wanted to. When he allowed himself to look at her again, her blue eyes still glistened with unshed tears, watching him. "Steph, why did you want to talk?"

She took a deep breath as a single tear trickled down her cheek. "I don't want to lose my best friend."

He swallowed thickly. He glanced down at his hands as he twisted his fingers together.

"I'm scared of what's happening between us, Paul."

Paul continued to look at his hands, scared to look at her. He couldn't trust his heart not to betray him. "We just need time, Steph. Maybe you moving out, well maybe it will give us the space we need to try and move on."

He tensed as her hand reached across and covered his. Her skin was so warm. He could still remember how soft and inviting it felt when he lay next to her.

"I don't know if I can. Move on that is."

Paul slowly lifted his head. He took a deep breath fighting the tightening in his chest.

His brown eyes pleaded with her to understand. "But I have to. You've made your decision. You're going to be with Luke and whether it's through guilt, loyalty or something else, I have to accept it and I have to try and deal with it." He tried his best to ignore the pain in her eyes as he told her the truth. "I have to move on, Stephanie. It's the only way I can see us still being friends."

The tears now fell freely down Stephanie's cheeks as she tightened her grip on his hands. "It was never my intention to hurt you, Paul."

Paul's expression was gentle yet his words tore her apart. "I know but yet you did."

"I'm so sorry." she whispered before she bowed her head, her shoulders shaking with her sobs. Her hand fell away resting on the desk. Stephanie didn't hear his footsteps as he walked round the desk. But she felt his hand on her arm, guiding her to her feet as her coat dropped to the floor.

As Paul pulled her into his arms, she clung to him desperately. She didn't want to ever let him go. She buried her face in his chest, her body melting into his. She breathed in the scent that was distinctly Paul. His warm embrace reminded her of everything she had lost. His husky whispers as he held her. His hot mouth kissing her passionately, making her feel things she had never felt before. The unmistakable emotion she could see in his beautiful eyes right before he would make love to her. A whimper escaped her lips as the memories became too painful. Her hot tears rolled down her face soaking the material of his shirt. "I never thought that I could ever be with you." she cried against him, choking on her sobs. "I don't think I can let go."

Paul closed his eyes as he rested his head against Stephanie's breathing in the fruity scent of her shampoo. "We can't change things. It's too complicated now."

Stephanie managed to nod against him. She knew Paul was right. She had to try and let go. She had made her decision and she couldn't turn back. No matter how much she wanted to. She'd hurt Paul and confused him more times than she cared to remember. She wasn't going to do it to him any more. He didn't deserve it. She didn't deserve him.

"But I know I'll never love anybody the way I love you." Paul whispered into her hair.

Stephanie slid her hands from his waist and placed them on his chest. She slowly lifted her head to look at him. Her knees felt weak as she looked into his eyes. Her heart was breaking at the thought of being without him. Yet the depth of the love that she felt for this man terrified her. It was so real and powerful. It overwhelmed her to the point she wanted to run from it, not quite ready for it. She swallowed thickly as she felt his warm breath on her face. Unable to form any words, she brought her hands around his thick neck. She tilted her face towards his and closed her eyes. As their lips met in a sweet kiss, she knew this moment between them was their goodbye. It was closure on what could have been if only she had had the courage to take the chance. And all too quickly, she felt Paul pull away. She slowly opened her eyes witnessing the pained expression on his face.

"I can't keep kissing you any more, Steph." he replied, his voice breaking. Paul placed his hands on her arms and gently lifted her arms from around his neck. He stepped back deliberately putting distance between them.

Stephanie nodded as fresh tears pooled in her eyes. She backed towards the chair and looked away. She picked up her coat from the floor holding it loosely in her hand knowing it was time to leave. Staying would only prolong their pain.

"I guess I should go." she said reluctantly.

She tilted her head upwards and as their eyes connected, she was sure her heart broke all over again.

Paul smiled. His brown eyes were gentle. "You know where I am if you need me, okay?"

"Okay." Stephanie smiled sadly as warm tears fell and trickled down her face. Her eyes drank him in once last time before she dropped her head and hurried towards the door. Her tears blurred her vision. As her hand rested on the doorknob, she allowed herself to look back one last time. She swallowed the lump in her throat and felt the dull ache in her chest as she forced herself to smile. "I'll always love you, Paul Levesque. Remember that."

Before he had a chance to respond, Stephanie was gone. The door clicked shut behind her and Paul blinked back tears of his own as he stood there even more unsure of things than ever. He just prayed he had done the right thing in letting her go.