A/N: Hey readers! Hope you enjoyed the last few chapters. This one has a few shocks in store!
I'm making my decision of who Roxxi will end up with and I'd really like your input so I can write the final chapters of the story.
Who do you want to see her with? Let me know!
Read, Review & Enjoy
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the OC's
Chapter 26: Confessions
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The next day I awoke to knocking on my door. More flowers from Randy, three bunches to be exact. I couldn't help but smile. He had called me last night after I got back from dinner and we had talked for hours until I fell asleep.
I went and had a shower. Tonight was my big return to the ring, I was so nervous. I had been training hard with Punk, Maryse and Nattie to get rid of any ring rust but I was still a bag of nerves.
Randy and I were going to lunch today so that could also explain the butterflies in my stomach. I swear that man had some sort of magical powers over me. One look from him and my knees would turn to jelly.
He had called me up and asked me out, he said he wanted to have a 'first date'. If I was really going to go back to square one with Randy then we needed to go through all of this again, to find each other.
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I made my way to the lobby where I was meeting Randy and took a seat on the couches by the big glass windows. I was a little anxious about how this date would go, would we be able to find anything to talk about or would we find out that we didn't have anything in common any more? I wasn't sure where all the doubts were coming from but they were making me feel very confused. I wasn't sure if I'd built up being with Randy again so much in my head that our relationship could never live up to my expectations. I tried to shake the thoughts from my mind as I saw Randy approach from the elevators.
He had a big grin spread across his face as he walked across the lobby.
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"Hey."
"Hi"
"You look... wow." He said looking me up and down in my white sun dress.
"Thanks, not so bad yourself." I replied.
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Lunch went well, we had so much catching up to do, he filled me in on his counselling and anger management classes. I filled him in on the happenings of the locker room.
We had just arrived back at the hotel when Eve came bounding over to us. I clenched my fists, I still hated the woman after everything.
"Hey Randy" She squeaked, completely ignoring me.
"Um.. hi Eve." He replied.
"Are you going to the arena? Could I get a ride?" She asked.
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I suppressed a laugh, 'a ride' ... yeah she would want one. The dirty skank.
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"Actually Eve I'm riding with Roxxi." He replied looking at me, I squeezed his hand.
"Oh." She replied pouting. "Maybe another time then." She winked as he walked off.
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Randy kept a tight grip on my hand as I turned to watch her leave.
"Easy Tiger." He laughed as we entered the hotel.
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Once I got to my room, Randy and I lingered in the hallway.
Neither of us sure what to do, this was so new to us, starting from scratch. We were so used to being together that starting out from square one was a little awkward for the both of us. He kissed me good bye and told me he'd call me.
I entered the room and no sooner had I closed the door was my phone ringing. I looked at the caller ID – Randy. I smiled to myself, he could be so cheesy sometimes. I answered the phone.
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"Hello Randal"
"Hello Roxanne. I just wanted to thank you for the date. I can see the two of us seeing more of each other!" He laughed.
"Really? Well I'll let you know after my dates with Evan Bourne, Wade Barrett and..." I tried to think of another name fast "...Santino!"
"Santino? Hmm.. well seems I've got my work cut out for me, Santino is quite the catch."
"He sure is, he looks better in my clothes than I do."
"I always thought you looked pretty amazing out of your clothes too!"
"Goodbye Randal!" I laughed.
"Bye Roxx." He said as I hung up the phone.
I sat down at the desk with my laptop, I had grown fond of reading the dirt sheets, it was a good form of entertainment.
I knew what was going on inside the business so it was fun to see what the outside world was thinking. Mostly they were wrong, but it was a good laugh reading their 'scoops'. My phone beeped, a message from Randy – just a smiley face.
I turned my attention on my laptop. A notification popped up telling me I had a new IM. I debated whether or not to accept it but curiosity got the better of me.
'FYI8825' – Hi.
'PunkRoxx' – Hi, who's this?
'FYI8825' – Is this Roxanne Finlay?
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Great, I thought. If this is another journalist looking for another scoop he'll find himself of the wrong side of my block button.
'PunkRoxx' – Who? Sorry, I think you've got the wrong person.
'FYI8825' – I know it's you Roxanne. I have something to tell you, that you really ought to hear.
'PunkRoxx' – Look, whoever you are, you've got the wrong person. I don't know who this Roxanne is, or what you are talking about.
'FYI8825' – Fine, Ok. You can 'pretend' all you want. I won't give out your IM name. Just know this. Randy Orton has been lying to you. He was seen drinking in a bar around the corner from the arena with Eve. A real dive – guess he didn't want to be seen with her. My sources tell me they left together and went back to his hotel room, she didn't emerge til the next morning.
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I felt my heart stop for a moment, before I reminded myself that the 'person' telling me this was a complete stranger and could be lying for all I knew.
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'PunkRoxx' – Ok.. whatever you say buddy. I have not got a clue what you are talking about or who these people are.
'FYI8825' – He lied to you Roxanne, didn't he say he was giving up alcohol? Well those shots of Jack Daniels said otherwise last night. I have also been told that this was going on while you were with him. In fact he was drinking Jack Daniels with her the night you were mysteriously rushed to hospital.
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I felt myself getting worked up. Could any of this be true?
Of course not, I mentally slapped myself. Obviously this person was looking for scoop, a reaction so they could print some lies.
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'FYI8825' – I just thought you should know before you make a mistake. He's bad news sweetheart. You can do so much better. Be warned – He will hurt you again.
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At those words I froze – How did he/she know Randy had hurt me?
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'PunkRoxx' – Don't you dare call me sweetheart! Who the hell is this?
'FYI8825' – There's the fiery Roxxi I have been told all about! Just heed my warning, sweetheart. You'll do well to stay away from him.
'PunkRoxx' – Why are you doing this?
'FYI8825' – I thought I should give you a head's up before you get fed a load of bullshit by him.
'PunkRoxx' – Listen, ass hole. I don't know who the hell you think you are, but you don't know anything.
'FYI8825' – I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you but we are going to press tonight with this as our lead scoop. I thought you should know before it's the talk of the locker rooms.
'PunkRoxx' – You can't print lies!
'FYI8825' – Exactly, don't you think we'd make sure we have proof.
'PunkRoxx' has signed off.
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I sat back in my chair. This couldn't be happening, I refused to believe any of it.
A notification popped up on my screen – 'You Have One New Email'
I clicked on my inbox, there at the top of the pile was an email from 'FYI8825', the subject read – 'The Proof.'
I sat there for about five minutes, debating whether or not to open the email. On one hand I was curious, what kind of proof could they have? If this whole thing was a lie then surely there would be no proof, but on the other hand. If it was true, and this was indeed verification that Randy and Eve were indeed seeing each other then did I really want to see the evidence with my own eyes?
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I decided to open it, if it was going to be all over the dirt sheets tomorrow I was best seeing it before hand. I moved the cursor over the email and clicked it.
'This is the proof I was talking about. I'm sorry to have to break it to you like this.'
I scrolled down the screen a bit and my eyes widened in astonishment. Photographs, all taken at 'Harry's Bar' in Sanford, the city we were in now. Randy and Eve sitting in a booth, his hand on her knee, her hand on his arm as they smiled flirtatiously at each other. Various others, Randy knocking back shot after shot, Eve sitting in his lap, Randy caressing her face. The last few photos weren't of that bar. It was still Randy and Eve but this time she was coming out of his hotel room, he was making sure the coast was clear as he let her out. Another of her kissing him before she walked away.
I was shocked to say the least. I had told him to move on, find someone else. I had given him up, but that didn't make it hurt any less. Eve was the last person I ever expected Randy to go near, he knew how much I hated the woman, how much she had hurt me. I didn't understand how he could do that.
I stared at that last photograph for a few minutes, there was something about it that seemed to bother me, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I kept looking at it, hoping whatever it was would just jump out at me. I brought my hand up to my mouth in shock when I realised why. That photograph wasn't a recent one. The last few of Eve leaving Randy's room were months old. I knew exactly when they were taken.
How could I forget it?
Because while Eve was in that hotel room screwing Randy, I was laying in a hospital bed losing our baby.
That was the hotel room that I had been in when Randy and I fought, that small stain on the carpet was MY blood. The bruises on Randy's face where Punk had hit him completely confirmed what I already knew. After he left me high and dry in the hospital after learning that our baby was dead and I would still have to deliver her, after running out on me, that son of a bitch went back to the hotel, probably got drunk and slept with the one woman I despise more than any other.
I slammed my laptop closed, I was livid. My hands were shaking, I got up off the chair and paced the room.
How could he do that to me? How could he be so heartless? I thought he had run off because it was too much for him, because he needed to get his head straight. Not so he could have a go on that trollop! I grabbed the bottle of water that was sitting on the table and threw it across the room with a scream. The door knocked. I ignored it as I sat down on the bed, holing my head in my hands, trying to wrap my mind around my newly gained information.
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"Roxxi? Did you just scream?" Punk called through the adjoining door.
I didn't answer him.
My phone began to beep, Randy again. I ignored it and continued to stare a hole in the carpet. The constant sound of my phone began to irritate me even more. I grabbed the phone and threw it across the room. I sat on the bed, with my head in my hands.
"Roxanne? Open the door!" He started banging "Roxanne if you don't open the door I'm gonna break it down." He yelled sounding worried.
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I got up off the bed and pulled the door open before returning to my original position again.
"Roxxi, what's happened?" He asked kneeling in front of me.
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I looked at him, my jaw was tense, he could see the anger in my face.
"Roxanne, you're scaring me now. Say something." He spoke, looking me right in the eyes, his hazel orbs filled with concern.
"You wanna know what's up? Here I'll show you!" I yelled standing up and moving to the laptop.
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I opened the lid and brought up the email again.
"There. Take a good look at that. You were right, you are always right. He is a waste of space, I'm sorry I ever laid eyes on the ass hole!"
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Punk sat down on the chair and scrolled through the email.
When he was done he closed the lid gently and stood facing me, stopping my pacing. He put his hands on each of my arms and made me look at him.
"Forget about him. He's hurt you for the last time, you have done so well in you're life since he left, don't let him bring you down."
I threw myself into his arms, crying against his chest as he stroked my hair.
"Everyone is going to know tomorrow. I'm going to be the talk of the locker room. Everyone is going to be looking at me and thinking about what a stupid bitch I've been." I cried.
Punk sat me down on the bed and knelt down in front of me.
"Look at me." He began "Firstly, who cares if people talk, ignore them, gossips are not worth your time. Secondly, no one will think you are stupid. You're not, not in the slightest. If anything they'll think he's an idiot for letting someone like you get away." He moved to sit on the bed beside me, still holding my hand.
"You're just saying that because you are my friend. Friends have to say things like that."
"No, Roxanne. I'm saying that because it's the truth. You are so intelligent, sweet, caring, witty, you always think the best of people. And you don't even realise it but you are so stunningly beautiful, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on." He said as he wiped away a few stray tears, leaving his hand to rest on my cheek.
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That's when it hit me.
It had been so obvious, how did I not notice it before? That thing I saw in his eyes, that spark, that glint – it was love. Not just friend love, it was full on 'love-love'!
It was so clear, I don't know how I missed it before. I began to think back to every look, every smile, every hug we had ever shared – and it was present during them all. He loved me, he had been in love with me for a very long time. Now things were making a lot of sense. His dislike for Randy and Stephen, his protectiveness over me. But that had to mean that he had stood back and watched me get into relationships with two other men, completely over looking him.
"Roxanne?" His voice broke my thoughts.
I brought my attention to the man before me. He was still looking at me, like he was trying to gauge my reaction. I was shocked, the man who had been my best friend for the best part of ten years had just let it slip that he was in love with me. I needed to find out if I was right, if he had been in love with me the whole time.
"Um... how long have you felt this way?" I asked, suddenly becoming very awkward.
"W-what do you mean?" He asked.
"Phil" I said placing my hand over his which was still on my cheek, "I can see it in your eyes, I know how you feel about me."
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He looked at me shocked, his mouth was open.
"How long have you had these feelings for me?" I asked once again.
"Honestly" He began after a few moments of silence. "I don't remember a time when I didn't love you." He said as he licked his lips.
"The moment you walked into my life with your dad I instantly liked you, as we got to know each other I began to fall for you. I was going to tell you, I finally got the courage up to admit it but when you came back on the road you had just met Stephen and you seemed so happy. I didn't want to spoil that for you." He smiled sadly at me.
"So you've felt this way about me for over seven years and you just stood back and watch me move from relationship to relationship? That must have been hard. I'm so sorry I made you feel like this for so long."
"Don't apologise Roxxi. It wasn't your fault, you didn't know how I felt. And even if you did, you weren't obligated to be with me. As long as you are in my life, I'm happy."
We sat in silence for a few minutes. Neither of us moving from the position we were in. I felt those butterflies in my stomach again, I wasn't sure whether they were because someone had just admitted they loved me, if I was nervous or if possibly I had feelings for Punk myself.
As if he could read my thoughts, Punk leaned in and placed a soft, gentle kiss upon my lips.
I closed my eyes and savoured it before he pulled away. I slowly opened my eyes to see him staring straight back at me. I could see the obvious passion he had burning in them, the love he had for me. I felt bad for how I had treated him. Granted I had not known that he harboured these feelings for me but as I thought back to the way we would playfully flirt, how we'd sit so close, the way we would generally behave toward one another. At the time it seemed harmless, but knowing what I know now, it must have been killing him.
I looked into his eyes again.
Here was a man who had been by my side through everything, who had held my hand when I needed support, who had held my hair back while I threw up, who had held me as I cried. Here was a man who stood back and watched me, the woman he loves make mistake after mistake and still he was there at the end, picking up the pieces. I had chosen men who had hurt me, betrayed me while the one man who had ever really been there for me was right in front of my nose the whole time.
He was a true Knight in shining armour. I looked back at him, he looked nervous, scared even. As if that kiss might spell the end of our friendship. A friendship that had given me so much strength, support and love. I smiled gently at him, he seemed to relax a bit. He ran his hand through my hair.
"I know you don't feel the same way, it's Ok, I understand. I just hope this won't effect our friendship, I couldn't bare to lose you Ro-"
That's when I kissed him back.
Well – What did you think?
I'd like to know your opinions on Punks confession.
Also what did you all think of the Randy/Eve thing?
All reviews, good and bad are welcomed!
Thanks =)