"It's ok. You can sit on the couch," Ryan said handing Melissa a towel. Now that Melissa and Stu were officially broken up, again, Ryan didn't need to cover for Terri anymore. The one consequence he had been trying to prevent had happened on it's own. Sure, the cause of their break up happened because of Terri's plan, but that would've happened even without Ryan's involvement.
Melissa ran the thick cotton fabric over her arms, collecting the beads of condensation that the humidity made cling to her skin. "I'll stand. My clothes are soaked, but thank you," she replied meekly. The kiss on his front steps had thrown her for a loop.
He watched her intently as she toweled herself off. "Can I get you a change of clothes?" Ryan asked as though he was struggling to find the right words.
She shrugged. "Maybe a shirt and some shorts would be good," she suggested meekly. They were both tip toeing around each other avoiding talking about what had just transpired between them.
"Um, I can put your clothes in the dryer, too." Ryan walked in to his bedroom to grab some clothing for Melissa.
Melissa smiled. "Hey Ry," she called out after him. "...what just happened out there?" It was easier to ask him if she didn't have to look at him.
Ryan leaned against the door frame of his bedroom and played with the fabric in his hands. He chuckled lightly to himself. "You want the long version or the short version?"
She chuckled slightly in response. "I don't care as long as it's your version and it's the truth," she said. "I need someone to be honest with me right now." He found her vulnerability in the moment to be almost sad. Poor girl had been through so much in the last 24 hours. He needed to put her needs above his own.
He took a deep breath before speaking. "Terri received your designs. She never gave Layla your costume. I don't know where it is. She told me that if I told you about it, she'd tell Stu how I felt about you and the date and the flirting. You didn't need that complicating your already delicate relationship," he said.
Melissa bit her lower lip. "You did that for me?" Ryan nodded his head. "So, you had a chance to sabotage my relationship with Stu and...you didn't? Even with how you feel about me?" Melissa was shocked.
"Well, let's be honest. I'm not asking details, but from what you yelled through my door it seems like if I said that I had seen your designs, he would've believed you and none of this would have happened," Ryan suggested.
Melissa shook her head. "No, I don't think he would have. He dumped me because he doesn't want this type of drama holding him back. Besides, him refusing to believe me is a whole other issue in and of itself. Let's face it. This was ultimately going to happen," she said.
"With you and Stu?" Ryan asked.
"Well, yeah." Melissa stated obviously. "But also with me and you."
"Excuse me?" Ryan asked.
Melissa stood up and walked over towards him. She took the clothes from him and walked towards his bathroom. She momentarily paused outside to answer his question. "I hate that I hurt you. And I think that what you said to me the other day about being selfish - I think there was some truth in that." She disappeared in to the bathroom to change in to dry clothing.
"What do you mean, Mel?" he asked through the door.
"I never really know what's around me. I can't read signs. I can't tell when someone is using me, but you've always looked out for me. I probably never should've gone back with Stu. Goes against my rules of dating. If it didn't work the first time, it won't work the second," she yelled through the door as she changed.
Ryan moved to take a seat on the couch. "But you and I..." Ryan began before being interrupted by Melissa.
She exited his bathroom wearing a Nexus shirt that clung to her breasts, but was big everywhere else. The bottom of the shirt and the shorts was flush together, both ending around her knees. "You and I had one awkward dinner. That's all it was."
Ryan couldn't help but laugh at the way this ensemble looked on her. "So, this is what it would've looked like if we had a girl in the group," Ryan said smiling. "You look ridiculous."
She smiled as she looked down at her outfit. "You picked it out! And believe me if I was dressing your female Nexus member, she'd be a lot sexier than this frumpy shirt dress thing." She plopped herself down next to Ryan on the couch.
He placed his land on her bare knee. "I don't doubt that one bit. You're very talented, but I don't need to tell you that." Melissa thought back to what brought her to Ryan's in the first place. She needed to get this costume situation with Terri sorted out. She sighed heavily and started fiddling with her fingers. "Hey," Ryan whispered as he squeezed her knee. "We're going to figure this out. I promise you." Melissa looked up at Ryan, her eyes filled with tears. He knew how it felt to work so hard for something and have it taken away from you an instant. Ryan spent his whole life training for the WWE only to have it cut short after a few shorts months on the main roster with a debilitating ankle fracture. The only thing that helped him through it was the fact that WWE management believed in him and supported him during his rehabilitation. Melissa needed someone to believe in her and he knew for sure that he was that guy. "You and I will handle this in Detroit." He placed his arm around her and pulled her close to his chest, running his hand up and down her arm, trying his best to comfort her.
Melissa, having been through so much emotionally, was drifting off to sleep in his arms. "Why did you kiss me outside just now?" Her voice was groggy and her body languid.
"Same reason I'm holding you in my arms now." He smiled to himself. "You're beautiful. I needed you to know how I felt so I showed you."
She nuzzled in closer to his chest, draping her arm around his waist. "How do you feel?"
Ryan shut his eyes as he thought. He didn't want to spill it all out now, but she asked. "I care for you a lot. I want you to be happy, ultimately, but I want you to be happy with me...Do you think you could be happy with me?" He was nervous about her answer. He found himself in the same situation as before: her relationship with Stu had just ended and she was vulnerable.
"I don't know, but I'd like to try," she responded moments before falling asleep in his arms. Ryan picked her up and carried her in to his bedroom, gently laying her down in his bed, making sure that her head was centered on the pillow. It was only 8:30pm, but he would let her sleep there the night if she needed to and he would crash on the couch. He gathered her wet clothes and put them in his dryer. Sex with Melissa was the last thing on his mind. He was only slightly aware of the fact that she was asleep in his bed. His thoughts primarily focused on how they could get Terri to own up to what happened. Melissa was far too sweet to execute what he had in mind. The best he could do was to try to get Melissa and some other person to eaves drop outside the door of the costume area prior to the Smackdown taping, but Terri would surely get wind of Melissa's presence if she hadn't already.
The dryer's buzzer startled Ryan from his thoughts and Melissa from her sleep. She panicked slightly when she awoke forgetting that she was at Ryan's apartment. She stepped out of his bedroom, the sharp light from his lamps and the television temporarily blinding her. "How long was I asleep for?" she asked, rubbing her eyes to help make them more receptive to light.
"About an hour," he laughed. "Are you hungry? I have some left over stir fry," he offered.
"That's kind of you, but I'm not really hungry right now, thanks," she responded. They both felt the need to be overly polite to each other as they started feeling out their relationship. "Anyway, my clothes are dry now, I should probably go."
Ryan didn't want her to leave. "You can stay the night if you want to, Mel. I'm perfectly fine on this couch. Hell, I lived on it for a few months in my buddy's apartment. My body is practically molded in to it."
She smiled at his offer. "Thanks, but if I stay, you should sleep in your own bed."
Ryan rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to let a lady sleep on the couch."
"I didn't say anything about me sleeping on the couch. I usually sleep on the left side," she said coyly as she tip toed back in to his bedroom.
"That's perfect," he said as he stood up, following closely behind her. "I sleep on the right." Melissa had already climbed into bed and was lying facing the wall as Ryan approached his side of the bed. He slid under the covers and inched over towards her. He placed his hand on her hip and slid his fingers just under the elastic waist band of her shorts. She bent her form to match with his, resting her feet on the tops of his and slightly arching her back in to his stomach. The Nexus shirt Melissa was wearing slid down her shoulder, revealing a soft patch of skin. Ryan, placed a soft, but sensuous kiss there causing her to exhale sweetly. This is as far as he would take this tonight.
WOW! Thanks for all the great and interesting reviews Moxxie23, Jojo Barrett, hotpocketbandit, and Kizzyfur. I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with me! Hope you're still enjoying the story.
