Chapter Thirty-Six: Time and Space
There was no way that Randy could have heard her correctly. Absolutely no way. "You want to go home?" he questioned.
"No, Randy," Colby replied, placing her hand on his. "I don't want to go home, but I need to go home. I need space to think. I need to figure out how I truly feel about you and the only way that I can do that is to go home for awhile. Please understand why I have to do this."
Randy nodded. It was all he could do. His heart was constricting, his stomach was tied in knots and his lungs seemed unable to gather enough air for him to breathe. A few moments of silence passed before Randy gained the ability to speak again. "Our flight for St. Louis leaves tomorrow. I'll take you home from there."
"Actually, I called the airline this morning and cancelled that ticket and scheduled another flight for today. Lauren is going to pick me up from the airport."
Randy's heart sand even further. Could she break him anymore? "What time?" He was even afraid to ask.
"In order to give me enough time to make it through security, I have to leave in about two hours."
"Don't you mean WE have to leave in two hours?"
"No, Randy I didn't."
"You're telling me that you aren't going to let me take you to the airport? What else, Colby? Are you going to take all your shit and hide out somewhere else until it's time for you to go just so you can get away from me as soon as you can?" Randy questioned, heatedly, standing up from his place on the bed as Colby stared up at him, mouth slightly open and tears pooling in her eyes.
"Are you trying to completely break me?" he continued. "You leave without so much as a note this morning, you cancel the ticket for the flight that you were supposed to have WITH ME, so you don't have to ride home WITH ME. Then you find a way to get to the damn airport on your own so you don't have to be WITH ME. Do you even realize how much you're killing me right now? Especially after I have professed my love for you? I can understand that you need time and space to think all of this through. But what I don't understand is why you want to get away from me as soon as you can. I want to be with you as long as possible. And you just won't let me."
"I just thought it would be for the best," Colby said, softly, sniffling back her tears.
"How in the hell would that be for the best?" he bellowed in a mixture of hurt and anger.
Colby hesitated before speaking. He had never spoken to her like that before. "I was trying to think of it like a band-aid, Randy. The faster you rip it off, the better it will be. I don't want you to think that I don't want to be with you, because that is the farthest thing from the truth. I want so badly to stay here with you, but I need to go," she replied, her voice breaking as she spoke. She brought her hands up to her face and began shaking as the uncontrollable sobs ripped through her body.
Randy immediately felt guilt wash over him. It was never his intention to let his emotions run amok and especially not to make her cry. He knelt down in front of her and pulled her small hands into his one good hand. "Hey, look at me," he said, gently, as she brought her eyes up to meet his. "I'm sorry that I got so upset and I see what you were trying to do. And it might be for the best, but right now I don't want that. Right now, I want to spend every single second I possibly can with you. I'm just…I'm scared. I thought I lost you once and that was the worst feeling I've ever felt in my life and I don't want to feel that ever again."
Colby was surprised when she looked into the third generation Superstar's eyes. His baby blues were clouded by something she had never seen in them before: tears. She removed one of her hands from his and grazed his face, wiping away the single drop that had fallen onto his tanned cheek. "I can't promise you very much, Randy, but I can promise you this…you will never lose me. As long as I am living and breathing, I will be here for you. I guarantee you that."
Randy walked slowly through the airport, hoping that his leisurely pace would somehow manage to delay the inevitable. Colby walked beside him, her stride as slow as his, their hands clasped together as if hanging on for dear life.
He inhaled deeply as he saw that they were nearing the line for security. This was where he was going to have to leave her. She stopped abruptly and turned to him. He could see the silent tears, threatening to fall from her gray eyes. "Don't…" he whispered, looking down at her.
"I'm going to miss you so much," she said, her bottom lip trembling.
"I know," he replied. "And I'm going to miss you, too."
Colby couldn't hold the tears back any longer as a sob constricted in her chest. She flung her arms around Randy's torso and nuzzled her head into his chest, taking in his scent for the final time before her departure.
Randy tightly placed his sling-free arm around her petite as tears began to fill his own eyes. "Just promise me one thing, please," he spoke softly as more and more cracks seemed to form in his heart.
"Anything," he heard her muffled response.
"Promise me that no matter what you decide that you'll come back; that you won't make this a goodbye forever."
Colby removed her face from his chest and looked up at him, placing her hands along each side of his jaw. Before he knew it, she pulled his lips down on hers, gently moving them against his.
Tears began cascading down Randy's face as he realized it could very well be the last time that their lips met. He moved his right hand to the back of her neck and through her hair, deepening their potential last kiss. He needed to make sure that she didn't forget this; that she didn't forget the way she made him feel; the way his lips felt against hers; the way he knew he made her feel. It was his only chance at being with her. He couldn't let her forget.
The moment passed all too quickly, however, and Colby pulled away, looking into his eyes with tear-stained cheeks and swollen lips. "I promise you, with everything I am, that I will come back." She ran her hand across his cheek one last time, wiping away the tears that had settled there before turning and walking toward the security line.
Randy watched her retreating form, hoping with all of his might that she would turn back around and come running into his arms, saying that there was no way she could leave him. But soon, she was lost in the sea of people and he could no longer see her small frame. He let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and slowly stepped back a few paces, keeping his eyes trained on the spot where Colby had disappeared, before finally turning around and walking out of the airport.
Colby found her seat on the plane and took it immediately, putting her ear buds in her ears. She was in no mood to make small talk with strangers.
She sighed, hoping that she had made the right decision. In her mind, it seemed right, but her heart felt shattered. Was this what love was supposed to feel like? Was she the pain she felt due to the fact that she was leaving a man that she loved or was she just heart-broken over walking away from one of the best friends she had ever had? Was that all Randy was? A friend? Or was he more?
The million questions swirling through her head didn't help at all except for in one area. If there were all of those questions that she needed answers to, then leaving Randy and going home was the right decision. And she wouldn't return to him until she had every single of them answered no matter how long it took.
Friday, August 28, 2008
Randy slung his gym bag over his shoulder as he walked out of the physical therapy clinic. He was no longer required to wear his sling, but he wasn't quite ready to get back in the ring yet. RAW was scheduled to be taped in St. Louis in two days and although he wasn't able to wrestle, he would be cutting a promo at the beginning of the show. That along with a signing the next day was all that was on his agenda for the weekend.
He threw his bag in the back of his SUV before climbing in the driver's seat. As soon as he put the key in the ignition, his cell phone began to ring. He hurriedly retrieved it from his pocked and checked the Caller ID and sighed, disappointedly.
"Hey, Cena," he answered. "What's up?"
"Just calling to tell you that my flight comes in at four. You able to pick me up?"
"Yeah. I'll be there."
"Awesome. So…have you heard anything?"
"Not a word, John. If I had, you would be the first to know," Randy replied, fiddling with the key that still sat in the ignition. "Why do you ask so much? I just talked to you two days ago and you asked."
"Just wondering, ya know, but I gotta go. I need to get through security. Catch ya later, Orton," John said and hung up.
Randy shook his head and placed his phone in the cup holder. John had been acting differently ever since…well ever since Colby left.
He hated thinking about that day, yet it was all he ever thought about. The image of her face was etched in his mind, tears streaming down her cheeks, eyes red and puffy, lips swollen from the kiss they shared. And then she was gone. He hadn't seen or heard from her since.
He picked up his phone a couple dozen times a day, tempted to call her or text her. Every time he got into his car, he had to fight the urge to drive to her house. But he knew he couldn't do any of that. He needed to give her the time and space she felt was necessary. The only bad thing about all of that was that he didn't know how much time she needed. It had already been nearly three months and he hadn't heard a word from her.
Randy shook his head, wishing desperately that he knew something…anything. He did have a feeling, however, that John knew quite a bit. Normally, John was an overly caring friend anyway, but ever since everything went down with Colby, he seemed borderline obsessive with whether or not Colby had reached out to Randy. Something was definitely up with Cena and Randy was bound and determined to find out exactly what it was.
Three hours later, Randy pulled into the parking lot of Lambert St. Louis International Airport to pick up John. Before climbing out of his Escalade, he threw on a baseball cap, a pair of sunglasses and rolled down his sleeves to conceal his new body art. The last thing he needed was to be mobbed by people and he hoped to God that Cena had taken the necessary precautions as well. Randy wanted to get in and out of the airport as soon as possible so that he could begin his interrogation of John.
Once inside, it didn't take Randy long to spot John's hulking frame, shrouded in a hat and sunglasses. Without speaking a word, Randy waited for him to grab his luggage before they made their way back to the car in silence. After sitting in the driver's seat, Randy ditched the hat and rolled his sleeves back up before starting the ignition.
"I think that was the fastest I've ever gotten out of an airport," John laughed, taking his place in the passenger seat.
"I told you that if you kept your mouth shut, nobody would notice you. Your voice is what gets people to turn their heads."
"Yeah, who knew you could be right once in a while. How's the wing coming along?"
"Doc says I'm doing good and that I should be ring ready in about a month or so."
"Good deal. So…I know I asked you earlier…but, have you heard anything?"
Randy sighed in frustration as he backed out of the parking spot and began driving. "I told you, John. If I had, you would know. What I want to know is why you're so interested. It's almost like you're expecting me to hear from her."
John replied with a shrug of his shoulders.
Randy narrowed his eyes, giving his friend the icy stare that John had seen many times in and out of the ring. "Please tell me that you haven't been talking to her the entire time and have neglected to tell me."
"Look, man, the main reason she kept in contact with me was to see how you were doing."
"The main reason? There were others?"
"Well, she needed to talk to someone that knows you and knows her. And…she wanted to thank me," John muttered the last part, deciding he might as well get it all out in the open.
"Thank you for what? What did you do?"
He ran his hand over his hair as Randy pulled up to stop light. "The morning that she left, we had breakfast together and she talked and I may…or may not have led her to the decision to leave."
"You what?"
"I also may have helped her switch her flight and offered to take her to the airport."
"Damnit, Cena!" Randy hollered, banging his fist on the steering wheel. "If we weren't in this car, I'd fucking throttle you!"
"Shut the hell up, Orton! For crying out loud, the girl was fucking confused as hell! She needed to get away from the situation and take a look at it from a distance. Colby's a smart girl, she'll get it figured out and she'll make the right decision. In the meantime, you need to quite being butt hurt over the whole thing, grow a fucking pair and be patient. And stop taking shit out on me!"
Randy stared at John, not believing what had just come out of his best friend's mouth. But before he could respond, the sound of a car horn rang out from behind him. He looked up to see that the light had turned green. He resumed the drive in silence until they pulled into the driveway.
Randy cut the ignition as John moved to get out. "Wait, Cena," he stopped him, taking a deep breath. "Listen, man, I'm sorry I flipped. It's just…I miss her like crazy. And being injured doesn't help. I go through the motions of day to day life, but in my head and my heart, I'm not even here. I'm with her. Wherever she is. And then to hear that you've been talking to her this whole time and that I haven't heard anything…that kills me, John."
"I knew that when you found out, that you would be pissed. That's why I didn't tell you."
"When was the last time you talked to her?"
"About two weeks ago."
"What did she say?" Randy was almost afraid to ask.
"Not much. But she sounded pretty sure of herself. I told her she should talk to you. She said she would; that's why I've been asking so much lately."
Randy relaxed slightly, knowing that Colby had told John she would contact him soon. Honestly, he considered himself very lucky to have John as a friend. Even though, he could be quite annoying at times, everything he did was to help out. He also tended to keep Randy a little more level-headed.
He opened his door and got out as John followed. They walked to the back of the Escalade and grabbed John's luggage. "Thanks, Cena," Randy said, softly.
"For what?" John asked, confused.
"For just being you, man. Now, what do you say we go inside, have a couple of cold ones and play a game of pool?"
John smiled and clapped Randy on the back. "Sounds like a plan."
Wow! It's been a crazy couple of weeks! I am officially a Mrs. Thank you all for the wedding wishes. It did go pretty well. Of course there were mishaps; an emergency ring sizing, a forgotten bridesmaid dress and an MIA groomsman. But the bridesmaid dress was retrieved and we had a stand-in groomsman so it all worked out. Last week, we went on our honeymoon to Gatlinburg, Tennessee which is absolutely beautiful! And now, I'm finally back into my normal routine, so hopefully I'll be better with updates.
Speaking of which, next chapter will be the last, sadly enough. I'm debating on an epilogue. Over the years, I've tossed around the idea of a sequel for Randy and Colby. As of right now, I do not think that there will be one, but who knows. By all means, let me know what you think.
Thanks to Genny, wibragirl, Xandman216, Keeper of Oz, CapriceCC, Bingobaby, beautifultragedyxxx, Jodie54, Bautista's Lil Bit and kodaful1 for reviewing chapter 35. A special thank you goes out to Agnesita1385 for reviewing chapters 11, 25, and 35 and to Enigmatic Lotus Leaf for reviewing chapters 34 and 35.
As always, don't forget to review this chapter as well!
~Gabby~
P.S. Sorry for the longest Author's Note EVER!