Chapter Thirty-six - Believe

I sat with Matt in the bar of the hotel. Jeff had been held up with talking with Simon. Matt was continuing to keep his opinions to himself, and I just had to believe that everything was going to go to plan, like Jeff had told me it would with the match. He was right about that. No injuries, all went well. But then, he didn't know about my plan. Hell, I didn't even know what my plan was yet.

There was a buzz in the bar, down to the closeness of the PPV. After tonight, it was on the road to Rhode Island for most of the crew. It was the calm before the storm where everyone was at ease, before the stress and excitement of the weekend. My role was becoming less and less, with Vickie and Edge's "marriage" coming to an end in the coming weeks, it was my out too. That was the way Simon was thinking anyway, his way of keeping me was just to hang around with Jeff. But that wasn't going to pay much, if anything. I wasn't even sure of my future with Jeff, not after this prolonged conversation with Simon.

Matt was completely aware of my quietness, my one word answers, my general shortness all evening. He chose to accept it and not question me, which I was thankful for. In return, I did not question him about his mood after we left the arena. The separation from Lou was obviously difficult, and seeing it made me want to sign another contract. I didn't want to be apart from Jeff for weeks on end and I sure as hell wasn't going back to the office, but I had to do…something.

Finishing my beer and setting it down on the table, I sighed, "Another round?" The voice asking the question was pleasantly familiar. I looked up from my bottle to find the charming smile of one of my best friends in the business. Danny.

"I better not," I sighed.

Matt rolled his eyes, "She's panicking about what Jeff's gonna say ta her," he explained, "But I'll have another, thanks."

Danny soon appeared with three beers, placing one in front of me despite my protests. "I was glad to hear you two finally made it official. Where is Jeff anyway?" Danny asked, taking a drink from his beer."

"With Simon," Matt and I said simultaneously.

"Simon, as in…"

"Yes." I cut in, before he finished his sentence by referring to Simon as 'my Simon.'

Maybe I could talk to Danny, tell him what was going on. I had tried to tell Louise when she had called earlier. To tell her about Simon's test, but she would tell Matt, I was sure of it. It would get back to Jeff somehow, maybe I just had to tell him myself.

I left Matt and Danny in the bar for their guy conversations, and started packing up my stuff for Rhode Island. At least, that is what I was trying to tell myself. If whatever Jeff had to say was bad, then I would be packing for going home. I folded a couple of tank tops and placed them back in the bag I had just taken them out of when I heard the door unlock, which startled me. "Didn't mean to scare ya," Jeff said with a slight laugh as he walked into the room. I watched him close the door behind him, half expecting Simon to follow him into the room.

"What took you so long at work?" I asked, turning back to my clothes.

He sighed deeply, "We had a few things to talk about. Work stuff, but then we started talking about you," he paused and I wasn't sure I wanted to hear what he was about to say. "He wouldn't say much, but he said if your meeting before Raw next week goes as well as the last then you could get a great deal with a new contract which could run in with my next title reign."

I dropped the clothes I was holding and turned around. Jeff looked ecstatic, a playful grin and his eyes were so bright, glowing almost. "When do you get your shot?" I asked, throwing my arms around him.

"Extreme Rules," he replied.

Extreme Rules, the night my contract ended. The meetings with Simon were more action than talking. He was up to something. He most definitely up to something. And there was nothing I could do about it. No one I could talk to about it. I just had to deal with it, deal with it and end it. Somehow.

Two days of mayhem, and then a week at the apartment with Louise. Matt and Jeff were heading back to Cameron after the Superstars taping to do some Hardy Show bits and pieces before coming back to New York before we headed back on the road once again. I had no role in the PPV. Nothing whatsoever, which I took as a sign from Simon that he had other things in mind for me while the show was on the go.

Matt strolled into my hiding place in the back, holding his cell out, "It's Lou, I gotta go for my match." I took the phone from him and mouthed good luck to him before he walked out,

"Hey Lou," I said, trying my best to sound more upbeat than I was feeling, "How's things at home?"

"You sound like hell," she laughed, "Matt said something with you and Jeff's not right. So spill?"

Sighing, I turned to sound on the monitor up since Matt's match was about to start, "He's just been busy preparing for tonight and I haven't seen much of him since after Raw on Monday. And Simon's getting on my back about my contract. He keeps scheduling meetings for when Jeff is free."

"But I thought him and Jeff were getting on?"

I sighed again, "They are. Which just adds to the weirdness of it all." I glanced down to the monitor, Matt was making his entrance, "I still don't know what I want to do, it's just too much to think about. I better let you go give your boy your full attention."

Simon messaged me just after Matt's match saying that he had to see me immediately and would be with me shortly. The frequency of our meetings was unnecessary, there wasn't much to talk about: I still wasn't sure what I wanted to do. Not that a lot of talking was often done on my part, I stayed quiet, just trying to work out exactly what he was after. Even though his advanced had lessened, he hadn't given up completely.

I glanced over at the monitor, it wasn't long until Jeff's match with Jason. This would give him the Number One Contender's match at Extreme Rules, even though it would rule him "out of action" for tomorrow's Raw. He promised that although he was really going to sell his injury, he wouldn't let himself really get hurt a lot.

It was difficult to keep one eye on the monitor and be way of what Simon was doing as he paced around the room, almost as if he was circling me like a predator circles it's prey before it is about to attack. I knew Simon was willing of attacking at any time but I wasn't sure what his attack would be.

Just as Jeff started to walk down the ramp, Simon began to speak, "We've been throwing a few ideas around the office about how to keep you around, to get rid of you."

"When do I have to decide?" I ask.

"We want you at Raw tomorrow, without Jeff. Then you're free to go home until Jeff's back. Tomorrow you'll help Matt out in a match, it'll start an argument with you and Jeff when you both come back. Throw him off course slightly for his title shot. The rest of it will be decided in the office, depending on your decision."

"Okay. I'll have an answer for you tomorrow. Now, can I watch my guy win?"

Simon nodded and left the room without saying another word.

I wasn't thrilled about having another on screen fight with Jeff, it was never easy to be angry at him when I wasn't really angry at him. There was never a reason to be angry at him, ever since we got together things really had been perfect. I could only hope that things would keep going so well, but I knew that where Simon was involved, he would never make things easy.

A/N - Things are coming to an end with this. Happy or sad, I don't know. Sequel or not, I do not know. Check my profile page for updates, please review and let me know what you think or PM with anything else. Thanks so much for sticking with me thus far - K