A/N: Thank you all for the love for Chapter Thirty Five. I don't know about y'all but this past week was very emotional for me watching Reigns win the title on Raw. Like...I just can't...IT'S BOUT DAMN TIME. I swear when I write wrestling off and try to give it up, they reel me back in every single got damn time. Tuh! Anyway, let's proceed to Chapter Thirty Six shall we?
Thirty Six
"You just had one job Zariah! One job! All you had to do was keep your friendship with Seth intact and slowly begin to plant seeds of doubt in his head about his relationship with Alani. But you just had to lose your damn cool and shatter our entire plan!"
Zariah visibly cringed at Cameron's high pitched rant as she watched the petite woman pace back and forth in front of her inside Randy's personal dressing room. She dragged her hand through her messy blonde hair and exhaled, squirming slightly as she felt Randy's disapproving glare on her.
"Look I know I messed up. My temper got the best of me before I could stop myself. But I'm sure once I apologize to Seth everything can get back on track. Lemme just try calling him now."
She pulled out her cell phone and dialed Seth's number. The hopefulness in her gaze diminished when she was sent to voicemail after a few rings. "I guess he's busy," she mumbled as she lowered the phone from her ear and sat it next to her.
"You actually think Rollins is going to answer your calls? You called his girlfriend a slut and vowed that she would break his heart when it was all said and done. Don't be so damn naieve Zariah. Seth already proved how loyal he is to Alani when he told you he couldn't be your friend any more. But you flying off the handle just put the nail in the fuckin coffin in y'all so called friendship. Just accept the fact he wants nothing to do with you anymore."
Realizing Cameron's words were true, Zariah lowered her head and sighed as Cameron released a disgruntled grunt and stomped her foot. Memories of Seth's enraged expression filled Zariah's mind making her shake her head. Throughout all the years she had known the man, she had never been the victim of his ire. She managed to stay on his good side and avoided engaging in tense arguments with him. But the other day, her emotions made her lose her composure. Just hearing Seth was willing to cut her loose to make Alani feel more at ease cut her deep. On one hand, Zariah loved that Seth was thoughtful enough to alleviate his girlfriend's uneasiness and eliminate any woman from his life that she didn't feel comfortable being around him. But on the other, she truly felt like Alani wasn't worthy of such an honor. Zariah knew deep in her soul that she was the perfect woman for Seth and that Alani would do nothing but ruin him in the end. But it just drove the blonde woman insane that Seth was unwilling to see the truth staring him right in the damn face. She had waited for years for Seth to reciprocate the feelings she had harbored for him since their time in ROH. But now with Alani firmly planted in his life, it looked like that wouldn't happen any time soon. Maybe it was time she accepted defeat and moved on with her life.
"So I guess that's it," Zariah said after a few moments of silence.
Cameron stopped typing away on her cell phone, her head whipping up to eye the other woman. "What?"
"Since I fucked up the plan and Seth has shown he's completely committed to Alani, that means the plan is a bust and we go our separate ways right?"
Randy chuckled and shook his head, the first noise the veteran made since Cameron pushed her way inside his locker room dragging Zariah behind her. "See that's the difference between people like me and people like you two."
"What are you rambling about Orton?"
"One little setback and you two want to call it quits? One argument with Rollins and you're falling apart? Get a grip ladies! I did not join forces with you both to lose to Rollins. No, the plan was for us to break apart their relationship and it's still going to happen if I have anything to say about it."
"But our plan is dead Randy. Seth will never forgive Zariah after the way she trashed Alani."
"Then we come up with another plan! Hell the way I see it, Zariah kinda helped us out."
Zariah raised her brow. "I did?"
"Yes. Because as much as Rollins may want to appear that he wasn't rattled by what you said, I know he was. He's insecure and just the thought of his precious sweet cheeks betraying him has him shook."
Cameron tilted her head to the side as she mulled over Randy's words, her eyes lighting up a few seconds later. "And we can make Zariah's prediction become true!"
"What?" Zariah asked, her head swiveling to glance at Cameron and Randy. "How do you two suppose we do that?"
Randy stood to his feet, waving Zariah's question away with his hand. "Don't worry about that minor detail. Just leave everything up to me. By the time I'm done, we'll have everything we want," he said as he made his way to the door. Before he opened it, he whirled around to face the younger woman. "But Zariah if you want to bow out now, I'll completely understand."
"You would?" Zariah crossed her arms across her chest and eyed Randy suspiciously.
"Yes. I would never want you to do something against your conscience. I mean you'll be back in developmental with the rest of the rookies, lonely while Seth finds another diva to snuggle up to to help him get over his heartbreak with Alani once we successfully break them two up. But hey at least your conscience will be clear."
Zariah exhaled, dueling thoughts battling inside of her head. Once she realized Randy had her right where he wanted, she reluctantly nodded her head and stood to her feet.
"I'm in."
A smarmy smirk spread across Randy's lips as he swung his door open, gesturing to the hallway. Cameron and Zariah stepped out the room as he leaned against the doorframe. "Good. Now I'll keep you all posted once I get everything rolling. And relax. Everything will work out and before you know it, we'll have the revenge we want on Alani and that weasel Rollins."
Not waiting on either woman to respond, Randy stepped back inside his locker room and closed the door. Zariah turned to face Cameron, a worried expression on her face as she bit on the corner of her lip. "I don't have a good feeling about this Cam."
Cameron smacked her lips and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "You heard Randy. He has it all under control. You worry too fuckin much girl," she assured her as she began to walk away.
Zariah tossed her hands in the air and followed the smaller diva towards their own locker room, neither of them noticing the pair of narrowed eyes watching their every move.
Alani tilted her head in greeting as she passed by a few of her co-workers in the hotel corridor. She tousled her hair with one hand while the other held a large pizza, the delicious aroma invading her nostrils and making her mouth water. She felt her palms become slightly sweaty as she neared her destination. Alani had finally rejoined the tour after her visit to Jersey to check on her father. Although her trip ended better than it began once she sat down with her family and hashing out a few of their issues, she was honestly excited to be back on the road. She missed the hustle of visiting town after town for shows and interacting with fans. She found life mundane without the chaotic atmosphere she experienced backstage at Raw. But above everything else, she missed a certain cocky and charming man that managed to make the butterflies constantly flutter rapidly in her stomach with just a mere glance in her direction.
Alani couldn't wait to be reunited with her boyfriend again.
Once the term boyfriend crossed her mind, a goofy grin appeared on Alani's lips. After months of dodging the truth about their attraction towards one another and her reluctance to remove Randy from her life for good, her and Seth were officially a couple. While she was overwhelmed with joy at the new development, Alani still kept the piece of information to herself. She knew her friends were going through their own problems and she didn't want to appear to be rude by throwing her good fortune in their face. So for now, she would keep the news to herself until she saw Alyssa and Alexandria again to catch up with them.
Alani's steps slowed as she reached a closed door. Inhaling slowly, she knocked a few times and waited for it to open. A few seconds passed before the door swung open revealing a shirtless Seth. The calmness that she conjured up quickly disappeared at the sight. This was the first time she had seen the wrestler since he left Jersey and it was taking every ounce of restraint inside of her not to pounce him.
"So do you typically open the door shirtless Rollins?"
Seth smirked. "Only when I'm in the middle of getting dressed after showering." He stepped back to let Alani step inside his hotel room.
The image of Seth standing naked in the shower, water droplets cascading down his tanned muscular frame made the fluttering in Alani's stomach move lower to the apex between her thighs. Biting her bottom lip to stifle a moan, she walked inside the hotel room feeling Seth's gaze on her body as she moved. The interviewer placed the pizza on the wooden desk and began to shrug her jacket off her shoulders.
"I missed you."
Alani visibly shivered as she felt Seth's warm breath ghost over the nape of her neck. His muscular arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her body into his as his other free hand grasped her chin and turned her to face him. Seth's lips covered hers in a sizzling kiss before she could utter a word. She instantly melted in his embrace and turned around completely so she could wrap her own arms around his neck. Her full lips parted as she pulled Seth's top lip into her mouth with her teeth, his satisfied growl filling the room. Seth's hands dropped to her ass and squeezed a generous amount of flesh causing Alani to mewl against his lips. Seth's tongue slid against Alani's and trapped it in a sensual struggle. Her heart pounded against her chest, mimicking his own heart beat and she felt herself become light headed from the lack of oxygen, her knees buckling and threatening to give way.
Right before she could fall to the floor, Seth pulled away and pressed his forehead against Alani's. Her eyes fluttered open when she felt him place a soft kiss on the bridge of her nose. An easy grin appeared on Seth's face and Alani found herself smiling back at him.
"Didn't I tell you to be careful kissing me like that and stealing my breath away Rollins?"
Seth chuckled as he pulled away, leading Alani towards the queen sized bed. "Couldn't help myself sweet cheeks. Wanted to show you how much I missed kissing those lips."
A deep blush colored Alani's cheeks as she flopped down onto Seth's bed and kicked off her sandals. She watched him move around the room, grabbing the pizza and a t-shirt, before rejoining her as he pulled his shirt on.
"You can keep your shirt off if you want."
Seth looked at Alani and raised his brow. "Really? And why is that?"
"Don't want you to be uncomfortable in your own room Rollins. So if you're at ease being shirtless I have no issue with it."
Amusement twinkled in Seth's eyes as they stared at one another. "Look at you being considerate sweet cheeks."
Alani shrugged as she grabbed a slice of supreme pizza and started nibbling on it. "It's the least I can do."
Seth chuckled and shook his head. "I rather slip it on though. Don't want to make you pass out from staring at my chest."
Alani glared at Seth and playfully pushed him in the chest, making his laughter intensify. He quickly snagged her wrist and pulled her close to him, placing another kiss on her lips. He pulled away after a few seconds and pushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear.
"I missed you too." The words tumbled from Alani's lips before she could stop them.
Seth's grin widened at the admission as he nodded his head. "How was the rest of the visit after I left?"
Alani exhaled as she leaned against Seth's chest, his arm automatically corralling her waist. "Surprisingly we didn't kill one another. I sat down with Lo, Marcus, and mama and we somewhat hashed things out. I finally saw things from their perspective and realized that there are some things I need to change about myself. And they finally admitted the flaws they need to work on as well. Things aren't perfect but they're better than they once were."
"Well at least things are moving in the right direction. I'm proud of you Matthews."
"Me? Why?"
"Because you swallowed your pride and actually took the first step to fix things between you and your family. I know how stubborn you can be so for you to do that shows how much you've grown."
Alani looked down at her hands shyly as she felt herself beaming with happiness at Seth's compliment. She had to admit it felt good for once not being at odds with her family and she was definitely looking forward on fixing their relationship. She knew it wouldn't be easy but she was determined to prove that she was capable of being mature enough to forge a closer relationship with her siblings and mother.
"Mama also said next time I came home if I wanted to bring my boyfriend Seth along I was more than welcome to do so."
Seth took a bite of his pizza and swallowed. "I guess she likes me now that she calls me by my real name."
"Like is kind of stretching it. Tolerate is more appropriate," Alani said with a giggle.
"Regardless of how she feels about me, I would be more than happy to go with you to visit your family if you want me to."
Alani glanced up at Seth, adoration twinkling in her orbs. "Thanks babe. That means a lot to me," she replied making Seth to smile at the term of endearment. "So what's been going on with you? Been staying out of trouble while I been gone?"
Alani watched as Seth's smile faltered slightly making her raise her brow. She sat up and crossed her arms as he pushed his hair back. "What happened?"
"Nothing bad happened."
"So something did happen."
"Look, if I tell you you gotta promise to not fly off the handle Alani."
"Depends on what it is."
"Sweet cheeks..."
"Fine Seth, I'll remain calm," Alani promised. "Now what happened?"
Deciding he didn't want to hold any secrets from his girlfriend, Seth described his latest interaction with Zariah. Alani remained silent as she listened, her jaw twitching as she struggled to not blow up. Once Seth finished, he waited for Alani to respond, bracing himself for her reaction.
"You didn't have to end your friendship with Zariah, Seth."
"So you would've been perfectly fine if I remained friends with a woman I used to have sex?"
Alani exhaled and slowly shook her head. "Well, not really. But I didn't want to appear to be one of those jealous, insecure girlfriends that forced you to end friendships with people that were in your life before I appeared Seth."
"You didn't force me Alani. It was something that I wanted to do." Seth sat up and reached for Alani's hand. His fingers intertwined with hers and he gave her hand a firm squeeze as they held one another's stare. "When I took the time to think things over I realized the only reason she remained in my life for so long was because she was an outlet for me sexually. But now that I'm building something deeper with you, she's no longer needed," he explained. "I know if the roles were reversed and you were still cordial with Orton, I would not like that shit at all. So I felt like I needed to cut Zariah out of my life to show you how serious I am about us. I never want you to doubt that you're the only woman for me Alani."
Alani expelled a deep breath as she consumed Seth's words, her mind in a tailspin as her heart rate sped up. For as long as she could remember, she yearned for a man that was only committed to her and nobody else. One that was determined to treat her like a queen and shower her with affection. Now that she had a man like that in her life, everything felt surreal to her as if she was dreaming. But as she gazed into Seth's chocolate brown eyes and observed the sincerity and truthfulness radiating throughout his gaze, Alani realized that this was indeed reality.
"I think you're the first man to tell me that," Alani replied after a few moments of silence with a shaky chuckle. "But thank you. That means a lot to me Seth."
Before Seth could react, Alani leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. The move caught the man off guard as he stumbled backwards before quickly regaining his bearings and engulfing Alani in an embrace. He quickly pulled her onto his lap and leaned back against the headboard as her arms wrapped around his neck. The deepening of the kiss along with Alani's hips rotating on top of his crotch made Seth groan loudly, his head lulling backwards and breaking the kiss. Alani's lips immediately latched onto his neck, sucking and nipping his skin softly prompting his penis to swell underneath the mesh material gym shorts he wore and poke Alani in her thigh.
"You're gonna be the death of me sweet cheeks," Seth moaned.
"At least you'll enjoy your demise." Alani laughed against Seth's Adam's apple. She yelped quietly as he pinched her hips.
"I have a question I wanna ask you."
"What is it?" Alani moved to the other side of Seth's neck and peppered his skin with open mouth kisses.
"Well Raw is gonna be in Des Moines in a couple of weeks and I was wondering if you would like to meet my family."
Alani completely stopped moving and pulled away from Seth's neck. She looked at him to determine if he was joking. But once she saw he was serious, she gulped nervously. "You want me to meet your family? Really?"
"Yes, really." Seth chuckled.
"You don't have to introduce me to your family just because you met mine Seth," Alani assured him.
"That's not why I'm asking you. I've been meaning to ask you for a while now, before we took the trip to Jersey. I know we finally admitted to ourselves that we're exclusive and we haven't been dating long but I really want them to meet you. To meet the woman that means a lot to me."
Alani's cheeks became flushed with color at Seth's words as she nervously ran a hand through her hair. "Seth..I don't...I don't know what to say."
"Say yes."
Alani climbed off the bed and started pacing back and forth, wringing her hands. "You know no man has ever deemed me worthy enough to meet their family before. I wouldn't know what to wear or say or do."
Seth quickly stood to his feet and snagged Alani by her waist stopping her movements. He placed a tender kiss on her temple. "Just be yourself Alani. That's all I want."
Alani eyed Seth with a twinge of trepidation as she considered his offer. Things were going so well between the two of them and she didn't want to jeopardize that by refusing to meet his family when he was so willing to meet hers. But she couldn't lie. She was terrified of the possibility of Seth's family not liking her. What if they didn't like the way she talked or dressed? What if they weren't comfortable with their son dating a Black woman? Every possible nightmare scenario ran through her mind prompting her leg to bounce erratically, her nerves spiraling out of control.
A sense of calmness washed over Alani as Seth lifted her head with his index finger and the two of them locked eyes. She felt her resolve slowly crumble at the gleam of hopefulness in his orbs. It was at that point when she realized that his request was the sign of a big step for Seth. She wasn't the only one trying to overcome heartbreak as he was too. By him inviting her to meet his family, he was opening up a part of his life that he had kept closed off to other women for a while. It was an honor that she should be ecstatic he offered her and she realized she couldn't let it go to waste.
Alani nodded. "Okay. I'll meet your family. I just hope they don't hate me," she murmured.
"They won't."
"How can you be so sure Rollins?"
Seth leaned forward and kissed Alani tenderly before pulling away, a smile on his face. "Because I'm positive once they get to know you, they'll find you amazing just like I do," he simply said.
"Roman, where are you?" Alyssa called out as she entered the house. She dropped her keys on the table sitting next to the door and kicked off her shoes.
"I'm in the den gorgeous!"
Alyssa started walking towards the den, flipping through the mail as she walked. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she got closer, the sounds of Isaiah's excited babbling to his father greeting her. A few seconds later she stopped in the doorway of the den and leaned against the frame. A wide smile appeared on her face as she watched Roman fiddling around with the wires to the television, Isaiah's wide brown eyes watching his every move as Ethan crawled around the room looking to grab something he had no business grabbing. Roman's eyes beamed as he talked to Isaiah, laughing at his son's infectious happiness before returning his attention to the task at hand.
"And what are you three up to?"
Roman glanced up at his wife, a crooked grin on his face. His gaze swept over her appearance, appreciating the way her loose fitting maxi skirt hung slightly past her hips and exposing a sliver of skin, a matching black tank top covering her upper half but still revealing a teasing peak of her cleavage. He subconsciously licked his lips as he stood to his feet. Alyssa walked into the room and immediately found herself wrapped in Roman's arms as he brushed his lips across hers.
"We were just trying to set up a surprise for Mama before she got back home from getting her nails done."
"A surprise?" Alyssa raised a brow. "What do you have up your sleeve Reigns?"
"I know things have been chaotic with us finishing the plans for the boys' birthday party so I was thinking it would be nice to spend a nice quiet night at home with just us four. How does that sound?"
Alyssa nodded her head as she crouched to pick up Isaiah and kissed his chubby cheek as he reached for her large hoop earring. "That sounds great Ro. But what's my surprise?"
Chuckling at his wife's impatience, Roman grabbed her hand and lead her to the couch so she could sit while he sat on the coffee table blocking her view of the television. "Remember when we first started dating and you told me how one of your favorite childhood memories was playing video games with your brother?"
"Roman, that was so damn long ago. How do you remember me saying that?"
"I remember everything you say. You should know that by now Alyssa," Roman told her making her blush. "Well I did some researching. And after looking long and hard, I was able to find this gem."
Roman moved out the way and gestured towards the entertainment center next to the DVD player. Alyssa's eyes widened when she spotted the Super Nintendo game console before her head quickly whipped to face her husband. "How did you find this?"
"It wasn't easy. I searched all on eBay for all the equipment and games you said you loved. I was just thinking that it would be something different for us to enjoy a night of playing old school video games and eating food that's completely bad for us."
Alyssa giggled as she watched Roman sat on the floor and excitedly show her the games he purchased. From Street Fighter 2 to Mortal Kombat to Super Mario Brothers, Roman made sure he covered all bases. As she observed him battle Ethan from grabbing one of the games and tossing it across the room while he described his experience tracking down the games, Alyssa felt her heart swell inside her chest. Just when she thought Roman couldn't top the way he treated her, he proved her wrong. Although the action appeared to be very minor, it meant the world to the makeup artist. She still remembered the date she animatedly told Roman about her many video game battles with her brother, a moment that took place very early in their relationship. The simple fact that he remembered the detail showed Alyssa how attentive and loving her husband was.
"Gorgeous, did you hear a word I said?"
Alyssa's thoughts were interrupted by Roman's question. She turned her head and sheepishly smiled at him, shaking her head. "Sorry. What happened?"
"I asked you which game did you wanna play first?"
"Mario. It's my favorite," Alyssa quickly answered.
Roman nodded and grabbed the game to insert it inside the game console. As the opening credits ran, he stood to his feet and plopped on the couch next to his wife. His arm instantly wrapped around her shoulder and he pulled her into his chest, placing a kiss on the crown of her head.
"What's going on in that mind of yours Mrs. Reigns?"
Alyssa's eyes swept over the scene in the room. Her body lovingly enveloped in her husband's embrace. Her youngest son cradled in her arms as her oldest busily crawled on the floor, grabbing on the edge of the table to try to stand. The entire scene was perfect but there was a small voice whispering to her that there was another reason behind Roman's spontaneous date idea.
"I should be asking you the same thing Ro."
"What you mean?"
Alyssa glanced up towards Roman and she flashed him a half smile. "Don't get me wrong Ro. I appreciate this. I really do. But I know you. And I can tell something prompted you to do all of this besides you loving me and wanting to spend a quiet night at home. So what's up?"
Roman ran a hand through his hair and exhaled. He shook his head with a wry chuckle, amazed at how quickly Alyssa was able to see through his gesture. "I guess this was my way of trying to help us return to the way we once were before things got hectic and stressful."
Although Roman didn't utter Heather's name, Alyssa's body still stiffened when she realized he was referring to the junior hairstylist. Isaiah immediately looked up at his mother and furrowed his brows curiously forcing her to flash him a reassuring smile as she attempted to calm her brewing anger.
"I thought we weren't gonna speak about that situation anymore Ro."
"I know. But you forget I know you too Alyssa. And I can tell it's still bothering you and you're still struggling to keep your cool. I just wanted to do something nice for us as a family to help take your mind off of it. To remind you of everything that you have to be grateful for instead of focusing on the anger you feel towards her."
Alyssa tilted her head backwards and closed her eyes as she felt a light burning sensation in the corners. Roman truly did know her better than anybody else in the world and sometimes that could be a good thing or a bad thing. While she had tried her best to avoid talking about the Heather issue with her husband, that didn't mean her mind wasn't plagued with unwavering thoughts about it. While the cheating scandal had began to lose steam, Alyssa still had a lingering feeling of paranoia that Heather wasn't done trying to ruin her family. But she tried to push the thought out of her mind and enjoy spending time with her three favorite men, appearing as if she was strong and happy. But maybe she hadn't done such a great job as she thought she had did.
"I didn't want to piss you off."
"Piss me..Alyssa you sharing your feelings and thoughts with me doesn't piss me off. You thinking it will and hiding your feelings from me pisses me off. So talk to me."
Inhaling deeply, Alyssa raised her head and opened her eyes. Roman's lips pursed into a thin line at the sight of the unshed tears in his wife's eyes as he fought to remain calm.
"I love y'all so much Ro," she whimpered softly as the tears cascaded down her face.
Roman reached over and brushed Alyssa's tears away. "And we love you too baby girl. You know that."
"I just remember being younger and wishing to have a family of my own one day to make up for the crappy childhood I had. And now that I have it, sometimes I still can't believe this is my life. And as much as I try not to be negative I'm worried that it'll be snatched from me at any moment. I don't..I can't lose my family."
"And I told you that you wouldn't. Not on my watch Alyssa. Can't get rid of me or the boys that easily. Isn't that right Zay?" Roman asked his son.
"Yeah!" The infant exclaimed making the parents laugh slightly.
"Gorgeous there are times when I just sit back and think how great our life is too. Amazing marriage and kids. Thriving careers. Wonderful friends. And I get it, it can be kinda surreal at times but guess what? It's real. This is our life and nobody's gonna take this away from us. You deserve the entire world and if I have anything to say about it, you'll get it."
Alyssa laced her fingers with Roman's and squeezed his large hand tightly. "That's a lot of pressure to put on yourself handsome."
"I can handle the pressure. The day we got married I made a promise to myself to provide you with the life you didn't have before you met me. One filled with love, support, companionship, and a ton of great sex." Roman laughed as Alyssa muffed his head playfully. "I know things won't always be perfect and we're gonna disagree. But I'm yours until I take my last breath just like you're mine until you take yours. Nothing or nobody is gonna alter my plan of loving you for the rest of my life Alyssa."
Alyssa felt her bottom lip trembling as she nodded her head. "I'mma hold you to that promise."
The couple leaned forward for a sweet kiss. Roman's free hand cupped the side of Alyssa's face, his fingers caressing her cheekbone. She mewled against his lips as she felt her mind become muddled with a mixture of emotions, happy to be in the arms of the man she considered to be her one true soul mate.
"Edan!"
Isaiah's excited voice prompted the parents to break apart, their attention turning towards Ethan. Alyssa's hand flew up to her mouth as Ethan grabbed the edge of the coffee table, his small body wobbling back and forth. Determined radiated through his grey eyes as he slowly pulled himself to his feet. Once Ethan was standing upright, his left foot moved forward and his chubby leg shook a bit before his right foot mimicked the action. He removed his hands from the table and continued placing one foot in front of the other as he began walking towards his parents. Alyssa quickly turned to face Roman who was busy watching his oldest every move to make sure he wouldn't fall, his mouth twisting into a grin.
"Ro, look! Look at our boy!" Alyssa exclaimed as she grabbed Roman's arm and shook him excitedly.
Roman remained speechless as Ethan continued to shakily walk around the table before falling onto his father's outstretched legs. He gathered their son into a hug and lifted him in the air making Ethan squeal.
"Look at Pops lil man! That was great Ethan!" Roman cooed. He ruffled Ethan's brown curls and glanced towards Alyssa and Isaiah who were clapping at Ethan's accomplishment. "First your brother says his first word and now you're walking. Y'all growing up too fast for your Mama and me."
"They sure are but Mama is proud of both of her babies." Alyssa rubbed her nose against Ethan's making him laugh happily. "Zay give your brother a high five."
With Roman and Alyssa's assistance, the two brothers high fived one another and burst into a fit of giggles making Alyssa and Roman's smiles widen at the moment. Roman grabbed Isaiah from Alyssa and nodded towards the TV. "Go ahead and play your game gorgeous. Your boys are gonna grab the food since I know you haven't eaten all day."
Roman bent down and placed Ethan on the floor while still holding Isaiah. "C'mon boys time to get din din for Mama."
The smile that seemed to be permanently stuck on Alyssa's face stretched even wider as she watched Roman walk out the den, Ethan sloppily following his father giggling as Isaiah started babbling again. She picked up the controller and exhaled, Roman's words replaying on a loop inside her mind. Life was great and she should spend time enjoying family moments she shared with her boys and her husband instead of focusing on the negative possibilities.
Even if the nagging voice warning her things would crash down around her very soon still remained.
"I had a great time tonight."
Dean's blue eyes sparkled as he gazed at his girlfriend. "I did too," he replied as his hand caressed her jean covered hip. "I missed our date nights doll face."
"Me too Dean." Alexandria bit her bottom lip as she enjoyed the sensation of Dean's calloused fingertips on her skin when his hand slipped underneath her pink blouse. She parted her lips to speak when Dean stepped closer to her, wedging her between his lean body and his apartment door.
"You're up to no good Ambrose."
"Me? Why would you think such a thing?"
"I know that look in your eye. You got evil intentions on your mind."
Dean gasped and shook his head. "Evil is such a harsh term Lex. Anyway, I don't think it's evil of me to want to pull my girlfriend inside my apartment and bury my dick deep inside her pussy until she howls my name for all my neighbors to hear." The auburn haired man smirked as Alexandria's eyes fluttered closed and a soft moan escaped her lips.
"I would think you bending my legs back to my ears and eating me out when you came to pick me up this evening would sate your appetite for the night."
"Hardly. Especially not when you teased me all night long by bending over right in front of me when it was your turn at the pool table and giving me a good view of your amazing ass."
"I don't know what you're referring to," Alexandria huffed and folded her arms across her chest.
"Don't try to play innocent with me Alex. We know you're far from that," Dean teased, laughing when Alexandria narrowed her eyes. "Anyway you know I never can get enough of you darlin'. And let's not pretend your panties aren't soaked at the mere thought of me drilling that pussy of yours with my cock."
Alexandria smiled coyly as she placed her hands on Dean's shoulders and stood on her tip toes, leaning close to his ear. "Who says I have on any panties Ambrose?"
Dean's eyes darkened at the statement and before Alexandria could speak, his lips were on hers in a fiery kiss. She melted against his frame as she returned the sloppy kiss, thrusting her tongue inside his mouth surprising both him and her at her take charge attitude. Her hands slipped underneath Dean's t-shirt and her nails scratched his chest making him groan against her full lips. He pressed his crotch against Alexandria's core and she trembled when she felt his hardness poke her, a clear indication of what he had on his mind.
"Hurry up and unlock the door so we can continue this inside," Alexandria instructed in a breathless whisper.
"Why don't you unlock it instead?"
The words made Alexandria pause and pull away. Dean's chest rose with each breath he took and her lips tingled as they stared at one another.
"What are you talking about Dean?"
Dean reached down and picked up the purse Alexandria dropped earlier and handed it to her. A smile slowly crept onto the edges of his mouth. "I said you should unlock it doll face."
Furrowing her brow in confusion, Alexandria grabbed her purse from Dean and searched inside. A few seconds later she found a single key hooked onto a keychain.
"Dean-"
"I told you I was gonna start showing you how serious I was about fixing things between us and becoming the man you deserve. This is a small step towards that goal but at least it's a step right?"
Alexandria stared at the key in her palm, her hand shaking a little. Her head raised and she caught Dean watching her every move. He tilted his head towards the door as encouragement.
Exhaling slowly, Alexandria turned around and inserted the key inside the lock and turned it to the left. The clicking sound of the lock unlocking echoed throughout the hallway and she pushed the door open, stepping inside Dean's apartment. She felt his presence behind her as he flicked on the light and shut the door behind him. Everything looked as it usually did but there was something different lingering in the air. Although Alexandria couldn't accurately describe it, she felt the joy inside of her blossom. For months she had wanted Dean to reciprocate her dedication to their relationship. To give her a sign that he was as invested in the future as she was. And while he may not have yet uttered those three little words to her that every woman dreamed of hearing one day, him finally giving her a key to his personal sanctuary was a big step for them and their relationship.
"I hope you weren't hoping for a redecorated apartment because we know I suck at things like that," Dean said with a nervous laugh to break the silence. "But I did manage to add one new item that I think you'll like."
Alexandria searched around the apartment for the mystery item when she finally spotted it. She silently walked towards the side table sitting next to the couch and picked up the simple silver picture frame. It was the only picture inside the entire apartment and when Alexandria recognized the picture, she felt a swarm of emotions attack her at once. A picture of her and Dean taken the night of the Hall of Fame Ceremony sat inside the frame. Her fingers traced the photo as she reminisced about the moments prior to the picture being snapped, the grin on her face and the puffy cheeks the result of her trying to stifle her laughter at a naughty joke Dean whispered in her ear. Unable to make a normal face during a picture, Dean's eyes were wide and startled, the blue color truly twinkling from the flash. Whereas some might have hated the picture, Alexandria felt like it captured their true essence. It was quirky. It was odd. It was eccentric.
It was very Dean and Alexandria.
"Lex-"
"You're amazing."
Alexandria placed the picture frame back on the table. She put the key inside her purse and dropped the purse onto the couch. Whirling around on her heel, Alexandria slipped Dean's leather jacket off her shoulders as she gazed at him.
"You are amazing," she repeated, accentuating every word by unfastening a button on her blouse. The blouse quickly fell to the floor leaving Alexandria in just her pale pink lacy bra and jeans. Dean bit down on his bottom lip at the sight of her breasts and Alexandria crooked her fingers backwards, summoning him to her. He quickly obliged and once he was in her reach, she pulled him closer by the waistband of his jeans as she sunk into the couch, his body hovering over hers.
"You give me too much credit Lex."
"And you nearly don't give yourself enough Dean. But let your naughty girl show you how amazing you are."
Their lips met for another intense and messy kiss. Tongues and teeth clashed as Alexandria hastily pulled Dean's t-shirt off his body before wrapping her long leg around his torso to hold him in place. His hands molded to her breasts and Alexandria moaned into the kiss. Her juices trickled down her legs and she felt her pussy quiver with need as her hand impatiently grabbed Dean's belt buckle. Right before she could pull the leather strap through the loops, a knock on the door stopped her.
"You have to be fuckin kidding me," Dean groaned, punching the couch cushion. Alexandria giggled at his reaction. "This isn't funny. I'm about to burst through my damn jeans."
Alexandria untangled her leg from her boyfriend's waist and handed him his shirt. "Just get rid of the person and I promise I'll take care of you honey."
Grumbling under his breath as he pulled his t-shirt over his head, Dean stomped towards the door. "I swear if this is that nosey ass Ms. Butler from next door I'm going to fucki-" Dean trailed off as he swung the door open, his eyes landing on the person standing in the corridor. "What are you doing here?"
"Hey. Can I come in?" Gretchen asked.
A/N: I think this is the first chapter in a while where ALL three couples were featured. So whether you're a Selani, Rolyssa, or Dalex fan there was something for everybody. But what the hell does Gretchen think she is doing? And it seems like somebody is onto Cameron/Zariah/Orton? And is Alyssa being paranoid or are her worries valid? Thoughts are appreciated and welcomed. Anywhoo, happy holidays everyone & I'll see you all soon...