Lacey's POV
Time was continuing to pass, and the weekend of the Elimination Chamber was here. It seemed like only yesterday that I had won the title at the Royal Rumble. WrestleMania season just flew by every year.
Randy and I never brought up what we said or what happened at the Royal Rumble, so I still did not know truly where we stood. However, now as he drove through the familiar streets of his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, I could only feel excitement for our weekend together. Hopefully the pace of our lives would slow down until Sunday night for the Chamber.
"Well, home sweet home." Randy noted as we pulled up to a beautiful one story home. It was newer, and yet it still had a warm slightly southern charm. I leaned forward to get a better look. The sun had just set and created a perfect backdrop to the home, making it simply enchanting.
"Randy, this is so nice." I complimented him as I got out. He busied himself by getting our things.
"Yeah…just wish I could spend a little more time here, but." I smiled at him and followed behind him as we headed to the front door. His phone began to ring from his back pocket and he pulled it out after setting his bag down. A frown lit his face. "That's the fourth time my mom has called." He muttered in concern and quickly called the number back before we continued on to the house. Just as he unlocked the door, his mother answered on the other end. "Hey, mom, everything okay?"
I walked in and smiled as I scoped out the room. There were hardwood floors and warm leather couches, along with a warm kitchen with shiny appliances. A loud thud made me jump and I turned to see Randy had dropped both of our bags.
"What?" He demanded angrily. I blinked, feeling my heart pound at his sudden outburst. "What are you talking about? No, I haven't." The lines in his forehead couldn't get any deeper than they were now. "I'm not going to do anything! You better not! Mom-mom! I don't have anything to say to her!" I winced and watching him, feeling troubled. There was only one "her" that could make Randy react so violently. "No. No." Finally, he was silent for a long time, steely eyes focused before he bitterly gave in to whatever she had told him. "Fine."
"What happened?" I asked gently after he hung up. He stared out one of the windows, his lips pursed.
"Sam called my parent's house. She claims that she needs to talk to me and wanted me to call her, but I don't want anything to do with her. And of course, my mom's got a soft heart and she falls for any trick and thinks it's an urgent and serious thing. I know her better than that though."
'So…then what?"
"She's giving Sam my number so she can call me." He sighed. I looked down.
"Well…your house is lovely, at least."
"The only problem is it's not really a home to me. Home to me is my parent's house. I'm never in this house and it's always been just me here." He murmured.
"I know exactly what you mean. Home to me has always just been on the road." Randy looked down.
"You know, Lace, someday, I want to be able to walk away from wrestling." He seemed to focus very hard on the wooden flooring, prior anger forgotten. "When I've had enough and there's nothing left for me to do anymore, I want to walk away and still feel like I do right now. I want to be able to get out of bed without problems, and…you know, I just want this place to feel like an actual home."
"You mean…you want a family?" I asked, and Randy looked at me quickly. The blood rushed to my cheeks. "Er-uh…I mean, I'm not making any suggestions…"
"I don't know what I want. I don't know what the future has in store for me." He looked me in the eye. "But, Lacey…I can't help but hope that you're involved in it somehow." There was nothing but silence around us, a silence I couldn't notice because our stare was reaching new volumes. I began walking towards him slowly, him watching my every step, until I was pressed against him. He grabbed my forearms and leaned his head down, giving me the perfect opportunity to join our lips. Fingers no longer formed a lock around my forearms and were now suddenly crawling up my back underneath my shirt, making me shiver. Randy's tongue licked my bottom lip, and I opened my mouth without hesitation, only for the both of us to jump away from each other at the shrill sound of a telephone.
Almost immediately, Randy's features darkened. He glared down at the phone before he finally picked it up. "Yeah?" On the other end after a long pause, I could heard a distinctly female voice speaking, but couldn't make out her words. "Okay," If looks could kill, you couldn't pay me enough to look at Randy right now. He was leaning against his kitchen counter, and I hopped onto the counter behind him, massaging his shoulder absently. "Go on." Randy said stiffly. I heard a break in her speech before she began talking again, and that's when I felt Randy freeze.
"What are you talking about!" He exploded, breaking away from to pace the kitchen. I watched, wide eyed and almost able to feel his anger. "You're lying. You're a lying bitch just like always. No- I don't believe you. Huh. Oh yeah? Oh, I can assure you there's nothing that I would want more." Even when Randy had been angry with me before, I had never heard the amount of pure venom in his voice as I did now. He tore the phone away from his ear in an angry motion and tossed his phone uncaringly onto the counter before he continued to pace, constantly shaking his head in what appeared to be denial.
"Randy?" I asked cautiously. "Randy, what happened?" Finally he stopped and leaned against the counter opposite from me, resting his head in his hands for a long moment before he straightened up and gave me a non-humorous chuckle.
"It was the bitch. She-…" He had to stop, and I could see him getting angry again. "She says I'm the father of her daughter."
I watched, helpless and shocked as Randy once again picked up pacing, this time growling unintelligibly under his breath every so often.
"What…but, how can that be possible if you haven't been together since-"
"I don't know Lacey!" He snapped. I pursed my lips together and he stopped pacing and glanced at me. His anger broke away, and he was back to shaking his head in disbelief as he walked over to me. "She has to be lying." He said, leaning his arms on the counter spot beside me. "She has to be. I can't…I'm not ready, I…" He left it at that. I watched Randy, feeling pity, and grabbed his head to bring him close to me. His head rested against my chest, and I gently stroked his hair, doing my best to suppress my shock and concern in order to calm him down.
"It's alright, Randy. Everything will be okay." He chuckled darkly, and even I could admit my advice sounded more like a lie.
Morning light was finally creeping into Randy's master bedroom. I squeezed Randy's hand and he squeezed mine back and gave me a blank glance before he returned to staring at the ceiling.
Neither of us slept. We laid side by side on Randy's bed, silent, with the TV adding a low background noise. Every now and then, Randy would say one minor thing or two, but it was obvious his mind was preoccupied, his thoughts being chased with fear. I tried being there the best I could for him and fought the heavy urge to fall asleep all night, though there was one occasion when my eyelids fluttered open from a quick doze to find myself wrapped snuggly in Randy's arms. The look on his face made me stay up wide eyed for the rest of the night.
Sam told Randy she wanted to meet with him, and he had told her no, but his mother called him during one of the endless silent hours, and he had a long conversation with her out on his balcony. Whatever she told him seemed to get through to him, because he told me Sam was coming over at 10.
Now, it was 7 and Sam would be here in three hours. I wasn't sure how I felt. Shouldn't I want to hate her? She was the entire reason why Randy had been so broken, she made him think that he was unrepairable, never to be mended again. Someone who made him feel that broken, that ruined, didn't exactly deserve my benefit of the doubt.
"I don't want her here." Randy finally spoke, sitting up on the bed and rubbing his eyes. "I don't want to know what she has to say. She's lying, she just wants my money now too."
"Randy, lying about a child would be pretty awful." I murmured hesitantly, earning a sarcastic snort from him. Maybe he was right, I didn't know how Sam worked. For all I knew, she could very well be a liar.
"My mom said she'll be over with my dad before Sam gets here. They want to hear what she has to say." At that, I leaped out of bed. Randy turned and looked at me, puzzled.
"Your parents are coming?" I demanded, wide awake and feeling the panic.
"Lace, they've already seen you on TV, you don't have to look like a million bucks around my family." He murmured, standing up and walking over to me.
"Yes, but that doesn't mean I have a free pass to look like trash." I said with an armful of clothes. He placed a finger underneath my chin.
"You're never even close to looking like trash. Ever." My panic was momentarily forgotten, and I felt giddy like a school girl as we exchanged smiles. "Go get ready, I'll see what I have for breakfast."
I tucked my hair behind my ear as I waited for Randy's parents to walk up the driveway. The nerves that hit me upon seeing their car pull up was more powerful that what I felt before a RAW. My fingers untucked the hair I had just put behind my ear, and Randy grabbed that hand suddenly, giving me a knowing look. I stared back helplessly.
"Relax," He instructed me calmly before he moved to open the door, towing me alongside him.
"Hey, Randy, my boy!" Cowboy Bob Orton exclaimed heartily at the sight of us. Randy let go of my hand to hug his father, and I suddenly felt as if I were going to float off to space without his steady grip. His mother had dark hair that was fading, but a smile brighter than the sun as she gazed at me happily.
"Lacey, it's so great to finally meet you!" She said, reaching out with open arms. Her hug was one of warmth and comfort, just like her voice. "I'm Elaine."
"It's very nice to meet you, Elaine."
"Lacey," Randy's father greeted me as well with a nod. "So this is the woman my son ditched having Christmas here to spend with." My smile slid off my face and he laughed again heartily as Randy shook his head. "I'm only teasing. It's about time he found a good one! You're quite the accomplished young lady in the WWE."
"Yes sir, she is." Randy smirked proudly at me. I was able to smile again. Suddenly, the sound of a car pulling up into the driveway earned all of our attention, and after that, the sound of a car door shutting. At the sound of footsteps approaching from around the corner, Randy unconsciously moved closer to me, eyes already glaring on the alert. Finally, a woman with dark hair and a nervous smile appeared, carrying a small girl with golden hair and curious eyes.
No one said anything as she stopped a few spaces away from all of us and gave another attempt at a smile. "Hi…" She breathed out before glancing down at the girl in her arms. "This is Alanna."