Peeps, the story is coming very close to it's end. Hope you enjoy this chapter, I apologize for it being short but the next chapter is another day and I didn't want to stretch this out too much. Once again, thank you all so much for the reviews, I truly appreciate them. I'll get to work on the next chapter ASAP, hopefully it'll be posted by Friday or Saturday. As always, Read, Enjoy, & Review!!!
Chapter 51...
Thursday…
"Okay how does this look?" Cory turned around in front of Jessica, Jacinda, and Taylor. They'd been watching her try on outfits for almost an hour.
"Can I ask when you started caring when Adelle thinks?" Jessica smirked.
"Gram says that mother is making an effort by coming to the show despite her absolute hatred for my career choice," Cory sighed, frowning at herself in the mirror. "So I should try to make an effort too."
"You look nice," Jacinda said. "That's a good color on you."
Cory wasn't convinced. She liked the outfit but if she knew her mother, she'd find something wrong with it. Her heels weren't high enough. Her shirt wasn't the right shade of blue. Adelle could nitpick anything to death. She blew her bangs out of her face, rolling her eyes at herself.
"I give this 'making an effort' thing like 10 minutes once you see her," Jessica laughed.
"That's positive thinking Jessica," Jacinda laughed.
"You haven't seen them around each other yet," Jessica laughed.
"Jessie, you are not helping put me at ease," Cory yanked the shirt off over her head, pulling on a red one she'd discarded earlier.
"Sorry," Jessica smiled. "You'll be fine. Just wear that."
Cory looked at herself in the mirror again and took a deep breath, still not satisfied. She turned around, "Taylor, what do you think?"
Taylor was looking out the window, her a blank expression on her face.
"Taylor?" Cory repeated. Still no answer.
Cory was worried. Taylor had been like this for a while now. She was getting paler by the day and the dark circles under her eyes were growing harder to ignore. Sometimes when Cory looked at her, she would see her hands shaking but when Taylor realized she was doing it, she stopped immediately.
Taylor finally seemed to notice that Cory was looking at her and she shook her head before asking, "Were you saying something?"
"Yeah," Cory nodded. "I need to take the dogs out for a second, can you come with me?"
She needed to talk to her friend and she didn't want to do it in front of Jessie and Jacinda.
"Sure," Taylor nodded, standing up. They made their way out of the room and down the stairs to the first floor where her dogs, Don Juan and Mr. Belvedere, were laying on the couch. They perked up when she reached the bottom of the stairs. She grabbed a pair of boots she'd dropped on the floor and pulled them on while Taylor put their leashes on. It was freezing outside so Cory pulled coats out of the closet for both of them.
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Taylor kept her eyes on the floor as she, Cory, and the dogs made their way down to the first floor and past the doormen onto the street. She briefly looked up and, though Cory wasn't looking directly at her, she could see that she was concerned. Taylor couldn't blame her. She felt, and probably looked, like a zombie. She hadn't slept more than an hour a night since she woke up to find her door open in the middle of the night. She'd barely wanted to close her eyes. Every night she pushed furniture in front of her door and sat on her bed, back against the wall, watching it. She was terrified that they would find a way in. Whoever was messing with her head didn't have any problem getting into her room before, would a little furniture really stop them? Would anything stop them? She could feel the tears in her eyes again as she thought about it. She still couldn't figure out who it was. Every time she did manage to fall asleep she saw her father but..it wasn't him. It couldn't be. Could it?
"So.." Cory laughed a little. "I bet you're wondering why I dragged you out into the cold."
She waited for her to continue.
"Taylor," Cory stopped walking, turning to look at her. "What's going on with you?"
Taylor looked away, running a hand through her hair, "Nothing I..I have a flu bug, I think it's from all this traveling with Mark."
She looked back at Cory hopefully but was met with a skeptical smirk.
"A valiant effort," Cory said. "But try again…You don't have the flu."
Taylor didn't have the energy to think of another explanation.
"You can talk to me," Cory insisted. "I'm worried about you, so is Chris, and V. Hell anyone who looks at you can see something is going on."
"What did Chris tell you?" Taylor asked, her heart rate slowly climbing.
"Nothing," Cory shook her head. "Just that he's worried and you wont talk to him…And before you ask, no he didn't ask me to talk to you. I'm asking you what's going on because I care."
Taylor didn't know what to say. She couldn't understand why Cory would care. She couldn't understand why anyone would. She'd been feeling so much like that little girl lately. The little girl whose father never loved her, whose mother wouldn't see her. It didn't make any sense that these people she hadn't even known for a year were so concerned with her.
Cory looked defeated and she sighed, turning back toward her building, "I'm not gonna push you. I just want you to know that if you need to talk about anything..I'll listen."
"Thank you," Taylor tried her best to smile. "But I cant talk about it."
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John put his weights back on the rack, half listening as Chris talked about the autograph signing he had the night before. He was trying to concentrate on his friend and his workout but his mind kept drifting. He'd been frustrated for days. Cory still hadn't called him. She must have gotten the message, it was already Friday. He wasn't going to call again. He already felt like an idiot. He needed to find out for sure though.
He looked over at Chris, remembering that he had also been on the 3 day Canadian tour with Cory and Matt Hardy.
When Chris was done talking about his signing, John waited a few seconds before asking, "So..how was the Canadian thing?"
"The Canadian thing?" Chris laughed. "It was pretty fun. We didn't get much sleep, we were out from dawn to dusk but it was cool…Cory was on the phone with her mom every five minutes. I don't know if I'm excited or scared to meet that lady."
"So she wasn't having any phone problems?" John asked.
Chris looked amused, "No, why?"
"Did she, maybe, say anything about me?" John asked.
Chris hesitated and then sighed, "No..not really. I mean, she got asked about you in our interviews but she didn't say anything outside of that."
John rolled his eyes, sitting down. He didn't know if he was more annoyed or disappointed. If she'd been on the phone that much she definitely got his message. He'd seen her checking her voicemail plenty of times, she wasn't a person who never got her messages.
"Cory likes you man, she just needs some time," Chris reassured him.
"Thanks," John said, though he wasn't convinced. He didn't know why he even bothered opening up to her. There was no point.
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"So V's family is gonna be here tomorrow morning, right?" Jason asked.
Jeff nodded, "Yeah, she's practically bouncing off the walls. She cant wait to introduce everyone."
"I must say I'm anxious to see what kind of family could produce someone like V," Matt laughed.
"They're great," Jeff said. He smirked, nudging Matt, "She's got a sister."
"No thank you," Matt laughed. "I love V but you're the one who wants to marry her."
"They're not that much alike," Jeff said. "You might like her."
Matt shook his head, "Change of subject…any news on the ring?"
Jeff's face fell and he sighed, "Nope."
Matt had called the arena and the hotel they were staying in at the time to inform them of the situation but didn't have any luck.
"I still cant believe I was so stupid," Jeff ran a hand over his hair.
"You were trying to keep her from finding it, you didn't expect it to come up missing," Matt reassured him. "V's the nosiest person I know, I would've done the same thing."
"I'm not gonna find it," Jeff said. "I might as well just go buy one."
"No, you went through way too much trouble for that ring," Matt insisted. "We're gonna find it."
"How?" Jeff asked.
Matt looked down at his hands and then back up at Jeff, "Have you considered that someone you know could have taken it?"
Jeff looked at him as if he'd lost it, "What? No."
"It's possible," Matt reminded him. He knew that his brother didn't want to distrust his friends but he needed to accept the possibility. And Matt had a suspect in mind. "I think Adam took it."
"No," Jeff laughed. "I don't think he would do that."
"He doesn't want you guys to get engaged," Matt said plainly.
"I know he's jealous," Jeff agreed. "But I don't think he'd steal the ring just to keep me from asking. That's stupid."
"Who ever said Adam was a genius?" Matt asked. "Come on, how long have we known him?"
"A long time," Jeff said.
"And has he ever let anything keep him from something he wants?"
Jeff still didn't look convinced, "Adam may be an ass sometimes but he's our friend. I know he has a thing for Viveca but he wouldn't take the ring. And even if he had, after I told you guys all I did to get it, he'd give it back. He's not that much of a dick."
Matt decided to drop the subject. Jeff obviously wasn't going to believe him. But he was convinced that Adam knew something and he was going to get to the bottom of it.
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Hunter watched as Cory paced back and forth, wringing her hands, both of her dogs right at her heels. Her mother and grandmother were supposed to arrive soon and she'd been pacing for at least 10 minutes. She'd asked him, Mark, and Jessica to be there with her and they were all sitting in the living room. Mark was watching a basketball game and Jessica was eating chips. Cory had told Jacinda and Taylor they could leave, claiming she didn't want to subject too many people to her mother at once. Hunter wasn't used to seeing his friend so nervous. She kept going back and forth between chewing on her thumbnail and putting her hands on her hips and chewing on her bottom lip.
"You should probably sit down," Hunter advised, standing up and patting her on the shoulder, stopping her from pacing.
"Don't bother," Mark laughed. "She'll just be back up again in five seconds."
"Are you guys sure this looks okay?" Cory looked down at herself. She was wearing a black shirt and a gray vest with a very tight, knee length gray skirt and heels. She'd dyed her hair again, this time the red tint was gone and her hair was all jet black, almost bluish in the light and she'd pinned her bangs back letting the rest flow in curls. She was wearing natural makeup and her full lips were coated with sheer red lip gloss. At least they were before most of it ended up on her thumb.
"Cory, you look fine," Mark insisted.
She frowned at the word 'fine' and Hunter put an arm around her shoulders, "You look beautiful. Relax."
"I need to redo my lip gloss before she gets here," Cory said.
"No you don't you-"
Hunter was cut off when he heard a high pitched bark coming from the hallway.
"Oh dear God she brought Pepper," Cory's eyes went wide.
"They're here already?" Jessica dropped her bag of chips. "You told the doorman to call when they came in."
"Mother probably paid him not to," Cory frowned. "She always has liked the element of surprise."
Jessica took a bite from another chip, beginning to look a little scared herself.
"Okay Mark, turn the game off," Cory said. "Hunter, you get my lip gloss. Jessie, get rid of the chips."
"But they're almost gone," Jessica whined.
Cory jumped when the door opened and the high pitch barking grew louder. She glared, "Who left the door open?"
"It's lovely to see you too dear," a blonde woman came into the living room carrying an incredibly fluffy black dog. She was about 5'7" with honey blonde hair cut in a short, sleek angled bob. She had grayish green eyes and lips that were just a little too full. She was wearing a fitted black suit with a skirt that stopped at her knees diamonds at her ears, neck, and wrist and, oddly enough, the exact same shoes as Cory. She barely had a wrinkle on her face, not a surprise from what Cory had told her about Adelle's fondness for cosmetic surgery.
"Stay away from the dog," Cory whispered to Hunter. "She's insane."
"I can see that," Hunter said as the Pomeranian briefly bared her teeth as Adelle set her on the floor.
"Hello everyone," Adelle flashed a mega watt smile as she walked further into the room.
"Hello Mother," Cory smiled uncomfortably.
Adelle hugged her quickly and then pulled away, taking a look at her, "Sweetheart what have you done to your hair now? And why aren't you wearing anything on your lips?"
Cory shot Hunter a sideways glance and he tried to hold back a laugh.
"You know those earrings I bought you for Christmas last year would have made that outfit," Adelle said. "The Christian Louboutins were a nice touch though."
"Thank you," Cory smiled, her teeth clenched tightly together.
"Jessica dear," Adelle turned, smiling at her.
"Nice to see you Adelle," Jessica reached out for a hug.
"Sweetheart I'd love to hug you but you just pulled your hand out of a bag of potato chips and grease and Valentino don't mix," Adelle smiled, giving Jessica a quick kiss on the cheek.
Jessica looked embarrassed and Adelle patted her shoulder, "You do look lovely though."
"Thanks," Jessica picked up the bag of chips balling it up and walking toward the kitchen.
"Mother, you remember Mark," Cory said.
"Mrs. Rutledge, nice to see you again," Mark held out his hand.
"Very nice to see you too Mark," Adelle smiled.
"And this is Hunter," Cory put her hand on his back.
"I know," Adelle smiled. "Very nice to finally see you in person. My goodness you have such broad shoulders."
"Oh sweet Jesus," Cory mumbled.
"What?" Adelle asked.
"Nothing," Cory smiled, shaking her head.
"I do hope you're still considering the offer I made you," Adelle smiled.
"I am," Hunter nodded.
Cory shot him an angry look and he shrugged.
"I've seen a lot of your work on television, you are incredibly charismatic," Adelle said. "Just the type of talent I need at my agency."
"Mother," Cory smiled. "How about we take a quick break from soliciting my friends and have a seat, hm?"
"Dear you and your sister encouraged my business, you should appreciate that I'm always working," Adelle said.
Cory was obviously tense but she was still smiling, "Where's Gram?"
"She stopped to pick up some present for you," Adelle shrugged. "She'll be a little while."
"Jessie!" Cory called into the kitchen. "Bring out a bottle of wine!"
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"I know mom," Dawn laughed. "I know….I wont have to fly, they'll still be in New York until Tuesday. I have a doctor's appointment on Monday and then I'll go after that. It's not that long of a drive…I know you're happy…Okay…I should go, I'm pretty tired. I think I'm gonna take a nap…I love you too..Bye Mom."
Dawn hung up the phone, laughing as she sat on the bed. Her mother had called to check on her and was thrilled when she informed her that she would be going to New York on Sunday to have a talk with Mark. She wasn't exactly sure what they would talk about or how the talk would go but…it was time. She couldn't keep doing this. It wasn't fair to him or Cory. It wasn't fair to anyone. She wasn't going to tell them she was coming though. They were so busy getting ready for Wrestlemania and she didn't want to bother them. She planned on calling Cory to wish her luck on Sunday, she would let her know then.
Dawn put her hand over her stomach, "Let's just hope your father doesn't hate me for taking this long."
She couldn't imagine how Mark would react to the news. Hopefully he would be excited. Hopefully he wouldn't be angry at Cory for not telling him. Most importantly, Dawn hoped he could forgive her from keeping her pregnancy a secret. She didn't expect him to pull her into a kiss and ask her to marry him, she wasn't even expecting them to get back together. She just hoped that they could come to an understanding and prepare for their baby together.
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