A/N: Thanks for reading, guys! Hope you like the next chapter!

Also, on a side note, whenever I see dumb shit posted in my review section from now on, it will be deleted. Period. I should have started this sooner than now. There's a distinct difference between posting constructive criticism and posting passive-aggressive, bullshit "reviews" just because you're jealous that you can't write a story that people will actually like or take notice of. It's very easy for me to differentiate between the two. If you have that much free time on your hands, go apply for a job or do something else useful.


The afternoon of Raw in Everett, Renesa roamed the hallways of the Xfinity Arena alone. She practiced walking. Sure, that sounded pretty silly, but that's precisely what she had done. She wanted to concentrate on her gait, to decide exactly how much swivel to put into her hips and how much bounce to exude from the balls of her feet. She focused on her stride, how far she placed one foot ahead of the other, and she tried imagining a book balancing on top of her head as she squared her shoulders.

Every boss in her family had a walk, a signature walk. Some of them had created the walk themselves, and some had developed one organically, but all she knew was that if she ever wanted respect out of the men and women she was to supervise, she had to conduct herself like a boss. That meant acting, talking, and yes, even walking the part. Nobody would respect her if she carried on slumping around everywhere like a depressed, lazy slug. She had family and friends to impress, but most of all, she had Seth to impress.

Renesa needed him to want her back. All weekend, he had dodged her phone calls and left her text messages unanswered, and she had wondered how he was occupying his time. Seth wasn't one to sit home alone and be solemn, so how had he entertained himself? Was he out meeting girls, bringing them back to his place, hooking up with them? He could have been, but Renesa liked to give him more credit than that, to give him the benefit of a doubt that he could last longer than a matter of days.

She grappled with whether or not it would make her appear weak to seek Seth out and talk to him upon his arrival. Hell, for all she knew, he could have already been there at the arena. All it would take was finding the private locker room with his name on it and knocking on the door. But then she wouldn't be in control, if she ran to him. Her only job on this day was to ease herself into the role she was playing, the role her father needed her to assume in order to assure the company would run smoothly one day in his absence. And Renesa owed him that much.

Vince deserved to have children who were willing to upkeep his empire, and she'd be damned if she screwed all this up for a man. Even if that man happened to be Seth Rollins. And even if she happened to be head over heels in love with him. Renesa reached up and straightened the collar of her forest green shirt, the one she wore under a solid black pantsuit. She wore closed-toed stiletto heels with tiny, sparkly, studded jewels lining the sides, and a pair of diamond earrings that had been a gift from Vince many moons ago.

Good things always happened to her when she wore those earrings, so she had used them as a good luck charm for the day. Renesa's thick, dark hair was pulled halfway up her head into a neat ponytail, but she wore a diamond encrusted headband in front, giving her otherwise dull ponytail a major upgrade. The headband matched her earrings and made her feel dainty. Pretty, even. Entranced with her own looks, Renesa allowed herself to forget about Seth for a moment and glide down the hallway like it was a space fit only for a princess.

Then she came upon his locker room, the one with a gold star next to his name, like it were marking him as the special snowflake everyone already knew he was. It was totally unnecessary, in Renesa's mind, but it was a thing her dad did, giving his top performers individual locker rooms with stars marked on the outside. Renesa laughed under her breath and slowed to a stop, the smile washing itself off her face when she remembered how they had left off. Seth hadn't attempted to make contact with her since they had spoken on Saturday, and he had even gone out of his way to pretend she didn't exist.

He probably wouldn't find it acceptable for her to be asking for any of his time, and Renesa wasn't sure she could blame him anymore, but what else was there to do? She had to face this man at some point. The problem was that her plans, in the process, were being ruined. She couldn't act like this tall, badass of a woman who handled every obstacle in her way when she was still crying over Seth. He made it difficult to pretend she didn't feel, that her heart didn't ache with every single beat it pounded out within the chambers of her chest. He made it hard.

Renesa gulped and stepped closer to his door, absently adjusting the band on her head as she swayed from one foot to the other like she had to pee or something. Her movements made no sense, but this was how she acted when she was nervous and under stress. With so few people around, the bright side was that she didn't have much of an audience to make a fool of herself in front of, so Renesa reached up a hand and knocked, holding her breath while she waited. There was no peephole in the door, so it wasn't like Seth could look out, see her, and go on acting like she wasn't there.

He had to answer his door. Except, he didn't, and she tried again and again, to no avail. Tapping her foot on the ground, Renesa checked her wristwatch — the one Vince had kindly gifted to her — and saw that it was only a little over a quarter past noon. Most of the boys wouldn't be showing up until an hour or two later, Seth included, but that didn't stop her from testing the door handle just in case. It was locked, but that was a common backstage practice for the bigger stars, so their rooms couldn't be tampered with in their absence. Renesa's eyes lit when a sudden, brilliant idea flashed in her head.

Teeth gritted with determination, she set off in the direction of her office to take care of business. She practiced her new, signature walk the whole way there.

Two facts never changed: Chipotle restaurants were extremely crowded and Seth refused to take advantage of their dining area. He would much rather grab his food to-go every time, and he was lucky enough to have a buddy who felt the same. While exhausted from his dismal weekend and being out on the open road, Cesaro took pity upon the weary-eyed Seth and took over the driving for their trip, setting his phone's GPS to get them headed in the general direction of the arena. He liked having all his electronics ready ahead of time, so he left his phone in the holder attached to the vehicle's dash and accepted his food when Seth handed it over from the passenger seat.

First things were first, and the initial plan for the day was to grub in the car, then journey out to work. Cesaro had opted for a burrito, Seth settling on a bowl with chips and guacamole on the side. Their drinks sat icy and untouched in the cupholders built into the center console. Cesaro tore the foil around the top quarter of his burrito, exposing just enough of the tortilla to sink his teeth into. He enjoyed a hearty bite while Seth absently moved around the food in his bowl with the plastic spores of his fork. Cesaro glanced over and shook his head. It was a sad sight, indeed.

When he had chewed enough of his food that he could speak without the worry of inadvertently spitting burrito chunks everywhere, Cesaro broke the silence of the otherwise quiet vehicle. "You've got it bad, man."

"No, I fuckin' don't," Seth griped, a frown carved into his forehead. "I'm over it. Over her."

"You are not, either."

"Yeah, I am."

"I can tell you love her, dude. There aren't a whole lot of women who send you into a serious tailspin, but she does, and I can see it clear as day. If she has that deep of an effect on you, there's a reason for it," Cesaro shared. "You can be honest, you know. We're bros."

"I'm already being honest. I don't care anymore."

"Come on, be real, it's cool. We can have a heart-to-heart here, and I won't judge. You love her, and she loves you, but you guys hurt each other. Relationships are like that, though. They're tough and they take a lot of work, and if either person isn't willing to give a hundred percent, it'll all fall apart. I've seen you guys interacting when you think no one's watching, and I have to admit, you look good together. You seemed legit happy to be in each other's company, and you know, Renesa's a smart girl. I feel like she's your intellectual identical, like, as in, you guys can have super intelligent conversations and you're both on the same level. You have some really deep discussions in between whatever else is happening that's setting you both off."

"Fine, I'll bite," Seth sighed, letting go of his fork. He stared out the window. "I feel bled dry and used. I give everything I have to Ren, and I'm not talking about physical stuff. I'm saying, like, my fuckin' heart and soul. I give everything to her and she acts like it doesn't count for shit. Just like this past weekend, she called me up out of the blue to accuse me of doing something wrong, but she has no reason to think that. She was just guessing I did something wrong because of how Hunter keeps trying to get her away from me."

"Did you tell her you didn't do anything?" Cesaro asked, watching Seth through his sunglasses.

"Yeah, I told her," Seth said. He scratched the back of his head angrily, his nails being unkind to his tender scalp. "I was like, 'Ren, you should know Hunter tries to take over everyone's life. He's telling you to stay away from me because he wants things his way. It has nothing to do with anything I've done.' I shouldn't even have had to tell her that. She should know better."

"What did she say when you told her that?"

"She just, fuckin', I don't know, dude. She doesn't get it," Seth said, finally peeling his gaze from the side window. Now he stared straight ahead, his hands clenching into fists in his lap. "I'm pissed. Do you know how horny I've been the past few weeks? I've come across so many hot broads who were ready to bang, but I didn't, because I always had Renesa in mind and I never wanted to do anything that would hurt her or break our bond. If this is how she's gonna be, and if she's gonna accuse me of shit I didn't do, even after all the times I've turned chicks away just because of her, then I'm just gonna go out and fuck whoever I want. I'll bang the first rat I see tonight after the show. The one with the biggest tits."

"You don't want to do that, man," Cesaro warned.

"Hell yeah, I do."

"And what happens to you and Ren?"

Seth looked over, his gaze as chilling as winter ice, and leaned in. "I'll tell you what happens. The next time she accuses me of having sex with some other woman, she's gonna be right about it."

While Seth recognized the true value of food and was aware of all the widespread hunger in the world, he couldn't help but toss away untouched tortilla chips, guacamole, rice, beans, and steak bits. He wasn't much in a lunching mood, which couldn't be said for Cesaro, who had shoved his entire burrito down in what had seemed to be only six heaping bites, though it logically had to be more. The whole rest of the ride to the arena, the two men didn't talk about anything, let alone Renesa. The radio droned on in the background until Seth pushed in the dial to shut it off, agitated by the noise.

Cesaro gave him a sidelong glance, but said nothing.

Once they were at the show and through the back doors, the pair went their separate ways. It went without saying that they would be meeting up later that night to ride to the next town together. Neither of them wanted to stall and wait until morning to do the driving to Smackdown. Seth was plotting in his head, already anticipating on a late night workout at whichever CrossFit location he happened across that night. He had gobs of stress to work off, and besides, whenever he was busy in the grind and working up a sweat, he wasn't able to entertain the drama in his life.

Seth cast a single look back, just in time to watch Cesaro disappear around a corner. He was headed to the main locker room shared by all the boys, and Seth was content to hole up inside his own private room until it was time to wander out for the show. Typically, working a show — any show — was an absolute treat, with a cherry on top, for Seth. The art of performance was what made his career worthwhile, but ever since his falling out with Renesa, he could hardly handle being in the same vicinity as her. She was too much.

Too much what, though? Responsibility? Drama? Baggage? Maybe all of the above. And still, his heart longed for her. Despite his plentiful denials to Cesaro in the car, he had spent his entire weekend missing Renesa and wishing life was different, that they were different. Perhaps in time, after they had both matured, a relationship would become a viable option, but as it stood, Seth was in love with a woman he couldn't actually be with, and it hurt with every step of his feet and every beat of his heart. He kept his head down and avoided eye contact until he reached the proper hallway.

Once he located his name on the door — gold star included — Seth used a small key that had been provided at the rear security entrance and let himself inside, finding a fresh fruit platter on one corner of the table and cheese, crackers, and cookies on the other. A small, steel refrigerator sat in the corner, and once he rolled his belongings inside, Seth locked himself in and checked out the beverages; everything from sparkling water to coconut water to fruit smoothies. He decided to keep it simple by selecting a water bottle, kicking the door shut and bringing his cool drink back to the leather sofa, which he fell onto with a swish, staring blankly at the ceiling.

It was then that a flash of color caught the corner of his eye, summoning his attention at once. Seth shifted his body toward the door, where he spied a folded, yellow sheet of paper. Intrigued, he sat up with his palms pressed to his thighs, licking his lips as he stared at the paper, wondering what it could possibly be. From what he could tell, the note had been slipped under the door before his arrival, unless the person had somehow thrust it through the door crack seconds after he arrived, without his noticing right away.

Regardless, this couldn't be ignored. With a final, small sip of water to sustain his suddenly parched throat, Seth crept across the way, bending down to snatch the paper off the floor. When he reached the sofa, he paused, unable to calm his jittery nerves enough to actually take a seat. So he continued standing and opened the paper, flap by angled flap, until he was staring down at the handwriting of his beloved. He would have recognized her boldly cursive penmanship just about anywhere.

This letter was from his girl. His girl. Even when Seth was angry, saying and thinking things he didn't fully mean, through it all, Renesa would always be his woman. That hadn't ever changed, nor would he allow it to. Tentatively, Seth unfolded the note until all the words appeared to him, each letter almost jumping off the page, full of every bit of passion it had taken Renesa to write the note to begin with.

To Colby,

I'm so sorry for everything I've put you through. I know it seems heavy for me to start out a letter that way, but it's the truth. I feel like ever since I got here, I've been bringing a bunch of unnecessary drama into your life, and I want you to know I'm sorry, because that was never my intention. And this past Saturday, I was totally out of line accusing you of going behind my back like that so, again, I'm sorry. I wasn't being fair to you.

I don't want to make excuses for my behavior, so I won't. I do want to explain it, though, if you care to hear it. I definitely think there are reasons I've turned out the way I am now. I came into this company with zero expectations, because I didn't have any idea what to expect. I just knew I'd be like a deer in headlights and that I'd be surrounded by a bunch of talented, powerful people. Wrestlers and agents alike. I knew I would have a ton of work to do and that I would have to prove myself every single day I was here. The biggest thing I never saw coming out of all this was meeting you.

I never thought it would happen, or if we did meet, I figured it would only be in passing and that we wouldn't have much regular contact after that. I never thought I'd be your friend or come to love you one day. I never thought we would spill our deepest secrets, have a relationship, make love, and share our lives with each other. I also never thought over the course of like six months, that things would get so bad that we wouldn't even be able to talk to each other or be in the same room together anymore. And counseling? Oh my God, I never, ever saw that one coming.

It's weird, watching my life come undone and not knowing what to do to fix it. I think I always depended on my mom and dad for that. They were the ones who solved all my problems for me back in the day. Now I'm starting to see that I'm not five years old anymore and that I can't expect them to wave a magic wand and make everything bad in life disappear the way they used to be able to. I have to take personal responsibility for everything I do, whether it's good or bad, and even though I'm a good person at heart, sometimes I don't treat people the way they deserve, and you're at the top of that list, which is why I'm writing you.

I wish I could understand why it's so hard for us to just be together. I want to be able to have an answer, because if I had an answer, that would mean we could come up with a solution to fix this. The thing is, I don't know why we argue. I don't know why there's tension whenever we come together or why we hurt each other. I don't know why counseling is forcing us apart instead of pulling us together. The only two things I know for sure anymore are that I love you and I miss you.

Earlier today, before you were even here at the arena yet, I took my catering back to my office and was coming up with all these different scenarios while I ate. I was imagining all the ways we could maybe be together again, but then I started noticing other things that concerned me about that idea. Some not-so-good things. Things like, ever since we started talking, we lost touch with a lot of our closest friends. You never hang out with the guys anymore, and I never even got to know any of the girls because I was always spending all of my free time with you. Also, hobbies. I don't write as much anymore and I don't think you really spend time unwinding by yourself either, not the way I've heard you used to before I came along. There's other stuff too, small things, but I guess the point I'm trying to make is that we're losing ourselves in each other.

You want to be a star, and you're well on your way to becoming an even bigger one than you already are. I want to succeed at my new job, and I think I'm well on my way to that too, so long as I stay focused and keep my eyes on the prize. So maybe, as bad as we want to be together, we need to give each other time. Time to learn, grow, and figure out who we are as individuals. Then once we've got that all worked out, we can come back together again and make an amazing pair. I can't really see myself with anyone else anymore, and I honestly think we could make it work. Just you and me, me and you. Together forever. What can I say? I'm a hopeless romantic.

I shouldn't be so passive right now. I should be more serious, because this whole thing is serious. I know I can't ask you to put your life on hold while I find myself, but I'm just letting you know, I'm on hold for you. I don't want to be with anyone else, so I'm not going to. If you feel the same about me, then you can wait for me and we can try again later on, but you don't have to. I couldn't expect that of you. It wouldn't be fair. If you meet someone else, I want you to move on and be happy, but if not, just know that I'm always working hard and that I have you in mind. I want you back as soon as I can have you again, if I even can.

I'm so nervous about today, being my first day back and all. I put together my outfit days in advance, and I decided on how I would do my makeup and hair, but I keep looking in the mirror and freaking myself out, thinking somehow I'm not good enough. Will I be well-received in my meetings today? Will I be on time for them with no issues? Will people still take me seriously after all the times I threw in the towel over the past few months? I'm just scared, I guess, and I wish you were sitting next to me right now, because I know you would reassure me and remind me of all my good points. I guess I've got to go it alone this time around, though, right?

My first meeting is in about 15 minutes, so I should probably stop writing this and get headed in that direction. I just wanted you to know that even when I'm at my worst, even when it seems like I'm out of my mind and doing everything wrong, I don't mean it. In the end, I want to be happy, and I want you to be happy, too. I'm just all mixed up inside, and there's a lot more going on than just work stuff. I've got old family things to work out and just messed up stuff from my past, but it's not your problem, and I don't want to make it out like it is. I just need time, like I said. We both do.

I used to question whether coming to the WWE was the right move. For a long time, and sometimes even now, it feels completely foreign and wrong, almost like I don't belong here. Sometimes I think the only thing that keeps me tethered to this business is my last name. But even when I'm feeling the most uncertain about being here, I remember that if I hadn't come, I never would have met you, and I wouldn't give that up for the world. Every decision I've ever made in my life, every second of every day, has led me to you, and I wouldn't trade you for anything in the entire universe.

I'm sorry this is so all over the place. I have a lot of thoughts and they're all really jumbled. I just need you to know I'm saving myself for you, and you can do with that information whatever you see fit to do. I'm sorry for all the hurt and pain I've caused. I just want you to be happy no matter what. Please forgive me, and if you can, be my friend again. I need a friend like you.

Yours always,

Ren

In that instant, just that easily, Seth's icy heart melted.

For an extended amount of time, Seth held the note still in his hands and stared at it — not necessarily at the individual words, but at the intricate twists and turns of her handwriting. He reveled in knowing his fingertips were grasping the same sheet of paper she had held onto earlier that day, and he even brought the sheet to his nose, taking a sniff to see if he could detect lingering hints of her perfume, a comforting smell with notes of vanilla and fig leaves. Before he had time to think up a course of action, his legs were moving, carrying him closer to where she was. Seth didn't pause for even a second.

It was as if his limbs had developed a mind of their own, completely separate from the brain residing in his head, and they led him without question, out of his locker room, through passages and tunnels, up past catering, and straight to the main conference room. A meeting was in progress, as noted by a typed up sign posted to the outside of the closed door. There were no windows, so he couldn't peer in, but Seth cleared his throat and tugged anxiously at the hem of his shirt, leaning up against the wall with his back pressed into it. A few guys sent questioning glances his way as they passed, but he simply nodded and offered a forced grin.

Nothing more, nothing less.

His actions surpassed all logic and reason. It made little sense to wait outside of a packed production meeting, because when the room eventually spilled out, Seth wouldn't be met only with Renesa. The entire McMahon clan, plus all the road agents, plus all the producers would come out with her, and he wasn't supposed to be seen with Renesa. He was supposed to go on pretending she was just another woman, one whom he didn't think about every single morning upon waking, and one he hadn't seen undressed so many times that he had memorized every curve of her body just the same as he had every hitch in her handwriting.

And still, there he stood, right across from the wooden door until, finally, it opened. First came one body, then another, but each blended into the next, a line of nameless, faceless people. He saw no one until she stepped out, a green shirt peeking out over the collar of her suit. Her hair was tucked neatly back, pulled up into a ponytail, and she was every bit as polished as he had ever seen her. Seth sucked in when their eyes met, the electric blue of hers almost too powerful for him to bear.

In his hand, the yellow flash of the folded note caught her eyes, and the left corner of her lips turned upward into a partial sort of smile. Renesa looked around, like she were trying to gauge whether or not she could approach Seth without being reprimanded. Seth, on the other hand, didn't care any longer who saw them together. As far as he was concerned, he would rip off her clothes and bang her right there in the dead center of the hallway with everyone watching. Nothing mattered to him anymore except making sure Renesa would fall asleep that night knowing that she was the sole reason his heart beat.

Seth had been born for this woman, just as she had for him. It was meant to be. With a cautious bit of hesitance in her step, Renesa followed the invisible line that led her to Seth, and when she pranced to a stop, he took her hand. Massaging her knuckles with his thumb, Seth asked, "How was your meeting?"

"Awesome," she said, her eyes wide with uncertainty. She jerked her thumb in the direction of the room. "I, um, left my stuff in there because my dad still wants to meet with me, Steph, and some other people before the show. I'm just taking, like, a 15-minute snack break or whatever."

Seth leaned in closer and lowered his voice. "We need to talk."

"I know," Renesa nodded, like she had expected to hear those words from him all along. "Where?"

"My locker room."

This made her smirk. "If I go in there, we'll definitely do something, but it probably won't be talking. Maybe catering is better?"

"A little presumptuous on your part, huh?" Seth teased.

Renesa pressed her lips together and shrugged, playing coy by batting her lashes. "Maybe so."

"Renesa!" a male voice called sharply from behind her. They both turned in the direction it had come from, finding Paul watching on with his hands in his pockets. A hitch had formed between his brows and his chest heaved from deep breathing, like he were trying to hide the irritation so obviously welling up inside of him. Stephanie stood silent behind Paul, almost as if she didn't agree with what he was doing, but didn't feel entirely comfortable trying to stop him.

"Yeah?" Renesa asked seconds later, once she had found her voice.

Paul tapped his watch with his left forefinger without actually looking down at the face of it. "You have 15 minutes. I'd make it quick if I were you. You said you wanted this time to be different, so make it happen. No distractions."

"Right, I will," she answered.

"Don't you have somewhere to be, Seth?" Paul asked, jerking his head pointedly as if ordering him to another part of the arena. This was getting ridiculous now. He was hellbent of driving a wedge between the two of them, which confused Renesa, because Paul had been the one to say he would never hurt her the way he had before, that he would back off and let her make decisions for herself. Maybe his words couldn't be taken at face value after all.

"We're just talking, Hunter," Seth said. He never broke eye contact, as it challenging Paul's authority, which appeared to make Paul grow angrier, if his gritted teeth and narrowed eyes were any indication.

"Renesa has work to do," Paul finally said, a rigid edge to his tone. He licked his lips and craned his neck, a brief popping noise leaping into the air to announce a release of tension. Renesa couldn't manage to figure out why he was so worked up over her with Seth. This was no different than when he and Stephanie had found their way to each other. If anyone should understand the situation, it should have been the two of them. "If you care about her like you say you do, you'll give her space. She needs it."

"Fine," Seth relented, not wanting to take anything a step farther. Regardless of whether or not he agreed with Paul — and he didn't — Seth wasn't going to argue with him, especially not in front of an audience. Above everything, Paul was his boss, and he owed him some level of respect in the workplace, even when every instinct in him screamed to fight back. Addressing only Renesa, Seth patted her left hipbone lightly and said, "I'll see you later, Ren. I'm glad the meeting went well."

"Yeah, later," she echoed.

Seth proceeded back the way he had come and turned the corner, wandering down only far enough to throw Paul off the scent and make him think he was gone. Then, he perched back up against a wall again and waited, hoping beyond hopes that Renesa was still planning on heading to catering. She would have to pass by him in order to get there. A minute later, her slender form came into view and Seth pushed off the wall with his foot, motioning for her to follow. With Renesa hot on his trail, they slipped through clusters of people, past disorganized cables and production equipment, and around giant crates of extra medical supplies.

Seth stopped at his door, unlocking it as he had earlier, and he held it open, allowing Renesa to enter first. He followed her inside and uncurled his fingers, producing the note he had nabbed earlier from the floor. The note she had put so much thought into writing for him.

At the far end of the hall, nearly lost in a sea of people rushing to and fro, Paul clenched his jaw, staring a hole into Seth's locker room door as it swished shut.

Paul stiffened at first, then gathered his wits and proceeded forward, following the curve of the hallway that led straight to Seth's door.