A/N: A special thanks goes to BreaktheWalls for the wonderful review. Also, I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to read this story. I want to wish everyone a wonderful and safe holidays.

*The lyrics in this chapter belong to Halsey and Wage War, I do not own them.*

Chapter 21:

Confession

Karina

Shay and I made it off the plane in a timely manner. Somehow it felt different being in a different city than Jacksonville. I was so used to the ocean breeze. The air was thick and musty here. Though, Shay didn't seem to mind. She was busy looking at everything around her. It was obvious that she never had traveled before and I was glad to be able to help her in seeing new things.

The rental car was parked in the lot near the end of the third row. I opened the trunk and we put our bags inside. She immediately went to the passenger side of the vehicle and opened the door. I slid behind the wheel and started the ignition.

I could see her dig around inside her purse and pull out her earbuds. It wasn't unusual for rental cars to have SiriusXM for music, so I figured that she would like to listen to some to ease some of the travel worries.

"Do you want to pick the music?" I asked, moving my hand towards the dash.

"Are you sure?" She answered quietly, sitting her buds down on her lap.

"Absolutely, I'll listen to whatever you want."

"Okay."

She fumbled with the buttons until she got what she was looking for. At first I didn't recognize the music currently playing. That was perfectly okay with me, I was learning new things about her. Eventually it did change to something I knew. 'Without Me' by Halsey was the name of the song and it was actually quite fitting considering my history.

After a few seconds, I could hear Shay hum. Soon it turned into full words and I could hear her voice for the first time. It shocked me; but at the same time it didn't. Perhaps talent of the voice came from our dad's side of things.

"Gave love 'bout a hundred tries

Just running from the demons in your mind

Then I took yours and made 'em mine

I didn't notice 'cause my love was blind." She sang.

"You're really good." I complimented.

"Thank you."

It didn't take long for me to join in and help with the singing of the song.

"Said I'd catch you if you fall

And if they laugh, then fuck 'em all

And then I got you off your knees

Put you right back on your feet

Just so you can take advantage of me."

Shay smiled, loving that our voices meshed so well. It was allI could do not to shed tears out of sheer happiness. Once the song was over, I moved to turn the volume down. "Hey, get into my bag and get my phone. I need to film a BTE clip for the show." I said, trying to keep my eyes on the road.

"Sure, do you want me to record it?"

"That would be great."

Shay opened the camera on my phone and angled it the best way she could. She gave me a silent cue to begin speaking. " Hello BTE fans and this is my first solo appearance on the show. As you can see, I am driving. Where to you might ask? Well, by the time this comes out you all know that I'm heading to the Sears Center in Chicago."

The butterflies in my stomach were trying to bash their way out. I've never been more nervous than I was right in that moment and that was saying something. " Tomorrow is the All Out Pay-per-view and on the Buy In is the Women's Casino Battle Royal. Twenty-one entrants and one winner. That winner goes on as one participant to challenge for the AEW Women's World Championship on the first episode of AEW programming on TNT."

That thought alone got me thinking. I had never been involved in something so important. I'm sure Shay could see the emotions written all over my face. She never said a word; but there was a smile on her face, which was all the comfort I needed.

"This is a big moment for me. Being out of the wrestling business for a little over three years, I often question whether or not I could make a comeback. Thankfully, I was urged to do this again by Matt, Nick, Kenny and Cody. Brandi has also been a voice of reason when I had my doubts."

We were stopped in traffic and I could finally face the camera. I smiled, "I look forward to showing you all what I'm capable of doing inside that ring. See you soon." I ended the segment with a wink.

Shay turned the camera off and placed my phone in the center console. My hands instinctively held onto the wheel tighter. "Are you okay?" She asked, trying her best to understand what was going on. She was so sweet to care enough to ask.

"Yeah, I think I'm just nervous. Thank you for doing that for me." I answered, pushing my foot back down on the gas pedal. The traffic was insane and I knew it was going to take awhile to make it to the hotel.

"You're welcome. I understand why you are nervous; but I think you will do great out there. I don't know much about wrestling; however, I'm willing to learn."

All I could do was smile. Shay had been a blessing in disguise. There was no doubt in my mind that I was meant to know her. I was meant to call her my sister.

Kenny

Exiting the elevator, I made my way to the hotel lobby. Matt and Nick had messaged me a little bit ago asking to film some things for BTE, which was perfectly fine. It would get my mind off of Karina. At least that was the hope, until I saw a woman with a similar hair color.

My heart started to pound and all could think of was her. Thankfully, Matt and Nick were waiting for me outside the building so I didn't have to go far.

"Hey man, are you alright?" Nick asked, genuinely concerned.

"I'm fine. Just have a lot on my mind." I answered honestly.

"Does that include Karina? Or is it just PAC?"

Sometimes I really hated that they knew me so well. Clearly, I must be freaking transparent or something. "It's both. I can't explain why, because it's not my secret to tell."

"We get it. We got footage from her a few minutes ago. Her first solo appearance for BTE. Do you want to see it before Nick starts editing? Matt asked, partially changing the subject.

"Yes."

Matt turned his phone in my direction so I could see the screen fully. The second her face was shown my lips curved into a smile. She was driving, which meant that someone else was filming from the passenger seat. My guess was Shay. She had been the one I told could accompany Karina.

When she thanked us for urging her to wrestle again, I wasn't the only one with a smile on their face anymore." I don't think we could have picked a better woman to be apart of 'The Elite'." Nick confessed aloud.

"I believe you are right." Matt agreed.

They didn't need to say anything else I already knew how they felt about her. Cody truly felt that she was a star in the making, not that she needed anymore star power. Her music already made her one. I didn't open my mouth to speak; instead, I shifted my head towards the hotel just as Shay walked to the main doors. Karina followed seconds later.

"Karina!" Nick shouted, slightly surprised to even see her.

She immediately looked in our direction. Shay also moved to walk cautiously behind her sister. Matt and Nick hadn't met Shay formally; but they knew of her and the circumstances behind her arrival. "Hey guys." She greeted warmly, moving to hug each one of us.

"This must be Shay." Matt stated, extending his hand out to her.

"I am." She answered, accepting the handshake.

While they continued to speak to Shay, I turned my attention to Karina. It was evident that she hadn't slept. There were purple bags under her eyes."Are you okay?" I asked, taking a couple steps closer to her.

"Yeah, I'm more than okay. For the first time in a long time I'm happy.

Hearing that made me smile. Shay moved away to stand closer to her sister. I knew they needed to check in with the front desk before it was too late. "I need to check in, will I see you before tomorrow?" She asked in a hopeful voice. How could I say no to that? I wasn't going to be able to.

"If you want, just text me when you want to hang out."

She agreed and entered the building, Shay trailing behind. When they were out of sight, Neither of them said a word; but I knew they wanted to. "Karina seemed really happy today." Matt commented. Nick agreed as we started to film for BTE.

Karina

After several minutes, the receptionist found my reservation. He handed me two key cards and a pamphlet of information about the room including the wifi password and such. Shay turned swiftly narrowing her eyes slightly. She was trying to hide the gesture. It definitely didn't go unnoticed by me at all. "What's wrong?" I asked, starting on towards the elevator.

"Nothing, I thought I saw someone I knew."

"Someone you don't like, I assume."

She nodded her head. There was something she wasn't telling me; but I didn't push for more. I wanted her to feel like she could come to me if there was a problem.

I unlocked the door to our room and she immediately dropped her bags and went into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Her actions were concerning considering that she seemed perfectly fine before the check-in happened.

I let out a sigh before pulling my bags inside. It was times like this did I miss Haden more. He was always the person that I would go for advice, if mom wasn't around. This time neither one were here with me.

Walking around the room, I memorized where things were within the space and opened my bag to change my clothes. Pulling out a pair of light colored distressed skinny jeans and a black scoop neck tank, just enough cleavage without it being too much, I got changed.

The bathroom door suddenly clicked back open and Shay stood in the doorway. There was a solemn expression on her face. "Can I ask you something?" She asked, moving to sit on the edge of the closet full sized bed.

"Of course, you can ask me anything."

"How can you stay so calm when you have feelings for Kenny and you guys aren't couple?"

"To be honest, I don't know if I'm ready for another relationship. I remember what happened in my last one and it just seems to put me on edge with the thought of a new one."

My words were making her think and it also made me think about what her question really was. My feelings for Kenny were growing and perhaps I had been too stand-offish about them, denying them for the sake of protecting myself. I've tried pushing him away countless times already and he continued to stick by me through everything. "I have feelings for someone and it drives me insane that I'm not with this person."

"Are you friends?"

"Yes, we speak almost everyday."

"I believe the day will come when feelings will be recepted, maybe that time isn't right yet."

She ran a hand through her hair before laying back on the bed. I blinked a couple times before moving to sit down next to her. Tears silently rolled down the side of her face. "I don't think it will ever be the right time, Karina. There is a problem and it was always a problem for dad when he was around."

"Shay, who fucking cares what dad thought of anything. He was not there for either of us, so why should it matter what he thought?"

"I wanted to make him proud by being the perfect daughter and all I ever did was disappoint."

"That makes two of us. I always felt like I was a disappointment because he was never around. Sure, Henry filled some of the void; but I always knew that he wasn't my biological dad. That part of me remained missing."

Curling her legs up against her chest, she sobbed into her knees. I shifted my body until I was lying next to her. Wrapping her up into my arms, I let her cry as much as she wanted to. "The problem is that I think I'm gay. It's always been women that I feel attracted to…" She confessed as I pulled her in tighter.

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with that either. Sexual orientation does not define who you are as a person. You make who you are."

"Thank you."

She pushed herself out of my arms and sat up, wiping her eyes away from tears. I sat up, tucking a chunk of her hair behind her ear. "Chin up, just be you and that will never be the wrong choice."

"Maybe you should tell him exactly how you are feeling. I'm pretty sure it's the right time for you." She suggested, bringing a smile back to her face.

"Oh, I don't know about that. Tomorrow is a big day for all of us and I should probably talk to them about what's going on for the show. Will you be okay by yourself for a while?"

"I'll be fine. I'm probably going to get something to eat."

Standing up from the bed, I walked across the room to get into my handbag. Pulling out a small bundle of cash, I handed it to her. Being a normal teenager, she grinned ear to ear upon seeing the money. Shaking my head with a laugh, I closed the bag and swung it up onto my shoulder. "Don't spend it all at once, Shay." I stated, leaving the room.

"Yes mom."

I smiled and then left the room. Pulling my phone out of the back pocket of my jeans, I proceeded to type a quick text message to Kenny. "I'm available to hang out." and hit the send button.

Walking down the hallway towards the elevator, I waited for a reply. Shay's words rung loud inside my head. Maybe she was right about the timing. Perhaps it was a good time to speak the truth about my growing feelings.

My phone vibrated against the skin of my palm. Standing inside the elevator, I opened the message. "Okay, where do you want to meet?" he asked.

"It doesn't matter to me. I'm wandering the hotel at the moment."

"Room 726."

Was that where he was? I wondered if Nick and Matt were with him as well. Pushing the number seven on the keypad inside the elevator, it took me to the seventh floor. After a few seconds, the piece of equipment stopped moving and I was able to get out. Another minute or two passed by and I finally stood outside the door of 726.

Rubbing my palms against the sides of my jeans, I swallowed the lump in my throat and knocked on the door. Hearing a soft rustling behind the door, my stomach clenched, tightening into a large knot. I was beginning to wonder if it was even a good idea to see him.

The door opened and Kenny stood in the doorway. He was dressed in a pair of black workout shorts and a plain light gray t-shirt. His hair was wet, water droplets rolled down the side of his neck. My mouth instantly went dry and my words evaporated.

"Come on in." He greeted, stepping aside to let me pass by.

His room wasn't much different than mine, except he had a view of the city and there was only one bed instead of two; but the furnishings were the same. "How come you didn't tell me that you were coming into Chicago today?" He asked, sitting down on the sofabed.

"Honestly, I didn't want to bother you with it. You've got enough going on right now."

"Karina, I've told you that you aren't a bother to me no matter what you think. It would have been nice to know you were coming. We could have coordinated better."

He wasn't wrong. It probably would have been a lot easier if I had just told him that I was coming. "You're right. It would have been easier; but I wanted to spend time with Shay. She's been struggling to adjust to a new lifestyle and I figured taking her with me was for the best."

"Fair enough. How is she doing?"

I was smiling on the inside. It was beyond thoughtful of him to even ask about her. Her being my sister was just as new to him as it was to me. "She's doing okay. We've had some rough spots here and there. Otherwise, it's been nice. She's quite insightful for a seventeen year old."

"She's probably been through a lot in her short years of life. She's like you in that way."

Sitting down on the edge of the coffee table, my hair fell over my shoulders. The indigo strains were dull and less vibrant compared to my previous color. It really wasn't something I was taking a liking to as I thought I would. "Hopefully she doesn't follow in my relationship footsteps. I don't want her to go through that pain. No one deserves it, especially not someone who still has their whole life ahead of them."

"Rina, you didn't deserve it either. The good news is that you are a part of 'The Elite' and there will always be someone watching out for you."

Kenny

I could see the inner turmoil in her eyes. She was conflicted about something. Leaning forward, I took her hands into my own and then pulled her to sit next to me on the sofabed. It was nice having her there. There was a part of me that wondered what it would be like to have an actual relationship with her and the scared part of me just wanted to let things play out as they were already. "I'm worried about tomorrow." She said softly, pulling her hands back towards her lap.

"Your match or Adrian?" I asked, even though I was pretty sure I knew what the answer would be.

"Both. Your match with him, is this going to continue forward as a feud?"

"I think so, at least until Jon is back to being healthy again. Don't worry about him, I can handle him. You just focus on your match and the things to follow."

She raised a questioning eyebrow at me. It was like she had no idea what I was talking about, so I reached for the smaller bag on the floor and pulled out a tight bundle of papers. It was the show breakdown in fine detail. "Here, this is everything that is going to happen tomorrow night."

She hesitantly took the bundle and started to skim the material. I hoped that she'd be okay with what Brandi and Cody had come up with for her. It was her first real push as a wrestler and I couldn't be more proud of how far she'd come since the first day of training with her. "This is insane. I really didn't expect this kind of exposure already." She admitted, handing the papers back to me.

"They believe in you. We all do, which is why Cody suggested you be a part of 'The Elite'. We all knew that you were something special right from the very beginning."

"Thank you, you have no idea how much you guy's confidence in me means…"

There was no one in the world like her and her talent was unbridled. There was going to be no stopping her once the fans got a taste of what she was capable of in the ring. "I told you earlier...for the first time in a long time that I was happy...I have you to thank for that. You have no idea just how happy you truly make me."

"I'm glad that I could help you. There is one promise that I can make and keep."

"What's that?"

"I'm not going anywhere. You came into my life for a reason and perhaps someday we will figure out why."

She smiled and reached over to take my hand into her own. Her skin was soft as I brushed my thumb across her knuckles. "I think I already know why..." She whispered; but loud enough for me to hear. I held off from saying anything, hoping that she'd go further into why she believed she knew why we came together in each other's lives.

Her mouth opened again; but this time it was her singing voice that came through instead of her speaking one.

"Pull me close I feel the water reach around my neck

Don't let go just show me that there's better days ahead

Make me see how I'm only half the person I should be

Pull me close set me free from this gravity."

I could understand those words clear as day. Depression and anxiety was like a constant weight on your chest. I recognized the song and though I couldn't relate to it, I knew that she could. "You've given me a reason to smile again. You've shown me that I'm a better person than I saw myself and you've lifted this heavy weight off my chest. I'll be forever grateful for that."

"All of those things were already there. You just needed someone to help bring it out. I'm glad that I got to be that person for you."

She leaned in to place her lips gently on my cheek. Out of instinct, I reached up to cup the side of her face and capture her lips with my own. The feeling of her kiss was intoxicating and addicting. I could feel her fingers tangle their way through my wet hair. Every single movement of her lips against mine got my mind reeling with thoughts. Was Matt and Nick right all along and she was the right person for me?

Separating was the hard part. She slowly opened her eyes to meet mine. She was beautiful in every sense of the word and not in a supermodel way either. "I'm going to head back and spend some time with Shay. What time should I be at the arena tomorrow?" She asked, standing up from the sofabed.

"I'd say around ten, that way you can warm up properly. I'm pretty sure Cody wants to speak to you before the event anyway."

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Have a good night, Rina."

"You as well."

She smiled one more time before leaving the room. The urge to pull her back inside was overwhelming. Tomorrow was going to be a crazy day; but at the same time, I knew it was going to be hard for her to be in the same building as Adrian. It didn't matter how much of a front she put up, the past still bothered her.

Pulling out my phone, I opened up the new message screen and proceeded to type. "Can we hang out again after the show tomorrow? Also, I think I miss the aquamarine hair." I sent the message to Karina before turning in for the night.