I only own Matthew Drake/Knight. Everyone else is from WWE. This is the last slow chapter for a while. The reason there wasn't any updates the past few weeks is due to me working on future chapters. To explain, I've got an injury planned for Matt, a little bit more backstory on the pair's first meeting, and them kinda explaining why they established such a strong connection. Chapter ten will be the rumble, and chapter nine is going to be a nice little setup for everything. One other thing, don't expect frequent updates until the summer. I've got two Star Wars stories being worked on, as well as this, another wrestling one that, admittedly, is kinda canned for now, and a comic story. Once everything is released, I'll be able to post more chapters. Until then, a little bit of a fun story: I based the jeweler in this chapter off of my brother, and used his first name for this character. The reason? Because he inspired me to be a better man. Which will come into play at Mania, whether it's against The Fiend or Sheamus in the story.
I woke up to see Lex still resting peacefully, her head on my chest. The sunlight that peaked in made her hair shine golden. It was breathtakingly gorgeous. How could someone like her not have a man who was giving her the world?
That was mind boggling to me. They have an angel loving them, and not one thought to give her the world? Shaking my head, I gently lifted her head off of me and slowly made my way to the bathroom. Stripping down, I entered the hot water as she let out a soft groan.
Once I was done and dressed, she waited by the door with a playful glare.
"You took my pillow away. What are you gonna do to make it up to me?"
"How about breakfast together. Does that work for you Angel?" She playfully tapped her chin before letting out a dramatic sigh.
"I guess. But we should get some coffee as well."
"You will. Kinda like hearing your voice throughout the day." She blushed before grabbing a change of clothes and entering the bathroom. As the water started running, I felt myself relax a little. We were going to head to the party at about six, but Lex said she wanted to do some running beforehand. Which meant I was being dragged along.
Not that I wasn't going to have much choice. She had asked me on the flight back to Orlando, which got us back late yesterday night. Once I agreed, she gave me the brightest smile imaginable. My heart almost stopped at the sight.
As much as I tried to fight it, the truth is that I love her. And that scared me. My past forays into the relationship game have ended disastrously. Could this be any different? Hell, she could have any guy she wanted, so how long until he came along and I was forgotten?
"Matt, you alright?" Lex asked, allowing me to get a good look at the outfit. A light blue shirt with a pair of swords behind a shield on the front. The back read 'Long Live The King' in dark red. A shirt from my time in Mexico where I went by the name of Brad King. She wore a pair of faded blue jeans that had been bedazzled.
All in all, it seemed to be the perfect outfit for her. Her jeans hugged her hips and legs, while the shirt wasn't too baggy on her. A soft smile crawled on to my face as she stared me in the eyes.
"You look absolutely perfect." She blushed and hugged me. Returning it, I couldn't help but catch a whiff of her strawberry shampoo. It might've been the conditioner, but I'm not sure. Very rarely did I get to be so close to an ex.
"Thanks. You ready to go?"
"Yeah. Where do you want to go first?" She gave me a sly grin before tossing me the car keys. Her eyes twinkled with mischief.
"You get to decide. After all, don't you want to treat me like a Princess?" I knew she meant it in a teasing way, but all I could remember was the time an ex used that to….. violate me. Giving her a weak nod, she seemed to be content with the answer.
"I'm surprised you chose this place." Lexi commented as we pulled into a nice restaurant. Her eyes taking in the soft exterior that exuded 'peaceful' meals.
"Don't like it?" I replied, trying to bury my discomfort. She hasn't picked up on it, which is both good and bad. Good cause I didn't want to burden her with it, but bad cause that was all I could think about when not driving. Hell, I didn't have an appetite due to it!
She got herself a nice breakfast, complete with a special coffee. I paid for it, making her bite her lip. Almost like she didn't want me to do so. But I knew that probably wasn't the case.
As we reached the mall, Lexi seemed to have been debating something. Our visits went pretty quickly until she spotted a sports store. It was close to a jewelry store, so we went our separate ways for a few.
I had been searching for a necklace for Lexi. A way to show her how I truly felt. While it was relatively quick, seeing as how we've only really talked over texts and the phone, I couldn't help myself. I really don't know, nor want to know, how to live without her calming presence.
"I think you'll find this necklace to be perfect." I turned to face a man who was maybe twenty at most. His hair was down in a buzz, while a small tuft of hair rested on his chin. The athletic build was accented by a nice suit. It wasn't tailored, but it seemed like it was.
"Could you engrave it with a saying please?" I asked, not looking at the necklace. As he held it up, a soft gasp escaped me. It was absolutely the perfect thing for Lex!
It was a big heart that had what appeared to be a pair of hands holding one another in the middle. It was silver, but the hands were golden.
"I can. Give me an hour or two." I nodded before heading back to meet Lexi. We continued shopping, with Lexi just content to hang off my arm. Returning to the store, the man handed me the necklace as soon as I paid for it.
'My angel, you hold my heart' was engraved on the back. Thanking him, I left and met up with Lexi, who wanted to watch a fantasy movie.
It ran for an hour and forty-five minutes, with her sobbing towards the end. There had been a scene where the heroine was bit by a snake and it affected her. Badly.
"I can't believe that they didn't warn her about the snake!" She ranted, allowing herself to fall into my side. We quickly got to the car and returned to her house to get ready for the party.
"Why don't you like snakes?" I asked, earning a soft glare in return.
"I don't hate them. I just don't like it when people keep secrets." Nodding my head, my eyes flew towards an end table. Lexi noticed it and quickly picked it up and rushed upstairs. When she returned, I could see her eyes darting around. Raising an eyebrow, she just turned away and mumbled something about presents.
We arrived at the party and Lexi quickly fell into her group of friends. Some of them were drinking, while others were dancing and having a good time. Vince had rented out a decent building for it. Lex explained that last year it was in somebody's house, so he decided to at least help give them more room.
"You're staring at her again." Joe chuckled, patting me on the back. Next to him were his cousins Jon and Josh Fatu, also known as The Usos. They both had a cup of some soft drink, while Joe was sipping a bottle of Coors Light.
"That's all I can do" I found myself saying. Joe raised an eyebrow at it before telling me to explain. "I love her, but she deserves someone better than me. Someone who actually knows how to react to teasing statements and can treat her like a Princess."
"And you think you can't do that?"
"I know I can't. Last time I attempted that, it ended with me in the hospital. I don't want her to sacrifice her happiness for my sake." I walked away after that, searching for a quiet corner to stand in and be invisible. That way Lexi would be able to find someone better for her.
"So, you really think you're not worthy enough for her?" Matthew Adams said as I passed by. I really wasn't paying attention to where I was going, making this even more awkward.
"Correct. She needs someone who can-" he cut me off with a fierce glare. Almost like he saw through everything. Dragging me to an empty room, he let out a snarl.
"You're going to tell me the truth. Cause I know for a fact that you love her, and she lights up like the Fourth of July night sky when you're near her." The look in his eyes told me that there was no way I could BS my way out of it.
"Do you really want me to tell you the truth?" He nodded, so I swallowed my fears and began explaining. Matt didn't interrupt and gave me time to catch my breath. Once I was done, he just shook his head and sighed.
"You need to tell her. Don't assume she'd be better off with someone else when you're making her happy. She'll be more than happy to stay by your side. You're not alone. You have her, Claudio, Joe, Jon, Josh, and I to help you."
"I know you guys will help me. It's a case of how can I be worthy of her? She's perfect, and I'm….. me"
"Trust me. She'd say the same thing about you. You may have only really been together for a few weeks, but she's not one who takes to someone that quickly." He opened the door for us, keeping a soft smile on his face. Like he knew something I didn't. As we rejoined the party, Lexi practically jumped into my arms. The stench of alcohol on her breath, but it wasn't overpowering.
"Matty!" She was buzzed, but not totally and completely gone. "Can we dance? Pwease?" Her childish question made me smile. Leading her to an open area, we started with some slow dancing. It was to You Are The Reason by Calum Scott. She laid her head down on my collarbone, contently sighing. Everything felt right with her in my arms.
"What did you and Buddy talk about?" She mumbled sleepily, keeping her head on me.
"It's a secret you'll get to hear tomorrow." That made her look at me, but it was clear that she didn't like the answer. While she didn't say anything, I felt her tighten her grip on me.
"What was in the box you had earlier?" She asked, making me bite my lip.
"Something you'll get tomorrow for Christmas. I'll explain everything there. I promise" I replied. She pulled away and glared at me, like she's heard that saying a million times. As the songs progressed, we remained in the same slow dance position till she asked to leave.
As we got to the car, I noticed how upset she looked. There was some anger in her eyes, but it didn't cloud them. She wasn't a fan of secrets, but I didn't want to spring it on her during the party. Hell, I didn't want to tell her till next year!
But she deserves to know. It's for the best, even though I really don't believe it. Having her at least know of the situation would make everything better. Or worse, depending on her reaction. I honestly don't know what would be the worst case scenario for telling her.
She may tell me I'm just a friend, or she might tell me we have no chance at being together. Both are pretty bad, but I hope that she won't go that route. Been there a time or two, and it hurt me. Bad.
We got back to Lexi's house and walked in. She had discovered that I was staying in a hotel and essentially allowed me to stay with her until I got my own place. The reason I was staying in the hotel was due to my ex.
She had taken a large amount of money from my account, thrown out almost everything that was mine, and put me into a tough position. It was her way of showing just how worthless I was to her. That she had settled for someone of 'lower standard' in her eyes.
If I went to get my stuff, she'd say I came crawling back. If I didn't, then how could I claim it was important? Anyone who tried helping me ended up leaving. The situation had cost me a pretty good shot at being in Japan right now.
"Will this be enough to get you to tell me everything?" Lexi's soft voice was filled with agitation. Looking at her, I found myself blushing a deep red as she stood there in her underwear.
"I'll tell you in the morning. I promise you. Please get dressed" I replied, trying to keep myself from fainting. My mind kept trying to go down the rabbit hole of painful memories.
"I want to know now. Hell, record me giving my consent if you want!" Her voice never rose, yet to me, it was as loud as a freight train barrelling into my body. Forcing myself to remain in the moment, I allowed a shaky breath to leave through my mouth.
"I'm not going to take advantage of you. You're drunk and not thinking straight." I swallowed nervously again, before whispering "I'm not like her."
"So what? Isn't this what you wanted?" Her voice betrayed her, quivering with hurt towards the end. Offering a weak shake of my head, she sighed before going up the stairs. As she disappeared, the full weight of the memories crashed like waves upon rocks.
All the times I asked for it to stop. Times where I could barely breathe due to injuries given. How every single person that adopted me seemingly cared about how it would make them look.
I couldn't help but be scared of the talk we were going to have in the morning. But it needs to happen.