Vince stood up. "Jade, I think you need to come with your mother and
I. We have plenty to discuss."
Before Jade could protest further, her father grabbed her by the arm
and led her away. They walked right past Jenny, ignoring the smug look on
her face. Past the reception tent and past the live band that was setting
up. Confusion filled their faces, but Vince kept on going. He could hear
Linda behind him apologizing to the crowd, but he didn't care. All he
wanted was to get his daughter out of there.
Once they reached their car, Vince turned to his daughter and held
her by the shoulders. Bending his face down so he could look into her
eyes, he said very calmly, "Is any of this true?"
"Daddy, I don't know!" Jade's tears started to fall from her filled-
up eyes. "I knew that Jenny had a crush on Shawn but I never knew it would
go this far."
"Did he sleep with her?"
"I don't know!"
Linda came up beside her daughter, putting a hand on her shoulder to
calm her hysterics down. "Shawn says he didn't sleep with her."
Vince smiled. "See? Maybe this is all just a misunderstanding."
"But why would Jenny lie? I mean, she's been my friend throughout
all this. Why now?"
Linda shrugged. "I don't know, sweetie. Let's sleep on it tonight.
Come home with us."
"No, Mom. I've got to face my problems. I can't just run away from
them. Besides, I need to get some stuff from the apartment tonight."
"Okay, but I still think you and Shawn should spend some time apart
for awhile. Your father and I will be waiting for you at the hotel and
we'll leave as soon as you're ready."
Jade nodded and smiled through her tears as her mother kissed her on
the cheek. She would talk to Shawn. Tonight.
Later on that night, Jade walked into the only apartment she had ever
shared with Shawn. She didn't expect to see him there. She jumped in
surprise.
The lights were off. Shawn was illuminated by the moonlight
streaming through the balcony. He was sitting on the couch, his tuxedo
still on, unbuttoned at the front. He was drinking a bottle of alcohol-she
wasn't sure what kind-and he looked a pathetic sight. Almost immediately,
Jade felt her heart begin to ache. He looked so sad, but her eyes remained
steely when she recalled the earlier scene at the wedding. Holding her
head high, she strutted through the living room, past him, and into the
bedroom. She could see his eyes following her, but she didn't bat an eye.
In the bedroom, she began to pack some clothes in her travel bag that
she always carried with her to shows on the road. She heard Shawn come in
behind her, but she didn't turn around.
"I'm leaving, Shawn," she said, not being able to look at him. "Not
that you'll care, but I just thought I'd let you know anyway." Zipping up
her bag, she left the room, not even glancing at him. She quickly went
into Mackenzie's room, packing some of her things, too. She was grateful
to her friend, Mandy, for offering to look after Mackenzie until Jade got
her stuff from the apartment. Into the diaper bag, she threw some clothes
and diapers, plus some toys and stuffed animals that Mackenzie had taken
to. Shawn followed her into the baby's room, but she continued to ignore
him, for fear that if she looked at him, she was get lost in his eyes and
fall in love all over again.
"Jade, we need to talk," he began, carefully speaking the words he
had been planning to say all afternoon.
"No, we don't, Shawn. You are the father of Jenny's baby. End of
story. Now I'm taking my baby and we're going to live with my parents."
With that, she grabbed her luggage and flew out the door and out of Shawn's
life.
Weeks passed. Jade was miserable at her parents' house. Steph and
Shane both visited her as often as they could, but with no luck. Steph
tried to convince Jade to go back to Shawn as much as Hunter tried to
convince Shawn to do something to win Jade back.
"Like what, Hunter?" Shawn asked in frustration. "She won't take my
calls and her father is totally devoted to the idea of me being a jerk.
Linda is the only one who will actually speak to me and Jade won't even
listen to her mother. So what am I supposed to do?"
"What is the one way you two are equal?"
"What are you talking about?"
Hunter sighed impatiently. "The one way that you two can communicate
without being face to face?"
"I don't know; the phone?"
"Shawn! Wrestling! You two both wrestle and Vince has to let you on
sometime. As soon as he does, change the storyline and say what you're
heart really feels to Jade. She's bound to be listening."
"And if she's not?"
"Don't worry; she will be."
