Disclaimer: I don't own anything that you recognize.
Fine Line Between Love and Hate
Chapter Fifteen
Ali spent two long days agonizing over the things that Randy told her. As much as she tried to deny it and figure out why, she knew he was being brutally honest with her. Something that she hadn't realized how much she needed until now.
She had tried to build up the courage to call him and see if he wanted to go out, but every time she'd failed. She knew that he would call eventually; if he didn't have the nerve to, Leigh would make up a reason that he needed to. For once she wanted to be the first one to give a little bit, he'd been the first to act like he wanted to put the past behind them, he'd been the first to not back down, he'd been the first to apologize, and now she knew it was her turn but she was having problems actually going through with it.
Sunday evening she finally picked up her phone and dialed his number, praying that he would answer it before she lost her nerve and hung up. It only rang a couple times before she heard his voice. 'There's still time to hang up,' a very little voice said.
"Hello," he said again. He'd known who it was because of the handy little feature, Caller ID.
"Hi," Ali said quietly. Maybe he wouldn't hear her and hang up.
"Ali," Randy said not knowing what else to say.
"You were right. If I don't learn to let people in then my emotional scars won't heal," Ali said. It took a lot for her to admit that she was wrong. She'd made herself be right for so long that it almost physically hurt to do it.
"Look if you still want to be just friends then I'll respect that, I just wanted to get my feelings out before you made any decisions about what you wanted to do," Randy told her.
"I don't know Randy, I think we should just take things slow and decide what's going on. Everything is so crazy right now, and we're both really busy," Ali said. "Maybe we could catch a movie next time your in town."
"Yeah, sure. I think I'll be back Friday sometime," Randy said.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
When Randy saw the number he'd been waiting for on his caller ID he wasn't sure what to think. Part of him wanted to think of that as a little victory, but the logical part of him said that there were any number of reasons that she would call him, including telling him to leave her alone forever.
As the conversation progressed he knew it was a little victory. He was thrilled that she was finally realizing what he'd realized already. Now it would only take time to rebuild her confidence in not only him but in relationships in general. When she suggested a movie when he got back she wasn't sure what to think. He'd had to keep on her about going out now she was suggesting it, and he wasn't going to decline the offer.
"Friday sounds good," she said when he told her he thought he was going to be home next. "I guess I'll see you then."
"Yeah, sounds like a plan. Call me like later and we'll figure out what movie we're going to," he said lounging on his hotel bed. He was happy that Dave was in the shower so that he wouldn't have to listen to his tormenting along with talking to Ali.
"Okay, and call me after Raw tomorrow night, especially if you have a rough match," Ali told him.
He couldn't help but smile. The best medicine for him the previous week had been her phone call. "I will. I'm sorry about freaking you out like that last week. I guess I should have been more careful," he told her. Now he had a reason to expect at least one more phone call, and to call her. That would be three conversations in a week, and hopefully all of them friendly.
"I have to go to work in the morning so I'd better let you go," Ali said remembering that she started her new job at 8:30 the next morning.
"Where are you working anyway? Last I heard you're boss wouldn't have let you have all day any day let alone Friday off," Randy said.
"I got a new job at a local daycare center," Ali told him. "I'm really going to go now so I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"Bye," Randy said before she hung up. He turned off his phone with a smile on his face. He thought about it for a minute and decided to turn it back on remembering how in their previous conversation she hinted at having nightmares about things that had happened to her.
Dave came out of the shower as his friend was playing with his phone, which wasn't an uncommon occurrence lately. He assumed by the smile on his face that he'd gotten the call that he been waiting impatiently all day for. "Get a call from Ali?" he asked to make sure.
"Yeah," Randy said, knowing that it would be pointless to try to hide it from him. He would see it on his face. Something very annoying, and he'd have to work on. The guys knowing every one of his emotions just had to stop.
"I'm assuming all's well now considering you're smiling from ear to ear," Dave said. "And don't even bother trying to hide it. It's good seeing you smile."
"Yeah, we're going to catch a movie hopefully Friday night," Randy said. "I've finally gotten it through her head for the moment that the past is the past and the only way to heal is to let it go."
"Good advice. I'm going to have to ask you for advice next time I need it," Dave told his friend. "We've got an early morning."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The next day when she got home from work at almost five o'clock Ali felt happier then she had in a long time. She was anticipating a call from Randy later, and had a wonderful day at work for the first time in a long time. For the first time in a long time things were looking up.
She checked her phone messages and then went to make dinner for herself. That's when she felt a little bit lonely. She was eating alone again, but quickly shipped those thoughts off to the back of her mind. She didn't want to think about that kind of stuff when she'd been so happy a moment before.
By eight o'clock she was ready to curl up on the couch and watch this weeks installment of Raw and make sure that Randy didn't hurt himself again. She knew from watching him that he was usually careful but something had thrown him off his game last week, probably her.
She watched the whole show intently and couldn't believe on the last show before the Royal Rumble Randy didn't have a match. He only did a usually corny promo. She realized that he let her believe that he had a match so that he could call her that night and she had to smile a little bit, before reminding herself that she had to make sure he knew if he did that again then she'd kick his bum.
It wasn't 10 minutes after Raw ended that her phone rang. She contemplated leaving it and getting it later, but she was almost positive that it was Randy calling her like he'd told her he would the previous night.
She talked to him for a little while longer than she had the previous evening before changing and getting ready for bed. She found herself not wanting to hang up, but she knew she had to.
Ali slept peacefully for a while until she started having her nightmare. She's been having it for years only this time instead of one ex or another it was Randy that was hurting her both physically and emotionally. She woke up in a cold sweat with tears running down her face. She reached for the nightstand and when she found the desired object and did the first thing that she could think of.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Now that you've read it's time for you to review.
Fine Line Between Love and Hate
Chapter Fifteen
Ali spent two long days agonizing over the things that Randy told her. As much as she tried to deny it and figure out why, she knew he was being brutally honest with her. Something that she hadn't realized how much she needed until now.
She had tried to build up the courage to call him and see if he wanted to go out, but every time she'd failed. She knew that he would call eventually; if he didn't have the nerve to, Leigh would make up a reason that he needed to. For once she wanted to be the first one to give a little bit, he'd been the first to act like he wanted to put the past behind them, he'd been the first to not back down, he'd been the first to apologize, and now she knew it was her turn but she was having problems actually going through with it.
Sunday evening she finally picked up her phone and dialed his number, praying that he would answer it before she lost her nerve and hung up. It only rang a couple times before she heard his voice. 'There's still time to hang up,' a very little voice said.
"Hello," he said again. He'd known who it was because of the handy little feature, Caller ID.
"Hi," Ali said quietly. Maybe he wouldn't hear her and hang up.
"Ali," Randy said not knowing what else to say.
"You were right. If I don't learn to let people in then my emotional scars won't heal," Ali said. It took a lot for her to admit that she was wrong. She'd made herself be right for so long that it almost physically hurt to do it.
"Look if you still want to be just friends then I'll respect that, I just wanted to get my feelings out before you made any decisions about what you wanted to do," Randy told her.
"I don't know Randy, I think we should just take things slow and decide what's going on. Everything is so crazy right now, and we're both really busy," Ali said. "Maybe we could catch a movie next time your in town."
"Yeah, sure. I think I'll be back Friday sometime," Randy said.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
When Randy saw the number he'd been waiting for on his caller ID he wasn't sure what to think. Part of him wanted to think of that as a little victory, but the logical part of him said that there were any number of reasons that she would call him, including telling him to leave her alone forever.
As the conversation progressed he knew it was a little victory. He was thrilled that she was finally realizing what he'd realized already. Now it would only take time to rebuild her confidence in not only him but in relationships in general. When she suggested a movie when he got back she wasn't sure what to think. He'd had to keep on her about going out now she was suggesting it, and he wasn't going to decline the offer.
"Friday sounds good," she said when he told her he thought he was going to be home next. "I guess I'll see you then."
"Yeah, sounds like a plan. Call me like later and we'll figure out what movie we're going to," he said lounging on his hotel bed. He was happy that Dave was in the shower so that he wouldn't have to listen to his tormenting along with talking to Ali.
"Okay, and call me after Raw tomorrow night, especially if you have a rough match," Ali told him.
He couldn't help but smile. The best medicine for him the previous week had been her phone call. "I will. I'm sorry about freaking you out like that last week. I guess I should have been more careful," he told her. Now he had a reason to expect at least one more phone call, and to call her. That would be three conversations in a week, and hopefully all of them friendly.
"I have to go to work in the morning so I'd better let you go," Ali said remembering that she started her new job at 8:30 the next morning.
"Where are you working anyway? Last I heard you're boss wouldn't have let you have all day any day let alone Friday off," Randy said.
"I got a new job at a local daycare center," Ali told him. "I'm really going to go now so I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"Bye," Randy said before she hung up. He turned off his phone with a smile on his face. He thought about it for a minute and decided to turn it back on remembering how in their previous conversation she hinted at having nightmares about things that had happened to her.
Dave came out of the shower as his friend was playing with his phone, which wasn't an uncommon occurrence lately. He assumed by the smile on his face that he'd gotten the call that he been waiting impatiently all day for. "Get a call from Ali?" he asked to make sure.
"Yeah," Randy said, knowing that it would be pointless to try to hide it from him. He would see it on his face. Something very annoying, and he'd have to work on. The guys knowing every one of his emotions just had to stop.
"I'm assuming all's well now considering you're smiling from ear to ear," Dave said. "And don't even bother trying to hide it. It's good seeing you smile."
"Yeah, we're going to catch a movie hopefully Friday night," Randy said. "I've finally gotten it through her head for the moment that the past is the past and the only way to heal is to let it go."
"Good advice. I'm going to have to ask you for advice next time I need it," Dave told his friend. "We've got an early morning."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The next day when she got home from work at almost five o'clock Ali felt happier then she had in a long time. She was anticipating a call from Randy later, and had a wonderful day at work for the first time in a long time. For the first time in a long time things were looking up.
She checked her phone messages and then went to make dinner for herself. That's when she felt a little bit lonely. She was eating alone again, but quickly shipped those thoughts off to the back of her mind. She didn't want to think about that kind of stuff when she'd been so happy a moment before.
By eight o'clock she was ready to curl up on the couch and watch this weeks installment of Raw and make sure that Randy didn't hurt himself again. She knew from watching him that he was usually careful but something had thrown him off his game last week, probably her.
She watched the whole show intently and couldn't believe on the last show before the Royal Rumble Randy didn't have a match. He only did a usually corny promo. She realized that he let her believe that he had a match so that he could call her that night and she had to smile a little bit, before reminding herself that she had to make sure he knew if he did that again then she'd kick his bum.
It wasn't 10 minutes after Raw ended that her phone rang. She contemplated leaving it and getting it later, but she was almost positive that it was Randy calling her like he'd told her he would the previous night.
She talked to him for a little while longer than she had the previous evening before changing and getting ready for bed. She found herself not wanting to hang up, but she knew she had to.
Ali slept peacefully for a while until she started having her nightmare. She's been having it for years only this time instead of one ex or another it was Randy that was hurting her both physically and emotionally. She woke up in a cold sweat with tears running down her face. She reached for the nightstand and when she found the desired object and did the first thing that she could think of.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Now that you've read it's time for you to review.