Halo Over the Devil's Head

Chapter 3

Entering Chris Jericho's locker room, Stephanie McMahon tried desperately to calm herself. She let out a long breath, turning to Chris. Despite all of her attempts to stop the nerves buzzing in the pit of her stomach, they were still there. The brunette inhaled deeply, taking a moment to just look at Chris. He looked handsome, still—more, if possible. The goatee was gone—thank God. His hair had been cut, brushing his collarbone. Staring at the golden lengths, Stephanie had to control the urge to run her fingers through his hair once more. Her eyes drifted away from his hair, past his soulful eyes, bypassed his lips, his chin, his chest, his abs, the adorable love handles, his legs... A flush filled her cheeks as she looked up back at his eyes, realizing that he had been watching her all the while.

"Like what you see, Princess?" he asked.

Stephanie struggled to keep her emotions in check. It had been that same arrogant, cocky smirk that had gotten her attention in the first place. She determinedly tried to focus her thoughts away from her attraction toward him. 'No! There is no attraction! He's out of my life, and it's going to stay that way!' her mind screamed. Her body and heart were so disjointed from her mind at this point; Stephanie was beginning to think that walking away from Chris Jericho was going to be impossible.

"I came here to talk about tonight..." Stephanie hesitated.

Chris raised his eyebrows, and then paused. "I think we both know why I did that, Stephanie," he told her seriously.

Stephanie bit her lip, shifting. "Well, I didn't get the memo."

Jericho turned around, grabbing a shirt out of his duffel bag, the noises masking his voice for a second. "For old time's sake," he answered, pulling the shirt on over his head. Stephanie had only a second to swallow the disappointment in her face. And what did she have to be disappointed in? His answer was perfectly logical...

He studied her face as he turned around. She smiled weakly, hoping the falseness in it did not show. His expression didn't change whatsoever. "What did you come here for, really?" he asked a second later, his face placid.

"I told you," she replied, "To see why you came out to help me."

"That's not it."

"Yes it is!" Stephanie insisted steadfastly.

Chris raised a single eyebrow that would put the Rock to shame. "Then why are you so insistent?" Stephanie froze, her mouth still partially open. "You didn't come here just to ask me that, Princess, and you know it," he stared straight at her, not giving her the slightest chance to back down.

"Chris, stop saying that, jeez," Stephanie said, running a hand over her hair. "I didn't know what you were going to say, I'm not psychic or anything." He folded his arms across his chest in reply. Silence settled over them for a few long moments. "What do you mean, anyway?" Stephanie asked. "Why would I be here otherwise?"

"You tell me."

"Chris!"

"What?" he offered no explanation of what he was talking about, and Stephanie was genuinely confused. Her confusion, however, was quickly turning into frustration.

"What are you talking about?" she said, for what seemed like the hundredth time in the last ten minutes. "I came here because I wanted to know why you saved me, not that I'm not grateful, I really am."

"And I told you that it was for old time's sake."

"Yes."

"So why didn't you just leave?"

"Because you stopped me!"

"You could've left."

Stephanie threw her hands up in anger. What the hell was he talking about? "Jericho, you're so frustrating!" she told him, and he didn't budge nor flinch. She rolled her eyes and gritted her teeth. In the back of her mind, she was constantly going over his words. Over, and over, and over... 'Why did I come here? I figured he was probably being nice and all, and that that would be his reason. And I was partly right, and that makes him right. So why did I come here?' Looking into Chris's eyes, she suddenly knew.

She needed answers.

...and not just to why he had saved her, like she had thought before. There were so many questions... So many that only Chris could answer, and more that only she herself could. She needed answers to the past.

"Chris..." she trailed off, frowning, trying to figure out how to put her thoughts into words. "I came back because... I..." she sighed. "We need to talk...about us." Stephanie froze as Chris's expression changed. She couldn't identify the look in his eyes. Guilt, perhaps? Whatever it was, she wasn't sure she liked it.

Chris set a hand gently on her shoulder. "Steph... There isn't any 'us'. There can never be an us."

Stephanie furrowed her brow. "What do you mean, Chris? I wasn't here to start a relationship, if that's what you mean."

"You came to see what I felt about what we did in the past, didn't you?"

Stephanie nodded numbly, not liking the way he said 'past'.

"I'm telling you that it doesn't matter anymore."

"What do you mean?" she asked defensively.

"You and I both know that if I said it meant something to me, we'd try to start a relationship," his blue eyes were now a steely gray. "That isn't going to happen. For your sake, just forget that we ever slept together."

Stephanie felt a hollow pit rising in her stomach, and at the present moment couldn't begin to describe the dread she was feeling at his words. Why would she hate this? She wasn't in love with Chris! She didn't even like him!

The protest against her own feelings was worthless.

"Why?" she asked weakly.

Chris looked at her, his expression lost as if he didn't know how to say the words he was about to. Finally, he shook his head, and then looked her straight in the eye, saying firmly the words that would shape her life from then on. "I'm engaged to Trish Stratus."

Author's Note: Mwahahahahaha! Evil little twist there, or at least, I think. Anyway, sorry if the chapter was kind of confusing. Thanks to lucyzigg, stratusskittles316, huntersgirl, Y2J Chris Jericho, Twistd Heartzand DCFanatic4life for the reviews! It really means a lot to know that I'm doing at least okay on the story! :) Haven't quite written that many stories about Stephanie, so I hope her character is believeable! Anyway, please continue to review, and I hope you enjoy!

--LK08