A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews, you have no idea how much it means! In the next few chapters I'm going to try and get more of Shane's feelings out there, since right it's basically all been from Stacy's POV. Hope ya like it!

Chapter 5
"Excuse me?" Stacy mouthed, her voice almost inaudible. Her eyes grew wide, and her jaw hung open. "Did you just say… you're married?"

Shane's heart sank as he looked at her. She was so pale, she actually looked sicker than he felt. Now he remembered why he kept putting off telling her for so long. He didn't want to see her like this, and know that it was his fault.

"Stacy, I don't even know what to say… I'm so sorry for keeping this from you," he said, his voice and eyes wracked with guilt. "But I…"

"Let me get this straight," Stacy said, as though she had trouble processing his words. "You have a wife at home… and you didn't bother to tell me?"

Lowering his gaze to the floor, Shane nodded shamefully. Stacy let out a disgusted gasp, prying his hands off of her. She kicked herself away from him, moving to the far end of the couch.

"Please, Stacy, you have to understand," he began, though he knew any defense he offered would be weak at best. "When I met you, my intentions were not for this to happen. You were such a nice girl, I knew we could be friends. And then you kissed me, and I just…"

"Fuck you," Stacy spat. She knew exactly where this was headed, and she would not stand for it. She would not take the blame for his infidelity. "Don't you dare pin this on me, you cheating bastard." She rose from the couch, staring down at him with a cold, yet heartbroken glare. "It has to end, Shane… now. I won't be your whore."

"It's not like that!" Shane insisted. He rose from the floor, but did not approach her. "My wife and I haven't been the same for years. I found something in you that I just can't turn away from."

He daringly reached for her hand, but she snatched it away. Taking a step further from him, she moved out of his reach.

"Oh, please. I don't wanna hear that 'my wife doesn't understand me and you do' crap. I know better than to buy that," Stacy informed him.

Shane sighed, throwing himself down on the couch. He had backed himself into a corner. He knew he could not buy his way out of this jam. His material wealth did not impress Stacy in the least.

"Whether you believe this or not, I feel like a new man when I'm with you," he told her sincerely. "You can't deny that there's something between us. Something real."

Stacy snorted, standing her ground. His feelings were no more real than the false ones he held for his wife. She couldn't fall in love with a cheater. No, she'd hold her head high and walk away, right out the door. She was no man's – not even a McMahon's – toy. She'd just cut things off, and move on with her life…

Of course, she didn't move on. She barely made it out the door that afternoon. Stacy knew that by this point, she'd never leave Shane. But what was worse, was that it appeared that he would never leave his wife. She was trapped, doomed to be his secret lover for the rest of her life. She loved him with all her heart, but the constant inner battle with her conscience was wearing her down. She began to think that she was the meaning of the term 'prisoner of love'.

"So, is this what you do all day? Sit at the nice, big oak desk and pretend to read scripts?"

Dave's eyes widened innocently as Stephanie sent him a death glare. He hoped she knew he was only teasing her. He knew how hard she worked.

"Someone wants to sleep on the couch tonight," she warned dangerously.

Dave held back a laugh and threw his hands up in retreat. He knew better than to push her buttons any further. A McMahon always made good on their threats, and he didn't particularly like sleeping on hotel couches.

"I'm just kiddin', sweetheart," he assured her with a smile. "I know you're workin' hard… I only said it 'cause I've been in here for an hour and you haven't even looked at those papers."

Stephanie pursed her lips together, shaking her head.

"For your information, I'm waiting for Shane to come by to go over them with me," she explained. "That's why I asked you to stop here… to help pass the time."

A suggestive look flashed through Dave's eyes, and he rose from the plush leather couch. He sauntered over to his girlfriend's desk, stopping behind her chair. Placing his hands on her shoulders, his head swooped down.

"I can think of a few ways to pass the time," he said huskily, pressing his lips to her neck.

Stephanie smiled, but after letting his lips linger on her skin for a moment longer, she pushed him away. She spun her chair so that she was facing him, shaking her head.

"There's an image I'm sure Shane would love to have burned in his mind," she laughed.

Dave sighed, conceding with a nod. He grabbed a nearby chair and pulled it up beside hers. He sat next to her, resting his head on the corner of her desk. The couple drifted into silence, and Stephanie picked up one of the papers from the stack before.

"Dave?" she spoke after a few minutes.

Dave lifted his head, craning his neck to look at her.

"Hmm?" he mumbled, sitting up in his seat.

"I'm starting to worry about Stacy," she said, her blue eyes filling with concern. "She's been so out of it lately…"

"She said she hasn't been feelin' well," Dave reminded her, crossing his arms in front of him. "Maybe the schedule's gettin' to her. She hasn't had time off in years, ya know? Maybe she's burnt out."

Stephanie nodded, but her gaze was skeptical. She had seen wrestlers get burnt out plenty of times before. This was not a case of Stacy being exhausted.

"I guess that could be it, but it doesn't seem like it," she shook her head. "She's not tired-looking. Hell, she doesn't even look sick half the time she's complainin' about not feelin' well. She just looks flat out unhappy."

Dave shrugged his shoulders. He had noticed a change in Stacy's behavior as well, but he didn't know what to amount it to. He was just a guy… he didn't know how to gauge what was wrong with a woman.

"Well, I don't know what's wrong with her, but Chris hasn't shut up about it. Every time I see him lately he's talkin' about her. This mornin' he said she wouldn't eat when they were at breakfast," he said, recalling a conversation he had with Chris when they arrived to the arena. "What could she possibly have to be unhappy about?"

It was Stephanie's turn to shrug, "I don't know, Dave. All I know is something is terribly wrong. She's my best friend… I feel like I should be doing something. But she won't open up, so how can I?"

Dave sighed, placing a hand on her knee. He gave it a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

"Just keep doin' what you're doin'. You pester her enough, she might open her mouth," he said. That was, after all, how he got her to talk when she was mad at him. Persistence was key. "And don't stress yourself over it. If she doesn't wanna talk, there's not much you can do."

"You're right," Stephanie said with a nod. She reached down and placed her hand over his. "It's just disheartening. Stacy's the last person you'd picture being depressed, but the girl hasn't been happy for a long time…"

"Somethin' wrong, boss?"

Shane jumped at the sound of a voice calling from behind him. He stepped away from the door he was leaning to, turning around to see a confused Trish Stratus standing behind him. He carefully shook his head.

"No, nothing at all, Trish," he said, though his pale skin and wide eyes said otherwise. "Ya need somethin'?"

The blonde haired woman cocked an eyebrow, but then she nodded.

"Actually, yeah. Think you could point me in the direction of the women's locker room? I'm directionally challenged today," she said with a giggle.

Shane laughed weakly, and pointed down the hall. Trish nodded and smiled a thank you, and he struggled to give her one in response. After she hustled off, he sighed loudly, leaning against the wall. He had arrived at Stephanie's office minutes before… just in time to hear her voice her concerns over Stacy. Instead of barging in during the middle of her conversation, he listened from the outside. What he heard broke his heart.

How could she be unhappy? He hadn't noticed a change in her behavior at all. If anything, lately she seemed to be even more happy then usual when they were together. His heart sank… this was all his fault. Everything about their situation was his fault.

He couldn't stand the thought that he was hurting her. Or the fact that she chose not to mention it to him. She used to tell him everything. How could he not pick up on the fact that she was so unhappy?

With another loud sigh, Shane started to walk away. He had to find her. His meeting with Stephanie could wait.