Chapter 16
AJ was in the waiting room. He had already called Jake's family and was waiting for them to arrive. Rhino, Christian, and team 3-D were there. Sting had even stopped by but left to make his flight home.
Traci came running in. "AJ how is he?" She asked. "I don't know Traci. They haven't told me anything," AJ said. "Oh God this is all my fault," Traci said starting to cry. "No it's not. Jarrett and D'Amore are to blame for this. And that no good SOB Samoa Joe," AJ said getting angry thinking about them.
Traci told everyone the whole story. "I am going to kill Bentley," AJ said. The doctor came out and approached the group. "Mr. Styles you friend is awake," The doctor said. "Thank God. Doc how bad is he hurt?" AJ asked worried about Jake. "Well he has two cracked ribs. He most and likely pulled some mussels in his back. He required twenty five stenches to close the head wound and the blood loss was severe. He suffered a neck injury but it's not broken," The doctor said.
"Can I see him?" AJ asked. "Yes but only one person at a time and please keep him calm," The doctor instructed. AJ headed off the room. "AJ," Traci meekly said. AJ turned back and knew what she wanted he nodded his head and she went into Jake's room. After she was gone, Rhino came up to AJ. "AJ are you nuts what if she is with the army?" Rhino asked worried that Jarrett would try to finish Jake off. "Because she loves him to much," AJ said.
Jake was in a bed trying to rest. He had never been so sore in his life. Breathing was hard and painful. Jake closed his eyes, he heard the door open, "Hey AJ," He said not opening his eyes. "It's not AJ," Traci said as Jake's eyes shot open. "Are you ok?" Jake asked worried that she may have been the woman in the tape and Jackie was just a decoy. "I'm fine. The only reason I wasn't at the Impact Zone was because Matt faked our car breaking down. I can't believe that you are in a hospital bed and you are more worried about me.
"Of course it's you I am worried about. Traci you are the only woman I have ever loved. When I saw that tape and thought it was you I felt like my very heart and soul were torn away," Jake said. Traci starts to cry. "When I heard what happened it made me face that I still love you. I am not saying that I will take you back, but we can out on a few dates and see if we can move forward together," Traci said taking his hand.
Jake pulled her into a kiss. Traci returned it. When the came apart, "I don't care how badly I got beat up today. I am the happiest guy in the world right now," Jake said. "Jake I didn't say we were back together," Traci said. "I know but for the first time in a long time there is hope," Jake said.
"Jake if we are going to try and be together again then I need you to be honest about your life after we broke up. I have rumors about you over the years but I want to hear it from you. I believe you were drunk when you cheated on me in OVW but what happened after the night you confessed to me," She said.
Jake took a deep breath before starting. "Well I tried to get in contact with you for mouths before I just gave up. While all that was going on my already heavy drinking picked up. I also started doing drugs like marijuana and cocaine. I also suffered a knee injury so I started doing pain killers and I got hooked on those. When I came back from the injury they asked me to do the gimp so I asked for my release. I pulled myself together long enough to get one chance with ROH. Then I saw you with Punk. You know what happened there. After that I didn't care what happened. So I started going insane and went over board with everything. Once I realized you were dating Punk I started sleeping with every slut that I could. One of those sluts was Trinity she and I slept together a lot. I just gave up," Jake said.
"I understand. But what lead to you finally getting clean?" She asked wanting to hear the whole story. "I had been ditching a lot of my Indy bookings so I had to work some pretty small promotions. I was doing a show in a high school gym in Omaha. I just way too much of everything and I overdosed. Wound up passing out in the gym locker room. When I woke up the doctors told me I lucky to be alive. I finally decided to get clean. It took four mouths in rehab and I have seen a therapist every two weeks since," Jake said praying that she doesn't get scared off.
"So are able to stay clean?" She asked. "Some days are easier than others. The first day I saw you in TNA was hard I had to call AJ and have him talk me down from getting high. The day Bentley won the number one contender match for the X-belt, I saw you kiss him and I realized you were dating him that was hard. Trinity showed up at my door and tried to seduce me. I told her no. Then the week Matt kicked me in the face I went to the UK for a show the one where I won the ROH title. Well Trinity showed up over there and tried again. And I ashamed to say I came close to giving in. We just kissed but I was close to breaking. But I have been able stay clean," Jake said.
Traci was silent. Jake was worried that she was about to run away. "You really went though the ringer. Like I said we can try again. So you need to get healed up. I have to go to tell AJ you are fine or else he will go nuts," Traci said she gave Jake kiss on the check and the left. As the door closed Jake let out a yell, "WHOOOOOOOOO!"
Jake leaned back in his bed with the biggest smile on his face. "Finally a real chance to get her back," He said out loud. Suddenly pain ribbed though his body. "Damn them. I don't care how long it takes I will get revenge on the Jarrett Army. I don't care what I have to do I will be at Slammversy! I will beat Samoa Joe!" Jake said with a look of determination on his face.
Traci reached the waiting room, AJ stood up. "How is he doing?" "Well he is doing ok. I think he is really sore," Traci said. "Why did he do a Ric Flair impression?" AJ asked. "I told him that when he got out of here we could go out on a few dates and see if we could get what we had back," Traci said. "Traci don't lead him on. If you give him false hope I am worried it may destroy him," AJ said.
"AJ I understand. I asked him to be honest and he told me everything even about that slut Trinity trying to seduce him. I also made sure that he understands that the dates don't mean we are back together," Traci said. "Ok Traci. I am going to go in and see him," AJ said.
The Jarrett Army was celebrating the success of there plan. D'Amore's cell phone rang. He walked off to take the call. Jarrett took center stage and spoke, "A toast to the elimination of Jake Reed. And to our newest member the unbeatable Samoa Joe." "Thanks Jeff, you know I thought I could handle TNA on my own but then I realized that TNA management wasn't going to let me. They put me in the Ultimate X match. And then they move on to there new project Jake Reed. But now we will be the one calling the shots," Joe said.
D'Amore came back in the room fuming mad. "Damn TNA management they just rebooked the entire card as punishment for our actions tonight!" He screamed. "What's the card now?" Jarrett asked. "Well it's going be Styles and Dainels vs. Bentley and you Alex. Rhino gets a match with any of my guys. Sting wants a match with you Jeff. Team 3D gets another shot at AMW and the tag titles are on the line. Scott title match with Christian is still on at least. Finally Joe you will still have a match but now you won't know you opponent until that night and now it's in the six sides of steel," D'Amore said. "It doesn't matter who it is! I will destroy them," Joe said.