Chris woke up groggy the next morning. He blinked a few times, the harsh neon light shining in from the hallway. The bed he was laying on was like cardboard and the sheets like paper. This couldn't be his hotel room. The last thing that he recalled was saving Stephanie and then something must've happened to him, because he was almost positive that he was in the hospital.
He looked to the side and Trish was sitting there. She wasn't asleep either, she was just sitting there. Her arms were folded and she was staring at the bed intently. If her eyes had been lasers, then he would've been vaporized. He turned to face her and her look neither changed, nor did her position.
"Hey Trish," he said with a smile.
She didn't move.
"So what happened to me?"
"Maybe the doctors should answer that for you," she said, "Apparently, I'm not good enough for anything."
"Ok," he said strangely, "I must've had a concussion right?"
"Sure."
She was acting so cold to him, and he hadn't the slightest idea why. She just sat there, her arms still folded across her chest and he was perplexed by her behavior. She didn't even look happy to see he was awake. Had they had a fight that he didn't know about? Maybe he had amnesia or something, but he remembered everything, so it couldn't have been that.
"How's Stephanie?"
This time, Trish's face did change. It went from cold to downright scary. Her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed together. Chris didn't know what was going on and just looked at her questioningly, still waiting for an answer to his question. The last he saw of Stephanie, she was looking at him from across the ring.
"Trish, I asked you how Stephanie was," he repeated.
"She's fine," Trish answered curtly, "I don't think you need to worry about her right now. But I'm sure she'd love to know you're thinking about her."
"I was worried, she was about to get attacked," he said, "I just wanted to make sure she was fine."
"She's fine!" Trish said loudly, "Jeez, do you even remember me, Trish, your girlfriend!"
"Of course I know who you are," he said, giving a laugh until he saw Trish's face and then stopped short, "Why wouldn't I know?"
"Oh, so if you know, then everything you said last night was exactly what you wanted to say?"
"What did I say?"
"Like you don't remember!"
"Trish, I'm sorry, but I really don't," Chris said, trying to think back to last night and wonder if anything had happened that he should know about. As far as he could tell, nothing really had happened. But then he could barely remember anything that happened the night before.
"Don't try to cover up now that you're little girlfriend isn't here," Trish said, "You thought you could fool me! What kind of idiot do you think I am!"
"Trish, what the hell is going on!" Chris yelled at her. He was seriously not getting where her anger was stemming from.
"I don't even know what to say that would make this situation even remotely better," Trish said, "I don't know why I wasted so much time, and LOVE on you. You obviously don't deserve it."
That was the last conversation he had had with Trish, and that was a few days ago. He had to stay in the hospital an extra couple of days, and had refused any and all visitors. He was trying to wrack his brain as to why Trish would suddenly, and he meant suddenly be so upset with her. He came up with nothing, and it was frustrating thinking that his girlfriend was so mad with him.
On the fourth day of the silence, Christian came over to hang out. The air was tense and they both felt it. The conversation was uneasy and filled with "safe" topics that didn't involve Trish in the slightest. Obviously Christian knew something since he was being so secretive. Chris wanted to ask him about it, but didn't know how to broach the subject. Luckily, he didn't have to.
"I knew something was going on between you and Stephanie."
Chris looked at him for a moment before responding, "There's nothing going on between me and Stephanie."
"Dude, give the act up, everyone knows!"
"Knows what!"
"That you love Stephanie!"
Chris sat back, his face frozen in a state of confusion. Where were people getting this idea that he loved Stephanie? Was it because he had saved her the other night? That was simply because she was his friend and he didn't want her to get hurt. It wasn't because he loved her.
"Where did you get that idea?"
"The same place everyone got it, straight from the jackass's mouth," Christian said, "I can't believe you would give up something great with Trish for Stephanie. I knew that she was bad news."
"Ok, first of all, Stephanie is not bad news, so drop that. Secondly, why does everything think that I'm with Stephanie? I'm seriously not getting it."
"The night you were hurt, the entire arena and everyone viewing the show heard what you said to Stephanie."
"Christian, I had a concussion! I have no idea what I said that night, let alone that everyone heard me say whatever it was that I said."
Christian looked him straight in the eye and said bluntly, "You told her you loved her."
"Oh, now you've got to be kidding me!" Chris guffawed and started laughing. There's no way that he could've said that. He kept on laughing, until he saw that Christian wasn't joining in on his laughing. In fact, he looked downright pissed. Chris's laugh tapered off until it faded completely.
"I did not say that," Chris protested, even though he couldn't remember that night. But surely he would remember telling Stephanie if he love her or not.
"Yes, you did, would you like me to go get you a tape so you can see it. I mean, everyone was pretty much shocked. And with good reason, how long were you and Stephanie going to carry on your little affair?"
"Stephanie and I are not together," Chris told him with a firmness that meant he was serious, "There's nothing ever been going on between us."
"Try telling that to everyone, I'm sure nobody will believe you."
"Look, I had a concussion, I was really out of it, how am I supposed to know what was going through my head at the time?"
"I don't know, but you better fix it soon," Christian said as he stood up and got ready to leave, "Because Trish is really upset, and unless you want to lose her, I suggest you do something quick."
"What am I supposed to do Christian?"
"Easy, stop being friends with Stephanie." With that statement said, Christian walked out of the house.
Chris sat there, thinking about what had happened. He honestly didn't remember telling that to Stephanie. He didn't love her, that was the thing, it must've been because he saw her and just blurted it out. He wanted Trish back, he missed her, and he needed her. He was going to have a tough decision though, because Stephanie needed him as well. But was she worth risking the best relationship he had ever had.
He mulled it over for a while and came to a decision. He wanted Trish back, and if the cost of that was Stephanie, than that's what it had to be. He didn't want to, but when he weighed it in his mind, he saw no other choice. He got up to get his phone and dialed Stephanie's number.
"Hello?"
"Stephanie, it's Chris."
There was a long silence on the other end, then a timid response, "Hi."
"Hi," he said back just as timidly, "Um, we need to talk."
"Ok."
"I figured out what I said on the show, to you…"
"Oh, that, I didn't take any notice to it," she said softly, "You had a concussion, I'm sure you didn't know what you were saying."
"You're the first person to actually agree with me," he told her with a short laugh, "But that's not why I needed to call you."
"Well, why did you then?"
"I really like Trish," Chris said, then paused, "And I want her back, she's pretty pissed at me right now."
"Yeah, I know."
"And, Stephanie, I hate to do this, but I…I can't be friends with you anymore. Trish would never trust us together, and I miss her Stephanie, and please don't hate me."
She answered him quietly, "I understand. I never should've gotten mixed up in this, and I'm sorry."
"Stephanie, it's not your fault, you're not the one who went running their mouth like an idiot. I just hope that you can understand where I'm coming from with this."
"No, I absolutely do. You don't have to be sorry about it. You were a good friend Chris, and I thank you for that--"
"A good friend doesn't just leave," he interrupted.
"No, but you have good reason," Stephanie said, "I hope you and Trish are very happy, I won't bother you at shows anymore unless it has to do with business."
Chris felt so bad at the sound of her voice, "Bye Stephanie."
"Goodbye Chris."
She hung up then, and he stared at the phone. She had said she understood, but he still felt like the biggest heel on the planet. He hadn't wanted to hurt her, but he saw no other choice. He dialed Trish's number and hoped that she would take him back after he had explained what he had done. It took a few rings, but finally someone picked up.
"Hello?" came a testy voice.
"Trish, please don't hang up, I have to talk to you," he said quickly.
"As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing more to say. You've said WAY too much as it is," she said coldly.
"Stephanie and I aren't together, nor have we ever been, nor will we ever be," he said, "I had a concussion, I don't know what I was saying."
"That's no excuse!"
"Look Trish, I just told Stephanie that I couldn't be friends with her anymore. I gave her up so that I could be with you…"
"You said you wouldn't be friends with her?"
"Yes, I told her that I chose you," he said to her, hoping that would make her change her mind and take him back.
"You did that…for me?"
"Yes," he said, "Please Trish, take me back."
"I'm going to have to learn to trust you again," she said, "I mean, you did something horrible, even if you didn't really mean it."
"I get that. So you'll take me back."
"Just don't ever get a concussion again, alright?"
"I'll try not to," he laughed, "I'll see you tomorrow at work?"
"Yeah," she said, "Sweet dreams."
He hung up the phone and smiled. Now that that was taken care of, he could go to sleep with a clear conscience. He got ready for bed and then went upstairs. He didn't want to do that to Stephanie, but it had been a necessary evil. He had to choose one or the other, and he had made the right decision.
"Chris, this isn't working out with us."
Chris looked at his wife in confusion. They were sitting on their couch and she had both her hands covering one of his. There were tears in her eyes, and he could feel the sting of tears in his own. She had asked to talk to him for a second and now here she was dropping a bombshell on him.
"What do you mean? Like, you staying home, do you want to go back to work?"
"No, us, as in us married together," she told him, "I think that we should try a separation."
"Very funny," Chris laughed, "Where's the joke in all of this?"
"There's no joke," Stephanie said, "It's been brewing inside of me for a while and I just can't pretend to be happy anymore."
"But we were happy, just yesterday, we were happy!"
"No, we weren't, we were just pretending to be happy," she said with a sad smile, "It's all a game of pretend. I tried not to become like my parents, constantly unhappy. I wanted this to work out, I really, really did, but it isn't and I can't keep doing this to me and you, and especially to the kids."
Chris laughed, "You're such a bitch you know that right?"
She smirked, "Damn you!"
"Come here," he said, opening up his arms to her.
She let him embrace her, "Do you think I did a good job?"
"Yes, I don't know why we had to practice for the show."
"Because I'm hardly ever on anymore, I just wanted to make sure I hadn't lost my touch," she said as she laid her head on his shoulder, "This feud should be fun. I'm really glad my mom offered to take care of Bren and Reid for the night's we'll be away."
"Yeah, and it's not even that long," he said, "It's not like you'll be gone for long periods of time."
"Yeah, I know," she answered, "You wouldn't ever leave me for real right?"
"Why do you even ask that? It's stupid."
"Just curious I guess."
"Oh."
"Don't ever leave me Chris," Stephanie said, her voice sounding a bit desperate.
"I'd never leave you Steph, never."
