Chapter 23

A/N: On this past Monday night, I saw the absolute cutest picture of Chris, his real wife Jessica, and his real son Ash, and I regret to inform you all that I have lost my inspiration. I will no longer be adding to my Chris/Steph stories and... JUST KIDDING! I really did see this really awesome recent pic of the three of them together, but that's just not enough to make me quit! Email me if you want a link to the pic... On a serious note, though, this chapter is a wee bit confusing (aren't they all?) so bear with me...

"I'm fine, Chris, I swear," Trish said, exasperated. "Leave, go out, go to a club or go wherever you always go at night. I'm fine."

"Just making sure," Chris said, looking skeptically at Trish. "I mean, you never do anything anymore. You used to go out or whatever, but now you just sit here all alone..."

"You don't have to worry about me. I'll be ok," she assured him, although she wasn't completely sure of that herself. "Now why don't you go on... You have a woman waiting for you somewhere in this city, right?"

"Yeah," he said softly, smiling at the thought of the woman waiting for him. The woman he loved, the woman who confessed to loving him back. Stephanie... It had been two whole weeks since they had told each other that they loved each other, and things had been going great for them. They spent portions of their days apart, but their nights were reserved for one another. Their relationship was getting better and better, and Chris felt like sometime in the very near future, he would finally be able to convince her to divorce Hunter...

"She's something, huh?" Trish asked, interrupting his thoughts of his relationship with Stephanie. "I can tell the way you feel about her by the look on your face."

"Yes, she's so special to me," he answered immediately. He didn't even have to think about it, he just knew. "I love her so much... I never knew I would, but I do, and I wouldn't give her up for anything..."

Love... Trish didn't know how the hell love could make him so happy while it made her so depressed. She wasn't even sure if she knew what it was supposed to be like. Ever since she'd realized that she loved Hunter, she'd been trying to figure it all out, and there was only one thing she'd figured out... It was painful, especially if the person you loved wouldn't be with you.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to throw it all up in your face," he said contritely, seeing the forlorn look on her face.

"We're friends. It's perfectly ok for you to talk about her," she said, forcing a smile to appear on her face and trying her hardest to make it stay there. "Speaking of her, when will I find out who the lucky lady is?"

"It's complicated right now," he said, looking away. "I'd like to tell the world who she is... I mean, I want to climb up on top of a building and profess my love for St...for her...to everyone! But it's complicated, and I can't do it, at least, not yet... Not until she's ready."

"I understand," she said, nodding. There was no use in asking him again because she knew what kind of man he was. He wasn't going to tell her who this woman was until that woman allowed him to tell everyone... She could deal with that. She wasn't sure she really wanted to know, anyway. She shook her head to clear her thoughts, then looked back at him. "Are you coming back tonight?"

"Actually, probably not," he replied, standing up. "I think I'm going to stay with her tonight..." He looked at her, concerned. "Unless... Did you want me to come back and keep you company?"

"No, but you're just wasting your money these days, getting these rooms with two beds in them," she said with a little laugh. "You never stay here anyway."

"I know, I know. I just can't seem to stay away from her for very long," he said with a shrug. "I always intend to come back and keep you company, but-"

"But you get so caught up in the moment, so caught up in just being with that person that you just can't break away," she finished for him. "I can relate. I know the feeling."

He looked at her, noting the sad look on her face. "Do you want me to stay? Because you don't need to be just sitting around in here all alone. It's depressing."

"I'm going out tonight," she said quickly. "I'm going out on the town. There, is that enough for you to quit worrying about me?"

"Are you going to be alone?" he asked. "Because I don't think it would be smart for you to go out alone and-"

"Mickie's coming with me," she interrupted. She was lying the whole time. She didn't plan on going out with anyone, especially not Mickie James. She didn't plan on leaving this spot on the couch, but she would say anything to make him stop worrying about her. He worried all the time, nonstop, about her. He worried about her so much that he still stayed in the same hotel room with her...but only if rooms with two beds were available. It was strange how easily they had settled into having a strictly platonic relationship, and it was even more strange how he worried about her like he was her big brother or something.

"Ok, well have fun, then," he said, feeling better that she wasn't going to be staying in again. "I expect for you to tell me how much fun you had the next time I see you...which should be tomorrow morning..." Because even though they were no longer a couple, they still traveled together. He was one of her only friends, and he couldn't very well travel with Stephanie because she was traveling with Hunter... It was a convenience type thing.

"I will," she replied, standing up to go in the bedroom. "Now get out of here. It's not polite to keep your woman waiting."

"You're right. She might bitch-slap me if I'm not there on time," he laughed, then cringed a little at the thought of Stephanie slapping him. He'd felt her slaps one too many times, and he wasn't looking forward to feeling another one ever again. "That woman is powerful!"

"I bet... Now go, I'm going to get ready because Mickie will be by soon," she lied, heading into the bedroom. "Have fun tonight!"

"I will," he said, thinking of Stephanie. "When I'm with her, there's no doubt that I'll have a good time..."

The restaurant...

Stephanie was waiting for Chris in a discreet, dimly-lit little restaurant a few blocks away from the hotel he had booked his room in. She saw him as soon as he walked through the doors. She would know him anywhere. She waved him over, then stood up. When he got to the table where she'd been sitting, she stepped into his arms and they hugged each other tightly.

"Hey, baby," he murmured into her ear, breathing in the scent of her freshly-washed hair. "You smell like strawberries."

"Hey," she murmured back, kissing him on the cheek. They both sat down on opposite sides of the small table, and she held his hand on top of the table. "What took so long? Was something wrong with Trish?"

"She was just being her normal depressed self," he said, rubbing her hand with his thumb. "I worry about her. Depression can affect people in the worst way..."

"I know," she agreed. "It can make you do crazy things... So how did you handle that situation?"

"I didn't have to handle it," he answered. "She told me that she was going to go out with Mickie tonight, so I'm not going to worry about her. But something kind of funny happened tonight."

"Really? What?" she asked curiously.

"She wanted to know who you were," he said with a smile. He bit his lip and his smile faded a little as he stared intently into her eyes. "You have absolutely no idea how much I wanted to tell her who you were... I want to tell somebody... I want to tell everybody."

"You know you can't tell anyone," she said, her smile disappearing as well. "I'm still married to-"

"Don't say his name," he interrupted. "Please don't say his name."

"Ok," she said. "I won't say his name... But Chris, you know we can't tell anyone about us..." He looked so sad when she told him that he couldn't tell, so she felt compelled to add, "Not yet, anyway."

"Then there's a possibility that you'll end things with him?" he asked hopefully.

"I'm not promising that it'll be this week," she said, squeezing his hand. "But if everything works out, sometime in the future you'll be able to tell the whole world about us, ok?"

"That's good enough for me," he said, squeezing her hand back. "I just want everyone to know how lucky I am. I just want everyone to know that I have you..."

"They'll find out...someday," she said noncommittally, letting his hand go and looking down at one of the menus that a waitress had left on the table earlier. "Now let's order. I'm starving!"

"Starving for my body?" he teased, picking up his own menu and winking at her.

"No, for a huge cheeseburger with everything on it," she said, rubbing her hands together in anticipation as she looked at a picture of a cheeseburger on the menu.

He cocked his head to the side and looked intently at her. "You want a greasy cheeseburger?"

"Mmmm, yes," she moaned. "I can taste it now."

"Ok, something's wrong with you. Are you feeling ok?" he asked curiously.

"I feel fine," she said, smiling at him. "I'm just really hungry right now..."

"If you say so..."

The hotel room...

Trish looked in the mirror at what she was wearing and sighed. Her tight shirt showed a lot of cleavage and showed off her toned midsection while her tight jeans hugged her in all the right places, and yet, she didn't feel sexy. She didn't feel wanted. She just felt...depressed, the same way she'd been feeling since Hunter had ended their relationship two weeks before. She felt rejected, too, and that wasn't a feeling she was used to having.

"Maybe I should go out, just for the hell of it," she said to her reflection. "After all, I did tell Chris I was going out on the town... No reason to lie to the only real friend I have these days..."

She nodded her head at her reflection, mentally making the decision to go out. A few minutes later, she found herself at a low key bar down the street from the hotel...

The bar...

"What can I get you, pretty lady?" the bartender asked her as she seated herself at the bar.

"Oh, whatever you've got," Trish answered, putting her chin in her hand.

"Darling, we have a lot of different things for you to choose from," he said, gesturing behind him at all the different bottles. "Want to be a little bit more specific?"

"I'll take a martini," she said, naming the first drink she could think of. He served her a martini and as she sipped it, someone came up and sat at the bar right next to her.

"I'm back. Hit me," Hunter told the bartender as he sat down.

"Oh, it's you again. Did you find the bathroom ok?" the bartender asked.

"Yeah, Chuck, I found it," Hunter replied. "Now line me up some shots, please..."

"Vodka?"

"You know it."

Chuck lined up the shots as Hunter had requested, and Hunter downed them quickly, one by one. He was there to drown his sorrows. His life was a mess, a complete and total mess. He and Stephanie still traveled together, but they didn't share a hotel room anymore at all. He could still remember what she'd said the last time he'd told her that he loved her... She had called him Chris. He was pretty sure that Stephanie had a thing going on with someone named Chris, but that wasn't what was so depressing. What was so depressing to him was the fact that he'd given up the woman he truly loved to try to save his marriage...something that obviously wasn't meant to be saved.

"Hunter?" Trish asked, surprised.

He nearly choked on his drink at the sound of her voice. He put the shot glass down and turned to look at her. "Trish?"

"So you remember my name?" she joked feebly.

He turned back to Chuck. "Uh, I have to go. Here, this should cover my drinks." He stood up and pulled out some money, threw it on the bar, then turned and walked...stumbled...away.

"There goes my best customer," Chuck said, watching Hunter leave the bar. "I hope he makes it back safely to wherever he's staying..."

"What do you mean?" Trish asked, turning to look at him.

"He's been drinking...a lot...and if I'm not mistaken, he drove here alone," he answered with a shrug. "Normally I take the keys when a customer drinks as much as he has, but he's kind of a big guy and-"

"Oh my God," she interrupted, standing up. "Here, let my pay for my drink. I have to go after him!"

"Drink's on the house," he said good-naturedly. "You just be careful dealing with him. He's huge, and he's drunk..."

"We work together. I'll be fine," she said, already halfway to the exit. "Thanks for the drink!"

"It was my pleasure! Come back again!" he called after her as she left.

Trish stepped outside into the cool night air and looked both right and left. She spotted Hunter not too far away, fumbling with his keys as he stood by an SUV. She quickly made her way over to him.

"Son of a bitch! Stupid fucking..." His voice trailed off as he mumbled curses under his breath, angry that he couldn't fit the key in the lock to open the door. "Fuck this!" he exclaimed finally, pulling back to break the window on the front driver's side.

"No, don't do that," Trish said, grabbing his arm. She felt that familiar sensation starting to build up inside of her. She hadn't been able to touch him in two weeks... Well, not off-camera, anyway. Their storyline together was progressing nicely, just as they had planned...before he had called it quits with her. Soon, they would have to kiss, and she would be lying if she said that she wasn't anticipating that kiss. She was. Even if it was going to be scripted, at least she would be able to get a taste of him, for however long that lasted...

"Why did you follow me?" he asked, his voice noticeably slurred.

"The bartender told me that you'd been drinking a lot and that you drove to the bar by yourself," she said, her hand still on his arm.

"Why would you follow me, though?" he asked impatiently.

"I was worried about you," she answered quietly.

"You're not worried about me. You don't even like me," he said with a scoff.

"You don't know that."

"Oh, but I do know that."

"Then why would I follow you, if I didn't like you?" she countered.

"To laugh at what a drunk I've become, obsessing over you," he said with a sneer. "Imagine that, right?"

"Obsessing over me?" she repeated in a whisper.

"Surprised? Yeah, I'm always thinking about you," he admitted. "The woman who destroyed my marriage, made me fall in love with her, then told me that she used me because I was gullible... Yep, it surprises me, too."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, stepping even closer, her hand still on his arm. "I'm sorry for everything. I'd give anything to be with you again, Hunter, anything."

"Why can't you love me, Trish?" he asked in a low voice.

"I do love you... I said I didn't, but I do," she confessed.

"God, I must be more drunk than I thought," he said, bringing one hand up to his suddenly pounding head. "I know I'm dreaming, I just know it... Wake me up."

"You're not sleeping, just drunk," she said with a sigh, reluctantly removing her hand from his arm. "What hotel are you staying in?"

"The Hilton," he replied, leaning against the SUV, one hand still up to his head. "Wake me up..."

"Give me the keys to this rental," she demanded. She was surprised when he handed them to her without argument. She made him get in the SUV on the other side and she got in on the driver's side. "I'm taking you to the hotel," she informed him.

"Fine, whatever," he mumbled...

Stephanie's hotel room...

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Stephanie asked, looking at Chris. A smile played on her lips as she noted the look of intense concentration on his face as he looked at her. "Do I have something on my face?"

"No," he answered, still staring intently at her. "I'm just still in awe at the fact that you devoured that burger back in the restaurant!"

"Oh, and the fries! You can't forget the fries," she reminded him, still smiling. "If I close my eyes, I can still smell them... I wouldn't mind having some more of them..."

"Why so...hungry tonight, Steph?" he asked curiously. "I mean, I'd be more than full if I'd ordered what you ordered."

"What are you trying to say, Jericho?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him playfully. "You calling me greedy? Fat?"

"No, no, I just think that burger you ate was the size of a football, that's all," he said quickly. He saw the sad look on her face and immediately felt bad. "I'm sorry, baby, I was just joking with you."

"I know," she said with a laugh. "Did you think that I thought you were serious? Because I know you so well, Chris... I know when you're joking and I know when you're not... You can't pull a fast one on me."

"Oh I can't, huh? Sounds like a challenge to me," he said, pushing her down on the bed and straddling her hips. "Looks like I pulled a fast one on you..." He grinned down at her, then leaned down and kissed her softly. As usual, his hands began to travel, and when he got to a certain place, she broke the kiss, grabbing his hand in her own. "What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"Let's take it slow tonight," she whispered to him.

He climbed off of her and settled himself next to her on the bed, smiling a gentle smile at her. "Then slow it is," he whispered back, right before he kissed her again...

Hunter's hotel room...

"We're here," Trish said. She and Hunter were standing outside of his hotel room. The ride over had been much too short for her. She didn't care that he was drunk. All she cared about was the fact that they were together... It wasn't really under the circumstances that she wanted it to be, but she didn't care. As long as she was with him...

"Obviously," he said, using his keycard to open the door. He stepped inside and the door was almost closed before she said something.

"Can I come in?" she asked hopefully.

"Why?" he asked suspiciously.

"Because I drove you here and my hotel is on the other side of town, where the bar was," she replied. "So can I come in, at least for a little while?"

He didn't say anything. He just held the door open for her and she looked at him with both eyebrows raised. "What? You coming in or not?" he asked impatiently. He didn't wait around for her, though. He left the door open and walked inside, taking off his shirt and tossing it somewhere-he didn't care where.

She walked inside the room, trying not to stare at him now that his shirt was off and his upper body was bare, but that was impossible. She'd missed seeing this side of him, so all she could do was watch...

"I'm going to go take a shower," he said, not looking at her. "You can do whatever... Doesn't really matter to me..." He grabbed a towel and some other stuff, then went into the bathroom and shut the door. Once inside the bathroom, he leaned against the door and closed his eyes. Ok, so he was drunk, but he wasn't that drunk. He didn't know what he was doing. There she was, right in the room waiting for him, and he wasn't in there with her... If I take my shower and she's still here when I get out, I'll ask her to stay, he thought. But if she's gone, then...she's just gone...

Trish sat in the room and listened as the shower started running. She looked around the room, then walked over to the spot where his shirt had landed when he'd taken it off. She picked it up and breathed in the scent. It smelled like him...

She waited for a few minutes, then stood up. She didn't know whether or not he wanted her to still be there when he got out of the shower, so she felt that she should probably just leave. She didn't want to, though. She wanted to stay more than anything. If only he wanted her to stay, too...

He got out of the shower and threw a towel around his waist, not even bothering to dry off and put on clothes. Was she still out there? He opened the door and looked around the room, but he didn't see her. Then he looked over at the door, and he saw it closing. He hurried over to it and opened it before it could close all the way.

"Trish," he said quietly, looking at her.

"Oh, um..." She looked guiltily up at him, clutching his shirt tightly to her. "If this is about your shirt..."

"My shirt?" he asked, raising one eyebrow.

"You didn't even notice, did you?" she asked.

"I don't even know what you're talking about... I didn't notice anything except for the fact that you were leaving," he replied, staring down at her.

"Don't you want me to leave?" she asked, looking up into his eyes.

"No," he admitted. "I... I want you to stay..."

She smiled up at him. "All you had to do was ask..."

A/N: I know, I know, yet another note... I don't know what the heck was up with this chapter, seriously! I mean, I personally think too much was going on at once, but whatever, you know? I'm working on another chapter of "The Beginning" and I still haven't posted Chapter 10 of "The Princess and The Duke." Life's been so busy for me these days... Please review and tell me if all this switching back and forth confused you or not...