Chapter 8.

Dylan ran a shaky hand over her face and through her hair before she turned the faucet off the next afternoon. After sleeping in late, she figured she'd have to get up and head to the arena eventually. As she dried her face, she stared at her reflection in the mirror. She grabbed her eye drops and squirted a few drops in each eye before applying a light layer of makeup for the day.

Seth sat at Dylan's glam station waiting for her to get there. The live show would be starting shortly and he knew Dylan would only have a few faces left to do. He took a sip of his coffee and looked up in the mirror just in time to see her head over to him. She had her head down and was frowning as she made her way over.

"I know it's late but I also know you always like a pick me up," he said hopping out the chair and handing her her own coffee. She smiled sweetly before setting the beverage down and getting to work. She began organizing all her products on the station in front of her, trying not to notice Seth still standing there awkwardly.
"So… what's up?" she asked, tying her apron on, begging to stuff the pockets with different makeup brushes. He was quiet for a moment and when she turned around she noticed the worried look on his face. "Hey… you ok?" she asked walking around her station's chair, gently grabbing his wrist.

He snapped out of his trance and tried to find rather gentle words, given the situation.

"So… there's a new wrestler getting a push... It's my crazy ex. For some reason, you're Aunt and Uncle decided she should be the Shield's first female member. I didn't have anything to do with this I swear. You believe me right?" Seth's heart was on the line. He knew the next few minutes could go one of two ways. He was hoping it'd end with Dylan not completely hating his guts.
"Yeah…" she nodded. "You guys aren't still…?" She didn't want to ask; but deep down inside, she needed to know.
"Not for a while" he began before sighing. Here was his moment of redemption.
"We did hook up though… way back in June… only once though…" he emphasized, wishing more than anything at that moment, that he could take back that night.
"Ju-so back when we… when we were…?" Dylan could barely begin to ask.
"It didn't seem like you'd ever leave him."

Dylan lowered her head in shame, not knowing until this moment exactly how bad she had hurt Seth, even involuntarily. When Seth got back after Extreme Rules, Dylan promised herself that no matter what, she'd prove she was over him. Dating Dolph helped for a while but couldn't pacify the feelings she had for the Kingslayer. She couldn't blame him for sleeping with someone else when she had a boyfriend at the time.

"I didn't mean to hurt you," she said, staring at her feet.

When she looked back up, he was right Seth was right in front of her, daring her to take a step away. He wrapped her in his arms, and for just a moment, theirs was the only love.

"Well, what the hell could I say?" Dylan asked her Aunt as she paced in Stephanie's office.

"It's not like we were dating when it happened and it's not like we're dating now."
"But you want to be… right?" Stephanie figured out a while ago how Dylan felt about Seth.

She slowly began putting the pieces together after Seth's return. They were always close and Stephanie could tell his injury and hiatus took a toll on her. Never being a fan of Dolph's, Stephanie had reservations towards the Showstopper dating her niece, but she never said anything; all she wanted was Dylan's happiness.

"It's complicated…" Dylan responded quietly, shifting on her feet nervously.

"What do you mean it's not a big deal? You've been hiding the fact that you're pregnant?!"

Shane's voice echoed through their Manhattan apartment as he screamed. Dylan sat on the living room sofa across from her parents, anxiously tugging at the tassel from a throw pillow.

"And you've known since your trip to Europe… So were you and Dolph just gonna go play house in secret? How long were you thinking about keeping this from us?!"
"It… it's not Dolph's" she whispered, hanging her head in shame.
"What?!" Shane barked as the vein on his temple began to throb. A hand came to rest on his forearm and he began to calm down.
"Dylan..." Marissa began, looking into the ocean blue eyes of her scared little girl. "Your father and I need to talk. Just… just go to your room. We'll be in in a while ok?" Dylan nodded before quietly getting up and scurrying to her room.

"Jesus Christ…" Shane mumbled as he covered his face with his hands.

A few days later Seth stood in the arena next to Roman as they waited for Liz to get some finishing touches on her makeup. They were doing a group shoot and Seth thanked God Dylan wasn't working. He sent her a quick message asking to meet up for a quick lunch before an autograph signing he had later.

"Hellooooo? Earth to Seth?" A hand waved in between his face and phone and suddenly, he was face to face with his ex. Liz's blue eyes didn't seem to have the same effect they once did, and the Kingslayer had a feeling it was because of Dylan. He smiled thinking about the way he hair always smelled like vanilla before he was brought out of his thoughts.

"Se-e-e-th?" she sang.
"Huh?" he asked.
"They're ready for us."

"Just a few more," the photographer said as Seth, Dean, and Liz stood together, fists out in a row together. Liz, in a pair of black shorts and a black crop, adjusted her tactical holster to amplify her cleavage. Seth inwardly rolled his eyes, playing it up, however, for the camera.

At this point, the faster he could get away from Liz, the better.

Dylan had walked up a few minutes ago and was standing there with her arms crossed, her eyes never leaving Liz. Watching her interact with Seth between shots, she had been ready to turn and leave when Renee popped up behind her. She was grateful for the distraction.

Out of his peripheral vision, Seth saw Dylan and Renee leaving, and he was a second away from running after her before Liz, standing between Dean and Seth, rested an elbow of each man's shoulder.

"You good, man?" Dean asked quietly.
"Yeah" Seth responded, trying not to think about the look on Dylan's face when she left.

"So they were dating pretty steady. He would bring her out sometimes and stuff, but out of nowhere… like nowhere, she dumped him."
"Why?" Dylan asked, eating a bowl of steamed broccoli, a suggestion from her doctor.
"Nobody knows, she never even told him. Next thing you know, she's a stunt double for Megan Fox" Renee said. She picked up her vibrating phone and read the text.
"Ooh, girl I gotta jet. Dean's all done for the day so we're actually gonna get to take a nap together.
"God, old people are weird" Dylan teased as Renee flipped her off, leaving catering.

"Broccoli?" Seth asked. Dylan's head shot up from the almost empty bowl when she heard him.
"It's good for you" she argued nervously.
"I guess," he said sitting down across from her. Suddenly it was quiet.
"So…" he began awkwardly.
"She's pretty," Dylan smiled.
"She's not you."

"I don't know man, something's off," Seth told Roman a few nights later as he exited the bathroom in a pair of gym shorts and a black t-shirt. He had just dropped Dylan off at her room after an awkward date.

"It's not like I'm trying to get in her pants… don't get me wrong she's… ugh" Seth closed his eyes thinking about being inside Dylan.
"Focus." Roman's voice halted Seth's dirty thoughts.
"It's not that. It's just… now that we can be together, it's like she doesn't even want to kiss me" he said, collapsing onto his bed. "I don't know what I did…" he said defeated.
"You think it's Liz?"
"No, she seemed fine."
"Dolph?"
"Hell no, man" Seth responded shooting Roman a look.
"Well, it's obviously something. You just have to talk to her."