So, this has been proven a lot harder to write than I originally anticipated. I like the idea behind it, now if I could just get momentum!
Shout out to the people who have gotten behind this story, I appreciate your reviews greatly and like to hear suggestions on how to make it better!
For this chapter, I'm going to take into account some real-life news and making it my own. So...sorry not sorry. Technically, the reports are that this happened at the MiTB PPV, but...we'll just do a little editing, mmkay?
"So you need to tell me what exactly is going on between you and Charlotte," Paige stated, standing in front of the arena they were exiting that same evening. "Because the last thing I like is when someone like you makes me out to be a fool in front of the entire world!" she exclaimed, scuffing the concrete of the road she stood in, confronting Berto. Yeah, she was still buzzed and super high from earlier, but enough was enough. Alberto Del Rio knew all of the struggles she was going through, yet still led her to believe he still had sexual interest in her. She was a total mindfuck, and did he care? No. Absolutely not.
"Paige, come on," he spoke with a heavy accent, his dark eyes flashing. He was both annoyed and angry, not interested in dealing with Paige's shit that evening. Del Rio was already frustrated as he began to slowly decline down the power rankings, something he certainly did not return for. No, he returned to the WWE for an excellent run as a heel; and if not to capture the WWE title, than to make a huge mid-card impact, shaking up the entire division. Instead, he was floundering, doing literally nothing.
And then he started hanging out with Charlotte before the show.
Now, Charlotte was fun, she was cool, and she was smart. Paige was all of those things, too; except the Flair heiress knew how to properly carry herself; she was happy to even have the opportunity to be on the main card, let alone be the Women's Champion. She worked hard to get better in the ring, worked alongside Renee Young to deliver exceptional interviews, and watched and re-watched some of the greatest promos in WWE history just to take note for herself. Paige, however, seemed to have lost her love for the company quickly, constantly carrying a chip on her shoulder and a dark cloud constantly raining over her head. It wasn't that Char was any better in the ring, more or less, her attitude set her aside from the younger woman. And that, Alberto thought, was sexy. He found that attractive.
Oh, sure, Paige was fun as hell. They'd gotten tattoos together after having too many shots of tequila, she made him feel a lot younger than he actually was... but she had issues, and he knew that going into it. When she made it very clear that she was only interested in a fuck and not so interested in the relationship aspect of things, Del Rio had no choice but to slowly fade into the background. It hurt like hell knowing that she was using him, trying to get over whatever it was that happened to her in the past. She'd mentioned previously that she'd been through a lot, but it wasn't until the Total Divas episode aired that she'd admitted to miscarrying. And after that episode aired, she was acting like a goddamn psycho. The crazy looks she was giving him in catering earlier? Not cool, and definitely not what he'd signed up for.
So, fuck that, and fuck her too. He'd thought he'd made himself pretty clear earlier when he'd traded cell phone numbers with the blonde, hoping to wind up in a more romantic setting soon. Yeah, Paige was looking; but she'd already told him an adult-like relationship was out of the question. So he wasn't exactly to blame for wanting to resume his life without her, as a bachelor.
Yet, here the woman stood in front of him, having a rough time standing on her own as she yelled at him for breaking her heart. He was surprised to hear she even had one to break.
"Little Mama, I'm tired, and I don't want to do this tonight," he complained, adjusting his dark blue jeans slightly before his boxer briefs became visible. "I like the girl, and you made it pretty clear what you wanted from me. We don't want the same thing at this point. Be young, do whatever you please, but it is not something that interests me," he spoke clearly, but his accent made his words sound broken, and he had a hard time getting his point across.
"My pussy is something that doesn't interest you?" she yelled, her own accent thick.
"Honestly? No," Del Rio stated, rolling her eyes. "Also, you smell like a vodka factory. You really ought to get a hobby."
"Go fuck yourself," she retorted, now standing within an arm's distance of her former bed buddy. "Or, if you'd like, I can fuck you," her mood changed quickly, her eyes lightening up a little as she ran her index finger along Berto's dark, tanned forearm. She knew she was acting crazy, but between the partying she'd done during the show and the way he was making her feel so small, she didn't care much. She was clinging on to any reason at all to keep him around, if only because she didn't have many people left in her personal corner.
"Not interested," he stated bluntly, turning away from her. She got angry quickly, hanging on to his white t-shirt as he began to walk back towards the arena.
"How dare you tell me that Charlotte is more intriguing!" she spat, her eyes angry as she stood toe-to-toe with the Latino man.
"She is, Paige. She is. You need to get to your hotel...because this is ridiculous. I had a rough night, and I could use a night without your bullshit."
"She's more intriguing? Seriously? What, does she suck your dick better? Does she spread her legs at command? Tell me, because I don't think I'm understanding properly!"
"Paige! Knock your bullshit off!" Del Rio was now bright red, his anger registering to the raven-haired woman for the first time during the encounter. "We're not sleeping together. We've hardly talked! You're fucking nuts, and I don't really want to deal with you!"
Paige was quiet for a moment as she crept closer to the Latino.
"I fucking hate you," she replied curtly, her hands clenched at her sides. "I really hope Princess Flair can give you what you need in life. God knows that little 'ol me won't be able to, you selfish piece of shit!" she was yelling now, allowing her emotions to completely take over her brain. She pushed the man, ready to punch him square in the nose. If she were back home in England, that would be normal behavior; you fuck with Paige, your face gets fucked up. Here, in the WWE, it wasn't exactly something that the upper management encouraged.
"You could have, Paige, but this is exactly why I'm done with your crazy ass!" he replied, now in the middle of the street, too. She looked like she could kill him, as finally, she took a step near the man, raising both fists.
"You don't want to do this," he said as she got into a boxing-like format; and she laughed like the crazy bitch she was.
"Actually, fucker, I do," she replied, taking a loose jab at him. He easily swayed, not even close.
"Paige, if you want to lose your job, this is the right way to go about that," he warned, stepping back. "I don't want to hurt you, but you know that I can."
"You're a joke, Berto. Shit, even Roman Reigns is better in-ring than you are," she giggled, her hands dropping slightly.
"Shows how much you know," he spat, rolling his eyes. "I'm leaving. Do you want me to call a cab for you, or do you think you can manage by yourself?"
"You can take me home," she replied, giggling like a child. Yeah, she was super messed up. Del Rio seemed to have made note of her behavior quickly, likely wondering why she was acting even more crazy than usual.
Damn, Reigns was packing the good stuff!
"Knock it off!" he yelled, his patience on brink. "I'm calling you a cab, and you're going to get the hell out of here. You're not going to speak another word to me, and you're definitely going to leave Charlotte alone. Just disappear for awhile, Paige. Everyone wants you to! You're more of a hindrance than you are a help right now! You're debilitating the company you claim that you love. Give everyone a break, and get away from here!" Del Rio exploded to his former friend, his anger now to a point where he couldn't simply contain it. No longer would he be able to put a cap on it, no longer would he ignore the gut feeling that this woman was out to destroy him.
Paige took a swing, totally blindsiding the former champion. Del Rio tried to duck, but she connected well; her fist landing directly on the apple of his high cheekbones. She laughed as he crumbled, his ass hitting the pavement as he held the spot that was certain to be swollen in the next few hours.
"Fuck you, Berto," she spat, stepping away from him as she tossed her long hair over her shoulder. "Like I said, I hope she was fucking worth it."
"Anything is better than you," Del Rio replied, struggling to get to his feet. He was disoriented, all right; but the last thing he wanted was to give Paige an inkling of power that she didn't necessarily deserve.
"Ay, you two! You ought to knock it off!" came a voice, and Del Rio recognized it to be of Sheamus, his former stablemate and former WWE champion. While the Irishman was less than intriguing to the fans, Berto got along with him fairly well. He was an unfortunate heel character right now, someone who had potential if the fans would just get behind him. Unfortunately, things didn't work out in the redhead's favor; as the WWE upper management was currently trying their hardest to push Roman Reigns.
"Maybe you ought to mind your own business, Whitey!" Paige responded, her mood changing quickly now knowing that the former lovebirds were not alone.
"You should talk!" Sheamus replied, rolling his eyes as he came to view. "Look, you guys. Everyone can hear your lover's quarrel, and the best thing for each of you is to pretend nothing happened. The last thing either of you assholes want is for Steph or Hunter to catch wind of this!"
"Go find something to do," Paige replied. "Can't you see that he's a cheating sack of shit?"
Del Rio laughed loudly. "Sheamus, call the police on this nutjob. She's a sack, not me."
Sheamus grabbed at his phone, but no sooner did he have his device in his hands than a squad car rolled up next to the three of them, his window open as the officer leaned out to speak to the three of them.
"Hey, folks. One of the renters at the hotel across the way gave a noise complaint just outside their window. I could hear you yelling at each other from down the block," the officer stated, his eyes tired.
"Things are peachy, officer," Paige replied, and Del Rio now stood up, his eyes shining straight at the officer. He bit the inside of his cheek, and Paige knew that it was likely now that he'd admit that she had come at him. And real-life fighting, especially over a relationship, was hardly something that WWE took lightly. She'd be looking at a suspension, all over again.
But wasn't that always the case with her?
"Yeah, peachy," Berto shocked the other two, Sheamus turning towards his friend with an eyebrow raised.
"You sure?" the officer's cherub-like cheeks bouncing as he spoke. Paige wondered how far this guy could actually run if she chose to sprint out of here to save her ass. He'd probably make it to the end of the block before calling it quits. Unless he rolled after her, of course...
"Yeah, I'm sure," Berto said, his accent heavy. "Just heading back to our separate rooms, actually."
The officer shined a ridiculously bright flashlight at his dark skin, highlighting the enormous red spot that was beginning to form on his face.
"It comes with the territory," he explained lightly. "I've just got to be for mindful during my matches," he muttered to Sheamus, who shook his head disapprovingly as he realized that Del Rio wasn't going to rat on Paige. He had every reason to take her down, but as she stood there in front of an authority figure, she looked like a delinquent caught tagging an old building. So childish, fragile, and scared. Something that nobody saw often from her; in fact, it was impressive that she even could keep her mouth shut for this long.
"I see. At the very least, you ought to get that checked out. For a broken bone, I mean," the officer still shined his flashlight at the three, and Paige looked at her feet nervously.
"I'm fine. Doing well-"
"I insist," he cut off the former champion. "Let's get you down to the nearest hospital, now."
Defeated, Del Rio took a step towards the squad car. Paige caught his elbow, causing him to turn towards her. Fear was distilled into her pupils, and she feared the worst: she would be going to jail. Her eyes pleading for him not to get closer, he stepped towards her, his lips close to her ear.
"I won't say anything. This time."
Paige's shoulders relaxed as she, too, stepped forward. "I'd like to come along, to make sure he's alright," she spoke for the first time, almost forcing her presence on the two men. Sheamus scoffed in the background, muttering to himself about leaving the circus.
"Is that alright, son?" the cop asked Berto, who didn't respond immediately. He really, clearly didn't want to have Paige ride along, especially being in the state she was right now. She was blasted out of her mind, but he supposed if she could keep her damn mouth shut for long enough, it was better that she stayed out of sight of one of the narcs at the hotel. Should someone who needed a push badly come into contact with her, he or she would take their findings straight to talent relations and have Paige sent packing for sixty days, not thirty.
"Of course it is," Del Rio choked out, extending his hand so that Paige knew to walk alongside him. She understood the motion, following him as the officer popped open the door to his squad car for them.
Nervously, the ex-lovers slipped into the back. Sure, they weren't in any sort of trouble-at least, they didn't think they were-but it was still nerve-wrecking to be sliding into the backseat of an officer's car. Paige wondered how many criminals had been back there, and wondered what they'd done to be in the predicament. To keep herself out of trouble, though, she wisely chose not to speak. She knew her words were probably slurred yet, and once the officer took them to the hospital, she vowed to find a vending machine to get some food into her stomach immediately.
She reached over to Berto's hand and give it a quick squeeze. Repulsed, he whipped it away quickly, his nose wrinkled at her as though she were a piece of literal shit.
"Thank you," she mouthed, though slightly embarrassed at the way he'd just treated her. He'd had his penis inside of her, yet he looked disgusted when she'd snatched at his hand? The fuck was wrong with this guy?
"My, my. Someone got in rather late," a voice came in from the darkness, and Paige jumped at least ten feet in the air as she tried to squint, hoping to see who the voice belonged to.
It was pitch black in the hotel's game room, though, and she couldn't sleep. The bed was uncomfortable, her television got maybe three channels, it was hot as ballsacks, and her mind was on fire. So, she'd brought her tablet down to the lobby, where it was much cooler...except she didn't like that the woman on duty at the front desk was watching her like a hawk, her beady little eyes judging her as she swiped through her Instagram.
She opted to sit in the dark, hoping to be alone.
"Heard you had quite the altercation with Del Rio," the voice was closer to her, but she still couldn't see where it was coming from. "Head's up, it's all over the news. TMZ is even reporting that you got arrested."
Paige's ears prickled as the voice was now directly behind her. She whipped around, a fuzzy image of a face behind her. She recognized the goatee, the gray eyes, and the long hair. She felt better now: it was only Roman.
"I didn't get arrested," she huffed, and Roman chuckled. "Though I probably should have," she added quietly, hoping that the former Shield member hadn't heard her.
"You were that fucked up, huh?" he took a seat next to her, and she slid further away, annoyed that he'd invited himself to her table in this dark room. She had intended to be alone, after all; and the last thing she needed tonight was to get fucked up with Roman once more.
"Might as well have been Jeff Hardy," she replied. "I popped him in the cheek pretty good. Luckily, the hospital we were at this evening didn't find any structural damage in his cheekbone...but he'll have a real shiner for the next few days."
Roman gave a hearty laugh now. "It's about time someone popped that jackass in the mouth. And it makes me even more happy that it was you to do it. Did you find out what he'd been saying about you backstage, or what?"
Now, Paige's ears perked up. "He'd been talking about me backstage? Like, to my friends?"
Roman cleared his throat, his hands folding and unfolding on the table. "Sorry, I thought...I figured that was what you two were arguing about."
"What's he been saying?"
"It's really not anything to worry ab-"
"Roman, so help me God, tell me what he said about me, or you'll end up looking just like Berto."
Roman sighed. "He basically called you a cheap whore. Your gimmick, your look, and everything else was 'cheap.' He's also said that you're a brat, that you're insane, and he's trying his hardest to blacklist you. And sadly, since he's a fairly respected veteran, a lot of people are beginning to listen."
Paige shook her head as she willed herself not to cry.
"I knew I shouldn't have jumped into his bed," she said quietly, her lip quivering already. She was not going to cry over this douchebag. No, she couldn't...
"Well, that's a fact. That guy is a real piece. Not to mention, you're much younger than he is. If he didn't want someone who still had life to live, who still had dreams to accomplish, and who wanted to keep things fun and enjoyable, I'm not sure why he'd align himself with you."
Paige gave a small smile, even though she knew the Samoan superhero probably couldn't see her.
"Thanks, Roman," she said back.
"Anytime, baby girl. Listen, you really ought to go lay down. It's been a long day, and an even longer night for you. Tomorrow won't be so great, with talent calling your phone as soon as they catch wind of your adventure. Hopefully, Del Rio keeps his story in check. The last thing I hope for you is for you to fall further down the company ladder because you got tied up with someone who didn't appreciate you."
"Nobody does," she remarked. "Lately, all I've been is a stepping stone."
"You and me both," Roman replied. He got up, giving a large stretch, before walking towards the double-doors, the moonlight beginning to peer in. Paige saw that he had only been wearing a pair of black Nike basketball shorts and slide-on sandals, his large muscles uncovered and exposed.
She probably looked like a complete rat, and was thankful that she had been hiding in the dark.
"Have a good night, champ," she said with an edge, almost in spite. She watched him turn towards her, looking like he wanted to say something. He said nothing as he turned on his heel, walking away from the table she still sat at.
Roman Reigns pounded at the door. Yeah, it was six a.m. Yeah, he didn't care much. This was something he felt he had to do before it was too late.
Finally, the hotel room flung open, and the tanned man stood before him, still sleepy and looking fucking ridiculous in the white plush bathrobe that he wore. His eyes followed up to those of the taller man, and recognition and question appeared quickly. Roman crossed his arms as he tried to intimidate Del Rio, but had a hard time doing so as his eyes landed on the deep, dark bruise that tiny little Paige had left right under his eye. He felt proud of her; it was something that even he felt she had a right to do. Especially since he knew what the veteran had been saying about her lately.
"Roman? What do you want at such early hours?" Del Rio asked, his eyes questioning.
"Baby? Come who is it? Come back to bed..." he heard a woman call, and he looked up to see a blonde still laying in the hispanic's bed, who he assumed to be Charlotte.
What a fucking tool!
Del Rio quickly stepped into the hallway, shutting the door behind him slightly so that Roman couldn't get any better of a view of the bed. He knew that the blonde was probably naked, and could venture a guess that Del Rio had played a sympathy card on her, landing her straight into his bed. He had to give the guy credit where it was due: Berto sure knew how to capture the attention of female co-workers.
"I don't mean to ruin your morning brunch," Roman laughed at his own lame joke. "Sorry. But I ran into Paige last night."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Berto replied. "If this is about that wretched woman, I really don't want to hear it. She and I are nothing, and I don't want to be connected to he anymore. She's psychotic."
"But it is about her. Listen, for a second. Only a second."
Del Rio crossed his arms against his chest, still looking like a fruit in his fluffy robe. "What? What did she do now? Did she try to jump into the sack with you? Do you need help getting rid of that annoying, pesky little fly? I don't know how to help."
"No, nothing like that. I spoke to her very briefly, but you ought to know that Paige and I spent a lot of time in NXT together, before we made the jump to Monday Night Raw. I trained with her only a few times, as my brothers and myself were called up quickly."
"I'm not sure where this is going, Roman, and frankly I'm not sure that I care."
"There are reports all over the internet that she was arrested. The last thing that girl needs right now is to lose her career over your sorry ass," Roman flicked the collar of the bathrobe, stepping closer to Berto so that he could see the rage that was in his eyes. "You knew what a mess she was, and you chose to get involved despite that. You knew that if you got close to her, she'd latch on for dear life. But you didn't care, and you still don't. You need to realize that she's had people in the company who know the situations she's been in better than you do. I think it'd be wise of you to keep your goddamn mouth shut if Hunter or, God forbid, Vince, come to you asking questions about what happened last night."
Now, the Samoan stood nose to nose with Paige's former interest, his words threatening. "If you so much as utter a word about the state she was in last night, or what actually happened...your face is going to look much, much worse than it does right now. Paige still has a whole career ahead of her. But as you know, you can't take something from a man who has nothing left to lose."
With that, Roman gave a rough shove to Del Rio, knocking him back towards his hotel room door. Del Rio said nothing, but gave a quick nod of agreement before scuttling his sorry ass inside, back to Charlotte or whoever had fallen victim to him this time.
