CHAPTER 13

Was this one of his mind games? Was he just playing with her?

Of course Lily couldn't help herself from asking herself those questions, even as she was grabbing an already packed bag and climbing down the trellis right outside her bedroom window.

She giggled in spite of herself when he froze on the steps, looking at him from her place on the ground. "I know I'm probably going to regret this but I still want you." She wasn't telling him she still loved him, not until she was sure he wasn't out to shatter her again. "And if you think you're coming here, waking me up and then leaving me cold; you're outta yo' mind."

Grinning, Mark filled the distance between them to kiss her. He lifted her up; feeling her legs wrapping around his waist and smiled against her lips. "Let's get out of here." He murmured huskily, smiling again when she simply nodded.

***

"No note! No nothing!" Gilbert raged the next morning, standing in Lily's bedroom; Jeff and Matt behind him. He had called Matt's to see if she might be there after she hadn't come down by hr normal time; having gone up to check on her and found her gone. "She took her knapsack and looks like she went out the window…" He rubbed the top of his head. "Where the hell could she have gone?"

All three of them flew down stairs when the phone rang, skidding to a halt in the living room just as the answering machine caught the call.

"Dad, sorry for running out like that, something came up." Came Lily's giggling voice, obviously oblivious to the fact that she had left three people very worried about her with her sudden disappearance. "I'm fine so calm down and you can beat me the next time I come through that way, okay? I love you, DON'T WORRY! And don't call the boys!"

"Well, at least she wasn't kidnapped…" Jeff scowled at their father. "Don't scare me like that!"

Matt smashed the answering machine before walking out, ignoring the looks he got.

***

A week of Heaven.

Lily had been curious about where he was taking her, only to find out they were just traveling. No deadlines. No early flights to catch. Just them and the road.

She had also discovered the perks of sleeping outside, he made a great body warmer for one. Another thing was it was kind of a rush making love out in the open, knowing they could be spotted or watch however unlikely that was.

She was turning into a little pervert.

Now though, he had to go back to work and she had gone with him, sadly. Granted, she hadn't been in arena for over six months –since their break-up- and no doubt people were going to wonder what the Hell was going on but… oh well.

"Are you sure you want me here?" Lily asked in a whisper, nervous as hell for some unknown reason.

"Yes." Mark said firmly, leaving no room for doubt. He entwined his fingers with hers, squeezing gently to reassure her. He loved her and wasn't losing her again. If John even THOUGHT about coming to see her, Mark was going to borrow Hunter's sledgehammer to bash the pup's skull in.

Without Lily knowing about it of course.

Lily's mind strayed to her friend, well… maybe he wasn't her friend anymore, she hadn't made any attempt to contact him after that kiss.

Probably be a good idea to keep things that way.

LILIANA, I AM GOING TO STRING YOU UP BY YOUR-" Jeff stopped mid rant, eyes narrowing when he seen who she was with. "You're fucking KIDDING me?!"

"Boy, you best be changing that tone of yours." Mark ordered gruffly; his acid gaze DARING Jeff to upset Lily. "I'll be in my dressing room, darlin'." He murmured in her ear, smirking when Lily shivered and patted her ass as he walked by, shooting Jeff a warning look.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING?"

Sighing, Lily folded her arms over her chest; tapping a heeled boot on the floor impatiently. Truth be told, she should have expected this. But since Jeff was her twin, she hadn't. Shame on her for being so damn thick in the head. "Honestly, Jeff, I have no idea." She confessed finally, dropping her arms and shrugged helplessly. "I love him."

Still hadn't told Mark that but… Jeff already knew she did, she had never stopped.

"Please don't yell at me. I'm not trying to piss you off."

"Do you have any idea what I've been through in the last month? I've been through hell and back and then you decide to add onto all of that? Are you fucking for real?" He demanded angrily, his temper up. He couldn't believe she was being so damn nonchalant about this.

"YOU FUCKING DISAPPEAR WITHOUT SO MUCH AS A GODDAMN NOTE AND DAD HAD TO CALL ME AND MATTIE OVER TO THE HOUSE CAUSE HE WAS SCARED TO DEATH! THEN WE FIND OUT YOU'RE WITH THAT FUCKING FREAK AGAIN? LILIANA HARDY WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?"

Jeff didn't give her the chance to reply, just stalked off.

Dad called Jeff AND Matt? Oh great! Now Jeff would go tell Matt and they wouldn't be on speaking terms again. Not like they really were before, just pulling it together for Jeff but… Sighing, she slumped against the wall and buried her face in her hands.

What the hell WAS she doing? She was placing her heart in the hands of a man who had purposefully broken it once already.

***

Sighing, Mark threw his bag into a corner of his locker room and dropped down on a steel folding chair, burying his head in his hands. He knew Lily was still having doubts about him after what he had said to her half a year ago. He had explained to her, in depth, why he had done it but that still didn't make things right and he knew it.

He would have to prove it to her.

His thoughts were interrupted when she walked in, frowning at the expression on her face. "You alright?"

"Yeah, Jeff is just pissed with me." She muttered, wiping at her eyes. "He'll get over it, eventually." Lily forced herself to smile, letting him pull her onto his lap. "So… what's up for tonight?" She really didn't need to think about her twin because that led to her thinking about how being with Mark had a tendency of shredding her family.

"After the show, we're going to the hotel where I have a surprise for you."

"Hmmm, can you just tell me what the surprise is and I'll PRETEND to be surprised?" She suggested with a pleading smile, green eyes sparkling. When he shook his head no, she straddled his lap and ran her hands down his chest. "Please?" She whispered, bending forward to kiss his neck; heard him groan and smirked. "C'mon Mark, you know you wanna tell me."

"No… I want you to be surprised… damn it darlin'…" He growled, cupping her waist and squeezed gently. When she didn't stop her delicious attack on his neck, he returned the favor; touching her in places he knew lit her on fire. "Feel good?"

"Yes, but since you're making me wait…" Lily got off of him, planting her hands on her hips; staring down at him out of smoldering eyes. "Then you're waiting too. I'm going to go see Melina, while you… cool down." Winking at him, she darted out of the room.

Mark groaned, instantly getting up and heading for the showers.

What a tease!

***

"Lily!" Melina squealed when she seen her friend, catching her in a tight hug. "I take it you and Mark made up."

Lily blushed.

"Your brother is furious." Obviously she meant Jeff, the brother she was now dating. "But I for one couldn't be happier for you. Don't worry, I'll make Jeffy see reason."

"I bet you will." It was still a bit weird to realize that Melina and Jeff were a couple. "He better or I'll clock him upside his head." Lily threatened, trying not to be angry with her stubborn twin. "I mean, I guess I understand him getting pissed that I just took off but he really needs to stop hollering at me. He's older by four minutes and acts like… like Matt!"

That was the worst insult she could think of and seen Melina mouth 'ouch'.

"I am NOTHING like Mattie." Jeff said firmly, joining them. "I don't screw women who fuck me over and I don't backhand my sister into next Tuesday."

Melina cringed. "Jeff…"

"You have no idea what I've been through this past month, Lil. My house burning down, Jack…" He swallowed hard, his eyes turning glassy. "Needing to rebuild my house and everything, then you just up and leave with Mark who you said you hated. Now come on, don't you find that a little… crazy?"

"Not at all. And I don't know what you went through because YOU didn't want me around!" Lily said, staring at him. "I called Matt's every day to ask about you and he kept telling me you needed 'time'. I'm your twin! You spent time with everyone BUT me during that month. I might be crazy but at least I don't push you away Jeff. Talk to you later, Mel." She nodded at her friend before walking away, knowing she was seconds away from either crying all over again or ripping Jeff's hair out.

Jeff blinked and went after her, stopping Lily from going too far and spun her around to face him. The tears in her eyes broke his heart and he hugged her tightly. "Matt never told me." He whispered, thinking 'I'm going to kill him'. "Matt kept telling me you needed time away from me."

"He did what?" Lily pulled away, anger overtaking the sadness. "Is he here?" When Jeff slowly nodded, she grabbed his hand. "We're going to get whatever shit is wrong with Matt fixed NOW. I am sick and tired of his damage."

What the hell? Why would he lie to them? What reason did he have this time?

"Hold on." She paused long enough to pick up a kendo stick. "Now let's go see him."

Melina was laughing her ass off, unable to help herself. "Hold on, lemme get a weapon so I can beat my swine brother's ass to hell and back. Okay NOW let's go!" Tears were streaming down her cheeks, holding her sides.

Jeff couldn't stop laughing either, though he did take the stick from Lily, shaking his head. "Let's just calm down for a minute." He kept his arm firmly around Lily's waist, just in case.

"This isn't funny, Jeff. I'm glad you're so damn amused that he keeps being an asshole but I'm NOT!" She groaned when he wouldn't let her go; eyes narrowing when Satan himself rounded the corner. "Oh Mattie, c'mere."

"Hold on… give her back the stick!" Melina gasped.

"Don't encourage her, Mel!" Jeff groaned, then groaned even louder when his twin broke free and proceeded to tackle their older brother. He gawked. Lily was tiny compared to them and yet she was currently straddling Matt with the kendo stick pressed to his throat.

"WHAT THE FUCK?" Matt rasped. "LILY!"

Jeff pressed his foot firmly on Matt's babymakers, ignoring the people coming to watch. "Why did you lie to us?"

Melina was snapping pictures.

Lily dug the stick deeper into Matt's throat, finally letting up enough for him to suck in some air. "You told me Jeff needed time, you told Jeff I needed time from him. So, Matthew, how bout you tell us what the HELL is WRONG with you?" She glanced over her shoulder, smirking. "Jeffy, you don't want any nieces of nephews, huh?"

"Fuck no, not from him!"

"Spill it Matthew Moore Hardy!"

"FINE!" Matt shoved Lily off of him, which in turn sent Jeff backwards. Stumbling to his feet, he stared at them hatefully, not masking it. "It was me! It was me who set the fire and killed your fucking dog. You two are so close; so tight and I figured I could kill two birds with one stone. Guess what, it almost worked. You two were driven apart until you decided to have your fucking precious bonding moment!"

This time it wasn't Lily needing to be held back, it was Jeff. Lily and Melina both had to tackle him to stop him from attacking.

"Why?" Lily shouted at Matt, confusion on her face. "We're supposed to be close, Matt, we're a FAMILY!"

"Jeff, calm down, calm down. You keep that up and you're going to be hurting Lil and me." Melina pleaded, straddling his chest while Lily took his legs. "Calm down, baby."

Matt started laughing, ignoring the tears in his sibling's faces. "You want to know why?" He shook his head. "Isn't it OBVIOUS? You two are this close knit group, and it's JUST you TWO, no one else! I don't give a damn if you ARE twins! It was nice having my brother to MYSELF without my slut sister interfering all the fucking time! I've never been a part of your little twinsistence or whatever you call it and you both know it!"

Lily and Melina exchanged looks when Jeff went limp, both looking down to find him staring at the ceiling; tears running down the sides of his face and into his hair.

"You-"

Adam watched with wide eyes as the women attacked Matt, wincing when fingernails were brandished. "Someone better let Larry know Matt's going to need some Neosporin."

Mickie James just nodded.

Growling, Matt backhanded Melina out of his way then shoved Lily off of him, spitting blood in her face. "That's it, get angry and attack me! I'll fuck your shit all up, bitch!" He threatened.

At which point, Adam moved to restrain him.

"It's not my fault you're a selfish bitch and hogged Jeff all to yourself!"

Melina was currently being lead to the trainer's room with a bruised cheekbone.

"Go ahead and try it!" Lily screamed, feeling a pair of hands now holding her back as she tried getting at Matt, catching Jeff following Melina. That's okay. She knew Jeff would probably be taking his anger out on Matt in the ring. She wasn't part of the show, she didn't get that luxury. "Come on big brother, you hate me so damn badly, come fuck me up!"

But Matt was staring past her, his skin paling under his painted on tan at the owner of the hands holding her. "What the fuck do you want, Deadman?" He spat angrily. "Go ahead let her go so I can knock her ass down again!"

"Lay so much as a finger on her and I will kill you." Mark promised darkly.

"Look, this is a SIBLING thing so why don't you take a fucking flying leap?"

"Why don't you go fuck yourself?"

Matt's face was an angry red.

Lily burst free and speared Matt, backing away before he could smack her. Pure liquid rage was coursing through her. "You burnt down Jeff's house!" She kicked him in the ribs. "You killed Jack!" Another kick. "All because you're jealous!" She didn't get a third kick because she was being pulled away again. "I hate you Matt! And you know Jeff will too! So choke on THAT!"

"Good!" He snarled, not moving to go for her since Mark had taken a defensive position. "I hope both of you burn in hell for what you put ME through with your twin bullshit! Rubbing it in my face constantly about the connection you two have! He's my fucking brother too and he doesn't even love me! He will never love me like he does you because I'm not a part of the exclusive club!"

Lily stopped trying to kill him and sagged back in Mark's arms. "Why didn't you ever tell us this?" She demanded in a harsh whisper, her voice still carrying through the crowded but silent hallway. "You never once mentioned any of this to either of us."

"Someone call Doctor Phil."

"Now's not the time, Cenana."