"I just need to think, Jess…"
"About what?"
"About us!" John sniped back in an outburst. "I need to clear my mind, Jess. It's not all about you, you know. Maybe I don't want to be your fiancé anymore."
Suddenly, Jessica felt as though someone had punched her in the stomach, knocking all of the wind right out of her.
"Wh-what did you say?" she stammered, her eyes instantly watering.
John leaned against the doorframe and sighed heavily. "I just don't know what to do with what I just saw. I need time to make sense of it… alone."
"Are you throwing me out of the house?" she asked, almost dumbfounded.
"I'm not throwing you of the house, Jessica. I'm asking you for some space, for some time… and that means that I need to be by myself."
"So where do you suggest I go at eleven 'o clock at night?" she asked him, bordering on hysterics.
"I- I- I don't know. I'm going to go for a drive and clear my head, it'll give you some time to make some arrangements," he replied, turning around towards the hallway. "I'll see you on Monday."
"That wasn't fair, Jessica," her friend grumbled from his seat at the kitchen table. "I know it wasn't your fault."
"I should have told him, Dave," she sighed, gripping the coffee mug in her hands. "I told two other people before I even told my own fiancé."
"And Paul should have let you know immediately," Dave countered with a low rumble to his voice. "Believe me, in a matter of days, he'll know that."
"Just don't say anything to Paul yet, okay? I still have to talk to Stephanie… and I really don't want to."
Dave cracked a small smile. "No one wants to talk to your sister."
The Diva attempted to smile, but found it was nearly impossible. "I'm sorry."
The DC-native was perplexed. "For what?"
"For showing up at your house at one in the morning with a trunk full of suitcases and keeping you awake to deal with my problems, one of which I should have told you about sooner," Jessica replied sadly, her dull eyes staring into the half-full mug of coffee.
Dave shook his head at his good friend. "Don't apologize. This isn't your fault."
"Yes it is, Dave," Jessica sighed, her eyes dropping to the table. "As much as you don't want to admit it, this whole thing is my fault. I shouldn't have put myself in this kind of position."
The half-Filipino, half-Greek man rose from his chair and reached down a hand to tilt her chin upwards. "Listen to me, this is not your fault. Yes, you should have told John. Yes, you made a mistake. But you love John, I know that, he knows that, and Dwayne knows that. Why do you think he is trying so damn hard to steal you away from Cena?"
Jessica nodded silently. She knew that Dave was right, but it didn't make the pain go away or change that fact that she could very well lose John for good.
It was getting cold again in Massachusetts. It wasn't the bone chilling cold that December brought or the wet, muggy cold that spring ushered in. Instead, it was the ominous chill of an autumn wind that was blowing in the colder month of October.
Halloween was coming, too. It had been a really long time since John had been back in West Newbury for that. In fact, it had been around ten years. Ten really long years.
He was halfway to his nineteenth birthday the last time he'd been around for the holiday. It was his freshman year at Springfield College and he had brought his friend, Matt Sullivan, home with him because his hometown of Tampa was quite far away. Mainly, he had traveled back because he'd promised Liz he'd visit her, not knowing that he'd find himself engaged to her three years later for no particular reason at all.
His relationship with his parents was strained at the time, but not nearly as bad as it'd be the following year, after they had made the decision to divorce and he refused to return home.
He was still close with his brother, Steve, who was busy planning his own wedding with his fiancée, Jamie, three years down the road, after he'd graduated from the police academy.
And no relationship was as damaged at the time as his friendship with his partner in crime and neighbor, Jessica McMahon. Liz hadn't taken over her place in his life, but she'd definitely overstepped her boundaries and walked onto a big chunk of it.
It's funny how so much could change in a decade.
Now, he was halfway to birthday number twenty-nine, not even putting the good old college degree to any particular use at all, and the last time he had seen Matt was when he had met up with him in Tampa so that he could help him pick out an engagement ring.
Everything was fine with his parents, now that Liz was permanently out of the picture, but a call to his older brother was long overdue. It would be the triplets' birthday soon and there was a good chance that he had a birthday party at which his attendance was required. The kids would be pretty pissed if he didn't show up with Jessica…
Jessica. Everything in his life always came back to her. No matter how much space he put between them, which, at the moment, was around two thousand miles worth, he couldn't escape her.
Without her in the house, John could barely sleep at night, but when he did, all he found were nightmares. All he could see was her and Dwayne, all of the time.
This had led to his return to West Newbury, Massachusetts. He figured that if he went back to his roots, and spoke to the two people who knew him best, maybe, just maybe, he could figure out exactly wanted to do.
"Something is wrong."
"What?" John asked in confusion after kissing his mother hello.
"John," Carol sighed as she shook her head. "When you're happy, you're at your father's. It's easy to walk over from the house next door and share good news. You have to go out of your way to get here."
The twenty-eight year old's eyebrows furrowed. "What are you talking about?"
"You are my son, John," she addressed him and sat down in a chair in her kitchen. "I know you better than anyone, even your father. And I know that when you show up at my apartment before you show up at his house, something is very wrong. So what is it?"
"Jessica, you have a phone call!" Dave called upstairs from the kitchen to the guest room. "Line one!"
"Thanks, Dave!" she yelled back to him and ran to his office to pick up the phone. "Hello?"
"I'm just letting you know that I've already booked you a flight out here and you're leaving tomorrow afternoon. We will go to Raw together next week."
"Randy, I-"
"No, Dave is leaving tomorrow for Smackdown. We're going to fly from St. Louis together and you and I are going to deal with your retard of a fiancé."
"Look, Randy. I appreciate what you're trying to do, but this is my problem, not yours. Maybe some time apart…"
He scoffed, "Right. Okay. You're sounding more and more like him by the second. Let's just take some time apart to think things over. We're just on a break… bullshit, Jessica. He is so full of crap."
She sighed, "Please don't talk about him like that. I'm pissed at him, but that doesn't mean that you should be too."
"Jessica Juliette McMahon," Randy's gravely voice stated sharply. "You have done nothing but been good John for over twenty years and now, for the second time, he's letting his mind get the best of him. I know that you don't have it in your heart to be mad at him because you blame yourself, but he should have enough faith in you, after everything you've done for him, to believe you. No matter what rumors have gone around backstage, I've always trusted what you've said," he added, then paused. "Do you remember what they used to say about us backstage, long before John came around the WWE?"
"They used to say that we were together and that was the only reason you were getting any sort of a push, despite your bad behavior," Jessica answered honestly.
"Right. And only your friends, and I say your friends because you and I both know I didn't have any other than you at the time, refused to believe it. How many times has a rumor gone around about you and John concerning his pushes in the industry, Jess?"
"A lot."
"So then he should know better, Jess," he sighed in exasperation. "He should know better… and that's why I'm mad at him."
The corner of her mouth twitched upwards as she twirled the cord of the phone around her index finger. "You have no idea how much better that makes me feel."
It was hard to find someone to get advice from during all of this. I hadn't told my parents, sister, or brother about my problems. My greatest fear was that I'd tell one of four and they'd be mad at me, or worse, wouldn't believe me at all.
Over the years, starting with Rocky in the seventies and eighties, the Johnson and McMahon families had developed a very close relationship. I was close with Ata and Rocky Johnson, Dwayne was close with my parents, and our parents were close with each other. Lacking a sibling of his own, Dwayne was exceptionally close to Shane who was only two years older at the time that they first met.
And I was afraid that after thirty-plus years of that bond, they just wouldn't believe me.
As for my friends in the WWE, I had few left.
Yes, Amy had experience with this on a daily basis for three years and Trish had done all she could to fight rumors of relationships with members of the roster while planning her wedding.
But Trish was a month away from her wedding and Amy was already gone, touring with the Luchagors. They didn't need to deal with this too.
Mickie, Candice, and Maria were still relatively new to company politics at that time and we'd only recently become decent friends.
The rest of the girls I knew were still on Smackdown and the next pay-per-view wasn't for another three weeks. I needed answers as fast as possible.
So that left the guys.
Jeff Hardy was an option, but we'd only reconciled our differences a short while before and I felt funny talking to him about such a life-changing issue.
And in regards to the rest of the roster, well… I wasn't so sure they'd choose me over John, even if I was their boss.
In all honesty, John is one of the hardest working individual wrestlers to walk through the doors of any arena. If he's not doing the slightest thing right, he'll work hours and hours to fix it. He eats, breathes, and sleeps wrestling 24/7. He's open to anything and everything and will give it every ounce of effort he possesses in his body. That's why everyone that truly loves the WWE loves John Cena, both the person and the wrestler. Even me.
So that left Randy and Dave.
To this day, I firmly believe that Randy and Dave were the only reasons I got through the whole ordeal. The lines were drawn in the dirt and they were the only people who believed something they weren't fed backstage.
They were the only people who believed in me, even when my own fiancé did not.
You may think it was unwise, but I turned to Dave Bautista and Randy Orton, the only two close friends I really had left in the company because really, everyone's your friend until they decide it'll help their career if you're not.
The following day, Jessica found herself in a plane, descending upon Missouri.
It had been a few weeks since she'd seen Randy, as he had taken a few weeks off from television after aggravating his shoulder. It had been even longer since she had last seen his house there. Hopefully, Samantha had helped him keep the place clean because she didn't have two days worth of time to do laundry during this visit. In fact, she barely had twenty-four hours to spend in St. Louis. Nonetheless, it would be nice to see Sam again.
Exiting the plane, Jessica found that it was substantially cooler in November than it had been in Tampa, so she was rather content with her idea to bring a Boston College sweatshirt and to wear jeans.
The walk to the escalator down to the baggage claim was not very long and soon enough, without anyone even recognizing her, she found herself descending down the moving stairs.
"Breaking out the old BC wear, huh?"
The blonde turned to her left and smiled at the sight of her gravel-voiced friend. "You have no idea how happy I am to see your sarcastic ass."
"Obviously, you're mistaken…" Randy shook his head and then turned around, twisting his head around to look at her. "This is my sarcastic ass."
"Ugh, Randy…" she groaned in slight disgust and then laughed. "Shut up and give me a hug."
"Oh… alright," he feigned annoyance and rolled his eyes. Soon though, he about-faced and gave her a strong hug. "I'm so glad to see you. You look great, Jess."
"Even though I feel like shit."
"Yeah, well…" he trailed off, scratching the back of his neck as they parted. "We're going to take care of that soon enough."
"Do you love her, John?" the woman seated opposite him at the table asked, finally breaking the thick silence in the room that had followed his confession.
"What?" John asked and looked up at his mother, completely dumbfounded.
Carol Cena's gaze held her son's and she repeated herself, "Do... you... love... her?"
The sapphire-eyed man sighed, "More than I've ever loved any other woman in my entire life."
His red-headed mother nodded and paused for a moment. "Then fight for her."
An hour later, Randy and Jessica were seated in his Hummer H3 as they drove away from the airport, her luggage neatly stacked in the trunk.
"Jess, there's something I need to talk to you about," Randy stated suddenly, glancing over at her from the driver's seat.
The Diva shot him a wary look. "If you're going to tell me you're in love with me…"
"No… NO!" the St. Louis-native shook his head vehemently. "Not you. Samantha. I love her a lot, Jess. More than I could possibly explain… and I just want you to be the first to know of my friends."
"To know what? That you love her?"
Randy chewed on his bottom lip for a few seconds and then spoke, "No. That we're engaged."
Randy waited for a minute, expecting a crying fit or an angry tongue-lashing.
Instead, he got an opposite response.
"Randy! Congratulations!" Jessica exclaimed brightly as they stopped at a traffic light. "When did this happen?"
"A week ago. It's why I wanted some time off. I wanted to plan the perfect engagement and have some time to spend with Sam," he explained, a smile of his own slowly spreading across his face. "I wasn't just being a complainer."
Jessica shook her head and laughed. "I never would have guessed that Randy Orton would be married before he turned thirty. Holy crap… I think that might explain the Floridian cold spell we had last week."
Randy laughed, as well. "Yeah, that might do it."
A/N: I know it's been a long time, again, but that's college for you. My goal, at the very least, is to do one update on each story per month, as that's the only logical thing I can do right now.
By no means is that indicating I have writer's block. Instead, it means that I know where I'm going with each story, More Than Words and Only One included, and want to create a regular updating schedule. If I can get two updates in over the course of a month, great. If not, at least I'm not disappointing.
This chapter is setting up a really eventful one next chapter. Let's just say that more and more people are starting to find out about what's going on behind the scenes and this next chapter coming up is going to spill the beans to a lot of people.
On another note… we've hit TWO HUNDRED REVIEWS!! This is my first story to average 20-plus views per chapter and I am so excited about it. Thank you guys for all of your love and support. You have no idea how much I appreciate it.
Speaking of which…
Dani – Thanks for the review, girl. Truthfully, since I switched to my Mac, I've lost the writing you sent me. If you could send it to me again and when I get a chance, I'll look at it and give you some suggestions. Beta reading is just too hard right now.
Westfan – Oh boy! You've pulled the Orton card. That's insanity, girl! And the reason I haven't watched is because Heroes and My Own Worst Enemy have taken over priority since Raw sucked for so long. When John comes back, I'll return. PS: When will that be?
Dj-ssdd – I know this love triangle is frustrating… but imagine how Jess feels! And you know what, college isn't for everyone. Some people find their calling without having to spend eighty grand on undergrad and a hundred-twenty grand on law school. Or maybe that's just me…
Chain Gang Princess – I know, I know. I suck. I always leave it as it gets good. But next chapter… is going to be REALLY good. And dramatic. You know I do dramatic well.
StarSixtyNine – Your random flash of Dane Cook just made me laugh really loud at four am. It's a good thing I'm at home and not at school or my roommate would be MAD pissed. Oddly enough, they're somewhat my views, but I can't blame the guy for having a contingency plan. I mean, how many guys can be Ric Flair and last well into their later years? Or rather, how many guys can defy the odds of getting injured for that long?
CanadianBrunette619 – I feel like Creative has been smoking some laced weed for the last… seven years, quite honestly. It's just that the stuff it's laced with has been getting more and more hardcore since then. Mike Adamle is basically killing RAW single handedly and the lack of John Cena is absolutely destroying me. I miss him too. And no! You did not mention that you were in the arms of Jeff Hardy and he said you were pretty. In the words of the Hurricane, whom I hear is returning soon, "Whasup wit dat?" Sorry. Random.
Da-Real-Mrz-Cena102100 – We shall see about that.
iNdy MiLk – No, no. It wasn't a bad guess. I just didn't realize what it could be as interpreted as. For the record, I'm pretty much one of few writers who won't write a Cena/OC story in which the OC gets pregnant… and then John marries her. I don't know, it seems to be too typical to me. I'm not knocking any other writers though. Some of those stories have been amazing! It's just not my style. All of you readers out there can knock that possibility off your list though.
Latisha C – Personally, I can't wait until RANDY blows a gasket.
Cena-holic8 – Wow! Now you're a McCena-holic too! Just like me! I miss Cena a lot too. I feel a void! At least he's coming back soon!!
Nic-002001 – Aww, don't feel guilty. And ask… and you shall receive.
Enigmatic Lotus Lead – Oh come on! You know how many cliffhangers I have delivered over the last three years! Did this REALLY surprise you? And um… I did not notice that he is sleeving his arms! You must PM me evidence of such! I'm glad your year is going well!
BrookeB17 – John invited him to dinner to surprise Jess because they never really get to see each other when the WWE rolls into South Florida, so he figured, to be nice and get major brownie points, he'd arrange for a visit. Granted, not knowing what we knew, it sounded like an amazing plan. And yeah… how AMAZING are co-ed floors?!
ThatGirl54 – Thank you sooooooo much! I am so glad you're enjoying this series. And that's totally NOT obsessive. I used to write this story… IN CLASS. As in, totally neglecting all of my grades because I was so in this story. Hell, I went to England, France, Italy, and Greece… and spent half the time writing while holed up in my room at night or traveling to another city!
CenaFan1395 – What do you think about John's reaction now?
Sambolina – HAHA. I hope you didn't freak out TOO much when this arrived in your inbox!
StartingLine722 – No worries, my dear. I love Dwayne a lot too and I know that McCena is an amazing pairing, but people seem to be loving McRock too. Yes, I did coin a new one. And Perez Hilton did liken McCena to Becks and Posh!
Broken.Baby.Gyrl – That is semi-ironic. But I stop it because I can, I will, and you should know better!!
RatedRCouture – Seriously, I know! But I don't think that Jessica would agree that her lips are John's. She's too independent for that… and she might hurricarana you. Just kidding. Maybe. And yeah, more Randy-ness in this chapter for you!
Dreamin'BIG – Just don't break my Macbook. Because that would make me unhappy… and when I'm unhappy, Jessica is unhappy. And no one likes that.
Okay, so now for everyone's favorite part… the poll results!!
John Cena- 79 percent
The Rock -21 percent
Now, I feel like there are a few things I should discuss here.
Number one: Heroes.
It seems to be a constant topic in my reviews because I love it so much.
All I'm gonna say… is that Zachary Quinto seems to be getting hotter and hotter as the season progresses. Seriously… he was amazing as a baddie. Now make him a reformed baddie… and you're going to give me a heart attack. Ooops. He rescued Peter from the coma… too late.
Number two: John Cena's return.
I will only start watching RAW when he returns… or rather, for his return. Anyone know when that'll be? I'm dying here.
Number three: McCena's status.
As of right now, to clarify, they're on a break. If you were to look at Facebook, they'd still be engaged. Right now, they need time away from one another, but it's quite clear that John and Jessica still love each other very much.
PS: Don't you love John's mom?
Number four: Jessica/The Rock pairing.
What should I name it? Seriously… my only idea is McRock. So we'd have McRock and McCena.
Ideas?
That concludes another chapter, and really REALLY long author's note, of She's a Rebel 3: Cupid's Chokehold.
As always, read, review, and…
ROCK ON!
Danielle