Later at the arena
"Oh my God! Shut up!" Aubree laughed as she playfully swatted Shannon.
The group had just arrived at the show in Charlotte. They were laughing and joking as they entered the arena with their bags. Aubree's sides hurt from laughing the entire ride with everyone. As they walked towards catering, Aubree heard Adam's voice calling as he approached her. "Aubs.."
She turned to face him and felt his arms around her. She looked awkwardly at Jeff and Shannon as she embraced him.
"How was the drive from Cameron?" He asked after they broke apart from the embrace.
"Uhhh it was fine…" she said softly.
Adam picked up her duffel and swung it over his shoulder. "You want to go to the locker room or the office?"
Jeff and Shannon exchanged disgusted looks as they watched as Adam ushered Aubree away from catering. Jeff had felt so close to Aubree this weekend and instantly he was reminded that she was in a serious relationship with Adam.
He felt a sadness in his heart as he headed to check in and see the card for the night. Hopefully, he'd see Aubree at some point, but he wouldn't get his hopes up.
Adam smiled at her as she began unpacking her bag . "I missed you! How was the weekend home?" He asked excitedly.
She smiled as she thought about her time home with Jeff. "It was great! How about you?"
Adam blushed. "I missed you so much. My mom missed seeing you as well. I can't wait until you get your house on the market and officially move in to my place. Why didn't you go to the realtor Saturday? I thought you'd be excited to move forward and get started…."
Aubree was uncomfortable by his words and the idea of selling her house to move into his apartment. She laughed nervously. "I want Gil and my dad to go through the house with an inspector so I know what the realtor will want fixed before I can put it on the market… it might be a lot of money on repairs so I don't want to be blindsided…."
Adam nodded. He hadn't thought about about that part of the process. He wondered if that was the only reason why it seemed that she was dragging her feet on the subject.
Elsewhere
Amy noticed the melancholy look on Jeff's face. His whole demeanor had changed the moment Adam called Aubree. She walked towards him and sat beside him on the floor. She bumped his shoulder lightly with hers as she laughed. "You look like someone stole your best friend."
Jeff grumbled something beside her under his breath.
Matt walked into the locker and saw his girlfriend sitting next to his brother. "You guys ok? Why are you sitting on the floor?"
"Just stretching…." Jeff replied.
"Jeff, you need to tell her the truth!" Amy exclaimed.
Jeff looked at Matt, who nodded in agreement with his girlfriend.
"If she sells her house and moves to Toronto, you'll never forgive yourself." Matt said patting his shoulder blade.
Jeff sighed. "Adam loves her…. She says she loves him…If I tell her how I feel it's like asking her to choose and I can't do that…."
"Bullshit! Aubree loves YOU! And YOU love her! I KNOW you do! Unless that conversation we had a few years isn't the current situation…" Shannon interjected as he walked into the locker room and got in close proximity to Jeff.
Jeff seemed overwhelmed and embarrassed by the conversation. Years ago, Jeff had confided in Shannon about his growing attraction and affection for Aubree. He felt like he needed Shannon's 'permission' to pursue a relationship with his sister. He was embarrassed that Shannon would bring up that private conversation now.
He sighed. "No, it's always been the 'situation'… Shit! Shan! You KNOW a crush doesn't last 15 years! You begged me not to date your sister! You begged me as your best friend not to date your sister! NOW because you hate Adam MORE, I'm acceptable?!" Jeff shouted as he shoved Shannon back from his face. He ran his hands through his hair in visible frustration.
Shannon looked taken aback. "You're right! I did beg you not to date my sister when we were younger! I was wrong and selfish for it! I was worried if it went bad, I'd lose my best friend! Obviously I can't chose a guy over my sister! I didn't want to lose my best friend and I was wrong for it! This isn't about my hatred for Adam! It's about Bree and her happiness! Are you in love with her?"
Jeff looked them all in the face. He had danced around the question for years. There's no point to lie about it anymore. "Yes! Alright! Yes, I love everything about her! BUT she's happy with him! I'm not making her choose! I don't want to do that to her! I love her enough to let her go so she's happy with the person who she loves!"
Shannon shook his head. "She deserves to know the truth! She deserves to make the best decision for herself and she can't do that if she doesn't know all the facts! You are her soulmate and you gotta tell her! What happens if Adam proposes…. Or she ends up getting pregnant… she'll be trapped!"
Jeff felt attacked by the group and he needed air and a moment to think. He went out into the parking lot and let the cool breeze hit his face. He dug in his pocket for his cigarettes and sparked one. He puffed the cigarette and was soon lost in thought. He knew there was way more than just friendship between them. She knew it too! There were too many instances of glances and conversations between them over the years. He couldn't bear to be around her and not be able to hold and kiss her. Watching Adam kissing her, touching her, and making her laugh dug into his innermost layer of his heart.
"Hey you…. I've been looking for you…" her voice softly spoke from behind him.
He turned and smiled at her. She looked beautiful and so happy. She sparked a cigarette and stared at him. "It's beautiful out here."
He sighed 'Yea…' but wasn't referring to the skyline or the weather. His answer sounded odd as she looked into his eyes. "Are you ok?"
"Yeah, just thinking…. You said you were looking for me?" He asked.
She beamed. "Yes, I have exciting news! I just had a meeting with Vince about tonight."
In storyline, Edge and Christian were feuding with both the Hardys and Dudleys for the Tag Team championships. Aubree's character, Hazel, was Edge and Christian's manager and also feuding with Lita.
"Bubba is putting me through a table after the match." She laughed. "Vince said it'll elevate the feud."
He laughed. "You're ready for that bump?"
She laughed. "C'mon, everyone knows that Mark takes the bump and is super protective. I'm just excited that Vince is letting me do bigger parts considering I'm still soo green."
"Bree, you aren't green! I hate that word…You've been involved in wrestling for years! You actually are more knowledgeable than most of us because you know anatomy. You know how to hold your body during impact to protect yourself."
She looked touched by his confidence. She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know… Adam tells me I'm too green to be taken seriously and I should just be happy to be on air at all."
Jeff let her words register in his head. He was furious. "Bree! Fuck him! Seriously fuck him! Why would he ever actually SAY that to you?!"
She looked taken aback by his outburst. She gazed at him and knew he was seething mad. "Jeff, I've only been wrestling for a few months… I am green."
He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "He doesn't support you! He doesn't want you to be anything besides his girlfriend! He doesn't want you to be successful! He says stuff like that to you?! Bree, you deserve better than that! You know it's true! Otherwise, you wouldn't be hesitant about moving!"
She looked confused by his outburst. Something was obviously wrong. "Jeff….?"
"Bree, I want you to be happy! I want you to be successful! I don't think Adam supports YOU! I've heard him say things to you that make me cringe so I can only imagine what he says to you that you don't tell us about….."
Aubree was at a loss for words. She didn't understand where all this was coming from. As he spoke, she listened to his words. A lot of what he was saying was a verbalized version of what she'd been thinking. It was like he was reading her mind. She was doubting the relationship and that was leading to her hesitation with moving.
"I know! I know you want what's best for me! I appreciate you always looking out for me!" She exclaimed hugging him tightly. Jeff felt his body relax instantly once she embraced him. He held her tightly against his chest as his heart raced.
"I feel like I'm losing you, Bree… this weekend was amazing! I have missed you so much! I don't know what to do!" He felt like his voice might crack as he spoke.
She smiled as she looked into his eyes as he held her tightly. "I've missed you too…"
"Aubree…." Adam called as he approached.
Jeff released her quickly as they both stared at him. He smiled seeing her.
"I've been looking for you… we gotta get ready… see ya out there Jeff." He said as he walked away with Aubree.
"Jeff, are you getting ready?" Matt called.
"I'm ready." He said pulling his arm bands onto his arms as he walked towards Amy and Matt.
They walked towards the backstage area. Jeff saw Aubree standing beside Adam and Jay. She waved as they approached. Amy hugged Bree and gushed about her new ring gear.
Mark and Devon approached the group and quickly talked to Bree about the finish.
"Hardys are up…. Then Dudleys…" the crew member announced.
After the three teams reached the ring, Amy and Aubree exited the ring and headed towards their team's corner. The match was intense with each of the 3 teams bringing their own elements to the match. Luckily, they all worked extremely well together. Jeff did an awesome aerial move on Christian and Aubree had to catch herself from cheering a rival. Adam saw her glance at Jeff and felt a pang of jealousy in him. Adam's main insecurity in his relationship was her closeness to Jeff. He hated the way Jeff and Aubree had almost a secret language between them.
Jeff climbed the turnbuckle and Adam knocked him down from the post with a violent shove. Aubree was staring at Adam wondering why he was trying to make Jeff fall. That wasn't the spot that they'd worked into the match.
'What the hell is he doing?!' She Thought to herself as she rounded the turnbuckle. Jeff tried to regain his footing on the turnbuckle as Adam hit him once more causing him to lose his grip and crash towards the mat; hitting Aubree in the process. Jeff saw her but it was too late to avoid contact. She froze as he knocked her down with his weight and pinned her to the mat.
"Shit!" Jeff cried realizing that he'd knocked Aubree down hard onto the mat. He possibly kicked her in the face. He felt her squeeze his leg instantly.
He quickly shifted his body from hers and crouched besides her. "Shit! Hazel! Are you ok?! I'm sorry!"
Aubree held her head with both hands but gave him a smile and a nod. He jumped to his feet and grabbed her firmly by her arms. "I'm sorry! Are you ok?!" He questioned her frantically. He pulled her to her feet as she swayed with lightheadedness. Jeff grabbed her waist firmly to steady her. He stared at her with concern as he noticed a loose curl was on her face. He brushed the curl, revealing her eyes. Their eyes met and locked. Her one hand held her head, her other was on his hand at her waist. Jeff held her and became lost in her eyes. They both were unaware of anything going on around them.
Suddenly, they heard Adam screaming and felt him yank Jeff's arm away from Aubree. Adam shoved him backwards viciously and Jeff lost his footing and fell towards the mat. Aubree watched in horror. She knew that Adam was being rough with Jeff on purpose.
"What the hell was that?!" He screamed at her as he grabbed Jeff by the hair and threw him into the ring. He got into her face and continued to yell at her. Aubree held her head with one hand as she steadied herself by holding the apron. She couldn't meet his eyes and looked at the floor feeling anxious. The referee was counting #5 of the count out before Edge realized he could be counted out of the match inadvertently. Adam glared at her as he slid into the ring. He stared down at her and looked irate. "What was that?!" He continued to yell as he pointed at Jeff.
She was mortified and avoided eye contact with everyone. She wanted to cry as she stood trying to compose herself.
The match continued without any further hiccups.
She watched the finish of the match. The Dudleys did the 3-d on both Edge and Christian for the pin. Lita and the Hardys began walking towards the back in defeat. Hazel slid into the ring to check on Edge. She crawled towards her boyfriend and grabbed his hand. His eyes glared at her as she attempted to aide him. She felt her head jerk back as D'von grabbed a handful of her hair. She screamed as she clutched Edge. D'von began kicking him in the ribs as he ripped her arm from Edge's grasp. The crowd booed as D'von lifted Hazel up into the air as she screamed, begged, and thrashed her body in an effort to free herself. D'von laughed as he handed her to Bubba; her legs rested on his shoulders. Hazel screamed as he gripped her hips firmly and dove from the turnbuckle through the table with a loud crash. He sat in the table debris with her body hanging limply around his shoulders lost in a trance. Devon danced around the ring showing his joy at the events.
Edge and Christian were to their feet and attacked the Dudleys. Edge kicked Bubba away from Hazel. Edge was irate as he kneeled beside her. He was screaming threats and promises of revenge at the Dudleys and yelling for the EMTs to help his still unconscious girlfriend.
Once backstage, Jeff watched the monitors for the conclusion of the segment. He silently smiled knowing how excited Bree would be when she came back from the ring. She sold the bump like a champ. The Dudleys entered the backstage area after a few minutes and walked towards Jeff.
"Bree's good…. She squeezed my hand as our signal." Mark laughed seeing Jeff. "She wanted me to tell you so you weren't worried….. you didn't think I'd hurt her….did you?" He asked raising his eyebrow as he laughed.
Jeff nodded his head. He knew Mark was an extremely careful worker but more so with the girls. He always protected them completely. "I knew you had her covered…."
Devon laughed. "She's a tiny thing. I didn't realize until I almost tipped over with her!"
Jeff looked up and saw Adam, Jay, and the EMTs approaching. Aubree was walking slowly behind them looking like she was about to cry. Adam quickened his stride and bee lined for Jeff. He shoved Jeff viciously catching everyone off guard. "What the fuck was that?! Huh?!"
Everyone exclaimed and tried to separate the two men. Jeff was swinging on Adam as they began to slam into nearby equipment.
"Stop it! Stop it Adam!" Aubree screamed.
His head shot up as he glared at her in anger. Matt was attempting to calm Jeff down.
"Stop it?! Why stop it?! Are you kidding me?! I want to know what the fuck happened out there!" He screamed in her face.
Bree jumped back seeing Adam's rage.
"Why do you ALWAYS do this?! You ALWAYS put EVERYONE above ME!" He screamed at her before turning towards Jeff. "Keep your hillybilly trash hands off of MY girlfriend!"
"Hillybilly trash?!" Jeff screamed lunging to free himself and get his hands on Adam. "Your girlfriend is from the same hometown! You really think you're SOOOO much better than us!"
"I AM BETTER!" Adam screamed into Jeff's face.
Everyone stood awkwardly watching the escalating situation. Aubree was hurt by Adam's words as she glared at him. "You're better?!" She screamed as she yanked him to face her.
Adam looked at her. His words replaying in his head. He grabbed her hand and tried to correct the situation.
"Bree, you know I love and adore you…." He began looking into her eyes.
"….but you think she's hillybilly trash…." Shannon interjected. "This is exactly why my family hates you and this relationship!"
Adam shook his head and glared at him. "Yes, I know I'm not welcomed at Moore family events! You've made it crystal clear that it's strictly family only!"
Shannon laughed. "Not all family is blood… but yeah, family only!"
Adam registered his words and looked confused. "What's that mean?!"
Shannon smirked. "I didn't care that Jeff was at dinner… but you, you're not invited!"
Adam glared at Aubree. He saw the uncomfortable look in her face. "Jeff was at Mother's Day dinner?!"
She nodded her head as he threw his hands up in frustration. "I'm done with this bullshit!" He screamed before storming off. Aubree glared at Shannon as she ran after Adam.
Shannon looked at Jeff and shook his head. They all silently headed back to the locker room to get changed. Jeff watched until Bree's head was out of sight.
She chased after him and screamed his name as she ran behind him. He heard her but made not attempt to respond to her. "Adam! Stop! Please!" She screamed lunging for his hand and jerking his arm back. He turned and avoided her eyes. He was so hurt by her and she didn't even understand why.
"Adam, please talk to me!" She begged with anxiety in her voice.
He brushed his hands through his hair angrily as he carefully decided on his words. "Aubree, I'm your boyfriend and you never have my back! You didn't want me at Mother's Day but Jeff was invited?! Your parents don't like me apparently but you never stand up for us! You brush me away and go home! You don't try to make your parents accept me or let me attempt to improve their opinion!"
She knew there was truth in his words. She stumbled over her words as she tried to calm her anxiety. "I'm sorry! Jeff wasn't invited! He came by and was upset about his mom and I couldn't let him deal with that alone!"
"You care more about your best friend's feelings than you care about mine apparently!" He screamed. "Did Matt come too?"
"No…" she replied shakily.
Adam bit his lip with rage. "Bree, I'm done with this bullshit! You are either with me or you're Jeff's friend! You can't be both!"
She looked horrified by the ultimatum. "I can't choose! I love you and Jeff has been my best friend my entire life! I'd NEVER ask you to pick between myself and Jay! I WON'T choose!" She screamed as the anxiety rose in her chest.
Adam balled his fist and glared at her in anger. He shrugged his shoulders and laughed nervously "You just did… goodbye Bree.." he said softly as he looked at her. He drew his balled fist and punched the wall next to her.
She jumped and looked at him with terror as she ran into the locker room to gather her stuff. She quickly threw her clothes and makeup into her duffel. She heard the door open behind her. She gazed at Adam over her shoulder as she continued to grab her sneakers and jacket before throwing them into her bag. She moved quickly passed Adam and he grabbed her arm.
"Bree, don't do this…" he pleaded looking at her.
"Don't do what? I'm NOT picking between you who I love and Jeff who is my family! I'm not picking between you!" She screamed staring at him completely frustrated.
Adam sneered at her. "Jeff's your family but I'm not?!"
She was mentally drained. He was twisting her words just to further the fight. She didn't know what to say or do anymore. She looked helplessly at him as she shrugged her shoulders. The rage in Adam was building. He'd suffered this same humiliation for over a year. His girlfriend, the woman he loved completely, didn't love him back the same way. He wanted her to love him above everyone else; including her best friend. The rage overtook him without thinking he grabbed her shoulders and glared at her.
Jeff stared at his phone anxiously. Bree hadn't texted him back and he had a bad feeling. Matt and Amy packing as Jeff paced the room.
"I can't take this… I gotta find her…" he spoke as he left the room.
He waved at passing superstars as they headed towards the parking lot. Jay walked towards him looking awkwardly at Jeff.
"Is Bree with Adam?" Jeff asked.
He nodded his head quickly and motioned down the hall. It was an odd exchange. I headed down the hallway and heard screaming coming from the dressing room.
"You don't respect me at all! You care more about your friend than me… you run home and hang out with your brother and friends who hate me! You don't make it easier on anyone or force the issue. Now you don't want to move… like what the fuck Aub? I don't want half of you… you gotta see the harm you've put me through…."
She sighed. "You have been openly hostile towards me and seem pissed 24/7 since I started the on air role…. Jeff…."
"I DONT CARE ABOUT JEFF!" He screamed. She jumped at his reaction and looked emotionally drained.
She grabbed her bag and her jacket as she shrugged at him. "Im going to go home. I think we both need sometime to figure out what we are doing here…."
"There's nothing to think about Aub. If you go home it's pretty much your decision." He growled.
She shrugged her shoulders. "I guess you're right."
She walked out of the room and saw Jeff standing in the hallway. He saw the look on her face as she began walking towards him quickly.
"Can I get a ride home? Please?" She asked softly.
"Of course. Are you alright?" He asked with concern.
She nodded. "I just want to go home."
Bree was silent for most of the ride home.