Chapt. 15

Claire sent a text to Matt that she was about to pull into the driveway and wasn't surprised to see him outside waiting on her when she did. His smile took over his face when she climbed out of the car, flowers in hand.

"Awe Claire you shouldn't have! Flowers? For me?" He laughed.

She laughed with him but swatted his hand away. "These are mine sir. Grab my bags for me how about it?"

"Well, I don't know who sent those to you, but you have some inside as well. And I know who sent them and really you should just toss them. Besides, these are prettier. More you."

Claire raised her eyebrow at Matt and gave him a questioning glare. "Let me guess, Stephen sent flowers here and YOU read the card?"

Claire had to fight off a laugh when he stuck his bottom lip out in an over exaggerated pout. "Oh, come on Claire! You know how damn nosy I am. I had to look!" There was no fighting the laugh anymore and as they walked through the door to her home she let out a loud hearty laugh.

"You are too much, ya know that?" Her laughter faded off when she wound her way into the kitchen and saw the tall bouquet that was beyond elaborate, and everything that she wasn't. She and Stephen had been together for so long, did he really know her so little? Had she been so in love that she didn't notice that he hadn't really paid a bit of attention to her and to who she was? She could feel her emotions rising up as she approached the counter and sat down the beautiful vase she was carrying. She reached out for the plain white envelope that was lying on the counter beside the heavy glass vase that held the flowers from Stephen. She slowly opened the crisp envelope and pulled out the equally crisp paper and saw his careful handwriting. She wiped away a tear that had spilled over and prayed and willed away any others that might follow.

"Claire, I do hope that you are well and that things are easier for you than the last time I saw your face. I've given you some serious thought the last week or so, and I do miss the friendship we once had. I sincerely hope that soon we can get back to that. You're a ray of sunshine sweet girl. Never forget that."

Was he serious right now? The wounds were barely scabbing over and here he was pushing a friendship? Well, newsflash you Irish moron, no way, not now. Not for a long time, she thought. He could just keep his attention on his new girl and be happy with that. And sunshine? Well he shove that sunshine straight where it didn't shine. She ripped the card up and tossed into the trash just as Matt walked in the room.

"Got your bags in your room. Thought I would come down and see if you've eat…" his words trailed off as he watch her lift the heavy vase and walk to the back door, pulling it open, and with both hands heaving the ridiculous arrangement out of the house. He heard it shatter on the back patio, and could imagine the mess he'd gladly clean up. "Well, that's that then. Do you feel better sweetheart?"

Claire straightened her shirt and turned to face him. She avoided his question smoothly though. "I think that these are much more me anyway. Besides, they brighten up the room so much more than those God forsaken over the top things did."

Matt laughed and pulled two beers from the refrigerator, handing one to her and opening one for himself as he took a seat on one of the barstools. "Tell me how the date went last night with the big Samoan man." Her cheeks filled with color and he grinned at her. "Look at you blushing! Oh, oh wait! Are these from him," Matt asked pointing to the flowers.

She nodded with a grin. "They were waiting outside my door this morning. It was so sweet and thoughtful. And last night wasn't a date thank you. Although, he did kiss me, more than once. Then he kissed me again today." While she talked she pulled out her phone and text Joe.

"I've been home about ten minutes, had to deal with some things when I got here, but I'm safe and sound." She hit send and then looked back up to Matt.

He eyed her curiously but said nothing, just smirked. "So, how long are you going to keep making this hellish drive for work?"

It was as if he could read her thoughts sometimes. Her phone vibrated and she glanced down. "Glad to hear your home, getting some weights in, but I'd love to call you later if it would be okay."

"I think it would be more than okay actually" She added a smiley face emoticon and sent it.

"Is that him," Matt asked her, smiling.

She shrugged and avoided the question easily enough. "The drive is getting a bit much, the wear and tear on the car is adding up too. I'd thought about starting to look for a small apartment closer to work, but then I feel horrible because I just asked you to move in here."

"Well, I got a call that may take some of that off of you actually." She motioned for him to go on when he paused. "Ring of Honor called. You remember I told you about them before, I'd worked there in my early days of wrestling. Well, they're interested in me coming back on board with them. I've also been getting calls from lots of independent promotions to."

"Ahhhh Matt! That's great!" Claire was squealing and bouncing as she rounded the counter to hug her friend.

"Gahhhh, you are such a damn girl ya know," he said smiling.

She pulled back laughing and playfully slapped his chest. "I do know actually, and if I recall that has been a huge issue in this relationship of ours," she laughed as she spoke and truly felt happy for the first time in years it seemed.

He laughed with her. "Point taken, but seriously, I'd be gone more than I was here. You wouldn't have to feel bad about me here and you in Orlando. The center is going great and you have excellent people in place to watch over that. You have no reason at all not to look into a move."

Claire shrugged and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge before turning to him. "I assume you're going to be taking all of those organizations up on their offers to wrestle then? Ha, of course you are and you should! I'm happy for you and so damn proud of you Matt, I really am. Now if you don't mind I am going to my room to soak these bones in a nice, hot, bubble bath and to think." She kissed his cheek and turned on her heels to head upstairs for some relaxation.

The next day Claire woke up and smiled when she checked her phone and saw Joe had sent a simple good morning text. Okay, so he may have added in a beautiful in there, but hey, who was counting that? They had talked the night before for no less than two hours about anything and everything and nothing at all, but it had been a wonderful conversation. She knew now that his favorite color was blue and he'd thought about getting blue contacts for his eyes. She hated the thought of those deep brown eyes being covered and lightened, and yet somehow was curious as to how the icy blue would look on his dark complexion. She wondered absently if there was anything that would look bad on him and doubted it.

Shaking her head, she felt the pangs of guilt in her stomach. Was it too soon to be thinking about dating someone else? No she thought, it absolutely wasn't at all too soon. She had to remember that her relationship had really ended long before the final word had been spoken aloud. Besides, it wasn't as if Stephen were waiting to date, no he had wasted no time at all. From the talk she had heard and photos that she had seen he had already moved on and made his new relationship official. His Facebook status had even been updated and everyone knew that when it was Facebook official, well then it was really and truly official.

Her phone rang from its perch on her breasts and cause her to jump. She hadn't realized the ringer wasn't turned down. She glanced down and saw her best girlfriend's number and quickly picked up. "Sadie! I didn't expect to hear from you," she said. Sadie was her old boss from the coffee shop, her first job when she got to Tampa. They'd quickly become friends and had remained that way even after Claire had left the shop and Sadie had fallen in love and moved away to Texas to be with her happily ever after.

"Claire, why does it hurt so badly when you wake up and realize that what was supposed to be your happy was just a big nightmare?" Her voice cracked and she broke down into tears.

Claire sat up straighter in her bed and pressed the phone to her ear. Her heart immediately broke at the anguish in her friends tears. Had they not just had this phone call, only the situations were reversed? "Oh, Sadie, what happened?"

Through her sobs she was taking in air in huge gasps, like a drowning man clinging to the surface of the water. "I was at work, and got off early. I was going to surprise him with his favorite take out. I got in and didn't see him but I heard something upstairs, and I went up to our room…" Her voice broke off and she let out the most painful moan Claire had ever heard. "He had another woman in our bed. He was fucking another woman in our bed. He didn't even stop when he saw me there."

Tears welled in Claire's eyes, she knew that feeling all too well thanks to her ex. "Oh baby girl I am so damn sorry… What did you do Sade?"

A low chuckle broke through her sobs. "I walked right into the closet and packed up my shit and walked out of the house, I left. He's called, said it was a mistake and he was so sorry and it wasn't going to happen again. He was right about that at least. I'm not dumb enough to give him the chance for it to happen again."

"Are you coming back to Tampa?"

Sadie paused and composed herself. Claire could hear her sniffling and then heard her blow her nose softly. "Not now, maybe one day. I like Texas actually, and I like my job though I am asking for a transfer tomorrow. I have an apartment opening up in a week one town over, so I'm in a hotel until then. I miss you Claire."

"I miss you to."

"I'm so sorry to call you with this mess, especially after you and Stephen and all. Are you okay doll?"

Claire smiled catching sight of the flowers from Joe. She hadn't been able to leave them in the kitchen. She wanted to be able to see them at all times. "I'm okay actually. I think I've reached that pissed point with Stephen. He's already in a relationship with someone. And maybe, there's this guy who'd asked me on a date…"

"Girl, I hear you smiling! Tell me you're going!"

"I am, yes. He's actually coming to Tampa day after tomorrow and we're going to Busch Gardens. I've yet to go so I'm excited."

"I'm glad, you of all people deserve it. Thank you for talking. I hope I didn't wake you. I just… you were the first person I thought to call."

"You didn't wake me at all. You know you can always call for any reason. Keep me posted on what's going on there okay? I miss you. We need to plan a get together, here or there, it doesn't matter to me."

They talked a bit more and then Claire hung up the phone and shuffled into the shower. Her heart broke for her friend. Men were so thoughtless at times, they made it hard to trust the good ones, and that sucked. Her mind went to Joe, and she thought that he certainly seemed to be a good one. Somehow she already trusted him. She was surprised at the realization, but at the same time she was positive that her trust was being put in a man who was more than deserving of that trust.