Chapt. 25

Claire woke up in an empty bed. She took a minute to roll over, burying her face into Joe's pillow so that she could breathe his scent in. Stretching her body she smiled at the ache in her limbs, the ache that brought their time together a few hours ago rushing back to her. She sat up, swinging her bare legs over the side of the bed, her feet touching the floor as she stood to head to the bathroom. She wondered briefly where Joe was, but seeing the sun pouring in the cracks of the curtains and the clock's glare saying it was near noon, she figured that he was in the kitchen or down in his man cave getting in a work out.

She turned the bathroom light on and caught sight of her still naked body in the mirror. The scars on her body, scars that told stories of a past that she'd rather forget, were fading. She had to strain to see them in fact, but the memories, the scars of her mind as she saw them, weren't quite as faded as those on her skin. They were fading though, every smile and every laugh, every day without the sting of a hand helped them to fade away.

There were other marks this morning though. Small reddish bruising on the soft swells of her breasts where Joe's teeth had been, along her collar bone and shoulders too. The memory of his mouth on her made her legs tremble. Her eyes fell to her legs, the bruising on her inner thighs from their love making made her sigh heavily, already thinking of the next time. Her hand rubbed the shadowed places and she closed her eyes with a smile.

Walking to the shower she turned the water on, letting it warm up before she stepped under the stinging spray. She rinsed her body off and washed her hair, giggling thinking of how she was going to smell like Joe all day since she'd not brought her own soap or shampoo and was having to use his. She was okay with that, she loved his scent.

Turning the water off and quickly drying her body she threw on her tank and shorts from the night before. She stepped out into the hallway, ready to go down and find Joe. She was halfway down the stairs when she heard his voice. He was on the phone with someone, talking in a low voice. She didn't want to interrupt him so she was quiet when she walked into the kitchen. He flashed his beautiful smile at her and was only another minute before he hung up the phone. He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, leaning down to kiss her.

"Good morning beautiful," he said. "Sleep well?"

"I did, yes. Someone wore me out last night." She winked up at him and turned to take a water from his fridge. She felt so at ease around him. So at home.

"You know, you look mighty damn fine in my kitchen ma." His lips were at her ear, his voice rich and thick.

"Oh?"

"Oh yes, fine enough I could sit you on this counter and make a meal of you," he purred.

Her body reacted in ways that it hadn't in years before him. She felt a slow blush rise to cover her cheeks. She looked down and the up at him through her thick lashes. She let out a squeal when he hefted her up to the counters chilled marble surface, tossing her shorts onto a chair. Then, there on that counter he did just what he had said he would.

A MONTH LATER

Claire was excited to see that Sadie was at the Raw show in Ohio. She wondered what had brought her out since she hadn't been to many shows in the last few years or so. Then it hit her. She was here for Jon. Claire had known that the two of them had taken a liking to each other and had been talking regularly on the phone. That fact warmed her heart. Jon was a good guy once you learned how to take him and his personality. He'd legitimately had a rough start in life, drug addicted and abusive parents, abandonment, you name it and he'd dealt with it. He'd even fallen victim to the monster of addiction in his early teen year, but he had beaten it, alone, as he had done everything else in his life. He was who he was today not because he had been taught how to be a good man and to treat women properly and respect them, but because he had been taught just the opposite and decided for himself that he didn't like that way of living. Claire could respect that in him and it actually endeared her to him even more.

Sadie needed a guy like Jon in her world. He knew what she had gone through in her last relationship because it was a scene that he's watched play out many times in his life. He knew how it could have affected her without her having to tell him all of the horror. Sadie and Jon were quite possibly perfect. That brought a smile to Claire's face, knowing that her friends could both find a happiness in each other.

"So," Claire said, "I won't lie, I was surprised to see you tonight."

Sadie smiled and blushed a pale pink. "Well, honestly I came last minute. Jon had asked me to be here, his hometown and all, and I finally just decided that I had nothing better to do and I missed him. And you. So here I am."

Claire smiled at her friend. "Well I'm definitely glad you came. I miss seeing you and hanging out with you. So how are things with Jon?"

They were walking down the hallway headed toward the catering room as they spoke. Before Sadie could answer they heard a deep male voice. "I know, but I can't just… yeah. Yeah I get that I do. Look, I'll figure it out and see you soon okay? I swear."

Claire slowed her step, knowing Joe's voice as well as she knew her own. Who could he have been talking to, and what on earth was he talking about, she wondered. She heard his voice lower and thought he said I love you to whoever was on the other end of the phone but couldn't be sure. As she and Sadie rounded the corner, he was stepping out of the shadows there and stopped short seeing her there.

"Hey beautiful," he said after a barely there pause. He leaned down and kissed her forehead and then smiled at Sadie. "Hey there, Jon had mentioned you might show up. He's gonna be pumped that you decided to come."

Sadie smiled up at Joe and said, "I think I'm glad I decided to come to."

Claire stood by quietly, Joe's arm resting around her shoulders lightly. Her mind was consumed with the words he had spoken to the faceless person on the other end of his cell phone, words he had no idea she'd heard.

"Well, ladies, I hate to run, but I have to be in the trainer's office in five, so I will leave you two to talk." He turned his gaze down on Claire and smiled his brilliant smile at her. "I'll see you soon gorgeous girl. I'll miss you." He leaned down and kissed her lips this time, lingering there a moment before pulling back. Claire smiled up at him, even though she was still lost in thought.

As he walked away, she watched him go, her brows furrowed. "Hey, earth to Claire," Sadie said, her hand waving in front of Claire's face. "You in there? You okay?"

Blinking her eyes, Claire turned to her friend. "Sorry, I'm good, really. Just hungry I think. Let's go eat."

They filled their plates and took a seat in a back corner table so that they could talk. "So, how's Nic," Sadie asked.

Claire felt her shoulders shrug. "I really don't know. It's weird, we've barely spoken in the last month. I miss my friend."

Seeing the frown on her friend's face Sadie didn't press the topic. "I'm sorry. So uh, what about you and Joe? How's that going?"

That brought a smile to Claire's face. "We're great actually. He's been busy since he got called up, but it's wonderful. He makes me happy." Claire smiled at her friend. "Enough about me, tell me about you and Mr. Good. I take it things are going pretty nice with the two of you."

Sadie blushed, something that she didn't often do. "It's so refreshing. He offers me no promises, well, except that he's a mess and he promises that he will screw up but that he will never lay hands on me or be unfaithful. Those promises I can handle. He promised to make me mad and make me wanna strangle him, but that by then I'll love him so much I wouldn't be able to do it cause I'd miss him too much." Sadie laughed remembering that conversation. He's goofy and good and just… he's real."

Claire beamed with happiness for Sadie. "He's a really good guy. I like him. So, are you two like, a thing or what?"

"Oh no, no not now. We're friends. This is the first time I'll see him since that night I met him. We do talk every day though, even if it's just a few minutes. Sometimes he'll just call and be like, 'hi, you keep running around in my head and I have things to do and I can't so sit and be still' and then he hangs up. It's adorable." Sadie giggled and looked down at her plate a blush filled her cheeks again.

Before Claire could reply that old rugged voice that sounded a whole lot like tires on a gravel road soaked in whiskey said, "Ahh Claire, you keeping this pretty woman company huh?" I smiled up at him and caught the way that Sadie's blush deepened when she saw him. "Sadie, I wondered if you'd come and I gotta say, I'm damn glad you did." He pulled up a chair and sat next to Sadie. Claire saw him reach for her hand and lean into her, kissing her cheek playfully.

"I'm gonna leave you two alone, I have work to do anyway," Claire said as she picked her tray up and headed out of the catering hall and toward her office. Her smile faded off when she turned away from her friend, her stomach not feeling so good. Maybe she hadn't been so hungry after all.

Walking into her office she sat down and laid her head on her desk. Something was nagging at her but she couldn't put her finger on it. It was a feeling that she'd had before and yet it still eluded her as to what it was exactly. With a heavy sigh she began shuffling papers and got to work.

NIC

He had been trying to figure out how to tell her the rumors he'd been hearing around the locker room all night long. He knew it wasn't going to be taken well at all and he hated having to be the one who spoke up but he knew too that there was no one else who would. Well, Jon might slip up and say something to Sadie, but he couldn't be positive that Jon really knew what he did either.

Nic hated the distance he had put between himself and Claire these last months, but it killed him seeing her with Joe. And now, with the murmurings it was worse. He finished changing clothes and grabbed his bag, determined to find his friend and try to stop the pain before it hit her again. Out in the hallway he looked for Claire, praying he caught her before she caught up with Joe. He was relieved when he saw her walking, alone.

"Claire, hey Claire, wait up kiddo!"

She stopped and turned to him, her face lit up in a smile, and he could have sworn his heart stopped for a minute. "Nic! Hey you, I've missed you mister!"

He caught up to her and wrapped her in his arms, pulling her close and not wanting to let go. He breathed in her scent, the smell of her shampoo and perfume all mingled together. "I've missed you too. Is there somewhere we can talk? Alone?"

She nodded and led him back the way that they had come. Opening the door to her office she flipped the light on and closed the door behind them. "So, talk," she smiled.

"No beating around the bush huh?" Nic ran his hand through his hair and took a deep breath. "Well, ahh damn it Claire there isn't an easy way to even say this. Look, you know I love you, you're my best friend and I would never lie to you or hurt you." She nodded and he continued. "Good. Well, there's rumors in the locker room."

She waited for him to continue and when he just stared at the floor she reached out to touch his hand. "Go on Nic, what kind of rumors?"

"The kind that say some guys are talking to their ex-girlfriend, and not in a friendly way. In a way that says they've been meeting up and are in talks of getting back together."

Claire shook her head, confusion clouding her eyes. "Nic, you're not being clear. I'm not following you. Just tell me, please."

He took another deep breath, and when he spoke his voice was weak, shaking and soft. "Joe, he's been talking to his daughter's mom again. Not about the kid either. About renewing the relationship. He's always on the phone, texting her or calling her, something. I don't want to see you hurt Claire."

Claire stood and walked to the window that overlooked the arena and the ring. The final match of the night was wrapping up but Claire didn't notice the action below. She thought back to the call she had caught the ending too, that gut feeling that something was off. Just as she was about to accept that maybe there was some reality to Nic's words she shook her head. "He wouldn't do that to me Nic. Rumors. That's all it is. Thank you for looking out for me but, with Joe it isn't necessary."

He wanted to tell her that it was necessary, that he'd heard the conversations himself, but she wouldn't believe him. He knew that as well as he knew his own name. Standing he shoved his hands in his pockets. "I guess so, I mean, rumors can be just that at times. I just thought I should mention it to you. I really should be going. I love you kiddo."

"I love you too Nicky. And thank you."

He grabbed his bag and walked out of the room. She wasn't far behind him. She was ready to find Joe and head out to the hotel. She had been missing him Sadie was going out on the town that night with Jon, but Claire just wanted a snuggled up night in with the big Samoan.

When she found him he was texting someone, but he looked up at her and smiled that big, bright smile of his. "Hey pretty mama."

"Hey you," Claire beamed up at him as she walked into his arms. He kissed the top of her head and she sighed blissfully as she snuggled into his chest.

"Ready to head to the hotel?" She shook her head and took his hand as they walked out of the arena to the rental car. Nic was wrong, she thought. So wrong. Joe loved her. That she was sure of, wasn't she…