The Great Escape

AN. Thank you to xHalosandwings, xTwistedxImperfectionx, Ihonestlybelievedinyou, Grits0205, LostDiamonds, HappySmiler, BigRedMachineUK, Tiffyxox, Cena-Wilson-Crazy, quteash, jojocheer28, rory21, TJ Sparkles & ShadyBillionaire for reviewing the last chapter.

Thanks very muchly :)

Chapter Thirty-One – I'll Be Here

ADAM

She was taunting him. She had to be.

Adam Copeland found himself in a foul mood as he entered the cafeteria that slow, uneventful day, a reading book in one hand and the other stuffed into the pocket of his dark faded jeans. He found no peace—though he usually would—at the sight of nobody around and unwillingly allowed the silence to swallow him whole as he took a seat at the nearest vacant table; there had to be a way to break this cycle of sadness, right?

Staring ahead into nothingness, his fingers tapping the book on the table absentmindedly, the student's thoughts flickered into action. It was only a short amount of time before the previous event before this came to mind and she arrived in his memory. He almost shook his head in embarrassment—trust the image of her to take yet another prominent place where he didn't want it to belong. He was fast beginning to dislike the experience of having a first love.

She'd been sitting in the library. All alone, she had her ear buds plugged in and her eyes focused on her laptop. Her fingers were poised over the keypad, as if just waiting for a response of some sort before they could proceed with the task ahead. Ashley Massaro looked, if anything, in a world of her own.

It was decided that he wouldn't disturb her. This plan was made from the moment he realized the ache in his heart was back at just the mere sight of her and that she would only ignore or shout at him if he forced an encounter. And what was the point of that? It would only make the situation worse.

There did appear to be a problem though. About five minutes after browsing the books for something interesting, only to find none could keep his attention, he started to gravitate back towards her—as much as he didn't want to. Before he could stop himself, he'd picked himself a spot at a table nearby, out of sight but close enough to keep an eye on her.

He was extremely grateful that she was unaware of his presence. If she knew he was there, simply watching her, she would become either very uncomfortable or very angry. Instead he was at peace as he watched her work and took in the facial features he'd come to love. There was that perfectly dirty-blonde hair, those ice-cold eyes and those full, smirking lips...

Oh, he simply couldn't get enough of her.

Eventually, he told himself to get a grip. He'd been sitting there for at least ten minutes fantasizing about calling her his girlfriend; it was time to leave before he actually did something about it. And besides, this wasn't how the old Adam Copeland would behave.

The new, thoughtful one soon emerged out of the thought. Remembering where he was now, he cleared his throat and glanced around the cafeteria. He was only too happy that no-one was around for that; getting lost in his private world one too many times was simply unacceptable.

In the middle of contemplating what to do next, Adam was interrupted by the swing of the door. As there were less than fifty students left on campus, the arrival interested him to no end... and continued to captivate him once he realized who was there.

He and Ashley stared at each other for only a few seconds or so. It felt like longer though, and as if a hidden message was passed between them in the time-frame. Then she turned and walked straight back out of the door.

A sigh spilled through his open lips as he picked up his book. Something definitely had to be done about their relationship.

The Miz was certainly at the top of the list when it came to people Adam thought he wouldn't miss when winter break arrived; in fact, it was decided upon the first moment he saw his roommate packing that a permanent smile would be worn on his face whenever he entered the room the following week and he realized—all over again—that he finally had his peace and quiet. Mike was a loud, annoying, more intense version of himself, and a break from him sounded just perfect.

But now, on the fourth day of said plan, it was becoming quite the chore to raise a smile to his lips. The emptiness of the room without the guy seemed more significant than necessary, and only hazarded to warn him of how lonely he would be over this holiday. He hadn't changed his opinion about Mike—of course he hadn't—but at least he was there before to provide a distraction. A distraction to everything he didn't wish to think about.

The silence particularly bothered him today as he collapsed backwards onto his bed, loosening the grip on his book and not caring as it slipped from his fingers onto the floor. He wasn't supposed to be acting like this, was he? He should have been taking a shower or choosing an outfit for tonight's off-campus party for the remaining people here. Instead, he was staring up at the ceiling and letting this not-so-new mood swallow him whole.

He was weak. And it was all thanks to her.

Her.

It was with sincere gratitude that he realized his cell phone was ringing. After rubbing his face in the hopes it would wake him up a little more, he reached into his pocket and pulled it out, first checking the caller ID. He'd learned from previous mistakes not to answer cheerfully enough, only to be dragged down into twenty minute conversations with girls who only wanted to talk about themselves.

Thankfully enough, this girl wasn't like the ones he knew at all, and he was happy to take the call. "Hey," he smiled into the phone, content. "I didn't expect to hear from you."

"I didn't exactly expect to call you either," said Mickie James from the other line. She sounded like she had a smile on her face. "But I was about to call Eve and your name came up as one of the first on my contacts. I thought it wouldn't hurt to see how you were doing."

He smiled to himself. The Canadian felt that he'd gotten to known Mickie recently, especially considering the situation between her and her best friend, and he'd learnt she wasn't exactly a subtle person. This time round, things hadn't changed; the concern was there in her tone of voice. Plain and simple.

They'd talked a lot about Ashley. The brunette had voiced her concerns over their broken friendship, to which he'd patiently listened and then explained his own issues. Only one thing was decided by the time their conversation had finished: they were both screwed.

And now, remembering their latest encounter, he knew he could give an easy reply. "You mean how am I doing now that I've had my heart ripped out of my chest and stomped on with black, spiky boots?"

"Oh you, always the dramatic one." A joke—one needed in the moment. Hearing his chuckle, she proceeded. "Y'know, Adam, I really am sorry for the way things turned out there... but it doesn't mean that's the end for you two. You can't just give up."

And here they went again. A weary sigh later, he responded. "I never said I was giving up. I made a promise to myself and her that I wouldn't—no matter what happens. But at the same time, I can't just confront her every time and take all the rejection she hands me. Mickie... it just hurts too much, okay?"

There was a moment of silence between them. In the background, he heard the sound of a television being turned down, and instantly assumed she was about to become a little more serious with him. He wasn't sure if he was ready, or if he even wanted it to go in this direction.

"I don't know if I've ever told you this story, but stop me if I have. It's about Ash and I, back when we were in high school—before Jason." He didn't think he'd ever been told about anything pre-him and so listened intently. "We'd just had one of our most serious fights. Don't ask me what it was about because I can't remember myself. Funny, isn't it – how things that were significant at the time can barely be remembered later on?

"Anyway, she was determined not to speak to me. She was determined enough not to speak to me for two whole weeks, which, trust me, is a hell of a long time to go without her sarcastic remarks. It wasn't until I realized how insecure she really was that any attempt of me ignoring her went out of the window. I felt sorry for her instead of angry at her."

Adam felt the urge to interrupt. "What do you mean, insecure? Wasn't this before that douchebag came onto the scene?"

"Yes, it was – and what you don't know, Adam, is that deep inside she wasn't stable. Not even then. Her parents argued all the time—that was the reason she didn't want to come home for Christmas break—and her brother was the only person there for her, excluding me, and that was her crutch.

"She thought now that we'd had a fight, we weren't going to be friends anymore. Like, ever again. And that shocked me, you know? We're best friends! But she knew what it was like to be alone, without anybody... and she thought she'd have to start all over again.

"My point here—because I know I'm getting off subject—is that one little slip up always leads her to believe she's meant to be alone. And she's going through exactly the same thing now. So no matter what you've told her so far, no matter how hard you've pressed her, you have to press her some more. It's the only way you're going to get inside of her head."

He took this all into account, rubbing his chin as he sat up on his bed. Perching on the edge, he pondered over his options. Mickie James had a way of getting through to him, that was for sure. "I'm definitely going to keep that in mind."

"Good. I'm glad."

"And Mickie?"

"Mhm?" She questioned, sensing their topic was over and done with.

"You obviously made up with Ashley after that serious fight in high school."

"Yeah, we did. What's your point?"

"You should take your own advice. You and her could definitely make up again. You're best friends after all, right?"

Mickie didn't say anything. She didn't have to; the point was understood perfectly. So they both hung up on each other to continue with their days. The brunette would probably spend it with Phil... but what would he be doing?

Ashley stared at her phone as she sat on the floor, her legs crossed and her upper body leant against the end of the bed. Her hands were poised over her knees, waiting to either pick up the item or push it away; she hadn't exactly decided yet. All she knew was that the silence she was sitting in was perfect company right now.

Ronny had informed her, as a good brother would, that he would be spending the day out with their parents while they shopped for Christmas decorations to put up. At first, she'd been a little surprised at the information—since when did they need new ones? It was the family tradition to use the ones they'd used since she and Ronny had been little kids. But then she forced herself to move away from the issue; she hardly needed to be warranted an explanation, did she?

The second thing to come to mind was that the house would be empty. This was vital information. Feeling bad for dropping out of the visit home to stay here and hide her worries about her family instead, she'd begun to contemplate a way to make up for it. She felt bad for bailing on them. Would it be okay for her to ring the home phone and leave a message, even if it meant feigning a happy tone and pretending like she hadn't been ignoring the several emails sent her way over the previous few months? It at least sounded like a good idea if the facts were ignored.

The dirty-blonde student bit down on her bottom lip gingerly as she continued to stare at the device. She was having trouble working out the biggest sacrifice: having to lie to her own parents, or actually reaching contact with them at all. Which would be worse?

She didn't have time to work out an answer—a knock on the door distracted her mind from coming up with one. Cautiously, she rose to her feet, ignoring the numb sensation of pins and needles, and stared at it; nobody had knocked on the door since four days ago, when Maria had come to say her goodbyes. And who else knew she'd switched rooms with her... if they were here for her at all?

Forgoing all estimations, Ashley clasped the handle and pulled it open. She would soon find out, it appeared.

As soon as she'd opened the door, she wanted to close it. There was a sudden soar in her chest, catching her off-guard like it always did with this person, as her eyes connected with his. A pink blush tinted her cheeks before she could stop it, and all too suddenly her worst reaction was revealed. The most embarrassing one, as far as she was concerned.

"Before you shut the door on me," Adam begged as the door came his way, and he quickly reached out his hand to block it, "You need to hear me out. Please?"

She nodded. Relieved, he opened his mouth, prepared to talk, only to be surprised when the door slammed in his face instead. He scrunched his eyes shut for a long moment. He wasn't giving up, despite the obstacle in the way; he'd seen the look in her eyes. She felt something for him.

Inside, Ashley tried to swallow down the lump in her throat. Why did he have this effect on her, and why was it getting stronger each time she saw him? It was simply unavoidable now. And why, just why, wouldn't he give up? He was making it harder for her to run away.

"I know you're probably already plugged into your iPod by now... but just in case you're not, I'm going to say what I have to say now." His voice was raised through the door. There was no way she couldn't have heard him. There was also no way she wouldn't want to hear him. "And what I have to say is simple. It's so simple that it should be easy to understand. And I hope you do."

She waited.

The sentence finally arrived. "Even though you pushed me away, I'm still going to be here for you. I'll always be here for you. And I'm going to wait until you realize that. Just say the word and I'll come running. I promise."

What more could a girl ask from a guy? Ashley hadn't asked anything, in fact, but she was still receiving it. His word. It meant everything to her, even if she wasn't willing to admit it. The stubborn side of her still had her body pressed against the door, not daring to move in fear of being heard.

"That's all I wanted to say." Adam lowered his voice. She heard him inhale a quick, faint breath. "I'll leave you alone now."

Surely enough, she heard the sound of footsteps, and then the sound of them getting further and further away. Inside, she felt as though she should be following those footsteps—running after them, in fact, to catch up with him.

But she stood there instead. Eventually, she released a breath she didn't know she'd been holding in and slowly walked back over to resume her previous position. This time she moved into a tighter ball, no longer paying attention to her phone. It was clear she was no longer in the mood to decide whether to call her parents or not.

Her problem was clear. And as the first tear fell from her eyes, spilling down her cheek, only to be followed quickly by several more, Ashley forced herself to come to terms with it.

When would she stop hiding? Because her feelings—for the first time in a long time—were as clear as day, and it would only be so long before she had to confront them.

So there's the next chapter. Please review :)

(Only 9 more chapters until The Great Escape finishes, btw!)

Up next is The Miz/Matt's chapter.