I know it's been awhile, but I left you all with something that I think is going to shake things up...

So we saw Seth & AJ not only reveal that there was indeed more to their story. We saw them both open up about past issues. We saw Seth leave Leighla in the past where she belongs...but now, where is Zahra going with her tidbit of information? And yes, what about Finn Balor?

Leighla felt a rock in her stomach when she logged on to Twitter that morning. No, forget that-she felt a boulder.

As much as she believed she was a good person, she hated herself at that very moment. So far, she'd seen that Zahra hadn't taken the namedrop of Seth's new love interest to every gossip website known to man. But she had taken very subtle jabs at the tiny little diva that the rest of the world knew as AJ Lee. It was just a matter of time, now, before some lurking fan saw that AJ was a repeated subject on Zahra's Twitter posts. Then, she'd go balls-out, and blab to the whole world.

But the things she did have posted over the last twelve hours were plain mean. She'd embedded the ever-popular YouTube video of AJ meeting her former idol, Lita, at an autograph session. She'd captioned it, too: My, things change, don't they?

She'd also posted a link to an article that interviewed CM Punk in the Chicago home, pointing out specifically that the reporter had mentioned "Phil 'CM Punk' Brooks is just as radiant as girlfriend, [Amy Dumas]. Clearly fatherhood resonates with him."

There were also links to video snippets of AJ Lee making out with John Cena, Kane, Daniel Bryan, Punk, and Dolph Ziggler littered throughout the brutal woman's page. And although Leighla felt horrible; knowing she'd made a deal with the devil herself. But what could she do, honestly? Turning down that amount of money was insane. Besides, it wasn't the first time she did something controversial for a couple hundred bucks-she'd sold her engagement ring from Seth on Ebay just a year or so ago.

But still, she felt badly for AJ. Not that she knew her well, but she knew of her, obviously. Pretty much every and any professional wrestling site had blown up Twitter with the demise of her pathetic relationship. But really, was it any surprise to the anyone that the well-recognized "Ladies Man" would find himself dragging AJ down a dangerous pit? From what she recalled of Seth's early Shield days, CM Punk was a huge pain in the ass, impossible to get along with. And this dark-haired woman, AJ...well, she was an oddball, but it seemed that she had her geeky perks. While she wasn't normally someone Seth would date, Leighla couldn't help but think that maybe...just maybe, that was a good thing.

Could she right this wrong?

Maybe, but how? At the very least, she should let him know that Zahra knew what was going on. How vile she would likely become in the next few days. But then she'd have to out herself, and that was something she wasn't sure she could do. She knowingly hurt Seth, and, for that matter, his girlfriend. Blowing a disappointed sigh to nobody, she closed out of her Twitter account without typing a single thing. She had a lot of contemplating to do.

If AJ could've dreamed up a better day than this last one with Seth Rollins, it wouldn't have been better than her reality. For the first time in a long time, she felt like a whole person. Seth had filled a void, in a sense; and now, she felt like every trial and tribune she'd faced in the past was meant to be. She was happy.

Sure, she didn't really need a guy to keep her happy. That was something she'd learned a long time ago, after her breakup with Jay Lethal. But she guessed that some things happen for a reason, and she sort of ended up falling for this sneaky little Authority ass-kisser without ever even realizing what she had coming.

But after all the conversations she'd had with Seth these past few days, she could feel herself more in depth with his mind. It was a beautiful thing: being so in the same state of mind as someone else, like a silent bond that they shared and nobody else could ever understand. She was amazed at how thoughtful this man was; how smart, goofy, and quirky. Even though they disagreed on their superheroes and comic books, at least he could hold his own when it came to the debate.

He was also amazingly affectionate, which was something AJ realized she never really had with another human being. She hugged Phil, kissed him and all that. She'd played the crazy, lovestruck teenager on WWE programming. But she'd never had a deep, meaningful hug. Phil had honestly never held her throughout the night. But Seth...he showed his adoration very much so with his body language. AJ had always told the entire world she wasn't big on touchy-feely crap, but this guy totally changed her thoughts on that. There was a right and wrong way to go about it, and she felt that the Architect knew exactly how to make her feel like the only girl on his mind.

And now, as much as she hated it, she knew that they would be facing reality very soon. What would they do when they returned from their mini-staycation, locked up with only each other in the middle of nowhere? Surely, people would be buzzing. There was undoubtedly a rumor backstage by now about Seth's new love interest...even if nobody knew it was her.

Unless Paige had said something. Which, she guessed wouldn't surprise her; she had been royally pissed on the phone the other night. And it wasn't like she neglected to mention their relationship to upset her dearest friend, but more like...she wasn't ready to. People had their own thoughts and feelings about Rollins, and she understood that. Much like people had warned her about Punk's tendencies, specifically his wandering eye...

Hmmm. Was she being naive?

For the first time in awhile, AJ questioned herself. She doubted the choice she had made, admitting that she'd fallen for the champ. Yes, Finn Balor was a much safer choice, but the chemistry was...average. And Rollins radiated pheromones, it seemed; all she wanted to do was be with him.

Did that mean they'd come out as a couple? Should they wait? Would it be too soon? Would people wonder if she was so quick to jump to someone new because of the announcement of Amy and Phil's gender reveal?

Relationships were hard.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the squeak of the front door, indicating that Seth had returned with the chicken alfredo pizza she'd begged him for.

"Deep in thought?" he teased, carrying the box to the kitchen table.

Quickly, AJ untucked her feet from other her bottom, stretching her legs out as they began to get that tingly feeling. She feared she'd fall flat on her face if she tried to walk. How cute.

"Kind of," she admitted, pulling her semi-rolled up tank back down over her exposed abdomen.

Seth was reaching in his cupboards for a few glasses, filling them with ice cubes from his refrigerator before pouring some water out of his Brita-filtered pitcher.

"You know," he said as he finished filling the second glass, "I know someone that's willing to listen if you've got something on your mind."

AJ sucked air through her teeth, unsure if she should open up her deep, dark thoughts. Finding the tiny flicker of courage somewhere deep in there, she got up from the couch, stretching just enough to crack her shoulders.

"I just...was wondering...what's gonna happen when we get back to work?"

Seth looked up, confusion crossing his face as he plated pizza slices for the two of them. He didn't say a word, and AJ already felt the hope that they'd eventually be able to come out as a real couple slowly plummeting to its death.

"Whatever you want," he replied finally, handing her the small white plate with the greasy goodness centered perfectly. "I would understand, given the situation, if you would want to keep our relationship quiet for now. But I'm not afraid to show off the woman that I have, either."

AJ gave a small smile, her eyes playing on Seth's for a moment.

"Don't give me that look, or we'll skip pizza and I'll carry you right up to the bedroom," he smirked playfully, and she smacked his shoulder as she bit into the gooey cheese.

"Seriously, though, AJ. I want to be with you. Fuck what everyone else has to say about it. You make me happy, and I will do everything I can for you to be happy, too," he said, finally chowing down on his own slice.

After they'd both eaten enough and their stomachs were happily full, Seth opened up his Blu-Ray collection, carefully selecting the cult classic, The Shining. He had been nearly offended when AJ had admitted the previous day that she hadn't seen the movie, and he signed her up for a viewing. She didn't mind scary movies, but with Punk's busy schedule, she didn't like watching them alone. Sometimes, she'd fall asleep to the movies, and she'd dream in unison with whatever was going on. Almost as though she was still listening, even though she was asleep. She'd often wake up shaky and scared, clutching to the blanket where Phil would've been, if he'd been home.

If he'd been sleeping next to her at all...

But whatever. This situation was fine; and she had Seth to watch it with. There was nothing to worry about.

Seth watched as AJ peeked from between her fingers, a look of horror spread across her face as the two main characters of the movie played a dangerous game of cat and mouse in a hedge-maze, one of the many freaky points of the flick. He couldn't believe she'd never seen this movie! And, she'd been nervous to watch, which lead him to believe that maybe she wasn't partial to scary movies.

Though he'd never tell AJ, Leighla had been a huge horror buff. She knew all about the Freddy Krueger movies. She frequently kept her eye out for good possibilities of new-age horror, though she swore the 80s slashers were the primetime for scary things.

She liked the oddities, right down to embalmed insects in jars and funky ancient torture devices. Strange and beautiful things were Leighla's art source.

But something about the little hint of fear in AJ's eyes was endearing; honest uncertainty, and kind of cute. It was almost like she just needed protection from harm, just like a little kid might look for whilst watching something kind of scary. He found himself wondering how CM Punk had managed to just let this woman go, not even apologizing for being such an asshat. As far as Seth could see, AJ was someone he never wanted out of his life.

Though she had raised a good question: Where would their relationship go from here?

He hoped that things would transition smoothly into the workplace, eventually to the public. But if he knew anything about this industry by now, that was a rarity. With Paige already irate, with Kevin Owens already playing Dr. Phil, and with the management keeping close watches on both of them, Seth knew that if they wanted to make it work, it was going to be fucking hard. And even though, right here and now, he knew undoubtedly he'd do what he could to give AJ the relationship and love she so deserved, he found himself worried that if things became too real for her, AJ would run the other way. Even though he trusted that she would stick it out, he also knew the realities of taking this to the next level.

Without thinking, without hesitation, he stroked the side of her face with his thumb, causing her to turn her semi-fearful face towards him.

"I love you," he said quietly, leaning in to kiss her rosy pink lips. "I promise things will be fine."

Instead of argue or question him, she opted to deepen the kiss, as though she was glad for the distraction from the movie. Their tongues danced for a few moments, Seth pulling her body close to his and ran his hands along the contours of her frame. He could feel the familiar pull in his jeans, hoping to be released. And shit, if he had his way, he'd have her right here, right now. Couch and all.

But, talking himself down, he reminded himself that this girl deserved much more than a quick bang on the living room couch. And, just as she'd given to him the night before, he vowed to do the same tonight. She was his girl, and Seth wanted nothing more than to prove it.

Paige ran through her Twitter account, not really reading anything. Lots of fans, lots of creepy dudes, and lots of bullshit. It was super late, and her eyes were growing heavy. AJ hadn't updated her account in days, and she hadn't bothered to get hold of her since their little fallout.

Earlier today, Paige ran through all sorts of emotions. She was bored as fuck, what with Rosa taking care of her family, Foxy spending time with hers, and Nattie tending to her husband's injuries. Anyone that she normally spoke to had their own stuff to take care of. And she...well, things with her boyfriend were less than stellar; and she was unsure that she really even wanted to spend any more time on him.

She'd met with Brie Bella for coffee earlier, but even that was kind of a snooze. Just something for the Total Divas cameras to capture, probably.

Truth be told, she was really missing her stupid, unwise little crumpet. AJ was trapped in Seth's cornfield, probably being bored to tears as he practiced whiny little promos for her to judge. She was probably ecstatic to return to television tomorrow night. Stoked to spend time with estrogen, rather than be shacking up with some horny sleazebag like Rollins.

She supposed, maybe, that she was being too tough on her former NXT colleague and current WWE champion. Maybe AJ was being truthful, and she was enjoying the time spent with him. But she also knew Leighla personally, and she knew Zahra personally enough, too. Seth's rep was horrifying, and it was a matter of time before AJ's life was shattered all over again. She just knew it.

Still, as she stared at the picture of Seth and the "mystery woman" who she knew was AJ, she searched his features for any sign of deception, slanted eyes or sketchy body language. Yet, no matter how much she studied the photograph, it seemed that he was very confident in their relationship. There was absolutely no sign that this was a play, no sign that his little enamor with her friend was a joke or gimmick. In NXT, they'd been force-fed all kinds of things to make promos, matches, characters, and pictures believable, and she sort of wondered if maybe Seth had taken that knowledge to his real-life relationships, too. But somehow, she doubted this. If she compared the picture from a few days prior to a random image search of Rollins and Zahra, there was clearly no chemistry between the latter. The tattooed woman gave a half-smile as she pointed to the champion at an NXT taping at Full Sail, Seth avoided her like the plague. Nothing like what she was seeing here.

Paige glanced down at the clock. Nearly three in the morning. Shit, she was overanalyzing this whole thing and driving herself insane.

But that's when she saw it-a Tweet from Zahra with a picture. For a giggle, clicky here! #Homewrecker

A bad taste in her mouth and an lump in her throat, she clicked the upload from the former NXT star. It was a self made photo of AJ Lee. First, locking lips with Daniel Bryan. The next image was with Kane. John Cena. Dolph Ziggler. Punk...and finally, the last strip of the picture was the upload of Seth and the mystery woman.

Zahra knew.

Panic grew, and Paige grabbed at her phone. She needed to warn AJ. Now. Before this got out of hand.

Instead, she stared stupidly at her phone as it began vibrating in her hand. It was Kevin Owens, that son of a bitch. He was the one who encouraged Seth to pursue this, despite Zahra's fucking insane behaviors.

"Speak," she said angrily, and Kevin gave a small, noticeably feeble laugh.

"So you saw the post," he said quietly, probably trying to not wake his roommate, Antonio Cesaro, from the blissful rest he was getting. She'd give her left big toe to be unaware of the shitstorm that was heading for her friends, the fire that was going to be set to the little puppy-love gig the two were playing at.

"Yeah, I saw it," she replied bitterly, but her eyes caught the little caption Zahra had added to her photoshop montage.

One champ...2 champs...3 champs..WHORE.

"Fucking cunt!" Paige exclaimed, her anxiety and frustration hitting a new high upon reading the last word. AJ was anything but a whore! She was ready to defend her honor, ready to rip Zahra a new asshole, ready to go find her house and start it on fire...

"I know, P," Kevin whispered to her. "I saw it, too." Paige had forgotten this dickhead had even called her, and now, she was ready to gouge his eyes out, too.

"Why would you encourage Seth to go for her? Knowing this bitch would react this way?" Paige shrieked, glad that she had opted out of sharing her room tonight with anyone.

"Hey, that's not fair! I never knew what a nutjob she'd turn into...and Seth, why doesn't he deserve to be happy?"

"People like him don't deserve someone like AJ! Especially since she's gotten her heart destroyed by someone exactly like your little buddy!"

Kevin sighed. "I know you don't like Rollins, and I understand why. We've gone over this before. But that's not really the problem here, now is it? The problem is Zahra, and she is outing AJ and Seth before they're even ready to admit it to themselves, let alone Twitter."

"Ever think that Seth was the one to leak that information?" Paige questioned, not hiding the salty tone she carried.

"Doubtful," he responded, crisp as can be.

"So...now what?"

Kevin sighed. "Well, they either find out that the world knows already tomorrow, and they walk into a full-on nuclear war once they get to work...or their two closest friends put aside their differences as tell them first thing tomorrow, before they get to the arena."

"What are the chances that the world ignores Zahra? I mean, now that she isn't with Seth, she's pretty much fallen off the face of the earth as far as wrestling goes," Paige pointed out. "Maybe it'll all fall on deaf ears. Another whacko, just hoping to get someone interested in her to make some quick cash."

Kevin laughed. "I'm hoping you're right, really. But I have a feeling that those are the reasons that she'll force her voice to be heard. She's going to play this out to be a lot worse than it is...and make herself look like the victim. The sympathy card."

Paige groaned. "I knew that this would end badly."

"Paige, it hasn't even started."

"This is why it never should."