Chapter 23:
"That catastrophe of a match is all Melina's fault!" Haley grumbled to Hunter, as they settled in his locker room to watch the Jeff Hardy versus John Cena match for the number one contendership.
Hunter chuckled. "Haley relax, it happens. Sometimes you get stuck with tag team partners who are just not on the same page as you. It's one loss, you'll make it up."
"Well, next Diva tag, it's Ashley, Maria or Mickie." She shook her head. "Jesus Christ that was ridiculous. I tried to help her and she shoved me! But, hopefully my next tag team match will be with Kennedy instead."
"And then you'll know your partner is on the exact same page." He squeezed her shoulder. "So, have you decided on an opponent for Night of Champions?"
"I don't know, it's kind of surreal you know. Vince actually told me I could choose who I wanted to face. There's a whole locker room of Divas to choose from." Haley sighed. "Most would just pick one they knew they could beat, but that's not fair, you know?"
He nodded in understanding. "So then who are you going to pick, that you think stands a chance against you?"
"I think I'm going to ask Mickie. Granted, things between us have been awkward at best. But she finally beat Beth Phoenix a couple weeks ago and she's good, real good. I can't think of anyone else who would be better to face me at Night of Champions." Haley pulled a couple pins from her scalp and let her hair cascade down to her shoulders. "So who do you want to face at Night of Champions between these two?"
"Mickie's a good choice, Hales." He said with approval. "As for me, I honestly don't care who I face, it doesn't matter. I'm still going to walk out of there with my title, so whether it be Jeff Hardy, John Cena, Randy Orton, Hulk Hogan, Arn Anderson, I'm going to win regardless."
"You're just that damn good." She teased.
"Yes, I am." His eyes lit with the knowledge. "We've come too far to stop now, Haley. We're the best and it's going to stay that way."
"As long as I have you, I don't see how it shouldn't." She leaned sleepily against his shoulder. "You always take care of me."
"I always will." He let her rest against him as he watched Jeff Hardy make his entrance on the monitor before him. "We're a team, you and me, for better or for worse."
"You sound like we're getting married." She teased, before rolling her eyes as John Cena made his entrance to the ring. "Do you think there will ever be a time where John isn't gunning to be the main event at a Pay-per-view?"
Triple H chuckled. "He's the golden boy, Hales. He either has the title or he's relentless in his pursuit of it, which I can respect to some degree. But you have a point; it's getting kind of redundant."
"Looking back on it now, I'm trying to remember what it was that brought us together in the first place." She watched Jeff and John lock up in the center of the ring, silently rooting for the Rainbow haired warrior.
"He was the first person, beside Steph and me, you were friendly with. He's got some endearing qualities I'm sure and in the beginning Randy Orton wasn't in the picture to mettle in your relationship. Cena's head was clear then, once Randy got involved, he couldn't see straight." Hunter explained. "Then you met Dave and the rest is history."
"Let me ask you something?" She said seriously. "Do you think I made the right choice in choosing Dave?"
"Haley, I think there's no one out there that's better for you at this point." Hunter gave her shoulders a squeeze.
"Good." She nodded in satisfaction. "Because neither do I."
While Haley and Hunter watched John Cena and Jeff Hardy battle it out for the number one contendership, the man they had been discussing was sitting the hotel bar alongside Matt Hardy, having a friendly drink before they ventured off to their rooms for the evening.
"So, your girl had a rough night tonight." Matt commented after the first sip of his beer.
"I'm going to call her when I get back to my room. I'm sure she is with Hunter right now, venting about her match." Dave smiled at the thought. "He'll talk her through it and then she'll whine only a little with me. I guarantee tomorrow morning she'll be in the gym working her ass off."
"She's got a reputation to uphold now. If she starts losing matches, it's like a target's been pasted onto her back. Those Divas will attack her with a vengeance." Matt explained. "You know what it's like to be the most hunted man in the locker room. It's the same for the Divas. Haley has some pressure right now. She has to win her next match and annihilate her opponent while doing so to keep her in the safety zone, or those Divas will be gunning for her."
"You're absolutely right." Dave nodded his agreement. "I didn't even look at it that way. I'll be extra affectionate and supportive tonight, to sooth any ruffled feathers."
"Good plan." Matt sighed. "I had to do that with Lita…a lot."
"At least Ashley's not under as much pressure." Dave pointed out, worried that his friend might slip into Lita nostalgia. It was obvious to everyone, but Matt's current girlfriend, that the eldest Hardy brother had never fully gotten over his red haired love.
"Do you ever catch yourself comparing Haley to Angie?" Matt asked. "I feel guilty whenever I find myself doing that to Ashley."
"All the time." Dave assured his friend. "The only difference with me is that in my comparisons, Haley comes out on top."
"She broke my heart, Man." Matt looked into his beer bottle, as though searching for answer in the amber colored liquid.
"I know." Dave sat back. "I've been there. But, the woman I'm with now outshines those in my past. If Ashley's not outdoing Lita in any way, Man, you're going to have to be fair to her and end things. She deserves to be loved for who she is, not stand in someone else's shadow."
"I do love Ashley." Matt admitted.
"But she's not Lita." Dave stated knowingly. "I may not have known you very well then Matt, but I was there during the fall out of your relationship with her."
"I'm always going to love Lita, but I don't see how I can ever trust her again." Matt shook his head in denial.
"I think you owe it to yourself and to Lita to figure that out." Dave clapped his friend on the shoulder. "It's a decision you have to make. If you choose to call her, make sure you end things with Ashley first. She deserves better than that."
"Thanks Dave." Matt rubbed the back of his neck. "I think I'm going to stay down here awhile."
Knowing the eldest Hardy needed to brood, Dave rose and stepped away from the bar. "You know where I am if you need to talk, Hardy." He gave the younger man's shoulder one last squeeze before leaving the bar.
His thoughts drifted to his own girlfriend. He knew the loss tonight wasn't her fault. He knew what it was like to partner with someone you did not get along with and have the match fall apart. He and the Undertaker had teamed up last year to take on HBK and John Cena. It hadn't boded well for either teams.
"Hi Dave!" A high-pitched feminine voice called out to him in greeting.
He frowned in puzzlement. "Hello Eve." He responded to 2007's Diva Search winner as he passed her. And there was another problem he'd have to deal with. How was he going to let down Eve without overly hurting her feelings?