AUTHOR'S NOTE: Another chapter , and it's a little on the long side ... and kind of bad :/ BUT , I hope you guys will like the upcoming chapters ! I'm going to update every week to 2 weeks from now on , because I have VERY little time . Also , I'm thinking about posting another story that I've been writing for quite a while . It actually had nothing to do with Randy Orton , though . Anyways , enjoy this chapter , and thank you all so much for the encouraging comments ! I always appreciate them [: Oh also , this is unedited so there are probably quite a few spelling/grammatical errors , but I'll clear those up in the next few days .

-xoxo

Katherine Nicotra

Chapter 15: Tough Decisions

ISTELLA'S POV-

I walked back into the hotel room more confused than ever, only making time to say a hurried hello to Evan Bourne. I opened the hotel room and stepped inside to see everyone awake and eating. They turned to me, smiling as I walked to my bag to get a change of clothes.

"Early morning swim?" Cody asked, his eyes appraising my wet, bikini-clad figure. I pulled out a pair of denim shorts and a pale green vneck shirt, along with undergarments, smiling.

"Yup. Stop being a pig, Cody," I said, laughing as his face turned red.

"I'm a guy, I can't help it," he mumbled as he started devouring a chocolate muffin.

"Lame excuse," I said, shaking my head.

"We saved you food," Kristen said as I walked to the bathroom.

"Thanks," I called over my shoulder, closing the bathroom door and stepping in the shower. I vaguely noticed how I had been in the pool and shower quite a lot in the past 24 hours, conditioning my hair as I thought of something else. What was the status between Randy and I? Were we friends or sex buddies or what? I shuddered at how slutty I felt at the thought of the second option. I decided that I would tell Kristen once Ted and Cody had left. Content with the idea, I pulled on my clothes, brushed my hair, and exited the bathroom to join the others.

"So how was last night?" Ted asked as I slipped my coffee. I choked a bit at his question, my eyes widening.

"What are you... how..." I stared at him with incredulity, and he furrowed his brow.

"Did you have any nightmares or was it fine? I just want to make sure you're feeling better." He looked at me more closely, and I smiled, laughing in relief.

"Oh, I slept fine." I grabbed a vanilla muffin as I leaned into the sofa cushions.

"Well Ted and I have to hit the gym. We don't get this sexy by just sitting around, you know!" Cody flashed a pose, and Kristen and I laughed.

"Alright, sexy. Have fun." I blew Cody a kiss with great show, and Cody mimed scrambling for it. He grinned, grabbing his gym bag as Kristen kissed Ted on the cheek in farewell.

"That's Mr. Sexy to you!" Cody called out as he strode out the door.

"Bye babe. Bye Stells." Ted flashed us a quick smile before closing the door behind himself. Kristen immediately turned to me, and I knew that she knew everything.

"Do I need to ask?" She raised one eyebrow, and I shook my head.

"How do you know is what I wanna know." I stared at her curiously as she shook her head, sighing.

"I heard you leave last night, and after a while I thought I'd just accompany you. I opened the door quietly so Cody wouldn't wake up, and I saw everything..." she trailed off, a note of sorrow in her tone. "I want back to my room, since I knew that I couldn't warn you about your actions right then. Just to be sure, did you two..." She looked at me meaningfully, and I jerked my head once in confirmation.

"I know I was stupid, but... I don't get why he ignores me everywhere else except for when we're alone." I put the muffin back on the table, my appetite gone.

"You're complicating things. Forget him and move on. I noticed that Brandon had a thing for you, and so does Wade Barrett." Kristen grinned like a kid, and went into a deep conversation, clearly making Wade seem like the better option.

We spent the next three hours watching tv, painting each other's nails, and gossiping about various tabloid stories. After a while, we discussed some of our friends back home, and I talked about Sean and all of his hilarious moments.

"That boy sounds hilarious," Kristen laughed, as I told her about one of his drunken rendezvous which led to him talking to one of his neighbors about his fear of commitment.

"Yeah, Sean's amazing. One time, he made me go with him to a gay bar, and he saw this hot guy sitting all alone. So he makes me follow him, and Sean sits next to the guy and is all, 'You look sexy, want to go back to my place?' And then the guy turned and it was Sean's boss. Needless to say, we made sure to thoroughly check our victims before we harass them." I giggled as Kristen's eyes teared from the force of her laughter.

"What I don't get is how the boss didn't fire Sean!" Kristen managed to say after quite a bit of laughter. I made a mock-thinking face before turning to her.

"Actually, it turns out that his boss had-" I stopped talking as we heard noises at the door, and Ted burst in with Cody in tow. They turned to us, and I saw a flicker of relief on Ted's face from seeing me in a good mood.

"Hey girls. Having fun?" Ted leaned over the back of the sofa and gave Kristen a quick kiss, and my head suddenly flashed to Randy's face before he had pulled me into his room. Kristen's laugh brought me out of my memory.

"We were, actually. You need to hear about Stella's friend Sean, he's a riot," Kristen said, beginning to fill Ted in on the stories. I turned to Cody, who had collapsed into the couch next to me. He was only wearing gym shorts, and I frowned as he laid his head on my lap, stretching across the sofa.

"Forget something, Cody?" I smacked Cody's abs playfully, and he looked up at me, laughing.

"Nope. Just thought I'd do you a favor and let my sexy body out for a while." He flexed his stomach muscles and I giggled.

"You're not doing me any favors," I said, "Now have some self respect! What would your mother say if she saw you?" Cody seemed to think for a moment.

"She would say 'I'm so proud to have raised such a sexy, charming young man." Cody flashed a smile, and I laughed at how ridiculous he sounded.

"No, she'd probably say 'Why oh why did I raise such a manwhore who has no self respect?'" I pressed my lips together to suppress a smile as Cody sniffled, frowning.

"Y-you called me a manwhore?" He stuttered out, faking a small sob.

"I'm sorry, Cody," I said, playing along, "I didn't mean it!"

"So... so you think I'm sexy?" He sniffed again and looked at me with puppydog eyes.

"Yes. You're the sexiest guy alive. Now shouldn't you go shower and put on a shirt? You smell." I wrinkled my nose, and Cody smirked mischievously as I popped a cookie in my mouth.

"Sure thing Stells. Wanna join me in the shower?" I choked on my cookie as Cody laughed. I had remembered Randy yet again. I quickly changed my thoughts as Cody lifted himself from the couch.

"Ew, Cody. Not in your lifetime!" I glanced at Kristen, who was pointedly looking at Cody and then me, grinning.

"Fine, fine. I can tell when I'm not wanted. Ted, go use Randy's shower, I'm using our shower." Cody smiled and Ted sighed, getting up.

"Okay. And you girls should get ready by six this evening, cause we're taking you out on a fun night!" Ted grinned and swapped a conspiratorial look with Cody.

"Sounds good. Now go! You smell terrible." Kristen smacked Ted away lightly, waving a hand in front of her nose. He grinned and grabbed her hand.

"Just for that, you're coming to Randy's room with me."

"Ted!" Kristen blushed, and Ted tugged her into a standing position.

"I heard he had a plumbing problem in the shower, and I'll need help fixing it!" Ted said suggestively.

"Go ahead. Have fun!" I winked and laughed at Kristen's bright-red face. Ted and Kristen left with a quick goodbye.

"Be out in ten, Stells." Cody smiled and left for Ted and Kristen's room. I sighed and relaxed into the couch, putting my feet up. I had gotten very little sleep and was still tired. Within moments I was losing consciousness as I succumbed to my sleep-deprived mind.

"Stella wake up." I yawned and opened my eyes. Cody was kneeling next to the couch by my head. Funny, but I had never noticed how good-looking he was.

"What'd you wake me up for?" I mumbled, feigning annoyance.

"I was bored because it's been half an hour and nobody but you is here. Let's go out somewhere" Cody smiled and I sat up, yawning again.

"Where d'you want to go?" I asked curiously. Cody had out on a grey-blue vneck and dark blue jeans.

"I don't know, but let's leave this stuffy place, please!"

"But we're going out at six anyways. Can't you wait for a while?"

"Stella, it's two. We can get back by four so you can get ready. Please!" Cody pleaded continuously.

"Ugh, fine you whiny little baby. Give me ten minutes."

"Yay, thank you Stella!" Cody grinned and I shook my head as I grabbed my bag and went into the bathroom.

I put on eyeliner, mascara, and lipgloss quickly, and brushed my hair. I dug into my bag and pulled on a pair of dark jeans and white sneakers. I rummaged through my bag and pulled on a white dolman top. The back was lace on the top half, and the bottom half from the middle of my back and down was cut in half so most of my back was exposed. I pulled my hobo bag out of my suitcase and exited, depositing my suitcase by the couch. Cody had been watching tv, but as soon as he looked at me it seemed he was shocked.

"You look... damnit woman, how can I be Mr. Sexy when you come out of a bathroom looking like that in ten minutes?" He shut off the tv and stood up, fake glaring at me.

"Well, I'm sorry. I guess there's a Ms. Sexy in town now!" I stuck out my tongue and Cody sighed in mock-frustration.

"Whatever," he said. His expression changed to one of nervousness, and he walked up to me, seeming embarrassed. "Hey, in all seriousness, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, Cody." I smiled at him to alleviate some of his nerves, and he smiled back.

"Well, I was wondering, since you aren't going out with anyone, i-if you want to go out as a... as a couple?" He stared at me hopefully, and I felt startled. I thought about Randy momentarily. What would he say? I decided to talk to him tonight, and chose my words carefully.

"Cody, you're amazing and sweet and handsome and funny, and I could go on for days. Could you just... can I have until later tonight or something to think about it?"

"Oh... oh sure! Of course!" Cody seemed relieved weirdly enough, and he must have noticed my confusion. "Oh, I'm just happy that you haven't completely rejected me." He grinned and hugged me.

"Aw Cody, you're adorable," I said, hugging him back. We pulled away and walked to the door.

"I thought of where we can go, by the ways."

"Really? Where?" I walked into the hallway and Cody followed, shutting the door.

"There's this cafe a couple clocks away. Oh damn," Cody sighed in annoyance. "I have to get my wallet from Randy, I left it in his room. It'll be fast." He walked towards Randy's room and I followed slowly. Cody knocked on his door, and after a few seconds Randy opened it.

"Cody. What do you-" Randy stopped short as he saw me. Cody didn't seem to notice, though.

"I need my wallet. Stella and I are going to a cafe, cause we're both bored of this hotel." Randy moved to allow Cody in, and I followed tentatively, biting my lip as I felt my arm brush his.

"Is that right?" Randy asked, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah, and Stella may be my girlfriend by tonight!" Cody grinned, winking at me before going to the bedroom to get his wallet. I let out a small squeak of surprise as I felt Randy's hand on my butt.

"Oh, did she say that now?" Randy didn't sound too pleased.

"Yup. Hey Stella, did you just yelp?" Cody stuck his head out of the room just as Randy removed his hand and walked past me.

"Um yeah, I, uh, thought I saw, um, a bug." I smiled weakly and Cody laughed as he exited the room with his wallet.

"You're ridiculous. Hey Randy, you wanna come with us?" I stood silently, fiddling with a lock of hair.

"No, thank you. I need to speak to her about my bio in private though. She'll meet you in the lobby, that okay with you Cody?" I bit my lip as I heard Randy. I noticed that he didn't use my name, but that was the least of my worries.

"Oh sure thing." Cody turned to me and gave me a quick hug. "Meet you downstairs." Cody smiled before leaving the hotel room. As soon as the door shut, I felt my nerves bunch up. I didn't dare turn and face Randy.

"So you and Cody," I jumped in surprise as Randy whispered the words in my ear, not realizing how close he was. I pressed my lips together as Randy's warm hands slipped under my top and held my waist.

"I..." I trailed off, my breath hitching in my throat as Randy's teeth grazed my earlobe. He swiftly spun me around, his hands still on my waist. His eyes were a fiery blue.

"We've already discussed this. You're mine, no one else's." His lips pressed against mine softly, tongue probing for access. I parted my lips and barely suppressed a moan. He pulled away after a minute, staring into my eyes. "Got it?"

"Randy," I shut my eyes so I could speak more coherently, trying to ignore his hands burning through my skin. "What are we?"

"We aren't anything. You are just mine." I felt his warm breath on my neck, and took a deep breath.

"But if we're nothing, then why can't I go out with Cody?" I gasped as Randy's grip on my tightened, and his lips pressed against my throat.

"Just forget him," Randy mumbled into my skin, making me shiver, not in a bad way. He slowly pulled away, removing his hands and taking a step back. I opened my eyes, and saw Randy's smug smile. For some reason, it irked me that Randy thought he could own me.

"Hey, give me a straight answer. I really like Cody, and if you and I don't have anything going on then I want to give him a chance." I spoke firmly, although my insides were melting. Randy's eyes flashed he brought his hands down to his sides, clenching his fists.

"Well if you like Cody so damn much then why don't you marry him?" Randy spat out the words angrily, and I tried to keep my nerves.

"Randy, I like you. You know that. I don't want to like you, but I do. If you don't have any feelings for me, though, then what good is this," I motioned to him and me, "for either of us?" I didn't elaborate on how much I liked Randy, trying to keep a shred of my dignity.

"You don't get it!" Randy burst out, pacing back and forth in front of me.

"Then explain it to me! I'm right here, I'm listening." I did my best to keep my voice level, feeling aggravated.

"I can't. I can't explain anything." Randy faced away from me, and within a second he was in front of me. He put one hand on my hip and another on my cheek. "This is as good as it can get. Don't make things difficult, please," Randy whispered in a scared voice. He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. The kiss was soft and sweet, and I felt everything around me slip away. Too soon, he pulled away, rubbing my cheek with his thumb.

"I..." I knew I loved Randy, but if this was the farthest we could go, then I had to forget about him "I'm sorry," I whispered, stepping back. Tears stung my eyes as I rushed out of the room. I went straight to the elevator and leaned against the wall as the doors closed. I had made the right decision. So why did everything inside me hurt?

RANDY'S POV-

I stood in the same sport, feeling frozen. How the hell did this happen? As soon as I found an alternative that let me stay close to Istella and kept our meetings silent, she ended it.

"Fucking bullshit," I growled, walking over to the wall and punching it as I grit my teeth. I punched the wall again and kicked it. My life could never have any happiness. 'Of course not. You didn't listen to us.' I stiffened at the voices.

"Go away," I moaned, sinking to my knees.

'Forget the girl. Go out and have fun today. There's hundreds of her, but only one of you.' I cringed from the voice, breathing hard.

"Get out of my head. Leave me alone." I heard the edge of hysteria in my choked voice. I clutched my head and rubbed my temples.

'You don't control us Randy. We control you.' I let out a strangled sob and forced myself to stand. I took a few steps forward, and then collapsed on the couch.

I shut my eyes, and visions of Istella flooded my mind. I felt tortured, and I tried to forget her. It was no use, though. She was ingrained in my mind.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Next update in a week or so [: I was gonna write more but it was WAAY too long . Anyways , hope you all liked it !