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John cursed himself. Alyssa hadn't looked his way at all during the ceremony; not even during the ten times or so he'd looked at her to maybe get her attention. Normally, this wouldn't have worried him except he remembered her saying to not be surprised if all she does is stare at him tonight. She seemed to be doing anything but that. What was going on in her head? He desperately wanted to know. There was obvious distance between them, tension even. It was an unfamiliar feeling for him considering he's been above cloud nine with her the last two weeks.

Damn Mickie for being here tonight. Damn Randy for bringing it up. And most of all, damn him for not telling Alyssa sooner.

He remembered her asking just two nights ago why he never dated a diva. He told her that simply, none of them caught his interest. That wasn't a lie. He learns now that he should've corrected her and admitted he has, in fact, dated a diva. Now he's in this hole, and he wasn't sure when he'd get the chance to dig himself out. He just wanted to get it over with. He just wanted Alyssa to be okay again.

Clapping from all over the room snapped him back to reality. He looked around and saw Alyssa clapping as well. Her eyes glistened towards the stage. She seemed genuinely interested in what was going on over there. The speeches and inductions were interesting and historic indeed, but his mind was elsewhere.

To his surprise, Alyssa leaned towards him. His whole body got hot.

"You really should start clapping when everyone else is, John. You don't want pictures of you looking bored."

He gazed at her and saw a hint of smile in her eyes. Maybe she's okay, after all. So, doing as told, John began clapping and tried his best to focus on what was happening in front of him.

Finally, the ceremony ended. Everyone was gradually making their way towards the exit. John saw the people beside him, including Alyssa, upright so he stood up, too. He opened his mouth to say something, but she beat him to it.

"Sam needs to go to the bathroom and I wanna freshen up. We'll be right back."

He closed his lips as he watched her walk away. Guess he'll have to wait a little longer to talk to her. Fortunately, a spew of wrestlers huddled around him and started saying hello. John gladly welcomed the small talk. He could use the distraction. A few minutes passed and the people around him were beginning to disperse. He looked around to see if Alyssa and Sam were back, but before he found them, someone tapped his shoulder from behind.

Out of all people, it was Mickie James. Of course. What an unpleasant surprise.

"Hey, John!" She wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Hey." He lightly tapped her shoulder before scooting back.

"Long time no talk!"

"Yep."

"How have you been?" She leaned back in.

"Good, I've been good." He stepped back some more.

"So… are you single?"

"Uh…" John's eyes locked.

"He is," Randy answered for him. He'd joined their circle.

John glared at him. What the hell was he doing?

"Oh, so you haven't found someone else, huh?" Mickie bit her lip. She hadn't taken her eyes off John.

John opened his mouth but no words came out. He did find someone, but that's none of her business. When is this girl gonna leave?

"I haven't found someone else, either."

"You should," John said indignantly.

Randy stifled a laugh. "You two haven't changed. Mickie's still as easy, and John's still playing hard to get."

"Oh yes. John's quite hard, I remember. I had fun with that," Mickie smirked at her inside joke. She batted her lashes, and it made John want to vomit. She's nothing compared to Alyssa.

"And I don't think John wants you," Randy laughed some more.

Finally! Randy was back on his side.

Mickie glared. "Oh shut up, Orton. What do you know?"

Another female's voice followed the question. "Hey."

It was Alyssa. John felt a sense of relief wash over him; thankful she hadn't backed down from Mickie's presence. He smiled and gladly wrapped an arm around her waist. "Hey, I'm glad to have my beautiful date back."

If Alyssa noticed Mickie was there, she didn't show it. She smiled up at John. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah, I've been." He took his eyes off Alyssa momentarily. "If you excuse us, we're gonna go now."

Sam, who was beside Randy, nodded. "We'll follow you after we talk to Bob Jr."

John smiled at the mention of Randy's dad. "Sounds good, we'll be in the limo."

Alyssa's eyes traveled as she turned on her heel. In a stolen second, she locked eyes with Mickie. It only made her walk away faster.

"Thank you," John said to Alyssa once everyone else was out of earshot.

"For?"

"For getting me outta there. I didn't even wanna talk to her." John tried to keep up with her pace. She was walking awfully fast for a woman in six inch heels.

Alyssa smirked. "Cena's not friendly with his exes, I see."

John stopped and grabbed her arm.

She looked at his grip quizzically, then at him.

"Alyssa, it's not what you think-"

"You don't even know what I think," she challenged him. "And like I said earlier, this isn't the place nor the time. Can we just go back to the limo?"

John let her words hang for a few seconds. How could he get her to give him a chance to explain? It'd save them both from brewing trouble. Then again, if he hadn't lied, they wouldn't be here.

"Alright," he succumbed.

"Thank you," she said.

He watched her walk away before following her. He was definitely not used to this. Usually, he knew what was going on in her head, at times even before she knew, but right now, he had no clue. She was acting weird, but who could blame her? She'd caught the only man she ever gave a chance in a lie.

John tailed her into the limo. He looked at her, but her face was fixed towards the window. His eyes trailed to her hand, and he itched so bad to touch it. Before he could act on his wish, Randy and Sam joined them inside.

"Hey, you guys wanted to go to the after party, too, right?" Sam asked.

"Yes!" Alyssa answered immediately.

It startled John. He frowned. How come she couldn't give him that reaction when he was talking to her? Oh, right. Sam wasn't a deemed liar. Alyssa looked at him momentarily before returning to the glass. Could she stop doing that? Please? It was such a tease. She'd act so distant, warm for one second, then distant again.

Immediately, John's mind started drifting to last night. It was a much more pleasant thing to think about. Alyssa and him had snuggled in the balcony for hours just talking. She told him about her childhood and how much of a tomboy she was. Turns out, she was the only girl amongst all her cousins. No wonder her and Randy had gotten along so well and so early in life. She was one of the boys. Then, John told her about his life after high school and how he moved to California with nearly nothing. She said that was a gutsy move, and he agreed. Then, she said that liking him was the gutsiest thing she's ever done.

Their ride came to a halt, forcing John back into the present. He looked at the woman beside him, and she was getting ready to head out the door. Damn. When is she going to talk to him? This was driving him crazy. He dragged himself out of the limo and anticipated Alyssa's next move.

She turned to him and said, "I'll be with the girls tonight."

His lips set a straight line.

"Is that okay?" she asked, surprisingly.

He tucked some loose hair behind her ear and forced himself to nod. "If that's what you want. Are you okay?"

She nodded.

He glanced around quickly and saw everyone distracted. Nobody was paying attention to them. He leaned in and kissed her.

She gasped.

He looked at her wearingly and said, "I wanna see you after, though. I miss you."

"I've been beside you all night."

"Physically, yes."

She traveled her eyes, as if looking at John was such a hard thing to do. It kind of was. "Okay. I'll see you later. Have fun tonight."

He watched as she walked away from him. She was getting smaller and smaller and by the time he knew it, she disappeared into the crowd. He stood there for awhile just staring. He just wanted to talk to her. He just wanted to set everything straight. She obviously had something on her mind but was having trouble talking about it. How could he make that trouble go away?

"Ay, John! You coming in?" Randy asked him from afar.

"Yeah," he answered, feeling forced out of his thoughts.

The two men got inside and John couldn't help but look around for Alyssa. It wasn't hard to find her at all, she was at the bar holding two drinks with both hands.

Oh boy.

Usually, Alyssa would have a drink or two, and that was it. Tonight was a different story. John was sure she was past her fifth glass, and she looked to be after for more. He was eyeing her from the bar with his own drink when Randy went and sat beside him.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Wsup?"

"Let's go outside!" Randy suggested. "It's too loud and stuffy in here."

John looked at Alyssa once more. She was surrounded by divas, as well as Sam, so he felt assured that she'd be fine. He followed Randy out of the club. Fresh air hit his face as soon as the door opened.

"Damn, it feels so good out here," Randy said.

"Yeah," John agreed. He cut to the chase. "What's your question?"

"I'll ask you plain and simple. Is there something going on with you and Alyssa?"

John's mouth went dry. He suddenly wished he'd been drinking as much as her. Or more.

Randy continued. "I mean…I'd think you two would tell me, but I can't be sure. You guys have been spending a lot of alone time together lately."

John swallowed the lump in his throat. How the hell was he supposed to respond to this? He's still conflicted about Alyssa's muteness with him tonight, she's drunk right now, and they'd agreed to keep their relationship a secret. If he confesses to Randy now, Alyssa may just have another thing against him.

So, he lied. "No. Nothing's going on with me and her."

Randy studied his face. "What about all that touchy stuff earlier today?"

John shrugged. "She's my date."

"And nothing more?"

"Nothing more," John said through his teeth.

Randy gave this a thought. "Hm. Alright. Do you know what's going on with her?"

I wish, John thought. "What do you mean?"

"Well, she's usually the one scoffing me about my drinking limit, but she's acting like she doesn't even have one tonight."

This was unsettlingly true. John noticed that, too.

"Something's wrong."

And I wish she'd talk to me about it so I could make her okay, John thought. "Well, she hasn't said anything that'd make me think something was wrong."

"But she's acting like something's wrong." Randy's best friend instincts were kicking in. He held John's gaze for a few seconds. "Trust me, I know her. Something's wrong."

And I know her too, John thought. "We'll just have to watch over her tonight."

"Yeah, let's go back inside."

The two men went in, missing the fresh air immediately. But they had Alyssa to tend to. They fumbled through crowds of people. Their eyes frantically searched the scene since their feet only moved as fast as the crowd allowed them. They got to the bar, but she wasn't there anymore. They searched through several known booths, but she wasn't in any of them.

"Where the hell could she have gone in that time we left." Randy scratched his head. He looked around and saw only faces that were unfamiliar to him.

"She might be in the ladies room," John suggested.

Randy nodded and made his way towards the restrooms. Then, he looked up and stopped dead on his tracks. Alyssa was parading around on top of the bar.

"ALYSSA!"

He ran towards her, not caring if he bumped into anyone. He was at her feet within seconds.

"Get your ass down!"

She smiled deviously at him then raised her glass. She tilted her head from side to side as if she were taunting him. "Leave me alone, Randy!"

"Alyssa!" he gritted through his teeth.

Ignoring him, she walked along the bar then started swaying her hips. She brought herself lower and lower, exposing more leg through the slit of her dress. She was practically humping air.

John got to the scene just as Randy lunged over and grabbed Alyssa's hands.

Shocked, she loosened her grip, instantly sending the glass she was holding to the ground. It shattered.

"Oh no! Ooops!" she gasped.

Randy shook his head condescendingly. That glass was the least of his worries. He swooped his arm around her back and got her to the floor. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Having some fun!" She stuck her tongue out at him. "Calm your penis!"

"No, you calm your ass, Alyssa!" Randy was fuming. He knew she would regret this in the morning. Alyssa was never the type to make this kind of scene, most especially at an event like this. They were at a club, but it's a club filled with several generations of people she worked with- people she looked up to. They weren't here to get drunk and lose control. It was for a little buzz, a little celebration, and not for a show like the one she was giving.

What the hell has gotten into her?

"Geez weez Rands! You're bad at fun!"

Randy watched his best friend try to push him away, but she was barely even touching him. The alcohol had taken away her sense of depth. And more. Alyssa began swaying her hips again. Leaning forward with her back out, she tapped her ass against the bar and started going moving up and down. Her eyes were closed.

"Jesus Christ, Alyssa." Randy didn't hesitate to swing her body over her shoulders. He'd seen enough.

"Raaaaandddyyyyyyyy!" Alyssa groaned. Her head swayed from side to side as Randy managed their way through the crowd. It was making her dizzy. Really, really dizzy.

As soon as he set down outside, she lurched forward and vomited.

"Oh, fuck," Randy mumbled. He leaned over her and created a make-shift hair tie with his hand. He watched as she spewed vile onto the sidewalk. "You're gonna be thankful for this in the morning."

"Eughhhhhh!" Alyssa growled. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and was tempted to sit down.

When Randy saw what she was trying to do, he held her up. "Don't sit, just lean on me." He pulled her to her jelly feet expecting her to finally cooperate.

She didn't. She tried pushing him away again and was more successful this time.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked her. She responded with another jab, forcing an exasperated sigh to escape his lips. He looked around and saw John staring blankly at them. He looked utterly lost.

"Randssss!" Alyssa whined, making Randy return his sights on her. She slammed her hand on his chest again. "I've never done this before, I'm scared!"

"Don't worry, it's just alcohol," Randy placated.

"I'm scared. I'm scared. I'm scared," she repeated it like a mantra.

Randy wrapped both arms around her. "You'll be fine, I'm not gonna let anything happen to you."

Watching this, John unconsciously made a fist with both hands. He'd do anything to be Randy right now. Why wasn't he the one holding her?

Alyssa was muffling against her best friend then suddenly, she began sobbing.

Helpless, John closed his eyes, feeling pain down to his core. He couldn't see this. His heart was ripping in half. Not only was another man holding her, but he knew what she was talking about. He knew what she was crying about. It had nothing to do with alcohol and everything to do with him. Alyssa's voice echoed in his head. She'd told him this just last night: this, us, you- you scare the hell out of me, John, but I like you, so it's okay.

But this is not okay. This is definitely not okay.

Alyssa never cries. Alyssa never gets drunk. Alyssa never hesitates speak up. But somehow, she's done all of that tonight. She's managed to go over lines she would've never even gotten close to.

"John, can you get Sam for me? I wanna take Al back to the hotel," Randy said.

John opened his eyes. He could only nod, as he forced himself to walk away. That whole scene was like a car crash. He didn't want to see what was happening, but he couldn't look away. It was heart-shattering and numbing all at the same time.

His walk to find Sam was like an out of body experience. He felt himself moving, but his mind went blank. There was nothing. It's as if his senses had been taken away from him. He couldn't hear a thing, couldn't feel anything, couldn't make out what he was seeing. Thankfully, his search wasn't hard at all. Sam found him instead.

"Randy and Alyssa are outside," he announced. He was surprised he'd managed to get that out.

"Is everything okay?"

He shrugged.

"Let's go!" She hustled them out of the club.

The other two weren't where John had seen them last.

"They're probably in the limo already." Sam kept walking along the sidewalk, where she soon found Randy standing in front of an open car door. "Baby! What's going on?"

"Alyssa's blacked out, but she'll be fine. Are you guys ready to go?"

"Yeah, lets go." Sam said as her husband guided her inside. "Poor Alyssa."

John mutely followed their path. He sat on the empty space beside his drunken date. She was leaning on her side, with her arm draped over her chest. Even at this state, she looked absolutely beautiful. But she looked broken, too.

John closed his eyes, feeling a flood of unsettling emotions rushing back in. Question after question kept tormenting his shattered state. Why did he have to lie? Why didn't she let him explain? Why didn't he try harder to explain? Why did tonight have to succumb to this? It could've been avoided. Was this why Randy's been so overprotective? Did he know how vulnerable she was and didn't want her to end up this way? John couldn't blame him. He just wanted to go back to last night when they were safe in each other's arms.

John opened his eyes and looked at her again. He's never seen her like this. She looked so raw. Her delicate features were replaced by emotion and intensity; not even sleep camouflaged that. She's never acted this way, but then again, she's always been good at avoiding trouble- good at avoiding men.

Her voice kept echoing in his head and it sent heavy blows to his heart. I've never done this before.

John was only beginning to assimilate the meaning of that. He hoped, with everything that he had, that it wasn't too late.