Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and the plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter 41
Her thoughts were muddled. The more time she spent alone, the more restless she became. Swinging her feet around to the side of the bed, Scarlett stood up and slowly made her way to the window. Her eyes strayed to the Gateway Arch that stood proudly and welcomed everyone to the city of St. Louis. A helicopter flew across the dark sky and Scarlett watched it as it disappeared behind the tall buildings of the city. The view was oddly soothing. The hustle and bustle of the people below on the streets going about their nightly activities.
The door clicked open and Scarlett whipped around to see Dean swaggering in, his arms filled with a brown bag that was sporting the stamp of a Chinese restaurant she'd spotted few blocks away.
"What are you doing on your feet? You should be resting," Dean said, a frown marring his face as he set the food down on the table. She made her way over to him as he unloaded the contents onto the table and took a good long look at him.
His work kept him in top shape yet at the same time, it looked as if he had the weight of the world resting on his shoulders. When he wasn't wrestling, Dean was shut off; only opting to open up to those whom he knew well enough. He'd told her that he could read her through her eyes, but he himself remained entirely shut off from the world. Almost as if he feared to let anyone close to him. Dean Ambrose was a never-ending puzzle to her and every moment she spent with him, the more pieces she kept finding.
She gave a start when he turned around to look at her and caught her staring. A familiar smirk settled on his lips and Scarlett averted her gaze to the food he'd brought along with him.
"You staring at me like that only boosts my ego," he said. Scarlett glanced at him to find him still smirking then heaved a sigh.
"I doubt your ego needs any more of a boost," she replied. Dean excused himself to go change into more comfortable clothes and Scarlett took a seat at the table, her mind wandering once more. Her gaze lifted towards him when he appeared from the bathroom, his torso bare.
"Forgot to grab a shirt," he grunted as he headed to his suitcase and unzipped it; rummaging through it for a clean shirt. It was with his back turned did she notice two things. One, there were two silvery scars that ran up his right shoulder and arm; and two, the intricate design on his left shoulder that made her heart begin to race. Her eyes remained drawn the design and her feet acted on her own accord as they lifted her off the chair and carried her towards him. She couldn't help but reach out and touch the ink. She felt him turn to stone at her touch but Scarlett couldn't dwell on that fact as her fingers glided over his skin.
"Isabelle?" She croaked out, her index finger tracing the calligraphic text. And that was when she felt the tension return to him for Dean jerked and pulled away from her touch, quickly pulling on a plain grey shirt.
"Just a tattoo," he murmured before brushing past her. Scarlett followed him back to the table and watched him as he distributed the food amongst them. Phil hadn't been lying about Isabelle but Dean was definitely lying when he said it was "just a tattoo". No one went and got names inked on themselves if they didn't mean something to them.
"Who was she?" Scarlett asked. The name had been bothering her since Phil had uttered it to her two days ago and seeing it inked permanently on Dean's back only made her more curious.
"Drop it," Dean said, his grip on his fork tightening. She couldn't drop it, not when she was so close to finding out who Isabelle was.
"Dean, you have her name tattooed on your shoulder. She meant something to you and I'm just asking wh-."
"Scarlett!" The outburst made her jump and Vitani hissed before jumping into Scarlett's lap. His eyes were blazing with anger, anger that was directed at her, and Scarlett knew she'd crossed the line. She focused her attention on the food in her plate and picked up her fork to begin eating. She could hear him breathing heavily and two minutes later, he slammed the fork onto the table and got to his feet.
"I'll see you later," he growled before he grabbed his phone and heading out the door, slamming it shut behind him. Scarlett swallowed the lump in her throat and reached for some tissues; covering his food in case if he wanted to eat it when he returned. After which, she began to nibble at her own food.
About half an hour later, a knock on the door caught her attention and she stood up to go answer it; wondering why Dean would knock on his own door. It was only when she opened it did she regret her actions for she was met with the smirking face of Phil. Scarlett tried to shut the door but Phil grabbed it and shoved it open, causing her to stumble.
"Trouble in paradise?" He asked, strolling in and taking a seat at the edge of the bed.
"Get out," Scarlett said to him, her voice was still weak and seeing him in Dean's room only increased her worry by a tenfold.
"This is my friend's room, you get out," he said casually.
"This is my…" boyfriend's room? Other half's room? Scarlett faltered as she tried to figure out what he was to her as they'd never really talked about these labels.
"Yes?" Phil asked, his dark eyes boring into hers.
"Phil, please. Just leave," she pleaded softly. But Phil only made himself more comfortable on the bed by sliding up towards the headboard and crossing his legs.
"You asked him about Isabelle," Phil said. Scarlett's eyes snapped to him in surprise.
"How did y-."
"There's only one thing that makes Dean Ambrose's anger go from zero to one hundred like that, and that is any mention of Isabelle," he said cutting her off nonchalantly.
"You know who she is?" Scarlett asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.
"Of course, everyone does," Phil said, shrugging. "Well anyone that isn't you."
Scarlett ignored the jab and crossed her arms in front of her chest, waiting for him to continue. When he didn't, she uncrossed them and put her hands on her hips.
"Well?" She asked.
"Well what?"
"Who was she?"
Phil looked at her then burst out into laughter. Scarlett stared at him in confusion and when he calmed down, he took a good long look at her then shook his head.
"You really are something," he told her, chortling every now and then.
"Phil, who was Isabelle?" Scarlett pressed.
"See, that's the thing. If I'm going to tell you, I have to do it in a more comfortable position," Phil said, standing up and walking towards her. Scarlett took a step back but found herself trapped by the table behind her.
"I will tell you when we're in a more…intimate position," Phil whispered out, reaching forward and touching her cheek. Scarlett pulled away from his touch but Phil's fingers slipped into her hair and he gave a tight tug that pulled her head back and a groan of pain fell from her lips.
"You, me, and dinner," he said, his lips against her jawbone.
"Never!" Scarlett gasped shoving at his chest roughly. His hand slipped from her hair and he stumbled back ever so slightly.
"The kitten's finally got her claws," Phil remarked, his dark eyes glittering with malice.
"You're disgusting. Forget it, I don't want to know about Isabelle or anyone. I treated you like a friend and all you did is-."
"Don't even go there, Scarlett. You were the one that asked me about Isabelle," Phil spat.
"You wait and watch, you're going to come crawling back to me when that curiosity gets the best of you," Phil continued. His voice had gotten darker and Scarlett clutched the fork in her hand behind her back.
"Isabelle is a part of Dean's life, without knowing her, you will never know Dean. You will come back to me, Scarlett. I know you will," Phil spat at her before he stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him much like Dean had earlier. Her stomach was churning and Scarlett felt sick.
Without knowing her, you will never know Dean. What did that even mean? What did Isabelle have to do with Dean? Why was she so important that he had her name tattooed on his shoulder? The name and the person would remain a mystery to her until she found someone who was willing to divulge the facts to her. Scarlett made up her mind to try asking Dean again, if that failed, she'd turn to Seth and Roman again. There was no way she would look for Phil's help. Who knew what lies he would feed her?
But what he said about Isabelle was true. The voice in her head perked up. Scarlett bit her lip and shut her eyes tightly.
He'd made Isabelle sound like a big deal back then and you know he was right, now that you've seen the tattoo.
"Okay so he was right about Isabelle being important to Dean, but he's still lying to his wife and friends," Scarlett said to herself. Her head began to throb and Scarlett clutched at it.
"Scar?" Dean's concerned voice pulled her out of her reverie and she took a glance at him before she reached down and gathered Vitani in her arms.
"Can I have my room keys? I'd like to get some sleep," she told him. Dean gave her a once over before he fished out her keys and handed them to her.
"Third door to your left on this floor," he said to her. "Are you su-."
"I'm fine," she responded, nodding. The two stood there, him watching her while she stared at his feet, a part of her hoping that he'd take her in his arms once more. There was nowhere else she felt safer than she did when she was with him. But he made no move whatsoever and pushing away the disappointment, Scarlett took a deep breath and lifted her gaze to him.
"Good night," she said. When she was making her way to the door, his fingers encircled her wrists and he tugged her around so she was facing him before his lips touched hers in a soft, sweet kiss. He parted after a couple of seconds and looked at her once more.
"Good night," he responded.
~oOo
The next morning saw her waiting patiently at the breakfast table with AJ chatting away to her left. Scarlett had run into her as she was making her way downstairs earlier and AJ had insisted that they have breakfast together. Having been informed that Dean had left early morning with Hunter and would return later in the day, Scarlett pushed away the disappointment and joined AJ for the day's first meal.
"Hey AJ?" Scarlett asked once AJ had quieted down. The other girl looked up at her inquisitively.
"What's up?"
"Last night, I saw something," Scarlett said. AJ paused and looked her over before chuckling.
"Don't tell me this is going to turn into some contact with the supernatural sort of thing," she responded. Scarlett shook her head and put her spoon down to focus on AJ. When she noticed the lack of amusement from Scarlett's side, AJ's curiosity piqued and she focused on her.
"A tattoo. On Dean's back," Scarlett added. The way all emotion was wiped clean from AJ's face told Scarlett that if there was one person she was not getting anything out of it, it was AJ.
"AJ, I know I should ask Dean but I've tried. He doesn't talk about it and-."
"Then just let it be," AJ said cutting across her. Scarlett fell silent and AJ resumed her chatting. She chose to tune her out and thought back to the tattoo she'd seen. Isabelle meant something to Dean and she was important to him. Phil had told her that she couldn't know Dean unless she knew Isabelle. The thought puzzled her; she couldn't dwell on it further for she felt Roman's lips press against the top of her head as a morning greeting.
"Morning!" Seth chirped taking a seat next to her. She smiled at him then remembering he couldn't see it, Scarlett gave a small wave instead. The shared some small talk between the four of them up until AJ excused herself and left Scarlett alone with the boys.
"So, what's the deal? Why are you so quiet?" Roman asked once AJ was out of earshot. Scarlett turned her attention to him and shook her head.
"I'm fine," she replied.
"Yeah, and I'm Pinocchio," Roman responded, rolling his eyes. Seth gave him an odd look and shifted closer to Scarlett.
"You can tell us, you know. We're your friends too," he offered. The offer was very tempting and Scarlett looked between the two. Who knew Dean better than anyone but these two? This was her chance, they could tell her.
"Dean's tattoo is interesting," Scarlett said feigning wonder. Their expressions immediately became guarded and Scarlett felt the little flame of hope diminish as they exchanged cautious looks.
"I have a few too. There's one down my back," Seth said. In normal circumstances, the change in subject wouldn't even have been that important, but in this case, it was.
"I think I see Nattie over there," Scarlett said standing up.
"Scarlett, wait!" Seth said, taking a hold of her wrist as he pushed himself to his feet. She gently tugged free of his grasp and waved a goodbye before continuing on. She did see Nattie coming into the breakfast area and after a quick hug, Scarlett continued on. Her path was blocked by a familiar tattooed male that made her stumble and quickly scan the area for a quick escape.
"Admit it, I'm the only one that can tell you who Isabelle is," Phil said. Scarlett took a few steps back. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Randy exit the breakfast hall, talking animatedly with the Irish man Dean had introduced her to, Sheamus. If only she could get his attention.
"Don't even think about running. We're just having a civilized conversation here," Phil's voice was cold and Scarlett stopped plotting her escape immediately, realizing that he did have a point. The hall was filled with people; wrestlers, production members, and she even spotted Stephanie's brown hair in the far corner. Everyone knew Phil and she knew Phil enough to know he wouldn't tarnish his reputation in front of everyone.
"Good girl. Now, dinner. You and me. We can talk about everything; from Isabelle all the way to us," he accentuated the 'us' by reaching forward to fiddle with her scarf. Scarlett pulled away from him violently and looked at him icily.
"There is no 'us'. There never was and never will be," Scarlett said.
"Why not?" He inquired.
"You're married, Phil!" Scarlett snapped.
"So you wouldn't have a problem if I wasn't, huh?" Phil asked, scratching his chin in though. Scarlett's eyes widened and she searched her vocabulary for the words to refuse him further.
"If AJ was…how should I put it? Eliminated. Would there be an 'us'?" He asked. Fear gripped her heart like a vice and Scarlett took a step back, staring at him in a mixture of fear and resentment.
"I'll take that as a 'yes'."
"No!" Scarlett exclaimed. She knew what he was insinuating and it made her sick to the stomach to know the heights he was willing to go to. The Phil she knew was kind but standing in front of her was a monster that looked exactly like him. One that would take drastic measures to make sure he got what he want.
"What do you want from me?" Scarlett asked, her voice defeated. If anything happened to AJ because of her, Dean would never forgive her. She'd lose him and she'd lose all the happiness she was letting into her life because of him.
"That's my girl. For now, let's just have dinner together. Come down at eight sharp tonight. There will be a man waiting for you and he'll bring you to me," Phil said, a sinister grin lighting up his face.
Once Scarlett gave a curt nod, Phil's grin widened and he waved his fingers at her before departing. The plan for the evening was set and Scarlett's journey to her room was void of any enthusiasm or joy. Dread was swirling in the pit of her stomach and she wanted nothing more than to return to her B&B and just stay there; away from everyone.
A knock on her door startled her and she jumped a foot in the air before facing the door. The knock came again and slowly Scarlett made her way over to it; opening it slowly.
"Dean," she whispered, a sigh of relief escaping her. A part of her wanted to hug him, but another part of her stopped her, reminding her of what had transpired the night before. He stepped into her room and Scarlett followed him in before taking a seat at the edge of her bed.
"Last night…shouldn't have happened," Dean said. His voice was gruff and Scarlett got a sense that Dean Ambrose was not one for apologizing.
"No, it shouldn't have," Scarlett agreed quietly.
"I can't let you into my life all of a sudden," Dean said bluntly and Scarlett flinched from the impact of those words. So that was it then? The issue was none other than trust.
Hypocrite! Scarlett internally gasped at her own thought and shooed it away but her conscience wasn't one ready to be ignored.
He barged into your life, didn't he? Then why can't he give you a little bit of his?
"Shut up!" Scarlett groaned out before clapping a hand to her mouth. Dean was in the middle of saying something else and he stopped, looking at her in surprise.
"Scar, if you don't want me here then I'll go," he said, a hard edge to his voice.
Oh great. Now he's pissed off.
"No, Dean. I was just…forget it. Um, what were you saying?" Scarlett asked, shaking her head vigorously. He surveyed her for a moment before coming forth to kneel down before her.
"I don't like being away from you like this," he said at last. She remained silent, watching him and waiting to hear him continue.
"This whole arguing thing, it shouldn't be happening between us. Especially not over such trivial things," Dean shrugged.
"A name tattooed on your back is trivial?" The questions escaped her before she could stop it and his eyes darkened; his teeth ground together as a muscle in his jaw ticked.
"You should go," Scarlett said. Her emotions were getting out of hand and she was having trouble keeping a leash on her words. If he spent more time with her as she was right now and she might as well just pack her bags and leave to find a home for herself.
"I'll go, but we need to talk this out. We're not going to get anywhere without talking," Dean said.
Hark who's talking. Yeah. He needed to leave.
"Look. Let's have dinner tonight. Just you and me. We'll enjoy food, spend some time together and we'll figure this out," Dean said standing up and making his way to the door.
"I can't," she replied causing him to freeze in his tracks.
"I…I'm going out tonight with…a friend," Scarlett said. Dean looked at her over his shoulder and Scarlett played with her thumbs to avoid looking at him.
"Fine," with that said, he was out the door and gone from the room. A chill ran up her spine and Scarlett hugged herself instinctively. If Phil hadn't blackmailed her into joining him for dinner, then maybe, just maybe Dean and her would've gotten things sorted out between them.
Time ticked by as Scarlett holed herself in the room. Vitani would occasionally try to get Scarlett to pet her but upon realizing her mistress was still lost in thought, she would slink off. By the time the clocked chimed seven, Scarlett slowly stood up from the bed and grabbed a towel, heading to the bathroom to take a quick shower and get ready.
Forty five minutes later, she was dressed in a pair of old jeans and a full sleeved shirt; her white scarf firmly in place. Grabbing her purse, she headed out the door after making sure Vitani's food and water bowl were filled.
"Ms. Rayer, this way please," a man in his early to mid-thirties said, giving her a small bow and waving towards the exit of the hotel. She followed him and took a seat in the black sedan that was parked at the entrance. Not a second after she'd taken her seat did an arm go around her waist and she was pulled into the side of a warm body. Scarlett looked up and met the dark eyes of Phil; a yelp of disgust escaped her and she pushed him away.
"What are you doing?" Scarlett demanded. Phil rolled his eyes and reached for her again.
"I'm making you comfortable," he said. Scarlett scooted further away from him and plastered herself to the door.
"Keep your hands off, Phil. That was not part of our agreement. Don't touch me," she said to him sharply. Phil sighed and crossed his arms behind his head.
"You're no fun, you know. But hopefully your mind will change once we reach the restaurant and I introduce you to the luxury in life," he said. Scarlett remained silent as the car rolled on. When they reached their destination, she climbed out of the car before Phil tried to do something.
"One of our finest," Phil said while Scarlett felt the tensions return to her muscles as she stared at the luxurious restaurant they would be dining at. She could see the number of people that were already seated through the large glass windows and Scarlett took a step back.
"None of that. Come on, I'm starving," Phil said, wrapping an arm firmly around her waist and steering her towards the restaurant.
Her ears were met with the sound of cutlery against plates, quiet chattering as the diners conversed amongst themselves, and soft orchestral music. She tried to get some space between Phil and herself but his grasp on her was too tight.
"Brooks," Phil said as he approached the manager. The finely dressed man gave a nod and guided them towards a table that was in the center of the room. Scarlett gave an audible moan but took her seat when Phil all but shoved her down on the chair he'd pulled out for her.
"Come now, sweetheart. Take off your scarf so we both can enjoy dinner," he said to her. Scarlett sent him the coldest glare she could muster but his dark eyes only sparkled with amusement. A part of her wished to get up and leave but he'd told her he would tell her about Isabelle and Scarlett's curiosity was getting the best of her.
"I'm here with you. Now tell me about Isabelle," Scarlett said
"Patience. Wine? They've got a wonderful assortment of the finest wines from France here," Phil said as one of the waiters came over holding a wine bottle. Scarlett stopped him from pouring the alcohol into her glass with a polite 'No thank you' and waited until Phil had finished taking a sip.
"Phil, I came here because-."
"Because you and I are going to enjoy a fine dinner," Phil said cutting across her. Scarlett opened her mouth to speak but he pulled his chair next to her and reached for her scarf. She immediately craned her neck away from him and grasped his wrist firmly.
"At least I got you to touch me," he said, then twisted his hand so he was gripping her wrist and tugged her towards him.
"Let me go," she said and Phil chuckled before kissing her forehead and letting her go. Scarlett heard a noise and looked out towards the left but when she saw nothing, her attention returned to Phil who was now browsing the menu keenly.
"Can't you just tell me what's going on with Dean and then let me go?" Scarlett asked.
"No, I don't think I can. You see, unlike you, I'm actually trying to enjoy a night out rather than be selfish," he said, waving the waiter over again to place his order when he'd decided on what he wanted.
"And for you, Miss?" The waiter asked turning to her.
"Same as me," Phil supplied for her and she sent him a scathing look.
"I'll put you out of your misery," Phil said after a few moments of silence. She glanced at him and found him staring at her.
"You want to know who Isabelle is, right?" He asked. "Isabelle is the woman Dean Ambrose loves with all his heart and holds a place in his heart that you, and countless others, can only hope to achieve."
Scarlett let the information soak in before she frowned and looked at him.
"Who is she?" She asked.
"I don't know," Phil shrugged. Scarlett stared at him dumbfounded and waved her hand in front of his face.
"What do you mean you don't know?" She asked incredulously. What on Earth was he playing at?
"Means I don't know anything else about her," he said simply. Scarlett felt a sliver of anger creep up her spine and she glared at him. She held it in as the waiter came back with their food and placed it in front of them.
"So you blackmailed me to tell me nothing of importance?" She demanded. Phil took a bite of the steak and swallowed in his own time before he turned his attention back to her; she sat in her seat seething at herself and at the man sitting across from her.
"Don't insult me for no reason. I told you we'll talk about Isabelle, I didn't tell you I knew everything about her," Phil said, his eyes glittering. "You assumed I knew everything about her and came with me to dinner, all on your own."
Scarlett's heart slumped as realization hit her; her mind went blank and words seemed to drive clear of her. Phil continued to enjoy his meal while she remained sitting in silence. It took her a moment to gather herself and her thoughts before she snatched her bag off the chair next to her and stood up.
"Enjoy your meal," she snapped at him. He caught a hold of her wrist once more and Scarlett glared at him.
"Don't you dare walk ou-."
"I'm not falling for it again, Phil. Stay away from me," she said to, wrenching her wrist free and storming out of the restaurant. She'd taken the plunge and had found nothing; all her questions remained unanswered. And it was all her fault.
Phil had been right about her when he'd said it. She was being selfish. Hadn't AJ told her to let it go? Seth and Roman had avoided telling her for a reason, hadn't they? And most importantly, shouldn't the truth come from Dean himself? Scarlett felt disgusted with herself and her antics tonight. She'd turned down spending time with Dean and hopefully working out whatever this rough patch between them was for getting trapped into Phil's words so easily. She'd never felt more angry with herself than she did at that moment.
Hailing a cab, Scarlett kept the tears of frustration at bay by looking out the window. Once she reached the hotel, she handed the money over to the driver and climbed out of the car. When she turned to head to the hotel, Scarlett bumped into someone that sent her stumbling. A hand gripped her shoulder to help balance her and she looked up at the person to apologize and thank them.
"Well hello again."
This was a long overdue chapter so I made it extra long by merging both Chapters 41 and 42 into one. I'll try my best to get the next chapter out as soon as possible as we're getting to a very important part in this tale. Any ideas who it was that Scarlett bumped into at the end?
As always, please do let me know your thoughts in your reviews. I know I've been gone for awhile but I always look forward to reading your reviews and knowing what is going on in everyone's heads regarding my work.
Love and hugs!
-K.