After the shower, real shower with soap and everything, Renee wrapped her body in a towel. Dean dried himself but didn't see a point in covering his body to walk back to the bedroom. Dean went first. Renee stayed a little longer to dry and comb her hair, and apply the lotion. When she returned to the bedroom, Dean was already lying in bed. He was still naked and he had the TV turned on.
"So we've become the old married couple?" Renee asked jokingly. "Sex and then spending time separately?"
"No, my dear," Dean turned to her and replied, smiling. At the same time, he turned the TV back off. There was nothing interesting on anyway.
Dean invited Renee to join him in bed. But first, she picked up the clothes from the floor. She put on the T-shirt that she previously wore.
"Don't put it on," Dean pleaded. And added the reason – or one of the reasons – why. "It smells like Seth."
Renee smiled, but then the smile disappeared when she realized she didn't know why it should be funny. "What?" she asked for explanation. Then she got alarmed. What if it wasn't meant to be a joke? Maybe Dean believed that she spent a night with Seth . . . doing who knows what. Ridiculous! "What it's got to do with Seth?"
"Nothing, nothing," Dean replied, shaking his head furiously. "It's just that it's his."
"Oh. I thought it was yours."
"Don't worry about it."
But she sort of did. "Does he know I wear it?"
"That'd be weird," Dean realized. But he quickly shook off that thought. "Anyhow, let's stop talking about him and come here." His hand was moving in a circle at the spot he wanted her to occupy.
Without talking, she did. She lied down and let Dean snuggle her. Then she received a gentle kiss on her cheek, followed by another one on the lips. Dean held Renee in his arms and did a little multitasking when he turned off the lamp on the night table while kissing her.
"Goodnight," she wished him and turned to the other side.
"That's it?" he acted surprised.
"Mhm . . ."
Dean pretended to accept defeat, but after less than a minute, he was calling her name. "Renee . . ." No response. "Darling," he whispered into her ear. The sound of his voice would be nice at different occasion. Now, when she was getting to sleep, the sound, and the breath and it's vibration in her ear, was not that far from that of an annoying insect. But Dean kept trying. He stroked Renee's arm and then attempted to turn her to face him. He didn't want to put much effort into it but it was enough. She gave in.
"Whatever you want, it's late," she mumbled with eyes closed.
But Dean ignored her wish to let her sleep and turned on the light again.
"No . . ." Renee wasn't too happy about it.
Before telling her the reason why he needed her awake, he kissed her. The kiss wasn't that well received but so what. Dean whispered, "You mind if I go somewhere next Friday?"
"No," she uttered. She hoped that was it.
"Good." Dean too would prefer if the conversation finished there, but he had to tell her. And it seemed like a right time. "It's about this event," Dean started.
"What event?" Renee pretended to care. She'd really much rather just go to sleep.
"I've been invited to a wedding."
"Who's getting married?" Renee was somewhat curious.
"A friend of mine. You don't know him."
"Well, have fun, then. Goodnight."
"Renee, stay with me," Dean said because he had a doubt she was falling asleep. He shook with her.
"What now?"
"It's still about the wedding."
"I can't come," she said in case he wanted her to.
"No, I know."
"You don't need my permission to go," Renee told him. "Just go and have fun. Oh," she became a little bit more attentive, "and bring a nice present. Have you bought one?"
"Not yet," Dean replied.
"I can help you with it. . . . Is that why you're asking?"
"No," Dean said. The conversation wasn't going where he wanted it to. "Renee, listen," he spoke more urgently. "I'm going there with someone."
Renee opened her eyes. "Really?" she asked, hoping it didn't look like she cared a lot. In reality, though, she started to.
Dean suddenly hesitated. He wasn't sure anymore if telling Renee was a good idea. But she had to know; it would be so much worse if she didn't and then found out from a source other than him.
"It's a female, right?"
"Yes," Dean bravely answered her question. He was getting nervous. He didn't want to pronounce that name but soon enough the question who would come up.
"Do I know her?"
"Yes."
"And do I need to keep asking or will you tell me yourself who it is?" Renee wasn't indifferent. The answer to who would be the person accompanying Dean to a wedding mattered to her.
Dean replied slowly, "You know who it is."
The hint sufficed for Renee to come up with a name, but Renee didn't want her conclusion to be right. "Please don't tell me it's your ex." Dean's silence was an answer. "I almost forgot about her . . ." Renee said a little sarcastically. She was annoyed. No that angry yet, but that would surely come. Cassie was the last person she wanted to think about. And also the last person she'd want Dean to go a wedding with.
"So I shouldn't have told you about it . . ."
Renee wrinkled her forehead. Did Dean have another strategy? One where he omits his plans totally and lets his girlfriend live in a lie? "How exactly would that be better?" Renee asked. "Dean, do you realize what you're doing? You bring up someone I'm trying to forget about; someone you should forget about. Not only that . . . You plan to attend a wedding with her. With you ex! I mean, are you fucking kidding me?" Renee couldn't handle this. Was Dean this naïve or totally ignorant toward her? Didn't he realize how it would make his girlfriend feel?
"You don't understand."
"I don't understand?" Renee asked. She was irritated. More than that; she was furious. "There are things that you do and things that you don't do, Dean. Like hanging out with your ex. Like attending a wedding with her! And now what? You want my blessing?"
"No." Dean thought that Renee was overreacting. She was not. He just did a very bad thing at the worst time possible.
"I thought you said that it was over."
"It is," Dean replied.
"Then?"
"I want to see her one last time, don't you get it?"
"Oh, I do. You want to see her. You want to be with her because you like her and you feel good in her presence. Is that correct?" She didn't give him a chance to answer. "Dean, I get it. You don't want to stop seeing her. Do you want to stop dating me, then?"
"No," he said in a fierce manner.
"And do you expect me to quietly accept this whole situation?" she asked another question.
Dean didn't know what to say. It seemed to him that there was not a good answer. Sure, it came to him that the best way to appease his girlfriend was to call the whole thing off, but that was the one thing he couldn't do.
"Renee, please . . ." He hoped that the different approach would help. Be kind, understanding; the opposite of Renee at this moment.
But Renee wouldn't even look at him now. Tears were forming in the side of her eyes, but those were not for Dean to see. She let out a deep sigh filled with hurt. "I'm not going to give my blessing to your ultimate opportunity to cheat on me."
"That won't happen," he assured her, stroking her arm; or at least trying to. "I give you my word," he added.
"Your word means nothing."
"Darling," Dean whispered. Nothing would change her mind. At this moment it was hopeless. But Dean was not a problem; not the biggest one for sure. He was not an untrustworthy person; Cassie was. Besides, it was a wedding. You have fun, you get drunk, you do things you come to regret later.
"Tell me this, Dean. If I asked you not to go, would you not?"
That was a tough question. And the answer would be painful. For that reason, Dean stayed quiet.
"It's a good thing I'm not asking, am I right?" Renee assumed.
Dean chose a strange approach. "Could we forget about this whole topic?"
"No." Renee believed they had to get somewhere. How could she fall asleep right now? In the middle of the fight. The atmosphere was tense and it would get worse. Once they cross that point, the peak, the solution would be close. And then, when they resolve the whole thing, she could go to sleep. Not a minute sooner.
Dean left the bed to go look out the window. It was dark, both inside and outside. The little light was on, which enabled him to walk without hitting anything. He stood by the window quietly. He watched what was happening outside, wondering, thinking of what to say. Words wouldn't come naturally. When he was standing in the ring, he could without a problem come with a whole promo. He could speak for five, ten minutes straight without preparation. If he was to make everything up, he could do it. Now, not a single sentence. Not a word. Nothing. Hopeless situation.
Renee found something strange about his silence too. "Dean Ambrose has nothing to say."
"I thought you would speak," he lied. He knew he was the one that should say something; it was his job to make her happy again. But how?
"Fine. I'm gonna speak." She left the bed too. But although her first steps were in Dean's direction, she stopped in the middle of the room. Dean looked at her and this time she wouldn't look away. "Remember when I told I want you to be sure? Before we started dating. I wanted you to be absolutely sure that you want to be with me . . . I don't think you are. I think you need to figure it out."
"I don't see a reason why. I know that I love you. You, Renee," he raised his voice. "Not her. Not anyone else." he said as he walked her way. Standing before her, he looked deeply in her eyes and slowly kissed her. Gently, with care. That wasn't their usual kiss; it was much less filled with passion and desire. It was an honest cry. A silent shout. The last attempt to make an impact.
After a minute, when their lips parted, Renee said, smiling resignedly, "You are a good liar. You made yourself believe your own lies."
Dean shook his head. He bit his lip. He watched her. Those feelings that got hold of him were unknown, strange, new. Not totally new; he got scared like this before, but he still wasn't used to it. He didn't expect it to return. The evil. The threat. He had to ask, "If I go, will you break up with me?"
"Where do you get the confidence that we'll be still together next Friday?"
Frankly, Dean was stunned. His heart was beating fast. He could sense the end. How to avoid it? What to do? Stop, he screamed out of his lungs but no sound came out of his mouth. He swallowed before asking – he was afraid to know – but then he decided he didn't want to pose that question. Originally, he wanted to ask Renee if she would break up with him no matter what. But then he rethought his strategy, or, which was more probable, he didn't think at all. He just said spontaneously, "Do it," he seemed to be encouraging her. "Finish it. Finish me off." His voice was confident now; he got into his gimmick style of talking. At that moment Renee became just another person who didn't believe in him.
"Leave."
Dean grinned; Renee could swear he did. He looked happy. Maybe he wanted the situation to turn out like this. It was improbable, but Renee got that perception of him.
And Dean looked at her one last time, and left.
Renee, more angry than surprised, picked something off the floor and then opened the door, which Dean so carelessly closed after him. "Don't forget this," Renee shouted and threw Dean's boxers in the direction that he walked away. "Nobody wants to see you naked, you lying piece of shit." She wanted to try some trash-talking but it just wasn't her. And in the end, she felt embarrassed, defenseless, and broken.
Dean didn't look back. He didn't mind being naked. He didn't give a damn about anything. His brain was burning and body would welcome a cold shower too. But it was late. And he had just been kicked out of his room. Now what?
The first knock on the door was quiet. With each other, intensity grew. When Roman opened the door, half of the floor had to be awake already.
"Where's the fire?" Roman asked, half-asleep.
"Can I crash here tonight?" Without formal invitation, Dean let himself in. "What's he doing here?" he asked when he saw Seth with a joystick in his hand. Seth now looked away from the screen to see who the annoying guest was. He should have known that there was only one person that would come in the middle of the night.
Seth countered, "The better question is why the fuck are you naked?" And he used the joystick to cover his eyes.
"I hope nobody saw you," Roman said.
Seth's concern was slightly different. "I hope nobody will see you on the way out of here."
"But seriously, Dean, put something on," Roman demanded.
Since Dean sensed staying with Roman tonight depended on it, he obeyed. "You have something I can borrow?"
"Take anything," Roman said quickly to avoid another unnecessary minute of naked Dean Ambrose.
Then Dean lay down in Roman's bed. No explanation whatsoever.
"Is he serious?" Seth couldn't believe what was happening.
But Roman was too tired to care right now. He just shook his shoulders and lay down next to Dean.
Seth didn't mean to stay a second longer. This was too weird for him to handle. But he believed there had to be a reason for Dean's visit. Something happened. Likely, something very bad . . . Renee, Seth's terrified eyes screamed in utter horror.