We've reached Chapter 20! :D

Tuesday, June 10: Green Bay, WI

Miz's POV

Tired, sore, drained but we made it to Green Bay. The night, which is turning into dawn as we enter the hotel, is deathly quiet as we make the way up to our room. I'm dragging all belongings, managing to drag my body with them while I'm at it. Just another day as a WWE Superstar. Paige is trudging along right behind me in the empty hallway. We're silent because we know a bed is waiting and that's all we really want.

The car ride did provide interesting conversation though. We spoke about everything you can name. I'm pretty sure we covered how the universe was created, but I'd have to check.

I slip in the card key and pop the door open. Two large beds sit so perfectly made in the rectangle space. We settle in then plop onto the mattresses. It's almost 6AM and I have an autograph signing in a DVD store at 11. Alright, I guess I'll have 3 hours of sleep again. I set a phone alarm accordingly before resting my head on a pillow. I look to the left and see Paige knocked out, nearly snoring already. That seems so good to do right now so I follow her and sleep away...

(3 hours later)

I'm woken up by, not my phone alarm, but a body sprawled across me. I take a few seconds to straighten my vision and there's Paige on her phone. She's on her back over my stomach as she's texting away towards the ceiling. Her shirt is riding up so I give her abdomen a tickle and she twitches.

"Well, goodmorning to you too." I say. Her weight actually feels nice on me so I don't try to get her off.

"Morning, babe." She's still looking at her phone.

"Really? I'm less interesting than your phone? Really?"

Paige finally looks to me, "Aw, Miz. Sorry, I just needed to respond to a few people."

She drops her cell on the bed and sits up on the adjacent edge. There's a draft where her body was, now it feels kind of empty.

"How was your nap?" She asks.

"Not enough but I'll take it. How about yours, did you dream of me?" I joke.

"Why would I need to dream of you if I have you in real life?"

"Touché, babe, touché."

Paige laughs as I sit up next to her. A little too quickly, the room spins for a moment. "Hey, I have a signing in a couple hours."

"Ooh, sounds fun."

"Yeah, it should be. I was thinking about having you there with me." (Actually, that thought literally happened at that moment.)

"Me at the signing? Wait, can we do that?"

"Why not? I'm sure the fans will love it." I throw an arm over her shoulders.

"Okay, I'll be there!" She lands a kiss on my cheek. I turn to her and give a peck back on the lips.

All of a sudden, a phone goes off. Thinking it's just my alarm, I stand to grab mine from the drawer and freeze at the sight of a familiar name on the screen. It's Maryse calling.

Paige sees who it is and looks up to me, "You're still gonna have to talk to her, you know. Answer it, Miz."

Hesitantly, I slide to unlock and hold the phone to my ear. "Hello?" I ask, then settle on the bed across from where Paige is patiently sitting, her eyes glued on me.

"Mike...I miss you..." Those words strike the heart as questions flood my mind. I say nothing and let her continue, "I just have this to ask...do you still love her?" The person in my ear is someone so distant from the person right in front of me, literally and emotionally.

"...I'll be honest with you, Maryse. I feel like it's the least I can do..." I gulp, "Yes...I still love her."

"...Okay. That's all I wanted to know."

She hangs up the phone as my line goes dead. I look to Paige as she's holding a sincere smile in my direction. Returning the phone to its original position, I'm drawing out millions of questions out of confusion. How is Maryse handling this? She sounded very calm. She said she misses me but how can she have forgiven me? Will she call to talk to me again?

I slump down in surrender to figuring out the answers. Forgetting about the woman I fell in love enough to share a life with is impossible. Of course I still love her, but it's different from the love I have for Paige. Of course I still care...

"Miz, it's okay," Paige stands and steps to me. I can see her legs come in front of my knees. "I know she still means something to you."

Her hands grab my face and tilt my jaw up to meet her eyes, "This doesn't change anything between us. I may not know how you feel, but I understand." Her voice is soft. I'm not sure she'll ever understand what it truly feels like to be drawn away from someone you thought you couldn't live without. It makes you question if it was even real at all, and if it can ever happen again.

I'm still staring into her eyes, so innocent. She's still so innocent yet she's the only thing holding me together. Her touch is soothing, like it always has been.

"Saraya, I want this to work so badly..." My voice cracks mid-sentence. I try to hold back the lump forming in my throat, "I've lost so much in my life that nobody knows about...I just want us to be something I can't lose." My eyes look somewhere else so I don't see her reaction. Here I sit, vulnerable Miz.

Paige dips down and catches my stiff lips. At first, I keep my mouth still trying not to provoke the tears from falling. I gulp in her kiss and let her in. In that moment, the single tears drop quick and heavy. Her thumbs wipe them away as she continues to assert herself over me. She lets go and tries to part, but I reach behind her neck. Our eyes meet as our foreheads touch.

"You won't lose me, I promise..." Paige whispers, "But if you lose yourself, I'll come find you."

I don't want to cry anymore. This girl forces the tears in, making me stronger than I've ever imagined.

I stand up and wrap myself around her frame. The most comforting feeling ever is being in her arms. This is all I need. She squeezes tight as our bodies touch. I'm wondering when I'll be done with the dramatics, I just want to be happy—free to love Paige without worrying about anyone else. This isn't The Miz I was before and there's no such thing as normal anymore. I'm a version so much better, because of her.

"I love you," I manage to say after some silence.

"I know. I love you too."

We part to look at each other. I lean in to give her a kiss to close this chapter of another obstacle.

This all won't be behind me just yet, but it's going one step back, two steps forward. At least I'm moving forward. I have no choice in that though, there's no time to seek the past. I'm not done, just over it.

I'll cross that bridge when I get to it, right?

I'll also be burning those bridges once I get to them...

Paige's POV

I place myself right next to Miz, in a folding chair. People are watching us in excitement and eagerness. The line of fans reaches throughout the store to the very outside, then around the building. No one even knew I was going to show up today, they're all here for him. I look in his direction, so happy, and I can't help but smile in his pride. I hear the individual cheers of men, women, and children that have made their way to meet a true Superstar in The Miz. He must be so humbled.

A few of the staff members helping out with the signing lay out markers, 8x10 photographs of Miz, and official WWE autograph paper in front of us. I display my title to my right and get situated.

Miz suddenly stands up, "Everyone, give it up for your Divas Champion, Paige!"

A wave of cheers flood my ears. I smile even wider and wave out to the small crowd forming. He sits back down and gives my left knee a squeeze under the table. I'm sure I turned red again, having all of this attention is still a brand new feeling.

The autograph signing commences as the first few fans step up to the table and introduce themselves.

(2 hours later)

As the signing is wrapping up, the last few make their way over. They're two teenage girls, maybe 13 or 14, both with Miz shirts on.

"Hey last in line! You girls deserve a hug for waiting that long." He stands up and reaches for them, as each gets an embrace. Throughout the day, he's been so nice, trying to make unique conversation with every person. He truly is a people pleaser. His comfortableness allowed me to be just as open with the fans as he is.

"Hi, girls! What're your names?" I ask. They're adorable as they freak out.

I find out that one is named Evelyn and the other is Jessica.

"You two are so cute together!" Jessica exclaims. I'm pleasantly taken back at this. Evelyn follows her up with, "I thought it was sweet when you wore each other's shirts on SmackDown!"

It's like they already know.

"Thanks girls! Yeah, how cute is this?" Miz throws an arm over my shoulder and presses his head against the side of mine. I look for a second and notice he's making a goofy face. I puff out my cheeks and cross my eyes to one-up his crooked teeth grin.

We return to our normal faces as the two young fans giggle. Then, we sign the photos and paper for them. They ask for pictures and we gladly stand to pose. I can tell they're more than happy and it only took a few wrestlers to make that happen. This aspect of being a WWE entertainer is my favorite, the fans make it all worthwhile.

As the two girls leave, that finishes the successful autograph signing. The turnout was incredible to see.

All of the fans, cliche to say, were awesome. I couldn't help but notice that a lot of the female fans, from the beginning of the two hours until the end, mentioned Miz and I as an item. They said we 'should be together' and something along the lines of 'the perfect couple'. Granted, this surprise duo meet and greet does foreshadow the next WWE storyline. I laugh in my head—I guess I'm just doing my job by being with Miz.

Best job ever.

The next few months are going to be so fun. Although, I know for a fact the rest of the locker room will be filled with talk about how we ended up having a prominent program on the show, and wonder why they don't. Shit behind our backs once again, I'm too used to it. This storyline is going to propel both of our careers and I won't be affected by useless opinions, not anymore. It's time I focus on Paige instead of them.

Miz and I jump into a black SUV waiting for us at the back of the DVD store. As the driver leaves the parking lot and we hit the road, he laces his fingers between mine and lifts our hands up to his mouth where he places a kiss on the back of my palm.

Having Miz with me just makes it all easier. Maybe this was fate. The messed up way we've managed to come together was our destiny and we were supposed to be with each other all along. We're better together.

It's too early to jump to conclusions, but I think he may be the one...

I smile in thought. Looking down at the Divas Championship on my lap then back up to his glowing blue eyes, I'm exactly where I want to be.

What do you guys think so far? :) So I'm noticed there's a lot of kissing in this story lol Should there be more or less? Writing for these two is too much fun!