We are in the car on our way up the driveway when I see him. He's marching towards Ro's, head down, on a mission. He looks awful. His shaggy hair that I used to love is plastered to his head. I can't see his eyes, but I know they'll be empty pools of baby blue, not full of life and love like they always were. He staggers and sways as he walks up the driveway. He's been drinking. A lot, by the state of him. I try not to think who he's been drinking with, or sharing our bed with, or cooking for. If he's actually cooked. He looks like he could do with a good meal inside him. Randy's words come back to me. They're not together, and he's a mess. I think it's the most truthful thing Randy has told me in a while. Well, the mess part. The jury is still out on whether he is still with the little Canadian marriage wrecker. There's no sign of her here, and I smile. Maybe she can't take the wedding pictures all over the house, the ones he won't take down. The happiest day of his life, he told me. How quickly things change. I watch as his stumbling figure gets smaller as we drive away. Seth waves from the doorstep of our house. Deans house. I wave back to him then focus on the road in front of me.
"You ok?" Roman asks as we pull up outside the apartment I share with Randy. I nod, and smile as I look at him. "Better now that's done" I admit, watching his face for a reaction. "Hall of Fame" he reminds me. "It's two days away. Do you need money to go get a dress?" I shake my head. "I've got a dress" I tell him. "You worry about your stuff, mine is sorted." He frowned but nodded anyway. "I'll call you" he says as I get out of the car. "You'd better, big guy" I say, closing the door. He chuckled as he puts the car in reverse and I wave as he drives off. As I look up to the apartment Randy appears outside. "Hey" he calls down before running down the steps to me. He picks me up and hugs me tightly. "Everything ok?" he asks, looking in my eyes. I kiss him gently before nodding. "It's all good" I say as he puts me down. He holds my hand as we walk up the stairs together. "Randy" I say as we get to our door. "I'm going to the Hall of Fame." He looks at me and smiles. "Wait" I say, putting my hand on his chest. "I'm going with you. And Joe. And Colby." He smiles and nods. "I like it" he says pushing the door open. "Ambrose won't know what's hit him." I smile and head to my spot on the sofa. "Tired?" Randy asks, watching as I lay down. I nod as I watch him walk slowly towards me. "Come sleep with me?" he asks quietly. I nod and he pulls me up off the sofa and straight into his room.
I wake up when it's dark, jumping and panicking because I don't know where I am. All I know is I'm not in my bed. Someone is breathing heavily next to me. I sigh and cuddle back down into him, knowing it's Randy and I'm safe. He wraps his arm around me and kisses my neck. "Love you princess" he whispers, trailing kisses up and down my neck. I catch my breath and try not to think about what he's doing to me. His kisses are getting softer and dipping lower. I can't do this. "I can't do this" I say, throwing the covers back and running to my own room. I slam the door and lean against it, fighting back tears as I slide down it to the floor. I hear him walking across the landing and pausing outside my door. He waits a while then groans and goes into the lounge. I stand up and walk over to my bed, picking my phone up from the nightstand. There are missed calls, text messages and tweets galore. I start with the missed calls. All Roman. The texts too. Oh, one from Seth. "I've missed you so much, I can't wait to start getting our relationship back on track." I smile, checking the time before quickly texting him back. "I love you ninja" I text, using my nickname for him. Straight away my phone rings. "Hey Roman" I say, curling up on my comforter and hugging a pillow. "Why didn't you answer?" he asks straight away. I sigh. "I fell asleep" I say, picking at a loose thread on my shorts. "I'm so sorry. Please don't think I was ignoring you." He chuckles. "Not a hope darling" he rasps. "I know where you live now." I laugh. "Are you ok?" he asks quietly. I nod, then remember its not FaceTime. "Yeah" I say, looking at my door as I hear Randy shuffling around outside. "Why are you quiet?" I ask. "Ah damn" he says. "I hoped you wouldn't notice. I'm Dean sitting. It's my turn to sit and watch him drink himself into a stupor before passing out. At least it's the last night he can do it. Tomorrow he needs to sober up ready for the Hall of Fame." I smile. "Are you sure it's the right thing to do?" I ask. "Damn baby girl" he chuckles. "How can you ask that? The universe needs to see you. They've been asking about you for months already. It's just one night, let's give them what they want." "Ok" I sigh, glancing at my door. "I have to go Ro, I'll call you tomorrow." He grunts acknowledgment and hangs up. I put the phone on my bed and tiptoe to the door.
Randy is outside my room, pacing quietly, clearly torn between knocking and going to his own room. "Come on" I say, throwing the door wide open and smiling at him. He smiles and rushes forwards, running to my dresser and grabbing the lotion. "It's Randy and junior bonding time" he says waving the bottle at me. I smile and take my top off before lying on my bed. He squeezes lotion onto my tummy and laughs. When I look down he's drawn a face. It's always something different every night. Yeah, every night. Well, when he's home, anyway. He took over from Dean pretty much straight away. "You know I'm gone all day tomorrow don't you?" he says looking up at me as he rubs the lotion into my swollen stomach. Junior wriggles and we both smile. "Yeah, I'll miss you too junior" Randy says, quickly kissing my stomach then pulling a face when he realises he's got a mouth full of lotion. I hand him a bottle of water and he takes it gratefully. It's gone in three gulps. "Definitely doesn't taste like strawberry" he complains as he starts rubbing the lotion in again. I laugh and he smiles at me. "First time you've laughed properly in ages princess" he says. "I laugh plenty, well, at you anyway" I protest. He shakes his head. "Forced laughs don't count" he says. "That, princess, was a proper laugh." "Are you saying I'm fake, Orton?" I ask in mock horror. "Oh ye of the fake bake, baby oil, sunbed generation?" He raises his hands as he laughs. "Touché Ambrose" he says leaning up to kiss me. "Anyway, as I was saying, I'm gone all day tomorrow. Media all day. You gonna be ok alone?" I scoff. "Seriously?" I ask. "I'm alone most days Randy." He smiles. "I'd invite you along" he says. "But Dean will be there. It's a whole roster thing." I nod. "It's fine" I say. "Junior and I will chill out here all day, maybe see what we look good in to wear to the Hall of Fame." He smiles. "I'm so glad you decided to come" he says standing up. He kisses my head and rubs junior before heading out to his room, and I know that's my cue to sleep.