We're sat in a booth next to Renee and Casper. Her annoying whining voice and squeaky laugh is floating over the partition and seriously pissing me off. What has she got to laugh about? Getting one over on me? The more I think about it, the more I think that's what she's laughing for. My grip on my glass is getting tighter and tighter, I'm not surprised when it shatters in my hand. "Fuck sake Torrie!" Dean growls, pulling the broken glass from my hand. I don't even realise I'm bleeding. He checks my hand for slivers of glass before sending me into the bathroom to wash the blood from my hand. I'm washing my hand absent mindedly when it happens. The door to the bathroom opens and Renee walks in. I bite the inside of my cheek so hard I draw blood. This cannot be happening. But I know it is. It's the first time I've been alone with her since Dean and I split, and I intend to make the most of every second. I rinse the last of the blood from my hand and shut the tap off, turning my back on the sink and leaning against the vanity unit, waiting for her to come out of the stall. Then it hits me. She's waiting for me to leave. I walk to the door, open it, and let it close before quietly creeping back to the sink. It works. The toilet flushes and she walks out, not looking up until she's halfway to the sinks.
"Suppose I should be grateful" I say. "I must be doing something right. I mean, you want everything I have, right? My husband. My brother. What next, Renee? My best friends? Seems you already have those on your side too. So, my roomie? Randy? Is he next?" She flushes as she tries to get by. "Nuh uh my little clone" I say pushing her back. "I'm not done with you yet. See, your little night with my husband has actually made us stronger. Maybe I actually owe you one. I know, how about I fix you up with my brother? Oh, shit, actually, you've been there, done that, got the t shirt. Well, I'm not speaking to him right now, so mission accomplished on that one my little relationship wrecker." she glares at me. "Casper is a grown man Torrie" she hisses. "He can make his own decisions..." I don't even think about it, just draw my hand back and slap her as hard as I can. "He is my brother Renee" I snarl in her face. "And I'm gonna stop him making the wrong decisions." She's still holding her cheek when I push her away again and walk out of the bathroom.
"I need to go" I say to Dean as I get back to the booth. Casper watches me as I pick my bag up and Dean slips his jacket around my shoulders. I shrug it off, I'm boiling, I don't need it. "I'll wait outside for you" I say, walking away without even waiting for him to answer. I walk straight past everyone and out of the double doors, heading for the bench I know is there. I sit down, and then I start to shake. I can't believe I slapped her. My palm is still stinging from the impact. I hear the music get louder for a few seconds, telling me the door to the bar has opened and closed. I look up and see Hunter walking towards me. I groan as he sits next to me. "Let me see your hand" he says. I frown and give it to him. It's starting to bleed again a little and he groans. "Torrie" he says. "Renee has the exact imprint of this hand on her cheek. Wanna explain?" I smirk. "She's lucky" I say. He looks surprised. "Lucky?" he asks. I nod. "Yeah" I say. "Lucky it's the imprint of my palm on her cheek, not the imprint of my fist in her eye. I'm not gonna say sorry Hunter. Oh wait, yeah, I am. I'm sorry I didn't punch her too. She wrecked everything for me Hunter, and I'm not gonna let it go. She's still doing it now." He nods and shocks me by putting his arms around me. "Let it out" he says. I frown, and the next thing I know I'm crying onto his shoulder. "Why me?" I sob. "Why does she take everything that's close to me?" "Why you?" she asks quietly. I look up. Hunter holds me firmly in place. "Why you? That's my whole point Torrie. Why you? What have you got that I haven't? I was happy with the way things were, travelling with Dean..." "Say his fucking name again and I will black your pretty little Canadian eye" I growl. "Torrie" Hunter warns. Renee looks at him and continues. "I was happy travelling with...him" she says. "Sharing rooms, cars. And then the European tour happened. And Cardiff happened. And you happened. You. Why you? You were a nobody Torrie, a ring rat. Why the fuck was he so hooked up on you? When he flew back after that tour he wasn't the same. Turns out, he left his heart in that airport. I tried to give it back to him, he pushed me away. Because of you." "Because of her" Dean growls from behind her. "I'm alive. Because of her, I found out I really do have a fucking heart, and I really do know how to fucking love. And I don't have to make do with stupid ring rats who throw themselves at me on the pretence of sharing a car, or halving the cost of a room. See Renee, Torrie isn't, nor was she ever, a ring rat. That was her first show. She didn't know who anyone was. Hell, she didn't even know who Edge and Beth were. If you wanna get technical, the only one of us banging a ring rat here is you. Casper is the biggest rat around. You're like, the trophy girlfriend for a wrestling geek like him. And I know he's my brother in law, and I love him to bits, but the man has shit taste in women. Why do you think I could only stick being with you for one night every few months? Anyway, our cab is here. Go back in to your rat of a boyfriend Renee, go make him happy for one night before he fucks off and leaves you too." He holds my hand and helps me up, putting me in the back of the cab. He thanks Hunter then gets in next to me, telling the driver where to go before holding my hand all the way back to our hotel.