Chapter 36: The Beautiful Truth
AJ was back home in Chicago and she had begun opening some of the wedding gifts. She couldn't believe the expensive gifts they had gotten and they hadn't even registered. Of course most of the gifts weren't really traditional seeing as how they weren't the most traditional couple. AJ didn't want to open the gifts without Punk but he seemed like he couldn't care less about any of the gifts. She was just about to open the next box when someone was at the door. She stood up and walked over but made sure to peek through first.
"James" AJ said surprised stepping aside so he could come in. He was holding a small package and sporting a large smile.
"Hey April" James said as she closed the door behind her
"I didn't realize you were in town" AJ noted
"I was visiting some friends and thought I'd drop this by" he said passing her the box
"What is this?" AJ asked taking the gift
"A wedding present" James said to her "I know it's a week late but I wanted to get you something"
"That's really nice but you didn't have to do that" AJ said placing the box on the coffee table
"I wanted to" James argued "It's the least I could do"
"Don't be silly" AJ said to him "I told you all of that crazy stuff is behind us"
"I saw a picture of you from your wedding" James said out of nowhere "You looked beautiful"
"A picture?" AJ asked surprised "I didn't realize they leaked"
"I bumped into your sister and she showed me a photo" James laughed
"Oh" AJ said relieved. 'You are so beautiful' replayed in AJ's head. She remembered it being whispered into her ear the night she was attacked.
"Are you alright?" James asked noting her worried face
"Yea I just remembered I left the oven on" AJ said to him "Excuse me" she said rushing into the kitchen. She quickly pulled out her phone and called Punk's number but it went right to voicemail.
"Everything ok?" James called out from the living room. AJ felt that familiar panic rushing through her body, the same one she felt the first time she went home and first night Punk had left her alone in the beach house. How could she not have pieced this together sooner?
"Yea I'll be right out" AJ shouted back trying to hide her nerves. She sent Punk a text hoping he'd at least get that. 'I need you home it's an emergency'
Amy was sitting in the familiar diner across the street from her apartment building. She wasn't surprised this was the place Punk picked to meet her since they spent a lot of time in this diner. She looked at her watch and saw Punk was already ten minutes and began to grow nervous. She looked down at her phone to see if she missed a call or had been sent a message from him but there was nothing. When she looked up a familiar male now occupied the seat across from her.
"What are you doing her?" Amy asked surprised
"Punk couldn't make it. He asked me to come in his place" Paul Heyman smiled "Amy how are you?"
"I have nothing to say to you" Amy said to him reaching for her bag
"Please Amy sit" Paul encouraged as Amy stood up "You know you can't see Punk because of the restraining order so he's doing you a favor really"
"I want to see him" Amy argued
"And you will once you tell me what you know about AJ's attack" Paul told her simply
"He's not here at all is he?" Amy asked sadly
"He's not" Paul confirmed "He's home in Chicago"
"Oh god" Amy mumbled
"What is it?" Paul asked tilting his head
"He's supposed to be here not Chicago" Amy said to him and Paul's eyes widened
"And why is that?" Paul asked but she didn't say a word "You look like you're about to pass out" Paul noted "What's going on?"
"I can't" Amy said shaking her head
"Amy I'm worried about you" Paul told her honestly "So is Phil"
"He does care about me" Amy agreed
"Of course he does" Paul smiled lightly "You were so important to him for so long he only wants what's best for you and that's not him and that's also not your fault. You two were toxic together"
"I love him" Amy said sadly
"I know you do" Paul said to her "But the way you're acting is only pushing him away, you get that right?"
"I have to talk to him" Amy said to him
"You're going to have to settle for me" Paul said to her "Like I said Punk is not here and has zero interest in seeing you unless you're being honest about coming clean to him. He told me that if you tell him who assaulted AJ he'd see to it you wouldn't be charged"
"I don't care about any of that" Amy said to him "And I couldn't be charged anyway I had nothing to with that"
"You've admitted to it" Paul pointed out
"I admitted to Frank breaking in and he didn't rough up AJ which by the way he wasn't supposed to do" Amy said to him and Paul just nodded
"I didn't think you'd support such a vicious attack" Paul agreed "Punk doesn't think that either" he said trying to pacify her "Just tell me what you know so I can go back to Punk and tell him how helpful you've been. He'd be very appreciative and probably want to thank you in person"
"Do you mean that?" Amy asked and Paul just nodded his head
"So tell me Amy, what really happened that night?" Paul said leaning over the table
AJ walked back into the living room and saw James had made himself comfortable on her couch.
"You know James I really appreciate you stopping and all but Phil is upstairs and it's no secret that he's not a big fan of yours" AJ lied nervously. She was a terrible liar and she knew Phil wasn't upstairs but that didn't mean James had to know.
"Phil isn't here" James said casually looking over to her.
"I think you should go" AJ said to him quietly
"What's wrong?" James frowned
"I just really want to be alone" AJ said to him
"Alone? Isn't that what got you into trouble all those months back?" James questioned
"It was you" AJ said to him "You tried to rape me"
"No AJ" James said shaking his head and standing up and AJ jumped back
"It was you and that means you also assaulted that other woman in the building" AJ said to him harshly "I want you to get out of here or I'm calling the cops"
"AJ let me explain" James started walking closer to her "I didn't mean for that to happen"
"What do you mean to happen?" AJ asked him
"I was in the moment-" James started
"Spoken like a true predator" AJ said to him "Now I suggest you leave before Phil sees you"
"He's not here and we both know that" James said to her "I came here today to confess to you, to tell you what I did"
"Ok you did you can leave" AJ said coldly
"Amy didn't know. I wasn't part of the plan" James told her "It's just you were always nice to me. It didn't matter how much money you had you always treated me with respect"
"You attacked me because I was nice?" AJ asked stunned
"No!" James corrected "I saw what Frank did and I wanted to help you I really did but you looked so beautiful- you always look beautiful AJ"
"Phil will be here any minute" AJ said to him not wanting to hear anymore "And I'm going to tell him and I can't promise he won't kill you"
"Phil is in Atlanta" James said with a small smile and AJ looked confused. "He's meeting with Amy as we speak"
"Phil is out running" AJ informed him "He left forty minutes ago he's not in Atlanta"
"Yes he is" James laughed "Look I'm not going to hurt you"
"I'm not really afraid of that" AJ said eyeing the small man "I could probably break you in half. The only reason you got as far as you did the first time was because I was borderline unconscious" now AJ's glare was down right threatening "All of these months I lived in fear and now I find out you were the one that did this?" she asked with a bitter laugh "I was a fool"
"I'm not weak" James argued "I'm a man"
"You are not a man" AJ shot at him "You're a weak little boy that thinks hurting women is going to make you big and strong but it just makes you more pathetic"
"I came here to apologize" James argued
"You came here to finish what you started!" AJ yelled surprising him "That's why you attacked that other woman and now you probably got a taste of it and think you're stronger then you actually are but I dare you to try to put your hands on me again"
"AJ please just listen" James insisted "I'm not like Amy or Frank"
"No you're worse" AJ said to him disgusted "And you really need to get out of here before my husband comes home because he is a real man and when he sees you here he's going to break bones of yours that you didn't even know you had"
"I already told you Punk isn't-" James stopped talking when he heard the front door open.
"AJ!" Punk yelled out from the next room she remained quiet knowing he was going to be coming into the living room next. She watched as James began to sweat "I got your message-" he stopped when he saw James standing across from his wife who liked extremely upset.
"Phil" AJ started "James came by to-"
"To tell you how he was the one who assaulted you?" Punk finished walking towards James.
"How did you know that?" James asked him
"Your partner in crime Amy sold you out" Punk said grabbing the man but his shirt "I am going to kill you" Punk hissed only an inch away from his face
"Phil don't" AJ said walking over to them "Let's just call the police"
"Yea let's just do that" James said nervously "I'm ready to pay for what I did"
"Pay? You think sitting in a cell for a few months is going to make up for what you did?" Punk asked dragging James and pushing him up against a wall.
"I'll do whatever you want!" James cried out.
"What do you think I want!" Punk yelled shaking the man "I want to leave you with the same amount of bruises and cuts that AJ had"
"I didn't do all of that!" James reminded him "That was Frank and I'll tell the police I'll tell them everything!"
"Oh because Amy turned on you you're going to do the same to her?" Punk laughed "I don't want to see three psychopaths in prison I want to see blood!"
"Phil don't" AJ warned but Punk struck James across the face and AJ cringed upon hearing a crack- probably James' jaw.
"You're not so tough now are you?" Punk mocked as James dropped to the floor
"Phil stop" AJ said rushing towards him and grabbing his arm before he hit James again "You're better than him" she said forcing him to look at her. After a minute of looking at his wife and lowered his arm and stood up and over James. "You are so lucky she's here" he spat at James. James slowly stood up and was rubbing his jaw.
"Do you have any ice?" James asked almost desperately and both Punk and AJ looked at him like he was crazy "Right. Well I'm going to fly back to Tampa and-"
"You're not going anywhere" Punk warned "You're sitting right there on the floor and waiting for the police"
"I'd really rather do this in Tampa" James admitted but Punk shot him a look as he called the police and he knew he wasn't going anywhere. AJ walked over to James and looked at his face and could tell Punk defiantly cracked his jaw.
"Does it hurt?" AJ asked him
"Not really" James lied rubbing the sore spot still.
"How about this?" she asked then kneed him in the groin causing him to fall to his knees
"No more beating him up" Punk said pulling AJ away "the police are on their way and I want them to arrest him and not you"
"But-" AJ started
"This is a good thing" Punk assured her "We're going to get Amy and Frank out of our lives for good now" he said to her and she nodded "A three for one deal if that wasn't the case I'd beat him myself"
"No you're right" AJ agreed "It's just-"
"I get it" Punk assured her "But its really over now" he assured her
After James had been picked up by the police and Punk and AJ calmed down slightly they started to talk about everything.
"Why did James think you were in Atlanta?" AJ asked him
"Amy probably told him I'd be there" Punk said to her
"Why would she that?" AJ asked him
"Because I told her I was going to meet with her in Atlanta" Punk told her honestly
"Why?" AJ asked confused
"After you told me she had information I took her number from your phone and told her I'd meet up with her" Punk admitted "I had no intention of actually going I sent Paul in my place. She thought by telling me James was involved it would give her an opening"
"She wasn't expecting James to turn on him" AJ said to him
"They probably planned it so I'd be in Atlanta" Punk said to her "She wanted me out there so he could have easy access to you here."
"He said he came here to confess" AJ said to him
"Or he planned to finish what he started but you caught on to him" Punk said to her
"I can't believe he did that" AJ admitted "I thought we were friends"
"We always knew deep down that he was some how involved in this" Punk reminded her
"I thought Frank paid him money for the key I didn't think he'd put his hands on me" AJ said to him and Punk frowned "You were right about him all along"
"I'm always right" Punk replied quickly and AJ rolled her eyes "I'm kidding" He smirked "Obviously if I had gotten that kind of vibe from him when I first met him I wouldn't have left you in that apartment"
"You couldn't have forced me to leave" AJ informed him
"Oh please" He chuckled "I would have persuaded you"
"Oh really?" AJ laughed
"Didn't I get you out of there?" Punk questioned "I convinced you to move twice and marry me. I'm clearly very persuasive"
"Its those pathetic eyes" AJ said glaring towards him
"Pathetic?" he laughed
"Yea look at them" she said eyeing them carefully "They make it impossible to say 'no' to you"
"Let's test this out" Punk said leaning over to he was looking her directly in the eyes "Take off your clothes" he said very seriously and she started to giggle. He widened his eyes and kept a straight face. AJ just stood up from the couch and looked over to him. She pulled over her top and kicked off her sweatpants.
"Happy?" she asked
"You're still wearing clothing" Punk said to her eyeing her underwear that was still on "Take it all off"
"How about you take it off for me?" AJ suggested
"I can't say no to those eyes" Punk told her seriously as he reached up and tugged her panties down then grabbed her by the hand and pulled her back onto the couch. He reached around her and unclasped her bra and tossed it behind him. AJ reached over and tugged his t-shirt over his head.
"You're sweaty" AJ noted. He had just come back from his room and hadn't had time to shower.
"I'm planning on getting sweater" He informed her as he pushed her onto her back and began to kiss her.
Amy was back in her apartment and she knew James had been arrested and it would only be a matter of time before she was pulled into questioning. She wasn't shocked and was really expecting it. She was convinced she'd be able to talk herself out of jail time but she wasn't too sure of it so she had a plan. There was going to be no way that she was going to rot in jail while Punk and AJ rode off into the sunset together. She grabbed a piece of paper that had a number scribbled down on it and reached for her phone. She dialed the unfamiliar number and waited for the person to pick up.
"Hi it's Amy" Amy said cheerfully into the phone "I've given some thought to that interview you wanted me to do and I've decided to do it….it has to be now…yes I'll talk about anything…no you can ask me as many questions as you want about Punk or even AJ Lee for that matter. I have a lot to say about them and I want the world to know the truth about their favorite wrestling couple"