*Thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter they were greatly appreciated. Thank-you so much. Once again I thank you for your patience in my updating. I'm trying my hardest but as we reach the last couple months of school before break there's so much that needs to be done that I need to focus on but I promise once the summer hits I will be updating more frequently please bare with me.*
I make my way through the hallways of the prison to meet with Cody. He said he wouldn't sign any papers unless he met with me to talk to me. I don't know what he could possibly say to me but the last month has been a pretty good month. Dean and I returned back from our trip to paradise, enjoyed a few days together before he went back to work. I'm taking a break from working and just spending time with Zoey right now until I am ready to get back into my fashion designing again. Everything has been going smoothly until our attorney called a few days earlier asking me to come down to the jail to talk to Cody. I was reluctant at first but the sooner he signs the papers the sooner Dean, Zoey and I can move on with our lives. I just want it to be over with. It's been going on far too long and if he still won't sign the papers after today then we're going to petition the judge to have a divorce finalized and to have Cody's rights terminated.
I walk into a private room with a guard as another guard goes to get Cody for me. I take a seat at the wooden table in the room. I let out a deep breath as I hear footsteps approaching the room. Dean was uneasy with me coming today and he wanted to come but he had missed too much time in the office and had a lot of work to get done for an upcoming business trip he was going to take in a few days with Roman. I still don't trust Roman and I still feel like Roman had something to do with everything that happened on Christmas Eve but there is no proof and the tapes of that night mysteriously stopped working around the time Dean was shot. There is no way of telling how Cody got into the building and who helped him get into the building. It is all an inside job clearly. There is no coincidence in the tapes not working around the time Dean was shot. It was planned that way which tells me Dean and I can't trust the people he works with or the people that work for him. I groan to myself as I see Cody brought into the room in an orange jumpsuit and handcuffed. He smiles at me but I don't return his smile. "Alexis," he says as he takes a seat.
"It's Journey now," I correct. "Alexis doesn't exist anymore."
"Whatever you say," he says. "You'll always be Alexis to me."
"What do you want, Cody, you wanted me to come here to see you so we could 'talk' so talk because I don't really have much I need to say to you or want to say to you. I'm just ready to move on with my life. You've made my life hell for the last 4 ½ years. I just want to move on. This is the happiest I have been in a long time no thanks to you but seeing you in that jumpsuit does make it even better," I say honestly.
"Alexis always so quick to get down to business," he says with a smile. "You were always ready and willing," he smirks and my stomach turns.
"If that's how you're going to talk I'm going to leave," I warn, "so what is it that I needed to come down here to talk to you."
"Why, Journey, why do you want a divorce?"
"Cody, you know why. I don't know why I have to keep repeating myself with you. I thought I loved you, I thought you loved me but you didn't. You put your hands on me and I spent the last few years trying to get away from you. There is no more between us. I just want out of this marriage, Cody. Marrying you was a mistake."
"Why was it a mistake, I love you, Journey."
"No, Cody, you love the idea of me, you love the idea of being able to control me and love the idea of me submitting to you. You don't love me. If you loved me you would have never been able to put your hands on me. You promised me you would give me the world that we would be happy together but I was anything but happy with you. Every day with you was a never ending nightmare. All the broken bones and bruises, Cody, that wasn't love that was hurt, pain and contempt. I don't know why you changed, if you hadn't changed I would have loved you the rest of my life, we could have had more kids together. I needed to do what I did to keep Zoey safe. If you could put your hands on me there was no stopping you from doing the same to Zoey. I needed to have her grow up somewhere safe."
"Yeah in a shelter that wasn't a life for our daughter."
"It was the safest place away from you," I say back to him. "You made my life hell I wasn't going to risk allowing you to make Zoey's life hell. Look, Cody we are both happy, we're ready to move on all you have to do is sign the papers."
"If I don't?" he challenges. "There is nothing you can do about it."
"Actually," I say, "I can. I will petition the courts to have your rights to Zoey terminated and to have our divorce finalized so whether you choose to sign the papers or not Zoey and I are moving on with our lives."
"Journey, can we talk about this?" he asks.
"There isn't anything to talk about," I say. "I want out of this marriage, Cody why can't you understand that and why do you have to make it so complicated. Just for once in your life do the right thing and sign the divorce papers and sign your rights away to Zoey."
"I don't want to," he argues. "I don't want to lose you two."
"It doesn't matter you lost us a long time ago. We're happy, please Cody just do the right thing. Please," I say. "Please just do the right thing."
"Fine," he says. "I'll do it. Where the fuck are the papers," he says.
"Right here," I say pulling the papers out of the envelope. "Cody you're doing the right thing I hope you know that."
"The right thing for you, you never gave me a chance to change," he says.
"Change what?" I ask giving him the papers.
"Myself," he says as he looks over the papers. "This is bullshit, Alexis and you know it. You never gave me the chance to change myself."
"You were dealing drugs out of our house, shooting up heroin and beating the shit out of me excuse me of being scared of what could happen with our daughter if I stayed. I needed to leave and I left. You weren't the man for me."
"You never gave me a chance," he says.
"I did give you the chance to change you just got worse. I'm not arguing about it anymore. Just sign the papers and I'll go my way and you can go yours," I say.
"Fine," he says before scribbling his name on both legal documents. I smile at the freedom of Cody and my daughter's freedom. "Happy now?" he asks. "You got the life you've always dreamed of while I'm probably going to be in jail the rest of my life. I hope you're happy."
"You made your own choices, Cody. No one made them for you. You could have been a great guy but YOU chose not to be," I say as I stand up. "I'm moving on with my life now."
"Of course you are," he says, "one more thing, Alexis."
"Journey, my legal name is Journey now. I told you Alexis doesn't exist anymore."
"Whatever," he says, "just know that some people aren't really your friends. You can't trust people that say they have your back."
"What does that mean?" I ask.
"It means to watch your back," he says. "I didn't get into that building on my own," he says. "Guard, I'm done."
"Wait," I say as he stands up. "Who helped you get into the building?"
"I can't tell you that, you'll figure it out after all you had nothing more to say to me. I have nothing more to say to you," he says with a smile before the guard takes him. "Have a nice life, Journey." He says before he is escorted out of the room. I grab the papers and put them away. I don't know what he's talking about and I wish he would have told me more, I wish I knew more than what I did. I always suspected someone helped him into the building I just want to know who because I want to know who we can trust and who we can't trust.
After I visit Cody I make my way over to Dean's office. I am allowed entry as soon as the receptionist sees me as I am Dean's fiance' soon to be wife once the divorce is finalized. "Hello, Journey," she smiles. "How are you doing?"
"I'm doing well," I say with a smile. "Came to visit my fiance for a little bit," I smile.
"Enjoy," she says as I make my way to the elevator and take it up to the floor Dean works on.
As soon as I step off the elevator I am greeted by Dean's secretary Tasha. "Hello, Journey," she says with a smile. "Mr. Ambrose is in a meeting right now with Mr. Reigns. He asked to not be interrupted."
"Tasha, I am sure Dean wouldn't mind me interrupting his meeting," I say, "but if it's that big of a deal I'll wait," I say with a smile. My eyes meet Dean's as he's sitting on his desk talking to Roman. He gives me a soft smile as I smile back at him and make my way over to my office that is connected to his. Dean had it put in for me after the shooting. He figured if we were going to be doing business together I needed my own office next to his. I walk in to my office and look out over the New York skyline. It's beautiful, one of the best views in Manhattan. I smile as I make my way over to my desk. I take a seat and look at the pictures of Zoey, Dean and I on the desk. Then I look at the picture of Dean and I from a month ago on our trip. I love that man more than words could ever say. He is my entire world.
I pull the divorce papers out of the envelope and the papers out of the envelope that Cody signed to give away his rights to Zoey and smile. They will go to the lawyer in the morning. I wanted Dean to see them before I gave them to our attorney to send them to the judge. "Journey," says Tasha interrupting my thoughts of happiness and when Dean and I will get married. "Can I get you anything? Coffee? Tea?" she asks.
"I'm all right but if you could get me a bottle of water that would be great. My stomach just isn't feeling up to either coffee or tea," I explain.
"I will be right back," she says with a smile as I go back to looking at the papers. I never knew freedom felt as good as it does. I'm finally free. I am no longer Cody's wife, he can never come after us again but that doesn't mean we're safe. I still feel like something is going on with Roman or someone else in this building. I don't trust too many people after what Cody said. What if it is our security team or what if it is Roman, Dean is going on a business trip with him. Roman would want to take the competition out. I grab the trashcan beside my desk and throw up in it as I can't hold back or stomach the thought of something happening to Dean. Not now, not after everything we have gone through. "Journey, are you okay?" asks Tasha as she comes back in my office with my water.
"I'm fine," I say. "I'm just not feeling too well," I answer her. "How long has Mr. Ambrose been meeting with Reigns?" I ask.
"About an hour," she says. "They should be nearly finished. Is there anything else I can get you?" she asks handing me my water.
"No, thank-you," I say as Dean appears in my doorway. "Dean," I say as I stand up.
"Journey," he says with a smile as he makes his way over to my desk. "Tasha," he says. "A moment alone with my girl?" he asks.
"Of course," she says before she hurries out of the room before shutting the door behind her.
Dean greets me with a soft kiss on the lips. "Hello, Beautiful," he says with a smile.
"I just threw up," I say.
"Again?" he asks as he takes a seat on my desk pulling me toward him. He wraps his arms around me as I rest my arms on his shoulders. "This is all too much stress for you. You shouldn't have gone to see Cody."
"I know, Baby," I say playing with his hair as I settle between his legs, "but I got him to sign the papers."
"You did?" he asks with a smile.
"I did. They'll go to the attorney tomorrow and then be sent to the judge and hopefully soon I will be legally divorced from him and he will have no rights to Zoey then we can get married and you can adopt her as your own," I say with a smile.
"It is a beautiful day," he says with a smile. "Despite all the snow outside," he says talking about the recent January snowstorm we had. It's a typical winter in New York City. "So how are you feeling?"
"Free," I answer, "finally free from that monster."
"Freedom is a good feeling huh?"
"Yeah," I say, "it's a great feeling."
"I'm sure," he says before he kisses the top of my forehead.
"But," I begin.
"But what?"
"But he gave me some type of warning. He was talking about trusting people and we can't trust everyone we think we can trust."
"What does that even mean?"
"I don't know he said he didn't get into this building alone."
"But we already knew that," he says as he rubs my back softly. "We knew he got into the building somehow but we don't know who or how."
"That's what scares me," I say, "we can't trust anyone in this building. We don't know who helped him in," I say.
"I have an idea."
"Let me guess the man you're going on a business trip with in a couple days?" I ask.
"Yeah," he says.
"Don't go," I say. "Please don't go," I beg.
"Journey, I have to. If I back out now he will know that I am on to him. Just relax besides I'll have security on me the entire time I'm away."
"And what if something happens to you?" I ask, "then what?"
"Nothing is going to happen to me," he says, "I promise. I will come back in one piece."
"You don't know that," I say playing with the buttons of his shirt as I look into his blue eyes. "You don't know that." I feel the tears forming in my eyes.
"Hey," he says as he lifts my chin. "I'm going to be okay. I promise," he says. "You don't have to worry about me."
"I have to worry about you," I say. "I don't trust Roman."
"I'll be fine I promise," he says. "Okay?"
"Not okay but I guess," I say sadly as I put my head down.
"I'll be fine," he says, "I promise," he says lifting my chin. "You and I have a whole life to live together I'm going to go away for a couple days and I am going to come back in one piece. I promise."
"As long as you promise," I say before I feel myself getting sick again. "I need the trashcan again."
"All right," he says before he grabs it for me to throw up in. "And right now you need to go home and get some rest. I'm going to finish things up here and then I'll be home. Okay?"
"Okay," I say. "I guess a little bit of rest will help me feel better. What do you want for dinner tonight?"
"Don't worry about dinner. I'll bring something home for us, how does Chinese food sound?" I make a face as my stomach gurgles. "Okay so maybe not Chinese food. How about a deli sandwich?"
"Works for me," I say with a soft smile. "I'm going to go. The papers that you need for the attorney are on the desk." I point to them on my desk.
"Great," he says as he picks them up and puts them in the envelope. "I love you, J."
"I love you too, Dean," I say with a soft smile. "I'd kiss you but I don't think you want my germs."
"I don't care," he says with a soft smile. "I'll see you later," he says before he kisses my lips softly. I leave the office after our kiss and climb into our SUV after leaving the building. I'm still feeling uneasy about his business trip but he promised me he would make it back in one piece. I hope he follows through on that promise because I'm not ready to lose him yet. WE aren't ready to lose him yet. I place my hand on my stomach as our driver pulls out into the Manhattan traffic.
*A/N: What did you think of Journey going to visit Cody by herself? Was it risky? What do you think of him signing the papers? Are you happy that Zoey and Journey are both nearly free from Cody? Do you think it was more than one person that helped Cody get into the building? What do you think of Dean going on a business trip with Roman? Is it a risky move? Should I keep going with this story or let it go? Please review and thank you for reading.