A/N: Would you believe that I intended to have only 50 chapters for ITDE? That was always the plan, 50 chapters plus a possible epilogue. But here we are at chapter 55 and I'm still not done. There's so many ideas swirling around in my head and I've kinda managed to arrange them all and get to a definitive ending, which is soon and will hopefully be satisfying to all. My biggest fear as an author is feeling like I've overstayed my welcome, whether my writing has been entertaining or not. Yeah it's probably paranoia, but it's what it is.
I loved Payback! Like everyone else I expected the triple powerbomb, but damn if I didn't mark the hell out. You can tell Roman's truly enjoying himself now, at PPVs especially. It's cool to see he's pretty much silenced the haters.
Thank you to ghunter182003, LetItReign, Lucy1029, Shield316, BillionDollarPrinceStephanie, shamonticupcake, ChelleLew, corbettluv, Siren's Call To The Dead, mitchy21, CarolReigns, Sasha, DeeMarie426, darkcloud77, Cotton Blossom Diva, ApSnowball, justkimmy, benova13, CFierce116, fenner82, PassionWriter101, Bharm, princessreigns, nikki1335, Tammy, ItReignsJustice-619 and sixxyb for all your awesome feedback. Huge thank you to the readers who reviewed for the first time! Welcome on board, I'm very happy to have you and your input is very welcome. :D
Joe was aware his cell phone was vibrating but he was choosing to ignore it. He'd deliberately shut off the ringer last night but in the drowsy state he was in, the vibration sounded as loud as the average ring tone. He and Sasha had stayed up way too late considering he had to be at the airport by noon, but he had no regrets. There was nothing hotter than sizzling, passionate, marathon birthday sex with his game, gorgeous MILF of a girlfriend, and he had a lot of fun turning her out. Now if the phone would stop ringing, he could grab ten more minutes of sleep.
"You should get that," Sasha murmured, rolling onto his chest and sliding one leg over him, assuming her favorite sleeping position.
"How did I know you'd try to smother me with your leg?" Joe griped playfully.
"Mm, don't act like you don't like it," she replied, nuzzling the left side of his neck as she curled further into him, with Joe chuckling at her feline behavior. Right as she finished speaking, the phone stopped, plunging the bedroom into silence once again, and both were grateful for the quiet. His hand glided over the thick, caramel-toned thigh draping his waist. "So last night was fun," he said.
"You mean an hour ago," Sasha deadpanned, as Joe lifted her hand from his shoulder and pressed his mouth to her wrist. "How ya feeling?" he asked.
"Sore. The good kind though." They'd spent the night fucking each other into the mattress, neither leaving any part of the king sized bed untouched. Her entire body felt used and abused but it wasn't anything she hadn't begged or panted for. She was just glad it was the weekend and she only needed to be up to take Mia to the dance studio, and even then she hoped she'd be able to walk. But it was all worth it, as it always was. Joe was going away for a month, and all she wanted was the soreness to linger, the feeling of him inside her to remain with her the entire time he was gone for. She yawned loudly, unwilling to open her eyes just yet. "You wore me out real good, baby."
Joe looked down tenderly at her fresh-faced, makeup-free features. She looked beautiful in his arms, like she always did, her hair all tousled from sex and slumber, her body soft and warm and glowing. "I can't help it that I can't keep my hands off of you, baby girl. You're fuckin' hot," he said. "No one's ever made me feel as good in bed as you do."
"Really? Not even those young, nubile former flings of yours?" she drawled, lifting her head languidly, locking heavy-lidded eyes with his own.
"Nope," he asserted, his fingertips trailing his name on her shoulder blade. "You don't complain or whine. Even when you let me take control, you tell me how you want it. Some chicks can be too demanding, and others kinda want me to play the guessing game, which is a little annoying. I like that you want to please me as much as I wanna please you. That makes you fun to fuck, my cute little cougar."
Sasha found herself blushing at the ego-enhancing compliment. "Apparently the correct term for me is 'puma', not cougar. I'm not old enough just yet," she said. "But here I was thinking you were too banged up to go all night. I really should stop making that mistake."
Joe snickered and kissed her forehead. "Yeah, you should," he agreed. Sure, he returned home with the usual aches and pains from wrestling all week but as he learned a long time ago, lust and adrenaline were a deadly combination. Add Sasha's soft skin and her irresistible curves into the equation and he never really stood a chance. On the brighter side, he knew he'd definitely given her something to remember him by when he was gone this time.
Sasha's lips met the broad expanse of his chest, adoring the little purr that resounded from within him. It always pleased her to know how much of an effect her touch had on him. "What time's your flight again?" she asked.
"Noon," he replied, idly wrapping a lock of her hair around his finger. "Gotta be out of here to head to the airport by ten."
"Noon? I thought your flight was much later. Mia's got dance class by ten, then I got school at eleven. I wanted to take you myself."
She sounded so genuinely disappointed and forlorn; he thought it was cute. "Don't worry about it. You go about your day. Let me not disrupt it."
"My day's disrupted when you're not around," she replied shyly, letting several seconds of silence tick by. "You know, I've been thinking…"
Joe lifted an eyebrow. "Uh-oh…"
"Joe!" She shot him a warning glare, and he laughed lightly and settled his nose in her hair. "I'm just playin' with you, baby. Now tell me, what've you been thinking about?"
Tracing his chest with her index finger, she continued. "Well, first off, I was thinking…I know I've said in the past that T.K. and Mia are the two most important people in my life and that they always come first," she whispered. "But I thought about it, and I figured I could make room for you too." Her gaze as it flickered back to him was loaded with meaning, and she saw the amazement, and then realization dawn in those breathtaking eyes as they swept over her face.
Joe stared hard at her, swallowing with difficulty as her words sank in, each one lodging itself in his heart. "That…that means the world to me, Sasha." And he meant that. For years she was all about her children, and it was completely understandable that her world revolved around them and them alone. But for her to openly declare that she considered him on par with them, that he was just as important to her as they were…Well, that was an honor in itself. It was lightning in a bottle, and he would catch it, keep it and cherish it forever.
Smiling softly, he brushed his lips against hers, feeling her exhale at the gentle contact. His large hands wandered, from her butt up to her back and neck, holding her to him. Gosh, how hard had he fallen for this woman? Like, it was the splat on the ground, flat on his face, need-a-spatula-to-scrape-him-off-the-ground kind of hard. She'd stumbled into his life and turned everything in it upside down. She was his reality, she was his fantasy, and damn if he wasn't lost in all of it.
Again, that pesky vibrating phone, and somehow it sounded louder than normal. Sighing wearily, his lips parted from hers and he extended an arm to feel around for the device. Holding it in front of him, he squinted. "It's Trin."
"Oh. Tell her I said what's up."
"What does she want?" He personally couldn't care less what his soon-to-be sister in law had to say, not when he had such limited time left to spend with his girlfriend. He would see Trinity at the airport.
"Well, find out. It might be important," Sasha insisted, rolling her eyes at his stubbornness. "You're such a baby. Just pick up the phone." As though to encourage him, she slithered out of his arms, making her way to the other side of the bed. "Okay, distraction's gone. Now answer it."
Joe pouted. "I don't like you anymore."
Sasha laughed. "Oh hush. You know you love me." Grabbing a fistful of the sheets, she took a quick glance at her side of the bed and blinked. It looked as if it had gone through the Civil War. She leaned over the bed and found scraps of her fishnet stockings from last night, her hundred dollar 'tip' from Joe, and then cringed at the number of used condoms littering the floor. She put the money away, then finding a pencil on the nightstand, she picked the other items up carefully and dumped them into the trash next to the bed. "Ugh. We are so nasty," she muttered.
Sniggering quietly, Joe looked away from her and placed his phone against his ear. "'Sup sis."
"I been callin' you all damn morning, Joe! Where the hell are you?"
Whoa. Why did Trinity sound pissed? "You know I'm home. What's up your ass? You and Uce fighting again?"
"Don't tell me you're just waking up. Have you been online?"
"No I haven't been online. Why would I be online?"
"That bitch ex-girlfriend of yours has struck again with the stupid-ass stunt she and her bitch friend pulled!"
Joe sat straight up in bed, all remnants of sleep vanishing. "What? What are you talking about? What stunt?"
"I told you all those years ago; you shoulda let me beat their ass while I had the chance!" Trinity seethed.
"Baby gimme the phone." Joe overheard Jonny say to his fiancée in the background, then his voice was directly over the line, "Yo, Uce."
"What the fuck is going on? What's Trin talking about?" Joe demanded. This sudden news, coupled with the lack of further information, was making him both angry and unnerved.
He heard Jonny's fatigued sigh at the other end. "Remember Missy, Andrea's friend?"
"Sadly, yeah." How could he ever forget that enabling bleached blonde tramp that followed Andrea around like a shadow throughout their relationship? She was also the one who had called him to inform him about the so-called miscarriage. It was never confirmed but there was no doubt in his mind that she'd been in on the whole scam with Andrea. "What about her?"
"Well, she's posted some shit about you on Facebook. Talking about how you treated Andrea like shit and you were responsible for her miscarriage."
"What?" Joe shot out of the bed, forgetting that he was stark naked. "Are you fuckin' kidding me?!"
"I wish I was. Apparently it was posted late last night. It's all over social media now," said Jonny. "She went in, man. She even put up old pictures of you and Andrea together and everything."
Joe blinked several times, feeling completely blindsided. "You can't be serious!"
Sasha was looking at him in concern. "What's wrong?" she asked him.
He couldn't even answer her. He felt sick to his stomach. "You know that's bullshit, Jon. All of it is bullshit. Missy's a fuckin' liar!"
"We all know that, man," said Jonny. "Look, I'm sending you the link right now. I know you don't wanna read it but you might have to. I'm sure Hunter and Stephanie will ask questions."
True. If it was as big as Jonny was making it to be then there was no way the Office would miss it. Of course they would want to know exactly what this was about, see if damage control was needed from their end and how much. Dread filled his guts at having to rehash his personal nightmare to them. Stunned, he sank back down on the bed, brushing a palm over his face. Suddenly he felt exhausted. "I'ma call you back," he said to Jonny.
"Alright. I'll see you later. Quick word of advice though? Stay away from twitter for now. People are writing nasty shit about you, even Sasha. Keep her away from there."
Of course. He knew he hated social media for a reason. Murmuring a goodbye, he hung up the phone and for the first time noticed all the missed calls and texts from family, friends and strange numbers he'd never seen before. He bypassed them all, going straight to the link Jonny had sent him. "Goddamn it."
"What's wrong?" Sasha's brows furrowed when he ignored her, keeping his eyes on his iPhone. "What's going on, baby?"
"Jon says a friend of Andrea's went on social media and put me on blast about Andrea's pregnancy," he answered dully, "That I'm the reason she miscarried."
Sasha's mouth dropped open. "What? Are you serious?"
"Unfortunately." His fingers danced frantically over his phone. "I told you about Missy. Andrea's roommate at Georgia Tech."
"I remember the name. But why would she do that? Why would she even say that when it's not true?"
"Because it's fuckin' Missy," the Samoan snarled. "She was always an attention-seeker just like her friend. Interesting how this happens not too long after Andrea showed her face here."
"You think she had something to do with it?" she asked, noticing he'd gotten very quiet and his attention was fully on his phone. She looked over his shoulder, reading the text he was so immersed in.
…I consider her to be my best friend and we tell each other everything. It's been years and I've tried to be quiet about it as it ultimately wasn't my business, but after what happened with her recently, I'm done keeping my mouth shut. After all the sacrifices she made for him, packing up from Atlanta and following him to Tampa when he dropped out of college so he could pursue his wrestling career. He'd be in Orlando drinking and pill-popping and partying his ass off while she sat home in Tampa wondering where he was, who he was messing around with. She said he wasn't cheating but I never believed it. I told Andrea to leave him, to walk away, but he had her brainwashed. She was so into him, and what else could I do except be there for her? When she got pregnant I was shocked he didn't demand a paternity test. You'd think he'd at least tone down his partying for her sake. For HIS CHILD'S sake. But nope. He pretty much ignored her through her pregnancy and that stressed her out even more. She worried so much that she became depressed and paranoid. Then she lost their child. She was devastated. What's worse was that she told him about it, and what does he do afterwards? He kicks her out of their house! I couldn't believe my ears when she told me. She moved in with me, and I was the one who helped her pick up the pieces. She never got over what he did to her. Still hasn't. Recently she ran into him and his girlfriend and once again he washed his hands off her. That didn't surprise me. He always treated her like trash when they were dating and it was never going to change.
It's about time the fans of Joe or Roman Rains or whatever he calls himself these days, saw through his façade. He's a selfish, self-centered pig that uses people for his own selfish desires until he gets tired of them. Andrea was with him through all the hard times, all the way back to when he was a fat college dropout, and now he's walking around acting like his shit don't stink. He's a pig and a scumbag and I hope his girlfriend knows he'll do the same thing to her sooner or later…
Sasha was speechless. Nausea bubbled up within her, and her blood simmered. Joe's angry huff interrupted her reading, and tossing his phone aside, he exploded. "This is bullshit! How fuckin' pathetic is she, writing such crap? Andrea didn't even have a miscarriage! Why would she do this?"
"Obviously for attention. And to punish you for rejecting Andrea." It was the only answer that made sense to Sasha.
"So that's enough reason to drag my name through the mud?"
Sasha tucked her hair back. The carefree, easy-going vibe from earlier had evaporated. "Well, if need be…yes. It gives Missy, and Andrea if she was involved, the fifteen minutes of fame they probably want. People make careers out of stuff like this."
Joe shook his head, his elbows on his knees as he dragged his fingers through his hair. He felt like he was going to throw up. "I cannot believe this."
She could see his hands trembling, literally shaking with anger. She reached out to touch his arm, trying to placate him. "Baby, calm down. We know Missy is lying. Everyone does," she said.
"You know better than to believe that," he retorted, casting her a cynical, almost angry look that wounded the mother of two. "Joe I know you're pissed off, but right now you need to relax."
Shaking his head again, he grabbed his phone and stood up from the bed. "I can't deal with this right now. I gotta go get ready and head to the airport. I'll call the Office on my way." He stalked over to the bathroom, pushing the door open with more force than was necessary. The door slammed shut behind him, leaving Sasha alone in the bedroom. She sat up, crossing her arms over her chest with a resigned sigh, recognizing this for what it was. Literally and figuratively, he was shutting her out. Again.
The trip to Minneapolis, the city hosting the upcoming pay-per-view, was a blur, with Joe stewing the entire time. Before he left the house he'd gotten a call from Stephanie, requesting a meeting as soon as he finished checking into the hotel the WWE was staying at. Once he did, he was off to the hotel room rented solely for holding meetings with the talent. Hunter had opened the door for him, ushering him inside urgently. Stephanie was present as well, along with a middle-aged woman he recognized as Meghan, the company's spokesperson. The final person in the room was the surprise though, and Joe swallowed at the sight of Vince McMahon himself sitting at the oval desk in the corner of the room. His palms started to sweat. If the Chairman of the Board had personally shown up, then it was serious. And it was. Once everyone was settled, the Samoan went straight to the point, explaining himself to his bosses, starting from beginning to end and hating that he had to do it. It was the most awkward, uncomfortable meeting he'd ever attended. Now he knew how Colby had felt when he'd been summoned to answer for his own scandal.
Vince, Hunter and Stephanie listened attentively, but it was clear they had made a decision long before they called for Joe. They all agreed that although this was mainly a personal matter and his fight to fight, some damage control still had to be done, to prevent any possible corporate backlash. The parts in the Facebook post that mentioned Joe's supposed social habits were a concern, for one. They strongly advised that he issued a statement as soon as possible, and to run it with Meghan before it was published.
When it was all over – thankfully so; he had been slowly melting into a puddle of complete and utter embarrassment – Joe waited for everyone to get to their feet before he asked the question that had been running through his mind since he walked into the hotel room. "So what happens now? TV-wise, I mean." He could see all of his, Jon's and Colby's hard work being flushed down the toilet, all because of a vindictive part of his past. He would never forgive himself if that was the case.
Vince adjusted his expensive silk necktie. "Nothing changes," he decreed. "You three go over Evolution on Sunday, clean sweep. Then the singles pushes start the next night on Raw." He looked his talent in the eye, his expression stern. "Sort this out, Reigns."
"Yes, Sir. Thank you Sir," Joe all but rushed out, choosing to stay back with Meghan so they could send out a statement right away. He was incredibly relieved that nothing more drastic had transpired from this meeting.
Back in his hotel room, the twins, along with his Shield brothers and Claudio, were waiting for him. "How did it go?" Colby asked him, watching his friend grunt in response and flop down onto his bed, throwing an arm over his eyes. The Samoan was feeling battered and bruised and disgusted – with Missy, with Andrea, the gossip-hungry media that had devoured Missy's post and the fans that were now hounding his Twitter. Most importantly, he was disgusted with himself for ever getting involved with Andrea in the first place. She had brought nothing but heartache to his life, and just when he thought she was gone for good, her drama had reared its ugly head again, interfering in his personal and now, professional life. And he couldn't stand it.
"I just wanna know, why now?" Josh asked. "Why did Missy wait this long to do this, huh? Joe broke up with Andrea years ago."
"Well that's easy. He's famous now," Colby answered, rather bitterly, his own brush with scandal fresh in his mind. "The more famous he is, the more attention her Facebook post will get and that's exactly what happened. Andrea probably twisted the story of her showing up at Joe's place and Missy pounced on it."
"Or they both ganged up and made up this story together," Jon Good piped in. "I wouldn't put it past Andrea."
"She better pray she had nothing to do with this," Joe snarled, and everyone instantly looked his way at the sound of his voice. "I told her not once, but twice, that if she ever opened her fuckin' mouth about me I'm taking her ass to court. My lawyer's already working on it and if he proves she is, I'm gonna ruin her, just like she's tried to ruin me. She's spread her lies to the world and now everyone's sitting around judging me."
"We know it's all lies, Joe," said Claudio. "Even though the rest of the world doesn't, your family and your bosses know the truth and that's all that matters."
The others nodded in agreement, and another tired sigh escaped the Samoan's lungs. Sure, Claudio was right, but it didn't make him feel any less shitty about the situation he was in.
The silence that had drifted over the hotel room was permeated by Jon's gruff voice. "So, I guess this makes me the last man standing?" he said.
They all looked at him strangely. "What do you mean?"
The Lunatic Fringe puffed out his chest. "I'm the only scandal-free member of the Shield. Who'da thunk it?" he said, flashing his teeth proudly.
If he was expecting an instant reaction, he didn't get it. Five pairs of eyes simply bored into him like he had lost his mind.
Colby rolled his eyes. "You know what, I'm glad the Shield's breaking up. I won't have to listen to your crap anymore."
"Don't relax, Ambrose. It'll be your turn soon," Jonny said.
Jon grinned. "If that's the case, it better be a sex tape. You know that shit'll make millions."
A mental image popped up collectively in each of the wrestlers' minds, and they all cringed at the thought. Claudio choked on his water. "Dude, no," he wiped his mouth and made a disgusted face.
Joe watched his friends goof around with a small smile. He could sense they were doing it for his benefit, but it was working, as his mood gradually became better.
Pushing her way into the house, Sasha rolled her eyes as she listened to her best friend ranting on the phone. "Pamela, no."
"I ain't kiddin', babe," Pam was saying. "I can track down both of those bitches and fuck them up! Brandy's got a cousin who just got outta prison, we can send her and her goons if you want. Ain't no way it'll be traced back to you. You just say the word, girl. I'll make the call."
Laughing quietly, the mother of two tossed the keys to Joe's Range Rover on the kitchen counter and then gestured to Mia to go to her room to get changed. Only the day before, the now infamous Facebook post had been published for the world to see, and Sasha was still seething at the lies that had been spewed about Joe. Of course, a bulk of the wrestling fans ate it all up and did not hesitate to go on the attack. Sasha avoided her Instagram page and turned off all the notifications until further notice, but that didn't stop fans from trolling her or her boyfriend. It was infuriating, but she kept her cool and went about her day. She'd already received so much support from friends and family. Patricia, Cassie and Alma were solidly by her side, and that warmed the depths of her heart. "Not gonna happen girl," she said to Pam. "No beating anyone up. And quit cussing around my niece! I don't want her growing up with your potty-ass mouth."
"You're no fun," Pam replied, "I haven't given anyone a beatdown in years. I'm itching to get my hands dirty."
"You're just frustrated because you're not back at work yet." Sasha laughed when she heard a gurgling sound in the background. "See? Nee-Nee doesn't approve of Mommy's violent streak," she pointed out.
"Right, the same baby that pinches my tits when she's eating," Pam laughed. "Seriously though. You okay? With everything that's gone on and all…"
Sasha ripped off a strip of paper towel and blew her runny nose in it. "Surprisingly, I'm calmer than I thought I would be. If this had happened when we first started dating, I'da freaked the fuck out."
"How's he doing?"
Truth be told, she didn't know. She was yet to speak with him since he left the house the day before. She doubted Pam would be happy to hear that, so she kept that little nugget of information to herself. "As good as can be I guess…for someone who was just called an out-of-control, selfish cheating bastard."
"What a bitch."
"You ain't kiddin'. He must have had the meeting with WWE officials by now. I can only wonder what they're gonna say to him; if they'll punish him for this."
"I doubt it. It's not like he broke the WWE's rules. This is just some dumb bitch talkin' shit."
Sasha sighed. This was more than just talking shit. At least, what happened with Colby could be dismissed as carelessness on his part and rash behavior on Lauren's, and it was. This was different. Joe's integrity as a person and as a professional athlete was being questioned, and that was an oftentimes permanent taint to one's name. While Colby had the luxury of covering his ears and waiting for the crap to blow over, it couldn't be the same with Joe. It had to be tough for him, no doubt. Too bad she didn't know what was going on at the moment. "I just wish I could protect him from bullshit like this, you know? All he wants to do is wrestle and perform for the fans. His past is no one's business, and not for the entire world to know."
"Well, that's fame for you. I don't know how you do it. Does it get any easier?"
Sasha thought about it. "Not really. It's nice to see that's he's entertaining so many people and putting smiles on their faces, nice to see how much he loves his fans and vice-versa. The perks and rock star treatment is pretty cool too. It's the invasion of privacy I have an issue with."
"And the fangirls," Pam quipped, laughing.
"And the fangirls," Sasha agreed, "Not to mention the fact that people are out there hatin' and plottin' and schemin', tryin' to bring him down. You'd think people would have better things to do with their lives but I guess not."
"It's just how it is, babe. The only thing you can do is keep on keeping on, and be there for him when he needs you."
She did want to be there for him, but from the looks of things he didn't want the same. A beep from her phone indicated that she had an awaiting call. Glancing at her phone she saw who it was. Speak of the devil. "I gotta go, hun. Joe's calling me."
"Speak of the devil," Pam giggled. "Alright, I'll let you go. Get some rest and treat your cold. And tell big man I said hi and I got his back."
"He knows you do. Give Nee-Nee a kiss from me." She switched the calls and put the phone back to her ear, interested in what he had to say. "Well guess who's callin' me twenty-four hours later."
"Hey." His voice was small and sheepish. Good, let him squirm a little. "You home?" he asked.
"Got in a few minutes ago." Putting the phone on speaker, she walked to the kitchen to boil some water. She was long overdue a hot cup of tea. "You ready to talk to me now instead of shuttin' me out?"
His end of the line crackled with tension, and then he sighed. "Baby…I'm sorry."
"Are you?" Sasha hissed. "You acted like I'm the one who wrote all that stuff." She recalled the events from the morning before; the way he had stomped out of the house without talking to her, and though she understood why, it did not stop her from feeling hurt.
"I know and I'm sorry. I was just so pissed yesterday. I wish I could explain how I feel right now. You wouldn't understand…"
"Of course I understand," she interjected, "I know how it feels to be lied about, Joe. To have your name dragged through the mud by an ex. I told you about how Tyson treated me when he found out I was pregnant. It was my word against his, and because he was more popular than I was in school, I never stood a chance. His word was gospel while I was looked at as the philandering slut and the kids whispered behind my back. So yeah, I do know. Sure, it's not on your scale. My life wasn't being scrutinized under a microscope every day like yours is, but I get it. I wanted to be there for you but you shut me out and that's crap, Joe."
"I know nani, I know." Man, he'd never heard her sound this way before. She was angry, but her voice was low and quiet and it was just as effective as when she raised her voice. Maybe scarier, even. "Yesterday was kinda crazy, between this drama and gettin' ready for the pay-per-view tonight…I got swamped. But I should have called you or texted you, just to let you know I'm okay. I do need you and I'm really sorry, baby girl. Forgive me."
Shutting her eyes briefly, she sighed quietly, pushing her anger aside. This was not the time to be antagonizing towards him, especially now that he needed her support. "Okay," she said, and that was that. There was no point dragging the matter. She returned to the dining table with her tea. "How did your meetings go?"
"Better than I expected. I had to put out a statement, but that's about it."
"I saw the statement. It was good," said Sasha, sounding relieved. "Pam didn't think anything severe would happen to you. Glad to know she's right."
"So am I. I talked to my lawyer too," Joe went on, "He can't do anything to Andrea 'cause she wasn't the one that put up that Facebook post. There's no proof she had anything to do with it. He's still digging though, and we're definitely going after Missy."
Sasha nodded, wiping her nose with some tissue. "Good. Let him handle that. You just knuckle down and focus on work."
"You don't sound pissed about any of this," Joe observed.
"What good will getting pissed do? That Missy girl was looking for attention and she's got it. The best strategy is for you to not give her or Andrea any more. You've said your piece, so move on with your life. You don't got time for haters tryin' to bring you down. You got a job to do. And you got friends and family and fans who believe in you and always will."
Joe felt bad for ever underestimating his girlfriend. "I got some making up to do with you, don't I?"
A grin spread across her face in spite of herself. "Yeah, you do."
"Anything in particular you want?"
"Just you, baby. And for you to talk to me. That's all I want. And maybe a hot bowl of chicken soup." She paused as a huge sneeze ripped through her, and sniffling, she reached for her tea. "Ugh."
"You alright? Got a cold?"
She sniffed again. "I think so. I haven't been feeling great the past couple of days. Amber showed up at work with her damn flu and I think I've caught it. It's the last thing I need with these damn aptitude tests coming up."
"Aptitude tests?"
"Uh-huh. School is starting to bust my ass, by the way. I was better off doing this shit when I was younger, because I had nothing else to worry about then, not until I got pregnant anyway. Nowadays my mind is in a hundred different places."
"You'll do fine, babe. Don't worry."
"I'm trying not to. I'm so sorry this happened, baby. I still can't believe all those horrible things Missy said about you."
"It wasn't your fault," Joe assured her. "I should be the one apologizing for the trouble it's causing you. I know people have been buggin' you online and shit."
"Fuck them," Sasha shrugged, her tone dismissive. "Let 'em say what they want. The only people's opinion that matter to me are yours, my kids' and Pam's. I mean that."
"I know," he said, and Sasha could see his smile. "I love you," he said.
Now how could she stay mad? She felt the response to that in the flutter of her heart. "I love you too. You know I always got you," she whispered back. "We'll be watching the pay-per-view tonight. And if you need me, I'm a phone call or a FaceTime call away."
"I know. Get some rest, baby. Don't want you getting sick now."
Sasha giggled. "Too late, but I'll try."
After saying their goodbyes the call ended, and she dropped the phone on the table and nudged it aside. Taking a deep breath, her hands closed over her cup, and she stared mindlessly at brown liquid swirling inside, her mind traveling in a million different directions.
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