Well hey there! I'm back with another chapter! And let's just say this past Friday has given me much inspiration! :D Getting to see AJ up close was one of those reason...but anywho! Shoutout to my girls JustCherry and wwechristina. Thank you for your reviews and continued love and support! Love you girls! Also, thank you to those who chose to read this story as well...it means a lot to me! Let's just say, too, that what you guys have been waiting for for so long is finally going to happen very soon!
I don't own anyone affiliated with the WWE. I only own Rory, every other character that doesn't correlate with the WWE as well as the storyline is mine!
Enjoy!
Allen POV
To say the end of the day was eventful would be a huge understatement. The kids just left to go home with Felicia, but not before I confronted her with what Aiden came to me with earlier in the day.
She was pissed to say the least, but I couldn't give a horses ass. Not when my kids are involved and are in the same vicinity as the arguing going on around them. I gave her the ultimatum of the kids will be staying with my parents until she gets her shit figured or I'll go to Aurora and see what she would like to happen. She and I are together now and what happens with the kids now concerns her. I know she'd want it that way, so that's what I'm going to do. Aiden coming to me earlier in the day just proved to me what I already knew…Rory is just as important to them as they are to her.
I want her input and opinions on what needs to and should be done. If things keep progressing the way they are between us, I have a feeling I know the direction our relationship will be headed. I just hope Rory feels the same way. Speaking of Rory, I've just finally started winding down my day, so I find my favorite seat at the counter and shoot a text message to her.
Allen: Hey darlin', are you free to talk right now or are you busy getting things done before you turn in for the night?
I send the text and wait for her response. Thankfully, it doesn't take long.
Aurora: Hey baby. Yeah, I can talk. I just put Matty to bed. Is everything okay? The tone in your text has me worried.
She really is incredible. I don't even have to say anything and she can sense that something isn't right. This is one of the reasons why I want her with me. One of the reasons why I fell in love with her. She's connected to me in ways I never knew were even possible and she is putting her promise to be there for me no matter what to new levels.
I hate to say it this early, but at the same time I don't…but I think Aria is up to something when she told me to marry Aurora. I would like to entertain that idea in my head, but for now, I'm going to do just that. But also because a FaceTime call from Rory is coming through.
I answer the call and her beautiful face fills up the entirety of my iPhone's screen. Before I can even say a word, she's already in protection mode. I can see it and sense it, even though we're hundreds of miles apart. "Allen, is everything alright? Are the kids okay?" She asks in a panicked rush and I can't help but crack a small closed mouth corner smile at her motherly instincts coming out.
"Yeah, the kids are fine. They literally left with their mother not even an hour ago," I reassure her and a look of relief crosses her face. God, I always think I can't love this woman any more than I already do, but she continues to prove me wrong. Her protection over my kids blows my mind out of the water.
"Thank God. What's wrong then? You scared the shit out of me because you never text me like that," Rory replied.
"You've got some time, right? Cause this may take a while and I don't wanna keep you up. I can see the exhaustion on your face, baby," I tell her as she sits down and covers a yawn.
"I've got all the time. It was one of my days off and Matty ran me into the ground today. Mentally I'm fine; I'm just physically drained. I wish I had his energy, that's all I have to say," Rory said, lightly chuckling.
"Well, you always seem to have enough energy for me," I counter, wiggling my brows at her while my eyes dance with mirth at teasing her. The light blush on her face tells me I'm right.
"You hush. You're lucky you're cute, otherwise you wouldn't be getting away with it. Now stop distracting me and tell me what's going on that has you so stressed. I can see it written all over you," Rory counters.
I grin at her calling me cute, but I quickly sober up that thought. "Fuck, I don't even know how to begin this," I say, running a hand through my hair with a sigh as I look at Rory. The look in her eyes turn sympathetic while she waits for me to continue.
"Why don't you start from the beginning. Or if it's easier for you, just start where it'll make most sense to explain," Rory inputs gently and I flash her a soft smile, nodding my head.
"Well for starters, I'm pretty sure Keith is cheating on Felicia…" I begin and Rory's eyes pop out of her head while her jaw hits the counter. I laugh at the look on her face, because not only is it comical, she looks absolutely adorable.
"Are you serious? How do you know? And that its for sure?" She asks back to back questions.
"Dead serious. Aiden approached me after he overheard me and Aria talking…which I need to talk to you about too…but with what Aria had said to me, I guess gave Aiden the confidence to come to me with the bout of information that Keith is cheating on Felicia. Apparently Ax went to Aiden a month ago after they both heard Keith and Felicia fighting and I'm assuming it was about him cheating on her. They want to come on the road with me so they can get away from it. Ari asked the same thing before Aiden even came to me about it…" I begin to explain to Rory and the look on her face grows more flabbergasted by the second.
"Oh my god…what are you going to do?" She asks me and that's the question I was waiting for.
I get the most serious look on my face that I can muster up because I want her to know that I mean every word I'm about to say. "That's one of the reasons why I wanted to talk to you about it. We're a couple now and anything that revolves around the kids or involves them…I want your input and opinion. What you have to say is important to me," I tell Rory and the shock to cross her face is one I expected.
"Wait…what? W–why do you want my input and opinion? Don't get me wrong, I love them and care for them like they are my own, but that's just it…they're not," she counters and I was expecting this as well.
"That's just it, Rore. If it were up to me, I'd have you and Matty up here in a heartbeat. That is how much I love you and how much I want to be with you. How much I need you with me. You've become such an incredibly important factor in my life, I want you to be a part of it in every way possible. But it's because of how much I love you and respect you that I'd never try and force you to move away from the only thing you've known your whole life.
"No matter how much I want you here…with me, I'm not going to be selfish and try and take you away from that. If and when you want to or do decide to move up to Gainesville, it'll be on your own accord and I'll support you every step of the way. But it's also why I want and value your input and opinion, Rory; I know you want what's best for them as much as I do," I counter back.
Rory sits back and looks at me perplexed at even how to answer me and everything I just dropped on her. "Wow…" she breathes and I can see the wheels turning in her head as she digests everything I just said.
"Well, if I was in your position and the roles were reversed, I'd do whatever was best for Matty. I know you have that mindset and want to do the same thing for Aiden, Archer, Ari and Axel. If you feel bringing them on the road with you is what's best…I mean, do you have another alternative? Because surely you can't bring all four of them with you at the same time. Especially Aria. She's only 7…" Rory trails off and I nod my head because I was thinking that same thing.
"You're right, I can't bring all four at once. It's too much to handle and jumble at once, especially considering how hectic…time and attention consuming my job is. There would be no way and I would never dream of putting that pressure on Aid to look after them. Even though I know he'd do it without question.
"My only other option is to have them stay with my parents until Felicia gets her shit figured out because I'm not letting them stay around all of that negativity. I could bring at least one of them with me while the others stay with mom and dad…" I begin to say as I think out loud.
"You can send one of them to me," Rory says and I look at her like she's gone crazy.
"What? No," I say, shaking my head, "I'd never ask you to do that or put that burden on you. I'm not going to make one of them your responsibility. You already have Matty to worry about…" I retort. I would never dream of ever doing that to Rory.
"You're not asking me, Allen. I'm offering to. I want to. It's just like a month ago when you wanted to buy Matty's costume and I fought you on it, except the roles are reversed this time. I even said the same thing to Chelsea earlier. I'd take one of them for you in a heartbeat because that is how much I love you and how much I love them. How much I care about all of you. I promised you I'd treat them like they are one of my own and that is exactly what I am and would do," she tells me and I look at her in disbelief. My silence triggers her to speak up once more, "do you not trust me with them? Is that why you don't want to send one of them down to me?" Rory asks, disheartened with nothing but a look of hurt and heartbreak.
The look on Rory's face is like a stab to the heart; the sharp pain to shoot through my chest, unbearable. It's a look I never wanna see on her face and I especially don't want to be the cause of it. "Aurora, baby. No. God, no. I trust you. More than anything. I trust you with their lives. I trust you with mine…" I reply, desperate for her to believe me.
I do. I really do trust her. I just don't want to put that extra stress on her. She is right though…why can you care for Matty the way you are, but she can't care for yours? If you feel for her the way you claim to, but can't voice to her…doesn't that warrant you putting that love and trust to the test?
"Then what's the problem? Why won't you let me take one of them for you?" She counters in kind. "I want to be there for you. You can for me, but I can't for you? Let me be there for you, Allen! Please!" Rory cries out.
I hold my hands up and try to calm her down the best I can with two phone screens and hundreds of miles in between us. "Rory, please calm down, baby. Listen to me and hear me out," I say softly, having my eyes match my tone. Rory subtly nods her head as she discreetly tries to wipe a tear from her eye. "Baby, please don't cry. I hate seeing you cry," I plead.
"I'm not crying," she counters, but I know better and I give her a knowing look.
"We both know that's a lie, Rore," I counter back, but quickly continue so she can't come up with another excuse. "I trust you with my children, Aurora. I just want you to be a last resort if I can help it. I know you don't care about having the extra body to care for, but I do. I don't wanna put that on you if I don't have to, baby. Please, believe me," I say quietly, begging her to do just that.
Sighing, Rory nods her head in defeat and I smile softly at her. "Okay, fine. You win," she says just as quietly and it feels like a weight had just been lifted off my shoulders.
"Thank you, darlin'. Trust me, I'll let you know what happens every step of the way," I promise Rory and she nods her head again with a smile.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, baby," I reply.
"So…what is this other thing you needed to tell me about that Aria said to you?" She asks and my eyes widen because I honestly forgot about it when I was trying to calm Rory down.
"Ohh, uhhh…" I begin and break eye contact with her, looking anywhere but at her.
"Babe, it can't be that bad. I mean, it came from your seven year old daughter. What exactly could she have said to make you react like this?" Rory asks.
"Well, you remember how you reacted when I said I wanted more with you than just companionship the night we met? Where with the way you reacted, I thought I lost you before I even had you…" I say, trailing off as I break eye contact once more before quickly looking back into her brown eyes.
I see the wheels in her head turn as she tries to remember that moment, until her eyes widen. "The fact that you wanted a relationship with me after just meeting, yeah it scared the shit outta me, but baby, we've been together for two months. We've been intimate on so many different levels, it's not even funny. We're more in love than we ever thought was possible. We love each others children as if they were our own, Allen. So please, tell me, baby…what did Aria say to you?" Rory begs, her voice becoming more emotional by the second.
The look on Rory's face paired with the way Aria looked at me earlier, beat me down. "Aria came to me upset that you had left and that she missed you. She thought you didn't like her or the boys anymore because you left, but I explained to her in not so many words that you had to go home because you have a child of your own you needed to get back to.
"I told Ari I missed you, too and that I wish you could have stayed because of how attached to you I have gotten. Ari kinda had an upset blank stare on her face until it lit up and she became really excited, demanding that I…marry you…because of how happy you make me and the kids," I tell her and I can't decipher the look on Rory's face, that it begins to scare me.
I'm feeling just as I did when I told her I wanted more than just companionship with her because she has the same look on her face now as she did then. Scared shitless. I can't lose her because the subject of marriage came up since my seven year old daughter demand I tell her.
"Rory. Please say something, baby. You're scarin' me with how quiet you're being," I whisper with fear in my voice that it begins to quiver. She refocuses in on me again and the look in her eyes have changed.
"How do you feel about it?" She asks, catching me off guard with how calm she sounds and I look at her like an idiot, completely out of loss for words.
"Wait…what?" I ask, still flabbergasted at the fact that she hasn't run away and wants nothing to do with me because I brought up the word 'marry' into our relationship of only two months.
"You heard me," Rory replies and I swallow thickly as my nerves begin to really kick in. Is she challenging me? Is she going to make her decision based off of what I tell her?
I take a deep breath and break all eye contact with her again. I can't bear to see the look in her eyes when I tell her that I've thought about it and entertained the idea in my head. Especially, when I saw her in the crowd at Raw on Monday. The second my mind was able to register that Rory was actually there…in Atlanta…for me, I knew she was it for me. I knew right then that she is the one I want to spend my life with.
I hear my name being called by her and I look up to see a worried look cross Rory's face. It's because you've been quiet for too long you dumbass. That girl loves you and to see the look on her face when you've been too quiet about her asking you how you feel about marrying her…somehow you gotta know she wants the same thing if she's lookin' at you like that.
"I–I'm not gonna lie and say that I haven't entertained the idea in my head nor thought hard about it before, because otherwise I'd be lyin', Rore. The second I saw you in the crowd on Monday I knew you were it. I knew…I know you're the one I want to spend my life with, baby. I just really hope you feel the same way because it's going to suck if you don't. I'll accept it, but it's goin' to hurt worse than any bump or bruise I've been given in the ring," I answer.
I look away again because I don't want to see the look of rejection being directed at me. It was hard having it done to me once, but to have it done a second time and this time by someone who means more than the world to me…I won't be able to endure that. I never thought I'd see myself in this situation. Anticipating an answer that could change my life all over again, by a woman who is 12 years younger than I am. But also by a woman I never thought I could love as much as I do.
"Allen…" I hear my name and I know it's Rory, but I can't bring myself to look at her and learn that she doesn't want the same thing. "Allen…baby. Please look at me," I hear her again, but her voice is raspy.
I obey her command and look up to see tears in her eyes, but in them are happiness and love. The smile on her face matching them. "I want the same thing. I feel the same way, Allen. I knew you were it for me when I was up in Gainesville and got to spend time with you that was for longer than 12 hours. But along with falling in love with you, I knew you were the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with the second Matty's costume came in the mail. So if you were expecting a different reaction, I'm sorry to disappoint you, babe," Rory tells me and the smile that grows on my face begins to hurt my cheeks with how happy I am.
"God, I really wish you were here right now because I'd be pullin' you in to one of the most breathtakin' kisses you've ever been given'," I tell Rory.
"And I wish you were here right now so you can kiss me like that, but what I'd give to be in your arms right now, baby. God, this long distance thing sucks! Having to wait another month to be in your arms is going to be agonizing torture. And yes, I'm being overly dramatic because I love you so damn much and I miss you like crazy," Rory replies and I couldn't agree with her more.
I chuckle at her enthusiasm because I feel the exact same way she does. Which brings me to what I'm going to propose to her next. "That feeling is mutual, darlin'. But it does have me thinking of something that I can make happen. If you're up for it, that is. But something tells me I think you will be," I reply and I've gotten Rory's attention with that.
"OoOoOo…you have me intrigued, baby. What is it?" She asks, getting closer to the screen. God, what I'd give to kiss those lips.
"Well, I was thinking that at some point, I could take you on the road with me for a few days. Maybe more if you like it enough," I propose to Rory and her eyes brighten at the mention of it. Laughing, I add, "I take it you like my idea?" I ask her.
Rory nods her head rapidly with a smile. "I love it. It's funny because I actually brought that up to Chelsea earlier, voicing that I would want to go on the road with you and that I would bring it up to you the next time I talked to you," she says and the smile on my face brightens.
"Even when we're hundreds of miles apart, we're on the same page. You really were meant for me, baby," I tell her and the smile on her could rival mine.
"You know I was, otherwise you wouldn't have walked into Daisy's the way you did. We were meant to find each other, Allen; we're soulmates, baby. I firmly believe that," Rory replies.
"I do, too, darlin'. I do, too."