One of these days, I'll be able to start a new chapter off without having to apologize first. Sorry about the wait! I won't even rant, I'll leave that in my author's note at the end of the chapter. Thank you so much for reading! Enjoy!
"Want to watch a movie?" Chris asked out of the blue while they were cleaning up after dinner
It caught her a bit off guard "Sure."
He took the pan she was scrubbing out of her wet hands "Go ahead and shower and get comfortable, I'll take care of this."
She said nothing, only nodded and turned towards the stairs. She had learned not to argue with him about cleaning. He barely let her lift a finger as is.
She felt the weight of the day wash away under the steaming hot water. Her work day seemed to be lengthening by the day the further along she got. She would miss working, but was glad her maternity leave was approaching soon.
A knock sounded on her bathroom door and she froze
"My room okay for the movie?" Chris asked from outside the door
She let out a sigh of relief that she had a forceful habit of locking the bathroom door "Yeah, that's fine!" she called over the water.
She shut the water off, nervousness creeping up on her. Usually if they watched TV together, it was downstairs on the couch with a safe distance between them.
She slipped into a pair of shorts and one of Punk's old shirts. A twinge of guilt tugged at her heart. It was the shirt she borrowed from him the night she and Rosa had gotten shit faced drunk and he and Mike had to carry them out of the club. She felt bad about not reaching out to him after all this time. Chris had told her that the Straight Edge Savior had not been feeling well as of late and watching RAW last week confirmed it. He looked absolutely drained.
The healthy glow that he had when he returned from his hiatus was long gone and he looked like the walking dead. They were a few short days away from the SummerSlam pay per view and she hoped with the way he looked that he would walk out in one piece.
She located her phone, scrolling through her contacts until she found his number, hoping it hadn't changed. Punk had always been there for her and she at least owed it to him to see how his health was.
A phone call seemed weird after all this time, so she went the smoother route by sending a text. At least that way, it was up to him to decide if he wanted to bother with her
Hey Punk, it's Yelena. I know it's kind of crazy that I'm reaching out to you after all this time. Just wanted to see how you were doing. You looked like shit on TV last week. Hope you're taking care of yourself. I'd love to hear from you.
xYelena
She hit send before she could change her mind. Worse case scenario, he didn't respond. She had no one to blame but herself if he didn't. Might as well get use to the idea that everyone wouldn't be as accepting of her disappearing without a trace.
Throwing her phone on the bed and tying her half dried hair up in a messy bun, she padded down the hall to Chris's room, knocking softly on the half closed door
"Did you seriously just knock?" Chris called
She slipped in, finding him sitting in his massive Cali king bed. The room smelled like popcorn "It would have been rude to just barge in. You could have been half dressed."
"You've seen me in less, sweetheart."
She tried her best to set her nerves aside as she sat on the bed next to him and he handed her the bowl
"What are we watching?"
"The Great Gatsby."
They settled in and started the movie. Yelena crossed her arms against her chest nervously, leaning against the headboard while Chris was perfectly at ease, laying on his side, munching on popcorn.
A little ways into the movie, persistent nudges to her right side nagged her, making her shift to get comfortable.
"You okay? Do you need an extra pillow?" he asked
"I'm fine." she said out of habit
He grabbed a fluffy pillow from behind him "Here." he said, adjusting the pillow behind her back "Lay back."
She did, sliding down a bit so she was propped at a more comfortable angle. It eased the tension in her back, but the baby at her right side kept the kicks coming. It didn't take long for softer kicks to start up on her left.
"Now you've done it." She muttered at her stomach, begrudgingly rubbing her left side.
"Are they moving?" Chris asked, his blue eyes following the circular motion she was making with her hand
"Kicking the crap out of me is more like it."
His hand started out, but he drew back "May I?" he asked
She smiled, taking his right hand, gently placing it in the spot where the kicks were coming "She's usually the first one awake and causing trouble."
A grin was forming on his lips as consistent kicks met his hand. She slid it over to her left side "This one over here is more mellow. She doesn't kick as hard. Usually I can get her to go back to sleep if I rub here."
She placed his hand on a particular spot and he drew circles like she was doing earlier.
She liked the look of awe that was plastered on his face as his hands moved from one side of her belly to the other.
The movie was temporarily forgotten for a while. Her heart swelled when he actually started talking to her stomach
"You're gonna be a hell raiser, I can already tell."
She had already lulled the baby on her left back to sleep but the other was clearly loving the attention. She could literally watch him coo at her stomach forever.
"Have you decided on any names yet?" he asked
"I found a few. Hold on." she said, getting up. She went down the hall to retrieve the baby name book and returned, climbing back on the bed
Chris helped her settle back in so she was comfortable before taking the book
"The ones I like are marked."
He flipped to the page that was folded at the corner, reading through the highlighted names. There had to be over two dozen names marked. The first one made his brow furrow "Bibiana?"
She laughed "I knew you wouldn't like that one."
He kept reading through "Carina."
She watched as he looked through the list
"Giovanna... seriously? Ventura?" he asked
She rolled her eyes playfully "Just keep looking."
He did "Abriana... Abrielle, I like that one. Evelina. Is that like the Italian version on Evelyn?"
"Ladies and gentlemen, he has a brain!" she said with playful sarcasm
He leaned over her stomach, place a palm on her right side "Mommy is being mean to me, you should squeeze her bladder."
The baby actually nudge a foot into her side, as if knowing she was being spoken to.
"Conspiring with the trouble maker already. Heaven help me."
He flashed her a dazzling smile, making her heart skip two beats before turning back to the book, still stroking her belly softly.
"Nicci. I like the c's instead of traditional k's. Nikki would love that." He said with a snort "Oria or Oriana. That's different."
"Oriana means 'golden'." she told him "I like that one."
"Me too, definitely an option."
He continued on down the lift, choosing the names he wanted to keep as options
"There's one I found that's in the very back."
He flipped to the page towards the back of the book she had marked. There was only one name highlighted "Zia." he said, trying it out.
"It's actually a Russian name. What do you think?" she asked, even though she could already tell the name would stick
"I love it."
"One down." she said, feeling accomplished. It was way over due that they picked names.
"Since you actually let me pick the first name and their middle names, I think you should pick the second one."
He handed her the book and she flipped through the names until she found the one she most definitely liked "This one."
Chris leaned over to see "Violet." He said aloud "Its perfect. Zia Christine and Violet Claire."
She grinned. It was indeed perfect "It's a done deal."
He held his hand up and they high-fived
"Yelena, babe, we love you, but we would like to leave sometime today." Rosa called up the stairs
"I'm just trying to make sure I'm not forgetting anything!" she called back. Pregnancy brain was becoming her worst enemy and the phone pressed to her ear wasn't helping her case much either.
Seth and Dean were rough housing in the foyer and a loud bang echoed through the house, making her look over the banister in the hall at the floor below
"What the hell was that?" she asked
Rollins and Ambrose straightened up, looking up at her innocently
"Make sure those animals don't break anything in my house." Chris said on the other end of the phone
"What time will you be getting in?" she asked. He was currently sitting in the Houston, Texas airport, awaiting his delayed flight.
"I'm not sure. It could be later tonight or early tomorrow morning. Kinda hard to say right now."
She felt bummed that he wasn't going to be there when everyone else arrived at the house they would be staying in for the weekend. It would have been nice to have some moral support.
"Anything you want me to grab for you before I leave?"
"My laptop, its in my office."
She picked up her duffle bag and made her way down stairs.
Roman met her halfway up, taking the bad from her "I'll put this in the truck."
She thanked him silently before going to retrieve the Mac Book. Her eyes caught the picture frame that looked new. Picking it up, she fought a smile. He had framed the 3D ultrasound photo they had done at her last appointment.
She took in the two delicate faces. They would surely have Chris's nose. From what she could see, they already had a good bit of hair.
Would they would have brown hair like most of the women in her family?
She admired how one twin was somewhat hugging the other, almost protectively.
She placed a hand in her belly. Violet, the more subtle of the two, was awake and stretching. She loved feeling her girls move around within her. It still baffled her that she was carrying two babies.
Making sure she had his charger, she turned out the lights "Got it." she said, slipping out of the office
"I'll text you before I board."
"Okay."
The said their goodbyes and Rosa let of an exasperated sigh "Ready?"
Yelena pondered, looking back at the stairs "I still feel like I'm forgetting something."
"Whatever it is, we'll buy you a new one. Hell, I'll buy you anything you want Doll Face, just please get in the car!" Dean said, ushering them all to the door
"Alright, alright. I'm ready."
Roman was already behind the wheel of the Hummer they rented for the weekend and she marveled at the way the big man still made the off-road vehicle look small.
They piled into the car, Rosa riding shotgun, Seth and Dean in the second row. Roman had so generous given her the very back seat to herself for most of the ride.
The hour drive was painless and they pulled up to their home for the weekend, amazed
"We need to vacation with Cena more often." Dean said, stretching
John had, as usual, spared no expenses. The house was beautiful, but Yelena didn't have time to marvel. If she didn't make it to the bathroom, she was going to embarrass herself.
"Would you mind getting my things? I have to pee." she said, shooting an apologetic look at Roman
"Sure thing, I got it. Go." he urged, popping the trunk open
She walked speedily up the stairs. She didn't bother knocking. The door was unlocked and she could hear voices coming from what was probably the kitchen "Hello?" she called
John came around the corner at the sound of slamming doors outside, smiling brightly "Heeeeeeeeey" he greeted when he saw her
And then he really saw her, his feet coming to a screeching halt
"Holy fertilization." He said, his blue eyes wide
Nikki and Brie appeared before she could say anything
"Yelena!" Brie said, approaching with open arms
"Oh my god, look at you!" Nikki said, throwing her arms around her "You look so beautiful! Doesn't she look beautiful John?"
John was still staring at her, clearly still shocked and could only nod "A warning would have been nice."
"I asked her not to. I'm getting around to telling people slowly but surely."
"I'm speechless Yelena. Honestly. I literally just saw you at my birthday party..." he said, finally crossing the distance to hug her
"If you're speechless now, just wait. This isn't even the big shocker." she turned to the twins "I'm four seconds from peeing myself." she warned
"Follow me!" Brie said, linking her arm through hers, leading her towards the stairs
She wanted to jump for joy when she finally made it to the bathroom. Finishing up and washing her hands, she followed Brie back downstairs
"The house is amazing."
"It is. We're right on the beach, too. It's so beautiful."
They guys had finally made it inside with the luggage, Rosa barking orders at them
"Be careful with that one! That's Chanel!"
Ambrose rolled his eyes, pointedly dumping the bad unceremoniously next to the rest
"He'll be lucky if he makes it through the weekend without me stabbing him in the face." the Latina said, staring daggers in Dean's direction
They all said their hellos and John gave them a tour, showing them to their rooms so they could settle in and let them know dinner would be served in an hour.
"I'm so jealous of the view you have from your room." Rosa said, falling into the giant bed
Yelena opened the sliding glass door to let some of the ocean air in while she unpacked
"What time is Chris getting in?"
"If not tonight, than early tomorrow morning."
"Soooo... you nervous?" Rosa asked, propping herself up on an elbow with a devilish grin
"Should I be?" Yelena asked, trying to figure out exactly where this conversation was going
"I don't know. I'm not the one who has to sleep in the same bed with my baby daddy all weekend."
She raised a brow, slightly confused "And why would we be sharing a bed?"
Rosa rolled her eyes "Yelena. Roman, Dean, Seth, and I are in our own rooms. The couples are sharing rooms. So there's Nikki and John, Brie and Brian, and you and Jericho in here."
Yelena couldn't even hide the horror on her face "Did you have something to do with this?"
"I might have omitted that Chris would me joining us when John asked how many rooms were needed."
"Rosa!" Yelena wailed "Why do you insisted on ruining my weekend before it even starts?"
"Oh, come on Yelena, don't be so dramatic. It's only for the weekend. You act like you've never shared a bed with him before. There's no denying the evidence." she said, reaching for her baby bump playfully
Yelena smack her hand away lightly "That was long time ago. You know, before I morphed into a SeaWorld attraction?"
"Thinking like that is so not going to get you laid this weekend." The Diva tutted
Yelena response was to hurl a shoe at her, hitting her right in the boob "Get off my bed and out of my room."
Rosa rubbed her boob, laughing as she got up to leave "This dry spell is making you aggressive. I'll see you downstairs for dinner."
When she was gone and the unpacking was done, she fell only the bed, slightly exhausted and closed her eyes. Why couldn't Rosa leave well enough alone? Now she was going to be tortured, having to share a bed with Chris. Her hormones were getting worse and if he so much as brushed up against her by mistake, she would fly off the handle
She let out a misery-filled groan. This weekend was going to be hell
...
Chris pulled up at the beach house and cut the engine. After that hellacious flight, he'd be glad when his head hit a pillow. Sleeping in for the first time in weeks made his tired muscles ache.
Grabbing his bags out the trunk, he hauled his bags to the front door and rang the bell. It was well past midnight, but lights were still on from what he could see and after a few seconds the door was answered by John
"Chris? What are you doing here?" The leader of the CeNation asked
"Um, I was invited?" Chris said
"Nikki didn't tell me. Huh... okay, well... come on in." he said, stepping aside to let him in
The house was huge. Chris followed Cena into the living room where Seth and Dean were playing Madden on the fifty inch flat screen T.V. mounted over a fireplace
Chris greeted the rookies, sending a nod to the big Samoan in the corner before turning to John "What room is Yelena in?"
A grin crept onto the Boston native's face.
"What? Why are you grinning like that?" Chris asked
"Nothing. Just put two and two together. I should have known. Congratulations, by the way." John said, clapping the Canadian on the shoulder
"Thanks." Chris said, not even having to ask
"Up the stairs, around the corner, fourth door to you left.
Chris bus the guys good night before going up the stairs. Following John's directions, he eased the door to Yelena's bedroom open silently, slipping in. The lights were out, the room completely black. He felt a cool breeze coming in from the windows, which were open, the curtains dancing in the wind. When his eyes adjusted, he made out a door on the other side of the room. Quietly, he tip toed past the sleeping form buried under the covers. Fumbling for a switch, he was happy to see he was in the bathroom. He unzipped his suitcase and dug out a change of clothes and took a quick shower, brushed his teeth and turned out the lights before slipping into bed next to Yelena, falling asleep almost instantly.
...
Yelena woke to the sound of waves crashing and seagulls in the distance meeting her ears.
She let out a yawn, opening her eyes to find Chris next to her, snoring softly. It took her moment to register the compromising position they were in, Chris on his back, one arm tucked behind his head, the other around her waist. Somehow in the middle of her sleep, she had thrown a leg over his waist and she could feel the unmistakable bulge poking her in the thigh.
Her face heated as she peeked up at him. He seemed to be in a deep sleep, clearly unaffected by the way her body was molded wrapped around his.
She winced when the alarm on her phone went off loudly
Picking her head up, she moved slowly, careful not to wake him, she sat up and reached over his sleeping body. Trying to reach the right phone to silence the offending sound so he would not be disturbed, she slightly lost her balance
Chris chose that exact moment to wake up, steading her
"Sorry." she said apologetically "I was trying not to disturb you."
"It's fine. I was somewhat awake anyway." He stroked the side of her belly, making her flush "How are you feeling?"
"Fine. Sorry about last night. I wasn't trying to invade your personal space. I couldn't quite get comfortable."
"It's fine, I don't mind it. I'm guessing you left the noodle at home."
"Pregnancy brain at its finest." she chuckled
A knock sounded on their bedroom door "Knock knock-" Nikki said, poking her head in, stopping short when she saw their somewhat compromising position "Oh... am I interrupting?"
"I told you not to barge in." Brie said behind her
She straightened herself and Chris rolled out of bed, saying good morning to the twins before heading into the bathroom
"No, it's fine, you didn't interrupt anything. What's up?"
"Breakfast is almost ready. We'll be eating on the deck."
"Then we're going to head out then meet the guys on the beach."
Yelena heaved herself out of bed. If she didn't get up now, she'd never make it out of bed or get dressed at all for that matter "I'm up. We'll be down in a few minutes."
When the twins left, she set about gathering everything she needed to make herself presentable then, of course, got halted by the demands of her bladder.
She knocked on the bathroom door that was ajar "I have to pee"
Chris swung the door open, his toothbrush hanging from his mouth, which was covered in foaming toothpaste. He stepped aside and let her in.
She hesitated when he didn't leave
"What? I won't look." he assured
She didn't have time to fret over it. She almost sighed in relief as she went, quickly wiping and pulled her pants back up.
After brushing her teeth while he shaved, she went back into the bedroom, closing the bathroom door. If she hurried she could probably manage to get dressed before he came back out. She decided on a maxi dress. It was black, of course and she hoped it would somehow make her bump appear smaller. It didn't work, and the cut in the front seemed deeper than she remembered. She blew fallen strands of hair out of her eyes. She couldn't change again. Chris would be finished in the bathroom at any given second.
She grabbed her sandals and slid her feet in. Now for the hard part. Fastening shoes on that had buckled or laces was becoming a serious pain in the ass. She fumbled, straining over the large bump in her middle, almost working up a sweat, but managed to get one foot done. Feeling accomplished, she started working on the other shoe.
The bathroom door opened and Chris emerged, dressed for the day. The smell of his cologne met her nose "Sorry, didn't mean to hog the bathroom."
"It's okay." she said, struggling
"Need some help?"
"Please? If you don't mind?" she huffed
He bent a knee, placing her small foot on his thigh and guided her foot into the shoe, fastening the buckle on the side with ease.
He stood and helped her to her feet "Thank you." she said gratefully.
She put on a little bit of makeup so she wouldn't look like a hag next to the Divas. Winging her eyeliner and applying mascara, she ran a brush through her midnight hair, leaving it down in soft waves.
It took her a moment to realize Chris was watching her through the mirror and she looked away, face burning
She followed him down the stairs to the deck where Brie, Brian, and Rosa were already seated and eating.
Brian almost choked on the tropical looking drink he was drinking "Holy cow. Yelena?" he said in between gasps
Brie patted him on the back. Brian must have gotten in late last night as well and was now seeing her for the first time in months.
He stood and embraced her. She was going to have to get use to this reaction
"I seriously can't believe my eyes right now, is this for real?"
Yelena could only beam, looking at Chris beside her, who looked almost... proud.
The door behind them opened and the Shield stepped out
"TROUBLE'S HERE!" Dean said, adjusting the backwards ball cap over his shaggy hair
Roman said good morning to everyone, eye on the banquet laid out on the table before them.
Rosa made room for Rollins, who let out a yawn, his brown eyes shielded from the sun by Ray Banz "Morning."
"Where is John and your sister?" Brian asked his girlfriend
Brie only rolled her eyes "I don't think you want to know. The food will be cold by the time they grace us with their presence. Let's eat."
"Don't mind if I do." Roman said hungrily
The spread of food looked like something out of a magazine. Yelena didn't want to overdo it on the food, so she settled on an egg white omelette and some fruit.
Eventually, Nikki and John appeared and did their walk of shame to the breakfast table
"So Yelena, what are you having?" Brian asked as the caught up
Yelena peeked over at Chris beside her. Yup there was that smirk of accomplishment plastered all over his face "Twins."
Now it was John's turn to choke on the piece of pineapple he was chewing "Twins?" he croaked when his windpipe had opened back up
"Girls, actually." Chris said
"Whaaaaaat?" John said, still flabbergasted
Nikki and Brie happily congratulated them
"I knew it all along." Roman said, shooting her a wink
"Nah, I'm still convinced you cheated." Dean said, wolfing down a blueberry muffin
"We had a bet going on the gender." Seth clarified to the others "Roman not only guesses that it was girls, he also was right about it being twins."
"How did you know?" Brian asked
Ro launched into the entertaining story about his twin cousins, The Usos and how his mother had found out she was expecting two boys.
"Well at least we'll know the signs when we start trying later on down the road." Brie said, intertwining her finger's through Brian's
He kissed her forehead and Nikki rolled her eyes
"You win this time, big man, but I'll get you next time." Dean told the Samoan
"Next time?" Yelena asked.
She immediately wished she hadn't judging by the way Ambrose smirked
"Until your next go round. The way you two get busy, it won't be long before our favorite pair of rabbits have another bet is going."
Her face flamed scarlet as everyone laughed
Chris put an arm on the back of her chair as he sat back with a chuckle, clearly not as embarrassed as she was. She chucked a piece of melon at Ambrose, hitting him in a the center of his forehead
He shrugged "What? S' true."
Yelena was glad when breakfast was over and the girls were getting ready to head out. Nikki wanted to change, stating that she didn't want to go out in her "breakfast clothes."
They were waiting for her in the living room and Yelena felt a gentle hand tuck her hair behind her ear from behind.
Chris was leaning slightly over the back of the couch "Going shopping?"
"Knowing Nicole, probably." Brie said
Chris straightened, digging into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet.
Yelena raised a brow when he pressed his American Express card into her hand "Do you need me to get something for you?"
"Nope. I want you to have a good time."
Yelena's face scrunched, a word of declination on her lips "No. No, you don't have to." she said, trying to give it back
"I know I don't."
"You're just gonna let me go nuts with your credit card? No way. Take it back before it's too late."
"It's fine Yelena. I trust you." Chris assured
That was a first.
"Yeah, and you might not be able to spend someone else's money but I can!" Rosa said, plucking the card from her finger tips
Chris snatched it back instantly "I wouldn't trust you to water my damn plants, Mendes." he sneered. He took her by the wrist, putting the card in the palm of her hand and closed it
"Chris-" she groaned
Nikki came is "Ready ladies?"
Chris kissed her on the top of her head. I'll see you later." He was clearly not taking no for an answer "Have fun."
"Are you seriously going to just stare at it?" Rosa asked
They were at Volusia Mall. Nikki had already racked up half a dozen shopping bags and Rosa was eyeing a new Chanel bag
"I'm not going to spend his money, Rosa. It's weird." Yelena said, browsing threw a rack of dresses. She tried to fight off the twinge of jealously as the twins and Rosa picked up clothes to try on without so much as glance at the sizes.
"No one is saying go buy a new Benz." Brie said
"Yeah. He gave it to you to have a good time. At least buy something nice for yourself. Hell, you deserve it. Baking those buns in the oven can't be easy." Nikki said, giving her tummy a rub
"Exactly. You deserve to treat yourself and lucky for you, it's on Jericho." Rosa said as the cashier rang her up
She was still hesitant until Brie suggested going into a Maternity store. Nikki and Rosa made it their mission to find her clothes and a bathing suit because she had forgotten to bring one.
They ventured into the baby section of the store and Brie helped her pick out eco-friendly baby bottles and pacifiers. Rosa found a support belt for her to wear during and postpartum.
Nikki found the cutest onesies that were pink and said "Buy One." on the first and "Get One Free." on the second in gold cursive writing
Yelena fell in love with a beautiful cherry wood crib that could convert into a toddler bed then twin size bed. The idea seemed logical instead of buying not one, but two cribs and then eventually having to buy beds when they outgrew them.
"What color are we getting this in?" Nikki asked
Yelena was snapped out of her thoughts "What? No, I was just looking-"
"You're getting it." Rosa stated
"It's so expensive." Yelena objected. One crib was already three hundred dollars and she needed two. Jericho would probably kill her.
"Tough. Chris should have thought of that before he shot double the fun into my best friend." Rosa said, snatching the card from her "Nikki, take everything to the register and don't let her put anything back. Excuse me!" she said, catching one of the women who worked there "I'll need two of these in cherry please."
Yelena gave a defeated sigh. No use I fighting the Diva in it. At least she was spending the money on stuff she needed. Six months was creeping up on her and as much as it didn't seem like it to her, time was flying and the babies would be here in no time.
Yelena felt almost nervous as the cashier rang everything up.
"That'll be one thousand four hundred and sixty two dollars and seventeen cents."
"See? Easy." Rosa said. Yelena winced and Rosa handed Chris's AmEx over painlessly "Better get use to Baby Daddy spoiling you or I'll do it on your behalf."
They gave the woman her address to have the cribs delivered to her house and left the store and the mall altogether before Rosa could get swipe happy
Chris sipped his beer as he flipped the burgers over in the grill
John came out with the plate steaks, scrolling through his phone, which kept dinging with notifications "Damn that girl knows how to break the bank."
"You gave Nichole one of your credit cards?" Brian asked
"Yep." Cena said, setting his phone down
It continued to ding with every purchase that was made
Dean raised an eyebrow "Seriously? Adopt me?" he joked as he tossed a football to Roman
Chris took the plate of steaks and laid them on the grill, his gaze falling on his own phone on the table curiously.
"What time did they say they would be back? I'm ready to hit the water while the tide is still in." Seth asked, looking out towards the beach on the other side of the tall grass
"Someone call. Rosa and Nikki are probably holding Brie and Yelena hostage." Brian said
"Got it." Dean said, pulling out his phone and dialing Rosa's number
"What Ambrose?" The Latina answered
"Sweet cheeks, where the hell are you?"
"Keep your pants on, we'll be there soon."
"Well hurry up, will you?"
The line went dead and Dean shrugged "They'll be here soon."
"Watch those, will you?" Chris told Hohn as he picked up up phone and beer and headed inside. In the kitchen, he opened his banking app and pulled up his transactions list. To his amazement, there was only a pending transaction for a grand and another for eighty dollars at a salon.
He had to admit he was impressed. There weren't a lot of women out there who'd only spend that little when a guy told her to have at it with his credit card.
He heard the front door open and the women appeared, shopping bags in tow
Yelena breezed in, laughing at something Nikki was saying and he couldn't help but notice the way she was practically glowing.
"It smells amazing in here, I'm starving." Rosa said, peaking at some of the food
Yelena set her bags down, approaching him "Hi."
"Hey. Have fun?" he asked
She nodded, handing him the credit card back.
He observed her intently "Did you do something to your hair?"
She touched it self-consciously "I got it layered a little."
He reached out, twirling a glossy onyx stand between his fingers "It looks nice."
The blush the crept onto her cheeks and the way she drew her bottom lip in between her teeth drove him up the wall.
The gang shuffled in through the back door, probably to get dressed for the beach and grab some things before they headed down the water.
"You coming with us out there?" he asked
She fidgeted with the sunflower pendant around her neck "Umm... I don't know... all the shopping wore me out."
He didn't miss the way her eyes found her feet, staring at her freshly painted pink toes "You gonna stay here all by yourself?"
She only shrugged "I don't know..."
"Come with us. You don't have to get in the water if you don't want to. I'll bring one of the chairs down for you."
He wanted to go with the rest of the crew, but he would t enjoy himself knowing she was in the house by herself
She looked skeptical and almost nervous, but agreed, heading upstairs to get dressed
Yelena stared at herself in the mirror, clad in the brand new bathing suit Nikki had picked out for her today. She was okay with the idea of leaving her own at home by mistake so she wouldn't have to feel exactly how she did at the moment: like a beached whale. Why had she agreed to this? The thought of people looking at her widening form was making her horribly uneasy. She slid into her shorts and the cover up to go over her bathing suit. At least she had something to cover herself up with.
There was a knock on the bathroom door and Brie poked her head in "Hey. Everyone already headed down."
With one last glance in the mirror, Yelena retrieved her flip flops and followed the Bella out the house and down the boardwalk. When her feet met the warm sand, she removed her shoes.
The Shield guys were already in the water. Nikki waved them over to where she and Rosa had already laid out towels.
"The chair is for her highness." Rosa said, ushering her to the lounge chair that had a giant umbrella attached.
The girls started stripping down to their bikinis. Brie wore a mesh two piece in a pale blue, Rosa in a neon pink monokini, and Nikki was turning heads in her fire red suit. With her curves and a bust to die for, Yelena's self esteem dropped to an even lower level.
Tanning lotion was passed around to the Divas and Chris appeared with a bottle of sun block.
"Here, let me help." Yelena offered
He removed his shirt and sat on the end of the chair and she went to work, getting his back for him.
He hummed as she really worked it in "Still have the magic touch, I see."
"Shut up." she said, fighting a grin as she worked the lotion onto the back of his neck and arms
"I'm going in." Brie announced
"I'll come." Nikki said, getting up from her towel.
Chris stood as John and Dean came over with a volleyball net to put up. Since she wouldn't be playing, John dubbed her score keeper.
Rosa decided to join in the game, teaming with Chris against John and Dean.
Chris was clearly hesitant "Someone move the cooler. I don't want any bottles handy. Just in case this gets ugly."
She watched, laughing. Chris and Rosa actually made a great team, beating John and Ambrose by six points. She watched the Latina and the Canadian high five, actually getting along for once. It was nothing short of amazing that the two who once loathed each other could co-exist.
Eventually Brie and Nikki, and Brian joined them. Chris and Dean took a break and grabbed beers to watch the two couples face off.
It was truly entertaining to watch the twins compete with each other. It was almost like John and Brian weren't even there.
She wished she had brought Bane. He would have enjoyed the endless spa experience. She missed her four legged child. She hadn't been away from him for this long since she got him, but he was in great hands.
She pulled out her phone and requested a FaceTime call, waiting patiently for it to connect when it was accepted
Her precious Great Dane was the first thing she saw "Hey buddy!" she cooed at the screen
Bane must have actually recognized her, his tail wagging. Her heart hurt when he actually started wining.
"Awww my sweet baby. Are you having fun without me?"
Another Great Dane appeared in view, wagging his tail "Hi Xander. Where's your daddy?"
The camera flipped, Bane let out a wail in the background "Now you've gone and done it."
"Sorry." Yelena said "How's it going?"
"First time away, I'd say he's doing pretty good. How's the trip going?" Baron asked
While chatting in her office, Baron Corbin had noticed the picture of Bane on her desk and told her he owned a Great Dane too. He was a pretty chill guy and they hit it off. He knew that she would be leaving for a trip this weekend and had offered to dog sit for her so Bane and Xander could meet.
"I'm having a great time. Moving here was the best impulse idea I ever had. The weather is amazing."
"I could do without this humidity. I feel like I'm going to sweat to death out here. I must admit, I kind of miss the snow out in Kansas City."
Another thing they had in common. They were both natives of states that got over eight inches of snow every year.
"I can live without it."
They continued to chat and laugh until Chris came over with a bucket and brought her a bottle of water and she said goodbye to Corbin.
"Thank you." She hadn't realized how thirsty she was
Chris offered her hand to her "Come on."
"Where are we going?" she asked, putting her phone back in her bag. She let him pull her to her feet
He held up a plastic kid's bucket that held a kit to make sand castles and she had to laugh "Seriously?"
"As a heart attack." he said, grabbing a towel for her
He held out his hand and she took it without a second thought and they found a decent spot down by the water and he laid out the towel and helped her settle on it before handing her a shovel
"Aren't you burning up in that thing?" he asked, gesturing at her cover up. He reached out, untying the strings that held the thin material closed
She stopped him gently "I'm okay."
She was getting a bit warm, but the last thing she wanted was him looking at her bulging stomach
He left it alone, handing her a plastic shovel and they began building. Chris was having a ball. She hadn't seen him so relaxed in a while and it made her realize he needed the getaway as much as she did
"What did you buy today?" Jericho asked, as he dumped out examined the sandcastle mold
"I found cribs." she said, feeling accomplished "They're beautiful and they're convertible so they can be used as toddler beds."
He picked one, filling it with sand and flipped it upside down skillfully, revealing a perfect tower "That's great."
"I know. Now I can finally get started on the nursery when I get settled back in at my place. Which reminds me. I need to call and see what's taking so long. The A.C. should have been fixed ages ago." She said, placing a plastic little flag on the top of the tower
"Hmmm." he grunted
The way his demeanor shifted didn't go unnoticed.
"What's the matter?" she asked, lightly bumbling his shoulder with hers "I thought you'd be happy. I'll be out of your hair soon."
"I don't mind you being at my place." he said with a shrug
"I feel like I've over stayed my welcome. It was only suppose to be a few days and it's been a month."
Though ridiculous, it was oddly soothing, playing in the sand.
"It's wasn't an issue. Trust me, I would have dumped you and your beast of a dog off at Rosa's door a long time ago if it was. And having someone to take care of the laundry never hurt."
"Asshole." She laughed "I'm not your maid. You should probably hire one once I'm gone if you know what's good for you."
"Or you could stay and save me the trouble."
Her mind boggled. Was he asking what she thought he was? "Chris..."
"It's already a pain in the ass that you're two hours away from me. I'm going back on the road soon for longer periods of time and I don't want to miss out on any more of this pregnancy than I already have. You'd actually be closer to Full Sail than having to drive back and forth to your place."
"I don't know. I mean I don't want to have to break my lease at my place."
"Don't worry about that, I'll take care of it."
"I can't let you do that Chris. You've already done so much already, I feel like I'm inconveniencing you."
"Yelena, I'm not doing anything I don't want to do. I just want to do what best for you and the twins. If you don't want to stay, I can't make you, it's just that..."
"What?" She asked
"Don't take this the wrong way."
"I won't. Say it."
He let out a sigh, trying to choose his words wisely "I'd feel a lot better if you were where I can keep tabs on you."
"Seriously Jericho?" she said, rolling her green eyes heavenward "I already told you. I'm not going anywhere."
This again. She had thought that she had proven she wasn't going to steal off into the night on him when she agreed to stay with him temporarily
"You have a bad track record. I can't guarantee that just yet, sorry to say."
"So you want to lock me up in your house like a caged bird?" she asked smartly
Chris sat back and admired their finished castle "My million dollar cage, thank you." he corrected "Not the wording I would have chosen, but yes. Yes I do." he said, flashing a bright smile
She averted her eyes to her feet, willing her heart to beat at a normal pace as she wrapped her arms around herself "I just... I don't know." she said finally
"You don't have to give me an answer now. I'm not pressuring you. I just want to let you know it would mean a lot to me. Promise me you'll at least think about it?"
A smile crept over her face. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought they would be where they are now. "I will." she promised
"Thank you." he turned back to his handiwork "I thing we need a wall around it."
"The Walls of Jericho." she snorted
"Took the words right out of my mouth." he laughed
They built the wall around the castle and then decided it needed a moat. Yelena went to retrieve some water and also found a sand dollar, which he decided would go on top of the tallest tower. She had forgotten her phone, opting to take a picture of him with his masterpiece.
When they were done, they went down by the water
"You're going to catch your death in all those clothes." he said
He was right. Sure the wind was blowing, but the Florida sun was unforgiving and she begrudgingly untied the string on her cover up, removing it along with her shorts, which he helped her step out of. She felt exposed, but much cooler without the extra fabric.
They didn't go too deep and sat right at the edge and Chris sat before pulling her down to sit in between his legs
She laughed when he asked her to take a selfie. He took a picture of their feet together
It took her a minute to reel in her anxiety in his arms. Him being so close made her brain nervous and her body excited in ways she could not explain.
It obviously showed "Relax Yelena. I'm not gonna bite you... Without permission anyway."
She could hear the smirk in his voice behind her and she couldn't stop the heat that flamed her cheeks. She came to the conclusion that he had indeed overheard the conversation she had with Rosa. Chris had always been an unmerciful tease and now that he knew her shameful secret, he wasn't letting up the slightest.
He was intentionally provoking her and she was trying her best to resist temptation
"If you know what's good for you, you wouldn't say things like that." she warned
"Like what?" he asked innocently.
She turned in his arms to get a good look at his face. Yup, there it was. That fucking smug smirk "You know exactly what I'm talking about."
"Does it bother you that much?" he asked
"Don't make me say it." she semi- pleaded
His eyes never leaving hers, he leaned down, planting a lingering kiss on her shoulder "I can't make you do anything you don't want to do sweetheart."
Oh he could. He definitely could make her do just about anything he wanted while she was a prisoner to her hormonal body. She was about to tell him just that when Nikki and Brie appeared out of thin air
"Smile!" Brie said as Nikki snapped a picture with the photographer's Nikon camera
"Awww that was so cute! Don't move, let me get another one."
This time they had time to smile directly into the lens
"Awwww it's adorable." Nikki said, showing Brie
Yelena struggled to her feet "I think I'm going to head back to the house and get a nap in before dinner."
If she didn't get away from him now, she'd lose it
She collected her clothes and her bag, letting the other guys know she was going back inside and made her way back up the boardwalk.
Finally out of the hot sun, she sighed when the cool air met her semi wet skin, but it wasn't enough to stop her body from overheating. She needed a cold shower. Might as well get use to taking them for the next four months.
In her room, she stripped and turned on the shower and stepped under the jet of water, rinsing the sand off of her body.
She was in there a while. She stayed in until her fingers pruned and the feeling of Chris's lips on her skin washed away. Shutting the water off, she slid the glass door open a crack, reaching for her towel, confused when all she was met with was the empty towel rack.
Hadn't she brought one in with her?
"Looking for this?"
She almost screamed before she realized it was Chris.
He was leaning up against the sink across the way, her fluffy white towel in hand
"I swear you're trying to kill me. What are you doing in here? Give me that." She said, reaching her hand out from behind the glass door
"Come and get it Sweetheart."
She stared at him. Was he serious?
"Chris give me my towel." she said, rolling her eyes
"Why so shy?"he said, grinning from ear to ear
She shivered slightly "Ha ha ha. Enough fun and games Jericho. Give it." she insisted.
"You're going to have to come and get it. We're both adults here."
"Yeah well you're not the one who looks like an inflating manatee." she said lowly.
Chris pushed off of the sink and approached the shower. She slid the door closed a little bit more to conceal herself "Chris!" she yelped
He completely ignored her, prying her hand from the door so he could open it
Her hands flew to her body to cover herself, her eyes welling with tears. Why was he doing this? This wasn't his normal teasing and she was starting to feel self conscious. She lowered her eyes to hide her embarrassment "Chris please." she begged
"Come here." he commanded taking her hand.
She avoided his gaze and let him help her out of the tub carefully.
She didn't move, frozen completely as he bent down and dried her legs off, working his way up her naked body. When he was fully straightened again, he wrapped the towel around her, tucking it under her arm.
She didn't dare look at him. She didn't want to see the pity in his eyes. Or worse: The disgust. She made a move to sidestep him and flee the bathroom, but he caught her by the wrist and took her chin in between his thumb and forefinger, forcing her to look at him
The minute of silence seemed like eternity
"Why are you crying?" he finally asked
"Can we please not do this?" she said, shivering
"Not a chance. Talk to me Yelena. What's wrong?"
"I don't want you looking at me." she answered tearfully
"I've seen you naked plenty of times, what's the big deal?"
"Oh, I don't know, maybe it's because I look like a whale?" she said sarcastically
"Yelena-"
The words kept spilling "Do you know how hard it is, dealing with my hormones right now and knowing that you couldn't possibly want me like this?" she said, trying to tug her wrist from his grip "I'm a fucking cow, Chris-"
"Yelena." He said sternly
"And every time you touch me or look at me or even breathe in my direction, it makes me incredibly horny and I have to remind myself that you're flirting for the fun of it and I'd be kidding myself, thinking that you'd-"
"Yelena!"
Her mouth snapped closed, the tone in his voice stopping her rant
"You have no idea what you do to me, do you?" he asked
"Don't. I've had enough of the games." she objected
"This isn't a game. When you finally took off that cover up out there, looking like a nervous wreck and so innocent... so beautiful, I wanted to drag you back inside and do things you would not believe."
"Stop it. You're just saying that to make me feel better." she said softly
He let go of her wrist, quickly taking her by the hand so she would try and run away again and placed it on the growing bulge in his pants "Believe me now?"
Her eyes widened in shock
He bent and picked her up behind the knees, his lips crashing down on hers almost desperately for the first time in what seemed like eons.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, their tongues in a heated battle as he carried her over to the counter, setting her down gently, standing in between her legs
"How could you possibly think I would find your body disgusting when I'd sell my soul to be inside you right now?" He asked, he gripped her hair, exposing her neck to him and sank his teeth into the delicate flesh
She let out the loudest moan "I had no idea." she said, locking her legs around his waist
The towel slipped down, exposing her naked breast to him and she almost came on the spot when his head dipped down, taking one of her sensitive nipples into his mouth
His name escaped her lips, her body turning into goo
"I know you didn't Sweetheart." he said, his hand creeping up her thigh to where the towel stopped "But now you do..."
His hand disappeared under the towel and she drew in a sharp intake of breath when his fingers met her heated core
A string of curses came flying out in between gasps
"I've told you multiple times to stop thinking for me." he said, nibbling at her collarbone. "You're carrying my kids, I could never think you're repulsive. If anything, knowing your pregnant with my babies makes me want you more. You're so damn beautiful."
She was panting like crazy, her cries echoing off the walls "Chris... please." she begged
"You're so fucking wet. You want me just as bad as I want you, don't you?" he growled, stroking her steadily
"God, yes. I need you. I need you so bad." she whined, tearing at his trunks like a mad woman, losing her train of thought when he slipped two fingers into her
She lost all of her sanity. The sounds that she were making were uncontrollable and he had to cover her mouth to muffle her, or so she thought.
"Shhhhh. I think everyone is back."
How the hell he heard that was beyond her at the moment
"Don't stop. Please don't. I need you so bad, I think I might fucking explode."
He let out low groan "You know I like it when you beg." he said, speeding up the rhythm of his fingers
The cry she let out couldn't be silenced. He put a finger to her lips "You're gonna get us caught. I think I left the bedroom door open."
"God Chris, I don't fucking care." she said wantonly
He grinned "You will when you we have to do our own walk of shame to the dinner table. And I'm afraid I'd rather not have an audience."
He slipped his hand out from under the towel and she wanted to kill him on the spot, but he kissed her, making her anger subside
When he finally released her lips, she scowled at him "I can't believe you're leaving me like this."
He looked down at the tent in his shorts "Believe me. I think it could be worse."
He helped her down from the counter and she had to make her brain remind her how to use her legs "I hate you so much right now." she said, adjusting her towel
"Sure you do." he snorted sarcastically "Please, for the love of God, go get dressed before I change my mind." he said, turning on the shower.
She forced her feet forward and left the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
Well I'll be damned. I never realize how long chapters are until I upload them and see the word count. And to think, this chapter was cut in half! So sorry about the long periods of time that's going by in between updates. I work 5 days straight now instead of having days off in the middle of the week, so free time is... what is free time again? Lol.
So the twins finally have names! What do you think? I love the names Zia and Violet. Chris calling them ZiZi and Vi has nice ring to it right? And FINALLY! We get some action for our favorite confused feelings couple!
So up next, Chris puts his foot in his mouth, Things take a surprisingly positive turn, and a major step is taken when Jericho goes back on the road, and Yelena makes a big decision
Thank you to everyone who read the last chapter and a big thank you for all my new readers for the follows and favorites, you guys are awesome! Thank you, as always, for reading. You know what to do now! Leave me a great review!