Chapter 3: Texting Buddies
It's been a month and half since AJ allowed Punk to get Daniela every other weekend. And so far everything has been going smoothly. Punk picked Daniela up every other Friday, on time, and they spent the weekend together until AJ picked her up on Sundays.
AJ was actually really impressed with the fact Punk was keeping his word. Although, she did still see & hear stories of him out clubbing every night—he was putting their daughter first, and that's all she could ask for.
As for her and Punk, they are.. cordial. They communicated through text, but most of the texts where about Daniela. Whether that be AJ checking in on how she's doing when she's with Punk, or her just texting him updates on her when she's with her. Occasionally, Punk would try and make the conversation about her. Or "accidentally" send her (all PG) pictures of himself, but she would leave him on read whenever he did that.
AJ wasn't so innocent in this either. Whenever she'd hear about Punk's outing adventures, the next day he would receive a "accidental" text from her. She thinks he has started to catch on because this entire week he didn't go out clubbing whatsoever.
She didn't know what she was doing. Sure, she still loved her husband, but she couldn't just erase the last 9 months from existence. She couldn't let him back in. He hurt her. What sucks more is that he doesn't even know to the full extent on how he hurt her. She tried everything to keep their marriage alive but he shut her out. He would stay out all night, and it got to a point where she was constantly paranoid that he was cheating on her. That didn't feel good. That's not a healthy marriage. And even though she's still in love with him, she never wanted to feel that way again. She owed it to herself to try and move on.
9 months ago
"Dana, I'm telling you I'm ready to get back in there. I have no injuries or anything. I just want my rematch." Punk paced back and forth in the kitchen of their two story home while on the phone with UFC president Dana White. Punk was one of biggest draws in the fighting game. His charisma and how he could back it up in the cage, skyrocketed him to stardom. Add all that with the sponsorship deals, and you could say money wise, they were set for life.
Him & AJ decided it would be useless to buy a mansion when it was the three of them. They settled on buying a nice 4 bedroom, two bath house in the Chicago suburbs. Which is more than what they grew up with.
"3 months? You can't get us in there any sooner?" Punk sighed then saw his wife walking in the kitchen looking like she had something to tell him, and he just signaled for her to give him a second. "Yeah, I was knocked out, but I have no injuries. I'm already back in the gym training my ass off."
"Okay, okay. I understand promotion stuff and all." Punk agreed, stopping his pacing and settling on standing on the opposite side of the kitchen of his wife. "3 months sounds good, I guess. Okay, thanks. Bye."
"You can't seriously be wanting to fight again so soon." AJ looked on at her husband with confusion as Punk hung up the phone.
"Dani asleep?" Punk asked, ignoring AJ's comment.
"Yes, which is something you should be doing instead of being in here trying to set up another fight just after you fought a week ago." AJ said, not letting up on it.
"Ape, I lost everything in 45 seconds. Of course I wanna get back in there. I thought you'd understand." Punk shrugged, opening the fridge and grabbing a water bottle.
"I understand that you're hurting right now. What I don't understand is why you don't just give yourself a break. And going around making decisions like this with out even giving me a heads up?" AJ raised her eyebrow, as Punk closed the fridge turning his attention back to her. "I just thought maybe you, me & Dani can take a vacation or something."
"And we absolutely can." Punk shook his head in agreement. "After the fight."
April look at deep breath. When her husband had his mind set on something, he went after it. He was stubborn like that, but she was too.
"Phil, just one week ago you got knocked out, and you are already making plans to fight again in 3 months? The past year you've been the most active champion on the roster, don't you think you deserve a break? We all do." AJ tried to reason, and Punk just let out a laugh.
"I get it now." Punk nodded, taking a sip of his water. "You don't think I can win."
"What?" AJ questioned, taken aback by the way her husband was acting.
"You don't believe I can beat the guy. That's why you don't want me fighting him again." Punk said as if to him he was putting a puzzle together.
"How dare you even insinuate that?" AJ could feel her blood start to boil with frustration. "I have been nothing but supportive of your entire fighting career. I make your meals, I let you rest whenever you need to, I pick up so much slack around here-."
"I know that. And I appreciate you so fucking much." Punk clarified, setting his water bottle down on the counter. "I couldn't be doing any of this without you. You have supported me so much, so why aren't you supporting me on this?"
"You just fought a week ago. You know I'll support you but you also know how much I hate seeing you in there because of the possibility of you getting hurt." AJ reminded him as she started to make her way over to him. "It sucks. I'm not asking you to quit fighting. I'm not even asking you to not go through with a rematch against him. Just listen to me, baby."
Punk tried looking away but AJ reached him, and grabbed his face turning it so he was facing her.
"I believe in you more than anyone in this world. And it hurts me to see you hurting. You've never turned down a fight, you've been fighting non-stop since I've known you. And even before we met." AJ put on a small smile, both of her hands softly griping his face.
"I despise fighting with you. Especially about this. But as your wife, I'm worried about your health. All I'm asking is that you take a break." AJ pleaded. "You, me, Dani.. Hawaii? Or another trip to Puerto Rico so Dani can see her cousins. She'd love that."
Punk just looked on at AJ.
"I mean, maybe even you and I.. you know.. Dani's like the most amazing person.. so we can maybe even make another amazing person? Give her little a brother or sister." AJ nervously said, she's been thinking about that for awhile now.
Punk and AJ stood there for a minute just staring into each other eyes. Punk wished he could let it go. He wished he could do what his wife was pleading him to do. He knew how much she has sacrificed for him to be able to live out his dream—we wanted to give her vacations, and a second maybe even a third or fourth child. But, he just couldn't right now. He just couldn't let this go.
"It's either you support me or you don't." Punk coldly declared, removing her hands from his face, and walking away—leaving AJ standing in the kitchen distraught.
Later that day, AJ was packing up, getting ready to pick Daniela up from her softball practice then heard a knock on her office door.
"Come in." AJ yelled out, smiling a little to herself because she knew who was on the other side.
"Hey." The deep voice of the man that just entered the room, closing the door behind him said.
"Thought you weren't gonna come in today." AJ replied back looking up at the guy. Jeremy Cole. Dark hair, brown eyes, cleanly shaven, a-bit of a beef cake—complete opposite of her husband. He's a transfer from Michigan, and has just started working on their writing team a couple of weeks ago. But the moment he came he in, he took an interest in AJ. Every single day he would come in her office, and start out some small talk & mild flirting.
AJ couldn't deny that she liked the attention. He was charming, and cute. Nothing compared to Punk's charm or sex appeal, but if she compared every guy to Punk then she'd never get laid for the rest of her life.
"Yeah, I was trying to muster up the courage to come in here, and ask you if you wanted to go out with me this weekend?" Jeremy asked as he leaned up against her closed office door.
What? AJ was in shock. Yeah, she knew he was attracted to her & vice versa, but she thought it was just harmless flirting that would maybe result in a one night stand. She didn't expect him to actually ask her out on a date.
"You're asking me out on a date?" AJ tried to get clarification.
"Yeah, I am." He chuckled.
AJ didn't know what to say. Sure, she's been talking a big game about moving on, but actually being presented with the opportunity to scared the fuck of out her.
"Sorry, I just haven't been asked on one of those in forever." AJ hid her fear with a laugh.
She had to come up with an excuse, quickly. This weekend. This weekend. Ah, this weekend. It wasn't Punk's weekend to get Dani, and Dean & Renee are taking a trip up to Canada so they visit her parents & tell them about the pregnancy. She couldn't possibly go.
"So, what's your answer?" He probed.
"I don't think I can. I don't have anyone to watch my daughter this weekend." AJ said.
"That's the best excuse you can come up with?" Jeremy raised an eyebrow not believing AJ for one second. "Ya' know, if you don't wanna go, it would be better on my ego if you just said that."
"That's not it, I do wanna go." AJ lied. Well, partially lied. She did want to go, but it scared her too much.
"Well, I'm gonna leave my number here, and if you change your mind.. text me." Jeremy walked over grabbed a post mot & pen, and wrote his number on it for AJ. After he did so, he waved her goodbye clearly hurt by the rejection then walked out of her office, closing the door behind him.
AJ let out a deep breath that she wasn't even aware she was holding in. Why couldn't she just say "yes". It didn't make any sense. Why does the idea of moving on not scare her, but the process does? She didn't know, but what she did know is that she was gonna try to find someone to babysit Dani. She had to try to move on. And if it doesn't work out then she'll go from there. But she owed herself to at least try.
"When were you planning on telling me I was gonna be an uncle?" Punk startled Dean as he walked into the room Dean was in while he was organizing some of the equipment in the gym. Punk hasn't been to the gym in months, so when he came waltzing in everyone in the gym was understandably shocked. But when he found out about this news, he had to come confront his best friend about it.
"Could you be any louder?" Dean hissed with annoyance. "We haven't told anyone yet. The only person that knew besides me, Renee, and now you apparently you, is AJ. And that's because she guessed it."
"Yeah, when we were texting earlier—she told me." Punk said. "Well, she accidentally told me."
"You two are texting buddies now?" Dean raised an eyebrow.
"Don't try and change the subject, dude." Punk said, he was actually really pissed that Dean didn't tell him about this.
"I'm sorry I didn't I tell you, man. It's just what happened with you and AJ earlier this year-" Dean started, unsure if he should even bring it up.
"What? What does our relationship problems have to do with your guys pregnancy?" Punk cut him off. "Look, I'm stoked that I'm gonna have niece or nephew. I just wish I would've been the first person you told. You were, when I found out we were having Dani."
"I know, I know. I'm sorry, man. I should've told you." Dean nodded in agreement.
"It's fine. I know I haven't been the most approachable person lately." Punk chuckled. "Excited?"
"Beyond excited. A bit nervous but the fact that I'm gonna be a dad.. it's best feeling in the world." Dean smiled, and Punk smirked at him.
"It is." Punk agreed. "And you're gonna be an amazing dad."
"Thanks, man." Dean said. "Anyways, back onto you & AJ. You two are texting buddies now?"
"We're in a good place." Punk shrugged with a sly smile. "I get my girl every other weekend, and I'm actually on a talking bases with my wife. It's the greatest it's been in months."
"I'm glad to hear that." Dean patted Punk on the back, and then Punk's phone started to ring.
"Speaking of my wife." Punk looked at his phone and saw AJ was calling. "I gotta take this."
Dean just nodded as Punk answered the phone.
"Wow, so now we're on calling bases." Punk smirked.
"Yeah, but only I can initiate the calls." AJ replied.
"You've always loved to initiated everything. You know how you like to be in charge." Punk teased, and Dean decided it was time for him to leave the room.
"Enough of the flirting." AJ said. "What are you doing this weekend? More specifically, Friday?"
"Nothing. What do you want me to be doing?" Punk replied slyly.
"I want you to come over. Babysit Dani?" AJ asked.
"Yeah, of course." Punk quickly replied.
"Great. I'll text more details to you tomorrow." AJ said.
"Okay. So you have a work thing or something?" Punk wondered, hoping she wasn't going out for the reason he thinks she is.
"No, actually. I'm.. I'm going on a date." AJ replied. A bit of nervousness in her voice.
"Oh. Cool." Punk forced out.
"Yeah. Okay, I'm at the school picking up Dani so I have to go." AJ said.
"Tell her I said I love her." Punk said.
"I will. Bye."
"Bye."
Punk just stood there, looking at his phone when Dean walked back into the room.
"Sorry, I had to leave before I heard something I didn't wanna hear." Dean chuckled then say the look of disdain on Punk's face. "What happened?"
"AJ invited me over." Punk said.
"Woah. That's great, right?" Dean raised an eyebrow.
"She invited me over to watch Dani because she has a date." Punk gritted out.
"Oh. Well, you can't really blame her." Dean said. "You're not the only one that gets to sleep with other people."
"Key word. Sleep. It's not like I went on dates with other girls." Punk huffed, and Dean just playfully rolled his eyes. "I know I have no right anymore to be mad or jealous. It's just her and I were working out things out. At least it seemed like we were."
"Oh, yes, a couple texts will erase the last 9 months. Man, you just gotta keep showing her that you're changing." Dean said. "I mean, you would help your case if you didn't keep going out clubbing with randoms."
"Hey, I haven't went out this whole week. Plus, I haven't slept with a girl in over a month. I'm over all that shit. I just want April back." Punk sighed.
"And she'll see that. As long as you continue to show her." Dean encouraged. "This guy she's going out doesn't have a kid with her. Or hasn't been married to her for over 10 years. Don't give up."
"You're right. God, I always know I'm low when you're the voice of reason." Punk groaned, and Dean rolled his eyes.
Dean was right. Punk was gonna show AJ that he was worth taking a chance on again. Even though he was worried about her going on this date and falling for whoever the hell this guy is, he was still holding out on the hope. He had to hold out on the hope, because the thought of losing her—scared the fuck out of him.