Here it is, guys.
I hope you all are going to like this one as much as my other stories.
"Two beds?"
He did nothing to hide the rejection in his voice. They hadn't slept separately in years. After the long and stressful day they both had, this was the last thing he expected. All he wanted to do was crawl in bed with his girlfriend and fall asleep next to her, just like he had done for the past five years.
She ignored his tone and the dejected look on his face. It had been a rough day, she wasn't in the mood to argue with him again. He threw his bag on his bed and sighed loudly, causing her to roll her eyes in response. She hated when he got like this. Like his world was going to end just because she rented a motel room with two beds. She could tell him that it was cheaper that way, but that'd be a lie, and she knew he'd be waiting for her to use that as an excuse.
Her bags dropped to the floor, allowing her to roll her aching shoulders. He took a step towards her, offering a massage to help relieve the tension, but she stepped away from him. His head hung low. What had changed to make her not want him to touch her, or sleep with her, or ever talk to her? He combed through his mind, trying to pinpoint an exact moment, but couldn't think of a single one.
They had always been so happy.
"I'm going to take a shower." She told him as she pulled one of the towels from the shelf in the small closet. He silently nodded and began to rummage through his bags to find his toothbrush and sweatpants.
The hot water soothed her sore muscles. She leaned up against the shower wall, standing under the stream until her back became numb to the temperature. Sometimes she felt like this was the only solace she got. The only time that she had to herself. The only time she had to think. A million different things ran through her mind, but all she could think about was him. She hated herself for what she was doing, but she couldn't drag this on any longer. It had already been five years. Five years too long. She never intended for any of this to happen. He wasn't supposed to get under her skin.
Seth Rollins was supposed to be a one night stand.
Somewhere, somehow, he made her fall in love with him. And she was in love with him, there was no doubt about that. She had never been happier than when she was with Seth. Even she wasn't sure what had changed, but something did change. It might have been the stress of being called up to the main roster or their hectic schedule, but there just wasn't any feeling there anymore. At least, not on her part.
On his part, he didn't see the fading spark. He admitted to himself that it may have been because he didn't want to see it. He was still as happy as he could be, even when he wasn't. But no matter what, he was always happy with her. That would never change, not even if they slept in separate beds.
She stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped in only a towel. Seth was already in bed, staring up at the ceiling. His attention was drawn to her, watching her move around the room; that towel barely covering her ass. She felt wrong being around him wearing next to nothing, even though he had seen her in less many times. It had been months since they had done anything sexual, including kissing. She only kissed him when they were in public, keeping up the facade that they were still a happy couple. She was afraid that parading around in front of him, with only a towel to cover her assets, would lead him on to thinking anything remotely sexual would transpire between them again.
His eyes were glued to her. Her skin shined in the dim light of the television, illuminating the droplets of water that fell from her wet hair. She was growing more uncomfortable under his gaze with each passing second as she quickly searched through her bags for her pajamas. When she found them, she darted back into the bathroom, quickly changing, and then used the towel to dry her hair.
She walked back into the room to her bed, keeping her head down to avoid making eye contact. He was going to ask her to sleep with him instead of alone; she knew he was. She knew him better than anyone, which was part of the problem. He had become so predictable. There was no spontaneity. They had been robots for a long time now; the same routine day in, day out.
"Andi," he said as she began to pull down the covers. "Please don't make me sleep alone."
If only she had a nickle for every time she was right.
Her shoulders dropped and she threw the towel across the room towards the bathroom. Frustration coursed through her at first, and then pity. Yes, she pitied him, and his need to hold on to a relationship that was so obviously failing.
She sat on the edge of his bed, noticing the glimmer of hope that flashed through his eyes. "I don't know what you want from me, Seth." That was lie. She knew exactly what he wanted. He wanted things to go back to the way they used to be. "Did you think about what I said earlier?"
"What? That we should tell them?" Seth let out a frustrated sigh. He had tried to pretend he didn't hear her earlier, but they both knew he did. He didn't want to talk about this. But it still beat not having a conversation at all. "Yeah, I thought about it."
It was easy for her to forget that in his mind, everything was okay.
She was silent for a moment, trying to find words that wouldn't hurt him. Not that words were what she needed to be worrying about, it was her actions that were doing all of the damage. No sex, no physical contact other than the occasional hug or kiss on the cheek when they were around his friends, sleeping in separate beds. They had been together for five years, how many other hints did she need to drop before she said those two, brutal words?
It's over, that's all she had to say. Instead of hinting at it, instead of beating around the bush, all she had to say was that one phrase. She couldn't bring herself to do it, though. Deep down, she didn't want to do this. She wanted the same thing he did, but she also refused to stoke the fire when it was already out. After all, she still wanted to remain friends, as cliche as that sounded. She hoped that he would consider what she had suggested, but it was clear he wasn't going to.
"I just think it would be good for us," she offered with a small smile. "You know, get everything out in the open. No more hiding."
Seth didn't reply. He only pulled the floral printed bedspread over his shoulders and turned his back to her. Andi gave up, staring at the back of his two-toned head for a moment before standing up and retreating to her own bed. She had no other choice but to let this conversation go unfinished for yet another night.
As she closed her eyes and prayed for some sleep, memories of the two of them flashed through her mind. If only she could latch on to one. Just one. Maybe she would be able to feel something again.
Morning came too soon, and with morning, came the long drive to the arena. Over six hours of being cramped in a tiny car with nothing but a staticy radio to cushion the tension between them. After a restless night on that cheap motel mattress, having only had a mere two hours of sleep, neither one of them were in the mood to talk.
Seth had mumbled a tired 'good morning' to her, but other than that, no words were spoken between them.
The silence was deafening. It drove him crazy. Andi, on the other hand, found peace in it. She kept her eyes on the road the entire time, keeping her mind occupied on the sights of a city she had never been to before. The distraction was what she needed, for now, anyways. She knew there was no need bringing the touchy subject up again, it'd only ruin both of their days, and they had a show tonight.
She shifted the car into park and let out a sigh of relief, shifting in her seat to face Seth. His eyes were fixed on the phone in his hand. Andi craned her neck a bit, "what'cha looking at?" She asked him. A genuine smile graced her lips as he looked up at her. Everyday started like this; she'd try and be civil, smooth things out, pray for a good day. However, it always somehow ended up right back at square one.
"Nothing," he replied as he stuffed his phone back in his front pocket. His voice cracked in the slightest way, barely noticeable, but she caught it. Seth looked ahead at the arena, avoiding her gaze. He knew what was coming.
"You okay?" She asked. It was a stupid question, one she already knew the answer to. Contrary to Seth's beliefs, this was hard for her too.
He put on a brave face, turning his attention back to the woman he was so desperately in love with. "I'm fine." It was a lie, but he wasn't going to admit that to her or anyone. He couldn't. If he admitted it, he was admitting that there was something wrong. And he didn't want to believe that his perfect relationship had an unfixable crack.
"Seth-"
"Look, you don't need to pretend like you care." His tone was laced with venom that stung like a bitch. She did care. She would always care. If this whole thing blew up in her face, and he ended up hating her for the rest of his life, it wouldn't matter. She would still care.
Andi opened her mouth to say something else, but Seth pulled the handle on the door and got out of the car before she could. She sighed, following him to the trunk to retrieve her bag. He already had it, though; situating it on top of his rolling suitcase, making it easier for him to carry.
"I can get it," she told him.
He only shook his head, motioning towards the small group of fans that had gathered around the entrance of the building. "What kind of boyfriend doesn't carry their girlfriend's bag? We're a happy couple, remember?" A fake smile was plastered on his face as he slammed the trunk closed. He turned on his heel, walking swiftly ahead of her towards the crowd.
Andi loved her fans. She was loyal to them, and always appreciated their support. She was aware that many of them only knew and liked her because of her relationship with Seth. And that many of them disliked her because of it. She read the comments online, she knew what was being said about her. How she used Seth's talent to land herself a spot on the roster. How she didn't deserve the title shot she would be getting once she debuted. How everything she ever got was handed to her on a silver platter. That wasn't necessarily a lie.
She never 'used' Seth to advance in her career, though.
"When are you finally going to debut on Raw?" A young girl asked her through the chain link fence.
"Soon! I promise. It's going to be awesome." Andi replied, signing the photo the girl had of her. That was still so surreal, that people wanted her autograph or a picture with her.
"Thank you so much!" The girl was beaming from ear to ear. "You're such an inspiration. I have been a fan of yours all through NXT and the indies." Seth joined Andi at her side, offering the young girl his autograph as well. She smiled even brighter, if that was possible. "You guys are so cute, too. I wish I had a relationship like yours."
Andi's smile never faltered, no matter how torn she was on the inside. She thanked the young girl, and all the rest of the fans, and took off towards the double doors to avoid them seeing her crumbling facade. She hated lying. The more this dragged on, the harder it was to pretend that everything was okay. Seth and Andi, wrestling entertainment's cutest couple since '09. If only they knew.
She waited for Seth inside, knowing that he wouldn't leave those kids out there until every photo had been signed, and everyone who wanted a picture got one. As soon as he came through the door, she pulled her bag from his suitcase and hoisted it over her shoulder.
"What?" He asked her.
"I want to tell them, Seth." She said again, for what seemed like the millionth time. He didn't say anything as he continued walking towards the locker rooms. "Hey," she called after him and quickened her pace in order to catch up. "I said I want to tell-"
"I heard you, Andi. I heard you the first five times you said it." He stopped short, looking down at her. "I just don't want to do it, alright?" This was the first time he actually gave her an answer, if that's what you wanted to call it. He wasn't running away, or turning his back towards her, or changing the subject.
"But, why?" She asked, again already knowing the answer. He looked away and sighed, then looked back at her one more time before continuing down the hallway. "Why can't you just talk to me? This is important, Seth."
"Because!" He said loudly and immediately looked around to make sure no one had heard or was watching. "It'll become real." He answered, lowering his voice. "And when you tell one person, it's only a matter of time before the whole world knows and then there's no going back."
Andi couldn't think of anything to say, and he took her silence as an end to the conversation. She watched as he disappeared down the hallway, and she didn't try to stop him; taking the moment to let his words sink in before she headed off in the direction towards the Diva's locker room.
The match was the same every night on this live show tour; Andi Jones v. AJ Lee for the Diva's Championship. A match she was fated to lose over and over and over again. She took to that ring every night, introduced herself to a new crowd, and then challenged the Diva's Champion; wanting to prove to everyone that she meant business by defeating the veteran.
Her debut was set for the night after Survivor Series, a year after Seth made his Monday Night Raw debut with The Shield. This time, she would beat AJ, launching herself into a feud that would see her win the Diva's Championship in a matter of months. That was the plan, anyways. Andi never really held on too tightly to plans, seeing as they changed constantly.
"Whoa! Watch yourself, there." She heard after turning the corner to another long hallway, almost running into someone. She stopped abruptly, sending her bag sliding off her shoulder. "Oh, hey Andi. Sorry, I didn't see you there." He reached a hand up to scratch the back of his neck; a nervous smile tugged at his lips.
She rolled her eyes at the man. "You don't need to apologize, Dean. I was walking too fast and I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."
"Here, let me help you." Dean offered upon seeing her reach down to pick her bag up from the ground. "Seth told me your shoulder's been bothering you again." He threw the bag over his shoulder with ease, as if it weighed as much as a bag of cotton balls.
"Meh," she shrugged as she began walking along side him. "It just gets a little tense at night, that's all. Hey, has he mentioned anything else?" She was sure he hadn't, but it didn't hurt to ask. Maybe he was confiding in someone.
Dean looked confused for a moment. "Like what?"
Figures he wouldn't know anything. Dean nudged her in the arm with his elbow, prompting her for an answer, but she only shook her head and muttered 'nevermind'.
"Hey," they stopped in front of the door to the Diva's locker room. "You okay?" He asked. His tone was that of concern and seriousness. Andi and Dean were friends, but never really close. After all, how close could a girl be to her boyfriend's best friend? He was always there, though; lingering in the background, quiet as ever, minding his own business. They had shared a lot of secrets. Well, they were mostly Dean's secrets that he accidentally blurted out on those nights he would call Seth to come get him after a night of drinking.
None of them compared to the one she was harboring, though.
"I'm great!" She smiled. "Never been better." His eyes narrowed at her, but he wasn't going to push it. She wasn't fine, that was obvious. He had known this girl for three years. Most of which was spent in some rental car on the road. "I'll see ya later." She said before disappearing behind the door.
Her match went on without a hitch. She gave her all, putting on the best show she could albeit still losing. She hopped in the shower quickly, washing the sweat and makeup from her skin, and then changed into a simple pair of leggings and a hoodie.
Seth was waiting for her at their rental, and he wasn't alone; Roman and Dean stood at his sides. Her stomach churned as she smiled wide at Seth, standing on her tippy toes, beckoning him for a kiss. "Hey, babe." He met her kiss, lingering on her lips a little too long. "You did great out there."
"You guys are gross." Dean groaned. "You ready to go, Rome?" Roman nodded.
"Bye guys," Andi said to her friends as they climbed into their own rental car. Seth's arms were wrapped around her waist, his head resting on top of hers. She would've thought he would release her, but he stayed exactly the way he was.
"This isn't so bad, is it?" He whispered in her ear.
She leaned into him, laying her head on his chest, eyes closed. Feel something, she begged herself. It didn't help. She felt nothing. She wasn't happy, wasn't sad, or angry. She didn't feel love, or joy, or anything. She just felt… there.
She felt bored.
"Seth, I can't do this. I'm sorry." She stepped out of his arms, and around to the passenger's side door. He sighed, climbing into the driver's seat, slamming the door behind him. "What you said earlier, about not wanting this to become real? We need to make it real, Seth. This pretending shit has got to stop."
"Whatever." He replied.
She definitely wasn't expecting that.
"Whatever?" She asked.
"That's what you want to hear, isn't it? Do what you want. I'm not going to fight about this anymore, and I'm not going to get down on my fuckin' hands and knees and beg you to stay with me." Seth paused for a moment. "I love you, Andi. I don't know why you quit loving me, or if you ever did in the first place, but if you want out of this relationship so be it."
"Seth," she said softly.
"Don't 'Seth' me. Let's just get to the hotel, alright?" He threw the car in reverse, backing out of the parking spot they had been sitting in. "And you won't have to worry about getting a room with two beds. I'll get my own room."
She quickly wiped a tear from her cheek as she watched the city disappear behind her. If this was what she wanted so badly, why did it feel like she was making a huge mistake?
It's the first chapter and they're already broken up? What? Patience, my loves.
1. Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You - Led Zepplin
2. Thought We Had It Good - The Bronze Medal
3. Love Doesn't Last Too Long - The Weepies
Of course, the title credit for this story belongs to 'Bored Of Your Love' by Meg & Dia.
Reviews are appreciated and encouraged, as always. I'd love to know what you're thinking.