t w e n t y .

In 2013, Emma turned 21 and she got engaged to Jeff Hardy, who was 14 years her senior. A year after Liz and I got married, I slipped up and confessed to her about my relationship with Emma. She filed for divorce immediately, threatening to "kill that little bitch" - but I begged, and we made it work. We're in counseling, and I'm proud to say that I love her more each day. When I found out that Emma was engaged, it was the same week I found out Liz was pregnant.

It was the most painful, and most joyous week of my entire life.

I never knew I wanted children until I was about to have one, and when I was 38 years old, I came to my senses. If my daughter(if I have one) ever, ever had a relationship with a man my age at 16 years old - I would be furious. I would be outraged.

I would understand. I would see where he's coming from.

I can't let that happen. If what went on with Emma ever happened to my own child, I cannot feel sorry for the man that's responsible. But I would, and I know I would. So I confessed. I knew how dangerous it was, it could get me jail time. But I had to confess. And I had to confess to the only man that could forgive me for what I did.

Vince McMahon.

He was the closest thing Emma had to a father now. I needed to tell him.

"Well, John. Its good to see you." Vince greeted me with a smile that I knew wouldn't last.

"You too, Vince." I smiled back, shaking his hand firmly.

He led me to his office in his home, and I immediately noticed photos of Stephanie, Shane and Emma all over the place. I picked one up of Emma that was sitting on his desk.

She looked tragically sad.

I smiled lightly, tracing it softly with my fingertips.

"John?" Vince questioned, "You wanted to talk to me?"

"Right." I nodded, slowly putting the picture down. Vince watched me carefully.

"I have something I need to tell you." I whispered, leaning forward in my seat.

"Go on.." He nodded, I sighed heavily.

"I slept with Emma." I whispered, and our eyes locked.

I could see all of his muscles tighten up immediately, his jaw clenching tightly.

"When?" He growled, I cleared my throat.

"A few years ago.." I stated, not being fully specific.

"While you were married?" He questioned, I shook my head.

"Before that." I whispered.

Vince took a deep, loud breath, readjusting himself in his seat. He looked very uncomfortable.

"Why are you telling me this, John?" He asked, shaking his head. "I don't need to know."

"Yes, you do. Because I'm having a child now, Vince..and if a man as old as me slept with my daughter when she was young, I'd want to know. And I'd want to tear that man apart. I just..I keep thinking about how I'm going to have a kid, and how I'd feel if I had a daughter who slept with a man 14 years older than her. Its..its disgusting..I don't - I don't know what I was thinking." I stared down at my hands, clasping and unclasping them nervously.

Vince was silent for a long moment, "Although Emma is like my daughter - she isn't. What she does in her personal life is none of my business. Honestly, I think I could sleep sounder without this new information - but I understand that you felt the urgent need to tell me about it...John.."

There was a tiny knock on the door behind us, and we both looked in unison.

I should have seen this coming. Of course Emma would show up at the exact time I'm here. And of course she'd look adorable and like she's been spending too much time with Jeff. Her eyes were still the same wide chocolate brown they've always been, and they still held that innocent look. Her hair was all messed up though. Purple, blue and sea green tangled in with her blond locks, and it was all yanked into a colorful ponytail. Jeff saw her as a blank canvas.

The white v-neck she had on was so obviously Jeff's, being big on her and torn in a few places and stained with hair dye or paint. She tugged on it while our eyes locked, and I noticed her lip ring had disappeared, being replaced by a nose ring.

"Hey." She said softly, her voice even raspier and lower than the last time I saw her.

Who was this girl? My sweet innocent angel was gone, and this Jeff clone stood before me.

"Hey.." I nodded, noticing her step into the office slowly. I waited for Vince to tell her we were in the middle of something, but all he did was smile at her as she sat down on my right.

We were strangers now.

She pulled her legs underneath her, her jeans ripped in many places, her toes painted bright red.

"What's going on?" She asked, sighing softly, glancing over at me.

"Just talking." Vince stated, shrugging.

Emma squinted, the way she used to when she knew someone was lying - but it was gone in a flash. She unfolded her legs and swung them back and forth while she patted her pockets.

"Do you have any gum?" She asked, nobody in particular. I felt my fingers begin to itch for her.

"No." I stated, shaking my head, as if she were only speaking to me.

She sighed heavily, folding her legs under her again, playing with her fingers.

"Go get something to drink." Vince suggested.

Emma rolled her eyes, childishly, "I can't chew a drink."

I slowly looked over at her, because of the irony of what she just said. She said the exact same thing to me in the car all those years ago. I was staring now, but couldn't stop.

"John? Are you alright?" Emma asked, waving her hand in front of my face.

"Yeah. Sorry..sorry, I zoned out.." I cleared my throat, looking away.

"So, whatcha guys talkin' about?" Emma asked, raising her eyebrows, looking to Vince.

She barely looked at me now.

"You, actually." Vince sighed softly, "I know what happened with you two."

"Oh?" Emma frowned, looking at me. "Oh. You told him?"

"Yes." I nodded, not looking at her.

"I thought it was supposed to be some big secret." She stated, I sighed.

"I'm sick of secrets." I said quietly, slowly looking up at her.

"Me too." She nodded, "So I should probably tell you..well, maybe not."

"What?" I asked, glancing nervously at Vince.

He nodded slightly, standing up, "I'll leave you two alone."

When he was gone, Emma turned to me, smiling lightly.

"I've never not loved Jeff." She stated, "He was my first love and my only love."

"Only?" I questioned, and felt the burn begin in my chest.

"The entire time I was with you...and at your wedding.." She shrugged, "I was really messed up on meds. I'm not anymore. And Jeff is my love when I'm clean, you were my love when I was sedated. How can I compare you two? I don't even know you..well, I suppose I did..I just don't remember. I -...I really didn't want to tell you this. I wasn't sure how strong your feelings for me were, or are..so..I don't know, I'm really sorry. I was just a child. I barely knew what love was."

The burn faded into an empty, hollow feeling in my chest.

"I don't believe that." I whispered, "At the wedding you told me.."

"At the wedding I was fucked up on Vicodin. John, I'm sorry. Anything I've ever said to you has basically been..a lie, I suppose. It wasn't me. Really, look at me. Do I look like the same person you were with? I'm not some little nymphet, I never have been. It was the medication I was on, the mixture of four different medications that fucked me up and made me think I was a different person entirely. I.." She drifted off, sighing. "I don't know how much I can apologize to you."

I stared straight ahead blankly, not blinking or thinking. I finally closed my eyes, and I saw Liz, pregnant with my child. I was okay without Emma. I was going to be fine.

Until I opened my eyes and looked at the girl next to me, and all I saw was a tiny teenager dressed in white, with heart-shaped sunglasses on her eyes, chomping on gum and swinging her feet. She giggled and her smile lit up my life. I blinked, shaking my head and that image faded into the Emma sitting before me now. The Emma that smells like paint and dresses like a boy with multi-colored hair and rings in her face. But she was smiling, and her smile still lit up my life.

I realized then that this girl could say whatever she wanted to say, but I know that somewhere inside of her is my Emma. The Emma that loved me with all her heart, that acted childish with me on hot summer days, cruising to a new city with a new adventure waiting for us. The Emma that curled up to my side naked, never able to be apart from me. She was still there, somewhere.

Wherever she was, I will forever love my sixteen year old Emma. I will never go a night without closing my eyes and immediately seeing her smile, hearing her giggle, and hearing the words, "I love you, Johnny." from her red plump lips.

So I stood from my seat, looking down at the girl I barely knew anymore, and I reached out and touched her cheek gently. She leaned into my touch automatically.

"I know that somewhere deep down inside of you, you still love me the way you used to." I whispered, she opened her mouth to protest, but I stopped her with a soft kiss on her lips.

"Wherever you are, whoever you are - I will always love you, Emma."

Those were the last words I ever spoke to that little girl, and I still mean them to this day. Emma was my life, my all, my everything. The reason I breathed, the reason I blinked. If I didn't have a son, I would have named my child Emma. I can't go to sleep without dreaming of her, I can't wake up without thinking of her. Being in love with her is an unhealthy obsession that I'm slowly healing from.

But there will never be a time that I don't love Emma. She owns my heart, forever.

t h e - e n d .

Some good news: I'm starting a continuation of this story - not a sequel - I'm going to write about Jeff's relationship with Emma, from the moment he met her, to the moment they get married(if, I let them get married haha) and all the drama in between. Watch for it.(:

Thank you guys so much for all the support with this story, and I know a lot of you might feel cheated with this ending, but it had to happen this way and you have to try to understand that. I hope some of you will be intrigued enough to go on and read Jeff and Emma's story, and find out about their struggles. You might hear a few interesting things about John in that one too. I love you all!(: