The Heart Always Wants More (Completed)

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

***

With Raw filming the next day in nearby Cincinnati, Val and Joe were able to sleep in for a change. At checkout, they waited for Colby down in the lobby. He'd be joining them for the two-hour drive to the "Hometown of the Lunatic Fringe," but before their trip could commence, Val reminded Joe that they needed to visit the local retail store.

"I know, baby," Joe impassively replied.

Val easily detected his cold tone and sighed.

"Joe-"

"Baby," he said, raising his hand to interrupt her, "it's nothing personal against you. I just really hate this part."

"How many times have we had this discussion, Joe?"

"A lot."

"Sweetie, I told you when the time is right, I'll give you a baby. But, I just .... I'm not ready."

"Don't worry about it, alright?" he said, grabbing her hand and giving it a soft squeeze. "It's just my own disappointment that I have to deal with. You've told me a million times you're not ready, and I respect that. I just never get used to doing this part."

"Well, maybe I should talk to my doctor about getting back on birth control."

"There's Colby," Joe said, spotting his ex-Shield stablemate. "We'll talk about it later."

"You guys ready to ride?" Colby asked once he'd reached the couple.

"You know it," Joe answered, giving him a fist bump. "We need to make a quick stop, though."

Val threw him an uncomfortable glance that, thankfully, went unnoticed by Colby.

"Cool. Let's move," Colby replied.

***

When they arrived at the local CVS, Joe offered to go inside, to which Val quickly declined. She couldn't possibly deal with having him swarmed by fans and their eyes peering at his private purchase. The first time he'd purchased the Plan B pill for her-the day following their engagement party-he'd been mobbed by a group of girls just as he exited the Wal-Mart. They had come too close to seeing what he'd bought and it rattled Val. If they ever found out, it could easily become a trending topic on Twitter. Since that day, she'd been buying the contraceptive herself. Nobody really knew who she was anyway, or rather no one really cared. As far as Roman Reigns' fangirls were concerned, she was the "bitch that married Roman."

"I'll be right out," she said, exiting the vehicle and jogging into the retail store.

Luckily for her, the store was relatively empty. She walked up to the end of the family planning aisle and spotted a store clerk restocking the feminine washes. Once the young clerk made eye contact with her, his eyes widened.

"Holy crap! Aren't you Val England?" he asked, standing.

"Um, yeah," she said, forcing a smile. Shit, just my fucking luck.

"You're married to Roman Reigns. He's my favorite wrestler. Oh shit! Is he with you?!"

"Um, no," Val lied, "J-... Roman and I are traveling separately. Different cities."

"Well, can I have your autograph and a picture, then?"

"Um, yeah, sure."

Val ensured to keep her back away from the aisle of family planning products and posed for a selfie with the young man. After signing an autograph for him, she made a hurried exit from the store.