The Deville Inside

Chapter 25

"Uh, Lucy, this isn't what it looks like," Charlotte floundered in a bid to bluff her way out of the fact that Sonya had just been caught sneaking to her room, and the fact that she had just called Sonya honey in response to her panicked scream.

"I left something in Char's travel case," Sonya tried. Even she didn't think it sounded convincing.

Irritation flashed across Lucy's face. The lie clearly wasn't going to work, and she didn't appreciate it being attempted. "Guys, I'm socially awkward, not a fucking idiot. The two of you are standing there looking like I just caught you stealing the crown jewels, and you just called her honey, Char. If you want to ask me to keep this to myself, say that. Don't lie to me. I know exactly what's going on here."

"Everything okay?" Valentina called down from upstairs, apparently having heard Sonya's scream when she had seen what she had thought had been a ghost or an intruder, but had actually been Lucy coming back upstairs with a glass of water.

"Yeah. There was a spider in Sonya's room," Lucy called back, to the relief of Charlotte and Sonya.

"Jesus Christ, Son, you sounded like you were being attacked," Val called back. "They don't even have big spiders in England. Do you want me to come and get it for you?"

"I squashed it," Charlotte called.

"Cruel people," Val replied, then they heard her door close a moment later.

"So, uh, can we keep this between us?" Sonya asked Lucy now that the coast was clear.

"I don't think this is a conversation we should have standing on the landing," Lucy said. She turned and made her way back down the stairs, leaving Charlotte and Sonya to follow her.

The two lovers looked at each other before following. Sonya was mad at herself. They had taken a stupid risk and it had backfired on them big time. "Sorry," she mouthed to her girlfriend.

Charlotte grimaced and shrugged. There was nothing that could be done about the fact that Lucy had rumbled them. It was now about making sure she kept what she had learned to herself.

Walking into the living room behind Lucy, Sonya decided to speak first. "We really would appreciate it if you'd respect our privacy by not saying anything to anyone about us being together."

"We've not been dating long and it's my first relationship with a woman," Charlotte said as they took seats on the two couches. Much like everything else, they seemed to have been purchased based on the way they looked, not for comfort.

Sitting at a right angle to her two friends, Lucy didn't give much away with her expression. "Frankly, I'm insulted," she said after a moment.

Sonya and Charlotte glanced at each other, unsure what Lucy meant. Was she angry about being lied to upstairs? Or was it the fact that they had been about to sleep together in her family home?

"I'm insulted that you would think I'd go round shouting my mouth off," Lucy elaborated. "You guys are my friends. You're the first friends I've made in this company; the first people who have taken the time to get to know me and treated me decently. You're the ones who let me travel with you. Even if it was Hunter's idea, you made me feel welcome, not like I'm a burden on you. You've done everything you could since I debuted to put me over, and trust me, I appreciate it. I'm truly enjoying wrestling for the first time thanks to you two and Val. So am I going to go around blabbing your personal business to people? No, I'm not, because I value our friendship." She paused for a moment and shook her head. "I'm not good at big speeches like that."

"You did just fine," Sonya said, feeling genuinely touched by what she had just heard. What Lucy had said meant even more coming from someone who wasn't good at expressing themselves.

"We value your friendship too," Charlotte smiled. "And we appreciate you promising to keep our relationship secret."

"I'd offer a hug, but I'm guessing it's not your thing," Sonya grinned.

"You're okay where you are," Lucy said with a small smile of her own. "Christ, I wouldn't have guessed you were together, though. You've got the perfect little ruse going on with that angle you're working."

"It was the angle that started it," Charlotte admitted, as if that wasn't fairly obvious already.

"You might want to think about telling Val," Lucy said. "We're all on the road together so much of the time, how long is it going to be before she sees or hears something? Then it would open the whole can of worms about whether I already knew, and since I do, she'd want to know why I did and she didn't."

Sonya looked at Charlotte and said, "She has a point."

"Yeah, I guess," Charlotte said reluctantly. "Can we get this tour over first?"

"I don't see why not," Sonya said, and they both looked at Lucy.

"Don't look at me," she said. "This is your call to make. I've told you I'll keep the secret. In fact, I'll go you one better. I've got a secret of my own that I was debating telling you. I'll keep yours, so you can keep mine."

"Intrigue," Sonya said excitedly. "Okay, you've got a deal."

"Deal," Charlotte added.

Taking the promise at face value, Lucy came right out with it. "Before Smackdown last night, Seth Rollins asked me out to dinner."

"Oh my god," Sonya squealed. "Lucy, that's great. Seth's an amazing guy. What did you say to him?"

"I was so taken by surprise I didn't say much. I floundered a bit and said maybe next week."

Charlotte gave the kind of expression that conveyed that might not have been the best response to give.

"I know," Lucy sighed. "You know how fucking awkward I am. I was put right on the spot."

"What did Seth say?" Charlotte asked.

"He seemed to be kind of amused by my reaction. He honestly didn't look offended that I didn't say yes. He said, 'Next week then,' and walked off with a smile on his face."

"Awww, that's so sweet," Sonya gushed. "Are you going to say yes next week?"

"Yes, I think I am. But don't say anything or I'll kick your arses," Lucy said, only half joking.

"We made a deal," Charlotte said faithfully.

As was her usual manner, Lucy moved swiftly on once the conversation was complete. "Right then, I'm going to try going to bed again, if it's all the same with you."

"Suits us," Charlotte assured her.

"And do yourselves a favour," Lucy added. "Unless you want to risk Val seeing you come out of a bedroom together in the morning, have a night off. You can go back to fucking each other to your heart's content tomorrow night."

"Eloquently put as ever," Sonya said as she followed Lucy's example by getting up.

"That's me," Lucy chuckled.

They made their way upstairs, and Lucy said goodnight as she continued up to the second floor.

Sonya followed Charlotte down the landing to her door, and gave her a peck on the lips when she turned around. "Sorry, Queen," she whispered. "That mess was all on me. I should have waited longer to come out of my room."

"At least she was good about it," Charlotte whispered back. "We do need to tell Val, don't we?"

"Yeah. It's only fair, since Lucy knows. Besides, it saves us having to creep around behind their backs and having to act like we're just friends all the time."

"That is a good point," Charlotte realised. "I do hate the pretence."

"I'll miss you tonight, Queen," Sonya said, giving Charlotte another peck on the lips.

"I'll miss you too, honey. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

They kissed one more time then parted ways for the night.