Spaces Between

Week #1: Coming Clean

I just want to thank the following people for their continued support: Chrissyath & Poumi_P - y'all have been so encouraging. Your investment in my storytelling is what keeps me going.

- - - - -

"Hey, Pam, I didn't see you this morning...you aren't trying to avoid me, are you?"

Pamela had just finished up in the locker room and was about to leave when her roommate's voice came from behind her, having just entered.

"Of course I'm not avoiding you, just had an early start this morning." She tried to sell a nonchalant tone as she glanced over her shoulder. "I finally got some decent rest after Summerslam Week. It was a hell of a grind."

"Yeah, I know, I was there." Rebecca narrowed her eyes at her roommate as if trying to read her, trying to see through her.

"What?" Pamela asked casually, "What's wrong?"

"Trying to figure you out. I can't quite put my finger on it, but something feels off."

Pamela raised an eyebrow; no one had ever noticed anything off around her like this before.

"You're celebrating a pretty awesome career milestone next week but, I don't know, you haven't seemed like yourself lately," Rebecca went on, "I mean, pay per view weeks are always intense, so I understand how tired you are, but..." The redhead shrugged, then offered, "If you wanna talk, maybe we could do lunch."

Pamela shrugged. "There's really nothing to talk about. Did Finn put you up to this?"

Rebecca blinked slightly. "Is it so far out of the realm of possibility for me to be concerned about you, Pam?"

"You never noticed it before."

"That's not true. I just respected your wishes when you said you were handling it on your own. I know you have things you want to keep private; everyone does. Doesn't mean I don't care."

Pamela sighed. "You're buying?" she asked after a short pause.

Rebecca rolled her eyes playfully. "If it'll get you to eat lunch with me, sure."

When the two of them exited the locker room, they ran into Mercedes and Ashley, who seemed to been engrossed in their conversation.

While it was nice to see Sasha back in the fold, the circumstances had put on a strain on Mercedes' relationships with both Rebecca and Pamela, especially since since she'd been split with her tag team partner and had remained on Raw.

With the current storyline rivalry, Rebecca had understandably kept her distance from Mercedes, but even she thought a reunion was long overdue.

Pamela liked to think she had a decent friendship with Mercedes, having worked together for several years. They hadn't been too close but still, she acquiesced to the idea of having lunch together the four of them when Ashley had suggested it.

- - - - -

"She must be something special if she's got you so afraid of speaking your mind."

Fergal couldn't help but roll his eyes despite the fact that the person at the other end of the line wasn't able to see. "I appreciate your concern, Anne Marie, but it's not like that."

"What about Catherine?"

"She was just a distraction; Pamela's different."

There was a chuckle on the other end of the line. "So why haven't you spoken to her about any of this?"

"She has a boyfriend as far as I know."

There was a pause. "I just hate to hear you torment yourself like this. The way you wear your heart on your sleeve, I'm surprised she hasn't already seen right through you."

"We haven't really spent that much time together since last December before I had broken up with Catherine. It wasn't the right time."

"There's never a right time, Fergal. At some point, you just have to take the plunge."

"I know." There was a pause before he asked, "Are you sure it's okay for me to stay with you for a few days while I'm in London?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way. You're my big brother."

"I just don't want to be a bother, you know?" Fergal was in the midst of packing up his bag for his trip to see his sister as he spoke.

"You won't be. Besides, I've missed you."

"Good, because I've missed you too. I should let you go and finish packing."

"All right, big brother. I'll see you soon."

"Bye."

- - - - -

"You had a little reprieve at lunch with everyone else, but are you ready to talk now?"

Pamela tried to focus on the road ahead her, being the one who was in the driver's seat, but she couldn't ignore her roommate and the tone of impatience in her voice.

"Just because you never said anything about it to me doesn't mean I can't sense something's going on, Pam."

There was a sharp exhale. "The week before my Raw debut, I found out that Aaron was cheating on me. I didn't really tell anyone besides my sister and a friend back home. I've been trying for the last three years to push it out of my mind."

"Yeah, and I'd say you were doing a decent job until recently," Rebecca pointed out, "I know you struggled for a bit when you first got called up, but we all just figured you were going through growing pains and were just adjusting."

Pamela admitted quietly, "That's what I wanted everyone to focus on. I didn't really want to get into the rest of it with anyone."

"Does anyone else know? Mercy? Ash?"

Pamela just shook her head.

"Fergal?"

"Oh god no!" Pamela immediately blurted out.

Rebecca couldn't help but chuckle at the outburst. "Relax, he's not going to find out from me. I was just curious. But really, what's bothering you? I don't necessarily think it's the anniversary of that breakup."

"It's really not. But it's something I definitely don't want to talk about it."

"Does it have to do with Fergal?"

"No."

"Liar."

Pamela didn't respond to Rebecca.

"If it was, I wouldn't tell him."

"I'm just trying to work out how to get our friendship back to the way it used to be on NXT when neither one of us was single..."

"Because you've had feelings for him you've been hiding?" Rebecca asked quietly.

"I can't fall in love with Fergal."

"Who says you can't?"

"I do, Rebecca. Just, it can't happen right now."

"Well, he's been concerned about you. Please talk to him."

"I will, as soon as he gets back," Pamela reassured her.

Rebecca sighed. "Did you actually just admit you were in love with him?"

"No. Maybe. The point is that he and I can't happen." Pamela pulled into the parking garage of their apartment to park in her spot. "Conversation over."

Rebecca slipped out of the car and grabbed her duffel bag in the trunk. The last thing she wanted was to genuinely upset Pamela.

Staying in the car until after Rebecca had exited, Pamela fished her phone out of her pocket, and saw one solitary message.

< I miss you. >

She sent one reply as she walked.

< Just a few more days. >

And then that was it.