For the millionth time, Sasha looked at her phone, hoping to find a text message or a missed call or any form of contact from her boyfriend, and for the millionth time there was nothing. She'd texted him with apologies and pleas to call her back, but there was no reply whatsoever. It was clear that he was avoiding her. He was still angry and he had every right to be. But he was being unfair! She made a mistake and owned up to it and yet he was punishing her for it. The only thing she could do was wait till he calmed down. She decided to give Jon Good a call while she was on her coffee break at work. The least she could do was find out if Joe was doing okay.
"Hey Sash. What's up?"
"Hey Jon. I hope I'm not calling you at a bad time. I've been trying to reach Joe. For some reason his phone keeps saying it's switched off." She tried to sound as casual as possible.
"Oh yeah. I know he's mentioned having problems with his phone. I can go get him for you if you want so you can talk to him," said Jon.
Sasha's brow furrowed. "Wait, he's with you in Vegas?" He went all the way to Jon's home to escape her? Unbelievable.
"No, not Vegas. We're in Charlotte, North Carolina. He's scheduled to be on Raw tonight." He paused, sensing unease. "He didn't tell you?"
"No," Sasha said through gritted teeth. "I haven't heard from him in three days."
"Oh." Jon winced, immediately realizing something was wrong. "We've been very busy since we got here. I'm sure he just forgot," he offered.
She was sure he didn't. "Yeah. Probably. Could you ask him to give me a call when he can?"
"Will do. Later Sash." Ending the call, he looked over to see Joe walking his way. "Dude, why haven't you spoken to your girlfriend in three days?"
"You two callin' each other now?" Joe said, narrowing his eyes.
"She called me because she couldn't reach you." Jon frowned at the look on the bigger man's face. He'd seen that look before, and the insinuation was enough to boil his blood. "Do not fuckin' look at me like that, I will drop you on your ass. I don't know what's going on between you two and it ain't my business. Stop being a tool and call her and fuckin' leave me out of it."
With that he brushed past the Samoan roughly and walked off. Joe watched him leave and decided he kind of deserved that. Sighing heavily, he withdrew his phone from his back pocket. He might as well get it over with.
"Joe?"
Hearing her voice only reminded him of why he was angry with her. "Expecting someone else?" he sneered.
She ignored the cutting remark. "I've been calling you and sending you messages. You haven't answered a single one," she said.
"I've been busy."
Again, brusque and concise. "Baby I told you I was sorry. You don't have to put me through this silent treatment crap."
"Really? Last I checked you're the one who's been keeping silent about stuff," Joe challenged.
"Babe, please."
"Let's face it Sasha, you've been acting weird since we got back from Pensacola. I scared you with the marriage talk, didn't I?"
"You didn't scare me. You just gave me something to think about is all," she admitted.
"Is that why things have felt awkward between us ever since? You could've at least said something; that you were uncomfortable, that it was too soon, anything. But you don't say a word and I have no idea what you're thinking or how you feel. And then the shit happens with your ex and you don't tell me about it. And to top it all off you basically blame me for taking your eye off T.K. Thanks Sash, I really appreciate that."
"I didn't mean it like that! I know it was shitty but that wasn't my intention. Come on, Joe."
"Well it sounded exactly like that to me," said Joe. "So you're calling up Jon behind my back now? Though I shouldn't be surprised since you seem to be talking to everyone except for me."
"Last I checked, Jon and I are friends," Sasha retorted. "I called him because you weren't taking my calls and I wanted to know if you were okay. Obviously you're okay enough to completely ignore me and leave town without telling me."
"You didn't tell me about Tyson so why do I have to tell you everything I do? Especially when you don't trust me?"
"I never said I don't trust you!"
"Fine. Tell me this then. If I hadn't shown up at your place that night, would you ever have told me what Tyson did?"
Her prolonged silence told him everything he needed to know, and he felt his heart crack afresh. "I thought not," he said bitterly.
"Baby..."
"Joe, can we talk?"
Sasha frowned at the new voice at the other end of the line. A female voice. "Who is that?" she demanded. It sounded suspiciously like that blonde tramp. "Who the hell is that, Joe? Answer me!"
Exhaling, he rolled his eyes in annoyance. "I gotta go."
"Joe!" But all she could hear was a dial tone. Sasha lowered her phone and stared at it in disbelief. This motherfucker did not just hang up on her.
"Hey Sash! Could you get the cable for the karaoke machine out of the store?" Reggie's shout from outside jerked her out of her shock. Composing herself, she stashed her phone away and stood up. "Gimme a minute!" she answered. She retrieved the object and returned to the bar.
Reggie peered at her when she walked past him. "Hey, you okay Sash?"
"I'm fine," she lied and went back to work, ignoring the stinging in her eyes.
——————-
Thrusting his phone back in his pocket, Joe pushed himself off the wall. "Ain't nothin' to talk about, Danielle."
The blonde woman cast her eyes toward the ground. After a few moments she cleared her throat and lifted her gaze back to his. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry for what happened back at your place," she said, "I wanted to apologize but you haven't given me the chance."
"Don't need your apology," he mumbled, wishing he wasn't so upset.
"I take it that was her on the phone?" Danielle asked softly.
"None of your business."
The Diva known as Summer Rae didn't relent. "Look, if you're not happy with her you don't have to-"
"For fuck's sake Danielle, mind your damn business!" he snapped, glaring at her. "I don't know what you're playing at, but I have no care to go to anyone else and I sure as hell have no care to come to you. Okay fine, I got my hands on virtually every female talent in this company and I'm sorry if you or Natalie or whoever else I didn't fuck feels left out. But I'm done with that. I'm in love with Sasha. So back the fuck off." Rolling his eyes, he turned to leave.
"You loved Andrea and look how that turned out," she murmured.
Joe turned on her so fast that she shrieked in alarm and flinched, stumbling into the wall behind her. Blazing grey eyes bored into frightened blue as the Samoan towered angrily over the blonde woman. One look in his eyes had her shrinking further into the wall. She had said too much.
"You ever bring her up again, I swear to God you'll regret it," he snarled in a deep, dangerous voice. He'd never laid a violent hand on a woman in his life, but if she pushed him any further he would make her an exception without any regrets whatsoever.
Swallowing fearfully, Danielle raised both hands in surrender. Joe growled nastily and stormed off, feeling the primal urge to hit something really hard. But he had to force himself to perk up as their meet-and-greet was starting in a couple of minutes. Settling in his position at the long table, he cast a glance down the row of Superstars. Natalie and Danielle, far away from him, kept looking his way but they didn't dare come near him. He vaguely wondered if Danielle ever told anyone about getting dragged, literally, by Sasha, and could only imagine the interesting way she would have spun the story. She used to be a nicer person in the past. Whatever changed her was beyond his knowledge.
"'Sup Reigns?"
Joe looked over at the tall, statuesque woman sliding into the empty chair beside him. "Hey Lana."
She looked past him down the long table of Superstars and at the two staring women. "I noticed those two have stopped trying to hump your leg. They've got bored with you, then?"
Joe shrugged. "I guess so."
"You've obviously moved onto greener pastures," Lana smiled. "I haven't told you yet, big man, but you moved up higher in my cool books when I heard you were dating an older woman. Honestly I don't blame you. Let's be honest, chicks our age have no substance anymore. And I met Sasha and I like her, she's cool."
He smiled. "I believe she likes you too." Lana was one of the very few ladies Sasha was cool with, even with the knowledge that the on-screen manager of Rusev was one of Joe's many previous flings. Perhaps her being married to Rusev had quelled his girlfriend's fears of a repeat between the two.
"How is she anyway? You two were so lovey-dovey when she was around. It was super cute." Lana grinned at him. "Never thought I'd see the day Casanova Reigns would be head-over-heels for anyone."
The remark left a bittersweet sensation in his chest. As much as that was the truth, he found himself, for the first time since he started dating Sasha, wondering if it had been a one-sided sentiment all along. Shaking his head, he pushed his estranged girlfriend to the back of his mind and focused on the fans, signing autographs and taking pictures. A lot of the ladies at the signing laid it on thick with the flirting, some slipping him their phone numbers, as though they sensed all was not well in his love life, and again, for the first time in a long time, he took notice of all of them.
Was he only just realizing he was in over his head with Sasha? Was he was wasting his time with her? All he wanted was her trust but that seemed too much for her to give in return. She was as guarded as a fortress. What was the point of being in a relationship if the trust was lacking?
It would be so much easier to give her up, wouldn't it? To slip back to his old ways, frolic around with women his own age whose biggest problems were what color of nail polish to use on their toenails. Women still hit on him on the daily, and with his relationship seemingly on the rocks, was he getting closer to the day he finally stopped turning them down?
His cheeks finally got a reprieve from all the fake smiling when he retreated to the back for a break. He obliged his cousin Josh when he asked to accompany him to the parking garage. Perhaps the short walk would help his clear his head a little. Leaning against the car while Josh rummaged around inside, the Shield member glanced idly around the parking garage. His grey gaze landed on a figure climbing out of a long UPS truck. A familiar figure, as it turned out. Upon closer inspection, his blood went cold, unable to believe his eyes.
Tyson. Sasha's ex. All the way up here in Charlotte.
He remembered Sasha mentioning he was some long-distance truck driver. He also remembered the nasty bruise he'd left on her beautiful face, the ordeal he'd put her through, and it was enough to melt his curiosity into pure rage. Without a word he propelled forwards, moving in long strides as he stalked towards the man.
Josh poked his head out of the car, realizing he'd been left alone. "Uce, where you goin', man? Uce?" he called out. "Joe!"
Joe kept walking, his massive hands clenched into twin fists as he neared the object of his wrath. He'd dreamed about this very moment and he would not be denied. "You put your hands on my girl? Huh?" he roared, his deep voice echoing off the walls. "You tried to rape her?"
The loud yell caught Tyson's attention, and his eyes widened. "The hell are you doing h-"
His question was viciously cut off by Joe's huge fist smashing into his face. There was an ugly cracking sound, and blood shot out of his nose as his head snapped back, stumbling backwards into the side of his truck and landing on the floor in a heap. In a flash Joe was on top of him, laying into the smaller man with closed fist after closed fist. All he saw was red, bleeding over the mental image of Tyson lewdly pawing his woman, compounding his fury and frustrations. The anxious animal inside him had been unleashed and had no plans to return to its cage, not until he'd exacted his revenge and defended the honor of his love.
"Joe what the fuck!" A shocked Josh rushed over, grabbing Joe's arms and forcibly dragging him off Tyson's prone body. "The hell are you doin'? Do you wanna get fired?" Managing to push him back, the Uso twin winced at the look on his cousin's face, twisted in an expression of cold rage that he had never seen before. He looked around and was relieved to find no witnesses, being on the other side of the building and away from the fans.
"You put your hands on her, tried to force yourself on her, you fuckin' lowlife!" Joe shouted at Tyson over Josh's shoulder. "How 'bout you try that shit with me? I'm right here motherfucker! Come get you some!"
On the ground, Tyson gingerly touched his bleeding nose. "Fuckin' shit," he whined. "Fuck!"
Breathing hard, Joe pointed a trembling finger at him. "I'm only gonna say this one time. One time. You ever touch my girlfriend again, I'll kill you. You understand me?"
"I'm gonna...gonna press charges," said Tyson.
Joe scoffed. "Go right ahead. I'm sure the cops and your wife would love to know exactly why I bashed your face in, punk ass motherfucker!"
Josh tugged Joe's arm. "Come on man, let's go. You've done enough."
Not nearly enough. Wiping his hands on his jeans, he spat at the ground next to Tyson. "Do it, bitch. I dare your ass. Come anywhere near Sasha or T.K. again and see what I do to you." With that, he shrugged Josh off of him and marched back towards the signing, having made his point in the most emphatic way possible.
—————-
A day later, Sasha was staring at the photos on WWE's Instagram page, her heart twisting in her gut where it had dropped from her chest. Joe, sitting between Colby and Lana. Him and Lana leaning in close and smiling as they shared a private joke. He looked happy. Sasha was aware of his past with Lana, and though she knew the other woman was married now, it didn't stop her heart from wrenching. Marital statuses didn't always deter co-workers from fooling around. She almost wouldn't blame him if he did. She could only imagine how tired he must be of all her uncertainties and insecurities and now the drama with Tyson and T.K. She was afraid this would happen. Tyson's prediction was coming true; that she would lose Joe, probably for good. But she could not sit back and let it happen. Tyson was wrong and she would prove him wrong.
Picking up her phone, she sent a text message to Trinity. After a couple of exchanges she learned that the WWE crew was now in Chicago. Sasha had never been to Chicago – she'd never been anywhere to be frank – but circumstances were inspiring her, bringing her to the decision that she was going to take this chance. That she had to.
T.K. and Mia walked through the door, their voices ringing around the apartment with famous wrestling catchphrases. "You can't see meeee!" Mia chanted, waving her hand in front of her face.
"Too easy. Cena," said T.K. "Ooh yeah, brother, snap into a Slim Jim!"
"Macho Man. Whatcha gonna do when Hulkamania runs wild on youuuuu!" Mia chirped.
"Hogan. Nice impression, Baby Pie," said T.K. giving his sister a high-five. "Okay, okay, I got a good one. If you're not down with that, then we got two words for ya!"
"Do not finish that," Sasha warned.
"Mama you ruined it!" said Mia.
"Let's boo her," T.K. said, and the siblings rushed over to their mother, booing loudly and thumbs-downing her from both sides.
"Alright, alright, shoo," she said, waving them away. "I take it school was good?"
"Yeah," said Mia, and T.K. nodded in agreement. "Two weeks till the Championship final. Practice has been awesome. I can't wait," he grinned.
"That's real good to hear, baby." She watched her son bustle around the kitchen looking for a cold bottle of water. "Hey Ty?"
"Yes Ma?"
"I wanna go to Chicago tomorrow."
T.K. could guess why. "Joe's there, right?"
"Yeah. I'll only be gone a couple of days, three tops. Is that okay with you?"
"Of course. I'll hold the fort down for you, you know how I do," he said, kissing her cheek. "You know, I'm kinda getting used to you zippin' in and out."
Sasha's face fell. "Ty-"
"Oh, relax Ma. I don't mean it like that. You can't be stuck here in Tampa babying me and Mia all the time." He extended his hand and gestured dramatically. "You're an adult now. Be free, explore the world. Have some fun and be with your man." He wiggled his eyebrows at her. "I know I would if I were in your place. Heck, you'd be seeing me only once a month."
Sasha laughed, feeling better instantly. "Thanks, baby." She picked up her phone again and texted Trinity.
Hey girl. I need your help.
She had never ever done this for any man, ever. But she was willing to swallow her pride this time and fight for this man. She'd hurt him, and if it meant groveling to win him back then so be it. Because as far as she was concerned, Joe Anoai'i was worth groveling for.
————–
"You're daydreaming again."
His friend's voice broke Joe out of his reverie. He looked up from his bottle of beer and into two sets of curious eyes. "What?"
Colby leaned back in his seat, scrutinizing the man sitting across from him in the tiny booth. "You got your Sasha Mopey Face on."
"My what?" His stony expression dissolved into one of confusion.
"Your Sasha Mopey Face," Lauren, leaning against Colby, piped up. "We all came up with it after two of you broke up. You'd space out and we can tell if it was Sash on your mind by the look on your face. You start pouting and you get all dewy-eyed, and that's how we know you're thinking about her." She looked at him over the glass of wine she was sipping. "It's adorable yet pathetic at the same time."
Joe stared at his friends, completely perplexed. He opened his mouth, then shut it and shook his head.
"Dude, talk to her. I don't like when you guys fight," said Colby, speaking up to be heard over the music and bustle of the dive bar. "They're few and far between but you get so damn miserable it makes my own heart hurt. I prefer it when you make up quickly like you always do."
"Wanna talk about it?" Lauren asked.
Joe sighed heavily as he aired his grievances to two of a handful of people he trusted the most. Both their jaws dropped when he mentioned his altercation with Tyson days before. "Honey, that was some risky shit," Lauren said. "You could've been caught!"
"Seriously," Colby added.
"I don't give a fuck. He tried to force himself on Sash. Ain't no way he was gettin' away with that bullshit," Joe argued. To this day he didn't know how Tyson happened to be there when he had, but in Joe's eyes the gods had presented him with a gift and he had no qualms accepting it. He would do it all over again with great pleasure. Whether it was in Charlotte or Tampa or the Himalayas, he would have hunted Tyson down.
"Dude, you're lucky Josh was there is all I got to say about that." said Lauren. "And back to the matter. Give Sasha a chance. She's been handling her business by herself since her son was born. You've been in her life for a lot shorter than that. From what you tell me and from what I know about her, she's guarded. Her friend Pam is the only person she fully opens up to. The only explanation I have is she feels she has too much drama for you to handle, that's why she kept what happened to herself. She doesn't want to scare you away. No matter how much you say you don't mind being with her kids, even with a baby daddy within arm's reach, she's always going to have that nagging voice in the back of her mind telling her otherwise. Not many men stick around, and now that she's found one who wants to, she's trying to come to grips with it. It's not easy for her, Joe. It takes longer for some people to adjust than others."
"And that's why she's the psychologist," said Colby, gazing proudly at his girlfriend.
"Yes, darling," Lauren cooed, then refocused on the Samoan. "Stop ignoring her. Talk to her and tell her how you feel. She loves you, big man. This is something you can both work out together, so do it and quit sabotaging this amazing thing you have."
Joe sat quietly drinking his beer, contemplating his raven-haired friend's words. A couple of minutes later Trinity appeared at their booth. "Uce, Big Johnny said the office dropped a package for you in your room. Something about wanting feedback first thing in the morning, so you might need to go check it out right now."
Joe sighed, finished off his beer and stood up. "Might as well call it a night. See you guys tomorrow." As he made to walk away, Trinity gently took his arm. "Hey. Are you okay?" she asked, concern in her dark eyes.
Joe flashed her a reassuring smile. "I'm good, sis." Giving her a kiss on the cheek, he exited the bar and made the lonely walk back to his room. If he had turned around, he would have seen Trinity exchanging thumbs-ups with Colby and Lauren, their plan set in motion and going well so far.
It was a little colder in Chicago than usual, and he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. He missed the warmth of Tampa, and he especially missed the warmth and softness of a certain curvy, chocolate-skinned body, a certain pair of arms and soft lips. He missed her. A lot. He would take Lauren's advice and call Sasha in the morning.
Shaking his head, he exhaled heavily, mentally preparing himself for another restless night alone.
His steps slowed as he approached his hotel room door. He could swear he could hear music coming from inside his room. He recognized the song. 'The Scientist' by Coldplay. One of his favorites. Puzzled, he slotted the key card and opened the door.
Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry
You don't know how lovely you are
I had to find you, tell you I need you
Tell you I set you apart
Standing by his bed in all her radiant beauty was Sasha. The bed itself was stripped down to the white sheets and had the words I'm Sorry spelled out on the sheets with rose petals. She wore a black t-shirt that had the words 'Kiss Me, I'm Stupid' emblazoned in green on the front.
Nobody said it was easy
Oh, it's such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be so hard
Joe was stunned. "Sash...What are you doing here? How did you..." He trailed off, at a loss for words as he realized this was the package Trinity was referring to.
Raking her fingers through her hair, Sasha's smile was nervous. "I came to see you." She held up something in her hands. "I brought sushi," she said, tentatively walking up to him. "Trinity directed me to a sushi joint in Chicago, apparently it's the best one. I got you the biggest plate because you like your sushi in big portions. And I got only salmon cuz you don't eat the other ones as much."
He smiled without wanting to. "Didn't know you noticed my sushi eating habits."
"Yeah, well I, uh, notice everything about you," she said softly as he took the sushi from her, watching him stash it in the mini fridge. Her heart sank when his smile faltered and he averted his gaze. "Baby, please. I don't like it when we fight," she pleaded.
"Then why do you make us fight? Why don't you trust me?" The look he gave her was so hurt and so full of meaning that Sasha felt his pain in her bones.
"I do trust you. I just didn't want you involved in my baby daddy drama. You have other things to worry about like your recovery. You don't deserve to get caught up in my mess."
"That's all fine and dandy. But when your baby daddy tries to sexually assault my woman and bruise her then I got every right to be involved," Joe countered. "You should have told me right away."
My woman. Maybe there was still hope. "I should have. And I'm sorry I didn't. I'm sorry you had to see that stuff with T.K. too. He and I have never fought like that before. I guess he's getting older and I have a feeling it won't be the last time it happens. I'm so sorry."
"What exactly are you sorry for? T.K. making a mistake? You performing your duties as a mother?" Joe asked. "Do you know how many times my mom threatened to kick me outta the house when I was a kid?"
"But did she actually?" Sasha challenged.
"No. But that's not the point. You act like you're doing things that are taboo and unheard of. There's nothing wrong with taking drastic action when the situation deserves it. And there's nothing wrong with spending time away from the kids either. I may be young but I understand some of these things. You're a great mother and everyone knows that, especially T.K."
Her cheeks warmed from the glowing remark. "Thank you. And the other things I said...Baby, I say stupid shit when I'm upset. We had a magical time in Pensacola and I shit all over it. You must think I'm such an ungrateful bitch. I've been told a few times in my life that my big mouth will be the end of me."
Joe said nothing further. He kept his hands in his pockets and his expression was unreadable. Sasha inhaled shakily and pressed on. "I heard you on the phone with Danielle and I saw those photos of you with that Lana girl at the signing...I know there's nothing between any of you anymore but...Joe, I love you. I'm so sorry I hurt you. You're probably at your wit's end and want to be done with me and my baggage but don't. Please."
Several seconds ticked by. "It'd be easier for me to break up with you, wouldn't it?" he stated, "For us to go our separate ways?"
Time stopped. The air rushed out of her lungs. She felt like she'd been punched in the gut. It seemed he had already made up his mind. Stunned, she lowered her head, tears brimming in her eyes. "If that's the way you feel..." This was it, she thought. They were over. Her coming all this way had been for naught.
"And yet, I can't do it. Because the thought of being away from you makes me sick to my stomach."
Her eyes darted back up to his, filled with hope. Joe came closer, his expression softer as he gazed down at her. "Baby girl, I've made it clear that you're a part of my life now. All I want is to be a part of yours. I wish you could see that."
"I do," said Sasha. "This is still new for me, having someone care so much for me and wanting nothing in return."
"I know. Me too," said Joe. "I'll admit I probably went too fast with the marriage thing. It must have been a lot to take in. I have a bad habit of putting people, not least myself, under pressure."
"You were only letting me know how you felt," she replied, taking his hands in hers. "But it does blow my mind that you see this big picture with me; that you want a future with me. I just...I don't want you to regret it," she confessed. It was almost terrifying how vulnerable he made her feel.
Squeezing her hands gently, Joe met her eyes, "I knew what I was getting into when we started dating, baby, and I'm still here. I think I'm at the stage where I'll only walk away the day you tell me you don't love me anymore."
Smiling, she shook her head. "I don't see that happening any time soon."
"Hopefully, never." He walked with her to his bed and sat down, guiding her onto his lap. "Look, let's slow down and drop the caveat. Keep this as pressure-free as possible."
She nodded. "We have time, baby. That's all I'm saying. There's a lot we still have to learn about each other and we're still adjusting into each other's lives."
"I know. You just know that I tend to know what I want, and what I want is you." He kissed the top of her head. "I beat up your ex, by the way."
"What are you talking about?" Staring at him, she gasped, eyes wide. "What?! Joe!"
He shrugged, his expression hardening. "He was in Charlotte, wearing some dopey uniform coming out of a truck. Saw red, kicked his ass. Would have done more if Josh hadn't stopped me."
"And what, all of this happened in public? That was reckless! You coulda been arrested. Tyson could press charges!" she said, suddenly worried.
"He won't dare. Not if he wants his crazy wife to find out what he did to you." He smiled proudly. "Ain't gonna lie though, bustin' him up felt damn fuckin' good."
Sasha couldn't help but laugh at how calm he sounded. "You crazy."
"Crazy for you, baby girl." Wrapping his arms tighter around her body, he looked deep into her eyes. "No one messes with me or mine. No one. I protect my queen no matter the cost."
Warmth flooded her entire body at his sweet words. She laid her head against his as he cradled her, sighing blissfully at the feel of his hand stroking her belly.
"Your T-shirt is hittin' on me," said Joe.
She tugged the shirt lightly with a giggle. "Looks that way."
His thumb made its way up to trace her bottom lip. "That's alright. Cuz I really wanna kiss you right now," he told her.
She felt her heartbeat accelerate at the look in his eyes. "You know you never have to ask, handsome," she replied, right as he laid his lips on hers in the softest, sweetest kiss imaginable. It was fresh air in her lungs, breathing new life and purpose into her. "I love you so much. Forgive me," she whispered.
"Of course. And I love you too, nani." He gazed at his girl as he tucked a stray lock of her hair behind her ear. "You know, no one's ever flown halfway across the country to see me," he pointed out, moved by her actions tonight. It couldn't have been easy for her, so for her to do it spoke incredible volumes.
Caressing his chiseled cheek, Sasha smiled. "I'm glad I did it," she said, "And I'd do it all over again for you, baby." All was forgiven, and now they could kick on with their relationship and try to strengthen it some more.
————-
Awww.