Sasha stood outside the door to T.K.'s room, a tender smile crossing her features as she listened in on Mia groaning at her brother's bad jokes. The days after Christmas and the New Year were a very eventful time for the mother-of-two, as the Grill was increasingly busy thanks to the holiday season. She hadn't had the time to talk to her children about Joe's proposition. But now that she was free and they were all together at the same time, this evening was as good a time as any. Knocking on the door, she gently pushed it open. "Hey, can I talk to you guys for a minute?"
Mia immediately shifted to make room on the small bed for her mother to sit down. "What up, Ma?" T.K. asked.
"I'd like your opinion on something. Both of you." As she rubbed Mia's back and assessed their expectant countenances, she took a deep breath and hoped that this little talk went down well. "How would you guys feel...about moving in with Joe?"
She saw both their expressions morph to surprise. "Moving in?" T.K. repeated, "You mean like, living with him? Permanently?"
Sasha nodded, making sure to make eye contact with each of her children as she spoke. "On Christmas Day he and I were talking, and he asked if the three of us could move in with him. I told him I'd talk to you both, that we'd mull it over, then give him an answer when we're good and ready." She exhaled softly. "So what do you guys think? You can be honest with me."
The two children exchanged glances. Mia gave her two cents first, a big smile on her face. "Yeah Ma, I wanna go," she said, leaning into her mother's side. "I like Joe and I like his house. It's huge and it's got a pool."
Of course her little girl was in it for the toys. She looked at her son, knowing he was the one that needed to be swayed. "What about you, Ty?"
T.K. seemed deep in thought. Then he looked at Sasha. "What do you think, Ma?"
Surprised a little, she blinked, not expecting him to ask her opinion. "Well, he lives in a nice neighborhood. I think a change of scenery will be good for you both," she said. "He wants to hook y'all up with your own bedrooms, I'm sure you'd like that."
"Our own rooms," Mia gushed dreamily, reaching across her mother's lap to nudge her brother's knee. "Say yes, Ty!"
Tapping Mia's hand playfully, T.K. lifted a shoulder in a shrug. "I guess it won't be such a bad thing. I mean, it's not like we're moving out of town. Though Joe's place is a little far away from the main town."
"I don't think that'll be a problem," said Sasha. "I know the bus routes and school and the dance studio will be at a further distance, but we'll work that out." Holding onto their hands, she looked at both of them. "This is something I want you both to be comfortable with so take your time. Mull it over. Alright? Mia sweetie, go get cleaned up. I'm gonna make dinner."
Mia bounded out of the room, and Sasha and T.K. went into the kitchen. Now that his sister was out of earshot, the teen asked the question that was really on his mind. "Am I the real reason you want us to move?"
Sasha held his gaze and knew she had to be honest. "One of the reasons," she confessed. "What happened to you hit too close to home, baby. Montel next door said these gangs are drawing closer to this part of town. I can't leave us here anymore if that's the case. I'm thinking about your sister too. If it wasn't Joe's place, then it would have been Pam's old apartment which is still on the market. It's over my budget, but I'd have come up with something, anything to get us outta here. Joe wants us closer to him and honestly, so do I. I wanna be with him."
T.K. took a seat at the kitchen table as he watched his mother start up on dinner. "Things are real serious between you now," he observed. "You gonna marry him? I think he wants that."
She opened the refrigerator. "We've talked about it," she confided, broaching this topic for the first time with T.K. "We agreed that there's still time for us to get to know each other. One step at a time, you know?"
"If you wanna get married, do it," said T.K., "You do what you want, Mama. Don't let anything or anyone hold you back, especially not me or Mia. Life's too short for anything less."
Sasha stared at her son, unsurprised by his serious tone. His near-death experience, like anyone else, had changed him; he was quieter, if that was possible. More pensive. He was still unhappy; Lamar was still missing, one month on, and the widespread rumor around the neighborhood and T.K.'s school was that the teenage drug dealer was most likely dead. Sasha didn't know what to think, and even though she didn't want to think the worst, she prepped herself up for it so she could be there for her son when he needed her. "You okay, baby?" she asked, gently rubbing his arm.
T.K. nodded his head and flashed her a warm smile. "I'm fine. I'm just happy for you and Joe. You both deserve to be loved the way you love each other."
"I want you to be happy too," said Sasha.
"I'm happy when you're happy, Ma," the teen replied, biting his lip for a beat before glancing back at his mother. "So let's do it. Let's move in with Joe."
Sasha's smile broadened. "Okay. It's settled then." Leaning against the sink, she exhaled heavily and looked around. "You know, I'm really gonna miss this place," she said.
T.K.'s eyes raked over the streaks of mold on the ceiling and the corners of the wall, all of which he now knew by heart. Mother and son looked back at each other, and shared a laugh as they adamantly shook their heads.
"Nah."
"Not really."
——————-
Joe made his long-awaited return to TV at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view, coming to aid of his Shield brethren against the Wyatt Family. Exchanging happy glances with Pam, Sasha's chest swelled with utmost pride when the crowd exploded as he came through the crowd for the first time in months. The fans had missed him and the feeling was very mutual. He moved around the ring like he'd never been gone. It was good to see the Shield as a trio again. Sasha could see the relief in Joe's eyes and how happy he was to be back there. It meant he would be away from her for long periods of time again, but it was what it was. After what he'd endured with his injury he deserved to be back out there again doing what he loved. After all, his passion for his work was one of the traits that made her fall in love with him.
She would never forget the smile that lit up his face when she told him of her decision to move her and the kids in with him; it was a true, full-blown, no holds barred grin that illuminated his gorgeous face and caused her heart to flip. That a guy of his age and level of freedom was so open to commitment was surprising. With all the traveling he did, at the stage he was in with his career and the love he had for what he did, nothing much else should have been important, certainly not an older woman and her two children. But Joe was different. Her man was special, and Sasha would have it no other way.
——————
Surprisingly, the move went smoother than Sasha had expected. By the end of the following month she had broken her lease with the landlord – a portly, grumpy old man she was glad to see the back of – allowing her to carry out the move. They didn't take too much from their old apartment; they tossed out half of their stuff because they were invariably useless, and they managed to sell a few things though they didn't make much in return. Joe, being away for most of the transition period, hired a professional crew to clean out and spruce up the two spare rooms for T.K. and Mia, under Sasha's careful supervision. The few times he made it home, he assisted with the process as much as he could.
Joe peered at his once sparse dressing table, an eyebrow raised at the numerous beauty and skincare products that now filled the surface. "Do you really use all of this stuff?" he asked. His bathroom sink had been taken over as well. He always wondered why women needed so many products.
"Of course," his girlfriend answered, picking up her Hugo Boss perfume and giving it a quick spritz in the air. "We're women, babe. We need way more things than men. I should show you what we use to take care of our hair alone. I like your bathroom sink by the way, it's perfect to wash my weaves in."
"Wash your weaves?"
"What? You think this hair gets cleaned up by itself? Er, no boo-boo. Handling a black woman's hair is hard work. We don't all got it good like you." She tugged his ponytail lightly and walked into his wardrobe, already divided with his things on the right and hers on the left. "Look, I'm already dominating all your stuff. I think I'm starting to feel bad already."
"Don't. I like it," he answered with a warm smile.
"I bet you'll change your mind when you find my bras and panties dripping from your shower rod," she laughed, picking up a suitcase she'd just emptied. "I'm done with this. Where can I put it?"
"I'll take it." Walking back into the main bedroom, he lifted the suitcase easily, trying to push it into an overhead compartment. "There's something else up there blocking the suitcase. Can you see it?"
Sasha sat on the edge of his bed and leaned back on her elbows, watching him move the suitcase around. "A little to the right," she said absent-mindedly, her attention drawn to his derriere. His t-shirt had ridden up, and her head slowly tilted for a better view. "A little more to the right...mm-hmm, very nice..."
"You checkin' out my ass, woman?" he grunted, finally shoving the suitcase in the right place.
Sasha fanned herself dramatically. "In my defense, it is a very fine ass." And a very fine man. So fine. She watched him dust his hands, then crick his neck and stretch his arms. "You're so at ease with everything," she observed. When he cast her a puzzled look, she clarified, "Most guys would get all jittery about moving in with the girlfriend. But you? No sweat."
He shrugged, sitting down next to her on the bed. "I've told you a number of times; I'm not most guys. Five years ago? Yeah, I woulda definitely been jittery. I was too busy partying and wrestling to even think about keeping to one woman, let alone settling down. I moved Andrea in to live with me only because she was pregnant and I wanted to be closer to the baby. But now, I have no doubts, no conditions. I know I want this, a hundred percent."
Sasha shifted so she was lying on her side. "You've always wanted a family."
He joined her in bed, facing her as he lay on his side as well. "I have. And as much as I'm glad that you and the kids are moving in, it's not the only reason I asked you to."
"I know." It was time she stopped questioning him, questioning this. He had shown time and time again how much she and her children meant to him. Yes, it seemed too good to be true, and things like this didn't happen in real life. But it was happening to her, and all she could do was be thankful that it was. Love – true, unadulterated love – did exist. And it was an amazing feeling indeed.
She met Joe's eyes, observing the distant look in them even though he was staring at her. "What is it?" she asked.
"Nothing, I just..." he trailed off, a grin on his face as he looked at his girlfriend, "I can't believe you're here permanently. I've thought about this day for a long time."
Sasha ran her hand along his tattooed arm and over his wrist to link their fingers together. "You know...you'll be the first man I've ever lived with. Well, other than Ty of course. But it was me and my mom in the beginning, then Pam and her mom, then me and the kids."
He smiled at her words. "Well then, I'm honored to be your first, nani."
Sasha squeezed his hand affectionately. "So, I guess it's time we set out some ground rules. Bedtime, chores, homework, taking out the trash and that sort of thing," she said.
Joe shrugged. "As long as you don't cut down our sex time I'm good with whatever rules you set. I'm hardly around as it is," he replied, causing her to laugh.
"I think our sex time will be just fine. Well, except for a few things here and there. Like less fucking out in the open. You know how curious Mia is. We wouldn't want her asking what that funny smell is."
"Good point," said Joe. "On the bright side you can be as loud as you want now. The house is big enough."
"Nope, not gonna risk it, not with Mia sleeping next door," Sasha refuted. "If it's big, then it echoes. Still don't know how they didn't hear us that night in the kitchen."
"Fine. I'll try to ease up on you then."
"Don't you dare. I love it when you go hard." She giggled when he pulled her on top of him, and she tucked her leg between both of his and smiled at what she felt there. "Hmm, speaking of hard..." she said, licking her lips at the inviting way he pressed against her. Their physical chemistry was way too combustible for words. Sasha wondered what it would be like now that they were under one roof.
Joe let his hands slither inside her t-shirt. "We can make it quick," he offered, knowing the kids were currently busy putting the finishing touches to their new bedrooms. Or so they thought.
"Mama, I'm hungry." Mia pushed the bedroom door open and strolled inside, narrowly spared the sight of her mother on top of Joe. Sasha had pulled away with lightning speed, sitting awkwardly beside her boyfriend. "What'cha doing?" Mia asked, eyes wide and innocent like always.
"Nothing, baby," Sasha answered quickly. "Go see if your brother needs help okay? I'll be right down."
"Okay." The little girl skipped away, and the moment she was out of sight, Sasha and Joe burst into laughter. That was a very close call. "You do know that this is what you're gonna have to deal with now, right?" she said.
Joe rubbed her lower back. "It's all good. We'll start by teaching her the importance of knocking. But for now, let's go feed your kids and your boyfriend."
Forty-five minutes later the four of them were gathered at the kitchen counter having lunch, their first official meal together. Joe listened in on the animated chatter with a smile, a great sense of contentment washing over him. At the end of lunch they all took part in cleaning up, with Joe showing T.K. how to operate the dishwasher.
"Ty, who's this Billie girl that's been blowing up your phone?" Sasha piped up, snatching up T.K.'s phone before he could get to it. She scrutinized the caller I.D. "Pretty girl," she commented, "And white."
"Mom, that's racist," said T.K., "Can I have my phone back now?" He grabbed for the phone again but Sasha held it out of his reach. "Don't catch this back hand, fool. Answer the question. Who is she?"
Over his mother's head, T.K. sent a panicked look Joe's way. The older man merely shrugged a shoulder at him, leaving T.K. to fend for himself. Sighing deeply, the teen looked at his mom. "She's a wrestler in NXT."
"A wrestler?" Her top lip curled. "This is obviously from when y'all went to Orlando. Am I right?" Hands on her hips, she tossed Joe a glare, who glared right back.
"What'chu looking at me for? He made friends, so what?" he retorted.
T.K. gently pried his phone out of Sasha's grasp. "Exactly. I like her. She's cool."
"What? Like, like her, like her?" Sasha prodded.
T.K. cringed. "Ugh! Ma, please let's not. I'm begging you."
"I don't want no hussy pawing my boy. Chanel was bad enough. I sure as hell ain't gonna deal with some prima donna 'Diva'."
"See Ma, this is why I don't tell you this stuff. You fuss too damn much." T.K. rolled his eyes and retreated to his new room.
Joe shook his head at his girlfriend. "Not cool, Sash."
"What, so y'all are gonna gang up on me now? I'm only trying to look out for him," she defended. "Next thing he'll tell me he's sleeping with her." She shuddered, then turned to her boyfriend and noticed how he averted his gaze as he sipped on his protein shake. Sasha's mouth dropped open. "No!"
Joe sighed, sensing the incoming tirade. "Sasha, relax."
"Relax?" she repeated incredulously, "Are you trying to tell me he's...what?!"
He fixed her with a strange look. "Babe. He's eighteen and popular and good-looking. Surely you didn't think nothing would be happening by now."
She shoved his arm. "What the hell, Joe? Are you encouraging him? I don't even know who this girl is! How old is she? And why didn't you tell me about this?" she demanded.
"Because I don't break guy code."
"Guy code? What does that even mean?" She was at a loss for words. "You two got some serious explaining to do."
"No we don't," Joe insisted, taking a hold of her elbow before she did something stupid. Like go off interrogating T.K. "Do not go to him. If you do, I can guarantee you that he'll never speak to you again."
"What? Why?"
Letting out a small sigh, he released her arm. "Look doll, we don't really talk about this stuff to our moms, or anyone for that matter, alright? It's just...kinda embarrassing. Sorry to say but you won't be any different. So leave it."
The sane part of her forced her to stop and think over his words. As usual, he had a point. "I just don't want him to get hurt or make the same mistakes I did, that's all. Next thing you know we'll be talkin' about baby mamas."
"I get you. But you can't follow behind him every step he takes, either," said Joe. "If you pry you'll run the risk of smothering him. I know if you had your way you'd never let him near girls. But he's smart and careful. I'll try to make sure he is, anyway. Hell, be happy he's still with you. Guys his age are looking to fly the coop by now."
Gosh, she'd almost forgotten T.K. was an adult now. How did time fly so fast? Now her baby was having sex. The mere thought in itself was horrifying. Overwhelmed by all of this new information, she closed her eyes and exhaled. "Lord, be my strength."
Chuckling at the bewildered look on his girlfriend's face, Joe pulled her close and kissed her forehead. "Mamas. Y'all are so cute."
—————–
Joe went to check on Mia, finding the little girl seated on her queen-sized bed in her new bedroom. "Hey little lady. How are you finding your new room?" he asked. It was a beautiful room, fit for an eight-year-old girl. She'd chosen the lavender color scheme herself, bedding and curtains and all, and Joe thought it looked fresh and fit her personality very well. There was a little desk in the corner, a small sofa and a couple of beanbag chairs next to the bed. Joe had added an alarm clock with satellite radio so she could listen to and dance to music, her favorite things to do. Mia nodded enthusiastically. "I love it," she said. "I don't really like sleeping alone all the time though. Can I stay with you and Mama whenever I get scared?" she asked.
"Sure you can. We're right down the hall. But can I let you in on something?" He leaned down close to her, as though about to reveal her a secret. Of course, he suckered her in, her eyes big and curious. "Big girls usually sleep in their own room. It shows you're becoming a grown-up," he said to her. "You're a big girl, and big girls don't get scared, right?"
"Yeah," Mia answered, nodding reverently.
"Good. So you're going to have to try to sleep in your own room more often, alright? Also, you got this little nightlight over here," he added, pointing at the little lamp on the nightstand. "I showed you how to turn it on and turn it off, remember?" He showed it to her again anyway, and Mia nodded her head, more convinced now. Joe was relieved. As much as he adored the little girl, he adored his nighttime fun with her mother just as much.
"Joe, can I ask you something?"
"Of course. Shoot."
"Are you gonna marry Mama?" Mia asked, meeting his eyes dead on when he looked at her. "You love her and she loves you, and when you love someone you marry them, right?"
"That's true little lady. But couples don't always get married right away," Joe explained. "They want to get to know each other some more and because marriage is a serious decision to make, they have to make sure it's what they both want. That's where your mom and I are right now, so it's going to take some time before that happens."
"Okay." Mia nodded, her expression thoughtful once again. "When you marry Mama, can I call you Daddy?"
Taken aback, Joe gazed at the little girl. He also did not miss the word she'd used. When, not if. "Is that what you want, sweetheart?"
Another pause, then, "Yeah." She lowered her head. "I never met my Daddy. Mama doesn't talk about him, but T.K. said he was a piece of trash." She twisted her hands in her lap, her voice growing uncharacteristically harsher. "I see how T.K.'s daddy talks to him and Mama and I don't like it. If my dad was ever like that then I'm glad I never saw him."
Joe's eyebrows shot up to his hairline in surprise. "That's a very strong thing to say. Does your mom know you feel this way?"
Mia shook her head, her expression steely with resolve, and at that moment she looked several years older than she was. "I've never told anyone. But it's true," she said. "Daddies are meant to love you and protect you. Every dad should be like Courtney's daddy or Uncle Reggie. Or you." She smiled up at him. "You'd make a very cool dad," she added.
The statement floored him, and he felt his throat clog with emotion. "Thank you. I appreciate that." It was all he could say at that moment; he was overflowing with emotion for this smart, gorgeous little girl. How quickly he had bonded with her, how good it felt to know she now trusted him enough to disclose her most private thoughts to him? To think that Andrea had tried to deny him of a feeling as amazing as this – it just made her actions seem colder and crueler than he already thought them to be.
Mia, observant as always, tilted her head as she peered at the big man. "Did I say something wrong?" Her eyes were panicked, but Joe placated her quickly, composing himself as much as he could. "Naw, sweetheart. I was just thinking about something."
"You look sad. Wanna talk about it? Mrs. Miller always says if you talk about stuff that's bothering you, you might feel better."
Joe couldn't help but grin at her. She was so darn cute. "Don't worry about me, little lady. I'm actually happy, and it's because you're all here. You, your mom and your brother."
"I'm happy we're here too." Mia smiled. Scooting closer to him, she wrapped her little arms around his neck in a tight hug and rested her head on his shoulder. She smelled of innocence and happiness and sunshine. Joe held her protectively, trying his damnedest not to well up.
"I love you, Joe," Mia whispered.
The Samoan squeezed his eyes shut. The first tear rolled down his cheek. Then a second. "I love you too, Mia."
——————-
"Babe, do you have a sec?"
Joe looked up from the bath he was running. "Everything alright?" he asked his girlfriend, puzzled when she pulled him to her side and took a picture of them. "What's with the pic?"
Leaning against the bathroom sink, she continued to type on her phone. "I, Mr. Reigns, am about to make my very first social media post, on Instagram." She sucked in a breath. "I'm kinda nervous. Your fans are going to pounce on this. This is the first time I'm really putting myself out there, ya know? Putting us out there."
Joe pressed the button to turn off the jets of the Jacuzzi tub. "Not all of my fans are crazy, babe. But if you're so concerned then I suggest you make your Instagram account private."
"Okay." She took a deep breath, and then sent out the post to be immortalized by the internet. There. Done. She glanced up, drawn to the heady fragrances of shower gels and bath oils, and saw the tub was filled with bubbles. But it was the more appealing sight of Joe stripping off his clothes that grabbed her attention. He lowered himself gingerly into the water, and once he was seated, he exhaled loudly, leaning back and closing his eyes. Another three weeks of traveling and touring had gone by and he was glad to be home once again, even if it was for just a couple of days.
Sasha smiled at his relaxed state. "That looks nice."
"It feels amazing." His grey eyes opened and focused on her. "C'mere. Come join me."
Why not, she thought. She took off her jeans and t-shirt, then her underwear. She flushed at the way Joe's ash-colored eyes glossed over with desire as they raked over her frame. She would never stop enjoying the way he looked at her. She stepped into the spacious tub and sat opposite him, her legs in between his. "Ooh, it is nice." The water was warm and soothing, and the mint and eucalyptus oils in the water were already opening up her pores.
"WrestleMania's fast approaching," said Joe. "It's going to be a crazy couple of weeks."
"Ah, WrestleMania. I've always known that was a big deal," Sasha's smile brightened. "T.K. and Mia have been talking about it. They wanna come to this one." She picked up his left foot and start to massage it. Joe's eyes widened and then he closed them and leaned his head against the tub with a groan. "That feels so good. Thanks baby. The company gives us a bunch of free tickets for family, so T and Mia will definitely be there. It's gonna be a wild time." He smiled pensively at her. "I still can't believe I have two WrestleManias under my belt already. I swear to God I nearly threw up both times, it was so nerve-wracking."
"You'll be fine," she promised, her eyes narrowing at the pained look on his face as he favored his neck. "You alright?"
"My neck's a little sore. Took a hard bump two nights ago after spearing Kane," he said.
"I could give you a massage if you want," Sasha offered.
"Do I get a happy ending?" he winked.
"Baby," she warned playfully, dismissing his come-on. "Oh, before I forget, would you mind if I asked you to hype Reggie's Bar and Grill on Twitter?"
"All business now, huh?" Joe smirked, but nodded. "Sure, I don't mind."
"Thanks. There's only so much I can do," she laughed. "Every wrestling fan that shows up at the Grill always thinks you're there. Now that they know we're in a relationship, they instantly assume you live at the Grill or something."
Laughing, he leaned forward and pulled her onto his lap, ignoring the water sloshing over the tub, and wrapped his arms around her. Sasha straddled his hips and brushed her lips against his. "Kiss me," she murmured, sliding her arms around his neck. "We're home alone and it's nice and quiet. Let's just...make out a little bit?" She didn't know when they would have quality time like this again, so she was determined to milk it for all it was worth.
Joe rubbed her back affectionately and obliged her with a gentle kiss to her mouth. "Anything my baby wants," he whispered against her lips. Living together was going smoothly so far. They'd all slipped into a routine that was beneficial to everyone. It was a very rewarding feeling when Joe returned home and found them all there, and sometimes he wanted to pinch himself. The move was shaping up to be a very good idea. He and Sasha knew each other's habits and had seen each other at their best and at their worst. There was almost nothing that could scare them away from the other now.
They spent a good fifteen minutes kissing and caressing each other in the bath water. When it got cold and the suds were all gone, they rinsed each other off and got out of the tub together. Joe slung a towel low around his hips, then grabbed a fluffy white bathrobe and wrapped it around Sasha. "You gonna shave anytime soon?" she asked him.
"Thought you liked the beard," he said, rubbing his chin. "Bearded for your pleasure and everything."
"I do. I like it better when you're all cleaned up and trimmed though. It looks so sexy, especially on TV."
"I'll shave tomorrow," said Joe. "The replay of the 49ers game should be on by now. Wanna see how my boy Kaepernick did."
Sasha rolled her eyes playfully. "And there goes our cuddle time."
Joe's brows furrowed. "What'chu mean? I always got time to cuddle my girl."
"It's not the same when you watch football," she pouted. "You abandon me."
"No I don't, don't be dramatic." He chuckled when she pouted some more, and leaned in to kiss her lips. "Alright alright. I won't abandon you this time, I promise."
Downstairs, the front door bell sounded. "I'll go get it," Sasha said, pulling away from him.
"Could you get me some popcorn on the way back, babe? Pretty please? Love you," he added, all but batting his eyelashes.
"Sure you do." She rolled her eyes again, squealing when he swatted her backside as she left the bathroom. Quickly throwing on one of his t-shirts and a pair of sweatpants, she made her way downstairs and opened the door.
Her eyebrow lifted curiously as a young, attractive woman stood at the steps. "Hi. Can I help you?" asked Sasha.
The young woman flipped back her ponytail, a hint of nervousness in her striking eyes. "Hi, I'm looking for Joe? Joe Anoa'i?" she answered.
The first thing thought came to the mother-of-two's mind was that this was a groupie. Or perhaps an ex-girlfriend or a former fling. This was the first one showing up at his doorstep though. "I'm sorry, you are..."
"I was hoping I could talk to Joe," the woman said, ignoring the question and zeroing in on the shirt Sasha wore - Joe's shirt. It was as though she recognized it. Yeah. Definitely an ex. What the hell did she want?
"Look Ma'am, I'm not a fan girl. Joe knows who I am," the woman said, craning her head to look into the house. "I just want to talk to him, nothing more. Both of his cars are parked out front so I know he's home."
Something about this woman didn't sit right with Sasha at all. "Look, there's no one by that name here," she said. "You're at the wrong address. Sorry I can't be of any help." She started to shut the door, glad to be rid of her.
"Ma'am, I know exactly where this is. I used to live here with him, after all."
Huh?
Sasha pulled the door open again, giving the girl a cold look, not knowing whether to believe her or not. She sounded convincing, but then again, with Google and social media at your fingertips, anyone could sound convincing. Besides, Joe never brought any girls over to this house back in the day. So he said. There was only ever just the one, and that was because she was...
Oh my god.
Everything else melted away into nothing as her thoughts and musings suddenly and abruptly clicked into place. Sasha looked over the girl again – really looked at her – absorbed the knowing look in her eyes, and stark realization loomed terrifyingly over her like a dark, menacing cloud.
No...it couldn't be...it can't be...
"Who are you?" she demanded, already feeling her world – and Joe's – crumbling all around her.
The woman smiled. "I'm Andrea. May I come in?"
—————-
I know I'm torturing you all, but this story could not be complete without a face-off between the two women who have had such a profound effect on Joe. So let's discuss. How do you think the next chapter will go? Will Sasha rip out Andrea's throat with her bare hands and hide the evidence? Yes? No?
Jasha are finally living together! Thoughts?