Randy's POV
I slowly opened my eyes to the sound of the hotel phone ringing. I groaned softly and answered it.
"Hello?" I said groggily into the phone.
"Mr. Orton, this is the front desk reminding you of your 6 am wake up call." The receptionist said. I totally forgot I told the front desk to give me a 6 am wake up call.
"Thank you so much." I responded and hung up. I sat up on the edge of the bed. Cherish has been on my mind all night long. I barely got any sleep, I just couldn't get her off my mind. Roman definitely isn't the right man for her anymore. I am, and I plan on showing her that, starting tonight. I stood up and stretched, walking into the bathroom to freshen up. I slipped on some workout clothes and grabbed my phone, room key, headphones, and walked out of the door. I took the elevator down to the lobby and walked out of the hotel. I put my headphones on and began my morning run as the sun slowly rose from the horizon.
After running for a good ten minutes, I decided to take a break. Drenched in sweat, I sat down on a nearby bench, catching my breath. I scanned the area, watching the other runners getting their morning run in as well. I soon laid my eyes on a familiar body from behind. I immediately realized who it was and a cheesy grin spread across my face.
She turned around and I found myself staring at her, taking in all of her. Even when she wasn't trying to look pretty, she looked amazing. She was drenched in sweat as well, making me bite my lip softly. Good thing she didn't notice me staring, or she'd definitely think I'm a creep. After staring for a good five minutes she noticed me, and a smile spread across her face. I smiled back and walked over to her.
Cherish's POV
I was in the middle of my daily morning run when I decided to take a break at the park. I stared out into the water, thinking of my current situation. That dream replayed over and over in my head all night. I sighed softly. I still love Roman, but it's obvious he doesn't love me anymore. I haven't heard from him since our encounter at the arena. I honestly don't know if I should move on, or wait for him to change.
Then there's Randy. He makes me feel so different, I can't even describe it. All I know is I've never felt like this with Roman. When I'm around him, I feel at peace. Just the thought of him makes me all warm inside. I smile softly, but then it faded thinking about Roman.
I don't think I can just leave him like that. There's still a small part of me that doesn't want to. He's my college sweetheart, the father of my child, my everything. I really hope he'll change. This isn't affecting just me, it's affecting Kaydence too. I definitely need to talk to her about everything. I sighed again and ran my fingers through my hair. I turned around and there he was, looking amazing. A smile spread across my face, making me forget all about Roman.
He smiled back and slowly walked over to me. He was drenched in sweat and I slowly looked him up and down, biting my lip softly. He soon stopped in front of me and a whiff of cologne and sweat intoxicated my nose. I looked up into his eyes, which were a darker blue and I found myself getting lost in them.
Randy's POV
She looked even better up close. I mentally sighed happily. I swear, this woman is gonna be the death of me. We stared at each other for a minute before I decided to break the silence.
"Good morning Cherish." I said, smiling softly. She smiled back, blushing softly.
"Good morning Randy." She responded. Even the way she said my name was beautiful. I could definitely get used to hearing that every morning.
"So, what's got you up this early?" I asked. She shrugged.
"I couldn't sleep, so I decided to release some stress. What about you?" Cherish asked, looking up at me. I wonder why she couldn't sleep. I wonder if it's the same reason I couldn't sleep.
"Same. I couldn't sleep either. I told the front desk to give me a 6 am wake up call. Why couldn't you sleep?" I asked, already knowing the answer. She looked down and stayed silent, confirming what I already knew. She couldn't sleep because she was thinking about that cheating bastard. I was kinda jealous she wasn't thinking about me as much as I was thinking about her. I watched her as she sat down on the bench.
"So that's why. You were thinking about him all night." I said, and she looked up at me.
"Randy, I have to tell you something,"
Roman's POV
"Y-You lied to me.. You lied to me Roman! What happened last night? 'Hey you. Last night was amazing. So are you in the bedroom. I hope we can do it again soon. Call me. You already have my number.' I can't believe you Leati!" She screamed, throwing my phone at me.
"Baby, let me explain. I-I was drunk, and I had no idea what I was doing, I promise. I'm so sorry." I walked over to her, but got met with a hard slap to the face.
"Get out of my face! I don't care that you were drunk! You had sex with her! You easily could've stopped it by not getting drunk like you promised! I'm done! We're done!" She screamed and began packing her stuff.
"Cherish wait, please don't leave me baby girl. I'm sorry. I love you." I whispered, softly grabbing her arm, but she snatched away.
"No you don't, so don't go lying to me some more. I loved you Leati, and this is what I found out you did?! I'm done. It's over." She grabbed her things and walked off the tour bus. I followed her.
"Cherish wait, I'm sorry for hurting you like this. I didn't mean to. I love you, please don't leave."
"Please don't leave.."
"Please don't leave.."
I jumped up out of my dream, breathing heavily and sweating. The day Cherish left kept replaying in my head. I honestly have no idea how I'm gonna get her back. Especially not with Randy in the way, filling her head with lies about me. I checked my phone. 6:15 am. I groaned softly and laid back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.
Ever since Layla left yesterday, I've been able to get my thoughts together. I've actually had peace since she's been gone. Why didn't I make her leave earlier? I don't know. Besides the fact I probably won't be getting laid for a while, I'm honestly glad she's gone. It's one step closer for me getting Cherish back. I really do need to talk to her though. I grab my phone and find her contact, pressing the call button.
Voicemail. I sighed and called three more times, giving up after hearing her voicemail for the fourth time. I wonder if she's with Randy. Anger slowly began to rise inside me at the thought of Cherish being with him. I closed my eyes and clenched my fists, violent and merciless thoughts running wild in my head.
I was ripped out of my thoughts with the ringing of my phone. I quickly picked it up, looking at the caller ID, frowning. Layla, it read across the screen. I rolled my eyes and threw my phone, hearing it bounce off of the wall and hit the floor. I turned on my side and closed my eyes, sleep slowly taking over me again as my ringtone slowly faded out.
Author's POV
"What is it?" Randy asked, sitting down next to Cherish. She said she had something to tell him, and he wanted to be all ears for whatever she had to say. She stayed silent for a while, not knowing how to start.
"It's okay Cherish. Whatever it is, I'm all ears." Randy reassured her, softly touching her thigh. She looked up at him and noticed his eyes were a lighter blue as the sun slowly began to rise. She felt like she could trust him with what she was about to say, and that calmed her down, only a little. How do you tell someone you had a wet dream about them and the person they hate with everything they have? But she knew she wouldn't get another chance like this to say something, so she decided to get it out of the way and face the consequences later, if there were any.
"I had a dream," Cherish started. Randy looked at her patiently.
"Take your time." He said. She nodded.
"I had a dream, about you, and Roman. But it wasn't just any kind of dream. It was, it was.. I can't do this." She said, looking away. Randy had no idea what she was going to say, but he was determined to find out, if she was ready for him to of course.
"If you're afraid I'm not listening, I am. If you're afraid I'm going to tell someone, I'm not. Especially not Roman. What you and I talk about will stay between us. He'll be lucky I don't punch him in the mouth for hurting someone as beautiful as you." Randy said. Cherish believed him, she wanted to tell him. She just didn't know how. She didn't want him to think differently of her, which he probably would. She liked the little relationship they had, and she didn't wanna ruin it all because of some stupid dream.
"I know, I just don't want you to think differently of me." She said softly, tears threatening to spill from her eyes but she didn't let them.
"Cherish, look at me." He said sternly. She turned and looked at him. He slowly grabbed her hand.
"My opinion on you will never change. No matter what you do, what you say, I'll always feel the same about you. So whenever you're ready, you can tell me. I promise you I won't think differently of you. I'm all ears." Randy said, softly kissing her hand. She looked down again, hiding her blush. There was that feeling in her stomach again. She felt all warm and bubbly inside. Only he could make her feel like that. She knew he wouldn't betray her like that, so she looked up at him, and told him.
"I had sex with you and Roman, at the same time." She said, not wanting to get into detail. He simply nodded, his opinion not changing at all.
"My opinion about you still hasn't changed Cherish. I understand that you're torn between two men you really care about. I wouldn't say love because I know you don't love me. But I do know you still love him. That's why you had that dream. You're stuck at a crossroads. You're confused right now, and I get that. That dream doesn't make you a slut, a whore, or anything like that. So don't think it does because it doesn't. You're still the beautiful, loving, caring, sexy, feisty, strong woman I've always known you to be. And on top of that, you're the face of the Women's division. You hold that championship and you hold it with pride. You're what a real champion looks like, and I see you holding it for a very long time." Randy said, pouring out some of heart to Cherish. He didn't pour all of his heart out to her. She wasn't ready for that yet, and plus, he feared rejection.
Cherish felt every word he said, she knew he spoke with truth and from his heart. Everyone claims Randy is this merciless, cold, vindictive human being without a soul, but she knows he's the complete opposite. He's gentle, caring, loving, and most of all, understanding. He didn't judge her not one bit. He understood why she had the dream, and why she's feeling this way about him and Roman. She smiled softly, feeling relieved he understood.
"Thanks for understanding Randy. I really appreciate it." She said. He smiled back.
"Of course." He responded. She laid her head on his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. He felt her relax in his arms, making him sigh softly. He rested his chin top of her head, loving how warm she felt against him. He wished she could stay like this forever.
To Cherish, the feeling was all too mutual. She felt herself relax against Randy when he wrapped his arms around her. She loved the way he held her. She didn't want him to let her go. Silence filled the air as they listened to the various sounds around them. The wind danced around them, the birds chirped behind them, the waves crashed against each other in front of them, the faint voices of others who were at the park surrounded them, but none of that mattered. They zeroed in on the other's breathing, which was calm and relaxed.
Cherish listened to the sound of Randy's heartbeat, which was uniquely in sync with hers. She found that kinda odd because the last time that happened was the day she had Kaydence and she held her to her chest, realizing her daughter's heartbeat was perfectly in sync with hers. That's how she knew that the bond between them would never be broken.
Could this sign be the beginning of something new? Cherish couldn't answer that question just yet, so for now she'll just listen to her heart, which is what she's been doing the entire time. At least that's what she thinks. Randy held her tighter, making her sigh heavily.
"What's on your mind?" Randy asked.
"Nothing, I'm fine." Cherish responded, not wanting to tell him what she was feeling at this exact moment. Honestly, not even she knew what she was feeling. Just more mixed emotions filling her body and she didn't want to confuse Randy. He deserved someone who would be 100% for him, someone who wanted him and only him. Maybe Cherish would be that person, but not yet. Soon.
Randy nodded and silence filled the air again. He didn't wanna push her about it so he left it alone. Randy knew what he wanted, and what he wanted was Cherish. But he knew she wasn't ready to let Roman go. He wouldn't call what he felt for her love, but there was a strong desire for her, not just sexually either. That's why Cherish was so different to him. Sex wasn't the first thing on his mind when it came to her. He was pulled out of his thoughts when she pulled away from him. She didn't want to, but she knew it would be better if she did.
"Cherish?" Randy asked. She looked at him.
"Yes?"
"Can I take you out to dinner tonight? I know it's probably been a while since you've been able to go out to a nice restaurant and relax a little, so I wanted to give you that opportunity. If that's okay with you. If not I totally understand." He said. She smiled softly. It's just dinner right?
"Of course, I'd love to go out to dinner with you." Cherish said. She was actually excited. It would be her chance to relax, and get to know Randy better.
"Good." He smiled. "I have a match later on at Smackdown, so we can go after that. How does that sound?" She nodded and they both stood up.
"Race you back to the hotel." Cherish said. Randy smirked.
"Are you challenging me?" She smirked.
"Maybe." She took off before he could respond. He laughed and ran after her.
***
Of course, Cherish made to the hotel long before Randy did. She waited for him, and soon saw him walking up. He was breathing heavily and looked like he was about to pass out. She laughed as she watched him plop down on the ground.
"Why did you take the long way? I almost died back there." He said breathlessly.
"I always go that way. That's the way I went this morning. You'll be fine." She said, patting his back. He finally caught his breath and stood up and they walked into the lobby together. Most of the roster was downstairs eating breakfast and talking. They parted ways and walked over to their friends.
Layla's POV
I watched as Cherish and Randy walked into the hotel together. Cherish and I made eye contact. I glared at her and smirked. Roman set my plate of food in front of me. Told you he couldn't stay away from me. He came down earlier and immediately walked over to me. I looked up and him and he was staring at Cherish. I grabbed him and kissed him softly. He didn't kiss back but I didn't care. I did it just to piss Cherish off, and it worked. She shook her head and looked like was about to cry, walking away. I began eating as Roman sat down across from me.
"Why did you do that?" He asked.
"You know why. Why didn't you kiss me back? You know you missed my kisses." I smirked and looked up at him. He stared back with no expression on his face.
"Because I didn't want to. If I missed them I would've kissed you back." He said. I rolled my eyes.
"You can leave if you really don't wanna be here." I said, knowing he wouldn't. He stayed silent and I laughed.
"It's so funny how you claim that you had peace while I was gone and you were able to get your thoughts together, but the minute we're alone, you're all in my ear, talking about how much you missed how tight I felt when we had sex in the bathroom not even twenty minutes ago." I said, looking at him. I saw him bite his lip softly and I could tell he was hard just thinking about it.
"I got caught up in the moment. I didn't mean for it to happen. I love Cherish." He said, knowing he didn't even believe himself. I nodded.
"Okay Leati, whatever you say. We both know that's not true because not matter what, you can't get enough of me. No matter how much you try to convince yourself you still love Cherish, I'll always be in the back of your mind because I have that kind of power over you Roman. And part of you loves every minute of it. The sex part of it, that's all you're getting from me. I don't love you, you don't love me, we're just using each other for one thing and one thing only. Now when you figure out what you really want, you know where to find me." I say and stand up. Before I can walk away, Roman grabs my arm.
"Layla?" I look at him.
"Yeah?"
"See you later." I smirked.
"Maybe. Maybe not." My smirk faded immediately and I pulled away from him, walking away. I could feel him staring at my ass and I smirked. This game is just starting to get interested, and I have control of the entire board.
Smackdown
Cherish's POV
I think I've been too excited thinking about my date with Randy. It's not really a date, is it? If it is, it's just a friendly date. He just wants to take me out and let me relax, like a good friend would. I gotta admit, it's been on my mind all day. Even when my mind drifted off to Roman, I began thinking about Randy and got all happy inside. Am I wrong for feeling like this?
I had no idea if I would have a match or not so I packed my ring gear just in case. I showered and got out twenty mintues later and put on white jeans, a black v neck, and my black red bottoms. I curled my hair and did some light makeup. I looked in my suitcase and pulled out my dress for tonight. Randy will love this. I thought to myself as I laid it on the bed. Wait, is he supposed to love it? I sighed softly and put my title in my bag and grabbed my things, walking out of the room. I walked out to my car and saw Roman. He looked at me and I returned the favor. He slowly walked over to me.
"Hey." He said. I smiled weakly.
"Hey." I responded. There was an awkward silence between us.
"Look, what happened between Layla and I didn't mean anything. She kissed me but I didn't kiss her back. Cherish I-" I shook my head, not wanting to hear it.
"Roman stop. Just, stop. You keep saying it doesn't mean anything, but everytime I see you, there she is right next to you. Your words mean nothing to me anymore. You're gonna have to start showing me that you really wanna work on us. And you need to start by leaving Layla alone." I said, he sighed softly.
"I do wanna work on us Cherish, I really do. Which is why I have to tell you something." He said. I immediately thought of the worst.
"What is it?" I asked. He ran his fingers through his hair and stayed silent. I slowly calmed down, thinking it really isn't important. I turned and put my things in the trunk. I walked over to the drivers side of the door and opened it.
"I had sex with Layla earlier, like right before you and Randy came back to the hotel." I heard him blurt out. My heart dropped. I actually thought he would change.. I slowly turned around.
"Y-You what?" I said, my voice breaking.
"I-I had sex with Layla earlier. I don't know what got into me, I got caught in the moment.." That's all I heard before zoning out. Tears flowed down my cheeks as memories and scenarios flooded my head. Was I really that bad of a girlfriend to him? Am I really not that good enough? I closed my eyes and came back to reality.
"And I'm so sorry for hurting you like this Cherish." I heard Roman say. I sniffed and shook my head again. He tried to grab my arm but I moved away from him.
"You're such a liar Leati. You don't wanna work on us at all. What have I done that's so bad for you to keep doing this to me? Am I not good enough for you anymore? What does she have that I don't? What is it? Is it the sex? Tell me what I've done wrong. Answer me!" I screamed and sobbed. Roman grabbed me and held me against his chest. I broke down and cried harder, trying to push away from him but he wouldn't let me go.
"You've done nothing to deserve this." He whispered. I didn't say anything, all I could do was cry. I was so hurt. I was really hoping he would change. I missed him so much, but it was like he wanted nothing to do with me anymore. I finally stopped crying and pulled away from him.
"I'm sorry." Roman said, looking into my eyes. I couldn't even tell if he was telling the truth or not.
"Go, Roman. It's obvious you don't know what you want. You definitely don't want me, because if you did you would've shown me, or at least tried. You haven't done anything to prove to me that you're sorry. All I can go by is your words, and right now, those mean nothing to me. Stay away from me until you get your shit together." I said, getting into the car and shutting the door before he could respond. I saw him walk away and I ended up breaking down again before I drove off and headed to the arena. I really hope he'll prove to me he's sorry, or else this might be the end of our relationship.
Randy's POV
I arrived at the arena and sat my things down, walking around. I've been thinking about my date with Cherish all day. I can't wait. She definitely deserves it. She needs to relax and get her mind off things for a while, especially Roman. He's stressing her out and it's starting to piss me off. She doesn't need to be worrying about him, it's obvious he's not gonna change.
I suddenly heard screaming to my right. I looked over and saw Cherish walking toward the arena, and the fans were screaming and cheering for her. I smiled softly as I watched her sign autographs and take pictures. She soon walked away into the arena. I looked closer and saw she had been crying, immediately making me concerned. Something must've happened before she got here. I saw her talking to Celeste and some of the other girls and decided to walk over to her.
"Hey girls." I said, and they all greeted me.
"If you girls don't mind, I'd like to steal your friend for a second." I said and smiled, looking back at Cherish. She looked at me and smiled weakly, and her eyes were kind of red. Now there's definitely something wrong. They nodded and walked away. I waited until they were out of sight then I turned to Cherish.
"You okay? Your eyes are red, you look like you've been crying. What's wrong?" I asked, concern all over my face. She sniffled.
"Nothing Randy, I'm fine. It's just my allergies." Cherish said softly, looking down. I knew she was lying. I slowly lifted her chin, making her look into my eyes.
"You don't have allergies Cherish. You wanna know how I know? Because when pollen season came around and almost all of the roster got sick, Hunter, you, and I were the only ones who didn't get sick. I understand if you don't wanna tell me what's doing on, but you don't have to lie to me either." I said. She nodded and laid her head on my chest again. I wrapped my arms around her.
"Roman.." She said. My jaw clenched and anger slowly began to rise inside me. I'm getting really sick of him making her cry.
"I swear, next time I see him I'm gonna break his fucking nose." I growled. She pulled away.
"Don't. It's not worth it. He and I aren't even together so it doesn't matter. I don't even know why I'm crying over him." Cherish said sadly, looking down again. I lifted her chin up again.
"Pick your head up my queen. Your crown is falling." I said, smiling softly. She laughed softly. It warmed my heart knowing I made her smile.
"I'll see you later Cherish." I kissed her cheek and walked away. I began looking for Roman, wanting to give him a piece of my mind. And my fist if you know what I mean.
Cherish's POV
I changed into my ring gear, looking in the mirror.
Pick your head up my queen. Your crown is falling.
Randy's words echoed in my head and I smiled. He's right. I'm the face of this Women's division. I'm the champion and I shouldn't let Roman get to me, distracting me from what's most important. And that's leading this division into a new era. Randy's words gave me a boost of confidence that I needed to focus. I still didn't know who my next opponent is for Hell in a Cell. I fixed my makeup and grabbed my title, putting it on my shoulder. I walked to the gorilla and my music roared through the arena, and so did the cheers.
I walked through the curtain onto the ramp, repeating Randy's words. I put on my signature smirk as I walked down to the ring.
"Ladies and gentlemen, from Pensacola, Florida, she is the WWE Women's Champion, Cherish!"
I stepped into the ring and held my title high in the air, the crowd cheering even louder. I grabbed a mic and waited for the crowd to die down.
Style and grace, I've never gonna be done lean on it, now welcome to the Queendom
Before I could even say a word, Stephanie walked out. I raised an eyebrow, wondering what she was doing out here.
"This better be good for you to be interrupting me Stephanie." I said annoyed, watching her as she stepped into the ring.
"I'm your boss, so I can come out here and interrupt you whenever I please. I suggest you watch your tone." She said, walking over to me.
"But don't worry, I wouldn't have come out here without a valid reason."
"Well what is it? I hope it's about who I'm defending this title against in three weeks." I responded, folding my arms.
"If you don't watch your tone, you won't have a title to defend. Now if you let me talk, I'll tell you why I'm out here. Speaking of your title, that's exactly why I'm out here. It's obvious you need an opponent for Hell in a Cell. Well that's exactly what you're gonna get. So I'm gonna ask the entire Women's locker room to come out here." Stephanie looked over at the entrance, and so did I. Soon all of the women began walking down to the ring, surrounding it. I began to get suspicious. Stephanie raised the mic to her lips.
"To determine who will face Cherish at Hell in a Cell for the Women's Championship, there will be three triple threat matches. The winners of those matches will go on to compete in another triple threat match next week on Raw. And the winner of that match will become number one contender, and earn the right to face Cherish for the WWE Women's Championship at Hell in a Cell!" The crowd cheered, obviously happy with Stephanie's decision. The crowd died down and she continued.
"The women who will be competing in those matches will be, Sasha Banks, Nia Jax, Naomi, Alicia Fox, Becky Lynch, Charlotte, Paige, Melina, and Layla!" The crowd cheered again. I scanned the roster, earning glares from all nine of those women.
"In the first triple threat match, it'll be, Nia Jax, Paige, and Melina! And that match starts now! Cherish, you might wanna get comfortable on commentary. You're gonna be there for a while." Stephanie smirked and stepped out of the ring as her music played. I looked at all of the women, but I knew they weren't looking at me. They were looking at my title. I stepped out of the ring and walked past them, still getting death glares. So this is what it feels like when they say when you become champion, you have the word target written on your back.
I sat down at the announcer's table as everyone made their way to the back except for Nia, Paige, and Melina. I leaned back in my chair and watched as the match began.
Author's POV
By the end of the night, the match was set. Next week on Monday Night Raw, it'll be Naomi, Nia Jax, and Layla fighting for the right to face Cherish for the Women's Championship at Hell in a Cell. Cherish ended the night with a victory over Natalya, while the women who will be competing in the triple threat match watched. She walked backstage and to the locker room. She grabbed her things and headed back to the hotel. She didn't even know what time Randy would be coming. She just wanted to be ready when he did.
Cherish sat her things down and got in the shower. She got out twenty minutes later and began getting ready.
She put her hair up into a bun and slipped on her heels. She looked at herself in the long mirror behind the door. She smiled softly, proud of the way she looked. She only hoped Randy would felt the same. Her phone lit up, signaling someone texted her. She unlocked the phone and read the text.
I'm downstairs in the lobby. Whenever you're ready just come down.
The text of course was from Randy. Cherish grabbed her clutch and looked at herself in the mirror one last time before she left.
Randy's POV
I texted Cherish letting her know to come down to the lobby whenever she was ready. Is it weird if I'm actually super nervous right now? It's just a date, but it's a date with Cherish. That's a big deal. Well to me anyway. I looked at myself in a mirror I saw, making sure I looked okay.
I smiled at my reflection and checked my watch to try to get rid of my nervousness, but that didn't work. I heard the elevator ding and turned around, watching as the door opened, and Cherish stepped off. I got one look at her and my jaw dropped. It was like time stopped as I admired her breath-taking beauty. She looked, simply amazing. She stood in front of me, and I was absolutely speechless.
"Hi. I know it's a little simple for a date, but I didn't know what to wear, and this was all I had in my suitcase." I heard her say.
"No, y-you look, god Cherish you look flawless." I stuttered, unable to get my thoughts together. What amazed me was that sex was the very last thing on my mind. She smiled and blushed.
"Really? You think so?" She asked, looking up at me. I nodded.
"I know so. You're just, wow." I said, looking her up and down.
"Thank you. You look handsome as ever." She said and kissed my cheek, making me smile.
"Why thank you. Are you ready to go?" I asked and she nodded. We linked arms and left.
Cherish's POV
During the car ride, I couldn't stop stealing glances at Randy. He looked amazing. He was stealing glances too so it was okay. We arrived at the restaurant ten minutes later. He got out and walked over to my side, opening the door for me for the second time tonight. I smiled and thanked him, walking into the restaurant with him. I looked around in awe. Chandeliers were everywhere, the decorations were amazing. I looked down to see we were walking on marble floors. Wow, Randy really went all out for this date. A waitress walked over and immediately showed us to our table. They must've knew we were coming. Randy pulled out my chair for me, and I sat down, thanking him again.
"So, how do you like the restaurant?" Randy asked as the waitress poured us a glass of wine.
"I love it. You really didn't have to take me here. This is too nice." I said.
"I wanted to take you here. You deserve to be taken to a restaurant as nice as this one. You really deserve a 5 star restaurant, but I can only afford a 4.5 star restaurant right now." He smiled. I laughed.
"This is good enough for me." I responded, taking a sip of my wine. My eyes widened at the taste.
"What is it? You don't like it? Waitress!" Randy said loudly. I laughed again and touched his arm, making him look at me.
"Randy I love the wine. It's actually my favorite. How did you know that though? Have you been stalking me?" I asked playfully, folding my arms. He shrugged.
"Maybe. Or I may or may not have asked Celeste." He smiled and I nodded.
"I see." I grabbed the menu and looked at it, realizing none of the main entrees were under $30.
"Order whatever you want. I can afford it." Randy said, smiling. I returned the favor and scanned the menu, deciding what to order. I put the menu down and so did Randy.
Randy's POV
I decided to strike up a conversation to pass the time. If I didn't, I'd just end staring at her all night, and that would be super awkward and she'd think I'm a weirdo. We ordered our food and I looked at Cherish as the waitress left. God she's so beautiful..
"So how's Kaydence?" I asked. Cherish looked up at me and it was like her entire face lit up.
"She's doing good, she's excelling at her schoolwork, and she'll start getting in the ring and learning the basics while she's out of school." I nodded. One thing I can say about Cherish and Roman is that they agreed their child would be taught as early as possible everything about this business. They decided it even while Cherish was pregnant. I watched her grow and become wiser by the day. When she does get signed, there's no doubt in my mind that she'll follow in her mother's footsteps and be one of the best in the world.
"That's great. The earlier you teach them the better." I responded, and she nodded.
"How's Alanna?" Cherish asked. I smiled.
"She doing pretty good. She and Sam are having a mother-daughter day today, that's why I don't have her. I'll be getting her first thing tomorrow." I said and she nodded. Our food came and we continued talking, laughing and just enjoying each other's company.
Cherish's POV
This date has been amazing. The food was amazing, and so was dessert. I didn't want it to end, but it had to eventually. I haven't thought about Roman the entire time, which was good. I've been able to relax and take my mind off things, just like Randy said I would. I watched him as he talked to the waitress about the bill.
He's an amazing man, but I don't know if I can really dedicate myself to him like he would want me to. There's still that part of me that loves Roman, and is hoping he'll change. I know he showed me something totally different today, but I just have to give him time. But how much time? I can only wait but so long before Randy completely sweeps me off my feet. Randy doesn't deserve some of me, he deserves all of me and I don't wanna be with him until I'm ready to give him all of me.
I still don't see why Sam left him. Randy told me she left because she felt like they just weren't working anymore, and that their marriage was broken beyond repair. I asked him what she meant by that but he didn't wanna talk about it, so I left it alone. I wonder how Alanna feels about her parents not being together anymore. She always seems happy so I guess she doesn't really understand. Randy said when he and Sam told her, she said,
"As long as I get to see both of you guys I'll be happy."
That made me smile. I didn't realize Randy was done talking the waitress until he waved his hand in my face, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Cherish? You okay? You seem like you were daydreaming." He said.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking about some stuff." I responded, smiling softly.
"That stuff better be me." He smiled. I laughed and blushed.
"Maybe."
"You ready to go?" He asked, standing up. I nodded and stood up. We linked arms and walked out of the restaurant.
Author's POV
Cherish and Randy arrived back at the hotel, unaware someone had been watching them all night. They stepped on the elevator and got off when the doors opened on the 5th floor. Cherish's mind began drifting off, thinking about Roman. She tried to shake the thoughts away, but this time it didn't work. Roman was the best thing to ever happen to Cherish, and she still can't believe he hurt her the way he did. Not only once, but constantly.
Even when he stood next to Layla, it hurt Cherish to the core. That should be her standing next to him. It should be her in his arms every night and every morning. It should be her he's making love to on a daily basis, and the fact it's not broke Cherish's heart.
They had stopped in front of her door and tears began falling down her cheeks. Randy immediately knew why. He hated the fact that everytime she thought about Roman, it made her cry. She was too beautiful to be crying, and she definitely didn't need to be feeding into his lies.
"Cherish what's wrong?" Randy asked, her back to him. She faced the door, hating that she was crying in front of him. She bit her lip hard to keep from breaking down.
"N-Nothing, I'm fine." Cherish whispered. Randy wasn't buying it. She didn't wanna tell him what was wrong because she felt like almost everytime they talked, it was about Roman. It was always about how Roman was hurting her and how confused she was. But Randy didn't mind it all, he just loved her presence.
"No you're not fine. I'm here for you." Randy responded, grabbing her hand. Cherish slowly turned around and looked at him, and Randy could see nothing but heartbreak all over her face. It hurt his heart knowing she was hurting like this. He'd do anything to just make all her problems go away.
Cherish looked up at Randy, her dark brown eyes piercing into his icy blue ones.
"I don't wanna burden you with my problems. It's like everytime we talk, it's always about Roman and how much he's hurting me, and I know you're sick of hearing about it." She said.
"You talking about Roman doesn't make you a burden. I know how much he's hurting you and you wanna let it out. I understand why you feel the way you do. Like I said, I'm here for you." Randy said, pulling her into a hug. She laid her head on his chest, inhaling his light cologne. She found herself breaking down. She didn't want to, but with the way Randy held her she couldn't help it.
Randy held her tighter as she cried harder. She was letting out all of the hurt Roman caused, and he didn't wanna deprive her of another minute. He just wish she could fully let Roman go so he could love her the way she deserved.
"Maybe I'm not good for him anymore." Cherish said after she was finished crying.
"You did everything you could to make him happy, you were the best girlfriend in the world to him, I saw it with my own eyes. There's nothing you wouldn't do for him, you supported him in everything he did, even in college. So don't put yourself down like that. You did your part. Roman is an idiot for hurting you Cherish. You're smart, beautiful, strong, loving, caring, driven, and you're the best mother in the world to Kaydence. If Roman can see that, then that's his loss." Randy said, looking into her eyes. She knew he meant every word.
"Thank you Randy. I enjoyed the date, it was amazing."
"Of course. Anything for you." Randy said, tucking a small piece of stray hair behind her ear. He softly cupped her cheek as silence filled the air. Cherish stared into his eyes as he did the same, and Randy found himself leaning in.
Cherish's POV
A wave of electricity flowed through my body as our lips connected. I immediately kissed him back, wrapping my arms around his neck as our lips slowly moved in sync. This is something I've never felt before, it was so passionate and sensual. I've never felt like this with Roman and I didn't want it to end.
He slowly slid his tongue into my mouth as his hands gripped my waist. I held back the moan that tried to escape my lips as our tongues wrestled for dominance. I let him take control as he sucked and nipped on my bottom lip. I deepened the kiss as I felt my back hit the door. I pulled away five minutes later, wanting him in more ways than one.
"Come inside." I whispered against his lips.
He nodded and I walked inside with him. I lead him to the bedroom, slipping off my heels. He took off his shoes and I pulled him down on the bed with me. I kissed him softly, my hands immediately moving to the buttons on his shirt. I unbuttoned his shirt and slid it off, tossing it. My hands roamed all over his abs and chest, looking up at him. He latched his lips on my neck, making me bite my lip. My mind suddenly went to Roman. His face rushed through my head as I imagined him doing what Randy was doing. Did I really want this? Was I really and truly ready for this? I don't think so.
I slightly pushed Randy's chest, making him look at me.
"What is it?" He asked.
"I'm, I'm not ready for this. I still can't stop thinking about Roman. You don't deserve some of me. You deserve all of me." I responded. His face expression didn't change at all. He simply nodded.
"I understand. I'm not gonna pressure you to do anything you're not ready for." Randy said, getting up. Even though we weren't going to be together intimately, I still didn't want him to leave.
"Randy?" I looked at him. He turned and looked at me.
"Yeah?"
"I don't want you to leave." He smiled.
"I didn't want to leave either." I smiled and he climbed back into the bed. I laid my head on his chest as he held me. Sleep slowly began taking over my body as I came to the true conclusion that I was falling in love with Randy Orton.
Finally!! I updated this book! This chapter was long af, 7676 words!
I dropped a couple hints as to what will happen towards the end of the book, but none of you will figure it out so I don't know why I just said that lol
But anyways, tell me what you guys think!
Aren't Cherish and Randy the cutest?!
A confrontation between Roman and Randy about EVERYTHING will be next chapter!
Don't forget to Vote AND Comment!
Mrs_Orton25