two weeks later, Monday Night Raw, 8:30PM
I stood in my decorated corner with the many lights and a camera pointing at me. I watched as the newest Intercontinental Champion, Kevin Owens, walked up to me, getting ready for his interview tonight. He had just beaten Colby in an unfair 2-on-1 unscheduled beatdown, which allowed him to keep his title.
"Kevin, you just successfully defended your Intercontinental Championship for the first time since winning it last week on Raw. With Sami Zayn in your corner, you defeated Seth Rollins, and kept your title. How are you feeling?" I asked, my chest tightening as I saw Dean appear in the hall, his body coming to a screeching halt as he saw us.
"Kaia, I am feeling fantastic. Not only did I defeat Seth Rollins, Sami and I destroyed Seth Rollins. Not again will he come after my Intercontinental Championship. Never again," he started as he, too, noticed Dean standing there.
"You must be feeling pretty proud of yourself at this point, right?" I asked him.
"I am very happy with my performance. The only thing that could make this better is if I could take you, Kaia Lopez, out on a date," he said unscripted, taking me off guard. I seen Dean scramble out of the corner of my eye when all I could do was awkwardly laugh at his impromptu question. "I mean, it'd be nice to hang out with a Champion, right?"
"Hey, yeah, excuse me?" Dean said, walking up next to Kevin. I backed away instinctively, and Dean began beating down on Kevin as he called for security. Finally, Dean got to his feet and picked up the title, looking at it before dropping it onto Kevin. "Don't worry, I'll be taking this soon,"
"C'mon, Dean, get out of there," a security guard said, motioning him away. He walked towards me, his knuckle nudging my chin before walking past me and continuing down the hallway like before.
"Kaia," Colby said after walking up to the mess in front of me. "Dean?"
"Dean," I nodded as he scoffed and rolled his eyes.
The last two weeks consisted of this— the hiding in the shadows until he got his chance to speak to me, or be around me. He even tried to get me as his driving partner, which Colby shut down quickly.
"Are you done here?" he asked me, raising a brow.
"Yeah," I nodded before Kevin got up, walking close to us.
"Better tell your boyfriend to fucking watch himself," Kevin sneered at me before shoving his way between Colby and I.
"Jesus," I rolled my eyes before Colby grabbed my arm. I handed the microphone to a crew member before Colby dragged me down the hall and into his dressing room.
"Listen, Kaia. Dad is throwing a party for your mom this weekend. He really wants you to come, and—"
"I don't know if that's the best idea, Colby," I said quickly, my chest tightening.
"I know you and your mom have your differences, but I'm sure she would love to have you," he told me, pulling his hair back.
"The last time I talked to her, which was Christmas, she told me, and I quote, 'don't you dare come here, you are not welcome around the family anymore, merry fucking Christmas'," I told him, crossing my arms. He frowned and sighed, leaning against the wall.
"What even started that?" he asked.
"She told me she didn't want me to go on tour with WWE, because she would be sad and lonely. I told her that this is kind of my job, and then she told me if I left, to never come back," I explained, pulling out my phone.
From: Dean
you don't like Kevin, do you?
i mean, i guess it's okay if you do.
i'd be better in bed than him, so choose wisely.
"I can't believe she did that, especially what your dad has been doing these last few years,"
"Few? You mean fifteen?" I fake-laughed, rolling my eyes. "But, yeah, I know. My luck is impeccable."
"I still think you should come. I've been waiting to get a plane ticket, because I want you to come," he told me, smiling halfheartedly.
"I'll go, but if there's any drama, I'm leaving," I sighed, leaning my head back on the couch. He smiled and nodded, pulling his phone out to type a quick text before shoving it away and standing up.
"You can leave now. I need to change," he told me, grabbing his gear bag and pulling out his clothes that he intended to wear. I obliged quickly, walking over to the door and pulling it open, where Dean stood towering in front of me where the door used to be.
"Hey, Doll," he smirked as I rolled my eyes. I turned around and Colby had disappeared into the bathroom, leaving me to fend for myself.
"'Scuse me," I said as I tried to slip past him, but he grabbed my waist before closing the door behind me.
"Didn't you get my texts? I don't text much, so you should consider yourself lucky," he smirked, sticking on hand out above my head to rest on the wall.
"I did, I just didn't reply," I told him matter-of-factly, making him furrow his brows.
"So, you and Kevin fucking now?" Dean asked me bluntly.
"No!" I scoffed, moving away from him.
"Looks like he wants to take you out," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets.
"Oh, come on. It was off of the—"
"The look on your face when he asked proves that both you and I know that wasn't part of the script," he interrupted me, smiling. "Kevin has a thing for you,"
"And?"
"I don't like that," he said, becoming more serious. "That's not okay with me,"
"Who put you in charge of who I go out with?" I asked, crossing my arms as he began laughing
"I didn't say you couldn't," he mentioned, shrugging his shoulders. "I just don't see someone like you being with someone like him,"
"Who's someone like me?" I asked, growing curious.
"Those are words for the bedroom," he smirked, sticking his tongue out. "Now, are you really going to go out with Kevin and get the worst time of your life?"
"No," I said, defeated.
"Didn't think so. See you later, doll," he smirked, walking past me and back down the hallway.
"Jesus," I sighed, watching him turn the corner.
next night, after SmackDown Live, 12:00AM
I held my purse close to me as the driver dropped me off at the back entrance of the hotel. I grabbed my phone as it vibrated against my leg and pressed it to my ear, not bothering looking at who was calling.
"Hello?"
"Is this Kaia Lopez?"
"Yes, may I ask who's calling?"
"Kaia, it's Amber. Your aunt,"
Amber's my dad's sister. Her, along with the other half of my family, never talked to me. It was a shock to hear her voice.
"I, uh— Hi,"
"Kaia, I'm really sorry to call you under such poor circumstances,"
"What's going on?" I asked nervously, still standing outside in the rain.
"Kaia, Frank— er, your dad— passed away last night from lung cancer... I-I'm really sorry, dear,"
"O-Oh,"
"I'll send you funeral details, dear. I'm really sorry,"
"Thanks,"
I dropped my phone down to slip into my purse before I looked around, tears blurring my vision as I sat down on the steps.
I found myself struggling to breath as tears streamed down my face. I brushed my sopping wet hair from my face and leaned my head against the cement next to me, breathing in deeply to satisfy my lungs' need for oxygen.
After moments of sitting alone in silence, I felt a large jacket set across my shoulders before I was pulled into someone's warm hug. I let out more sobs as who I could only assume was Colby rubbed my back.
I blinked my tears away and looked down, the dark leather consuming me completely. I looked up and Dean smiled down at me, making my chest tighten.
"What happened, doll?" he asked, reaching to wipe a tear from my cheek.
"Nothing," I lied, standing up quickly. He followed and wrapped his arm around my waist, leading me to the door.
"Let's get you inside. It's freezing out here," he whispered, pulling the door open. I stared down at the ground as he pressed the elevator button, pulling me inside, his arm not moving from my waist.
"Kaia?" I heard Colby's concerned voice echo from down the hall as we got onto my floor. "What the hell, Dean?"
"I found her outside on the steps," he told Colby, releasing me to him.
"Kaia, what happened?" Colby asked, rubbing my back.
"My dad is gone," I told him, trying to relax my tense muscles.
"What?"
"H-He's gone. My aunt called and he's gone!" I cried out before he let out a soft sigh.
"They finally told you?"
"Wh-What? You knew?"
"Kaia, I was asked—"
"You know how much easier it would've been if I heard it coming from you? Instead I heard it from my aunt who used to scream at me over my dad!" I cried, pulling the jacket off my shoulders. I turned and slammed it against Dean's chest before walking to my room and opening the door, slamming it quickly behind me to lock myself away.
I leaned against the wall and took deep breathes, allowing myself to calm down. I was fatigued and exhausted. I wanted nothing more than to be asleep in someone's arms, but the thought of that only made things worse.
I changed quickly into my sweats and a baggy t-shirt before grabbing a bottle of water from the mini fridge and sitting down on the bed.
"Hey, uh, Kaia," I heard a voice call out after a soft knock on the door. "Open up, doll. It's Dean,"
I sighed and got up, walking slowly to the door before unlocking it and pulling it open. Dean stood there with his jacket in his hand and an almost sympathetic smile on his face.
"You alright, Kai?" he asked before I nodded, peering down to where Colby stood before.
"I suppose," I said, my voice still shaky.
"C'mere," he said, opening his arms. I fell into his hug, letting out a deep breath as he hugged me tight. "What happened, doll?"
"My druggy dad," I started before pulling away, grabbing onto the wall for stability. "H-He, uh, passed away,"
"I'm sorry to hear that," he frowned slightly before his blue gaze met mine again. "So, I was right— it was daddy issues,"
"Jesus Christ," I scoffed before slamming the door in his face. I locked every lock I could before turning back to my bed, climbing in and sinking into an almost immediate slumber.
next day, 7:30AM
I woke up to pounding on my door. I hurriedly jumped to my feet and looked out of the peephole, only to see a finger covering it. Colby has done this many, many times to me, so I look in a deep breath before opening the door, only to be greeted by Dean.
"What do you want?" I asked before he shoved the bouquet of flowers into my hands.
"I'm sorry about your dad," he said, letting out a sigh. I furrowed my brows as he crossed his arms and looked up at me. "And, I guess about what I said last night, too,"
"Yeah," I nodded, breathing in the sweet scent of the lilies. "I'm sure Colby sent you to do this one, too. I know you're not an apologetic person, Dean, so—"
"No. This one is me," he told me, walking into my hotel room, making me become more cautious. "I shouldn't have said what I said. I-I just don't know how to handle these—"
"I get it," I stopped him as he began pacing. "I appreciate it,"
"Really?" he asked, stopping to face me. "No lecture? No listing off reasons why you still hate me?"
"I never said I didn't hate you," I corrected him. "I just appreciate the effort. Now, I know it's killing you that you said the 'S' word, so you're excused,"
"See you around, Doll," he smirked happily before pulling the door open and walking out swiftly. Before it could latch closed, Colby grabbed it and invited himself in, closing it completely behind him.
"What the hell was he doing in here?" he asked, furrowing his brows.
"He brought flowers because he felt bad," I said, setting the bouquet on the counter.
"Listen, Kaia, I'm really sorry. I was going to tell you Monday in the dressing room, but I couldn't gather the courage," he told me, looking down to the ground, avoiding eye contact with me.
"How long did you know?" I asked.
"Last week,"
"Last week? Sh-She said he died last night— er, Monday night!" I said, tears welling up in my eyes. "What about a funeral?"
"It's today. Did she not tell you?" he asked, finally meeting my blurry gaze.
"She said she would text me when they found out. Guess that just means they weren't going to tell me," I sniffed before he pulled me into his arms, rubbing my back to soothe me.
"I'm sorry, sis. Listen, Joe and I planned out something for you to get your mind off things," he told me, pulling away and grabbing my arms. "Get dressed and meet me in the lobby in 10,"
"I don't want to do anything," I groaned, basically trust-falling into his arms. He laughed as he caught me and dragged me to my bed before sitting me down
"It'll be fun! C'mon, 10 minutes," he told me as he walked towards the door and left me alone, tears still dripping down my cheeks.
After I got the energy to get up and get dressed into shorts and a black, flowy tank top, I grabbed my purse and phone before meeting Colby and Joe in the lobby.
"Ready?" Joe asked, pulling me into a brief hug.
"Hold on," Colby said, making both of us furrowing our brows. "I know you're not going to be excited, but I invited Dean,"
"You're the one who told me to stay away from him," I said, putting my hand on my hip.
"Well, we needed someone to be your ride-buddy," Colby shrugged his shoulders, knowing he poked a nerve. "Joe and I have been ride-buddies forever... Sorry?"
"Whatever," I sighed before Dean came out of the elevator, a smug grin on his face as he walked up to us and rested his hand on Joe's shoulder.
"Joe my ride-buddy," he smirked, peering over at Joe, who furrowed his brows.
"Think again, boy," Joe said, shoving him away. "You and Kaia are riding together,"
"Don't worry, I didn't request this," I rolled my eyes before he furrowed his brows at me.
"Let's get going!" Colby said cheerfully before leading us outside.
later, 12:30AM
We ended up at DisneyLand, which I shouldn't have been surprised at. Colby loves amusement parks. I rode almost every ride with Dean, which was the most unpleasant experience.
He didn't say a word to me the entire day. It was hard for me to enjoy myself when the only person next to you goes mute. The only the he remotely said or did that had anything to do with me was shove me into a wall as we walked up the steps to a ride, which left a nasty scrape on my shoulder.
"Did you at least have fun?" Trinity asked me as we sat at the club, once again.
"No," I said, crossing my arms. "I cannot stand Dean. He confuses the hell out of me. One day— no, one second— he's fine, and happy, and the next second, he is being a complete asshole to me,"
"I feel like someone is talking about me!" I heard Dean call out before a hand rested on my shoulder. I rolled my eyes and matted his hand away before he sat next to me.
"What do you want?" I asked harshly, furrowing my eyebrows.
"You don't have a drink!" he basically gasped, looking from the empty space in front of me and back to me. "Lets go fix that problem,"
"No," I shook my head, making him furrow his brows. "I'm not drinking tonight,"
"Hm. Good girl," he smirked devilishly. "Fortunately for you, neither am I,"
"Why is that fortunate for me?" I asked, quirking a brow at him.
"Hey, drunk sex is not consensual sex," he told me, raising his brows before leaning in to whisper to me. "I'll have you like Daniel Bryan when I get you in bed— Yes! Yes! Yes!"
"Get the hell away from me," I scoffed before nudging him with my elbow in the ribs. "First off, you don't get someone with wrestling references like that, and second, you don't get someone by making comments like that,"
"It's always seemed to work for me," he smirked, climbing up from the booth. "Bye, Doll,"
"What did he say?" Trinity asked.
"Nothing. It's not appropriate," I said, narrowing my eyes at where Dean walked.
"Okay, but see, there you go, staring off at where he went," she pointed out, making me blush.
"He always says the stupidest things before he walks off," I defended myself, pressing my hand against my chest.
"I don't know, Kaia. I think maybe you and Dean would be kind of cute," she said, shrugging her shoulders as I glared at her.
"It would make for a pretty good storyline," Jey added, reminding me of their presence.
"A sweet reporter and the crazed Lunatic," Jimmy smirked, making my face grow warm. I shook my head and scoffed softly as the table laughed at the suggestion.
"Your cheeks are red as hell, girl," Trinity said, poking my right one. "I think there is something in there for Dean,"
"I don't," I said sternly, peering back over my shoulder, where Dean stood with a black-haired girl. "I definitely don't,"
"I think you're lying," she said, making me look back at her.
"He's with a different girl every time I see him," I told her, shaking my head.
"Every time I see him lately, he's with you," and smirked, taking a sip of her wine. "He only goes and grabs another girl after a failed attempt of getting you,"
"He's not getting me! I am far too broken and crazy for someone like him to waltz into my life. He's an asshole, and I honestly don't want anything to do with him," I said sternly, almost yelling over the music. Trinity frowned as she grabbed my arm softly.
"Are you okay?" she asked softly.
"N-No. It's been a weird, stressful couple of days," I said, getting to my feet. "I'm going to go. Call me if you need a ride,"
I turned and walked towards the exit, pulling my phone from my jeans pocket.
From: Colby
I've got some tea to spill next time I see you. Why are you leaving already? Did you even get to drink at all?
To: Colby
About? And yeah, I'm tired and just want to be home.
I drove speedily to the hotel and got to my room swiftly, getting into comfy clothes and turning the TV onto A Monster Calls.
I paused the movie as there was a soft knock on my door. I got up and walked to it, and of course, a finger in front of the peephole. I pulled the door open and Dean stood there, a grin spread across his face.
"You okay, doll? You left the bar pretty quick tonight," he said, walking past me and into the room. I rolled my eyes and let the door close as I watched him examine the room.
"I'm tired," I told him, crossing my arms.
"Watching a movie?" he asked, raising a brow as he slid his leather jacket off.
"I was," I nodded, moving to lean against the wall. "What do you want, Dean?"
"Mind if I stay and watch it with you? Colby and Joe were being pretty boring tonight," he asked, raising his brows.
"What about the girl you were with? She seemed fun," I said, a boiling hatred filling my body as I spoke.
"She isn't that great. She pissed me off," he shrugged his shoulders before smirking. "But you noticed,"
"Do you really want to stay and watch the movie? I'm not having sex with you," I told him sternly, climbing back into my bed.
"Well, duh," he rolled his eyes playfully before sitting next to me, making me scoot over nervously. I pressed play on the screen as I crossed my legs and he kicked his boots off, stretching his arms out as the movie played.
I watched with tears in my eyes as the small child watched him mom in the hospital bed. A monster was around him, urging him to say the words he'd hidden.
I wiped my nose before Dean looked to me, furrowing his brows.
"It's just a movie, Doll," he said as I wiped the tears from my cheeks.
"I know," I laughed softly before he wrapped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me into him.
"Tell me what's on your mind," he told me as the credits rolled.
"A lot of things," I admitted, resting my head on his shoulder.
"Go on. Tell me,"
"Just that I didn't even speak to my dad before he died. It's been fifteen years. And that I'm going to see my mother this weekend, who has expressed how she wished I would never come back," I told him, feeling a thousand tons of weight come off my shoulders. "I'm just super broken right now, and I don't know how to fix it,"
"Hey," he said, flashing a soft smile. "You're not broken. Just a little bent."
"You have no idea," I sighed, letting my eyes close.
"Just sleep. You need the rest," he said softly, giving me a slight squeeze before I slowly succumbed to my fatigue.