The Rivals

||Anita||
“Ladies I need to know what you intend to about them. The cops or are you satisfied with them being fired?” Quinn looked at me. I quickly glanced at Cody, who looked completely broken. I looked over at Mr. Levesque.
“So, would it be just Eve and Chris or..?”
“Ani, are you insane? They all kidnapped Quinn and were ready to beat you to death! Of course all of them.” Paul said, pulling me closer to him. I bit my lip and could feel everyone looking at Quinn and I. I turned to her.
“You were the one who was kidnapped, it’s up to you.” I said. I couldn’t look at Cody because I knew I would cry. Quinn shrugged.
“I think they’ve suffered enough. As much as I would love to see how long Eve and Barbie would have lasted in prison.”
“Alright-”
“Wait.” I said. I felt everyone’s eyes on me and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. “Barbra and Cody were tricked; I think a suspension should be enough of a punishment for them.” Quinn looked at me for a long time, but finally nodded.
“She’s right, just fire those two creeps.” Quinn said, grinning. As the four of them were escorted out Cody locked eyes with me and smiled.
“Thank you.” He mouthed. I wanted to run over to him and slap him, and then I wanted to hug him. I was so confused; I didn’t know what to do anymore. As we all cleared out to go back to the hotel Mr. Levesque stopped me.
“Ani, you should probably go see a doctor. Your stomach isn’t looking too good.” I just nodded, not really even remembering the pain I had gone through as Paul led me out of the building.
We were quiet the entre way to the hospital; I guess neither of us really knew what to say to each other. I was just so thankful that Paul wasn’t trying to say “I told you so” or guilt tripping me. He just drove the car as we both pretended we were listening to the radio. Finally Paul spoke.
“I’m so glad you’re okay.” He whispered, looking over at me. I sighed and looked up at him.
“Thank you, for saving us.”
“Well, I was a little late; you guys already had things pretty much sorted.” He chuckled.
“Still, thank you and…” I bit my lip. “I’m, I’m sorry I didn’t believe you, about Barbra. I should have listened to you, I should have-”
“Ani, it’s fine. It’s all behind us now okay?” He said simply. “And I forgive you, but in your defense, it was a pretty crazy story to try and believe.”
“But it was true.” I whispered.
When we got to the hospital the doctor promised that I would be fine, just a little bruising, that was all. I let out a long sigh of relief. He also said I should be able to compete on Monday, another lucky break. I looked over to Paul, who just smiled and wrapped me in a soft hug as we left to go back to the hotel.
I didn’t say anything for the rest of the day. That night I just sat on my bed. Paul had decided to let me be for a while and stayed in his own room. He knew something was wrong, but he also could tell I just really needed some space. The same thing with Quinn and Phil. Besides, they both had been so happy to see the other one though that I didn’t want to bother them with my problems.
I just sat on my bed at looked out the window at the spring rain pouring down the windows and let out a long sigh and flopped onto my back.
I thought about the way Cody had looked at me like I was the only thing that mattered in the world. When he said he wanted nothing but to let him love me. His smile, his laugh, his beautiful eyes…
But Paul had been by my side through things Cody couldn’t even imagine, and I should have trusted him the whole time, listened to him because that was all he needed, for me to believe him. And I had let him down.
I heard a knock on my door and brushed by hair back out of my face, it was three a.m., who was possibly at the here? I rolled out of bed and opened the door to see Cody. I tried to shut the door again, but he easily held it open. I glared at him.
“What do you want?” I snapped.
“To thank you.” He said simply. He smiled sadly at me and went to hug me, but I stepped back.
“That doesn’t change anything. It was more for Barbra than for you anyway. I-I’m back with Paul now.” I lied. Cody caught me.
“And he’s not in your room with you?”
“I…That’s none of your business!” I snapped. Cody looked at me for a long time and I felt very self conscious about my short nightgown and hoped Cody didn’t see the blush snaking its way up to my cheeks. “You lied to me.” I said simply.
“I was tricked.” Cody replied simply.
“Bullshit.” I growled.
“Don’t forget how quickly you were to shut out Paul’s story, which ended up being true. So is mine.” He promised. I glared at Cody.
“Get out of my sight.” I snapped, trying to shut the door.
“You know you’re angry because deep down you know I’m right.”
“You said Paul was cheating on me.”
“Because that’s what I was told. Eve knew I would tell you that, which is why she told me he was cheating on you.”
“Cody, Get out.” I growled again. Finally he put his hands up in mock defense.
“Alright, I’ll leave. But, Anita?”
“What?” Then Cody quickly pressed his lips to mine. I felt my heart speed up as he pulled away and smirked at me. I clenched my teeth together, embarrassed that even after everything how much passion and love he could squeeze into one little kiss, and how it could still knock me off my feet. He pushed himself off the door frame and walked away without another word.
I shut the door and slid down to the carpet. I was so confused, why could Cody still do this to me? Maybe it was just because I’d forgotten about how much I loved Paul, and he loved me. I blinked a few times, gathering my strength, and stood up, grabbing a robe.
I went to the room I knew was Paul’s and lightly knocked on the door. He opened it quickly enough that I knew he hadn’t been sleeping, and when he saw me there a huge smile took over his face. He just grabbed me in a massive hug, being careful of my stomach, and pressed his head to mine.
“I knew you’d come.” He whispered to me. He led me inside and shut the door, smiling at me. He just stared into my eyes for the longest time, and I’d forgotten how handsome he was. I pressed our lips together and tried to forget about Cody, remember what Paul and I had been before all this garbage had happened.
I pulled back from Paul and let my robe fall to the floor. Paul looked at me for a moment, making sure he and I were thinking of the same thing, but I just grabbed him and kissed him again, desperately, trying to make Cody go away. Paul picked up on it and gently picked me up, setting me on the bed and slipping off his shirt. I ran my hands through Paul’s hair as we spent the rest of the night together.
I didn’t sleep that night. The moment I tried to close my eyes I was plagued by new nightmares, ones where Cody and Paul were in the basement with my parents and my brother, but they were still alive and begging me to help them, and only them. As Paul sat next to me I just cried, sitting on the edge of the bed and making sure I stayed silent so I wouldn’t wake up Paul.
I looked down at him, sleeping peacefully, peacefully because he had me again. I ran my hands through my hair, I couldn’t choose between them. I mean, Cody had tried to…
I was tricked
His words almost echoed Paul’s perfectly, both of them trying to protect someone they loved, someone they cared about.
I couldn’t pick, it was too cruel. So I slipped my nightgown back on and them my robe. I walked over to Paul and gently kissed his forehead. Then I walked back to my room and packed my bag and changed into my street clothes. I wrote a quick note to Quinn explaining everything, slipped it under her door, and checked out of the hotel.
I drove to a motel that wasn’t too far away from the arena, and checked in.
I was antsier than usual that night; I was too scared about what I had to do. What I knew was the right thing.
The only thing.
I looked up places on my phone and found a perfect one that was pretty close by. I killed the long hours of the night by weighing Cody and Paul, but they were so different and it was just upsetting me more, so I finally stopped and watched T.V. When I saw the breaking news story I held my breath. It was Quinn and I.
I turned up the volume and was sucked into the story as the female reporter stood outside the photography studio. “Earlier tonight a WWE diva, Quinn Davro, was kidnapped and held here, in the studio you see behind me, by four of her coworkers. This story is still in development, but as for what we know right now, Miss Davro was rescued by her team mate and friend Anita Rosewood, who is better known by her ring name of Bobbie.” A picture of Quinn and I’s Wrestlemania promo flashed onto the screen, and a few more pictures of us kept popping up as the reporter continued. “We were able to get a few quick words from Paul Levesque, COO of the WWE.” The camera cut to a clip of Paul at an impromptu press conference. He looked really uncomfortable.
“Earlier this evening Quinn Davro was kidnapped by four of her fellow superstars who will remain anonymous at this time. Miss Davro was rescued by a team of fellow superstars which was led by her boyfriend, Phil Brooks and her team mate Anita Rosewood. Quinn is fine, but Anita has been sent to the hospital-” The press erupted into noise and Paul looked even more uncomfortable as a very bitchy looking blonde finally got a question in.
“Mr. Levesque, what kind of a COO are you if superstars can kidnap each other but still remain anonymous? Don’t you agree that’s no way to run a company?”
“Quinn and Anita decided that the two mastermind’s punishment is to be fired. The other two are suspended until further notice, which is why they shall remain anonymous.”
“Why can’t you tell us who the two being fired are? If they no longer work for you, why protect them?” A young man asked.
“Because they’ve brought in lawyers and that’s what their lawyers have asked. Although if you ask me, Quinn and Anita were too merciful. They should have brought in the police and had Eve Torres and Chris Irvine-” Paul smiled slightly as the media roared. I grinned. He was pretty much doing his trademark ‘suck it’ to Chris and Eve’s lawyers. He pretended like it’d been a slip of the tongue as he ended the press conference and it went back to the small reporter outside of the film studio.
“Now from what we’ve heard Miss Rosewood was checked out at a hospital but is fine and will be on Monday’s episode of Monday Night Raw. But who were the other two superstars involved, and why are they being protected? We’ll be bringing you more on this story as it develops, but for now I’m Anne Joyce…” I turned off the T.V. and smiled.
Eve and Chris would be eaten alive after this, and I honestly couldn’t be happier. I looked at the clock and decided that I’d better go, besides, if Paul could stand up to the media, I could do this.
Not that I really had a choice.
I slipped on my sweater and some jeans and hopped into my rental, finding the place I’d looked up. It took me twenty minutes to get out of the car. What if they said..? I swallowed my fear and walked up to the front desk of the therapist’s office.
“Hi, I’m Miss Smith, I called over the phone?” I said. Should things go bad I didn’t want them to have my name.
“Ah, hello Miss Smith, Dr. Brown is in the other room, waiting for you.” I smiled at her and walked to the office she described. I felt a familiar twinge of fear, remembering right after my parents had died. I’d been in places like these three days a week every week. I looked at the drawings on the walls and plunged back to when I was little and would draw with my brother Charlie.
Now he was gone.
This place was almost too painful to stand as I sat down in the chair and waited for the therapist, Dr. Brown. He walked in and smiled at me. He was a short, round man with glasses that were comically too big for his small face. He sat down across from me and smiled.
“So, Miss “Smith”…” He hinted. “I’m afraid it’s difficult to hide your identity when your face is plastered all over the news.
“Look, no one…no one can know about this.” I said.
“Miss Rosewood, we are 100% confidential. No one has to know.”
“That’s what the last one said before they handed over my files.” I said simply.
“Look, you are registered as Miss Smith, but if we’re going to get anything done, we have to be honest with each other, so what are you here for?” I let out a long sigh.
“To see if I’m mentally fit to compete.”