Chapter 55: I’m only human, after all
There had been so many pleasant distractions over the last few weeks. Finn taking me to meet his family was one. That feeling I had being able to get to know him on a deeper level. I mean yeah I love him, and I know he loves me, but neither of us are very good at the whole relationship thing, and we have completely ignored that side of us. The side where we are supposed to meet our families and let them into our lives.
Well, we’ve crossed those lines. I met his mother, he met mine.
As I said - pleasant distractions. With everything going on in our lives right now it was refreshing to do something that didn’t involve us being tailed by a group of Romani. Or being “protected” by a group of Yakuza. Some time where we were able to simply be a couple instead of having to worry about flying in and out of airports and going to shows and doing meet and greets and all the other crap that our job makes us do. We got to act like a normal everyday couple.
But as soon as it ended and we came home, I felt the weight of the world back on my shoulders again. I felt the eyes of the Romani on me as I walked down the street. When I went to the gym, when I got something to eat, when I got my morning coffee. When I left or returned home. They were always there, always watching. At first I treated them with a quiet indignation. Glaring at them occasionally, flipping them off and then I started doing things like smiling and waving at them just so they knew I was there and I knew that they were there.
Finn told me I should stop.
I didn’t listen. And I have been trying to instigate them for the better part of the last few months. However, there is something else. Every single time I think I’m going to go over there and force them to take me to Jace, something happens and my plan crumbles to dust. But today, nothing was going to stop me. I woke up, I had my coffee, I grabbed my bag and got dressed. Getting my gym clothes on and holding my bag, I was getting ready to leave and walk right out the door.
Nothing was going to stop me.
”It’s not going to help…”
”Working out?”
Finn shook his head and slowly put down his newspaper. He stood up from the couch and moved toward me. He had a look in his eye that told me he was eager to say something. My hand tightened around my chin bag. It was a subconscious move.”Going and seeing him…” I shouldn’t have been surprised that he knew. In another life, I think he would’ve been some form of detective, his detective powers and reasoning have always been top-notch.
”You keep saying that…. Any time you know I’m thinking about it. It’s the same argument over and over and over again. But, doing nothing isn’t changing anything either.” I was right, at least I thought I was. We were in some kind of weird holding pattern. Everything was the same day in and day out. No matter what we did, nothing was changing. So I was going to force a change.
Finn shook his head, folding his arms and leaning back against the kitchen bench I could tell that he was deep in thought. ”He’s not the type of man to be reasoned with. You keep on thinking that if you get him alone, he’s going to listen to you. That you can change his mind and just get this whole thing taken care of. He’s not going to listen. He’s not going to stop this.”
”Then what exactly are we meant to do?” I moved closer to Finn. I couldn’t hide, neither the annoyance on my face nor the slight pang of worry. ”We’re constantly being watched. They are always there. This is only going to get worse and we need to do something. Ignoring them hasn’t worked, you trying to talk to them hasn’t worked. The last thing left is for me to go and talk to him.”
Finn shook his head and reached out wrapping his hands around my arms ”Not the only thing left.” I tilted my head, there was something in his voice that made me think he had a plan. But what that plan was, I simply was not prepared for. ”Let’s get out of New York. Move away from here, they won’t care if we leave. There’s plenty of places out there where we would be happy.”
”Move?!?…. to where?”
”Florida? California?… don’t even have to stay in the US. You could move back to England, or we could go to Ireland.” he flashed a boyish grin at me. He knew damn well what he was doing with that smile. Usually he could get me to do whatever he wanted by using that.
This time, however, was different. ”No, no, no and no. Florida is filled with crazy people. If we moved there, Aiden would go from bringing home wombats and wallabies to try to bring home a pet alligator. California is filled with the most fake people on the planet Earth. England is rainy and dreary and I did everything I could get out of there and as for Ireland? See England without me trying to get out of there and you’ll see why we’re not going to step foot in that country.”
Finn chuckled and gave a small nod, before his hand drifted up to my face moving a few strands of hair from my eyes. His thumb grazed against my cheek and he leaned in kissing me on the forehead. ”Look… I don’t care where we go. I just want to get us away from them. And as long as I’m with you, I don’t care where I live.” I took a deep breath and before I could give him my answer he added something else in. ”Besides… we could go house shopping”
I couldn’t help but laugh. Thinking back when I moved into this large penthouse apartment with him, I was able to get away with so much. I changed parts of the decor. I bought furniture that he hated. I even made plans to knock down one of the walls to make it a more open living space. He knew what I wanted and knew that I’d say yes. ”That’s cheating…”
I shuffled closer and his hands slid from my arms to around my back. I leaned against him. It’s not that we were never affectionate toward each other, we just weren’t the type of people to make a big public display of it, preferring to wait until no one else is home to be able to show each other just how we feel. ”So, is that a yes?”
I looked up, getting on my tiptoes to give him a small kiss on the lips before nodding ”Yes…. I’ll move anywhere with you.” He leaned in close, looking for another kiss, and loudly, we both heard the door lock click. We heard the voices of everyone else coming in. Dickie and Aidan‘s laughter, Amelia and Kallie following. I groaned and took a step back, tilting my head. ”Maybe now we can get rid of the island of misfit toys…”
I moved into the kitchen to make some coffee as our friends returned. They took a deep breath and shook my head, this wasn’t the result I wanted. I still wanted a chance to talk to Jace, and I wanted it to end on my terms. But, as much as it pains me to admit it. Finn was right.
Lyon Hunt
”Hey look at that. Another SuperCard comes and goes and I am left standing yet again as the SCW World Bombshells Champion. Another challenger who was supposed to be the end of me. And it’s funny, because it’s not like Andrea Hernandez would have been any nicer of the champion than me. She doesn’t ingratiate herself to you people any more than I do; yet somehow, you got it in your head that she would have been a better champion than me. That this reign of terror that you all think I’m perpetrating on the Bombshells Division would’ve ended just because Andrea would be the champion – despite the fact that she and I have very similar thoughts on what should happen as a champion and where the division is going.”
Kayla takes a deep breath closing her eyes before clutching the championship title over her shoulder with one hand. The small smile comes across her lips as she pats the other side. The empty side. Almost as if something is missing.
”Every title defence, all of you get your hopes up that I’m going to get beaten and the title is going to be taken away from me. You got your hopes up with Tempest, you got your hopes up with Andrea, you even got your hopes up with Luna. And I’m not going to stand here and lie to you people, those three were real challenges. Those three are names that I can look at and know that I wasn’t necessarily going to walk out of the match as champion. But I did. All three of them are what I call the legitimate challenges. My first title defence was against the woman. I took it from and Julianna tried her hardest and was also a legitimate challenger..”
“Not everyone can stake that claim. Because not everyone is on a level that they can challenge me. That is something that Aleesha Jones should consider. See, I saw her win that little battle royale. And now she has a championship match in her back pocket and she can announce going after whichever one that she wants. A lot of people might not remember this but she beat me for the Internet championship. She ended up leaving the company before I could get my revenge and if you all remember correctly whenever I face someone who has a victory over me, I fucking destroy them.”
“Something to think about Miss Jones, before you go opening your mouth and making the worst mistake you could possibly make. And I’m not saying this because I don’t want to face you. To the contrary. If you pick me, I’ll be the happiest little girl in the world because that means I get to destroy you and put to bed any of these foolish notions people have that you are in any way, shape, or form better than me.”
“But the lesson that I want to teach you is one that one of my opponents this week already knows. Don’t you, Victoria?”
Kayla tilts her head, looking down at the Bombshells Championship, and then back over at the empty shoulder shaking her head. Clearly thinking about how she used to have two championships – one for each side – and now she has to move one title between the two like a peasant.
”Now, before I get to Victoria, let me shift focus a little over to Eddie. You see, while Miss Jones won the female battle royale Eddie Lyons was able to best everyone else there and get his shot at Finn. And let’s be honest here, Eddie. We all know that you have eyes for Finn‘s World Championship. and hey, at least you earned your way there, and challenging him face-to-face is something that a man would do. Maybe Miles Kasey should take note. Because it seems like no one wants to earn anything any more and no one wants to live up to the code that all of us professional wrestlers like to live up to and come at someone direct.”
“But, that is something that I do like about you, Eddie. You will come at someone direct. I know that you’re going to walk out onto that show and challenge Finn and tell him you’re coming for that World Title. Right before you and your cousin defend those Mixed Tag Team Championships against us. and I know for a fact that you will be up to the challenge because you are always up to the fucking challenge. Your cousin on the other hand, well…”
“Victoria, the last time you and I saw each other, I was beating you down one on one. And it’s funny, because you have been the most vocal about the mixed tag team titles and the fact you and your little pinhead cousin got the win over us. And I congratulated you, and I meant it. We could stand here and make all the excuses in the world as to why you actually beat us. It’s not like you guys had your hands clean.”
“Miles was as big of a part of you winning those championships as anything else. But, a win is a win and you should congratulate yourself and pat yourselves on the back because you beat the most dominant team that this company has ever seen. In fact, you two beat the two most dominant professional wrestlers that this company has ever seen. We sweep awards, we break records – that is exactly what myself and Finn do.”
Kayla steps forward, moving the Bombshell Championship from her right shoulder over to her left taking a deep breath before she continues. Her green emerald eyes burning forward as her red painted lips twist into some kind of arrogant, yet angry smirk.
”And, what have you done with those Mixed Tag Team Championships since you beat myself and Finn? Nothing, you’ve done nothing. He and I took them to the Main Event. He and I got everyone interested in them. Meanwhile, your first defence is also going to be your last. And the only reason that matches going to be in the main event is because of us. Because of myself and Finn. Because the two World Champions are going to be allowing you two idiots to bask in our fucking glory and feel the spotlight down onto yourselves. Now, Eddie has a shot at actually being a main event but you Victoria? As good as you believe yourself to be, you are not on the same level as myself, Tempest, Luna, or Andrea.”
“Sure, you like to walk around with the Roulette Title like some kind of prize and you like to be snarky to people like Bella Madison on Twitter or X or whatever the fuck it’s called. But when you get in the ring with someone who is a real champion, you fail. It wasn’t even you who beat us. Eddie was the one who got the pin, Eddie is the one who earned himself a World Championship match and you? When you had a chance to show the world that you were just as good as me, that you could beat me, you failed.”
“You failed.”
“You called yourself a queen, you tried to convince everyone that you are one of the best professional wrestlers on the planet, but when push came to shove and you looked at me in the eye, all I saw was a scared little girl who tries to put her angry face on whenever she gets in the ring. Someone like me. This isn’t a mask. I’m a raging bitch and I know it and I will do everything I can to keep my championship over my shoulder and now I’m going to do whatever I can to snatch those Mixed Tag Team Championships back. And it’s not because of any other reason that I want to.”
“See, Finn and I are already the longest reigning Mixed Tag Team Champions with the most amount of defences and at this point if we take those championships back, we’re doing so just to compete with ourselves. And it’s kind of fitting that he and I are competing with ourselves, because there is no other team that can.”
Kayla scoffs and shakes her head.
”In fact, when we take those championships back, we will be entering a very exclusive club. While Mercedes Vargas likes to talk about how she’s held the Mixed Tag Team Championships three times, she only did it twice with the same partner. So it’s going to be Vargas and Kain, and London Underground, and us. The only two time Mixed Tag Team Champions as the same team.”
“So, maybe we should be thanking you. Because allowing us to beat you and win them back means that we get to say we are two time SCW Mixed Tag Team Champions. And it gives us a chance to beat our own record.”
“And you two? Well, at least you can say you beat us to end our first reign and you get to say you were the Mixed Tag Team Champions.”
“Cause there will be no Miles Kasey to help you this time. Victoria, you already know that I can beat you, you already know that I’m better than you, and Eddie isn’t stupid enough to underestimate the World Champion. He knows how good Finn is, and he also knows how good we are as a team. When the dust settles, Finn and I are going to take back our championships. And then, if Eddie really is going to do what we all think he’s going to do, then I’m going to sit back and watch as Finn dismantle him for the World Championship. And you Victoria? Maybe one day you’ll earn the right to have a championship match against me, but we all know how that’s going to end, don’t we dear?”
