"May your ego rest in peace,
for I have found what love
truly looks like."
◁Smily Verma▷

●●●

"Hey babe" Joe smiled as his face filled the screen which caused me to smile as well even though my nerves were shot knowing that I had to tell him that John and I might be working together.

Nothing had occurred on last week's Smackdown as Nattie and I were involved in a backstage brawl. Which had led to me not bothering to bring it up while Joe and I had spent the couple of days he had off in Vegas.

"Hey, so you're officially feuding with the monster now huh?" I narrowed my eyes as I had told him they would probably enlist him to get Braun over.

People could say what they wanted to say about my husband but the fact was he was The Guy like he claimed to be. He was the man to beat or just feud with to be relevant whether the crowds booed their asses off the fact was they still paid to see him so that they could torture him.

"Yes I am and despite appearances he is a good guy and meanwhile Bray Wyatt is your champion" He smirked as usually I started off our calls admitting how much I missed him but he certainly knew the extent of that thanks to Jon.

"Seems The Wyatt Family is following in The Shield's footsteps of making sure they takeover" I added, not sure where to drift in the conversation as the possible John storyline involvement consumed my mind.

"Indeed. What do they have planned for you tonight? I will probably be on a flight when it airs but I will try to watch"

"No, just get some rest you can catch me when you're home" I shrugged as I hadn't been told anything by creative but I was all too used to surprises. I had experienced it in recent months when I would be given a script of what they would say and be blindsided while out in the ring.

"When I'm home I will be too distracted with you to even think about watching on screen" He chuckled and shyly smiled due to his words. I bit my lip as his cuteness easily erased my concern of the future.

"Yeah you'll be busy wanting to slam me in bed instead of..." I laughed as I couldn't even finish my impure thought as he shyly smiled again and glanced away from the screen. "Did you enjoy the pictures I sent from my photoshoot?"

He cleared his throat, "Yes I did, Nicole."

"And what did you think?" I smirked, lowering my voice which he noticed as he didn't bother looking at the screen. I loved messing with him, especially when I knew he was in public trying his best to look casual when I was causing his mind to drift.

"That I can't wait to get home to my wife" he chuckled but then shook his head as if shaking away whatever thoughts were filling his mind. "So what's happening tonight?"

I sighed as I should have known me drifting to the gutters would only lead us back to where we started. If he was alone in his locker room it would have been a different case of course, "Well Nattie and I are ending our feud in a Falls Count Anywhere match."

"That's good. Was rehearsal good?" He questioned and I could sense the relief of our feud ending. I wasn't sure who it stressed out more, me or him.

"We didn't do much rehearsing but I'm excited. Nattie and I love working together but I know that dragging it on just means we aren't drifting into the championship scene. Or just getting to work with the other women, like look at you. I feel like you get new experiences and I love watching you get excited about it"

"I am excited because I get to take out my frustration of missing my wife on different opponents each week" he shrugged before running his hand over his face. " I understand, babe. That's why I'm happy its ending and I can see you carrying around that belt."

"Yeah I can't wait for that day, to be on top again. Its been awhile" I mumbled.

He frowned slightly, "You're saying that but your face ain't meeting your words"

"What happened to patiently waiting for me to tell you stuff? You're very confrontational since we have been together" I shook my head.

"Because you tend to be less of that since we have been together. You know I just care about you, I don't want you to be in your head for too long." I pouted at his sincere words and knew he meant them and I always felt better after venting to him. But he was my husband now so I wanted to be sensitive to him as well and not just rant off like I used to. And back then we saw each other almost everyday so it helped.

"I know, so uhm after my match at Elimination Chamber. Don't look at me like that my neck is fine" I quickly stated because he just assumed everytime I had something to tell him it was related to my neck. I wanted to scream at him that I would just tell him if something happened but my track record just didn't support that. "Vince called me in to suggest a new storyline.."

"That's great" He smiled and I almost didn't want to tell him about the angle due to the excitement filling his brown eyes for me.

"One involving John..." I slowly whispered but he definitely heard me as a blank look filled his face. I wish I could have seen him beforehand but with Smackdown and appearances we were running on opposite schedules.

"How would that even work?" He frowned and I sighed as I should have just called him instead of facetime as I knew he was trying not to show his anger.

"Basically because you are on Raw they just figure you can't do anything so now they want me to sort of fall for John." I mumbled as I wasn't sure what to say, that I had given in like I always fucking do when it comes to my bosses. I was a pushover and I couldn't help it and I just wanted some other force to make it not happen.

"And then what?" He simply questioned but gone was my smiling Samoan.

"They want us to possibly tag maybe" I sighed and he glanced past the screen and gave a brief wave. I realized he was being calm due to sharing a locker room but it was clear he was now alone as he then took out his earphones and ran his hand over his face.

"Are you kidding me, Nicole? They think we're fucking engaged and you're teaming up with him on screen? I thought this shit was over" And there the Wild Samoan slowly surfaced as he had obviously been keeping his composure.

"Yeah but you know Nattie kept saying I was making it up so they want to just..." I began in an attempt to defend Vince's creative idea when I didn't even want it in the first place.

"And you fucking agreed to this?" He stared at me and he might as well have been here.

"I agreed to one segment together, that's it. He will see its not going to work and give up on the stupid idea" I tried to reason but I wasn't even sure if he was listening to me.

"I honestly don't fucking understand how this is even an idea." He breath.

"I don't know when its going to happen, Vince hasn't told me and he didn't do anything last week." Apart of me hoped he just forgot the entire idea which wouldn't be too hopeful. Vince was known for being for an idea one moment and scrapping it the next.

"Wait, you found out about this when?"

I sighed, "I told you. At Elimination Chamber"

"And we have spoken every day and this is the first I am hearing about this? So last week if something happened I would have just been surprised?"

I remained silent as I wasn't sure how to answer him before sighing deeply, "Joe, I get that this isn't the best situation but its not like I want to be working with him. Vince called me in after my match and..."

"And John was there too?"

"Well yes." I admitted not sure where he was going with this.

"So you didn't want to offend him so you said yes. I get that a small part of you probably still loves the guy but this is ridiculous, Nicole."

I frowned at his words, "I.."

"You know what, I have wishes to grant today and I don't want to be pissed off. I'll call you once I land for my live event." He sighed and while I didn't want to end a call with him upset I knew he had a point.

"Fine. I love you"

"I love you, too."

■■■

I felt Natalya try and pull me into a sharpshooter but instead I reversed it. We were currently in a Falls Count Anywhere match that would be concluding our feud together. And we had certainly taken advantage of the match stipulation. We had just gotten out to the ring after breaking out into a brawl backstage and I was loving it.

I felt something hit against me and glanced up to see Maryse which caused Nattie and I to break up as she attacked me. I tried to cover my face but soon saw Miz holding her back and me being focused on the two gave Nattie the opportunity to pin me.

1..2..3..

I glared as her music played while a referee came to check on me but I frowned as I heard the crowd roar and soon realized John had made his way out and was now arguing with Miz about Maryse's random attack. I had been expecting Carrano to call me and let me know that we would probably do a backstage segment together but now I was being caught off guard.

John moved towards me as the referee helped me up so I could show the effects of the attack but I shrugged him off and limped my way to the back.

"What the hell was that?" I questioned John as soon as I felt him following me after I had left the gorilla, not wanting to deal with questions from a confused Maryse and Miz who knew I was married to Joe.

"What do you mean? You told Vince you didn't mind testing the crowd's reaction to us and that's what we did. They seem to love it, Nicole. Even though you could have done a little more than dismiss me" He scoffed and I stopped to look at him as he had no right to be angry about it when I had no idea about what would have happened.

"Its Nikki to you, as I have said before. And I could care less if they loved it because they don't know the real story here. The only reason I said that to Vince was because I felt cornered. You were so sneaky, for what? You know I love Joe so what exactly is this for? Isn't my life enough torture for you? Wherever I go I am ridiculed for being your ex, I was so happy for my return but I was stuck having to fucking defend the fact that I wasn't with you. Don't you fucking get it? I don't want to be anywhere near you!"

"The only reason you don't is because you are scared of opening up old wounds. You're running because you know if you don't you might just realize that you still love me" He shook his head seeming pretty confident with his conclusion.

I frowned as he couldn't have been more wrong, "I keep running because what I have tried to do this past year is not focus on my past. Not focus on where I was in WWE before my neck fucked up, not focus on where I was before I realized I was meant to spend my life with Joe. And that means not focusing on whatever life we had because its irrelevant to what I have now."

"And what do you have? Playing house in Pensacola with his daughter helps make you feel like he gives you everything you want?"

"The fact that he doesn't doubt me and doesn't make me feel suffocated in his life."

"So that's what I did?"

"Yes, that's exactly what you..."

"Nikki, we have to do a backstage interview." I heard Renee and nodded and followed her.

"You don't have a backstage interview but I figured you need some rescuing. I'm so confused but you look overwhelmed so just go to your locker room, shower and we'll talk later" She pulled me into a hug which I appreciated and went to my locker room before John attempted to find me again...

"What the fuck was that?" I heard Jon but chose to ignore him because Joe was already avoiding my calls and I didn't need to deal with him. "Hello? I am talking to you. I know you like to wish that I am invisible half of the time but I'm sorry to break it to..."

"I don't know what's happening" I croaked. "Its like every fucking time I think, okay I can ease my thoughts and shit, life just fucking screws me. Between pregnancy scares, neck scares and now this fucking storyline. I just wish I never fucking came back and all I wanna do is just to be with Joe and now he is probably pissed at me."

I heard Jon mutter something before he sat beside me, "Come on, bring it in sis"

I giggled but held onto him as I felt the tears flow, I was keeping so much in and it was so fucking hard. And the more I told myself to just spill it all to Joe like I used to, every time I saw him I never wanted to focus on the negatives.

He made me love life again and all I wanted to do was enjoy life and forget about our jobs that ruled most of it...