“We haven’t had a family meeting in ages” My mom frowned as she entered Brie’s house along with JJ who I felt like I hadn’t really spoken much to.

We had all seen one another within the week of Birdie’s birth but I had sort of kept to myself which had been easy since the focus had been on Brie. I had some family members congratulate me on the engagement here and there which I quickly brushed off by reminding them Brie was the one who had been in labour and deserved all of the attention.

I still didn’t have a plan but I knew with the more time that passed, me not saying anything and just allowing the world to believe I was busy planning my wedding with John wasn’t right. It wasn’t fair to Allen either because even though I reassured him that he had my heart, being in his shoes and seeing John and my moment replayed each week would kill me.

So, I just had to suck it up and tell the world...

First I needed to let my family know, the last thing I wanted was for them to find out in whichever way I intended on sharing the news.

I was still avoiding John and the old me would have felt bad and believed I needed to speak to him before I chose to share it to the world but I had considered him enough. I had told him how I felt and he chose to ignore it and put me in a corner in front of the entire world so me letting the world know we were not together wouldn’t really be that harsh after all the damage he had caused due to that selfish act.

“Yeah but it's important that we have one.” I mumbled as we moved into the lounge area of Brie’s home as she entered from the hallway with the baby monitor in hand. 

“Is everything okay with your neck?” I heard JJ and immediately nodded as I didn’t want them to be concerned with that. I wished I had better news to share, like I was cleared for wrestling but that wouldn’t be happening right now, my body needed time. So today all I had to share was bad news...

“Uhm…” I sat down in the single chair while they all chose to be seated on the long couch with their eyes on me.

“Nicole…” Brie urged as I hadn’t said anything, and I sighed as I really didn’t want to do it. I was still thinking of a way to word things or where to start when I heard Brie’s voice again, “Her and John aren’t together anymore…”

My eyes shot to hers while she shrugged, I wanted to be mad at her for choosing to just blurt it out but I didn’t think I would have been able to say it first anyway. I wished Allen could be beside me to hold my hand but I hadn’t really spoken to him because they were on tour. I wanted to surprise him with the fact that I would be officially ending things with John too.

“What?” I heard my mom and JJ in unison.

I was kind of relieved that Johnny had to work because he was one of our biggest supporters as well. The easiest person to tell had been Bryan because he said he had a feeling. I shouldn’t have been surprised because he was at work and probably noticed things I wasn’t aware of.

“Real funny... As if they wouldn’t be together after he proposed!” JJ scoffed which caused my heart to sink.

Last year this time if someone had told me that I would have also believed it to be some prank, but it was very much true. I wasn’t sure how I would convince them when John and I had our moments of being done many times in the past. It was probably the reason that John hadn't believed me when I spoke.

Brie rolled her eyes in annoyance while I remained silent, “I am not joking. Have you even seen the ring on her finger at all since she has been staying here? Nicole?”

All their eyes were on me again as Brie narrowed hers on me and I shifted. “It’s true. We aren’t together anymore...”

“I don’t understand.” I heard my mom’s voice and I could hear the hint of sadness making its way in there.

I took a breath before I shifted so I could feel a bit more confident as I spoke because I needed to show my strength. If I appeared unsure or confused they wouldn’t fully grasp that this was truly it for John and I. 

“I know things might seem weird and confusing but its been a very long time coming. The engagement you all saw was John’s way of trying to keep me with him, but it wasn’t enough for me. He knew way before then we were over but wouldn’t accept it and I felt the pressure of the entire world on my shoulders and said yes in that ring when I shouldn’t have. So I am not engaged to him at all, the ring is in my suitcase and will be given back to him soon.”

“So you ended things with him?” I heard my mom while JJ shook his head in disbelief.

“This has to be some sort of prank!”

I narrowed my eyes as I knew it would be difficult to believe but I really wished he would just take my word for it because it wasn’t like it was easy for me having to continuously repeat it. “It’s not, JJ. I am very serious about this. I know John and I have been on and off here and there but the feelings, the strings that pulled me back to him before are no longer there. I am no longer in love with him.”

“Now tell me the reason you decided to end things with the guy you called your soulmate millions of times”

“Do you really have to use that tone?” Brie groaned.

“What? I can’t be the only one confused by this when there have been so many times over the years where she could have done it and now when he wants to marry her; its over?” He glanced at her before he stood up as annoyance filled him.

I knew he and John had gotten closer, especially while I was injured and John was too. But I had to just think of myself and not about how the world or my family would feel about the decision.

“This is probably a long shot but is there someone else?” My mom spoke again and while I felt the word of confirmation struggle to leave my lips, it eventually did.

“Yes.”

“Who?” I heard JJ again while Brie simply glanced at the monitor to check on Birdie.

“Who doesn’t really matter right now but I am in love with someone else” I shrugged.

“I know you fall fast but…” He began, and I found myself defensively blurting words out.

“I was with him while I was with John. I didn’t really cheat on John, I wanted to wait until I told him and…”

“Kinda sounds like you did” He narrowed his eyes and even though he had moved to the other side of the room, his anger towards me was felt very clearly.

“I slept with him once and then we stopped it, so I could figure out my relationship with John” I briefly explained and internally cringed because I didn’t want to let that information out but it felt Iike I was being put on the hot seat by JJ.

“Please don’t tell me you went back to Nick” He groaned.

I frowned, “I didn’t go back to Nick.”

I heard my mom sigh, “JJ, calm down. While I don’t agree with the way your brother is going off I would like to know why would you cheat on him, Nicole? It all just seems so strange and out of the blue…”

“I never intended to cheat on him, things just sort of happened because of the way I was feeling. Being with the man I love innocently just made me realize what I lacked with John and would never have. I wasn’t happy anymore for a very long time, but I kept making excuses…” I tried to explain even though I hated that I had to admit it to my mom because I knew she regarded John as a son.

“Then why didn’t you end things? I know he hasn’t given you what you wanted but you chose to stay with him, so you stayed just to be unfaithful to him?” JJ questioned.

I wished they would understand that the only reason I knew I didn’t want to be with John was because being with AJ opened the door to that possibility that hadnt been a thought for me before.

“It’s not like that” I defended.

“Then what is it like?” He shot back.

“JJ, I get that you are upset and you have every right to be. I just want you to see that I don’t want to be confined to a relationship where I am not happy just to please the world. I was happy and in love for the longest time but I was also in denial. I lost myself somewhere along the way and being on the roster with different people made me realize just how much I was linked to John, thought of merely as his other half. Before I would have been fine with it because the idea of the world seeing me as his made me happy but not anymore. I am tired of being with someone just because I chose to let the world in and fear their judgement.”

He rolled his eyes and it felt like my words were falling on deaf ears when it came to him. “I think you are just being selfish. You go through this rollercoaster of emotions each time and then we cut John off for a month and then you two are back and we have to rebuild things all over again”

“I know I am being selfish. I know that I was being selfish back then as well by not considering how the boomerang effect between John and I would affect you guys! That’s why I chose to call you here before I announce to the world that John and I are done. You have been on the rollercoaster with me but that ride is finally over. I am sorry if that disappoints or hurts any of you but know how hard it was for me to come to that decision”

He sighed as he sat down again.

“I don’t think anyone doubts how hard it was for you even if you have feelings for someone else. John has played such a significant role in your life, we may be disappointed and upset but I support you and they do too, right?” Brie reasoned and glanced around.

“Yeah. Its just going to be difficult getting used to the idea.” My mom nodded which caused all of us to focus on JJ.

“I do, but who is this guy you left him for?”

“I really don’t want to speak about that today.” I shrugged as I didn’t want Allen’s name to be brought up when everyone was upset and hurt. They would probably still feel that way at a later stage but I couldn’t drop that bomb today.

●●●

ALLEN

I came back from the live event to a smirking Tommy and raised my eyebrow because I could never be sure what it meant with him. 

“Have you been on Instagram lately?” He questioned as I drank some water.

“You know I just have an account because everything needs to be on social media lately. Am I in someone’s story again?” I questioned as I barely checked it, maybe on a long flight. I was usually caught by someone randomly and that was about it.

“Not exactly.” He shrugged as he stood up from the bench.

“What do you mean?”

“Well Nikki made a post and now the world knows her and John are no longer together” He spoke and moved towards me.

“What?” I breath.

He showed me the screen and my eyes fell to the words placed in a post

thenikkibella: I have been debating for months how I would share this news to the world. I wanted to give my fans the dream match I always wanted with John at my side, so I waited. I probably waited because I feared what the response would be but I wish I had done this way before Wrestlemania, when I realized it. Anyway, time can't be turned back so here it goes…

John and I are no longer together, the separation happened before our storyline even began but I saw it through because that’s just how I am. I did enjoy it but not because of being in love with him but because I do respect John even though I am no longer in love with him. The heart is a funny thing and you think you have this feeling for someone and then you realize it isn’t there anymore. I will always cherish the time we shared but I am no longer tied to John Cena. I know this news may be upsetting to a lot of people and some might laugh at it as just another dip in our relationship.

But it's not.

I no longer want a future for us. As sad as that may sound or seem, some people are not meant to be together forever.

I hope you all understand and respect my privacy, as well as John’s during this time.

Thank you, your Fearless Bella.

I handed his phone back to him as soon as I was done and shifted to my gym bag, so I could get my things for the shower. “I wanted to comment good riddance but knew she would kill me. So, I just commented some emojis, have to show my support.”

He chuckled slightly before he looked at me, “Why aren’t you smiling?”

“Because I have a lot on my mind” I sighed because I didn’t know how to feel about the post. I had been wanting her to tell the world for ages but after speaking to John that had been the last thing on my mind.

“Yeah but isn’t this what you have been waiting for? I have seen you let the phone ring when she calls but thought…” He began, and he was right, I had been avoiding her.

“John knows that I am the reason she doesn’t want to be with him.” I simply said so he could understand why I wasn’t smiling like an idiot.

“Since when?” He frowned.

I shrugged, “I have no idea. He cornered me last week on Smackdown and one would think he would have felt like the fool, but I was left feeling like a fucking idiot.”

“Why?” I heard him.

“Because it turns out that the only reason Nicole and I even kissed or did whatever was because she thought he was cheating on her.” I reluctantly admitted. 

“That’s bullshit.  I mean yeah she thought he was sneaking around but that had nothing to do with the two of…”

“You knew. Of course, you knew, she tells you everything!” I rolled my eyes.

“Are you mad at me?” He questioned.

“Yeah, I thought we were actually friends, Tommy and you don’t tell me this?” I glared as the annoyance and anger I felt that night when I was blindsided surface again.

“I am her friend too and I made sure she knew that she could trust me. The same way I didn’t tell her abound any shit we spoke about. You let John get into your head and now you are taking it out on me!”

He was right.

“ I am not. I am just angry because not only didn’t I know that he knew it was me, I didn’t know that she thought he was cheating on her.”

“Well, she found out that it wasn’t true months ago and she still wants you so its not a big deal” He shrugged and I couldn't expect him to understand.

I sighed and grabbed my things to head to the shower, “It’s a very big deal to me, so right now that post doesn’t mean much to me.”