"All this time I drank you
like the cure when maybe
you were the poison."

▼▼▼

NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS

"The love of my life. The beautiful barbie bitch!" I heard the English accent and knew exactly who she was referring to as I sat at the gorilla knowing I should have waited until someone was sent to my office to call upon me.

I glanced up and saw Nicole move towards her with a smile and I knew it was due to someone showing her affection. They immediately hugged causing me to smile a bit before I got back to listening to the referee giving me a rundown on what I needed to do when it wasn't too long ago I had played a part in Randy becoming champion at my hands.

So making Nicole champion would be much easier for me. I slipped in the ear piece that Vince would most likely be talking through if we ran over time.

"You know how much I missed you over these last few weeks?" She groaned as she spoke to Paige reminding me she was a few feet away.

Paige had been a good investment but I knew it was Nicole's time...

I wasn't sure how it happened but the locker room turned their back on her due to her actions at Summerslam and I was responsible. I hadn't expected her actions to have such a big effect backstage but it did.

I was sure Nicole believed me to be heartless when she was out of line but that was everything but the case. When I felt betrayed by Nicole it led to my emotions getting the better of me and having her in my sight would cause me to lose the control I had around her. I knew I would want to follow her and make sure I knew her every move and with Randy wanting her, taking her off the card meant I knew for sure she was nowhere near him.

I could see him wanting her and she was deceiving me with him. I saw her kissing him on Raw a couple weeks back and if Stephanie weren't close I would have gone at him right then and there but that would only leave everything her and I had out in the open. I had hoped her betraying Brie would not only prevent Brie from swaying her thoughts against me but disgust Randy enough to leave her but no. He was the Randy I always knew, the determined Randy who would not stop until he got what he wanted when what he wanted was mine.

I frowned as I saw the door swing open while I packed up my things to leave for the night as Stephanie had gone to the gym in the arena to finish up.

"What the hell just happened out there? Is Nicole part of The Authority now?"

While I had always been lenient in how Randy spoke to me due to the fact that I saw him much more than a simple member, but as my little brother. Just like Seth questioning me on my actions when it came to Nicole caused me to turn off that emotion, him screaming at me now would maybe do the same.

"Randy, there is a line that is drawn where you need to know things that happen and with this you don't" I simply said as I zipped up my backpack.

"Fuck that shit! I was left out of the loop when you fucking brought Seth in and now you're doing the same with Nicole?" I frowned at his argument while I knew he wasn't too keen on Seth.

"I thought you would like having her close" I questioned mostly to see what his true thoughts on Nicole now were.

"What?"

"Isn't that why you wanted her close? But now that she's in The Authority you're scared because she's not only close to you but Colby as well huh?"

I saw his jaw clench allowing me to know he still believed they were a thing and also that he clearly still wanted her.

I sighed as he hadn't said a word, "She's not part of us. Stephanie has a plan and that was the first step, I am merely the middle man here."

I was honest, what happened was something I didn't want to happen. I was convinced Nicole wouldn't even have gone through with it and I had hoped she wouldn't but as I searched her face when she walked down I knew there was no turning back and my wife got what she wanted.

"Oh Stephanie has a plan I see what's happening here. You are ruining her life, for what? So your wife gets what she wants? I know you don't care about the little people but you know I want Nicole and you go and hurt her"

I set my bag down and immediately walked up to him.

"I don't care? I care about Nikki.. I care about everyone on this roster buts its a fucking job and you have never had a conscious before when getting the job done so don't come up to me and question me on what I do."

"So this is how its going to be huh? You just suck up to the family to be the heir to this. What's next, am I going to be back stabbed? I mean Seth did it to his brothers, Nicole to Brie when are you going to stick the knife in my back?"

"Oh you are giving me plenty reason to. But this family doesn't crumble, so get out of my office and stop thinking with your dick. Nicole is nothing special to the people with the power, she is another player on the chess piece and you better watch it"

I saw AJ Lee roll her eyes as the two hugged, while Nicole seemed to be loved by many I knew many judged her including my wife...

So I was sent out here to get a job done as guest referee. I felt her glance at me and I fought a smile because I knew once I focused on her my eyes would be left finding its way over her body and I did not need to be distracted. Going out there would be torture for me in more ways than one.

***

I watched as Nicole was shoved off the apron by Paige next to me and I immediately checked on her. It was part of my job but I also didn't want to risk the chance she had injured her knee or something.

"You okay?" I questioned as AJ and Paige went at it in the ring and she nodded before I moved on.

I'd prefer refereeing a guys match because these women were all over the place and I always loved watching Nicole in action. And watching it live didn't help me because she was fucking amazing whether it was knee drops from the top ropes or showing her strength.

I smirked as she caught AJ in her arms with Paige outside the ring but AJ tried hooking in the black widow instead. I frowned and soon Paige came in to do her job and interrupt it.

I heard Stephanie's voice in my earpiece and frowned as she spoke, I couldn't argue or question it because I had to be focused on the match so I rolled out to AJ.

"Get in the ring now." I whispered as I pretended to check on her.

"What?" She frowned as Nikki was meant to pin Paige soon but that was until plans changed.

I saw Nikki deliver her rack attack and narrowed my eyes at AJ before rolling in for the count and Paige kicked out at two. I saw the frustration on Nikki's face but she couldn't dwell on it as AJ soon came in to finish her off while I briefly told Paige the change of plans.

I watched as Nicole was suplexed outside the ring and glanced away as I heard her screaming. AJ soon made her way into the ring and hooked Paige into the black widow and she peeked at me and I gave a nod as she tapped out.

I signalled and handed AJ Lee the championship and stood in the corner as she celebrated, knowing Nicole's eyes were on me.

I walked to the gorilla and AJ followed being congratulated despite confusion filling her face.

"First you fire Brie, now this?" I whispered to Stephanie but all she did was smile and kiss my cheek.

I moved on knowing I had disappointed Nicole and just blindsided her out there.

As soon as I entered my office I heard the door open and saw Nicole.

"You know you can't be..." I began having hoped she would have gone to the trainer's room.

I frowned as she picked up a chair and threw it against the wall causing the posters to fall.

"Nicole, this is unnecessary" I sighed as in the two years we had been together I knew she had her dramatic moments and I always found it quite cute. But that was in a hotel room when I knew we would be making up within seconds, not at work...

"Shut up! You promised me, I sat there with your fucking wife agreeing to it all and you promised me!"

"I can't control everything" I whispered as I moved past her and closed the door.

"So that's why you choose to control me? You tell AJ, you tell Paige and what do I fucking get? Suplexed out of the fucking blue on the mat and hear AJ's music play out while you're standing there proud when it should've been me!"

The words she seemed to be repeating these days, me controlling her.

"Nicole, we sorted this out and I couldn't tell.."

"Your actions aren't backing it up at all though" She glared at me before pacing up and down in the room and I knew she was angry, beyond angry...

"I fucking told you my actions are out of my control. " I screamed to get her attention before she caused more damage, as far as I knew she would be crowned champion but that's the thing things change and sometimes even the game gets played.

"You promised I wouldn't regret it and now its like I'm going backwards again. I thought I did it for you, for us, but it seems all I did was help your wife." She spat as the eyes which were usually filled with love and adoration for me seemed to be filled with something darker.

"Nicole, that's not true."

"Then what is it? Cause the way I see it. My sister is at home, my family is not talking to me. Everyone back here believes I'm a backstabbing bitch. And the people who are still there you want me to push away. I feel like I'm just giving everything up to make you happy." She croaked breathing heavily as she sat back on the desk and I moved over to her.

I traced my finger over her face and she closed her eyes and I knew it was to cover up her glistening eyes. I kissed her because I knew her words were true, not all but some. She would do anything for me but I was not the one taking advantage of that..

"How would this ever make me happy Nicole? I never want to see you hurting like this" I leaned my forehead against hers as she held my hands in hers as her breathing eased.

"Then why are you making my world fall apart? Its been two years, you have always been straight with me. And now everything feels messy and I don't like it. I went from having everything, I was with Brie on here. I had our moments and now everything is different and if me being on top means my sister is gone, I'm messed with out there and I hardly even see you? I'd rather be sitting at home. Why am I even here when that happened out there..." She stared up at me, pleading.

"It was all to protect you, Nicole." I whispered but it didn't put her at ease as I had hoped but I couldn't say more because she knew me too well. If I did she would sense it...

"Okay Hunter. Protect me. " She shook her head and roughly wiped her tears before they could fall and I hated it.

She moved past me, "Nicole, just give me time and I.."

"I just need to go, go before I risk anything that messes with your perfect life. Because its clear I'm the mistake that you are trying to get rid of isn't it?"

"What?"

"Remember how things used to be? Yes there were times when you were cold but not like this. I am completely alone and I would be fine with it if you even dared to care. I go to the gym I see people staring, I eat alone in my hotel room to avoid disappointed fans, hoping you'll come but you don't anymore. You're pushing me away aren't you? You're done but you don't want to say it." She croaked and I moved towards her because despite the many times I had thrown it in her face, ending things with Nicole wasn't something I wanted to do.

"I'm not done Nicole, I don't want to be done." I said firmly but she shrugged me off and ran her hands over her face.

"I have a flight to catch."

"The jet?"

"I'm not going to sit on another flight like the one here, watching you cuddle up to your wife..."

"Asking me to take fucking pictures of you and I see the happiness between you two. The happiness that you don't want with me anymore. Colby staring out, ignoring me. Kane awkwardly trying to make me feel welcome..I just need to go.." She breath in and pulled the door open and rushed out.

"Nico...Fuck!" I groaned as I saw her stomping down the hallway with her head down. I slammed the door shut and sunk into my seat as I stared at the closed door.

I heard the door open as I picked the things Nicole had shattered up onto my desk and saw Stephanie.

"Nikki did this?" She glanced around the office while I remained silent. "I just got glared at by that bitch so I would like an explanation, Hunter."

"You took Brie away from her"

"You know if I didn't stop Brie, all hell would break loose Hunter."

I nodded slowly.

"Steph, you promised her the champion. What did you think would happen when you had me tell AJ she was getting it again, changing it all up in a matter of minutes?"

She sighed and nodded before moving to me and kissing me.

I loved my wife unconditionally but the pressure she put me under was too much and it would only get worse...

And it was all my fault that Nicole was crumbling and it was too late to stop it.

I felt her fingers tracing over my beard as her lips lingered over mine.

"You made the mistake of fucking her and now we're going to ruin her."

████

Aaaand the plot thickens..
Thoughts?

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