Page 17 of Botched

I still. “Why?”

“To watch you.”

I want to say that he watches me enough. Backstage, during our promos. His eyes are always on me and I hate it. It feels as if they see right through me, figuring out all my weak spots so he can target them perfectly the next time we interact.

Instead, I ask, “Is there a point to that?”

Theo rolls his eyes as if he’s explaining the concept to someone who’s never watched wrestling before. “Tension. People are going to want to know why I’m watching you. You’re going to get your interest piqued even more. Maybe I’ll hop on commentary and make a few comments.”

“Great.”

He’s following me as we walk. If I can make it to the locker room, I can end this conversation. I can pretend to like him on camera. That’s my job. I can do that. I don’t have to talk to him outside of the damn ring though.

Before I can turn the corner, he stops me. He places his palm against the wall, blocking me from turning down the hallway and keeping me from safety. I wonder if it’s counted as workplace violence if I stomp on his foot and mess up those stupid shiny shoes of his.

“Roo, baby doll, I know we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot. Let me make it up to you. Drinks? I’ll buy. Dinner? Whatever. We can start all over again.”

“I don’t want to, Theodore. I know who you are.”

He rolls his eyes again, exasperation on his face. “Yeah, obviously, I’ve never hidden who I am. Doesn’t mean I’m not offering a chance for us to start over though. I’m serious.” He pauses. “Call me ‘Theo’. Only my mother calls me Theodore.”

There is no way he doesn’t see the irony in what he’s saying right now, right? Looking up at him, I huff out a sigh. “You won’t call me Rory.”

“I hate Rory. I call you Roo.”

“Maybe I hate ‘Theo.’”

The corner of his mouth turns up in a little half-smirk. It would be hot if he wasn’t so infuriating. “Yeah, kinda picked up on that one. It’s all good. You’ll love me one day.” He shakes his head. “Love is the wrong word, actually. You’ll admit how badly you want me one day.”

Wanting him is the last thing on my mind. He’s gorgeous. He knows that. I know that. The whole goddamn world knows that Theodore is attractive. But I can’t get past it when I know what he’s really like. A dream hiding a nightmare underneath.

“Whatever you wanna believe,Theo.” I make sure to put as much venom as possible into that sentence before I duck underneath his arm and start down the hallway.Don’t look back, don’t let him think you care.

Theo laughs behind me. “That’s the spirit, Roo.”

The ring shakes as Jules suplexes Carolina, holding her body up in the air for a few extra seconds before dropping to the mat. The crowd pops. They always love watching hot girls be strong too. She checks to make sure that Carolina is staying down before she returns to me, holding her hand out so I can tag in.

As soon as the referee acknowledges the tag, I climb up to thetop rope, fully prepared to do a moonsault and end the match. In the back of my mind, I think about how amazing it would be if it really was the end of the match. I wouldn’t have to deal with Theo. I get to the top rope, but before I can make my descent, Carolina is up again and she slams her body against the rope.

I tumble down, hitting the outside of the ring, right on the apron, before I land on the floor. Jules hops down to check on me, while Carolina bounces around the ring. The crowd boos.

The moment that Jules’s hand clasps mine and helps me to my feet, the bass of a familiar theme song shakes the arena. The crowd tears their attention away from the ring and turns to see Theo walking down the ramp. He’s wearing another one of his button-ups, another shade of blue. The world championship is displayed proudly around his waist.

He walks down to the end of the ramp, just standing there. His eyes are locked on me, like usual. I know it’s part of the story that we’re building, but I hate it. I hate it so much.

I turn my focus back to Jules, back to the match. I have a job to do. I climb back up onto the ring apron and through the ropes. People are torn between watching the match and watching Theo, waiting to see what he’s going to do next.

Back in the ring, I hit the ropes, using the momentum to propel me forward. I clothesline Carolina, push Sage off the apron, then I back over to Jules; I tag her in. Jules hits the ring like lightning, rushing to pick Carolina up off the mat, and locks her arms around her neck. She lifts her body with ease, slamming her back onto the mat. A quicker version of her finisher, the ‘Snake Bite’.

Rushing back over, she slaps my hand to tag me back in. I hop to the top turnbuckle without hesitation this time. Once I’m sure I’m steady, I hit my moonsault and make the pin.

One, two, three.

My generic theme song blares through the arena. Sage helps Carolina out of the ring and Jules joins me inside of it. I play thepart of the giddy newcomer. I hug her and she looks unimpressed by it, awkwardly patting my back as we celebrate our win.

When we climb out of the ring and walk back up the ramp, we have to pass Theo, who flashes that charming grin in my direction.

“You looked amazing out there, sweetheart,” he says so the camera can pick it up. “You’re a star.”

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