Page 19 of Heartbreaker
Rae has her theories—so do I—but Bennett doesn’t say much. It’s one of those situations where you keep your head down and mind your own business unless you want to put yourself on the chopping block.
“You know something, Harper? You’re right. This company does need a reality check, and so do you. You think I’m not worthy to be here just because I was a cheerleader, but—”
“Pretty much.”
“You wouldn’t last a damn minute on that field. And let’s face the facts, Harp. The only reason you’re mad is because you’ve had to work for years before this company ever considered you. Not to mention two failed auditions before that. But all it took was one look at me, and they knew they wanted me.”
I force my gaze to remain on Harper, but I want to look over my shoulder and see the look on John’s face when I hear him laugh. He tries to cover it with a cough, but it’s obvious.
“These people don’t care about boobs and ass—”
“Yes, we do!” Colin calls out, earning a few laughs from those around the ring.
“Okay, maybe some of them do, but are you sure you’re not just bitter because the Good Lord didn’t bless you? Doctor Nassif did.” I smirk when her face falls, eyes wide in horror. A chorus of “holy shit” rings out around us.
“You bitch!” Harper cries.
“No, Harper. I’m just honest. The majority of these people couldn’t care less as long as we put on a good show. And if we look pretty doing it, that’s just a bonus. The sob story is old. Pretending like the rest of us can’t do this because we didn’t spend years in the circuit doesn’t make you better than us. It just makes you pathetic.” My feet move on command, circling her, the same way John circled me earlier. I guess some good did come out of his presence after all. “You feel threatened by us because we see behind the mask. And no matter how hard you try…you’ll never be anything more than a sniveling, pathetic excuse for a woman from Ohio.” Her face set in stone, eyes blazing with fury. “So, no. You’re not here tosavethe division. And if you think I’m going to let you stand there and disrespect the hard work every one of these women has put into it, you’re sadly mistaken. You want to see what a real woman looks like? I’ll show you. And I’ll start by taking that title.”
“You’ll never get your hands on—”
“Just try and stop me,” I say, stepping into her. My heart beats so hard in my chest, I’m sure it’s going to jump out any moment. Finally, I take a step back and take a deep breath. I don’t want to let the others see how I feel, like I’m either going to pass out, throw up, or both from the sheer amount of adrenaline pumping through my veins.
It’s quiet for what feels like hours before a slow clap resonates from the corner.John. All eyes are on him as he stands from his makeshift seat and walks closer, a shit-eating grin on his lips. “Where have you been hiding that? Because that…that’s what I want to see.”
“You know,” Brody draws out. “Call me crazy, but you could alwaystalkto her. Have you considered that?”
I roll my eyes as we walk through backstage toward the media room. Tonight is Battle of Champions, the first of two premiere events this month. This show sets the stage for Wrestlefest every year, and at least two storylines will officially be booked to come to a head on the grandest stage in all of EWE in three months.
This is the same conversation I have with my best friend every time he finds out a certain NextGen rookie will be backstage. I don’t know how he knows she’s here; neither Raelynn nor Wolf mentioned anything when I ran into them earlier. Usually, when she’s around, the three of them are attached at the hip.
“God, the universe, Cupid, whatever you want to call it, has given you a chance to get to know this girl. Weren’t you the one who said you wanted to try and figure out who she was? I don’t understand why you haven’t taken advantage of it.”
He’s right, Ididwant to find her. I know it’s crazy to say that I felt a connection with her, this girl I’d never met before, who I had a one-night stand with, but it’s true. She had a softness in her eyes, and from the very first time I looked into them, I felt an intense connection to her. I’d never felt something so intimate before, and I was certain she felt it, too.
Or maybe I haven’t pursued her because of my past. I’ll never deny that I was—for better or worse—a bit of a…fuckboy? Playboy? Whatever word you want to use, I was one when I first joined EWE. Can you blame me? I had been a small-town, Midwestern boy surrounded by the same girls since kindergarten. When I joined this company, I was introduced to a new league of women, and I’m not talking about just my female counterparts. Did that make it right? No, but that’s not who I am anymore—not for a long time. No matter what some of the rumors might say. I had my fun, but who didn’t in their twenties?
“You’re friends with one of her best friends, why wouldn’t you—”
“Oh, hello, boys!” A shrill voice interrupts us before Harper Valentine jumps down from one of the black production crates, abruptly ending her own conversation with Ava Anderson—the crony who only gets screen time when doing Harper’s bidding. “Where are you headed?”
“Media,” Brody says. “We’re already late, so if you’ll—”
“Oh, what a coincidence, so am I.” She bats her lashes, shifting her stare between us. “What are the chances?”
“Apparently, pretty good,” I say under my breath, earning an elbow to the side from my best friend.
Harper is a decent wrestler, not the best by any means, but her confidence makes up for what she lacks in the ring. I don’t know a lot about her resume, except for the little bit that Wolf has told us as we’ve gotten to know him. I have a bad habit of tuning him out when he talks about their “relationship.” I like to think of it more as a situationship, because I can’t think of a better word to describe them. They are all of the things you want—good morning texts, safe sex, and a reliable dinner date—without the label. Except he wants more, while Harper…Harper wants her cake and to eat it, too.
“So, if you’ll excuse us. We really have to be going, because—”
A fit of laughter echoes down the hallway before three people appear in the doorway where Brody and I were supposed to be two minutes ago. Not just any three people: Raelynn, Wolf, and Savannah.
“See, I told you.” Brody chuckles, staring straight at me. I pay him no mind, too focused on the woman walking down the hallway. But she’s too preoccupied with whatever story Wolf is telling, hands waving wildly in front of him, to notice me.
“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding. Who let her in?” Harper scoffs, and my gaze falls to the dirty blonde blocking our path. She looks over her shoulder at her crony—and sometimes friend, depending on the day, maybe even the hour—Ava. “Is she debuting tonight?”
Ava shrugs in reply and rolls her eyes when Harper turns away, but when Ava meets my gaze, her eyes widen, realizing she’s been caught. I always had a feeling that she hated Harper, but her loyalty keeps her face on television, and around here, screentime is the most important thing you can have.
