Captain Alex Shurley

As they moved through the fairly large venue, Y/N kept glancing around nervously, but thankfully, there was no sign of her ex. Slightly calmer now, she asked, "How did you even end up here?" "You don’t know what’s going on here at all?" Daniel replied with a smirk, answering her question with another. "To be honest? Not really. I was assigned a shift, given a location, and told what to do. I didn’t ask any more questions."

As they continued walking, Y/N noticed familiar logos—and soon after, familiar voices. "Wait… is this like, some kind of fan booths, and you're here for work?" The realization hit her as unexpectedly as their chance meeting among hundreds of people. "Gosh, I'm sorry for distracting you. You probably have a lot to do, despite saving some damsel in distress."

Wheeler stopped, gently took her hand, and turned her toward him. He leaned in slightly, locking eyes with her. "First of all, you are not just any damsel in distress. And secondly, if you ever need someone to help you, save you, or just be by your side and listen—whatever it is—you've got me. Or Dax."

Their gazes met. In Wheeler’s eyes was unwavering certainty in every word he’d said. Despite her long disappearance, he was still ready to be there. His strong yet gentle hand held hers, offering warmth and comfort. "Thank you. I appreciate that. A lot." And she really meant it.

She was about to step forward and hug Daniel when a male voice with a clear accent called out to her. "Y/N? Long time no see! How are you?" Without realizing it, Y/N let go of their joined hands and slipped back into her mask of confidence. "Oh my god, Steve! I’m doing great. Thank you." They hugged like old friends who hadn’t seen each other in ages.

Daniel was surprised to see Y/N addressing none other than Nigel McGuinness so casually by his real name. "You two know each other? I didn’t think you were ever into wrestling," Daniel said, clearly taken aback. "Oh, I never was," the girl chuckled. "We have our ways." "You never stop surprising me. Seriously, every single time." "I hope only in a good way."

Nigel and Y/N exchanged playful smiles before finally breaking apart. "C’mon, the guys want to say hi to an old friend too."

Cash stood alone, stunned. "What the…" was all he managed to mutter. "What the… what?" Harwood asked, approaching his friend. There was a rare look of confusion on Daniel’s face. "What happened?"

Daniel briefly explained how he ended up there with Y/N and how she had addressed Nigel. "So you don’t know? I thought she already told you," David said quietly. "Told me what? What am I supposed to know?" The situation was getting even more confusing. Dax raised his hands and shrugged apologetically. "If she hasn't told you yet, it's not my place to speak. It's not my story. She'll tell you when she's ready."

Y/N spent some time catching up with her friends before returning to her duties. Daniel watched her from afar, making sure everything was okay.

Later that evening, once her shift was finally over, Daniel gave Y/N a ride home from the venue. The car was silent until he turned on the radio. Slow jazz filled the space — unusual for both of them, but oddly soothing. Y/N closed her eyes, leaning back in the seat and letting the tension of the day melt away.

All this time, Wheeler avoided pressing her about what had happened and what exactly he had saved her from today. But a part of him kept circling back to the topic unconsciously.

Parking outside her house, he turned off the engine and turned to look at her, studying her relaxed expression. It seemed like she felt his gaze, because she opened her eyes, smiled faintly, and sat up. "Something wrong?" she asked, slightly anxious.

But Wheeler shook his head. "No. Everything’s fine."

Silence settled between them again.

"Don’t you want to know—" "Do you want to come in?" she interrupted unexpectedly.

They started speaking at the same time, neither hearing the other. Wheeler went first this time. "Sorry," he said softly. "You go ahead…" Y/N hesitated slightly, then repeated her offer in a quieter tone: "Maybe… you could come in? For tea or something. I’d like to treat you, as a thank-you for rescuing me today." She looked away awkwardly, losing confidence with every word. "He wouldn’t turn down a little gratitude, right?" she wondered silently.

It was unusual to see her like this. In the short time they'd known each other, Y/N had always seemed cold and distant. Only rarely did those protective walls lower enough to reveal a sweet, sometimes vulnerable girl. And now, it seemed like one of those walls had developed a crack. And that was unlikely to end well.

From personal experience, Wheeler knew that when such walls finally collapse under pressure, they destroy everything alive inside. They bury it all beneath the rubble, leaving nothing but lifeless ruins. "I would love to," Daniel replied quickly, not giving himself time to think twice.

They both got out of the car and entered the quiet, peaceful house. "Come in, make yourself comfortable," Y/N said, stepping aside to let him in. "You must be hungry. You spent the whole day dealing with me and my problems, even though you didn’t have to."

Y/N headed to the kitchen, and Cash followed. He leaned forward on the table with his elbows. "Listen, I already said—it’s not a problem. But remember? You owe me one. You promised to explain what happened."

She sighed heavily, rubbing her temples. She didn’t want to revisit this, but she had no choice. "Fine. Then I’ll make us some tea and tell you. This isn’t quick."

Mercer brewed the tea and placed a steaming cup in front of Daniel. Sitting across from him, she began: "Today, I ran into my ex. His name is Josh. We were together since high school. At first, everything was innocent. He was caring, loving, supported me through panic attacks. But for some reason, my brother never liked him. I asked Scott many times why, but he never told me. It was almost like a feeling he had."

Y/N paused and took a sip from her cup. The tea burned her mouth, but continuing without interruption was harder. Wheeler reached out and covered her hand with his. "If you don’t want to keep going… it’s okay. You don’t have to." "No, no, no. I have to go on… So… Years passed, and I didn’t notice how things changed. Support disappeared. Care became a memory. I became convenient for him. It was easy for him to come home to a girlfriend who cooked for him, hugged him, gave affection, and never asked for anything in return. Maybe I wasn’t giving him what he needed, so he cheated on me. When I found out, it literally broke me. I felt worthless. I kept asking myself, 'What could I have done differently to fix things?'"

Wheeler wanted to say that cheating is always the fault of the person who does it—but he didn’t dare interrupt her, only tightening his grip on her hand. "When I confronted him directly, Josh said it was my fault—and he hit me. I still have the scar." Y/N lifted her shirt slightly, revealing the mark on her ribs. "I stayed alone with the thought that it was my fault, that things could be fixed. That went on until Scott came. Seeing me bruised, he nearly killed my ex. He took me and brought me here. Josh tried to reach out, but Scott insisted I change my number and block him everywhere. Things were calm for a while. But when the news about us started coming out, I got scared Josh might find me again—that’s why I left without telling anyone. I'm so sorry…"

Daniel could feel how much pain it caused her to remember. He saw the fire in her eyes, the trembling lips. It tore at his heart. He couldn’t understand how someone could hurt her like this. Y/N turned away to hide her tears. Daniel walked around the table, stepped closer, wrapped his arms around her, and began gently stroking her back. "I know. I’m sorry you had to go through this."

She allowed herself to relax in his arms and finally cried, releasing years of built-up pain. "Don’t hold back. You need this."

Strong, masculine arms holding her trembling body gave her a sense of safety and protection. For the first time in a long time, she felt that someone truly cared—not just about her presence, but about her feelings. And somehow, that was enough.

Moving. She had to quickly sell her old place and relocate. Her brother helped a bit, and y/n managed to buy a small house by the lake. She tried to convince him it wasn’t necessary, that she could handle it on her own, but Scott wouldn’t hear it. Y/n finally gave in after a lot of persuasion, especially when her brother handed her the documents for the new house by the picturesque lake on her birthday.

At first, y/n cut off all contact with friends except Maria. Her best friend let everyone who needed to know that y/n was fine but had to leave for a while. As for Daniel, Maria mentioned a couple of times that Wheeler had asked if her departure was related to that article, inquired about how she was doing, and if Maria knew when y/n would be back. Maria always replied that she didn’t know, as y/n had asked her to.

But yesterday, Captain Kirby called. "I'm sorry, but your leave has gone on too long, and I can’t keep turning a blind eye. Either you return to duty, or the department will have to dismiss you with a formal reprimand for abandoning your sevice." There was no choice. Y/n couldn’t let herself be fired, especially with that kind of record.

She arrived at work half an hour early. Heading to the locker room to change, she ran into some officers from the night shift who were just getting ready to go home. "Hey, y/n! Long time no see! How’ve you been? Where’d you disappear to?" asked one of her colleagues, someone she’d occasionally exchange a few words with. "Hey, hi. Yeah, I was away for a bit. Had some things to sort out," y/n replied reluctantly. She didn’t feel like sharing details with people she barely knew. "Ah, got it. By the way, a couple of days ago, a guy came by asking about you. Pretty good-looking," the colleague said with a smile. "Probably Daniel. I should message him on Instagram and apologize for ignoring his messages all this time," y/n thought. Why hadn’t she replied? She was ashamed of how she’d run away and scared he’d just laugh at her explanations. "I told him you were on leave, and he asked when you’d be back. He also wanted your new number since the old one’s out of service. Oh, and he left you a note. It’s in your locker. Looks like you’ve got an admirer," the colleague added. "Thanks, Rose," y/n nodded briefly and turned to her locker. She took out the note, unfolded it, and started reading. She recognized the handwriting immediately. "Baby, did you really think you could run away from me? You’re sacrificing our relationship, our story, our feelings. I can’t accept that. I’ll find you, I won’t let you escape. You’re meant for me, and I’m meant for you, and I’ll do everything to make you see that. Don’t think I’ll let you go so easily. You’re mine, and you always will be." "Josh…" y/n muttered without realizing she’d said it out loud. Her colleague turned to her, "Did you say something?" Y/n’s face went pale, her ears rang, and her vision blurred. Rose touched her shoulder, "Are you okay? What’s wrong? Are you feeling sick?" It took y/n a few long seconds to snap back to reality. She was staring blankly, barely blinking. "Should I call a doctor?" Rose asked anxiously. "Sit down, I’ll get someone." "No, don’t!" But y/n’s legs gave out, and she sat down on the bench. "Okay, I’ll get you some water," Rose filled a cup from the cooler nearby and handed it to y/n. "What happened?" Y/n grabbed Rose’s hands, "Listen, if he comes back asking about me, you don’t know anything. I’m gone, no phone, you’re clueless." "Got it. But you should tell whoever’s on duty today. I’m heading home to sleep, but I can let them know before I leave." "Yes, please. I’d really appreciate it."

Out on patrol with Jonathan, y/n felt like she was back in her usual routine. Jonathan, as always, understood her without needing explanations. They’d worked together for a long time, and while he’d seen the article, he never pried into her personal life unless she brought it up herself. Mid-shift, they got orders to provide extra security at a large event. These kinds of assignments were usually no big deal.

The first few hours were quiet. The crowd was big but well-behaved. "Hey, Jonathan, it’s hot today. Want something to drink?" y/n wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Yeah, I’m dying of thirst," he admitted. The black uniforms weren’t helping. The sun was relentless. "I’ll grab some water. Need anything else?" y/n offered. "No, just water. Thanks."

Y/n walked over to a small stand with drinks that she’d noticed earlier because of the shade from its awning. "Two bottles of water, please," she said, pulling out some cash. The young guy running the stand nodded and reached into the cooler. While he grabbed the bottles, y/n, out of habit, scanned the area. People were enjoying the unusually hot spring day. Suddenly, her eyes landed on a familiar figure. She looked closer and realized it was her ex. She definitely hadn’t expected to see him here. Grabbing the bottles, y/n quickly walked away in the opposite direction, not paying attention to where she was going. Her mind raced: should she pretend nothing happened? The chance of running into him in such a big crowd was slim. Run away? A bad idea—she was on duty—but at least she wouldn’t have to face Josh. Before she could decide, y/n bumped into someone. A pair of hands steadied her to keep her from falling. "Sorry, I wasn’t looking…" she started, then looked up. "No worries, it happens… Wait, y/n?" She instantly recognized the voice. "Uh… Hi, Dan. Fancy meeting you here," she said awkwardly, then remembered why she was in a hurry. "Listen, I’m sorry I disappeared, I’ll explain everything later, but right now I need your help. My ex is around here somewhere, and I really don’t want to run into him. Can you help me out?" Daniel looked at her, confused, then nodded. "Alright. But you’re definitely telling me where you’ve been and why you’re hiding from your ex," he said firmly.

The girl stretched lazily and got out of bed to make breakfast.

In the quaint and cozy kitchen, a vibrant young lady meticulously crafted culinary masterpieces with an air of unwavering determination. Her hands danced nimbly across the countertop, measuring ingredients with precision and finesse. As she stirred, sautéed, and whisked, the aroma of fragrant spices filled the air, tantalizing the senses. y/n's eyes sparkled with passion as she poured her heart and soul into each dish, blending flavors and textures with impeccable skill. The rhythmic tapping of a knife against the cutting board provided a soothing soundtrack to her culinary symphony, creating a sense of peace and tranquility.

Finished with breakfast, y/n found her phone. Her phone had been bursting with notifications since early morning, but because the sound was off, she hadn't seen any of them until now. Several hundred people had subscribed to her Instagram. Some even wrote messages to her in DMs. Most of them were very toxic messages.  In addition to notifications of new subscribers, y/n was tagged in some photos. The girl opened one of them and was horrified to notice that the picture showed her hugging Daniel and geotagging the park they met at yesterday. Things got even worse when y/n read the caption under the photo.

“Wrestling star's private life secret revealed! Cash Wheeler, known for his brutal and little-talking image in the ring, was recently spotted in the company of a mysterious lady. For a long time, Wheeler has shied away from discussing his personal relationships, preferring to keep his private life under wraps...”

Under the photo was a link for the full article on the site. Y/n still didn't understand what it was about her and how she deserved all that was coming at her at once. She opened the link and continued reading the article.

“...This time, however, wrestling fans got a rare chance to see Cash Wheeler in an unusual situation for him. Last night, September 27, a Reddit user posted photos of the pair strolling through a park, exchanging smiles. Usually so focused and stern in the ring, Cash seems to have changed his look, becoming more relaxed and open in the company of his enigmatic companion.

The gossip and speculation have not been long in coming. Reddit users are wondering who is this mysterious girl who won the wrestler's heart? How long have they been together? And how have they managed to keep their relationship a secret until now? Undoubtedly, this exciting event caused a storm of emotions among Cash Wheeler's fans. Fans even found some photos from Dynamite that showed Wheeler's new girlfriend with a full access badge, including backstage.

We were able to find out that Cash Wheeler's new girlfriend Y/n Mercer serves on the Asheville Police Department...”

The girl couldn't read any further. She locked the screen and tossed the phone aside. What to say to her brother and how to explain to him that she wasn't hiding her relationship from him because there was no relationship as such. She and Daniel are just friends, right? At the thought of Wheeler, her lips curved into a nervous smile. How would Dan react? Wouldn't it become a problem for him? Rational thoughts quickly began to override the voice in her head. It was screaming that trouble was coming and she needed to run away sooner rather than later. Literally and figuratively.

Y/n literally ran to her bedroom and started packing quickly. She took only the necessary things: documents, several sets of clothes, a laptop and chargers for her gadgets. Y/n began to gasp with panic. She wasn't ready to go through all of this again and alone. She shook and slid down the wall to the floor. Her eyes filled with tears, her hands were shaking, and she was terribly short of breath.

Y/n sobbed for quite some time. She was just beginning to calm down as she heard her phone ringing in the living room. Getting up on slightly shaky legs, she walked to the common room, picked up her phone and saw a missed call from her brother.

“Damn, I'm not ready for this conversation yet...”

The soothing aroma of dinner being prepared wafts through the air, its hearty fragrance mingling with the subtle hint of fresh chopped herbs. The light sizzle of garlic in the pan adds warmth to the atmosphere, inviting all who enter to indulge in the simple pleasures of a home-cooked meal.

"Smells great," remarked Wheeler, "I bet it tastes even better."

"I certainly hope so" replied the girl, placing the plate of cooked food on the table "sit down, it's all ready."

The dish did indeed taste much better than y/n had expected. Dan complimented the dinner and the cook several times throughout the evening. They talked, laughed, joked. For a while, y/n even forgot about everything that was going on outside that small and warm kitchen.

y/n reaches for her phone, fingers tracing the weather app. A red alert flashes, warning of the deluge outside.

"I'm going upstairs. I've got some work to do. Make yourself at home. If you need anything, feel free to take it and use it."

Wheeler had no time to reply before the girl hurried up the stairs.

The heavy rain outside transforms the tranquil night into a symphony of chaos. Sheets of water cascade down from the heavens, pounding relentlessly against the windowpanes. Each droplet adds its voice to the cacophony, creating a mesmerizing yet ominous soundtrack. Occasional flashes of lightning illuminate the sky, briefly painting the room in stark, white light before plunging it back into darkness. Thunder follows, a deep, rumbling bass that reverberates through the walls, shaking the very foundation of the house. Through the glass, the outside world is obscured by a curtain of water, the landscape swallowed by the deluge. Streetlights flicker weakly, struggling to pierce through the thick veil of rain. Within the safety of the living room, the atmosphere is one of hushed anticipation, as if the entire house holds its breath in awe and trepidation. Each gust of wind rattles the window frames, a reminder of nature's awesome power unleashed in the stormy night.

Daniel sat on the couch and scrolled through his Twitter feed. Fans, as usual, wrote different opinions about both FTR and Cash. Wheeler was typing another tweet when a notification popped up on his phone screen that the battery was low, and the phone went dead.

He didn't have his charger with him, after all, he didn't think he'd be gone long. Daniel decided to ask y/n if she had a charger, hoping it wouldn't bother her too much.

Walking upstairs, Wheeler noticed that none of the lights were on in any of the rooms. Carefully walking over to the bedroom door, he tentatively knocked on it.

"y/n, sorry to interrupt" he slowly opened the door, running his gaze around the dark bedroom "are you in here?" he asked quietly.

There was no response, but it seemed like something was moving in the darkness. Lightning flashed occasionally illuminating the space.

His eyes were slowly getting used to the lack of light. It appeared that y/n was in the room after all. She was sitting on the floor next to the bed, eyes tightly shut and hands covering her ears.

Dan slowly, so as not to scare the girl any more than they were already scared, approached and put his hand on her shoulder.

"y/n, are you okay?" The man was obviously excited about what was happening, but immediately realized how stupid his question sounded. Of course she wasn't okay. "I'm sorry. What can I do for you?"

The girl was literally shaking. She was shivering all over her body. Sticky cold sweat ran down her back, traveling lower. Her eyes closed tightly in an attempt not to see the flashes of lightning.  Y/n bit her lips, not knowing why or why not. Fear paralyzed her entire body, preventing her from moving. Only to sway back and forth.

"N-n-no-nothing," stammered the girl. "I can handle this problem on my own. Never mind."

The y/n felt like a problem again. A problem that once again hung on someone and made life difficult. Firstly, she was the family's problem, then her brother's, even though he denied it, then Josh's problem. But now she wouldn't be Daniel's problem. It's not like they're even dating. He's just a friend. She'll handle everything on her own and alone.

"Please leave me alone. I don't want you to see me like this" asked y/n quietly and confused.

Wheeler gently stroked the girl's arms, letting her know that he wasn't going anywhere "I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. Let me help you."

Dan sat down next to him on the floor and enclosed the girl in a hug.

"I'm here. I want to help. Talk to me. Explain to me what's going on and what I can do to make you feel better."

The feeling of support nearby made tears flow from y/n's eyes. She tried to hold them back, but she couldn't control herself. y/n was silent for a long time and then whispered, "be there for me."

The man squeezed the hug a little tighter, gently stroking the girl's back, helping her calm down a little.

"I'm here. Not going anywhere. I'll be here as long as you need me."

Eventually the rain began to subside, and the thunder and lightning stopped. y/n slowly began to calm down and relax in the warm embrace. She hugged the man back and whispered softly in his ear, "Thank you. You didn't have to but thank you so much anyway.".

"I know I shouldn't have, but I wanted to help you. And I guess I succeeded" joked Daniel and smiled. The atmosphere in the room was slowly becoming more pleasant. He pulled back a little so he could see y/n's face.

"Are you going to tell me what happened? Only if you okay with sharing that with me."

y/n looked at Dan intently. It seemed to be the first time in their entire, albeit brief, acquaintance that they were so physically close, and it caused absolutely no discomfort or nerves.

She looked into his dark brown eyes and seemed to see a whole abyss there that was hiding something. Hiding, but not hiding danger. At one point y/n even thought about wanting to explore that 'unknown'.

They sat for several minutes just looking into each other's eyes.

The first eye contact was broken by y/n. She gestured Wheeler to the seat next to her.

He sat down next to the girl and took her hand in his so that even though she couldn't see him, she would remember that he was there for her if y/n needed support.

"When thunder rumbles and lightning flashes I get panic attacks. I don't know what exactly scares me... It gets harder to breathe, my chest starts to hurt. I'm having flashes of all kinds of bad memories, everything is rattling." The girl paused to take a few deep breaths. Daniel stroked y/n gently, warming her slightly frozen hands from the stress.

"I don't know exactly what caused it originally to start all this. The first attack I remember happened to me at school during art class. I really scared my classmates, and they wouldn't talk to me or sit next to me afterward for a few months. On the day of the first attack after class, the teacher left me after class, scolded me for a long time and told me that the next time I decided to organize something like that, that I should go where there was no one. Since then, every time it starts raining hard, I go somewhere away from everyone. But it doesn't always work out, so sometimes other people have this problem of mine."

"That's terrible. I'm sorry you have to go through that. I mean, that the people around you reacted to it that way. Even if you're having some difficulties, you shouldn't have to go through this alone. I'm sure you have people who can and want to help and support you. I'm here for you and I'm ready to help you. I don't think Maria does either, I don't think she thinks you're a burden."

y/n rested her head on Wheeler's shoulder and softy whispered a barely audible "thank you".

Daniel and David were sitting in the locker room after a match at another Dynamite. They had been traveling around the states with AEW for a few weeks now, occasionally appearing on NJPW shows and shooting promos for various matches.

"Finally, almost a week home" sighed Harwood tiredly. "I've missed my girls. Finley called this morning asking when I was coming over."

"Yeah. A few days off. Paula didn't call me, of course, but I'm sure she missed me too" Daniel smiled a little sadly.

David finished tying the laces on his sneakers, walked over to his friend and patted Dan on the shoulder. "You know you're always welcome at my house and Finley is always happy to see you. I'm not sure about Maria, but Finley sure is."

Wheeler immediately caught David's playful tone and the sadness receded.

After a little thought, he picked up his phone, opened a chat with y/n and started typing.

"Hi, y/n. I'll be back in town tomorrow for a couple days. How about taking a walk?"

y/n was patrolling the city with her partner, discussing the Shotgun Rider band that was coming to town this weekend. As it turned out, they had both bought tickets to the concert.

"NO WAY! I'M A HUGE FAN OF THEM. I DIDN'T KNOW THAT YOU ARE TOO!" marveled Jonathan. "We should go there together. I'll pick you up. No refusal accepted."

y/n laughed and jokingly punched her partner in the shoulder.

"You leave me no choice!"

The girl wanted to say something else but was distracted by the notification of a new text message.

Jonathan noticed that y/n was distracted by the phone.

"Is your celebrity crush texting again? Calling for a date?"

"Stop it. He's not my celebrity crush at all. Just a friend of my best friend, I guess. Yes, we hang out, but it's nothing like that. Just a friendly stuff."

The girl quickly typed a reply and tucked her phone away in her pocket, getting back to work again.

"Yeah, right." Jonathan stated sarcastically and returned his attention back to the road.

Wheeler, having rested a bit after flying halfway across the country, packed up and arrived at y/n's house. Fixing his hair that was slightly disheveled in the wind, he pressed the doorbell.

After a minute, the girl opened the door.

"Oh, shit. I completely forgot we agreed to go out for a walk."

Daniel took a quick look at the girl. His gaze stopped on a t-shirt with a large logo of The Revival on it. He smiled, made a note in his head to be sure to remind y/n about it, and replied, "Don't worry, it's no big deal. Pack up, I'll wait."

The girl stepped aside, letting Dan inside.

"Come on in. I'll be quick."

Y/n ran upstairs and began to change out of her house clothes.

While the girl was getting ready, Wheeler made his way into the living room.

The atmosphere inside was warm. Very minimalistic, no frills. What surprised Daniel a little was the absence of any items that somehow characterized the host. Like pictures, a lipstick forgotten on the coffee table, a magazine, a book or something like that.

"Hey... I'm ready. We can go" said the girl after a few minutes, coming down already dressed in jeans, t-shirt and sneakers.

"Yeah, sure. You look pretty by the way." Wheeler gave the girl a hand, helping her over the last step on the stairs.

The girl's face flushed at the unexpected compliment. She smiled and mumbled a barely audible "thank you".

Y/n and Daniel were strolling through French Broad River Park.

"So, you are "The Revival" fan?” said Dan, recalling to the girl that he had seen her wearing merch.

"Well... I wouldn't call myself a fan. Maria, Finlay and I went to an NXT show once. Truth be told, I only ended up there because Maria called me out. But it wasn't bad. I could even tell that I liked it."

"Wait. You were at the show? I'm surprised we only recently met if you even came to the show."

Wheeler remembered Maria coming a few times with family and friends. But he had never seen y/n among her friends.

"If I'm not mistaken, that was my only visit to NXT. I've also been to Dynamite a couple times, but that was before you and David debuted. Maybe that's why we didn't meet earlier. Besides, I don't really like too much attention on myself, and I was in a relationship with Josh at the time" After mentioning the ex-boyfriend's name y/n fell silent.

"Josh? You didn't tell me about him" gently asked Daniel.

The girl's facial expression changed from cheerful and relaxed to sad and regretful.

"There's not much to tell to be honest. We dated for a long time. But because of me, that relationship ended."

Y/n suddenly felt goosebumps run down her skin. Whether it was the cool breeze that came out of nowhere or the memories of a relationship ruined by her problems. She shuddered and clenched her body. The man noticed this, took off his jacket and threw it over the girl's shoulders.

Dan's jacket was imbued with the pleasant scent of men's cologne. The scent was soothing and relaxing y/n.

"Whatever happened there, it's not your fault. All problems and misunderstandings in a relationship are always both parties' fault."

It was noticeable by y/n that even though the jacket kept her warm, she still didn't feel comfortable.

"My last relationship didn't end well either... So, I understand how you feel."

Unexpectedly to herself, y/n hugged Daniel's hand, which he kept in his pocket. The warmth of man's body warmed y/n pleasantly.

"Thank you... You, it turns out, know how to be nice, not just wildly vulgar and weird."

Wheeler covered the girl's hand with his own and smiled softly.

"Yeah... Sorry about that. I sometimes act like an idiot when I don't know what to do. And for the past few months in my interactions with girls, this has been happening a lot. But sometimes even acting like an idiot works out."

The phone in y/n's pocket vibrated, notifying her of a new incoming message. The girl pulled out her phone.

"Maria just texted me and asked if I wanted to come over and chat with her."

Dan stopped and now looked at y/n seriously and a little frustrated from top to bottom.

"If you want, I'll walk you to David and Maria's house. We can take a walk some other time."

"Nah, I'm good. I'll text her that I'm busy right now."

The y/n's reply couldn't help but make the man happy. It warmed his heart that she had chosen him over spending time with her best friend.

Maria: "Yeah? Maybe you hang out with Dan? 🤣 Come on, get out of the house and I'll be waiting for you."

Y/n: "Actually, I really am."

Maria: "NO WAY! Don't fool me👀"

The girl grinned and shifted her gaze from her phone to Daniel.

"I told Maria I'm with you and she doesn't believe me." She was about to put her phone away but suddenly an idea hit her. "I want to take a picture and send it to Maria. Are you okay with that?"

"Sure" replied y/n Daniel and put his arm around her shoulders. Y/n took the picture and pressed send.

"I'll be expecting a message from David now" joked the man and gently took the girl's hand. "Let’s go?"

For a while they walked in silence. The silence was not heavy. They were comfortable in each other's company. They could talk, discussing everything, or they could remain silent, taking in each other's non-verbal cues. Before they noticed, the sky had clouded over and a light rain began to fall.

"I think it's time to go home," Willer suggested. He lifted his head and looked up at the sky "and hurry up. It looks like it's about to start raining in earnest."

The girl nodded and they quickly headed towards y/n's house.

As they literally ran to the house the downpour started and both were soaked from head to toe. Y/n opened the door and stepped inside.

"Well... I'll be off then. Had a good time. See you next time, I guess. Of course, if you want to." Daniel said uncertainly and was about to leave, but y/n stopped him by taking his hand.

"Don't be silly. You're all wet, and it's still raining and windy outside. Come on in. You’ll get warm, and I'll find you some dry clothes and make us some dinner. Then you can decide what you want to do next."

Dan wasn't sure if she really wanted him to stay right now or if she was just being polite, so he stood there for a few seconds deciding.

"Are you sure?" he wanted to make sure. "If it's going to be an inconvenience, I'd better go”

"It's okay. Come on in. You're welcome here."

It was finally the weekend. There is time to relax and take time for herself.

In y/n's house, as usual on those rare days when they were home, music was playing at full volume. Y/n liked to turn up the music and sing along to her favorite song. Lately, her playlist had been filled with lyrical songs about complicated love relationships. Despite all the seeming depression it helped her relax and even feel better for a while.

A few days ago, y/n and Maria had agreed that they would meet at 5 p.m., which meant there was plenty of time to take a relaxing bath, do a face mask, and get ready for the meeting.

y/n filled the bathtub, added bath salts with lavender oil and peppermint notes. The pleasant scent was relaxing and moody. She lay in the water started singing along to songs from her playlist again and after a couple minutes singing at the top of her lungs. It really did make her feel a lot better.

Half an hour later, she finished her treatments and started getting ready to go out.

Maria was getting everything ready for the upcoming dinner. David told her about what had happened between y/n and Daniel. The whole time her husband was telling Maria what had happened her eyes widened more and more. She couldn't believe that her husband's best friend, who she had known for several years and had gotten to know him quite well, would behave like that with her best friend. Maria knew Daniel was a good man. He was there for David when Maria couldn't help him no matter how much she wanted to. He was great with Finley and was a great uncle to her. But the trauma and then the breakup literally made Daniel a different person. He changed in front of his eyes. He started joking around, flirting and talking to a lot of girls. Despite this, Maria had never seen him with any of them more than twice. Each time Maria wanted to ask Daniel or at least David what she could do to help, but David assured her that they would figure it out in time. Time passed, but nothing changed.

After listening carefully to her husband, Maria decided that she could do nothing in this situation. Today was the day she would definitely talk to Daniel.

While Maria was finishing up with her preparations, the doorbell of their house rang.

"I'll get it," came Finley's ringing baby voice from the living room.

The girl happily ran to the door and opened it.

Standing on the threshold was y/n. Upon seeing Finley her lips stretched in a smile.

"Hello, princess. It's been a while. I've missed you!" y/n took a step and enclosed the girl in a hug. Finley hugged her back.

"I missed you too Aunt y/n." The girl got out of the hug "Why have you been so long since you stopped by?" Finley made a hurt look and folded her arms across her chest.

"I'm sorry, princess. I promise I'll visit you more often. By the way, I brought you something."

Y/n picked up the bag she had left nearby earlier to hug the girl and pulled out a small, soft hedgehog that held a heart in its little paws.

"Here. I had one of these years ago. I was at the store recently and saw a cute pair of these and decided to buy one. If you miss me again, just click right here" she lightly pressed the hedgehog's belly and the heart light lit up. "Mine will have a light too. Let you have one and I'll have the other, okay?"

Finley hugged her hedgehog "I'll name him Bradley. Thanks y/n!"

The girl gave y/n another hug and happily ran to her daddy to show off her new pet.

The y/n smiled at how little it takes for a child to be happy, walked into the house and closed the door behind her.

"Maria, where are you?" she said so she could definitely be heard.

"In the kitchen" came Maria's reply and y/n headed there.

Entering the kitchen y/n greeted her friend warmly "Sorry I got here early. I was a little out of time on the drive" y/n had anxiety when she was late, so she often arrived early. "I hope I'm not intruding."

"No, of course not, what are you saying that for! I'm always happy to see you. Can you help me out a little?"

"Sure."

As they finished preparing for dinner, Maria decided it was a good time for a heart-to-heart talk.

"y/n, David told me a little bit about what Daniel did. I'm really sorry about what happened. Don't think he's a bad person. He's just confused and doesn't know how to make things right for now. If you get to know him better, you'll see that he's a nice and caring friend."

"Maria, come on. I've already talked to David about this. It's okay. Everyone has bad times. I'll give him a second chance if that's what you want" y/n smiled at Maria. She wasn't doing her friends any favors. If they both thought she should hang out with Daniel, maybe it really was worth it.

The doorbell rang again. This time y/n went to open the door.

Daniel was standing on the doorstep of the Harwoods' house. He was a little nervous. He wanted to do the right thing this time.

When the door opened, there was y/n standing on the doorstep. Wheeler literally lost his ability to speak and was only able to stare at the girl in fascination. At her beautiful eyes, her soft smile.

"hey! Are you okay?" interrupted the silence y/n. "Come on in" she stepped aside, letting the man into the house.

"yeah, yeah, I'm okay. You look beautiful." A blush of embarrassment appeared on the girl's face. Daniel found the strength to finally take a step into the house. "I didn't mean to embarrass you, but I really do."

"Thank you" replied y/n timidly and walked with Wheeler to the Harwoods.

Finley, seeing Uncle Dan, ran up to give him a hug. Daniel picked the girl up, lifted her into his arms and hugged her.

"Hey, little one! How you doin'?"

The girl showed pouted her lips as if offended, but a breakable smile was breaking her image

"I'm not little! I'm doing great."

"Oh, I'm sorry. You are the big one." Daniel said with a warm smile and set the girl on her feet "So big I can't hold you in my arms anymore"

"And Aunt y/n got me a hedgehog" said Finley showing her new toy to Uncle Dan.

"Oh, he's really cute. Almost as cute as..." Wheeler didn't have time to finish his sentence because he was interrupted by Maria's voice

"Fin, take the hedgehog to your room and it's time for dinner."

Maria stepped a little closer to her friends and looking rule at Wheeler said "Dan, can you help me get something from the basement? I'd ask David, but he insists that no one can even go near his signature dessert!"

Of course, she could handle getting a bottle from her husband's bar herself, but she desperately needed an excuse to talk to Wheeler one-on-one.

"I'll go make sure everything is ready then" smiled y/n to her friend and left.

When Maria and Daniel were alone she punched him in the shoulder

"How could you do that!" the woman sounded very annoyed.

"Ow, what have I done already? It's not my fault!" Wheeler didn't realize what was going on or what he had already done.

"So you didn't write nasty things to my best friend? What is wrong with you Dan! I can certainly see that there's been a change with you lately and I really don't like it, but I was hoping it was just a rough patch and that my husband's best friend I met years ago would be back soon"

Damn. Maria knows everything. Wheeler absolutely recognized that he was at fault and that he had indeed changed, but what to do about everything genuinely didn't know.

"I know I'm wrong. I'll make it right. I promise. And David's best friend is still here. Just can't find his way."

"I really hope so, Daniel Marshall Wheeler!" the woman sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose "I really hope you find your way very soon... Now go to the basement and pick out some alcohol to your liking so you don't come empty handed."

Wheeler nodded in response to the instructions and went downstairs.

Dinner went as well as it couldn't have gone better. Communication between Daniel and y/n with a fair amount of effort but managed to get established. Much of this was facilitated, albeit unintentionally, by little Finley. Dan was unexpectedly very attentive to y/n and gentle in his interactions with the girl. When y/n looked at them a smile never left her lips.

By the end of dinner it was getting dark. y/n helped Maria clean up after dinner and got ready to go home.

Daniel ventured over to the girl, but this time was more careful with what he said.

"The weather's nice. Why don't we go for a walk? I'll walk you home. I promise I won't be a nuisance. At least I'll try really hard" a smile confirming the purity of his intentions stretched across Wheeler's face. He held out his hand to the girl, inviting her to take a walk.

"Okay. Why not?" the girl replied and accepted the offered hand.

"Cashy, baby, if you're up already, I'm at the kitchen making some breakfast for us," Dan heard a woman's voice from the first floor, making his head start to hurt again.

Wheeler looked around and saw a few obviously feminine things scattered around the room. He had definitely not left the party alone. He tried to remember the girl's name... Mandy? Barbara? Nah... Maybe Kristen?

"Don't remember."

He put on his shorts and went down to the kitchen, where the smell of breakfast wafted through the house.

"Morning, beautiful," Daniel found a solution so he couldn't go wrong with the name.

"Morning, tiger boy" the girl smiled at him and placed a plate of fried eggs and bacon on the table "Sit down, everything is ready."

Dan took a seat at the table and looked around the girl trying to remember anything after all. The girl was indeed quite attractive and sexy. This was especially emphasized by his t-shirt, which she wore for comfort. But her voice was something impossible. It was so high, it sounded like it could be tortured. Moments began to surface in my mind.

A few shots in company. Lots of funny conversations. He texts someone in DM on Instagram. "SHIT! I'll have to check who I wrote to and what I wrote. Hopefully not Tony." Then he's already in Stacey's company. Kissing, cab, sex.

"Thanks for breakfast, Stacey, but I..." started Dan, pushing his plate away, but he was interrupted by the girl herself.

"Oh, don't worry, I won't blab to anyone about our relationship. They'll be a secret."

WTF?!

"Wait, wait a second, relationship? You misunderstood me... I may have, yesterday, acted like an asshole, but this one is all..." Dan gestured around them both "it's just a onetime thing. Not a relationship. Sorry" He fell silent and for the first time in the conversation raised his eyes to the girl.

The girl froze in place, clearly not expecting this turn of events. She seemed ready to burst into tears.

"WHAT?!" her voice cut through the tense silence in the house, hitting his ears. "You mean I'm just a whore to you! I can't believe it! Yesterday you were so polite and attentive. Talking the whole-time during sex about how good I was for you and how good you felt with me, and it was just a one-time thing?!"

She slapped him and quickly ran upstairs to the bedroom, apparently to look for her clothes.

Wheeler rubbed his cheek burning from the slap. "Deservedly so," he thought. He himself didn't understand why he was acting this way. He had been in serious, long-term relationships where he really cared about his girlfriends. But after the last breakup, something changed inside him. He closed himself off from others, started acting like a man who doesn't want anything serious and lives for one moment. Only a few people knew the real him and saw him "playing his role for others".

A couple minutes later, the front door slammed, announcing that Stacy had left.

Cash found his phone and logged onto Instagram. A picture of Harwoods with a girl he met at a party last night appeared in the feed. Recalling again that he had been texting someone, he opened his private messages and found a conversation with a user under the nickname "Tiny Cherry." Apparently, that was the person he had wrote to yesterday. He opened the message and began to reread it.

"I'm certainly not a criminal, but I wouldn't mind you handcuffing me."

Ugh. How gross.

"Disgusting" replied Tiny Cherry.

Wheeler opened Tiny Cherry's account and realized that this was the girl who had introduced herself to him at the party as y/n. Daniel himself became disgusted at how disgusted his pickup line sounded.

He went back to the dialog, quickly typed "Sorry" and hit send.

Dan closed Instagram, went to messages with David, and sent a message to him "I think I fucked up.”

Y/n had spent her entire work shift with her partner keeping the streets in order for some important person to arrive.

She was distracted for a second by an Instagram post, but her partner managed to notice the change in the girl's face.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, stepping a little closer.

"Uh, no. It's just some guy sent a really dumb ride yesterday, and now apparently he's realized how disgusting it is."

Y/n turned the phone's screen toward her partner so he could read it. At first, her partner's face expressed nothing but amusement with a dash of mild disgust. There are a lot of guys who text this kind of thing to girls, for reasons unknown. It certainly wasn't the first and wouldn't be the last. But when he saw the name "Cash Wheeler" and opened the profile to see if it was really the person he thought it was, his expression changed. It now expressed pure surprise.

"What? Is something wrong?"

"Wait, you're being hit on by Cash Wheeler! Seriously????"

"Well yeah, it looks like it. Not a big deal" not really paying much attention to who exactly is doing it replied y/n and put the phone away.

"Y/n, it's not. From what I've heard about him h, he's a pretty good opportunity to switch things up after your past relationship."

"I don't think it's time already and that he is the right person. I don't want one-night stands or friends with benefits. Hell, I don't even know him!"

Harwood and Wheeler met at lunchtime for a short workout at the gym. While they were changing, Daniel told all what he had done.

"What did you do?! You did exactly what I asked you not to do, Dan!". Harwood was clearly pissed at the way his friend had acted.

"I know, I know! I screwed up. And I'm really sorry. I already texted her that I'm sorry, but she read it and didn't say anything back. I don't know what else to do to make it right. She seemed nice and I guess I really liked her. Not like the others, you know" Wheeler tried to defend himself.

David was silent for a while, calming down and considering something.

The silence was getting more and more pressing with each passing second. It got to the point where Daniel thought for a moment that his best friend was about to hit him. He wouldn't even be surprised if that happened, because everyone knew about David's reverent attitude toward his friends and loved ones. And even the fact that you are one of those friends won't save you. 

Thinking of the situation, David assured himself that maybe y/n liked his best friend because they had been through similar situations. Each of them had chosen their own way of how to deal with it all.

"Do you really like her?" asked Harwood after a while to his friend.

"Yeah, I think so" replied Daniel lowering his gaze down.

"Okay, I'll talk to her. But if you really want to get her you have to promise me you won't hurt her and you'll be patient. She's not the kind of girl who's gonna jump in your arms with you on the third day. Show understanding, consideration, care and don't pressure her into anything. Promise me that."

"I promise, Dav."

Wheeler always kept his word no matter what and Harwood always knew it.

In the evening, David called y/n and took a long time choosing his words and tried to explain to her everything that had happened and apologized many times for his friend.

"It's not your fault, David. I did nothing to apologize for. Your friend acted like a douchebag, but I'll forget him and let go of the situation."

"Then I'll invite you to the dinner on Sunday if you are Free. He'll be there if you're don't mind" Suggested Harwood already planning how he would properly introduce Daniel to her.

"Okay, it's a deal. Dinner on Sunday. Say hi to Maria" replied y/n and a smile could be heard in her voice.

"I will. Goodnight y/n." 

The fact that y/n had agreed to at least be in the same space as Daniel was already a good sign. Perhaps something would actually come of this.

"Good night, David."

As the times went by people began to slowly leave the hospitable Harwood house.

During the evening y/n had time to meet a few new people. One of them introduced himself to her as Phillip. Most of their conversation, if you could call it that, was about himself and what he thought was right. Generally, the girl doesn't mind that sort of thing, but this particular guy crossed the line between interesting storytelling and nerdiness. Most of the time y/n just made a very interested look and nodded in the right places. He didn't seem to need anything else. He talked and talked and talked. He couldn't stop. At one point, it even felt like he hadn't been able to express what he was thinking to anyone for a long time and so he was saying all this y/n. From time to time, he touched either the girl's shoulder or her arm, but her body's reaction was scalding and very unpleasant goosebumps running from the point of touch all over her body. Phill, he himself had asked to be addressed that way, didn't seem to notice it, or didn't want to notice it.

As for y/n herself, she reasoned that it was better to have this kind of company than to stand around the bar all night alone or annoying her best friend. Occasionally she felt someone's eyes on her, but looking around she couldn't find who was looking at her. Scanning the crowd over Phillip's shoulder to amuse herself in some way, y/n saw the familiar profile of a good-looking guy she'd met just inside the doorway of the house.

To be honest, this guy was totally not her type. He seemed to be too easygoing, flirted a lot with different girls, was often the center of attention. Basically, doing all sorts of things that y/n herself would never do.

"What do you think?" for the first time that evening, Phillip asked the girl's opinion on something.

Y/n was a little confused, because while she was looking at the guy in the center of circle of girls, she had completely stopped listening to what Phill was saying.

What saved y/n from an uncomfortable situation was the phone vibrating in her pocket. The screen lit up with "Captain Kirby".

"Sorry, I have a work call. It was nice chatting" apologized the girl with a polite smile and walked through the people to the exit to the backyard.

"Yes, Captain, I got it. I'll be there. Have a good night" the girl closed her eyes, pressed the end call button and tucked her phone back into her pocket.

"Nuisance call?"

A male voice from behind made y/n jump. She hadn't heard the door to the backyard open or the footsteps behind her.

"Just a work call. Boss called to give an assignment for tomorrow" she turned to face the man who came out and smiled friendly "I'm y/n, by the way. We met when you were out on the street."

"Daniel. Nice to meet you. Saw you bored at the bar until Phill kept you company."

"Yeah... Kind of... And no, I wasn't bored, I just prefer to keep people entertained and I hardly know anyone here except the owners or Phillip" the girl tried to justify herself.

"Well, now you know me too.  And I'd love to keep you company, so you don't get bored." Daniel did his best to be charming and make the girl feel comfortable.

"Oh, don't be, I'll be leaving soon. Got some work tomorrow" tried to refuse the man y/n as gently as possible.

"By the way, what’s your job and how do you know the hosts?" decided Wheeler inquired. David had mentioned that she was Maria's best friend and a friend of Harwood himself, but Wheeler hadn't met her before. Not at parties or at the shows Harwood sometimes invited his friends to. Or he hadn't noticed.

"I work as a police patrolman. David is an acquaintance of my brother's, and we met a long time ago when I stopped by my brother's house. With Maria, we hit it off quickly and got along. What about you? Are you a friend of David's? I thought he mentioned a friend of his named Dan. Wait a minute... That's your portrait on the wooden artwork on the wall next to the bar. You must be that 'friend from work'."

Dan grinned "Yes, I guess it's me. I hope David only said nice things about me." Wheeler rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Y/n for some reason made him a little nervous and feel less confident. He definitely likes her. Quite beautiful in appearance, but also very modest and closed off for some reason. Harwood had mentioned earlier that she'd had a rough time lately and maybe that had affected her, Daniel supposed. "You look beautiful, by the way."

The compliment made the girl's face redden, "Thanks. Yeah, sure, just the good stuff. Blood brother and that kind of thing.” She fell silent and hesitated a little “I'm sorry, but I really have to go. Maybe I'll see you somewhere else, Daniel. Have a good night" began the y/n already saying goodbye.

"Wait, give me your phone number? I'll text you tomorrow and maybe we can go out" tried Wheeler and already pulled out his phone, because usually girls gave him their number without much thought.

"Sorry, but no. I have a lot of work and not much free time" again, not for the first time during the evening, y/n felt ashamed for refusing someone, but that's how he thought it would be better, well, or at least at least honest enough. Not to give false hope.

She smiled sweetly at the man one last time and turned around to leave.

Wheeler was amazed at how quickly their conversation ended. Almost every time he left a party either with a girl, or at least a dozen new numbers in his phone of girls who were always willing to keep him company. But not this time. Yes, he had a few phone numbers added to his phone this evening, but this kind of rejection crossed everything. Still in mild surprise, he slowly put the phone in his jeans pocket and hummed. "Looks like an interesting quest. And I'm going to go on it" he thought and went back to the party. He couldn't remember the rest of the evening the next day.

As y/n drove home, the moments of the past party were replaying in her head. And often, it was the last conversation that replayed in her head. In person, Daniel seemed a little different to her, not like he was around the other people at the party. Yes, he was still trying to flirt with her, but he wasn't being too forward. And, unlike Phillip, he wasn't trying to convince her of anything or talk only about himself. I wondered when the real Daniel had been.

Y/n pulled her phone out of her pocket and decided to google her friend. She doesn’t know his last name, but she knew he worked with David, so it was through him that she had to search.

"Cash Wheeler, hah. Current IWGP, AAA and ROH Tag Team Champion alongside with Dax Harwood. Interesting" she thought. There were quite a few pictures on Wheeler's Instagram with blood, lot of photos from backstage, with David, and many other people. A couple of times there were even photos with Phillip with some strange caption under it. Wheeler was smiling in many of them, but he looked rather arrogant. There were also some photos with people she was once shown by her older brother, who was a big fan of wrestling, including Japanese wrestling. Last year, Daniel even posted a picture of him apparently messing up a football field in Jacksonville, Florida with friends. On Twitter, Wheeler was constantly getting into conflicts with fans. Y/n snorted unhappily at what she saw in front of her. Arrogant, testy, scandalous and clearly loves to grab the attention of the people around him. Gross.

She had read a couple articles and she thought Daniel was a much more interesting and more serious person than he showed himself to others. But maybe he's trying to create a nicer public image of himself this way. Y/n had no way of knowing when Daniel was showing his true colors.

Rushing around the room, the girl tried to gather her thoughts so that she wouldn't forget anything necessary. Normally, packing for somewhere didn't cause her this much trouble, but today for some reason things had gone wrong from the start. Y/n decided to calm her thoughts a bit and sat down on the edge of the bed to organize the thoughts in her head. She took a few deep breaths and mouthed the entire sequence of her actions, drawing a clear line. That always helped her in situations like this. 

She decided to wear her favorite Shotgun Rider band t-shirt, a black and red checked flannel shirt, dark blue jeans and white sneakers. Looking at her reflection in the large mirror, she decided that she didn't look flashy or attract much attention. Exactly as she should. Less attention, less problems. By the age of 24 y/n had already gone through some rough patches that left an indelible mark that sometimes disrupted the normal course of her life. 

Half an hour later, y/n was still packed and ready to go to the party her best friend Maria had invited her to. Nothing fancy, just a house party for friends. Maria said she needed someone she felt comfortable enough with to keep her company and share a glass of wine. This was a party to celebrate some success Maria's husband, David, was having at work. 

When the cab pulled up outside the Harwoods' spacious house, the parking lot next to the it was filled with cars. Y/n paid the cab driver and headed for the door from behind which soft music was already blaring. The girl stopped next to the door to take a couple of breaths to calm her once again frayed nerves. For a couple seconds, she even considered running away before it was too late, before anyone saw her. Even though she had texted Maria a couple hours ago saying she was definitely coming.  "Come on y/n. You're better than that. Better than a coward running away before the last step." she said to herself.

Just as she was about to press the bell, hoping it would be heard through the music, a man with a wide smile came out to meet her, literally bumping into her because he was distracted by a conversation with someone. "Oh, sorry...I didn't..." he started to say, but y/n interrupted him. "It's no big deal. It's fine. Did you want to come out?" she smiled back at him, unable to resist the inner impulse and stepped aside a bit, letting the man pass. For a couple seconds they both stood there, unable to take their eyes off each other. The man was the first to break contact, shaking his head and still taking a step outside.  "Thanks...see you around I guess?" he said and tiredly walked away without waiting for a response.  "See ya" she said automatically and walked into the house covering the door behind her.

Walking inside, she saw a small space with a bar counter that Maria's husband usually uses as his personal space and often posts pictures from here on his Instagram. It was a cute little wood-lined corner with a small tabletop that held different types of alcohol. Y/n decided to stop here for a while and have a few drinks. Finding herself a glass, she lowered herself onto a bar stool and poured herself some of the tequila that David had once praised. Looking around, she noticed a large cutout artwork on the wall with the faces of two men. One of them was obviously David himself, but the other y/n didn't know. For some reason the face seemed vaguely familiar to her.

After a few drinks she began to drown in her own thoughts. Alcohol always comes with heavy thoughts. For y/n it always did, at least until someone kept her company. But here she knew no one but her hosts, and they had yet to be found. She began searching with her eyes among the people for the hostess or host of the party to say hello to. Finding the shining bald head in the crowd was not difficult. There he was, the host. Her friend was right there beside him, gently hugging her husband around the waist. Y/n walked over to them and put her arm around her friend. Maria hugged her and kissed her on the neck and pulled away with a smile. She was happy to see y/n at the party. To be frank, she already thought y/n wouldn't come because of everything she had been going through for the past few months.

"Y/n, there you are. Glad you decided to show up. Now this party will be at least a little more interesting" giggling a little Maria said "Ouch" came from the man standing next to her "actually the party isn't boring as it is" he said to his wife but then shifted his gaze to y/n "glad you're here" Y/n grinned and hugged Harwood. "Thank you, David. I hope Maria isn't disappointed in your party because of my appearance"  "Don't be silly, little one. You're always welcome here. Feel yourself comfortable" Maria took her friend's hand and squeezed it lightly to help y/n feel calmer.  "Hey, Dan, we have something to discuss" the man addressed someone in the crowd and kissed his wife on the cheek and left.

When she was alone with y/n, Maria offered her a glass of wine and a little chat. Y/n nodded and they headed towards the drinks bar. "How are you? I hope you've stopped worrying about that guy. We both know that he's not worth regretting the end of that relationship for so long. Especially when you remember why and how they ended" Maria was worried about her friend and you could hear it in every word she said. It had been quite some time since the y/n's last relationship, but it didn't seem to be getting any easier for the girl. "Did someone appear on the horizon that you liked? You need to stop hoping Josh will change and at least apologize for putting you through all this crap!" "It's not that simple... I've given up hoping for an apology, but I can't just, you know how the people say, move on and just start dating someone else. I'm more focused on work right now. Yes, sometimes men at work flirt with me and call me out on dates, but it's all wrong. They either want to get it all at once or they're not ready for their girlfriend to be as problematic as I am." "Come on, Y/n! You're not problematic at all. You just need the right guy. Someone who can win your trust and heart and be your motivation to get over Josh's shit." "Yeah, someone who will see me, fall in love with me until the faint of heart, say 'I'm with you till the end of the line' and we'll live happily ever after." replied y/n with a sad chuckle, taking a sip of wine. "That's exactly what will happen! You'll see. You'll just have to find the right guy" said Maria, trying to give her friend some confidence at least for a while.

There was a tense and slightly sad silence.

"Oh, by the way, how is your brother? You haven't said anything about him in a while" the woman decided to change the subject.

"Scott? Scott's doing great! Traveling the world. Doing what he loves to do. In other words, living his best life. I miss him so much, to be honest. We call each other a lot, he helps me in that times, you know. But I miss having him around. He's literally all I have. My only family." y/n said that with sad in her voice.

"Yeah... You've had a hard time. And you both deserve to be happy. And... You know that no matter what happens, you can always turn to us, right? I'll help you with advice and a friendly shoulder, and David with alcohol and a strong hand if you need it."

Of course, Maria was partly joking. But y/n really could always count on them, but never took advantage of it to avoid taking her problems onto someone else.

Often the woman had to literally forcefully pull out of y/n what was wrong, so closed off she was literally from the world.

"I know. And I thank you for that. A lot."

Meanwhile, David had gone out with his coworker and, as he liked to say, "blood brother" to the backyard. It was starting to get dusk, so it was quiet and comfortable enough to talk privately outside.

"I see you're having a good time, Dan" Harwood opened beer bottles he'd brought with him and held one out to Daniel.

"Yeah. You know the last couple months have been tough, but at least now you and I have three tag-team championships and some time to relax before we have to defend them one by one" Dan smiled and sipped a little from the bottle "cheers!"

"Cheers!" David sipped a little from his bottle as well "Just I ask you to be a little more careful. I don't want my best friend to get into any trouble that I have to get him out of later."

"It'll be fine. A couple shots, some innocent flirting that might end up in something interesting and nothing obligatory for one night. Nothing criminal. By the way, there was this girl, we met in the doorway. She had a brown hair, and she was wearing, like, a plaid shirt and a Shotgun Rider t-shirt. Who's that, do you know?"

It took David a few seconds to go over in his head the people he'd seen at the party tonight.

"No, no, no. Don't even think about it, bro. That's my wife's best friend, and she's certainly not the kind of person who would benefit from casual hookups right now. No offense" Harwood hadn't stopped shaking his head the whole time.

"Sounds like a challenge" Wheeler decided to joke, but immediately realized from his friend's reaction that the decision was clearly a bad one. He held up his hands in his defense "Okay, I get it. I'll be careful and not allow myself anything extra. But maybe you can tell me her name, she looks pretty."

"Her name is y/n" He said with a sigh. "Don't make me regret it."