Help

CHAPTER SEVEN

"she was powerful,
not because she wasn't scared
but because she went on
so strongly,
despite the fear."
~atticus

Adam

I opened the door to Salem's hotel room to see Kyle and Bobby sitting with her on the balcony. The two of them held beers in their hands, though Salem curled up in her own ball and only watched the Philadelphia city.

I wasn't sure how long they had been out there with her, and to be honest, I wish I had been there with them rather than arguing with Britt in my hotel room. Salem had been through hell earlier that day at TakeOver.

I couldn't imagine what she was feeling.

Adam Cole was always there for the Undisputed Era, and yet, here I was, abandoning them when they needed me most for Britt.

Abandoning Salem.

In this situation, I'm sure Kyle wasn't even okay with it. Not after the man in the crowd grabbed Salem the way he had on live television. I knew he would give me an earful later, and I knew I deserved it.

The four of us had been celebrating my win over Aleister when it happened. Salem had run down to the ring after Killian Dain took out both SaNiTy and the Undisputed Era with a suicide dive and hit my opponent with her top rope finisher, the 'Salem Witch Trials.'

I could feel the electricity in the building, with so many false finishes and interferences showing the WWE Universe what an Extreme Rules match was really about. I lived for it. Salem did too, for her body stood up from the canvas with a sadistic smile on her face as her hand ran through her dark hair.

That made the crowd go even crazier, if it was possible.

I leaned against the ropes, trying to stand as I admired her. A girl who had been crying the night before was relishing in this moment, where everyone in the crowd either envied her or wanted to be with her.

If only she knew the power she had.

She had called herself broken during our last argument, but this proved she was anything but. Salem Dawn was right, she didn't need my help to be strong; but she did needed my help to be vulnerable.

I wish I had realized that when I was in the ring with her, and not after the incident.

Though I was professional in the ring per Kyle's request, I only did the bare minimum with Salem. I could blame it on my girlfriend sitting in the audience with her parents, or the bare seats next to her that were reserved for mine, but the sheer fact was Salem Dawn called me a player and that meant that she never knew me to begin with like I know her.

Maybe I hadn't helped my case with my persona on and off-screen, but I think everyone can tell by now it's a coping mechanism.

My dad would have known if he had actually shown up to watch.

As I celebrated my win with Bobby and Kyle, Salem stared at us from across the ring. We watched her intently to act out our segment, showing her our 'UE' sign and awaiting her's in return.

The roar from the crowd almost knocked me off my feet after Salem returned the symbol.

The three of us smiled as I pulled the beautiful girl into a one-handed hug. She wrapped her arms around my neck as I realized how much I missed her body next to mine.