Once Nora finished a quick lunch with Jeff at their hotel, Trish hurried them into a rental car, her urgency palpable as they made their way to the arena.
Nora stretched in the backseat, her fatigue evident as she rubbed her tired eyes.
"That car ride seemed much shorter than 45 minutes," she mused, glancing out the window. Jeff laughed at her words, his demeanor warm and comforting.
He took Nora's hand gently, guiding her as they stepped out of the car. "Come on, Nora. I'll show you to my dressing room, along with Matt's and Lita's," he said, his voice inviting.
Trish said, "I'll come and find you later, okay?" Nora nodded, her fatigue evident in her voice as she assured Trish she would be fine with whatever she had in mind.
"Come on, sleepyhead," Jeff said with a laugh, taking her hand and leading her to his dressing room. The sound of his laughter echoed in the air, but as Nora stepped inside, she stumbled slightly, muttering a few choice curses under her breath as she steadied herself.
Jeff watched as she fell onto the sofa, her body landing with a soft thud against the plush cushions, a look of relief washing over her face as she sank into the fabric.
Jeff started to lay his things down, his brow furrowing slightly as he asked, "Are you sure you're okay with waiting for Trish or me?"
Nora turned to him, her expression serious but reassuring. "Yeah, you guys said it would be safe," she confirmed, her voice steady.
Jeff inhaled deeply, his heart warming at the sight of Nora. He crossed the room and carefully draped the throw blanket from the sofa over her. With a hushed tone, he leaned closer and whispered, "I'll see you later," before exiting the dressing room, the door closing softly behind him.
Nora's small smile was the final flicker of consciousness as she closed her eyes, letting the exhaustion wash over her like a gentle tide. In that moment of surrender, she succumbed to sleep, her body finally finding the rest it craved.
⎯✳︎⎯⎯✳︎⎯⎯✳︎⎯⎯✳︎⎯t
Nora stirred from her slumber, the whispers surrounding her gradually breaking through the haze of sleep. It took her a few seconds to fully comprehend her surroundings, but as she slowly opened her eyes and blinked, the brightness of the room began to sharpen into focus.
Good morning, sleeping beauty," a voice whispered, breaking the silence. Nora turned, her gaze landing on Christian and Edge, and her eyes widened in shock.
Panic surged through her as she shot up from the sofa. "What the hell are you two doing here?" she demanded, her voice tinged with both confusion and urgency.
Edge and Christian shared a conspiratorial laugh, their eyes sparkling with delight as they positioned themselves on either side of Nora.
"We opened a random door, and there was a beautiful girl sleeping," Edge declared, sliding his arm around her shoulder casually.
"We couldn't resist such an opportunity," Christian echoed, a playful grin spreading across his face as he secured his arm around her waist.
Nora looked down at their arms, a flicker of discomfort crossing her face as she gently pushed them away.
"I don't understand why you would open a random door without knowing where it might lead," she questioned, her voice steady but edged with concern.
Nora lifted her gaze to the two men, crossing her arms tightly and fixing them with an intense stare.
"You understand that this is the dressing room of Team Xtreme, don't you?" she challenged, arching an eyebrow.
Christian and Edge shared a quick glance filled with mischief, "Of course not," Edge replied, shrugging nonchalantly. "How would we know that?"
Nora shot them a deadpan look before striding over to the door. "There was no sign that indicated it was so marked," Christian said, attempting to defend their actions.
She opened the door, revealing a sign that boldly proclaimed "Team Xtreme.' "No sign, huh?" she challenged, her voice steady but laced with irony.
Edge let out a nervous chuckle, attempting to ease the awkwardness. "So, why are you in here, then?" he inquired, sharing a confused look with Christian.
"Yeah, I don't understand," Christian echoed, his brow furrowed.
"Because I came with them," offering no further explanation.
Edge took a step closer, his curiosity piqued.
"You... you came with Team Xtreme? Who are you, anyway?"
With a nervous motion, Nora instinctively moved away from Edge, her body language tight. "I'm Nora," she said in a quiet voice, almost as if she were afraid of the attention.
Christian, intrigued, stepped closer, narrowing the gap between them. "Nora who?" he pressed, his tone a mixture of curiosity and playfulness.
Nora prepared to respond, the dressing room door burst open with a loud creak.
A figure filled the threshold, their voice cutting through the air.
"What the hell are you doing?"
