Haunted By The Past (Sami and Adrian)

Chapter 8 - True Loyalty Lies Elsewhere

"Sami..."
"Kevin..."
"It's been a long time."
"It has."
"Has to have been five years."
"Sounds about right."
"We need to talk."
"No we don't really."
"Just let me talk then."
"Humor me then Kevin."
"I'm sorry."
"For what exactly? You've done a lot of shit so which is it this time?"
"For what I did five years ago."
"And what was that then? Seems you finally understand what you did."
"I'm sorry for almost ending your career."
"You did what?!" Randy shouted.
"I almost ended Sami's career. I was being careless. Stupid. I thought I had thrown Sami hard enough so he would have been able to turn in midair and land like he usually does but I didn't. He feel awkwardly on his neck. I could have broken his neck. It was the first time something like that had happened."
"First and last." Sami muttered under his breath.
"Sami..." Adrian said softly.
"What? He could have killed me and you think we should just stay best friends? Actually you know what? You should have broken my neck, then none of this shit would have happened. Everyone would be better off without me."
"Sami don't say that."
"Why not? It's true. I'm going upstairs, alone. I'll come back down later. I need to be on my own for a while."
"Sami..."
"Later Adrian. I need to be on my own."

Everyone was left in complete silence. Surely Sami didn't just wish that. I guess after five years seeing that person who almost took your lifes work, life's dream away, it's going to be rough. Also the fact they were once so close, like brothers and it took Kevin five years to apologise for it. Five years! It shouldn't have taken that long, no way should it... but it did.

Everyone walked into the living room, except for Adrian and Kevin. They remained in the kitchen.

"He'll be ok later." Kevin said.
"I hope so. The text said you needed to talk to us about something."
"Yeah, it's about Corey."
"What about him?" Adrians eyes open wide.
"I've seen him around here lately. After you told me what was going on, I always kept an eye out for him, just in case. I've been seeing him too often now, I'm worried for Sami. I know he still hates me but I don't want the man to be hurt because I didn't say anything. It's bad enough that I almost took away the thing he loves the most, I couldn't sit by and watch him be hurt by Corey."
"Sami will forgive you. I know it. Give him some time. It was a year ago that all this stuff started and when he got..." Adrian trailed off, it was still raw in his mind. That moment, then in the ambulance. Almost losing Sami, that was the worst time of his life.
"What happened to him?"
"No one else told you?"
"No, what happened? Adrian tell me."
"He... he got s..shot by Corey."
"What?!"
"His...his heart stopped in the ambulance... I was there. I thought he was gone... I thought he wasn't coming back."
"Adrian..."
"I was petrified you know. I saw his lifeless body... that heart monitor with the continuous bleep. He was gone..." Adrian finally let tears fall down his cheeks. Of course everyone knew what happened and that Sami did flat line in the ambulance but no one knew that Adrian was still struggling with having to see that. He still woke up in the night in a fit of panic. He had to run and check on Sami, make sure he was still breathing. He had to make sure he was ok. It wasn't as bad as it used to be but at least four nights of the week he did it.

Kevin pulled him into a hug. He had figured Adrian hadn't really said anything to anyone else about it. He had kept it to himself. He whispered into his ear that it's ok, nothing like that will happen again. He had all these people around. Sami and he were safe. They were as safe as they could be.

"You shouldn't have had to go through that. Damn it." Adrians tears began to stop. He needed that. He needed to release that emotion that was constantly building. He surprised himself how long he had been able to keep this to himself and deal with it alone. He knew he shouldn't have kept it to himself but he didn't want to worry anyone.

"Randy and Dean were there, well not in the ambulance but they were at the hospital when we got there."
"I'm glad you weren't alone. I wish I had known... I would have been there in a heartbeat."
"You're here now Kevin. That counts."
"True, I just wish it had been sooner."
"It's ok. He'll be ok with you soon-" Kevins phone began to ring.
"I've got to take this, it's urgent."
"Ok, step outside if you like. I'll be with the rest of the guys in the living area."
"Ok."

Kevin quickly got outside to answer his call.
"Corey."
"Kevin. How's things?"
"Very well friend. This won't take as long as I thought. Adrian is already opening up to me."
"Anything I can use to scare him?"
"Well, he's still scared of that time where you shot Sami. His heart stopped in the ambulance."
"Should have stopped beating. Fucking asshole. Wait, this will be perfect, I'm sure I can help Adrian get over his little fear. Give him some therapy, my type of therapy. If he's struggling with that sight then perhaps I can give him another reminder."
"What are you thinking?"
"Gunshot tonight. Outside the house."
"Scare the living daylights out of him. I like that idea."
"You are a sick bastard Owens."
"So are you Graves."
"Let's see how Adrian copes with this. Get back inside and don't let on what your doing."
"I won't. You know they won't find out."
"I do. Talk tomorrow." With that Corey cut off the call.

Kevin headed back inside. Acting like nothing had happened. He had all his lies in place. Of course this call was from someone down at NXT. He had the plan for any call he had to take. He walked into the living space where all but Sami were.

"Everything ok Kev?"
"Yep. All good. Just someone down from NXT, setting up my next title defence."
"Congrats on winning the title by the way."
"Thanks Randy."
"Congrats." All the others said.
"Cheers."

It was later that night that Sami had finally come back downstairs. He only grabbed something to eat before heading back to his room. Everyone knew he had to be on his own. Process everything alone. Think about what happened with Kevin. Adrian had tried to talk to him when he went back up to his room but Sami politely asked to be alone until tomorrow.

Everyone was sleeping peacefully, Kevin had headed off home to be with his family. There stood Corey outside the house. A huge grin across his face.

"I hope you enjoy this Adrian. Hope I can help you with this little bit of therapy. Enjoy my friend. Maybe I'll see you soon."

A gunshot rung out. Adrian quickly woke. That noise startling him. He woke in that state of fear. Breathing was eratic. It took his mind a moment to process what it was, he then quickly realised. A gunshot.

Adrians Pov

A loud bang wakes me from my sleep. I wake up, I can't breathe properly. I'm hyperventilating. I brush my hair from my face, that moment I realise what that bang was. No... no. It couldn't but I knew it was. The one thing I feared the most since that day. That one thing I never ever wanted to hear again. The thing that almost took Sami away. A gunshot...
"SAMI!" I shout. Please be ok Sami...