Ayla 3 [A WWE Multiverse]

Chapter 24 - She betrayed you

Shane walked into the living room, his face stern and his usual easygoing demeanor replaced with an intensity that immediately silenced Stephanie and Darcy. Marissa had called him on his way home, filling him in on everything that had happened while he was away. The disappointment in his eyes was palpable.

"Unbelievable," Shane muttered as he stopped in front of them. His voice was calm but carried an edge that made both women flinch. "Marissa told me everything on the phone, and I have to say, I'm not really happy about it"

Stephanie and Darcy exchanged nervous glances, neither of them sure what to say. They had both just come to terms with their actions, but hearing it from Shane somehow made it all the more real.

Shane crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze moving from Stephanie to Darcy. "What the hell were you both thinking? Turning this into some sort of competition over Ayla? Are you seriously that insecure, that you couldn't see what this was doing to her?"

Stephanie opened her mouth to respond, but Shane held up his hand. "No, Steph, I don't want to hear any excuses right now. You're both grown women, mothers for crying out loud. How could you not see the damage you were doing? Ayla's been through enough without her mothers—her supposed safe places—dragging her into your petty rivalry."

Darcy looked down, guilt gnawing at her insides. Shane wasn't done, though. He turned his focus on her. "And you, Darcy. I know you're new to all this with Ayla, but that doesn't give you a free pass. You had a chance to bond with her, to build something real. Instead, you let your jealousy get the better of you."

Stephanie's eyes filled with tears, and Darcy bit her lip, her own emotions bubbling up to the surface. Shane sighed, the anger in his eyes giving way to something softer—disappointment, concern. "Ayla's out there, hurting, because the two of you couldn't get your act together. She needed you to be her support system, not her sources of stress."

There was a pause as Shane ran a hand through his hair, clearly trying to keep his frustration in check. "Listen, I get that this isn't easy. But you two have to figure this out. Work it out with Ayla, because she's the one who's paying the price for all of this. You both love her, right?"

Stephanie and Darcy nodded, their expressions solemn.

"Then act like it," Shane said firmly. "Put aside whatever insecurities you've got, and remember that this isn't about either of you. It's about Ayla. She needs to know you're in her corner, together, not pulling her in different directions."

He stepped back, his gaze still hard but less intense. "You two need to talk to her. Apologize. Make it right. And then, figure out how to move forward without making this about who's the better mom. You're both important to her, and she needs you both—just not at each other's throats."

Shane shook his head, exasperated, and then turned to leave the room. "I'm going to check on the boys. When Ayla gets back, you two better have a plan."

With that, Shane walked out, leaving Stephanie and Darcy in the heavy silence of their own thoughts, knowing he was right and that they had a lot of work to do to fix the mess they'd created.

After Shane left the room, his words still lingering in the air, Stephanie and Darcy sat in silence for a moment, each lost in their thoughts. The weight of what they had done settled heavily on them, and for the first time, they really looked at each other, seeing the hurt and confusion in the other's eyes. 

As the silence stretched between them, Darcy shifted uneasily, her thoughts racing. Finally, she broke the quiet, her voice low and uncertain. "Do you think we went too far?"

"Yeah... I think we did. " Stephanie looked at Darcy, her expression a mix of worry and regret. She sighed deeply, running a hand through her hair as she considered the question. "What happened to us, Darcy? We used to be so close. Remember how we were back then? We were like sisters."