The Heart Wants What It Wants (Completed)

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

***

Money In The Bank

Joe's cell phone promptly blasted the ring entrance music "Retaliation" at seven o'clock on Sunday morning. He blindly searched for the phone on the nightstand, groaning when his hand knocked it to the floor. "Shit!" he cursed, reaching over the edge of the bed. He slid his hand back and forth until it grazed the screen of the phone. Just as he was about to answer, the metal music ceased to disturb him.

"Good," he said with irritation before rolling over and pulling the comforter over his head. As soon as his eyes closed, the ringtone blared again.

"Fuck!" he said wholly irritated now. "Hello?"

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty. Colby and I are downstairs, cocked, locked, and ready to rock, brotha," JG said as if he'd already been up for several hours.

"You know what, man? I'm beginning to think that you really are unstable. It's fucking seven o'clock, and I'm not doing any promo shit."

"Neither am I, but nothing gets the blood flowing like an early morning workout."

"I fucking hate you right now, man," Joe said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

JG laughed and replied, "Yeah, I know. Get downstairs. We're waiting."

"I'll be down in a sec," Joe said, reluctantly tearing himself from the bed. He'd been up late last night, analyzing every detail of his and Lina's marriage. They had been together since their days in college and after she'd gotten pregnant with Joelle, he just felt like marrying her was the right thing to do. He loved her with all of his heart, but started to wonder if he was ever in love with her.

"She's a good woman," he said before getting out of bed to get dressed.

***

Val still hadn't talked to or seen Joe since receiving the last text from him on Wednesday night. She knew he was upset about her hosting Colby at her place, and she'd told herself a thousand times that she didn't give a damn about his mood. He's married. He can't be mad at me for sleeping with Colby, she thought as she lay across the bed in her hotel room. She sighed loudly and grabbed her cell phone. It was early, but she knew one person would be awake and getting ready for her morning run.

"Well, this is a surprise," her older sister Elektra said.

"Hey, Lexy," Val replied rather glumly.

"You don't sound too happy this morning. What gives?"

"It hasn't been the best week. I kinda had a run-in with Joe a few days ago."

"Oh no," Elektra started, "please don't tell me you slept with him, Val. He's mar-"

"No, Lexy. I didn't."

Elektra released a sigh of relief into the phone.

"Thank God. You don't need to get caught up in that drama."

Val released her own sigh of frustration. For a reason that she reluctantly admitted out loud, Joe had been on her mind.

"Lexy, I think I love him."

"No, no, no, no, no," Lexy replied. "You can't let that happen. He's married."

"I know, but-"

"And what about Colby? I mean, he's cute and available, and he obviously likes you."

"Yeah, I know, but it's just something about Joe that draws me in."

"Girl, you're just mesmerized by those eyes and that smile. It's infatuation. It'll pass."