The Heart Wants What It Wants (Completed)

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Friday Night-SummerSlam Weekend

Over the next three weeks, Val and Joe managed to keep their relationship on the hush. Aside from Joe's immediate family and inner circle of close friends, no one had knowledge of his divorce or his union with Val. He admitted that Val was right, but he also knew that it was only a matter of time before the news would get out, and if he wanted the world to know the truth, he'd eventually have to come clean.

He was jolted from his thoughts when he heard the click of the lock of his hotel door.

"Hey baby. You ready?" Val asked as Joe greeted her with a hug. They had made plans to visit a popular nightspot in Brooklyn with Trinity, Jon, JG, and Renee. However, Val's high-waist skinny jeans and black halter top had Joe doubting that they'd make it out of his hotel room.

"I'm ready, but damn, do we have to go?" he asked, walking a circle around her.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Val replied with a soft giggle. "Let's go."

"Wait, I wanna talk to you about something," he said, grabbing her hand and leading her to the bed. They seated themselves, and he took a deep breath before speaking.

"I know you said we should keep this quiet, but honestly, I'm tired of hiding. I'm gonna break the news after SummerSlam."

"Are you sure about this? I mean, it's gonna be feeding time for the media."

"I don't really care anymore. I've been divorced over a month now, and I still feel like I got chains on me. It's time. Ya know?"

"Yeah, I understand."

"Besides," Joe continued, "if I see Matt hittin' on you again, I'm gonna break his fuckin' neck."

"Joe, he's just bein' a man. He knows I'm hopelessly in love with my boyfriend ... whoever that may be," Val teased.

"Yeah right," Joe said with a smirk. "You know who it is."

"And so do you, so why are you worried about Matt?"

"Because that shit is disrespectful to me, and for you to ask me that, it makes me think that you might like it."

Val stared at Joe as if he'd just sprouted a horn from the middle of his forehead.

"Don't look at me like that," he said, standing and slipping his card key in his back pocket. "Let's go."

"Whoa, wait a minute," she said, also standing and folding her arms over her chest. "What was that about?"

"What?" Joe innocently asked.

"Don't play with me, Leati. You know what."

"Val, come on. People are waitin' for us," he said, ignoring her and walking to the door. The look on Val's face told him that he may have overstepped his boundaries a little with his accusation. He had to be honest with himself and her though. Since she'd started training Matt, he'd seen and heard Matt throw several flirtatious comments her way. He'd kept himself from pummeling the photographer simply because the guy had no idea that Val's boyfriend was watching him come on to his woman every chance he had. Val would smile and politely decline Matt's invitations, but that did nothing to ease Joe's discontent for the whole situation. Now, he'd let his true feelings slip out.

"I don't care who's waiting," Val said, joining Joe. "We need to talk about this."

Joe scoffed and shook his head, amused at her attempt to assert her authority. Cute.

"We gotta go, Val," he said again, opening the door. He watched her face set into an angry pout, her eyes shooting sharp daggers right at him.

"We're not leaving this room, until you talk to me about that funky lil' comment you just made," she said, sitting on the table.