Dirty Deeds

CH 15: Confrontation

     I wake up disoriented. I turn my head toward the noise that brought me up from sleep and it takes me a minute to register what's going on. Matt's packing in the dark room. I think he's trying to be quiet, but he's not all that good at it. "Matt?"

"Hey," he says, turning to look at me. "I didn't wake you, did I?"

"Yes."

He laughs. "Sorry. It's time to get up, anyway. Check out's in half an hour, and your room's probably a mess."

"I got everything packed this morning," I say with a yawn.

"I'm impressed." Matt zips up the bag he's working on, then looks at me. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Fine. You?"

"Great. I was exhausted." He sits down on his bed. "Thanks for staying."

"Sure." Man, this is awkward. I push the blanket off. "Well, I should go talk to Layla. Um, do you still want me to ride with you tonight?"

"If you want to. Don't feel like you have to, though."

I nod. The weird thing is, I do kind of want to. I know I shouldn't, and that it's going to be a really long drive in an awkwardly silent car, but that still seems better than the alternative. "I think I'd feel better if I did. I don't want you to have to drive alone."

"It would be a fate worse than death," he says with a smile. "I hate not having someone to talk to."

"Let me go talk to Layla, then." I head for the door. "And thanks for letting me stay."

I step into the hall and don't make it more than five steps before someone is calling my name. I turn, thinking maybe it's Matt. It isn't. I groan as Punk catches up to me. "Hey," he says, "Layla is frantic. Where have you been?"

Before I can even think to answer, Matt opens the door to his room and steps out, bags in hand. He pauses, taking in me and Punk in the hallway. "I'm going to go check out," he says. "I'll see you downstairs."

"Sure," I say with a smile.

Punk watches the entire exchange silently, his eyebrows raised. When the elevator closes behind Matt, he turns back to me, smirking. "Again, you're welcome."

I smack Punk on the arm. "I am trying to clean up the mess you made," I growl at him. "That poor guy is devastated."

"Yes, he looked really heartbroken," Punk agrees, still smirking. "It's so sweet of you to disappear into his room for hours on end and comfort him like that."

"We were asleep." I mutter, which makes him laugh.

"Sure you were," he says.

I'm sure my face is bright red. "Look, nothing happened, okay? He didn't sleep last night, and..." I stop. "You know what? I don't have to explain this to you." I head down the hall. Punk falls into step beside me. "What do you want now?"

"I'm going with you to see Layla," he says.

"Thanks, but I don't need an escort."

"She knocked on my door about an hour ago, frantic because she couldn't find you. She tried calling you, but you left your phone in your room, sunshine." I groan. "You went off with Hardy and didn't tell your best friend where you were going. Of course I'm going with you. There's no way I'm going to miss this."

"My life is a mess," I say, turning to him, "and you're enjoying this. I swear, Cuddle Monkey..."

He smirks at me. "Go ahead," he says. "Call me Cuddle Monkey all you want." He slings his arm around my shoulder. "I'm sure Hardy would get a kick out of me telling him all about your cute little nickname for me."

"I really hate you right now," I mutter, pushing his arm off me. He follows me into the elevator, which we take down to my room. I realize when we get there that not only did I forget my phone, I don't even have a room key. Punk snickers at me as I'm forced to knock.

Layla looks upset when she opens the door. "Michelle! Where the hell have you been?"

Punk answers for me. "Apparently, she was in Hardy's room."

I shove Punk, then head into the room. He follows, damn him. "Maria and Helms got fired last night," I say to Layla, as she closes the door. "That's why Matt was here this morning." I shoot Punk a look.

"So it's not going to take until Wrestlemania for you to win the bet?" Layla asks. "Thank God. Though don't you think going to his room the day after his girlfriend is fired is a little... tacky? And kind of gross? He's such a loser!"

I stare at Layla. "Uh." Then I look over at Punk. He looks so smug. "Look, um. I'm kind of friends with the guy."

"Who?" Layla asks. "Punk?"

"No! Matt!"

She stares at me, disbelief all over her face. "What are you talking about?"

I grab my bags, mostly to keep myself busy. "He wants me to ride with him today."

"Is she serious?" Layla asks Punk. He shrugs, though now he looks less amused. "Michelle, what the hell has gotten into you lately? You're acting all weird."

I turn to Layla. "He's not a loser, okay? He's a nice guy."

"Oh, no," Punk says, "he's definitely a loser. Think about it, Michelle. Look who he's related to."

I glare at Punk. "Stay out of this." Then, to Layla, I say, "Maybe I'm tired of feeling shallow and empty all the time. Do you know that everyone else on the roster hates us?"

"They're just jealous," she says, smirking.

"I can't deal with this right now," I say, grabbing my phone. "I'll talk to you tonight, Layla."

"Wait, you were serious about riding with Hardy?" she asks, following me to the door.

"Yeah," I say. "I'll see you at the hotel."

"Michelle!" she yells, but I'm already sprinting down the stairs before her shout reaches my ears.

I drop my room key on the hotel desk and turn to look for Matt. He's in the same chair he was in this morning. "Ready?" he asks me, standing and walking to the desk.

I smile. "Yes. Let's get out of here."