| Part XVII |
Alex wandered down the hall; she felt her heart pounding in her head. As she walked she kept clenching and unclenching her hands. She was trying to keep a hold of her temper. When she got to First Aid she stood outside the door and started to count to ten. She only got to four before she opened the door. She found the other doctor tending to Paul with Jericho standing off to the side. �How the hell could you do that to her? You told me you cared about her!� he was yelling. Alex cleared her throat to get his attention. Chris turned his head at the sound. He turned to walk over and try to comfort her but stopped short when he saw her eyes. �Out.� she quietly demanded. �Alex, I don�t think . . .� Chris tried. �Out, Chris. Take him with you.� She ordered quietly, nodding toward the doctor. Chris grabbed the doctor, who tried to protest, but Chris simply pulled him out the door. Alex finally let her eyes settle on Paul. Kane and 'Taker had really worked him over. Alex saw that his eye was starting to swell and his lip was bleeding. Alex squashed the pang of sympathy that sprang up and forced herself not to move. �I want answers.� She stated. Paul rolled his shoulders and sighed. �I�m really not in the mood . . .� "I don�t give a damn what you�re in the mood for.� She snapped, closing some of the distance between them. �Look! You let me down.� Paul stated. �Okay your logic here escapes me.� She snapped sarcastically. �Vince decided the match would go to Kane, so without Vince knowing you bring in DX to attack us and distract Kane. Then you send that psychopathic bitch after Storm. To do what exactly?� She demanded. �She was just supposed to fight with Storm. She wasn�t suppose to hurt her.� �Are you cracked?� She asked. �Vince fired her because she was threatening our lives.� She emphasized slowly, leaning forward. �I talk to Vince before I came in here. The cops dragged Tori out of here still screaming about what she plans to do to us.� �I don�t know anything about that. I asked her to go out there to . . .� Paul explained. �The fact is you ASKED HER!!� Alex screamed. �Are you so warped that you would go to such lengths to win a damn title?� She implored, stepping closer. �I needed you on my side tonight.� Paul stated, trying a different approach. �I asked you to react from your heart. You showed me where your heart really is. Tonight you proved that you love Kane and 'Taker more than me.� �You really believe that don�t you?� she asked him shocked, taking a step back. �Didn�t we have this conversation already? Regardless,� she shook her head, and waved her hand, �is that how you justify what you�ve done? Explain to me how you came to this conclusion? Because I didn�t help you screw Kane over?! I want you to explain to me exactly when you thought me weak enough to not be able to defend myself. When it was you thought me gullible enough to just lose my mind and do whatever you tell me?� she demanded. When he didn�t answer, she continued. �Do you have ANY idea what Kane or 'Taker would do to you if Storm or Kanike had actually been hurt?� Alex asked. �Look in the mirror.� She ordered pointing. �They�re my friends,� she emphasized, �and you only hurt my feelings.� She stopped because her voice cracked, then continued. �If Storm or Kanike had been hurt, they would have broken you in half without a thought. Not to mention what Steve or Jim would do for LaShana or Ice.� �You�re missing the point!� he yelled. �Which is what exactly!?� She yelled back. �I needed you out there. If you really loved me you would have . . .� Paul started. �Don�t EVEN try to go there with me!� She seethed. �That has to be the stupidest excuse I�ve ever heard, for anything.� She spat. �How�s this: If you loved me you would have never put me in that position. What if Tori had attacked me instead of Storm? What if she had hurt me? Would the title still be worth it?� she asked her voice cracking again. �You know how hard this past month has been for me. Just when I thought no one was asking me to choose sides, I forgot to look beside me.� She said quietly. �I thought you of all people would know that I couldn�t make that choice.� �You did choose!� he snapped. �By not being able to read your mind!?� she yelled. �By not knowing what you were planning out there? How long have you been planning this? Tori just didn�t show up here tonight and since she got fired, she needed help getting in here.� �I had an idea that Vince wanted the title off me. I knew you were having trouble with the whole thing.� �So you thought I would just fall in line and betray my friends?� She asked. �You�re right though; there�s no way I would have helped you. As much as I loved . .� She paused, letting the past tense of the word sink in. �As much as I loved you, I couldn�t back you up on this.� �People don�t just fall out of love. Alex, I still love you . . .� Paul tried. Alex fist shot out and hit him square in the jaw that she had missed earlier. It gave her untold pleasure to see his head snap back and know she had hurt him. �Don�t you EVER use that word and my name in the same sentence again.� She said slowly biting off each word, her temper boiling. �People don�t fall out of love?� she asked sarcastically. �Hmmm, let�s see. You wanted me to betray my friends. You put same friends in danger. You thought me stupid enough to just do whatever you told me. You USED me. People don�t fall out of love? Watch me!!� she declared. She walked toward the door and had her hand on the handle, when Paul spoke. �You�re right, they do.� He stated, looking at the floor. �That first fight Kane and I had, I knew I had fallen out of love with you.� Alex turned to look at him, confused. �I found you after the match with Kane. To you see you more worried about him.� He remembered bitterly. �We were on camera. That�s what I�m supposed to do.� She countered. �That�s probably the night I thought of all this.� He continued, ignoring her statement. �I knew Kane would run at the first sign that you girls were in trouble. I spent the last four weeks stringing you along.� He turned to look at her. Alex�s heart started to break when she saw his eyes harden and his tone turned bitter. �These past weeks you reacted exactly as I expected. You played the dutiful girlfriend. Pretending to be SO concerned for my feelings. That no matter what happened you�d still love me.� He spat. �What a joke! You tell yourself whatever you want; you reacted EXACTLY as I expected. Even tonight; I knew in the back of my mind that you wouldn�t let Kane down.� Paul crossed the room and stood directly in front of her. �So walk out of here knowing that for all your professions of love, and for everything you gave up,� he sneered, �you never loved me. That you don�t know how. No one will ever come before Kane and you can NEVER have him. Winning the title wasn�t the point; I counted on your affection to make this thing work. Even if I didn�t get the title at least now I know where your heart really is.� Alex stood near the door, and tried to hold her heart together for a few more minutes. �Since you can�t seem to tell the difference between someone who loves you and a friendship.� Alex heard herself say, in a voice that was so very cold and somewhat detached. �Since the concept of friendship in general seems to be completely foreign to you.� She waved her hand dismissively. Alex couldn�t decide which hurt more. Paul using her or the fact that even after all the time they had spent together that he didn�t understand her. �I gave you my heart and I never lied when I said �I love you�.� She whispered. �So you tell yourself WHATEVER you want.� Her temper returning and her voice going cold. �If believing that story helps you sleep better at night, fine. But NOTHING justifies using me or what you did to me out there tonight.� |