CHAPTER 10

"Guess who has a big match tonight?" Paige squealed and jumped with joy.

Royce laughed at her friend's excitement. "I'm guessing you."

"Even better!" Paige grinned. "It's me and you in a tag team for the titles!"

"Wait really?" She gasped. "You're serious? Me and you are actually getting a shot?!"

"YES!" Paige screamed. "Vince wanted new woman's tag team champs and put us together!"

"Me and you, quite the tag team he put together." Royce said.

"I'm gonna go tell Sasha, I'll be back!" Paige squealed once more before leaving.

Royce decided to take this time and text her family about the opportunity she was getting, a little bummed they weren't here.

"Hey," Dean came up to her. "Shots in my room tonight on me. Everyone's going, it's at 10, don't be late."

"Taking shots with you always ends up bad." She defended. "Last time I was sick for a week." Royce crossed her arms and shook her head.

Dean made a face, "Thats a lie. I took the same amount you did and I was fine."

Royce let out a laugh. "The toilet was your cuddle buddy remember?"

He rolled his eyes and mumbled, "I vaguely remember that."

"You woke up in the tub." She reminded him. "Our wittle Deany can't hold his alcohol." Royce said in a baby voice.

"Go get ready for your match." Dean pushed her forward and laughed.

She chuckled and walked through the hallways to her dressing room. She suddenly felt a pair of arms around her and lift her up.

"Joe, what are you doing?" Royce giggled and wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Taking you to your dressing room." Joe ran with her.

"I have to get readyyyy," Royce whined and wiggles out of his grip once they reached her room. "Me and Paige are up for the tag team titles."

Joe's eyes lit up, "Really?" he cocked his head to the side. "Royce Presley leading the women's locker room."

"Royce and Paige." She corrected him. "Don't you and Corbin have a match tonight?"

"Yeah," he sighed and plopped on the couch. "You going to Deans drink fest tonight?"

"Probably." Royce replied and laced her shoes. "You know Dean, whether you show up or not he'll make you go and drink until you empty at least four bottles."

Joe smiled, "Hey what are you doing this weekend?"

She shrugged, "Nothing, just the usual working out and stuff. Why?"

"Come home with me this weekend."

Royce started to choke and cough. "W-what?"

He stood up and walked towards her. "Come home with me."

"Joe," she gave him a look. "No. That's your time with your kids."

"My kids adore you." Joe said. "Please, every time Jojo calls me, all she talks about is you. I'll drive you down to Orlando too so you can see your family."

"How about next week? If me and Paige win, I'm sure we'll have to do a lot of press this weekend." Royce suggested.

"Promise?" He pouted.

She laughed at how much of a baby he was being. "Promise."

———

"Paige with a single drop kick!" Michael Cole exclaimed.

"Look at Royce delivering a corkscrew moonsault from the top rope." Corey said.

"P.T.O.! Paige with a P.T.O. to Billie!"

"Royce has a figure eight locked in with Peyton! Will the IIconic's tap?!"

"THEY TAP THEY TAP! WE HAVE NEW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS!"

"Ladies in gentlemen here are your winners, and NEW tag team champions, the team of Royce Presley and Paige!"

Royce and Paige hugged each other and grabbed the belts, holding them proudly above their heads. Both stood on the top ropes, yelling, "This is OUR house!"

———

"Here's a toast to Paige and Royce, our new tag team champs! Congratulations you guys! To Royce and Paige!" Dean cheered and everyone took a shot

"Congratulations." Joe whispered into Royce's ear, sending chills down her back.

"Thanks." She smiled back at him.

"How about we get out of here and you can light that candle in my room." He said with a raspy voice.

"Our friends would never let us hear the end of it." Royce snickered and took the other shot Dean had passed her.

Joe looked around the room before smirking. "Screw them."

Royce thought about it in her head and played with her lip ring. She knew they wouldn't be able to sneak out of the room, it wasn't large but it wasn't small either. Multiple of their friends would see them exit and would probably call them out on it.

"That's hot."

She snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Joe. "What?"

He pointed to her lip piercing. "You were playing with the lip ring."

Royce rolled her eyes. "Shut up."

"So, you ready to get out of here?"

"Fine." She gave in.

Joe grinned and grabbed her hand, leading her out to the door.

"Where you guys going?" Jay wondered. He looked down at their locked hands and let out a laugh. "Ohhhhh. Aye guys Uce is getting it tonight!"

All their friends looked at the pair and started to cheer and "ooh." Both blushed slightly embarrassed but continued making their way to the door.

Nikki grabbed Royce and whispered in her ear. "You so owe me an explanation tomorrow, hope you won't be too sore."

"We're friends." Royce growled, but all the girls looked at her, thinking otherwise.

———

His hands tangled in her hair as their lips pressed against one another. The way he held her.. It felt familiar. Too familiar. But it was stronger than anything shes ever felt before. Sure she felt it with Nick but with Joe, it was stronger and more secure. But that feeling. That four letter word. That stupid word lingered in her head, threatening to spill from her lips. She couldn't say it though. To Joe this was hooking up to get Galina off his mind, it was... A distraction. They were just friends. Sure he kissed her like he wanted her but he wanted her to be his bestfriend. Was she getting too close? Well, she was way pass that.

———

"I'm just saying be careful!" Nikki cried out. "Roy he's newly divorced."

"I know that." Royce snapped back.

After her and Joe's night together, she knew she owed Nikki... Well all of the girls actually. But it took a turn.

"Babe just listen to us," Paige rubbed her shoulder. "Joe is single for the first time in years, he has three kids, of course he's going to go to his bestfriend for comfort."

"So all those hickeys weren't from Nick... You went to his room the night you came back." Naomi clarified everything.

Royce slowly nodded and looked down. "Yeah..."

Brie sighed and rubbed her head. "I think you should really reconsider what you're doing Royce. You know we support you with everything you do, but I really think you should think about this. Joe is still in love with Galina, he's been with her since well as long as we've all been here. They had their first child together and then twins after."

"Don't forget their wedding was by the beach and they took a Disney cruise after, Royce he's still stuck on her." Carmella chimed in.

"So he's just using me for sex and a distraction from his broken heart?" Royce crossed her arms.

"No no, not for sex..." Becky tried making her feel better.

"What about me?" Royce looked up. "What about my broken heart huh? We all know how much I wanted to marry Nick and now I've fallen for Joe.."

"YOU'RE FALLING FOR HIM?!" They all yelled at her.

She threw her hands up. "Yes okay?! Maybe I am! He is my bestfriend, yes I do love him and miss that feeling of being loved, and I feel it when I'm with him! But the only thing that hurts more than loving him is the fact that he doesn't love me back!"

Nikki moved to hug her. "You've got us."

———2 weeks later

"Hey Joe!" Royce yelled and walked in his house. "The twins left their toys in my car, I know how much they love them- oh my god! I'm sorry!"

"Royce!" Joe jumped up and tossed Galina her shirt. "Umm we were just uh.. She dropped off the kids and we talked about the upcoming dates and.. Stuff.."

Galina looked at Royce and smirked, fixing her lipstick.

She chuckled nervously and put the toys on the counter. "It's okay, you don't need to explain yourselves. I need to go, I gotta drive to.. Orlando. Sorry again bye." She quickly ran out of his house and to the car.

"Wait Roy!" Joe ran after her. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to-

"It's fine Joe! I should've knocked." Royce interrupted him. "I gotta go, my mom needs help with Gray and E, they have a football thing tonight."

"W-well we're good right?"

"Why wouldn't we be?" She lied. "We're friends, she.. Well she was your wife. I gotta go."

She got in her and quickly back out of his driveway, driving as fast as she could out of there. Her heart felt that awful pain. But did she have a right to feel like this this?

———

"You okay?" Nikki asked Royce.

Royce looked up and shrugged. "I don't know."

"It's okay to not know." Nikki reassured, grabbing her hand.

"Are you sure?" Royce looked up and began to cry. "Nikki, I don't know what to do... I'm not okay, and I want to be. Everything just... It happened so fast, losing Nick and now from what I've seen at Joe's house-

"Breath Roy," She hugged her. "I know you've been keeping it all in, and Joe helped keep your mind off things. But it's not okay to keep everything bottled up okay? I'm here, I'll always be here."

Royces head fell in Nikki's lap.

Nikki stroked her hair and tried calming her down."I got you."

———

Royce stayed in the Bellas locker room and got ready. She couldn't go walk to her own, knowing she would run into Joe.

She felt a pair of hands wrap around her and jumped.

"It's just me." Joe laughed.

"What are you doing in here?" Royce grumbled and moved away from him.

He looked at her weird and followed her. "You've been ignoring my texts, everything alright?"

"Y-yeah, me and Paige have just been slammed left and right." She avoided his eyes.

"Well you've been ignoring me since what happened with Galina.."

"My family needed my help." Royce defended. "Anyways, I need to get ready so can you please leave."

"I've seen you in far less clothing," Joe smirked. "So tonight do you want to come by my room and-

"No." Royce shook her head and moved away. "I'm not feeling well."

"Okay well maybe I can come and bring you snacks and movies and take care of you."

"No thanks." She growled. "Nikki and Brie are already doing something with me tonight."

He furrowed his eyebrows and went to touch her face but she quickly moved his hand away.

"Just... Stop." Royce said.

The door busted open.

"Joe," Nikki gave him a stank look. "Royce we need to get ready. So Joe please exit, we need to change and you can't stay or else I'll have to call John to beat you up."

Joe held his hands up and slowly walked out. "I'll see you after Roy."

"No you won't." Nikki coughed and slammed the door.

Royce bit her lip and fell on the couch. "I quit."

———

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~

to be continued