One look at you
is enough to make me smile
You just make me
truly fully happy
Georgy

△△△

The sensation of something sweet moving past my lips had always been a weakness of mine. It was why I was referred to as the thicker Bella for most of my WWE career because while my sister and I were twins, the lifestyles we led differed in some aspects. She was way healthier than me and had more willpower while I couldn’t help but fall victim to my sweet thought whenever we ate out.

I liked to think I had grown more disciplined with age but that just made me seek out more ways to have a productive way of feeding my sweet tooth.

So spending my afternoon before Smackdown doing some cake tasting with Baron and his fiancée, Rochelle was something I couldn’t miss out on. They would be getting hitched a week after Wrestlemania and I couldn’t be more excited for the two of them. My friendship with her had vaguely begun on social media but as my friendship with Baron grew I sort of became more invested and a medium for their ideas. I always enjoyed planning things and while they had a wedding planner I enjoyed trying to make him see her vision.

“Red Velvet is usually my favourite but this chocolate is amazing” She mumbled before finishing her bite.

“I told you this is the best place to have your cake made” I gushed, briefly glancing around the little cake shop.

“Oh, have you been doing your research beforehand?” She smiled excitedly, and I knew it was because of all the rumours that had been surfacing when they couldn’t be more wrong.

“I am sure she has been doing it since she was a kid but I think she got her sister’s baby shower cake from here” Baron shrugged before cutting through a vanilla piece.

“I am nowhere near to being a married woman but if one day that becomes a reality I would definitely come here” Another thing I was sure I hadn’t brought up to Allen, but how could I discuss marriage and kids with a man that I didn’t know I would be choosing over John until the moment I was put on the spot.

“Do you think the rumours are true? I know that you probably don’t want to get your hopes up but…”

“Hun…” Baron kissed her cheek to try and cut her off and she was just one person who was a friend and oblivious to the truth and I already felt a weight and magnifying that by millions just felt suffocating.

“It’s okay. Uhm no, despite public appearances for our storyline John and I aren’t in a good place so engagement rumours are honestly the last thing that I am putting my hopes and dreams on.” I shook my head as I bit into a chocolate piece, it was crazy to think those rumours would have probably given me unnecessary expectations in the past. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t know, Nikki.”

“That’s okay. Hardly anyone does cause the show must go on even if behind the scenes things may be falling apart.” I shrugged and briefly glanced at Baron gratefully because he hadn’t shared what I told him with his fiancée. 

“But that’s why I am so happy to be part of this whole journey with you guys. My life is made up of me living vicariously through people, my sister is pregnant and you guys are getting hitched. Hopefully she doesn’t give birth the same weekend of your wedding”

“That would just be fucking great” Baron rolled his eyes while we laughed.

“It's either during Wrestlemania week, your wedding weekend or she’s late; so we will see” I smiled.

“I follow her on Instagram and she seems quite prepared with all the baby books and stuff” 

“Yeah between her and Bryan I am sure they have an entire bookshelf dedicated to it but with or without the knowledge from those books I know she will be the best mom.”

“You will too, if that happens one day. I mean if you can handle my giant baby over here I am sure an actual one will be a breeze” She teased.

“Yeah way less attitude to deal with”

“At least until they are older”

“Complain all you want but just like a baby you guys can't imagine life without me”

“So true, babe” She kissed him while I raised a glass of champagne to them.

●●●

“I get that we are in a funk right now but you need to focus because at the end of the day we want that Wrestlemania moment together” I heard John’s voice as he held my hand while we made our way to the trainer’s area. We had just come backstage from our match against Fandango and Breezy Bella which had resulted in me accidentally hurting myself.

“We aren’t in a funk, John. I was very clear about what I meant and I do want that moment because I would like to share the ring with you, its always been a dream of mine whether we are together or not” I sighed as I had enough on my plate with the world’s opinions being made very well known out in the ring and on social media.

“We can talk about this later” He sighed as we approached the room and he led me into the room where several superstars were scattered watching the show and one of them was of course Allen.

“She might have jacked her neck” I heard John before he left the room and I sighed as the physician made his way over to me and we stepped out of the room filled with eyes on us to get some privacy.

“It just hurts really bad” I shrugged after explaining to him what had happened. 

I spotted Allen lingering in the corner of my eye and even though I feared what I would hear from the physician a smile came to my face as it was the first time my eyes met his for the day. I had gone to the hotel to change before I came to the building and John had been waiting for me so I hadn’t even had a chance to find him.

I thanked Chris before I walked out into the hallway and AJ immediately wrapped his arms around me and I didn’t pull away because it was what I needed. I needed to feel the embrace from someone I had a connection with and someone that brought me comfort, I needed to hold onto something real when everything I did at work was all a façade.

“What did he say?” He questioned as he let me go, he had been patiently waiting and I say that lightly because he had been pacing up and down and not hiding his concern at all. 

Baron exited the green room nearby and he usually did well with hiding his emotions, but I saw concern written all over his face and I needed someone not to look at me that way.

“Uhm I have x-rays tomorrow when I head home and then I will see what my fate is for Mania” I shrugged.

Allen sighed, “I will come with yo…”

“There’s no need for that, I will be with her” I heard John and soon felt his arm over my shoulder.

“Don’t you have something to do that you deem more important than her, Johnny boy?” Baron snapped and I was sure it was more in defense of Allen than me because I could see Allen’s eyes falling to his skin touching mine.

I knew it hurt him everytime we had an appearance together or had to kiss in the middle of the ring or I had to jump onto him. I certainly wasn’t okay with doing it and I wouldn’t have liked it if he had another woman doing it to him but it was just something we would go through while we kept our eye on the prize.

“Excuse me?” John chuckled and moved towards him while Baron wasn’t threatened by his presence at all.

“I think he has a fair point. You couldn’t even stay back long enough to hold her hand with the trainer a few minutes ago” My eyes widened as I hadn’t expected Allen to be so direct with John and I felt the walls separating my two worlds collapsing. 

“Allen.” I narrowed my eyes because the last thing I needed was both of them getting heated and either John connecting the dots or Allen blurting it out.

“Look, Allen I respect you so don’t make me have to tell you along with the big bad wolf over here to mind your own business.”

“Mind my business? Nikki is my friend.” Baron scoffed.

“Friend huh”

“John, please. Let’s just go” I tugged on his arm while he sighed and moved on and I gave one glance at the two men that made me smile everyday while walking away with the one that used to make me feel so happy.

“Why do I feel like you are more upset with me when they clearly crossed a line back there?” I heard John as we made our way onto the tour bus.

“I am not upset with anyone, I am just annoyed at the whole interaction when I just hurt myself out there and I don’t even know what my fate is for our match” I rolled my eyes and ran my fingers through my finger.

“I should be the one annoyed with two colleagues thinking they have any say in our relationship” He shook his head as his ego had been bruised. I was sure the fact that AJ had backed up Baron in his eyes annoyed him even more, if he only knew.

“John, from the moment our relationship was made public the whole world has had a say so ofcourse my friends will speak up to defend me.” I shrugged as I didn't want him to continue pressing it when my emotions were on a high.

“I don’t get how everyone turns against me when I told you on our very first date how things would be”

“Its not about marriage and kids, John. Its about priorities and I understand where they came from because you just dropped me off by the trainer basically before disappearing not even staying to hear the outcome”

He frowned, “I was giving you space and I came back five minutes later but ofcourse Baron has to play hero”

I groaned as I sunk onto the couch, “I don’t have the energy for this when we aren’t even together so you have no right to get upset about things.”

“Then you are welcome to take your security team with you tomorrow. You always complain that I am never there when you need me and I offered and you get annoyed by it”

I almost glared at him due to his hostile tone and I was seeing shades of John I wasn't quite used to. “Because its too late, John! We are done and I wish you would realize that this time I won't be falling back into your arms.”

“Well when your current best friend clearly dislikes me I am sure that’s what you believe because he is probably driving you against me” He snapped referring to Baron and the irony was that the man he seemed to just be ignoring was the man he should have been concerned about.

“I am not against you, John. I have just realized that the life we lead is not the one I want to settle for anymore and the sooner you realize that my wants have changed the easier it will be for us to part ways once our storyline is over.”

♥♥♥

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Sidenote: I am so sad to see some WWE superstars go. Particularly my favourites.