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Rumors were flying around rampant through the backstage area - not just at RAW, but through all three rosters.
Everyone knew Ashley was involved with someone again. The only detail they didn't know was the identity of her boyfriend. Some of the superstars speculated that she was back with Matt, or with Paul London.
Once all of this had reached Matt Hardy's ears, he made certain not to deny it. On the contrary, as was characteristic of his nature, he preferred to let people use their own imaginations. Maybe he was with Ashley, maybe he wasn't. It was all part of the games he customarily enjoyed playing. That was the whole reason behind his cryptic blogs, after all. He thrived on keeping people guessing at all times.
Of course, Matt knew one thing with one hundred percent certainty - he was not dating Ashley again. He wondered who was, though. He supposed she and Paul had patched things up. The more he thought about it, the more curious he felt. He decided to ask around.
"Hey," Matt asked a wrestler on line before him at catering, "you hear the news about Ashley?"
The person who turned around to face him turned out to be Chuck Palumbo.
"Yeah," the bigger man said, "isn't she back with you?"
The nosy dark-haired man shook his head.
"Nope, it's not me."
"Well, that's odd," Palumbo said with a shrug, "'cause I heard his last name is 'Hardy.'" He turned to face forward again and reached for a plate.
Although not showing it outwardly, Matt was suddenly seething. His heart just about stopped for a second, but now it was pounding like crazy. It couldn't be true... It simply couldn't. It seemed an impossibility, an unreachable idea. But regardless, somehow, he was going to get to the bottom of things.
*
The weather was surprisingly pleasant that day, as it had been unseasonably chilly for spring. Jeff was quite content to be out on his patio with Ashley and Jack, enjoying the early evening and barbecuing. Aside from his suspension being over and done with, he couldn't imagine a more perfect day.
It was too bad he didn't see trouble heading his way.
Ashley was playing with Jack on the lawn below at the moment when the phone rang. Jeff looked up from the lounge chair he was parked in, reluctant to take his eyes off the chicken and steak that was cooking on the barbecue a few feet away. he was considering letting the answering machine pick up but then thought better of it.
He entered the house, answering breathlessly as he pressed the cordless phone to his ear.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Jeff, it's me," Matt spoke from the other end.
The younger man felt a sigh coming but didn't give voice to it. He supposed Matt was calling to check up on him since their not-so-pleasant meeting.
"Yeah... Hello." He couldn't help but wonder what the older man wanted.
"So," Matt said after a brief pause, "what are you up to?"
"Nothin'," Jeff replied. "Just having a barbecue is all."
There was a beat of silence again. Jeff really didn't know what more to say. All he knew was that his brother had upset him the last time they'd spoken, and he really didn't expect an apology, either.
"You got people over?"
"No," the younger Hardy replied, probably much too quickly.
"Oh. Well, I was just wondering. You usually have company for a barbecue," he pointed out.
Jeff glanced over his shoulder, out at the barbecue as his sibling spoke. Smoke was curling up from it, and Ashley was nowhere in sight. She probably hadn't even realized the phone had rung, let alone that he'd run to answer it.
"What'cha having?" Matt asked.
The younger man made up his mind, deciding to chance going back out onto the patio with the phone. Hopefully, the blonde would stay out on the lawn, playing with Jack.
"Chicken and steak." Jeff picked up the big two-pronged fork and turned the meat over. He was also going to throw some corn on the cob and potatoes on the barbecue in a bit.
"Chicken and steak?" Matt asked. "Just for you? Aren't you gonna be full after just one of those?"
Damn it... He hadn't counted on his brother picking up on something that minor. He thought he could hear the slightest hint of suspicion in his voice but hoped he was wrong.
"No, I'll be okay," he answered lamely. "It's just one chicken leg and one piece of steak, anyway."
Silence greeted him on the other end for a moment. Then, Matt spoke again.
"So, anyway... What's new? You seein' anybody, little brother?"
Jeff's blood ran cold, and at that very moment, he knew Matt knew. It wasn't merely the question itself that told him that, but the way it had been asked as well. He would bet on it.
"No," he finally replied. "I'm not. What makes you think otherwise?"
"Oh, nothing," Matt said.
Jeff said nothing as he kept tending to the food. Then, it was so awkward that he told the other man he had to go - but he really did have to put the corn and potatoes on the barbecue.
A moment later, after he'd hung up, he was back at the grill with the vegetables. He glanced over his shoulder to see Ashley happily bounding up the stairs and toward him. She was smiling and gave him a quick kiss. However, her smile faded as she noticed the strange expression on his face.
"What's wrong?"
"I just got off the phone with Matt," Jeff told her. He met her blue eyes as he concluded. "Ash, I think he
knows... I think he knows about us."