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Trish looked up as Amy suddenly entered the women's locker room. She caught her breath in her throat, the tiniest hesitation stopping her for few seconds. Then, casting it aside, she bounded over to her friend.
"Hey... I was wondering - can I talk to you for a minute?"
The redhead smiled.
"Hey, Trish - sure."
The little blonde gestured toward the door, as they were not alone in the room. The redhead got the message and followed her friend out into the arena hallway.
"Look, I..." Trish kept her voice low, but decided not to beat around the bush. "... I know how happy you are lately, but there's something you really ought to know."
Amy smiled brightly as she seemed to have heard only the part about her being happy lately.
"Yeah... Adam is so great," she said, beaming. She turned to stare directly into Trish's brown eyes, her own hazel orbs gleaming. "And just between you and me - he's *so* insatiable! He just can't seem to get enough." She didn't even notice the cross of displeasure and disgust that entered the blonde's face as she spoke. "We made love *four times* the other night!" she revealed.
Trish further wrinkled her nose as she silently wished Amy would keep that kind of information to herself. Normally, she would have giggled and enjoyed the dirt of their girltalk, but she couldn't find any amusement in such details - not since Adam had become such a jerk toward everyone lately.
"Okay," she said, hoping that single word response would sway the other woman from gushing further about her new boyfriend - and, apparently, her and at least Jay's *ex*-friend. "Amy, I wanted to ask you something about Adam, ironically enough."
The redhead arched a perfectly sculpted eyebrow.
"What's that?"
Trish bit her lip as, this time, she considered the best way to proceed. Inside, she was still steaming mad. But she wasn't sure the redhead would take the animosity in a positive way. Then, she just spoke.
"Amy, have you noticed how strangely Adam has been behaving lately?"
"'Strangely?'" the other woman echoed, as though the word or concept itself were foreign to her. "No... What do you mean, Trish?"
"It's just that... Well, he's been acting really..." The little blonde chewed on the inside of her cheek as she searched her mind for an accurate word. The phrase, 'like a rude, obnoxious asshole' rang through her head, but she refused to voice it out of respect for her friend's feelings. She knew how nuts the redhead was about the tall blond man. Finally, she decided on what to say. "Well, he's really been alienating himself from some of us lately."
"He has? I haven't noticed that," Amy replied, non-plussed.
"Yes, he absolutely *has*," the tiny blonde said. She quickly thought about what Chris had suggested, about Adam merely acting strangely lately because of the whole 'honeymoon' period, what with his and Amy's relationship being so new. But somehow, she didn't buy it.
The redhead shrugged, her eyes slightly narrowed.
"How?"
Trish hesitated for the briefest second, then explained.
"Well, just the way he excused himself and you earlier when Chris and I were going to join you for breakfast." She made a face, then continued. "He was downright rude about it."
The redhead dismissed her statement with a wave of her hand.
"He only did that because he wanted us to be alone together," she justified.
"Amy, listen to yourself!" the Canadian diva cried, by now so upset over it all that she forgot about being gentle and discreet. "You're *already* making excuses for him! And he doesn't even *deserve* them!"
"What?" There was a hint of incredulity in Amy's voice and in her hazel eyes alike as she stared at Trish. "What the hell are you *talking* about?" Then, before the other woman could answer, she plundered on. "I think you're jealous..."
"What?" This time, it was Trish's turn to stare in shock.
"Yeah, you heard me!" Amy said, her arms crossing defensively under her breasts. "I think you're jealous that I have the same opportunity with Adam to have a fairytale romance like you and Chris have! And then, you'll no longer be the focus of everyone's attention - not to mention *envy*!"
Trish scoffed at the redhead's words. They were just so ridiculous! But she supposed she couldn't really be angry with Amy.
"Fine - you think that," she said calmly. "Just don't say I didn't *warn* you!"
Amy glared after the blonde as she stormed away and back into the women's locker room. Her hands were clenched into fists, a frown on her face as she seethed. One thing was for sure - she did *not* want to go back in there while Trish was there. She held back a sob she felt begging to break free and bolted down the hallway toward Adam's locker room.
Adam was just lacing up his wrestling boots when he heard the frantic knocking. He forgot about his task and stood up to answer the door. He hoped it was Amy and not some *other*, troublemaking woman and felt a smile tugging at his lips as he opened the door and confirmed that it was indeed the redhead. However, it quickly vanished and was replaced by concern as she walked inside.
'Oh, shit...' he thought. Amy looked *so* upset, and he wondered why. He began to grown angry inside as he thought Lilian or even Dawn Marie herself might have approached her and said something they shouldn't have.
"Sweetheart, what's wrong?"
Finally losing the battle against her emotions, the redhead collapsed against him and buried her face into his chest, sobs wracking her body. The tall blond man wrapped his arms securely around her, holding her tightly as he continued to wonder what the hell had happened.
"T-Trish," Amy moaned. "We just had a big fight!"
Adam's green eyes darted around quickly as he thought furiously. And then, he felt immeasurably relieved. Trish didn't know a damn thing about what had happened between him and Dawn Marie, and somehow, he doubted the brunette *or* Lilian Garcia had said anything to her. Thank God...
"Aww, I'm sorry, baby," he crooned. He raised one of his large hands to her cheek, gently caressing it and wiping away the tears as he gazed down into her face. "Shh... Whatever it is, you two will patch it up."
"It was about *you*."
The blond man's heart nearly stopped. Could he possibly be wrong in thinking Trish didn't know? He willed his heart to slow down a second later as it pounded impossibly fast in his chest.
"What do you mean, Ames?" he asked in a slightly shaking voice that he hated himself for.
The redhead sniffled, reaching a hand up to wipe at some tears Adam had missed.
"She thinks you've been 'alienating' yourself toward your friends," she spat bitterly. "And that you were rude to her and Chris earlier when they wanted to join us for breakfast."
Somehow, the Canadian managed not to breathe out a sigh of relief. Instead, a tiny smile touched his lips. Thank goodness that was all this was about.
"Is that all?" he asked. "Oh, Ames, don't let it bother you." He caressed his hand down her cheek and the side of her neck, her soft hair. A burst of tenderness and love consumed him. "I don't care what anyone thinks of me... or us - *anyone*. I only care about *you*, and about you and me." He lowered his head so that their faces were mere inches apart, smiling as he gazed into her slightly reddened eyes.
Amy managed a small smile of her own. God, this man made her feel so good, and special and loved. He was like a godsend.
"You know what, Adam?"
"What?" He cocked his head to one side, wanting more than anything to kiss her.
"I don't care what anyone thinks of us, either." With that, the redhead reached up to tangle her
hands into his mass of long golden curls and pulled his head down to hers, kissing the breath from him.
He responded instantly, and with utmost pleasure.