In The End

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Adam felt awful as he got ready for bed in the bathroom.

Thoughts of everything Amy had revealed to him went through his mind, and his heart went out to the redhead.

The situation she was in was a terrible one regardless - but what made it all that much worse was the fact that her boyfriend had told her he didn't love her...

He couldn't even imagine being where she was right now - well, he could, but, unfortunately, this sort of thing tended to happen to women a lot more than to men.

Men like Kurt Angle were, plain and simple, cowards.  It seemed to Adam that, based on the Olympian's behavior, he'd been wanting to end his relationship with Amy but just didn't know how.  Therefore, taking the coward's route, he was relying on being a jerk and on upsetting the redhead to the point that, when she could take no more, she would be the one to break up.

Thinking about it all made the tall blond man angry.  Amy was such a great person - she didn't deserve this.  She deserved better - damn better.  It broke his heart to think that anyone could be so cold and callous toward this woman - especially the man who should love her...

Should... 'Should' being the operative word.  But no, Angle had admitted to her face that he did not love her.  Damn it... Adam felt as though he could wring the man's neck.

As he'd entered the bathroom, he'd realized, with alarm, that Amy had started crying again.  A few minutes before, he had gone with her, at her request, to the room she'd been sharing with Kurt.  The redhead had wanted to retrieve a few things, including pajamas and some toiletries.  She'd nearly broken down as they'd entered the empty room, but she'd managed to keep it in - until they'd returned.  Adam's first instinct had been to just hold her, but she was crying so softly - almost discreetly.  He sensed that she might want her privacy for the moment - so he'd just gone into the lavatory.

Damn it... He felt so helpless.  He hated that feeling.  He wanted to help the redhead in whatever way possible.  He wanted in the worst way to make her forget all about Kurt Angle - at least for the moment - but he didn't know if he could.  Amy seemed so...consumed by the man.

He wondered what in hell Angle's problem was.  Didn't he know that any man would be fortunate to even know Amy Dumas, much less be with her?  Men would literally fall over themselves just to get a chance with this beautiful, sweet woman.  And it wasn't just because of her stunning looks, either.

Finally finished with his nightly chores, the Canadian opened the door to the bathroom and stepped back into the hotel room proper.  He was surprised at what he saw.

Amy was curled up on the second bed in the room, her hand fisted tightly in the blanket.  She was sound asleep.

Adam watched her, a feeling of tenderness washing over him as he did.  He sat down on the edge of his bed as he continued to study her, surprised that the redhead was actually fast asleep.  He'd thought she would still be wide awake and crying, but he couldn't say he wasn't glad she was at least finally at rest - and a peaceful one, by the looks of it.

It was completely silent in the room - and he intended to keep it that way for the sleeping diva's sake.  She'd been through so very much, the poor thing.

Adam moved closer to her, managing to keep quiet about it.  He had the most overwhelming urge to reach out and touch her cheek.  Tentatively, he did so, very slowly and gently, holding his breath for a beat.  However, a soft sigh escaped him upon the realization that her cheeks were still slightly damp by tears.

The poor girl had cried herself to sleep...

His heart went out to her as he continued to very gently caress her cheek with his fingertips, his touch feather-light.

She shifted just very slightly, sighing at his touch, but she didn't waken - much to Adam's relief.  He wasn't sure how the redhead would react if she opened her eyes to see him kneeling at her bedside, caressing her face while she'd been sleeping.  Given her current state of mind, it might not be too favorable.

The blond man was relieved when the lovely diva didn't awaken, and actually for more than one reason.  Not only was he glad she hadn't caught him touching her, but he also knew she desperately needed her rest after the horrible night she'd had.  And who was he kidding?  Amy had had a horrible couple of months, not just one bad night.

After a few minutes, he reluctantly removed his hand from her smooth cheek and backed up until he felt his own bed behind his legs.  Keeping his gaze trained on Amy, he slipped into the bed quietly, underneath the blanket.

"Goodnight, sweetheart..." he whispered.  Then, he reached over the nightstand for the switch on the bedside lamp, turning it off and putting them in darkness.



Part 6

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