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Amy bit her lip as she sat in the catering room a bit later on. She didn't have a spot that night on RAW, but she was starving. Adam had told her not to wait for him and instead left to take his shower, promising her he would meet her there afterward.
At the moment, the redhead was eating some macaroni salad and chicken, and doing so very gingerly with her bandaged right hand. It was difficult to maneuver the plastic fork she held, but somehow, she managed to not be so messy.
She looked up as someone suddenly entered the room, her gaze staying on the person. It was Matt, the dark-haired man's gaze on her as he strode into the catering area and pulled up a chair to sit across from her.
"Hey..." he said, a crooked half-smile coming to his face.
"Hi," she replied with a mouthful of food. She held her other hand up to her mouth to spare him from seeing the stuff she was chewing. She felt her guard go up just a few notches, as she remembered hearing from Jeff and even Adam himself that things had been pretty messy the last month or so. She felt horrible that Adam and Matt had had a falling out because of *her*. She recalled that the dark-haired man had punched the blond man in the face.
"So... How's it going?"
The diva put down her fork as she swallowed the rest of what was currently in her mouth. She looked from him, then glanced at the bottle of water at her left side and took a long sip before she answered.
"I'm pretty good now, Matt." She forced a smile again and nodded.
"Are you sure?" he asked, his dark eyes fixed to her face. He was checking for signs - for any kind of signs of abuse or tears that might have been emerging from the redhead's eyes. So far, her eyes appeared clear, bloodshot-free, her face a tiny bit pale but healthy-looking otherwise. She didn't *look* depressed, but sometimes people hid these things well.
"Yeah, I really am." She raised her head to look directly into his eyes. Somehow, she sensed she knew where he was heading with all of this, and it was beginning to annoy her. She could just *see* the interrogation in his face already.
"I wanted to talk to you," Matt went on, ignoring her response. He shifted his gaze from her face to her hands, and she held her breath, anticipating the worst - exactly as she'd expected.
Amy flipped her head slightly to one side, her hair slinging over her shoulder, her eyes raising heavenward as she waited.
"Don't lie to me, Amy - I know you far too well," he said, his voice reduced to a near whisper. He leaned in closer and gently gripped her forearm. "What happened between you two the other night?"
Her hazel eyes widened in shock at his candidness. He was awfully bold for a guy who'd attacked her boyfriend a few nights previous. How could he have the nerve?
"I don't know what you mean."
"I think you do," he countered. Again, his brown eyes lowered to take in the bandaged hands, and she felt her blood pressure raise a few points. "He hurt you, didn't he?"
"No," she said firmly, anger showing clearly on her face as she glared at him with consternation. She pushed her plate aside, her eyes narrowed.
"You're lying... What did that prick do to you?" he demanded, rage coming into his own countenance. "Your hands, Amy - what the *hell* did he do to you?"
"He didn't do a damn thing!" she shouted, not caring that anyone could just waltz into the room and hear their conversation. She felt her temples throbbing as she stared at him. "Not that it's any of your *business*, Matt, but Adam did *not* do this to me," she snapped, raising both her hands and showing them to him.
"Bullshit... Stop making excuses for him. Don't protect him, he doesn't deserve it!"
"Shut up!" Amy shouted, springing up out of her chair so quickly that it fell backward behind her. She paid no heed to it as she glared down at the man, her breathing increasing in speed as her temper got the better of her. She felt about ten seconds away from smacking him, which wouldn't be a good idea with her hands all cut up the way they were. She could set back the progress of the healing, and she couldn't have that happen. "You don't know *what* the hell you're talking about! But if you really need to know *everything* that goes on in my life, fine! The truth is, *I* am the one who did this!" Again, she held her hands out in front of her, brandishing them out to him almost as though they were weapons. "I wasn't thinking, and I felt like I couldn't live without him, and I smashed my fucking hands into the bathroom mirror in the hotel! Okay?! Does *that* make you feel better?!"
Matt simply stared at her, shock coursing through him. In reality, he'd never suspected Amy had done anything to hurt *herself*, or even that she had the ability to do so. It was unfathomable.
"Oh... I didn't-"
"That's right, you *didn't*!" she shouted, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "Don't ever get in my face like this again! And I don't *ever* want to hear you say such disgusting things about Adam again! Because if you do, that's it..."
The elder Hardy brother stared at her expectantly.
"... I'll never speak to you again. Our friendship will be dead and over with - forever!" With those words, the redhead
stormed from the catering room and ran down the hallway.