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Adam tried to retain his composure, but it wasn't easy.
Their day off had come and gone, and now, they were back at work - at another arena in another city. Mandy was back home with Linda, the nanny having moved to Florida along with Amy and the little girl.
The tall blond man raked a hand through his hair as he turned to rummage through his bag. Damn that asshole to hell! It wasn't that all the buzzing about Amy and himself that had resumed throughout backstage was getting to him - he was by now used to it, and it really didn't bother him. But the fact that Matt had gone and spread all their private business on the internet was a totally different story... And mentioning Mandy's name in all of it did *not* sit well with him. An innocent child should be kept out of it.
Jay suddenly entered the locker room, his face showing concern as he looked up at the taller man.
"Hey," he said. "I keep hearing all this stuff about you and Amy. The hallway is going nuts!" Jay hooked a thumb over his shoulder.
"No shit," Adam muttered. He wasn't annoyed with his best friend in the least - he was furious at Matt Hardy for all the shit he was doing, for being so petty and childish. It would do management a world of good to separate them, lest he beat the holy hell out of the dark-haired man.
"What the heck is going on?" Jay asked. He hadn't heard a thing about what exactly had happened, but just thought it odd that, after a few weeks of stuff dying down, people were talking yet again.
"Matt Hardy happened," the tall blond man snapped. "He posted some shit about us on his website. Jay, I don't care what he says about me - or even Amy. We're adults, we can handle it... But when he brings my daughter's name into it...?" Adam's green eyes grew hard with rage. "... Well, that just makes me wanna hurt him."
There was a sudden knock at the door, and Jay turned abruptly to answer it when he heard the voice from just outside.
Trish stood looking concerned but confused as well.
"Hi, Adam," she said as she looked past her boyfriend. "Where's Amy?"
"Hey, Trish... She went to the women's locker room."
"Well, if she did, she's not there *now*," the tiny blonde said.
The tall blond man frowned. When he and the redhead had separated a little earlier to go to their respective locker rooms, he'd dropped her off. If she wasn't there now, where was she?
"Maybe she went to catering."
"No," Trish denied. "I just came from there. No one's seen her."
All the fine hairs on the back of Adam's neck stood erect - because he suddenly realized where his fiancee must have gone.
*
Amy slipped into the room, her breath held as she waited for him. Maybe this was not the best of ideas, but damn it, she needed answers.
"Ames - hey." Jeff was the first of the two of them to step through the doorway. His smile was slightly uncertain, but warm and friendly.
"Hi, Jeff. I came to speak to... Matt." Her eyes came to rest upon her ex-boyfriend, and her blood bubbled inside. However, she wouldn't let it show on the surface just yet.
"Okay," the younger man said, holding up his hands. "I gotcha... I'll be back later." He dropped his bag just beyond the door and backed out, leaving his older brother alone with the redhead, closing the door behind him.
Matt barely looked at Amy as he stepped further into the room.
"What the hell do you want?"
The diva crossed her arms over her chest, her displeasure no longer concealed.
"I want some answers," she snapped. "What in hell were you thinking, dragging Mandy's name into all of this?!"
The man glanced at her, his head tilting to one side.
"I didn't say a single rotten thing about her!"
"Damn it, Matt - you shouldn't have mentioned her *period*! She's just a little girl, and innocent in *everything*! And you're a fucking liar!"
"Bullshit!" Matt yelled, his dark eyes widening. He inched closer to Amy, his hands clenching into fists. "I told the *truth* - you're a whore!"
The redhead nearly growled as she struck out and slapped him hard across the face.
"You son of a bitch!"
By now, Matt was seeing nothing but red. All of his anger had been more of less bottled up for too long. He no longer acted on intellect as he grabbed the woman by the shoulders, slamming her up against the lockers before which she'd been standing. Amy let out a small cry of pain as her back hit the steel. Her head rattled against it as well.
"You God damned bitch! Who the *hell* do you think you are?!" He shook her again, until suddenly, the door swung open hard, and he was yanked away from her.
"Get the hell away from her!" Adam growled as he shoved Matt away. "She's pregnant, you asshole!" The tall blond man wanted to just swing back and punch the elder Hardy's lights out - the bastard had been manhandling Amy, and he could have caused a miscarriage.
"What?!" Matt's face displayed shock. The redhead was pregnant... He couldn't believe it. He stared at Adam, who looked angry enough to murder him, then shifted his gaze to Amy. She looked terrified. His eyes lowered to her still flat stomach.
She was pregnant...
Without another word, Matt turned and ducked out of the locker room.
Adam was instantly at Amy's side, his arms encircling her as he gathered her form against him.
"You okay, sweetheart?"
"Y-yes," she managed. She pulled back just enough to gaze up into his green eyes as she clung to him.
Adam hugged her tightly to him, stroking her long red hair.