______________________________________________________
His dark eyes were sharp and hard as he watched them. They were all dressed in nice, fancy clothing, and he knew what was up. They'd just gotten married - he knew it.
Trish Stratus and Jay Reso were retreating from the small family, and he watched as they walked off to their own car. Jay unlocked the passenger's side door first, chivalrously opening it for his girlfriend. The little blonde stepped inside gracefully, Jay slammed the door after her, and then made his way around to the driver's side.
The moment they drove away, his gaze shifted back to the Copelands. Adam and Amy were both waving after their friends' car, and little Amanda stood by them. He fixed his eyes from one to the other, then to the little girl. He despised those two, and as he'd promised himself the last time he'd been inside an arena, he was going to make their lives hell on earth.
As Matt continued to watch them, they suddenly started walking toward their car. He gave a slight start until he realized they weren't going to approach him. They were going in the opposite direction. His eyes narrowed as they reached it, and the tall blond man unlocked the door, Mandy hopping into the backseat first. Amy looked in after her daughter, most likely telling the child to buckle her seatbelt. She'd always done that, ever since Amanda was old enough to do so. And then, she got into the passenger's side and shut the door. Meanwhile, her new husband was already in on the driver's side.
The elder Hardy brother sat there silently in the rental car, his gaze still glued to the car. They suddenly drove by, and he managed to keep his eyes on it as the vehicle drew farther and farther away.
His mind was made up - he was going to follow them to their house.
*
Mandy kept yawning all throughout the short ride back home, a fact that was not lost on Adam. He smiled as he caught sight of his daughter in the rearview mirror. The sight of her relaxing in the backseat in her pretty dress caused him to feel a warmth spreading throughout his insides. All in all, it had been the most wonderful day and evening he could remember in awhile. As they reached the house, he pulled the car into the driveway, his gaze finding Amy's as she smiled prettily at him. He put the car in park, then turned off the ignition and pocketed the keys.
Amanda followed behind her parents, trailing behind a little, as she was so sleepy. Adam turned back to watch her, his heartstrings tugging. He realized that he was supposed to carry his new bride over the threshold, but the way he saw it right now, more likely he would have to do that for his daughter instead.
"Hey, Blondie, you okay there?" he said genially.
The little girl nodded, rubbing at one of her eyes. She yawned for what had to be the fiftieth time in the last fifteen minutes.
Amy smiled softly as Adam went back for Mandy, lifting her up in his arms. They were such a sweet sight together. She actually felt tears nagging behind her eyelids at it.
"Can you play MarioKart with me?" the child asked in a small, sleepy voice. She rested her head against her father's strong shoulder.
"Not tonight, my love," he replied. "I don't think you could even keep your eyes open - I might actually beat you." He exchanged glances with the redhead and winked.
Amy took the keys her new husband handed out to her, the smile still on her face as she turned to unlock the door. Inside, Princess and Creampuff were barking. In a moment, she had the door open and unlocked, and they all went inside.
"Okay," she said as she turned back toward her small family, "it's time for bed, Mandy."
"Mmm, Mommy..." Despite her obvious grogginess, the girl protested. Yet at the same time, she kept her head down on Adam's shoulder.
"Definitely time for bed," the blond man concurred. "Okay, let's go, kiddo." He cast Amy a loving gaze as she stepped closer to give the little girl a kiss goodnight. Afterward, he turned to head down the hall to Mandy's room so she could get ready for bed and put on her pajamas.
The redhead sighed happily as she too strode down the hallway, but to her bedroom. She didn't think she could possibly feel happier than she did at that very moment. As she passed the little girl's room, she heard Adam telling Mandy not to forget to brush her teeth. She grinned and continued onto the master bedroom, reaching back behind her neck to undo the clasp on her necklace. As she entered the room, she dropped it into her jewelry box on the bureau. She then removed her shoes and began to undress. A small smile crossed her lips as she listened to Adam and Mandy's voices from the other room. She could hardly wait for her newlywed husband to come to their bedroom.
*
Matt didn't bother getting out of the car, instead opting to sit there near the curb in front of the house. He supposed he was taking a big risk being here, so near them when they could easily spot him, but he was in no mood to care. He'd watched them from afar as they'd driven up here and walked up to the house. He knew Copeland had always had dogs, so he figured it was better than he just stay here. Why give those damned mutts the opportunity to bark and alert the worthless pair who'd betrayed him?
He suddenly caught a movement in one of the windows and realized he could see Amy moving throughout a room - most probably the master bedroom. He didn't have a terrific view, but he realized after a moment that she was undressing. He straightened up, craning his neck as he eyed her, disgust gripping him as he realized that Adam would most likely soon join her in the room. His stomach turned at the idea of watching or even listening to the two of them having sex. The truth was, he couldn't care less about the thought of sex with the redhead anymore, anyway. She was finally showing, and to him, it wasn't the least bit attractive. He smirked as he figured Copeland probably found her alluring despite the extra weight she was sporting these days.
In any case, he didn't care about those two backstabbers. Truth be known, he was a *lot* more interested in Mandy.