______________________________________________________
Lita glanced down at her watch yet again, her nerves beginning to get frazzled. She looked back up toward the window by her right side, then toward the door. She sighed.
"Hey... What are *you* still doing here?" a bright and friendly feminine voice asked.
The redhead looked up to meet the kind brown eyes of Stacy Keibler, the new waitress Stephanie had recently hired to replace Torrie Wilson. The tall, slim blonde was carrying a tray of drinks - glasses of water, an iced coffee, and a Coke. She placed the latter on the table before Lita and gave her a wink.
"Thanks," she said. She took hold of the icy glass and sighed. "My boyfriend was supposed to pick me up nearly a half-hour ago. I don't know what's keeping him."
"Aww... Don't worry. He probably got a little tied up," the young woman said. "I'm sure he'll be here soon." She gestured with a slight tilt of her head. "I have to get back to work... But you hang in there."
"Thanks again, Stacy." She took a long sip of the soda the other waitress had given her as the blonde walked away. She couldn't help but wonder what was taking Edge so long. He'd never been late to meet her before. She took a deep breath and sighed as she glanced at her watch once again. The way it was looking, she was probably going to give him another ten minutes, and if he still didn't show up, she would just leave.
*
Lita bit her lip as she sat on her living room couch, Cody curled up beside her, his head on her lap. She was worried... She'd finally given up on Edge meeting her at the diner and had walked home on her own. She'd called his house twice, but he hadn't been there - or if he had, he hadn't picked up...
... That had been about an hour and a half earlier.
She had the television set on but hadn't been able to follow the show she had on. Her mind was too pre-occupied. What was going on? Although she really hadn't known the tall blond man for too long, she knew him well enough to know that he wouldn't just thoughtlessly stand her up - something had to be wrong. Somehow, she *knew* it.
All of a sudden, Cody bolted off the couch and started barking up a storm. The redhead watched after him as he took off, racing for the door. She frowned, as he seemed more agitated than usual by an apparent noise outside.
"What's wrong, boy?" Lita asked. She rose and started to follow in the direction her dog had run - and that was when she suddenly heard the soft knocking.
She stared at her front door, questions in her mind. Cody's barking had abated, and now he was merely whimpering. That was something she considered odd. She stepped in front of him and to the door, gently but firmly pushing him back a bit. She wondered why the person hadn't rung the doorbell - and also if it could possibly be Edge.
"Who is it?" she called. She didn't have a peephole.
"Lita... It's me. Let... let me in."
It was Edge, all right. She felt momentarily annoyed - why hadn't he at least bothered to call her, give her that common courtesy? His voice sounded strange, too - he was probably feeling like crap for keeping her waiting and never showing up. For a moment, she considered just ignoring his request and telling him through the door to go home... But then she told herself that he *had* come here, after all. So, taking a deep breath and exhaling just as deeply, she unlocked and opened the door.
"So... What the heck happened to *you*?" she asked, holding the door not even half-open to him as she peered out at him. "I mean, you *did* keep me waiting forever and a day."
"Lita..." The tall blond man reached out for her with one hand.
The redhead frowned. Something about him wasn't right. She noticed that his eyes seemed half-glazed over, and he didn't seem himself in another way as well. His voice was also weak, as if... Oh, God, if he was a drug abuser, she would-
The door suddenly opened more widely as Edge pushed it with as much might as he could muster.
"... Let me in," he said weakly, his voice barely over a whisper...
... That was when Lita finally saw the blood.
Cody was still whimpering sadly as the blond man suddenly collapsed to the floor, a pool of blood gathering. The redhead's eyes widened in shocked horror as she held one hand to her mouth, a building scream yearning to break free.
"Adam? Oh, my God!" She knelt down to him, her gaze sweeping over him. His jacket was open, his black T-shirt stained with blood - and the wound was in his chest. Lita swallowed hard, tears coming to her eyes. It looked as though he'd been stabbed. "Shit!" She cast her gaze around furiously, wanting to grab the nearest phone to call 911, an ambulance - *someone* that would be able to help - but at the same time, she didn't want to leave him. Her vision was blurred by the tears as she gazed down into his handsome face. "Baby?"
Edge reached up with one hand for hers. His grip felt weak - much weaker than his pushing through her door had been.
"Lita... I love you," he said softly. "I'm... sorry."
The redhead felt one tear finally slip free and trickle down her cheek. What did he mean? Why was he apologizing?
"Edge?"
"I never should have confronted him." That single sentence came out clearly, but the blond man's breathing sounded slightly ragged by now.
"What?" She suddenly realized what must have happened, and her eyes widened in horror again. "Oh, God... You mean... *Christian* did this to you?!" She was on the verge of going hysterical. "Oh, God... I have to call for an ambulance. Don't... just stay there, baby - stay there." She started to rise to her feet, but Edge's grip on her hand tightened, and he shook his head, stopping her.
"No... The police - no police." His normally vibrant, brilliant green eyes stared up into her orbs, pleading.
Lita shook her head, her throat constricted. She knew why he didn't want police involved - after he'd attacked his stepbrother awhile back, they'd been on the lookout for him. Her heart felt as though it were breaking. He needed to be in a hospital - or at least have a doctor tend to him.
"Please, Lita... Please," he managed. He raised his hand to her face, his forefinger weakly tracing the tear that had run down her cheek seconds before. "You... *you* take care of me."
"My God, Edge! You need medical treatment! You need-"
"Please!" He managed to say that single word louder than any other he'd spoken thus far since collapsing on her floor.
The redhead bit down on her lip as she kept her gaze on his. She felt as though she were spiraling in some horrible, impossible nightmare. But she loved this man... She didn't know what she would do if he... No - no, she couldn't allow herself to think that way. Finally, more tears spilling down her cheeks, and with resignation, she nodded.
"I'll take care of you."