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Lita and Edge were still staring at Dawn Marie after she hung up with the police. They quickly exchanged glances but could hardly keep their gazes off of her after what had just happened...
... Unless the brunette had been faking and had some scheme up her sleve, she had actually called 911 and made a claim of attempted murder against her husband.
Lita, for one, was definitely skeptical enough to do a redial to check whether her former friend had actually done that. In complete silence, she moved over to the phone, lifted the receiver and pressed the button, startled when she heard a woman's voice speak.
"911? What is your emergency?"
The redhead was so startled, unbelievably taken aback that she was struck momentarily speechless. But she knew she had better speak, because she didn't want them to think that the last call - originating from her number - was a hoax.
"I... I just wanted to double-check the call I just made to you," she said lamely. "My husband tried to murder his stepbrother."
"Yes, we got your complaint, ma'am."
"Thank you," Lita said. Slowly, she hung up, almost gingerly replacing the receiver on its rest. She simply stared in wonder at Dawn Marie. "You weren't faking," she said. It was a statement and not a question. She almost couldn't believe it.
"No... Of course I wasn't," the other woman replied with an emphatic shake of the head. She suddenly looked embarrassed. "Jay has gone way over the deep end lately, and I couldn't just sit by and let him get away with it."
Lita wordlessly eyed the woman for a beat, then gave a short nod. She was surprised, yet at the same time knew she was completely sincere.
"My God," Dawn Marie muttered. "What I wouldn't give for a cigarette right now!" She met the redhead's eyes and tried to appeal to her. "Lita, I don't feel safe enough to go out. I know it's a lot of me to ask, but..." She bit her lip tentatively, then went on. "... Would you go and get me a pack of cigarettes?" She didn't even care which brand they were so long as she had some smokes.
"Nothing doing," the other woman replied, shaking her head defiantly. "I won't be an enabler, and I won't have you slowly killing yourself."
From the bed, Edge watched the two women curiously, even with some amusement. He'd never seen them interact like friend before, so it was really something to him... One woman he'd once loved, the other he currently loved.
Dawn shook her head, fully understanding in spite of her disappointment. She knew she had to quit, anyway.
The redhead gazed over at her boyfriend silently, then looked back at the women she'd once considered her closest friend.
"How about some coffee?" she suggested, gesturing with a thumb hooked over one shoulder. "Hey, at least caffeine won't kill you."
The brunette felt a smile tugging at one corner of her lips.
"Sure. Thank you, Lita." She glanced at Edge as well, noting the somewhat bemused expression on his face despite the pain he had to be feeling. "I'll help you, okay?"
Lita was at the injured blond man's side again at those words, her hands going to his face.
"Baby... Are you going to be okay here alone for a few minutes?"
"Yeah, sure," came the reply. "Go get Dawn her fix."
Lita smiled softly at the comment.
With that, she left the modest bedroom and, followed by the brunette, entered the kitchen. Cody surprisingly didn't bark at her newest guest, but then, even though she hadn't visited lately, he knew the woman.
"He really should be in a hospital," Dawn Marie said as Lita grabbed some ground coffee from the cupboard.
A sigh came from the redhead.
"I know... Of course he should. But I'm sure you know all too well how stubborn he is."
"He doesn't want to involve the police in this." The brunette's words were a firm statement, not a question. She shook her head, concern donning her countenance.
"That's right," Lita replied. "And it's not because he feels he'll 'betray' your husband, either."
Dawn Marie didn't speak this time as she met the other woman's hazel eyes. All she could think was how much of
a bitch she'd been over the last few years, and to a man who'd treated her so well. She only hoped that man was not
actually *mortally* wounded and dying at that very moment. On those dire thoughts, she cleared her mind like a slate.