Chapter Four
"Jealous Much?"

"Where's Matt?" Autumn asked, gratefully accepting the ice pack Jeff handed her, and holding it to the side of her head, "I haven't seen him since the match."

Jeff shrugged, throwing something in his duffel bag and zipping it up, "I haven't seen him, either. He's probably just coolin' off somewhere."

Setting his bags on the floor, Jeff sat down on the couch, glancing at Autumn, "You ok?"

"Yeah, I'm good." She leaned back, "I'm just ready to get outta here. I'm tired, my head's killing me, and seriously...where's Matt? It's starting to piss me off."

At that moment, Matt burst into the room. He looked at no one and said nothing, heading straight to where their luggage sat on the floor to make sure he had everything.

"Where you been, man?" Jeff asked. Matt remained silent.

Autumn, giving Jeff a nervous look, stood up and walked over to where Matt was standing.

"Hey Matt, you ok?" She asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

He shrugged her hand away, turning around to glare at her, "Don't touch me!"

"Ok, ok! Geez, Matt!" She took a few steps back, "I just wondered if..."

"I'm fine, ok?!" He snapped, "Now get your bags and come on. Both of you."

Jeff stepped forward, "Matt, she just..."

"I don't wanna hear it, Jeff." Bags in hand, Matt shoved past both of them and stormed out the door.

Confusion swept over both Jeff and Autumn as they exchanged worried glances.

"What the hell is he pissed about now?" She slung her backpack over her shoulder and picked up her duffel bag, "I don't understand him, Jeff."

"Hey, he's Matt." Jeff shrugged, "Who the hell does understand him?"

Autumn sighed, shaking her head. She knew Jeff was just trying to make her feel better, but she was worried about Matt. Since winning the belts again, Matt had been too easily agitated. He'd take things too seriously, and he'd snap. Not just at Jeff, but at her as well.

Raising an eyebrow, she looked up at Jeff, "I'm gonna go talk to him."

"Matt?"

Sighing, Matt turned around, facing Autumn. Silently, he took her bags and threw them in the trunk, slamming it shut. As he made his way around the car, Autumn stopped him from avoiding her by jumping in front of him and standing in front of the drivers side door.

"Move."

"Finally, he speaks." She smiled softly, playfully hitting him on the arm, “C’mon, Matt, I know the match was a messy surprise, but it wasn’t that bad.”

“It’s not the match that’s bothering me!” He all but yelled. Staring into her interrogative gaze made him want to scream, and as the events of the match with the World’s Greatest Tag Team played over in his mind, all he could see was Autumn on the floor, Charlie Haas standing over her. Touching her.

Where the hell did he get off?

“Matt, you’re seriously starting to scare me.” Autumn said suddenly, startling Matt from his thoughts, “Say something, damn it!”

“Did he try to hurt you?”

“What? Who?”

“Haas! He had his fuckin’ hands all over you!” He scoffed, “And to be honest, you didn’t seem to mind much, either!”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?!” She yelled, shoving him, “And since when do you even care?!”

He froze, jaw clenching, “Get in the car. Jeff’ll be comin’ out, soon.”

“Matt, don’t just change the subject. I hate it when you…”

“Autumn!” He gave her a look that stopped her cold. She mumbled something under breath and stomped around to the passengers side.

Matt let out a long breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, and leaned against the car. It was one match, he knew that. It could very well be the only match they would have against Haas and Benjamin. But Matt had a feeling it would be. He knew the World’s Greatest Tag Team wouldn’t stop until they got another shot. They wanted to win. They were out for gold. They were thirsty for blood.

But Matt wasn’t about to let her get mixed p in that.

“I promise, I’m fine. Ok? Good night.”

Jeff heard her voice as he exited the dressing room and immediately he recognized it. Gripping the handle of his duffel bag tighter, he raced down the hall to find her before she left. He turned a corner, and there she was, “Melony!”

Melony whirled around, her face grimacing in pain, and Jeff felt a pang of guilt as he saw bandages peeking out from beneath her shirt, “What the hell do you want?” She growled angrily.

He held his hands out, “Listen, I just came to apologize. What happened was an accident.” He sighed, “I’m sorry.”

“Ok, I forgive you. Your conscience is clear. Good bye.” She turned to leave. Jeff quickened his step to walk beside her, “You don’t get it--I feel really bad about what happened. No one should have to get hurt except the one in the ring. I’m sorry.” He repeated, stressing the apology.

Melony looked up at him, eyebrow raised, “So, you’re being sincere, Hardy?”

“Yes! Just cause we’re technically enemies doesn’t mean I wanna hurt you!”

“Fine.” She shrugged, “Apology accepted.”

Jeff sighed, “Thanks.” He glanced at her torso, “You ribs…?”

“Bruised.”

He winced.

“Don’t worry--I’m fine. You didn’t do that much damage.”

“Still, I…”

“Don’t feel guilty. Look at our career--this kinda thing is bound to happen. You of all people should know that, daredevil.”

“You’re right. I still feel bad.”

“Hardy--let it go.”

He smiled as he stopped and watched her walk away, “Letting it go.”

Unconsciously, he watched her until she turned a corner and was out of sight, his thoughts lingering on the bandages around her waist. She could say it didn’t matter a million times--it still mattered to him.

As he recollected to catastrophe of the match, he cringed, also remembering how it felt when he landed on top of Melony. Her body was tiny compared to his, and when he collided with her, he could’ve sworn he’d felt her body break.

A part of him felt relieved that her ribs were only bruised--but overall, he still felt like an asshole.

“What the hell took you so long?” Matt asked grumpily as Jeff threw his bags into the backseat and crawled in.

“I had to do something.” Jeff replied, rolling his eyes as he laid down, “Damn, I’m tired.”

“Well, what did you have to do?” Matt asked, and Autumn whacked him on the arm.

“Leave him alone, Matt, he said he was tired!”

“Seriously, Autumn, don’t start with me again!”

“Again? Matt, I didn’t start anything! Why do you always blame me for everything?!”

“Cause you’re always In the middle of everything!”

She stared at him, “What the hell is that supposed to mean?!”

Matt gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles were white, clenching his jaw as he stared at the road ahead, “Never mind.”

“No Matt. I’m sick of you ignoring me…”

“Just never mind!”

“Fine.” Autumn mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back. All she wanted to do was make sure he was ok, and Matt had to be in his usual ass-mode to both her and Jeff, the two people who cared about him most.

She began to wonder why she even tried.