Page 61 of Between the Ropes

“I swear, Natalie,” Annika says, spoon poised mid-air as she narrows her green eyes, “Ryan Pierce is a colossal idiot.” She pops the spoon into her mouth, pointing it at me dramatically. “I mean, who wouldn’t want you? You’re smart, gorgeous, and you know how to work a room. That man is blind, deaf, and stupid.”

I give her a weak smile, swirling my spoon through the half-melted ice cream. “You forgot arrogant,” I mutter. “And selfish. Cowardly is a good one too.”

“Oh, he’s definitely that.” Annika nods emphatically. “I bet he doesn’t even recycle.”

That draws a laugh out of me, the kind that catches me off guard. It’s a small sound, barely there, but Annika grins like she’s won the lottery. “There she is,” she says, nudging my shoulder. “You’ve got this, Nat. You don’t need him.”

The smile fades as quickly as it came, and I stare down at my bowl. “I just feel so stupid, Annika. How could I have let myself fall for him? I should’ve known better. I just sat there eating up all the lines he fed me, god he probably thought I was so easy.”

Annika sets her bowl down and turns to face me fully. “Natalie, you’re not stupid. You saw something in him, and maybe for a little while, he saw something in you too. That’s not on you. That’s on him for not realizing what he had.”

I shake my head. “I let myself believe in something that wasn’t real. I thought…I thought he actually cared about me.” My voice cracks, and I hate how fragile I sound.

“He probably did,” Annika says softly, surprising me. “But that doesn’t mean he’s capable of giving you what you need. Some people just…aren’t built for it.”

I swallow hard, her words hitting a little too close to home. Ryan made me feel things I’ve never felt before—safe, seen, wanted. But it was all an illusion. He’s a superstar, larger than life, and I was foolish enough to think I could matter to someone like him.

Annika leans back against the couch, crossing her arms. “Look, you’ve been through hell and back. You’ve survived worse than Ryan Pierce, trust me. So, what if he’s got muscles for days and that whole brooding, mysterious thing going on? You’re better than that. And you’re definitely better than him.”

I sigh, resting my head on the back of the couch. “Maybe. But it still hurts.”

“I know,” she says, her voice gentle. “But you’ll get through this. And when you do, you’ll be stronger for it.”

She’s right. As much as it sucks right now, I can’t let this be the end of my story. My time at UXW showed me that I’m capable, that I have something to offer. I’ve made up my mind, I’ll let myself wallow for a few more days, but after that, it’s time to pick myself up and start over.

“I’ve been thinking,” I say, breaking the silence. “I’m going to go back to the school, see if I can get another internship.”

Annika raises an eyebrow. “You sure about that?”

I nod. “Yeah. I know it’s going to be humiliating, but I can’t let this be the end of the road for my career. I need to keep moving forward, even if it means begging for another chance.”

Annika smiles, a proud look in her eyes. “That’s the Natalie I know. You’re not a quitter.”

I glance at my phone on the coffee table. It’s lit up with notifications, several of them voicemails from Brian Mitchell and Joel. I haven’t had the courage to listen to them until now.

“They want me to come back,” I say quietly, picking up the phone. “Joel’s still hopeful I’ll change my mind.”

Annika watches me carefully. “Are you thinking about it?”

I shake my head. “No. I can’t. If I see Ryan again… I don’t think I can handle that.” My chest tightens just thinking about it, the weight of the memories threatening to crush me. “But I’m going to miss it, Annika. UXW became a part of me. I didn’t even know anything about professional wrestling before this job, and now… it feels like I’m leaving a piece of myself behind.”

Annika reaches over, squeezing my hand. “It’s okay to miss it. That just means it mattered. But you’ll find your way, Nat. You always do.”

I close my eyes, letting her words sink in. She’s right. I will find my way, even if the path ahead feels uncertain. For now, I’ll take it one step at a time.

46

The moment I step into the arena, the noise grates on my nerves. The usual hum of conversations, the clattering of equipment, the sharp bursts of laughter from the crew—all of it feels like nails on a chalkboard. My mood? Foul. My patience? Nonexistent. I grunt at Travis, barely acknowledging him as I pass by.

“Whoa,” he says, falling into step beside me. “Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.”

“Not now, Trav,” I growl, shoving past a group of rookies who are huddled near the catering table. They part like the Red Sea, their eyes wide as I storm through. Good. They know better than to get in my way tonight.

Travis whistles low under his breath. “Man, you’re really leaning into this grouchy bastard thing, huh? Haven’t seen you like this in a while. You gonna keep snarling at everyone, or do I get to hear what’s really eating you?”

I shoot him a glare as we reach the locker room. “Drop it, Travis.”

“Fine, fine,” he says, holding up his hands in mock surrender. “But you better pull your head out of your ass before you start alienating everyone in this building.”

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