LISSIE | CYPHER - The Biggest Moments (P+ On-Demand)
May 10, 2022 15:56:33 GMT -5
CJ Phoenix, Gerard Angelo, and 2 more like this
Post by Lissie Hope on May 10, 2022 15:56:33 GMT -5
FEBRUARY [INCOMING] YOU REMEMBER WHAT WE DISCUSSED? [OUTGOING] YES SIR. AND I’M BEING TAKEN CARED OF? [INCOMING] AMOUNT DISCLOSED DEPOSITED INTO ACCOUNT xx1x-1xxx-x11x-7648 THIS MORNING [OUTGOING] PERFECT. WHAT HAPPENS IF SHE CALLS THE POLICE? [INCOMING] SHE WON’T. [INCOMING] BUT IF SHE DOES . . . [OUTGOING] SIR? [INCOMING] YOU’RE ON YOUR OWN. TUESDAY Emma Langdon boarded the aircraft with reddened eyes and moist nostrils, her bag feeling inexplicably heavy in her thin fingers. Long, cross-country flights - alone - were already paralyzing, leaving her paranoid and anxious. And now, with a heavy heart after Cypher had hacked Lissie’s Twitter account and exposed her indecency, Emma could feel the turbulent shake in her chest. And it wasn’t from a shaky flight, but from her heart bouncing in the walls of her body. She hadn’t packed much - it was not much more than a standard carry-on - and she knew only a few hours separated her from Lissie, and her explanation - in person - for the first time. The words on the other line of the phone weren’t sufficient - without looking into Lissie’s eyes and peering into her soul, how could she gauge her sincerity? But beyond the probable infidelity, it felt like another dagger to the heart knowing that the woman she had begun to care for so deeply, so quickly, had a jetsetting life without her. She would venture into all corners of the industry that private planes would take her - from Action Wrestling to APWO to CU:LT, and now, to Las Vegas for the Denzel Porter Invitational for the buzzed “match of the night” contender against Druscilla White. Emma didn’t want to be an accessory, someone Lissie could hide in New York City until it was time for a big show for the cameras, but that was the reality of dating one of the biggest wrestling superstars in the world. Emma could see the headlines now - hell, if she weren’t dating her, she might have written them for This-Is-Awesome herself. 𝙰𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚆𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚞𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛 𝚜𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗! 𝙰𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚐 𝚓𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝 𝚑𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚗 𝙷𝚘𝚙𝚎. “Settles.” Lissie Hope had a reputation - a bird soaring through the sky, slicing away at any tentacle tethered to her ankles that would restrict her from taking flight. Having been in several prominent romances with members of the locker room, and with the cameras rolling on the four-time World Champion every time she ventured out into the world, the world would talk. And they wouldn’t talk quietly. Lissie wore her heart and her insecurities on her wrists, and even if she resorted to long-sleeve shirts in the summertime, the world knew. And the world was unforgiving. She would be called a whore - by fans, by press, by colleagues - countless times. And Lissie’s response was to own it - to take pride in her independence, to control her own narrative, to be boastful and unapologetic - the rumor mill be damned. She could shoulder the resentment and the hatred - she’d proven she could, even if it narrowly missed sending her to an early graveyard. “Hooked on Hope.” Emma wasn’t a fan. She wasn’t a historian. She’d known that Lissie was flourishing in her career, building a legacy beyond Action Wrestling, but she didn’t know about the burdens and the misery - the albatross cinching tighter around her neck. Lissie was a recovering addict, and after just six months removed from surviving a suicide attempt - and in the throes of a sponsorship with an entity called Philidor Holdings that preyed on her longing for support and acceptance - Emma had begun communication. It was slow, and innocuous at first - mutual correspondence of flirtation while Lissie was engrossed in a toxic, unfulfilling relationship with Cassidy Adler. But things kicked into another gear at the start of the new year, and a recently-single Lissie invited her to a show in Sacramento. And almost instantaneously, the two were completely enamored with one another, completely inseparable, dropping everything to spend every waking moment together. Into the early hours of the night, Lissie would reveal her inner turmoil, her darkest secrets, fully expecting Emma to be scared away. Instead, Emma absorbed the oncoming storm like a needle tearing through her vein; she wanted more. She needed more. After years of torrential relationships that were destined to sink into the murky depths, Lissie finally felt revitalized. She was no longer merely treading water, as her friends and family watched from the shoreline. Instead, she was tearing through the ocean, with Emma Langdon waving her in. The ultimate prize. The satisfying ending. For once. And Emma was hooked. She only hoped the needle wouldn’t leave any deep cuts. NEW YORK CITY | ONE WEEK AGO “I look like a dork,” Emma Langdon giggled as she joined me in the mat room of her local Planet Fitness. She was wearing a t-shirt that hung over her thin body like a curtain, and her pale legs peaked out from the black shorts she borrowed from my luggage. “I think you look hot,” I assured her, leaning over to give her a kiss on her cheekbone. Her soft fingers patted my triceps and I felt her warm breath on my ear. The self-defense instructor averted his eyes, giving us some privacy. But I stepped back and motioned towards him, Emma’s cheeks flushing with embarrassment. “Sorry, we-uhh, got carried away.” “No worries,” he said with a smile. “Is this your first time doing any training?” Emma nodded her head and took up a fighting stance in front of me. I quickly powered through her guard and circled around her waist, wrapping my arms around her torso. She surrendered into my body as I grabbed her wrists and pulled her in close. “Fine! Take me!” she said, cackling with laughter. This time, I saw the instructor glance up at the clock, his patience waning. “Sorry, I’ll leave you to it,” I said, stealing a quick kiss. “I’ll, uh– I’ll be just over here.” Throughout the course of her training session, I worked with 35-pound dumbbells, feeling my muscles tense and mold and shape and take form. I wanted them perfect, I needed to be perfect: I hadn’t felt extraordinary in a long time. But in between, I watched Emma’s progress. She began the session overwhelmed, but still injecting her own carefree and humorous personality. When she reacted defensively, she mimed planting her heel into his groin and added a playful sound effect. The instructor didn’t find it endearing, but I did. And she had natural form in her genetics; I don’t even think she realized how much her father’s ability was engraved in her bones. But when the instructor became more aggressive, I saw a shift in her body language. An intensity in her eyes, as she adopted some of her training and flipped him over with a wristlock judo throw. “Something seemed to change midway through there,” I told her after she joined me for a water-break. “It seemed like your focus shifted - I don’t know, I can’t explain it.” “Oh, you couldn’t keep your eyes off me??” she said, fluttering her eyelashes. “I’m serious! What went on there? I’m just - captivated.” “...but why?” “It’s just - I’m trying to remember why I love wrestling again. And it seems like you don’t need to, y’know? It’s just - there. It’s in your bones. And it’s inspiring.” “Maybe one day I’ll take you on in the ring!” she said playfully, raising up her fists. I grabbed at her hands and locked my fingers in hers. “Why self-defense? Why don’t you get in a ring? I bet you’ll be amazing. I’ll help you! And maybe you can help me –” “-it’s not like that, Lissie,” she interrupted, her tone shifting towards indecision. And paranoia. “You weren’t on the plane.” Her voice faded, immediately regretful. “What happened?” TWO WEEKS AGO [INCOMING] SO YOU’RE ONE OF THE GUYS WHO SENT HER THOSE HURTFUL MESSAGES LAST YEAR? [OUTGOING] ARE YOU A FED? [INCOMING] NO. [OUTGOING] I’M NOT PROUD OF IT. I’VE CHANGED. [INCOMING] YOU DON’T HAVE TO CONVINCE ME. . . . [INCOMING] YOU SAID WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE THINKING. [INCOMING] THE BITCH NEEDED TO HEAR IT. . . . [INCOMING] HAS ANYONE EVER THANKED YOU? [OUTGOING] HOW WOULD ANYONE THANK ME? [INCOMING] I WANT YOU TO DO SOMETHING FOR ME. [INCOMING] I’LL COMPENSATE. [INCOMING] GENEROUSLY. “There was - this guy,” she began. “Y’know, the neckbeard - from the terminal. He was like - threatening.” A tear began to form on her flushed cheek. “He cornered me in the cabin. Stood right in my face, you know? And he told me I needed to stay away from you. That being involved with you can - hurt me. And I got scared.” “Babe,” I said quietly, knowing the avalanche that follows me would forever swallow anyone associated with me. “I’ll protect you.” “I don’t need you to protect me,” she said confidently. “I just don’t want you to have to worry about me.” “I’m bad news,” I admitted tearfully. “Damaged goods. I always will be.” “You’re not beyond repair, Lissie,” she assured me. “And you're not getting rid of me that easily.” MONDAY “I don’t want you to believe a word he says, Emma.” I had just landed in Las Vegas - hadn’t even stepped out of the airport yet - when I was bombarded with a sea of Twitter notifications as soon as I powered up my iPhone. The last time I remembered feeling the repeated vibrating pulse in my pocket, hearing the uninterrupted string of audible message tones, I was on the brink of unconsciousness after swallowing a handful of oxies, crawling towards the toilet, drenched in my own sweat and piss and tears and bile - completely isolated and alone in a Miami hotel. But the messages kept coming until my vision blurred, fading into white. It was a vivid recollection, and it hadn’t been revisited since - until I realized my privacy had been invaded, until I learned that she was now having reservations. And hearing nothing but silence on the other end? I felt my soul blackening. I felt my vision fading. Again. “He’s just trying to use you to get to me. He’s putting you through the ringer, and it’s tearing us apart. I don’t want him to win, Emma.” “This isn’t about winning. Why is it always a competition for you? You don’t have to win every time.” “But I do -” I paused when I heard her voice crack. “This time? I do. I don’t want to lose you.” I waited to hear her response. I did wonder if she had followed his commands - Emma had access to my account now. She’s the one who changed the password that restricted him from terrorizing us from the shadows any longer. Did her curiosity win? Did she ransack my direct messages? I almost wish she did, because it would exonerate me. But at the same time, if we truly trusted another… why would she need to? “Anything you need to know, just ask. I’ll be more than upfront.” “I don’t want to talk about this over the phone, Lissie.” “So does that mean you’re still coming to Vegas?” I know that sounded more desperate than it needed to. But at this point, nothing was off the table. I needed her here more than ever now. I needed to know that I wasn’t going to have to endure this city - and all of it’s temptations and all of it’s wickedness - alone. Wandering from casino to casino with a broken heart and a broken spirit and lifelong addictions. That was my biggest fear. “You know how I feel about flying alone these days.” And that was hers. “I’ll fly back first. And we can come back together.” That was the only resolution I could offer. “No -” she began, and I felt my heart sink. “I don’t want to be a burden.” “Baby, you’re not,” I cried out. “If anyone is a burden, it’s me. It’s always been me.” “Stop -” she insisted. “ - just… stop.” She paused, for what seemed like an eternity. My muffled cries and panicked breathing tore through the silence. “You’re not going to lose me. You’re not getting rid of me that easily. Not over this.” “Baby,” I started to say something I hadn’t told her yet. But I felt it - never more than in that moment. “I lo–” “He’s just trying to punish me by punishing you. I see through it, Lissie. I know what he was trying to accomplish, and I won’t let him. Just - don’t make a fool out of me, okay?” I nodded on the other end. Of course, she didn’t hear my acknowledgement, but I have a feeling she felt it, too. “That’s all I ask.” “I won’t. I promise.” “I’ll be there tomorrow night, okay? Try to get some sleep.” Again, my non-verbal communication would be better served in person. “And do one more thing for me, could you?” “Anything.” “Make him feel just as low and just as awful as we did. Punish him, Lissie.” [OUTGOING] HOW DO YOU KNOW ALL OF THIS ABOUT ME? [OUTGOING] ABOUT HER? [INCOMING] I HAVE MY WAYS. [INCOMING] I’M A MAN OF MANY TALENTS. [OUTGOING] BUT IF YOU GOT IN LAST NIGHT [OUTGOING] HOW DID YOU KNOW ABOUT ME TWO WEEKS AGO? . . . “Good evening, this is your capt-” [OUTGOING] SIR? [OUTGOING] ALRIGHT I THINK THE DEAL’S OFF. [OUTGOING] I CAN’T DO THIS. [INCOMING] IF YOU BACK OUT . . . [INCOMING] [OUTGOING] PLEASE DON’T THREATEN ME [OUTGOING] I JUST WANT TO KNOW HOW YOU KNOW ABOUT ME . . . “Please make sure your lap-trays are in the upr-” [OUTGOING] SIR? [INCOMING] YOU THINK THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I GOT IN? [INCOMING] I KNOW EVERYTHING, EDWARD. [INCOMING] YOUR FAMILY IN WISCONSIN? [INCOMING] YOUR JOB? “-ce day and thank you for choosing American Airlines.” [INCOMING] HOW DO YOU THINK YOUR LOVED ONES WOULD FEEL IF THEY KNEW THAT THE LAST RACIST MESSAGE A PROMISING YOUNG WRESTLER READ BEFORE SHE NEARLY OFFED HERSELF COULD BE TRACED BACK TO THEIR LITTLE INNOCENT EDDIE? “Sir, the captain requests that you turn off all electronic devices while the aircraft makes it’s climb.” Edward nodded in acquiescence, closing the lap-top screen. He looked up into the aisle, and her golden-blonde hair was unmistakeable. Edward felt his knees buckle as he rose from his seat, bracing himself on the headrest. Sweat poured from his forehead, and he tugged down on his shirt, stepping in her direction. Just as he was about to speak, the flight attendant intercepted him. “Sir, please get back to your seat -” I was pacing back and forth inside the terminal of McCarren International, watching the flight-board update. American Airlines 192 had just landed, and in just a few moments, I would be reunited with the girl of my dreams. My hands shook as my fingers clasped the rim of my Americano tight. In order to ease my nerves, I took a sip, feeling that burning sensation as the liquid careened down the back of my throat. I felt a calmness wash over me - and I exhaled, trying to catch my breath as I saw her in the distant, about to descend the escalator. I watched her with a smile spread across my lips, each step disappearing under the frame as she drew closer. A man rushed by her, high-tailing out of the airport. I met her by wrapping my arms around her neck. “Baby, thank you for coming!” I planted a kiss on her lips. And finally, I had the courage to say it. “I love you. So much.” I pulled away, expecting her to say it back. But the ghosts of Las Vegas were floating among us. I could see it in her eyes. |