Mending Hearts

Jay stormed back into his and Matt's hotel room in a huff. He knew Matt was going to try to involve him in some stupid plan to break up his friends' relationship. He just knew it. Matt had something going on and there was no way he'd take no for an answer, too. And Jay suspected what he'd hold out as a bargaining chip. Adam. If Matt thought Jay couldn't figure him out, he was dead wrong. Jay lay on his bed and propped his head up on his interlaced fingers.

Adam. Jay sighed. He missed his best friend turned lover more than he could admit. He'd done everything he could think of to get over him, too. He'd even changed shows. It was hard to watch Adam break away from him so easily and get the push they'd both been dreaming of since they started training. It was even harder to accept that he would have to play the company clown for a while, when Adam was getting championship title shots. Thankfully, Chris Jericho had teamed with him when he thought he was ready to call it quits. Chris explained that he'd bthe the company clown almost from the beginning and didn't get his own serious pushes until much later.

Still, Jay stopped watching Smackdown. Not only because he was jealous of Adam's pushes but also because he was jealous of the guys Adam was supposedly seeing. Oh, Jay couldn't be sure Adam was really going out with all of the guys who claimed to have been with him. And he certainly wasn't going to ask him, either. They hadn't spoken more than a few casual words to each other since the tag team break and those were only in the hallways at the joint pay-per-views.

Jay was still hurting over the last months of their relationship. He'd tried everything to find out where he truly stood with Adam. He asked, pleaded, begged, they fought. He demanded that they come out of the closet, at least backstage. Adam wouldn't budge though. He always said he couldn't risk his family finding out. It made Jay feel unimportant, like a second choice to be used until something acceptable came along. That's why he gave Adam that final ultimatum. Either they start acting like a committed couple or they break it off. As sad as Adam looked, he chose the latter. And Jay moved out of their house immediately following that conversation.

When Adam had surgery, Jay had wanted so badly to be there or to at least call him. Jeff had said that even though they'd broken up, they should try to maintain their friendship. But it hurt Jay too much to think of being near Adam without being able to touch him or kiss him. The pain had lessened over the past year, but it was still there. So Jay did the only thing he could think of and sent Adam a card and a "Get Well" basket. Adam had dutifully sent a "Thank You" note. Everything was cordial, but no feelings were actually shared. It left Jay feeling sad and empty inside.

Matt walked into the room and quietly sat down on his own bed. Jay didn't acknowledge him at all. He just kept staring up at the ceiling. Why was he doing this now? Jay was so confused. He missed Adam but he didn't want any part of a plan to trick the tall blond into coming back to him. It just seemed so wrong. And where would that leave Lance?

"You have to talk to me some time," Matt drawled softly.

Jay turned his head finally to meet Matt's deep, dark gaze. If he didn't have that calculating glint in his eye, Jay would describe the older Hardy as very attractive. But Jay hated subterfuge and that took the attraction down a few levels.

"Why are you doing this?" he finally asked Matt.

"I can't not at least try to get him, Jay," Matt sighed. "I would always wonder what might have happened."

"No matter who you hurt in the process?"

"I don't want to hurt anyone," Matt shrugged. "But I can't just drop this."

"He loves Lance."

"Maybe," Matt said quirking his eyebrows up. "But if he does thenplanplan won't work anyway."

"But either way it will kill my friendship with Lance."

"Lance will never know."

"How can you guarantee that?" Jay asked nonplussed. "I suck at lying and Lance isn't an idiot. He will know."

"Isn't that a risk you're willing to take?"

"For you?" Jay sat up sharply. "No!"

"Not for me," Matt smirked. "For Adam."

"You can't guarantee that either!"

"Can't I?" Matt asked. "Right now he's traveling with my ex-lover, who is still very much hung up on me."

"Adam's chasing Shannon?" Jay felt his heart constrict. He knew Adam would eventually date again, maybe even had. He just never wanted to know the details about it.

"Uh huh," Matt continued. "What do you think will happen if I suddenly 'have a change of heart' and go back to Shannon? He's in love with me. He'll come back to me. Where does that leave Adam?"

"That's sadistic!" Jay felt ill. "How can you do that to the poor kid? Do you have any humanity left in you at all?"

"Not when I want something," Matt said looking unapologetic. "And I want something badly right now."

"Did you plan this all along?" Jay suddenly asked softly. "You did, didn't you? Oh, my God. You've been playing this kid the whole time you were seeing him. You son of a bitch!"

"Tick tock, Jay Jay," Matt answered. "I have a goal to achieve and I won't start feeling sorry for what I did now."

"And what about your so-called love?" Jay demanded. "What do you think he'll do when he finds out you're back with Shannon?"

"He won't," Matt said confidently. "I'll tell Shannon we need to keep it quiet. String him along for a couple of weeks, then cut away again."

"And what about Shannon?" Jay practically screamed. "What happens to him after you dump him again and completely destroy him this time. Because that's what you'll do to him, Matt. You never seemed like a heartless bastard before. What happened to you?"

"I found something worth changing for," Matt replied. "Now, decide. Save Shannon? Get Adam back with you? He's not as remote as he used to be, you know. He told me he regrets what he did to you."

Jay began to tremble with bottled emotion. Matt could be lying to him to get his way, but somehow, Jay knew he wasn't. He knew Matt was telling the truth about Adam because he'd seen the regret in the tall blond's eyes the last time he saw him. But what about Shannon? He didn't really know the kid, but he didn't want to see Matt sacrifice him for this crazy plan.

The phone rang as the two stared each other down. Matt smiled and picked it up before Jay could will his legs to move.

"Hello?" he said into the receiver while his dark eyes remained trained on Jay. "Yeah, I was just about to tell him." A second or two of silence as he listened to the caller. "Yeah, I'm sure he'll want to go, if for no other reason than to keep an eye on me," Matt laughed. Another moment of silence. "Okay, see you in a few, Lance."

Matt hung up the phone as Jay's blood ran cold. Lance? Oh, shit. Matt already set his plan in motion. And now Jay had only moments to decide. Adam or Shannon? Shannon or Adam? Shit! The poor kid. But he was with Adam right now. But he didn't know what was going on and he was still hurting from what Matt did. He probably would go back to Matt when he showed up in his life again.

"This is so wrong!" he yelled at the calmly waiting Southerner.

"Boo hoo," Matt sighed. "Look, I do feel bad. I really didn't mean for him to get hurt, but this is the only real way to ensure the plan works for both of us."

"I never asked you to do this!" Jay replied.

"Lance and Shawn are waiting for us downstairs," Matt said getting up. "I guess I could go it alone tonight."

God knows what the hell Matt would do if Jay let that happen. Shannon or Adam? Adam or Shannon? Tick tock. Matt was moving toward the door. Jay's heart was pounding. Matt opened the door.

"Wait," Jay said, suddenly resigning himself. "Just give me a second to fix my hair."

Matt grinned and let the door close, settling himself on the end of Jay's bed to wait.

******************************

The man in the next room let out a tortured breath. He couldn't believe what he'd just heard. Hell, it was hard not to hear. Matt just literally forced Jay into helping him break up one of their best friend's relationships. He also knowingly and deliberately used Shannon before he left Smackdown and he intended to do it again. The small blond would never survive another round with Matt. Jay had said it succinctly before. This just wasn't right. Something had to be done to stop it. He had no choice but to call in the big guns on this one. He started dialing quickly. The other line was picked up on the first ring.

"Jeff?" he asked to make sure he got the person he needed. "We have big trouble."