Three's a Crowd

The sunlight was streaming in through the open spaces of the heavy curtains, Ashley immediately regretting falling asleep without tugging them shut when she had made it to her room in the early hours of the morning. Rolling onto her side, she sat up with a sigh, running her fingers through her messy bedhead.
Crawling out of bed, she picked up some scattered articles of clothing, piecing together a suitable mismatched outfit to venture downstairs in before descending the steps, suppressing a yawn as she reached the bottom.

“Hey Ash,” Raven greeted her when she entered the lounge. “Some flowers came for you…” She informed her, Ashley rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“From who?” The brunette asked, the redhead just shrugging her shoulders as she snuggled further into Brian on the settee.

“How should I know?” Rae grumbled, her gaze fixed on the TV as Brian played with the ends of her hair. “They’re over there…” She pointed out, Ashley's eyes meeting the floral arrangement across the room.

She was surprised to see that her best friend had gestured to the huge bouquet of light pink, white, and yellow carnations nestled in a purple vase on the table near the kitchen door.

“I didn't check to see who they were from,” The redhead explained as she pushed through the flowers, searching for a tag.

Discovering a small purple envelope, she opened it to reveal the small white card addressed to her.

Ashley couldn't help but smile at the words her admirer had written for her and Brian looked away from the TV show he was watching with Raven to look over at the brunette.

“Well, who’s it from? What’s it say?” He asked, scrambling up from his seat on the couch to snatch the note out of Ashley’s hands before she could answer him.

“Dearest Ashley, I was hoping these would put a smile on your face. You’re too beautiful to be frowning all the time. Love, Austin.”

Brian scowled after he finished reading the card out loud, a frown on his face accompanying his look of disgust.

“’Dearest Ashley’? ‘Love, Austin’? What a fucking creep…”

Ashley grabbed the card back, stuffing it back into its envelope and shoving it back among its flora captors.

“He means no harm…”

Brian rolled his eyes, returning to his spot beside Raven on the couch to continue watching TV; “That's because you're into creepy guys…”

“Brian!” Raven slapped her boyfriend’s arm, Brian raising an eyebrow at her.

“What? I’m just stating facts…” He smirked, the redhead shaking her head at him.

“For your information, Gates, Austin is a good guy who has been nothing but nice to me…” Ashley said, looking back at the dark-haired guitarist.

Matt chose that moment to walk into the room, dressed in basketball shorts and not much else and Ashley shook her head.

“He’s actually considerate of other people’s feelings, unlike some people…” The brunette concluded. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to get ready for work…” She added, turning on her heel and heading back up the stairs.

Matt stood in the doorway, looking dumbfounded by his ex’s abrupt departure; “Something I did?”

Raven shook her head at the hazel eyed singer, her gaze remaining on the show she was watching; “You’re an ass, Sanders….”

“For walking into a room?” Matt quizzed, Raven moving from under Brian’s arm to sit up straight and look at her best friend’s ex.

“No, for being oblivious to what’s going on here…” The redhead started, Matt rubbing the back of his neck. “She’s still hung up on you, you idiot…”

Matt moved further into the room, making his way towards the kitchen; “I’ve moved on, Rae…”

The hazel eyed singer disappeared into the kitchen and Raven looked at Brian who shrugged his shoulders helplessly at her before she got up off the settee and followed Matt.

“So, is this how it’s going to be now?” She asked upon entering the kitchen, Matt turning around from the coffee maker to look at her.

“Is this how what’s going to be, Rae?” He wanted to know, Raven walking closer to him.

“You bringing Barbie over here to hang out while Ash avoids you and tries to drink herself into oblivion… Is this how it’s going to be between you guys now?”

Matt shook his head, retrieving his mug of coffee and taking a seat at the kitchen table; “For the last time, I never asked Val to come over here. She just turned up. Do you honestly think I’d do that to Ash?”

“I don’t know, Matt,” Raven pulled a chair out opposite him and sat down. “You seemed perfectly fine making out with your new girl in the same chair you and Ash used to make out in…” She raised an eyebrow at the singer, folding her arms over her chest. “Are you gonna fuck her in the same bed too?”

“Don’t start on me, Rae. I’m not in the mood,” Matt groaned, Raven shaking her head at him.

“No, Shads, you’re going to hear me out on this,” The redhead insisted. “You’re being a dick and if you think for one second that I’m going to stand by and watch you disrespect my best friend in her own home then you’re wrong. That girl has done nothing but pine over you since the day you left. She won’t even go out on a date with a guy because of you…”

“She was the one who called it off, Rae…” Matt pointed out. “I was willing to make it work.”

“I know and there’s not a day gone by that she hasn’t regretted that decision, Matt,” Raven told him. “She’s still head over heels for you, not once has she brought a guy over here and yet the first thing you do when you get home is show your new girl off like a shiny new toy…”

“I never…”

“Told her to come over. I know, you’ve said that already…” Raven interrupted him. “The point is, Matt, when you left you told me to take care of your girl because you were coming back for her…”
The redhead rose to her feet, Matt watching her. “Well I kept up my end of the deal, Matt…But clearly you didn’t…” She walked out, joining Brian in the lounge and leaving Matt to think about what she had just said.

A couple hours later, Ashley was working her shift and nursing a sore head thanks to the amount of alcohol she had consumed the night before. The coffee Rae had made her in the early hours of the morning had probably helped to ease the pain of the hangover that she was currently suffering from but the thumping in her head still made the brunette wish that she hadn’t of drank as much as she did.

She was currently slumped behind the counter at the bookstore, her chin resting on her hand as she propped herself up on her elbow watching the students of UCLA filter in and out of the shelves looking for the books they desired. The bell above the door chimed and the brunette’s hazel eyes flitted over to the entrance of the store only to discover that Austin had just entered, a backpack slung over his shoulder and a bright smile on his face.

“Hey Ashley!” He greeted her, immediately making his way over towards the counter and Ashley visibly winced at how loud his voice was even though he was speaking at a normal volume.

“Shush, not so loud…” The brunette scolded him. “My head is killing me…”

“Migraine?” Austin asked, tilting his head to the side as he studied her in concern and Ashley peeked up at him.

“Uh, yeah, something like that…” She grumbled before straightening up. “I got your flowers by the way…”

Austin smiled at her, his hazel eyes sparkling; “Oh, did you like them?”

“Yes, they were lovely…” Ashley nodded. “Thank you…”
“No problem…”

“So, um, what can I do for you today, Austin?” The brunette asked, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose and looking at him intently.

“Well,” Austin started, fidgeting with the strap of his backpack. “I was just wondering if you had an answer for me. You know, about allowing me to take you out on a date. We never really got to finish our conversation yesterday…” He grinned and Ashley let out a sigh, realizing that she hadn’t really gave his request much thought. She looked at him, her gaze meeting his expectant one and against her better judgment, found herself unable to shoot him down once more. Matt had shown her yesterday that he had moved on and despite Ravens advice, she knew that she was probably clinging on to an impossible dream of ever getting him back. Maybe it was time she realized that the fish she wanted had swam into new waters and that it was time she did the same.

“Ashley?” Austin asked, looking at her in concern and Ashley realized that she must have spaced out again. “Are you okay?”

“Sorry, I guess I kinda spaced…” She shook her head, ridding herself of the thoughts that were swimming around her mind as she looked back at him. “My uh…. My roommate is throwing a little party tonight, for her boyfriend and his bandmates…”

“Oh, so I guess you’re busy tonight then…” Austin said with a sigh of disappointment, Ashley smiling at him.

“Well I guess it wouldn’t be so bad if you came along…”

Austin looked worried for a moment; “Are you sure? I mean, I wouldn’t want to intrude or anything…”

“It’ll be fine, Austin…” Ashley smiled. “Just come by around seven and you can meet everyone. If six months of rejection won’t scare you off then I’m pretty sure my friends will…” She joked, Austin just shaking his head at her.

“It’s going to take a lot more than a bunch of your friends getting rowdy to get rid of me, Ashley…” He told her. “I’m pretty stubborn once I’ve set my sights on what I want…” He added with a grin, turning to leave.

Ashley watched him walk out of the bookstore, smiling when she saw him high-five a random student passing by. She had cast her line, whether she had caught a keeper remained to be seen.

That night the ‘Welcome Home’ party for the boys was in full swing but to Ashley’s surprise, it wasn’t the full blown house party she had expected it to be. Instead it was just a small gathering in the back garden, a barbeque for those they considered more like family than just friends and everyone invited seemed to be having a good time considering the small changes to the group’s dynamics.

There were two extra people attending the ‘family’ gathering tonight; Gabby and Val and Ashley was only pleased to see one of them. The dark red haired teen currently sitting on Johnny's lap on the lawn was always welcome at her home but the brunette could have done without having to see the blonde attached to her ex-lover. Clearly Val hadn’t taken the hint to stay away from the Sevenfold place or someone had forgot to tell her that she wasn’t invited.

Ashley dug through the plastic bag on the counter of the kitchen, her eyes focused on the couple outside on the patio, instead of the food in front of her. Matt sat with Val in one of the many beach chairs Jimmy had stolen from the pier, his arms were wrapped tightly around her waist as she leaned against him.

The brunette looked away from the window, reaching for the large kitchen knife in its holder. The red tomatoes in her grasp were sliced easily, Ashley pausing every now and then when she heard Val's soft laughter floating through the open window along with the cool breeze. Her eyes would have burnt holes in the screen if they could.

She pushed the sliced tomatoes into a bowl, reaching into the vegetable sack to retrieve the green peppers and onions from the bottom of the bag. Setting them out before her, she sighed deeply and swallowed around the knot in her throat as she heard Matt faintly say those three words she missed hearing so much. He was saying them like he meant them to a girl that wasn't her and her stomach turned as she choked out a sob, her gaze fixed on the green pepper being diced in front of her.

“Hey Ash, how's it going?” Zack's voice made her sniff loudly and she quickly wiped away her tears.

“It's fine, Zee,” She blatantly lied, the chopped green peppers being thrown into the bowl along with the tomatoes.

“Are you sure? It kinda sounded like you were crying,” He pressed, Ashley clearing her throat as she felt more tears well in her eyes.
“No, it's just the onions,” She assured him, waving her knife at uncut vegetables in front of her.

Zack shook his head; “Just the onions, huh?”

Ashley nodded, blinking her tears away as the obnoxious odor began to sting her eyes.

He glanced over her shoulder through the window at the public display of affection outside, noting that this was Ashley's source of sorrow before his gaze fell on Gabby sitting with Johnny and looking miserable.

“Damn onions,” Zack whispered, passing through the backdoor to join the rest of his friends outside.

Ashley feigned a smile as she finally grew accustomed to the sulphuric acid invading her eyes.

“I fucking hate onions,” She murmured to herself, viciously chopping the last piece before sliding it into the bowl with her knife, washing her hands fervently before preparing the rest of the recipe for her homemade salsa.

She jumped when someone pounded on the front door, her heart beating heavily as she made her way into the hallway, answering the door quickly.

Austin stood on the porch, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his black jeans; “Hey Ash…”

He smiled at her and Ashley’s eyes widened when she noticed the way his sleeveless shirt seemed snug against muscles she’d never noticed he had before. She snapped back to reality, stepping aside to allow him room to pass over the threshold.

“Hey Austin, welcome to the mad house,” She smiled, Austin nodding as he entered her home.

“Sorry I’m a little late,” He pointed to his watch, Ashley realizing she hadn't so much as glanced at a clock almost the entire day.

“That’s okay, Austin, you haven’t missed anything,” She grinned at him, gesturing for him to follow her down to the kitchen.
“Everyone’s outside, I’m just making some salsa to go with the burgers….”

“Do you need any help?” Austin asked, Ashley glancing back at him.

“You cook?” She enquired and Austin nodded, smiling proudly.

“Yeah, my Mom taught me…” He stopped beside the kitchen counter looking at all the various ingredients the brunette had laid out and glanced back at Ashley who seemed to be impressed by his admission. “So, what do you need me to do?”

Raven stood by the wishing well having a smoke and watching the way Matt was acting with Val. She couldn’t believe that he’d brought her over to the house again especially after everything she had said to him that morning and she was rapidly starting to think that Matt was just another douchebag in a long line of douchebag’s that her best friend had dated over the years. Her heart didn’t believe that though, somewhere deep down inside she knew that he was a good guy and that he’d come to his senses eventually. She dropped her cigarette down to the ground, stubbing it out before making her way back towards her friends.

“Hey beautiful, you okay?” Brian asked, his arms outstretched to Raven as she approached him. The redhead nodded, taking up her rightful place on his lap and smiling when his arms wrapped around her.

“I'm good…” She told him as he pressed his lips to the side of her head, her fingers tracing the outlines of one of the many monsters on his arm as she glanced around the back garden.

“Are you having a good time?”

“Brian, what's with all the questions?” Rae asked, turning her head to look at him and Brian shrugged his shoulders as he looked back at her.

“Just making sure that my girl is okay…”

Rae smiled, kissing his lips; “Your girl is more than okay and she really likes it when you call her that…”

“When I call her what?” Brian asked, a small smile playing on his thin lips as he kept his mouth close to Raven's.

“Yours…” She replied, crashing her lips against his.

There was a sudden rustle of leaves and the creak of wood straining under the weight of someone standing on it before Jimmy's determined voice yelled out to Brian.

“Hey Gates, quit slobbering all over Red and give me a hand here…”

Brian broke away from Raven, glancing over at his best friend and rolling his eyes; “Jimmy, what the fuck are you doing?”

“I'm Batman, dude….” The drummer declared as Brian lifted Rae from his lap and got to his feet. Rae sat in the deck chair, laughing with the others as she watched Brian make his way over to Jimmy who grinned manically at him. “You're Robin….”

Brian came to a stop by his inebriated friend, reaching out to stop him from falling as the trellis creaked beneath the drummer's weight; “I thought we talked about the whole taking acid and climbing walls thing?”

Jimmy shook his head; “This is clearly a trellis, not a wall… Wall's I can climb…”

“No, you fucking can't….” Brian pointed out to him, gripping the waistband of Jimmy's jeans as he missed his footing. “Just like you can't climb this…”

“Bat-Rev can do anything!” Jimmy announced defiantly, pushing himself up a little further on the trellis only to have part of it come away from the wall. Within seconds the whole thing had come loose from its supports, the drummer falling back into Brian's arms and the guitarist landing backwards with a hard thud onto the lawn.

Zack laughed as he stood over the both of them, grinning down at Jimmy; “I thought you were Batman?”

“Who invited the Penguin?” Jimmy asked as Brian shoved him off of him and rose to his feet, brushing the dirt from his clothes as he looked at Rae helplessly. She offered him a shrug of her shoulders, biting her bottom lip as she tried to maintain the sympathetic look on her face when all she really wanted to do was laugh just as hard as the others.

Brian walked over to her, sitting down in front of her and resting his head against her legs; “What did I ever do to end up with a loon like him for a best friend?”

“You made the mistake of talking to him in sixth grade, honey. He's been glued to your side ever since…” Raven smiled, playing with his hair as they both watched Jimmy stagger to his feet and dust himself off. “You two are so inseparable; I'm surprised he hasn't ended up in bed with us at some point…” She giggled, Brian looking up at her.

“Don't fucking tempt him…”

Jimmy grabbed a burger off the plate of freshly barbecued ones Zack had just done resting on the patio table and bit into it without allowing it to cool. He continued to chew, fanning his hand in front of his mouth as the others laughed at his crazy antics.

“Dude, you need to be locked away….” Matt grinned, shaking his head as he drank his beer. “You're fucking insane!”

Jimmy raised his eyebrows at him, swallowing the huge lump of meat in his mouth before speaking; “And you say that like it's a bad thing….”

“Hey, I know, let's play ‘dares’….” Johnny spoke up from his place beside Gabby under the oak tree.

Jimmy finished his burger, grinning as he grabbed another one; “Okay, then I dare you to let Shads beat the shit out of you… Or even better, I dare you to strip naked and then let Shads beat the shit out of you… With a spoon…”

Johnny raised his free hand, offering his band mate a one fingered salute; “And I say that you're not allowed to issue the dares because you're fucking high…”

“What's the point in playing ‘dares’ if we're not going to get all bat-shit crazy?” Jimmy scoffed, spitting out a mouthful of burger and bun as he spoke. “What is this, a chick's slumber party?”

Zack looked up from flipping burgers on the grill, shaking his head at the drummer; “Don't be stupid, everyone knows that chicks touch each other up and stuff at slumber party's…”

Rae glanced over at Gabby who was looking a little bewildered by the guy's conversation and how rapidly it was changing. She nudged Brian and he moved to allow her to stand, smiling when she bent down to kiss him.

“And that's our cue to leave, Gabs….” The redhead told the young girl under the tree as she looked over at her. She offered out a hand and smiled when she saw the relief on Gabby’s face. “Come on; let's go give Ash a hand in the kitchen…”

Gabby quickly glanced at Johnny, expecting the bassist to at least attempt to kiss her but he didn’t bat an eyelid choosing to continue drinking his beer instead. She let out a sigh, taking hold of Raven's hand and allowing the older redhead to pull her to her feet before they walked up the path towards the kitchen doorway.

“See, I told you…” Zack waved his spatula at the departing Raven and Gabby, grinning from ear to ear. “Those two are probably going inside to have their wicked way with Ashley right now…”

“You're just jealous because we never invited you to watch, Zee….” Rae called back over her shoulder, glancing back to smirk at the raven haired male flipping burgers.

Zack winked at her; “Just be sure to hit record!”

Val watched the two girls disappear inside, a slight frown forming on her mouth as she announced; “I don't think Rae and the other girls like me very much…”

“News from the file marked ‘DUH!’” Jimmy yelled out in response, shaking his head at the blonde nestled in his band mate's lap.

“Nobody likes Poison Ivy… You give guys itchy rashes!” He added much to the amusement of Brian, Zack and Johnny who cackled like a pack of hyenas around him.

Matt narrowed his eyes at the drummer, growling his warning; “Dude, shut the fuck up….Before I fuck you up…”

“Touchy, touchy…” Jimmy mocked him, pulling a face at the hazel eyed singer. “You know, I hear they have pretty good hormonal treatments for those ‘moody’ days… Maybe you should look into that, Matilda…”

“Hey Ash, whatcha doin'?” Rae asked, approaching her friend who was standing at the sink with her hands in a bowl of warm, soapy water. She caught sight of Austin standing at the kitchen island, chopping vegetables and tossing them into the salad bowl. “And who’s the moose with the kitchen utensil?”

The brunette glanced back at her, bringing her hands out of the water and drying them on a dish towel before turning to look at Austin behind her; “Rae, this is Austin…”

Austin looked up from helping Ashley out with the salad and grinned at the brunette’s friends; “Hey girls….”

“Hey…” Rae said with a slight nod of her head as Gabby visibly swooned beside her, unable to say a word as she stared at her friends date.

“I hope you don’t mind but I asked him to drop by tonight…” Ashley said, Rae glancing at her. “I would have told you earlier but you were busy with Gates…”

“Ashley, you make it sound like I’m joined at the hip with the guy…” The redhead scoffed, Ashley grinning at her.

“Well, I wouldn’t say that the hips were the place you were joined at but I’m not gonna ask what goes on behind your bedroom door…”

“More than what goes on behind your door at the moment,” Rae shot back at her best friend with a teasing grin before turning her attention back to Austin. “So, you’re the Austin that sent her flowers this morning?”

Austin nodded; “Yes Ma’am…”

Rae raised her eyebrows, impressed with how Austin had just addressed her as she glanced back at her best friend; “I like him. He called me ‘Ma’am’….”

“Well, the salad is almost done so you can take it back out with you…” Ashley informed her friend, Raven looking at her quizzically.

“You and Austin not gonna join us?” She asked, Ashley shaking her head.

“No, I don't really want to go out there, Rae…” Ashley said, glancing over at Austin who grinned at her as he finished chopping up the peppers for the salad. “Besides, we’re fine in here…”

“But the party is out there…” Gabby gestured towards the garden. “I mean, Jimmy is so trashed right now he thinks he’s Batman…”

“Is he climbing walls again?” Ashley asked, an amused smile playing on her lips.

“No…” Gabby shook her head. “But you no longer have a trellis at the side of the house…”

Ashley laughed, shaking her head at the drummer’s antics as Austin approached her, holding the salad bowl.

“All done,” He grinned, his eyes locking with hers. “Do you need me to do anything else?”

“I can think of a few things she needs you to do for her…” Rae smirked, Gabby giggling.

“Yeah, I’m sure she’s got a list somewhere…” Gabby chipped in, Ashley glaring at her friends.

The brunette took the bowl of salad out of her date’s hands and shoved it at Rae, nodding towards the door; “Out… Both of you…”

Raven pulled a face at her before her and Gabby retreated back into the garden and Ashley looked back at Austin, blushing when she found him staring at her.

“Sorry about those two…” She murmured. “There was a time when I only had to deal with one smart-mouthed redhead but now it seems that there’s two of them…”

“It’s okay, Ashley…” Austin assured her with a smile. “They seem like a riot… I’m looking forward to meeting the rest of your friends…”

“You’re probably gonna regret saying that…” Ashley told him, Austin reaching out a hand and resting it against her cheek as he held her gaze.

“Like I said before, it’s going to take more than your friends getting drunk and climbing trellises to put me off you…” He declared, Ashley smiling at his words. “I really like you, Ashley, and I’m willing to do anything to show you that…”

Ashley held her breath as Austin inched closer to her, his mouth millimeters away from hers and her lips went dry at the thought of him kissing her. One small movement from either of them and their lips would be pressed against each other’s, it was a moment Ashley never saw coming and one that she wished would last forever but then there was a loud crash and an eruption of laughter in the back garden and Austin looked up, craning his neck to see what was going on out of the window.

“What was that?” He wanted to know, Ashley letting out a sigh and fanning her hand.

“Probably Bat-Rev trying to climb something again….” The brunette groaned.

“Bat-Rev?” Austin looked back at her, puzzled and Ashley nodded, gesturing towards the door.

“Come on, let’s go see what chaos he’s caused now…”

Ashley and Austin walked out into the garden, Matt’s gaze falling on them instantly. He felt his heart sink down to his stomach at the sight of the pretty brunette with another guy and although he had Val on his lap he couldn’t help but feel jealous when Ashley reached out and took Austin’s hand.

“What on earth is going on out here?” The brunette asked, Raven looking up from her spot on Brian’s lap and grinning as she pointed to Jimmy sprawled out in the flower beds.

“He tried to climb the wall…” The redhead laughed. “And failed…”

“Austin, this is Bat-Rev…” Ashley giggled, pointing at her drummer friend who pulled a purple flower out of the ground beside him and stuck it into his mouth, biting the petals off.

Jimmy glanced up at her, his brow furrowing when he noticed Austin standing beside her; “Hey, the position of tall freak has already been filled…”

“I can see that…” Austin laughed, Jimmy sitting up and glancing over at Brian who shrugged his shoulders, burying his face in the crook of Raven’s neck.

Jimmy looked back at Ashley, half covering his mouth as he whispered; “Who’s the stiff?”

“This would be my date, Austin…” Ashley replied, a stunned silence falling over the small group of friends.

After what seemed like an eternity but was actually only seconds, Matt cleared his throat and lifted Val off his lap so that he could rise to his feet.

“I, uh, I need a beer….” He announced, making his way into the house, Val watching him leave and folding her arms over her chest like a child who had just lost their favorite toy.

Raven looked up at Ashley who shrugged her shoulders and led Austin over to the oak tree to sit down beside Gabby and Johnny, striking up a conversation with the teenage couple. The redhead untangled herself from around Brian, placing a gentle kiss on his forehead before she started heading towards the back door.

“Matt, can I talk to you for a second?” Raven asked the hazel-eyed singer upon entering the kitchen.

Matt glanced at the deck chair outside where Val was seated and then back at the redhead who was asking for his attention; “Sure Rae, do you need anything?”

She looked at the drink in her cup, turning the glass in her hands before allowing her gaze to meet Matt's.

“What's going on between you and Ash? Because every time I see her look at you, she looks like she's going to burst into tears...”
Raven started to explain. “And you bring Val over here but then get all huffy when Ash brings her own date…”

Matt began digging in the fridge, retrieving a bottle of beer and cracking the top off. He shrugged his shoulders, sipping out of his new bottle before replying.

“There’s nothing going on. Like I told you this morning, I’ve moved on,” He stated, Raven's blue eyes narrowing on him.

“I'm not buying that bullshit for a second, Sanders,” Rae told him. “I know there’s still something there between you two…”

Matt shook his head, “Well, obviously not, considering she brought a date tonight.”

Raven shook her head, a solemn look on her face; “She only said yes to that guy because you flaunted Barbie right under her nose yesterday, you know that, right?”

“Look, Rae,” Matt started. “I know you’re only looking out for her and I get that, I do. But, the fact is, she ended things with me. She could have stayed with me but she didn’t. It’s not my fault that she’s having a hard time moving on…”

“No, but it’s your fault that she has no heart to move on with,” Rae snapped, her eyes locked on his. “Do yourself a favor and take your head out of your ass before it’s too late, Matt. Play house with Barbie all you want but you and I both know that she’s not the girl you’re supposed to be with…” She turned on her heels, flicking her hair back over her shoulders and walking back out into the garden to re-join Brian and the others.

Matt slumped down into a chair, resting his head in his hands and wondering how things had got so messed up and how he was supposed to fix it. Raven was right, Ashley was still the girl who held his heart. Now he just had to figure out how to get out of the mess he was in before Ashley was out of his reach for good.