A/N: Final chapter, finally lol. Sorry it took so long there's just been so much going on (I'll not bore you with the details) but to make it up to you it's actually pretty long lol. Hope you's enjoy it, let me know what you's think. Oh! and thanks for being so patient.
Mitchie's Prov
The sobs broke loose the minute I hung up the phone, and I only noticed I was physically shaking because of them when Caitlyn and Ella began helping me to my feet and on to the sofa in my living room.
I caught their questions and reassurances between sobs.
"What happened?"
"Did you and Shane fight?"
"It'll be fine, Mitchie. You's will be speaking again in no time."
I couldn't answer them; it felt like I had no control over my sobs or tears, I couldn't stop them or even slow them down.
I could tell even through my foggy vision that my sobs of hysteria were worrying my friends, I was even worrying myself slightly, I'd never been in so much pain before. Was this heart break?
Shane's Prov
I hung up in a state of shock; I didn't want to believe what I'd just heard…this couldn't be happening to me again.
But it was.
All the signs were there the unbearable pain in my chest, the feeling that I had no strength to hold myself up so I let myself slowly sink to the ground then there was the stinging sensation behind my eyelids and soon enough warm moist tears were over-spilling and making their way down my cheeks, tears I hadn't shed in years over a girl.
I stayed in a pile on the floor trying to get her words out of my head for god knows how long, but when I heard the front door open, I wiped at my eyes vigorously and pushed myself off the tiled floor before launching myself towards my bedroom to hide.
Why was this happening to me again? I had just managed to stitch the pieces of my last broken heart back together all with Mitchie's help, now I felt new fractures begin to separate the stitches again and rip my heart apart.
"No!" I found myself shouting out loud before grabbing my phone again; I wasn't letting her do this to me.
Mitchie's Prov
Ring! Ring!
Seeing his name flash up on my caller I.D. made the tears come faster and the sobs louder.
Caitlyn switched it off quickly when she seen what it was doing to me.
Shane's Prov
When my first call got disconnected I tried again, this time it went straight to voice mail. She was screening my calls, I felt the pain in my chest throb at the thought, why did I make an issue out of the her practical joke I should have left it alone the beep of her answering machine made me jump out of my thoughts and I began to voice them quickly. I couldn't let her go, I wouldn't.
"Mitchie, I'm so sorry." The words came out in a rush like at any moment it would beep again to indicate there was no more room. "I don't know why I made a big deal out of it, I'm sorry, please don't break up with me over this please Mitchie I need you. Pick up please. Mitch, please, I admit I was wrong, c'mon Mitchie I need you, we were supposed to be together."
Somewhere in the middle of my begging and pleading the tears started again and I was unable to form a coherent sentence and soon enough the beep came and the line disconnected.
It hadn't even been two minutes since she dumped me and I was a mess.
"Shane?" Nate whispered sympathetically behind me.
Mitchie's Prov
It took a while but my heart break soon cried itself out – either that or with all my crying I finally dehydrated myself and couldn't cry anymore - and I was able to explain to my friends what happened.
"Aw, Mitch." Ella sighed sympathetically pulling me into a hug after I explained.
"It's obvious what you have to do now." Caitlyn said stroking my hair. "You have to tell him you didn't mean it, and get back together with him."
Her answer had me twisting out of Ella's embrace and looking at her as if she had just lost it.
"What? It's obvious you still like him. It's not natural for the dumpee to feel like the one who was dumped." Caitlyn defended herself quickly.
"Of course, I still like him." I allowed. "But, didn't you hear how he reacted to that prank. I don't want him to be embarrassed by me and I definitely don't want to cost him his career. If I let our relationship continue any longer it would have ended way worst."
"C'mon Mitchie, you don't know that it could end worst." Caitlyn argued. "It mightn't have ended at…"
"Ssh, Caity I don't want to hear it." I shouted interrupting her and covering my ears like a four year old. "Maybe you's should just go."
"Mitchie." Both of them began to protest.
"Please." I begged getting up from the sofa and gesturing to the door.
Neither argued as they got up from the sofa and made their way past me to the front door and only Caity spoke when they left.
"Sorry." She mumbled before closing the door.
I took an unsteady breath as I let myself slide down the doorway of my living room, this was gonna be hard but the pain now would be better than the agonising pain that would be harder to recover from later if I had let it go on.
Shane's Prov
"I'm sorry, I was walking by and I heard…um…are you o.k.? Wait, that's a stupid question of course you're not o.k. What happened? Never mind you probably don't want to talk about it." Nate rambled on nervously. "Um…I should just leave you alone you probably want time to…yeah…" He looked as if he were struggling to find something to say as he looked between my room and the hallway.
It took me a while to realise why he was acting this way; he'd seen me this way before so I knew what he was expecting he was expecting me to kick him out of my room to take it all out on him and Jason before curling up helplessly and blaming myself.
Nate's Prov
I had one foot in the hall, I wasn't sure why I was waiting around I had been through this with him before and if I didn't leave now he'd just get angry and shout at me he didn't want us seeing him so vulnerable but at the same time I didn't want to leave, a good friend doesn't leave.
"She broke up with me."
It wasn't so much his words that made me turn around it was his tone it was like someone was choking him as he said it.
Shane's Prov
"Nate, what am I supposed to do without her?"
The surprise – that I was letting him in - in Nate's eyes was quickly replaced with sympathy.
Mitchie's Prov
The day after...it happened the paps cleared from my lawn, how Shane's publicist managed it, I didn't really want to know. I stayed away from anything that could tell me in fact I was so out of touch with the outside world, World War Three could have broken out and I wouldn't have known. The only glimpse of the world I got the past couple of days was just the quick peek out my window I'd take to see if the paps came back, sometimes I wished they would come back it would mean things hadn't changed but I tried hard not to think like that. Every now and again I'd hope to see a silver Porsche parked in my drive too when I looked out the window but I tried hard to block that thought out of my mind as well.
"How is she?" Ella's voiced travelled up from my living room and into my room, I hadn't called them since that day so they were obviously here because of my mum.
"She's still in her room, she hasn't come out in the last couple of days, hasn't got dressed either she just sits up there listening to their…" My mum stopped saying "Connect Three" and "Shane" the minute it all fell apart. "…album over and over again I don't think she'd eat only I force her to. She really needs you girls."
"I don't know why she's putting herself through all this if it's hurting her this badly." Caitlyn said confusedly.
"You know Mitchie she's always put her head over her heart." My mum answered. "If she thinks it could have ended worse and this was the better option, you know she was going to take it."
"I hate seeing her put herself through this." Ella muttered.
"Do you know if she's called Nate?" Caitlyn asked. "He's been asking for her, she hasn't been taken his calls."
I felt a little guilty when Caitlyn mentioned Nate, he had been trying to get in touch with me but I selfishly choose not to talk to him, it would be too hard. I had been blocking everyone out recently and at that realisation I felt worse.
"I doubt it." My mum sighed. "After you girls are done, will you's come find me and let me know how she is? It's just I've been trying to give her space."
I even drove my mum away so far that she's given me space, mum's never give their children space especially mine!
"Sure, no problem Connie." Caitlyn agreed the same moment I heard the creak of the first step.
I jumped up quickly, the guilt overpowering my sadness – for a moment anyway – I owed these people, the people who have been in my life a lot longer than Shane Grey, to be happy and if that wasn't possible I'd pretend for them, in time the pain would get easier and I wouldn't have to pretend. I combed my hair through quickly, dosed myself in perfume and grabbed one of my make up wipes and scrubbed my face quickly before pushing the curtains opened.
I gave myself the once over in my vanity mirror it wasn't a big improvement but I couldn't do much else as a knock came on my door.
"C'mon in." I called as enthusiastically as I could.
They walked in cautiously like they were entering the lions den; it would've been funny if it wasn't my room they were entering like something was going to attack them, they were my friends they shouldn't feel like that.
"Hey Mitchie." They smiled weakly together.
"Hi." I smiled broadly getting up to embrace them in a group hug. The smile felt strange on my lips it had been a while since I last smiled and because I was faking it now it felt wrong and strained because of how much effort I was putting into it.
When I stepped back from them I just caught the last bit of their confused glances at each other.
"What's up?" I smiled before turning around to plonk myself down on my bed. When I turned back around though, they both had their arms folded over their chests and were wearing expressions that read "we're not buying it". I felt my smile falter and a sigh and eye-roll take its place, "What?"
"Please don't insult our intelligence." Caitlyn sighed sitting down next to me.
"I'm not." I defended myself quickly. "I'm not insulting you. I'm not doing anything."
"You're pretending you're fine when you're not. It's a tiny bit insulting if you think we're gonna buy it." Ella smiled weakly sitting on my other side.
I gave up my charade quickly and let my face fall back into the mask of sadness it had got accustomed to in the past week, "I'm sorry." I apologised weakly. "I just thought…maybe it would be better…it would stop me from dragging you's down too."
"We're your friends Mitchie, we don't mind being brought down as long as we can be there for you." Caitlyn smiled reassuringly before given me a sideways hug.
"But we're not really here to be brought down; we're here to bring you up." Ella smiled brightly.
Her smile had me worried instantly. That worry must have shown in my face as both of them giggled at me.
"Ella had this idea." Caitlyn smiled. "To take your mind off…everything."
"What idea?" I asked, the worry showed in my voice too.
"I'm surprised you can't guess, don't you know what date it is?" Caitlyn asked teasingly.
Her smile soon faded though as I looked at her ashamedly and began shaking my head, I didn't even know what day it was never mind the date those things sort of escaped you when you've been curled up in a ball on your bed for most of the week.
I think they thought I didn't see the glance they exchange before Ella started speaking, "It's August twentieth." She smiled even though I seen the sympathy in her eyes.
I was concentrating so hard on the look in her eyes that it took me a while to realise what that date stood for, Frankie – a fellow senior – threw a beach party every year on the twentieth a kind of last hurray before summer was over, this year it was supposed to be a bigger bash because everyone was leaving for college.
"Ella." I started; about to protest the last thing I wanted was to go to a party, right now, all I wanted was to pig out on a pile of junk food and watch horror movies with my friends now I was willing to let them in. But then the guilt stepped in again and I remembered I'd promised to try and not pull them down too, I owed them. "Sure, I'll go." I smiled weakly, because it wasn't as broad as my previous fake smiles I think they brought it.
They left me a while later, to get their stuff then they were going to come back to mine to get ready. I thought it would be a good idea to call Nate back now I had time alone, even though he had only been my friend for a couple of months I owed him as much as I owed my life long best friends.
His phone only rung once.
"Mitchie?" He sounded relieved and excited.
Shane's Prov
"Mitchie?"
I heard Nate exclaim in the kitchen – he could have whispered it and I still would've heard – I got my hopes up instantly, she was here. I rushed to the kitchen quickly but when I heard the gap in the conversation before Nate asked how she was I realised he was on the phone to her.
It had to be hard for him being friends with both of us, I knew he tried to call her often to see how she was doing when he wasn't consoling me - and thought I didn't realise what he was doing – but she never took his call before and I seen that he was upset by that fact, for a while I thought she was trying to make a clean break from all of us.
I felt my eyes begin to well up; this was the longest time since…it happened that I had allowed myself to think about her.
I found myself curled up in the foetal position on my bed – acting like someone had just died - with Nate and Jason consoling me for the first couple of days I probably would have stayed that way longer if I hadn't noticed Jason and Nate exchanging the same looks as last time, the worried "is he going to pull out of this" looks. When I noticed them I forced myself out of bed so they'd stop worrying, even if I was still miserable and heart broken.
It had been slightly easier letting my friends in this time but what made it easier again was trying not to think about her and I'd managed that for a while with only a couple of slip ups, up until now. I felt the ache in my heart make itself known again, the stinging sensation in my eyes, the lump in my throat making it hard for me to breath. I had to hold onto the door frame to hold myself up; the shock of how hard the pain was hitting me nearly knocked me to the ground. How was it still this painful? Wasn't time supposed to ease these things?
"I'm sure you have been better." Nate spoke.
So, she was feeling it too. I wasn't sure if that knowledge was supposed to make me feel better or worst.
"How about I come over tonight? It's been ages since I seen you."
Mitchie's Prov
I would've jumped at his offer if I hadn't already made plans but not surprisingly my explanation of why he couldn't come over was not the first thing I voiced.
"Wouldn't Shane mind you coming over?" I asked, wincing at the painful throb my heart gave when I said his name.
"I don't think so I'm sure he'd understand." Nate answered.
"Oh." Was all I managed to say.
He didn't speak for a while probably expecting me to say something else but when he realised I didn't have anything else to say he spoke again "So, what time do you want me to come over?"
"Um…you can't come over I've plans." I sighed rolling my eyes slightly.
Shane's Prov
"Beach party in Santa Monica, really?" Nate asked confusedly. "Ah, Ella's idea, that explains it." He chuckled once.
If it was possible I started feeling worse, she was going to a party? If she was going to a party she couldn't be that upset, did she even miss me at all?
"Oh if they've just arrived I'll let you guys be to get ready." I heard Nate say into the phone. "But can we meet up tomorrow? I mean there's so much we have to catch up on especially what's been going on the past week cause to be honest with you I really don't get it, Caitlyn tried to explain…"
Of course Nate didn't get it; I still didn't get it fully! This was ridiculous! Suddenly my heart ache was over shadowed by some kind of mixture between frustration and determination. I deserved answers and damn it I'd be getting them…tonight!
Mitchie's Prov
My friends and I had never been typical girly girls who took hours to get ready which explained why we were pulling up on Frankie's drive forty minutes later squeezing in among the many other cars.
I hadn't bothered dressing up, I usually would have at least put on skirt or dress and curled my hair for a party but I just wasn't in the mood. Instead I just stuck on my favourite denim skinny jeans, a beige and gold coloured tank top and my knee high brown boots, I left my hair down but Ella insisted she straighten it for me, I wore very little make up and the only accessories I had were my gold gypsy ear-rings.
When we left the car we were met by thumping dance beats I sighed as a shut the car door, I didn't want to be here. Ella and Caitlyn were at the door before I was both looking way more feminine and prettier than me. I got to the door as it was being pulled opened by Frankie himself, who seemed to be suffering from nostalgia as he was wearing his letterman jacket.
"Ah ladies, you made it." He smiled before his eyes widened a little when they found me behind them. "Mitchie, you came!" He seemed surprised, even though I'd been to every one of his summer bashes his sophomore year. "Where's…"
My friends silenced him quickly as they pushed him into his summer condo letting themselves in, but I knew what he was gonna ask, or more specifically who he was going to ask for and even almost hearing his name had my heart given out a painful squeeze. This night was gonna be worst than I expected, my friends weren't going to be able to intercept everyone at this party that knew about Shane and I.
Shane's Prov
I pulled into the driveway and quickly got out of the car before jogging up to the front door and given it three quick knocks. It had took me ages to get here the traffic had been murder and all the traffic lights seemed to be against me, I mean ten red lights in a row had to be a new record.
It was a couple of seconds after I knocked that the door was being pulled opened allowing a pool of light fall over me.
"Hi Shane." I expected her mum to be a little surprised to see me on their door step but she wasn't, it seemed like she had been expecting it.
"Hi, Mrs Torres." I smiled as politely as I could although my impatience was shouting at me to barge on past her and go looking for Mitchie. "I know this is unexpected but I really need to talk to Mitchie." I felt one of the fractures in my heart ache as I said her name out loud for the first time in a long while.
"I'm sorry Shane, she's gone out." She apologised sincerely.
"Oh right the party." I tried to say coolly.
Her mum looked surprised I knew about it, "How…?"
"Nate was telling me about it I was hoping to catch her before she left." I answered trying to be as truthful as possible. "I suppose I'll just talk to her there." I said turning back to the drive; Nate said the party was in Santa Monica, right? I'd be getting my answers tonight even if I have to go to every door out there.
"Shane." Her mum called making me turn around to face her again. "I know this isn't my place and I really shouldn't get involved but…please, please don't go to that party." She pleaded.
I felt my forehead crease and a confused look sweep across my face, "What?"
"This is the first time she's left the house since you and her split up; I don't want to think what it might do to her if she sees you so soon."
"I'm sorry Mrs Torres, but I have to see her we have to talk this out. I need her." I confessed before jogging down the drive and jumping into my car and speeding off.
Mitchie's Prov
This party got more like one you would see in a teen movie every year I thought rolling my eyes as two boys helped their friend up to do a keg stand in the middle of the living room before everyone around them starting chanting "chug chug".
I'd lost Caitlyn and Ella the minute I stepped in the door they were probably off explaining to Frankie why he couldn't mention Shane around me not that he was the only one that knew, as I wandered around absently looking for Caitlyn and Ella every so often I'd catch a few people staring at me then whispering to the group they were in, which is why I didn't stay in the same room too long if I stuck around long enough someone was bound to get up enough courage to ask me about him.
I started for the kitchen when I noticed people staring at me as I watched the phenomenon that was under age drinking.
"Well, well look who it is." A boisterous male voice called out loudly the minute I walked into the kitchen.
I felt my muscles tightening up reflexively and my mouth twist into a grimace, having Shane on the brain since I met him made me forget about some of the less pleasant people in my life. I sighed and rolled my eyes before turning around to find him, he was at the other end of the island that was in the middle of the kitchen, where a mixture of juniors and seniors had paused their game of beer pong and were all staring at me, but unlike the open mouth, star struck gawks the others were wearing he had his uniform superior smirk plastered to his face.
"Hunter." I acknowledged him in a monotone voice before turning to leave again.
"Wait, wait." He called after me before moving so he could lean over the island to catch my wrist.
I gritted my teeth together as I turned around, "What?" I spoke through them.
"What no smile for me?" He asked still grinning; there was something about that smile that made me want to punch him in the face. "You know how I loved that smile." He stage whispered –trying to be alluring – as he brushed his finger lightly over my bottom lip.
I smacked his hand away reflexively and pulled my wrist out of his grasp in the same moment, "Get lost." I spat before turning around again.
I was in the living room again before he caught up with me our audience from the kitchen following him.
"Wait Mitch, I'm sorry." He called loudly so I could hear him over the music, as he grabbed my wrist again spinning me around and pulling me closer to him. "I just can't help myself around you." He tried to flirt once again.
I pulled my wrist out of his grasp once again and took a couple of steps away from him; I didn't want to get a rash from being so close to the ass. It took me a while to notice our little scene had got the attention of most of the people in the living room and someone even had turned the music down.
"Hunter, why don't you go into the street and play with traffic." I hissed at him.
"O.k. o.k. no more teasing, I promise." He smiled fakely. "How about I make it up to you?" He asked that stupid smirk returning.
I eyed him suspiciously.
"Luke!" He shouted over my head, I followed his gaze to a boy standing in the corner next to the C.D player. "Can you put on some music for Mitchie?" He continued cockily. "What do you say Mitchie, a little Connect Three?" His sniggering was joint by a few others.
There was a sudden pain in my heart the minute he said the name – yes I had done nothing for the past week but listen to their album but I never had to hear their name – I felt a lump build in my throat and burning sensation of tears begin to build up behind my eyes but I refused to cry here it would please him too much. "Hunter, why don't you just drop dead!" I yelled angrily at him before pushing through the crowd to the kitchen again and escaping out the sliding doors to the back yard.
I wrapped my arms around myself; the sheer temperature difference was phenomenal compared to the heat in the house all the close pack bodies were generating.
"Mitchie!?"
I rolled my eyes, was he serious? Was I ever going to get away from him this night?
"Mitchie!?" He yelled again.
I walked on further down the large lawn and past the pool ignoring him, I frowned when I had to stop when I found no back gate to escape out of, how did these people get out to the beach? I heard his footsteps getting closer so I tried to scan the fence quickly it wasn't that high if I climbed up this side it would be an o.k. drop onto the sand on the other side I thought as I gript the wood tightly and put one foot in a gap pushing myself up with the other.
"Oh come on Mitch." He sighed heavily behind me.
"My name is Mitchie not Mitch." I said through my teeth, but not because I was angry this time more because this fence climbing was harder than I thought.
"Your not going to get anywhere fast by climbing the fence." I could almost hear the smile in his voice.
"I don't need to get anywhere fast, just away from yo-u." The last word was changed from one syllable to two as two strong hands gript my waist firmly and began pulling me off the fence. "Let go!" I shouted hanging onto the fence tighter but it was no use he was stronger than me and soon both my feet were on the grass again. "What?!" I fumed turning around to face him roughly removing his hands from my waist and backing up until the fence stopped me from getting any further away from him.
"I just wanted to apologise." He said putting up his hands defensively.
I looked at him sceptically.
"Seriously." He said earnestly stretching one arm out so it was on the fence beside my head and leaning closer to me. He looked at the ground for a split second before looking up to look me in the eyes, "What I said in there was uncalled for. I know you and Shane are over it was a low shot I was just showing off. So, I'm sorry." I'd never seen him look so honest since we'd dated, which was a long, long time ago.
"Apology accepted." I couldn't help but smile when a sweet smile washed across his face.
"So, I've been thinking…" He smiled crookedly, bringing the hand that was leaning against the fence down so it was caressing my hair while he placed his other hand on my shoulder and gently trailed it down my arm, making the hairs on my arm stand up, then lacing his fingers through mind when he reached my hand. I was too dazed and confused by the turn in this conversation to stop him from doing either. "…a lot about you recently and about how we left things. Mitchie, what do you think about given it another try?"
His crooked smile and the way his blue eyes sparkled in the moonlight made me remember why I liked him in the first place and his honesty made me like him a little more but it wasn't even a glimmer next to how I felt about Shane. "I can't, I'm sorry." I apologised.
It killed me as I watched him grimace, "It's him isn't it?"
"Not just him." I lied quickly before fishing for other things that would keep us apart. "At the end of the summer you're off to Michigan to play college football and I'll be at U.C that's over two thousand miles we'd be spending apart during the college year."
"I guess that's a good reason." He agreed reluctantly before something lit up his expression. "We have two weeks till then though." He said hopefully.
"Um…I don't think that's a good idea." Cause I'm in love with Shane! I wanted to scream at him – even though we weren't together - why was he doing this to me now? I was confused enough already.
"Well, let's just have tonight then." He said putting both hands against the fence and leaning in closer to me.
I watched shell shocked as he tilted his head slightly as he closed the gap between us. I snapped out of it quickly and moved my head just in time leaving him kissing the air.
"Why did you do that?" He smiled asking the question but I heard the underlying annoyance in his voice as he tried again.
I dodged his lips again, "Hunter, I don't think this is right."
"You don't need to pretend your shy around me." His smile wasn't as sweet anymore he was half smirking now as he leant his head closer to me but not to kiss me this time to whisper even though we were alone. "I read the articles, Mitch." He smiled brushing his finger tips up and down my neck. "I know what you and that rockstar were getting up to. We can have that for tonight or as long as you want." He stopped brushing his fingers up and down my neck and began trailing them over my collar bone and down my side grazing my chest with his thumb before travelling on down to my hip stopping to pull me closer to him.
I felt myself stiffen as his words sunk in and I released what he was getting at, and the way he was staring at me I knew whatever I said or did it wasn't going to make a difference now, he knew what he wanted. I started feeling panicky he was too strong for me to try to take on myself and we were too far away from the house for anyone to help me. I froze up more as he started roughly caressing the skin that my top left exposed; I found the ability to speak as his hands began to go up my top.
"Hunter, stop." I said sternly trying to push his hands back down.
"Babe, you know you want this too." He whispered huskily in my ear before kissing my neck hungrily.
"Hunter, stop!"I shouted finding my voice. "Get off of me!"
His hand found my bra clasp and quickly on done it, it was hopeless I couldn't believe this was happening to me I felt the tears come on quickly and blur my vision, "Stop." I begged my sobs making my words shake.
The night breeze he was shielding me from suddenly hit me and his hands that were on my skin suddenly disappeared, I let myself sink to the ground my legs too weak to hold me up. There was a blur of movement in front of me but I couldn't see through the tears, I knew I should be able to hear what was happening but all I could hear were my own sobs. I tried to muffle my sobs using one of my hands and used the other to wipe furiously at my eyes so I could see.
It took a while but soon I was able to see and even though my sobs hadn't totally stopped I had managed to quieten them. There were two bodies rolling around on the grass four feet from me, one was definitely Hunter I could see his frosted spikes and every now and again I heard him grunt or wince in pain. The fight seemed about even and with the constant movement I couldn't tell who the other person was, until Hunter forced him down into a pool of moon light. A sob got caught in my throat when I seen his perfect face - the face I loved – bruised and cut, yet he didn't show if he was in pain he just looked ready to murder Hunter. Thinking Hunter's name made me look at him he had the advantage now as he pinned Shane down and raised his fist over Shane's face ready to deliver another blow. I dunno where I found the strength but I found myself flying towards Hunter's kneeling body, the impact sending us both tumbling over a foot away from Shane in a pile.
"Mitchie, get out of my way." He growled shoving me off him; obviously my attempt to save Shane hadn't even fazed him.
"No, don't hurt him." I begged trying to pull him back, Shane still wasn't up right.
He grabbed my wrists roughly and threw me backwards making me scratch my face on a stone, "I'll be finished with him soon then we can finish what we started." He smirked evilly.
He sauntered over to Shane and smirked as he watched Shane try to get to his feet, I wanted to scream at Shane to get up but I couldn't find my voice I just stared at the scene horrified. Hunter grabbed the back of Shane's hair roughly dragging him to his knees and raised his fist once again to deliver the blow that I was sure was gonna knock Shane out. I didn't want to watch but I couldn't look away.
Suddenly everything felt like it was going in slow motion, Hunter raising his fist, Shane closing his eyes tightly preparing himself for what was about to happen. Then I felt a brisk breeze whisking past me on either side, and I watched relieved as my prayers were answered.
"Hey!" Jason called out as he and Nate pulled Hunter around using both his shoulders making him let go of Shane so he was in a pile on the ground.
"Why don't you try taking all of Connect Three on?" Nate smirked.
Then like out of some humorous action movie both of them hit him in the ribs at the same time.
Unfortunately though it only fazed him for a couple of seconds then he was ready to take them on too, but before he managed to swing at Nate or Jason two pairs of arms trapped him.
I hadn't noticed that half the party had followed Nate and Jason out into the back yard and were gawking at the scene in front of them opened mouthed.
"Let's go dude." Frankie said in a demanding voice as he and another boy dragged Hunter towards the house.
"Get out of the way!" I heard Caitlyn demand, pulling my attention back towards the crowd as she and Ella barged through to get to my side.
"Are you o.k.?" Caitlyn asked concernedly before noticing the scrape on my cheek. "You're bleeding." She exclaimed bringing it to my attention for the first time since I got it.
I dapped at my cheek with my finger wincing a little when it stung.
"We should clean it up." She insisted as both of them helped me to my feet.
"We're so sorry." Ella burst out when they steadied me. "We didn't mean to leave you alone for so long. We're really really sorry."
"It's o.k. Ella. It was my own fault I shouldn't have come out here by myself." I assured her as they lead me towards the house the crowd quickly separating to let us through.
"Don't blame yourself!" Caitlyn scolded quickly. "It was that jerk's fault."
Shane's Prov
"Dude, are you o.k.?" Nate asked quickly kneeling beside me.
"Fine." I said absently as I watched Mitchie – I would have went over to her but I didn't have the strength to stand yet – to make sure she was all right, she only had a small graze on her cheek that I watched Caitlyn point out to her.
"Are you sure?" Jason asked poking my eyebrow making me wince and showing me my blood on his finger.
"Is it bad?" I asked.
"You have a cut above your eyebrow, a busted lip and I'm pretty sure you're gonna have a bruise on your left cheek, but no it's not that bad." Jason chuckled light heartedly making me chuckle too.
"The label is not going to be happy." I sighed.
"They'll find a way to spin it to their advantage they always do." Nate reassured me. "We better get you fixed up a little." He commented helping me to my feet.
"Um...actually I was going to…" I trailed off looking towards where Mitchie had been only to get a glimpse of her disappearing into the house.
"Oh right, sure dude we get it." Jason smiled encouragingly.
I turned to jog after her but then something occurred to me, "How did you guys know where I was?" I asked turning around.
"Caitlyn called." Nate explained. "Go get her." He smiled shoving me lightly.
I gave them a brief smile – that hurt the corner of my bottom lip making me remember what Jason had said about a busted lip – before pushing through the crowd and making my way into the house.
Mitchie's Prov
Caitlyn and Ella helped me up to the first floor bathroom, with both of them constantly apologising as they did. It took a while for me to convince them I didn't blame them for what happened and even longer for me to convince them I was capable of cleaning my cut by myself; I had to resort to lying about needing the bathroom to get them to leave me alone. I wasn't angry with them, I just needed alone time to get my head around everything that had happened in such a small amount of time.
I studied myself in the floor length mirror after I closed the door on my friends, I hadn't thought I looked good when I arrived but it was safe to say I looked even worse now. My cream top and jeans were covered in muck; Hunter had even managed to rip my top a little and as I remembered about my bra being undone and tried to re-do it I felt a little rip on my strap too. My hair was no longer straight but matted and dirty from the ground like my clothes, I frowned a little at my appearance but reminded myself it could have been worse as I went to the sink and turned on the hot water to clean the dried in blood from my face. I used a face cloth that was laying by the sink and ran the hot water over it before dabbing my cheek with it when all the blood was gone I lent over the sink to study my cut only to wince as the sink pushed into my side. I moved quickly and pulled my top up on both of my sides there were four red marks –that were going to be bruises eventually I could tell - and were perfect images of Hunter's fingers.
Jerk, I thought bitterly as the tears began to well up again as I pulled my top back down.
Knock! Knock!
"Guys, I'm fine. I'll be out soon." I called back, wiping my eyes quickly.
They didn't listen, as usual, and just walked on in making me turn around and face them. Only it wasn't them.
Shane's Prov
"Hi." I smiled lopsidedly. "Did you know they had more than one bathroom in this place?" I tried to joke to keep it light.
I watched as her eyes began to well up a little before she threw herself across the room at me and wrap her arms firmly around my waist, "Thank you." She choked out as she buried her face into my chest and tightened her arms around me.
I wanted to tell her that I'd always look out for her and hug her back, but as she squeezed me harder a sheering pain travelled along my ribs, "Ah." I winced.
"Oh, I'm sorry." She apologised quickly taking two steps away from me. I didn't want her to move away from me, even if it was sore in the moment she hugged me I felt complete again.
I watched her study me, a horrified look spreading across her face I wondered how bad I looked to her.
"Are you o.k.?" She asked.
"I'm fine." I answered, but I was starting to notice the throb above my eyebrow, taste the blood from my lip and the pain in my ribs was getting worse, but I just wanted to forget about it and talk to her, it had been too long since I seen her last.
But my answer didn't seem to convince her, "Sit." She instructed. "Let me clean you up."
I did as I was told sitting down on the edge of the bath, as she turned around and began running water over a face cloth. She sat beside me when she was done and touched the cloth to the cut above my eyebrow, which made me wince a little.
"Sorry." She apologised taking the cloth away from my face immediately.
"It's fine." I reassured her quickly.
She studied me for a split second probably debating whether to continue or not so I gave her a reassuring smile, she smiled back –that beautiful wide smile that showed her teeth and was as contagious as the cold- before moving closer to me and started dabbing at the cut more lightly this time.
We sat in silence as she worked on my face and I studied hers, I had missed her strawberry and cream complexion, her beautiful big eyes and those lips. Her hair moved slightly as she began dapping my lip letting me see the cut on her cheek close up for the first time. I didn't think about what I was doing, I forgot it probably wasn't the way to behave when you weren't dating someone, but I brushed her hair back behind her ears gently then put my finger and thumb under her chin and moved her head to the side so I could see it better. She held perfectly still as I done it, knowing exactly what I was studying, it didn't look as bad now she had cleaned it, just a few grazes and a little bruising but I still felt the same red hot anger burn beneath my skin from when I seen him attacking her.
"It's not as bad as it looks." She reassured me.
"I should've drowned him in that pool." I spat angrily releasing her.
"You wouldn't have wanted his murder ruining your reputation." She tried to joke.
"Well, I should have been able to do something besides get my ass kicked." I frowned at the floor. "I should have been able to protect you better."
Her hand slid down my cheek to find my chin and forced me to look at her, "You did protect me." She reassured me holding my face between her hands so she was looking into my eyes.
"Not well enough." I sighed - her touch extinguishing my anger – as I moved my hand to her cheek with the scratch on it.
I dunno what happened in that moment, with our hands caressing each others cheeks and our eyes meeting, I felt complete, whole, that depression left me completely now she was here. I wound my other arm around her waist and pulled her closer to me, pausing to gage her reaction she smiled as her hands moved from my cheeks to the back of my head and tangled themselves in my hair as they pushed my face closer to hers allowing our lips to meet. The kiss wasn't careful or soft, it was full of passion, want and longing I pulled her closer to me still ignoring the ache in my ribs I moved my lips down her chin to her neck and along her collar bone again and again
"I'm so in love with you." I managed to say between kisses. "I've missed you so much. I'm so happy we're together again."
She froze suddenly loosing her hands from my hair and letting them fall to her side before sliding to the other end of the bath away from me.
"Mitchie, what's wrong? Did I hurt you?" I asked concernedly moving to get beside her.
She stood up before I could wrap my arms around her and moved to stand with her back against the sink so she was looking at me.
"I can't." She whispered so low I wasn't even sure that's what she said.
"What?"
"I said I can't." She spoke louder.
"Can't what?" I asked standing up so I was in front of her and rubbed her arm.
She moved her arm out of the way and walked to the door of the bathroom, "Can't be with you." She answered before leaving me in the bathroom alone. If it was possible it hurt more hearing it from her in person than over the phone.
Mitchie's Prov
The tears over spilled as I ran downstairs desperate to escape, I shouldn't have let it get that far I should have thanked him and got out of there as soon as I could. How could I have let it happen? I should have been stronger. It was going to make everything so much harder now.
Caitlyn, Ella, Jason and Nate were waiting at the bottom of the stairs and the minute they seen me coming they went from happy to concerned.
"Mitchie, what happened?" Ella asked rushing to my side.
"We need to leave." I sniffed.
They nodded indicating they understood and rushed out the door in front of me. I followed them out the door and across the grass towards Caitlyn's car after throwing Nate and Jason a weak smile. Our exit was getting a lot of attention; I heard murmurs of sympathy as I walked past groups of people my arms wrapped around myself and hair brushed over my shoulders hiding my face so no-one could see the mess I actually was.
"Mitchie!"
I closed my eyes tighter and walked towards the car faster, pretending I couldn't hear him.
"Mitchie!"
He was closer I really wanted to break out into a run to get away from him but my heart wouldn't let me.
"What?" I yelled turning around to face him. "What do you want Shane? I've said all I need to say you know how I feel. I don't want to be with you." The lie burned in my throat on the way out, but if I said it out loud maybe he'd believe me and leave me alone and make this all easier to get over.
"I don't believe you." He answered calmly –which was odd after I just screamed at him - coming to a stop in front of me. "I know you still love me."
"I don't." I argued weakly. "Just leave me alone." I yelled trying to make my voice stronger before turning for the car.
"I'm leaving the band!" He shouted after me.
I heard gasps all around me one of which was probably mine.
"Are you crazy?!" I hissed turning around to face him again. "You can't shout things like that about, especially when you're not being serious."
"I am being serious." He frowned. "I came here looking for answers but suddenly everything is making sense. You don't want to be with me because of what me being famous entails; you don't want to be in the spotlight, so if the only way to have you is to leave the band then I'll do it. I'll call my manager right now and quit." He said simply bringing out his cell phone.
"Don't be an idiot." I snapped pulling the phone out of his hand. "You love that band and if you leave what will Nate and Jason do? You'll be letting them down, have you even considered that?" I yelled at him. "Probably not because you're so self involved, you egotistical jerk and what makes you think I'd come running back…"
I was interrupted as his lips came crashing down on mine, and I didn't have the will power to stop it, I wanted it, I loved the feel of his lips moving with mine I loved the way his fingers traced my jaw line, I loved him.
He stopped before I did. "I knew you loved me." He smiled triumphantly his eyes sparkling.
"I never said that." I argued automatically. "I called you an idiot and an egotistical jerk; I never said I loved you."
His smile widened as I spoke.
"What?" I frowned.
"You do love me." He smiled. "That little speech was proof you wouldn't have made it if you didn't care."
"Of course I care about you, you big idiot." I exploded. "If I didn't I wouldn't have broken up with you, I wanted to protect you and your career that's why I put myself through all this heart ache. Now I know that was all just a wasted effort because you're here calling my bluff and saving me and telling me you love me and I want nothing more than to get back with you because I'm almost as selfish as you are!"
His smile had turned into a wide grin when I was finished shouting my confession at him. I couldn't help but smile back.
"Stop, smiling you big jerk and kiss me." I ordered still smiling goofily at him but I didn't even give him time to respond I was far too impatient to feel his lips on mine and his hands on my body as I pulled him roughly into me.
A/N: Just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to everyone that read this, and put it in their alerts or favourites and especially all the really nice reviews I appreciate it a lot! :)