AN: Sorry I haven't been updating lately. I changed how I was going to take this story so the Davies are going to be in it more. I'm not sure if that's a spoiler or not, so I apologize if you consider it one. I'm thinking about writing prequels for I Swear This Time I Mean It and Before Today, but I'm not sure because I haven't finished these yet. So let me know what you think?

I'll update Us and Cosmic Love soon. And I'm planning on updating Micro Melodies by Wednesday or something.

The italics are the continuation of the last chapter.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy. Remember to please tell me what you think.

Also, hugbuddy13 motivated me to actually get off my ass and update.

Enjoy.

"I just want you to know that I absolutely hate you for what you've done to my sister."

I looked up to find the owner of the voice, whom happened to be my ex future sister in law, Lana with that famous Davies smirk on her face that I know too well. I raised an eyebrow at her as she took the seat across from me. I looked around- I was still in Starbucks. Lana was never really the coffee type- she was more of a JD type. To say I was shocked would be an understatement. For one, I rarely see Lana out in the mornings, and she actually sat down with me instead of just bitching me out and leaving, which is what I suspect Kyla to do if I ever see her again.

Lana reached over and took a sip of my coffee without saying anything. She's so much like Ashley it's ridiculous.

"What're you doing out, let alone awake? Last time I checked, it wasn't past 3 yet," I smiled at her. She returned it.

Her and Ashley have the same smile.

"One, I'm not Ashley. And two, I wake up a two, not three." she smirked, putting my empty coffee cup down. "Nah, Kyla's got me doing some bullshit charity thing. She told me it would help better myself."

"That's usually the idea."

"Oh, maybe you and Ashley should do it together then."

"Funny."

"Not at all, actually. Heck, if Kyla didn't hate your guts, she'd probably have you doing this shit with me too."

"Do you think she's ever going to forgive me?"

"Kyla?"

"Yes."

"I think the only person's forgiveness you should be worried about right now is Ashley's."

"Uhm, no. Not true, not at all."

I looked up to find Kyla, coffee at hand (which eased some of my worries) making a face at me. My eyes nearly bugged out of my head. I was not expecting this shit this morning.

"Hey Ky-"

"No no no, don't you 'hey Kyla' me," she mocked my voice to make me sound like a 3 year old girl going through early puberty. I scrunched my face up. Here we go. "I hate you."

"I know-"

"And you're dumb. You are so dumb, fo real."

Oh hey, Antoine Dodson.

"Kyla, calm down." Lana pulled a chair over to our table. "Sit down."

Okay.

This should be good.

"Whatever," Kyla stubbornly sat down, her glare not faltering.

This should be fun.

"Kyla, I know you hate me right now-"

"Oh, I do."

"Like I said, I know-"

"No, like you don't know how much. Like, I am Regina George."

I made a face, "... Okay. Anyways-"

"What're you doing here?"

"Ky-"

"Nooo," she stretched out the word to make me shut up. "I mean, what are you doing... in Starbucks? Why aren't you at home, trying to make everything better- trying to make everything okay again?"

Good fucking question.

"I'm not mad at you for what you did to Ash. No, actually, that's a lie. I am. But that's the least of it," she sighed. I didn't really know how to feel about that, so I kept my mouth shut. She didn't seem to mind much. "I'm mad that you two aren't doing anything to fix your relationship when you both know that you want to be together- that you two want to be happy together. You two really need to grow up if you want to make it work."

"I'm an adult, Kyla-"

"Then stop acting like a child."

"I just think that it'd be best if we were away from each other right now." Not really the truth, but not a lie either. Ashley wanted us to be apart (well, that's just what she said- I'm not sure if that's what she really wants) so we are apart. I want what she wants. No, actually all that I wanted to do was be with Ashley. I wanted to stay with her and try to work things out, but it's just that that isn't what she wants and I have to respect that.

"Yeah, but you've been away from her," Kyla stated with a bit of force that didn't go unnoticed. She looked plain out irritated with me now and to be honest, it kind of scared me. The Davies girls are frightening when they're angry.

"Doesn't matter," I shrugged.

The truth.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"I know what I want," I shrugged again. Kyla's face didn't falter and Lana seemed to be incredibly interested in her coffee cup. "I want Ashley. And quite frankly... being away from her isn't going to change that, Kyla. Nothing will."

Kyla stood up quickly, which made me frown. That was supposed to keep her around. "Oh yeah? Well go tell her that. Come on, Lana. Let's go."

With that, Kyla walked away, flipping her hair in the process.

I officially hate women.

"Hey," Lana put her hand on my shoulder, now standing as I sighed. "It'll be okay, yeah? Just give it time."

She patted my head and followed her sister out. I sighed as I watched them walk away. I think that I've gotten enough reality checks this week.

Everyone is just making up for lost time, I guess.

"I..." Ashley started, but being Ashley, she didn't finish. Her hands were reaching out for me, but it seemed like once she realized what she was doing, she pulled back. I looked down at her hand and it was shaking. My heart softened.

"Yeah?"

"I..." she didn't finish again, still looking down at her shoes. She dropped her hands as if she had given up. I sighed as more tears came.

This has got to be one of the worst days of my life.

"Ashley, if you have something to say, can you please just say it."

Ashley sighed, shook her head and stood up straight. I guess I said something wrong. "I just hope you'll be okay. I'm always here, Spencer."

I nodded and the tears left me. I walked out before she could see them.

But I swear I heard, "I hope you come back to me," right as the door shut.

"Oh wow."

I looked up again to find a real stranger. She looked pretty young- not a day over 21- with her short brown hair and mocha eyes. She was cute, very cute actually, but all she did for me was make me think about Ashley and that was the last thing that I wanted to think about.

"Was that Kyla and Lana Davies?" She smiled as she spoke.

I fought back a sigh. I didn't feel like talking to fans today. I ran a hand through my hair, "Yes that was them."

"Oh wow... they're so beautiful," She smiled again, watching them walk away for a bit too. I sighed again and looked down. Her eyebrows knitted as she put two and two together. I really hope she doesn't make this into a big deal.

"I know who you are!" There you go. I smiled politely. "You're Ashley Davies' ex girlfriend."

"Or girlfriend," I smirked at her, "Depends on what magazine you read."

She chuckled and sat down. I made a face. I guess she's planning on sticking around.

"I like you," she smiled, putting her coffee down on the table. I made a face at that, not really knowing what to say. "You're Spencer Carlin. My sister is a lesbian and she never stops talking about you."

I raised an eyebrow at her, "I love how you added it in that she's a lesbian."

She rolled her eyes at that, which made me quirk an eyebrow. "I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that my sister like... worships you. She runs a site dedicated to you. And if it makes it any better, I dig the pussy too."

I knitted my eyebrows. I didn't really know what to say to that. I've never had someone so... overbearing before. So in-your-face. I didn't know how to react to her. "Oh... kay. Thank you for that."

I sat up to get ready to leave, but she stuck her hand out, "I'm Casey."

"Hello Casey," I smiled politely and shook her hand. I wanted to leave- it's not that I didn't want to be around her or anything (she seemed like a really sweet girl), I'd just rather... avoid everything Ashley related right now. And what do you talk about with fans of your ex' family, anyway? Regardless, she smiled at me.

"So I take it that you two actually did break up then?" She smirked a smirk that looked too much like Ashley's and I didn't like it one bit. It was the mysterious kind of smirk. The 'you don't know me, but I know you' smirk. A smirk that you only give people you can destroy. It's not a sight you'd like to see.

"Not to be rude or anything, but why should I tell you anything? So you can run off and sell it to some bullshit magazine?"

She just smirked even harder at that, "No, not at all. I'm just making conversation, sweetie. My sister adores you two, and I wouldn't want to break my sister's heart now, would I?"

I shrugged. What was I supposed to say to that?

"Anyways, I was just saying. I mean, Ashley is absent right now, so it's quite obvious that you two broke up," She looked to the side for a bit, "Plus, I'm sure the paps already have a better story brewing up with those cameras."

I looked over to where she was looking and found some dude with a camera, snapping away at us. I sighed, looking back to the table. I was far too defeated to actually get up and move. Plus, it was only one guy, so it couldn't be that bad. Plus, I'm sure the paparazzi and the press have something better to write about/stalk right now rather than the epic tales of my caffeine addiction.

"Shit," I rubbed my head. I could feel a headache coming on already. "Ashley isn't going to like this."

"What do you like?" She smiled again, resting her hands on the table. I made a face. This girl is way too happy in the morning.

"Excuse me?"

"What do you like, Spencer?"

I could feel my eyebrows begin to sink into each other, "Uhm..."

"So why'd you two break up anyway?" She took my coffee from me and took a sip, leaving me completely mesmerized. She made a face at me once she saw mine, "What's wrong?"

"Do you come from a country where it's okay for you to just steal people's food?"

"Technically, this is a drink," she set it down on the table again. "And we know each other."

"Excuse me?"

"We know each other!" She brushed some of her hair out of her eyes. "Well not really, but my sister probably knows every single thing about you."

"I doubt that," I sighed, wanting to get up and leave, but I knew that I couldn't. It's not like I had anything else to do other than study, but it's not like I had anyone to come home to anymore. I had Craig, but he spent most of his time with his new 'friend that's a girl.' I sighed again and leaned back in my chair. May as well. "What's your name?"

She made a face, "I already told you. My name is Casey."

"Oh," I gulped. I'm already looking like a rude bitch- how fantastic. If she really does go to the press after this, that'd just be so lovely for me. "I'm sorry. I'm just having a bad day, that's all."

"It's fine," she smiled politely. I smiled in return. "I can't tell you how excited I am to tell you that my sister is going to be so jealous when she finds out that I'm talking to Spencer Carlin."

I smiled sarcastically, nodding while doing so to make it seem like I was interested, "What's your sister's name?"

"Carly."

I raised an eyebrow at that. Carly, being the chick that was my biggest fan? Or is Carly just a common name? "Carly..." I paused and scouted my memory for her last name. We had gone to emailing a few times and it surprised me when she didn't broadcast our conversations on the internet. "Carly Cambridge?"

"Yes ma'am," Casey smiled at me.

I smirked, "Carly and Casey. Cute."

"I know right. And our parents' names are Creighton and Caroline," She smiled even wider and her eyes seemed to brighten up. I'm guessing this girl loves her family. It was quite cute. "So what're you doing, sitting in a coffee shop all in your lonesome? Getting over a biter break up, perhaps?"

I sighed. I thought she would have dropped that by now. "Can't a girl just enjoy a cup of coffee alone?"

"Of course," She smirked. She's too much like Ashley. "So I saw that new photo up and all the christians are going totally apeshit over it. What kind of-"

"Wait," I cut her off, making a face. "What are you talking about?"

She looked at me confused. "That picture that was released a few days ago. The one that's so 'controversial' and it's on CNN or whatever."

I made a face. She just shrugged, standing up and walking away, "Thanks for the coffee, Spencer."

I have to get home.

xxxx

My plan was to go back to Craig's immediately to go see what the fuck this picture was, but being the idiot I am, I had left my laptop at Ashley's. So then I went searching Craig's apartment for one and I started to believe that being the weird hippie he is, he doesn't own one. But once I found an ancient one, he had it password protected.

So, of course (what I thought at the time) my only option was to, of course, go to my ex's house and retrieve my abandoned laptop.

I didn't necessarily return my key when I left Ashley's. Well, I did. I returned the one she knows I have. But I never told her that I had made a copy, which I kept. So it wasn't a bitch to get in.

The feelings were though, as they always are.

No one was home, thankfully. I checked every room and there was only Kiki in attendance, whom meow'd at me and bumped her head against my shin so that I'd pet her. Once I did pet her though, I realized how much I missed that bitchy cat and hugged the living hell out of her, to which she kind of growled at me and walked away.

I hate cats.

"Bitch," I made a face as she walked away. I sighed once I found my laptop sitting on the counter. I opened it up and turned it on. The loft felt different. More... depressing. Empty. Like it had been abandoned. It didn't help that it was almost half empty since all of my stuff was gone. It made the frown on my face permanent.

What was on the Yahoo homepage didn't help at all, either.

The leading story: Right or wrong? Ashley Davies and girlfriend grope each other outside of a Catholic church.

They included photos of Ashley and I outside of the church, kissing at my Grandmother's funeral.

I didn't even know what to feel.

But the door bursting open didn't give me time to feel, anyway.

"Ashley, keep your feet up. One in front of the other," Aiden walked in with an obviously drunk Ashley hanging off his shoulder. My eyes widened. I couldn't tell if Ashley was conscious or not. Aiden's eyes widened once he saw me, before looking down to catch Ashley when her legs failed her. "Hey Spencer."

"Didn't I tell you naut to say ger name?" Ashley slurred, making me frown. He looked at me with sympathy in his eyes and caught Ashley when she suddenly fell, confirming to me that she had passed out. I moved to help him but he shook his head at me, pulling Ashley into his arms bridal style.

"You really did a number on her, Spencer." He set her down on the couch before looking up at me, still frowning. "She hasn't had much, but she needs to sleep it off. She'll be fine in a few hours or something."

"Thanks for bring her home," I sat down in front of Ashley, looking at her sleeping form.

"Take care of her, okay?" He smiled sadly. I sent one right back. His smile turned a bit, "It seems like you haven't been lately."

I gulped, looking up to look him in the eye. "I will, Aiden."

He smiled, putting his hand on my shoulder before walking out. I sighed.

"I didn't want you to go, you know." Ashley slurred, her eyes still closed. I looked at her, surprised. Now I know she knows I'm here. "I neber vant chu to go."

The waterworks are back on.

I grabbed her hand, "I'm not going anywhere, Ashley."

I meant it.

I mean it.

She smiled before looking into my eyes. Her eyes were bloodshot. "What did I do, Spencer? What the fuck did I do?"

I have to be ready for this.