AN: Ok you guys I finally got around to writing this chapter-sorry it's been so long but between reading fanfiction, school work, and maintaining a social life…yeah. I'm not using the song in this chapter, I'm still thinking about which song (yeah I know I take forever to think lol) to use but I am definitely thinking the songs you picked MusicWhenItRains and MileyJake4Ever…plus doing a little love song googling on my part too. :)

Anyway, Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me. "Cry" (one of my fave songs) belongs to Mandy Moore. Hannah Montana belongs to Disney Channel, yadda yadda yadda.

Warning: This chapter is really angsty (is that even a word?)

I know you guys want to read the chapter and not sit around hearing me ramble all day so without further ado, I present to you:

Chapter 3, "Just An Excuse"

I cry.

I race to my bed, slam the door shut, and cry.

I can hear my dad yelling from downstairs, but I don't hear what he is saying and right now I don't care. Because only one thing is racing through my mind: Jake is back.

Jake. Jake, I think, Why did you have to come back? Why couldn't you have just stayed in Romania? Why'd you have to come back and make everything so. …so…so complicated!

"UGH!" I yell, and hit my head against my pillow, and start crying all over again. Why! It's more of a statement than a question. But I'm angry, angry and confused and mad and hurt and…and…

I close my eyes, hiding the ugly truth from myself. I try to brush the thought to the back of my mind, but somehow it comes back- filled with annoyance and self-pity. Why? Because, you Miley Stewart, wanted him to come back. You wanted him to come back because deep down, you, Miley Stewart, are in love with Jake Ryan. You love him Miley. You love-

"No I don't!" I yell, hitting my pillow against the wall. Oh great Miley, I think Now you're talking to yourself. Another wave of self-pity comes over me, drowning me. Frustrated, I start crying even harder. "No I don't", I whisper to myself, "I don't- I don't love him. I don't. I don't." I mean, how can I? How can I possibly still be in love with him? He ignored me for 4 months and treated me like dirt. How could I still possibly have any feelings for him except hatred?

Choking back a sob, I try to calm myself. I take a deep breath, but one tear escapes, as if a reminder. I brush the tear away, and then smile in the midst of it all. What happened to Jake Ryan was nobody to cry over? So much for that, huh?

I sit up straight, trying to regroup. I wish I could tell this to someone. Like Lily or-

As if on cue, the phone rings. I swallow, then get up from my bed and reach for the phone, pressing the receiver to my ear. "Hello?" I ask.

"Miley, it's Lily." (Dega vu, huh?)

"Lily! You don't know how much I really need to talk to you."

"Listen, I was waiting on the other side of the beach so I didn't see you. But Oliver told me what happened. He said he was there on the beach when you saw…Jake."

"I know." I reply "I can't believe he's back Lily. And what's weird it that even though I hate him for ignoring me, when I saw him on the beach I-"

I just now realized there was silence on the other end. "Lily?" I ask "Are you still there?"

"What? Oh, yeah." A pause. "Miley, Oliver says that it looked like Jake had no idea you'd be so upset for not answering your calls."

Just like Jake Ryan. Wait- "Is Oliver there with you? Right now?" I ask, confused.

"Uh…Miley, about that…Oliver and I are sort of…together now."

"Together?" I repeat, not believing this.

"You're not…upset, are you?"

"Upset? Me? No, no. Why would you think that?"

"I dunno. 'Cuz you…sound upset?"

I sigh. Lily and Oliver did look cute together, but I mean, they were best friends. And they argued all the time. How would they get along?

"Miley?"

I stayed silent. I could hear voices from Lily's end. Probably Oliver.

I could hear Lily sigh. "Look, do you want to hear about Jake or not?"

"Mmmm…" I say, not being able to bring myself to say yes.

"Oliver also says it looked like Jake was coming over to your place."

My eyes go wide. "Are you serious?"

"Well, I guess that's what it looked like." I could hear more voices. "Are you going to let him in when he comes?"

"I guess so. I mean, we're over now, so whatever he's saying must be important or…you know."

"Are you sure Miley? Cuz-"

"I just want to hear him out." I want to hear his excuse, as pathetic as it'll probably be.

More silence. "Ok." Lily says. I can't tell if she's pleased or surprised. Maybe both.

" 'kay, I'm gonna go. Bye."

"Bye."

I hang up, then put the phone back in its stand, walking towards my bed, and turn on the radio. I land on the bed with a poof and close my eyes. I just want to drown out the world.

"Continuing on with our Top 30 countdown", the radio blares, "Here's #1! "Cry" by Mandy Moore!"

I'll always remember
It was late afternoon
It lasted forever
And ended too soon
You were all by yourself
Staring up at a dark gray sky
I was changed

In places no one would find
All your feelings so deep inside (deep inside)
It was then that I realized
That forever was in your eyes
The moment I saw you cry

The moment that I saw you cry

It was late in September
And I've seen you before (and you were)
You were always the cold one
But I was never that sure
You were all by yourself
Staring at a dark gray sky
I was changed

In places no one would find

All your feelings so deep inside (deep inside)
It was then that I realized
That forever was in your eyes
The moment I saw you cry

I wanted to hold you
I wanted to make it go away
I wanted to know you
I wanted to make your everything, all right...

I'll always remember...
It was late afternoon...
In places no one would find...

In places no one would find
All your feelings so deep inside (deep inside)
It was then that I realized
That forever was in your eyes
The moment I saw you cry

"And that was 'Cry' by Mandy Moore. Radio Malibu will be right back after a few short commercials!"

I turned the radio off just as the doorbell rang. I jumped up and was about to race downstairs…when I turned around, ran to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. I was a mess. My eyes were red and my hair looked like I'd walked through a pasture. I quickly combed it with my fingers and splashed some water on my face. The last thing I needed was for Jake Ryan to see that I had been crying.

Walking out of the bathroom and down the stairs, I'd reached the living room, where Jake was sitting meekly and Dad towering over him, and giving him a glare.

"Hello", I said calmly. Jake rose from the sofa.

"This boy here says that he needs to speak with you." Dad says, searching my face for an answer.

"So?" I ask, turning to Jake "What is it?"

Jake shifts a little bit, then turns to Dad.

"Hey now," says Dad, "Anything you can say to her you can say to me."

"Dad" I say, making him shrug.

"All right," he says, going back up the stairs, "If you need me Miles…"

"I know Dad", I say, slightly embarrassed.

Once Dad is gone Jake says, "Your dad seems cool."

"Yeah." I say "He is."

Silence.

"You were going to tell me something?" I say, trying to move it along.

"Yeah. Yeah. Um…Miley? I'm really, really, really sorry." He gives me this look, like he's almost begging me. It gives my heart this weird lurch.

I cross my arms. "If you came here only to apologize then I suggest you get going."

"No, that's not all. I really, really like you Miley. And while I was in Romania, I was always thinking about you." He says. My look softens.

"Yeah?" I say, my voice barely above a whisper. Then I remember that I'm supposed to be mad at him. And I remember why I'm mad at him. My regular tone returns. "Don't think you can woo me over Jake. That isn't going to work."

"I know." he nods. "It's just…when I was in Romania I was so busy. I mean, there was the publicity and the shooting and the Holly scandal…"

"Yeah I heard." I say, my voice flat.

"Nothing was going on between us. I swear." He says, "But I didn't forget about you Miley."

"No" I say, "You didn't forget about me. Because I was your backup girlfriend. If things between you and your other girl didn't work out, you can always come back to Malibu and patch things up with your backup. That's what you were thinking."

"Miley-"

But now I don't want to 'hear him out' so much. "Look Jake, go ok? We're over. There's nothing left between us. We're through."

I open the door and shove him forward. "Miley-" he protests, but I've already shut the door. I lock it then turn around, my back facing the door, leaning against it as I slowly sink to the floor, crying.

"We're through Jake" I sob, "You hear me? We're through." It comes out as a whisper.

The moment I saw you cry…..

AN: The purple button is your friend…press it and REVIEW! Oh, and you guys should seriously to "Cry" by Mandy Moore, I think it's really good: To You Guy's Reviews

NYlovebaby- I LOVE IT!! I LOVE IT! I LOVE I!

hee! Glad to see you love it so much! 3

MileyJake4Ever-Far away by nickelback would fit them so good or Lips of an angel by hinder either one of both goes great with them like having jake sing lips of an angel would be so cute like with miley at her window and him down below would be absolutely awesome!

thanks for the suggestion. I originally had something different planned for the song, but I like your suggestion a lot better. Say hello to the window scene:) And I listened to both songs you suggested twice. "Far Away" I actually listened to 3 times because it's one of my fave songs. Even though I think it's a great song, I am not entirely sure about 'Lips of An Angel' but I am DEFINETLYDEFINETLYDEFINETLY thinking about 'Far Away' for the (as I'll dub it now) 'Window Scene'. :)

MusicWhenItRains-I know that I am all late and stuff, but I just haven't had the time. The song that I think reflects their relationship the most is Shiver by Coldplay. Umm- here are the lyrics so you don't have to go and look them up:
SHIVER by COLDPLAY

Thanks! It's ok about reviewing a while after the chapter is posted, I end up doing it all the time with school and everything. I listened to "Shiver" and I love the lyrics, not to mention Coldplay (Speed of Sound). I'm still thinking what song I'm going to use for the Window Scene but I am seriously thinking about your suggestion and MileyJake4Ever's.

And if anyone else has any suggestions, go for it!