Note: Thank you all for reading and commenting. It is about to get less angsty, I promise. More comments please!

Ch. 10 Closer To Love

I awake to an annoying beep that I know is not my alarm clock. I look at my bedside table and groan at the early hour. Who would send me a message at six in the morning? My circle of friends is pretty limited and none of them would send a message to me this early unless it was important.

I rub the sleep out of my eyes and reach across my bedside table to retrieve my phone. I flip it open and see Ashley's name displayed on the screen. I know I'm grinning because I felt my heart skip a beat just thinking of her and her nervous confessions not more than four hours ago. I cleared my head of my Ashley musings and opened the text message.

I MISS YOU. CAN'T WAIT TO MAKE YOU SMILE 3.

These are the things that make me remember why I'm in love with Ashley. Hmm, didn't know that was still present tense. I guess I need to talk to Carmen before I go out with Ashley tonight.

I lay back on my pillow to get some more sleep before school but my head kept swimming with all the things I needed to say to Carmen that my body just wouldn't relax. I resigned myself to an early day and crawled out of bed.

By the time I showered my whole house was stirring. I didn't really want to make small talk with my mom so I rushed out of the house with my towel-dried hair and my clothes haphazardly thrown on.

She was waiting for me outside like I had hoped she would be. Her dark hair hung down her back and her bangs slightly breezed across her eyes. How I could manage to attract two utterly breath-taking women was beyond me but I wasn't about to complain.

I walked up to her and placed a soft lingering kiss on her lips. I tried to put all of the hope and uncertainty I was feeling into that kiss. She deserved so much more from me. Carmen deserves someone whole, unshattered. I broke away from her and witnessed the "made for Spencer" smile and felt even guiltier for not divulging all my intentions immediately.

The ride to school was filled with small talk and once again I was grateful for Carmen's intuitive nature. I know she could tell something was bothering me and the fact that she wasn't pressuring me was making me feel even guiltier.

My day at school was thankfully uneventful because I had a mission and wanted to complete it as quickly as possible.

Carmen was waiting for me by her car. She and Chelsea were laughing about something but I really didn't care what it was. Chelsea saw me and waved which caused Carmen to turn around. I wrapped my arms around her in a comforting hug and whispered in her ear where I wanted to go.

The ride was quick and now we stood inside Chelsea's loft and everything I had been dying to say all day wouldn't come.

"Spencer?" She was looking at me with those trusting eyes and I felt my heart constrict. So this is what Ashley had felt like. I cleared my throat and resolved myself the best I could.

"Carmen, I saw Ashley last night." Her face fell and my heart dropped a little more.

"I sense there's more than just seeing your ex-girlfriend. She got to you, didn't she?" All I could do was nod my head and lower my gaze from her saddened eyes.

"Well, let the games begin." My eyes shot up and I studied her face to see some form of mirth in her eyes but all I saw was sincerity.

"I'm not going to give up without a fight Spencer. And until you tell me to stop I'm going to be everywhere she isn't."

And that is how I was left stranded at Chelsea's loft with on hour until my date with Ashley.