Disclaimer: See previous chapters.

Arizona

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Chapter Twenty – Did We Just Break Up?

Shane sat in his car in an abandoned parking lot behind a McDonalds. Normally this particular McDonalds would be busy with people who preferred fast food for dinner picking up their meals but tonight, it was pretty deserted. In fact, for it being eight-thirty at night, the streets of L.A. were unusually…slow. It was almost as if the entire city knew he and Mitchie had a fight and was calm on their behalf.

He had been in the parking lot for about twenty minutes just listening to music. The hum of John Mayer's 'Slow Dancing In A Burning Room' filling the car wasn't really making him feel any better. Just as he turned the music completely off, there was a knock on the passenger window. He turned his head and a slight smile formed on his lips.

"Did anyone follow you here?" Shane was talking about paparazzi. The last thing he needed was a whole segment on E! News about how he was seen in an abandoned parking lot with Ashley.

Ashley shook her head and she entered his car. "Remind me again why we're at this sketchy looking parking lot and not in the comfort of a nice little restaurant?"

"Mitchie and I had a fight." He murmured with his gaze fixated on the steering wheel.

"Oh." Was all Ashley managed to say. She too fixed her gaze in front of her. After a few seconds, she turned back to him. "Was it just a fight or was it the fight?"

He shrugged his shoulders. He knew what she meant by 'the fight'. In his past relationship with fellow pop star Tess Tyler, he found out there were two types of fights. There were regular fights where you could easily recover and then there was the fight. With that fight, there is no coming back. Needless to say after the fight the relationship is as good as dead.

"She went to go see her ex-fiancé who is currently trying to take Hayley away from me. I mean, from us." He looked over to her. "I'm not wrong for being upset, right?"

"Not at all. If you guys are going through a custody battle with this guy, it's best to stay away from him." Ashley said as Shane nodded. "I just have to ask, why are you here? It sounds like you should be at home trying to work things out."

"Yeah well she didn't exactly put up much a fight to try and stop me…" He scoffed remembering how Mitchie just let him walk out of their bedroom without protest.

"Well sometimes, Shane, girls don't want to fight. They want to be fought for." Ashley jumped at the sound Shane's hands crashing into the steering wheel. Obviously he wasn't pleased by her words.

"That's just the thing, Ash." He started. "I've fought for Mitchie so many times. I fought Ken just to have her. I fought my dad to keep her. Hell, I even fought her to even begin this freakin' relationship. I'm just…I'm just so tired of fighting,"

Shane was starting to freak himself out. Was he really tired of fighting for Mitchie? What did that even mean? He was honestly a little scared to think too in depth about it.

Ashley placed her hand on his shoulder and rubbed it soothingly. "But you love her Shane. And you love Hayley too. I can tell."

"I do love Hayley, she's my little girl after all but when we were arguing, Mitchie said something that really made me think. She accused me of feeling guilty about our one-night stand. Maybe I don't love her. Maybe its all just guilt."

Ashley's eyes scanned his face. She had never seen her friend so…torn. She knew he loved Mitchie. He had to. Whenever he talked about her, his eyes would light up and he just looked so happy. But now, he had never looked so defeated. She had no problem with Mitchie. She had gotten over that after the whole James Conway fiasco, but she couldn't help but have a little resentment toward her. She was after all the reason Shane was so upset.

Without thinking really, she moved her hand from Shane's shoulder to behind his neck. With her other hand she brought his face closer to hers and pressed her lips against his.

Pushing her away immediately, Shane stared her in bewilderment.

"What the hell, Ashley?" He asked loudly.

"I like you Shane. And not just in the little brother kind of way. I really like you and it sucks seeing you stress yourself out over someone who doesn't make you happy."

"Mitchie does make me happy," Shane said defensively.

"Then why do you look so sad right now?" Shane went silent. She had him on that one. He felt her fingers tugging at the collar of his t-shirt. "Think about it Shane. I make you happy. We always have fun when we're together–"

Shane harshly pushed her hand away and gripped the steering wheel with both hands. "Get out."

"You know as well as I do that you can't live your life without me. I am your oldest friend, Shane. No matter what I do you will always forgive me for it." She said smugly.

Shane's mind instantly flashed back to something Mitchie had said during their argument.

"I always want so badly to see the good in people…"

Maybe that's what he was doing with Ashley. She was right. She was his oldest friend and maybe he wanted so badly to believe she could do no wrong.

"Just get out." Shane repeated. This time, with a loud huff Ashley exited his car, slamming the door as she did.

Now, just as how he started the night, Shane was alone.

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Mitchie sat on the bed she shared with Shane letting her tears flow freely. It had been a while since she had cried as hard as she was crying now but even if she wanted to, she couldn't stop herself. She wasn't too sure if she was crying because of the argument, because Shane left or just because she was finally coming to the realization that maybe Shane didn't really love her. Hell, she was starting to think maybe she didn't love him either.

"Uncle Nate's home!" Mitchie's head snapped up hearing Nate's voice. She could hear the sound of his footsteps coming toward the room. She quickly wiped her face and tried her best to hide what she was feeling.

"Hey where's Hayley?" Nate asked appearing in the doorway.

"Sleeping." She answered with a sniffle.

Nate nodded, looking her up and down suspiciously. "Where's Shane?"

She really didn't mean to but just hearing Shane's name caused her to once again start crying.

"Mitchie, what's wrong? Is he okay? Nothing bad happened to him, right?" Nate asked worriedly as he walked over to the bed and took a seat next to her. He did his best to comfort her and get her to stop crying so she could answer his questions.

"No, he's fine." She took a deep breath and composed herself. "I mean, I think he's alright now."

"What do you mean by that?"

"We had a fight and he went out to dinner with Ashley. I'm sure she's cheered him up by now."

Nate frowned. "Fight? I'm sure it was nothing. I mean he loves you–"

Mitchie jolted up from the bed and stood in front of Nate, her hands on her hips. "I'm so sick of hearing that!"

"But it's the truth…" Nate's voice was barely above a whisper. He had never seen Mitchie angry so all of this was a shock to him.

"I'm starting to think it's not. I'm starting to think Shane is only tolerating me because we have a child together and I don't want that to be the reason he's with me." Mitchie sighed and sat next to Nate. "Just look at Jason and Danielle. They're in love. Shane and I are nothing like them…"

"You're not gonna solve be able to solve your and Shane's problem if you start comparing yourself to other couples." Nate couldn't help but feel like this was somehow his fault. He didn't want to ask but he was almost sure that the cause of their fight was Mitchie going out with Ken. If he hadn't told Shane, maybe they wouldn't have fought and everything would be all right.

Just as Mitchie opened her mouth to speak, the two of them heard the sound of the front door opening. They both exchanged a glance before leaving the room to see who had just walked in. As they expected, it was Shane. He stood sheepishly in front of them, hands in his pocket and his head bowed.

"I guess this is my cue to leave." Nate said breaking the silence between the three. He nodded in Mitchie's direction as if to remind her of their previous conversation.

Once Nate was gone, both Mitchie and Shane opened their mouths to speak but neither made a sound.

"How was dinner?" Mitchie asked.

Shane sighed. "I wouldn't know. I spent the night parked behind a McDonalds listening to John Mayer." He chuckled slightly before getting a somber look on his face. "I'm not gonna beat around the bush, okay? Are we broken up?"

"Why would you think that?" Mitchie asked surprised. Yeah she knew their fight was bad but she didn't think it was the kind of fight that called for a break up.

"I don't know it just seemed like that fight was it, you know? Like that was the end of our relationship." He avoided making eye contact with her but he could hear her sniffle.

"Do you want it to be the end?" Shane could hear the shakiness in her voice. He shrugged his shoulders to answer her. "Oh. Well maybe it'd be best if I stayed somewhere else while we figure things out?"

A month ago Shane would have been on his knees begging her not to leave but now he just stood there silent. He didn't know whether to agree or disagree. He was completely torn.

"You know, you can still stay here. I can always kick Nate out onto the couch and you can take the guest room." His offer sounded more forced than he wanted it to.

Mitchie shook her head with a painful smile on her face. "If I stay, it'll just complicate things. Hayley can stay here with you and I'll just go stay at the hotel a few blocks away. That way I'll still be close and…"

Shane saw her lip begin to quiver. He knew she wasn't going to be able to hold back her tears much longer. He didn't know if it was such a good idea but he walked up to her, wrapping his arms around her to comfort her. He felt her start to sob and he did his best to soothe her until she pushed him away.

"It's been a while since we've been apart." He said with a sad laugh.

"Maybe the separation is just what we need." Her words were accompanied with a small sniff. "Well, I better go pack some stuff and head to the hotel to get a room."

Shane watched her walk into their bedroom. He wasn't sure if they had broken up but it had sure felt like they were. He knew he couldn't watch her walk out of the door with a suitcase in her hand so he hid out in the guest room.

When he entered the room, Nate hopped up from the guest bed and looked at Shane expectantly.

"She's going to stay at a hotel while we try to work things out." Shane said solemnly.

"What is there to work out? You guys are engaged. This whole thing is silly. You two belong together." Nate said matter-of-factly.

"Do we Nate?" Shane asked. "'Cause I asked myself if I would have stayed in Phoenix with her if Hayley wasn't around. I'm not so sure I would have."

"Excuse my language but that is bullshit. The only reason you stayed was because you wanted to get to know her. You didn't find out about Hayley until afterwards."

"That's just it, man. Do I really know Mitchie? I mean the time we spend alone is either spent arguing, talking about Hayley or making out. Let's not forget she didn't even tell her parents about me until I was ready to propose." Shane shook his head and collapsed on the guest bed. "We don't know each other at all."

Nate groaned loudly. There was no getting through to either one of them. If there was one thing they both had in common, it's that they were both extremely stubborn.

"I'm not saying I don't love her. I'm just saying–" Shane's words were cut short when he heard the sound of the front door shutting. He ran out of the guest room and into his bedroom. Lying on the bed was a small note with the engagement ring he had given Mitchie placed on top.

I didn't say goodbye because I know I wouldn't have been able to. Whatever happens, I do love you Shane and I can only hope that we'll get through this rough patch.

- Mitchie.

P.S. I thought you'd want your ring back.

Shane finished reading the note and sat on the edge of his bed with his shoulders slumped. He didn't hope they'd get through their current rough patch.

He knew they'd get through it. It'd take some time but he had faith they would.

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Eh, I didn't like this chapter too much. There's like two or three more chapters of this story left so everything is kinda wrapping up! Please, PLEASE review. (I can't tell you how sucky it is to only have like 2 reviews. :P)

Thanks for reading!

Oh, and you should go check out my new fic! Here's a link, just add the fanfiction url to the beginning. s/7281719/1/Misguided_Ghosts :]