She and Shane hardly spoke for the next month.
Actually, Shane would barely give her time of day. If he did talk to her, he used a generic tone; he had even stopped calling her Mitch.
The others didn't seem to notice, and if they did, they were smart enough to keep out of it, in hopes that the two best friends would be able to work it out.
Somehow, Mitchie felt comfortable enough to talk to her boyfriend about how much she missed him.
Boyfriend.
It hadn't taken long; two days after their kiss, they had made it official. The fans went nuts over the unseen relationship.
They were together as much as possible, holding hands and kissing out in public. They had gone on solo outings, they had been accompanied by a protective Jason, Jason and Hayley, a protective Nate, Caitlyn, Nate and Caitlyn, as well as the four of them all together.
The only one who had yet to make an appearance, was Connect 3's bad boy, Shane Gray. And the fans were starting to notice.
Shane! Shane! How do you feel about Mitchie dating Jake Ryan?!
Mitchie's got a good head on her shoulders. Had been his only reply.
"He'll come around, Mitchie." Jake said simply, as they watched the report on HotTunes. His arm was around her, where it seemed to be permanently glued whenever she was with him. "Your brother and Nate did. Caitlyn and Hayley were a little more welcoming that the boys were. You just need to give him a little more time,"
"I miss him," She replied miserably.
"I feel like you're talking about your boyfriend," He muttered, narrowing his eyes at her, frowning just the same. "And you shouldn't be talking like that, because I'm right here. Just relax and let him get over himself, alright?"
Mitchie didn't bother with a response. When it came to Connect 3, Shane Gray to be specific, he was a little more standoffish.
And while he was standoffish with her best friend, he made up for it in other ways.
For one, he was a gentlemen.
He held open doors for her, just like the boys did. But he also got her in and out of his car, something only Nate seemed to do, as a joke.
He was sweet, and understanding. He never pressured her to tell him things about her old life, and she found herself doing so. It seemed easier not to,
He brought her a flower each time he came to see her; twice a week if they were lucky. The last time he had been there, he had surprised her right after their interview.
Seeing him had made Shane stalk off stage rather quickly.
Mitchie was writing again, her newest song she had cowritten with Nate. It was her feelings, he threw in his input every few minutes, and together, the song had come out perfect.
But she wondered who the song was really for; Jake, or...
Shane.
And it was the most frustrating thing ever, when a month later, she still couldn't figure it out.
And she talked to the only person she could.
"You still have feelings for him," Caitlyn told her, as if it were the most natural thing in the world to stay.
They were sitting on the couch in their shared hotel room; private since this hotel didn't have suites. It was the safest place to talk.
"What?" Mitchie blinked. Once again, she was lying through her teeth, and unlike Shane, Caitlyn knew that right away. "That's...Crazy."
"What's crazy." She drew out, adjusting her sitting position. "Is that you're denying it. It's okay that you still have feelings for him. But you need to deal with that,"
And then she stood up, leaving her best friend to think.
Mitchie sighed and flung herself down on the couch, grabbing the nearest pillow and hiding her face under it.
But instead of thinking, she fell asleep, dreaming heavily.
They said it would happen; the doctors at the hospital after the accident. They said she would dream about it.
And yet, until now, it had yet to happen.
She woke up, screaming. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she reached for her phone, dialing his number from memory.
"Mitchie?" Jake asked, his tone rushed. He was probably on set, reading line or getting ready for another scene. "Hey, what's up? Is it really important? I have to be back on in five."
"I..." She began as a sob escaped her throat. She couldn't finish, and he didn't seem to notice.
"Great, thanks, babe. I promise I'll call you tonight."
And then he hung up.
Blindly, reaching for the bedroom door, she threw it open and made her way to one of the other adjoining rooms across the hallway.
Nate didn't answer, he must have still been down at the pool with Caitlyn. Jason and Hayley had gone out to dinner. There was only place she could go.
"Shane!" She managed to get out, banging down on his door. It opened seconds later, and he stood there, his guitar in his arms.
"Mitchie," He addressed crossly, before he actually got a good look at her. He dropped his instrument, without hurting it, and reached out to cup her cheek. "Mitch...?"
"I...Dream...Accident," She drew out, before collapsing. He was quick to catch her, wrapping his arms around her and holding on tight.
"Shh," Shane whispered as he got her standing again. He didn't let go of her as he kicked the door shut, and dragged her over to his bed.
She was more or less sitting on his lap as he rocked her back and forth, her arms were wound around his neck in an unbreakable hold. One arm was around her waist, his free hand rested on the back of her head.
"I'm so sorry," Mitchie chocked out, pulling back slightly to look at him. "I'm so sorry, Shay."
"It's alright, Mitch." He answered, rubbing her back. "You know I'm always going to be there for you, right?"
"I know," She muttered, leaning against him. "Shay, I know you don't like my relationship, but please...I can't lose you,"
He laughed lightly, pressing his lips to her forehead. "You could never lose me, Mitch. You're right, I don't like it. But you could never lose me, I'm always going to be here, Mitch."
