And another update I'm not happy about.

We had shifted throughout the night, so by the time the sun had started to rise, we had our heads on the pillows at the top of the bed and Ashley's body was covered with a blanket. I was careless stroking back her fringe, revelling in the softness of her silky tresses, when her eyes opened, rather abruptly. I think that she had been awake for a while, just clearing her mind, making sure she was compos mentis before attempting to talk.

"Are you okay?" She asked me, she asked me; that seemed a little backwards.

Aside from meeting the whorebitch, whose name I still have yet to learn, "Yeah, are you?"

"Last night was rough. Were you okay to take care of me?" I don't think it would have mattered if I wasn't okay to look after her, I still would have.

"Was there an option?"

"Yeah, what most people do when they're around me; leave." That broke my heart, I can't imagine ever turning my back on a friend let alone someone who means as much to me as Ashley does. Or just turning round and leaving the girl in front of me.

"No way, then life would just be too predictable."

"How do I look?" Aside from the panda eyes?

I wanted to say that she looked as gorgeous as she does every time I see her, and no matter what she's wearing, no matter where she is, that she will always be the most beautiful girl in the room, I didn't though, I merely gave her a little smile and said that she looked, "Good."

"You suck at lying," I can't help but laugh, at least she seems to be feeling better, "but I'm glad you try." Part of me wants to let her know that I'm falling so fast I'd do anything for her, but I don't, because I know that wouldn't be the smartest thing plus her mum walked in.

"Rise and shine darling, I'm heading out for the day and I might not be home tonight." Ash has already crawled away from me and has her legs dangling over the side of the bed, "Really Ashley, I tolerate your playmates, but do they have to be here in the morning?" Playmates? Is she insinuating…?

I quickly push myself away from the bed as I start talking to the older Davies, "Oh, I'm sorry I just fell asleep."

"You remember my friend Spencer, right mum?" From Ashley's tone, I guess she's thinking what I'm thinking, and she's not happy.

"Right, look honey, I can't leave you if you insist on bringing home this kind of," Ashley's mum decides to blank me, up until she uses the word "friend" When her eyes shoot in my direction, ouch! Wait, so does that mean that Ashley's ever-loving mother has a problem with her being gay?

"Actually, I just came to take care of her." Really, what does she think we could have gotten up to; I'm still wearing my jeans!

"And I'm sure you did that very well." Her eyes are moving and I can almost see her brain working to choose the right words to use in conjunction with her condescending tone.

"Mum, can you just please try to be nice."

"Oh, I have been, to Paige who stole my credit cards, to Elizabeth who passed out eating my Valium, and then there was the one with the piercing; she just moved in and we had to have the help get rid of her." Wow, new imformation about Ashley's past. I can feel a ball of jealous in my stomach; it's growing, working its way into my heart and my mind. I don't like the idea of Ashley having had many one night stands, but I can deal with that type of thing, but if Ashley's previous lovers, have hung around long enough to meet her mother. I think I have a problem. A big problem, with lots of anger. "Here, this ought to cover you 'till I get home." She throws a few bills onto Ashley's bed and gives her a little wave – I really don't like her. "Ciao." And with that casual Italian greeting the elder of the Davies women departs, leaving Ashley and me alone again. Only this time I don't really want to be alone with Ashley.

"I'm so sorry." I want her to be apologising for all the girls she's been with, not for her lousy mother.

"This how it is every morning?"

"No this only happens once a month, when I see her." I can feel some of my unjustified anger slipping away at her comment and an overwhelming need to take her into my arms and hold her for the rest of the day, but there is still a gnawing feeling of jealousy deep inside of me.

I sit myself down next to Ashley, and I can feel the bed dip slightly under my weight, "Did you really sleep with all those girls?" I question burns as it slips over my lips.

"Those are just the one's she knows about." I can hear the mirth in her voice and I can feel a constriction in my chest. Her eyes meet mine and she picks up on my change in mood, "They never meant anything." She sounds remorseful, but that doesn't change the ache in my heart.

"And that makes it better?" And just like that, any ground that we had made the night before had been lost. I had to get away from Ashley; I needed to process the new imformation about her past. I needed to be away from her.

I told her that she could probably do with having a shower and eating something, she nodded gravely and left me alone in her room. I rung for a taxi and waited downstairs for it to arrive.

Why does this have to be so difficult?