Chapter 14
Nobody was talking as we climbed off the bus two hours later. I felt responsible too, like the whole thing was my fault. We got in the hotel and went strait to our rooms without talking to each other. I was about to close the door to my room, when Fletch stopped me by putting his hand against it.

"Hey, Abigail, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Uh, sure, I guess," I said with uncertainty.

He walked into the room and started to walk around slowly.

"Look, Fletch," I said," I'm sorry about-"

"You probably think I hate you right?" He said cutting me off.

I looked at him for a second with wide eyes, before I looked at the floor, blushing.

He sighed," I'll take that as a yes. I don't hate you, Abigail. I just knew something like this was going to happen. I was trying my hardest to keep you away from them as much as possible by giving you all that paperwork and being an asshole to you. I thought if you were working, there was no possible chance of any relationship forming. Now I can see that it didn't do any good, it just made things worse."

Fletch sat down on the couch opposite me and put his head in his hands.

"I'm really sorry," I whispered," I just...I don't know. It just happened and we went with, but then he got jealous of me and Tom, and Danny made me realize something so I never tried to get back with Dougie. It's just one big mess."

Fletch chuckled," You can say that again. Look, I just wanted to apologize for the way I treated you. You didn't deserve it and I put too much on you."

"I understand why you did it though," I said," Honestly, right now I would probably give anything to be buried alive under paper work rather than facing the guys again."

"You know you have to talk to him, Abby."

I sighed," Yea, but it doesn't mean I want to."

Fletch smiled and stood up. He put a comforting hand on my shoulder and then he walked out the door. It wasn't until after I left that I realized he had just called me Abby and not Abigail. Now what does that mean? After he left I stood up and walked to Dougie's room. I knocked on the door and when he answered and saw me there, he immediately began to close the door again.

"Dougie, wait," I said putting my foot in the door so he couldn't close," I need to talk to you and I'm not going to let you run away this time."

He glared at me for a minute before sighing and letting me in. I sat down on the bed and was silent for a while.

"Well?" He said, getting frustrated.

"Dougs, you have to believe me when I say I honestly never meant to hurt you. I didn't even realize what I was doing, but you were right and you were wrong at the same time. I was in love with Tom, but I was afraid of being with him so I got with you to make sure I didn't do anything with him. I was doing all of this subconsciously and I honestly believed I was in love with you. I know that I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I'm going to ask for it anyway in hopes that you'll give it to me."

For a minute all you could hear was the blaring noises of the t.v. next door. Dougie was looking at the ground and I saw him swallow really hard like he was about to cry.

"You know for a while there I really thought you liked me-"

"I did, Dougs-"

"Let me finish," he said, looking at me for the first time since I walked into the room," For a while there I really thought you liked me, but after Tom told us about the kiss, I started to realize how much you were in love with him, how you seemed to glow when whenever he was around, how you never once looked at me the way you looked at him, and it hurt. I was upset and angry, but most of all, I just felt so stupid for not realizing it before. It's ok that you're in love with Tom, Abby. I was just angry because you put a dent in my ego and my pride got hurt."

I looked up at him after that last line and saw that he was smiling playfully at me.

I laughed and said," You're a jerk, you know that? I thought you weren't going to accept my apology for a minute there."

He smiled and it felt good to see that beautiful grin again.

"So, you're ok with it?"

"I wasn't before," he said," but I think I'm ready to accept the fact that Tom actually stole my girl from me. God, I never thought it was possible."

I giggled and said," Be nice."

I waited a second before bringing up the next part of the conversation,"You know, what you said to me really hurt me, Dougs."

He sighed," I know, and I had no right to say it. I was just being bitter because I couldn't have you. So I was trying to make myself feel better when it only made me feel worse afterwards, not to mention Danny almost ripping my head off."

"Yea, I didn't tell him to do that, he was just trying to protect me."

"I know. I'm sorry I said that, and I'm sorry I hurt you."

I smiled and hugged him," I forgive you, oh, but Dougie, if you ever say anything like that to me again, I'll have to castrate you."

He gulped,"I guess that's fair."

We talked for a while after that trying to get everything right between us. When we finally worked everything out it was like we were old friends who hadn't seen each other for a while. We were silent for a minute when Dougie asked me something.

"So when are you going to tell him?"

"Tell who, what?"

"Tom, tell him you love him?" He asked, sitting next to me on the bed.

"At the rate I'm going, lets see, carry the two," I said pretending I was adding something up in my head," Oh, never."

"Wait so you're telling me that we went through all of that for nothing. Nuh uh, no way, you are telling that boy that you love him even if I have to torture you for months before you say it," he said," I didn't get my heart broken just for you to be a wuss and not tell him how you feel."

I sighed," I will, just not today. Too much drama has happened already. I just need to relax and calm down."

"You know what," Dougie smiled," I think we need to party."