Author's Note: Whoa! I got so many reviews for that chapter that I'm giddy! Please, keep it up. Not that I need it or anything (covers smile). I was going to give shout outs this chapter but there was just so many people that I didn't want to take up half of the page. But soon, I promise.

Chelsea is now in the story because I love her. (grins)

Chapter 22

Despite Ashley's admission, neither girl moved away from each other until the end of the song. Finally, Spencer pulled away and took a step back. When she looked up her face was almost Ashley's undoing. It bore no signs of accusation, but rather this look that suggested she was already resigned to being hurt by the news to come.

Ashley immediately began to backtrack, "It's not really that big of a deal. I mean, it's so small it's almost insignificant but I just thought you should know, because I don't want to keep anything from you. And it was so long ago! Really, it's silly."

"Ashley, you're babbling," Spencer broke in. "Just tell me," she added in a softer voice, almost pleading for this standoff to end.

"I guess what should understand, is I was never really with her. We never dated, we were never a couple, we never even kissed. There was just this attraction, this undercurrent of 'if anything ever changes for either of us, the other will be the first to know.' It was silly, a childish flight of fancy. Flirtation."

"Just like you and me at first," Spencer ventured.

"Yes," Ashley agreed without thinking but the look on Spencer's face quickly made her change her words, "No! I mean no. Because that was something never meant to be. Something that never really was. You and I are meant to be. We always were, even before we met."

Spencer was looking thoughtful. When her mind finally came to the appropriate conclusion she looked shocked. Ashley's heart dropped as Spencer took another step back, her body tensing.

"Madison?" Spencer asked, horrified. "God, Ashley."

Ashley panicked. "No, no, see it's not a big deal. It was nothing. And then Aiden came along and it was all getting too uncomfortable anyway so him and I hooked up. And I wouldn't have even brought it up at all if I didn't have to. That's how small it was."

"It got too intense for you, you got scared, and so you ran. Just like you tried to do with me, only I wouldn't let you. You can't deny the common thread here," Spencer almost yelled, her voice shaking in the effort to keep herself under control.

"No! No…just stop trying to analyze me! I can't think when you're putting words in my mouth like that. It was insignificant. We hate each other now. Even being in the same room together leads to the inevitable combustion," Ashley snapped.

Spencer's eyes flashed again as she caught something else Ashley had said, something Ashley had hoped she would gloss by.

"What did you mean, you wouldn't have brought it up unless you had to?"

Ashley knew deep down that the way she played this could make or break everything. Taking a deep breath to try and control her raging thoughts, she dove in.

"Do you remember the other night at the party? You thought you saw someone, and you were right. It was Madison. She got a picture of us…ummm…being intimate. She threatened to pass the picture around, in her usual way, unless I confessed everything to you."

Spencer just looked dazed by everything. "Everyone already knows we're together."

"This picture was a pretty big deal, Spence. There's a difference between everyone knowing and everyone seeing. It was a bit more than kissing."

"And since when do you fold for blackmail?"

"Since it wasn't just me who stood to get hurt," Ashley answered honestly, hoping all the love behind her words would be evident.

But Spencer didn't even seem to hear her, she was following her own mental path. She had wrapped her arms around herself as if hoping it would give some small form of protection.

"And why the hell does Madison even care?" the blonde finally blurted out. "Why would Madison want me to know this? It seems more harmful to her rep than anything."

"I've been thinking a lot about that," Ashley admitted. "I think it's because in her own twisted way she was worried about you. And after doing all that she could to break us up, she realized that the only thing she had left to use was the truth. The two of us, me and Madison, we were never really an option. She has a hard life and she's always trying to find a way to make it easier. Being with me would be the exact opposite of that. But still, she took everything personally. And I think it was easier for her to think we were just two straight friends who really got along. But then when I came out, it scared her. And now she thinks I'll hurt you too, but she's wrong."

"No, I would say she's right. This definitely hurts," Spencer said under her breath, but not low enough that Ashley didn't hear her.

Unfortunately for Ashley, her way of dealing with the bad was to lash out. She had never learned to control her emotions in any adult way, she had never had the proper roll model. She was blaming herself, and the more Spencer added to that blame, the more she wanted to lash out. It didn't matter how prepared she had been for Spencer to hate her.

"What?" she finally snapped. "Why is it suddenly a big deal that I have a past? You've known this about me, I've never hidden it from you. I have a past! I've been around the block a few times. I have experience. We dealt with this. You didn't care before but suddenly you do. Even thought nothing happened! Ever!"

Spencer looked as if she had been slapped. "And if you think that's why I'm hurt and angry, then you don't know me at all. Even though it makes my skin crawl to think about you and Madison ever even regarding each other in such a way, what really hurts is that you lied. You lied to me, Ashley, looking me straight in the eyes."

"What are you talking about?" Ashley demanded.

"You told me she lied when she said something about the two of you having an interesting history. You told me she was full of shit!"

"Well…no…I mean I…" Ashley faltered.

"You wouldn't have even told me now if you weren't forced into it. You would have kept lying about it. You would have pretended to be just as confused whenever Madison lashed out at you. 'I don't know why she does that either, Spencer!'" the younger girl mimicked.

She took another step away from Ashley, her eyes begging the older girl to fix this. Her breath began to pick up as she finally walked out of the gazebo.

"Are you alright?" Ashley asked out to her. "Are we alright?"

"I can't do this right now, I just can't," Spencer maintained. "I need to get out of here, I can't think with you so close to me. I can't breathe when you look at me."

"I'll take you home," Ashley offered, starting forward.

"No!" Spencer said sharply. "No, I'll call one of my brothers, I need some space right now," she added, softer this time.

Taking out her phone she turned away from Ashley, but the brunette could still hear the conversation.

"Clay? Hi, I need a ride home. No, I'm fine, I just need to get home. I'm…oh, you know where I am. Okay, just please hurry? Thanks."

Turning back to Ashley she gave a half hearted smile, "So…Clay?" she asked, her eyes darting towards the decorated gazebo.

Ashley gave a half hearted smile in return, "And Chelsea," she confirmed.

After that a silence stretched out between them. Ashley stared at Spencer trying to read the girl. Spencer, on the other hand, seemed unable to look back up, instead studying the ground intently. The lights from the gazebo and the path provided plenty of light even though night had settled everywhere else. Seconds ticked by turning into minutes and those minutes dragged on in Ashley's mind, feeling more like hours.

"I'm sorry," she finally said after urging herself to take the plunge.

Spencer finally made eye contact, "I just need some time," she responded, her voice betraying more of her pain then her words did.

Ashley took a step forward, hoping to somehow comfort the girl she loved, but at that moment a car pulled up and Clay and Chelsea stepped out. Spencer turned and ran towards her brother as Chelsea made her way down the path.

"This didn't go so well I take it," Chelsea remarked.

"Not quite the way I hoped. I confessed something about my past and she took it about as well as I thought she would," Ashley sighed.

Chelsea nodded, "I guessed when you asked me and Clay help you set this up that you had some news you were hoping to soften. This was sweet, but pretty extravagant."

Ashley threw up her hands in exasperation. "Who didn't figure it out?"

After helping his sister into the car, to make sure she was okay, Clay joined the two girls.

"What the hell happened? I thought this was supposed to be some romantic evening!" he questioned.

"Apparently he didn't," Chelsea offered with an apologetic smile. "Clay, this isn't our place to ask that kind of question," she added.

But Clay wasn't to be deterred. "It is my place. That's my sister, and I can tell she's hurting. I want to know what you did."

"I didn't do anything," Ashley began, feeling more annoyed by the second. "I told her something and she didn't like it."

"And that would be?" Clay asked, his hands in the air in question.

Ashley had had enough. She didn't owe him any explanation even if she did commend his desire to protect his sister. She wanted to shut her mouth and refuse to offer anymore information. But true to her nature she offered a smart ass comment instead.

"I'm pregnant with Spencer's illegitimate miracle child."

Clay just froze, his hands still in the air, his face unreadable.

"I think he just shut down," Chelsea said with worry.

Clay jolted into movement again and looked at the car with his sister and then back at Ashley, his face showing signs of life and his hands clenching into fists.

"And now he's rebooting. Maybe you should run," Chelsea suggested.

Ashley didn't run, it was Clay after all, but just to be safe she did take a step back so Chelsea was now between the two of them.

"No. No that's not possible, there's no such thing as a miracle child!" he stuttered.

"Jesus?" Ashley piped up from behind Chelsea.

"Shhhh!" the girl hissed back at her.

"Come on, Clay. Let's get your sister home. Ashley has some stuff she needs to deal with herself right now," Chelsea said, calmingly taking Clay's arm.

Clay went with her, probably still unnerved by Ashley's ridiculous outburst.

"So there's no child?" Clay asked as they were walking away.

"No, there's no child," Chelsea soothed him.

Ashley just remained rooted to where she was until the car finally drove away, the back lights glistening like stars until finally they too disappeared. Ashley was alone again. The place she always seemed to find herself.

Walking back into the gazebo she looked around for a moment before picking up the CD player and chucking it. Then, her energy gone, she sank to the wooden floor and began to cry.

I would just like to say, I hope people don't kill me. But there has to be drama right? And believe me, it's always darkest before the dawn. Just hold on, stay with me, leave awesome reviews, and it will get better. That's a promise.