After my sobs had quieted and my tears had nearly dried, I pulled back from the person’s and embrace and looked up to see who had been comforting me. I saw a pair of intense blue eyes staring back at me, full of concern.

" What happened?" he whispered.

"I don’t know. I-I thought he loved me. I thought that he felt the same way as I did, but I guess he didn’t." I answered, my voice cracking on the last word. I started crying again. Ashley pulled me back into his tight embrace and just let me cry. I noticed that the other guys had left the room by now. I managed to get my tears under control a few minutes later, but rather than pulling away I just stayed in his comforting embrace.

"He slept with Janie last night." I said barely above a whisper.

"What?"

"What?" I asked not believing what I’d heard at first.

"He slept with Janie last night. That wouldn’t have even been that bad. I mean, it would’ve been bad, but it’s worse because when he came home, he slept with me. Now I’m wondering if he ever even really loved me."

"He loved you, believe me, he loved you."

"Then how could he do something like that to me? How could he sleep with someone else if he really loved me? I should’ve known something like this was going to happen. I mean in all reality I brought upon myself." Now I was confused.

" What did you do to deserve being cheated on? You didn’t do anything-"

" That’s just it. I didn’t do anything. I spent more time with you than I did with him. He told me that it was obvious that I was still in love with you and that he was letting me go. He asked why I was arguing with him when he knew that I’d be so much happier with you than with him." Gee, way to make a guy feel guilty.

"Is that true. Are you still in love with me?" It may not have been the best time to ask that but I had to know. I’m not saying that I was going to pursue anything with her if she did love me, at least not right away, but I was still in love with her and I had to know.

" I don’t know. Part of me never fell out of love with you, but right now, I’m in love with Jacob and he’s the one I want to be with. Or at lest I thought I did. Now... now, I’m completely and utterly confused."

" What are you confused about?"

"I’m confused about my feelings for you, my feelings for him and his feelings for me. I have no clue how to figure it out either."

"Well, if it helps, I won’t do anything. I mean, I’ll just continue to be your friend like I have been. OK?"

"My best friend. Thanks Ashley. That helps a lot."

"Do you wanna go do something? We could go get breakfast, go see a movie, rent a movie, whatever you want to do."

"Sure. Do you mind if we go over to my apartment and watch a movie?"

"Nope, not at all. Although, I might suggest that you get dressed before we do."

I glanced down and saw that I was still wearing the sheet from earlier. I blushed a bit and started heading for the stairs.

"Yeah that might be a good idea." I said giggling, as I climbed the stairs. I changed into a pair of jeans and Ashley’s sweatshirt. He’d had it in high school while we were dating, we had taken a walk in the park one night when it was really cold. Since I hadn’t brought anything warm he let have his sweatshirt and I just sort of never gave it back. I put on my shoes and ran my brush though my hair. I took one more look at myself in the mirror and then headed back downstairs.

" You still have that?" He asked in reference of the sweatshirt.

" Of course. I love this sweatshirt. It’s special to me." He nodded and took my hand. We headed towards the door and I grabbed my keys off the counter before we left. We took my cobalt black bug to my apartment since Jake had taken the SUV.

" Did you tell anyone that we left?" I asked after I had been driving for a few minutes.

" Yeah I told Erik while you were getting dressed." I nodded and turned down the street that my apartment building was on. I pulled into the parking lot, into the space I normally parked in, and we both climbed out of the car. After taking the short ride up the elevator and unlocking the door, we were in my apartment. We both took of our shoes and Ashley went over and made himself comfortable on the couch.

" What movie do you wanna watch?" He asked while I went into the kitchen to make popcorn.

" ‘Pearl Harbor’" I answered, walking through the living room and into my room to get the comforter off of my bed. I brought it out to the living room and dropped it on Ashley’s head.

"Thanks, cause I really felt like being suffocated today."

" Your welcome." I replied, giggling. I took the popcorn out of the microwave and put it into a bowl and brought it out to the living room. The movie was just starting as I sat down next to Ashley on the couch. I handed him the bowl of popcorn and got under the comforter and made myself comfortable, snuggled up against him.

After I’d been driving around for two hours I decided that it would probably be a good idea to head back to the house. As I pulled into the driveway I noticed that her bug was gone. I sighed to myself and got out of the SUV. I walked up to the front door and unlocked it. Closing it behind me. My stomach growled so I went into the kitchen to get something to eat. Dan, Erik, and Trevor were all seated on barstools eating cereal. They had been talking, but stopped when I came into the kitchen and just stared at me. They looked at me and then back at there cereal bowls which were, apparently, very interesting. They didn’t look mad but they didn’t look happy either. They looked indifferent. Not that I could really blame them though. Amanda had become like a sister to them while she was there and I’d done something really horrible.

"What happened?" Erik asked, breaking the deafening silence.

" What do you mean ‘ what happened?’"

" He means, why’d you do it? What made you sleep with Janie?" Dan said answering my question.

I sighed and plopped down on another one of the barstools.

"I don’t know exactly. I thought that she loved me, but she’s been spending so much time with Ashley lately and I just don’t think that she really does."

" Do you love her." Trevor asked.

"Yes. No. I don’t know anymore. When we first got together I was positive that I did. Now...now I’m not so sure. I mean, I know that I loved her when we fist got together, but now part, if not all, of me has fallen out of love with her."

"Why’d you sleep with Janie?" Dan asked looking into his cereal, then at me.

"It was kind of an impulsive thing. Janie is... Janie is comfortable. Our relationship is comfortable. I love Janie, I always have, and last night she was there. I’m not saying I used her, infact, I asked her to be my girlfriend again."

"Not even two hours after breaking up with Amanda and you already have a new girlfriend. Jacob, dude, that’s pretty bad." Trevor said.

" No, it’s worse. I asked Janie to be my girlfriend last night."

"Jacob, that’s just. That’s a really rotten thing to do. Amanda doesn’t deserve that. If you wanted to be with someone else or you just didn’t want to be with her then you just should’ve broken up with her." Erik said, adding his two cents.

"Look, thanks for the lecture guys, but I know. I realized all of this during my drive and I already feel horrible. So , if you don’t mind. I think I’m just going to go up to my room and be alone."

"Alright." Trevor said, as I got up and headed for the stairs.

I knew that I’d cry if I watched this movie. That was part of the reason I watched it. I needed a good cry, not like I hadn’t already cried enough that day. I just really felt in the mood to watch a sad movie. The movie was nearly over. They had just walked off the plane carrying Danny’s coffin. That was the clincher for me. That was the scene that, without fail, always brought me to tears. I felt Ashley’s arm tighten around me. I looked up at him, I have no idea what possessed me, but I kissed him.

I was caught completely off guard when she kissed me. At first I was too shocked to do anything, but when she tried to deepen the kiss I gently pushed her away.

"Oh god. Ashley, I..."

" Don’t. You don’t have to explain anything. It’s been an emotional morning. Don’t get me wrong here. I mean if it were any other time I would have no problem kissing you but it just doesn’t feel right. You just broke up with Jacob and I don’t want to be your rebound. I want to be with you again but you need to take time to get over Jacob first."

"I feel so confused right now. I have no clue what to do. I don’t know if I should move back to San Diego or stay here. I don’t know if I’m still in love with Jacob or if it’s just been lust this past month, if I was still in love with you and just...I don’t know."

"I don’t mean to sound selfish here, but, please don’t move back to San Diego. I’ve loved having you here this past month and I was so happy that I’d be getting my best friend back." She sighed, glanced up at me with a small smile and then looked back down at her hands, which were folded in her lap.

"Well, I can’t disappoint my best friend now can I?" She said and then looked up at me.

"Its up to you."

"Then I guess I’m staying." She said looking back down at her hands, still smiling. I put my finger under her chin and lifted chin up so that she was looking at me. Then I slowly brought my lips down and kissed her softly.

He kissed me softly on the lips. It was a short kiss and very sweet, but nonetheless I was left wanting him like crazy. I had to restrain myself from doing something I shouldn’t and settled for the hug he gave me.

"Thank you." He whispered in my ear as we hugged.

"For what?" I asked, pulling back slightly, confusion evident in my voice.

"For staying." I smiled at him and took his hand in mine. Then I leaned back against the couch and snuggled up next to him.

"Welcome. Do you want to go for a walk?"

" Sure. Just let me get my shoes on." He said getting up. I went over to the door to get my shoes too. Once we both had our shoes on we left my apartment. I made sure to lock the door behind me and then took his hand in mine and led him towards the elevator.

~*Author's Note*~ Sorry this chapter was shorter than the rest. The next one will be longer. I promise!

~Manda

Chapter 10-Candy

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