If You Can't Hang (Book Two of the Follow Your Heart Series)

Chapter 7

Chels went to take a shower. Ash got into bed and began crying all over again. She felt the kind of pain that makes it hard to breathe. She felt like there was a huge lump in her throat that just wouldn't go away. She kept thinking about TC kissing Michelle. She knew that Michelle and TC had been friends for years. Michelle went wherever TC went. Michelle had always been sweet and polite, but something about Michelle's presence around TC bothered her. The sight of the two of them actually kissing was like Ashlee's nightmare come true. She may have been overreacting like TC said, but this wasn't just some random fan that kissed TC...this was Michelle.

Chelsey towel dried her hair and sat on the foot of Ashlee's bed, "I want to talk to you."

Ashlee lifted her head from the soaked pillow, and wiped some of the tears from her cheeks. Chelsey handed her the phone.

"Here. Call TC right now, and tell him you don't want to take a break. Call him and tell him that you didn't mean it."

Ashlee stared at Chels blankly, "I meant every word I said to him. I'm not calling him."

"I'm only going to say this because I'm your friend. You're being ridiculous. That boy loves you. You can see it in his eyes. And, I know you love him, or else you wouldn't be crying this much. You need to forgive him for what happened on the live chat, and talk to him about what his managers said."

Ashlee frowned, "You don't get it. He told the entire world that I don't exist. He was all over those girls at the meet and greet. And, he KISSED Michelle. Now, you just want me to forget all of that?!? No. You don't know what it's like for me right now. You don't understand-"

"I don't understand? Really?! I know EXACTLY what it's like. A couple months ago, I watched Bobby make out with some other girl right in front of me....and, it wasn't some small misunderstanding like with Michelle. And, you forget that while you were watching TC at the meet and greet, I had to watch Drew do the same thing. So, I think I DO understand exactly what you're going through. The difference is...you KNOW TC loves you back. You know, he's waiting to be with you. Don't wait until it's too late, like I did. If you have a chance to be happy, take it NOW. Call him."

"I'm sorry Chels...I just can't call him. We did the whole secret relationship thing for a while, and I don't want to do it again. So, if he can't admit that I'm his girlfriend, then I don't want to be with him."

"Okay," Chels said while turning out the light, "but, don't wait too long to change your mind about that, because one day TC will move on...even if you haven't."

Ashlee could tell that Chels was speaking from experience. She thought about everything that Chels had said, but she was still too mad to even think about calling TC. She laid in silence for about five minutes and said, "Hey Chels, it's never too late to tell someone how you feel you know."

Chels heard her, but didn't reply. Soon after, they both drifted to sleep.

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