Meant To Be (Sashay | AU)

Chapter 27 The Revelation

It's way past noontime and the girls are finally in Ashley's and Lucy's two-door apartment. The place is huge. It has two separate rooms, a very cozy living room, one shower and bath, a modest kitchen and a dining area. The rent is expensive too, but their parents agreed that it's best for their daughters to share this huge place rather than be cramped up in a one-bedroom apartment. The place is now fully furnished because their parents prepared for everything before they started their trip. This is perfect, especially now that the girls will be spending a month in New York. So for the time being, Ashley, Troian and Lucy will be sharing Lucy's room, while Sasha and Shay will be in Ashley's room. Everyone settled into their different rooms and it is very evident that the group's couple is going through something. The girls are busy unpacking and Shay and Sasha are still in silent mode.

"What's going on with those two? Now, I'm really worried. They haven't said a word to each other since we hit the road," Lucy started the conversation.

"Yeah. It's so unlike them. They're not even looking at each other. Maybe we should talk to them about it," Troian added.

"Just let them. Let them resolve whatever issues they have," Ashley blurted out, a little too late before she realized she just outed her friends.

"Wait, do you know something? Ashley?" Troian asked.

Ashley averted her eyes and pretended to be busy. Shit! She thought. She knows she can't lie to her friends, now that the secret is sort of out, but she has to. So she faced them, trying her best to deny what she knows.

"Obviously, I know as much as you do. I don't know anything," she said, trying to sound convincing.

"You know something, I know when you're lying," Troian hit back.

"I swear, Troi, I don't know anything. I just thought maybe they have an issue and we should just let them resolve that on their own," Ashley said with conviction hoping that the girls will believe her.

"If you know something Ash, you have to tell us. They're our friends too and if something is going on, we would like to help," Lucy said as if she was about to cry.

Ashley wanted to say something, she needs to say something, but she promised Shay. She has to keep her mouth shut.

"I don't know anything. I'm clueless just like you," Ashley said with finality in her tone.

"Whatever you say, Ash. But I hope you're sure about what you're doing," Troian simply said.

Something hit Ashley when Troian said that. Is she doing the right thing by staying silent? Is she protecting her friends? What is the right thing to do? She was debating internally whether or not she should tell Troian and Lucy when they heard a commotion in the other room.

"You did what?! And all this time, you kept that from me?!" Sasha shouted.

"I didn't mean to keep it from you babe, I just didn't know how to tell you," Shay said with pain in her voice.

"It's actually easy Shay, you could have just said:

hey babe, btw, I want you to know that I had sex with Cece, but it's not a big deal," Sasha responded sarcastically.

"You don't know how hard it was for me to keep it from you. I was dying inside Sash."

"You had every opportunity to tell me. You had every chance. But what did you do? You've let me make friends with her, you've let me get close to the woman you had sex with. And now I feel so stupid, she must be laughing at how stupid I am."