The wind moved through my hair as I ran down the narrow side walk. Leaves crunched below my feet as my heavy boots hit the pavement with each stride I took. The fall air was cold on my skin, as it nipped it each time a new breeze flew over my face. My breathing became jagged, and strained but I couldn't stop. If I stopped then the past seventy-two hours would of been for nothing, and I was done doing things for nothing. I had a choice to make, one that could potentially pave the road to my future. The only problem was, I wasn't sure which way to go. Right, and I could do the one thing that made me truly happy. Left, and I could be with the one I had always loved.

Two Days Prior

"Please, Ashley, just this once could you please make an exception!" I was sprawled out on my big black leather couch, my hair was pulled back into a messy bun, at the end of my nose my square knock off Prada glasses rested, as my eyes skimmed the page of my photography book I was currently reading about the Rule of Thirds. Or I was at least trying to study. Janey and Megan were more then aware of when I was in study mode. It always consists of me sitting on the couch, in some old ratty clothes, with no make up on and a large book in my lap. I didn't really see why they thought to night was any different.

I sighed and placed the book down on my lap, looking up to my best friend's as they huffed back at me, "Janey, I really need to study for this final tomorrow, you know I don't work my ass for nothing!" I threw my hands in the air, more for dramatic affect then actual annoyance. My so called "final" was actually a meeting, I just wasn't ready to let my best friend's in on that tid bit of information.

"Yes little miss anal over here can't risk it," Megan waltzed over to the love seat and plopped down, as she placed her bright red pumps on the coffee table, "C'mon Ash, we all know you have a scholarship to keep, but you more than any of us deserve to have this one night!" Megan hollered as she raised her hands in a fist pump.

Janey joined in on the fist pumps as they stood in front of me jumping up and down like two lunatics on crank. I couldn't help but to laugh at my two best friends, they were after all the only two people who had stayed with me through everything.

"On one condition," I smiled as I looked up at my friends who were now pulling me off the couch both talking nine hundred miles and hour.

"Nope." Megan shook her head as she pulled me into my bedroom.

"There will be no conditions little miss." Janey finished Megan's sentence as she pushed me over to my mirror.

I rolled my eyes as I watched my two friends move about my room, first ransacking my closet, then my make up drawer, then my bathroom for hair supplies.

"You showered when you got home from the studio right?" Janey asked as she began to yank on my hair.

"I did er- Janey!" I squeaked when she pulled out the hair tie along with some of my hair.

"Sorry doll, but we only have two hours to make you fabulous!" Megan beamed, as she flashed her perfectly white smile, before she began holding up clothes to my body.

It was fall in Huntington Beach, California. And though it was in fact California, it was chilly. Living right next to the beach didn't help. However, my friends didn't seem to mind when they were getting ready for the night, Janey wore about the holiest pair of jeans she owned, with a red shirt that didn't cover much. While Megan, wore a black sequin dress, with four in heels, and now they were trying to dress me in daisy duke shorts and a tank top.

"Okay wait," I sighed as I took a step back from my best friends, "I'm letting you do my hair, and my make up. I choose what I wear thanks."

Megan and Janey both began to argue before they sighed and went back to doing what they did best, turning me from drab to fab. It was quite odd how we all meshed so well when we were all so different. Megan, had always been the hot bombshell and what she lacked in brains she made up for in being an amazing friend, she was the type of person who would kick anyone's ass if they hurt her friends. Janey, was the red head with a fiery temper to match, but she was also the sweetest person on the planet and one of the most loving, which is why we own five stray animals. Then there's myself, I'm not sure what anyone would classify me as, I suppose you could consider me the shy, somewhat geeky girl who kept to herself. I really only ever came out of my shell when I was with my best friends.

An hour and a half later and I didn't look like the same girl who occupied the couch just a short time ago. My hair was done in loose curls falling to the middle of my back, the blonde on blonde highlights were more noticeable in the curls. I was thankful that Janey kept my makeup semi mellow, my blush was only a shade darker then my natural skin tone, and my eyes weren't smokey eye like she usually insisted. I had chosen on a gray cardigan with a black tank top some jeans and a pair of Vans. I knew both of my friends were secretly biting their tongues not to ask me to wear something a little more provocative, or just a tad more revealing, but they didn't and that's what I loved about them.

"I don't get why you still wear the necklace." Megan rolled her eyes slightly as she looked back in the mirror and applied some more lipstick.

I glanced down at my necklace, it was a little camera on a chain. Photography had always been my passion. It's what I was going to college for, I had received a scholarship in high school and I fully intended on making it my profession. Said necklace, always annoyed my friends when they saw I had it on. It wasn't the necklace itself that made them turn their nose up to it, it was more the person whom gave it to me.

"What more describes me than this cute little camera," I grinned over to Megan as I toyed with the pendant, "Admit it, it suits me." I stuck my tongue out at my friend.

"It's just another way of showing you still have feelings for him, and after what that prick put you through I don't think you need anything reminding you of him. Look Ash, I'm simply trying to look out for you, but if you choose to wear it. So be it I can't stop you." Megan shrugged.

I decided not to let Megan's comment get to me. They were both right earlier when they said I needed a night out, and what better way to do that than a bonfire at the beach. Just a nice laid back night with the people I loved.

Parking was a pain in the ass to find on a Friday night in downtown Huntington. The people were lined up on the streets as they waited to get into to the crowded restaurants, bars, and clubs. Luckily, being a native, I knew just where to park. Hopefully Megan and Janey wouldn't be too put out when they would realize they'd both be walking semi far in heels.

"So I think I'm going to go all the way with Chase tonight." Janey wagged her eyebrows as we walked down to the beach.

"He's hot honey, I don't see why you weren't already fucking his brains out." Megan chimed in as she grinned over towards Janey.

"Sorry, unlike little miss open 24/7 over here I actually like to get to know the guy first!" Janey teased Megan as I followed instep between the two of them. Laughing at there antics.

"We need to find Ashley a hot guy for the night," Megan looked at me and smirked, "It's been four months, what you need is hot rebound sex!"

"Chase has a really hot roommate and he is so your type too," Janey grinned as she wrapped her arm around my shoulders, "He's tall with black hair and hazel eyes!"

Megan interjected before Janey could continue, "That's exactly not what she needs. She needs a guy that looks and acts nothing like Br-"

"Guy's do I get a say in this or what!" I stopped as I looked between my two friends, "I really just wanna forget about him, and I don't think sleeping with some random guy is gonna work. We were together for three years and it hasn't been that long. I just really wanna have a few drinks and relax."

Megan and Janey both lowered their eyes before looking back at me, "Sorry Ash, we just hate to see you hurting."

It had been a while since I had gotten out. For the past eight months I had been working on a portfolio, there was a chance to go work with Mark Hoffer a world renowned photographer, his next job was a two year shoot in South America, and I had been working my ass off to win the contest.

After beer number two I was feeling a little less shy and a lot more ready to party. It felt good to have the sand in my toes and the wind in my hair. Megan was talking to a group of hot guys, while Janey and Chase had snuck off to do God only knows what. I didn't mind though, luckily this wasn't one of those parties where you only know two or three people. Growing up in Huntington Beach had an advantage, the locals always had the best parties.

"If it isn't little miss photography as I live and breath." I stopped talking to my friend Damon as I turned on my heels a little too quickly to match a face with the voice. Sure enough it was who I had thought it to be.

"Zack-um-what are you doing here?" I took a deep breath trying to ease my racing mind. If Zack was here, that meant he wasn't alone, and if he wasn't along more than likely there were four other people around that I didn't feel much like conversing with, just one in particular really.

"We got off tour early, figured we'd stop by and see everyone, four months is a long time to go without seeing your friends." Zack smiled sheepishly as he ran a hand through his spiked hair. I could tell he didn't know what to say. Not that I really blamed him, last time he and I spoke wasn't really a memory I cared for too much. It almost made me want to cry, Zack Baker and I once upon a time ago had been great friends. We had grown up as neighbors, went to grade school together, graduated high school, all those years simply washed away over one persons mistake.

"Well it was nice seeing you." I smiled politely before I began to walk away, I didn't get too far before someone grabbed my shoulder. I turned around letting out an exasperated sigh.

"He misses you Ash," Zack looked down at his feet kicking the sand, "Look, not a day went by on tour that I wasn't kicking myself for not telling you sooner."

"I'm over it, all of it. You did what you felt you were obligated to do, you were between a rock and a hard place. I don't blame you for not telling me sooner, and I'm not mad anymore." I placed my hand on his cheek and attempted a half smile before I turned back around and continued to walk along the beach.

It was like I was reliving a night that had happened four months ago, and I wanted nothing more than to push it back out of my head and drown it in the ocean. Once I felt I was far enough from the bon fire I plopped down in the sand and gazed out at the crashing waves.

Four Months Ago

"How could you keep this from me Zack!?" I held back the tears in my eyes as I looked my best friend in the eye.

"I'm sorry Ashley! I didn't know what to do you know damn well you and Brian are my best friends, how was I supposed to just rat him out to you like it was nothing?" Zack raised his hands in defiance as he held my stare.

"It's really quite simple Zack, you tell Brian that he's an asshole for hurting me and that he should own up to it on his own!" The tears were now flowing down my face as my vision blurred. I turned away from my best friend and walked down the hall ignoring his pleas.

I almost made it to the door. The party was loud and everyone was too drunk to notice me, almost everyone.

"Ashley hey baby what's wrong?" Brian grabbed my elbow and pulled me into his warm body, the genuine tone in his voice made me wanna cringe away from him.

"How could you look me in the eye and tell me you loved me," I choked back a sob as I glared up at my boyfriend, the bewilderment in his face was almost passing as real, "How could you make love to me and tell me I was the only girl you could ever love, when just day's prior you were balls deep in some random groupie whore!?" I shouted as I pulled away from him. I didn't care if people were watching us now. I wanted Brian to feel the humility that I felt.

Our entire relationship had been one big lie. I had been made a joke of. All the time we were with our friends, I would laugh with them and hold Brian while all the while they knew he was doing me dirty.

"Ashley just calm down!" Brian tried to grab me and pull into a different room, one with less spectators but I was done with all of it.

What really made my heart ache was the fact that he wasn't denying it, he wasn't saying he didn't know what I was talking about, mostly he wasn't saying sorry. It felt like I was under water drowning in my own pain as I stood there desperate for some reasonable explanation why my relationship was slowly but surely turning into a mockery in front of all of these people.

I shook my head once more before I turned away from Brian and walked out the door. I expected him to come racing after me, asking for forgiveness and expressing his sorrow, however I was met with silence.

Matt, Johnny, Jimmy, and Zack. They had all known and not once did they tell me anything, they just allowed me to make a fool of myself, allowed me to fall more and more in love with Brian.

I often wondered why I never saw it, or why I chose to ignore the fact that my longtime boyfriend was cheating on me. I had loved, did love Brian for so long that the thought of him not loving me back with as much fiery passion didn't seem possible. However, when Zack finally broke down and told me of my boyfriends infidelity my little lie came crashing down around me.

"Thought I'd find you here."

Notes

This will be four chapter long. Enjoy (: