*NOT EDITED*

Chapter 36

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Someone burst into my room making me sit up straight. Cameron. I put a hand on my chest, feeling the hard thudding of my heart of being woken up so abruptly.

My eyebrows furrowed again, however, when I caught sight of Cameron's tear-streaked face with her puffy, red eyes. I threw off the cover and beckoned her to sit next to me on the bed.

"What's wrong, Cam?" I asked, my voice groggy with sleep. I rubbed my eyes and she started sobbing even harder.

Pulling her into a hug, I tried comforting her by patting her arm, but I still couldn't see or think straight.

"It's-it's Warren. He g-got kicked out o-of his band, and he's blaming- he's blaming it on me," I tried to make out the words through her hard crying and sobbing.

My eyes widened when I registered what she said and the sleep was instantly washed off me like cold water. "What? W-what happened?"

Her answer was more crying and sobbing.

"I'm going to wash up in the bathroom and come back so we can talk clearly. You should also wash your face. Meet me downstairs," I said, getting up from the bed and heading into the bathroom.

Before closing the bathroom the door, I heard Cameron shuffle out of the room, still quietly crying. I looked at the mirror and groaned loudly. How did I manage to mess up so badly? I felt like smashing my head against the sink as I heard Cameron sobbing from outside the room.

I splashed my face with cold water, brushed my teeth thoroughly, and did my business on the toilet. I quickly pulled my hair into a messy ponytail, and left the room, heading into the kitchen. Cameron was sitting by the counter with Elyse trying to calm her down. I saw that she had washed her face, but she was talking erratically to Elyse, her words mingling into each other.

I opened the fridge and got out an closed orange juice box before pouring some of it in a glass cup. I sat across Cameron whilst drinking from the cup.

"Now, tell me what happened from beginning to end slowly and without crying so I can understand."

She nodded and sucked in a deep breath. "Today, he called me and told me that the instruments in his hotel room were destroyed. His bandmates blamed him even though he didn't even touch them. He put them in the balcony because he thought that was the last place anyone could think of to look for. "

Then, Jerry got a call from these big producers and they were going to sign them off but they said that Warren ruined it for them. He swore that he didn't do anything and I believed him, but when I checked their website, he really did write rude things on it. When I told him that I saw the comment, he said that this was all because of me. I g-got myself pregnant so we had to come here and if we hadn't c-came here, the instruments wouldn't have been d-destroyed."

By the end of her rant, the tears were streaming freely again. I felt a pang of guilt pierce my heart at the sight of her disheveled, crying, puffy-eyed face. I did this, I did all of this. Every time I try to help, I just end up making things worse.

"Warren is a fu**ing bastard that doesn't deserve someone beautiful, smart, and extraordinary like you," Elyse said fiercely as she gripped her shoulders hardly.

You'd think that she'd feel better and stop crying if only for a second or two, but she just cried even more. Elyse sighed and looked at me hopelessly. I shook my head, not knowing what to do either.

"Cameron, you do realize that you were going to leave him anyway, right? You can't abort the baby," I said, hoping she wouldn't choose the latter.

She opened her mouth but closed it again. "Yes . . . I can't abort the baby."

I nodded, but I couldn't help but note that, sadly, her voice wasn't entirely sure.

She really was madly in love with him.

Emma and Drake left to their beach house, and Bex was at the court. They were deciding which of her parents would take custody of her. She was handling it fairly well, and had finally accepted the separation. I, on the other hand, was having a very shitty day. Sarah and Elyse decided to take Cameron out for a change so that she can forget about it for a while. I was offered to go with them, but I declined; I couldn't stand staying with Cameron for the full day, knowing that I was the reason behind her misery.

Damon—I assumed since it was only him and me who were in the house—walked in the room, interrupting my thoughts. I pulled the pillow away from my face so I can be able to see him.

"I feel like I'd rather have a truck, driven by Celeste, run me over than to be here right now after what I did," I said.

"Don't feel bad about yourself, you were just trying to help. And Warren's trying to find anyone to blame for what happened," he replied, flopping on the bed beside me.

I gave him a look from the corner of my eyes. "Don't try to make me feel better."

"Okay, you royally screwed up this time, this is all your fault. Cameron is dying on the inside because of you," he said, deadpan.

I didn't reply.

"Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"No. But I needed to hear it." I sighed.

He huffed and sat up straight, exasperated. "It's not your fault, Ash. Stop beating yourself about it. She was bound to leave him anyway, you just made it easier."

"Did I?" I stared at him.

He didn't reply and just stared back. He left the room without a word and I sighed again. Before I could do anything, the doorbell rang and I went downstairs to welcome Ryder in. I had texted him after Sarah, Elyse, and Cameron left because he was the only one here and I just really needed him right now.

"Hello," he said with a smirk as he walked in the house. I shut the door behind him.

"Hi." I shuffled behind him up the stairs.

"What's wrong?" He asked, his voice laced with concern once he noted my dull tone.

"Warren got kicked out of the band, but he's blaming it on Cameron and she hasn't stopped crying ever since," I explained as we walked into my room.

"Oh. And you're blaming it on yourself?"

"Yes."

He sighed and laid down on the bed. I did the same thing, and he snaked his arms around my waist. We moved up the bed so now the pillow was cushioned under our heads.

"I hate him. I hate him so much," I said with venom coating my voice. "I've never hated someone like this so much."

He held me tighter. I felt something hot stream down my cheeks and when I wiped at it, I realized I was crying. I wiped furiously at my cheeks. I hated crying when I was angry.

"Take deep breaths, let all the anger out. Have a Snicker."

I laughed at him and shook my head.

"You can use me as a punching bag if you want to."

I sat up straight and so did he, but now I was sitting on his lap. I gave him a good punch on his chest that made my hand ache.

"What are you, made out out of metal?" I asked in disbelief as I shook out my fist.

He laughed and leaned back, his elbows supporting his weight as he rested them on the bed. That gave me more space to give him better punches. The pain came with every single hit, but some of the anger was released with them and that made me feel better.

After ten minutes, I sighed tiredly and fell next to him, my head resting on his shoulder. There was a thin sheen of sweat on my forehead and I wiped it with the back of my hand.

"Better?"

"Yes. Thank you for making me use you as a punching bag," I said and we both laughed.

He sat halfway back up, one elbow resting on the bed and turned to me so our faces were merely inches apart and I was getting conscious of my breath.

"I know what can make you feel even better," he said, wiggling his eyebrows.

I rolled my eyes with a small smile and pushed him back on the bed. "Not happening, brother."

He laughed and spooned me back into his arms, so my back was against his front body. "I was just kidding."

"Maybe another day . . . "

I felt a blush color my cheeks upon hearing my own bold words. He froze under my arms.

"I'm going to Cali after tomorrow," I said, breaking the silence.

"Aww, you're going to spend the whole week there, right?"

"Yeah, maybe even more. I might not go to the half of the first school week after our vacation. It's okay, you can minimize your ego just a little and say you'll miss me," I said with a smirk.

"How about lowering yours first?"

My jaw dropped open and I turned around to see a smirk on his face. "I am not egotistical."

"Oh, but you are. We're just alike."

"We are not."

"We are so. What, you don't want us to be alike? You really hate me that much?" He had a teasing expression on his face.

"Hmph. I hate you so so much," I replied in a joking matter.

"Right back at you, but wanna know something?"

"What?"

"There's a thin line between love and hate," he said seriously.

"What are you saying?"

"What do you think I'm saying?" He had a small smile on his face and a knowing look in his eyes.

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Author's Note:

Hey, guys! How's everything going? I'm hoping you're having a great day because so am I :)

So, this chapter had a lot of #Ashder time together and I really enjoyed writing this one. What did you think of the chapter? I really enjoy reading your comment so feel free to do so.

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