With her hand clasped over her mouth, Ashley knew that she needed to stay quiet and allow Jeff to explain himself to Matt if he so chose to. This wasn't her fight and there wasn't anything for her to do. Swallowing a large breath, trying to shatter the lump that had formed in his throat, Jeff looked at his older brother and let his shoulders fall into a slump. "Matt, I just...there's stuff that you need to know and I can't tell you exactly what it is right now. Just...I know that I can't help you win Ashley back, not this time okay?" Jeff spoke, turning his attention onto anything but his older brother's knowing gaze. Matt ran his hand down his face as he fought to hold his emotions in. Once he was sure that he could handle it Matt looked at his brother and parted his lips. "Jeff, I don't get it. Why won't you help me win Ashley back? I mean, it's not like I'm asking you to cut off your nose to spite your face here. Just help me, please little brother." Matt begged and Jeff's heart ached as he thought about actually giving in and doing what Matt wanted. Not this time...Jeff thought guiltily and stood from the edge of the bed. "Matt, I can't...and, you want to know why I can't? Well..." at this pause in his sentence, Jeff faced the bathroom door and spoke in a soft yell "Ash...come on out here, it's okay. He needs to know the truth..."

At this point, Ashley had been listening to the entire conversation exchanging between the two brothers and once Jeff beckoned to her, Ashley knew that it was better to face this and get it over with rather than trying to act like she didn't know what was going on or wasn't there. After Jeff had turned towards the bathroom after standing and spoke, calling Ashley out, Matt's blood began to boil. He didn't want, or need, to know more than what Jeff had already said to understand what was going on between the two of them however for some reason that fact alone did not deterre him from standing there, waiting to hear the lame excuse they had to offer him. With a click of the door, Ashley clutched the sheet around her body and stepped into the room, her blue eyes not looking at either brother as she exhaled a deep breath. This wasn't exactly how she had imagined Matt finding out about she and Jeff, hell she hadn't thought about ever actually telling him but she had to now and it was better this way...better for everyone this way. "Matt, I can explain...none of this is Jeff's fault, it was all me..." This was where Matt cut her off, not willing to stand there and listen to anymore of her lies, her deceitful lies. "Whore...you know that Ashley? That's what you are, a whore. I tried to look the other way when it came to the rumors about Paul London and I wanted to forget that you were ever with that piece of trash and I was beginning to...then the rumors started up again about the escort service and I ignored them too. The saddest part is that even a whore wouldn't sink as low as to sleep with my brother...they have more respect than that..." once Matt reached this part of his speech Jeff stepped in front of Ashley and crossed his arms over his bare chest, glaring into his brother's soul. "That's enough Matt...you've said enough. Stop insulting her, you're the one that broke up with her remember? You're also the one that can't stay with someone more than three months at a time. Back off, okay? Before you get hurt big brother." "Really Jeff? Really? Sticking up for the slut of the century now? Clearly that hairdye's been eating away at your brain if you think you can tell me what to do. No wait, you had to have a brain first." Matt spoke, his tone bitter.

Though Ashley had known that Matt had ignored all of the things he said to her, it still didn't make them hurt any less when they wre heard aloud. Standing there, clutching the soft material of her sheet around her body, Ashley allowed her teeth to gently tug against her bottom lip as she felt the tears starting to well up in her eyes. She couldn't take all of this guilt...all of this hurt, but mostly she couldn't take the fact that she actually allowed herself to come between the two of them and their bond. It didn't matter what she felt for Jeff and what she would always feel for Matt, their friendship and their bond was way more important than that. Without saying a thing Ashley began to flitter around the room, finding all of the articles to her clothing and once the secured all of them she once more went into the bathroom and closed the door. Jeff on the other hand noticed what she was doing and rather than try and stop her at the moment Jeff's emeral green eyes focused on his older brother, behind them rested nothing but seething hatred. Matt's shoulders had puffed up considerably as he stood there facing off against his brother, though he had spoken such mean and hurtful things to Ashley, and to Jeff for that matter, he didn't actually mean them. His pride would not allow him to admit that at the moment either. Ashley dressed quickly in the bathroom and then once she was fully dressed and had her shoes and everything ready to go, Ashley opened the bathroom door and walked past the two bulls without so much as a comment. She wasn't going to come between them anymore and that meant whatever had happened between her and Jeff the night before, was all that was ever going to happen. Leaving the room by slamming the door behind her, Ashley started towards the pay phone at the end of the lot and Jeff stepped foreward, his lips curving in a scowl as his anger over flowed. It was taking every ounce of concentration and will power within his body not to raise his fist and deck his older brother across the jaw for the things that he had said to Ashley.

Sorry for taking so long and sorry this is so short!

What do you think will happen now? Do you think Matt will apologize to Jeff and Ashley?

Do you think Matt will tell Beth what happened?

How will Beth react if he does tell her?

Will Matt and Jeff ever be able to close again after this?

Review to find out! (: