*!The Breakup Song!*

************

"So, what did the doctor say Hayley?" Shane asked as they made their way across the parking lot to his car. She had been pretty silent since coming out of the office and he wanted to make sure she was alright.

"Can you just take me home Shane?"

"You know I can, what's the matter baby?" he opened the door letting her in, and walked around and jumped in the car and started it up. He looked over at her and saw the tears falling down her cheeks fast. He knew that something wasn't right, and they weren't going to drive anywhere until he found out what happened.

"Shane...I can't see you anymore."

"What?"

"I think I need to be alone, this isn't working out the way I'd planned on it. We're just not right for each other."

"Okay, now I know that something is wrong here, but what did I do?"

"You didn't do anything, I've been thinking about it recently, and it just seems like we aren't going anywhere, things aren't good with us anymore. We had a nice run, and I loved it, but it's not something I want or need right now."

"Hayley, where is this coming from? I know we've had a few issues lately, we don't talk like we used too, but you don't want to be with me anymore? I thought you loved me?"

"I do love you Shane, which is why I can't do this anymore. Can you please just take me home?"

"Fine, lets get you home, but we need to talk more about this, because I can't accept that things just changed so easily for you."

"Just take me home, I need to be alone."

Shane drove her home in silence as he mulled over what she had said. She loved him, he hadn't done anything wrong, but she wanted to be alone. There had to be more that she wasn't telling him and he couldn't just let it rest like this. He loved this girl, and he couldn't let her go. She got out of the car without saying goodbye and made her way up the drive. He watched her go, and felt the tear slip down his cheek. He had to figure out what had happened, and he knew he wouldn't rest until he did.

**********

"She did what Shane?" Summer exclaimed jumping up off the couch. This had to be the most insane thing she had ever heard.

"She broke it off with me, and she didn't even say goodbye when I dropped her off. It was like it meant nothing to her. The time we spent together and the fun times."

"What did the doctor say to her?"

"She wouldn't tell me Summer, that's what's so fucked up about this. She won't tell me anything. She won't even talk to me anymore."

"Do you want me to go over and talk to her about this?"

"No, just leave it alone for now. I mean she wants to be alone, and I'm not going to push her right now."

"You can't just give up on her Shane!"

"I'm not giving up on her damnit!" Shane yelled back. Realizing he shouldn't have done it, he put his head in his hands. "I don't want to fight about this with you Summer, because I don't understand it myself. I love her with everything in me, and she's shutting me out."

"She talks to Jeff you know, maybe he can talk to her."

"She what? I didn't think her and Jeff were all that close. I never see them together."

"He doesn't know that I know, but I've seen them talking before, and she opens up to him from the looks of it. I think what she needs is someone that's not close to the problem here. I mean she has cancer, and she's been alone for so long, that when she has people that love her like you and Amanda do, she shuts down. When Jeff comes around, he's someone who isn't as close to the problem, and she feels she can tell him stuff."

"Why didn't he ever tell us then?"

"He's afraid I would think, I mean he doesn't want us getting the wrong idea."

"Why would we get the wrong idea?"

"Because we love the two of them more then ourselves, and If we saw them together, we would get jealous."

"Did you get jealous?"

"Honestly? I did a little bit, I mean he's my husband, and she's MY best friend, I would think she would talk to me, and he would share it with me."

"Can you get Jeff, Summer?"

"Yeah, he's in the studio making some music for the songs he wrote, give me a second alright? Just don't give up on her alright?"

************

"Do you want to tell me why you've been banging things around since you got home or am I going to have to beat it out of you?" Amanda asked, pulling Hayley away from the kitchen sink and the dishes she was close to breaking.

"It's nothing alright. Just go do whatever it is you do when I'm not here."

"With you making this much noise I couldn't even think if I tried, so sit down now and explain to me why your acting like this. I do care about you, you know."

"Amanda, I broke up with Shane alright?"

"You did what?"

"I broke up with him."

"Why would you do that?"

"The cancer.god I can't even think about this without being sick to my stomach."

"What about the cancer Hayley?"

"They couldn't get it all with the surgery, and its spreading fast according to Dr. Abrams."

"Oh my god, so what does that mean exactly?"

"It means I could die basically. I know the doctors don't want to think about that at this stage, they just want to help nip it in the ass, but it's a possibility, and with that in mind, I couldn't stay with Shane anymore. It wouldn't be fair to him; he doesn't need to watch me die."

"Isn't that something he needs to decide on his own?"

"No, because this is my life, and I'm saying that I don't want him to be there if something does happen. I couldn't do that to him, and make his life harder."

"Have you told him this?"

"No, because it didn't seem right, so when I got out of the doctors office, I told him I wanted him to take me home, and that it was over."

"Hayley, this is not the way to do this, it's only going to hurt you and him more now."

"There's more Amanda, so sit down and let me tell you everything."

"How much worse can this get Hayley? I mean your sitting here telling me that my best friend and someone I think of like a sister is going to die, and there's nothing I can do about it. How much fucking worse can it get?" Amanda yelled.

"I kissed Jeff."

"Oh so it can get worse."

"Remember when I had the surgery and I told you I tried to get a hold of you to come for me, to support me?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"I called Summer too, and she wasn't home, so I called Jeff's cell phone, and he was there. He was with me the entire time, and he left once I called you and Shane, so that we wouldn't cause any problems with him being with me."

"So Jeff was with you that day? How does that get you to kissing him?"

"The day Summer and Jeff came over; he came up to my room to talk to me right? Well we got into a fight over me talking to Shane about my inability to have children, and well I kissed him. It didn't mean anything to either one of us, I don't think, but it happened none the less."

"Hayley, you need to talk to Shane."

"And tell him what?"

"Tell him everything damnit! I'm sitting here listening to you go on about how you don't want to hurt him, but with every step you make in your quest not to hurt him, you are causing him more pain the ever imagined. You kissed his best friend, and you broke up with him because you think you might die. I mean Jesus Hay, you need to think about your actions here. You're sick but you're not that stupid." Amanda yelled throwing her cup into the sink and listening to it crash.

"Why do you think I broke it off? I'm doing what's best for everyone."

"Hayley, listen to me, and then I'm leaving because this is way too much for me to take in right now. Shane loves you with everything he has. He's been calling here non stop for you since the day he got together with you. You found out you had cancer, for sure, and he was right there for you, that's all he wants to do. Hell, that's all any of us want to do for you, be there for you so you don't have to do it alone. You won't let us in, but you seem to want to let Jeff in, and make things worse. I'm saying this as your friend, I love you Hayley, but you need to fix this, all of it, before you lose something that could possibly make you happy."

************

"Shane, what's up buddy?" Jeff asked as he walked into the house, throwing his boots off by the door. Summer had taken over with the music in the studio so they could get the songs finished and she figured Shane would want to see him alone.

"I need to know how close you and my girlfriend are Jeff."

"What do you mean man?"

"How close are you with Hayley?"

"She's a friend, that's about it." He said, taking a deep breath. From the way Shane sounded he was afraid that Hayley had finally given in and told him about the kiss.

"Jeff I'm sitting here trying to figure out why she would break up with me. Then Summer tells me that you guys are close, and that we don't know about it because you don't want to hurt us. How much of this is true buddy?"

"Wait a minute Shane, she did what?"

"She broke up with me in the shittiest way possible."

"When?"

"About an hour ago, and I'm left wondering why."

"Shane, you want me to be honest with you here?"

"Always, I just need to know what she told you, why she's close to you and not me. She's pulling away and it's killing me man."

"I was with her for the surgery.." Jeff choked out interrupting Shane.

"You were what?"

"She called everyone, and you were out of town, and she was alone and scared I would assume, so she called my cell phone, and I was there."

"But when we got to the hospital you weren't there."

"She asked me to leave, so she wouldn't worry you, or upset you. She didn't want you to get the wrong idea. Although with everything that's been happening lately with Hayley, everything is just one big misunderstanding."

"What do you mean Jeff?"

"We kissed Shane; does that make you feel better? Now you know everything that's happened, and why we are so close."

"You kissed my girlfriend?"

"We fought when I went to see her the other day, she was so upset about not being able to have children and build a life with you, and we argued and she kissed me, and I'm not going to sit here and pin it on her, because I actually kissed her back."

"How the hell could you do that Jeff? You're married!"

"Don't you think I know that Shane? Do you really think I would tell you if it was something more then what it was? The kiss was something that never should have happened, but it did, and it's over now. I don't know why she broke up with you though."

"Isn't it obvious? She's in love with you! How many girls do I have to get with that will run to you Jeff?"

"Shane this has nothing to do with her wanting me. She doesn't want me. I'm just the only person in her life that isn't right in her face with the whole cancer thing. I'm on the sidelines and she knows she can turn to me, and things will make more sense, that's all it is."

"I'm trying not to punch you here Jeff."

"You want to punch me? Then do it. I'm standing here, and no one will stop you. God knows I deserve it, but this isn't about me and you anymore, it's about Hayley."

"I can't believe this is happening to me.." Shane whispered running his hands through his hair.

"Do you want a word of advice Shane?"

"From the guy who kissed my girlfriend? This should be good."

"I don't want Hayley you asshole, I want you to be happy, but the fact of the matter is, she's messed up big time over this. She cant give you a family and that kills her inside, so she's pulling into herself and turning to me, which she shouldn't be. I told her to talk to you; she needs you to understand about her inability to have a family. She doesn't want to hurt you, so she probably found out something bad at the doctor's and she couldn't tell you, so she broke up with you."

"You don't want her?"

"No, I don't want her, I'm happily married. Yes I did kiss her, and she kissed me back and it was nice, but it's not something I want. I just wanted to be there for her. Can you understand that?"

"Yeah, I guess. Jeff I'm scared I'm going to lose her."

"Then go tell her, be there for her, no matter what she says."

**********