This story is for my bb Deb.

I haven't written for over a year now, but knowing how much you love reading stories about SethKate, I wanted to surprise you with this one in your birthday. I hope you like it.

Love you,

PS: A big thank you to Kelly for agreeing to being my beta and check my work.

The morning came in the blink of an eye. Kate felt as if she didn't get any sleep the night before. She was still in bed, enjoying the remaining minutes she could have for herself before her father would knock at her door with the reminder that it was time to get up for Church. Yes, that's right. Like the good girl she was, Kate wouldn't miss service. It was her family's tradition to attend every Sunday. Her dad was also the preacher there. Since Kate could remember, she was taught to love God and be devoted to him. But lately, it hadn't feel the same way anymore. It wasn't as if she didn't believe in God, or as if she loved him any less, but she was mad at him. Furious was the right word. Since that day when her life turned upside down, things were different. Her mind was still trying to process the thought that her mom was taken away from her too soon. She was still learning how to survive in a world without her mom in it. The thought alone made her heart squeeze painfully in her chest. The wounds hadn't healed yet. She was gone. It was only her dad, her brother Scott and her now.

Kate still remembered, with a smile on her face, one of the many traditions she had with her mom. Every Thursday, they would sit on the couch, order pizza and watch horror movies together. Sometimes Scott would join them, but it was mostly just the two of them. Sometimes her mom would get annoyed with her for always picking the same movies; but it was an annoyance that would pass as soon as the movie began. She let out a giggle at the memory. God she missed her mom so much. Every little thing about her. The way she used to smile softly at her; the way she caressed her face, and brushed her hair behind her ear while Kate leaned into her touch; the way she hugged her so tightly whenever she had a problem, trying to comfort her with the silent promise that everything would be okay, that things would get better eventually. It was in these moments that Kate missed her the most. An abrupt knock on the door drove these thoughts away. Kate wiped away the tears that she wasn't even aware were running down her face and let her dad know that she would be downstairs in a few minutes.

Taking a deep breath and letting out a sigh of frustration, she hid her head under the pillow and screamed, the sound muffled by the mattress. She felt lonely and trapped inside her own body. She wished she could scream at the top of her lungs, so loud, but nobody would listen anyways, nobody would rescue her from her prison. Things that used to matter in the past no longer mattered now. Kate was not the same girl she used to be, maybe on the outside, but on the inside, not even close.

Pulling herself out of the bed reluctantly, she took a quick shower, dried her hair and picked out one of her favorite summer dresses. It was white with yellow flowers complementing the design. Simple but comfortable. Heading downstairs, catching her father and brother already at the RV, she took her seat across the frontside. There wasn't time left for breakfast.

The service didn't last too long, or that's what it seemed to Kate, who lost track of time while wandering in thoughts, feeling suffocated in the crowd gathered in the church. As soon as it was over, around noon, she was one of the first ones standing outside. Debating whether to wait for her dad and brother, she decided to just walk home by herself. She needed the alone time to clear her head.

Instead of taking the familiar path to her home, this time she went another way. She wasn't in any hurry to be there soon. Besides, the day was beautiful. It was a shame not to enjoy it a bit longer. The sun was shining bright, with no cloud in sight above in open sky. The breeze constantly caressed her skin. It was a perfect day to go to the beach, not that she had anyone to go with in the first place. Her friend Jessica didn't hang out with her anymore, not after her mother died. All of her supposed friends abandoned her. It hurt more in Jessica's case because she was her best friend, or at least that's what she had thought in the past. Kyle, her ex-boyfriend now, broke up with her a couple days after her mom's funeral, not wanting to deal with her and unwilling to wait forever to have sex with her either. But she didn't need any of them now. She was better off alone.

The sound of a horn brought her back to reality. She noticed a blue corvette following her around now. Inside there was the hottest man she had ever seen in her life. Not that she was going to admit that to him, ever. He was too sexy for her own good. He was dressed in all black, wearing an expensive suit, with a cigarette in hand while driving. It was none other than Seth Gecko, one of those men your parents warn you about as a young girl. He arrived to town a few months ago with his brother Richie. Everyone knew they were bad news. The rumors claimed they were the leaders of some gang. Her father made her promise once to stay away from them, especially the eldest brother, Seth, telling her that he could be her own father, given his age. Not that the age gap was too big, and not that she cared anyways. If anything, it only made him more desirable in her eyes. If her father knew one of her fantasies involved calling Seth "Daddy" as he thrusted into her, she would undoubtedly be grounded until Kingdom come. Sometimes she felt ashamed of her darkest and most private thoughts; good Christian girls shouldn't think things like that. It didn't help that he was eyeing her up and down from his car now. She had to look away.

"Want a ride home, Princess?" he said, smiling to himself as if he knew a secret she didn't.

"No thanks. I would rather walk" was all she said while rolling her eyes and continuing to walk down the street, trying her best to ignore him. No matter how attracted she felt toward him, he was an asshole. End of story.

The first day Seth was in town, Scott got involved in a fight with him that turned out badly. He was probably the one to blame, but he was still her brother. The same day Kate saw him, no matter how dangerous he was, it didn't stop her from giving him a piece of her mind. Seth just stayed there, clearly amused by her outburst, and perhaps a little impressed. After that incident, he was always flirting with her or inviting her somewhere. It'd been this way for a while now. But she'd rejected all of his invitations. Back when she was still with Kyle, Seth had told her one day in front of him, how she needed a man, not a kid. Kyle knew better than to start a fight with him. And now she was single, but it didn't change the fact that he was still bad news.

"Scared of me or what the preacher would say, Little Miss Sunshine?"

It was always his reply when she said no. Hers was always ignoring him back. After hearing it again, something snapped inside of her. Today she felt different, more like a rebel. Maybe this time she didn't want to say no. Maybe this time she could ignore how bad he was for her. Maybe this time she just wanted to escape from her monotonous life, just for once.

Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks. Seth stopped his car, too, looking at her questioningly with a confused expression.

Kate made her way toward the car, opened the door and climbed inside next to an amazed Seth. His eyes almost bugged out of his head. It was comical. She only laughed and looked ahead. With no other explanation, she said,

"Take me to the beach, please."

There weren't many people at the beach when they arrived. But some of them were already sending judgmental glances in her direction. She was the preacher's daughter after all, and seeing her with him would be the only topic of conversation in that small town for weeks now. She couldn't care less. Meanwhile, others sent scornful glances in Seth's direction, probably for trying to corrupt her. And others, well, were probably very aware of the age gap, thinking he might want to take advantage of her. Kate ignored them all. She knew the news would travel soon and reach her dad's ears, but she would deal with that later. It wasn't as if they were together. She laughed at the thought of her and Seth, it would never happen. She needed some fresh air today, and he just happened to be there.

"Did I say something funny, Princess?" he asked her, arching a brow.

"You wouldn't want to know," Kate replied, secretly loving the way he always called her 'Princess' whenever he had the chance.

After eating tacos from a mexican place near the beach before, where Kate declined his offer to pay for her food, they sat in the sand for a while looking at the calm water and the people passing by. Then went for a walk around the beach in a comfortable silence. It was funny the way he seemed to be out of place there, with his expensive shirt and pants, his coat forgotten in his car. He could've left her there after following her wishes, but instead he was giving her some company. After a while, they actually started talking, small talk at first. He told her how he was always moving from place to place because of his business, but he was planning to stay there for a while. She didn't ask what kind of business, and she didn't know why the thought of Seth being around made her feel relieved.

She told him about her last senior year; about her prom that would take place this year, but didn't excite her any longer; and how she was planning to take a sabbatical year before starting college. He gave her an understanding look that told her she didn't need to explain the reason. She didn't have to tell him the last part, but somehow it felt natural. Spending time with Seth wasn't that bad after all she realized. He was funny and made her constantly laugh. He had this easy way of making her forget about her problems for the time being. It was the first time they really talked, instead of their brief interactions, the majority of which were in front of other people.

It was getting dark by the time Kate noticed how far they had walked. She thought about all the missed calls she probably had from her dad, but she wasn't interested in answering. She left her phone on silent the entire day. But it was time to go back to reality, so they finally started making their way back to his car. There was no one around by the time they got there. The ride home ended sooner than she wished. Kate asked Seth to drop her off a couple houses away from her own, because she didn't want to tempt her luck any further today with her dad.

Before stepping out, she turned around and with a genuine smile said,

"Thanks for today."

"Anytime, Princess. Let me know the next time you want another ride."

"Goodnight, Seth," she said, shaking her head, but she felt her cheeks burning at his sincere invitation.

"You are forgetting something," he said with a playful tone in his voice.

"And what that might be?"

"Your phone number," he said as a matter of fact.

Kate put her index finger on her chin, pretending to think about it for a second, before saying again, "Goodnight."

"I can get it you know," he said, a smirk forming on his lips.

"I know," she said before stepping out of the car, letting out a giggle now that she was out of earshot. He didn't leave until she was safe inside her house.

By the look of her father's expression when Kate entered the kitchen, she knew that the gossip spread around quickly, even by that town's standards. He was already seated, with the dinner placed on the table, waiting for her. Scott was probably hanging out with his junkie friends. It's all he did anymore after their mom died.

They ate in an awkward silence, neither of them speaking. He waited until dinner was over before confronting her.

"What do you think you were doing all day, Kate Fuller?"

Oh oh. Using her full last name was always a clear indication of his anger. He usually called her Katie Cakes.

"Well, I was enjoying the beautiful day at the beach with the criminal Seth Gecko. But you already knew that, didn't you, Dad?" She tended to stay silent and listen to what he had to say. But she was tired of being treated like a child. She was seventeen, almost eighteen for Christ's sake.

"That's not the way to speak to your father, young lady. He's already putting things in your head, influencing your behaviour. You never used that tone with me before."

Kate held back a dry laugh, trying to calm herself. Now she was the one losing her temper.

"You need to stop that. Do you think that my mind is so weak to let someone influence me? You don't know me at all."

"He's not good for you, can't you see that?"

"What I see is you being overprotective. I can take care of myself, Dad. It's what I've been doing for a while now." It was a low blow, and she knew it.

In that moment his features softened and he went silent for a few minutes. He knew what she meant by that. He hadn't been himself lately either, letting her and Scott carry their pain on their own. "I just want what's best for you, same as any father in my position. He won't do you any good, Katie Cakes. You should stop seeing him."

"Stop treating me like a child" was the last thing she said, raising her voice again before leaving the kitchen and going upstairs to her room, slamming the door shut for emphasis.

Pulling her phone out, Kate checked the 31 missed calls from her dad. She was surprised he didn't show up to the beach, asking her to return home with him. She sighed exhaustedly, threw the phone on top of the bed, and headed toward the bathroom to take a long and relaxing bath.

After changing into her pajamas, she slipped under her sheets, noticing a new incoming message on her phone from an unknown number.

"Is the church girl in bed?" She immediately knew who it was and laughed at his audacity, wondering who he got her number from so fast the same night. He surprised her. She hated that he was right, though. Other girls her age were out having fun since school hadn't started yet, meanwhile she was at home, preparing for bed.

"Is the old man projecting?"

"Old, which means a man with more experience" was his immediate response. It was the second time he made her cheeks burn today. She didn't know how to answer. She never had conversations like this with anyone, not even with Kyle in the past.

"That remains to be seen." She chuckled, hitting the send option by mistake. Panic settled in, her heart racing by her own stupidity. Utterly mortified, she waited for his response.

Five seconds later, another incoming text popped up on her screen.

"Curious of my skills, Kate? I can show you."

She was feeling warmer all of sudden. If only he knew how many times she had fantasized about him, even in those moments when she wanted to slap him in the face. "So the rumors were true. Seth Gecko doesn't waste any time."

Instead of addressing what she said, he only confirmed her statement.

"How is little Miss Kate sleeping tonight?"

She knew what he meant, but played dumb anyways. "Very comfy, under my sheets"

"Hmm… and under your sheets?"

Kate knew she was playing with fire, she was very aware of that. But it was exciting nonetheless. Maybe she needed some excitement in her life.

Biting her lip she replied, "Naked." It was far from the truth, but she wasn't going to let him know that she was wearing her boring pajamas with tiny butterflies when he was probably used to women wearing sexy lingerie.

Not even two seconds had passed before Seth sent her another text "FUCK," followed by another one, "I'm calling you now."

She was not about to have sex over the phone with him, she could not. She didn't even know what she was doing with him to be honest. None of it made any sense. Everything was so new for her. Before he called and the conversation could go any further into more dangerous territory, she sent him one last text.

"Maybe another time. Goodnight, Seth."

"I'm so fucked up. Goodnight, Princess."

She realized it was the first time in ages that she had a full smile on her face before sleep claimed her.

The following weeks were more bearable. Even if her relationship with her dad was still tense after their fight the other night, the highlights of her days were the exchange of texts between her and Seth. They were becoming more frequent each passing day. She found herself smiling more often and having less mood swings lately. He was the only one who asked her how she was doing nowadays. Even after the way they started, with Kate hating his guts, she couldn't help admitting that he was definitely growing on her. Who would have thought. There were days when he'd only wish her a good morning and good night. Other times they'd talk for hours of everything and nothing, mostly arguing. Other times he'd spend a couple days without acknowledging her at all, and other times, thanks to some of their dirty talks late at night, she'd found herself having erotic dreams about him, waking up all bothered, but having her revenge by tormenting him later with her teasing.

He was nowhere in sight lately. She hadn't see him around, not after that day when she accepted his offer for a ride. When she asked him about it in what she thought was the most casual way, he read between the lines, and asked her if she was missing him already. That bastard. It wasn't that she missed him (alright, maybe she did a little bit), but she was getting accustomed to his presence in the town; it was like fresh air for a change. He certainly made things more interesting in a town where the most memorable thing was the new scandal about that young sixteen-year-old girl who was pregnant. Forgotten was her little adventure with Seth, especially since no one had seen them together again. After mocking her endlessly, Seth told her that he was taking charge of some business and couldn't wait to see her again wearing one of her short dresses, which made her blush instantly.

The time to go back to school was approaching, only one week left. Kate was dreading that day. She had no interest in seeing her immature classmates on a daily basis again, especially not Jessica. Or Kyle. Only one more year to endure, her mantra promised. There was not much to do with her time. She thought immediately of a certain sexy asshole, but he hadn't arrived from his trip yet. She wasn't sure where they stood, but she guessed they could hang out more often after he was back. Instead she spent most of her days watching interesting documentaries or movies on TV, but never horror movies.

It was interesting how time could move forward at the speed of light when all you wanted was for time to move backwards instead. Sooner than she expected, Kate was back in school. Longer than she hoped, she had to wait to see Seth again. It was just the first day and she felt as if she was halfway through the year, not the beginning. It was as bad as she had imagined it would be. Her teachers gave her an insane amount of homework, probably to compensate for their laziness during the summer. Her classmates seemed dumber than ever. In between classes, she avoided visiting the places where she knew her old "friends" would be. Sharing classes with them was bad enough.

During her last class, it was announced that 50% of their grade depended on a final project in groups of five, and they needed to work on it several months prior to the formal presentation. Kate wanted the Earth to swallow her whole. She felt a headache coming. One of the things she hated the most was being in a group with a bunch of people that she knew would wait until the last moment to 'help,' leaving all the hard work to her.

She just wanted the day to be over.

Still no news from Seth since 2 days ago. He was probably on another one of his business trip, or maybe he got tired of her already and found someone more experienced to entertain him. The thought alone made her blood practically boil. But the next time they crossed paths, she'd tell him to fuck off.

Walking down the hall of the school toward the exit, a poster plastered on the wall caught her attention. There was going to be a party that night with frat boys at someone's house. She took note of the address. Frat boys weren't her type (old men were, a voice told her, which she silenced), but she could use some fun. She needed it. Homework could wait.

Kate waited until her dad was asleep before climbing out of her bedroom window. The last thing she needed was to get into another argument before the party. It would ruin her mood even more. She was dressed in a tiny black dress that showed off her thighs and hugged her body like a glove. She was sure Seth would appreciate it, undressing her with his intense look. But then she remembered how pissed she was at him. Too bad he would miss it…or maybe not? She chuckled, a new plan taking form in her head.

Her taxi was waiting for her two blocks away from prying eyes. It wasn't until she was inside that she set her plan into motion. Pulling her phone out of her purse, she took a picture with her most seductive pose, making sure he could see what he was missing, and sent it to him.

"The Church girl is not in bed tonight ;)"

Pleased with herself, she didn't wait for his reply. Instead she put her phone in her purse again, thinking the night was young and she'd enjoy it to it's fullest.

When she arrived, the music was so loud that she was afraid it would nearly deafen her by the next day. Couples were making out in every corner around the house, making her feel a bit uncomfortable. She barely knew anyone in there, except for a few of her classmates. She had to pay at the front door, apparently they needed money for some project, and that's why they were allowing high school seniors. Otherwise they'd feel too cool and superior to be seen hanging out with a bunch of kids. But the rest of them were in college, according to their mature appearance. Some guys were shamelessly staring at her, checking her out. Rolling her eyes, she headed toward the backyard. The only one she needed to look at her as if she were a dessert wasn't there anyways.

The cool, fresh air of the night hit her in the face, and for that she was grateful. It was too hot inside the house. There were more people gathered in this area, especially in the pool. If she'd known there was a pool, she would've brought her bikini with her. It wasn't until her eyes went to the furthest area, where the atmosphere seemed cozier, that she saw something that almost made her barf with disgust.

There was another couple making out and this time she knew exactly who.