This is not a new chapter! I already posted this chapter before, but I noticed a few mistakes, so I wanted to edit them. I didn't even realize that I could simply replace the chapter with another one, so I deleted chapter three and posted it again (the edited version). Sorry! Ignore my complete idiot moment! :D

BUT! Chapter four IS new!

Beck's hands clenched tightly on the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white, and he breathed in carefully through his nose. His heart hammered nervously in his chest, and his stomach churned, even though he kept telling himself he didn't really care.

He wasn't good at lying to himself.

Beck could feel Tori's worried gaze on him, and he let go of the breath he didn't know he was holding when she reached out and placed a hand on his back, rubbing it reassuringly.

"Beck, it'll be fine. We'll only stay for dinner, and not a second longer, if you want."
Beck pulled his lips back into a tight smile, and he nodded quickly, never once taking his eyes of the road.

"I'm sorry that I dragged you into this. But he insisted on you going." From the corner of his eye, he saw Tori frown slightly, and she shifted in her seat to face him.

"Beck, you and I are a team now. Yes, I know that sounds cliché, but its how I feel. I wouldn't let you go through with this alone. I'm your girlfriend, remember? And plus, It'll be cool to meet your dad."

Beck grimanced, but it was soon replaced with a small smile. "I love you' you know that?"

Tori smiled brightly, and she straightened in her seat. "I know."

He continued to drive towards his dad's restaurant, both teens sitting in a comfortable silence. A couple of days ago, Beck's father had called him to invite him to one last dinner before Beck left for college. His dad insisted that Beck bring his girlfriend, much to his dismay. Beck, of course, wanted to say no. After all, he had already turned 18 and was no longer required to see his dad, if he didn't want to. But his mother had begged him to go, saying that she didn't want her son to leave all the way across the country without saying a proper goodbye to his father.

And he could never say no to his mother.

So now there they were, pulling into the driveway of one of his dad's very successful restaurant.

Beck parked the car besides the restaurant, and he unbuckled his seatbelt quickly.

"Thanks for coming with me." He turned to give Tori a quick kiss, and she smiled at him when he pulled back.

"Let's do this." They stepped out of the cool car into the California heat, and Beck squirmed uncomfortably in his black dress shirt and black blazer.

"Let's get inside before my heart starts to frizz up. Don't want to look like a troll the first time I meet you dad," Tori joked as she walked around the car to stand besides him. He rolled his eyes at her, then gazed down and noticed for the first time what she was wearing. She had on a sleeveless lavendar summer dress that stopped just above the knee, and a three quarter sleeved dark blue fitted cardigan. She was standing at her normal height, due to the simole black ballerina flats she had choosen to wear, and she had her hair in a half up, half down look. She had worn minimal make-up, just a bit of blush and lip gloss. All in all, she looked very Tori like.

And too beautiful for the occasion.

"I thought I told you to dress down?" He frowned, reaching out to grab her hand. Tori looked up at him, confusion clear in her wide brown eyes.

"We've been sitting in a car for about an hour and a half, and you just now notice what I'm wearing?" She joked lightly, but frowned immediately when Beck's gaze sharpened, his mood not changing. "Beck, what's the big deal? I did tone it down a bit. Why are you getting so worked up?" She asked.

Beck clenched his jaw, and he started to walk away, but Tori remained rooted on the spot, pulling him back, not lettimg go of his hand. Instead of pulling her forward, he stepped backwards, his eyes pleading. "Tori, can we please just go in!"

Tori shook her head, glaring at him. Pursing her lips, she raised a single eyebrow, waiting for an explanation. He sighed, looking around him to see who else was in the parking lot. A man and a woman walking out of the restaurant towards a black sedan. A trio of midle aged women walking towards the restaurant. They were the only ones simply standing there in the middle of the parking lot, sweating as a result of the humidity.

"Beck, what's going on? Why did you make a bid deal about what I was wearing?"

Closing his eyes, he pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand.

"Okay, fine Tori. Might as well warn you now. My brother is having dinner with us as well."

Beck opened his eyes, and Tori immediately frowned, cocking her head slightly. "You have a brother?" Her voice was incredulous, and her eyes widened.

Beck nodded, a gimance on his face. "He's my half brother. From my father's first marriage. He's a year older than me. And he has a tendancy to..." Beck immediately tensed up, and Tori raised an eyebrow.

"He has a tendancy to do what?" she asked, her voice small. She didn't want to hear the answer.

Beck took a deep breath in through his nose before speaking. "My brother is a jackass and a perv. And I definitely don't trust him. He had hit on every single one of my past girlfriends, and trust me when I say he'll probably end up in jail one day for sexual harrasment. Which is why I never let my girlfriends be anywhere near him. Well, aside from Jade. But she's...well...Jade, so I didn't have to worry about her."

Beck peeked down to watch Tori's reaction, and he winced slightly as he saw understanding dawn on her. And then a flash of something he couldn't quite place, but it was gone as soon as it had appeared.

"You disn't have to wory about Jade...but you do have to worry about me?"

Woops.

Beck's eyes widened as he realized the meaning behind her words, and he fumbled quickly to fix his mistake.

"N-no, I didn't mean it l-like that! What I meant was that...well...Jade is intimidating. Very scary. Josh tried flirting with her once, and it didn't go over too well," he chuckled darkly at the memory before continuing on. "With you...look. The thing is that once Josh decides he wants something, he does whatever he can to get it." He cradled her face between his soft - yet calloused - hands, making her meet his eyes.

"I love you Tori Vega. I don't want to put you in a situation where you'll be uncomfortable or even scared. Which is why I didn't want you to come today." Beck placed a kiss on her forehead, then stepped away from her, only to see her eyes water.

"What? Are you okay? Did I say something?"

Tori shook her head, a smile on her face, and Beck took a deep breath of relief.

"Oh. Okay. So why are you -"

"Let's go inside" Tori inturrupted, lacing her fingers through his hands and pulled him towards the restaurant.

Beck frowned, confused, but opted to let it go, and he picked up his pace to match his girlfriends stride.

The resataurant was defenitely very high end and posh. It was huge, with about two dozen or so tables spaced evenly in the room. The tables were all covered with thick white table cloths, which, upon further inspection, had subtle yet intricate designs sewn onto them. The resataurant was lit by a large, beautiful chandeliar hanging at the center of the ceiling, casting a nice glow about the rroom. The resataurant was busy that night, just like every other night, and even the waiters held a certain air of respect.

The second they entered the restaurant, Beck tensed up again as he gazed sharply at his father's usual table. He tugged on Tori's hand to get her attention then nodded towards the table.

That particular table was rather small, but was still able to fit five people. Two roses, one white and one red were placed in a simple clear vase, surrounded by five long white candles. The table cloth was thick and white, and the plates and utensils were placed perfectly on the table.

Already at the table, sitting perfectly poised and calm was Beck's father. He looked strikingly like his son, with large brown eyes and tan skin. His hair, a salt and pepper color, was cut short, unlike his son. And unlike his son he had a frown. He was wearing a dark gray, perfectly tailored Armani suit, paired with a crisp white dress shirt.

Next to him sat his girlfriend, who appeared to be in her early thirties, or late twenties. She had white-blond hair tied into a sleek ponytail at the base of her head, and she wore very minimal make-up. Her light blue eyes were framed by thick lashes, and her perfectly plucked eyebrows were arched. A small smile graced her lip gloss frosted lips, and she was wearing a strapless midnight blue short dress.

Next to her sat a young man who appeared to be about Beck's age. He, too, was wearing a dark gray suit, however he appeared to be much more relaxed than his father. He had dark hair and eyes the color of summer's grass, which held a mischevious and lustful look as his gaze traveled up and down Tori's body. He was tall, even while sitting, and he gave off an arrogant aura that made all the guys in the room hate him immediately, and his handsome looks made the girls fawn.

"I'm assuming that's your brother," whispered Tori to Beck, who sent a sharp glance towards his brother. Wrapping his arms around Tori's waist, he tried his best to reassure her without saying a word.

"Hello Father. Hello Carrie," Beck greeted stifly, reaching out with his free hand to shake his fathers's hand. They shook quickly, and Beck shook hands with his father's girlfriend as well.

"This is Tori, my girlfriend," he gave her a reassuring squeeze before letting go of her so she could greet everybody.

"Hello Tori. Wow, that is such a beautiful name! I'll bet that's short for Victoria, right?" Asked Carrie, and Beck couldn't stop himself from rolling his eyes at her enthusiasm. His eye roll was caught by his father, who sent Beck a sharp glance. But Beck turned his gaze towards Tori, pretending not to notice that he had been caught.

"Yes, it is short for Victoria," Tori smiled brightly at Carrie. She then turned her gaze towards his father.

"Hello sir. You must be Beck's father," she said, reaching out to shake his hand. Beck's father frowned, giving her outstretched hand a disdainful glance.

"She isn't very bright, this one. Yes, I am Beckett's father." Tori's smile faltered, but she quickly masked her shock and hurt. But Beck wasn't having any of it.

"Dad, what is wrong with you? Do you have no respect?" He said angrily through clenched teeth, clenching his hands into tight fists. Tori, who stiffened at his angry tone, placed a hand on his arm, and he looked down at her.

"On the contrary, son. I have a lt of respect for those who deserve it. Now, why don't you sit down and stop making a scene."

Beck was about to say something else to put his dad in his place, but Tori squeezed his arm slightly. He caught her gaze, and something in it made him bite his tongue. Instead, he pulled out Tori's seat, pushing it in when she sat down, then sat down himself.

"Oh little brother. You always did know how to make dinner interesting." Beck's brother chuckled, and Beck turned towards his with narrowed eyes.

"Josh, shut up."

"Beckett!" Beck's father gave Beck at sharp look, his voice angry. Beckett ignored his father's gaze, opting instead to glare at his brother, who was now smirking.

"So, Tori! I hear you're going to Juilliard with Beck as well. Are you a performer?" Carrie asked, cutting the awkward silence. Tori nodded, reaching out under the table to grab Beck's hand.

"Yes, actually. I mostly sing, but I also do a bit of acting and dancing."

"Beautiful and talented? Now how on earth did my brother find himself such a smoking hot girl like you?" Josh asked, looking at Tori from his seat across from her, his gaze lingering discreetly on Tori's chest, making her squirm. Beck, however, noticed, and stood up quickly, glaring down at his brother.

"Beckett! Sit down and stop being so dramatic." Snapped his father, glaring up at Beck in anger.

"If you'll excuse me," said Beck through clenched teeth, and it took all he had not to punch his smirking brother, "I think I'll go get some air." Ignoring Tori's protests, he stormed away, anger coursing through his veins.

Once he got outside, he rubbed his hand through his face, trying to calm himself down. Pacing back and fourth, he didn't hear his father walking up behind him.

"You know," said his dad, much to Beck's surprise, "you always did pick the wrong girls."

Beck's eyes narrowed, and he took a deep breath in through his nose.

"What the hell is your problem?" He snapped, his hands clenched into fists. He didn't know why he was getting so worked up so easily. Usually, he was the calm one, the voice of reason. But today...

"That girl is not right for you. She's just some silly girl, not worth anything. As an Oliver, I expect you to have a girlfriend who you don't need to be embarrased about. Beck, listen to me. This thing you have, its not real. I'll admit, she is beautiful. But she is a nobody. You do not need her dragging you down."

Beck couldn't believe what he was hearing. His entire body shook with anger, and he saw red for a moment. All he wanted to do was wrap his hands around the man's throat and squeeze. Tightly. But he didn't. Instead, he took a deep breath, and through clenched teeth, he managed to say, "I love Tori. How dare you say that she is worthless? How dare you say she is a nobody? Tori is kind, and smart, and talented. You don't know me. You don't know what I want, and you most definitely don't know what's best for me, okay? Go to hell, Dad". Beck gave his father one last, disgusted look. His father had tensed up, his brown eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched tight. Before he could say anything, Beck stormed back into the restaurant, stalking towards their table, his gaze on his girlfriend.

All three people at the table looking up, their expressions ranging from smugness to disaproval to concern. Placing his hand on Tori's shoulder, he leaned down and whispered to her, "C'mon. We're leaving."

Tori looked up at him, her bright brown eyes filled with worry. But instead of questioning him, she nodded, a small frown on her face. "Okay. Let's go."

Tori stood up carefully, then leaned over to give Beck's father's girlfriend a handshake.

"It was nice meeting you Carrie," said Tori, giving the woman a sweet smile. Carrie nodded, her lips pursed, arching one of her perfectly plucked eyebrows.

"Leaving so soon? Well then, it was nice to meet you too. Drive safely I guess."

Beck, who had stood back while Tori said goodbye, gave Carrie a small nod. Grabbing Tori's hand as gently as possible, not wanting to accidently hurt her in his rage, and he started walking away with his girlfriend in tow.

"I'm sorry hun. I just needed to get out of there," said Beck, his tone apologetic. Tori shook her head slightly, a worried smile on her face.

"No need to apologize. I understand. Just know that I'm here, okay?" Beck nodded, his gaze softening as he looked back at Tori, and a bit of his anger left him as he gazed at his girlfriend.

Before they were able to step out of the restaurant, however, they both heard Josh, Beck's half brother's voice ring out.

"Bye Tori! I have a feeling I'll be seeing you very soon..."

Hey everyone! I am soooo sorry for the late update! I know, I'm horrible! But seeing as its the last couple of months until vacation, school is becoming particularly hard. Juggling hugee school projects, essays, tests, and on top of that friend drama...plus, finals and regents are coming up...ay ay ay.

Anyways, don't forget to review! You guys' reviews honestly encourage me to update sooner. I have A LOT planned for this story, plus I have a new story planned. Might be coming soon, idk. Hopefully, it will.

And btw, I haven't forgotten about Beauty and the Beast. But that story is more of a side project, its not one of my major stories. And if you haven't already, check out my new story on wattpad! Username: Pineapplebuddy