Hey, it's me again (who else?). Just to make it clear, the "THEM" Lily always talks about is a group of bad people, who I won't reveal just yet, who are out to get her. If she develops a relationship with anyone, she is putting them in danger as well. I didn't really explain that in the story, but there it is.

BTW this chappie includes some mild references to the sinful, the forbidden…..sex. But it's nothing bad, I SWEAR! I would feel way too uncomfortable to write anything graphic on the internet. So for you innocents, like me, just beware!

So yeah. Here's chapter 4. Thanks for reading!

Lil

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, but Lily is MINE!…muahaha.


~LA – Lily POV~

Connor is looking at Seth with a murderous glare, and Seth tenses up behind me. This is bad… I don't want to cause a scene, so I grab Seth's hand and pull him next to me.

"Yes," I breathe. "Yes, Connor. This is him, Seth Clearwater…my boyfriend. Seth, this is Connor Davis."

I hear Connor take a sharp breath, as Seth yelps, "WHAT?" I realize Seth has no idea what I'm doing, and he could possibly ruin the entire act. Connor peeks at him suspiciously, and I scramble to fix this little hole in my story.

"I'm SO sorry Seth!" I coo. "I know you didn't want anyone to know about us, but I trust Connor! He would never tell. Please forgive me!" My eyes silently plead with his, saying what I hope will be interpreted as, Please don't blow my cover. I will owe you big time. Just go with it, I beg of you. Seth fortunately allows one quick nod. He's actually blushing a little.

Although I find it adorable, I try to remember the task at hand.

"Nice to meet you," Seth mutters, while extending his hand for one of those "bro hugs," or what I like to call, "brugs." Connor rudely doesn't take it, and Seth is left to just drop his arm awkwardly. That stupid Connor... I'm about to apologize to Seth for him, when he says, "Pleasure…Seth. May I ask why I've never seen you around before? With Lily, I mean."

I try not to make my emotions so present on my face, but it's difficult. Connor is being so hard on my fake boyfriend. I definitely need to make it up to him later.

But Seth seems to take it pretty well. He is really good at controlling his anger. I'm impressed because I, on the other hand, feel about ready to explode.

"Well," Seth starts, "I'm just visiting. I'm planning to swing by for a week every month." He turns to look at me. "If that's ok with you Lil." I stiffen a little at the nickname, but brush it off. I'm actually a little surprised at what he says about visiting every month. With how obsessive Connor is being as of late, I might actually have to hold Seth up to them.

"Sure, sure," I say absentmindedly. In the background I hear Seth suppress a chuckle. I'll have to ask him about it later. I look at Connor again. "So Connor," I say. "Are you satisfied? Seth and I actually have a date to get to, if you don't mind."

Connor stares at me with desolate eyes. It's like his blue irises become gray all of a sudden. His shoulders slump just enough for me to notice, and he nods once. "Oh. Yeah, sure. Sorry. Well Lily, I'll… see you around."

I look up at Seth. He takes my glance as our cue to leave, so he grabs my hand and we walk together towards some random street away from Connor. I give him one last pitying look before he manages to gather the strength to amble back in the direction from which he came.


"So," Seth says nonchalantly as he scarfs down his 4th cinnamon roll. "I'm flattered, but since when did I become your boyfriend? I thought you weren't looking for a relationship." We're sitting in a quaint little café called Fro My Yo for our "date," in case Connor, or anybody else for that matter, decides to spy on us. In my opinion, Fro My Yo is a pretty dumb name, considering the place is popular due to their well-received ice cream, and not their butt-awful frozen yogurt. Before ordering, I tell Seth this. He chuckles, but still insists on getting cinnamon rolls (which this ice cream/ frozen yogurt place seems to have. Again, I have no idea why they named it after only frozen yogurt, but I'm not the owner, so who cares?), because he's apparently "too hot" to eat ice cream. Well… can't argue with that really. He's hot, appearance and body temperature wise. I've touched his hand, I KNOW it's not normal, but neither am I. So I decide not to press the subject. Instead, I give him a light reprimanding look for talking with a face stuffed with food, although it's pretty funny, watching him eat like a five year old.

I shrug. "I'm not." Seth looks at me quizzically, urging me to go on. I have no choice but to comply. "Connor is, well, WAS into me… At least I think he was. Anyway, he wanted to go out on a second date with me, and I just couldn't lead him on like that, so I used you as a diversion as my fake boyfriend. Sorry about using you, but you were the only person who was standing next to me at the moment. Now I realize that I'm doing the exact same thing to you – leading you on. We can break up if you want. I'll manage." Contrary to what I expect, Seth actually looks ecstatic, like he's happy to pretend to be my boyfriend. This makes me feel ten times worse about using him for my personal needs.

"Don't worry about it!" He says excitedly. "We're friends, and this is what friends do."

"Yeah," I mumble. "Friends with BENEFITS." I give Seth a look and see that his face, even with his tan, is slowly becoming tomato red. He must have heard me.

"I-I meant how friends help each other when they need it," he stammers. He just looks too cute when he's flustered! This going in a dangerous direction… I giggle, but stop short. Seth notices, and asks me what's wrong.

"I haven't laughed like this since my family died," I say quietly. He looks like he regrets making me talk about the painful subject, and I mentally thank him for being so considerate.

I then realize that I know practically nothing about Seth, other than that he is nice, attractive, and has the same initials as South Carolina. So I decide to do a little digging.

"Seth, now that you've agreed to this, I think we should get to know each other on this date. You know, so we can fill up the holes when people ask us about our relationship." He nods as I suggest this.

"Ok," he says. "Well, what do you want to know?"

I think for a minute, and decide he'd better not tell me anything about where he comes from, in the event that we get so close, that I'm tempted to visit him back. But other than that, there's really nothing I want him to keep from me. As long as HE is comfortable for sharing, I'm ok with whatever.

I lean back in my chair. "Lay it on me," I say with a smile. "Just nothing about where you live/come from." Seth nods slowly, like he doesn't understand my ludicrous request. Although, I wouldn't either if I were him.

"Ok," he says. "Well, as you know, my name's Seth Clearwater. I'm 16. I have a sister named Leah, and my mom, Sue. My house is on this reservation, somewhere, some place. It's a nice place to live. My friends are all there too. I actually think you would like them. There's Paul, who'll blow up at the slightest thing, even something like not saving him the last hot dog. Then there's Quil, Jared, and Sam, always canoodling with their respective girlfriends, Claire, Kim, and Emily. In the past, Colin, Brady, and I were the singles of the group. Guess I don't count now… but maybe Jake does…" He looks at me expectantly, and I smile. It sounds so peaceful and happy, his life. I sort of wish for something like that, instead of trying to find a man that could be anywhere on earth, running from a group of killers who want to imprison me, maybe kill me, and managing a fake boyfriend at the same time. Two things that instantly catch my attention are his father, and this Jake guy. What about them? I don't ask him though. It would be too insensitive.

But I guess he sees my curiosity, because he says, "My dad... he… Well, he passed, um, about a month ago. I…I…" His words fade away, and he clenches his fist. His face twists in pain, and his fists begin to tremble. I feel my heart jerk. I desperately want to help him.

I stand up and crouch next to him, wrapping my arms around his shaking form. It should feel awkward, considering how we only just met, but it feels nice and safe and perfect in his arms, like we were made for each other. He stiffens at first, but quickly relaxes into the embrace. I close my eyes, and whisper, "It's alright Seth. I will help you get through this." I know what it feels like to lose family. It can make your world fall apart, like you have no one left to live for. Been there, done that. I slowly feel tears beginning to form as I remember my own experiences, and I take deep breaths to calm myself down. Seth needs me to be strong, I can't cry on him now. Here in LA, he doesn't have anyone, except for me, to rely on. But surprisingly, Seth's tremors have subsided. I put my face into his broad shoulder and inhale deeply. He smells woodsy, like young pine trees and a whole lot of man (A/N: CAN'T believe I just wrote that…). I take a couple more breaths, and it feels like the scent is burned into my nose, but in a good way, leaving a pleasant tingle in my system.

Suddenly, I realize what I'm doing. I'm cuddling with the guy I JUST said I would never ever EVER fall in love with. Where's Ms. Self Control NOW? I jerk away from him quickly and brush my hair back nervously. He looks a little disappointed at first but promptly changes his expression to a small smile.

"Thanks," he says, as I wobble back into my chair. "I've never really talked about my Dad leaving with anyone. Still trying to get over it, you know? And of course, stay strong for Mom and Leah. I'm the man of the house now, although 'man' is probably an overstatement."

"I'm sorry," I apologize. "You didn't have to share that with me. But I hope you know that if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm willing to listen." I look down at my ice cream. It's basically melted by now.

Seth shakes his head lightly, signaling that it's not my fault, but I still feel bad. I remain silent, so he continues with his story.

"So where was I?" he says after coughing uneasily. "Oh, right. Um, so you know about…about THAT. And I guess now you're wondering about Jake?" He knows me so well.

"Ok, well Jake is…troubled in the love department. You see, he fell in love with this girl a while back, but she's in love with someone else, like a mortal enemy. And I'm not exaggerating," he says to my skeptical single eyebrow lift. I nod in a "yeah, yeah, go on" way.

"Well, this girl got married to that mortal enemy, and they're on their honeymoon right now. Nobody seems to know how to make Jake feel better. Any suggestions?" I'm a little surprised at this question. I've never been asked for love advice before, but I try my best.

"What are the guy and girl like?" I ask.

Seth thinks carefully to find the right words. "The guy's name is Edward, and the girl is Bella." I feel a flicker of emotion streak across my face. MY brother's name was Edward…

"In a word, they're…well… devoted, I guess. When they confess their love to each other, you can see it's like one of the strongest bonds EVER. And I mean ever, as in eternity. They're both nice people, but they've got this mutual thing, where the other person's life comes first, ALWAYS. It's definitely more intense than the average fling." I sigh. A star-crossed lovers duo, huh? Although I know they're different people, I can't help but compare this Bella's Edward to my brother Edward. They would have been complete opposites. This Edward seems to appreciate life and all its wonders, while MY Edward was often quick to leave everything behind, and only for his country. Yup, my brother joined the army when he was 17, and yes, he died somewhere during war. I sigh at the memories, and decide to put my energy into this Jake's problem, instead of thinking of my own.

"You want to know what I think?" I ask. Seth nods eagerly, so I continue. "He should open his dumb eyes already." Seth widens his eyes, like I've surprised him. I hope I did.

"You heard me! He is stupid for living in the past like this. Life is a short, fragile phenomenon, you know! He doesn't have the time to waste away over some girl he's never going to get. There are plenty of girls out there, and if this Bella is so devoted to her husband, then she and Jake are obviously never meant to be! So, Seth, in answer to your question, I suggest you take a couple of your friends, slap him around a bit, punch him in the gut, or better yet, throw him to the wolves. He needs to get out of his little wonderland. It's the only way he'll see that what he's doing right now is wasting his time, his love, and his friends' support. It's the only way he'll get over it and LIVE again, because in the end, isn't that what life is for? Sure, there's heartbreak, but there's always time for love again. Tell him that I say it's not over yet." I finally finish and see Seth gaping at me, like a cute fish.

"Err…Too harsh?" I say sheepishly.

Seth shakes his head furiously. "No, NO! Not at all! I guess…well I've just never heard anyone say it like that before, and didn't exactly expect it. But I get what you're saying. We're all worried about him. Maybe he just needs a bigger wake up call." His lips part into a brilliant smile, sparkling white teeth and all.

"Thanks, Lily," he says. I smile back and say quietly, "You can call me Lil if you want. It's what my brother used to say when I was younger."

I don't know if it's because of what I said, but when we walk out of Fro My Yo, Seth seems to have more of a bounce in his step. What's strange is that seeing him in a good mood makes me feel like the happiest girl alive. Weird.

After we leave the café, we decide the day's been pretty hectic enough. Seth, the sweet guy he his, insists on walking me home. It doesn't look like he'll let me say no, so I reluctantly agree. We're walking slowly, hand in hand in case anybody sees us. It's about 7 o' clock by now. The sun is dragging from the sky sluggishly, fading from a blinding glare to a warm pink in the distance. It's like a perfect couple's moment. Only problem: we're not a couple… at least, we shouldn't be. Well, I should be allowed to indulge once in a while. I promise myself that it will only be for today, and I will go back to avoiding any "moments."

We finally reach the apartment I share with Eliza. Although she barely sleeps there (she's always at a club, or at a hotel with some sketchy guy), she's still my guardian, so she "lives" with me. Seth walks me to the door (what a gentleman!). When I'm about to go inside, I say, "Seth… thank you, for everything. I had an amazing time today, and it was the most fun I've had in a long time. I really hope we can become better friends in the future."

He nods his head happily and says, "Me too. Maybe we can go somewhere tomorrow? You know, I still need a tour of LA…" I chuckle. "You can count on me, Seth. I'll show you to my favorite places. Since you're only visiting, why don't you tell me where you're staying tonight? I'll swing by tomorrow morning and pick you up."

He smiles weakly at me. "Well, actually… I'm not really sure about that. Sleeping, I mean. The ratty motel I stayed in last night was horrible, so I think I may just wander a little and find some place. I could sleep outside and be fine, you know." He says this proudly, but I don't feel good about leaving him to find his own way through the dark streets. Seth's about to turn and leave, when I grab his arm.

"Wait," I say. He looks at me curiously, like he has no idea what I'm doing. Honestly, I don't know either. But I guess my mouth does, because I blurt out, "Stay here!" Seth sighs loudly and suddenly drops to the floor into a squat, massaging his temples. I squat next to him, asking him what's wrong. He says timidly, "I've… never been into a girl's room before…" I can't help myself when another giggle slips out. Ever since meeting him I've been doing that a lot lately… He's just too innocent! After I reassure him multiple times that there's plenty of space to house one more person without having to intrude in my room, he finally agrees. Reluctant, maybe, but an agreement all the same.

So we walk up the steps and I open the door for him.

"Ladies first," I say with a wink.

"Har har," he says dryly before walking in. I'm about to step in myself when I hear an ear-splitting screech.

"LILY MASON, YOU BROUGHT A BOY HOME?" Oh boy…it's Eliza…

"Uh, yeah," I say nervously. "Eliza this is Seth. Seth this is Eliza. Now that you are properly acquainted…Eliza, can Seth stay with us for a couple days? He's a friend of mine and has no place to crash."

Eliza eyes him, like the little man-eating she-wolf she is, and not-so-subtly purses her lips. And it's not even in the disapproving way…

"Well, I suppose. He is the first boy you've brought home after all…" She seems to ponder something for a moment, but says promptly, "Ok. But since he's sleeping on your bed, I want NO sex, you hear? It's a bad image, and you're way too early in the career to be whoring around. That can always wait for later."

I'm absolutely shocked at what she says. I look at Seth and his face probably mirrors mine, fully clad with a look of pure astonishment.

"ELIZA!" I shriek. "YOU KNOW I'M NOT LIKE THAT! STOP GIVING SETH THE WRONG IDEA! WE'RE JUST FRIENDS!" I've calmed down considerably by now, so I try to calmly say, "By the way, Seth will be sleeping on the spare mattress."

Eliza just laughs. "No he's not, silly. I threw that out months ago. You never brought anyone over, all the guys I invited slept in mine, and it was so terribly drab. Honestly, to dispose of it was probably the best decision I ever made," she sniffs.

Oh. My. God. I'm going to KILL Eliza. I glance at Seth, and see that he's starting to fidget, like he's ready to scramble out of the apartment.

"Seth, relax," I try to say soothingly. "You can still stay here. I'm not going to kick you out. You can take the bed and I'll take the floor. It's better for my back anyway."

He quickly stammers a thank you, and then insists that he takes the floor instead. I agree, but only because it looks like he's about to combust at any moment…

I give Eliza a pointed look for her approval. She just smiles and winks at me. Does she think I want alone time with him or something?

"Well kids, I'm out to the club. Don't wait up, 'cause I'll most likely be spending the night wasted with Rob Carter." So much for a responsible guardian… "Anyway, I was only kidding about the sex thing." I breathe out in relief, but I guess it's too soon, because she follows up with, "Feel free to lose the big V tonight Lily. Just DON'T GET PREGNANT, because I'll have to deal with it. Use protection."

I'm literally about to rip her head off. Poor Seth looks like he's having a nervous breakdown, and I'm only one step behind him.

But if I kill my manager now, people will get suspicious. So I say through clenched teeth, "Don't be silly, Eliza. Why would I do that? I'm so NOT interested in it that I don't even HAVE 'protection' with me. And if you offer me one of yours I will personally SHOOT you."

She merely grins and whips out her key. After walking halfway out the door, she says, "No problem kiddo, I got you some of your own and stuck them in your drawer. Knew they would come in handy someday!" She sticks her tongue out cheekily, and slams the door before I can tackle her and/or snap her neck. I swear, one of these days…


Wow, Eliza's such a pervert… Just like my friends. I wouldn't have been able to write this chapter without their influence… I can hear them laughing now. . So thanks, guys.

Anyway, I hope you all liked the chapter! Please review, because I get terribly lonely out here on the World Wide Web. Any suggestions, likes, or dislikes? Let me know! Until next time!

Lil

anybody out there? …