Chapter Ten – Don't leave me alone

Rachel cleaned up pretty well with the help of Kurt and as she walked into the bar she saw Brittany and Santana waiting for here, "Why did you tell us to meet you hear?" Santana barked. "This isn't a dance club and Brits needs to get her dance on."

Rachel rolled her eyes, "Listen, I have a plan and here we are pre-gaming." She called the bartender over, "Artie. Come. Meet my friends."

The skinny man with horned rimmed glasses and a grin walked over to the trio, "Well if it isn't Rachel Berry. How have you been?"

Rachel smiled and leaned over the counter to kiss his cheek, "Artie Abrams, this is Santana Lopez and Brittany Evans."

"You're Sam's sister and Puck's lady."

Santana beamed proudly, "That's right, boy. Don't forget it."

"Sam told me you were dating a tattooed freak. Where is your boy tonight?" Artie flirted shamelessly with Brittany, a raised eyebrow to boot.

Santana rolled her eyes and Brittany grinned shamelessly, "He's old news, I'm looking for a recast."

"Oh please, Brits. He's a bar tender."

Rachel shook her head and waggled her index finger at Santana, "No, no, no. He's actually a director. He's directed some really prestigious Broadway shows."

"Then why is he here?" Santana scoffed quickly.

"I own this place, and I hate having down time so I work here when I don't have a show to direct." He laughed, "Rachel has been the understudy in a few of my shows."

Rachel nodded, "He's absolutely brilliant." Rachel attested with a wink, "He also loves to dance and I though—"

Brittany cut her off, "That he could come to one of my dance classes?" She answered quickly, "I'm a dance teacher at Broadway Dance Center."

Artie's eyes widen and impressed was an understatement, "That is miraculous."

"I am pretty good. What I lack in street smarts I make up for in moves." She beamed, "I've choreographed two Beyonce music videos."

Artie laughed, "You've got to be a genius then." He mentioned and Santana sighed, "Oh, how rude of me. What can I get you ladies, on the house."

Brittany jumped with excitement, "Oh, we couldn't."

Santana put her hand over her blonde friends mouth, "We most certainly could. Three shots of whiskey and two long islands and a vodka tonic for this girl." She pointed back and Rachel before turning to her. "If this girls night turned into hooking Brittany up with a short dude then I'm calling Puck."

"Call him." Rachel stated dryly. "I don't really care, I just needed B to see that there were other guys out there." She sighed, "And now I think she had."

Santana looks backwards at Brittany before grabbed her and Rachel's shots, "Well, we've lost her, I think."

Rachel grinned, "Good. She needs to feel beautiful, cared about. That really helps when you're going through a break up."

Santana clinked their shots together and they poured the cool liquid down their throats, "Like you would know." Santana mentions under her breath, "When was the last time you had a broken heart?"

Rachel shook her head, "Shush." She dismissed. "Just call your boy."

"He's already on his way." Santana commented smugly. "And she's bringing Finn with him. Where is Sam tonight?"

Rachel breathed out in frustration, "I'm not really sure, San." She told Santana and scrunched up her nose to fight the tingling sensation that she always felt when she was about to cry. "I don't really want to talk about him right now."

"What's going on with you two?" Santana asked bluntly.

"Can we just drink?" Rachel spit back.

Santana glared a little, but nodded, "Whatever you say, Berry. But, we're talking about this at some point."

Rachel nodded and gulped away her tears, half of her was grateful to see Finn, and whole other part of her didn't want to see him. Because seeing him reminded her of all the guilt she should be feeling. He reminded her that he now knew all her dirty little secrets. She hated that.

Santana and Rachel took a couple more shots while they waited for the boys and Brittany flirted with Artie.

"Why did I do it, San?" Rachel slurred, "Why did I let him start drinking again?"

Santana shrugged, "I personally find him easier to handle when he's drinking." She said between swigs.

"I know, but really. Would you have done that to Noah?"

Santana shook her head, "It's not the same, Rachel. First of all, stop calling him Noah. Noah is the name of an ugly person. Second of all, you had your own shit to deal with. Stop beating yourself up. He's not hurting anyone."

"He doesn't know when to stop." Rachel argued.

Santana looked down at the empty shot glass in her hand, "And we do?"

Rachel furrowed her eyebrows together, "I don't know, San. I just feel like a failure."

Santana let her hard exterior melt for a moment and put her hands on either side of Rachel's face, "Listen to me, you didn't do this to him. You didn't. I know you blame yourself, you think that they baby was the only thing keeping him together. And maybe you're right. But, think of how unhealthy that is. You can't quit drinking for another person, it won't stick. He had to do it for him." Santana told her seriously, "You, Rachel fucking Berry, are magic. You need to stop letting that ass bag hold you back and realize that you deserve better than his drunk ass."

Rachel shook her head, "But…"

"You don't owe him your life because you lost your baby. I know that's how you look at it, Rachel. Like you owe him your life because you feel like you lost the one thing that was holding him together." How was Santana reading her mind, "He was a good guy once, Rachy. But he's not the guy anymore and you can't hate yourself for it anymore."

Rachel nodded, "I know."

Santana bit the inside of her lip, "I have something else to tell you."

"You're cheating on Puck?" Rachel asked suddenly, loudly.

"What? Are you insane? No!" Santana yelled back so quick Rachel immediately regretted her words. "It's something I'm not supposed to tell you… but I just… I need to."

Rachel's eyes widened in fear, "What is it?"

"There's my girl!" Puck yelled from behind Rachel and she turned quickly to see Puck with arms wide open. "Get in here." He yelled at Rachel and she hugged him quickly before he walked to Santana, "Fuck my baby is sexy."

She giggled and kissed him with a grin on her face, "Your happy tonight." She commented between kisses as Rachel looked backwards to find Finn making his way in a little slower then Puck.

"Well, I just beat Finn at air hockey and won $40, now I got to see my girl and she tastes like tequila. It's a good night." Puck smiled and kissed down Santana's neck.

"Mmm!" Santana hummed in pleasure.

"Oh! Gross." Rachel slapped Puck away from Santana as Finn finally reached Rachel and she turned to him quickly to give him a quick hug.

Of course what was meant to be a sweet and innocent hug turned into Finn burying his head in Rachel's hair and Rachel trying to kiss Finn's neck without anyone seeing, even Artie noticed.

Rachel pulled back and let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding in and smiled at him, "Hi." She whispered quietly and Finn looked over her head at six faces staring at them.

"Hey Rach. You sure do smell like tequila. Where's mine?" He joked, patting her on the shoulder in the most friendly way her could think of and let out a awkward laugh.

"Okay," Santana blurted out, "Now I really need to talk to you."

Puck grabbed at her hand, "Don't think that's a good idea, baby. You're a little sloshed." He told her.

"No, I'm not." She turned to Puck, "She needs to know." She whispered in a voice that was a little louder than it was meant to be.

"Santana." Puck said in a scolding voice, "What are you doing?"

"Do you see her? She's a mess." Santana scolded. "Don't you see it, Puck? Don't you care about her?"

"It's not your story to tell." Puck said through gritted teeth.

"Look at the way she looks at that dough boy. You're really going to tell me that we aren't going to tell her?"

Rachel and Finn stood behind the bickering couple with confused expressions, "Am I the dough boy?" Finn whispered to Rachel.

Rachel nodded slowly as she looked onto the two with wide eyes, "If one of you doesn't tell me what the hell is going on, I'm going to freak the hell out." Rachel yelled and Santana turned around slowly.

"I don't know how to say this, Rachel…" Santana trailed off.

Puck sucked in a breath and stepped forward, "I'm sorry, baby girl." Puck says before he speaks, "But, Sam and Quinn… they slept together."

Rachel's jaw dropped and her eyes went wide. "When?" Rachel squealed and Finn cringed at the high pitch.

"Right before you found out you were pregnant. He told Quinn he was seeing someone, she claimed she didn't know it was you."

"She knew." Rachel yelled.

"I know." Santana nodded.

Rachel looked back and forth between the two, "Quinn's been stuck on him every since."

Finn's eyes squinted, he knew the was Quinn looked at Sam, but didn't realize how deep it went, "This is…"

"How long have you known?"

"She told me right when she started dating Finn. I went over to her house one night and she spilled everything. She said she couldn't keep it in any longer." Santana told her.

Puck nodded, "So I confronted Sam and he admitted it, but said you guys weren't exclusive at the time."

"Bull shit." Rachel snapped.

Brittany chewed on her lip as she looked at Rachel's heart feel crushed, "Listen, they were drunk…" Brittany tried to defend her brother.

"The reason I'm telling you, Rachy." Santana started, "…is because…"

"They did it again. Or almost did." Puck said quietly. "Quinn called Santana this morning and told her."

"Listen, Rachel." Santana started and Rachel turned to Finn, her eyes meeting his and he looked down at her sadly.

"Can we get out of here?" She pleaded.

"Maybe you should listen to what Santana has to say." He urged and Rachel scowled at him, "She's telling you this for your own sake."

"They've both known for months. They aren't my friends. They are Sam's." She cried.

"Rachel, sweetie, that's not true." Puck tried and Rachel put her hand up to silence him.

"Please, Finn. Take me home."

Finn shook his head, "Just hear them out."

"Why? Why do I have to?"

Finn clenched his jaw and bent down, "Because I'm asking you to." He whispered in her ear, "Five more minutes, Rach. Please."

It took everything Rachel had in her to turn around and Finn put a comforting hand on her shoulder, "What am I listening to?"

Santana bit her lip, "Listen," She stepped towards her, "I didn't know you when you and Sam first got together, so I didn't know when you became exclusive. But, either way it was fucked up for him to sleep with your cousin, but then I just thought… it was none of my business and Quinn told me in confidence."

"What are you a psychologist?" Rachel snapped.

Puck put his hand and Rachel, "Rachel, don't snap at her. She didn't do it."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it wasn't my story to tell." Puck explained, "I tried to get him to tell you himself but he thought it would just hurt and not help and it was so long ago it didn't matter. He said you were two different people now, that it was an entirely different relationship."

"Your damn right it is." Rachel spat.

Santana breathed out, "Rachel, you're too good for him."

Rachel shook her head, "No, I'm not. I'm just as bad."

"Hudson!" Puck screamed suddenly, "You really fucked her? I will seriously kick your ass!"

Finn's stepped back in fear, "No, we didn't. I didn't. Wha-"

"We didn't sleep together, Noah." Rachel grabbed Noah's clenched fist. "We just kissed."

"What are you fucking thinking, dude? She's dating our friend."

"Your friend." Finn yelled back, "Your cheating friend."

Santana put both her hands up and Brittany's hands went over her mouth, "Hold up, whoa, whoa, whoa. When did this happen?"

"Last night." Rachel admitted. "But if someone would have told me about this whole mess then maybe I wouldn't have been beating myself up for the last twenty four hours, or trying to hide my feeling for him for months."

Santana squinted her eyes and tilted her head, looking Finn up and down, "I don't see it."

"Whoa!" Puck yelled, "This whole thing is so fucked."

"Where is Sam now?" Rachel yelled finally.

Puck shrugged, "I'm not his keeper." He directed his attention to Finn, "You best keep your hands off her until she's a free woman." He scolded pointing at him.

Rachel slapped Puck's hand away, "You're not my keeper, either. I will do with Finn what I will. And as far as I'm concerned my whole relationship has been built on a lie, or a lot of lies… I think the contract is void."

Brittany tapped Santana's shoulder, "Sam and Rachel entered and relationship contract?"

"Not now, Brits." Santana growled.

Rachel breathed out in frustration and closed her eyes trying to calm her nerves, what just happened? Too much was running through her head, she needed to think. "Noah, Santana, Brittany." She almost whispered, eyes still closed. She opened them slowly to see them all staring at her, she could feel Finn's thumb running up and down her neck, "Sam cheated on me a year and a half ago. He slept with my cousin. I'm a little put off right now. Though I agree, Finn and I kissing wasn't okay, what he did was worse and it sounds like it was going to happen again." She said calmly, "Sam and I obviously need to have a conversation. But, right now, I need a minute. I need a night. I need time to think. I'm not going to run out and sleep with Finn because I'm upset." She assured Puck, "I'm not going to tell Sam or Quinn what you told me." She told Santana, "So I would appreciate if this conversation stayed between us, at least until I calm down. I will try to talk to him tomorrow. But, tonight, I just want to go over to Finn's. Eat vegan ice cream and watch a bad movie. Okay?"

Everyone stared at her for a moment until Santana finally nodded and pulled her into a hug, "I'm sorry, Rachy. I didn't want to be the one to tell you."

Puck nodded and put his hand on her back and rubbed, "None of us did, but we should have said something sooner."

Brittany looked on and when Santana released her grip she went in for a hug, "You will always be my sister."

That is all it took for Rachel to lose it. The tears she'd been holding back all night made their appearance and she turned quickly, brushing past Finn and running out to the street. When she got there she turned and buried her mouth in her palm to quite her sobs that were coming out in squeaking noises, "Rach?" Finn called and she turned to face him and he wrapped himself around her, "I am so sorry, babe. I love you so much. I am so sorry."

Rachel couldn't respond. All she could do is cry.

A/N: The title is from Parachute again. The song, Kiss Me Slowly.

This chapter was a little hectic and wasn't planning on having Santana spill the beans just yet but she got drunk and did it anyway. Sometimes, my characters have a mind of their own. Nothing I can really do about it.

Artie does have working legs. I did it in my other fic, American Secrets and liked it, so I kept it going.

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Thank you so much for reading.