SM owns it. Not me.

OwnedByTwins is my awesome beta. She loves to tell me to be more graphic in the lemons – thank her for that!

Umm...I have this new story called Collide and it's up for a shimmer award! How awesome! So go read it – check it out. Review it, it would mean a lot to me! Wicked Angel is also up for a shimmer award! So please make sure you go vote! Voting begins June 27th!

GPOV

I pulled into the parking lot of the church, where my dad had built the recording studio for his Christian rock music label. I wasn't sure what he wanted to talk to me about, but he had asked me to come here after school.

I didn't have much time in between school and work at the car wash, so it had better be important. I didn't want to waste my one free hour at the church.

I walked in the door and was immediately faced with Evie's father. I waved at him, unsure of what type of greeting I should give him. I could feel his eyes boring into me as I shoved my hands in my pockets and made my way toward the studio behind the Coffee House.

"Dad?" I called out, as I swung open the door.

"In here, Gabe," I heard him call from his small office.

I made my way to his desk, and slumped in the seat in front of it. "What's up?" I asked, crossing my left leg over my right causally.

"I wanted to talk to you about something...I need some help here, and I figured I'd give you the job if you wanted it," he told me.

We both ran our fingers through our hair at the same time, causing us to laugh.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah, I mean, the thought had crossed my mind when I first told you to get a job. But I wanted you to show that you could be mature enough. I didn't want to just bail you out. I can see how hard you are working, how serious you are about doing what is right, because you want to, not because you have to... The night you were born I cried like a baby."

"Did you really? Over Mom?"

"Lots of things, not just that. I think I cried for twenty-four hours straight. Holding you, so small in my arms, I never knew I could love anything so much, so fast. So utterly. Part of me was terrified. Raising a son is more a matter of faith than most people know."

"So's being one."

"You're right. I just never really had a father. I think I realized something through all this."

"What?"

"That my job as a father isn't to give you the whole picture; because the truth is, I can't see it myself. My job is to try and help. And every now and then, fit a piece of the puzzle. That is what I want to do for you know, here, with this job."

"You have helped me dad."

"I hope so. But your future, your expectations… they belong to you. Don't let anybody stand in the way of those. Not even me."

"You have always pushed me to be my own person. To think for myself. I just did what you taught me. So, what do you want me to do?" I asked.

"Promotion type stuff. Work with the radio stations, go to the local shows we set up for newer artists and help them with selling their merchandise, getting out news about the shows, tour dates. It's perfect for someone who can work in the evenings. I would need you like three to four nights a week, maybe five over the summer."

"Dad, I need to work more than that during the school year. I need to save as much as I can," I told him.

"Even if you're making twenty dollars an hour?" he smirked at me.

"You are serious?" I asked.

"You deserve a break," he told me. "And I want to help you."

"When do I start?" I asked, excited.

"After you give notice to the car wash," he said with a stern look and cock of his eyebrow.

"Deal," I said.

I never thought I would be excited to work for my Dad. I had always thought it would be a fate worse than death. I was wrong. My Dad was a cool guy, and he ran a freakin' record label. I gave notice to the car wash, anxious to be done with that job.

Evie was doing good, our little princess was doing good, Lola was doing good, and I had a good job. Life was looking up.

I walked into the studio two weeks later for my first day of work. That is when I saw her. Naomi. Behind the glass, singing.

"Hey, son," my dad said, swiveling around in the chair to face me.

"What's she doing here?" I asked. I didn't mean to sound defensive, but she hadn't really spoken to me much. I wasn't sure how to act around her. I mean she was my best friend one minute, my girlfriend the next, and then a complete stranger to me.

At the end of the day, I knew I loved her. I knew I would do anything for her.

"She wanted to start recording some stuff she wrote. Emmett came and asked, and I figured why not?" he shrugged.

"She sounds good," I commented, tossing my jacket on the couch that sat against the back wall. "What do you need me to do?" I asked.

"Try to get her a gig," my dad said, cocking his head toward the glass.

"How was that, Edward?" Naomi asked, interrupting.

Dad flicked the button to talk back to her, telling her she did great. Her eyes met mine and I smiled at her. She waved back at me.

"Gabe, there is list of places there," he said, pointing to a few papers on the table next to me, "a few churches, Coffee Houses, I want you to call them and tell them we are sending them a demo of a new act we hope to book. You can use the phone in my office."

"Sure," I said, taking the list of local places. I knew them all. I sat down at my Dad's desk and began to call.

I had gotten through half the list when my Dad poked his head in to tell me he was going to grab some dinner. "Want anything?" he asked.

"Whatever you're getting," I told him.

"Okay. Be back in twenty," he said, pushing off the door frame.

I picked up the phone to make another call when I saw her out of the corner of my eye. She was leaning against the door frame, arms crossed over her chest. "Hey," she said meekly.

"Hey," I said, putting the phone down.

"How are you?" she asked, twirling her blonde hair.

"Good...how are you?" I asked.

"Better," she paused.

At the same time we both said, "Listen - "

"Go ahead," she said, shaking her head with a small smile.

I pushed away from the desk and stood up. I shoved my hands in my pocket as I walked toward her, and I leaned against the chair next to the door. "I...I miss you," I told her. "I miss your friendship," I clarified. "I'm sorry things got so fucked up."

"I'm sorry I let them get so fucked up; that I wasn't a better friend to you. Even to Lola. I know she and I have never been really close, but at the end of the day – she is like family. I was hurt...and really surprised by everything, but I didn't need to be such a bitch," she told me. "I miss your friendship too."

"Sometimes in a relationship, going through hell isn't so bad if you come out of it a little stronger. The same is true about friends. I never stopped caring about you," I said.

"I get it, Gabe. I mean, I know what you mean, it's weird how you can still love the person, you just stop needing them the way you used to," she said, clarifying exactly how I felt about her. I loved her. I just didn't need her the way I used to.

"So, friends again?" I asked, extending my hand to hers.

She hesitated.

"What?" I asked.

"I'm scared. You've been everything to me. And I have been your sidekick, your confidant, your other half for so long and that's how our relationship works. And it's a nice place for you, but for me it's scary. Cause I realized that aside from you, I don't have anything. My entire life is attached to you," Naomi said. "I want to find who I am. I want to take chances. I want to utilize my talents. I want to be healthy..." she trailed off.

"And I want you to do all that stuff too!" I told her."And I...I want to help you if I can."

She extended her hand to mine and shook it. "Friends," she smiled.

"Best friends," I clarified, pulling her closer to me. And I hugged her. In a platonic way, for the first time since I started jerking off with her in middle school.

"Listen, if you need to talk or whatever, I'm here for you." I told her.

Naomi smiled, "I doubt you know what I am going through," she said, shaking her head. Since she had returned to school, people had been talking about her. Whispering about her, spreading half truths and rumors, making it hard for her to readjust to school.

I cocked my eyebrow at her. "Well, let me see. People stare at you when you walk down the hall, we've seen that. They whisper behind your back. You suddenly overhear your name in a conversation of strangers. And pretty soon, justifiable paranoia sets in and whether they are or not, you are convinced that everyone is talking about you. Imagine if you had done something even worse," I shrugged.

"Like what?" Naomi almost laughed.

"Like knocking up the pastor's daughter, then starting a relationship with a freshman who has leukemia. Imagine that, Nay, we have something else in common."

"I see," Naomi said.

"We are providing gossip for the small minded people, and unfortunately for you, you are the top story." I told her.

"So what do I do now?"

"Same thing I did...pray like hell for a better story to come along." Her misfortune had just happened to be my fortune.

"Great...think you could knock up another girl?" Naomi joked.

"For you?" I joked back.

I heard the door click shut, signaling that my Dad was back. I motioned back to the desk I was supposed to be working at. "Better get back to work. My best friend needs a gig," I smiled at her.

My Dad came in a put the take-out food on the desk. "Things okay?" he asked.

"Yup," I smiled, digging into my food.

After work, I picked up Lola and brought her back to my house to hang out. She hated being home so much. I held her hand in mine as I pushed the front door open.

"Where's Mom and Dad?" I asked Zoe, noticing how quiet the house was.

"Dad went over Grandma Esme's and Mom and Evie took your money to go shopping for the baby," Zoe said, flipping through the TV channels.

I shrugged and lead Lo upstairs to my room. I picked up some of the clothes I had scattered on the floor. "Sorry," I said, tossing the mess in the hamper.

I plopped down on my bed and flipped on the TV. Lola pushed the door closed, and stood at the edge of my bed. I watched her as she slowly pulled her shirt over her head.

"What are you doing?" I smirked. I reached for her hand and pulled her closer, her knees hitting the edge of my bed.

She leaned over, her breast hanging out of her bra. She licked her lips. "I'm done trying to talk you into having sex with me," she said.

"We have plenty of time for that," I told her.

"It's not about time, Gabe. This is about how you carried my bag yesterday. This is about how... When we go to the movies and you go and you buy popcorn you always make sure you bring back a napkin so I don't wipe all the grease on my jeans. You kissed me first. The second time... " she paused to climb closer to me, taking off my shirt. "You counted to ten before doing it again just in case I wanted to stop you. You picked me. We were alone in this house for months and you never pressured me for sex. You understood without a word why I wasn't ready. Do you have to ask me now why I am? Gabe, I'm gonna count to ten... And then I'm going to start kissing you. If you don't want me to... then you're just gonna have to stop me," she said, taking in a deep breath. "One...two...three...four...five...six...seven...eight...nine...ten, I love you," she whispered, her lips meeting mine slowly.

I opened my mouth against hers, pulling her on top of me. My hands roamed her stomach, her hips, her bra covered breasts. I unclasped her bra, tossing it to the ground. Her tits hung down, begging me to taste them. My tongue darted out over her hard nipples as she moved against my hard dick.

I reached between us, and undid my pants. Lola looked up at me as I lifted my hips to let her pull them off. When she climbed back on top of me, I wrapped my arm around her waist and moved her underneath me.

"You are in control," I whispered against her neck as I worked to get her pants off. She kissed me again, keeping me from telling her she could stop me at anytime. She kicked her jeans off further before pulling my boxers down.

"This is what I want," she said, stroking my dick between us. She bucked her hips up letting my cock hit her clit, the only barrier between us the flimsy underwear she wore. I moved against it, before slipping off her underwear and inserting two fingers inside her.

I worked my fingers in and out of her. My thumb circling her clit slowly as I kissed from her jaw to her collar bone. I let my tongue swirl around her nipple. Lola arched her back in pleasure as she moaned beneath me.

She grabbed my face and pulled my mouth back to hers kissing me fiercely. She pushed her body closer to mine and bit down on my bottom lip as she came.

"Ready?" I asked to make sure she didn't change her mind. She didn't speak. She looked up at me with her big round eyes, licked her lips, and nodded yes. A shy smile spread across her face.

I opened up the nightstand next to my bed and pulled out my last condom, ripping it open I put it on. I was ready to give Lola the world if I could. I couldn't tell her no anymore.

"I love you," I told her, as the head of my dick sat at her entrance.

I moved in slowly; feeling the tightness of her walls around me was overwhelming as I pushed all the way through.

The pace was slow and sweet. I never felt more connected to one person in my entire life as I did when I was with Lola. Her body underneath me seemed fragile as I moved inside of her. Her eyes closed in pleasure that only I had ever brought to her before.

I was quickly reaching my peak, my balls starting to tighten and the coil starting to twist in my stomach. Lola's moans were getting louder. I kissed her to try and quiet them since Zoe was still in the house.

Then it happened. My Dad yelled upstairs for me.

"Gabe! I know you are not alone in that room with Lola!" he yelled.

"Fuck," I said, jumping up. I took off the condom and tossed it in the trash can as Lola and I searched for our clothes.

We could hear his footsteps as he slowly came up the steps, probably giving us time to get dressed. I am sure the last thing he wanted to do was catch us naked.

Lola yanked on her pants, as I did with mine. I tossed her her shirt she left lying on the floor, before I quickly put min on backwards.

Lola threw on her shirt, without her bra; I saw it on the floor and picked it up as the door knob turned. I threw it on the bed and threw the covers over it, before I went to the door to open it just as my father pushed it open. I tried to catch my breath and act nonchalant. It didn't matter, I could feel how nervous and worried Lo was.

"Sorry," I said, taking Lo's hand and walking out of the room with her.

My dad placed his hand on my shoulder to stop me. "Can you excuse us, Lola?" he asked her.

"Sure," she said meekly, letting go of my hand.

My dad pulled me into my room, shutting the door behind him. I watched his eyes scan the room, falling on the condom in the trashcan.

"Why do you put me in these positions?" he asked. "You know the rules. You know how Jasper feels! I thought you learned more from what happened with Evie!" he said.

"How about you just forget about all this?" I said; I could feel myself reverting back to the asshole I was six months ago.

"How do I do that, Gabe? You are my son. You live in my house!"

"Are you going to tell Jasper and Alice?" I asked. I could care less what happened to me over it. I just didn't want Lola to get in any trouble.

"No I am not going to tell them my son deflowered their daughter! Who is sick! It's the last thing they need right now" My dad tried not to yell. "But you... you are grounded. Next time, if we are not home, you can take her back to her house, or you can wait outside with her. You are not to have any friends in this house without your Mother or I here, understood?"

"Fine," I said. "Are we done?" I asked.

Dad paused before he opened my door, dismissing me. "Take her home, and come right back."

He left the room and I grabbed her bra. I didn't bother hiding it on my way back down. "Here," I said, handing her the bra. She took it from me quickly, shoving it in her purse as her face grew red. "I have to take you home," I told her, opening the door.

Lola walked out ahead of me and I opened the car door for her. Once we pulled out of the driveway Lola managed to ask the question I knew was coming.

"Is he going to tell my parents?" she asked.

"Nope," I told her, focusing on the road. "But, I am grounded." I told her. "I'm sorry. It shouldn't have been like that. It should have...ended a bit differently," I spoke with regret. "You are so impatient!" I added with a laugh. I didn't want to be in a bad mood over what had happened.

When I pulled up outside her house, I pulled her close and kissed her. "See you when I can," I told her.

"Okay," she said, kissing me again.

"Love you," I told her.

"Love you too," she smiled back before opening the car door.

And I was back to being grounded. For none other than having sex. Who would have thought?

You know the drill, Review. It's like my paycheck to get those email updates. And I smashed my iphone screen today. I is sad.

Anyone ever caught in the act?