Thank you for your continued interest and support. And a big thank you to all new reviewers. I appreciate you all...old and new.

I do not own Glee or the characters, neither do I own Stuck-Up Suit.

Lol Monni2215...Bonus chapter...

MERCEDES

Since Sam and I hadn't seen each other in a few days, I had a suspicion that he might show up unannounced one night this week.

I just had no idea which night it would be.

Nevertheless, I decided to stick to my plans.

For the past few days I'd been busy. Busy putting said plans into place.

I had a new 'boyfriend' who was at the centre of my plans. And we were now sitting next to each other on the subway.

Anyone who saw us would probably believe that we were together, because sitting here next to him, even I had to admit that we looked more like a couple than Sam and I ever did.

With his olive skin, spiked dark hair, Italian horn around his neck, and bulging biceps, he was more like Pauly D. from Jersey Shore than a man who commanded a boardroom.

In all honesty, before Sam, he was my type. Although, not Marcus specifically. We've known each other way too long for that.

Marcus was Noah's cousin and we've all been friends since we were kids. And even though I haven't seen him in years, I knew he would do me the favor of pretending to be my boyfriend.

When Noah called him down to the shop on Monday, he agreed to do it even before I'd explained the circumstances.

It all happened so fast...

Marcus and I had just left Noah's shop.

Our plan for tonight was the same as last night. We'd sit around, watch movies, and wait to see if Sam surprised me with a visit.

And if he did, I would let him see Marcus inside my apartment and tell him that I was sorry, but I'd met someone, and that I didn't mean to hurt him.

"You okay, dollface?" Marcus asked.

"Just nervous."

"You want us to go over what you want me to say if he shows up?"

"No." I forced a smile. "We have the plan down."

Or so I thought.

Because what I didn't plan for, was Sam standing outside of my building before I even got there.

He was leaning against his car, looking down, texting on his phone.

Luckily, I saw him before he saw me.

I jumped into panic mode, knowing what was about to happen. And quickly grabbed Marcus' hand.

The Italian horn he was wearing was a symbol of good luck. And right about now, we definitely needed it.

Lots of it...if we were going to get out of this particular situation.

When Sam looked up and saw me, I actually watched the moment I broke his heart played out on his face.

Even from halfway down the block, his eyes lit up for a split second when he caught sight of me. Then that light was quickly extinguished when he saw the tall, dark, tatted hipster I was holding hands with.

My heart was completely eviscerated seeing the hurt in his eyes.

I'd practiced the things I would say to him over and over a thousand times, yet when he stormed to us on the street, I was unable to speak.

"Mercedes? What the fuck?"

I stared down at the sidewalk, unable to look him in the eyes. But Marcus figured out what was going on and jumped in to ad lib.

"You must be Sean. Mercedes told me there was a possibility you could show up before she had a chance to talk to you."

"Talk to me about what? Mercedes? What the fuck is going on?"

Sam was practically screaming at this point.

"Dude. Calm down. She was going to tell you. We just talked about it last night at dinner," Marcus said.

"At dinner? Last night? Mercedes! Answer me! What the hell is going on?"

When I didn't respond and still didn't look at him, Sam reached for me.

Playing the part of a protective boyfriend came naturally to Marcus, because he stepped partially in front of me and got in Sam's face.

"Dude. I'm only going to warn you once. Keep your hands to yourself, and don't touch my girl. I don't want to have to kick your pretty boy ass out here on the street."

"Your girl?"

As I said before...it all happened so fast...

Everything...

Too fast.

Sam took a step back, appeared to be turning away, only to rear back and throw all of his weight behind a punch that slammed into Marcus' jaw.

A loud cracking sound made acid rise up my throat, and for a second, I thought I was going to vomit right there on the street.

I wasn't immediately sure if the sound was Marcus' jaw or Sam's hand breaking. Because my heartbeat was pulsing so loudly in my ears.

For all I knew it could've been the sound of my own heart shattering.

Marcus staggered back a few steps, his hand going to his jaw in an attempt to ease the pain. But I'd grown up watching him and Noah brawl, and I knew a little thing like a broken jaw was not going to end this fight.

Before I could get between them, he lunged at Sam...who wasn't backing down either.

The two men collided, and Marcus slammed Sam up against a parked car.

"Stop!" I finally managed to speak. "Please, stop! Marcus, please!"

But Sam somehow managed to toss Marcus aside like a bag of trash, and then he was standing right in front of me, his chest heaving up and down, knuckles split and bleeding.

Without thinking, I reached out for his injured hand.

"Sam..."

He pulled away from my touch as if it was fire.

"Say it, Mercedes."

I looked down.

"Say it! Tell me you're a fucking cheater and I'm a God damn idiot. Because even though I'm seeing it right in front of my eyes, I still don't want to believe it."

Tears rolled down my face. I couldn't look at Sam.

When he spoke again, his voice was low and pained. He sounded...broken.

"Look at me, Mercedes. Look at me."

At his tone, I finally mustered the courage to raise my head.

Staring into his green eyes, tears streaming down my face, I told him the absolute truth.

"I'm so sorry, Sam."

His eyes closed for a moment before he turned, got into his car, and drove away without another word.

I watched, sobbing, until I could no longer see a trace of his car.

What had I just done?

"Don't be such a wuss," Noah said.

His hands were cupping his cousin's face. He had showed up with Quinn fifteen minutes after Marcus and I got inside my apartment.

I hadn't even realized Marcus had called them.

"I really think that should be done in the emergency room."

It was the second time I'd voiced my opinion that Marcus' obviously dislocated jaw should be reset in the hospital.

"It's fine. I've done it before. Three times when he was doing that stupid kickboxing shit," Noah said.

He handed Marcus the bottle of Jack he had brought with him.

"One more swig buddy, make it a good one."

Poor Marcus gulped from the bottle then stood in front of his cousin with his eyes closed.

"Ready."

"On three. One..."

"Fuuuucccck!"

Marcus let out a bloodcurdling scream, and I ran to the bathroom. This time, I really did vomit.

When I came back, Noah chuckled at me.

"I forgot what a girl you are."

"You said on three and did it on one. You didn't give me a chance to run out of the room."

"Of course I did it on one. Who the hell actually does it on three when the person is tensed up and waiting for it?"

"How the hell would I know?"

"Get your lover-boy a bag of peas, will you, babe?"

I dug into the freezer, searching for a bag of something frozen to put on Marcus' jaw. But I didn't even have any vegetables.

"I don't eat peas."

"What else you got?" Noah asked.

I pulled out a box of Choco Tacos...ice cream in the shape of a taco. Noah pulled one from the box and handed it to his cousin.

"That's perfect. A taco for the pussy who gets his jaw dislocated by a suit."

Marcus winced, bringing the frozen ice cream to rest against his cheek.

"Throws a good punch for a pretty boy."

A short while later, Noah was still playing doctor with his poor cousin. And Quinn was in my room trying to comfort me.

"I take it that things didn't go exactly as planned?" she said.

She had held me in her arms until I'd finally stopped sobbing.

"Not at all. Marcus and I never even made it into my apartment. Sam saw us on the street, so I panicked and grabbed Marcus' hand."

"That must've given him a good visual."

I blew out a deep breath.

"It was awful, Quinn. He was so hurt."

"You knew he would be. You think he bought it?"

I nodded my head, silent tears again streaming down my face.

"He did...although Marcus got his name wrong. But honestly, I don't think there was any other way to do it. Because, even seeing me holding another man's hand and hearing Marcus call me his girl, he still wanted confirmation. He believed in us so much, Quinn. He didn't even want to accept it when it was right before his eyes. He's been that way since the day I met him. I never knew a man could be so unwavering in his love and support. And it was the most beautiful part about him..."

When my shoulders began to shake again, Quinn wrapped me back in her arms.

…"and now I've destroyed it."

Quinn squeezed me to her.

"He's going to give that to his little girl. You wanted to do this for her. That part of him won't change. It just won't be you he's devoted to anymore."

Stay safe!