Work sucks, but no one left me roses by the stairs. blink-182 has mislead me.

Also, I was reading back through the chapters to make sure I didn't make any obscenely egregious mistakes and I noticed that the line breaks I use to break up the chapters don't show up on the app. I was just wondering if it would be better if I put dashes or something instead of the line breaks. I don't know how many people read this story on the app, so just let me know please.

As always, thank you all for reviewing, favoriting, following, and reading.

Sidney clutched Seth's hand tightly, staying tucked against his side as he led her inside. She was already feeling twitchy and nervous and now, the unexpected weight of her confession had made it worse. Emotions made it all worse.

Seth squeezed her hand gently as he felt her trembling and he pulled his hand away, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and letting her wrap her arms around his waist as they entered the kitchen. Sue was humming quietly as she peeked into the oven to check on her chicken breasts and Seth rapped his knuckles softly on the doorframe to announce their presence. "Hey, mom?"

"Oh, Seth, would you mind-" She turned to face her son, slipping her hands into the pockets of the apron tied around her hips. Her face immediately turned cold as she saw the slim, barely dressed girl cowering at his side. "Sidney."

"Mom, do you mind if Sidney stays for dinner?" He asked, pleading with his eyes and praying his mom wouldn't throw her out. 'Come on, mom, just let it go. Let her stay.'

Sue stood motionless for a moment before clicked her tongue and gestured to the cabinet that housed their dinner dishes. "Go wash your hands. Leah can show you to the bathroom." She turned back to the stove to stir the pot of peas she was heating up and Sidney let out a sift sigh of relief that Sue hadn't immediately told her to leave. Leah, however, was still fully capable of throwing her out.

"Yes, ma'am." Sidney murmured, turning and nearly bumping into Leah. "Oh, sorry! Sorry." She bit her lip softly as the girl stared down at her and she could practically feel the knives.

"Let's go." Leah headed upstairs with Sidney trailing behind, sending a worried glance back at Seth as he gave her the most encouraging smile he could manage. He knew his family was going to be a hurdle tonight, but he wanted to believe that Sidney could stick through it.

"I told you I didn't want you messing with her anymore, Seth." Sue spoke, tapping her wooden spoon on the edge of the pot before she reached over to turn the peas off. "What is she doing here?"

"She just wanted to talk. I'm the one who invited her in." He sighed softly, knowing he couldn't break Sidney's trust in him by spilling her painful secrets. "She's not like people say, mom. Can you just trust me on that?"

Sue didn't answer for a long time, so Seth leaned down to grab the dinner plates. Finally, she spoke softly, "I hope you know what you're getting into, Seth."

'Me too' He thought as he went about setting the table, his thoughts stuck on Sidney.

"So, you managed to worm your way into my brother's heart, huh?" Leah sneered from the bathroom doorway as Sidney washed her hands, making sure to scrub under her long, maroon nails as if Sue was going to go over her with a microscope. She had never had dinner with a guy's family before, unless you count Paul and Nona, so she wanted to be extra safe.

"I didn't worm my way into anywhere, Lee. I like Seth and for some reason, he likes me back." She murmured, turning the water off and turning to dry her hands on the towel hanging on the rack.

"Yeah. I'm sure it has nothing to do with you showing up in a bra and miniskirt to win his heart back, right?" Leah rolled her eyes as she watched the girl.

Sidney sighed, noticing she'd been doing it a lot more lately. 'I think I read somewhere that humans can only take so many breaths…does that mean sighing is knocking years off my life?' She shrugged to herself, not really caring very much as she turned to face her ex-best friend. "Leah, what did I ever do to you?"

Leah was taken aback for a second but didn't show it. "You sleep with anything that moves." She tried to ignore the fact that there was more to it than that.

Sidney wouldn't let her, though. "No. Why would you care who I sleep with?" Sidney stepped closer, tilting her head curiously as she peered into Leah's eyes. Leah was a couple inches taller than her, but she was no where near intimidated. "It's because of California, isn't it?"

"Oh, please." Leah scoffed, turning to go back downstairs as Sidney followed. "Like I cared."

"I didn't mean to abandon you, Lee. I had to get away and everything changed. I didn't mean for it to effect you too." Sidney murmured before she brushed past Leah and continued down the stairs, eager to get back to Seth before any more of his family members decided they wanted her head as a trophy.

Leah watched her go, gripping the banister tightly as she tried to ignore the trembling in her arm. 'She's right. It was a long time ago.'

"Sidney, would you mind saying grace? Since you are a guest, after all." Sue spoke as they sat down to dinner, Seth and Sidney on one side of the table, Sue and Leah on the other, and Harry sitting at the head of the table watching the scene unravel with clear amusement. He knew his wife and his daughter, and the skinny girl at Seth's side was in for a battle if she thought they would let her in so easily. Something told him they were evenly matched, though, and he couldn't wait to watch it unfold.

Sidney looked up, her hand outstretched to grab a roll from the platter as she felt her eyes widen. "Uh…Grace?" The only Grace she knew was her mother, and she doubted they wanted that mess at their dinner table.

"The prayer to bless the food." Sue explained and Sidney sheepishly retracted her hand as she looked to Seth for guidance.

He simply smiled at her and bowed his head as Sidney scrambled for something to say. She clasped her hands together and peered around the table at the Clearwater family as she spoke, "Uh…Thank you…heavenly…lord?" Seth was watching through his eyelashes, a small smirk on his lips as he saw her brows furrowed and her lips set in a pout. "No…heavenly spirit! That's him! Yeah, yeah. Thank you, heavenly spirit for this meal which you so graciously…allowed Mrs. Clearwater to prepare. Thank you for the…uh…chicken, who gave up their breasts."

Harry could barely hide his chuckle as Seth's shoulders trembled in silent laughter. Leah was even finding it hard to contain her amusement as Sue lifted her head to stare at the teenager who was peering around the table to see what else she had to bless.

"And the…rolls, thank you for those uh heavenly rolls, and the blessed carrots, and thank you for the peas, which Seth so graciously thawed on his face. Thank you, baby." She patted his thigh, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek as he chuckled quietly.

"Anytime."

Sidney smiled at him before she finished her grace with, "And god bless us, every one."

"Very well said, Sidney." Harry spoke, laughter clear in his voice as he reached to start filling his plate. "Somebody pass the heavenly rolls, please."

Sidney blushed, but was comforted by the small wink the older man sent her way. She passed the plate of rolls down the table, taking one for herself as Seth's hand found her thigh beneath the table and gave it a gently squeeze as if to say, 'You did good.'

She relaxed a bit as they started to eat and she laid her free hand over Seth's on her thigh, lacing their fingers together as the conversation picked up around them.

"You said you wanted to talk more." Sidney murmured from where she lay pressed against his side, playing with his fingers as she listened to his strong heartbeat through his t-shirt. His hand rested comfortably on the swell of her ass as she stretched, one leg resting across his thigh and her bare foot ghosting along his calf as he stared up at the ceiling.

After dinner and after Sidney managed to win some of Sue's approval by doing the dishes in record time without complaint, she had allowed the two teenagers to go upstairs under the stipulation that the door had to be open and Leah had to be across the hall in her room t o keep an eye on them. Leah had rolled her eyes and shut her bedroom door as soon as they got upstairs, so Sidney and Seth were free to talk or cuddle as they pleased.

"Yeah." Seth murmured, trailing his fingertips along the bare skin of her thigh where her skirt had ridden up, making her gasp softly as he teased her so innocently. "You still never explained why you have to sleep with Paul."

Sidney stayed quiet for a moment as she tried to ignore the little flares of heat that Seth's touch caused, and she tried to consider her words carefully despite the urge to pounce on him, privacy be damned. "After Clark did what he did to me, I got out of control. I was desperate to try to forget all the pain and the hurt and the general clusterfuck my life turned into. I thought that if I could just find someone, they'd be able to make it all better." He stayed quiet as he heard her take a soft, unsteady breath before she turned her head, resting her chin on his chest to look up at him. "I'd go out and find a guy, any guy. I wasn't exactly picky. And I would sleep with them, because for that moment I was what they wanted. I was good enough for them, and they let me forget that monster's hands on me. It cleared up all the fuzziness in my head, you know? I didn't have this aching need for more."

He nodded, gently caressing his hips as he shifted so that she sat astride his hips and he scooted back until he was sitting back against the headboard. "That's when the rumors happened."

"I made more than a few enemies." She managed a small, sad half smile as she rested her hands on his chest. He brought his hands up to grip her wrists delicately, his thumb stroking along her inner wrist and making her shiver in the most delectable way. "Paul was my best friend way before everything. I told him everything. He knew about the urges and what I needed and why. It started off as a mutual arrangement; when we didn't have anyone else, we'd always have each other as a booty call."

"He was a safer option than strangers." Seth realized, looking into her dark eyes as she gently ran her nails across his chest, earning her a small hiss as he felt it through his shirt.

Sidney nodded, leaning down and gently kissing his chest between her fingers. "I was needing it more often and after a while, it got degrading. Guys knew who I was, and they thought I'd be their willing sex freak whenever they wanted. And I was, for a while. I couldn't resist."

He wanted to ask her about those guys, to know who all and what all she had done before him, but he knew it wasn't his business. "So, you two were friends with benefits."

"And we had a lot of 'benefits'." Sidney smirked teasingly at him, then moaned softly as Seth's hand came down sharply on her ass. "Seth!"

"Oops." He smiled as he leaned up to kiss her gently, his other hand still holding her wrist. "Is that what we are?"

Sidney hummed softly as she sat up completely, tucking her hair behind her ears as she appraised Seth silently. "Is that what you want to be?"

He shook his head, biting his lip softly as he whispered, "I don't think I could do that."

Sidney played gently with his belt loops as she pulled her hand away from his chest. "How about we wait to label anything until you have all the facts?"

"What facts?" He gripped her waist as she gently tapped her nails against the button of his jeans. He knew that his parents were downstairs, and it turned him on more, knowing they could come upstairs at any time. It was thrilling, though he couldn't explain why it didn't chill him with fear.

"Come with me to a party tonight." Her lips ghosted down his neck as she smiled against his warm skin. "Wait to decide until after you see my side of life."

"Okay." He would've agreed to anything she said at this point. His fingers were digging into her hip bones so harshly he was sure it must be painful, but she didn't complain as she kept exploring, rubbing her palm over the rapidly growing bulge below his belt. "Sidney…"

"Yes?" She smiled at him, leaning down until her lips were just out of reach of his own. She loved seeing him worked up, knowing that she was the only one that got to see him like this.

He gripped her hips and rolled, taking her off the side of the bed and landing on the floor with a thud. "I think it's your turn." He landed on top of her, her legs on either side of his hips as he held himself up on his forearms.

"What do you mean?" She mumbled as she leaned up, sucking softly on his Adam's apple as his warm body settled over her like a heavy blanket.

"Let me take care of you this time." He murmured, holding back the groan of need that threatened to escape as her hips rolled against his, pressing her panty-covered mound against his bulge.

They both paused as Sue called upstairs, "What was that sound? What's going on up there?"

"Sorry, Mrs. Clearwater, I fell off the bed." Sidney's eyes sparkled as she smirked up at Seth, running her nails down his back then slipping her hands into his back pockets to pull him closer.

Sue never responded and they waited a moment, listening for any sign that she was going to come check on them. They were mostly hidden by the bed, but all it would take was for Sue to come around to the other side and she would probably ready to ship Seth off to an all-boys boarding school.

They heard nothing and Seth smiled, making her giggle softly as she saw his boyish dimples once more. "You always do stuff for me. The only time you've ever got to cum was on the phone."

She knew that. It was part of the reason she had been so manic and frenzied the past few weeks. "I just…I don't want it to seem like I'm using you, Seth." She almost whined as he moved away, already missing his heat and weight, but he quickly rectified it by laying behind her, pulling her body snug against his as his hand splayed across her bare stomach. She had shed her loose-knit cardigan after they had gotten upstairs, leaving her in her burgundy bralette as they talked.

"If anything, I would think that I've been using you." His lips left a blazing trail down her neck as she tried to resist the urge to grind back against the bulge that she could feel pressed against her skirt so tantalizingly. "Let me even it out, Sidney. Show me what to do for you." He whispered, his warm breath blowing on the trail he had left on her neck and making her shiver slightly.

She laid her hand over his, guiding him under her skirt slowly as she leaned back, wanting to watch him as she spread her legs for his hand. He felt the soft lace of her panties and felt his heart start to race as he realized this was happening. 'I'm going to touch her.' He prayed that his limited knowledge of porn would help him, before she leaned up to kiss him gently and cleared his mind. He trusted her to show him what she liked.

He gently stroked his fingers across her clit as he felt how damp her panties were already. She let out a soft, shaky moan as her eyes slipped closed and he took that as a good sign. "Just…just rub me."

He obeyed, rubbing small, tight circles against her over her panties as she gripped his wrist, her head laying against his bicep as she tried to control her soft moans. He couldn't help but rock against her gently, grinding against her firm ass softly as her scent surrounded him like a tropical cloud and he felt drunk. As she rocked against his fingers gently, he got the courage to go further.

Her eyes shot open as his fingers delved under her panties, finding that little swollen bundle of nerves as her nails dug into his arm. "Seth!" She panted softly as she looked up into his eyes, noticing an intense, smoldering expression on his face rather than his usual happy dimples. "Don't stop."

He felt a new rush of wetness on his fingertips and it encouraged him as he slipped his other hand down to cup one of her breasts, brushing the pad of his thumb over her nipple through the thin material of her top. She turned, biting his arm gently to muffle her quiet moans as she could feel herself getting close quickly. Her back arched away from him, her hips pushing firmly against his hand as he ran a finger along her opening experimentally then, finding the spot, pushed his middle finger into her tight heat as she shuddered in his embrace. The room was nearly silent save for her soft pants and mewls and the sound of denim on denim as they rocked together, Sidney practically melting in his grasp as he let her take over.

She bounced against his fingers, rocking her hips desperately as she brought her hands up to pull her top up, letting her breasts spill out and into Seth's unobstructed view for the first time. He immediately covered one with his hand, teasing the tiny pink peak of her nipple between his fingers as he worked his fingers in and out of her faster, knowing she was almost there by the rushed movement of her hips.

"Seth, I-" Whatever she was going to say next was lost as she felt a wave of pleasure crash over her and she bit down on his arm moaning loudly against his flesh as her wetness coated his hand and he chuckled sinfully as he pressed a tender kiss to the nape of her neck. She panted softly as he slowly pulled his hand away and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her tightly against him and holding her close as she slowly came down.

Neither of them spoke for a long while, content to just hold each other in the cool, air-conditioned room with the plush carpet beneath them.

"The party starts around 10. Can you sneak out this time?" Sidney whispered, stretching like a cat in the sun as Seth's hands gently caressed her curves.

"Only if you meet me under the window." He smiled as he heard her soft laugh and loosened his arms enough so that she could turn to face him. Their bare feet rubbed against each other's as one of his legs slid between hers and she hooked her leg around his as if she were daring him to try to move away from her.

"Of course. Gotta escort my date." She teased as she pressed a tender kiss against his jawline, feeling his pulse racing beneath his soft skin. "I'll be here."

It was 9:30 when heard her slipping in through the open window, her heels thumping quietly on the carpet. He smiled, buttoning the last button on his black shirt before he turned to her, immediately losing his breath. She had changed into even less than she had on earlier; he could see her caramel skin peeking through her bodysuit, contrasting with the pale nude lace as his eyes followed the swirling pattern all the way down until her denim shorts blocked the rest of his view. "Ready?" She smirked, knowing what he was doing as she stepped closer and kissed him deeply.

His arms wound around her waist, holding her close as he kissed her back, tasting her vanilla lip gloss as his tongue swept over her pouty bottom lip. Sidney was the one who pulled away first, smiling as she twirled a lock of his hair around her fingertip. "I'm ready." He mumbled as he stared down into her warm eyes, getting lost in the sea of chocolate and flecks of honey that stared back at him.