A/N: So guess what? I have two chapters today! I must REALLY love you all. Or I'm just trying to post the whole thing in time for the Jalex Christmas Competition. Either way, here it is.

Okay, if you love me you will PLEASE, PLEASE review each chapter separately. Why? Because I asked very nicely. Also, thank you to every single one of you who has reviewed so far. Keep up the good work and give yourselves a hand!

Only two chapters left now. Next chapter is Christmas! Anyway, enjoy. I don't own Wizards of Waverly Place.

Chapter Eight:

Justin paced in his apartment, trying to figure out what the hell had happened yesterday. How had he let things get so out of control? His feelings for Alex, whatever they were, were getting out of hand and he needed to get a hold of himself. She was only his pretend fiance and she was interested in another guy anyway.

So she kissed him back, so what? It was a mistake, she was probably a bit tipsy and his boss was there egging this foolishness on (what a pushy man indeed).

But that kiss. That was what was making him question himself. The kiss was so incredible and heart-stopping that he couldn't imagine ever not getting to do that again. He glanced at the clock on his bedside table and did a double take. Shit, he was going to be late if he kept pacing like this.

He grabbed his coat and took off for the street. He was sick of waiting for a cab in this weather so he had ordered a car to pick him and Alex up. He called her earlier to let her know but she was strangely reticent on the phone.

At Alex's apartment, Justin waited on the couch again but refrained from helping her get ready. She looked good tonight in a simple purple dress with a full-length brown sweater and the same boots she wore to his Thanksgiving thing.

"This is it, right?" Alex asked, looking up at Justin with large, trusting eyes. "This is the last party we have to go to?"

"I think," Justin said. "I promise it'll be over soon."

"I'm just about partied out," Alex admitted.

"I just want to say thank you," Justin said. "You've been great through this whole thing. I mean, you didn't have to do this and even though I know you said you did it for some guy I know that you would have done it for me anyway."

"Chyah, right," Alex scoffed. "I wouldn't have done this for anyone."

"But you did it for me," Justin said. "And I appreciate it. I hope you know that."

"Yeah, yeah, don't get all sentimental on me," Alex scoffed. "Let's just get through this one last party."

'And then Mr. Dawson's retirement party," Justin said rapidly.

"What?"

"Oh look, we're here," Justin opened the door as the pulled up the curb. He hopped out and helped Alex out of the Mercedes. She gave him a glare and headed for the building while Justin tipped the driver. He would be returning for them at eleven.

"Hello Alexandra," Della DeLuca herself was present with her hair coiffed up high on her head. Alex leaned in and whispered that it was called a "Jack-It to Jesus Do". Justin barely managed to keep from laughing in Ms. DeLuca's face.

Alex shook hands with Ms. DeLuca and introduced Justin.

"This is my fiance, Justin Russo. He works at Firestone Hotels."

"Fascinating," she said with a heavy Belgian accent. "I love your hotels. I always get first-rate service."

"Thank you," justin said. "If you mention my name to the manager next time you might get a discounted rate."

"I will most definitely do so, young man. You are delightful. I wish to see you around this place more often. You are a fascinating man."

Alex led Justin away, towards the buffet table. "Haha, that's high praise from DeLuca," she said. "Want some punch?"

"I'll get it," Justin offered. The tension between them was momentarily gone, their interactions easier and lighter as before.

"I'll see where Harper and Zeke are. God, we need new friends. We see them everywhere," she laughed. She located her best friend and Zeke and found that they had already claimed a four-person table.

"Didn't I see you yesterday at the Firestone Christmas Party?" Alex joked.

"Alex!" Harper jumped up and crushed her friend in a hug. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Alex tried to push her friend off. "Really. I just had a few too many drinks yesterday."

"We need to talk," Harper said. "Soon."

"We will," Alex promised. In the next lifetime, she thought.

The party got in full swing with dancing, food, a limited bar and a few silly party games. It was more fun and free than Justin's upscale party. Probably part of that was that Alex was around people she actually knew and liked.

There was a raffle for a new iPad and Harper won, which Zeke seemed a little too excited about.

Zeke had Harper store the iPad in her office before he would dance with her and then led her to the small dance floor for a few songs. Alex jammed out as well, by herself and occasionally with Justin but they kept a safe distance between them and didn't dance to any slow songs.

The music slowed and Justin left to get more punch. Alex was about to wander back to the table when Grady Adams approached her.

"Hey Alex," he said. He smiled and Alex wanted to jump up and down.

"Hey."

"Do you want to dance?" he asked. She nodded and he grabbed her hand and led her back to the dance floor. They danced, turning in slow circles. Alex felt excited that Grady Adams was dancing with her once again but something felt off, at the same time. It didn't feel like dancing with Justin had made her feel. After the song was over, she broke apart from him.

"I've never seen your office," he said with a smile. Alex knew it was a hint.

"Do you want to see it now?" He nodded and she promised to take him but needed to grab her key first. She headed over to the table.

"Grady asked to see my office."

"That's awesome, that's exactly what you wanted!" Harper squealed. Alex winced at the sound.

"Shh, don't yell so loud," she said. Harper looked guilty.

"Go, go," she urged her friend. "I'll tell Justin." Alex left with her key, a feeling of unease in her stomach. This felt...awkward and not right. She felt like she was betraying Justin, which was stupid. He would understand. It was what she was working for, wasn't it?

They headed up to Alex's floor. The building was eerily quiet and dark with everyone downstairs at the party. Alex's office was large and spacious and took up the corner of the eighth floor.

"Here it is," she said. "It's not much to look at." She led him inside.

She gave him a brief tour and they stopped in front of her drawing table.

"Nice sketch," Grady said, eyeing the sheet attached to the board.

"Thanks," Alex didn't exactly know what to talk about with him. She cast about for a topic.

"I have to confess something," Grady said. He ran one hand through his wavy blonde hair. "I really like you. I think I liked you for a long time but I wasn't sure. But seeing you with that guy really made me realize that I was crazy about you and I was so jealous to see you with him."

Alex should have been excited that her plan worked perfectly. She should have been elated and thrown her arms around Grady and given him a big kiss to seal the deal. But she didn't feel happy. She didn't want to throw her arms around him.

:I just knew that I had to take my chance with you before you were taken for good," he continued. "So I thought if I lured you away from the party downstairs I could make my move. I thought it would be harder than that though," he laughed. "I guess you must feel something between us too."

"Mmm," Alex murmured noncommittally. Grady moved towards her, reaching one hand up to brush the hair away from her eyes and put his other hand on her shoulder.

"You looked so beautiful at the Fashion Show. And tonight you look stunning. I can't help myself. I just have to show you what you'd miss out on if you didn't take a chance with me." He tilted his head forward and Alex felt her eyes flutter closed, preparing herself for the sparks she had been waiting for.

They didn't come. When he pressed his lips to hers all she felt was the cold weight of his mouth and a very tiny, vague feeling of dread. He continued to kiss her, moving his mouth around while she stood there.

What was wrong with her? This was what she'd wanted for almost a year. This was what she'd planned and schemed with Justin to get. So why was it that when Grady Adams kissed her, all she could think about was the kiss she shared with Justin?

She berated herself for focusing on a kiss shared with someone else while Grady was kissing her and decided to try harder to enjoy herself. Maybe then she would feel something.

She kissed him back with a fervor that took him by surprise and he responded by plunging his tongue into her mouth, wriggling it around like a worm. She pulled back and gave him a not-completely-sincere smile.

"That was um, nice," she said. Grady was smiling like he'd just swallowed the canary so to speak.

"Yeah. And I'm guessing you liked it too from the way you reacted. I hope this will be a regular thing form now on. Maybe I can take you out to lunch after Christmas?"

"Uh...sure," Alex shrugged. "Sounds great."

"Alright, I'll see you. I have to go back downstairs and find the girl I brought. She's a friend of a friend and she's got to be home by like, ten or something lame. See you later."

"Yeah, see you," Alex said. She leaned against her desk, feeling a mixture of emotions coursing through her. Why was she so weird about this? Shouldn't she be dancing down the hallway to tell Harper? Why was she thinking of Justin at all?

"Hey Alex I was just..." Justin rounded the corner just then and saw Alex standing near her drawing table still, her hands by her sides.

"Grady Adams kissed me." Those four words were enough to make Justin's stomach clench into a hard knot. All at once he realized about three things. The first was that any guy who hit on a girl who was engaged was a loser. The second was that Alex didn't look excited for some reason. The third was that he was truly, deeply and irrevocably in love with Alex.

"Are you ok?" he asked, concerned for her expression.

"I'm good," Alex said. "I'm...great. It's everything I ever wanted. Our plan worked."

"Alex, it doesn't have to be like this," Justin said. "You don't sound excited. Maybe its because you're just being calm about it or you're still in shock but I think its because that kiss we shared the other day meant something. I think that kiss means that we figured out what other people have known for years. I think that kiss means we're on the verge of something big."

"What?" Alex finally looked up nto Justin's eyes. "That's crazy! We're not supposed to be together, I'm supposed to be with Grady, Justin. It's what I've wanted for such a long, long time and I'm not going to give it up now just because you and I shared some kiss that you think means we're in love. Because we're not. Because that would just be insane and...and...crazy!" Alex sputtered out. "So maybe you should just take me home, OK? Because Grady asked me for a date and I think you need to realize that I like Grady, not you."

"Fine," Justin crossed his arms. "But I think you're just scared to admit your feelings."

"I don't..."

"You're only lying to yourself."

"Just leave me alone!" Alex exploded. "Even if I did, you're pushing me into something way too fast. I don't know what I feel and yes, maybe I do think about that kiss but I have to pursue this thing with Grady if I ever want a chance to be happy. Most importantly, there's no way most people would accept us, ok?"

"I don't care what other people think," Justin said. "I'm too intelligent to let them get to me because I know what they don't. That you have to be yourself and be true to what you feel."

"Yeah, well I have to go," Alex grabbed her keys and flounced out the door, Justin followed behind her and waited while she locked up. "Please, just leave me alone," Alex begged.

"This isn't over," Justin said. "I'll give you space for now but this isn't over by a long shot."

"Just...go," Alex sighed and watched him give her a meaningful look before taking off for the elevators. She waited until he got on and the doors closed before she moved towards the elevator bank herself.

Well shoot. What a frickin' frackin' gosh-darned mess.

Please review if you liked it.