Two words away from 10,200 words!

So, I realize this has been a very late chapter. Leave a review telling me what you think! Again, thank you to Mermaid Monster for continuously reviewing. You're the best!

(Yes, this song is by a fabulous drag queen.)

Okay, so here is the timeline I'm working with because I realize it can be a bit confusing with all the jumping around (that being part of the reason I took so long to put this out):

Chapter 1. Cat: Sunday, Monday (Week 1)

Chapter 2. Tori: Tuesday

Chapter 3. Jade: Wednesday

Chapter 4. Cat: (Monday) Wednesday, Thursday

Chapter 5. Tori: Tuesday - Friday

Chapter 6. Jade: Friday

Chapter 7. Cat: Monday - Saturday (week 4)

Chapter 8. Tori: Friday (Week 1), Friday (Week 5)

Chapter 9. Jade: Saturday, Sunday (Week 1), Week 2, Week 4, Week 5

Probably the most impractical timeline ever.

Until next time,

Sky


"Chapter 9 – I Adore U"

"This is how it ends, never meant to hurt you. I'm a pretty mess and I don't deserve you. I ran out of time and second chances. Sorry, couldn't build your white picket fences." - Adore Delano

Four weeks ago.

The weekend after Jensen's hospital visit, Beck went straight to Two Million Books in the mall to grab as many American Sign Language books as possible. Three hundred dollars later, he brought back eight educational books and he and his fiancée went to work.

Much to Jade's very vocal dismay, the books tended to recycle the same material. On a brighter note, however, they finished reading them all by 8pm that night.

They started with the alphabet.

The majority of the teaching involved making hand signs, saying the letter, then placing their hands on the toddlers' hands to make them form the same sign while they heard the letter once more. Jensen responded more to his mother than his father, so Jade took him while Beck gave all of his attention to his baby girl.

Aside from potty breaks, they practiced nonstop until the twins grew impatient and tired.

At midnight.

And on that Sunday, they all did the same thing all over again.

To start paying off Jensen's hospital bills, Beck and Jade decided it best to cut back on luxuries for a while, at least until they could get back on their feet. (And it would be a long while since Jade hated asking her future in-laws for money.) That meant no more of Cat's imported German cookies (unless her mom bought them), Robbie's special cream, Beck's hair care products, or Jade's favorite brand of Mexican coffee, to name a few things.

And unluckily for Jade, she'd used up the last of her coffee that Sunday afternoon.

That Monday morning, she didn't speak to anyone as she got ready for school. Without her coffee, she was nothing short of a vicious beast, just waiting for her unsuspecting prey. Natalie was supposed to take Cat to school, so she didn't have to worry about trying not to kill the bubbly redhead. Instead of taking the twins to daycare, Beck had elected to take the semester off since Jensen would need the extra attention, so her ride to school was quiet just like she liked it.

She struggled to keep her eyes open on the road and only almost crashed twice, so she chalked that up to a victory.

As she parked her car near the education building in her favorite spot, she could have sworn she saw a hot pink Volkswagen out of the corner of her eye. Her head snapped to the car and she squinted her eyes to get a better look. However, the windows were tinted, so she couldn't make out the driver.

With a slightly annoyed grunt, she ignored the ugly car and climbed out of her own and made her way to her Chemistry class.

Unfortunately, she spent the majority of it trying not to fall asleep. Though they finally got to the material, they were only going over simple things that she remembered from high school. She fell asleep twice in the fifty minute class period, and she even started hallucinating things from her sleep deprivation.

By the time class had let out, she was falling asleep again. She didn't even hear the other students leave, nor did she hear the intruder walk up to her.

"I would assume you have a nice comfy bed that you share with your fiancé to sleep in," Fletch announced in his stupid, delectable voice.

She snapped out of her dozing and looked up at him with tightly knit brows. "Are you stalking me or something?" she asked, her voice slurred with sleep.

"Yours isn't the only class in this room," he reminded her as he slid around the table and took the seat on her right. "You look rather tired."

"I haven't been sleeping well," she answered honestly. She didn't have the energy for snarky remarks or venomous words.

"There is more than enough room at my place if you're looking for somewhere to crash," he offered. A sly smirk spread across his lips. "There's also plenty of space in my bed in particular if you get lonely."

Jade sighed tiredly, looking down at her desk. She honestly didn't care that she was going to be late for her English class. "What do you want from me?" she asked quietly.

"Excuse me?" Fletch questioned. "Could you speak up a bit?"

"I said 'What do you want from me?'" she repeated a little louder. "Why are you bothering with me so much?"

He gave a goofy grin that Jade didn't see and placed his elbows on the table, resting his head in his hands. "You could say I like a challenge," he answered. "And you, Miss West, are proving to be quite the challenge."

She smirked in spite of herself. "So you're saying that you'll get bored with me when I'm no longer a challenge," she spoke.

"I see you're looking into the fine print," he quipped. He contemplated reaching out to grab her hand, but kept his own on the table. He straightened his posture and looked to her seriously. "Right now, you're a challenge; you keep me on edge. I doubt that will change any time soon. There is so much about you that is just waiting to be discovered, and even when I've discovered it all, I know I'll want to discover it all over again. I completely understand how silly I may sound, considering the small amount of time we've known each other, but you're worth every second of every day. No matter what happens, I won't regret the time I've spent trying to know you, Jade West; I'll only regret letting you walk out of my life."

For a moment, she sat in silence.

Who was this stupid boy to say those things to her? Why couldn't he just leave her alone like she'd told him to on the second day of class? She hated him for being so nice to her, for clouding her mind with his stupid persistence. "Just friends" was apparently not an option with him, and she desperately didn't want to cheat on Beck. If Fletch were any other guy, Jade wouldn't bat another eyelash at him.

Maybe it was because he reminded her so much of her fiancé.

Before she knew it, his hand was on her left cheek, wiping away a tear. His hand lingered on her skin, slightly cupping her face. Gently, he turned her face to look in her eyes. "You need someone who deserves you," he told her quietly.

"What makes you so sure you're that someone?" she whispered, looking down at the thumb that stroked her cheek.

"I guess we'll have to find out," he whispered back.

She looked up at him as he started to lean into her, but she didn't push him away. She didn't fight the closing of her eyes or the feeling of his lips on hers. She welcomed the warmth of his kiss and the feeling of his bare skin beneath her fingertips as she placed her hand on the side of his neck. She felt him smile into the kiss, but she ignored it. She was too tired to do anything else.

But somehow, she found the strength to push his lips from hers.

"I can't," she breathed, resting her forehead against his with her eyes closed.

"Don't do anything you don't want to," he advised in a hushed tone.

She looked up at him with a hard stare and slapped his hand away, feeling a surge of adrenaline pumping through her body with the realization of what had just occurred. She slapped him sharply. "Who the hell do you think you are?" she shouted. "I told you I have a fiancé; I have kids with him. The last thing I need in my life is some stupid rich boy who thinks he can have whatever his daddy's money will buy him!"

A coughing startled both of them and they looked to the front of the room. A woman with long, wavy brown hair stood with her arms crossed in front of her neatly pressed blue blouse atop her black pencil skirt. She tapped her black flats on the linoleum. "I would suggest the library," she began snippily, "Or, if you're feeling spontaneous, I'm sure you two have rooms of your own."

Her eyes filling with venom, Jade directed her anger toward the disrespectful teacher. "I don't care that you're a teacher," she hissed. "Be lucky that I'm already late for my next class. Bother me again and you'll wish you didn't live to regret it." With that, she stormed out of the class without so much as another word to the teacher or Fletch.

He smirked once more as he rose from his chair and put his hands in his pockets. "I like 'em feisty," he joked with an exaggerated shrug, turning on his heels and sauntering out of the class. Whatever the woman—who grew increasingly red in the face—was teaching, he was glad he didn't have her.

That would have been awkward.


And I only got myself to blame.


Instead of going straight to her class, Jade decided to take a quick nap in the back of the education building where no one would find her, where she wouldn't have to deal with that pigheaded idiot. She set her phone to go off one minute before class started. She also decided to go into the front of the classroom, to get as far away from Fletch as possible.

As she entered the room, the teacher was just about to start his lesson, so any other seat moving would yield a tedious lecture of disdain. She smiled slightly to herself, but the momentary pleasure depleted when she looked up to the middle of the room and caught a glimpse of a brunette that reminded her a lot of that annoying Christiane girl.

From what Jade could see, the girl had upturned and strikingly gunmetal eyes that seemed to bore into Jade's face. Her long, whiskey locks draped over the front of her chest, presumably falling into her lap, covering most of the hot pink sundress she wore. Her thick carmine lips stretched to the size of California as she twirled her fingers to the Goth in a mocking wave.

"Would you like to take a seat?" her teacher questioned snippily, tearing Jade from the strange sight. "Or would you like to take over today's lecture since you're up here with me?"

There were a few snickers behind her as she turned to look at the rude old man, but she refused to let anyone see her embarrassment as she give him her most demonic scowl and took her seat.


And I only got myself to blame.


Two weeks ago.

She wasn't sure if was her sleep deprivation or her increasingly diminishing sanity, but she continued to see Christiane—or rather, girls that looked like her—everywhere she went.

She saw the creepy brunette in her classes, in the grocery store, and even at the mall. She tried to chalk it up to coincidence, that many people could look like the Southern Belle, but she was certain that she did, in fact, see Christiane constantly.

It seemed distasteful to visit her brother in disguise again with his parole hearing coming up, but she needed to know more about her presumed stalker.

After class, in which she avoided Fletch at all costs, she went home to retrieve the bag of clothes she had moved from her trunk to her closet.

And instead of parking the car in her driveway, she parked it two houses down in the event that Beck would be home—though he had no reason to be home this early in the day—and question her about her intentions.

She smirked slightly to herself and entered her empty home when she didn't see her fiancé's truck in the driveway.

It felt strange, having her home so quiet; Beck decided to stay the weekend at his parents; house and took the twins with him to give his fiancée a break from teaching so she could get decent sleep. This time, she didn't fight him and readily welcomed the bed that was far too big for just one person.

He'd be home later that day, so she needed to hurry up and see Liam and be back before Beck got home. She didn't like lying to him, but she would if she had to; no matter what he said, he would never understand why she went to see her delinquent brother.

As she was about to head upstairs, she heard tires crunch across the gravel. Panic shooting through her, she dashed to one of the windows and pulled the curtain back just enough to not be noticed. She grimaced upon seeing a black Escalade in her driveway with Cat and Natalie giggling in the front.

She went over to the couch and sat down with her grimace intact, crossing her arms and legs in wait. Her menacing gaze pointed toward the door stopped the redhead in her tracks once inside the house.

"H-hi, Jade," the tiny mother stuttered.

"Why do you look so guilty, Cat?" the Goth asked in a loaded tone. She wasn't even being good at hiding her stupid affair! "Are you going back out there after you leave your kid and pretend you're not even her mother?"

"I'm not leaving her!" Cat cried. "She just needs to spend more time with the twins."

"So you can run around with that slut out there?" Jade fired. What nerve did she have, bringing that tramp where she didn't belong? "You think I don't know what you're doing? You're out nearly every night with her and you're hardly ever home. Are you fucking her? Does Robbie know you're cheating on him? Don't tell me she hasn't tried to do anything with you, Cat; she looks like a fucking dyke!"

"She looks like you!" the petite girl spat back, the intensity of her voice frightening her.

"Oh," the alabaster scream queen uttered in offense. So the little brat thought she was being an adult now; well, she picked the wrong person to stand up to. After everything she'd done for Cat, this was how she wanted to talk to her best friend. Granted, Jade knew her methods of helping were atypical, but she could just as much tell her 'best friend' to fuck off.

And she was getting pretty close to that.

She shot up from the couch, stamping her feet. "Who the hell do you think you are? You have a boyfriend who loves you and would do anything for you, friends who actually give a damn about you when no one else will, and a kid who needs you! But despite all of that, you want to go sneaking around with someone who wants nothing more to fuck you because he sees you as some trophy to be stolen since you have a fiancé and wouldn't even give you the time of day otherwise!"

She slapped her arms in front of her chest, digging her nails into her bare arms and clenching her eyes shut among pursed lips.

Shit.

Goddammit.

She needed to get a grip. Why was she bringing Fletch into this? She was done with him! But…his kiss was enticing and she couldn't help but want more…

No, she admonished. This is about Cat, not you. Fuck that stupid asshole.

"Jade?" Cat called after a brief silence. She almost didn't speak at all out of fear of being crushed by the unfaltering tension should she even breathe.

"Get out!" her friend exploded. She pointed one of her black claws at the stairwell. "Pack up your shit and leave. If Natalie cares about you more than I do, more than Beck does, and especially more than your own goddamn boyfriend does, then you can just take your ungrateful ass out of this house and go live with her! If she cares about you as much as you naively think she does, then she would have no problem with you living with her!"

"Y-you can't kick me out…" Cat stammered sheepishly.

"Oh, I can't?" Jade scoffed, her eyes widening with the challenge. "What are you gonna do about it, huh? You need to get your life together and you're obviously too stupid to do that here!"

"Well maybe you should mind your own business!" Cat fired back, finding her voice. She put Cassie's carrier down and crossed her arms. "You're so mean lately! If I were Beck, I wouldn't have come back when you threw me out. Maybe if you were nicer, he would love you like Natalie loves me!"

Jade scoffed ruefully, rolling her eyes and looking away to chuckle. "You think she loves you?" she snarled, meeting her friend's eyes. "You haven't even known her for half a semester and you think she loves you? She only wants to fuck you; that's all anyone's ever wanted to do, but you're too goddamn stupid to realize that. That stupid bitch out in that car is taking advantage of you, trying to tear you away from the only person who wants to build a life with you, the only person who will wait until you're ready to have sex, just like he's been doing for the past two years!"

With that, she stormed over to the steps and clogged up them, making her way to Cat's room. She ripped the door open and looked down at Cat with fire in her eyes. "Hurry up and pack up and get the hell out of my sight!" she screeched. "If Natalie really loves you, then she'll just love it when you move in with her."

Then she thundered off to her room, slamming her door loudly.

Fury surging through her, Jade stormed over to the closet and punched the wall as hard as she could. As her hand went through it, she let out a loud scream of pain.

Great, she'd busted the wall and her hand…

Growling, she trudged to the bathroom, holding her inured hand gingerly. Beck kept a first aid kit beneath the sink, so she grabbed that and the hydrogen peroxide to soothe her increasing stinging sensation.

Finally looking at her hand, she sighed.

How could she be so stupid? She still hadn't told Beck that Fletch kissed her two weeks ago, or that his flirting was beginning to become relentless. She'd let this idiot stay in her life, and now she had contracted his absurdity.

Her knuckles were bleeding and already starting to swell, but there were no protruding bones, so maybe she didn't break her hand after all.

After bandaging it up, she went back to the guest room, catching the tail end of red and pink flying out the door. Then, heading straight for the closet without turning on the light, she struggled slightly with the hidden compartment's opening. She reached for the box at the bottom of the compartment and pulled it out. Shifting it with her arms since she couldn't hold it with her other hand, she flipped the lid off and let it fall to the floor. She reached in and pulled out her fake ID and one hundred forty dollars, nearly the last of the money she'd saved over the course of two years; she'd leave the rest of it to help pay off her son's hospital bills…or to get coffee.

She stuffed the money into her pocket and put the box back in the compartment before placing its covering back, making it as if she were never there.

She bounded down the stairs and darted out the back door, trying to get to her car as quickly as possible without the fear of running into her fiancé.


And I only got myself to blame.


The trip to the gas station was easier this time, and she didn't have to put up a fight with the manager to use the bathroom. Backpack in hand, she exited the bathroom wearing her blonde wig braided to the side, a strapless floral shirt tucked into high wasted jean shorts, and white ankle boots with diamonds along the chunky heel.

She slid her sunglasses on and made her way back to the car.

A chill ran down her spine the minute she entered the prison. It almost felt like someone was watching her, but she chalked it up to the industrial air-conditioning and her lack of clothing.

Once again, she relinquished every piece of jewelry on her neck, wrists, hands, etc., and went through the metal detector. When she got to the visitor's desk, the same officer asked for her name, ID, and who she was here to see without bothering to look at her. But as he lifted his eyes, she slipped the money she brought beneath the opening at the bottom of the window.

"Liam West?" the officer asked as he slid the money beneath the desk and slipped it into his pocket. Jade nodded and he pointed to the large doors she went through last time. "He'll be out shortly."

And with a quick "thanks," Jade entered the visiting area and chose the only free table in the ridiculously crowded room.

She picked at her nail polish as she waited; she'd let her nails chip from putting her full attention on the twins, so she would have to force some time to repaint them. She'd almost completely scraped off all the polish when her half-brother rolled into the room.

"We have to stop meeting like this," he joked as he wheeled up to the table.

"Who's Christiane?" she spat with a scowl, cutting straight to the chase.

The small smile on Liam's face fell and his face paled. "Why?" he questioned after a brief silence.

Jade sighed and lowered her head, running her hand along the back of her neck beneath her faux braid. "I went to the house last month and met her," she announced. She lifted her head with a hard glare. "I've been seeing her everywhere ever since. She asked if I knew you, so tell me how you know her."

Mimicking his sister, Liam lowered his head with a sigh, dragging what was left of his nails along the back of his neck. "She's my ex-girlfriend," he answered, keeping his eyes on his lap. He looked at his free hand on his leg, and his sister could see the memories being relived on his face. "I met her a few years back when I was stationed in North Carolina. I met her in town one weekend and I'd go back every weekend just to see her." He paused and took in a deep breath, the pain of remembrance discoloring his face. "We…got real close and I guess I really loved her.

"She…she got pregnant and I planned on marrying her."

"I thought you said you didn't believe in marriage," she interrupted. She put her elbows on the table and placed her head in her hand, glaring at him. "So she's stalking me for child support from you?"

"Shut the fuck up," he hissed, snapping his head up to her. Out of forgotten habit, she jumped and sat back in her chair. He pursed his lips, locking malicious eyes with her own. "We were gonna get married, but then she lost the baby.

"The doctor said it was a miracle she even got pregnant in the first place, that I had a small chance to ever have kids; that's why I didn't believe you when you told me you were pregnant. Losing the baby…changed both of us.

"We wouldn't talk to each other for weeks, and then I couldn't bring myself to talk to her when she finally decided she wanted to talk again. But she kept trying to get my attention, sending me about twenty messages and fifteen phone calls every thirty minutes. They had to put out a court so she wouldn't show up around the base anymore. I guess I forgot about her after being shipped overseas."

"So why is she bothering me, Liam?" Jade seethed.

Her brother simply shrugged. "How the hell should I know?" he retorted. "She's fucking crazy."

With a loud, annoyed groan, she shot up from the table and stormed out. Technically, she got what she came for, but she probably could have gotten more if her brother wasn't an idiot.

Leaving the prison, she spotted that God-awful Volkswagen…as well as its driver sitting on the hood with her legs crossed and a devious smile. She raised her hand slightly and twinkled her fingers in that prissy little wave that Jade despised.

Gritting her teeth and locking her jaw, she clomped over to the car, her stylish boots making more noise than her combat boots on the pavement. "What the hell do you want from me?" she accused venomously. "Stop following me around!"

"Why, whatever do you mean?" Christiane asked over the sound of her old engine running, holding her hand to her chest in shock, her thick Southern accent grinding in the mis-dressed Goth. "Jade, was it? I was just working on my tan."

Jade rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, her posture slouched to the side. "So you chose the courthouse parking lot," she jeered.

"It's a public area," the brunette reminded, her plump lips falling into a disgusted frown. "Do you realize how much trouble you could get in for seeing someone you have a restraining order against? With a fake ID, no less?"

The blonde could feel her face paling as her mouth twitched from surprise. "So you're gonna rat me out?"

Christiane shrugged, her smile returning as she tilted her head back and let the sun kiss her skin as her hair hung freely behind her. "Not necessarily," she answered. "But I do intend to make sure you get what you deserve."

"What I deserve?" Jade repeated incredulously, rolling her neck in disbelief. "For what?"

"For wrongfully putting a wonderful man like Liam in jail," her antagonist answered simply. She looked to Jade with cold eyes and a menacing grimace. "He didn't do any of those things you said about him; you can lie to the court all you want, but I know better. He would never do something like that. And isn't it funny how you happened to be pregnant and without a boyfriend? It must have been easy to blame a good man for something he didn't do."

"You're a shitty stalker, you know that?" the twenty-year old antagonized. "Maybe if you had half a brain, you'd see that Liam isn't a saint like you naively think he is. So how about you take your perky little Southern ass and—"

"No," the twenty-four year-old interrupted loudly, jumping down from the hood and standing up straight. "How about you get in that dinky little car of yours and drive it off a bridge. You're a worthless, lying, slut; you said whatever you wanted to make sure you came out on top, dragging your own blood through the mud. If you ever come near my Liam again, the first words that come out of your brats' mouths will be 'Where's Mama?'"

Sneering and keeping eye contact with the disbelieving girl before her, she stepped back and ripped her car door open. Without closing the door, she slammed on the gas, barely missing Jade as she sped off.


And I only got myself to blame.


Present day.

It had been nearly a month since Fletcher Sage Wells III had kissed her—three weeks since she slapped him for it—and she was beginning to think he gave up on her. In a way, she was glad; she didn't have time to deal with him while she was tending to her son. On top of her regular schoolwork, she was constantly teaching herself sign language so she could teach it to Jensen.

And while she despised Fletch, she greatly enjoyed his attention.

Other than the twins, she didn't have much human interaction. Upon his arrival in LA after his family business, Beck put most of his attention toward his son. Aside from a quick peck on the cheek and a rushed "I love you," he hardly gave his fiancée the time of day.

And with kicking Cat out and Robbie bumming it out at his parents' apartment, Jade was lonely.

In the week after she visited her brother and had that disgraceful confrontation with the bitch formerly known as Christiane Holland Ford, she'd tried numerous things to get Beck to spend time with her. When they were both home and Robbie was locked away in the room he shared with Cat to play with Cassie, she tried rubbing his shoulders and kissing his neck. She would touch him in the spots that turned him on, and she even tried taking some of her clothes off.

However, they were only together around the twins, so he would get mad at her for trying to do anything sexual. He would gently push her away no matter how many times she came at him, and he would remain calm even as she grew angry with him.

As the week progressed, she gave up on the sexual advances and went for the more drastic measures. She tried more natural-looking makeup, darker makeup than she normally wore, different hairstyles, more provocative clothing, and even a shudder-inducing pushup bra. She'd even dipped into her secret wardrobe in efforts to impress him.

By Friday, she'd run out of options.

The only thing she had left was her remembrance of a small conversation she'd had with him before they started dating. It could have been a joke, but he'd mentioned how he loved blonde girls and hated how the majority of them lived up to the "dumb blonde" stereotype.

Begrudgingly, she bleached the black out of her hair until she was nothing more than a bottle blonde. Though it killed her, she laughed when she looked in the mirror, realizing how much she and Jensen looked alike. She felt…odd being a blonde, almost like she was turning her back on who she really was. But she was at her breaking point, and she would do just about anything to get Beck to give her the time of day.

Feeling emotionally drained from her failing relationship, she apologized to Cat and let her come back home. She vaguely remembered telling Robbie about the whole ordeal though…

The new color didn't help, and she sat in her Roman Archaeology the following Monday with her traitorous blonde locks pulled back into a messy bun on top of her head. It was exceptionally hot, so she wore white shorts that complemented her white sandals and one of her strapless blouses. Now all she needed was a big cup of Starbucks and her hipster transformation would be complete.

"I have to say," Fletch began, jumping over the row of seats and plopping down into the one beside Jade in the front of the class. She'd given up on trying to avoid him by being exactly on time, and she'd been the first one in the room. "You've made this class exceptionally interesting this past month. But now it seems you're trying to copy my style."

Jade sneered and kept her eyes forward on the large projector screen at the front of the classroom, refusing to meet his eyes. "I don't have to explain myself," she spat.

He smiled and crossed his legs, resting his left foot on his right knee. "Of course you don't," he retorted. "It's obvious that your little fiancé hasn't been noticing you, so you're trying to shake things up."

"You don't know anything," she snarled, squinting at the large white mass and clenching her fist tightly while her head rested in her free hand.

"Maybe I don't," he agreed, "But I'd like to. I've had my eyes on you, Miss West, and you've entertained me with how much you've been changing your look. If you ask me, your special guy isn't so special if you have to keep recreating yourself to get his attention."

"And you do?" she growled, snapping her head to him. "I'm getting tired of you hitting on me."

"Is that so?" he asked cockily. "If that were the case, wouldn't have come to class so early. Like me, you come unnecessarily early and just sit here. You leave right after class, though, so it's safe to say you've got other commitments. But it seems like you want to make me one of those before-class commitments."

She scoffed and turned in her seat to give him her full attention. "Listen," she began slowly, her voice dripping with malice, "I have two kids, and one of them was born with some genetic thing that's making him go deaf. I have to learn sign language while simultaneously teaching both of them. The only time I spend with my fiancé, we're learning and teaching. On top of that, I have a shit ton of school work. Maybe, just maybe, I like to come to class early so I can have some goddamn time to myself."

He smiled a dazzling smile, completely disregarding her venomous nature. "That sounds like you need an escape," he pointed out. "And if you're really looking, you know where to find me." With that, he stood up and fished around in the large pocket of his khaki cargo pants to pull out a folded white paper. He held it between his index and middle finger with a sly smile. "In case you can't find me."

She watched in disgust as he put the paper on her desk and turned on his heels, ascending the stairs back to his seat. She didn't have to unfold the paper to know that he'd given her his phone number. She grabbed it and almost crumpled it up, but something in her told her not to. Instead, she opened it when she was sure he wasn't looking and entered the number into her cell. She wasn't sure why she did it, though.

She'd never use it.


And I only got myself to blame.


"Let's go see a movie or something," she suggested, following him around the kitchen like a lost puppy.

"Can't," he responded curtly, making his way back to the living room. "If we stop teaching the twins, they'll forget what they learned." He bent over and picked up Darla, lightly tapping on her nose and making her giggle happily. He looked to Jade with dull eyes and a tired smile. "Darla learned how to sign 'daddy' already."

Jade groaned and cross her arms expectantly. "Put her down," she commanded.

Raised brow, Beck complied.

Once free, Darla stood and tottered over to her brother, further impressing her father with how quickly she was getting better at walking.

"I'm getting tired of your shit, Beck," she spat.

"Watch your language around the babies, Jade," he returned angrily. "I told you about that."

"I don't care, Beck!" she shouted, throwing up her arms in exasperation. "For once, I wish you would care about me; we've been teaching them nonstop for a month now and you hardly give me the time of day! It's like you're becoming a stranger, and you know how I feel about strangers!"

"I'm trying to make sure that our son can live as normal of a life as possible!" he yelled, causing Darla to start whimpering. "He needs more attention than a normal child."

"I understand that," she acknowledged tiredly, "But that doesn't mean you should neglect your fiancé. You didn't notice I dyed my hair and you didn't even bother asking me how I broke my hand. We haven't even had sex in two months!"

"And that's my fault?" he questioned loudly. "I'm doing all I can to support us. I dropped out of school and essentially put my life on hold to care for this family!"

As if hit with a jolt of electricity, Jade's posture straightened and her eyes widened with this new revelation. "You should leave then," she said quietly. "You shouldn't be here if we're such a burden." She turned toward the stairs. "I'd leave, but the bank owns my old house."

"Jade, wait!" he called as she went up to her room.

"Take the twins with you when you go," she ordered just as calmly as before. She locked the door after entering the bedroom.


And I only got myself to blame.


For the rest of the week, Fletch left her alone.

He didn't look her way, he didn't speak to her, and he didn't even come to class that Friday. She came to class early as usual, but he snubbed her. As much as she would never admit it, she liked his attention. It felt nice to be noticed, and he reminded her a lot of Beck before they started dating.

As with Fletch, Beck had noticed Jade first.

He had just moved to LA with his parents, and he hadn't had the time to make any friends before his first day of school. Word travelled fast in middle school, especially one like Hollywood Arts, and everyone anticipated his arrival.

His hair was longer back then, and he wore it tied back at the nape of his neck. His facial features were softer than they were now, and his muscles were considerably smaller. But even seven years ago, he was one of the most sought after boy at Hollywood Arts' middle school program.

He had shared his first class with Jade, and she'd already seated herself near the front of the classroom. When he had walked in, she was the only one who didn't turn around to stare him down. All the girls with their high ponytails and excessive, unnatural makeup had turned to each other and whispered loudly as he entered the room. Some had even tried to flirt with their eyes. They were very provocative twelve year olds.

Instead of giving them any attention, he had gone straight for the seat beside Jade. She sat with her arms and legs crossed, her face etched with a deep scowl. She was really into tutus back then, so the black fabric sat ruffled around her hips, exposing the majority of her pale legs. Her combat boots came up to her mid calves and she wore a black tank top that happened to be the only thing to suit the California heat. Her hair was as long as it was now and she'd worn it down with multicolored hair extensions. Her dark makeup was the thickest would ever be.

Maybe Canadian girls didn't dress like her.

It was rare for Beck to stutter, but he had the hardest time trying to stammer out a greeting to her.

"Don't talk to me," she'd ordered with a leveled voice. She didn't even look at him. "I'm here to pretend to learn, not socialize."

"W-well maybe you could socialize after school?" he'd offered. He cleared his throat, trying to steady his voice. "I just moved here, but maybe I could take you somewhere."

Her lip had twitched, like it did whenever she was about to snap at someone to scare them away. "Are you hitting on me?" she'd sneered, keeping her eyes at the front of the classroom. It was preposterous that any boy would have the nerve to do such a thing.

"I wouldn't say that," he'd answered, getting his confidence back. Even then, he knew he couldn't come on too strong or she'd discontinue their conversation. "I'm just suggesting we hang out."

"I have enough friends," she'd spat. Her hatred of anyone who wasn't Cat—and sometimes Liam—was at an all-time high.

Though she didn't see, he smirked. It was almost as if she'd wanted him to keep up with her. "And I have none," he'd replied. "I was hoping—"

"I'll be your friend!" another girl had chimed in, shaking the row of seats as she jumped in the one beside this new boy. The sound of her voice caused Jade's lip to twitch even more. She'd never said a word to Mackenzie Day, and there was good reason; the girl was too preppy and too cheery for the wannabe Goth girl. She also made a habit of trying to humiliate Jade when it came to sports, mainly since Jade refused to play them.

Jade narrowed her eyes and turned to Mackenzie, completely looking past Beck. She gripped the edge of her chair and slammed her feet down on the ground. "Find your own friends," she'd snarled, marking her territory. "We're hanging out today."

"But that's after school!" Mackenzie had whined, an irritating noise, "He can have lunch with me if he wants."

"Not if he's having lunch with me," Jade grimaced. "Leave."

Mackenzie hmphed and shot up from her chair, storming off as her short blonde hair flew around her face. Jade leaned back in her seat, smirking slightly as the annoying girl took her seat by her equally annoying friends. She took a strong sense of pride in humiliating people, even when she was only thirteen.

"So we're having lunch now?" Beck had quipped, hiding his giddy excitement. He was moving faster than he thought he would, but she was a challenge even back then, and he would grow to love that about her.

She scowled and turned to the boy beside her. Her lips faltered slightly, but she quickly hardened her face. This boy before her was cute, cuter than any other boy, and he looked like he had potential. She was a little interested in him, mainly because he was the first boy to talk to her since she was six. He also had the potential of being cute arm candy, even if he wasn't her type.

"You might as well tell me your stupid name," she spat. "I hate strangers."

"I'm Beck Oliver," he answered with a warm smile. "Tell me your name and we'll no longer be strangers."

"Jade West," she returned, turning back in her seat to face the front of the class. And back then, Jade West never smiled, so her lips twisted in a silly little cross between a grimace and a smirk.

He was lucky he was remotely cute.

She never laughed much when she was going through her darkest phase, but from their first lunch date, he had her laughing and chuckling like any other girl. Cat took well to him, too, and she respected that Jade was interested in him. Even if she wasn't the brightest bulb, she'd known Jade for all of her life and knew of her budding crush on the new Canadian boy without so much as a word.

She remembered how she tried to act as nonchalant as she could around Beck, but she would get insanely jealous when any other girl tried to talk to him. She kept insisting that they were only friends, but her mixed signals only pushed him to try harder to win her over.

He flirted with her for about a month before her jealousy overwhelmed her and she declared that he was her boyfriend without an actual date. And that tiny, eighth grade declaration lasted for seven years—not counting their Liam-induced breakup.

Jade felt like Beck had stopped caring, like she wasn't a challenge for him anymore. She felt selfish for wanting so much of his attention when they were both busy with the twins, but she thought she deserved some sort of recognition. Apparently, she was only weighing him down.

And she couldn't find it in herself to fight for him anymore.

Fletch came to class that Monday, but he'd come a minute before the teacher began the lecture. He'd even taken a seat three rows away from her when she'd tried to sit beside his usual seat. She knew what he was doing, and that pissed her off. He knew she would want to talk to him, so he was making it hard for her. He was trying to play games with her, and she didn't like that.

If anyone was going to play those games, it was damn sure gonna be her.


And I only got myself to blame.


She couldn't sleep.

She still hated sleeping alone, but she was determined not to cave in and let him come back home. She was holding him back, so now she had to force herself to let him go. And when she was ready, they would discuss custody.

When she was younger, her mother would make her a cup of warm milk for her sleepless nights. And while Jade thought milk was disgusting, she would drink it anyway because her mother made it for her. Liam was stupid for thinking she took her mother for granted.

Slowly, she climbed out of bed and grabbed her phone. She left her bedroom as quietly as possible and crept down to the nursery. Gently, she opened the door to look inside and check on the three sleeping toddlers. A small smile rippled through her lips as she looked upon the tuckered out angels. And when she made sure they were all safe and soundly asleep, she closed the door as gingerly as she'd opened it.

As she descended the stairs, she checked her phone. 5:38 AM. Her first class today was at eight, so she decided that she might as well just stay awake. She threw out the idea of warm milk and went straight for the coffee maker. About five hours after she kicked Beck out, she made a late night coffee run.

Thank God for twenty-four hour grocery stores.

When she got the machine ready and turned it on, she heard annoyed groans coming from the living room. With a raised brow, she stood on her tip toes to see over the back of the couch and saw a patch of dark hair. She could hardly tell, but she thought she saw the faint outlines of curls that mixed with the darkness of the room.

She lowered her brow and rolled her eyes, turning back to the coffee maker.

Cat probably kicked Robbie out of her room again. She'd been doing it for the past week. If she had it in her to care, Jade would probably wonder why Robbie was still hanging around if they were arguing so much. But, Cat was the best Robbie would get, to be honest.

Jade also realized it wasn't any of her business.

Looking back at her phone, she bit her lip. Would Fletch be awake if she texted him? Would he be mad if she called him at this hour? She at least wanted someone to talk to, and he was the only one around. It wouldn't be cheating if she just talked to him.

Out of annoyance, she slammed her phone down on the counter, uncaring if she woke Robbie up. She was not about to play into his little game. She had the feeling that if she only used him to talk, he would probably push for more. She would rather die before she cheated on Beck, so she would just have to suck it up. She shouldn't have even put his stupid number in her phone.

That resolve lasted about as long as it took to finish her coffee.

5:42 AM, To: Stupid Arrogant Rich Boy

Meet me at the park by the school in twenty minutes.

5:44 AM, From: Stupid Arrogant Rich Boy

Don't you think it's a little early to be cavorting about, Miss West?

5:45 AM, To: Stupid Arrogant Rich Boy

Don't make me regret this.

5:45 AM, From: Stupid Arrogant Rich Boy

Alright, alright. I'll be there in fifteen.

5:45 PM, To: Stupid Arrogant Rich Boy

Good.

She should have been ashamed of herself, but she couldn't help her thoughts about Fletch and how she couldn't believe that she'd actually kissed him. She'd cheated on Beck. She'd done something she never thought she'd ever do, and he didn't suspect a thing.

And to be honest, the thought of him finding out about her little budding affair enticed her.

Would he get mad? Of course he would. Would he be hurt and realize that it was his own fault that she turned to the devilishly handsome and wealthy boy? In her mind, yes. Would he beat Fletch up? She hoped there would be a good chance. She would do anything to make Beck show something for her, yet she felt bad that this was her last resort.

But it was too late for any other options.

So as she crept down the hall and the stairs, and even past Robbie asleep on the couch, she felt a twinge of regret. She thought about her conversation with her brother in prison and how he said that their mother had cheated on his father and had an illegitimate child. She wasn't even married, and she was following in her mother's footsteps. She needed to stop, turn around, go back inside, and curl up in bed to get some extra sleep before class. She needed to just face her problems dead on and talk to Beck about what had been happening.

It was almost as if she couldn't stop herself from getting in her car and driving to the park. It was like she was being pulled to this stupid boy. She told herself that would everything would be okay as long as she resolved not to sleep with him.

That resolve lasted about a week.

After class, he'd taken her to the Sunset Tower Hotel. She didn't tell him she'd kicked Beck out (again), so he took it upon himself to give her a place to sleep at night.

And, boy, did he do it.

He'd put them up in one of the townhouse suites. For starters, it had the biggest bathroom she'd ever seen. The bathtub could fit probably five people in it, and the freakin' shower could fit ten! The furniture was made of rich Corinthian leather, the beds of fine Egyptian cotton. The room looked over Sunset Beach, giving them one of the best views in all of California. The living room was probably the size of her house! One of the best things about the suite was the complimentary in-room spa services that she definitely took advantage of.

She lucked out, enamoring the son of the hotel's wealthy founding family.

Everything about her was on fire when she was with him. Everything changed when she was with him and she liked that. Every touch, ever kiss, every breath sparked in her. As she spent more and more late nights with him, she grew attracted to him to the point where her body burned for him. By the middle of the week, it had gotten to the point where she couldn't even look at him without feeling a stirring sensation between her legs.

The sex was amazing.

The way his hands caressed her body, the way her body fit into his, the way her body trembled with his head between her legs, made her forget all about Beck. She felt dirty for being with Fletch, but she loved it. She needed him, and he gave her the impression that he needed her as well. She wanted to forget about everything that wasn't Fletch, even if that meant pushing the thoughts of her children aside.

Did that make her a bad person? She was running when things were starting to get tough. Beck stood by her when things were tough two years ago, but now she was turning her back on him. What kind of girlfriend did that?

"What are you thinking about?" Fletch asked quietly as he traced circles on her back with his index finger, snapping Jade from her thoughts.

Honestly, she was thinking about how good their previous go round was, but he didn't need to know that. The blankets had been thrown around the bed, but now they were crumpled at the waists of the two twenty-year olds. Her browning hair hung in curtains around her face as she pressed it into the pillow, crossing her feet at the ankles.

"I don't like this," she retorted, her voice muffled by the unbelievably soft pillow.

"Yes you do," he countered with a small laugh. He placed the palm of his hand on the small of her back just above the covers. "You wouldn't be here if you didn't."

Jade whipped her hair around and turned her head to the boy beside her in this unfamiliar bed. "I'm cheating on my fiancé," she reminded.

Fletch's smile fell slightly, and it honestly hurt her to watch it leave. "You never say his name," he pointed out. "I know so much about you and your kids, but nothing about him. It's almost like you're trying to forget about him."

Her eyes lowered to his hair that grazed his pillow. "It's not that," she confessed. She sighed softly and buried her face back into the pillow. "I'm tired." She turned her back to him and pulled the covers up to her chin, kicking out the bottom of them so they'd cover her feet. "Goodnight."

He snaked an arm around her waist and kissed the back of her head as he nuzzled closer to her beneath the sheets. "Sleep well, Miss West."


And I only got myself to blame.


She'd spent the entire Friday night with Fletch. It was now one in the afternoon, and neither young adult had left the bed since eight PM the previous night.

Her chest heaved from lack of energy, and she hummed softly at the end of a gentle sigh. She never thought she'd see the day when she would be gentle with anyone but Beck.

"Jade," Fletch whispered, tracing circles with his pointer finger on her shoulder.

"Yeah?' she asked quietly, closing her eyes. She could hardly bring herself to look at him.

"Let's take a trip to France," he suggested in a quiet, whimsical voice. "We can go over Thanksgiving Break."

Jade looked up at him with a wild, confused look in her eyes. "L-let's go!" she stammered incredulously without hesitation. It almost worried her how quickly she'd agreed to his suggestion, but she realized she wanted nothing more than to get as far away from her troubles—even if for only a week—as possible. "But why France?"

"To help you learn the language," he answered simply with a proud grin. She'd briefly mentioned how she'd always wanted to learn French, but she didn't think he would remember that.

Maybe they'd take a plane and she could experience what it was like to travel first class. Or maybe they could take a cruise if she asked. He had this look in his eyes that said he would do anything she asked if it made her happy. She could use that to her advantage, but she couldn't find it in herself to use him or hurt him like that.

There was some sort of stupid infatuation between the two of them and she didn't feel like herself. But somehow, she was okay with that. She felt…calm with Fletch, and she wasn't used to feeling like that. Even with Beck, she had the constant, nagging worry that he would leave her for one of the floozies that was always trying to get his attention. But Fletch made it blatantly obvious that she was the only girl for him.

"I'll…tell him that I'm going out of town for a school thing," she announced. "I'll make something up later. He'll have a whole week for nothing but the twins."

"Why won't you let me see them?" Fletch asked after a brief silence. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Jade, and that includes your kids." He kissed her forehead, keeping his lips pressed there for a moment. Then he rest his chin atop her head. "Does…it have anything to do with your brother?"

There were nights where Jade would fall asleep before Fletch would, and he would often hear her murmuring in her sleep about Liam. Sometimes she would have nightmares about him, causing her to twitch in her sleep and even thrash about. She would even scream when he was asleep, startling them both awake. The first night she screamed, he made her tell him about Liam while he held her in his arms to soothe her.

She looked away and sat up, pressing the covers against her chest. "I should go home," she said, changing the subject. "I…haven't seen my kids in a few days."

"They have their dad," he protested, sitting up and wrapping his arms around her waist. He turned her to face him and kissed her gently. She pressed her eyes shut tightly, not waiting to go back to their previous conversation. "Stay another night…"

Jade pressed her forehead to his and huffed, keeping her eyes closed. "He'll get suspicious," she pointed out. She opened her eyes and gave him a small smile. "I'll spend every night with you when we're in France."

He smiled back at her and gave her a quick kiss. "I have something," he announced, turning to the bedside drawer. He pulled out a large square box and opened it in front of her to reveal the most beautiful necklace she'd ever seen. Curling metallic leaves surrounded the crimson-laced, royal blue stone that sparkled in her eyes.

"It's called a dragon's breath fire opal," he told her as she moved her hair out of the way and turned around so he could put it on her. "I found it last week on a trip with my mother, and I knew it would look perfect on you." He slipped his hand beneath her hair and cupped her neck, staring deeply into her eyes. "I think I'm falling in love with you, Jade."

And just like that, those eight words gave her every ounce of power in her relationship with the rich boy. If she wanted, she could crush his every being and revel in her mayhem like she used to before she met Beck. But…she never wanted to hurt Beck, and she knew that she would never want to hurt Fletch either.

Did that mean she was falling in love with him as well?

She should have said 'thank you,' but that still wasn't part of her nature. Instead, she kissed him deeply and got out of bed. "I really have to get back, though," she pressed. As she gathered her clothes, Fletch groaned and crawled over the bed, propping up his arms and resting his head in his hands. He watched her as she reluctantly dressed; it always felt weird getting dressed after hours upon hours of gallivanting au natural.

Not bothering to cover himself, Fletch stood once Jade was fully clothed and gave her a kiss goodbye. "Text me when you get home," he requested.

"I'll think about it," she returned with a mischievous smirk.

And with that, she left him alone and exposed in the obnoxiously fancy hotel room.

As Jade left the room, she listened to the gentle thud of her onyx combat boots hitting the red carpet. There was no denying how happy Fletch made her, and how unhappy Beck was making her. He hadn't really done anything wrong, but it was still a lot to take in. She hated feeling unwanted, especially by someone she'd invested seven years of her time into.

If she left Beck for Fletch, what would she do about Darla and Jensen? There was no way in hell she would let him have full custody of her children without a fight. If he took her to court, she would do everything in her power to keep him from taking them away from her.

Could she deal with partial custody, though? She still wasn't big on leaving Beck alone with the twins…though she'd been doing it a lot lately… She would hate having to give them up every weekend or every two weeks so he could spend time with them.

There was still that small unwanted chance that Liam was Jensen's father, and an even smaller chance that he was Darla's father. She could do a paternity test—possibly with Fletch's help—and she could find out who the fathered her kids. But what if Beck was the father of both of them? Would she be able to falsify the results so it looked like Liam was the father?

Maybe she could do that. Maybe she could lie to Beck so he'd want nothing to do with her anymore and it would be easier for her to tell her about her other man. Maybe she could move away with Fletch and the twins after lying to Beck and she could raise the toddlers to think that he was their father.

She was seriously considering it…