AUTHOR NOTE: Sorry for the lengthy pause here. I came down with strep throat, promptly failed my college Math course and then spent the last two weeks arguing about financial aid. I will post the remainder of the chapters in this story immediately. There may be a sequel but I am working on a Bella/Carlisle story that is taking up most of my creative energy.

Chapter Seventeen: Mistaken

I feel something so right

By doing the wrong thing

And I feel something so wrong

By doing the right thing

I could lie, could lie, could lie

Everything that kills me makes me feel alive

"Counting Stars" by One Republic

"Damn you look tired," Claire said placing a stack of manuscripts on my temporary desk. The new one was set to arrive later in the afternoon. It had been two weeks since Paul and I kissed in the living room. Since then we had spent hours each night talking and kissing. Unfortunately it seemed like the lack of sleep was catching up to me.

"My neighbor is renovating," I lied. "What's all this?" I asked pointing at the manuscripts.

"Bates sent these in," she said. "He found them under his couch he said? It was hard to hear him, he was slurring a lot." Kyle Bates was an author I had worked to get published a few months earlier. He was notoriously reclusive, much like Salinger but with books that actually made sense.

"He drinks," I said. "And his cabin makes an episode of hoarders look like neat freaks. I'll look through these after my meeting but they are probably just edited versions of what we already published."

"When does the new stuff get here?" She asked.

"Ray and Gabe are taking the desk out in a few minutes here probably. The new desk is scheduled to be delivered but Ray and I have to interview like 90 interns," I answered. "The rest of the stuff will be in tomorrow."

"Lucky bitch," she said. "My office came furnished." I rolled my eyes.

"You helped Maggie pick that stuff out like a month before she moved to New York," I said. She laughed.

"Did you order anything else?" She asked.

"Ray said he ordered something for the wall but it isn't in yet," I said. "And Paul gave me a bobble head for my new desk." She grinned.

"What about Gabe?" She asked. I shrugged. The truth was that I had been avoiding Gabriel as much as possible. Paul had tensely told me that we weren't exclusive and that I could date Gabriel if I wanted but I had shied away from making that decision yet.

"I doubt he got me anything," I said. "I didn't get him anything for his office." She rolled her eyes again.

"His part time office," she said. "I got you a plant. Raul is bringing it up when he cleans the office."

"I kill plants," I said. She grinned.

"Which is why I asked the janitors to water it and such for you," she said.

"We're here to see to the demise of a butt ugly desk," Ray said from the door. I tucked the manuscripts in a corner cabinet and moved to let him and Gabriel in.

"What time is the first interview?" I asked Ray as he and Gabriel started to take apart the ancient desk.

"Noon so you should order in for lunch," he answered. "Maybe sandwiches? I know you love that deli next door."

"You two are like an old married couple," Claire remarked as she left the office.

"Oh yeah she digs me," Ray said and I burst out laughing. "We're going to need a different size screwdriver here. I'll go get one from maintenance." He left, leaving Gabriel and I in awkward silence.

"I have some reports I need to get to you," he said finally. "I've been waiting until you were settled in more." I nodded.

"Whenever is fine," I said. "I can always hop on the computer at my old desk."

"It's just a few expense reports and budget things," he said. "Why have you been avoiding me?" His question came out of the blue and was so direct it made my head spin a little bit.

"I've been busy," I lied. He shook his head.

"I think you are seeing Mr. Complicated and didn't want to hurt my feelings," he said. His blue eyes were alight with something I recognized as jealousy.

"We're keeping it casual for now," I said. "And his name is Paul."

"Then why have you been avoiding me like the plague?" He asked.

"Because I am not sure I am ready to be involved with anyone, even the person I am already involved with," I admitted. Where the fuck was Ray? He probably planned this shit.

"So he gets to see you and I can't even throw my hat into the ring?" He asked. He moved forward so quickly I only had a chance to squeak before I was pressed into my now closed office door.

"Where does that expression even come from?" I asked. "I mean hats can't fight. Why would you throw them into a ring? It would make more sense to say like throw my dog in the ring. At least dogs can fight." I babbled.

"Hush," he said softly just before his lips covered mine. And even though it was so complicated and so twisted I responded, sliding my fingers into his dark hair even as his hands fell to my waist, pulling me firmly against his lean body. "Dinner tonight. I'll pick you up at eight." He released me and I wobbled slightly. He opened the door and not ten seconds later Ray wandered in, muttering vaguely about screwdrivers and hammers while I struggled to compose myself.

"You're having dinner with him?" Paul asked as I blow dried my wet hair. I switched off the dryer so I could talk.

"You have a meeting tonight with the pack," I reminded him. "And you're the one who said I could date whoever until we figured all of this out."

"I'm not arguing," he said holding his hands up almost defensively. "And I'm not mad. Jealous as hell but not mad." I frowned.

"I don't think you should be jealous," I said. "We agreed that this was casual, that we wouldn't be serious to start with." His eyes glittered with ill-concealed anger.

"Those are your terms," he said quietly. "You know what I want, what I have wanted from the start."

"And I still think that you're not as ready for that as you say you are," I said. I ran a brush through my hair and gave up on the idea of blow drying. Instead I pulled out a straightener and plugged it in.

"And if I went out and met a girl in a bar tonight?" He challenged.

"I'm not sleeping with Gabriel," I said quietly even as the straightener beeped. "And we both know that you are incapable of meeting a girl at a bar without fucking her."

"And if I did?" He asked. I raised my eyes to his in the mirror and started to run the straightener over my hair.

"Then our deal would be off," I said. "If that's what you want then go right ahead. But don't come dragging your ass back here saying that you are sorry." He disappeared and I heard the front door slam. My excitement had turned to dread. I knew Paul. I knew his habits but still I pushed this. Why hadn't I said no to Gabriel about dinner? The answer was simple, I was testing Paul. And it seemed like he was destined to fail that test.