The rest of Paul's party went off without a hitch. We had some quiet make-up sex, well as quiet as we could be, considering it was us and we like to be loud.

I took some time to talk to Embry.  He seemed so lost without Rebecca here and I knew she still hasn't made any decisions about coming back.  Her husband must have felt threatened by her feelings for Embry because he was pulling out all the stops to get her to stay.  I was rooting for Embry. 

Things seemed to be going okay with Mr. West after Paul's outburst.  He was keeping his hands to himself and I was grateful. He didn't seem to hold it against me that Paul had been so vocal about his accusations and I was grateful for that too.  But I still didn't trust Mr. West. Something was nagging me about him and I wondered if he was waiting to exact his revenge on Paul.

"Rachel, can you take this paper to the library and bring back the books I have listed?"

Trey's voice brought me out of my thoughts and I quickly headed out to collect his research material.  I found the library mostly empty with the exception of Jared, Paul, Kim and another girl I didn't know.  I gave them a quick glance before turning my attention to the librarian, who was helping to guide me in the right direction of the books I needed to find.  

Not trying to be obvious, I glanced back to Paul and groaned inwardly when I saw the girl beside him, gripping his arm and giggling at everything he said.  Like a ton of bricks, it hit me who she was. I had overheard her in the bathroom this morning, asking her friend if she knew if Paul was single or not. Ugh.  And from the way she spoke about him, they were familiar with each other.

Paul had been so jealous of Trey lately that I felt like an ass with the way my mind was conjuring up ways to off this bitch.  She was going full throttle with her flirting and I had had just about enough. The only thing saving Paul was he wasn't responding to any of it.  I considered sneaking away and not letting them know in was here, but screw that. It was time to lay claim to my man. Discreetly, of course.

I walked over to their table casually, trying to make it seem like I had just noticed them. I was also a little offended that Paul hadn't sensed I was in the library sooner.  But I guess he a little preoccupied with the tramp who was now leaning against him as she laughed. And it wasn't a cute laugh. She sounded like a horse. No lie.

"How's it going?" I asked casually, leaning on the table with my palms flat.

Paul's head snapped up at the sound of my voice, his expression conveying surprise that I had spoken to him since I normally kept our conversations at school to a minimum.  "Hey there. You lost?" Paul flirted and I couldn't help but smile.  

"No," I chuckled, waving my list around.  "Just pulling some research for Mr. West. You know he likes to keep me busy."

Paul grumbled a little when I mentioned Mr. West.  "You're an angel to be putting up with his ass. I don't know how you do it."  Paul glanced up at me and winked, knowing his little friend couldn't see it.

Finally, she spoke.  "You're the...student teacher?  In Mr. West's class? When I saw you this morning in the bathroom, I just thought you were a student."

I gritted my teeth and forced a smile.  "I'll take that as a compliment," I replied quickly, reaching up to twist my hair around my hand, pulling it off my neck and watching Paul's face as I did.  I fanned myself and sighed, "Is it hot in here or what?"

I noticed Paul breathing a little deeper and his eyes looked heavy.  "I'm a little hot...yeah, I think it is."

I let my hair fall down around my shoulders and shook it out just for good measure.  His fingers inched toward mine on the table until the tips of our pinkies made contact.  "Well the librarian just stepped out for a minute, but I'll be sure to tell her to kick the heat down a little." I told him, holding his gaze a little longer than necessary.

"Well don't let us keep you," the tramp replied snottily.  

I sighed quietly.  "Well it was good to see you guys," I said to Kim and Jared, who both looked dumbfounded at her boldness. 

"Bianca, you don't have to be so rude," Paul chastised as I turned to walk away.  "Ignore her," he paused to gently grip my wrist. "She's really anxious to get back to our project," Paul explained, but his eyes were pleading. 

"She's anxious alright," I huffed, immediately wishing I hadn't let her get to me.  I noticed her mouth opening to argue, but I quickly added, "Good luck on your project."

"You're leaving?" Paul asked a little too eagerly as I pulled my wrist from his grip and nodded.

"Mr. West is waiting on me.  He'll come looking for me if I don't get back soon."

I could see Paul's jaw clenching, but at least I knew I had his attention.  He didn't say anything else, so I walked away. I looked up and down the aisles until I arrived where the librarian had instructed me to go.  I had pulled three books before I felt Paul's hands on my waist, yanking me close, with my back to his chest. "You're jealous…" he breathed into my hair and then buried his face in my neck.

"Should I be?" I whispered breathlessly, hating that my voice was betraying me.

"Fuck no," he mumbled against my shoulder. He wrapped his hands around me tighter, pulling me closer as I tried to wriggle away.  "I don't want her and she hates it."

"She's not taking the hint," I growled, jerking away and shifting around to face him. 

I held the small stack of books between us and shook my head.  "We shouldn't do this. I shouldn't have said what I said."

He smirked down at me and sighed.  "I liked what you said. I like that you got jealous. But there's no reason for it…"

I gasped when he pushed the stack aside and pinned me between him and the shelf behind me.  "I only want you," he breathed before capturing my lips with his. 

I melted under his touch, shivering when he reached up to cup my breast.  He inhaled the hitch in my breath when he pinched my nipple over my button down shirt.  Everything else was forgotten when he slipped his hand inside the front my shirt and pulled the chain he got me out from my cleavage.  I pushed up on my tiptoes and pressed my tongue into his mouth.  

I knew this was dangerous.  I just didn't care.

Paul pulled away suddenly, leaving me dumbfounded as he whispered, "He's here."

I thanked the Spirits that Paul's senses were on high alert, because before I could figure out what he meant, Mr. West was rounding the corner as Paul reached above me for a book.  "Is this the one you wanted?" he asked as he added it to my stack.  

"Is everything okay here, Rachel?" Trey asked as he not-so-subtly glared at Paul.

I had hoped my face wasn't too flushed as I glanced at Trey and then back to Paul.  "Yeah," I chuckled nervously. "They don't make these shelves for short girls."

"Can I help you with anything else?" Paul inquired, his face conveying irritation at the intrusion.

"I can help her with anything else she needs."

Anger was rolling off Paul in waves.  He stood a little taller and puffed his chest out a bit.  "I was just trying to help," he finally said after what felt like an hour long stare down.  

"And now you can get back to whatever you were working on...and I'd hurry, because your grades aren't the best."

Paul sucked in a deep breath and I could already hear the tirade forming in his head, so I interrupted.  "He's probably right. You and Bianca have a project due, right? You don't want to have to use your time after school to complete it, do you?"

His expression softened at me and he nodded, before trotting back to his table.  Trey approached me quickly, yanking the stack from my hand and grumbling. "He didn't even get the right one."

"That was my fault.  I must have pointed to the wrong one."

Mr. West reached over me to return the book.  I tried to get some space between us, but he had me sandwiched against the shelf.  He pulled down the right book and sighed. "I have a stack of quizzes that need grading.  Can you take care of that for me?" He pulled the books from my hands and added, "I'll finish getting these together."

My shoulders slumped as it was obvious he was displeased with me.  "Yes, I'll take care of it. Sorry about this."

He raised his hand dismissively and I turned on my heel.  "Wait," he said, causing me to spin back around. His face was mere inches from mine.  I felt my heart clench as he leaned toward me and I assumed the worst. His gaze lowered to my chest as his fingers drifted up and he held my chain in his fingers.  I tried to pull away as he read the inscription on the two hearts and shook his head. "P and R? So he's the one?"

I blinked quickly as my mind scrambled for an explanation.  He dropped the necklace and sucked in a deep breath. "You should probably get started on those quizzes."

I couldn't rush out of there fast enough.  I slipped past Paul, whose eyes were full of questions.  "It's okay," I lied as I hurried to the door.

My heart was racing by the time I reached the classroom.  My mind raced as well. What if he turned me in? What lie could I come up with to get me out of this?  How far would Trey go to punish me?

I could hear his loafers squeaking down the hall, getting louder by the moment.  I fumbled to find the stack of quizzes, grabbed them and hurried to one of the tables to start grading.  He walked in and placed the books on his desk and I could feel him staring. "You know...it's against your contract for you to date any of the students."

I ignored him and continued to grade the papers.  I could feel my skin prickling under my hair. I screwed up.  I'd blown up my future for one forbidden kiss in the library stacks.  Even though he didn't catch us, he might as well have.

My head snapped up and I went on the defensive.  "You're right. I read the contract and I knew I shouldn't have done it, but I did it anyway.

Trey's expression was unreadable.  He rounded the desk and came to stand in front of me.  He reached for my left hand and held it in his. "And he gave you this engagement ring?" he asked, even as his thumb smoothed over it.  "Or is this just a promise ring?"

I snatched my hand back and inspected my ring, as if his touch had somehow tarnished it.  "We are engaged," I announced bravely as I continued to look at the ring and not him. "We've been together for a while now and I guess I thought I could just hide it."

Trey scoffed. "Well maybe you could have if your boyfriend didn't have such a bad temper."  He paused to take a deep breath. "What do you see in him anyway? He's slept with half the girls in this school."

I could feel my face flushing.  "You wouldn't understand."

"He's barely 18.  Wouldn't you be better suited with someone closer to your own age, closer to your own life experience...and intelligence?"

"Paul isn't stupid.  And I'm in love with him, so...if you want me to turn myself in, I will.  I'll go see Principal Gordon right now. I'm prepared for whatever punishment she has for me, but I won't stand here and listen to you insult the man I love."  I heaved in a few deep breaths as I glared up at him, steeling myself for whatever came next.

He blinked quickly, obviously shocked that I came right out and admitted it.  I turned away, wheeling toward the door when I heard him speak again. "You'll be released from your contract.  You won't get the credits you need to finish your degree. Are you willing to lose everything to be with him?"

I faced him once more, slumping against the wall behind me, shifting to avoid being poked by an errant push pin.  "I guess that's totally up to you."

Trey crossed his arms over his chest and nodded.  I held my breath when he approached me, noticing the fiery look in his eyes.  "Actually...it's up to you."

He closed in on me, reaching to cup my jaw and tilting my head up to meet his gaze.  "I'm not gonna sleep with you," I announced when I saw that predatory look in his eyes.

He chuckled devilishly as his thumb stroked the underside of my chin and down my throat.  "Calm down, Rachel. I wasn't even going to suggest such a thing. I think we can come to some sort of understanding, don't you?"

"Like what?" I huffed, resisting the urge to knee him in the groin.

"Just a date.  An hour or two of your precious time.  Not even dinner, we could...just have coffee."

"No.  I'm engaged.  I won't go out with you either."

"Not even to save yourself.. or him," he taunted as his eyes danced playfully.  "Just coffee? I'm not really bad company, you know?"

"Why?"

"Why do I want to go out with you?" He released his hold on my jaw and began sliding both palms up and down my arms.  "I just think you should give dating an adult a chance. And I also think…" he paused to rest his hands on my shoulders. "That you might like me.  Sure, Paul is a pretty boy but you and I have so much in common. I'm just thinking it wouldn't hurt to see what else is out there."

Trey squeezed my shoulders not so lightly and I shook my head.  "It won't change my mind. I know what I want. So if this is some sort of blackmail...it won't work.  I'll just go report myself."

He chuckled again.  "I'm not gonna turn you in, Rachel."

I furrowed my brow in confusion.  "Why not?"

"I like you.  And I have no desire to hurt you.  Just the opposite actually." His voice turned husky at this point and my stomach started to turn.

"Then why would I go out with you?"

Mr. West pressed his flattened palms to the wall behind me and leaned in close.  "Because I'm gonna fail Paul if you don't. So it's totally up to you."

I glared up at him feeling my body shaking as I did.  He was smart, going after Paul instead of me. By now he must realize I would do anything for Paul.  He literally had me backed into a corner. I could always take my chances with the principal, but everything I had worked for was about to go down the drain. 

He licked his lips as he waited for my answer.  "So what'll it be?"

I sucked in a deep breath and opened my mouth to speak.

"Leave her alone."

Trey pulled back slowly as his gaze snapped to the door that had just been flung open.

"I mean it...back off."

Mr. West sighed deeply.  "You must be lost Mr. Call.  Shouldn't you be at lunch?"

When Trey took another half step back, Embry stepped in front of me.  "I was checking on Rachel. Good thing too. Because it looks like you were about to do something inappropriate with your student teacher, Mr. West."

Trey bristled at the accusation and glared even as Embry took my hand in his.  "You've got quite the imagination, Mr. Call. Miss Black and I were simply having a heated discussion...about consequences."

His pointed look wasn't lost on me.  Embry shifted to stand next to me, his hand never leaving mine.  "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Of course she is," he scoffed.  "Maybe you should get to lunch and we can discuss our plans later?" he addressed me coldly.

I nodded quickly and sighed.  "I agree...to meeting with you.  I'm not giving up just yet."

Embry glanced between us, even as he tugged on my hand and opened the classroom door.  Mr. West looked pleased with my announcement and as we exited the room, I heard him call out, "I'll be looking forward to it."

His voice made my skin crawl but I didn't have a chance to give it another thought, because Embry was pulling me into the lunchroom.  He grabbed a lunch tray as we walked down the line together and he offered me different choices as we went. "What the hell was all that?" he demanded in a hushed whisper.

I grabbed an apple and a yogurt as I shrugged.  "It's just something I need to deal with...on my own."

"He looked like he was about to eat you for lunch," Embry spat, his eyes darting over to where Paul stood. 

"Please don't say anything," I pleaded when I saw Paul approaching.  "I'm handling this."

"Handling what?" Embry quizzed as he passed the cashier some money and indicated it would be for both our meals.

"He knows."

Embry blinked quickly and then his eyes grew large.  "About us?"

I shook my head.  "No. Just about me and Paul."

Dread took over Embry's expression as we moved away from the lunch line and lingered near the door.  "Thank you," I sighed before giving Embry a quick, one armed hug. "You're the best." 

Paul stood next to us now, glancing between us and looking confused.  "What happened?" he mused as I pulled back.

Embry gave me a skeptical look before I interjected, "I forgot my wallet, so Embry paid for my lunch."

Paul nodded slowly, still looking a bit confused as I backed away and took off for the lounge.  Now I wondered how long it would be before Paul knew the truth.  

I had agreed to go out with another man.

…..

A/N: you had to know it was coming...

On another note, this story will be coming to an end soon.  I've only got a few more chapters worth of story to tell before the ending. I am considering a sequel, something I've never done before.  And maybe I could include Seth and Selena's love story, if anyone would be interested?