Thanks everyone again for being patient with my slow ass! This chapter didn't come as easily to me and I rewrote sections of it over and over.

Also sorry for the title I couldn't help it (it's a bad riff on Back Seat by New Boyz-- aka an obscure ass song from 7 years ago when I was in middle school). Thanks again for hanging in there!

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What had I done? I sat at my desk with my head in my hands as Mr. Parquet taught us pre-calculus. My injured nose only registered as a dull throb compared to how much my head hurt. I glanced up at the clock as it ticked closer to 3:15. I had never wanted to stay in math class so badly in my life.

"Okay everyone, please hand in your worksheets," Mr. Parquet said after checking his watch.

I looked down at my sheet and realized that I had forgotten to put my name down. I wrote fucking idiot angrily before erasing it and adding my name.

I checked the clock again; 3:10. Damn—I needed more time! I wasn't ready to meet back up with Shawn. Rather, I wasn't ready to confront my mistake.

I had been too preoccupied with finding the most peaceful solution that I had never considered what the hell that would mean for me. I could barely handle Shawn before he teamed up with Bobby! What was I going to do now?

Then it dawned on me; why the hell was I blaming myself? I could have never expected for Shawn and Smiles to throw aside their differences and then make an alliance in the span of one phone call. A rich mobster paired up with a notorious serial killer couldn't be anything but bad news—especially for me. I didn't know how, but I could sense that my life had just entered a new era of Fucked Up.

I jumped in my seat as the final bell rang. Everyone began to pack of their bags and chat. I remained slumped over my desk, unwilling to move. I wanted time to myself to consider all the (small) pros and (numerous) cons. Maybe there was a way to avoid seeing him? Oh, who was I kidding—he practically lived in my house now.

I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. I suppressed a groan and took it out.

Private Number: Hey babe!! I'm at the car r u on ur way?

My gaze darted to Mr. Parquet standing at the front of the classroom. I got an idea and began to type.

Jake: Getting help in math. Go ahead without me

If the excuse worked, I could go to the library for a while to gather my thoughts. Maybe I would get an epiphany on what to do?

Private Number: I can help you. Come here.

Jake: I'd rather get help from him

Private Number: How old is he?

Was he fucking serious!?

Jake: WTF I'm not gonna fuck Mr. Parquet Dumbass. I have a question about the upcoming test

I waited for Shawn to respond, and sighed in relief when he replied fine. I began to pack up my bag to head to the library. If Shawn used the tracker in my phone, I could say that Mr. Parquet was already headed there and answered my questions along the way.

Once I got to the library, I would have a few more precious minutes to myself. Maybe I could use the school computer to do research on Smiles, without Shawn knowing. Maybe if I looked up Roy's family's casino I could find something about Smiles—er— Robert (that was his legal first name, right?). Then again, what the hell would I find by googling 'Las Vegas Boyle Casino Robert'? If it was that easy to learn about criminal organizations via google, the police wouldn't have jobs.

Wait. The police? I froze just as I slung my bag over my shoulder. Police— Oh fuck. I felt my eyes widen as I sunk back down into my desk. How could I have not noticed this sooner?

If Smiles was as influential as I feared, than the police wouldn't be able to do shit to him. Hell— he probably had the police in his pocket. My body felt like ice as, eyes wide with horror. There's no way Shawn hasn't thought of that. And there's no way he won't use it. I can't go to the police anymore.

"Jake? Do you need something? I have a meeting in a few minutes," Mr. Parquet said. He shifted uncomfortably, glancing between the me and the door.

"Uh, no, sorry. I'll go now," I muttered. My mind was a mess. This changed everything. The police were one of the only pieces of leverage I had against Shawn! With Smiles protecting him, I may as well have helped print out my future Missing Persons posters.

I stepped outside of the classroom and turned to walk in the direction of the library. My mind felt like a blank slate; I didn't know how to process my sudden discovery. What would Shawn do to me when the police weren't a viable threat? What could he do with all the money and resources Smiles would give him? Was there anything stopping Shawn from doing whatever he wanted with me? Could he stuff me into the trunk of his car in broad daylight and still get way with it?

"Where are you going?" a voice asked from behind me—the voice I least wanted to hear. Fuuuuuuuuck.

I forced myself to turn around. Shawn had his body leaned against the wall by the door to my classroom. He studied me with a sharp gaze. My mind still felt blank—I didn't know how to respond. "The library."

Shawn stood from the wall and looked me up and down with suspicion. "Well, now we're going to the car."

The car. Where I had just thought about being stuffed in the trunk of. "Can I drive?"

Shawn looked confused. "Sure? I thought your couldn't drive stick."

"I'll learn," I muttered. I turned to walk towards the parking lot. I focused my gaze down at the cracked pavement; I felt numb.

I could feel Shawn eyeing me as we made our way to the car parked in a back corner of the lot. The unasked questions created a tense atmosphere. I stared down at the pavement to keep from looking at him. When we reached his Porsche, Shawn loaded both of our bags in the back seats before we entered the car. I fixed my gaze to a spot on the steering wheel and bit my lip, bracing myself for the tirade of questions.

"Why did you lie to me?" Shawn hissed, leaning across the armrest to scrutinize me with piercing blue eyes. I glanced at him, then back at the wheel.

"I didn't lie," I lied. "I asked what day the test was." There was no way he could verify whether or not that was true.

Shawn scowled. "You need to stop hiding things from me, Jakey. Loopholes or not— it pisses me off. What were you really doing?"

I felt my detached state ebb away, replaced by irritation. Oh. I would show him pissed off. I latched onto the grounding emotion of anger and turned to glare at him. "I wanted some godamn space to think," I snapped.

I felt Shawn's search my face for a lie. "Is that all?"

I ignored his question. "Just how powerful is Smiles?" I asked point blank.

Shawn's eyes softened a fraction as he leant back against his seat. He shrugged. "Powerful enough."

I watched his expression closely. "Wow. Descriptive."

He pouted. "What's wrong? I thought you'd be happy that I resolved it peacefully. Remember, it was your idea."

Salty bastard. "Obviously, I wasn't expecting an immediate alliance between you two. Now, how powerful is he?" I repeated.

Shawn grinned. "The word you're looking for is influential, isn't it Honey?"

I grit my teeth. "Yeah, it is. So cut the shit."

He tilted his head to the side, grin unwavering. "Or else what?" He was mocking me. He had a huge leg up on me, and he wanted me to know it. More than that—he wanted me to accept it. I felt my anger begin to bubble up uncontrollably. A month ago I'd have been scared shitless of this turn of events—now I was just pissed off.

"First off, FUCK you."

His grin faltered. "Well, if you're offering—"

"Second off, fuck you!" I repeated, turning my bod in my seat so I faced him head on. "You're a piece of shit! I should be studying for the S.A.T! Not this bullshit! I'm sick of being manipulated by you!"

His smile dropped altogether as he fixed me with a cold look. "As cute as this temper tantrum is, I think you need to understand something—"

"Oh, shut up. Trust me, I've dealt with your shit long enough to understand. It doesn't matter if I go to the cops or not anymore—Smiles can probably make them turn a blind eye to just about anything. I get it." I threw up my hands. "And what temper tantrum? This is the perfect level of—of tantrum that anyone in my position would have!"

Shawn's eyes narrowed. He leaned closer to me and lowered his voice. "No. Someone in your position would listen to what a newly hired contract killer tells them to. Without getting hissy about it."

I glowered at him, refusing to back down. "Big fucking whoop."

We remained silent for a moment, each refusing to break the intense eye contact. "So, me killing your family doesn't scare you anymore," he deadpanned.

"Nope."

He crossed his arms and smirked. "In that case, I've been itching to kill Trent ever since you told me that you two kissed."

If he was trying to call my bullshit, he was dead wrong. I was calling his. I smiled. "You won't."

His brows twitched. He didn't let it show on his face, but his confusion was palpable. All his go-to tricks weren't working, and he wanted to figure out why. My own smile grew; it felt good to have the upper hand for once.

"What gives you that idea?" he asked.

I crossed my arm and settled back into the leather. "You actually care about whether or not I'm happy. I mean, you wouldn't want me to be happy if it meant you couldn't have me—but still."

"What's your point?" he snapped.

"You have a lot more to work with now that I can't go to the cops," I continued. I knew how to get out of this situation now. It'd cost me—but I was too fucking stubborn to give up the single piece of the high ground I'd found.

"Again— what's your point?"

I made an exaggerated shrug. "You have a lot to manipulate me with, while I've got close to jack shit."

He sighed, rubbing his face with his hand. "Jake, I love you, but you're telling me shit I already know."

"Then, how about this? I'll cooperate with you."

Shawn's eyes flashed with intrigue. He studied me for a moment before speaking. "What does that mean?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but felt myself freeze. There wouldn't be any going back from this—was I really ready for this? Fuck. I gnawed on my bottom lip as my confidence wavered.

I flinched when Shawn finger's tentatively brushed through my hair. "Babe, what the hell is going on? What do you mean by cooperate?" he asked, his voice shaking with anticipation.

I stole a quick glance at him. His blue eyes bore into mine with genuine concern and curiosity. His dirty blonde eyebrows furrowed together in worry, making a small crease on his forehead. I remembered being with in the car when we drove away from Bobby's party. He looked at me the same way—concern and devotion etched onto his blood-smeared face.

My mouth moved before my brain could catch up. "I'll date you."

Shawn slowly drew his hand away from my face. He stared at me as if I'd grown a second head, mouth agape. "W-what did you just say?"

My heart rate began to pick up. Very cell in my body screamed at me to abort the conversation. I swallowed a lump in my throat and fixed my gaze beyond the dashboard to the empty parking lot. I let out an awkward laugh. "I mean—it's not a big deal, right? It's not like we're getting married. Teenagers date all the time! Most of them end by graduation!" I began to prattle on about how teen dating was a temporary experience. But not matter how much I tried to convince myself that I hadn't; I'd just sold my soul to the devil. A devil as hot as the hell he came from.

He grabbed the side of my face and turned my head to face him. His eyes bore into mine. "Repeat what you just said."

I grit my teeth as I failed to pull my head away. "You know what I said."

"Say it again." His eyes were wide and eager as they took in every facet of my face. I'd never seen that expression before.

Oh, fuck it. I'd already dug my own grave— I may as well rest easy in it. I gripped the back of his head and pulled him in for a kiss.

He hummed in delight and deepened it, wrapping his free arm around my waist to pull my upper body into his. He threaded his fingers through my hair and pressed his mouth more firmly over mine.

Anger must have given me confidence— because I actually rolled with it. I wound some blonde locks around my fingers as I parted my lips to run my tongue across his teeth. Shawn froze. I briefly wondered whether I was that bad at kissing.

I gasped as Shawn climbed on top of me, pressing my back into the car door. His hand slipped down from my waist to my ass. The hand in my hair tugged my head to the side as Shawn nestled his face into my neck.

I yelped when my skin was pulled between teeth. I screwed my lips shut to keep from making any more noises. I didn't want to make Shawn think I was enjoying this too much—and I still had a few threads of dignity that I wanted to keep hold of.

"I love you so much," Shawn panted into my neck.

Well, I didn't know how to respond to that. I patted him on the head, which made him laugh into the crook of my neck.

"You're too cute," he sighed. His arms tightened around me. "You know I'm not letting you weasel out of this one, right?"

I suppressed a shiver at the assurance of his tone. He must have felt it anyways, as he pulled me even closer. I gave him another pat on the head. "Guess that means I can't hook up with Henry Ross anymore," I said with a brief laugh.

I winced as Shawn bit me hard on the neck. "Shut up."

I scoffed as I pushed his head away. "You know keep getting jealous of someone who's never existed, right?"

"Doesn't matter." He propped his forearm against the windowsill and peered down at me. He smiled. "You're beautiful."

Pot calling the kettle black. I shifted uncomfortably below him. "Thanks?"

"No," he took my face between his hands. "Thank you. I won't let you regret this."

I smiled. The moral part of me would probably always regret it— but there was no way to avoid that when I had willingly agreed to date a serial killer. "Let's hope so," I said. I pulled him in for a quick peck on the lips.

My back began to ache from being pressed into the car door for so long. I hadn't thought much of it, but our position was really awkward. I was slouched with my back pressing against the door with my legs sprawled over the handbrake and onto the passenger seat. Shawn's knees dug precariously on the edge of the leather seat as he straddled me, hunched over my form.

"Hey Shawn, let me sit up," I said, pushing against his chest. Shawn frowned, but reluctantly maneuvered back into his seat.

The drive back to my house was slow and riddled with jolts as I tried to adapt to the stick shift. "How the hell do I park?" I asked once we entered my empty driveway. My mom would likely return around 6PM. I stared at the numbers on the shift stick while I kept my foot pressed on the break.

Shawn reached besides me to put the car in park and turned off the engine. He turned his head to gaze at me, not saying a word, likely content just watching me. I leaned away from him with a grimace. "What?"

Shawn's eyes flitted up to meet mine before he retreated back to his own seat. "Sorry... it's just really nice to see my marks on you." His eyes trailed back down to my neck and his eyes darkened. "Really nice."

I frowned, reaching up to tilt down the rearview mirror. I gaped at the fucking massacre Shawn had made out of my neck and shoulder. Dark blues, purples, and yellow littered my neck, followed by a scab from when he'd bitten me. "What the fuck did you do to my neck!" I yelled.

"You bruise easy," Shawn said with a shrug, sounding especially unconcerned.

"No shit! Looks like someone went at me with a goddamn hammer," I said. I brought my fingers up to tenderly press on my neck. I shot Shawn a glare. "You suck."

Shawn peered back down at my hickies and smirked. "Yeah, I really did, huh?"

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So Jake dug his own grave but what else is new? This might also be the most graphic scene I've written with these two (mind you they haven't banged in 40 chapters lol).

Also, did Jake make a rash ass decision? Did I spend forever debating it? Yeah and yeah. I totally get if some of you guys think this is totally out of left field-- because it is lol. This isn't a magic "and they lived happily ever after" type of deal. Because where's the drama in that??

Part 2 is considerably shorter, but should be out sometime next week! And I've brainstormed the next plot arc so hopefully subsequent chapters won't take too long either.

Thanks again for reading everyone!!!