Never in my life had I ever thought I would be the type of girl to sneak around with someone else’s boyfriend. I never pictured myself that way. I wasn’t one of those girls. Or at least that was what I always thought. When it came down to it though, I seemed to be incredibly good at it.

After the night of Zoe’s birthday party, Zac and I had been seeing each other regularly. We still hung out with Shalee and things were basically the same between us. However, sometimes when Shalee was at class, Zac would come to the dorms. Sometimes we’d hang out and talk. Other times we’d end up making out on my bed.

The first couple of weeks were a little awkward, and I always felt guilt ridden – especially when Kate was mentioned. But Zac and I seemed to come to an understanding that she was a topic we weren’t going to discuss. I felt awful for what I was doing because I knew that if Kate ever found out, she’d be very hurt, but that wasn’t enough to stop me from seeing Zac.

The truth was that my feelings for him were growing with each day. There were often times when I wondered if maybe he was just my rebound guy after Paul, and I hated to admit it, but since Zac and I had started sneaking around, I started thinking about Paul less and less. I almost felt guilty for it because it was as if I was just forgetting him, but I knew that that wasn’t the case. I just told myself that I was healing and coming out of the mourning process.

As wrong as it might have seemed to other people, Zac was turning out to be really good for me. Every time I talked to Emmy, Fleur, or dad, they always mentioned how happy I sounded. I wanted to tell them about Zac, but I knew I couldn’t. I knew that they’d never understand, so I just told them that things were going well for me. Shalee also seemed to notice the shift in my mood. She commented that I seemed to have a new spring in my step.

I was surprised that she hadn’t started to suspect something was going on since Zac and I seemed to be spending so much time together, but Shalee seemed to be a bit distracted. Things between her and Danny were still a little shaky. After their fight at Zoe’s birthday party, Danny didn’t come around the dorm for at least a week. During that time Shalee was not herself at all. If I hadn’t made her get out of bed to go to class, she probably would have laid in bed all day.

After a week Danny came back around, and he and Shalee had a long talk. And while they seemed to be on better terms, it was obvious things weren’t as good as they had been at the beginning of the year.

The weeks sped by and my birthday was approaching quickly. Since my birthday was on Valentine’s Day, Fleur made arrangements to celebrate my birthday the weekend before, which turned out for the best since my birthday fell on a Tuesday anyway. The same weekend that I was going home, Shalee decided she was going to go home for the weekend as well.

Part of me wanted to stay behind just because I’d have the dorm to myself, which meant that Zac and I could be alone. That thought alone scared me a little bit, but since I had already had plans, I couldn’t change them, which was probably a good thing since I wasn’t entirely comfortable with my thoughts about Zac.

I left for home at noon and made it there in an hour. No one was home yet, so I settled myself in front of the television and lounged around most of the afternoon. However, I was a little surprised when I heard a knock at the door around three o’clock. I figured that it couldn’t be anyone who actually knew dad or Fleur. Everyone who knew them knew that they both worked until at least five every night.

I climbed off of the couch, pushing Pansy off of my lap and sauntered to the door while stifling a yawn. I pulled the door open and felt a feeling of dread build in my stomach at the sight of Mariel Shane, the woman prosecuting Earl Hagley.

“Hello, Jude,” she smiled.

“Hi,” I replied.

“I talked to your dad yesterday, and he said you were coming home today,” she explained. “I hope you don’t mind me dropping by without calling first, but I needed to speak with you.”

“Oh, okay,” I nodded as I motioned for her to come inside. I offered to take her coat, and after she gave it to me, I hung it up in the coat closet and led her into the living room.

I grabbed the remote control and turned off the television with it before placing the remote on the coffee table.

“What did you need to talk to me about?” I asked.

“Well, I’m sure you’re probably aware of this, but the trial is starting on Monday,” she explained. “We’re hoping that everything will go quickly. We have a lot of investigators and criminologists testifying, but the defense will have several of their own witnesses to call to the stand, but as it stands right now, I think you’ll be testifying on March seventh if all goes as planned.”

“Okay,” I nodded.

“I know you have school, so if you need a note or anything from me to give to your professors, I’ll gladly do that,” she smiled.

“I don’t think it will be a problem,” I replied, looking down at my hand. “So, Earl Hagley will be there when I testify?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” Mariel nodded. “But I’ll try to go through all of the questions as quickly as possible.”

“What about the defense?” I asked. “They’ll ask questions, too, right? Try to make me out to be liar or something.”

“Well, they’ll try to confuse you,” Mariel admitted. “But just answer honestly.”

“Okay,” I nodded. “Will I have to tell you everything I told you when we talked before?” I asked.

Mariel nodded. “The jurors need to hear everything that happened to you, Jude,” she said with a sympathetic smile. “I know this must be hard for you, but you’re the only living victim we have. You actually saw him, and that is hard evidence. Everything else is circumstantial, so what you tell them is going to be crucial to the case,” she said. “I don’t mean to pressure you. I can’t imagine how hard this all has been on you and your family, but I know you can do this.”

“I know … I know I can,” I said, nodding in agreement. “I just … what if I mess up? Forget something? Or say the wrong thing?”

“Jude, it will be okay,” Mariel replied. “I’ll be there so if it gets too tough on you, I can ask the judge to take a break, or if the defense tries to confuse you. I’ll be there to take care of all of that.”

I nodded. “Okay,” I agreed.

“Well, that was all I really needed to talk to you about,” she sighed. “I will call you or your father when I know more about when we need you in court, but I’d plan for March seventh.”

“Okay … I’ll be there,” I said as she stood up.

I walked her to the door and got her coat and we said our goodbyes after she pulled it on, and I leaned against the door and took a deep breath. My good mood seemed to leave with Mariel Shane as she pulled out of my driveway.

My birthday went as well as could be expected considering I was in a bit of a gloomy mood after Mariel’s visit. Emmy, Harris, and the kids came to the house on Saturday night and we all went out for dinner at the restuarant of my choice, which was Pastarrific – a quaint Italian restaurant with the best bread sticks and lasagna in town.

Dad and Fleur just gave me some money for my birthday, and Emmy gave me a black Harry Potter hoodie with the Gryffindor crest on it in red. Harris gave me a couple of CDs of bands he thought I’d like, and Lula gave me a homemade card. All in all it was a nice birthday despite the dip in my good mood.

Before going out for dinner I did venture out to my aunt’s salon to see her. I was a little reluctant at first for fear Drea would be there, but when I pulled up and didn’t see her car, I decided that it was safe.

She was in the middle of washing a woman’s hair when I came in, but I sat and talked with her while she did the woman’s hair. Afterward, I asked Mia if she had time to do my hair. I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted, but I knew I was sick of my multi-colored hair.

Mia suggested dying it a deep brown and getting a trim, and since I had no better ideas, I agreed. However, the deep brown turned out looking more like black than anything, but I actually liked it. Mia said that it complimented my eyes and skin tone and it made me look older, and I couldn’t complain about that. Although as Mia was styling my hair, I couldn’t help but wonder if Zac would like it.

On Sunday afternoon I headed back to the dorms, and Shalee was already there, listening to some music and studying for the exam we had the next day. I had completely forgot about it over the weekend, so I didn’t even bother to unpack my things. Instead I grabbed my book and notes and sat down on Shalee’s bed and started studying with her.

Monday evening Shalee and Danny took me out to celebrate my birthday early. We went out for pizza, and Shalee apologized for being so cheap, but I didn’t mind. It was just nice knowing that she remembered my birthday.

Sometimes I hated that my birthday was on Valentine’s Day. My parents were always good about making sure I felt like I had a special day, but with friends it wasn’t so easy. Drea always remembered because I’d remind her practically every day for two weeks beforehand, but most of my friends at school completely overlooked it because they were too caught up in the holiday.

Danny and Shalee seemed to be getting along a bit better, and when we got back to the dorms, Shalee told me that she and Danny had plans to go out for Valentine’s Day the following evening. She seemed happy about it, and I was happy to see her in a good mood.

I was still a little unsure of how I was going to end up spending my birthday and Valentine’s Day, but the answer to that came in the form of a phone call. While Shalee was in the shower, Zac called and asked me if I had any plans. When I told him no, he told me that he’d pick me up at seven.

The following day I was anxious to see Zac. I watched as Shalee got ready to go out with Danny, but I couldn’t start getting ready myself until she was gone, so as soon as she and Danny left, I hurried around and found something nice to wear. I had no idea where Zac and I were going, but I wanted to look nice.

After a little bit of debate I decided to wear a denim skirt that fell just above my knees and had studded pockets. I didn’t normally where skirts, but when I saw it, I had thought it was cute, and it was on sale, so I bought it. I was pleased with my decision because I discovered that I didn’t have any other skirts at the dorm.

I decided to top the skirt off with a sheer, blue camisole with Empire seaming and black pleated detailing at the center as well as black lace trim. However, as soon as I put it on, I felt a little naked in it. The push up bra I was wearing seemed to make my breasts look huge in comparison to usual, and I wasn’t so sure about my attire anymore, but Zac knocked at the door just as I was getting ready to change, so I had no choice but to pull my denim jacket on over it.

“You changed your hair,” Zac said as soon as I answered the door.

I blushed and reached up to touch my silky tresses. “Does it look bad?” I asked uncertainly.

“No, it looks great,” he smiled as his eyes swept over me. “You look great.”

I felt my cheeks grow even warmer and I smiled. “Thanks,” I said.

“So, ready to go?” he asked.

I nodded and grabbed my purse before I locked the door behind me. Zac and I walked to the elevator side by side, and once inside, Zac took my hand and squeezed it. I looked up at him and he smiled at me. Since we were the only ones on the elevator, he leaned down and gave me a quick kiss on the lips before we stopped at the next floor. Zac and I let go of each other’s hands and didn’t take each other’s hands again until we were outside and crossing the street to the parking lot.

“So, what are we doing tonight?” I asked.

“Well, I realized that I’m a total loser, and I hadn’t taken you out anywhere officially, so I figured that since it’s your birthday and Valentine’s day, there was no better time than the present to take you out on a official date,” he explained. “We have reservations at the Bourbon Street Cafe.”

“Really? I’ve never been there before,” I commented.

“You’ll love it,” he smiled. “The food is great, and the entertainment is excellent.”

“I’ll take your word on it then,” I smiled as we reached his car. He opened the door for me, and after I slid into the seat, he shut the door for me and ran around to the driver’s side.

“Now have you filled the gas tank up recently?” I asked with a grin as he started the car.

“As a matter of fact, I did that right before I came to get you,” he grinned, pointing to the gas gauge.

“Very good,” I smiled as we both pulled on our seatbelts. He then backed out of the parking lot and headed for the restaurant.

Zac was right about the restaurant. The food was great and the music they played was so soothing. Zac and I hardly talked throughout dinner because we were both so captivated by the music. I had never really been a fan of jazz music until then.

We shared crab cakes as an appetizer, but Zac kept calling them crabby patties and doing his own rendition of the Spongebob Squarepants theme song, and I couldn’t help but laugh. For a main course, I chose chicken breast while Zac settled for a Bourbon sirloin. However, when we actually got the food, we wound up sharing our main courses as we listened to the wonderful music being played. And we finished off dinner with a rich chocolaty concoction called a fudge brownie explosion.

I was stuffed by the time we finished, and I told Zac I wasn’t sure I could move, so we stayed a little longer just to listen to the music before we decided to go. He even stopped our waiter and told him that it was my birthday, so the waiter told the band, and they played Happy Birthday for me while the servers and other guests sang to me. By that time the restaurant was growing more and more crowded, so I was ready for the fresh air when we stepped outside.

Zac drove us back to the house he and Isaac shared, and I started to grow a little worried, but Zac assured me that Isaac wouldn’t be back anytime soon because he was going to a friend’s party and probably wouldn’t stumble in until late in the night with some broad at his side.

When I inquired about Nikki, Zac explained that apparently it was an off week for the two of them. I thought about asking about Kate and why he wasn’t celebrating the holiday with her, but I decided not to ask. The idea that I might have been his second choice didn’t make me feel all that great, so I decided that I was better off not really knowing about the whereabouts of his fiancée.

When we entered the house, Zac got me a drink and told me to wait in the living room for a minute, so I followed his directions and sat down on the sofa and sipped on my Dr. Pepper until he came back in the living room and offered me his hand. I accepted it and he led me down the hallway to his bedroom door.

He then told me to close my eyes, so I did as he told me and heard him open the bedroom door and let him lead me inside. As soon as I stepped into the room, I was enveloped in the rich scent of vanilla and a toasty atmosphere.

“Okay, open your eyes,” Zac said.

I opened them and blinked a few times as my eyes adjusted to the dark room lit only by the soft glow of tons of candles. My jaw dropped as I took in the sight and after a moment, I turned to Zac and smiled. “This is beautiful,” I exclaimed as I threw my arms around him.

“Only the best for a beautiful girl,” he smiled as he leaned in to kiss me.

I melted into our embrace and kissed him back whole-heartedly. After a moment, we broke apart and Zac led me over to his bed where we sat down. I dropped my purse to the ground and returned my lips to Zac’s, and after only a moment, we sought the depths of each other’s mouth with our tongues.

As we kissed, Zac helped me shrug off my jacket before I leaned back against the pillows at the head of his bed. I wrapped my arms around Zac’s neck as he leaned over me. I played with the soft hair at the nape of his neck and sighed as he pulled away so we could both catch our breath.

He looked into my eyes and smiled, and suddenly my heart started to beat a million times faster. There was that smile again. It always seemed to stop my breath for a moment before my heart began to pound in my chest. When he looked at me that way, I always felt like I was melting from the heat of his stare.

I had never felt that way before – not even with Paul. It was almost scary to feel that way about him, but it felt so good it almost hurt not to. Zac leaned back down but instead of pressing his lips to mine, he first kissed my cheek, then my neck until he reached my collarbone. I moaned softly as I felt his hand cup my breast and pulled him closer.

The feel of his warm skin against mine drove me crazy, and the idea of what it would feel like if our naked flesh was pressed together briefly crossed my mind as he slid the thin strap of my top down my arm to reveal my black, lace push-up bra.

He looked up at me as his thumb brushed over the tip of my breast, and I closed my eyes as I whimpered his name. He brought his lips back to mine as I slipped my hands down the back of his shirt and let my fingertips trace his soft skin.

He nipped my at my bottom lip as his hand moved down my stomach until he reached my leg. I bent my leg at the knee and felt an overwhelming sense of desire as he caressed the back of my leg as his hand started to move up my leg. My skirt was already riding up from lying back on the bed and because my knee was bent, and as Zac’s hand moved farther up, he pushed the skirt farther up.

Just as he was about to reveal my matching lace panties, the sound of a door slamming caused us both to jump. “What was that?” I asked, sitting up immediately as Zac moved back.

“I don’t know …” he frowned as he stood up and adjusted his pants. “Stay here,” he said as he walked over to the door.

I nodded and pulled the strap of my shirt back up as he stepped out of the room, shutting the door behind him. I pulled my skirt back down as I stood up. I cautiously walked over to the door and pressed my ear to it and listened. I immediately recognized Isaac’s voice and let out of sigh of relief only to realize that I shouldn’t be overly relieved. What would he think of he found me in Zac’s candlelit room? That certainly wouldn’t look good, so I switched on the light and went around and blew out each candle.

However, I stopped when I heard a beeping noise. I looked around for a moment until I realized that it was coming from my purse. I dug out my cell phone and discovered that I had one missed call.

I sat back down on the bed and dialed the code to check my voice mail. As soon as the message began to play and I recognized Drea’s voice, I thought about hanging up and not listening, but the sound of worry in her voice stopped me.

“Jude, I know you don’t want to talk to me, and that’s fine. I just wanted to call you and tell you that there’s been a fire – a really huge one at your old house. I was on my way home when I saw it. I don’t even know if your dad and Fleur know about it yet,” Drea said quickly. “I guess I just thought that you’d want to know about it … I hope your doing okay, and Happy Birthday. I love you,” she said before the message ended.

I felt my heart begin to pound rapidly in my chest. However, this time it was much different from when it had started pounding when Zac was smiling at me. A wave of worry washed over me, and I suddenly felt so confused. What was I doing? Why in the world was I sitting on the bed of a guy who was engaged to be married, fully ready to give myself to him?

I swallowed the lump in my throat and grabbed my jacket and pulled it back on, feeling ashamed of myself and my behavior. When Zac reentered the room, he looked around in confusion.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“I need you to take me back to the dorms,” I said quietly.

“What? Why?” he asked, looking around with confusion written all over his face. “It was just Isaac at the door, but he’s gone now. He was just coming to pick something up. He didn’t even suspect anything …”

“I don’t care about that,” I said as I stood up. “Just take me back. Please?”

“Of course,” Zac nodded.