"Oh, well this is simply adorable." Natalie snickers. I jump in surprise but there are strong arms wrapped around me and I am unable to break free. It had really been too easy to sneak Seth into my new room last night. The office turned bedroom was on the first floor of the Khan house. Once everyone else had retreated to their rooms upstairs, it had been easy to just open the glass sliding door off of the kitchen and let Seth slip in. The office door did not have a lock. I had gambled on the fact that Mr. and Mrs. Khan wouldn't open the door to check on me. I hadn't really considered Natalie at all in that equation.

"Go. Away." Seth says. He sounds frustrated and I don't really blame him, he had to patrol until 2:00 am and when he climbed into my bed and wrapped his arms around me, we both had sighed in complete bliss. It had to still be early. Why was Natalie up and why was she in my room? I open my eyes and blink at the dim light coming in from the window. Natalie is leaning against the wall in my room but she has shut the door which means she has no intention of ratting me out to her parents. I crane my head and look at the clock.

"It's only seven, Natalie!" I complain. It was Sunday and Seth didn't have to be at work until eleven. We should still be sleeping. Why was Natalie in my room?

"Maybe I should have campaigned to turn the office into my room." She muses, "I could be sneaking a different boy in through the kitchen door every night without anyone knowing."

"I'm not sneaking different boys," I mutter, "Just Seth."

"Natalie, what could you possibly want." Seth groans, tightening his arms around me.

"I need you to cover for me, I'm going out with Lucas for today." She explains to me. "I was supposed to hang out with Dakota and Spencer but I told them I was sick. It's his last day before he heads back to school."

"What do you want me to do?" I sigh, knowing I'm going to be her accomplice one way or another.

"Well if they come over and try to see me, pretend to be me—" She starts. I open my eyes and stare at her in disbelief but she's grinning. "Kidding, kidding. Just tell them I'm throwing up or something."

"Fine," I grumble, "Now can we please go back to sleep."

"Sure." She laughs and even in my half awake state, I know she is amused.

I don't realize I have fallen back asleep until I am being woken up again. Seth is carefully untangling himself from me.

"Sorry." He grimaces once he realizes I'm awake. "I have to be at work in less than an hour and I need to go home and shower first."

"It's okay." I yawn. "I should get up anyways." I sit up, which makes it easier for him to get up as well. I very rarely sleep in this late but I had waited up for Seth last night and sleeping at his side had wrapped me in a warm security blanket that made it easy to fall into a deep sleep.

"Wanna come into The Diner later for breakfast?" He asks. "Or I guess lunch now at this point?"

"Mhm." I grin, leaning back into him and brushing my lips against his. He pulls back before we even start.

"If you keep doing that then I will be late to work and then I will be the one who is grounded." Seth groans, getting up and stretching. He's in just a pair of basketball shorts, exactly what he had been in when he snuck in earlier that morning and I'm momentarily distracted by how beautiful he is without a shirt.

"Wait!" I gasp as he reaches for the door. "Mr. and Mrs. Khan." I remind him but he just quirks me a grin.

"They're at Ava's game and Natalie left a few hours ago — it's just us." He promises. "But I'll still sneak out the back so the neighbors don't see."

"Are you sure?" I ask, climbing out of the bed and padding over to him. Once I'm within arms reach, he wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me in for a hug.

"Promise." He assures me. "It's a wolf thing."

I almost turn around once I walk into the diner. Dakota is leaning against the front counter and I remember immediately that Natalie asked me to lie for her if I saw either of her friends. I hadn't really considered Dakota would be here. Danielle is pouring a to-go cup of coffee for her and slides it across the counter before taking Dakota's debit card.

"Hey, Nik!" Seth cheerfully calls and now I really can't escape since both Danielle and Dakota turn to face me. Danielle looks a little annoyed by my presence but Dakota sends me a wave.

I sit down in a free seat, a few down from where Dakota is still standing, hoping she won't ask me about my sister. She seems distracted at the moment, trying to get the attention of one of the cooks through the small window that leads to the kitchen.

"Hey, Martin." She flirts.

"Hey, Dakota."

"You have plans later?" She asks, batting her eyelashes. Martin pauses in his cooking and gives her a small smile.

"I'm a little too old for you and you know that." He says but he flushes slightly and I can tell he likes the attention.

"My yoga instructor insists I am wise beyond my years." Dakota promises.

"Have a good day, Dakota." He sighs. She shrugs off his rejection and grabs her coffee before walking over to me.

"Hey, Nikita." She greets. "How's Nat?"

""Oh…you know…just…" I trail off.

"Sick?" She supplies.

"Yeah." I nod my head and I can hear Seth snickering from over near the register. I shoot him a quick glare before turning back to Dakota but she seems completely occupied with her phone and oblivious to Seth.

"Spence and I can bring her some soup later." She says, seeming to perk up at the idea.

"No!" I respond, knowing I sound too defensive. "I mean…she just doesn't want you guys to get sick, ya know? I'm gonna bring her some soup— Seth? Put in an order for soup!"

"On it!" Seth calls from his spot near the register. Even from over here I can tell he's still laughing. Some boyfriend he is.

"Okayy, whatever." She rolls her eyes but heads to the diner exit, choosing not to question me any further.

"You're a terrible liar." Seth laughs, walking over to me and I bury my head in my hands.

"I know." I groan. "Can you even believe I lied about my identity for two weeks?" Seth pulls my hands away from my face and weaves his fingers with mine.

"Lucas will be gone by tomorrow, right?" He says. "So at least today is the only day you have to lie. And you probably won't even see her again." I know he's trying to be encouraging so I do my best to push Natalie and her antics far from my mind.

"You're right." I sigh, pulling back and grabbing the menu so I can decide what I want.

"Ah, ah, ah." He scolds, snatching the menu from me. "I already put in an order for soup for you." My mouth falls open in shock.

"But I don't even like soup." I pout.

"Probably should have thought about that before lying about ordering some." He shrugs but he's laughing again and I'm not surprised when he brings me over an omelette and home fries five minutes later. Sometimes, I'm pretty sure Seth knows me better than I do because this is exactly what I want.

I'm only halfway through my breakfast when warm arms drape around me. I jump in surprise since I can clearly see Seth across The Diner, pouring coffee for a different customer, but relax once I realize it's just Brady.

"Hey, Brade." I grin up at him and offer him a home fry. Collin, never far behind, leans against the counter next to me and swipes his own home fry from my plate.

"Hey!" I whine as they both reach for my plate again. Seth snaps something I can't hear and the two of them both pull back immediately. Collin lets out a dramatic sigh and the two of them head over to a table across from counter.

"What did you say to them?" I ask Seth when he comes over with a hot chocolate for me.

"Nothing," He shrugs, "Just reminded them I outrank them."

"Aw, shut up, Seth." Brady calls from his seat.

"The usual?" Seth asks the two of them. They must have agreed because Seth leaves me once again to put in their orders. I'm just finishing up my hot chocolate and have carefully tucked a ten dollar bill under my empty plate so Seth can't give it back to me when I hear the crash. I spin around in my barstool to stare at the mess. Collin is completely covered in food and whatever isn't on him, is on the ground and table. There's even ketchup smeared across his face. Danielle is standing over the two boys apologizing profusely.

Even from all the way over here, I can see Collin's dumbfounded expression as he stares at her.

"Shit." Seth mutters but he's laughing and shaking his head. He leaps over the counter in one fluid motion and heads over to the group of three.

"You got him good...though nothing will beat dropping a plate of spaghetti on Sam." Seth says once he reaches Danielle. I try to imagine Danielle dropping a plate of food on Sam Uley and fail. Poor Danielle looks so embarrassed, her gaze flickering between the three boys.

"I'm so sorry, Collin, I didn't mean to." I can hear Danielle saying. She looks like she's about to cry.

Seth is still chuckling as he heads back over to me.

"That wasn't very nice." I scold. "She was so upset."

"Dani's fine." Seth shakes his head. "She is the clumsiest waitress I've ever met."

"Still…" I trail off, looking over at the boys. Brady is still laughing but Collin looks suspiciously serious, just staring at the kitchen door where Danielle disappeared.

"Collin just imprinted on her." Seth leans in close to me, whispering the fact. I gasp and lean back, attempting to see Danielle through the open kitchen window but all I see is the back door slamming shut.

"Wait, so Collin has just never looked at her before today?" I ask.

"I guess not." Seth shrugs. "I mean, she is a year older than him, it's not like they're in classes together."

"Huh." I mumble. I didn't really know Danielle that well but I knew she was one of Ava's best friends. She tended to steer clear of me and I suspected that had something to do with Natalie and how she treated Ava and — by extension — Ava's friends. Danielle seemed nice enough and, from the anxious look on Collin's face while he cranes his neck to see if she is coming back, I'm guessing he thinks so too.

"Well I'm gonna go." I finally say. Seth gives me a quick kiss on the lips but lets me leave. When I get outside and start down the road, I see Danielle standing behind the diner, kicking a milk crate. I debate walking over but I decide that, if she's frustrated enough to be kicking a milk crate, I probably shouldn't give her any other reason to be upset.

Not for the first time in the past month, I wonder how I got here. Here specifically, in this moment. I never would have thought I would have a life like this and friends like this and a boyfriend like Seth. I also just feel eternally grateful that Natalie decided that two is better. And I also decide that…well…maybe another imprint isn't so bad either.

"So we can have fun fun fun fun fun

'Cause 2 is better than 1"

- 2 is Better, Natalia Kills

A/N: Thank you everyone for reading! I can't believe this took me eight years to finish! But I hope you did enjoy and you continue to enjoy the stories in this realm…promise they won't take eight years to complete. :) Not in Love (CollinxDanielle) is almost complete and Activate My Heart (PaulxRachel) is currently being posted so be sure to check those out.

Also, check back soon! Once I have completed NiL, I will begin posting my new Seth story - Marlboro Lights. I've loved writing it and, if you like Seth, I think you will be a fan!