"You dated Liam, right?" It was the first time I heard Trisha sound unsure of herself.

My brain scrambled to figure out why she was asking about Liam I but couldn't.

"Yes." I said slowly.

Grant scuffed. "If you call one date dating."

Trisha kept her focus on me. "Why did he like you? Like what did you do?"

"Do you really have to ask? Have you met her?" Grant crossed his arms and leaned back.

I whispered thank you to him.

Trisha looked at me eagerly.

I laughed, assuming she was kidding. When she didn't laugh along, I realized she was serious.

"I'm not sure honestly. I mean...I guess I tried to be kind to him."

She stared at me, paying full attention. "Kind." She repeated to herself. "What else?"

I shrugged. "We talked, a lot. You know, communication is huge. Why do you ask?"

"Communication." She considered this. "I want him."

Grant sat up. "What do you want us to do about it?"

Trisha looked at him. "I want advice. If I want him to give me the time of day, I have to change something."

Grant sighed. "Correction, you have to change everything, and we just don't have that kind of time."

She looked down. "I can do it. I can change."

I never thought I'd feel sympathy for Trisha.

"The first step is asking yourself why you do what you do." I chimed in.

Trisha fell silent. When she spoke again her voice was raw. She sounded exhausted. "I guess I'm just trying to live up to everyone's expectations of me. Everyone just sees me as a fun time. So, I just give them what they expect, nothing more, nothing serious."

Now, I was the silent one. What she was saying had truth to it. I'd always heard people talk about her in the way she described. I, myself had thought of her like that. It didn't excuse what she did, but I understood her a lot more now.

I still didn't completely trust Trisha, but I respect anyone who is trying to better themselves.

I leaned across the table. "What people say about you doesn't define you, how you deal with it does. Be you, not who people want you to be. Just the fact that you're trying to change, if this is even true, shows you aren't as bad of a person as you pretend to be."

Grant wrapped his arm around me. "This is why I like you so much. You see the best in everyone and forgive them even if they don't deserve it."

I smiled at him. "You do the same."

Trisha watched us. Her face was unreadable.

Grant talked to Trisha as he played with my hair. "Why do you want Liam so bad?"

She stared into the distance, as if she were imaging a different time and place. "I went to him in hopes of getting to you. I figured I'd expose you guys and he'd throw a huge fit and make your lives miserable. I wanted him to do what I've always seen people do. He didn't. He was calm, and mature. He's just so different. He treated me with respect even when I told him I hit you with a rock. I was comfortable enough to tell him that. Not to mention he's a model."

"That's really sweet." I said as if it were a question.

Grant motioned towards the door. "Here's your chance."

Trisha and I turned at the same time to see Liam walking through the door. For the first time since I met him, he was alone.

Trisha instantly turned away and began fixing her hair.

"Liam!" Grant yelled across the restaurant.

Liam turned, wide-eyed and confused. When he saw the three of us his eyebrows raised. He smiled slightly and gave a lazy wave. This would've been a hint to most people that he didn't want to talk to us, but not Grant.

Grant motioned him over. "Come here!"

Liam got his drink and moved turtle-paced towards us.

"Hi guys." He said with one of those smiles that are only used to make things less awkward.

Grant nodded towards Trisha. "Have a seat."

Trisha scooted over to make more room and patted beside her.

Liam sat down, sipping his milkshake.

Trisha smiled sweetly at him. "So, how have you been?"

He shrugged. "I've been okay, how about you?"

She scooted closer to him. "I'd be a lot better if someone like you kept me company more often."

Liam inched away from her. "I'm sure you would."

Grant started to chuckle, I elbowed him.

"We should have gotten popcorn." He whispered to me. I smiled and shook my head.

Trisha tried again. "There's this great club downtown, you should come with me."

"Why so you can hook up with me then forget I exist? Pass." Liam said, looking away.

Grant couldn't hold it in anymore. He burst out laughing.

"Excuse him, inside joke." I sent Grant dagger eyes.

Trisha looked stunned. You could tell she'd never been rejected before.

She instantly went to redeem herself. "No, no I don't want that. To forget you, I mean. I just..."

Liam was done hiding his irritation. "I'm sorry Trisha, I'm done playing these games. Bye guys." He stood up and walked away.

"Wow." Grant said, watching Liam leave.

Trisha looked totally defeated.

"I just need to keep trying." She said, more for herself than anyone else.

I reached across the table and patted her hand. "You need to show him you aren't who everyone thinks you are."

She nodded. "Yeah, I just need to show him." She thought about it. "How do I do that?"

Grant shook his head. "Be kind, and genuine." He sighed and looked at me. "Maybe if we just dress you up like her..."

"Grant, thank you but behave." I pointed a finger into his chest.

Trisha looked over at Liam, who was ordering another milkshake.

Her eyes lit up. "I know exactly what to do!"

Grant looked scared. "Oh God, what are you going to do?"

She looked towards the cashier, grinning, "I'm going to get a job here."

"You, work?" Grant looked at her in disbelief.

She looked back at us. "Yes. It's perfect. I'll be able to talk to him constantlyand be doing something he'll respect at the same time. I'm a genius!"

Grant turned to me. "Should I tell her, or do you want to?"

"I think that's a good start, just know that you're going to have to do more than that." I didn't want to crush her spirits. I didn't know how well her plan would work.

She stood up. "I'm going to go around back and see if they'll let me work here." Before either of us could speak she was gone.

Grant spoke to me as she walked away. "That was weird."

"Very strange." I agreed. "Is it weird that I'm kind of rooting for her?"

Grant took my head in his hands and kissed me.

My eyes grew wide. "What was that for?" I was surprised I could muster any words after the kiss, it took my breath away.

"For being you." He moved my hair out of my face. "Never change."

I smiled. "I won't if you don't."
..........................................................................................................................................................
LATER THAT NIGHT

I wrapped my arms tightly around myself. The crisp air seeping under my clothes. "No way."

Grant laughed. "You really don't think I could make it?" He asked, removing his leather jacket.

"Here." He wrapped his jacket round me.

I smiled. "Thank you."

Nothing beats having a picnic on Grant's roof wrapped in his jacket.

"I don't think anyone can make that." I responded.

He smirked at me. "Care to make a wager?"

"Bring it." I crossed my arms.

Grant stepped closer to me. "If I get it onto Fred's roof, you have to go twenty-four hours handcuffed to me."

Grant was betting me he could throw Trisha's underwear (the black ones she left here weeks ago) from his roof to Fred's, who's house was about 8 feet from Grant's.

I rolled my eyes. "Is that supposed to scare me?"

"What's your condition?"

"When you don't make the shot, I want you to let me drive your racecar."

Grant loved his racecar, he never let anyone drive it.

He contemplated. "It's a dangerous car, I can't chance you getting hurt."

The fact that he could be worried about me getting hurt hadn't even crossed my mind.

"Then make it in." I smiled up at him. "If not, you'll just have to give me racing lessons."

Grant shook his head. "Okay fine, but only if you carry the underwear."

I sighed. "Why me?"

"You want me touching Trisha's underwear?" He asked, opening the window leading us back into the shack.

I headed towards the window "I'm coming."

He chuckled. "Yeah, I didn't think so. They're soaking in the bathtub."

"Grant, why are they in the bathtub?"

He shrugged. "They're disgusting. I was trying to disinfect them."

I shook my head and picked them up out of the bathtub and wrapped them in a towel. "Okay, got them."

As we headed back to window there was a knock on the door.

Grant walked over and opened it.

"Hey." Alec said meekly. Vanessa was by his side.