"I'm good, you don't have to keep protecting me. I have always been okay, it's you who's needing protection. All I want is to see you more, I miss you so much!" She sounds like she's going to cry.

"Please, that was years ago, I'm a lot better now, I swear. It's just complicated, you know? I'll make more of an effort to spend time with you, I promise." Grant's voice comes through clearly.

What is happening? Who is this chick that Grant knew so well?! I wonder as I strain to keep my mouth shut.

"You promise?" She reinforces.

"I promise. I appreciate you watching my friend's kid, it means a lot to me."

Who's watching who's kid? Glad to know I'm not the only one he lies to. Or does he really think Prince is Grayson's?

I try to peak around the corner and see what she looks like, but it's too foggy. I can only faintly see a tall skinny girl with long light brown hair and a tight red dress. My heart sinks as I realize she looks nothing like me.

"I'm happy to help out, he's such a sweet kid."

He laughs. "He's great, but he's definitely going to be a wild one."

"Only if he keeps spending time with you." Her annoyingly sweet voice is like nails on a chalkboard to me right now.

"I should go, I have to meet up with someone. Love you."

Oooh, that one hurt. Love? He loves her? Then what the h*ll does he feel about me?

"Okay, I have to go too, love you." I hear her high heels clicking on the hard, shiny floor as she walks away.

I try to look busy on my phone when she walks by. I want to rip her hair out of her head, but using all my strength, I refrain. The same sick feeling I felt when he was secretly texting Trisha and I saw their messages consumes me yet again.

Is Grant cheating on me? I remind myself that I kissed Grayson like a half hour prior and I didn't see Grant kissing her or anything. Don't be a hypocrite. I tell myself.

"Rinnie? There you are!" Grant pulls me tightly into him. "What took you so long?"

I look at Grant and mentally hit myself. He's wearing a read suit and black undershirt with a red and black mask covering half his face, basically the opposite of what Grayson is wearing. He looks so incredible my mind goes blank for a moment.

"What's wrong?" His eyes search me, full of concern.

"You look great." My voice is weak and my knees feel wobbly.

He smirks. "I look like trash compared to you. You're a goddess, you know that?"

I want to say thank you, I want to forget everything and fall into him, but I know I can't. All I can manage is a small smile. "Can we go somewhere private please?"

I want to hide as he analyzes my face. Grant is a professional at reading people and I really don't want him to figure out my thoughts out right now.

After a moment he gives up and nods. "Sure."

I take his hand in my unsteady one and walk him upstairs into one of the secluded rooms and close the door behind us.

He looks me up and down and sighs. "As tempted as I am to rip that dress you're wearing, I'm not going to, it's too much of a masterpiece."

"I kissed Grayson." I blurt out, my drunken state making it impossible to sugarcoat or wait for a more appropriate time to share the news. I really hope I don't ruin the party for him. I tell myself once again that I'm done drinking.

Grant's mouth drops. "What?!"

I step closer to him. "I thought he was you. It was so foggy and everyone's wearing a mask, I just got confused. I swear I didn't mean to do that."

Grant laughs without humor. "Yeah, I mean I see how you could get confused. He has green eyes; I have blue eyes."

He begins to pace. "He has dark brown hair, mine's dirty blonde. His hair is curly, mine's not. I mean even our voices are identical, how could you not get us confused." Sarcasm drips heavily from his voice.

"Grant it's really foggy and we didn't talk, I kissed him before he could speak. That was it, one kiss."

He looks at me in disbelief. "Oh well if you only kissed my friend once then it's no big deal."

I take a deep breath, trying not let my emotions control me. "If it wasn't an accident I wouldn't be here telling you right now, right after it happened."

"You sure you're not just telling me because you're afraid Grayson was going to beat you to it? Or maybe somebody saw you guys?"

I cross my arms, my anger rising. "Is that what you think of me? You think I'm a cheater?"

He shrugs. "I mean, you kissed me when you were dating Liam."

I slap him across the face. "Don't talk to me like I'm some sleezebag! That was different and you know it! You need to calm down."

Grant looks shocked for a moment, then grins. "You're unbelievable! You kiss someone else and somehow, I'm the bad guy?"

"Grant, I didn't mean to! I understand you being mad at me, but I will never let you talk to me like that."

My eyes start to fill with water. I'm about to frustrated cry. I seriously did not mean to kiss Grayson, I would never do that. I have no idea why I was so convinced he was Grant in that moment, but my intentions were always pure. The fact that Grant doesn't believe me, doesn't trust me stings so much more than anything I've ever felt. Grant and I have always trusted each other. For the first time, I start to wonder if crossing the line from friendship to dating has made us weaker rather than stronger.

Grant stares at me, expressionless.

I lean against the dresser to help me stand. "Who was that girl you were talking to in the hallway?"

He squints. "You were eavesdropping?"

"I was looking for you."

"Someone I knew before I moved here."

I take a deep breath. "You've been letting her watch Prince?"

He nods, taking a step back while running his hand through his hair.

"You love her?" I ask, not sure I want to hear the answer.

He freezes. "What?"

"Do you love her?" I keep my eyes on his.

"I love her, I'm not in love with her."

We stand in silence as I consider this. "What happened in your past that makes her worried about you?"

He looks at me impatiently. "Seriously, how long were you spying on me? You say I'm the one with no trust in you but look at yourself."

I try not to look hurt, but his words crush me. "I trust you, but that's not an answer, that's you avoiding yet another question."

He glares at me. "I don't owe you any kind of explanation."

"I'm just trying to be there for you."

"That's rich."

I push a piece of my hair behind my ear. "I care a lot about you."

"I used to think so."

I sigh. "I made a mistake, that I owned up to and explained to you."

"Can you actually stand in front of me and say that when you can't even tell me and my friend apart?" His voice shakes as he speaks.

I move a little closer to him, being careful not to scare him away. "Grant, what happened was an honest mistake."

He shakes his head and looks away. "If you say so."

We stand silently for awhile after that, which is louder than anything we could've said. I feel sick with the thought of losing Grant.

"What do you want to do?"

"Right now, I want to get drunk."

I roll my eyes. "Grant, about us."

He takes another step back. "Loving you hurts right now Rinnie."

My heart breaks hearing this. "Grant, I'm sorry. I promise I didn't mean to kiss him. I would never do that to you."

He looks at me and for the first time, Grant lets his pain show. Maybe because he wants me to see how much I've hurt him, maybe because he is too exhausted to hide it like he usually does. Whatever the reason, I can see how hurt he is. It destroys me.

I wrap my arms around him.

"Rinnie." He groans.

My arms just tighten around him. He slowly hugs me back, but only for a second before he gently moves my arms off of him. Despite how angry he is with me, he's still gentle.

"I can't be around you right now." He walks to the door and opens it without turning around.

I walk after him. "Grant. Please don't. We need to talk about this. It's not going to happen again, please just stay and hear me out!"

He stops in the doorway but still doesn't turn around. "I don't care what you do anymore. I don't want to talk to you right now."

That was the last time I saw Grant that night and for many nights after.