Thirty-Five.

Sidney was there. As soon as I walked in, I saw him. He was with a girl. He was with a girl. I kept repeating that statement. Then I went for the alcohol.

“Grace, what are you doing?” Liam asked me.

“drinking?”

“Drinking what?”

“I don’t know. Jordan made it.”

“You don’t drink.”

“Tonight, I do.”

“Its about Sidney, right?”

“Everything isn’t about a boy.” I said looking right at Sidney and the girl. He saw me and I just looked away.

“Grace.. its okay.” Liam said putting his arm around me. Sidney saw it and so did Maggie.

“You can’t do this here. You have Maggie.” I whispered.

“But you need me, so obviously I am going to be here.” He said.

“I’m fine.” I said walking away. It seemed like everywhere I turned I saw something that hurt. I either saw Sidney with some girl not even caring that I am here, I saw Kris and Rose having a great time which shouldn’t hurt but I want to have someone too, then I would turn to see Liam and Maggie. I didn’t have Sidney. I didn’t even have Liam, even if he says I do.

“Hey could you make me another drink?” I asked Jordan.

“Sure, Grace.” He said smiling.

“Hey, man. Where have you been? I haven’t seen you at all.” Sidney said.

“I’ve been making drinks.” He said handing me another drink.

“You drink now?” Sidney asked me.

“Apparently, I do.” I said taking a drink and leaving the situation.

I couldn’t even really tell you what I did the whole night. I talked to Rose here and there. I talked to Kris and Max at random moments. Liam kept trying to keep an eye out for me but Maggie was like tailing him the whole time. After awhile, I just decided that I was going to leave. Liam was standing talking to Jordan, Max, and Sidney. I figured I had to tell Liam I was leaving, so I sucked it up and went to talk to Liam even if Sidney was near by.

“Hey. I’m going to go.” I told Liam.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m just tired. I’ll see you later.” I said and he just looked at me.

“Have fun. Make sure you don’t strand Rose and text me or come into my room when you get back.” I said and walked away.

Sidney’s POV

“Sorry, I have to go with her.” Liam said.

“Liam, I’ll go.” I said.

It hurt to see Grace today. I really didn’t think she would be here tonight. I’m not really sure why I thought that. I should have figured she would be. I mean Liam is her best friend and Liam is like best friends with Jordan and TK. I was just so surprised to see her. I kept looking at her and then seeing her drink. I didn’t even know she drank. All I wanted to do is go up to her and talk to her, but I couldn’t figure out what to say. I didn’t even know why we stopped talking. I didn’t know if she was still mad about the Bahamas. I just needed to make sure she was okay and I for sure didn’t want her to walk home by herself.

“Grace, wait up.” I called to her. She stopped and looked back at me.

“What are you doing?” She asked me.

“I didn’t want you to walk home alone.”

“Sidney, Its like two blocks away.”

“Yeah, with drunk guys on every corner.” I said.

“Oh, wow. Didn’t know you cared.” She said.

“Of course, I care.” I said.

“Could have fooled me.” She said and kept walking.

“Grace, we really need to talk.” I said.

“Well we have two blocks.” She said.

“Are you mad about the Bahamas? Because I’m sorry, Grace. It was stupid, I shouldn’t have done it. I regret it. I regret how everything turned out this summer. You were the girl I wanted and I fucked up. I don’t know what else to say.”

“I’m not mad about the Bahamas.” She said.

“You are mad about something.”

“I’m mad because we haven’t talked in like a month and it doesn’t even matter. I had a great guy. He had our future planned. He loved me and was ready for the commitment. And I wasn’t because of you.” She said.

“You and James broke up?”

“Yeah.. I broke up with someone for a guy that I can’t have either.” She said.

“Grace, I still want to be with you.”

“You just want to be with other girls too.” She said.

“No, that’s not what I want.”

“Sidney.. listen.” She said stopping and looking right at me.

“I wish me and you could work.. but I just don’t think we can.” She said.

“Because of your parents.”

“No, I don’t care about my parents anymore. I shouldn’t have let them tell me who to date. That was my fault.”

“Then why can’t we be together?”

“Because of who you are. Everywhere we turn there are girls that want to be with you. Girls who think of you constantly. You are the man of their dreams. I can’t compete with that.”

“You don’t have to compete with that.”

“I do. I have to trust you enough to not care when you go out at night. OR not to worry when you are on a road trip. I want to trust you and I want to be like I missed you so bad. Because I did. I missed you and I like you but I just..”

“Grace.. you are my perfect girl. I may be the man of girls dreams, but you are the girl of my dreams.”

“Don’t say things like that.”

“It’s the truth.”

“Its not. It can’t be.”

“But it is. I missed you and I fucked up in the Bahamas. I want you and I can’t imagine not wanting you. I couldn’t stop looking at you. All I kept thinking is that I didn’t even know you drank. I don’t know so many things about you.. I want to know so many things about you. I want to know everything about you.”

“I don’t drink. I drank because when I walked in you were with a girl. I was drinking because I miss you and you didn’t even care that I was in the same room as you.”

“That’s not true. And the girl I didn’t even know. We weren’t together, we were just talking. We happened to sit by eachother. And of course I care that you were in the same room as me. I thought you were still with James.”

“I’m not.”

“I know that now. Grace, I just want another chance.” I said putting my hands on her waist. We were standing right infront of her apartment by now.

Grace’s POV

“I just don’t know.” I said and he kissed me.

“Please.” He said and I walked up the stairs to the door.

“You can come, obviously.” I said looking back at him.