Stop me on the corner
I swear you hit me like a vision
I, I, I wasn't expecting
But who am I to tell fate where it's supposed to go with it
Don't you blink you might miss it
See we got a right to just love it or leave it
You find it and keep it
Cause it ain't every day you get the chance to say

Oh, this is how it starts, lightning strikes the heart
It goes off like a gun, brighter than the sun

Colbie Caillat – Brighter Than The Sun

Chapter 8: Giving In

Lexi

The scene on my porch played over and over again in my head as I arranged my hair in the country club bathroom, where our prom was being held. I was disappointed – I thought prom would be so much more than what it was right now. I guess going stag and only being at Forks High for less than a semester had something to do with it, but still...I had built the night up in my mind and couldn't help but feel it was a total letdown. Something seemed to be missing as soon as I stepped into the country club. I stared at myself in the mirror, barely able to see my own reflection. Brady's face as he said he would never bother me again kept replaying in my mind.

Well, at least he was true to his word.

I hadn't heard a peep from him since that day. The constant rain had kept him from working on our carriage house, not that I was complaining. I stared at my reflection in the mirror, my own cruel words from that day coming back to me. I realized the truth – I'd be paralyzed if I ran into him. I wouldn't know what to say.

But the crazy part was...I wanted to. Badly.

Shaking the thought from my head, I checked my phone for the millionth time that night. What was I expecting? For him to call? He didn't even have my number, for heaven's sake. I was definitely losing what was left of my sanity. I had asked him to leave me alone, and he had obeyed my wishes. So why was I disappointed? I'd never felt dumber in my entire life. I had made a mistake telling him to stay away from me, and now I was forced to live with it.

Regan's words from earlier ran in my head. "Lex, if you wanted to bring Brady, I would have been totally fine with it. I couldn't care less."

Part of me envied my friend for being so forgiving. Sure, it took two to tango; however, I knew Brady had been less than chivalrous about the situation in the past. But Regan didn't seem to hold it against him anymore. I guess for her, the hope that Seth would someday return her feelings were enough. She denied up and down to liking him, but I wasn't blind. I saw the way she blushed when he walked into the room. But did that alone make my strange fascination with Brady okay?

Shaking my head to clear my niggling thoughts, I grabbed a few glasses of punch and headed back outside to the gazebo where my friends were. I honestly didn't know how to feel. Or how to even pretend to feel, really. I handed Claire and Regan each a drink before leaning on the railing of the gazebo and staring out into the rain. I hadn't imagined rain on a night like tonight, but somehow it seemed fitting. I wasn't really in a 'prom' sort of mood, so the rain didn't bother me as much as it should have on prom night. What really bothered me was the ongoing conversation that kept going back to Brady.

"Brady's a moody bitch, Lexi, you should at least throw the guy a bone and talk to him," Zeke offered, walking up beside me. I gave him a grimace as Claire shoved his shoulder with a scowl. Regan shrugged and gave me a look that clearly said 'Whatcha gonna do'.

I tried my best to play it off.

"Ulgh, gross. He's done nothing but stalk me since we met. Talk about weird," I said, forcing the words out. They stuck in my throat, but I wanted to pay off my strange obsession with the boy I couldn't have. "I mean, he just randomly shows up wherever I go. He follows me around like a lost puppy. Lame."

I watched the faces of my friends as I spoke, and I think Zeke bought it by the way he chuckled. Claire and Regan, I'm not so sure. They both gave me apologetic glances before turning their attention elsewhere. I took a sip of Regan's punch as she rubbed my shoulder. I shook my head at my own stupidity. I guess I kept believing that if I said the words often enough, my mind would accept them. Nothing could be further from the truth.

I wasn't fooling anyone.

"Well, then you're really about to freak out..." Claire muttered behind me. I looked up, craning my neck to see what she was looking at. In the doorway that led to the outside where we were standing, was Brady.

"Son of a bitch," Zeke muttered.

There he was.

My stomach dropped to the floor, my palms began to sweat, and my heart started to race in my chest as I stood there, gaping at him. He had showed up after all!

Brady stood in the doorway, staring straight at me, his hands tucked casually into his tuxedo. I felt my jaw drop open on its own accord, and I could barely snap it shut. He looked...stunning. It was as if he walked straight out of the pages of Vogue, and here he was – to see me. My stomach was suddenly full of nervous butterflies and my heart began slamming against my ribcage. What on earth was he doing here? Was he here to see me? Of course he was, but why? A million questions began flying through my mind as I stood, unable to move. He stared at me from the doorway, oblivious to everything else. It was as if I was the center of his universe, the only thing he saw.

I gulped.

He took a few purpose-filled strides, arriving to where we stood in a matter of seconds. The breath I'd been holding came sweeping out of my mouth as I fought to remain in control. "What are you doing here?" I heard myself stutter. I was so nervous that my voice sounded like it belonged to someone else. I could hear the waver in it and that made me clench my fists.
I had to be strong. I couldn't show him that he was my weakness.

My kryptonite.

Stay in control, Lexi. Don't let him get to you, I thought furiously.

Brady quirked an eyebrow at me, clenching his own fists as he stood near me, his eyes flashing down to my dress. I wanted to cover myself from his prying eyes; how dare he size me up like a piece of meat! My emotions got the better of me as I huffed angrily.
I could feel my stony exterior crumbling as I tried to hold it together.

"I um...thought you might need a date for the prom."

I felt my jaw go slack for the second time. A flash of anger suddenly surged through me as I stood in front of him, oblivious to our friends. "What part of me calling you a 'complete psycho stalker' did you not get? Was I not clear enough in that assessment?"
I watched him clench his jaw in a defiant yet incredibly sexy manner. I felt my knees quake in response, but I refused to let it show. We had an audience. He ripped his hand through his black hair, practically shoving the white rose he held in his hand at me. I took it and tried not to let my jaw drop.

Was this guy insane?

How many times had I shot him down?

How many times would it take?

He was no good for me.

No good for me, no good for me, I chanted in my head.

As if that would change a damn thing about how I actually felt.

"I heard you were going stag...thought maybe you'd change your mind if I showed up."

His hopeful words hung in the air as I cringed. Zeke shifted uncomfortably next to Regan, and Claire elbowed him sharply to keep him from talking. My eyes darted to theirs for help, but the looks on their faces told me that they clearly had none.

"You're...insane," I finally spat out. There. I had said it. Maybe now he would believe it and leave me alone.

But, looking at him there in his tux, still misty from the rain, his tan jaw clenched and his hair sticking up in all directions...I could barely finish my thought. Did I really want him to leave me alone? I couldn't even convince myself anymore. He was too much for me to handle, clearly. He didn't even appear surprised that I had called him insane – in fact, he looked like he knew he deserved it.
He sighed, eyeing Regan with a leery glance. It was clear, without a doubt, that he was suspicious of what she had said about me by the look they exchanged, but I tried my best to look away.

"Look, just give me a chance, Lexi, I...argh!" he growled, his face growing redder. The tips of his ears were practically purple from his outburst, and for a moment I was almost frightened.

More than anything though, I was completely overwhelmed.

Very overwhelmed.

I brushed past him, still holding the rose, and rushed down the brick sidewalk towards the back doors of the country club. I had to get away from him before I did or said something I would regret.

I was scared – my resolve was wavering. I tore across the dance floor, the faces of my classmates blurring past me. Surely they were wondering why I was tearing through the place like I was on fire, but I didn't care. All I could think about was getting away from him. I burst through a set of swinging doors that led to a quiet hallway, my angry breaths the only noise beside the muted music.
Seconds later, Brady burst through after me just in time to see me smack the wall with the white rose angrily.

"I'm out on a limb here, Lex."

"My name's Lexi."

"Lexi, whatever...just...come on. Please? I'm begging..." he stopped, swallowing roughly. I could tell he wanted to eat his words, but I was going to let him finish.

He clenched his fists at his side, shaking his head at me as he leaned on the opposite wall of the tiny hallway. "I'm...I'm begging you to just please..."

"Brady..."

His head tilted up, his dark eyes pleading. "Please. Give me a chance. You won't regret it. I swear."

My words were caught in my throat. I wanted to believe him, but...could I? I had been hurt so much lately – even if it was by family members, it still hurt. Could I take it again? What if Brady did the same thing to me that he did to Regan? Was this a knockoff plot of some stupid teen movie where he was only trying to get me into bed in the first place? I wasn't sure if I could stand to be devastated like that.

This was no movie.

Apparently, my silence was enough for him. He sighed heavily, his face growing redder again before he tore off. I heard the loud clatter of glassware being thrown to the floor as he raced back through the kitchen in the same way we had come.

Shoulders slumped, I sighed. That wasn't how I wanted things to turn out – at all. I hadn't meant to hurt him, even if he did deserve it. But I had. Leaning back against the wall, I examined the white rose that I had used to smack the wall. Its petals were still sweet smelling, yet irreparably frayed and bruised. "You look like what I feel," I told it, letting my hand drop by my side.

I was alone, and Brady had left. I had gotten what I wanted. Tonight had obviously been the final straw with him, and I wouldn't be shocked if he never spoke to me again.

That was what I always wanted – for him to leave me alone. So why did I feel so bad?

The next day, my eyes flew open at the sound of a hammer. Brady. The first thing they landed on was on that damn rose sitting by my pillow.

Shit, I thought. If those weren't perfect examples of bad juju, I'm not sure what was. Was life trying to bitch slap me? Sitting up, my thoughts were confirmed as my head pounded and my chest felt concave. I imagined that this would be what a hangover felt like, not that I would ever know. I resisted the urge to run to the window to see him – actually see him – for about fifteen seconds. Before I knew it, my hand was pulling back the soft, gauzy material of my curtains and I was peeking down into the driveway below. Brady was pounding away at the frame of the carriage house with a hammer. Who the hell uses a hammer anymore. Before long, the board he was hammering groaned and splintered against his blows, cracking miserably in two.

The board felt just like my chest. Cracking.

I watched him carefully, a painful burn settling in my chest. It was unlike anything I had felt before – like a dull heartburn. But this twisted and bended, aching as I stood there. Was I going crazy? What would happen if I went out there and talked to him? If he was smart, he would pummel me like I deserved. Or at least I felt like I deserved it. I had jerked him around enough, so I deserved anything he threw at me, really.

With a grumble, I shuffled back into bed and flopped down. Maybe more sleep would make me feel better. I slept off and on, my mind playing tricks on me as it tortured me with cruel dreams. I dreamt of a field of white roses that soon became doused in blood every time I took a step. The image was horrifying, so naturally, I wanted to get away. With each attempt of escape, the roses became tattered with the weight of the heavy, rust smelling liquid.

I gave up on sleep around two in the afternoon. It was useless. I couldn't escape Brady any longer, even if I wanted to. The gnawing feeling in my gut wasn't going away, and neither was the empty, hollow feeling in my chest. A quick glance at the rain outside told me Brady was long gone – it was too wet for him to work. I knew I had to do something – I didn't want to feel like this forever.

Picking up my phone, I haphazardly typed in a message.

Can we meet somewhere and talk?

My phone buzzes almost instantly.

Sure. I kinda expected this after last night.

Thanks, I typed back. After arranging a meeting place, I jumped into my car and left. I took the wet roads cautiously, navigating my way into Forks. When I pulled into the sole coffee shop in town, I threw my coat over my head and dashed inside. Regan was already waiting.

"Is everything okay?" she asked quietly, her green eyes worried.

I plopped down and nodded. She pushed something steaming and covered in whipped cream and sprinkles my way, which I gladly accepted.

"I need to talk to you," I said firmly, "about Brady. I'm going to give him a chance."

I didn't need Regan to respond. The expression on her face said it all.

"You're sure about this?" she asked skeptically, pushing her spoon around in her drink. Her tone is questioning, but not judgmental. I was kinda glad Claire wasn't here – I had a feeling she would have a tad more to say about it than Regan would.

I nod. "I...I have to."

She remained quiet, waiting for me to continue. I shifted in my seat and tucked my hair behind my ears and prepared to talk. "I just...I feel like I should. He has tried so hard, and...he makes me crazy. He's just always around and driving me nuts, but I look forward...I guess I am going nuts, I can't even finish a sentence I—" I stutter, unable to even get my thoughts out. "The thought of not giving him a chance is making me a hell lot crazier than the idea of giving him one. Does that...make sense?"

She nodded slowly, stirring her drink again. I was grateful that the local coffee shop was quiet that day. I knew I sounded like a mental patient, rambling on about something I shouldn't be. Forks had one coffee place, and it was a cozy knock-off Starbucks that served better coffee for less money. Normally I would be enjoying the eclectic little shop, but today I could barely keep my thoughts straight. I felt completely rattled, like I had a hundred shots of the espresso. My thoughts and words were jumbled and messy, and I knew I sounded like a lunatic.

"Strangely...yes," she finally said. "I do understand."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "Seth," I state, and she just shrugs as if to say, 'duh.'

"I'm at the point where I don't know what to do. I want to avoid him because he was such a jerk to you, but—"

"Let me...stop you right there, Lex. You've got to make your own decision about him. Don't forget what I said, but...people do change."

I slumped down in my seat and stared at the sugary sprinkles as they melted into my whipped cream. "That's what Patrick said too."

"And isn't he usually right?"

"But is that the point?"

"No, but...I can tell you want to talk to him, Lexi. You wouldn't be here if you didn't."

"True."

"So why do you need my approval? If that's what this is about, then I say yes. Go for it. Give the guy a chance."

"But how can you say that after everything?"

She gazed out the window, a far-off look in her eyes. "I guess people just...move on. They forgive and just...move on. And I have."

"You're sure?"

"I'm sure. You wouldn't offend me if you dated him. Or talked to him. I've got other things to worry about."

"Right. Well...I just wanted to make sure. Girls aren't supposed to give guys like Brady the time of day after he did what he did to you."

She sighed. "Well...I was young and dumb and drunk, and I said yes. I was a willing participant, which at that point in my life, is believable, right? I mean...he's hot as hell, and I sure wanted him. It wasn't like he forced himself on me or anything. I went after him and didn't change my mind until after."

"I guess."

"It wasn't all his fault; I guess is what I'm saying."

"But back to what you said...about people changing. Do you think people can change if they're motivated?"

She nodded. "Some people, yes. Others, no. Are you going to let Brady show you he can change?"

I leaned forward, taking another sip of my drink as I mulled it over. Regan did the same, shifting in her seat.

"Look, you obviously want to talk to him and give him a chance. So why don't you? You'd at least feel somewhat sane again. I'd hope."

I gave her a wry look. "But I can't just hope he's changed. What if I get all...well... more invested than I already am and he just does the same thing to me?"

Regan leaned forward, her green eyes blazing into mine. "Don't let him."

After talking to Regan, I wasn't sure what to do. I had officially given up on resisting him – I was going to give him a shot. But how was I going to do that? I drove home in the late afternoon drizzle, utterly confused, a thousand questions blazing through my mind. Regan was clearly not against me talking to Brady, and had given me her blessing. I felt like a good girlfriend by doing that – the last thing I wanted to do was hurt one of my best friends.

Now that it was okay to talk to him, I wasn't sure where to start.

A sudden 'crack' of my tire and a rough jostling tore my attention back to the road. I swerved slightly and slammed on the brakes, just barely making it to the side of the twisting road. I jammed the gear forward into 'park' and gasped.

"What the hell?" I asked myself. I scowled, unbuckled my seat belt and got out of the car to take a look. I groaned when I saw how deep the pothole I ran over was. If I had been paying attention, I would have easily missed it, however...thoughts of Brady had consumed me. Mentally kicking myself, I growled and kicked the flat tire with a grunt.

Crap. Now I'm in big trouble, I thought with a sigh.

I hurried back inside the car and picked up my cell phone, groaning when I saw the no cell signal sign. Well fuck, this wasn't my day.

"Come on...come on..." I urged, jumping back out of the car. I waved the phone around in the air while pressing 'send', but to no avail. I was officially stuck. Stuck at the mercy of whatever lunatic that came driving by to rescue me. But this was Forks. People were nice and normal here, right?

Right?

I bit my lip and glanced up the winding country road. Unfortunately, we lived kind of far away from town, so I was really out of luck. I waited for fifteen minutes – still nothing. It was getting darker and darker out, and I had to think of something fast. But what? I was miles away from home and town. I began to panic as a rumbling sound could be heard in the distance.

My stomach sank as I realized that noise belonged to one truck and one truck only.

Brady.

It looked like we were going to talk, no matter what. I only hoped that after the way I'd treated him, he would stop to help me. I gulped as it came into view. The huge truck rumbled past, and I felt my heart sinking. I deserved that.

The squeak of his brakes made me look up, and I almost cried with relief when he pulled over. I leaned against my car, arms crossed as he jumped out and stalked towards me. His face was dark as he walked right past me, bending down to examine my shattered tire. His knees cracked as he bent down to take a look, his arm reaching out to touch the wheel.

I took a deep breath and spoke, silently praying that this wouldn't be any harder than it already was. "What are you doing out here?"

His eyes flashed up to me, their dark color appearing to glow in the approaching twilight. "Stalking you, apparently," he spat.

I felt a pang in my chest as his words hit me. I deserved that too. He frowned and looked at the tire again. "How far did you drive it after you did this? Thing is shot."

"I don't know...a few yards?"

He snorted. "More like a few hundred. I can see the pothole from here, why did you drive over that? Jesus," he groaned, "you bent the axle. Why the hell were you driving like that? Don't you know it could be dangerous?"

My emotions were quickly getting the better of me, along with his cutting words. "I don't know! I don't know, okay? I was just thinking and driving, and...if all you're going to do is be like this, then...then just go."

He cocked his head and stared at me, his expression softening. I listened as he kicked at the pavement with his boot awkwardly, heaving a sigh. I could tell he felt bad for snapping at me. I guess that was something I'd have to get used to – Brady clearly had a temper that he constantly allowed to get the better of him. I was flipping his triggers and I knew it.

"I um...I was going to your house to talk to your dads, actually. Get their choices on siding. I can give you a ride. I can't fix this here, you did too much damage. We'll have to call a tow truck."

I bit my lip to keep from crying. "Oh."

"Do you want a ride?"

I glanced up the darkening road, scared of what might become of me if I stayed. Of course I wanted to go with him – I had given in, finally. But the stubborn part of me wanted to stay just to prove a point. What that point was, I wasn't sure.

He shifted on his feet for a second before glancing up the road with a worried look. Something in his gaze changed as he surveyed the area around us with a thoughtful yet calculating stare. There was something strange about the way he scanned the road several times.

"What is it?" I asked. "This isn't a dangerous area, is it?"

"No, just…"

I looked up and frowned. "Why do you look like that then? Like you're expecting something to jump out at us?"

"No, let's just go, we shouldn't…if you don't want to go with me, then-"

"Why?"

His dark eyes ignited with emotion as his head jerked up. "You want to stand out here in the cold? It's going to rain harder soon, and...if you want to stay, fine, then stay. It will be pitch black out here in twenty minutes. I don't care anymore. I know I disgust you, alright? I know. Fuck….I just don't give a shit, Lexi," he snapped.

I groaned. "No, I meant why shouldn't we stay out here?"

His face changed at my question, realizing he had misunderstood and flown off the handle. "Oh...um," he looked around nervously, licking his lips, "wild animals. Other crap like that. This is Washington, not Laguna Beach."

"There are bears and things in California, I'm not stupid," I retorted.

He cocked his head and glared at me. "Right, and things like that were just hanging out in your backyard?"

"Well...no, but..."

He looked at me weirdly, frowning. "Anywhere can be dangerous. We're out in the middle of the woods, out in the middle of nowhere. Not that would stop-" he cut himself off, shaking his head. "Nevermind."

I frowned. This was Forks, not some ghetto after midnight. Why did he suddenly look so nervous to be out on the side of the road? Not that I wanted to particularly stay there, but still…now he had me curious. He didn't seem like he was talking about wild animals all the sudden.

"Not that that would stop what?"

"Nothing. We can talk about it later, just-"

"-You're being weird. What are you talking about?" I demanded.

"We shouldn't stay out here. Come on, I'll take you home. Just get in the truck," he snapped.

After grabbing my purse, I followed behind him silently. He opened the door to his truck, and I ungracefully climbed inside, wincing as he slammed the door. He was angry and had every right to be. But I had seen softness in his eyes too. What did it all mean? I couldn't take his mood swings sometimes. I deserved it. He has every right to be angry with me. I've blown him off countless times, I reminded myself.

He jumped in the driver's seat and slammed his own door shut, casting yet another dark look in my direction.

Oh yeah. He was pissed.

Brady angry was quite the sight, I realized as he drove. His face turned a little darker, his eyes dilated until they were almost black, and a vein in his forehead popped out. If I didn't hate it so much it would be almost comical.

Turning the key in the ignition, his loud truck roared to life and we started down the road. It was getting darker now, and the light mist of rain that had been falling was quickly turning into a heavy downpour. I guess I was glad Brady had come by – as un-scared as I pretended to be, the side of the country road was not where I would spend my ideal evening. Leaning back against the seat, I tried to relax for the rest of the drive home. It didn't look like he was going to talk to me, and that was fine. Every time he did, he just snapped at me or went off. He was unbelievably blowing hot and cold all the time.

I was never sure which version I would get.

"I'll call a tow truck for you when we get back. My friend owns a shop."

His voice cut through the silence, startling me. I gaped at him, shocked that he was suddenly speaking to me in an oddly calm fashion. I felt like I was on the end of a yo-yo, and he was the one holding it.

"Oh um...okay. Thanks."

He nodded. "Not too much further. I know you don't want to be here."

I sighed. "Can you pull over?"

His head whipped around to stare at me. "What? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I just want to talk to you," I snapped. "I don't want to do this in my driveway with my dads watching. Now pull over."

He grunted in response and pulled over to the road shoulder, slamming his truck into park. I sighed and clenched my hands, picking my words carefully.

"Well?" he snapped.

I turned my head to scowl at him. I reached up and smoothed down my frizzy hair. I normally straightened it or put it into loose curls, but the local weather didn't do much for it. I was suddenly very self-conscious as I tried to muster up my courage. "I don't want to stay away from you...anymore," I mumbled.

He was quiet for a few moments, and of course it felt like an eternity.

"What?"

"You heard me."

He leaned back against the seat, a tiny breath leaving his mouth. "What changed your mind?"

I shook my head in frustration and sighed. "Nothing, just...a lot of things. I don't want to date you, I just...we could be friends," I stammered. I took the chance to look at him and found his eyes wide in surprise.

"You mean that?" he asked in an incredulous tone.

"I said it."

"We could really be like...friends? You won't hate me?" he continued asking, looking at me like I had lost my mind. I had honestly expected him to hate the whole 'lets be friends' routine. Maybe he didn't actually want to get into my pants and really did want to be friends.

"No, I never hated you. I just….was trying to make it easier to avoid you by being…off-putting."

His eyebrows shot up his forehead as he stared out the front window of his truck. "I think that's putting it lightly."

"Well….it's easier to avoid people if you…I don't know. I don't know how to do this."

He smiled softly and gripped his steering wheel. "Friends," he said reverently, his voice soft.

My shoulders slumped. "You're like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, you know that? Yes, we can be friends. I never hated you. I just...didn't know how to handle your...attention."

He sighed. "I'm sorry. I have a tendency to be a little...to come on a little strong. I don't mean it. I just...I'm not good at relationships."

I shifted uncomfortably on the worn seat. "I said I don't want to date. I meant...whatever I meant. I just want whatever this is between us to stop and just...let's just be friends."

"What's between us?"

"We drive each other crazy!" I exclaimed. "We fight and bicker and pick on each other."

He smiled. "It's hot."

"Brady," I chided. "Friends."

That seemed to be enough for him. "You mean it?"

I nodded, looking forward again. His eyes were too much to handle right now, trapped in the truck with him. Him and his delicious, masculine scent. I inhaled the smell of pine and some kind of masculine soap, reveling in the way it lingered on my senses. I didn't trust myself to not say or do something even more stupid than I already had.

"Friends. Now can we go home?"

He nodded, pulling onto the road. He glanced in his rearview a few times, but I was too preoccupied to realize it. He seemed happy that we had agreed to not hate each other. By the time we pulled into my driveway, the silence between us was looming. Forgiveness seemed to linger in the air, but we were unsure about what to say about it. It was weird, really. I'd had the idea of pushing him away in my head for so long that I didn't know how to be friendly.

"I have to talk to your dads," he explained when he put the truck into park. I nodded and let myself out, following him up to the side door. He opened it and gestured for me to go first. I walked in to see Patrick and my dad standing at the kitchen counter, cooking dinner.

"Lex," my dad said brightly, his eyes darting behind me, "and Brady. Did you two...?"

"I hit a pot hole and bent something—"

"Her axel."

"Right, and...Brady happened to be on his way over, so he gave me a ride. That's all," I said quickly, avoiding Patrick's questioning gaze. My dad nodded, glancing over at Brady.

"Did you need something, son?"

Brady nodded, pulling out a heavy looking binder with a bunch of siding samples to show to my dad. I walked over to Patrick and gave him a smile. "What's cooking?"

"Vegetarian vegan lasagna...or something...your father is on a vegan kick."

I wrinkled my nose. "Is that a gay thing?"

He chuckled as he sliced up a tomato. "No, thank you, it's not. My favorite thing to do is to grill a piece of red meat and then gnaw it down to the bone. Your father...he's experimenting."

I bit back a laugh and watched as Brady explained the various differences in the samples to my dad. I'm surprised that he actually sounded quite knowledgeable and well-spoken – I'd never actually seen the business side of him before. Seeming to sense my eyes, he glanced up and caught me looking. I looked away quickly and mentally kicked myself. Only hours before, I'd agreed to let myself be friends with him – now here we were in my kitchen exchanging 'looks'. I picked up a piece of tomato and slipped it into my mouth, chewing it thoughtfully. What would being friends with Brady entail? He answered that question as I walked him to the door an hour later. We were getting ready to eat, and he had politely declined my dad's invitation to dinner.

I breathed a major sigh of relief on that one.

"Your dad is calling a tow. It's being taken to my buddy, Jake's shop. I'll take a look at it tomorrow."

I leaned against the door and frowned. "You do cars too?"

"Yeah, old hobby. We all kinda hang around the shop."

"We?"

He balked. "Oh, yeah...me and some of the guys from the rez. I think Jake bought the shop, hoping we would go there and play with cars instead of getting into trouble when we were teens."

"Oh," I said slowly. "Well...I'll see you around, I guess."

He gave me a strange, lingering look but nodded. "Yeah. Around. As friends."

I gave him a weak wave and let the door shut. "Right. Friends," I reminded myself. "Just friends."

I know I know, many of you were like "Gah, I hate Lexi, have her give Brady a break!" Well….she is. She is officially giving into Brady.

Thank you to NinkyBaby for beta-ing! Poor girl has had a heck of a time lately with RL!

BIG NEWS! I am up for several Jacob Black & The Pack Awards! Please go (the link is on my profile) and vote! Voting is now open and LTP, Regan, Lexi, and even little old ME are up for awards. So um….if you're reading, please take 10 seconds out of your day to vote….NinkyBaby took LOADS of time to beta this and I took even longer to write it. Please? *Shameless begging*