Liam stared at his hands, trying desperately not to look at Brett, or even talk to him. Why had he done this? He'd be better off walking home.

"You know, I'm going to need some directions so we can- you know- leave the parking lot."

"Oh. Yeah." Liam was in a daze. He didn't know why he was trusting Brett. Yet, he didn't know why he trusted Theo either at first. Maybe Brett wasn't as bad as all that. Maybe he'd changed even?

"Liam?"

"Uh. Here's my address. Put it into the GPS..."

Brett looked at Liam with something akin to sorrow and irritation. "Liam. We can talk. He doesn't own you just because you two are friends."

"That's not-"

"You still don't trust me."

Liam just shrugged. Brett didn't really do anything except come on a little strong and talk about Theo. But... Didn't Theo do the same thing? Didn't Theo assume Liam was trying to sleep with him in the beginning? Didn't Theo talk about Brett like he was a bad guy?

"Look. It's hard for me. I don't know what to feel about the situation."

"You weren't there so you shouldn't really feel anything about it" Brett said as he gripped the steering wheel as tight as he could. "Not to be an asshole, but you're kind of being emotionally invested in something that doesn't involve you, but is also in the past. I've done my time and Theo can tell you what he wants about me and you'll believe it. That's fine. But you should know the whole story before you make decisions about people. Any people."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It just means watch your back. Everyone isn't as naïve and innocent as you obviously are..."

"I'm aware-"

"I don't think you are. Your best friend seems to be dating that bartender that broke me and Theo up. He's one of the people that talked Theo into being a stripper. Why would he do that?"

"Corey has been Theo's best friend for years."

"Yeah. And when the best friend wants to move out of the friend zone?"

Liam snorted out a laugh. "You have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh really? So you wouldn't like for Theo to stop seeing Josh?"

Liam paused, took a deep breath, and looked back at Brett "Theo isn't seeing Josh exclusively. You know this."

"Ah yes the whole whoring himself out thing he's doing, which he lied to me about when we were dating by the way."

Liam rolled his eyes "he wasn't- he didn't- oh my god you don't know anyth-"

"Yeah and neither do you."

Liam was taken aback by this. Brett was right. For all intents and purposes, Brett was right, Liam didn't know anything. Not about Theo. Not about Brett. Not about their past. Nothing. Brett was right and Liam... had to admit it. To himself. To Brett.

"You're right. I don't."

"YOU HAVE ARRIVED AT YOUR DESTINATION" called the GPS. Neither of them moved. Liam couldn't make himself get out of the vehicle. He felt guilty. He felt like garbage. He knew he was able to trust Theo, but did that really mean that he shouldn't trust Brett?

"Do you want to come in?" Liam found himself saying, almost unwillingly. He still wanted to know more. He hated that he dismissed Brett so quickly just because he was overly flirtatious.

Then again...

"Sure"

"I'd like to know the whole story. What actually is the difference between your story and Theo's."

Liam went to the refrigerator to grab himself and Brett drinks.

"So. What happened?"

"Where did we leave off?"

"He wanted you to be a recluse. Why would he do that?"

"Hell if I know. Maybe he didn't want me to meet any of his side pieces."

"Well maybe he just wanted you to have a regular schedule because he cared."

"If he cared, he'd allow me to have friends."

"He helped you do sports and stuff though."

"Only so people didn't ask questions."

"Why are you so quick to assume-"

"Why are you so quick to trust?"

They both looked at each other with accusation and irritation. They stared each other down for several moments, neither breaking the silence. Not until Liam looked down at the floor. "I have to trust him... he's the only person that knows every part of me and doesn't treat me differently... doesn't flinch... he doesn't treat me like I'm fragile, and equally, like I'm already broken."

Brett took this in. Processing it for what it was. Liam was damaged in a way Theo could understand, so he felt obligated to him. It wasn't fair, in Brett's mind, to manipulate Liam like that. To make him feel like he was the only one who could understand him. Of course Brett had to ask, "and what could possibly make people think you were less than perfect?" He asked with a small laugh, but a smile that was verging into smirk territory. He looked at Liam's hand on his lap. He thought about reaching over, but he didn't want to freak him out.

"Oh please. What a line" Liam laughed.

"I'm serious. I've thought you were gorgeous from the moment I saw you."

Liam started to fidget with his beer bottle. He was trying to will away a blush, but it was unsuccessful.

"You're blushing" Brett said with a low, predatory voice. "It's adorable."

"I'm not. It's just the beer."

"You've had like three sips."

"Yeah, well, I'm a lightweight." Liam rolled his eyes. Why did Brett think his blushing was adorable? Why did he pay attention to how much he drank?

"Liam. Have you ever been with a man?"

Liam's eyes shot up, his breaths became shallow and ragged. If he thought he was blushing before, his face was completely painted now.

"NO! WHY WOULD YOU- I'm not-"

"Liam. It's just a question. I was just curious because the puppy dog eyes you constantly have for Theo and how red you get when you get compliments from another guy. Thought you might be into men" Brett shrugged, laughing it off like nothing.

But it wasn't nothing.

This was a crucial moment for Liam.

He was trying to figure out how he felt about Theo and males in general and Brett was clearly making fun of it.

"Look. I've never considered it."

"Your best friend is gay and you've never considered it?"

"It's not something that I've spent a lot of time thinking about... I- my ex- she was-"

"A prude. Judgmental. Not very experimental compared to others."

"Yeah well... she was my first. My only."

"Oh wow."

"Yeah. Apparently she had issues with Mason that they never told me about."

"Do you think it was about you being gay?"

Liam gawked at Brett in disbelief. He was only just considering the possibility that he might be having a crush on one guy. He wasn't even sure what all that entailed. He didn't even tell Mason about anything yet. He just asked Theo some basic questions...

But...

This could explain some things.

Why Hayden and Mason didn't get along.

Why Mason moved out.

Why they couldn't talk about sex.

Hayden was scared Liam was being influenced by Mason.

That wasn't the case though.

If Hayden had never left, Liam wouldn't have even got that drunk for his twenty-first birthday and stayed with Theo. A complete stranger at the time.

He wouldn't have probably even met Theo outside of the hotel or the bar. Mason hadn't talked to Liam about his preferences since high school lacrosse. Not in a serious way. He'd just accepted that Liam thought some people were more attractive than others in general.

Then Hayden left.

Things changed.

"Yooo. Still with us?"

"I believe she was paranoid and then I met Theo. He's really the only one that I-"

Brett looked at Liam smirking. "That you what?"

"The only guy that I feel like I could fall for..."

"You sure about that?" Brett looked at Liam deep, intense, and a little playful. He wasn't trying to seduce him, but he wasn't fully believing that he'd never had warm fuzzy feelings for a man before Theo. There was just no way.

Liam looked away. He couldn't handle another stare-down.

"I've been attracted to other guys... but not... the same way..." Liam said, soft as a whisper, and still not looking at Brett. He had to keep some illusion of his dignity in tact.

"That's good. For a minute there, I thought I wouldn't have a chance."