“Yes. Spell it out for me.”
I sighed. “You seem to have come here for the fame and to make a spectacle of yourself. I’ve spent pretty much my entire life avoiding spectacles. I don’t think we have a lot in common.”
“Avoiding spectacles, huh? That doesn’t sound like much fun.” He took the next piece I handed him.
I fought the urge to glare at him. “I’m fun. Are you trying to imply that I’m not? Just because I’m not thriving in this setting, doesn’t mean I’m not fun.”
He chuckled. “You probably weren’t thriving in any setting, if someone signed you up to be here.”
I couldn’t believe his audacity. “Excuse me?” No one ever had the guts to say something like that to my face. Not after what I had been through. But Grant didn’t look the least bit apologetic.
“I know you went through some hard shit, but what’s your plan now? Just wallow your life away until you die?”
“You don’t even know me!” I exclaimed, standing up and momentarily forgetting about the task at hand—and the camera that I’m sure was zooming in on my face.
“And whose fault is that?”
I rubbed my forehead in frustration. “Why are you saying all this stuff, Grant? What’s the point? Are you just trying to get under my skin?”
He looked up at me from where he still hovered by the unfinished wall. “In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t have much of a filter.”
“Can you just filter it a little bit so we can get through this challenge?”
“Sure,” he said easily. Too easily.
I resumed handing him the next piece of the wall and he screwed it in. But by the time he was done, he already seemed eager to talk again.
“I didn’t mean to upset you.” The softness in his voice had me jerking my head up. “I know that’s why most people don’t like me. I can be a lot. And sometimes I don’t know how to be any less.”
Frowning, I handed him another piece. “You should just be yourself,” I said.
“I’m always myself.” He grinned, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “That’s usually what puts people off.”
“Not everyone,” I insisted, suddenly feeling the need to reassure him, even though ten minutes ago I would have probably wholeheartedly agreed with that statement.
“It puts you off,” he pointed out.
I chewed the inside of my lip, feeling slightly guilty. “Maybe I’m just a sensitive person.”
Grant tipped his head back and laughed. “You definitely are sensitive, but that has nothing to do with your aversion to me.”
“Hey!” I exclaimed.
“What? You thought I was going to deny it? You can call me a lot of things, Calla, but not a liar.”
We stared at each other for a moment before I finally gave in. “Fine, you’re right. I am sensitive. And maybe I did find you a little off-putting. We’re obviously very different people, so I never bothered to try and get to know you.”
“And that seems fair to you?” he questioned.
“You’re right.” I sighed. “I thought I knew enough, so I relied on my initial perception of you, and that’s not fair.Because in reality, I know nothing about who you are, why you’re here.” I paused for a moment, assessing him. “Or, for that matter, why you picked me today.”
Wordlessly, Grant moved back to screwing in the next piece of the wall.
After a few moments, I scoffed. “What? Are you done talking to me now? You really won’t tell me why you picked me?”
I whipped my hair into a ponytail in frustration.
Grant wouldn’t meet my eyes. “I’m sorry about all this,” he said. “I picked you because Sofia begged me to. She wanted to be with Eli, so I said yes. And I’m sorry I did. I don’t want to mess anything up for you.”
