"What? You Did?"

"Yes. And why don't you sound too surprised?" She asked frustratingly taking a sit beside me, quirking an eyebrow at me.

"Because it looked like you guys had something going on".

"No we didn't. We just used to flirt here and there", she sighed,"Grace I am not ready for this. My last relationship didn't go that great".

"Tell me something... Do you like him?"

"Yeah I do. I always had a crush on him", she was blushing.

"Then don't let your past ruin your future. If this turns into something good then let it be. But first- talk to him. Don't just avoid him just because you slept with him".

"How did you know I was avoiding him?" she asked a little shocked by this. "He doesn't want this to be just a one night stand", she said.

"I know you too well Sophie. So what are you waiting for? Go and tell him what you want. That boy deserves a chance", I mused.

She nodded her head, smiling at me. "Grace you are the best!" she hugged me. "So I was wondering if your best friend position was vacant or not. Since I am interested to take up that position".

I laughed, "We are not in middle school anymore Soph. Just because we stopped talking that didn't stop you from being my best friend. You will always be my best friend".

"Does that mean I am hired?"

"Let me think about that...", I pretended to think about it by tapping my chin. She playfully threw a pillow at me.

............

"Why are you acting all sneaky today?" I asked Max who was ignoring me the whole day, and not only him. Even Audrey was being all furtive today.

"Nothing. Just be at the roof at 7 pm today. You will see".

"Ugghhh why is everyone telling me to do that? Audrey told me the same too", I tried to bribe her with cake but that didn't even work on her.

Max kissed me on the lips,"You will see. Just be there".

...........

I climbed up the stairs exactly at 7. I bet Audrey was up there since she was nowhere to be found at home.

Our rooftop was boring. There were some broken bricks which were left from the construction of the house which the landlord didn't bother to remove. But it wasn't like it was before. The roof was decorated with fairy lights. There were two deck chairs on the roof right in the middle of it and a picnic basket beside it. It was perfect.

"Surprise!" I went up to him, hugging him.

"Oh my god! I love this", I kissed him. He kissed me back, making my knees weak.

"Sit here", I complied, taking a seat on one of the deck chairs. Max brought a tray bearing two drinks, "Peppermint iced tea just how you like it", he said handing me the sweaty glass.

I took a sip of it, that was refreshing. "This is good! Did you make it?"

"Mhmm. Audrey helped".

"By the way where is Audrey?"

"She went to Jeremy's after she was done helping me set this up. You have the cutest sister".

"I know, she is the best", I took a look at the watch,"Ugghhh I have a quiz tomorrow and I forgot!"

"Don't worry this won't take much time. But can I ask you something Grace?"

"Ask away".

"Why are you attending college when you are not interested in it? I mean I think you would be better off doing something else".

"My mom always wanted me to attended college, in fact she had a college fund for me. I just want to make her proud".

"What would you be doing if you weren't in college?"

"Open up a pastry shop of course. But that isn't possible since I can't afford it. That's why I am working at Aloha's to save money".

"Yeah besides your GPA is so low you are get kicked out of college anyways. That ought to make you pursue your dream", he teased.

"Hey it isn't that bad", I elbowed him. My phone alarm started ringing.

"The lasagna is done!"He said. "Wait here, let me bring them", he was about to vanish in thin air when I stopped him.

"Wait!"I cried out."Is the lasagna baking in our oven?" I asked since I didn't see anything baking there.

"Nope".

I quirked an eyebrow at him."Then whose oven did you steal?"

"I didn't steal it. I just borrowed it. I manipulated Rodrick into keeping an eye on the lasagna for me", he said.

"YOU DID WHAT?"

"Nothing! Stay here till I come back with the food", he gave me a chaste kiss on the cheek later disappearing in thin air.

We were having the lasagna quietly none of us saying anything. I have to admit it was delicious but I refrained myself from saying anything since he made my ex help him bake it. "Honestly if it wasn't for Rodrick we would be having burnt lasagna", he pointed out.

"You are not manipulating anyone into doing anything anymore. That is wrong", I chided him.

"Okay fine. This is the last one though".

"What did you do?"

"Well the next thing that is gonna happen needed a whole lot of manipulating but I promise I am paying the man for it. Its just not many people take orders from a ghost so I just gotta manipulate my way through it".

"What did you do?" I repeated myself.

"You will see- In..", he took a look at my phone, "Right now", then I heard the distant sounds of fireworks.

I looked up mesmerized by the different color of fireworks exploding in the sky. Then a bigger firework flew up in the sky forming the letter 'I'. Later it formed a heart sign followed by more fireworks and then finally the letter 'U'. Then finally it was over, I looked down to see Max holding a sign saying, "I love you grace". I was going to melt from all the cuteness. I went up to him and kissed him, he picked me up and whirled me still kissing me.

I loved him. I knew that but somehow it wasn't easy for me to say it. After my last relationship I thought I would never fall for someone but here I was, the person I love confessing his love for me. "I-", tell him Grace, tell him how you feel about him,"I-". But I couldn't get any words out of my mouth.

He saw me struggling to say something to him, "Its okay you don't have to say anything for now. I just wanted you to know I feel about you", he gave me a reassuring smile.

"But- this isn't fair..".

"I don't care. Take your time. I want you to be sure", thanks to my last relationship I was more vulnerable now. I regretted not telling him and he was being very nice about it.

"Besides you won't be able to resist my good looks and you will be confessing your love for me in no time", he teased.

..........

"Audrey let's go!" I said packing up the cookies in a bag. I made extra peanut butter cookies so I decided to give them to Joe.

"Okay let me take Bella", Audrey said referring to her stuffed animal.

We drove to uncle Joe's place, not informing him first as he doesn't actually use a cellphone. I thought he would be there since he avoids going outside at all times.

The place was eerily quiet and it was creepy. But today the place seemed a little gloomier, and the pungent smell was too strong. "I don't like it here", Audrey said looking up at me.

"We will just give him the cookies and get out of here soon", Max was nowhere to be found the whole day, so I couldn't bring him with me. I didn't like visiting this place alone and besides I have to drop Audrey at Jeremy's place after this.

Clutching my hand tightly, Audrey followed me downstairs to the basement where uncle Joe lives, "Uncle Joe", I cried out but there was no one. Maybe Joe isn't at home. The door to his room was open but I knew I couldn't enter it since its guarded by a spell.

Since Joe wasn't here I decided to keep the bag of cookies on the old wooden table, I was about to place it there when I noticed some papers. I picked up those papers and studied them. They were some property papers which were under Max's name. Why and how did Joe have these? I thought Max lost everything when their house burned down.

"Graciee!" I heard Audrey scream. I ran towards Audrey who was inside Joe's room, "Audrey how did you get in there?" I asked, then I realized Audrey is a medium she can enter the room. Joe has mentioned before mediums can enter this room only.

"See what's in here!"Audrey cried out, she looked pale with fear.

"But how will I enter?"

"Wait", she came to the door and removed some salt from the ground. The blessed salt was refraining everything from going inside. "You can come now".

Hesitantly I stepped inside the room and no force stopped me, "What happened Audrey?" I asked her wrapping my arms around her. She was shivering in fear. "Is everything alright?"

"Grace- Gr- ace....", she was stuttering then she pointed to something behind me,"He is alive".

I turned to see Max's body lying on a hospital bed, he looked pale, a life support connected to him. The life support was beeping indicating he was alive.

"Don't move or else I will shoot you", I turn around to see Joe holding me at gunpoint.

........

This chapter is dedicated to for the amazing trailer! ❤