But Nick twisted free and shoved Gabriel into the wall so hard it rattled the towel rack. He pinned him there and forced his voice to stay low. “Leave me alone. Okay?”
Gabriel stared at him, identical blue eyes searching his. He could have fought back, but he didn’t. “Sure, Nick. Whatever you want.”
Whatever you want. Yeah, right.
Nick let him go and stepped into the hallway, jerking the door shut behind him. His throat felt tight, and he had no idea what expression was on his face, but it must not have been good. Chris stood there in the hallway, and when Nick met his eyes, Chris put his hands up and took a step back.
Damn it. He couldn’t find the right rhythm with anyone lately.
Nick went into his bedroom and closed the door. Hunter was already downstairs, his air mattress made like a military bunk.
Nick sat on the edge of his bed and put his head in his hands.
Part of him wished Gabriel had fought back, had pushed and needled and forced the truth out of him.
Part of him wanted to go back in the bathroom and punch his twin brother.
A knock sounded at his door.
Nick stared at the six-foot panel of wood and wondered if fate was going to deliver those options on a silver platter.
Then the door cracked open, just enough to let his younger brother peek through. “It’s Chris.” A pause. “Can I come in?”
Nick sighed. “Sure.”
Chris opened the door, but he didn’t come inside. He leaned against the doorjamb and looked hesitant. “I don’t want to get in the middle of something, here.”
Please. Pry. Tell me you’ve figured everything out.
“It’s fine,” Nick said. It wasn’t even seven a.m. and he was already exhausted. “What’s up?”
“Are you and Quinn all right?”
Nick let out a frustrated breath. “Why does everyone keep asking me that?”
“Because you look like you want to kill someone, and that’s usually Michael’s gig.”
“I don’t want to kill anyone.”
Except Tyler. And maybe Gabriel.
Chris came all the way into the room and dropped onto the side of the bed. “Becca told me to ask if you guys wanted to come over to her place tonight. We’re going to get a pizza, rent a movie. Hang out.” He waggled his eyebrows. “Et cetera.”
There was a time when Nick would have jumped at the chance, just to force other things out of his brain. And, he admitted to himself, to keep up appearances. He and Gabriel used to take girls out together, just because they could. But since he and Chris had been dating Quinn and Becca, they’d done the double date thing a few times.
Now, however, he was glad to have a reason to refuse. “I can’t. I told Mike I would babysit.”
Chris smiled. “Sucker. I knew you’d say yes.”
Of course he did. Nick always did what his brothers needed.
Maybe Chris read his darkening mood, because he lost the smile before Nick could say anything. “Well, I said I would ask.” He paused and looked at the wall like something interesting was happening there. He didn’t say anything for a long time, but the air felt heavy, and Nick waited. Chris wasn’t a talker, and when he had something to say, it took him a while to get around to it.
When he finally spoke, his voice was low. “If something is going on, you can tell me. I know you always tell Gabriel everything, but—I’ll keep your secret, too.”
Nick looked at him. He didn’t know what to say.
When Becca’s father had come to town to kill them all, he’d trapped Chris and Nick in a walk-in freezer. Nick’s leg had been broken, and he’d barely been able to move. Just another instance where he wasn’t strong enough to save anyone. Michael and Gabriel had rescued them.
For the first time, Nick realized that Chris hadn’t been able to save himself, either. And Chris might have been a year younger, but he sure as hell wasn’t weak.
Nick had been quiet too long. Chris finally turned away from the wall and met his eyes.
There were too many variables here. Nick worried the tension in his body might rattle it to pieces.
His cell phone buzzed on his nightstand. Nick jumped. He could see the screen lit up with a text message, but he couldn’t see the sender.
Chris was closer. If he looked over, he’d see it.
He didn’t look.
Nick ran a hand through his hair, putting some order to the mess Gabriel had made. “I need to finish getting ready for school.”
Chris nodded. “Me, too.” He hesitated in the doorway. “If you see Quinn, please tell her Becca’s really worried about her.
She’s not responding to her texts or anything.”
Join the club. But at least Nick could offer an explanation for this. “I told Quinn the truth. About us. I think she’s upset that she didn’t learn about it from Becca.”
Chris winced. “That’s not Bec’s fault.”
Nick smiled. “Girls.”
Chris didn’t smile back. “I’ll tell her. See you in the car.”
He was barely out the door before Nick grabbed his phone.
Not Adam. Quinn.
Still alive. I’ve got a ride to school.
Nick sighed and wished he knew how to fix this. He shoved the phone in his pocket and grabbed his backpack.
He was halfway down the steps when he realized what Chris had said.
If you see Quinn.
If. Not when.
I’ll keep your secret, too.
His secret. Not Quinn’s.
Gabriel stared at him, identical blue eyes searching his. He could have fought back, but he didn’t. “Sure, Nick. Whatever you want.”
Whatever you want. Yeah, right.
Nick let him go and stepped into the hallway, jerking the door shut behind him. His throat felt tight, and he had no idea what expression was on his face, but it must not have been good. Chris stood there in the hallway, and when Nick met his eyes, Chris put his hands up and took a step back.
Damn it. He couldn’t find the right rhythm with anyone lately.
Nick went into his bedroom and closed the door. Hunter was already downstairs, his air mattress made like a military bunk.
Nick sat on the edge of his bed and put his head in his hands.
Part of him wished Gabriel had fought back, had pushed and needled and forced the truth out of him.
Part of him wanted to go back in the bathroom and punch his twin brother.
A knock sounded at his door.
Nick stared at the six-foot panel of wood and wondered if fate was going to deliver those options on a silver platter.
Then the door cracked open, just enough to let his younger brother peek through. “It’s Chris.” A pause. “Can I come in?”
Nick sighed. “Sure.”
Chris opened the door, but he didn’t come inside. He leaned against the doorjamb and looked hesitant. “I don’t want to get in the middle of something, here.”
Please. Pry. Tell me you’ve figured everything out.
“It’s fine,” Nick said. It wasn’t even seven a.m. and he was already exhausted. “What’s up?”
“Are you and Quinn all right?”
Nick let out a frustrated breath. “Why does everyone keep asking me that?”
“Because you look like you want to kill someone, and that’s usually Michael’s gig.”
“I don’t want to kill anyone.”
Except Tyler. And maybe Gabriel.
Chris came all the way into the room and dropped onto the side of the bed. “Becca told me to ask if you guys wanted to come over to her place tonight. We’re going to get a pizza, rent a movie. Hang out.” He waggled his eyebrows. “Et cetera.”
There was a time when Nick would have jumped at the chance, just to force other things out of his brain. And, he admitted to himself, to keep up appearances. He and Gabriel used to take girls out together, just because they could. But since he and Chris had been dating Quinn and Becca, they’d done the double date thing a few times.
Now, however, he was glad to have a reason to refuse. “I can’t. I told Mike I would babysit.”
Chris smiled. “Sucker. I knew you’d say yes.”
Of course he did. Nick always did what his brothers needed.
Maybe Chris read his darkening mood, because he lost the smile before Nick could say anything. “Well, I said I would ask.” He paused and looked at the wall like something interesting was happening there. He didn’t say anything for a long time, but the air felt heavy, and Nick waited. Chris wasn’t a talker, and when he had something to say, it took him a while to get around to it.
When he finally spoke, his voice was low. “If something is going on, you can tell me. I know you always tell Gabriel everything, but—I’ll keep your secret, too.”
Nick looked at him. He didn’t know what to say.
When Becca’s father had come to town to kill them all, he’d trapped Chris and Nick in a walk-in freezer. Nick’s leg had been broken, and he’d barely been able to move. Just another instance where he wasn’t strong enough to save anyone. Michael and Gabriel had rescued them.
For the first time, Nick realized that Chris hadn’t been able to save himself, either. And Chris might have been a year younger, but he sure as hell wasn’t weak.
Nick had been quiet too long. Chris finally turned away from the wall and met his eyes.
There were too many variables here. Nick worried the tension in his body might rattle it to pieces.
His cell phone buzzed on his nightstand. Nick jumped. He could see the screen lit up with a text message, but he couldn’t see the sender.
Chris was closer. If he looked over, he’d see it.
He didn’t look.
Nick ran a hand through his hair, putting some order to the mess Gabriel had made. “I need to finish getting ready for school.”
Chris nodded. “Me, too.” He hesitated in the doorway. “If you see Quinn, please tell her Becca’s really worried about her.
She’s not responding to her texts or anything.”
Join the club. But at least Nick could offer an explanation for this. “I told Quinn the truth. About us. I think she’s upset that she didn’t learn about it from Becca.”
Chris winced. “That’s not Bec’s fault.”
Nick smiled. “Girls.”
Chris didn’t smile back. “I’ll tell her. See you in the car.”
He was barely out the door before Nick grabbed his phone.
Not Adam. Quinn.
Still alive. I’ve got a ride to school.
Nick sighed and wished he knew how to fix this. He shoved the phone in his pocket and grabbed his backpack.
He was halfway down the steps when he realized what Chris had said.
If you see Quinn.
If. Not when.
I’ll keep your secret, too.
His secret. Not Quinn’s.
