Okay, something was definitely up here, but I did really want to know if Fred was in with a chance. “And by options, do you mean international male model and professional pants-wearer Logan?”

“Maybe…” Elle fiddled with the ends of her hair—the first and only time I’d ever seen her look truly awkward.

“C’mon, spill. As an impartial observer, I can honestly say he makes Harry Styles look like a seven out of ten.” I didn’t mean it, Harry would always be a straight ten, but I needed to use whatever I could to get info for Fred.

“Look, I’m sorry.” She rubbed her face. “I’ll give you the full story later, I promise.”

“Full hot details of your secret boyfriend?” Desperate times.

“If that’s how you want to describe it!” Finally, she laughed. Guess that was as close to a yes as I was going to get, especially as she launched right back into her normal chatty mode. “Anyways, it’s like, what…almost three at your end? You look like you’re heading out?”

“Yup—going to Peakstown. Checking out the City Hall lights like you said.” Elle gave a big “wooo” and raised her hand up. “Your dad’s dropping me off. Honestly, your parents are legends.”

Elle properly smiled. “Give them a hug from me. And my li’l bro, if he’s going with you?”

I didn’t say anything, but Elle knew what the silence meant. He’d disappeared again.

She sighed. “Have you even seen him at all?”

“He took me to meet Grumpy Dominic, so how much better can anything get?” I was relieved Elle smiled. “But he’s had band stuff, and last night I think he stayed over at Blake’s?”

“Surprise, surprise.” Elle laughed, but like she didn’t find it funny. “When doesn’t he?”

Could I lighten the mood? “Helping you escape a house takeover from an international visitor, isn’t that what friends are for?”

“If only they were just friends.” She rolled her eyes. I’d been right then—Nick was coupled up, but his parents had no idea. Elle and Nick were as bad as each other! “Those two are just so much more. I sometimes think if he didn’t talk to me about Blake, he wouldn’t talk to me at all.” She laughed, but there was a sadness to it. I wondered if it had something to do with what Nick said yesterday?

And something even weirder. Did confirming that Nick definitely had a girlfriend make me have a…sadness too?! What was happening? That feeling could GET IN THE BIN. Sorry. GET IN THE TRASH. Either way, I needed to focus on the way more important thing. “Are things…okay with you two?”

“Sure.” So neither a yes or a no? Time to find out if I could figure out what he’d meant in his car.