“Anything sound good?” Nicole asked Caddie.

Caddie looked at Nick. “Not so far,” she said.

“Well, we’ll come up with something,” said Nicole. She looked at her watch. “But I’ve got to get back to work. I’m five minutes late.”

She gave Nick a kiss. “Bye, honey,” she said. “I’ll see you tonight. And I’ll see you later,” she added to Caddie. “Don’t forget—call me.”

After Nicole left, Caddie started to get up and leave as well. But Nick stopped her by grabbing her wrist. “I’m not a bad guy,” he said. “I may be an asshole, but I’m not a bad guy.”

“Why should I care?” Caddie asked him.

“I guess you shouldn’t,” said Nick, letting go of her arm. “But please, don’t tell Nicole.”

Caddie let him sweat it out for a long moment. “I won’t,” she said. “But only because I like her. I still think you’re a piece of shit.”

She dropped her trash in the garbage and left. Outside, she looked left up the hill toward her father’s house and found that she didn’t want to go there. She wanted to do something. Finding out that Nick had lied to her was annoying, not because she cared about him but because she’d wanted to be the one who used him. Somehow that hadn’t seemed wrong. Now, though, she wondered if it was. Was she any better than he was? She’d had no intention of falling in love with him; she’d just wanted some sex and some more pot. But now she couldn’t do it, not because she had any respect for Nick, but because she wanted Nicole to be able to keep living in her fantasy world. Someone might as well be happy, she thought.

She found herself walking back toward downtown. The early afternoon sun seemed to have intensified, and she wished she’d applied sunscreen. She was going to burn, and she hated peeling. It made her feel like a leper, and she could never resist picking at the stray pieces of skin. But maybe that’s what I need, she told herself. Maybe I need to get out of this skin. Maybe there’s a better me underneath this one.

She crossed the street, moving out of what little shade there was and stepping into the full sun. It caressed her bare shoulders greedily. Go ahead, she thought. Get it over with.

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 12

As Ben walked back toward Hopkins, the rush he’d gotten from cursing at the fisherman faded into mild embarrassment. Yes, it had felt good to vent his frustration, but ultimately it was an adolescent response to the situation. Still, he had to admit that he’d enjoyed himself. After all, he reasoned stubbornly, stupid people required stupid measures. They seldom understood reason.

Oh, who are you kidding, he argued with himself. You’re just making excuses.