Ned hadn’t been an especially good student, but he knew how to entertain and he got involved with a friend’s YouTube channel at a young age. Soon Ned had a channel of his own and was amassing a fan base by sharing fashion tutorials and lifestyle tips.

It was a shock when Ned realized he could make more from the ads associated with his videos than he could earn at the bodega, and even more of a surprise when a talent agency came knocking. The next thing he knew, his agent had received a message from Jasper Sinclair. An exclusive contract with the company would establish Ned as a major influencer. He didn’t hesitate to take it, and before long, he and Jasper were friends.

“We’re a lot alike,” Ned said of Jasper. “I’m sure you don’t believe that, but it’s true.”

“No, I get it. He may not have to worry about paying the rent, but he suffered in his own way. It isn’t easy losing your parents at a young age. At least he has a brother and sister to lean on.”

“Whatever,” Ned said with a shrug.

“Are they not close?” I said, feigning confusion.

“I’m not the person to answer that.”

Though the library was chilly, Ned’s forehead shone with sweat. He’d dressed as any respectable fashion vlogger would for a weekend getaway to a luxurious rustic home: woolen plaid shirt, thick tan pants, suede slip-ons in a fetching shade of loden green. Several of his shirt buttons were undone and I could see sweat on his breastbone, too. I’d arranged the overstuffed chairs across from each other so we were knee to knee. It’s how I used to sit with Carson in his office when we talked about Bram. Carson said it was conducive to sharing and created a balance of power that helped people relax. With Ned, the arrangement made me apprehensive. We were a mirror image of each other, our feet firmly planted on the soiled rug, and in that moment Ned and I were equals. So why did I feel so unstable? Nothing I knew about him indicated he was violent, yet I didn’t like being alone with Ned. As I watched him joggle one knee and then the other I realized it wasn’t the man I feared, but the possibility he’d bolt.

Holding him in my gaze, I leaned forward and pushed a piece of hair from my brow. I was so close I could see Ned’s pulse in his neck. His eyes moved to the scar on my cheek, widened at the faint stitch marks that gave it a centipede look, and cut away. “You and Jasper are pals,” I said.

“That’s right.”

“For his sake, help me figure this out. Something happened here yesterday. We both know it involves his family.”

I was throwing it all out there, hoping to gain purchase. Now Ned’s hands were twitching, too. As he rubbed his palms up and down his muscled thighs I saw his nails were polished to a high shine.