“If it was Bronte, I’m sure it’s the former.” Gabriel’s eyes are focused on finding the main road in the dark. “Not that she pities you! But my sister is the kind of person who likes to take care of people. If it was Luke who invited you…well, that’s another story.”

“One you want to tell me?”

Gabriel strikes me as observant. The patient hotel clerk, the silent waiter, the ignored younger brother. Gabriel’s seen shit. We glide onto the highway. Gabriel flexes his fingers over the steering wheel and sighs.

“Nothing special. He’s like every other rich asshole at school. Ridiculously entitled and hopelessly clueless as they move through the world.”

“Was that Natalie, too?” I hazard a guess.

“More or less.” But he doesn’t say anything else, and it’s not enough.

“Amber and Bronte got into a minifight about it earlier,” I say. “Amber’s sure plenty of people had a reason to kill Natalie. Any idea what that means?” I dangle it like bait.

The muscles in Gabriel’s jaw tense. “Natalie always got what she wanted, no matter the expense.” He reaches for the radio, turns it on, ending my inquiry. Country music blares through the stereo. Not what I expected of him.

I debate my next move carefully as we make quick time back to Seaview proper. At this hour, with zero traffic, it’s a brisk ten-minute drive.

Gabriel’s a potential ally, someone who knows a lot about this town and has already done me more than one solid. But by the same token, he’s an unknown entity. Everyone in this town is. I have to go with pure gut instinct.

“Can you tell me at least if Natalie was dating anyone in particular? Any notable ex-boyfriends? Or drama with Luke?” Luke’s texts implied that Natalie had a secret hookup. Romantic history could be important.

“I wouldn’t call it drama. They dated years ago, but in that stupid way you date when you’re in ninth grade. I don’t really count anyone I hooked up with back then, do you? Plus, they stayed friends. Obviously.”

I ignore the question directed at me—I didn’t have my first proper boyfriend until junior year, and he turned out to be a real fuckboy. I am not confessing that right now. And more critical is Gabriel’s news: Natalie and Luke were exes. “So Luke and Natalie dated each other?”

“In fairness, Luke and Natalie have dated everyone. Natalie and I dated for like five minutes. It’s a small town. Not a ton of options.”

I look at him involuntarily, my insides squeezing. Gabriel and Natalie. He catches me and smirks.

Without warning, I watch the hood spin left as my ribs crash into the door handle. Then I’m weightless, like the ground is missing beneath the car.