CHAPTER 7

The job took too long. Good, in a way, because Nick barely had time to shower, much less think about what he was doing. He threw on jeans and a striped Henley before checking himself in the mirror. His hair was a mess of wet clumps, and he could probably stand to spend five minutes with a razor. Five minutes he didn’t have.

Stellar. He was going to show up on Adam’s doorstep looking like he didn’t give a shit.

Gabriel appeared in his doorway. “I thought you had to study.”

“Library. Helping Quinn with trig.” Nick couldn’t meet his eyes. It was easier keeping the secret from Chris and Michael, but Gabriel would see right through him. Now he definitely couldn’t linger.

He grabbed a tube of hair stuff and squeezed some into his hand. He ran it through his hair as he went down the steps, hoping it would be enough. Then the car keys were in his hand and his messenger bag was over his shoulder.

“Nicky—” Gabriel started.

“Later, okay?” Nick said. “I told her I’d pick her up at eight.”

“But—”

Nick shut the door in his face. Then he paused there on the porch, his hand on the doorknob. For an instant, he wanted to pull the door open. Gabriel knew he was hiding something, as clearly as Nick had known it when Gabriel was sneaking into burning houses with Hunter.

As clearly as Nick knew Gabriel was on the other side of this door, his hand on the same doorknob, deliberating whether to come after him.

For an instant, Nick wanted him to. He wanted Gabriel to throw open the door and demand something like what the fuck is going on with you, Nicky? Because then he could tell him, and he wouldn’t have to carry this secret around anymore.

The door jerked open and the knob slipped from under his hand. Nick gasped and tried to hold on to his heartbeat before it bolted straight out of his body.

Gabriel studied him, his expression fierce.

Nick braced himself. Tell him. Tell him tell him tell him.

His lips froze. He couldn’t speak. He couldn’t breathe.

“Hey,” said Gabriel. “You tell Quinn if Tyler messes with her again, I’ll track him down and make him hurt for a month.”

Right. Quinn. His girlfriend.

The air left Nick’s lungs. He turned and stepped off the porch, willing the adrenaline to get the hell out of his body. “You don’t even like Quinn.”

“Yeah, but it’s nice to have an excuse to go kick his ass.”

Nick pushed the button to unlock the car and didn’t say anything.