Tyler seemed to deflate. He crushed out the rest of his cigarette and looked out at the night, rubbing a hand across the back of his head.

Then he looked over. “You hungry?”

Yes. She was starving. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“Why?”

“Because I think you’re a psychopath.”

He laughed softly. “I was going to get some taquitos from 7-Eleven. Want some?”

Quinn thought about it. If she said no, it might be hours before she’d get the chance to eat. And what was the difference between smoking with Tyler and eating with him? At least if she was with him, no one was trying to steal her stuff.

Sad that her life had devolved into choosing between lesser evils.

Her cell phone chimed again. Nick this time.

You ok?

She thought about it.

All OK. Have fun with your boyfriend. xoxo

“Taquitos sound great,” said Quinn. She climbed to her feet. “I like mine extra spicy.”

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 9

Quinn had never sat on the roof of a strip mall before. She’d never really sat on the roof of any building before. But Tyler obviously had: a few nylon folding chairs sat by the edge of the roof, and there was even a little table between them.

She sprawled in one of the chairs and stretched her legs out in front of her. “So is this where the magic usually happens?”

Tyler cracked open a bottle of Mountain Dew and sprawled in the chair beside her. “The magic?”

“Is this where you bring girls? Promise to show them the world?”

He waved a hand at the trees, the suburban sprawl. “Oh, yeah. Check out the world of Arnold, Maryland.” He let out a low whistle. “You can almost see the waste disposal plant from here. Want to take your pants off yet?”

“It’s hard not to.”

“I don’t usually bring girls up here. I have an apartment for that.”

An apartment. For about two seconds, Quinn wondered how old he was, then decided she didn’t care. Nick had said he was younger than Michael, so he couldn’t be older than twenty-two. He definitely wasn’t in high school. “I feel so special.”

He stood and walked to the edge. The lights from below caught his features and made them glow. “It’s easier to keep an eye on things from up here.”

“What kind of vandals are you looking for?”

He came back to the chair. “Bored teenagers, mostly. It’s quiet up here, too. I can get a lot of studying done.”

Studying. College. Check.

“Two chairs,” she said.

“I’ve got a friend who works at the Sunglass place. Sometimes he brings a six-pack and we shoot the shit.” He paused. “You have a lot of questions about my rooftop habits.”

Quinn shrugged. “Just trying to figure out how to avoid you.”