She stopped short. Tyler was standing, pulling her to her feet, picking up the blanket to shake it free of sand.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“I’m driving you home to get your stuff.”

“You’re—what? Why?”

“Because I can. Because I have an apartment, and you look like you could do with eight hours of sleep. Because—”

“You expect me to stay with you? But—”

“But what? You have a dozen better offers? Get in the truck.”

She got in the truck. They were a mile down the road and he hadn’t said anything else when she finally turned to him. “Because what else?”

He looked at her like she was nuts. “What?”

“You said because, and I cut you off. Why are you doing this?”

His voice dropped. “You don’t have to stay with me. I didn’t mean to make it sound like I was kidnapping you.”

“Shut up. You’re not making me do anything.”

He snorted and rubbed his cheek. “No kidding.”

“Shut up! Because what else?”

He looked away from the road long enough to meet her eyes. “Because I like you.”

“No one has ever done anything like that for me,” she said.

Not Becca. Not Nick.

You didn’t tell them, her brain whispered.

But they’d never pushed as hard as Tyler.

“Well,” said Tyler, “maybe it’s time someone should.”

CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 14

Quinn stopped Tyler in front of her apartment door. Her older brother’s car was in the parking lot—of course—so she slid her key into the deadbolt carefully.

“Worried you’re going to wake someone up?” said Tyler.

“No,” she said, too forcefully. She was worried someone would hear her and make this worse than it needed to be.

She’d never brought anyone home to this apartment. She and Becca had hardly seen each other since the fire, and when they did, it was always at Becca’s place or the Merrick house. When Nick drove her home, she never let him get farther than the apartment landing. She didn’t want anyone to smell the pot or the alcohol. Even now, outside the door, embarrassment sent heat coursing up her neck. What if Tyler saw her mother stumbling around in a nightgown? What if the shrieking started and Quinn couldn’t get her to shut up?

She looked at Tyler and put a hand up. “Just wait here.”

For an instant, she was ready for Tyler to refuse.

But then he shrugged and said, “Okay,” and she realized she’d been hoping he would refuse.

The lock gave and she was through the door. She closed it gently, quietly, leaving it unlocked to spare her one extra second if she needed to get out fast.