Inside the dark kitchen, Tim is leaning against the counter, his head bowed over the rusty sink. He looks like he’s trying to get control of himself. I’ve seen him like this before. He had the same expression on his face when his dog of twelve years, Rusty, developed tumors all over his body and they had to put him down.

“Hey,” I say.

Tim turns to look at me just as a crack of lightning illuminates his face. “Hey.”

“You okay?”

The thunder that shakes the room is almost deafening. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I went out with Tracy.”

“Why didn’t you?”

He rubs his hands over his face. “I was freaked out. We went out at the beginning of the summer, and then a month later, they found her dead. I thought I might have been the last guy she went out with. And I… I figured it wouldn’t look good for me. Plus, it wasn’t like I knew anything that would help.”

It makes sense, but at the same time, it leaves me feeling a little uneasy. If he’s completely innocent, why wouldn’t he want to tell the police what he knows? Why would he hide it?

“I felt awful when I found out.” He drops his eyes. “It didn’t work out between me and Tracy, but she didn’t deserve to die. She was a nice person. It tore me up.”

“Yeah,” I breathe. “I’m sure…”

“I don’t know how Shane knew about it.” His face darkens. “I can’t believe he’s been sitting on that, waiting for the perfect moment to make me look bad.”

I frown. “I don’t think that was his intention.”

“Oh, don’t you?” Tim sneers. “Brooke, maybe I went on a couple of dates with some girl, but he really beat that kid up. For no reason. Put him in the freaking hospital. Is that really someone you want to be with?”

I flinch at his words. “He said he regretted it.”

“Bullshit!” Tim’s voice is loud enough that I’m worried the others will hear it through the door. “Shane Nelson is a bully, and he’s a piece of shit. He only regrets that you found out about it because he wants to sleep with you.”

My face burns. Tim hates Shane, but I can’t believe he would say that to me. “That is so not true. And you have no right to say that.”

We stare at each other for a moment. A muscle twitches under my eye. Tim breaks first.

“I’m sorry.” He lets out a breath. “I’m sorry, Brooke. You’re right. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“Damn straight.”