Page 216 of Good Boys Don’t Bite

“Maybe.” Elliot ate one cracker. Slowly. “He asked her about us.” His hand stopped. There. Tiny. Ronan noticed. “What did he ask?” “If we'd always been close.” Elliot resumed chewing. “Why?” “I don't know.” “Did she?” “Did she what?” “Know?” “No.” Ronan watched him. Elliot stared at the crackers. “Did Dylan ever say anything to you?” “No.” “About us?” “No.” “About being scared?” “No.” “About Lucas?” Elliot looked up. Ronan could feel the conversation changing. Again. “No.” “About Mason?” “No.” “About—” “Stop.” Ronan closed his mouth. Elliot pushed the crackers away. “This is exactly what I meant.” “What?” “You don't talk to me anymore. You investigate me.” “That’s not fair.” “Isn’t it?” “No.” “Then ask me something that isn't about a murder.” Ronan stared. The challenge caught him off guard. “Okay.” Elliot waited. Ronan’s mind went completely fucking blank. That was humiliating. Elliot laughed softly. “There.” “No, fuck you. Give me a second.” He thought. School. Dinner. Their mother. Anything.

“What’d you get on your Adler paper?”

Elliot blinked. Then smiled.

“An A.”

“Of course.”

“Ninety-seven.”

“What’d you lose three points for?”

“Citation formatting.”

Ronan laughed.

“Idiot.”

“I used the wrong edition.”

“Still an idiot.”

Elliot’s smile widened. There. Normal. Ronan felt something loosen inside him.

“What else?” Elliot asked.

Ronan thought again.

“You still want to apply for Langley’s assistant position?”

“Maybe.”

“Why maybe?”

“I’m tired.”

“Of school?”

“Everything.”

That answer landed quietly. Ronan softened.

“What would you do instead?”

Elliot shrugged.

“Disappear.”

The word sat wrong. Ronan’s expression changed. Elliot immediately rolled his eyes.

“See?”

“Sorry.”

“I meant vacation.”

“Where?”