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“You coming, too?” he said to Nick.
Nick shrugged and looked at the sky. “Can’t. I told my brother I’d help with a job.”
“So can I get your number then?”
Nick sucked in a breath, looking thrown, like Adam had socked him in the stomach.
Quinn stifled a giggle at his reaction. If Nick Merrick was into guys, half the female population at Old Mill would be sobbing. “Adam, he’s not g*y.”
For the first time all night, Adam lost the smile.
Nick ran a hand through his hair, looking completely unnerved. “Sorry, man—I just—”
“Nah.” Adam shook it off, and a shadow of his smile reappeared. “It’s cool. My bad.” He gave Quinn a wave and said, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Nick was quiet when they headed out on the road.
“Sorry,” she said, trying to warm her hands by the vents. The truck cab was freezing, and the engine didn’t seem to want to blow warm air. “He didn’t mean anything by it.”
Nick’s voice was somewhat hollow. “It’s okay.”
“He’s not usually that bold. I can’t believe he asked for your number.”
Nick didn’t say anything. Quinn wondered if he really was pissed.
That made her frown. “It’s not catching, you know,” she said.
He glanced over, and his voice was mild. “Quinn, I’m not upset about it.”
She chewed on that for a minute and wondered whether to push or to leave it.
Before she could make a decision, Nick reached out and touched her cheek. “I think you sell yourself short. You’re an amazing dancer.”
His hand was warm, and she leaned into the contact. “Thanks heaps, but you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He laughed. “I guess. But I couldn’t see any great disparity between you and him.”
“Disparity. God, sometimes it’s a wonder you and Gabriel are twin brothers.”
Nick sobered. “Why?”
“You’re like a walking SAT prep book. I guarantee if you went home, Gabriel wouldn’t even know the meaning of the word. On the outside, you’re absolutely identical, but on the inside, it’s like you’re polar opposites.”
He sighed and ran his hand through his hair again. “Trust me, I know exactly what you mean.”
CHAPTER 3
Nick threw the truck into park in the lot in front of Quinn’s condo building.
He made no move to kill the engine.
She made no move to get out.
In fact, she was staring out the windshield, clutching her sweatshirt to her chest again. The moonlight traced silver along the lines of her face, leaving her eyes in shadow. Her jaw was tight.
“Do you want me to drive you to Becca’s instead?” he said.
She shook her head and glanced over. “Can I crash with you again?”
