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“Why is he asking if he’ll see you?”
“I don’t know.” Nick shoved the phone in his pocket. “I guess he’s wondering if Quinn has a ride.”
That was probably sufficient, but he couldn’t look at any of them, couldn’t meet their eyes to see if they’d already guessed his secrets. They hadn’t, right? Or had they? He was going to need to look up.
If he’d been telling the truth, it would have felt like enough, and he wouldn’t have felt compelled to keep going. But he was lying through his teeth, and he needed to make sure there was no question of his non-relationship with Adam.
“He’s g*y,” he heard himself saying. “Quinn said he has a crush on me. She thought it would be funny to give him my cell number.”
What the f**k was wrong with him? Did he really say that?
“That’s not funny,” said Layne. She looked vaguely disgusted.
“It’s not like that,” said Nick quickly. His shirt felt like it was sticking to the back of his neck. “He knows I’m not. It’s like—
it’s a joke now.”
God, he needed to shut up.
“It’s creepy,” said Gabriel.
Nick froze. “Creepy?”
“A dude hitting on you? Yes. Creepy.”
Suddenly he wanted to punch his twin.
Do not pick a fight over this.
Do not.
Do. Not.
“He’s not hitting on me,” Nick said tightly. “He just asked if I’d be there tonight.”
“No, he asked if he’d see you, which is creepy.”
“Knock it off,” said Becca. “He’s Quinn’s friend. Nick’s trying to defend him, and you’re being a royal—”
Chris wrapped an arm around her neck and put his hand over her mouth. “I love you, but please don’t pick a fight I’m going to have to finish.”
“Oh, I’ll finish it,” Becca said through his fingers.
“No, I’ll finish it,” Nick snapped. He stood, grabbing his tray so roughly that he almost dropped half his food on Chris.
“An ass**le,” he said to Gabriel. His throat felt tight, and it hurt to talk. “You’re being a royal ass**le.”
Then he stormed away from the table and slammed the tray onto one of the waiting carts.
“Hey, Nicky,” Gabriel called after him, “remember what I said about drama?”
Fuck him. Nick slammed through the double doors leading out of the cafeteria, choking on emotion. He pinched his fingers over his eyes.
He wished he could take it all back. Adam had trusted him with a terrible secret, and now Nick had crapped all over it.
Making what they’d shared into a joke.
He wanted to storm back into that cafeteria and shake some sense into his brother.
