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He didn’t even bother answering that.
“Come on,” she said. “If you don’t want your brothers to know you’re into guys, a little lingerie left in your bedroom might be just the ticket.”
Nick slammed another rock into the sand and didn’t bother answering that, either.
Quinn was relentless. “Have you seen Adam since that night I caught you kissing?”
“No.” At least not in reality. But Quinn’s dance partner had occupied nearly every waking moment of Nick’s thoughts. And a lot of the sleeping moments, too.
Adam was the first—the only—boy he’d ever kissed.
Nick’s brothers had no idea. They still thought he was infatu-ated with Quinn. And Quinn was all too happy to keep up the
“illusion,” as she put it.
“Have you talked to him?” Quinn pressed.
“No.” But he read over Adam’s last text message about twenty times a day.
When you know what you want, I’ll be right here.
Nick knew what he wanted, all right. He just wasn’t sure he wanted to want it. His life was already complicated enough. He reached for another stone.
“He asked about you,” said Quinn.
Nick dropped the stone on his fingers. He swore again and flexed them to ease the pain. “Yeah?”
“He asked how you were doing.”
Nick didn’t say anything, just rocked the stone into place.
“Hmm,” said Quinn. “What did I tell him about you . . . ?”
Nick’s heart tripped and stumbled along. He waited.
And waited.
Finally, he looked up. “There’s a pool around back. Don’t think I won’t drop you in it.”
Quinn smiled, but it was a little cautious, a little sad. “He asked if you’d be coming with me to the studio anytime soon.”
She meant the dance studio at the Y, where he’d first met Adam. Nick enjoyed watching Quinn dance, and he loved the way music coursed through the air to seep into his skin. Then he’d seen Adam, and it was like a missing puzzle piece finally snapped into place.
He’d loved watching Adam dance, too.
Nick grabbed a hand roller and flattened the next expanse of sand. “I don’t want to be a distraction.”
“I think you need a little distraction.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means you’re completely stressed out.” Quinn rolled off the bench and walked behind him, putting her hands on his shoulders. She dug her thumbs into the muscles there. It almost hurt, but it felt good, too, so he didn’t stop her.
“Quinn, it’s fine. I have a lot on my mind.”
Like the fact that he and his brothers were still marked for death for the Elemental abilities they struggled to control.
Or the fact that a bunch of younger Elementals had nearly destroyed the town a week ago.
