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Michael cleared his throat. “I would really, really like a beer.
Anything on tap.”
She hustled off.
“First time I haven’t gotten carded,” said Michael.
“Haircut,” said Nick.
“I owe you.” Michael paused and his voice resumed its former gravity. “We ran. Emily and me. We took a trail down to the back side of the quarry. Tyler and his friends chased us. We jumped in the water and swam like hell. She wasn’t a strong swimmer, but I knew if we could get near the other kids who were swimming on the far side, they’d have to back off.”
He shook his head. “They didn’t. We made it, but they were right there. I could feel the rocks overhead were loose, but I thought we were okay.”
He stopped and took a breath. Nick studied him. “Mike—
you don’t have to tell me this.”
“It’s all right. She—she went back to them. We were there in the water, near the wall, facing off. There were six of them, and Emily was a tiny girl. I think—I think she thought they’d go away and leave me alone if she went with them. She swam toward them before I could stop her, going to Tyler. I remember him looking at me, all victorious, like she’d run from me. I know that wasn’t it. She was trying to protect me.”
He went quiet for so long that Nick wasn’t sure he was going to keep talking.
“So what happened?”
Michael glanced up. “She never got a chance to say anything.
The rocks fell. I tried to stop it, but I wasn’t strong enough—or maybe I just wasn’t fast enough. They hit her and two of the other kids. I went down to get her, and came up with one of them. Same thing again. By the third time I went under, I only found her body. I knew it looked like I’d killed her.” He paused.
“I ran home. You remember.”
Nick did remember. “Wow.”
“Yeah, no kidding.”
The waitress returned with a glass and set it in front of Michael before rushing off again.
Nick had no idea where she was going so fast. The restaurant was deserted. It was barely four. Maybe she’d picked up on the tension.
“Tyler blames me,” Michael said. “I don’t fight him, because I get it. I blame me, too.” His eyes narrowed. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to let him beat the crap out of you guys. Seriously, Nick. What’s going on with Tyler? Why did you want to know about Emily?”
Nick clasped his hands under the table and shook his head.
He couldn’t talk about Tyler without talking about all of it.
“Quinn asked me,” he offered. “I didn’t know all the details.”
“Oh, right. Quinn. Your girlfriend.”
Nick couldn’t figure out the note in his voice. Talking didn’t seem safe now. He took a sip of his soda.
Had Michael heard what Tyler said? Maybe Chris had said something? Hunter?
Michael leaned in. “I wish you’d talk to me, Nick.” He hesitated, as if choosing his words carefully. “I’m not going to judge you.”
Nick’s eyes snapped to his. His heart pulsed against his rib cage. “What does that mean?”
“It means you don’t have to go through this alone.”
He knew. He had to know. How did he know? Nick rubbed his hands over his face, worried his dinner might make a reappearance if he couldn’t calm down. The restaurant simultane-ously felt too cold and too hot.
