Nick coughed. He needed to turn his brain off. “What?”

“I feel bad asking, because I know you worked two extra nights this week—”

“It’s fine. What is it?”

His tone was rougher than usual, and Michael looked a bit unsettled. “Tomorrow is Hannah’s birthday. Her parents are taking her out to dinner, and they asked if I’d like to join them.”

Nick went still. So this had nothing to do with him at all.

“What’s the favor?”

At this point, he’d do pretty much anything if it took the focus off of him. Paint a replica of Van Gogh’s Starry Night on the ceiling? Sure, Mike. Let me get my brush.

“You can say no if you want,” said Michael.

Now all the uncomfortable small talk made sense. Nick’s subconscious let out a sigh. “Why don’t you get around to what it is before I start saying no?”

“Would you babysit?”

“You mean for James?”

“No, Hannah’s other five-year-old. Yeah, I mean James.”

“Do I have to go there?”

“No, she can bring him over here.”

Nick smiled. “Okay.”

Michael’s eyebrows went up. “Really? I was worried you’d have plans. Everyone else does.”

It would probably be good to let Quinn have a night off from his presence. At least she wouldn’t have a reason to bail on Adam again. “Nah. I have a big physics exam on Friday. I can study after he goes to bed.” His insides relaxed. “What’s everyone else doing?”

“Gabriel and Layne are watching Simon’s basketball game, then going to a movie; Chris said he and Becca are doing something, which sounds suspiciously like taking advantage of the fact that her mom won’t be home; and Hunter said he and his mom were going to catch a late dinner to talk things out.”

“No landscaping jobs?” said Nick.

“No jobs. I was actually planning to watch James so she could go out with her folks. We could take him with us, but I thought maybe I could get one of you to watch him . . .”

The air was practically trembling with anxiety. “You’re nervous,” said Nick.

“I’ve met her dad, but it wasn’t on the best terms.”

Meaning, the night Gabriel had been arrested for arson. Hannah’s father was the county fire marshal.

“They asked you, right? I think that’s a good sign.”

“Maybe.”

“You don’t sound happy.”

“I’ve never done the parent thing.”

“Pretend they’re new clients.”

Michael looked at him. “Yeah, okay.”

“No. Seriously. That’s what I do.” Nick never had any idea how to treat his girlfriends’ parents. He always worried they’d see right through him, and it wasn’t like he wanted to pretend to stare at his date’s boobs right in front of Mom and Dad, just to prove a point. He knew how to deal with teachers, and how to deal with landscaping customers. He treated parents the same way. They always liked him. Then again, maybe they could sense he wasn’t a threat to anyone’s virginity.

Whatever. He shrugged. “It’s worked so far.”

Michael smiled and hit him on the shoulder. “Thanks, Nick.”

He headed for the stairs. Nick watched him go, bemused. And relieved.

And a little disappointed.

“Hey,” Nick called after him.

“What?”

“I’d lose the long hair.”

Michael made a face. “If I cut my hair, that means I have to keep cutting it.”

Typical Michael. Not making a statement with his looks. Just not taking five minutes to care what he looked like. “You’re the one who wants to make a good impression. Just saying.”

Michael gestured. “I can’t do what you guys do.”

“So cut it short.”

“It won’t look stupid?”

“Right now you look like you’re trying to bring back the grunge era, so you tell me.”

Michael rolled his eyes and started up the stairs. “All right, all right.”

Nick watched him go. The camaraderie felt good. He’d missed this. So much that he wanted to call Michael back down, to take him up on that option to talk.

Then again, his older brother hadn’t really meant it. That had been BS conversation until he could get around to asking a favor.

And really, if he’d said a word about Adam, that camaraderie probably would have vanished into thin air.

Quinn woke to the sounds of a guitar strumming.

She lay in bed and listened, trying to orient herself. Darkness cloaked the room, barely letting any light through the blinds. A light was on somewhere down the hallway.

Right, Tyler’s apartment.

The guitar was muffled, probably a neighbor or something.

She was alone in bed, which wasn’t a surprise. She was in the room with the double beds, curled up under the quilt.

The whole night had been bizarre, from her fight with Nick, to the kiss from Tyler, to the drug addicts in her bedroom.

It hadn’t gotten any better.

Tyler had asked if she wanted to take a shower to clean up a bit, which she’d assumed was an implication that it was time for her to earn a place to sleep for the night. Kind of like when boys took you out to dinner and a movie and then expected a little somethin’-somethin’ in the car before they took you home, but on a whole new level.