She swallowed. “I have no idea.”

Gabriel snorted. “I don’t think that’s true.”

She hunched her shoulders, feeling the muscles pull. Having a conversation with him was like navigating a minefield. She bit the inside of her lip and concentrated on keeping her mouth shut.

But after a while, he said, “I should have heard you.”

His voice was cautious. She didn’t look at him, worried this was just another mine waiting to explode.

“I had the music too loud,” he said. “I don’t usually run like that it’s a good way to get hit by a car. I didn’t even look when I came out onto the main trail. I just . . .” He hesitated.

Layne held her breath. Her dad once told her the best way to get the truth out of a witness was to be patient enough to wait for them to tell you. Everyone likes to talk, he’d said. The trick is letting them talk long enough.

Gabriel glanced over, making a frustrated noise. “You ever just have to do something to get all the thoughts out of your head?”

Layne nodded. That, she understood. “So you ran four miles?”

He shrugged and stared out at the trees around them. “I had to get out of the house.”

The words rolled around in her head for a moment, and she could practically see a construction worker throwing a flag in her path. Proceed with caution.

She went with something safe. “I’m surprised you’re not saving all that energy for tryouts. They’re after school, right?”

He shook his head. “Not for me. You were right. Anderson caught on.”

Layne almost stumbled on the trail. “What do you mean, she caught on? ” God, if her dad knew she’d fixed some kid’s test especially the future felon’s he’d have her off to an all-girl’s boarding school before she could explain herself.

Yeah, and what explanation would you give? Sorry, Dad. He was hot.

“Not you.” Gabriel’s voice was flat. “She just figured out I was cheating.”

“So you’re off the team? Are you suspended? Are you ”

“A week and a half. She gave me a week and a half to hand in perfect homework and take a unit test myself. Then I can try out for the team, if I can pass.”

She stared at him. “But . . . that’s great! You can just do the work, and ”

“It’s not great.” His words could cut ice again. “I can’t even do the goddamn homework; I’m not going to pass the test.”

“But I can still help you ”

He put out a hand to stop her. “Yeah? Why?”

Breath fought its way into her lungs. “Because because ”

His eyes were fierce. “What, you want to put some do-gooder activity on your transcript? Helped the resident f**kup pass a math test? Why do you even give a shit, Layne?”

She jerked back. His chest was rising and falling quickly, and she had a suspicion that if she put a hand against the front of his sweatshirt, she’d find his heart beating every bit as rapidly as hers. Sunlight was pouring through the trees now, and sweat crept along her neck.

Abruptly, he turned away, blowing out a long breath and running his hands back through his hair. “I’m sorry. This isn’t about you.”

Layne wanted to put a hand on his shoulder, but she wasn’t sure how he’d take it. What had he said? I had to get out of the house.

She kept her voice careful. “So your parents are pissed?”

“No.” His hands dropped, falling into his pockets again. He had to have a cell phone or something there; she could see him fiddling with something. He started walking again, saying nothing, so she hustled to catch up.

“My parents died when I was twelve,” he said.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“My older brother is twenty-three, so he has custody.”

She had no idea what to say.

He glanced her way. “It’s been five years,” he said flatly. “I’m over it.”

She didn’t believe that for a minute. “So . . . your older brother . . . is he pissed?”

“He would be, if he knew. We had a big fight last night about . . . other stuff.”

She had arguments with Simon, but she imagined Gabriel wasn’t one to fight with words and tears and threats to tell a parent. “No sense adding fuel to the fire, huh?”

“Something like that.”

“Are you going to get Nick to help you?”

Gabriel hesitated. “I don’t think that’s going to happen.” Another pause. “Nick and I aren’t speaking.”

Wow, pain hid behind those words. She only had bits and pieces of this story, like reading the first sentence of every chap-ter in a book. Something powerful had happened she just couldn’t piece it together.

He’d been banned from the team, from a sport she knew he loved God, even Simon practically worshipped Gabriel’s athletic ability. He was fighting with his twin brother, and they had to be close, the way they seamlessly switched places in front of teachers and other students.

And then he’d searched for her in the library. He’d wanted to talk to her in private. He’d apologized, and she’d known how much it cost him to do it. He’d seen right through her defenses, leaving that perfectly charming sentence in her notebook.

No, not charming. Honest.

Desperate?

It hadn’t been a game. He’d wanted her to call.

Gabriel ran a hand through his hair again. “Sorry,” he said, his blue eyes dark and full of emotion. “I’ll shut up. It’s been a shitty week.”