Gabe moved like the bike was an extension of himself, going way too fast. I hung back a little, letting him pull ahead.

He needed to go fast. I needed to know I was doing everything right. That was why we'd done so well as the King Brothers, him pushing us forward, me tying up the loose ends.

Fuck me, I missed it.

Maybe that's why my music wasn't coming? I gripped the handlebars a little tighter, wondering what he'd say if I asked him to help me write. Would he be a dick about it? He'd been a dick about everything else.

We reached the quarry and Gabe spun around, sending up a shower of pebbles. A few riders were already zipping around and sputtered over to size us up, two teenagers by the looks of them.

"What up, G?" they said to my brother, giving him the kind of worshipful glance I was used to seeing in twelve year old girls. "You gonna do some tricks?"

My brother shook his head. "I'm just here to ride."

They looked disappointed, then looked over at me. "That you, Finn?" the one in the orange helmet asked, excited again.

Gabe chuckled. "Nah man. That's Jonah."

The two of them cackled in a way I definitely didn't like. "Jonah?" Orange helmet wheezed. "No way! I thought you said he'd never risk get his pretty face messed up."

Gabe looked at me, instantly wary. Our relationship was a tight knot of hurt and righteous anger, but in the past hour we'd both made the first passes at starting to untangle it. He didn't want to fuck this up.

Neither did I. "Oooh," I sing-songed. "That's a nice burn."

He grinned and another loop of the knot uncoiled, loosening. "Well it's true," he said. "I definitely never thought you'd risk your face. Although I don't think I'd ever called it pretty."

I shoved him with my shoulder. "Are we going to ride or are you going to keep talking?"

"What, you don't want me taking your job?" he shot right back.

I swallowed. What Ruby said was still softly echoing in my head. It was time to sort this out, once and for all. "Gabe, you know I fired Bennett right away, right?"

The teenagers, sensing impending drama, sped away as fast as they could.

Gabe stiffened, but said nothing.. Which I supposed was progress. I took another deep breath. "You all split," I explained. "I was the only one that wanted to keep working. So he caught me up in breach of contract and that's why he was still hanging around." I looked at my brother. "He was just collecting a paycheck off my dime, but I never let him touch a single thing that had to do with my career. And as soon as I could, I paid out the nose to get out of it that contract. Hired these fancy lawyers and everything."

Gabe turned and looked at me. I could see the surprise all over his face and let out a rueful chuckle. "Yeah, you had no idea, did you?"

He licked his lips. "You never told us."

"You wouldn't return my calls," I reminded him.

"He didn't come after me."

"Well he fucking well knew better than that, didn't he?"

I could see the muscle jumping on Gabe's temple. "Stop grinding your teeth," I said automatically.

"Who did you hire then?" he asked.

I sighed. "Leon Jensen."

"Who just let you go."

"Yeah."

Gabe fell silent. The sun was out now, warm enough to melt the dusting of snow that had fallen last night. All around us was the steady drip-drip of melting, with the sun shining through the bare, glistening branches, making every twig a prism. It was pretty, but a weird kind of subtle pretty, one you only noticed if you're watching close enough to deserve it.

It made me think of Ruby.

Then then quiet was shattered by the buzzing whine of Gabe's motor as he kicked it to life. I looked at him as he pulled his helmet back down over his face. "Follow me," he shouted over the noise of his motor. "And stay in my line."

I felt the corner of my mouth twitch and had to catch the smile before he saw me grinning like an idiot. Because he didn't say the words out loud. And he probably never would. But I knew Gabe well enough to understand that this was his stab at an apology. At forgiveness. A slow, dripping melt. Like the trees.