Breathless

Not like she could say that. “It would help you, right? Keep a secret?” When he didn’t say anything, she studied his eyes. “Or . . . are you going to come out . . . ?”

He sat up quickly and rubbed at his face. “No. No. I don’t know.”

She spoke carefully. “It would buy us both some time.”

His hands dropped. “So . . . a secret. Why would you do that for me?”

Quinn hugged him and spoke into his shoulder. “Because you’re my friend, too.” She paused, and a smile found its way into her voice. “You know, if I’m dancing with Adam, my boyfriend would have to come along to a lot of my rehearsals.”

He laughed again, more softly this time. But then he hesitated. “Do you really think I could?”

Nick finally climbed into bed at five in the morning. He was going to be a zombie on those landscaping jobs today.

Quinn was safely asleep at Becca’s, with a stern warning to call him if she felt any need to go anywhere else.

And Adam . . .

“Hey. You’re up. Everything okay with Quinn?”

Nick jumped a mile. He was lucky he didn’t pee his pants. Gabriel was there in the doorway, wearing running shoes and a hoody.

“Yeah,” Nick said. “Long night.”

“Anything interesting happen?”

Ha.

For a heartbeat of time, Nick considered telling him everything. Then he shook his head. “Nah,” he said. “I’m going back to sleep for a few hours.”

“Sure you don’t want to go for a run?”

Maybe Gabriel sensed the energy in the room, because Nick was actually considering it. Being out in the crisp air, letting oxygen fill his lungs and charge him with power.

But then he thought of those jobs later this morning.

He thought of the secrets he was keeping from his twin.

He thought of that envelope on his desk, with the letter he didn’t want to open. Or that kiss, when he’d been swept into the maelstrom of emotion and touch and tongues and—

His phone buzzed on the nightstand, and Nick glanced at the lit-up display. His heart skipped a beat when he recognized Adam’s number.

Then he realized Gabriel was still waiting.

“Not today,” Nick said. “You go on without me.”

When his brother was gone, Nick unlocked the screen to read Adam’s message.

When you’re sure of what you want, I’ll be right here.