“Is there anything more you need to tell us, that we need to know?” Jett asked me as he looked at me so intently that I felt like I was under a microscope.
“You know everything I do, probably more.”
“You know that we continued to look into the fuckers who did this to you,” Jett said with no embarrassment or shame.
“You did, even though I asked you not to.”
“We found out more than we thought we would,” he continued as if he hadn’t heard me.
“You said.” I shifted on the couch; it was too soft for my liking.
“Quinn, can you listen?” His voice was quiet and sounded tired,which was fucking hypocritical if you asked me. I wasn’t the one hounding him to declare his darkest secrets.
“What if I don’t want to, Jett? What if I’m really truly sorry for whatever or whoever you’ve found, but what if I really don’t need to know because I’ve had enough? I’ve lost . . .” I shook my head in anger at myself for almost saying too much and in anger at him — he needed to back off.
“You’ve lost a lot, I know that, but don’t you want to know what they planned?”
“No.” Dropping my head into my hands, I pressed the heels of my hands into my eyes to stop the tears. I couldn’t cry anymore. I was so tired of crying.
“But, Quinn, if you knew—”
“That’s enough.”
My head snapped up as I looked at Gray, and his eyes met mine as he spoke to Jett. “She isn’t ready. It’s not your place to force this on her.”
“Gray, she needs to know, if—”
“I said no.” Gray cut his brother off again. “Back off and shut the fuck up,” he warned him quietly. “Look at her. See past your own self-righteousness andlook at her.”
Jett glanced at me and looked away, and then I saw his head and shoulders droop. “I’m a dick.”
“You are.” Gray walked over to me and held out his hand. “Come on, I’ll take you home.”
Slowly, I reached out my hand, and his fingers wrapped around mine, pulling me to my feet. Bending his knees slightly, he looked into my eyes and nodded in question, asking me if I was okay. My head dipped quickly, breaking the stare. He saw too much sometimes.
Jett mumbled something and then wrapped his arms around me, and I heard him whisperSorryas he crushed me to him. Reluctantly, I let go of Gray’s hand to return the hug.
“I’m angry, Quinn,” Jett said as he pulled back and looked down at me. “I’m angry this happened, I’m angry they got away with it —aregetting away with it and worse.”
Cupping the side of his face, I reached up and kissed his cheek. “I know, and I’m sorry I can’t help you, but I can’t, Jett. I don’t know anything else.”
His hand pressed against mine that still cupped his cheek. “Okay, I’m sorry for pushing.”
“No, you’re not,” I teased him gently. “You’re just sorry Gray was in the room before the interrogation began.”
Jett closed his eyes at my attempt at humor before he opened them and embraced me again. “I’m scared you may be right,” he whispered before he let me go.
“Come on,” Gray said gruffly as he opened the door.
Silently, he walked me home, our thoughts both elsewhere. At the foot of my stairs, he looked at me.
“I’m not Jett.”
“Thank God you cleared that up; that fraternal twin thing was confusing me.”
“Don’t be a smartass,” he reprimanded me. “I’m not my brother, I won’t push like he is, and I actually told the stupid dick not to do this.”
“But Jett thinks he has right on his side,” I spoke quietly as I looked away from him, watching my fellow students go about their evening with their own worries on their shoulders.
