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Her laughter fades. “Honestly, I haven’t seen Ryder like this in years.”

I glance toward the restaurant entrance before I can stop myself.

He left early this morning to arrange transport for his father’s Indian.

“He’s been gone for years,” I say.

“You know what I mean.”

I do.

Lila turns her coffee cup between her hands. “Be careful with him.”

I frown. “That’s ominous.”

“Not because he’ll hurt you. With his heart.” Something in her expression changes. “What did Ryder tell you about Cole?”

The shift catches me off guard.

“That they fought at a party. Cole was drunk. Ryder walked away. Cole left with someone else and died in the crash.”

Lila closes her eyes briefly. “Of course that’s what he told you.”

My stomach tightens. “What part isn’t true?”

“It’s true. He just left something out.”

“What?”

“Ryder took Cole’s keys.”

I go still.

“Cole was drunk,” she says. “Ryder wouldn’t let him drive.”

“He didn’t tell me that.”

“I’m not surprised.”

“Then how did Cole leave?”

“With Tyler Jensen. He’d been drinking too.”

I stare at her. “So Ryder tried to stop him.”

“Yes.”

“Then why does he talk like he abandoned him?”

“Because he thinks if he’d stayed, he could’ve stopped Cole from getting into Tyler’s car.”

“He was eighteen.”

“Yeah.”

I think about Ryder standing in that garage yesterday.

It should’ve been you.