“Nothing, just talking to myself.” He smiled, but I could still see that sadness lurking in his eyes. “Your Nico, did he know about your family?” he asked quietly. It was one of only a handful of times he’d ever brought up Nico in the year we’d been friends, and the mention caught me off guard. “Ah … no. No one knows. In fact, my family doesn’t know that I know.” My gaze dropped to the ground where I studied the dirt on my shoe. He was silent, so I dared a peek up. Michael’s eyes were bulging round. “You serious? They didn’t tell you? How on earth did you figure it out?” “It’s a long story, but my brother was killed when I was young. My parents lied about what had happened. After that, I watched and learned. It wasn’t all that hard when you actually pay attention.” A sly smile spread acros
