Page 149 of Good Boys Don’t Bite

Ronan's chest tightened.

RONAN: mentioned what

Three dots. Long pause. Then:

DYLAN: said elliot scared him

Ronan stopped breathing for a second. Elliot watched his face.

“What?”

Ronan looked at him. The room went very quiet.

“Did Lucas ever tell you he was afraid of you?”

Elliot froze. Not long. A fraction. But Ronan saw it. Again. Another tiny pause. Another answer before the answer.

“No.”

Ronan stared. Elliot stared back. Someone was lying. And for the first time, Ronan had no idea which one of them it was.

Chapter Thirteen — A Perfect Alibi

ELLIOT

SUNDAY · 10:48 P.M.

Elliot knew exactly when Ronan stopped believing him completely. It wasn't when Dylan sent the message. It wasn't when Ronan asked whether Lucas had ever been afraid of him. It wasn't even when Elliot said no. It happened approximately three seconds later, when Ronan continued looking at him instead of accepting the answer. That was new. Ronan had questioned him before. Argued. Pushed. Demanded explanations. But beneath every fight there had always been something solid and unquestioned. Trust. Not the delicate kind people constantly talked about rebuilding after betrayals. Ronan's trust had always been heavier than that. Structural. Something built into the architecture of their relationship so completely that neither of them seemed capable of imagining its absence. Now Elliot could feel the first fracture.

Tiny. Almost invisible. Still there. Ronan remained at the opposite end of the couch with his phone in one hand. The message glowed between them.

DYLAN: said elliot scared him

Elliot stared at it. Ronan watched Elliot. Neither spoke. The carriage house had become unusually quiet. Rain had ended sometime during dinner, leaving water dripping rhythmically from the roof outside. A clock ticked in the kitchen. The heating system clicked beneath the floorboards. Elliot forced himself to breathe normally.

“What exactly did Lucas say?”

Ronan's eyes narrowed.

“You said he never told you he was afraid.”

“He didn't.”

“That wasn't what I asked.”

“I'm asking what he told Dylan.”

Ronan looked back at the phone.

“He hasn't answered yet.”

“Call him.”

Ronan stared.

“Why are you suddenly interested?”

“I've been interested for weeks. You've complained about it constantly.”