He rested his forehead against hers. “That pretty much tells me everything I need to know.”
They looked down at Taylor’s grave. Caitlin wondered what Taylor would think about this turn of events—her now being with quirky, kinda-geeky Jeremy, her younger brother’s best friend, instead of popular ultrajock Josh. It had happened unexpectedly: Caitlin had run into Jeremy at Taylor’s grave a few weeks ago, when she was going through a particularly tempestuous time—she wasn’t sure if she wanted to continue playing soccer, she didn’t know if she was with the right guy, she was still so mixed up and angry about Taylor, and she and the others had just pulled that prank on Nolan. They’d got to talking, and Caitlin had realized how easily she connected with Jeremy. And how much he understood what she was going through. Josh never even asked about Taylor. He seemed to think that avoiding uncomfortable issues was the answer.
Jeremy shifted his weight. “So have you talked to Josh at all?” he asked, as if there was a big sign over Caitlin’s head broadcasting what she was thinking.
Caitlin stiffened. “Yeah,” she said vaguely, making a face.
“That good of an experience, huh?”
She kicked up a divot of grass. She’d run into Josh that morning at school—which had been weird enough because of the whole Granger thing. Girls were literally sobbing because Granger was gone, placing bouquets of flowers in his doorway and meeting during lunch to pray about him around the flagpole. Caitlin had been amazed that even the girls who’d turned up on Granger’s phone—like Jenny Thiel—had been in the tight knots of sobbing kids or had been one of the distraught teens slipping into the guidance counselors’ offices during class. It was like they had blinders on regarding what a jerk the guy was. And though the lawyer Caitlin had spoken with said the police were under obligation to keep her involvement with Granger’s death a secret since they weren’t yet officially charged, Caitlin was almost positive Beacon kids had caught wind of the rumor all the same. She’d gotten vicious looks all day, like everyone believed she was guilty. Even girls on her soccer team were looking at her funny—but then again, no one brought it up, so maybe she was just paranoid.
It was halfway through the morning when she ran into Josh. He’d been standing by his locker with Guy Kenwood and Timothy Burgess, his buddies from the soccer team. They’d locked eyes, and Caitlin had frozen in her tracks, knowing she’d look like an asshole if she turned around and went the other way. By the daggers Guy and Timothy were shooting her, it was clear they’d found out that Caitlin was now with Josh’s brother. Caitlin had wondered, for a split second, how exactly Josh had told them. Having your less popular younger brother steal your girlfriend wasn’t exactly something to brag about, after all.
“Well, at first he didn’t look at me,” Caitlin told Jeremy, shoving her hands in her pockets. “But then I pulled him aside and tried to explain.”
Jeremy winced. “I’m sure that went over well.”
“I told him we hadn’t been connecting for a while, and it was just a matter of time, you know?” She swallowed hard, thinking of Josh’s tight, furious expression as soon as Caitlin had said all that. “He was pretty blindsided. And hurt. But then . . . well, I don’t know. He was okay, in the end.”
“Really?” Jeremy looked curious. “What did he say?”
Caitlin took a breath. “He just said that if that’s what I wanted, then he wanted me to be happy,” she explained. She’d been astonished when Josh had said it, actually—it was so gracious and mature. I’m not going to be one of those pathetic guys who can’t deal. I’m not thrilled that you’re into Jeremy, but I guess I can’t stop you, can I?
“I expected him to be so angry,” Caitlin concluded, peeking at Jeremy. “It was nice that he wasn’t.”
Jeremy nodded. “Well, he’s been ignoring me for days. Although that’s better than him insulting me, which I figured he’d be doing in full force. Maybe our boy is growing up.”
“Maybe.” Caitlin smiled weakly. Then she was hit with a pang. Every good thing in her life, she realized, was offset by something sad or bad. Here she was with Jeremy, but at Taylor’s grave—and with Josh so hurt. Here she was, happier than she was in years, but she was also an accused murderer. Nothing came easy.
She looked up at Jeremy, Granger now on her mind. “So I guess you’ve heard about Mr. Granger—and my involvement. It’s not what it seems, though.”
Jeremy waved his hand. “Please. I know that. But why were you at his house?”
She shrugged, feeling uncomfortable. She couldn’t totally tell Jeremy the truth. “It’s a long story. But it has to do with Nolan. Some friends of mine and I thought Granger was the one who killed him.”