plenty of opportunity already. Why would things change now? Besides, the whole stepbrother thing.”

I laugh. “Yeah. Stepbrothers.” And because I can’t help it, I add, “Not technically, though. Even if

we were stepbrothers, it’s not like we’re related.”

Jace’s gaze flashes to mine, and his breath hitches. “I guess. Not really related. Not by blood.” For

a second, I think he’s going to lean in and say something else, but he frowns and makes an abrupt

change of topic. “I asked Susan to the dance. She said as long as I don’t barf all over her, she’d love to

go with me.”

“Romantic.” This comes out stonily.

Jace laughs. “You going this year, brother?”

Brother? What the hell is that? “I’m gay. Who would I go with?”

He shrugs. “You should go anyway. Stand up for who you are, show them you don’t care what

anyone thinks.”

“Would you do that?” I ask. “If you were in my shoes?”

He’s quiet for a long time. “Okay, maybe it’s a stupid idea. I just . . . But you’re right. It’s harder

when it’s yourself.”

The front door shuts, and we scramble out of bed. “Mum’s home.”

“Should we hide?” Jace whispers. “Duck out the window?”

I smirk and open the door to the hall. “Mum?”

She appears a few seconds later, a bit flushed. Paul’s lingering at her bedroom door, pulling

nervously at his orange tie that matches his hair. He waves, accidentally flicking his tie into his face. He

flattens it and silently laughs at himself.

“What are you doing home so early?”

“Kind of got outed at school. Needed to recuperate.”

“Oh, dear. Should I make some tea?”

“Nah, I’m fine.” For the most part. I glance from her to Paul. “Jace and I are going to get an ice

cream and sit in the park.”

“Are you sure—?”

“Yep.” Her mouth twitches into a smile. She brushes past me and stands in front of him.

“This is Jace,” I tell her, and before she starts wondering exactly why he’s in my room, I add, “He

drove me home.”

“My God, you look just like Lila,” she says.

“He’s taller,” I say as Jace says, “I’m taller.”

We grin.

“You have her hair, eyes, nose, mouth, everything except how broad you are. That looks like . . .”

She cocks her head and hums. “Well,” she continues eventually. “You’re one handsome guy.”

“Mum!”

“Not as gorgeous as you, dear,” she says. I groan.

“Just stop,” I say. “Go back to the hunk in the hall.”

It’s her turn to redden. Now we’re even.

When she’s gone, Jace laughs. “Your Mum’s all right,” he says, and beckons me out of my room.

“Now, I believe you said something about ice cream?”

alabaster

Ernie and Bert call me over the next few days. If I described what they wanted as a stone, it’d be

alabaster, a translucent stone for forgiveness.

On the third day, I pick up the three-way call. I’m sitting on my single bed staring at my toolboxes.

“What?”

“Dude, we totally screwed up.”

“Bert-time,” Ernie says.

“Shut up,” Bert says. “You’re not making this any better!”

“Fine. We screwed up big time. Better, Bert?”

“I don’t know, ask Cooper.”

“We’re sorry. We were just surprised that you dig dudes. We don’t care.”

Bert says, “No, we don’t care. Anyone who does care will see why I play defense.”

“You gonna tackle them, Bert?” Ernie asks. “That imagery is so gay—hey, maybe you’ll like it,

Coop?”

“If this is your way of apologizing,” I say. “You suck at it.”

“We don’t have much practice,” Bert says. Ernie snorts.

“Yeah, because our big mouths have never gotten us into trouble before.”

“We’re sorry!” they say in unison.

“Come to the dance with us,” Ernie says in a mischievous tone.

“Why?” I pick at the bed covers. Do I want to go? I thought I didn’t but I am curious. It has nothing

to do with knowing Jace will be there with Susan. Absolutely not. “People will whisper.”

“Yeah, but they’ll whisper anyway. At least you can control what they whisper about. Have the

upper hand. Show them you don’t care—and neither do your two incredibly hot, straight friends.”

A pause.

Ernie huffs. “That was your cue to confirm our hotness. You know, from a guy’s perspective.”

Bert laughs. “Come on. He’s way out of our league. We have ugly mugs.”

“Speak for yourself—”

“Guys!” I shake my head. “I’ll come but you have to suck up a little more before I’ll forgive you.”

“Did he say we have to suck him to be forgiven, Bert?”

“Ernie!” He’s laughing, and I may be grinning as well.

kyanite

Jace is in a bad mood the next time I go to Dad’s for the week. When I try to grab his arm and ask

him what the matter is, he shoves me away.

I stumble onto the couch. Annie hisses in the background, flying out of her chair and abandoning

her sewing machine.

“What the hell?” I push to my feet. “I just asked if you’re okay! But obviously”—I shove his chest

—“you aren’t.”

He grabs my wrists and yanks them to my side. His icy-blue eyes look like kyanite—one of the few

blue minerals that occur naturally in this country.

“She’s had enough bad luck! Sharing the love of her life for five years, losing the baby, getting a

new family that barely tolerates her.” He glares at Annie then stabs me with his gaze. “She doesn’t

deserve more!”

Annie steps between us, pushing against our chests until Jace swears under his breath and backs

off. He leaves the gaming room with a slam of the door.

Annie frowns. “What was that about?”

I don’t know, but I want to. I go after him but Annie grabs my sleeve and holds me back. “Don’t.

He needs time to cool off. He’ll come to you when he’s ready.”

I snatch up my homework and take it to my room, pausing for a moment outside his door to hear

the pounding bass of music. I pull out and rub the rare goodletite stone I found at the beach today. When

I calm down, I place the goodletite on a shelf and settle in to do homework.

After not-concentrating on my biology for an hour, I take my I’m a Rock Whisperer cup and head

off to make a cup of tea.

Annie stops me in the hall, twirling to display a purple skirt. “I sewed it myself. For the dance.

What do you think?”

I nod. “Poufy.”

She laughs. “You’re not that type of gay, are you?”

“What type?”

“The—never mind.” She glances at my cup. “Tea? Make me one too?”

“Make it yourself. I’m not doing the loose green tea, temperature thingy you like.”

“If you boil the water it releases too many tannins and tastes bitter.”

“Wow,” I say, grinning. “You sound just like Mum right now.”

She attempts a scowl but it morphs into a grin. “Fine, I’ll make my own.”

“In your poufy skirt?”

“Shut up. I’ll see what Dad says. Probably has more to say anyway.”

He doesn’t. But that’s because he’s not listening to us. He’s sitting at the end of the dining table

staring at the vase of roses. His deep frown shadows underneath his eyes. He rests his elbows on the

table and rubs his temples.

“Dad?” I ask, forgetting about the tea. I set my empty cup on the table and take the chair adjacent to

him. Annie does the same on the opposite side.

“What’s the matter?” she asks.

Dad blinks and clasps his hands together. “I’m glad you guys are here.”

My heart beats faster. Jace is yelling at me again, shoving at my chest. “What happened to Lila?” I

ask. “Where is she?”

“She’s gone to bed. Wants some quiet time.” He shifts in his chair. “She wants me to talk to you.”

His voice cracks and he clears his throat. “Lila had a mammogram.”

“Breast cancer?” Annie’s voice is weak.

Dad slides his clasped hands close to him. “Yes. The doctors found some abnormalities. She has a