Chapter 37: Shadows

I EXPECTED ZANDER TO at least put up a fight, something.

"Okay," he said, staring at the ground for a moment before smiling complacently at me. "I didn't mean to make you think there was more going on. I mean, I just want to get a good grade on the report and everyone said you were the smartest in the class."

I frowned, not appreciating the way he was spinning this. I wasn't stupid. He had been flirting. Whether it reflected his real feelings or not was a different matter.

"Fine," I said, a little curtly. I tried to tone down my irritation, reminding myself that I was on a mission to discover what he knew about Mom. "Let's meet in the library to work on it next time."

He studied me for a long moment, and I thought I saw a flash of pain, but it could have been a reflection of the sun. "Okay," he agreed with a nod.