"Just tell me one thing," I said, trying to sound casual even though I was anything but. "Is it true or not?" My heart was pounding, and even though I forced my face to stay calm, my ears were practically straining for his answer.

Tyler let out a long sigh. "It's not true."

"Then can I see the girl? The one I hit?" I asked.

He was silent.

"So it is true," I said quietly. "You handled everything for me without telling me anything, didn't ...