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From the corner of my eye, I saw Kayla's lips curve into a smile, a hint of blush coloring her cheeks.
There was a moment of silence before Lexi's laughter bubbled through the line. "Thank God! I always knew you two were meant to be. Hang on, Luke wants to talk to you."
Before I could protest, Luke's voice boomed over the speaker. "Congrats on finally getting your head out of your ass and getting back with the girl you should've never let go in the first place."
I rolled my eyes, a grin spreading despite myself. "Thanks, Luke. Your blessing means the world to me," I said, my voice thick with sarcasm.
Kayla snorted a laugh, and I winked at her. "Hey, I've got to go, but we'll keep you both updated. Stay safe, alright?"
"We will, Jake. And... be good to her," Lexi's softer voice returned on the line, her words a gentle warning.
"I will," I promised, a sincerity in my voice I hadn't expected.
"Wait, before you go... one more thing." I held the phone close, my brows furrowing. “Do you remember a Jude Paulsson?”
The line was quiet for a long stretch, the silence expanding like a bubble ready to pop. "Lexi?" I prodded, anxiety clawing at my gut.
"Why do you ask?" Lexi's voice was cautious and tinged with something I couldn't quite place.
"Someone mentioned Jude might've been involved in Garrett's disappearance," I said, glancing at Kayla as I spoke. She was leaning against the doorway, arms folded, her expression serious.
"What? Garrett left school on his own..." Lexi's voice trailed off, disbelief evident.
I shook my head, even though she couldn't see it. "I don't think so, Lex. I think something happened to him." I explained the missing person's report and the John Doe, the details spilling out in a rush. "And the officer in both cases... might be Jude's father."
There was a sharp intake of breath from the other end. "Jude was bad news, I knew that... but to think he might have killed Garrett..." Lexi's voice cracked with horror.
"If he's your stalker, that might have been why he killed Garrett—to get to you." The words felt like lead on my tongue, heavy with implication.
Lexi's sob broke through the line, a sound that twisted something deep in my chest. "If it weren't for Mandy, I never would've been brave enough to break up with him."
That caught me off guard. "Was Mandy able to help because she knew Jude before college?" I asked, my voice tight, recalling Kayla's earlier suspicion.
"What? No. We all met at the same time in college." Lexi's confusion was apparent.
"Oh, okay, thanks." I tried to keep my tone even, but questions were piling up like cars in a traffic jam.
After a few more words of comfort, we said goodbye, and I ended the call. I let out a sigh, turning to face Kayla. Her eyes, usually so full of fire, were clouded with concern.
"Kayla," I started, my words slow as I pieced together the conversation with Lexi and what Kayla had told me earlier about Mandy. "Mandy said something about Jude being scary back in high school, but Lexi just confirmed they all met in college. Something's not adding up."
Kayla pushed off from the doorframe and came closer. "I knew she was holding something back," she said, a note of vindication in her voice. "We need to confront her, Jake. She knows more than she's letting on."
"Yeah, we do. But not yet. We need to be careful how we approach this. Talk to Jude first." The last thing I wanted was to tip off Jude—if he was involved—by making it obvious we were onto him.
Kayla nodded, her face set in determination. "Let's go over everything we know first thing in the morning, map it out. Then we decide our next move."
"Sounds like a plan." I agreed, but a heavy feeling settled in my stomach. I knew that whatever was coming next wouldn't be simple or clean. But with Kayla by my side, I felt like we could face anything—even the truth about Jude.
Kayla's gaze lingered on me, a silent question hovering between us. "It’s been a long day. You want to go to bed?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.
I flashed her a lopsided grin. "Don't you remember what happened the last time I let you convince me to sleep?" I teased, recalling the avalanche of missed calls and regret that had sat on my shoulders when I woke up.
She laughed softly, the sound easing some of the tension from my frame. "Well, why don't we just relax then?" she suggested, moving to the fridge to pull out a six-pack of beer. "I heard this helps you relax a little?" she said, holding up the cans with a playful quirk of her eyebrow.
Watching her, a warmth spread through me, the kind that had nothing to do with the alcohol she was offering.
"Oh, yeah? Where'd you hear that?" I leaned back against the counter, arms crossed, amusement dancing in my eyes.
