Page 189 of Tessa and Nash

Mayor Caldwell exhales slowly. “The Juniper Creek development proposal is already under review pending a land survey and historical documentation. Given the new information presented, the council will also be reviewing whether any statements made during previous hearings were materially influenced by this… misrepresentation.”

I swallow hard as the hammer hits me.

“We will consult with the county before determining how that affects the timeline of the review process.”

She glances toward the back of the room again.

“Miss Long, as an administrative employee of Town Hall, I will expect a written statement from you regarding your involvement in this matter.”

“Yes, Mayor.”

The mayor turns back to me. “And Mr. McCoy… I would strongly suggest that any future statements you make regarding development proposals before this council be strictly factual.”

A few people snort quietly.

“That would probably be a good idea.”

The corner of her mouth tightens. “Yes. I believe it would.”

She raises the gavel one last time.

“This meeting is adjourned. The council will reconvene once the county survey and additional documentation regarding the Juniper Creek parcel have been reviewed.”

The gavel comes down.

“Until then, this matter is closed for public debate within this chamber.”

The moment the meeting ends, the room explodes.

People stand. Chairs scrape. Voices rise into overlapping arguments as Buckhorn begins dissecting the confession in real time.

Through all of it, my attention drifts back to the door.

Tessa is still standing there.

The look she gives me lands harder than anything anyone in this room said.

Because it isn’t anger, it’s hurt, and somehow that’s worse.

By the time I push through the doors outside, Tessa is gone.

Everything I've just done starts to sink in, and it feels like the world is closing in around me. I’m sinking… drowning…

A few minutes later, Boone and Dallas find me outside, their faces still stuck somewhere between shock and disbelief.

They stop in front of me, both of them looking at me like I’m a stranger. Boone opens his mouth to say something, but it takes him a few seconds to get the words out, like he’s processing everything in real time.

“Well,” Boone says finally. “That explains a lot.”

Dallas, who’s always the quieter one, shakes his head slowly, eyes narrowed in confusion. “You really went nuclear.”

My heart races. I want to tell them it’s fine, that it was the right call even if it seemed insane, and I definitely should have spoken to Tessa first… but the words won’t come.

I’m stuck in the mess I’ve made, and it’s starting to hit harder now. I force myself to respond. “I told the truth.”

“You detonated the truth,” Boone corrects.

He’s pissed, I can tell, but I don’t know if it’s at me or the whole damn situation. He’s always had that way of calming things down, but right now, he doesn’t know how to fix this mess.