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I kicked up dirt as I parked my car on the side of the road. My heart gave a squeeze as I saw Sheriff Mike patrolling the area. He gave me a nod as I ran into the forest. Armed with only a flashlight and my own panicked mind, I took the path I knew by heart.

I found her on her usual rock.

“Jade,” I said. “What the hell are you doing?”

I put my hands on my knees and tried to catch my breath. I remembered that she could have been sleepwalking, and I didn’t need to wake her up.

“How did you know I was here?” she asked.

“You’re awake?”

“I hide my keys from myself. I’d never drive while asleep.”

“Then you know you shouldn’t be here. We need to go.” I reached for her, only for her to tug her hand out of my grip.

“Don’t take care of me right now.” She said it lowly.

“What?”

“I said don’t take care of me right now.” It was louder.

“Wh-what”

“You always do this. You always jump in. I should have known—I should have seen—” She cut herself off.

“What did I do?” I asked. “What upset you?”

“You! You always being here.”

I blinked. “Do you want me to leave then?”

“Did you ever leave, Gabriel?”

“What?”

“Or should I ask through the STM email? You get that too, right?”

“The . . . what?”

No. No.

I forced myself to laugh, knowing I needed to play this off if I was going to keep my cover. “That’s wild, Jade. I know you’ve been looking into who it is, but it’s definitely not me.”

She hit my chest. Or rather, she put something on my chest. When she took it away, it was my note to Grace. Behind it was the sticky note I’d left for her in the library.

“That’s your handwriting. I’m not stupid.”

“I-it’s not.”

“Should I bring out the yearbook where you wrote me a note? Should I have you write me something right now?”

I went silent.

She filled it.

“You know, I always thought that the STM grant owner was somebody from Strawberry Springs. I was right, I guess. God, and then the profile named G Singh? That’s your mother’s maiden name, right?”

Fuck. “Jade. I⁠—”