The deputy drags a hand across the back of his neck, eyes flicking to Jacob before landing uneasily on me.
“The John Doe came in rough, sir. Real rough. Carter’s the one who brought him—said he found him collapsed near a bar on Main.” He pauses, glancing down at the clipboard in his hands, as though the paper might soften the blow. “Doctors said his injuries were bad enough they had to put him into an induced coma. Safer that way.”
Jacob’s jaw tightens, the muscle twitching. “Go on.”
The deputy nods quickly. “The hospital contacted Benedict Harrow’s next of kin. He’s been listed missing for months, so they came in hoping….” He swallows. “But after seeing him, both of them said the same thing.”
His voice drops.“That man in the bed isn’t their Benny.”
My stomach twists. “But… I saw him. I know him. I?—”
The deputy cuts in. “The real Benedict Harrow vanished six months ago. No leads, no sightings. Whoever this guy is… he walked into town wearing Benny’s identity like a second skin. On paper it’s airtight—ID, payroll, everything.”
Jacob’s hands ball into fists. “So someone used a dead man’s name and slid right under my nose?”
I press my palms against my knees, trying to hold myself still, but my whole-body trembles. Every time I thought Benny was saving me, listening to me, caring for me—he wasn’t Benny at all.
Who was he?
“I trusted him,” I whisper, bile burning my throat. “God, I trusted him.”
Jacob doesn’t take his eyes off the deputy. His voice drops lower, darker, like it’s being dragged from somewhere dangerous. “And your first move was to drag her in here? To put hands on her like she’s your suspect?”
The deputy swallows hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “Ma’am, I apologize for the way I approached you. It wasn’t right?—”
“Enough,” Jacob snaps, stepping closer until the man’s back hits the wall. His size, his fury, swallows the room whole. “Not one word in her direction. Not one fucking breath.”
The deputy’s gaze flickers, caught between fear and pleading. “Sheriff?—”
Jacob leans in, his words a hiss, vicious and final. “Just remember, she’s my woman. And I own your fucking badge. You want to keep it, then every question you have for her, you ask through me.”
“Yes, Sheriff.” He nods, stumbling for the door. His boots squeak on the tile as he vanishes. The door shuts.
And suddenly it’s just me and Jacob, the fluorescent light buzzing, my chest heaving like I’ve been drowning.
I whisper, barely audible, “If he’s not Benny….” My throat tightens, tears threatening. “Then who is he? There must be a mistake.”
Finally, Jacob stands and turns to look at me. His eyes are dark enough to burn. He leans, bracing his hands on the wall either side of me.
“I don’t know.” His voice is steady, lethal. “But I’ll find out. And when I do….” His jaw flexes, every word bitten off with promise.
We make our way back toward the reception, the sterile hum of the hospital lights filling the corridor. Constance and Adelaide are exactly where I knew they’d be—slouched in the plastic chairs by the vending machine, arms folded, legs crossed, expressions thunderous.
A laugh almost escapes me. The sight drags me straight back to high school, to the times they sat outside the principal’s office after being caught sneaking out or mouthing off. Same postures, same defiance—just older now, sharper around the edges.
Constance was always the worst of the two, never able to stomach authority or takenofor an answer. Adelaide followed her lead more often than she’d admit. So, the image of Jacob storming through earlier—taking me and a deputy with him while leaving them behind—must’ve burned.
The moment they see us, the storm clouds break. Both women shoot to their feet in perfect sync, anger and relief warring across their faces.
“Hey, what was that about?” Constance asks, concern radiating from her expression.
“It was nothing, just a formality,” Jacob answers for me. “It’s all under control. But now, we’re heading up to Harrow. He’s in a coma, so no need for you two to stick around.”
I look to Jacob, confusion pulsing through me, but then remember who he is. The Sheriff of Rosefield. He’s used to keeping things under wraps until he has the whole story and every ounce of information. Plus, he’s trying to protect me. He wants me to headinto Benny’s room with a clear head. He wants to avoid any more mental conflict and what ifs.
“No, we’ll wait.” Adelaide says softly, forcing a small smile. “We’ll be right here for you Summer.”
I nod my head, and lean forward, putting my head between my two best friends and wrapping an arm around each of their shoulders. They both hug me back, Adelaide plants a kiss on my ear and whispers “We’ve got you.”
