“The girl at the party! She’s the one who had your hoodie. Maybe it’s not Melody. Maybe it’s her?” I begin to panic, turning around, unable to look because I can’t even imagine how I’ll react if this person is dead. Crew comes up and wraps his arms around me, and I curl my head against his chest, sobbing into his sweatshirt.
“It’s a decoy,” Jagger shouts. “It’s not a person.”
I look over and he’s holding up a soaking wet scarecrow wearing his hoodie. We all breathe out heavy sighs of relief. “Thank God.”
Jagger comes up, dragging the scarecrow with him. Once he’s back up on the riverbank, he tosses it to the ground. Out of breath and shivering, he says, “There’s a note.”
I inhale deeply, my bones shaking. “Of course there is.”
Neo crouches down and pulls the knife from the scarecrow’s back that went straight through a piece of paper and Jagger’s hoodie. He lifts the note, and though it’s wet, it’s readable.“You think you can trust someone, then they stab you in the back.”
I look from person to person, but no one says anything, so I speak my thoughts. “It has to be referencing Melody, because we used her and tried setting him up.”
“Maybe.” Neo shrugs. “Or maybe it’s someone else who can’t be trusted.” He’s looking right at me as he says the words, and every bit of progress we’ve made feels like it’s been tossed into the river.
“Doesn't matter,” Riley says, “this was a bust. He knows Melody was working against him, and now we’ve lost all the headway we had.”
“But Melody was supposed to meet him,” I say. “She should have been here over twenty minutes ago. If she’s not here, where is she?”
No one answers because no one knows.
“We have to find her,” I tell them. “I can’t stand Melody, but I don’t want her or anyone else to get hurt…or die.”
“I’ll go look for her,” Riley says, taking me by surprise once again. “You guys take Scar back and make sure she stays safe.”
“You shouldn’t do this alone, Ry.” I look at Crew, then Jagger. “Can one of you go with her?”
“Neo and I will go,” Crew says. “Jagger, you take Scar home.”
Neo puts up a fight, but eventually gives in. We all head down the trail together, and when it’s time to part ways, I hug Riley. “Be careful.”
“You, too.”
Crew’s next. His arms wrap around my waist, fingers snaking up the back of my sweatshirt, and his skin feels warm and soft against mine. “Everything’s gonna be all right,” he assures me. “I love you.” If I thought my skin was warm against his, it’s nothing compared to the heat rushing inside me.
“I love you, too,” I tell him, honestly. Because I do. I love Crew and I love Jagger. I also love Riley. All three of them have become family to me, and each one has a part in my life that’s different from the next.
Jagger and I are walking back, hand in hand, when I ask him for a favor. “Do you think I could use your phone to make a call?” This whole thing has me thinking a lot about Maddie. I try calling her often, but each time, it’s the same song and dance. I’m not on the list, so I can’t get any info. Occasionally, I have one of the guys get info from Neo, but his response is always,No change,except the last time Crew asked him. In which he said he hadn’t heard anything about her in almost a week.
“Anything. What do you need?”
“Your phone. I wanna try the home again.” I lift a shoulder, holding on to hope. “You just never know. Maybe Sebastian added me back on her approved list.”
Jagger reaches into his pocket, pulls out his phone, and hands it to me.
I dial the number, knowing it by heart, and it rings a few times before someone answers.
“Heartland Home. How can I help you?”
“Hi, Tammy. I’m not sure if you remember me. It’s Scarlett.”
“Of course, dear. How could I forget? You must be calling about Maddie?”
“I am.” My eyes perk up, looking at Jagger. “Are you able to give me an update?”
“Unfortunately, I can’t give you any updates on her condition, but you must not have heard. Maddie’s not with us anymore.”
My heart begins racing, eyes wide with trepidation. “What? She’s gone?”