Page 65 of The Rookie's Second Chance

JAKE

Driving through the darkening streets with Kayla, I could feel the tension rolling off her in waves. It wasn't just the case eating at her; something else was on her mind. I snuck a glance her way.

"Spill it, Kayla. What's got you twisted up?" I finally asked, breaking the silence.

She hesitated, then let out a sigh, "I visited Mandy today."

I raised an eyebrow. "You did? Why the hell would you do that?"

"To thank her for the flowers," she replied, her voice flat. "But Jake... she was very... off."

"Off how?" I prompted, my curiosity piqued.

Kayla turned to face me. "She knows about us, Jake. Or at least, she hinted at it—like she was marking her territory."

A grimace twisted my features, my grip tightening on the steering wheel. "How would she—" I started, but Kayla cut me off.

"Just the way she talked, the things she said. It felt like a warning, like you were... hers." Her voice trailed off.

I reached over, taking her hand in mine. "Not a chance," I said firmly, squeezing her hand for emphasis. Relief flickered over Kayla's face, but it was quickly replaced by a frown.

"And there's something else," she added, "She mentioned Jude... being a nightmare back in high school."

"Not college?" I clarified.

Kayla shook her head. "She said she misspoke, but... I don't know, Jake. I think she's holding back. She knows more than she's saying."

The car hummed beneath us as we drove, our conversation hanging in the air. Mandy's odd behavior, her apparent slip-up about Jude—it all added to the growing list of questions without answers.

I kept one hand on the wheel, the other entwined with Kayla's, as I navigated the roads back to her place. The night was quiet, too quiet. I could sense Kayla's mind working overtime next to me, piecing together the fragmented clues.

"We'll get to the bottom of this," I said, breaking the silence. "Starting with Mandy. If she knows something, we need to find out what it is."

Kayla nodded, her gaze fixed on the road ahead. "She's scared, Jake. Whatever she knows about Jude, it's got her terrified."

The revelation sent a shiver down my spine. If Mandy, who always seemed so calm, was scared, then we were definitely missing a piece of the puzzle—a piece that could very well be the key to unlocking this whole mess.

We drove on, the silence between us now a shared resolve. Whatever was waiting for us in the shadows, we would face it together. I could feel Kayla's presence beside me, a steady force in the turmoil of our investigation. We would figure this out for Lexi, Kayla, and all of us.

As we pulled up to Kayla's place, I let out a long breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. "Mind if I come in for a minute?" I asked, not ready to be alone with my thoughts just yet.

Before she could answer, my phone rang, cutting through the car's silence. Lexi's name flashed on the screen. "It's Lexi," I said, thumbing the answer button. "Hey, Lex, you okay? It’s pretty late."

"As okay as I can be," her voice crackled through the speaker, a tired edge to it. "Have you guys found out anything? I just want this nightmare to be over."

"We found some evidence at the ranch," I told her, watching Kayla's face for any sign of discomfort. She just nodded, encouraging me to continue.

"Anything useful?" Lexi's voice held a flicker of hope.

"Maybe. We're taking it to the lab first thing in the morning," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt.

Her tone shifted, "We? You and Mandy?"

I frowned, confused. "Why would you think that?"

"Because Mandy made it sound like there might be something between you two," Lexi said, a hint of irritation seeping into her words.

"No, no," I hastened to correct her misunderstanding, "I meant Kayla. We're... together. But it's got to stay under wraps for now, you know, with work and all."

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