The next morning, a gray drizzle clung to the town like a warning. Eli had barely slept. Noah's words from the night before still echoed in his mind, sharp as glass. He told himself he wouldn't chase ghosts today—but when his phone buzzed with a message from Maddie Hayes, he knew that was a lie.
Maddie H: Hey. I saw you at the reunion. There's something I never told anyone… about Jesse. Can we talk?
Maddie had always been the quiet one—yearbook photographer, chess club captain, invisible in all the ways that made her the perfect observer. They met at her father's auto shop, where she still worked part-time while running a photography business.
"He was scared," she said, skipping the pleasantries as she handed Eli a cup of tea and sat beside him in the back room of the garage. "Jesse. The night he died."
Eli looked at her, alert. "You saw him?"
She nodded slowly. "I was taking photos by the river, trying to capture lightning shots. That's when I saw the car."
"What kind of car?"
"Black. Windows tinted. It pulled over near the path that leads to the woods. Jesse was there, arguing with someone—loud. I couldn't hear much, just that he kept backing away. He looked defensive. Angry."
"Could you see who he was arguing with?"
"No. The person never got out of the car. But Jesse shouted something like, 'You said you'd leave them out of this!' Then he turned and ran."
Eli's breath caught in his throat.
Jesse had always been protective, especially when it came to the people he loved. If he was warning someone to "leave them out of it"…
"Did anyone else know you saw this?" Eli asked.
Maddie shook her head. "I didn't want to get involved. But after that letter surfaced, I just couldn't keep quiet anymore."
Eli gripped the mug tightly, his mind racing. The letter. The video. Now this.
"Do you think it was someone he was dating?" Maddie asked softly. "Because he looked heartbroken. Like someone had just betrayed him."
As Eli walked back, rain tapped steadily against his jacket while memories flooded in. Jesse, sneaking out late. Jesse, hiding texts. Jesse, brushing off questions with a grin that never reached his eyes.
He thought it had been nerves—family stuff. But now…
Eli stopped in his tracks.
Jesse had a secret boyfriend.
It was something he had suspected once, the summer before graduation, when Jesse returned from a weekend trip acting quiet and withdrawn. Eli had asked if something had happened, and Jesse had smiled too quickly, saying, "Just life. Nothing worth remembering."
Now Eli realized: Jesse was protecting someone. Someone who may have had something to lose if the truth came out. Someone in a black car. Someone Jesse argued with the night he died. Someone who might still be in town.
Back at the cottage, Eli sat with his notebook open and pen tapping against the paper.
- Jesse fought with Eric.
- Jesse argued with someone in a black car.
- Jesse had a secret boyfriend.
- The letter said, "Don't trust what they told you."
"Running," Eli whispered to himself. "He wasn't just upset. He was running."
Running from betrayal. From someone dangerous. Or from the truth itself.
Noah's door creaked open, and he stood there, his gaze guarded. "I heard you talked to Maddie," he said quietly.
Eli looked up, unsure if he was ready to be shut out again. "Yeah. She saw Jesse the night he died."
Noah stepped in. "You think he was hiding a relationship?"
Eli nodded slowly. "And whoever he was with… I don't think they wanted to be found out."
Noah's eyes darkened. "Which means Jesse might've been silenced for trying to tell the truth."
They stared at each other—no more arguments, just the heavy weight of realization.
This was no longer about closure. It was about justice.The next morning, a gray drizzle clung to the town like a warning. Eli had barely slept. Noah's words from the night before still echoed in his mind, sharp as glass. He told himself he wouldn't chase ghosts today—but when his phone buzzed with a message from Maddie Hayes, he knew that was a lie.
Maddie H: Hey. I saw you at the reunion. There's something I never told anyone… about Jesse. Can we talk?
Maddie had always been the quiet one—yearbook photographer, chess club captain, invisible in all the ways that made her the perfect observer. They met at her father's auto shop, where she still worked part-time while running a photography business.
"He was scared," she said, skipping the pleasantries as she handed Eli a cup of tea and sat beside him in the back room of the garage. "Jesse. The night he died."
Eli looked at her, alert. "You saw him?"
She nodded slowly. "I was taking photos by the river, trying to capture lightning shots. That's when I saw the car."
"What kind of car?"
"Black. Windows tinted. It pulled over near the path that leads to the woods. Jesse was there, arguing with someone—loud. I couldn't hear much, just that he kept backing away. He looked defensive. Angry."
"Could you see who he was arguing with?"
"No. The person never got out of the car. But Jesse shouted something like, 'You said you'd leave them out of this!' Then he turned and ran."
Eli's breath caught in his throat.
Jesse had always been protective, especially when it came to the people he loved. If he was warning someone to "leave them out of it"…
"Did anyone else know you saw this?" Eli asked.
Maddie shook her head. "I didn't want to get involved. But after that letter surfaced, I just couldn't keep quiet anymore."
Eli gripped the mug tightly, his mind racing. The letter. The video. Now this.
"Do you think it was someone he was dating?" Maddie asked softly. "Because he looked heartbroken. Like someone had just betrayed him."
As Eli walked back, rain tapped steadily against his jacket while memories flooded in. Jesse, sneaking out late. Jesse, hiding texts. Jesse, brushing off questions with a grin that never reached his eyes.
He thought it had been nerves—family stuff. But now…
Eli stopped in his tracks.
Jesse had a secret boyfriend.
It was something he had suspected once, the summer before graduation, when Jesse returned from a weekend trip acting quiet and withdrawn. Eli had asked if something had happened, and Jesse had smiled too quickly, saying, "Just life. Nothing worth remembering."
Now Eli realized: Jesse was protecting someone. Someone who may have had something to lose if the truth came out. Someone in a black car. Someone Jesse argued with the night he died. Someone who might still be in town.
Back at the cottage, Eli sat with his notebook open and pen tapping against the paper.
- Jesse fought with Eric.
- Jesse argued with someone in a black car.
- Jesse had a secret boyfriend.
- The letter said, "Don't trust what they told you."
"Running," Eli whispered to himself. "He wasn't just upset. He was running."
Running from betrayal. From someone dangerous. Or from the truth itself.
Noah's door creaked open, and he stood there, his gaze guarded. "I heard you talked to Maddie," he said quietly.
Eli looked up, unsure if he was ready to be shut out again. "Yeah. She saw Jesse the night he died."
Noah stepped in. "You think he was hiding a relationship?"
Eli nodded slowly. "And whoever he was with… I don't think they wanted to be found out."
Noah's eyes darkened. "Which means Jesse might've been silenced for trying to tell the truth."
They stared at each other—no more arguments, just the heavy weight of realization.
This was no longer about closure. It was about justice.