And yet the thought of him with Tessa?—
It cut clean through her.
Then guilt followed, hot and choking.
How could she resent that?
How could she wish him alone just to quiet her own ache?
The room felt smaller.
“Write it down, Deputy,” he said softly. “Tell me what it feels like to be left behind.”
Left behind.
Abandoned.
“There is nothing else to do,” he added. “Use your time wisely.”
The intercom clicked off.
Silence crashed in.
She crossed to the radio and twisted the dial through static. A country station crackled past. A weather alert tone cut sharp across the room. Then a local news voice came through—steady, professional, practiced.
“—this is WJCK News at Noon. I’m Alainna Williams reporting live from Sylva. Blizzard conditions continue across Jackson County with wind gusts reaching sixty miles per hour along higher elevations. Officials have confirmed secondary roads remain closed and emergency response access is limited.”
A pause. Papers shuffling faintly.
“The search for Deputy Sara Parker of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office has been temporarily suspended due to severe weather conditions. Sheriff Burke Scott issued a statement earlier this morning saying, quote, ‘Safety of our personnel is paramount. We will resume coordinated search efforts as soon as conditions allow.’”
Another pause.
“At this time, authorities have not released additional details regarding Deputy Parker’s disappearance. Community members are urged to remain indoors and report any relevant information once travel conditions improve.”
The anchor’s tone didn’t waver.
Her name sounded distant. Official. Almost theoretical.
Sara shut the radio off.
For one breath—just one—the loneliness hit hard enough to make her vision blur.
He wanted jealousy.
He wanted despair.
He wanted her to unravel.
What if the storm ended and life did too?
What if she became something spoken about in past tense?
Her fingers hovered over the keys, cold metal beneath her skin.
Jealousy was a luxury.
Hope was a weapon.
