Page 198 of Show Me

“As the poem.”

He flips to another page. “I need to go back over everything that’s happened with Greg and Brent.”

My stomach knots.

“I know we've talked about them before,” he says. “But after tonight, I need every interaction. When's the last time you saw Brent?”

Again, I go through everything I remember as he peppers me with questions.

Jake writes another line. “What about Greg?”

Sweat beads on my forehead as I rub my fingertips over the edge of the blanket. I haven’t shared this part with anyone. Or what happened at Lindsey’s house. Or after between Xavier and I.

Of course, there was no Xavier and I as far as he was concerned.

I exhale. Rip the Band-Aid off. “The last time I saw him was today outside Dr. Hannah Carter’s clinic.”

He glances up from the notebook. “You were there for Squirt?”

“To pick up supplies.” He nods for me to continue. “I’d been outside talking to my dad.”

“When Greg showed up?”

“No.” I shake my head. “He was already there.”

“What did he want?”

“I don’t know.” Heat flames up my cheeks at the lie. “He just... started talking."

“What about?”

Fuck. Jesus, Ruby, do you want to die? Just tell them the damned truth. If going over this helps save your life, you’d be a fool to keep it to yourself. “Xavier.”

Bella mutters under her breath.

Jake ignores it. “What did he say?”

“He said he saw me go inside and waited.”

“Son of a bitch, Ruby. You should’ve started with that.” Emily jumps out of the chair across from me.

I ignore her outburst. “The same thing as usual.” I slump into the hard, limp pillow. “He said guys like Xavier don’t settle down.”

“I’ll update the chief.” Jake closes the notebook when I’ve relayed everything to him. Thankfully, he stopped asking questions before we got to the part where I overheard Xavier telling Lindsey that we were just friends. I don’t have the energy to go through that again.

Emily stops her pacing. “You still think it’s one of them?”

“I think they’re both worth looking at.”

“So, we just wait for something worse to happen?” Bella frowns as she joins Emily. They both look like sentries posted by the door.

“No.” Jake’s neutral expression is replaced with narrowed eyes as he straightens his spine. “From now on, every interaction matters.” He slips the notebook back into his jacket. “Every comment. Every time someone shows up where they shouldn’t.”

The monitor beside the bed hums steadily. The room falls quiet again. And sitting beneath the harsh fluorescent lights, one thought settles heavier than everything else.

Every message. Every threat. Every warning.

Somehow.... It always comes back to Xavier.