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“I was over at the bar, paying, and I overheard you say Nova was in trouble. That someone was after her.” Her eyes are big and round and fearful.
I clench my jaw to manage my swirling emotions.
“You said someone’s been tormenting her.”
“Do you know something about this?” My voice tips to impatient. She needs to just say it. Where is the ballsy Jess that hit me with the truth outside the grocery store? I need that energy right now.
Jess nods but doesn’t say anything. I shift my weight and grumble.
“Jess,” I urge. “Tell me.”
“Someone sent me a photo,” she whispers, and my gut flops. “It was meant for Mary, but they wanted me to see it. It showed up just after we broke up. I knew I should never have given it to her. But I was upset and confused. It’s been eating me up ever since. I tried to go back and get it, but it was too late.”
I ball my fists in my pockets and grimace. “Why would you do that?”
“I don’t know, Zeke,” she pleads. “I was upset. I was… jealous. God, she’s so beautiful. It’s always the girls like her.”
Jess bites her lip, and I’ve never seen anger in her before.
“What about girls like her?” I ask.
“They get everything. They charm everyone. I knew our future, but that didn’t stop my heart from breaking, Zeke. It wasn’t until Christmas that I put it together, though.”
“Put what together?” I look to my feet, my tone softening at her admission that I’d hurt her.
“That a picture would be sent to me to give to your mom. Mary likes me because she thinks I’m a good church-going girl. That I’d make a good servant of God. That she’d side with me about Nova.” Jess pauses and lets out a breath.
“After I brought those clothes over, I realized how kind Nova is. I felt so guilty for judging her like I did. Then I ran into a woman at the start of December in the store, and she was being really friendly and asking a bunch of questions about the town, and I felt really uncomfortable. It felt like she knew who I was, but I had never seen her before.”
I perk up at this. “Did she have long, dark hair and blue eyes like Nova?”
Jess frowns. “I don’t know, her hair was up under a hat, but I think it was lighter. I don’t remember, Zeke. I’m sorry. She had a Southern accent, though. I asked her if she knew Nova. They sounded alike.”
“What else did you tell her about Nova? Where was she staying?” It wasn’t Dru, then.
“I don’t know. Maybe. That’s why I’m telling you. If Nova is in trouble and I caused any of it, I’m so sorry.” Jess’s lip trembles, but she’s trying hard to keep it in. I shake my head.
“You didn’t know. How could you have known? I didn’t even know.” I shake out my arms, trying to push the tension out. I just want to get on a plane right now and go to her. I feel the separation, and if this woman travelled all the way here to try and force us apart, that means she wants Nova at home. That means Nova might be walking into a trap.
I pull my phone from my pocket and back away. “Thank you for telling me this, Jess. And I’m sorry. I’m sorry I hurt you.”
Nova’s name flashes across my screen as I call her, suddenly desperate to hear her voice.
