The sun was setting as I made my way home from practice, the cool breeze brushing against my face. Normally, I’d feel that post-workout high. But tonight, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was horribly wrong. Every time I closed my eyes, I kept seeing the way Derek looked at me when I caught him with Jace’s phone. The way his hands were shaking, like he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t. I barely ate dinner, pushing my food around on my plate while my brain ran in circles, trying to piece together what had happened. I couldn’t stop thinking about the note, Derek’s handwriting, so frantic and rushed. Meet me where the trees line the track. I need you to help me hide it. What did he need hidden? And why had he faked her disappearance? Was he in trouble? And why was Jace involved? I grabbed my phone and texted Derek, hoping I didn’t sound like I was spiraling. “Hey, how’s it going?” “Are you alright after practice?” I stared at the message for what felt like forever, watching the little dots pop up and disappear. I tried to imagine how he’d respond. Finally, the dots stopped, and I got a response. Yeah, fine. Just tired. Why? I wasn’t sure how to reply or what to ask next. My fingers hovered over the screen, but I didn’t want to look too obvious. I didn’t even know if I could trust him. He looked so freaked out earlier, but maybe I was reading too much into it. After a long pause, I finally typed back. Just wondering, you seemed kinda off today. Is everything okay with you and Jace? I hit send and immediately regretted it. What if he took it the wrong way? What if he freaked out and confronted me about it? I put my phone down, trying not to think too much about it, but my mind was already spiraling. Minutes ticked by, and I kept checking my phone, waiting for him to respond. It felt like an eternity before he finally replied. It’s complicated, but yeah, we’re fine. Don’t worry about it. I stared at the message. It wasn’t reassuring. It was vague. He hadn’t even mentioned Jace’s disappearance, like it wasn’t important to him at all. Something felt off about his response, but I didn’t know what to make of it. I tossed my phone on the bed and stared at the ceiling, my mind racing again. Tomorrow’s practice couldn’t come fast enough. I had to figure out what was going on before it was too late.