I almost told him to stop.
I found myself laughing, actually laughing, as he spun me gently in a circle.
For the first time that night, I didn’t feel out of place.
I felt seen!
We stayed out there longer than I expected. Several songs were played, and we just enjoyed ourselves.
When we finally moved off the floor, my cheeks hurt from smiling.
I didn’t feel out of place.
“Thank you,” I said.
Daniel shrugged as if it were nothing. “Anytime.”
But the way he looked at me… it wasn’t nothing. There was something behind it. Something I couldn’t quite figure out. Either way, that night, he made me feel truly special, and that’s all that mattered.
***
The next morning, I woke up still thinking about just that moment with Daniel.
The way everything had shifted so quickly.
There was something behind it.
***
I was halfway through breakfast when a loud knock came at the door.
My Grandma walked toward it.
When she opened it, two uniformed officers stood on the porch.
“Morning, ma’am,” one of them said. “We’re looking for Lisa. It’s about a young man named Daniel.”
My stomach dropped.
I followed, wheeling to the door when I heard Daniel’s name. “What about him?”
The officer glanced at me, then back at my grandmother.
Two uniformed officers stood on the porch.
There was a pause.
Then the officer addressed me. “Good morning, Miss. You know Daniel, right? Are you aware of what he’s done? He’s involved in an ongoing case.”
My chest tightened. “I don’t understand. What are you talking about?”
The officers exchanged a quick look. Then the same one cleared his throat.
“Our department has been reopening old cases, and your parents’ crash is one of them. New details have come to light, and you deserve to know the truth.”
Everything inside me went still.
“What are you talking about?”
For a second, I couldn’t even process what he’d said.
“My… parents?”
He nodded.
“And Daniel?” I pressed. “What does he have to do with that?”
The officer hesitated again, but this time, I was ready.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
He took a breath.
“That’s something we were hoping to discuss with both of you, but you should know, Daniel came forward recently. He provided information that connects him directly to what happened that night.”
“What aren’t you telling me?”
I felt my grip tighten on the wheels of my chair.
“That doesn’t make any sense. I’ve known him for years. He would’ve told me.”
My Grandma placed a hand on my shoulder. “Sweetheart, let them explain—”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “Something’s not right. How do you know he’s telling the truth?”
I looked back at the officer.
“Because he gave details, no one else could’ve known.”
That’s the moment something shifted inside me.
“He would’ve told me.”
“I need to talk to him,” I said. “I’m going to find him.”
“Miss—” the officer started.
My Grandma chimed in. “Lisa, you don’t have to rush into this—”
I didn’t wait for them to stop me. I grabbed my purse from the hook by the door and wheeled past them before they could say anything else.
Because whatever Daniel had been hiding, I wasn’t going to hear it from anyone else.
“I need to talk to him.”
“Lisa, wait!” my grandma called after me.
“I’ll be back,” I said, already moving down the porch ramp.
I called a ride the second I hit the sidewalk. While I waited, I pulled up my contacts and scrolled until I found someone who might help.
Jake.
He and Daniel had been close since middle school.
He answered on the third ring. “Sup, Lis?”
