The drive to Carbondale felt longer than it ever had before.
Sarah sat in the backseat beside Molly, their mother in the front passenger seat, their father driving.
No one had the radio on.
No one wanted noise.
The world outside the window looked almost offensively normal.
Gas stations.
Rest stops.
Billboards.
College town exists.
Sarah stared at passing trees, trying to convince herself she was really going home.
Not relocating.
Not hiding.
Not escaping.
Going home.
Every time a car drove too close behind them, her shoulders tightened.
Every time a dark SUV passed in the opposite lane, her stomach dipped.
Molly noticed.
She reached over and squeezed her sister's hand gently.
"It's okay."
Sarah nodded, but she didn't loosen her grip.
When they pulled into campus housing, word had already spread.
Their dorm building looked exactly the same.
Brick exterior.
Small balconies.
The faint smell of cafeteria food drifting from somewhere nearby.
But the energy felt different.
Claire and Robyn were waiting outside.
The moment Sarah stepped out of the car, Claire burst into tears.
"Oh my God," she breathed, running toward her.
The three of them collided in the parking lot.
Robyn wrapped her arms around both sisters.
"You're really here," Robyn whispered.
"I'm here," Sarah said softly.
Students nearby tried not to stare — but they did.
Phones lowered quickly when Sarah glanced in their direction.
No one approached.
Not yet.
The campus had issued a quiet statement requesting privacy.
Most respected it.
Still, whispers followed them as they walked inside.
"That's her."
"She survived."
"Did you see the news?"
Sarah felt it all.
The attention.
The weight.
But she kept walking.
Her dorm room looked untouched.
Her bed was still made the way she'd left it before the trip.
Textbooks were stacked neatly on her desk.
A half-finished cup of tea, long dried and forgotten.
She stepped inside slowly.
"I didn't know if I'd see this again," she whispered.
Claire's eyes filled.
"You never should've had to wonder that."
Molly stood in the doorway watching her sister absorb the normalcy.
It felt fragile.
But it was theirs.
That evening, the four girls sat cross-legged on the floor, takeout containers scattered between them.
For the first time in weeks, they were all together without sirens or uniforms or hospital bracelets.
Sarah listened more than she spoke.
The others filled the silence with stories about professors, campus gossip, and small things.
Small things mattered now.
Eventually, the conversation shifted.
"So," Claire said carefully, glancing at Molly.
Molly sighed softly.
"I know that look."
"What happened with you and Detective Brooding?" Robyn asked gently.
Molly looked down at her hands.
"Nothing."
"That's not what we mean."
She hesitated.
"We kissed."
Claire's eyebrows shot up.
"You kissed."
"Once," Molly clarified.
"Okay, twice."
Robyn leaned forward.
"And?"
Molly swallowed.
"And I liked him."
There it was.
Simple.
Honest.
"I really liked him."
Claire softened.
"Did he not like you?"
"He did," Molly said quietly. "But Internal Affairs started questioning him."
"What?"
"They found out I was around during the case. That he had been visiting. They asked if we were involved."
"And?" Robyn pressed.
"He denied it."
Silence settled between them.
Molly's voice lowered.
"I overheard him."
Claire tilted her head slightly.
"And you think that means he didn't care?"
"It sounded easy for him," Molly whispered. "Like it didn't matter."
Robyn leaned back thoughtfully.
"Molly… if he admitted anything, what would've happened?"
She hesitated.
"They would've removed him from the case."
"Exactly," Claire said gently.
"And then what?"
Molly blinked.
"Then someone else takes over."
"And if that someone else made a mistake?" Robyn added softly.
Molly's chest tightened.
"He was protecting his position," Claire continued. "Which means he was protecting you and Sarah."
Molly stared at them.
"He couldn't admit anything," Robyn said. "Not without risking everything."
The room grew quiet.
Molly's mind replayed that porch conversation.
There's too much heat right now.
He hadn't rejected her.
He had postponed.
"I didn't think of it like that," she admitted.
Claire smiled faintly.
"That's why you have us."
Molly let out a shaky breath.
"I've never felt that way about someone before."
"Because you were too busy designing Pinterest boards," Robyn teased softly.
Molly laughed despite herself.
"I'm serious."
"So are we," Claire said.
"What did you feel?"
Molly looked toward the window, where campus lights flickered softly outside.
"He made me feel steady," she said quietly. "When everything was chaos… he was steady."
She swallowed.
"He never panicked around me. Even when he was scared, he didn't let me see it."
Robyn nodded slowly.
"That's not nothing."
"I know," Molly whispered.
"And he promised you'd talk when things calm down?"
"Yes."
Claire smiled gently.
"Then let them calm down."
Molly nodded.
For the first time since overhearing that conversation, something inside her loosened.
Not fully.
But enough.
Across the room, Sarah watched her sister carefully.
"You deserve something good," she said softly.
Molly looked at her.
"So do you."
Sarah leaned back against the bedframe.
"I just want normal."
"And you'll have it," Claire said firmly.
"Classes. Coffee runs. Late-night study sessions."
Robyn added, "And absolutely no lakes for a while."
They all laughed.
It wasn't loud.
It wasn't carefree.
But it was real.
Later that night, when everyone else had gone back to their rooms, Molly lay awake staring at the ceiling.
Her phone buzzed softly beside her.
Unknown number.
Her heart skipped.
She hesitated before answering.
"Hello?"
Silence.
Then a familiar voice.
"Just checking in."
Brian.
Her chest warmed despite everything.
"We made it home," she said quietly.
"I know."
"You know?"
"We had patrol confirm arrival."
She smiled faintly.
"Of course you did."
A pause.
"You okay?" he asked gently.
"Yes."
"And Sarah?"
"She's… trying."
"That's enough for now."
Molly hesitated.
"I understand why you said what you did."
Silence on the other end.
"You do?"
"Yes."
Another pause.
"I'm glad," he said softly.
"Too much heat," she repeated.
"Yes."
"But it won't always be like this."
"No," he agreed.
"It won't."
They didn't say anything else for a long moment.
Just breathed.
Steady.
Connected.
But restrained.
"We'll talk," he said finally.
"When it's safe."
"Okay."
When the call ended, Molly set her phone down slowly.
For the first time since this nightmare began, she felt something close to balance.
Not closure.
Not safety.
But direction.
In the dorm across the hall, Sarah finally drifted into sleep without jolting awake.
Outside, campus lights glowed softly.
Life is moving forward.
Jack was still out there.
The manhunt wasn't over.
But for the first time—
They weren't running.
They were rebuilding.
And sometimes—
That was its own kind of strength.