39. Chapter 39 The Unraveling
Jenna: August
The moonlight dims over Arrington Vineyards, casting a warm glow across endless rows of grapevines. It’s a hidden sanctuary, untouched by the loud Nashville city life. Sitting on the porch of the guest cottage, summer breeze tangling through my hair, I feel still for the first time in months.
I also feel ready.
It’s been days since I stuffed the letter in my purse, not wanting to let myself think about it. Slowly, I pull out the envelope, my pulse picking up as I reach inside.
As per your father’s final wishes, enclosed, please find a personal letter and photograph. No additional assets were in his name.
I’m not surprised. Even in death, he left me with nothing.
I slip out the old photograph, it’s edges soft and creased.
A little girl smiles back at me, her arms wrapped around a man I barely remember.
I flip it over. The ink’s smudged but I can still make out the message. My fingers tremble as I read.
Jenna, you’ll never know how sorry I am. Even though I wasn’t there, even though I didn’t deserve to call myself your father—I carried this photo with me to keep a piece of you with me every day.
That’s it. That’s all he left me. No money. No property. Not even a goodbye. Only an old photo and an apology, too late to matter. I exhale, pressing the paper to my chest. I feel sorry for the little girl in that picture. But I’m not her anymore.
I tuck it inside my journal, pick up my pen, ready to write about him and everything I’ll never get to say. Until a voice cuts through the stillness.
“Hey, you writing a novel over there?” Izzy steps outside with a bottle of wine and two glasses. “I’d pay to read a few pages.”
I laugh, glancing at my thoughts on paper. “I’d pay you if you knew how to make sense of it all.”
She settles next to me. “Still riding the Jacob and Dylan hamster wheel?”
“Not really,” I say, my voice quiet but resolute. “This time, it’s about me.”
Izzy studies me for a moment. “Whenever you decide what to do, I’ll be here. But for now? Let’s drink way too much wine and try not to make any more poor decisions.”
I smile, grateful for her support. “Deal.”
The next day, we borrow bikes from the vineyard and ride along sunlit trails. There's not a soul in sight as I pedal with a basket full of wine and chocolate. And for the first time in ages, I feel okay.
Izzy’s laughter floats from behind. “Race you to the top!”
I grin, turning to shout back, phone in my hand, ready to capture the moment, when my grip slips.
The phone tumbles, skidding across the gravel. I lurch to grab it, but the bike jerks. The basket tilts. The wheels swerve. And in the blink of an eye, I crash to the ground.
The sound of screeching tires and gut-wrenching screams come from everywhere and nowhere at once.
Pain erupts. And a montage flashes in my mind like a movie reel.
Ava laughing. Lily dancing in the rain. The dolphin art project on the floor. Jacob’s tears. Then dark, cold shadows. Hands tightening around my neck. Jacob’s voice whispering, “This didn’t happen.”
And then… Him.
Everything goes black. No sound. No pain. Nothing.
When I’m awake, all I hear is the relentless beeping of monitors. Every inch of me aches, even breathing hurts. The first thing I see hovering over me is Izzy, eyes wide with fear, mascara streaked down her cheeks.
“Am I dead?” I rasp. “Because if I am, I told you my tombstone should read, Jenna Jinxed Forever. ”
Izzy lets out a half-laugh, half-sob. “You’re not dead, you’re just an absolute idiot. What the hell were you thinking, trying to take pictures while riding a bike?” She smacks my arm. “Now, give me your phone.”
I wince, both from the pain in my body and her ridiculous request. “Why?”
“Because I need to know if you got the perfect shot before almost killing yourself!”
Despite everything, I smile. “No idea. But I bet it was.”
She laughs, but her gaze softens. “Did your life flash before your eyes? Like in the movies?”
I hesitate. “Yeah,” I whisper. “It did. I saw my girls. Felt this desperate longing, wishing I had more time. Then came these distorted images. And… him.”
“Him? Jacob or…”
The hospital room seems to shrink as flashes of memories resurface. I hear screaming and see blood. Jacob’s face, calm and resolute. He was there. But what did he do? What did I do?
My chest clenches, and the heart monitor starts beeping faster.
“Jenna?” Izzy’s voice sharpens, her hand gripping mine. “What’s wrong? What did you see?”
I can’t speak. Can’t breathe.
I hear the door creak open.
Jacob steps inside. His face pale, eyes rimmed blood red. But it’s not just that. It’s something else. Something darker lurking behind his stare.
“What did you do?” I ask, swallowing a lump in my throat.
He stiffens. “Me?” His voice cracks, his gaze locked on mine. “What did you mean by ‘him'? Who are you talking about?”
The room spins. Everything is crashing down, suffocating me.
The truth hovers in the air, just out of reach. And for the first time, I’m not sure I want to catch it. But Jacob already knows… so do I. Now, there’s no going back.