Unwelcome Caller

PIPER’S POV

The news of Sloane’s arrest had been everywhere for days.

It had been on television screens at cafés. On social media timelines I tried not to scroll. In whispered conversations that went quiet the moment I entered a room.

Sloane’s arrest had spread like wildfire, her name tangled up with words like kidnapping, conspiracy, and evidence under review. And still, none of it felt real. It