“Tell them what?” I asked haughtily, regaining my senses. “We broke into the house, and we think someone else broke in too?”

“Again, it’s your house,” Chloe said.

I put my head in my hands. Then I pointed at Dabney. “This is your fault,” I said. “You and your stupid triple dares.”

“Hey!” she said, holding up a duffel bag. “I love you so much that, even during the panicking and screaming, I got your shoes.”

I hugged her. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I could have said no.”

“That’s more like it,” she said.

“I even got your pillow,” Chloe said.

“You two are good, good friends,” I said. “The best.”

And here we were, full circle, with me feeling kind of weepy over how much I loved my friends. I pulled my phone out to show them the pictures of the man, zooming in on his features. “I’m pretty good at recognizing people even in masks post-pandemic,” Dabney said. “But I don’t recognize that guy.”

I didn’t either.

“Let’s tell my parents,” Chloe said. “They’ll know what to do and then we don’t have to tell your mom.”

I shook my head. “Nope. Nope. They’ll definitely tell her. I think we just let it go.”

“Iris, someone was in your house!” Dabney said.

“Yeah, but what if it was like some sort of guard or something?”

“A guard, in a mask, in your dad’s home office closet?” Chloe asked in a tone that signified I was an idiot.

Okay. Maybe I was an idiot. I shook my head. “Right. That doesn’t make a lot of sense.” I paused. “But he was taking broker statements, which the feds should have already gotten. Which is why I’m thinking that maybe it was someone with the investigation who left something behind.” I bit my lip. “Just let me think about it for a beat, okay? I’ll let you know what I decide.”

Dabney scrunched her nose. “I mean, maybe Iris is right. We’d be in so much trouble.”

Chloe sighed. My duffel suddenly felt heavy, now that my adrenaline had calmed. I was so relieved to reach Chloe’s door.

“Back at home, safe and sound,” she said.

It was only then that I wondered whether I would ever truly feel safe again.

JUNIPER SHORES SOCIALITE

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Sharing bad behavior and delicious drama in North Carolina’s most exclusive coastal zip code. DM with tips, pics, and juicy deets.

SEPTEMBER 7, 5:49 A.M.

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In case you’ve been hiding under a rock and didn’t hear… tonight is the night. Juniper Shores’ Met Gala. Our Oscars. Our queen Charlotte’s debutante ball. Since I was, sadly, not here to keep you abreast of town happenings during last year’s ball, a recap: