Chapter 6

Griffin arrives at Winn’s porch and encounters Skyler, her suited ex-fiancé, pressing her about their shared house. To end the confrontation, Winn asks Griffin to pose as her boyfriend, and they stage affection until Skyler backs off into the yard.

Inside, Winn explains the eight-year relationship and recent breakup, while Griffin returns her lost personal phone. He notes her exhaustion and the half-unpacked home, then spots a file on Harmony Hardt, realizing Winn is actively reviewing the Indigo Ridge suicides despite local assumptions they are straightforward.

They debate perspective—outsider versus local—and Winn reaffirms her commitment to the town. When Skyler lingers and rings the bell again, Griffin fetches a box of condoms from his truck to make a pointed statement. The display prompts Skyler to leave.

With the distraction gone, Winn and Griffin address expectations: he prefers low-complication flings, she refuses to pine for Skyler. Their banter turns openly flirtatious; she asks who the condoms are for, and he admits they were intended for her. The chapter ends as their kissing intensifies, signaling a new, risky entanglement amid her ongoing casework.