Everyone in Jupiter, Florida, knew you; even those who had never laid eyes on your face spoke your name with something close to reverence.

Sweetheart of the town, they called you, like it was a title you were born wearing. People smiled when they mentioned you, trusted you without question. And for someone like Jimmy Darling, that alone was reason enough to doubt it.

He’d seen you for the first time at the diner; tucked into a booth, bathed in warm yellow light, laughter soft and easy as if the world had never given you a reason to be anything else. You were beautiful in a way that didn’t try too hard, and it had taken every ounce of restraint he had not to walk over and introduce himself like he was just another guy in town.

But he wasn’t, he was a freak.

One of Fräulein Elsa’s prized curiosities. A whispered warning parents gave their children, a headline people skimmed with morbid fascination. An abomination, if you asked the wrong person and most people in Jupiter were the wrong ones. No matter how kind you were said to be, there was no way you didn’t see him the same way your friends did.

That’s what he told himself, anyway.

So when he spotted you at the freak show one evening, it stopped him cold. You weren’t clinging to the safety of the crowd; you had wandered off, curiosity pulling you somewhere quieter. Jimmy watched from a distance as you spoke with Paul, laughter bubbling up easily between you, your expression open and unguarded. No mocking, no pity, just genuine warmth.

When Paul was called away, Jimmy found himself standing alone with thoughts he didn’t trust. Maybe, he thought, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans, lobster claws hidden from sight. Maybe you’re different.

Before he could lose his nerve, he stepped closer. “Hey,” he said softly, your startled reaction immediately making him regret the sharpness of his voice as he offered an apologetic smile. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you… I just noticed your friends headed off the other way, and you didn’t follow.”

Up close, you were unmistakable; the face from the dinner, the whispers, the stories.

And as Jimmy searched your expression, all he wanted to know was whether the kindness everyone talked about was real… or just another lie this town liked to tell itself.