Page 118 of Mending Hearts
But this? This isn’t accidental. Fuck, it feels calculated. I swear this is them finding the one way to hurt me without looking hateful.
They didn’t attack my sexuality. They’re too close to the governor for that. Instead, they attacked my character. And they used Rafe as collateral damage.
My thumb keeps scrolling like I’m searching for the part where it turns into a joke. It doesn’t.
Cass’s voice is tense. “That’s… that’s brutal.”
I stare at the last line. Some sterile sentence about “wishing for accountability.”
My stomach lurches like my body wants to reject the whole thing. I lock his phone and just… sit here.
The room feels too bright, too loud, even though nothing has changed. Even though the washing machine hum is the only real sound, and Cass is staring at me like he’s ready to throw hands at two people he’s never met.
My own phone is on the counter.
Face down and on silent.
I flip it over. The screen lights up, and my blood turns to ice.
Missed calls. Notifications. Text previews stacked like a tower.
A dozen.
Two dozen.
More.
Eric.
Lindy.
Marco.
Jayden.
Sutton.
Unknown numbers.
Team staff.
A few teammates who normally don’t text me unless it’s about golf or a fantasy league.
My breath goes shallow. The world doesn’t wait. The world doesn’t give you time to breathe.
Cass’s voice is gentle now. “Ollie.”
I look at him like I don’t recognize my own kitchen.
“You don’t have to do everything right now,” he says.
But I do. Because it’s already out. It’s already everywhere. It’s already moving faster than I can.
I scroll until I find the name that matters most.
Rafe. There are three missed calls and one text. My hands shake when I open it.
Rafe: Call me. Now. Please.
