The one who made the silence feel less empty.
And I’m terrified that if I pull the thread, I’ll lose the one part of my day I looked forward to.
The messages. The banter. The person on the other end of the unknown.
The version of me that feltsafebehind a screen.
Not too much.
Not too little.
Just… enough.
But Nolan is Carl. And it’s time to let him share this secret with me.
“I’m notjustRorie Adams. I mean, I am. But I’m also…” My throat goes tight.
Nolan’s head tilts, a teasing smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He doesn’t look nervous. He looksgiddy. He’s convinced I’m about to say something adorable, not earth-shattering.
“Well, I mean—who else are you?” He takes a step closer. His fingers graze mine. “Like… are you also Rorie Adams,mygirlfriend? Is that where this is going? Because if this is your version of asking me to hit the next level with you, ten out of ten. I’m swooning.”
My chest caves in. And his smile, God, it’ssosweet. So happy. He doesn’t see the wrecking ball coming. Part of me wants to freeze it here, capture this perfect second before the storm breaks.
My fingers tremble as I dig my phone out of the back pocket of my shorts.
Nolan blinks. “Why do I feel worried?”
“Get close to me.” I lift the phone, snap a picture of the two of us with the sun dipping low behind us, painting the sky in wild strokes of fiery colors.
Click.
I open my message thread for Carl.
[image attached]
So, this is me.
His phone buzzes in his hand.
I see it hit him like a slap. That familiar ping. His brows furrow as he opens the message. His giddy grin slips. The sunset behind us may as well disappear too.
Confusion crashes in first… then realization.
Silence.
Loud, terrible, crushing silence.
All those texts.
All the banter.
The comfort. The confessions.
His jaw tightens. Is he angry?
“You?” His voice is hoarse. “You’re—you’reTF?”
Nodding, I quickly say, “I didn’t mean for it to happen like this.”
