I cross to him, and he pulls me into his arms, burying his face in my hair.
“I'm sorry,” he murmurs. “For trying to lock you down instead of working with you.”
“I know.” I press my face against his chest. “I'm sorry for getting defensive.”
“You weren't defensive. You were setting a boundary. That's what I need you to do. Open communication and honesty, remember? That’s one of the rules.”
We stand there for a long moment, just breathing together. Then my phone goes off. Multiple notifications in rapid succession. I pull it out and my stomach drops. The group chat is exploding.
Lily: MADI. What's happening??
Amber: Did you see the comments on your last post???
Chloe: People are asking if you're okay. Should we be worried?
Maya: Someone's saying you are suicidal and need help, they are asking for your location. They posted a screenshot of you talking to them in their DMs…
I show Ty the screen, hands shaking slightly.
His jaw tightens. “So it begins.”
“What is going on?”
“They are fishing. Trying to piece together where you've been, when, and why. They want to know exactly what you witnessed.”
“They made a fake post and tagged me in it. It’s obviously an edited screenshot. I’ve never spoken to anyone let alone said I was suicidal!”
“I know, baby. I’ve been with you all weekend. They’ll stir up worry about you and say you need help. They’ll reach out to anyone they think is connected with you and under the guise of being worried and likely, law enforcement, try to track your location. Make sure you tell the girls not to give any information about you out to anyone online, even if the profile looks like someone they know. They might clone a friend’s account.”
I type quickly into the group chat: I'm okay, that’s not me. Just dealing with some stuff. I’m safe. I'll explain soon. In the meantime, do not respond to anyone online asking about me, not even if it looks like one of our friends.
The responses are immediate and overwhelming. The women offer help, demand more information and offer to come here if I need them.
Holly's message cuts through the chaos:
Does Ty know what's happening?
I glance at Ty. He's reading over my shoulder.
Yes, I type. He's handling it. He’s with me. I’ll be staying here for a bit.
Holly: Good, I trust him. Text or call when you can.
Ty takes my phone gently and sets it aside. “Now we implement the plan. I’ll call my tech people and see if we can’t get the post you’re tagged in taken down. In the meantime,you draft some content today with photos you've already taken, captions that aren't location-specific. I'll review them. And we start building a buffer. Don’t respond to him or his post.”
“Okay.”
“And Madison?”
“Yeah?”
His hands cup my face, tilting it up so I have to meet his eyes.
“This is going to get complicated. Probably messy. But we're in it together. You and me. Always.”
“Always,” I echo.
He kisses me deep and claiming and just a little desperate.
