What is happening right now?
I didn't mean that the way it sounded.
Holly.
Please answer.
I need space. Please.
I turn off my phone and pull Evan's hoodie tighter around me.
EVAN
She's not answering.
Three voice memos sent—but six recorded. The deleted ones where my voice cracked, where I said too much, where I admitted things that wouldn't help.
Five texts. Silence.
The photo is everywhere I look. I scroll through the coverage, trying to trace it back to the source. Every article links to the same place: a TikTok post. Username @BookishJoss.
Jocelyn.
My organs forget their proper places.
She answers on the first ring.
“Evan! I know, I know—I saw it everywhere. I'm so sorry. I posted it last night and when I woke up, it had like a million views and then The Daily Buzz picked it up and?—”
“Jocelyn. Stop.”
She takes a breath. “Is Holly okay?”
“No. She's not.”
“I didn't think—it was just such a beautiful moment, and I was still high from the romance panel, and you two looked like an actual book cover?—”
“It was private.”
“I know. I know that now. I took it down, but?—”
“But it's everywhere already. You know we have to be careful, Jocelyn. Eyes are always watching, waiting to pounce on any nugget of a headline, even if the story is wrong. Nothing is ever really 'just for us'—there are always people ready to take advantage.”
“I didn't think?—”
“One or two people see it, repost it, tag the right accounts, and suddenly it's everywhere. That's all it takes.”
“Yeah.” Her voice goes small. “I messed up, didn't I?”
I don't answer that.
“Should I call her? Apologize?”
“No. Just ... leave it.”
I hang up and send another voice memo to Holly.
“Jocelyn posted the original photo. She's horrified that you're upset, as you have every right to be. She's taken it down—I know that's meaningless now, since everyone's already grabbed it, but at least it's something … Holly, please. Talk to me.”
