Jace’s quiet afternoon….
The house stayed oddly peaceful after Marvin left. Dad was out golfing, bragging somewhere about his sons like they were trophies instead of human beings. Miss Carway retreated to her room, exhausted.
Jace sat on the couch, one leg stretched out, scrolling through playlists. His phone buzzed with Cass’s reply.
Barely surviving. You?
He answered before he could overthink.
Trying to undo the damage of being related to Marvin.
Her laughter-filled reply made something warm press against his ribs.
He didn’t message again immediately. He never wanted to overwhelm her. Instead, he thought about her about how strong she had been all week. The posters, the whispers, the way Marvin kept targeting her like she owed him a piece of her soul.
She didn’t crumble. She didn
