Page 226 of Goodbye Note

Fuck.

I called Kiernan back. “I just saw.”

“I’ve been trying to wake you for twenty minutes. I didn’t want him to wake up and see it on TMZ.”

“No shit. Is that who broke it?” I asked, scrubbing a hand over my mouth.

“Yes.”

My heart broke for Varian. His dad was a douche, but it was still a loss. “You’ve confirmed it. It’s not just a hoax?” I asked, remembering how my parents reacted when this had happened to me and what a nightmare it had been.

“John did after he woke me up. But either way, we wanted it to come from you.”

“Vallen?” I asked.

“John said he would go tell him, or you can ask Varian if he wants to.”

“I’ll ask Varian and text you. Thank you.” I was about to hang up but said in a rush, “You need to have John call Lindsay. You don’t want Nova seeing it online or getting told at school.”

She’d left a few days before, after we’d put it off for weeks. She’d begged her mom to change the date every time it came, but finally, Lindsay said she missed her. Probably the best and worst timing. Varian was going to be a wreck, but he’d also need to be there for Nova since Lindsay had gone against his wishes and introduced Nova to Victor.

“You’re right. I’ll have him do that now.”

“Thank you.” I hung up the phone, sitting for a full thirty seconds before forcing myself to do this. I didn’t need him to wake because I was gone and check his phone, expecting a text from me and finding out that way.

I crawled back into bed, wrapping up around him.

“Baby, what time is it?” he asked in his sleepy voice.

“Five a.m.,” I said with no clue how to tell him.

“What’s going on?” He must have felt it in my body.

“Your dad died.”

He stiffened. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. John confirmed it.”

He pressed his face into my chest, gripping onto me. “Has someone told Vallen?”

“No, I told John I’d ask if you wanted to do it or if he should.”

“I don’t want John to.” He took a shuddering breath. “How was it broken? Do I need to wake him up?”

“You need to wake him up. TMZ had it first.”

“Typical.” He didn’t move, and I held him. “I have to get up.”

“It’s early. He’s not usually up this early. You can take a few minutes.” I stroked his hair.

“I know, but I don’t want to risk it at all.” He kissed my chest.

I ordered breakfast when Varian went to tell Val because I knew the room would be full of people before long. I checked TMZ. They’d gotten a hold of a 911 call his girlfriend made.

Varian returned with Vallen. Neither one cried. They sat in silence.

Other people drifted in as they woke up and were told. Fox and Bronx stuck themselves on either side of Vallen and Varian like watchdogs. It was cute.

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