Page 127 of Goodbye Note

I did a quick Google search in case it was viral somewhere else from a fan video.

“I’m fine. I promise.” He frowned and made eye contact. “There wasn’t an accident. I’ve been on the bus all night. Ser is fine. He’s sitting next to me playing video games?—”

“What?” I mouthed.

I clicked over to see what was trending, and sure enough, a bus had crashed, and it was reported to be Second Star’s bus.

“I don’t know what they are talking about. Really, I’m not trying to keep anything from you.”

“They think you’re dead?” I said under my breath, and pulled up his social media. It was already flooded with fan comments and tags. “When did this break?”

The rest of the guys took notice and stopped their games.

“What the fuck?” Serafin said.

I handed my laptop to him.

Ser scrolled the page and then handed it back. “God-fucking-damn it. I’m going to go wake up Kiernan.”

“When was it posted?” Koa asked.

“About an hour ago.” I offered my laptop to him.

“Who the fuck even does this?” He shook his head as he read.

“Right? Like, who believes a random post on social media about you being dead, and then why do all these people run with it? It’s fucking wild.

“Wouldn’t it have been reported on by a major news site?” Koa sat back in disbelief.

“Or TMZ at least. They break shit all the time, which is gross, but if no website is talking about it, why are people believing it?”

“It’s the age of social media,” Kiernan said, looking groggy as fuck. “I think these gossip blogs like to try and be the first one to get something out, but who knows why people on Twitter do it. Trolling?”

“Just video call. Then you can see everyone is fine,” Arik said, exasperated.

I felt bad for him, but since I’d been on the bad end of that news with my mother to my grandparents, I knew what this shit did firsthand. I rubbed his shoulder. “Be nice.”

His gaze flicked up at me, and then he nodded.

My phone rang, and I picked it up, already knowing who it was. “I’m fine.”

“You fucking better be, you cunt.” Vallen’s voice croaked like he’d also been woken up with it.

“It’s bullshit. No crash. Nothing. Someone made it up.”

“Christ on a fucking cracker. You cannot do that to me. Why didn’t you call?” The emotion in his voice hit me in the chest.

“We just saw it. None of us were on our phones. We’re playing games when Arik’s mother called, freaking out.” I knew his trauma was a different shape than mine, but he suffered from it too. There was no comparing. None of it was good.

“I… That was the worst two minutes of my life.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I love you.” There was security in my brother’s words. “But if you die, I’m bringing you back from the dead so I can kill you myself.”

“I love you too. Go back to sleep.”

“If I can slow my fucking heart rate down.”

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