Page 111 of Hollow Heart

The unmistakable snapping of a shutter echoes around us, and I push him away. So hard I almost knock the table over.

“No,” I say, loud enough everyone in a five-mile radius can hear. “You are a poison, Sully. And I’m done with your toxic fucking bullshit. You’re too late.”

“Lixy, baby!” he calls angrily. “Whoever he is, he isn’t me!”

I turn around, glaring at him. “You’re right, he isn’t. He’s a fucking man and he’s more than you’ll ever be.”

I hiss as I jump on my bike, speeding past the darkness and into the light once more.

When I pull up to Duncan’s driveway, my phone rings. It’s been ringing nonstop for twenty minutes. I pull it from my pocket and glance at the screen to see it’s Lou.

No doubt he’s already dealing with the onslaught of damage control and wants to probably rip me a new asshole, but right now, I don’t need Lou freaking out on me.

Because there’s only one person who I need to hear from right now.

I knock on the door, and Duncan opens it almost immediately.

“Felix... I just got off the phone with Lou.”

“Oh,” I say, feeling speechless.

In my head I’d gone over this exact moment on the way here, but now that it is here...

One. Two. Three.

“Can I... come in?” I ask, feeling on the edge of the precipice.

“Of course.” Duncan opens the door wider for me to step in.

“What did Lou say?” I ask hesitantly.

Duncan hands me his phone, and I see the text.

Felix fucked up. Again.

This time I won’t be able to clean it up.

I look up at Duncan as the truth is revealed.

I scroll to see the TikToks and Reels, the posts he sent Duncan.

Of Sully grabbing me, kissing me.

Of me yelling about my man who is more than he will ever be.

My eyes glass over, and tears beg to fall.

“I’m so sorry,” I say as Duncan pulls me close, holding me against his chest.

His scent encapsulates me and I let go.

I wrap my arms around him, holding on for dear life.

“Did you mean what you said?” he asks.

I bury my tears in his shirt, breathing him in like oxygen as I nod furiously.

“Every fucking word,” I say as I sniffle.

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