Page 53 of Ripple Effect

I sit up, stretching, every joint popping in protest. Bentley seems to take that as an invitation, climbing onto my lap and offering his furry comfort. I ruffle his fur absentmindedly, my thoughts still on Daisy and that asshole ex of hers.

My gaze roams around the room—she has clothes and books scattered in the corner, her little yellow notebook thrown casually onto my desk. Everything is exactly as it was last night, but it all feels different now. Silent, oppressive, nerve-racking for some strange fucking reason.

That is, until the soft buzzing of my phone interrupts the silence.

Daisy

just reached the apartment. wish me luck

Elio

good luck. Bentley’s missing you already

I’m missing both of you. stay in bed until I get back, okay?

And just like that, the weight on my shoulders seems a little lighter. She should be worrying about herself right now, but somehow, she’s still hung up on taking care of me. An involuntary grin breaks out on my face, and I swear Bentley’s tail starts wagging in direct response to my mood shift.

“Alright, bud.” With a sigh, I push myself up off the mattress. “Let’s take you out and then crawl right back into bed. Daisy’s orders.”

After a quick walk to the grass patch downstairs, Bentley and I drag ourselves back under the covers. Reaching for the laptop on my nightstand, I slide it in front of me and boot up the system. My fingers move mechanically over the keys, navigating to the AfterDark homepage.

Thankfully, there’s been no sign of Sapphire or any of her minions all week, no creepy remarks or thinly veiled threats. It’s been a welcome change, especially with everything that’s been going on lately, but it also feels a little too good to be true.

Maybe it’s the calm before the storm.

And just because it’s quiet doesn’t mean I can fully relax. There’s work to be done, requests to review, content to shuffle around in the absence of something new. My subscribers wait for no one, least of all a fictional man caught up in real-life drama.

Time seems to slip by, my focus on work distracting me from my own thoughts. It’s only when my stomach growls, reminding me of a skipped breakfast, that I check the time—over an hour now since Daisy left.

She said she’d be back soon enough, and I can’t focus anymore, so I choose a new path of distraction in the meantime. Mustering up the nerve, I dial Kaia’s number, and she answers on the second ring.

“Hey, El. What’s up?”

“So, I may or may not have a heart condition,” I blurt without warning, my words a sharp interruption to her friendly greeting.

She falls silent for a moment before erupting into a flurry of questions.How long have you known? How serious is it? Are you going to be okay?

I do my best to answer them all, my words tumbling out in a rushed explanation about the hospital visit, the episodes of VT, my impending appointment with Dr. Foster, the entire chaotic storm that’s become my life recently.

Through the line, her worry washes over me. It’s as tangible as a cold, strong wind. In true Kaia fashion, she immediately offers to put her life on hold, to take some time off school and come here to stay with me.

“I already have a friend staying here,” I assure her, my tone steady. I can almost picture her brows knitting together, gaze narrowed in utter disbelief.

“Whatfriend?”

“Her name’s Daisy,” I say, a strange warmth creeping up my neck at the mention of her name.

“Daisy, huh?” Her voice is teasing, laced with a note of satisfaction. She prods further. “Is this ... someone you know from work?”

“No, not at all. She’s a Dayton transfer, a surfer from Cape Casserat.”

“Huh, a surfer?” There’s an awkward pause, and then, “It’s been a long time since you mentioned another friend.”

“Yeah, she’s been good for me, though,” I confess, my voice softening. “I, er, I really needed to lean on her these last couple of weeks.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you.”

“It’s hardly your fault. I didn’t bother to tell you anything was wrong.”

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