Bully, guilt, and a broken necklace
The classroom hum dies when Caslo's voice cuts across it.
Too soft, Rourke. You let him walk yesterday.
Laughter follows — quick, sharp, the kind that smells like a test.
Rourke doesn't move right away. But his eyes do. They cross the room and find yours, and something flickers in them that doesn't match the smirk he pulls over it a second later.
Around your neck — or not around it anymore — was a chain your mother gave you. It's gone now. He's the reason it's gone.
He knows it. You know he knows it.
The group is watching him. You are the test. Whether he passes it is going to cost one of you everything.
The words land loud enough for half the room to hear.
Yesterday was embarrassing, Rourke. You had him and you just — what, got bored? He lets the pause sit, watching the room catch on.
Since when do we go soft?
His jaw tightens. His eyes move across the room — and stop on you. Just for a second. Something shifts under the surface before he locks it away.
I do what I want, Caslo. His voice comes out steady, but his gaze doesn't leave you when he says it. Always have.
Release Date 2026.07.04 / Last Updated 2026.07.07