The first time it happened, they were drunk and stressed. Too much alcohol, too many emotions and too much frustration broke over in a tidal wave of cresting tears and touchy-feely sex that made at least one of them want to vomit in the morning.

The second time it happened, it was because only one of them was drunk and the other came to drive them home from the stupid bar. All the way home, words were either slurred out between hiccupping sobs or pointed out in cruel, clipped tones. It peaked again, this time with no tears and just sloppy sex.

The third time it happened, they were both sober. They had only wanted to discuss the other two times, mostly to say that it wouldn’t happen again. They were both taken, they both had children to worry about, and that it couldn’t work. The wave didn’t peak this time. It only ebbed along the shore of something more than sex and alcohol, gently lapping at the sands of a real relationship.

The fact that there was no alcohol the third time made one of them fear for sanity, and the other fear of vomiting once again.

The fourth time and fifth time, it was because someone had said something or done something, and it happened in supply closets. It was rough and needy, but no less loving and caring.

On the sixth time, they opted to quit counting. Alcohol was sometimes involved again, either bringing angry words bubbling to the surface of a tense bubble that threatened to pop them or engulf them within a safe, luminescent balloon of rainbow-colored whispers.

However, when it had gone for a year and they still saw each other, they knew they had a problem. They couldn’t hide it forever, couldn’t break the relationship off. This was something immensely serious, and neither had a clue how to handle it. One only knew how to run, the other only knew how to push.

So they kept on the way they had, simply finding ways to get together, finding excuses to see each other. And so it went for another six months.

And then it was time to move. Time to vacation. Time to relax and let the drama go. Time to try love again. Then it was time to pack up and move in for the normal life. A normal family, something neither of them had ever really had. It was time to be adults and quit indulging in the “silly secrecy” of a high school relationship that could threaten everything they had worked for, everything they had sacrificed for.

It was time to pretend to love someone else the way they loved each other.

Which was how Dr. Elliot Reid knew she was well and truly fricked.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“What the hell are we going to do?”

“I don’t know, Stick, you act like I have all the answers or something. I didn’t ask for this.”

“Well, you got it! So what are we going to do?”

“Can’t you just leave it alone and let us keep going the way we were? It was working fine.”

“You’re willing to try and catch a ride with Turk every time you want to see me?”

A sidle of a disgusted shoulder. “Nonsense. I’ve got a lapdog to drive me wherever I want.”

A quickly expelled breath that sent damp, shower-fresh blond hair sliding against her cheek. “You know it can’t go like that.”

“Well, what do you want me to do? You know we can’t just end this; Christ knows we’ve tried! And we sure as hell can’t tell anyone. There’s kids involved, princess.”

“You don’t think I know that every time I’m holding Sam? What about Jack? Jennifer?”

“Leave them out of this.”

“Hey, if I have to worry about Sam, I should be able to bring up-“

“Can’t you just let things flow for once? You spend all your time worrying. We’ll find a way.”

“How can you be so sure?”

A wry smile this time with a chaste kiss as they slipped into bed. “Because I refuse to spend another day feeling dead when all I have to do is be with you to feel alive.”

There was nothing but silence and the slide of lips on skin after that. They both tried to ignore the salty taste that had nothing to do with sweat that stained their faces. When one could no longer ignore it, the realization was as clear as day that they loved each other.

And that was how Jordan Sullivan knew she was well and truly screwed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Don’t really care, Per. Tootles!” Jordan let the derogatory good-bye hang in the air as she shut his office door behind her. She breathed a heavy sigh and rolled her eyes. She glanced at her watch, calculating the amount of time she normally took for her afternoon massage as opposed to what she was actually doing.

Adjustments would have to be made in order to pick Jack up on time. Jordan rolled her eyes again as she jingled her keys in her hand. Perry sure as hell wasn’t going to be any help in that department.

As Jordan rounded the corner, she eyed JD at the countertop, holding a distraught-looking Sam on his hip.

“Elliot, I thought you would be here by now to pick him up from the daycare. No, I’ve got him. Do you want me to just—no, Elliot, I can’t. I’ve still got another 4 hours, and probably more if I’m going to get this patient in under Dr. Cox’s nose. Alright. No, I understand. I’ll see if Kim or Sean can pick him up early. It shouldn’t be a problem after we move anyway. Love you too, Snuggles.” He hung up the phone, and glanced at Jordan, who stared at him.

“Snuggles?” she asked, quirking an eyebrow up.

“Keep moving, She-devil. Babies sense pure evil,” JD muttered.

As if on cue, Sam seemed to hear his father’s angry voice and burst into a wail.

“Aw, lookie, DJ! You can make him cry. Now see if you can shut both of yourselves up. Cheers!” She turned and continued walking, phone buzzing her purse.

Jordan pulled the phone from her pocket once she was safe in her car. The text was from Elliot, relaying the conversation that Jordan had just overheard.

With another sigh that was almost uncharacteristic of her, Jordan turned the car on. She hated the jealousy (ew) that welled up at JD’s having a pet name for her. She wasn’t his. She barely loved him as much as she loved her.

Jordan curled her fingers around the steering wheel and struggled to shut down. Her heart raced within her chest as she checked the rearview mirror. This couldn’t keep on. Not this way, not when she was skipping (Christ) massages to go and sneak an hour or two with Elliot.

Not when both of them were pawning their kids off onto Perry and DJ. That hadn’t been part of the bargain, but it was just as surely part of it now. Jordan frowned.

This wasn’t her problem. Elliot was the one who kept demanding what they were going to do. Elliot was the one who freaked out. It was Elliot who had the neuroses, not Jordan.

Jordan, for the first time her life, felt her hands break out in a cold sweat and slide over the wheel as she thought of trying to break it off with Elliot.

That simply wouldn’t do. Jordan Sullivan did not break into sweaty palms. She certainly didn’t get cold pits of fear in her stomach, and she sure as hell didn’t feel like she’d simply fall apart on the inside again if she had to leave Elliot.

Jordan flipped the volume wheel on her stereo up in order to drown her own thoughts.

It didn’t work.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Thanks so much, Kim…I know you weren’t expecting him until later tonight, but something came up with Elliot, and I’ve got this thing with a patient here,” JD said apologetically, reluctantly handing Sam to his mother.

Kim only shrugged. “It’s okay. Sean and I are going to take him to the zoo while we’re both off this afternoon.” She tickled Sam under his chin, eliciting a giggle. “Would you like that, Sammy?”

JD sighed again with regret. “Next weekend, we’ll go the park, I promise, Sammy. Daddy’s just busy today.”

“JD, it’s okay. If I’ve told you once, I’ll tell you again—you’re a good father.” She kissed his cheek and gave him a quick one-armed hug. “I’ve got to go if we’re gonna make it to the zoo in time to meet Sean. Later, JD. Say bye to Daddy!”

Sammy waved a chubby fist, and giggled again as his father pretended to eat it. Kim smiled and stepped into the elevator.

JD sighed raggedly and ran a hand over his stubbly face. He liked the feel of it, so it wasn’t that bad to feel such roughness on his palms. He grabbed Mr. Lopez’s chart off the counter, and began heading towards ICU admissions with purpose in his step.

Out of nowhere, Sonny popped out of a patient’s room. “Dr. Dorian?”

JD stopped, groaning inwardly. “What is it now, Sonny?”

“It’s one of Dr. Reid’s patients. She left explicit instructions that anything an intern did had to be approved by an attending.”

JD rolled his eyes. “Sonny. I’m sure anything you’ve decided to do is just-“

The dark-haired girl would not be deterred, her smiling face set. “It’ll take just a minute.”

“Look, if I glance it over, will you help me get Mr. Lopez to radiology without Dr. Cox knowing?”

Sonny’s eyes widened. “I don’t know, Dr. Cox can be awfully mean when he wants to be, even to his wife.”

“Ex,” JD replied absently and finally took the chart from her hands. “Yes, it’s fine. Keep an eye out for the side-effects of the sedative you’re giving her though. Sometimes older folks have bad reactions.”

Sonny nodded and saluted. “On the job, Dr. Dorian!”

“Too happy, Sonny. Way.”

“Oh. Sorry. Bye!” She swept the chart from his hands and disappeared back into the patient’s room.

“Oh, Newbie, Newbie, Newbie! Your first mistake was trying to get an intern to do your bidding in the middle of the hallway.”

JD turned, frown already set on his face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Perry. If you’ll let me pass, there’s people to be saved.”

Dr. Cox swiped at his nose and glared at him. “No time. My office, now.”

“Perry, I’m actually kind of-“

“I’ll say this slowly just so your miniscule brain can fully wrap itself around the entire meaning.” Perry grabbed a hold of the nape of JD’s scrubs top. “I really don’t care. My office, now.”

JD sighed and dropped Mr. Lopez’s chart off at the nurse’s station, hoping that whatever had crawled into Dr. Cox’s throat would deter him long enough for the nurses to get his orders.

Perry half-threw, half-shoved JD into his office. “Where’s Barbie?”

“Elliot? She said something came up with her mother, and it was going to take all but hiring a young male prostitute to make her feel better. Why the hell do you care?”

Perry pinched the bridge of his nose. “Too much, Newbie. I just mean where is she right now?”

“I would assume on the phone with her mother, working her way through a bag of carrots so she—“

“Don’t care what anyone thinks,” Perry replied curtly, hands splayed flat on the desk. “Has Jordan been over a lot?”

JD frowned. “I don’t think so. What the hell has this got to do with sneaking a patient to radiology?”

Perry rolled his eyes. “Newbie, did I teach you nothing about working the system? For the love of god, I have to stop you from doing that! It’s just not in the budget!”

“Whatever happened to you, Dr. Give a crap? Instead of letting me treat people, you’ve got me in here for an interrogation over something I’ve got no clue about!”

“Jordan’s been stepping out more than usual lately, and the nanny says she’s not been home much with Jennifer during the day,” Perry finally muttered.

“Stepping out like…that sort of stepping out?”

Perry glared at him again, this time letting something more than anger bare itself across his face.

JD struggled to push away the joy that Perry was opening up to him. “Why are you asking me about it?”

“Because it sounds like Barboo might know something about it. I figured she might have told you.”

“Like I’d have the guts to call Jordan out on it! She could eat Sammy in one gulp!”

“Good to know that eight years of teaching you didn’t go completely to waste.” Perry stood, indicating JD should do the same. “Don’t sneak uninsured patients under my nose.”

“You know they’re calling you the New Bob, right?”

“B is for blow, o is for out, and b is for butt. Stick an it in there and get the hell out.”

JD struggled to keep his temper, but it wasn’t working very well. Having had to send Sam back early combined with Sonny stopping him on the way now placed neatly with Dr. Cox’s angry spiels did little to soothe his frayed nerves.

“You want me to eavesdrop on Elliot, fine. But you owe me.”

“Fine, take the stiff. He’s half-checked out anyway.”

Perry effectively ended the conversation by slamming the door in JD’s face.

JD muttered his entire way to the ICU, stopping twice on the way to calm a crying patient of Jo’s and to reassure Sonny that her orders were correct (and signing it twice so that she would stop asking him if he thought Dr. Reid would be satisfied at a verbal approval).

When he finally reached the ICU, it was to find that Mr. Lopez had been sent on his way to go home.

JD sighed. This day could not get any worse. By the time his shift had ended, he was convinced of it. Deciding to check in with Elliot once more before he went home, JD stopped at the nurse’s station after punching out for the night.

After all, if Elliot had been dealing with her mother and a bag of baby carrots (and little else) for the evening, she would probably be in dire need of hot wings, a bottle of ranch and a pillow to punch.

JD smiled at the thought. Last time she’d spent the evening on the phone with her mother, he had donned all of the couch cushions in the apartment, letting Elliot pretend he was a young football star who wanted desperately to be on the varsity team, and she had been the overly bossy female coach with something to prove.

His face turned a light shade of pink as he picked up the phone. She had been naught-tay that night.

JD picked up the phone, wondering idly if Carla and Turk wanted to come over, remembering a moment later that they had their date night tonight. Turk had insisted that for one night every two weeks, Izzy go to a babysitter and they have their own private night.

“Hey, Elliot,” JD said, hoping the exhaustion didn’t show in his voice. “How’d it go with your mom?”

“Oh…it was…annoying,” came her voice, overly shrill and slightly breathless. “I think I’m going to hang with some gal-pals tonight so we can gorge on ice cream.”

JD struggled the disappointment away. “Okay, Snuggles. I had a bitch of a day too, and—“

“That sucks, JD! But Melody’s here to pick me up. I’ll see you tomorrow at work?”

“Yeah,” JD said, his tired face now thoughtful. “I love you, Elliot.”

“You too, JD!” The phone clicked.

JD stared at the phone, and then shook his head. Dr. Cox’s paranoia was working its way into his own head. Elliot was just going out with friends to relax and stuff herself after a stressful afternoon phone call with her mother.

Nodding to himself that it was exactly as he’d said, JD headed for the elevator.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“You think he bought it?” Elliot asked worriedly as she pulled her seatbelt over her chest.

Jordan nodded. “Men hear what they want to hear. We’re good.”

“What’d you tell Perry?”

“Nothing your delicate ears should hear,” Jordan replied with a smirk that lightened her features. She drifted a hand to grab Elliot’s. “Where to, princess?”

“Anywhere involving you,” Elliot tried, and immediately felt cheesy for saying it.

Jordan snorted. “Should I tell the camera man to start now?”

“You know you love it,” Elliot retorted knowingly. “You have to.”

The grin didn’t drop from Jordan’s calculated face as she hit the gas. “That I do, princess.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

JD flipped uselessly through the channels late that night, finding not much more than paid programming (and boy, did that Turbo Jam lady have dynamite abs!) and televangelists. Normally, the be-bopping girls might have distracted him, but the conversation with Dr. Cox had simply been surreal enough to keep him distracted from such luxuries.

Turning the television off, JD headed to the kitchen of the dimly lit house. He knew better than to call Elliot on a gal pal’s night, knowing that it would be a lot of drunken, high-pitched complaining he didn’t want to hear.

He was, believe it or not, male, first and foremost, and while he liked to indulge in some whiny bitching himself here and there (well, manly complaining), it didn’t mean he wanted to hear from his girlfriend as well.

JD pursed his lips as he perused the refrigerator for a late night snack. Nothing really caught his eye, and he closed the door again before he could accuse himself of smuggling corn kernels.

Switching the kitchen light off, JD simply decided to head for bed. A good night’s sleep would knock the thoughts from his head. It was nearly 10:00 PM after all, and his shift started at seven the next morning.

No sooner had he changed into lounge pants and a tee and gotten comfortable by himself in the bed did his cell phone begin to shrilly pierce his ears.

Groaning, JD debated ignoring it. Being a doctor, he reached for it anyway. “Yeah?”

“Get your ass over here, Newbie. I need your help.”

“Perry? It’s late. What the hell could you possibly want right now?”

“Jordan’s out with her minions, doing god knows what to small children and little old ladies. She conveniently managed to pick the one night both of the kids come down with a stomach flu. Don’t make me regret calling you, precious.”

JD groaned. Vomit and small children and a really cranky Perry. This a good night did not make.

“Why don’t you take them to the hospital? Katie’s working the night shift; she’s great with IV’s.”

“Do you really expect me to let interns come near my children? What part of me calling you this late didn’t you understand? You know what, forget it, Newbie. I’ll just call Carla, who, having morning sickness of her own right now, will be completely forgiving. Let’s not forget she’s risking exposing herself and her child and her husband, and—“

“Fine, fine! I’ll be over in fifteen. Once again, you owe me.” He flipped his phone closed before the angry retort could come over the receiver and plunked his head into the pillow.

Dragging himself out of bed, JD threw on a pair of sneakers and called Elliot. He wasn’t concerned when she didn’t answer her phone, and only left her a quick message that he would be gone for the evening.

As JD grabbed his keys from the nightstand, his eye caught something he hadn’t noticed before.

He thought to himself for a moment that if he didn’t quit frowning in thought, he was going to get wrinkles far quicker than he would like.

Still, Elliot’s cell phone sat on the nightstand. JD chewed his lip for a moment, debating between the two options. Dr. Cox’s voice rang in his head, questioning him about Elliot’s whereabouts, if she knew what Jordan was up to…

Well, a girl’s cell phone was certainly the way to go. Without giving himself time to think, JD scooped up the phone with his keys and bolted out the door, opting to walk in order to give himself time to think. It would take longer, but he didn’t want to give Perry the satisfaction of thinking he was right.

JD set his face as he walked on the sidewalk. The phone was a heavy weight in his pocket, and he only grimaced before speeding up his walk.

It meant nothing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The sound of retching greeted JD’s ears as he knocked on Perry’s door. He winced at the teary-voice of Perry’s son, and the exhausted crying of his daughter.

Perry opened the door, holding a pale Jennifer on his hip. “Can you take Jack?” He turned without waiting for a response, leaving the door open.

“You’re welcome,” JD grumbled, looking into the bathroom. Jack was sitting in the floor, eyes full of tears and sleep lacing his features. Like Jennifer, he was pale and weak-looking. “Hey, Jacky.”

Jack didn’t respond, his stomach churning. He closed his eyes, leaning his head against the tub.

Gently, JD picked him up and cradled him against his chest, whispering soothing words to his hair the same way he did for Sammy when he was fussy.

“It’s okay. I bet you feel like you’ve thrown up your toenails though, huh?” JD asked, taking gentle steps towards what he hoped was Jack’s bedroom door. He gently pushed it open, and breathed a sigh of relief at the blue and red décor.

Jack didn’t respond, drowsily laying in JD’s arms.

JD lay him gently on the bed. “How about a story, Jacky?”

“I want Daddy to tell it, Janice,” Jack finally replied, giving a baleful look to the man sitting on the edge of his bed. “I want Daddy. I don’t feel good.”

“I know, Jack,” JD said, trying to stay soothing. “But your sister’s sick too, and your daddy’s taking care of her. How about a glass of water?”

Jack finally nodded miserably.

JD stood and left the room, looking under the sink and in the cabinets for a bin in case Jack didn’t feel well again.

Perry was in the kitchen, rocking the two-year-old Jennifer in his arms as he paced the floor. “How’s Jack?”

“Still not feeling that great,” JD replied, absently plucking a large bucket from beneath the sink. “He wants some water though.”

“Take it in that cup,” Perry replied absently, pointing to a blue and green cup that had octopuses on it. “It’s his favorite.”

“He wants to see you.”

“Newbie, stall him. Jennifer’s almost asleep.”

“Daddy?” Jennifer mumbled against Perry’s shoulder. “Tummy hurts.”

“I know, Jenny,” Perry said so softly and kindly, that JD wasn’t sure it was his voice. “You’ll feel better soon though, Daddy promises.”

“It’ll be easier to keep them both in the same room if they’re both sick,” JD reasoned. “And Jack really wants you to tell him his story.”

Perry clenched his eyes shut, but finally agreed. JD pulled another bowl out for Jennifer just in case, and both walked back to Jack’s room.

Jack was barely awake, but looking as if his stomach was feeling worse again. “Daddy, I don’t feel good,” he whimpered when he saw Perry.

“I know, Jacky. But Janice brought you some water, and I’m going to tell you a story. Jennifer even wants to sleep in your bed with you because she knows you’re strong. Right, Jennifer?” Perry asked.

Jennifer nodded sleepily against his shoulder as Perry gently lay her down beside of Jack.

JD was surveying the books after having lined both bucket and bowl with plastic wrap. “So which story, Jack?”

Jack, however, looked a bit green again. Perry sat him up and gently rubbed his back, struggling to calm his sick son. It seemed to work for a moment, before, with a choking sound, Jack vomited into the bucket.

The noise and smell awoke Jennifer, who screwed her face up. JD immediately sat beside of her, knowing that look from Sammy having spit up so many times. Just as Perry did for Jack, JD did for Jennifer.

When both were done, JD left Perry alone with them as he threw the pyjamas that the children had been wearing into the washer along with their sheets, and rinsed out the bowls. He lined them again with the plastic wrap that had been in a drawer, and headed back to Jack’s room, where the two kids seemed to have drifted off.

Perry set the glass of water on Jack’s nightstand, leaving the lamp on. “He likes his lamp on when he doesn’t feel well,” he said when JD lifted a questioning brow.

“Been checking for dehydration?” JD asked, smoothing Jennifer’s pale brown hair from her face.

“No, Newbie. I wouldn’t have thought to do that,” Perry replied quietly. His voice, however, still dripped and reeked of sarcasm.

“You’re welcome,” JD muttered as he shut Jack’s door quietly. “Where’s Jordan anyway? And don’t you two have a nanny to do this sort of thing?”

“Not when we’re both home in the evenings, you idiot,” Perry grumbled. He pulled two coffee mugs out. “I may be as close to a deity as mortals come, but even I have trouble handling two puking kids who both want their daddy and mommy.” He viciously shoved the coffee pot back into its holder. “Especially when mommy’s out having fun doing god knows what with who knows what.”

JD sighed. He had really hoped Perry didn’t want to go into this. He took the offered cup of coffee, sipping it quietly. It was stale and lukewarm at best.

“So when did they start feeling sick?”

“They both ate dinner like normal. I was just putting them to bed around eight when Jennifer started throwing up. Then Jack was in the bathroom, and I didn’t have time to run between the two of them.”

“You’re not superman,” JD replied. “I have enough trouble juggling Sam, let alone two.”

“Barbie just as weird as she says her mother is?”

JD shrugged, quietly thinking about the fact that said girlfriend’s phone was in his pocket. He wrapped his hands around the coffee mug. “Why’d you call me? Why didn’t you call Carla or your nanny?”

Perry shrugged. “I figured if someone had to get covered in puke, it might as well be you. Cheers.” He tapped JD’s coffee mug with his own.

The two sat in silence after that, lost in their own thoughts.

It was nearly ten minutes later when JD finally fished Elliot’s phone from his pocket. It still glared at him that she had missed his call earlier.

“Elliot’s phone,” JD explained when Perry raised an eyebrow.

“Devious, Newbie. I assume Barbie left it in your care?”

“She forgot it,” JD said quietly. “I thought I’d surf through the texts to see if she’s been chatting with Jordan about whatever crap you’ve dreamed up that she’s doing.”

“Burn me once, shame on you. Burn me twice, shame on me. Live it, learn it, love it.” Perry swiped Elliot’s phone without a second thought, and wrinkled his nose at the hot pink color. “Christ. Tell her that phones are normally used for talking, texting, web-surfing, googling, well…anything but a signal flare.”

JD didn’t mention his phone was a similar shade of blue.

Perry flipped it open and began looking through it.

“How can you just…invade someone’s privacy like that?” JD finally asked. “You’re no better than Janitor, doing stuff like that.”

Perry shrugged unapologetically. “You’d want to know if it were Barbie, Newbie. Don’t pretend like you’re somehow better than the rest of us jerks just because you’re engaging, yet again, in pasty white puberty-sex with your on-again, off-again bestest friend ever.” He turned his attention back to the phone.

JD stood. “Restroom and checking on the kids.”

Perry waved him off. “Don’t steal the silver, Janette.”

JD rolled his eyes and headed down the hallway. He carefully peered in at Jennifer and Jack, who were sound asleep finally. He shut the door and headed into the bathroom to wash his hands and face, and use the facilities.

When he was done, JD headed back to the kitchen, feeling a little more awake and refreshed than he had on the way over. He sat back down at the kitchen table, and looked over at Perry.

What he saw dumbfounded him. Perry’s face was a mix of shock, amusement and cynicism.

“She’s really done it this time, Newbie.”

“What are you even looking at? I already know about the Drunken Blondes movie,” JD replied (and he had bought all the copies he could find just so Elliot would feel better). “I really don’t care about what your wife is doing; doesn’t she do this sort of thing all the time anyway? She even says so herself.”

“You don’t care, huh? Get off your high horse, Newbie.” He threw Elliot’s phone across the table, the phone skidding across the surface and landing in JD’s lap. “Let’s see how much you don’t care.”

JD picked up the phone to look at it. Perry had flipped to the camera thumbnails. The picture he looked at wasn’t that odd, in and of itself. It simply looked as if Jordan and Elliot had gone out for a few drinks, and were having fun ogling frat boys.

That wasn’t weird at all. Jordan had a penchant for them as it was, and JD was beginning to think Jordan was rubbing off on Elliot anyway.

As the pictures progressed, however, it was clear that they weren’t ogling frat boys. The photos changed from them joking at the camera, or making “yes/no” faces at certain men, but to staring at each other.

And then the hugging.

And then came the kissing.

JD’s eyes widened. He shut the camera part down and tapped into the text messages. Most were fairly normal, some were from him, others from Carla or Turk. Some were from a couple of friends from Elliot’s old hospital.

A fair bit, however, were from “Jordaroo”. Some of the messages seemed normal enough “omg did u c per 2day he looked fugly” and other such abbreviations.

Several had abbreviations he didn’t understand, such as “bgfs” and “b182”. JD frowned, flipping through the more emotional ones.

“You can’t possibly think this is true,” JD finally said in flat-out denial.

But when JD looked up, Perry had retreated from the room, nowhere to be found.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Jordan awoke the next morning, snuggled under warm covers with Elliot in the bed next to her, it was far too early.

And it was because her phone was whining against the table. Jordan glared at it but flipped it open anyway.

A rock dropped through her stomach, bringing her heart into her chest as if they had been connected by a bungee cord.

It was a text. From Elliot’s phone. From Perry. And they needed to talk.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX