Page 31 of Open Water

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Then another buzz.

Remy

Ethan just texted me. Someone sent a photo to the Kingswell team chat. It's you and Alex.

I stared at the screen.

Remy

Kissing. The photo is you and Alex kissing. Marcus sent it.

What the fuck. No.

"—which raises the question of whether moral responsibility can exist without—" Noah stopped. Looked at me. "What's wrong?"

I couldn't answer. My phone buzzed again. Tyler.

Tyler

Bro call me

Then Remy again.

Remy

Ethan's trying to reach Alex but he's not answering. Are you with him?

I wasn't with him. Alex was across the river. And Marcus had just blown our lives open.

"Liam." Noah was standing now. "What happened?"

"They sent out photo of me and Alex kissing."

Noah didn't flinch. Didn't gasp. Just processed.

"Who?"

"Marcus."

"The Marcus you punched?"

"Yeah."

"Who's seen it?"

"The whole Kingswell team. Ethan's on the group chat. He texted Remy."

Noah nodded. "Shit. Twenty guys have it. Some will screenshot. Some will forward. By tomorrow—"

"By tomorrow everyone knows."

The wordeveryonesat between us. Everyone at Kingswell. Everyone at Riverside. The coaches. Maybe even the scouts who'd written my name down at the Charles.

My phone buzzed again. Tyler.

Tyler

Are you ok?

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