Langston rolled his eyes, "I just don't want her to get hurt, you know? If she does, she'll be crying all day. Better I take the hit; I can handle it without shedding a tear." Dorothy sighed, knowing full well her son's stubborn streak. She didn't push it.

"Mom, can I borrow your phone for a sec?"

Handing it over without a word, Dorothy watched as Langston quickly downloaded an app, sent off a few messages, and then deleted it before handing the phone back. "You need to focus on getting better," she reminded him. "Even though you're stuck in the hospital, you've got to cut down on screen time."

"I know, I know, the eyes!" Langston joked, trying to keep the mood light despite the discomfort that pulled at his features.

He was determined not to let his mom see any sign of his pain; he couldn't bear the thought of her worrying.

Suddenly, a knock at the door startled them both.

Dorothy, expecting it to be Everett, hurried to open it.

But standing there wasn't Everett...

It was Byte 7.

surprise reunion left them both

the bed broke the silence, snapping Julian back to

to check

aside to let him

Julian sparked an unusual

the new system? I didn't bring my

still in his signature hoodie that seemed

little rascal, messaging me your leg's broken just to get the

all

guy to have

"Too kind, Master!"

couldn't help but smile at their

a noticeable change in him. Despite his brooding teen attire, his voice and demeanor now carried a sense of hope and

Dorothy's gaze, Julian

"Can we talk?"

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255