20k Rolin

Chapter 14: Restless Calm (0x12RC)

Jamie steps out of Oz’s place, the echo of their conversation still swirling in his mind. The rain that had poured relentlessly earlier has subsided, leaving the streets wet and gleaming under the pale streetlights. He tilts his head, watching as a few stray droplets fall from the rooftops above, the sky now quiet in contrast to the storm inside him. The cool night air fills his lungs, but it does little to ease the tension coiled in his chest.

*I can’t go back yet,* he thinks to himself, tightening his fists. He knows Emma is waiting for him, but there’s no way he’s ready to face her—not yet. There’s too much swirling around him: the system, the Broker, and now the vague but unsettling revelations from Oz. His feet instinctively lead him away from home, away from everything familiar.

His phone buzzes, snapping him out of his thoughts. He glances at the screen and sees Lyle’s name flashing.

*Again?* It’s the second time today, just hours apart, and he’s not in the mood for another con