Broken Pride and Popped Joints

Ryker’s POV

The word garbage hung in the air, sharp and unforgiving. The public humiliation burned raw in my chest. My jaw clenched tight. I needed a lifeline. I needed to salvage the shattered pieces of my ego before my friends, before this crowd of whispering mall rats who were actively watching my social execution.

I pushed back. I let a harsh, defensive edge bleed into my voice, desperate to