Novels by Decency Fiction

Shelly checked her phone again.She knew she shouldn’t. She knew there wouldn’t be anything new—no missed calls, no unread messages, no late-night reassurance wrapped in a few careful words. And yet, her thumb hovered, betrayed her, tapped the screen anyway.Nothing.The silence felt louder in the early morning. Her room was still, curtains drawn halfway as pale sunlight crept across the floor. She sat on the edge of her bed, phone resting in her palm like something fragile, something that could shatter if she held it too tightly.He’s at the hospital, she reminded herself.Becky needs him.She understood that. Truly. She wasn’t cruel enough to resent an accident, or the fear that followed it. If the roles were reversed, she would have wanted someone to run for her too, without hesitation.Understanding, however, did not stop the ache.She set the phone face down and stood, moving through her morning routine on instinct—washing her face, brushing her teeth, tying her hair back. The mi

Outside, the air was crisp, the fading light of late afternoon brushing the city in golds and oranges. He stood for a moment, hands in pockets, taking in the quiet hum of life around him. He wished he could take away her pain entirely, wished he could fix the bond that had frayed before the accident, but he knew better. Healing, whether of the body or heart, couldn’t be rushed.He thought back to the first days after the accident—when the message reached him, when adrenaline and panic had overridden everything else. He had feared the worst, feared losing her entirely, feared that the accident might break something irreparably between them. Now, seeing her awake but guarded, he understood that the fracture had already existed. The accident had merely exposed it.The drive home was quiet. Jared didn’t call Shelly, didn’t text her. He needed this time to process, to plan. Shelly’s presence in his life was complicated enough, but Becky’s condition required discretion and careful attention

Jared lingered in the doorway for a moment, his hand on the frame, eyes still on Becky. The coldness in her gaze hadn’t dissipated—if anything, it seemed sharper now—but he couldn’t stay longer. Not without pushing her further away.He had wanted to stay. He had wanted to kneel at her side, apologize, explain, argue, beg her to see that his feelings for Shelly didn’t erase the bond they had built over years. But the moment felt fragile, like a thread stretched too thin. One wrong word, one too-intense look, and it would snap.Just then, the door opened wider as a doctor stepped inside, clipboard in hand, moving with the quiet efficiency of someone used to urgency. Jared shifted instinctively, stepping back, giving her space.“Mr. Jared?” the doctor said, voice calm, professional, yet with a hint of empathy that made Jared’s chest tighten.“That’s me,” Jared replied, trying to keep his voice steady.The doctor gave a small nod, glancing briefly at Becky before focusing on him again. “I

Jared closed his eyes, his head bowing slightly, struggling to find words. “Becky… I care about you. I’ve always cared about you. But right now, I—” his eyes met mine again, searching for something.“You right now?” she cut in, her tone icy. “Right now, you’re chasing someone else while I’m lying here like I’ve been… forgotten. Right now, you’ve decided that your feelings for her matter more than me. More than everything we—”“Stop,” Jared said, his voice firm but shaking. “Stop. Becky, I didn’t—this isn’t about choosing. It’s not like that. You have to understand, it’s… complicated, okay? I can’t explain everything yet, but—”“You can’t explain?” Becky’s voice dropped to a flat whisper, edged with bitterness. “You can’t explain why you’re leaving me behind while you’re out there… whatever you’re doing. She… she gets your time, your attention, your heart. And I… I get… nothing.”Jared leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Becky… you’re my friend. You’re one of the most imp

Jared’s feet pounded against the pavement as he ran, backpack bouncing against his shoulder, each step echoing in his mind like a warning bell. The city blurred around him—the familiar streets, the honking cars, the passing pedestrians—but none of it mattered. All that mattered was the hospital, all that mattered was Becky.When he arrived, the sliding glass doors of the emergency entrance felt impossibly heavy. He barely noticed the security guard waving him through, barely heard the background chatter of staff and patients. His legs carried him faster than his brain could process, adrenaline fueling his urgency.He burst into the reception area, breath ragged, and approached the desk.“My friend—Becky! She was in an accident. I got a message—she’s here?” he demanded, voice sharp.The receptionist’s eyes widened. “Yes, sir. She’s in room 406. Doctors say she’s stable now, but she’s in recovery. You can go up, but please—be calm.”Jared nodded, barely registering her words, and took t

Shelly’s eyes filled slightly, the sadness threatening to spill over. She opened her mouth to protest, to ask again, but Jared didn’t wait. Before she could speak, he spun around, shoulder against his backpack strap, and bolted down the school steps. His legs moved on autopilot, fueled by urgency and fear, each step propelling him closer to the hospital, closer to Becky, closer to the unknown that awaited him there.Shelly stood frozen, watching him disappear down the street. The sight of his retreating figure left an ache in her chest, a mixture of worry, sadness, and helplessness. She had wanted to see him, to share a quiet moment, to laugh or talk or just breathe together. Now he was gone, gone without explanation, and the weight of the unanswered question pressed heavily against her heart.She turned slightly, her gaze following his path until he vanished around a corner. The wind stirred, lifting stray strands of hair across her face. Her stomach twisted with unease, and she pull