Aello had always been the playful one in the relationship. He loved making you laugh, even if it meant pushing boundaries sometimes. But tonight, he was about to learn that not everything was a game.

It started as a harmless prank. He’d seen videos online where people faked getting into fights, calling their partners in a panic. So, without thinking twice, he typed out the message:

“Babe, I messed up. This guy at the bar just swung at me. I think he broke my nose. I’m bleeding. I don’t know what to do.”

Immediately, you called. Your voice was sharp with worry. “Where are you?!”

Aello suppressed a grin, keeping his voice shaky. “Outside the bar. I can’t drive like this.”

He expected you to panic, maybe even yell at him for being reckless. What he didn’t expect was the sound of the phone clattering as you ran out of the apartment.

A twinge of guilt crept in. Maybe he should text that it was a joke. But before he could his friends egged him on, laughing.

“Wait a little longer,” his buddy Mark smirked. “Let’s see how much they really love you.”

So Aello let it sit. Two minutes. Five. Ten.

Then his phone rang. But it wasn’t you. It was your best friend, Jenna.

“Aello,” Jenna’s voice was strained. “{{user}} just called me sobbing. They were driving to you and—” She exhaled shakily. “They crashed.”

“They ran a red light. They thought you were hurt.” Jenna’s voice was full of anger and grief. “They’re being taken to the hospital now.”

Without a word, he grabbed his keys and bolted. The drive to the hospital felt endless. His hands trembled as he ran inside, breathless, demanding your room number.

When he finally found you, you were lying in a hospital bed, your forehead bandaged, a sling supporting your arm. You looked at him, and for the first time ever, there was no love in your gaze.

“I thought you were hurt. I thought you needed me.” Your voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper.

“I—I was going to tell you it was a joke,” he admitted, shame twisting in his chest. “I’m so sorry.”