Despite their best efforts, he’d found a way to wrong everyone that afternoon. Caught staring at Julien’s retreating form, his legs dragged like lead. He could hardly breathe around the words lodged in his throat. Everett flinched at the hand that tugged at his forearm and pulled him back to reality, where everything moved too fast and Julien moved further and further. Julien had never been so persistent in his anger previously. Still, Everett feebly returned Case’s slight smile and nodded in agreement.<br/><br/>Exchanges of warmth between the two were few and far between. Neither Case nor Everett had ever been the sort to open with warmth and outright declare concern. But this whole scene was familiar. He’d felt this all before – the deep dread of knowing that all the world around him was about to shift and the nauseating apprehension that when it did, he risked losing his place. He remembered biting back tears, putting on a brave face and the overwhelming relief when Case – rough and rebellious case – answered his late-night call. That hadn’t been the first time he’d fallen back on the boy and, it seemed, it was far from the last.<br/><br/>He could hardly bring himself to meet Case’s eyes, a renewed wave of guilt washing over him. Before he could open his mouth to thank Case, Julien called back and Everett’s world shattered all over again. He winced.<i>Alone</i>, Julien said. He wanted to be alone. It wasn’t a request. It wasn’t up for debate. Before Everett could say anything, Julien rushed forward again, not looking back to clarify where he’d be going or if he was ready to listen to what Case and Maddison had to say.  It hit hard, pierced deep. Right then, however, Everett had to attend to the matters at hand – to the undercurrent of guilt keeping him from just thanking Case for that reassurance and moving on.<br/><br/>“Listen, Case,” he cleared is throat, eyes still locked on Julien as he moved further. Everett planted his feet and shifted his weight between them before fixing his focus on the spot of ground between himself and his friend. “It’s stupid. It’s really fucking stupid but—Earlier, Jules—”<br/><br/>“I don’t know, man,” Everett paused, tensed, and glanced back over in the direction Julien disappeared. He brought his hand behind his neck, rubbing with apprehension before finally sighing with the utmost shame and unease, “I was afraid you’d do something to Mads.”<br/><br/>“I’m really sorry,” he blurted, finally finding the courage to lift his head to meet Case’s eyes, searching his expression for any hints of rejection or acceptance. It would’ve been easier if he’d kept his mouth shut – if he let Case and Maddison explain and continued as though he’d never let his thoughts falter. Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d betrayed everyone and he couldn’t handle the weight of that guilt much longer – not when Case stood right in front of him, trusting that this could all be water under the bridge. “You—You’ve pulled me out of so many bad spots. You always come through. I shouldn’t have doubted you. I—I’m sorry. I trust you, man. I just—I’m never doubting that again.”