cover your heart in goose-bump armor (гет)

“So,” he starts, trying to catch his own breath and managing half a smile, trying to put her at ease even though he’s pretty sure she isn’t looking at anything besides the bruise, “Failing to mention this right away was definitely a mistake on my part, but… I got caught in a car accident last week.”
“... An accident?” Olivia says, her voice hollow, and Rafael’s heart clenches painfully in his chest. She’s still holding on to his mostly open shirt like she’s worried he’s going to disappear.
(Rafael comes home. Things do not go as smoothly as he or Olivia were expecting.)