HOW TO MAKE DIAMONDS

EIGHT

Almost two hours had passed since they left the game and arrived at the party, but Kyle wasn't enjoying himself. He had retreated to the balcony of one of the empty bedrooms, clutching a blunt between his fingers, staring out at the dark skyline. The faint thrum of music and laughter echoed behind him, but it felt distant, like it was happening in a world separate from his own.

This wasn't how he imagined the night. His friends were having a blast, but all he could think about was the way people had looked at him back at the game, the hushed conversations that followed him like a shadow. The whispers about Matt and Layla. No matter how much time passed, it seemed like his past was always waiting to catch up to him.

He took a slow drag, letting the smoke fill his lungs before exhaling into the cool night air. The door behind him slammed shut, and he heard Jade's voice, sharp and unexpected.

"Seriously, you're FaceTiming me right now? In the middle of a party?" Her voice carried a mix of disbelief and amusement.

Kyle didn't turn around. He wasn't sure if Jade had seen him outside, but he stayed still, leaning back against the wall, listening as she continued her conversation.

"Bea, what the hell? You're supposed to be having fun, not calling me," Jade's tone lightened, but there was something in her voice—an underlying tension that he picked up on.

He didn't mean to eavesdrop, but as her words softened, his focus sharpened. There was something else going on here.

"Fun? You look like you need me to entertain you!" Bea's voice was loud and slurred, echoing clearly through the phone. "What's wrong? Why'd you pick up? You should be getting some D by now!"

Jade let out a frustrated breath, and Kyle could sense the shift in her tone. "The guy couldn't even make me come. All the orgasms I've had since moving here were given to me—by me."

Kyle froze, his mind stuttering over that sentence. His breath caught slightly as his imagination reacted to the casual, blunt way Jade had said it. He wasn't sure whether it was the weed or the sheer honesty of her words, but the mental image it conjured hit him unexpectedly. It wasn't an intrusive thought, but rather one he didn't mind picturing. With his consent or not, it lingered in his mind longer than it should have.

Jade's voice, though low, broke through his thoughts again. "I'm getting so frustrated. Every day, it feels like more is being thrown at me, and I'm afraid... afraid I'm going back to where I was when Axel—"

"Don't." Bea's voice sobered in an instant, cutting Jade off. "You're not going back there. You're not pulling an Axel again. You hear me?"

Kyle felt the weight of the conversation shift. Jade wasn't just talking about a bad hookup anymore. There was something much darker beneath the surface.

Jade's voice trembled slightly. "It's just—sometimes it feels like I'm one more problem away from breaking down again. I can't handle it, Bea. I'm scared of myself. And Axel... Axel's been through so much because of me."

"What do you mean, because of you?" Bea's voice sharpened. "He made his choices, and you can't blame yourself for everything that happened."

Jade went quiet for a moment, she knew tat, but her mind simply didn't let her believe it. "Jade..." Bea's voice sobered, her tone dropping in seriousness. "There's something I need to tell you."

There was a pause, a hesitation. Kyle could almost feel Jade's guard go up, as if she was bracing herself for whatever was coming next.

"What is it?" She asked, her voice careful.

Bea let out a shaky breath before continuing. "Axel's in the hospital."

The silence that followed was suffocating. Kyle's chest tightened as he heard Jade's sharp intake of breath.