In the relentless spotlight of fame, Jocelyn West (rising pop princess) and Paige Bueckers' fiery romance ignites, but their struggle with toxic tendencies threatens to consume BOTH their careers, and each other. Who knows if they'll come out alive.
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Kate sat in her car, staring blankly at the dashboard. Her phone buzzed on the seat next to her—Jocelyn had just confirmed their lunch plans. Normally, that would've made Kate smile, but now? Now it just felt like a ticking time bomb. She turned on the radio, and sure enough playing was one of Jocelyn's new hit songs on her album "Exes".
She picked up her phone, hovering over A'ja's name for a moment before finally hitting call. The line rang twice before her former teammate's familiar voice filled the car.
Kate tried to laugh, but it came out hollow. "L.A.'s... interesting."
"Uh-oh. That don't sound like the 'interesting' I want to hear about. What's going on?"
Kate let out a slow breath, her grip tightening on the steering wheel. "It's Paige and Jocelyn. I—there's something I know that could... wreck them."
A'ja was quiet for a moment. "Wreck them how?"
"Paige... she slept with someone else. And Jocelyn has no idea." Kate's voice was barely above a whisper. "I'm the only one who knows, and I don't know what the hell to do."
"Damn. That's a tough spot to be in." A'ja sounded more serious now. "Are you thinking about telling her?"
Kate swallowed, her chest tightening as she considered it. "If I do, it'll ruin them. Jocelyn... she'll never look at Paige the same. But if I don't, she'll keep living in this lie. She deserves the truth. I just—"
"You're scared," A'ja finished for her.
"Yeah, but it's more than that." Kate's voice dropped. "A'ja, I've been in love with Jocelyn for as long as I can remember. If I tell her this... it'll destroy her perception of love. It might even push her toward me. But is that fair? To ruin them for my own feelings?"
A'ja sighed on the other end. "Kate, that's messy, no lie. But you gotta ask yourself—are you protecting her by keeping quiet, or are you just protecting yourself?"
"I don't know," Kate muttered, pressing her forehead to the steering wheel. "If I tell her, she'll be crushed. But maybe... maybe I could be the one to pick up the pieces. Maybe I could finally be what she needs."
A'ja's voice softened. "Do you really think that's what Jocelyn would want, though? To find out from you, the one person she trusts? She might feel like you've been holding onto this for the wrong reasons."
"I know," Kate said, her voice breaking slightly. "That's what's killing me. If I tell her, I might lose her forever. But if I don't... I'll be living with this secret, knowing I could've changed everything."
A'ja didn't respond right away. When she finally spoke, her words were careful, deliberate. "Kate, whatever you decide, it's gonna change things between you and Jocelyn. You just have to figure out if you're ready for that. If you're ready for her to know the truth, or if you're okay living with this and keeping things as they are."
