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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Paige had woken up that morning hoping it had all been a bad dream. That the pit in her stomach, the guilt, the shame—none of it was real. But as soon as she opened her eyes, she knew better. Stella's words hung over her like a dark cloud, and Kate's knowing smirk during practice only confirmed her worst fears. Kate knew everything.
As practice wound down, the weight on Paige's shoulders only grew heavier. She knew she needed to confront Kate. She couldn't keep pretending this would all go away. It was eating her alive.
After practice, Paige rushed through the building. She had to deal with this now, before it spiraled even further out of her control.
She spotted Kate lingering near the locker room, chatting casually with a few teammates. Paige swallowed hard, her mouth dry as she approached. She waited until Kate's conversation ended, then stepped in front of her, blocking her path.
"We need to talk," Paige said, her voice low but sharp.
Kate raised an eyebrow, her smirk returning. "Oh, do we?"
Paige clenched her fists. "I know Stella told you about what happened between us."
Kate's expression didn't falter. If anything, her smirk grew wider, a glint of satisfaction in her eyes. "So what if she did?"
Paige felt her stomach twist, but she refused to back down. "Look, this isn't some game, Kate. If Jocelyn finds out—"
"She'll find out eventually," Kate cut her off, crossing her arms. "You think you can just hide this forever?"
Paige's pulse quickened. "I don't know what you think you're doing, but if you tell her, she's going to be devastated. You know what Jocelyn's been through. She won't want you—she won't want anyone. She'll shut down completely."
Kate scoffed, looking away. "You don't get to play the victim here, Paige. You're the one who couldn't keep it in your pants."
Paige's face flushed with anger. "I made a mistake! But you don't get to use that to your advantage. If you really care about her, you won't ruin her life just to get what you want."
Kate's eyes darkened, her smirk finally fading. "You think I'm the one ruining her life? You did that the second you slept with Stella. Don't pin your mess on me."
Paige took a step forward, her voice trembling with desperation. "Listen, you know she'll never look at you the way you want if you do this. If she finds out about Stella and me, it's over for both of us. You want Jocelyn? Then try to win her another way, without destroying her in the process."
Kate stared at Paige for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Paige's chest heaved as she waited, her mind racing. She had to control this, keep Kate from detonating everything. But Kate's silence was unnerving.
Finally, Kate shook her head, her voice cold. "You don't get it, do you? It's not about what you want anymore. It's about what Jocelyn deserves—and that's not you."
With that, Kate turned and walked away, leaving Paige standing in the hall, feeling the weight of the walls closing in around her.
