unplanned destinies

5 | fractured ties

I woke up to an empty bed, the sheets cold where Kye had slept. My head throbbed as I rubbed my temples, trying to shake off the lingering fog from last night. Everything felt fuzzy, the memories disjointed. Kye's persistence, the drinks, my weak protest. I glanced around the room, half-expecting him to walk in with his usual apology and some elaborate excuse. But the room was silent.

I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and texted him.

"Where did you go?"

I stared at the screen, my heart still pounding from yesterday's mess. No response. The message didn't even go through Message not delivered. I tried again, and nothing.

Frustration gnawed at me, but I pushed it down. I had a shoot later today, and Gucci wasn't exactly something you could just show up to late or distracted. I threw the covers off and headed to the bathroom, determined to focus on getting ready.

As I applied my makeup, Kye still lingered in the back of my mind. His absence wasn't like him. He was always in control, always needing to know where I was, who I was with, and when I'd be back. And now, after what happened last night, he just disappeared? A part of me was relieved, but there was a sinking feeling in my stomach. Something felt off.

I tossed my phone onto the bathroom counter, considering texting Jordan. I still couldn't believe she was famous. A pop star, of all things. Why hadn't she mentioned it? I could almost laugh at the absurdity of it all, but there was a part of me that felt a little betrayed. We'd spent time together, opened up, and she hadn't said a word about who she really was.

I almost texted her. Almost asked her why she hadn't said anything.

But instead, I brushed it off. I had bigger things to worry about today. Like surviving this Gucci shoot.

By the time I arrived on set, I was fully in work mode. The venue was stunning, the usual extravagant setup glossy floors, oversized mirrors, racks of designer clothes. I greeted the team, put on my game face, and tried to shake off the unease that had been building since this morning.

And then I saw her.

Jordan was there, casually sitting in one of the makeup chairs, laughing with the stylists like it was the most normal thing in the world. My stomach flipped. Of course. She wasn't just famous, she was Gucci famous. Of course she was here.

I wasn't sure whether to be irritated or relieved. I took a deep breath and walked over. "Hey," I called, giving her a small smile.

Jordan turned, her eyes lighting up when she saw me. "Sienna! I didn't expect to see you here."

I crossed my arms, trying to keep my voice casual. "Yeah, well, I didn't expect to find out you're a famous singer from the tabloids. Why didn't you say anything?"

She sighed, giving me a sheepish smile. "I don't like talking about it, honestly. When I'm not working, I try to just... be a person, you know? I didn't want it to be weird."

I raised an eyebrow, still feeling a little thrown. "Well, it's kind of weird finding out like that."

"I know, I should've said something." Jordan looked at me, but there was something else in her eyes, something deeper than this surface level conversation. Her expression shifted. "But Sienna... that's not really what I wanted to talk about."

I blinked, caught off guard. "What do you mean?"

Jordan hesitated, her eyes softening with concern. "I overheard last night. When I dropped you off. I heard you and Kye... and, well, I heard you. i heard everything.

My heart stopped for a moment, the air around me thickening. I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

"Sienna, are you okay?" Jordan's voice was gentle, but there was a firm edge to it. "I didn't want to push, but I can't just pretend I didn't hear what I heard. No one should be treated like that."