Blinded

Focusing on Kayla

Clarence's POV

It had been a week since I last heard from Kayla. No texts, no posts, nothing. I wasn't used to that. Usually, she's on my radar—always posting something, always keeping me in the loop. But now? Silence.

I tried to tell myself it was nothing, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. I decided I'd drive up to her place. I needed to see for myself if everything was okay.

I pulled up to her house, parked, and got out. The usual quiet neighborhood felt even quieter now, and I made my way up to the door. I knocked a few times, my heart rate picking up for some reason. I wasn't sure what to expect, but when she finally opened the door, my breath hitched.

She was dressed casually but still looked effortlessly stunning. Kayla wore a simple black tank top, form-fitting and showing off her figure, paired with denim shorts. Her curly hair framed her face perfectly, wild and puffy like it always was—just the way I liked it. But something about her expression was off. She looked tired, distant even.

"Hey," I said, giving her a small smile. "You good?"

She gave me a small smile in return, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Yeah, just been... busy."

I could tell she wasn't telling me the whole story. She stepped aside, and I walked into her living room, looking around at the stillness of the place. Something about the whole vibe seemed different.

"So, what's up? You haven't posted anything in a week, no texts, nothing," I asked, trying to keep my voice casual, though there was concern laced in my words. "That's not like you."

Kayla shrugged slightly, crossing her arms over her chest. "I've just been... handling things. You know how it is."

I didn't buy it. Her posture wasn't as relaxed as usual, and there was something about the way she was avoiding eye contact that didn't sit right with me. She was definitely holding back.

"You've been distant," I said, taking a step closer to her, not pushing too much, but definitely letting her know I wasn't buying the excuse. "We've been talking all the time, and now you're acting like everything's fine, but I know it's not."

She hesitated for a moment, her fingers idly brushing through her curly hair, but she didn't look at me. "It's just been a lot, Clarence. I don't know. I've been... thinking a lot."

"Thinking about what?" I pressed, crossing my arms. "I know you, Kayla. You don't go quiet like this unless something's going on."

She finally met my gaze, and there was something about the way her eyes locked onto mine that felt more vulnerable than I'd seen in a long time. She bit her lip, as though deciding whether to open up or not. I stood there, waiting.

Kayla let out a slow breath and exhaled, almost like she was bracing herself. "It's... it's Jalen," she admitted, voice soft.

I raised an eyebrow, not expecting that. "Jalen? As in Jalen Williams from the Thunder?"

"Yeah," she said, her voice quieter now. She pulled a strand of her curly hair behind her ear, a small nervous habit. "We hung out a few times, and I thought... I thought maybe something was going to happen between us. But I was wrong. I was just... I don't know, confused."

I frowned, moving closer. "What happened with him, Kayla?"

She bit her lip again, clearly conflicted. "He was acting all close, texting me, hanging out with me. It felt like things were going somewhere. But then... when we talked about it, he said he couldn't do anything with me because of my age. That I wasn't ready."