"Are you insinuating he's back with his ex?" Mandy asked.
"I don't know," Emma replied, rubbing her temple. "I called and it keeps going straight to voicemail."
"Well, all you can do is sit tight and wait for an explanation. Don't think too much about it. We'll talk at school."
And that was it, the call ended.
Emma could barely focus in class. She was having a mental war with herself, replaying everything in her head. She even flunked the pop quiz, which was unlike her. Mandy kept telling her to calm down, over and over, but it didn't help. Maybe people were right when they said you can't advise someone in love. It was true.
By 6 p.m., Emma's phone rang. She stared at the screen—Footballer Crush. She didn't hesitate to answer.
"So your ex is the 'urgent matter' that came up, huh?" Emma asked sharply.
"Emma..." he sighed, his voice low.
"You still love her, don't you?" she pressed.
"What are you saying?" Jayden questioned, sounding defensive.
"I saw her Snap story, so don't even bother lying."
"That could've been anybody," he countered.
"I know the scar," Emma shot back.
Jayden froze, staring down at the faint scar on his wrist. He could almost feel Emma's fingers tracing it like she always did.
"Do you trust me?" he asked quietly.
"No." She didn't even hesitate.
"Emma..." he exhaled heavily. "I only found out Jenny was in Spain yesterday. I was taking a stroll by the waterfront and I saw her. She asked if we could have brunch, and I couldn't say no. At least now she knows she has nothing on me."
"So you didn't fly in together from Cali?" Emma asked.
"She was in New York before Spain," Jayden replied.
"Look, Emma, I need you to trust me if this is ever going to work."
"I have my doubts," she admitted.
"So do I," he said softly, "but you don't see me throwing it in your face."
Her brows furrowed. "What doubts?"
"Forget about it."
"No. I'm listening," she insisted.
"Look... you're just eighteen. You're still in high school. What do you think the world would say if they found out I was out there wearing matching red bottoms with a girl who just came of age?"
"Oh, suddenly you care about other people's opinions?" Emma asked, her tone sharp.
"Do you want this to work?" she demanded.
"I honestly do, but..."
"No buts." She cut him off. "Yes or no?"
"Yes. Yes, I do," he said firmly.
"Jayden, I know we're not exclusive yet, I know we haven't put a tag on this, but promise me you're not going to cheat."
"I promise I'm not going to sleep with my ex," he said with a small chuckle, trying to lighten the mood.
Emma didn't smile. "How was your day?" she asked, changing the subject.
"Oh, baby, my day's just starting. It's a little past three here. I'm heading to the gym soon cause I've got to leave for the pitch by five and it's one hell of a drive."
"What are you going to the pitch for?"
"Well... I've got a shoot for an energy drink. They're one of our biggest sponsors."
"Ohh, I know that one," she said, her voice softening.
They drifted into lighter topics, talking about random things for a few more minutes until Jayden had to end the call.
Emma had already called him three times that evening. No answer.
She stared at the screen, her thumb hovering over the call button again. The last time they'd spoken was the previous day, and now it was well past five.
"What if he's with her?" Emma muttered under her breath.
"With who?" Mandy asked from her bed, her eyes still glued to TikTok.
"Jenny. Who else?" Emma snapped, tossing her phone onto the comforter like it had burned her fingers. "I mean, it's just... what if he's sitting in some fancy Spanish restaurant holding her hand while I'm here waiting for a text back?"
Mandy finally looked up at her. "Emma, you do realize it's, like, three a.m. in Spain right now, yeah? The guy's probably knocked out cold and not having a midnight date"
Emma sighed, dragging her knees to her chest. "Or he's ignoring me."
"Or," Mandy said firmly, "you're driving yourself insane overthinking every little thing." She put her phone down and sat up. "Babe, you can't build your whole mood around his calls. That's too much power to hand anyone."
Emma chewed on her bottom lip, staring at the ceiling. "But what if I lose him?"
Mandy rolled her eyes gently. "You can't lose what's actually yours. If he wants to be here, he'll be here. If not..." She shrugged. "At least you'll still have yourself."
Emma didn't reply. She just reached for her phone again, unlocking it to check if he'd texted. Nothing.
Her screen mocked her, the time at the top reading 9:12 PM. She threw the phone onto the bed and groaned.
"Still nothing?" Mandy asked, not even looking up from her own phone.
Emma shot her a glare. "Don't 'still nothing' me. What if he's with her right now?"
"With Jenny?" Mandy asked looking up. "Emma, the guy's probably still asleep"
"You don't get it!" Emma's voice rose. "She's there too. In Spain. At the same damn time. You think that's just coincidence?"
Mandy set her phone down with a sigh. "Okay, listen. Maybe you should start wrapping your head around something."
Emma's stomach tightened. "What?"
"Maybe Jayden was only around here to pass time. Off-season, community hangout, whatever. And now? Now he's back to his real life. His games, his ex, his fame."
Emma blinked at her like she'd just been slapped. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me." Mandy's tone was sharp now. "You've been acting like he's your whole world, when you might've just been his little off-season fling. And if that's the case, you better get used to not having him around."
Emma shot up from the bed, her chest burning. "You don't know what you're talking about! He told me he loves me"
Mandy cut her off with a scoff. "He said that once, when you cornered him. Words, Emma. Guys like him know exactly what to say to keep you hooked."
Emma's hands trembled. "Wow. So that's what you think of me? That I'm just some... temporary distraction?"
"I think you're my best friend who's losing her mind over someone that might not even be yours," Mandy snapped back.
The room went heavy with silence. Emma's eyes glossed with tears, but her jaw stayed tight.
"Maybe you should just keep your opinions to yourself," Emma said, her voice shaking but hard.
"And maybe you should wake up before you get hurt worse than this," Mandy fired back.
Emma grabbed her phone, shoving it into her pocket. "You don't get to talk to me about him anymore."
"Fine," Mandy said coldly. "But don't come crying to me when he proves me right."
Emma stormed out of the room, slamming the door so hard the walls rattled.