Page 57 of Off-Limits Bad Boy

“Em, are you okay?” she asks, her concern flooding her voice.

I sniffle, trying to find my voice. “I’m...struggling,” I whisper.

“Tell me everything.” Her tone is so nonjudgmental that I do. The dam within me bursts, and I let everything that has happened flow out. And when I finally stop talking, she exhales.

“Well, that’s unexpected,” she says. “But you’ve got to do what feels right.” Her voice is gentle, yet firm. “You need to sort things out with Kade. Trust is everything.”

I swallow hard, my throat tight. I know she’s right. “It’s just so much more complicated than I ever expected.”

“Isn't it always with love?” She lets out a soft laugh.

“And I won’t tell your secret, but I need you to promise me that you'll tell Alex the truth.”

I nod, even though she can’t see me. “I will.” It won’t be a fun conversation, telling my brother that I’ve been hiding something huge - a crush on his best friend. But I need to do the right thing.

“Good, good.”

“Thanks, Lila. For being here for me.”

“Of course, that’s what big sisters are for.”

My fingers tremble as I lower the grainy photos onto the coffee table, the matte images making my heart ache even more. The room card lies beside them, a shiny, white evil I don’t know how to handle.

But still, something doesn't feel right. “It's just... the timing of these photos, the room card—it feels like someone's playing a game with us.”

Through the receiver, I hear Lila's steady breathing. I can believe the hug is innocent. Kade's posture in the photo is stiff, his face not quite discernible yet unmistakably awkward, and he’s not leaning into her - he seems to be leaning away. I squint at the blurred edges, the pixelated figures—a deliberate smudge? “And the quality is garbage but seems almost... intentional.” Like someone had to blur them so they’d be more believable.

And then it strikes me; Kade standing inside his home with his front door wide open, inviting scrutiny from anyone who might pass by. Obviously, this was nothing more than an innocent gesture, or he wouldn't have invited the whole world to watch. It’s just all too convenient. “I think it’s a setup, or a game.” But I don’t understand why.

“Games are only fun when you know the rules,” Lila says, her tone indicating she’s not paying me total attention. “Maybe it’s time to change the game. Confront the source. You and Kade need to talk to Stella.”

I suck in a deep breath, my teeth grazing my lower lip. The idea of facing Stella fills me with dread, but Lila's probably right. As much as I don't want to admit it, we can't let this go.

“Okay,” I say, feeling validated that she thinks so, too. “We'll talk to her.” We have to clear this up to move forward.

“You’ve got this, Em.” In the background, I hear a child start to cry so we say quick goodbyes so she can go put out whatever fires are happening over there.

I exhale, long and hard, the weight on my chest easing just a fraction. My sister’s advice echoes what's been circling in my mind and what Kade had said but hearing it from an uninvolved third party makes me more confident it’s the right way to do things.

But the more I puzzle over everything, the less it all makes sense. Stella can't possibly think ruining Kade’s relationship will swing Kade back her way... unless she's lost touch with reality altogether.

The keycard catches my eye again, its magnetic strip glinting dully under the lamplight. A plan creeps into my thoughts, an almost evil plan.

Kade said Stella invited him to her room.

What if we take her up on that invite together?

My fingers are calling him before I second-guess myself. It rings once, twice, then his voice—low, and a little rougher around the edges than usual—fills my ear.

“Em?”

“Hey, Kade.” I can’t stop the upward curve of my lips as I pick up the room card. “Stella invited you to her room, right?”

There’s a pause at the other end of the line. “Yeah, she did. What’s up?”

“Let's both go and confront her together.” I catch myself holding my breath and force my breathing into an artificial pattern.

“Sure.” My heart leaps at his single word answer.