The drive to Beverly Hills felt longer than usual. My hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, knuckles pale against the faint pink of my nail polish. Tears blurred my vision, and I let them fall freely now, safe from the prying eyes of anyone who might judge me. Bruin Buzz, Reid, Oliver, the whispers in the halls—they all swirled together into a cacophony of humiliation I couldn't escape.

By the time I pulled into the driveway, my head pounded from the crying, and my chest felt raw from holding in the sobs that wanted to spill out. I didn't bother grabbing my bag from the car. I just stumbled to the front door, punching in the code to unlock it.

Mom was in the kitchen, her hair pulled back in one of her effortless updos that made her look more like my older sister than my mom. She turned when she heard the door.

"Isla?" Her voice was tinged with concern as she set a knife down on the cutting board. "What are you doing here? Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

I couldn't answer. I just walked up to her and wrapped my arms around her, burying my face in her shoulder. She stiffened for a moment, probably surprised—I wasn't usually the "hug my mom and cry" type—but she softened, running her hand over my hair.

"Sweetheart," she murmured, "you're scaring me. What's wrong?"

I couldn't tell her. I didn't have the words to explain how I'd fallen apart so completely over a boy and a blog post. How could I? She had always taught me to be strong, confident, and unshakable. Right now, I was none of those things.

Instead, I shook my head and pulled away, avoiding her questioning gaze. "I'm just tired," I said, my voice cracking. "I need to lie down."

Before she could protest, I slipped past her and headed upstairs, shutting myself in my childhood room. The familiarity of the soft lavender walls and the fairy lights strung over my bed should have been comforting, but instead, it made me feel even more like a failure. I curled up under the covers, clutching my phone, but I didn't dare open it. I couldn't handle seeing more comments or updates from Bruin Buzz.

A knock on the door startled me.

"Isla?" Mom's voice was gentle but firm. "Can we talk?"

"No." My voice was muffled by the blanket I had pulled over my head.

"Isla..."

"Please, Mom. Not right now."

There was silence on the other side of the door before I heard her footsteps retreat. For a moment, I let out a shaky breath, thinking I was off the hook. But an hour later, the door opened again, and this time, Kemi strode in, dragging Mom behind her.

"Oh no, you don't," Kemi said, crossing her arms. "You're not going to sit here and wallow."

"Kemi—"

"Nope!" she cut me off, plopping down on the edge of my bed. "Whatever happened, I don't want to know but we're going out. You need air. And carbs."

Mom nodded, her expression a mix of determination and concern. "She's right, Isla. Sitting here sulking isn't going to fix anything. Let's go out and have dinner. My treat."

I groaned, pulling the blanket tighter around me. "I'm not in the mood."

"Tough," Kemi shot back. "You don't have a choice. Now get up."

When it became clear they weren't leaving without me, I reluctantly threw the blanket off and got up. I changed into something simple but cute—just enough to blend in, not stand out.

In the car, Kemi hummed along to the radio while Mom drove. For a moment, the silence felt almost peaceful. But then Kemi made a frustrated sigh that immediately put me on edge.

"What?" I snapped.

"Nothing," she said too quickly, looking out the window.

"Kemi..."

She sighed, glancing at Mom, who gave her a small shrug as if to say, "You might as well tell her."

"Okay, fine," Kemi admitted. "We may or may not have seen the Bruin Buzz posts..."

My stomach twisted. "You what?"

"Don't freak out!" she said quickly. "It's not a big deal."

"Not a big deal? The entire school thinks I'm some kind of manipulative, two-timing virgin!" My voice cracked on the last word, and I felt my face heat with shame.

Mom glanced at me through the rearview mirror, her expression softening. "Honey, you have nothing to worry about. Those people don't know you."

"But Reid does," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "And he still—he still said those things. He betrayed me."

"You're sure he spread the gossip?" Kemi asked and I nodded. It had to be him, no one else knew that about me.

There was a long pause before Mom spoke again. "Reid is the one who should feel ashamed, not you. He broke your trust, Isla. That says more about him than it ever will about you."

Kemi nodded vigorously. "Exactly. He's the villain here, not you. And honestly, the people who believe that blog are just looking for drama. Don't let them get to you."

I let out a shaky breath, staring out the window. "I thought... I thought college was going to be different," I admitted. "I thought I could have this perfect romance, like you and Dad had. But now, it just feels like a disaster. I just feel like an idiot." I admit.

Mom reached over to squeeze my hand. "Of course it's going to be different, Isla. You're not me. Your story is yours, and it's still being written. You don't have to have it all figured out right now."

"Yeah," Kemi chimed in, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. "And you know what'll make you feel better?"

I raised an eyebrow. "What?"

She grabbed her phone and scrolled for a moment before hitting play. The opening beats of Taylor Swift's "Look What You Made Me Do" filled the car.

"Oh no," I groaned.

"Oh yes," Kemi said, turning up the volume and singing along dramatically.

Mom joined in, laughing as she butchered the lyrics. "Look what you made me doooo!"

Despite myself, I felt a small smile tug at the corners of my mouth. By the time they reached the chorus, I couldn't resist anymore. I rolled my eyes but sang along, my voice blending with theirs as we belted out the petty anthem together.

By the time we pulled up to the restaurant, my mood had lifted slightly. The warm glow of the Italian place felt inviting, and I let myself relax as we walked in.

But, of course, the universe wasn't done messing with me yet.

As the host led us to our table, I froze mid-step. Sitting at the table next to ours, looking as stoic and unreadable as ever, was Reid. And across from him, with her fiery red hair and an air of smug confidence, was Red.

I blinked, half-convinced I was imagining it.

"Isla?" Kemi whispered, nudging me.

I let out a frustrated sigh and rolled my eyes. "Of course."

Because why wouldn't the universe decide to throw Reid and Red in my face just as I was starting to feel okay again?

I plastered on a fake smile and kept walking, but inside, I was already bracing for the next disaster.

Author's note:

I apologize for the delay in getting this chapter across. Thank you for reading and I love y'all