"Hey, you're back," Maddie's voice greets me as I push the door open.

"Hey," I reply, walking in and setting the coffee and pastry I bought for her on the desk, alongside my phone, laptop, and backpack.

I sigh heavily, and Maddie's eyes lift from her phone, now focused on me.

"Are you okay?" she asks, and I respond with an even deeper sigh.

"Alright, come to mama and tell me everything," she says, patting the spot next to her on her bed. I manage a small smile.

"Here, I got you this," I say, handing her the caramel macchiato and cinnamon roll I ordered—something sweet and perfect for someone recovering from a hangover.

"I love you. Marry me?" she says, her eyes shining dramatically, and I burst out laughing.

"Sure, how's next Saturday sound?" I tease, and she laughs along with me.

"So, what's going on?" she asks, taking a bite of her cinnamon roll.

I hesitate, sighing again as I sit beside her. "What was your first time like?"

"First time as in... sex?" she asks, her tone curious, and I nod shyly.

"Isla, have you really never—" Maddie's eyes widen as she sits up, staring at me like I've just admitted to being an alien.

I shake my head slowly, and she gasps loudly. "I thought the blog news was fake. That idiot actually blabbed about you being a virgin? I will kill him."

"No, no, he swears he didn't do it."

"And you believe him?"

"Yes," I say, even though it sounds naive. I do believe him—there's no reason for him to lie.

"Then how do you think the blog found out?" Maddie presses, still skeptical.

"That doesn't matter. It's just... I'm going to tell you something, and you can't laugh, okay?" I say, my nerves fraying.

"Okay..." she says, her eyes narrowing as she takes a sip of her coffee.

"I think I'm in love with Reid."

The words barely leave my mouth before Maddie spits her coffee out in shock.

"I know," I say, feeling more ridiculous by the second.

"Isla, Reid is..." she starts but stops herself.

"I know. I know better than anyone how dumb it is to fall for someone like Reid. My whole life, I've watched my parents share a love so genuine, and all I've ever wanted was a relationship like theirs," I say, covering my face in frustration. "I try to remind myself of that every time. Reid can never be that person for me. He could never be like my dad, never be the man I want him to be. And yet I can't stop feeling like this. I can't stop feeling jealous of every girl he talks to, can't stop putting meaning into everything he does, can't stop wanting to see him. And he's not making it any easier. He rejected me, rejected having sex with me, so why does he keep showing up, saying and doing things that confuse me? I'm so stressed out."

"Feel better now?" Maddie asks, her tone gentle, and I let out another deep sigh.

"What's wrong with me?" I murmur, leaning back against the headboard.

"Nothing's wrong with you. You're just in love," she says, moving closer and pulling me to rest on her shoulder.

"How do I turn it off? This is not how I imagined my first love happening."

"I wish I could tell you, but I'm still trying to figure that out myself," she jokes, and I smile faintly.

"We've all fallen for someone who's not good for us, someone we know we shouldn't love," she continues. "I once fell in love with my married neighbor."

My eyes widen as I whip my head toward her.

"Yeah, that's a story for another day," she says. "He was my first love. He made me feel special, lied about ending things with his wife, but of course, he didn't. His wife found out, and even though everyone blamed him and treated me like a victim because I was sixteen, I knew the truth. I wasn't manipulated—I knew it was wrong, but I still did it because I loved him."

"Maddie, I..." I trail off, unsure how to respond.

"I guess what I'm saying is, I know what it's like to love someone you shouldn't," she says, steering the conversation back to me. "My advice? Cut your losses now. It hurts less that way." Her voice carries a note of pain, and her usual bubbly aura seems dimmer.

"Yeah, I know," I whisper, leaning back on her shoulder as she pulls me closer.

"Also, I get wanting a relationship like your parents', but don't put that kind of pressure on yourself. Live with an open mind and let your own journey unfold."

"You sound like my mom," I say with a small laugh.

"Smart woman," Maddie replies, smiling softly.

"Sooo... how far did you and Reid go? First base? Second base? I still can't believe you've never had sex before, more surprising that Reid rejected sex," she says, making me groan as I cover my face in embarrassment.

"I just wanted to wait for the right person," I mumble through my hands.

"And you thought Reid was that person?" she asks, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Ugh, I already feel stupid enough," I say, pulling away from her.

She laughs loudly, and I roll my eyes.

"So, first base or second?" she persists.

"Why don't you tell me what's going on with you and Jordan?" I counter, desperate to change the subject.

"Who?"

"The guy you hooked up with at the party."

"His name was Jordan?" she asks with a straight face, and I can't tell if she's joking.

"You really don't know?"

"I think he might've told me, but I was too drunk to remember," she says, turning her attention back to her coffee.

I stare at her in disbelief.

"I can feel you judging me. Lila already gave me a lecture," she says.

"Was that what your argument was about? Jordan?" I ask.

"Not exactly. She just acts like my mom. I wish she'd stop focusing on me so much and..." Maddie trails off.

"And?" I press, sensing there's more to the story.

"Nothing. We should go out tonight," she says, brushing it off.

"Don't you still have a hangover?"

"Oh, I slept it off. I'm fine now," she says breezily.

"We have school tomorrow," I remind her, shutting down the idea.

"You're no fun," she grumbles just as the door opens and Lila walks in. She takes one look at us and immediately apologizes.

"Sorry, I just... I'll come back later," Lila says, turning to leave, but I jump up from Maddie's bed.

"No, come in, please," I insist.

"What are you doing?" Maddie whispers, tugging on my shirt, but I ignore her.

Lila sighs and steps inside. The atmosphere instantly grows tense as the awkward silence between her and Maddie fills the room.

"Okay, look, you're both my only friends in college, and I can't have you fighting," I plead. "So please... 'kiss and make up.'"

Maddie huffs, and Lila sighs. They stare at each other for a long, uncomfortable moment before Lila finally speaks.

"I'm sorry for how I acted the other night," she begins. "You were right. You're a grown adult, and you don't need supervising."

"And?" Maddie prompts, her expression softening.

"And I'm sorry I called you a slut. That was uncalled for," Lila admits.

My eyes widen. Calm, composed Lila actually called Maddie a slut? I could barely process it.

"It's okay," Maddie says, shrugging. "I forgive you. I did say some pretty nasty things too."

"You mean when you called me a 'self-righteous buzzkill'?" Lila says, raising a brow.

Maddie laughs. "Yeah... that might've been a bit much."

"Yay, I'm so glad that's settled!" I say, clapping my hands.

"Isla's really a virgin," Maddie blurts out, and I whip my head toward her in shock.

"Yeah, I kind of figured," Lila says nonchalantly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask, offended, but they both burst into laughter.

Eventually, I join in, the tension dissolving as we all pile onto Maddie's bed. I recount everything that happened after I left earlier, including agreeing to be friends with Reid and the photo shoot, which I feared would trigger another blog post.

"Who's this Red person, anyway?" Lila asks. "Did you even ask your mom? She knows her, right?"

"I forgot," I admit, realizing I'd missed an opportunity.

"You said your mom called her Isabel. Does that mean 'Red' is just a pet name Reid calls her?"

"Probably," I say, my chest tightening at the thought. "Maybe she's the one who gave him that book with the inscription 'Little Flower.'"

"Still say she's his sugar mommy," Maddie jokes, making me laugh despite myself.

I knew that wasn't true, but I couldn't figure out their relationship. They were close enough for nicknames, dinners, and knowing each other's addresses. And whenever she called, Reid dropped everything.

A chime from my phone interrupts my thoughts. I glance at the screen: a message from an unknown number.

Hey, it's Reid.

I swipe open the message, staring at it for what feels like forever. Before I can figure out how to respond, another message pops up.

Are you up?

My heart races. What did he want now?

"Why are you staring at your phone like that?" Maddie asks, tapping my shoulder.

I show them the messages, and Lila raises a brow.

"What are you going to say?" she asks.

"I don't know. What do you think I should say?"

"Nothing," Maddie says firmly. "He already rejected you, so you don't owe him a response."

"Wouldn't that be rude?"

"Didn't he ignore all your messages after the whole Red incident?"

"Well... yeah."

"Exactly," Maddie says, crossing her arms.

"But we agreed to be friends," I argue weakly.

"Big mistake," Lila says. "You'll never get over him that way."

They're right, of course. Reluctantly, I put my phone down. We continue talking, but I can't focus on anything else.

Eventually, I stand up. "It's late. I think I'll turn in for the night."

"Are you staying over?" Maddie asks Lila.

"Do you mind if I sleep in your bed, Isla?" Lila asks.

"Uh, sure," I say, surprised.

Lila always shared a bed with Maddie. Was their fight really resolved? Something about the situation felt... off, but I couldn't bring myself to ask.

Lying in bed next to Lila, I pick up my phone again. Reid hadn't sent another message. He must've seen that I'd read and ignored his texts and decided to leave it at that.

After hesitating for what feels like an eternity, I finally type out a reply:

Hey.

The message shows as read almost instantly. My heart pounds as I watch the typing bubble appear... only for it to disappear moments later.

I wait. And wait. But nothing comes.

Reid didn't reply, and the silence keeps me awake all night.

Authors note:
Isla is in for a world of trouble, don't you agree?