Joy lay sprawled across her bed, phone clutched in both hands. Her brother's call still rang in her ears, sharp and commanding as always.
"Invite Yu over. Tonight."
Her thumb hovered over the keyboard. She wanted Yu here—oh, she wanted to gush about Izan, about how he'd held her hand, about the way her heart fluttered like something out of the stories she loved. Yu was her safe place, the one person she could pour all this into without being judged.
But Theo's voice gnawed at her. He always wanted to control things. He always thought he knew best. A rebellious streak flared hot in her chest. Why should she follow his orders? Why should she help him, when she barely understood what he was even trying to do with Yu?
Still… her heart ached at the thought of not seeing her best friend.
Joy chewed her lip, tapping out and deleting three drafts of a message. Finally, with a sigh, she settled on a compromise:
