The plane landed at exactly 5:10 on Monday morning. Emma yawned as she stepped off the stairs, the cool air hitting her skin. She had slept the entire flight, yet somehow she still felt exhausted.
Her phone buzzed in her hand. The name on the screen made her heart skip — Footballer Crush!
"Hey..." she said softly, a smile tugging at her lips as she answered.
"Emma, how old are you?" Jayden's voice shot through the line, sharp and urgent.
She froze. "What's with the question?" she asked, letting out a nervous chuckle.
"Answer me!" he shouted, his voice so loud she had to pull the phone slightly away from her ear. Her chest tightened.
"I... I'll be eighteen in a month," she whispered.
On the other end, she heard the sound of glass shattering. "Stupid! Stupid me!" he roared, and then the line went dead.
Emma stood rooted on the tarmac, the dial tone humming in her ear. Did he just... throw his phone?
The drive home was silent. She stared out the window, her mind racing. By the time she reached Mandy's building, her stomach was in knots. She thanked Ben quickly and dashed to the front of Mandy's.
Mandy opened the door, startled by Emma's panicked expression. "What's wrong? You made it sound like the world was ending."
Emma's lips trembled. "Jayden... he found out I lied about my age."
Mandy's face fell instantly. "Emma, I told you that was a stupid idea," she said, frustration lacing her voice. "And now look, he was dragged in a press conference because of you."
"What?" Emma gasped, her voice breaking.
"Sit," Mandy said quickly, grabbing her phone. "You need to see this." She pulled up a YouTube video, a clip already trending.
Emma's chest tightened as she pressed play.
On screen, Jayden sat at a long table with his manager beside him. Reporters filled the room, cameras flashing, recorders held out.
A man with glasses leaned forward. "Jayden, there have been recent photos of you with a high school student at today's game. Can you confirm who she is?"
Jayden's jaw tensed. He had expected curiosity, sure. He had brought Emma into the spotlight himself but this wasn't what he thought he would get. Not like this at least.
"Yes," he said curtly. "Emma. I invited her to the game." He looked down briefly, then back at the crowd. "Next question."
"Is there... anything going on between you and this girl?" another reporter pressed.
Jayden leaned forward. "Football questions only."
A third voice cut in, sharper, almost taunting. "Are you a predator, Jayden? The kind of man who chases minors?"
The room went still.
Emma's breath caught in her throat.
Jayden froze, staring at the reporter.
"You do know she's underage, right?" the man continued. "Seventeen. That makes her a minor."
The word minor seemed to echo in the room. Jayden cleared his throat. "I... I do know."
Emma's heart dropped into her stomach.
"She's just a friend," Jayden added quickly. "Nothing more."
The first reporter jumped back in. "So why the special treatment at the match? Photos show her hugging you just before the second half. That doesn't look like just a friend."
"She's interested in football," Jayden said, his tone clipped, defensive. "I met her for the first time at JS Stadium. She piqued my interest because she's passionate about the game. I was... fulfilling a wish, that's all."
"So nothing between you?" the man pushed again.
"She's like a little sister to me," Jayden snapped. "Come on, my younger brother is older than she is. Don't twist this."
"Then why the matching Louboutins?" someone else shouted from the back.
The crowd murmured. Jayden's face went blank.
He shoved his chair back and stood abruptly. "If this is all, I'm done here. Any more football questions?"
But the reporters were relentless.
"Jayden, can you address the rumors of you skipping press obligations to be with her?"
"Are you denying the relationship?"
"Do you regret bringing her to the match?"
"Was your manager aware of her age?"
"Will this affect your contract renewal?"
The questions piled on, like rapid-fire, but Jayden didn't answer another word. He stormed out, the cameras flashing wildly as his name was called again and again.
Emma's hands shook as she set the phone down. Her chest tightened until it was hard to breathe. The sound of that word minor wouldn't leave her head. And the way Jayden had said, She's like a little sister to me...
It stung worse than anything else.
"That's not all," Mandy said quietly, picking her phone back up. She tapped on another clip and handed it to Emma. "This was from the red-carpet event the sponsors hosted."
Emma hesitated, then pressed play.
The short video showed Jayden and Jenny, standing hand-in-hand while flashing cameras surrounded them. The reporters called their names, and then Jayden slipped an arm around Jenny's waist, pulling her close before pressing his lips to hers.
The clip ended, only to loop back again.
Emma's chest clenched as the video replayed. The first tear slid down her cheek, then another, and soon streams of them were falling freely. She set the phone face down on the bed, her voice cracking.
"We... we fucked," she whispered.
Mandy's head shot up. "What?"
Emma's sob grew louder. "We fucked," she repeated, this time almost screaming.
Mandy blinked, stunned. "Fucked as in... the little childish stuff you two do sometimes? Or... the real deal?"
Emma's hands shook as she wiped at her tears, her voice breaking. "The real deal, Mandy. The real fucking deal."
The room went still except for Emma's uneven breathing. Mandy opened her mouth to speak, but just then her 6 a.m. alarm went off, shrill and jarring in the silence.
Mandy sighed, silenced it, and looked at Emma, her tone softer now. "Go shower. Get yourself together. I'll drive us to school."
Emma only nodded weakly, wiping her face as she stood. Her legs felt heavy, her chest hollow. Without another word, she walked out of the room.