The sun had just begun its descent, casting a warm, golden hue over the gardens where the guests from the High Society Gala preparations meeting had gathered. The atmosphere was a mix of excitement and underlying tension, with the elite crew members scattered throughout the picturesque setting.
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Kaye stood near the edge of the garden, her thoughts drifting back to the events of the day. The weight of the secrets she and Stasi shared pressed heavily on her mind. She glanced over at Jae, who was engaged in conversation with a group of guests, and felt a pang of uncertainty about their relationship.
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As if sensing her gaze, Jae looked over and gave her a tentative smile. He excused himself from the conversation and made his way to her side. "Hey," he said softly, his fingers gently brushing against hers. "We need to talk."
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Kaye's heart pounded in her chest. She had been avoiding this conversation, avoiding Jae since the scandal. The look he had given her when it broke out had seemed filled with the same judgment as everyone else's. "Jae, I... I can't do this right now," she said, her voice trembling.
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"We have to, Kaye. I need to understand what's going on. You've been avoiding me," Jae insisted, his eyes filled with hurt and determination.
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Kaye took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "It's just... everything that's happened. The scandal, the way you looked at me that night... I’m not made for this."
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Jae's eyes softened, but there was still a hardness in his gaze. "You think I judged you like everyone else? Kaye, I was hurt, confused, but I never judged you."
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Her eyes filled with tears as she looked away. "It felt like you did. Jae, that incident with Graeme happened before us… I would never betray you like that, yet you didn’t even check in on me after everything, knowing damn well that your friends had done that to me."
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Jae reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder, but she flinched, taking a step back. "I'm sorry for everything but I’m here now, Kaye. I'm trying to understand, to support you. But I need you to let me in."
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She closed her eyes, fighting the urge to break down. "I don't think I can do that. You were right, we should never have crossed that line, but it’s not too late for us to go back and forget that we ever happened."
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Jae took a step closer, his voice firm but gentle. "We're in this together, Kaye. Please don’t do this."
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Kaye looked at him, seeing the sincerity in his eyes. Her heart broke, knowing that she would hurt him even more. The walls she had built around herself wavered the moment she saw the plight in his eyes, but her sensibility wouldn’t allow her to falter. Her past self, determined to stay in control, said, “It’s clear to me now, that even though we live in the same neighborhood and go around in the same social circles, you and I will never work out, Jae. I can’t be your secret forever, and we just don’t make sense together, our worlds are too far apart.”
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Kaye looked at him, seeing the sincerity in his eyes. Her heart broke, knowing that she would hurt him even more. The walls she had built around herself wavered the moment she saw the plight in his eyes, but her sensibility wouldn’t allow her to falter. Her past self, determined to stay in control, said, “It’s clear to me now, that even though we live in the same neighborhood and go around in the same social circles, you and I will never work out, Jae. I can’t be your secret forever, and we just don’t make sense together, our worlds are too far apart.”
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Jae’s jaw clenched, and the intensity of his feelings burned through his gaze. "Kaye, you don't understand. You mean more to me than just a secret. I care about you deeply. This isn’t just about some teenage fling for me. I want us to work, despite everything."
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Kaye's heart ached with the burning desire she had for him. Every part of her wanted to reach out, to let down her walls and be vulnerable. Yet, the fear of being hurt, of dragging him into the darkness she carried, kept her rooted. "Jae, I... I want to believe you, but everything around us, everyone around us... it just feels impossible."
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He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Kaye, I've never felt this way about anyone. I can’t just let this go. Let us go. Please don’t push me away because of what others might think. I’m not like them."
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She felt her resolve weakening, the proximity of his presence, the warmth of his words melting her defenses. "You say that now, Jae. But what happens when things get really hard? When it comes down to choosing between me and your friends? I would never want to put you in that situation and if we continue whatever this is, it only seems evitable. You know how much Lizzie and Kat hates me and besides, you’re Wiley’s best friend."
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His hands found hers, holding them tightly. "I will choose you every time, Kaye. I promise you. But you have to trust me. Trust us."
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Tears welled up in her eyes, and she shook her head, pulling her hands away. "It’s not about choosing, Jae, you shouldn’t have to. You deserve to be happy with someone who can be with you in every way you desire. I can’t be that for you, you have no idea who I am, what I’ve done and what I’ve been through. I’m not a good person."
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He stared at her, his heart breaking visibly. "So that’s it? You're just going to throw this away? Without even giving it a chance?"
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She swallowed hard, her voice barely a whisper. "I'm sorry, Jae. This is for the best."
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As she turned and walked away, every step felt like she was leaving a piece of her heart behind. The desire for him still burned within her, but the fear and doubt were too overwhelming. She knew she was making a decision that would haunt her, but it was the only way she knew how to protect herself.
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Kaye felt her heart breaking as with each step so took. Each step felt heavy, as if she was leaving a part of herself behind with him. The warmth of the golden sun seemed to mock her, casting a serene light on the turmoil within her. She tried to keep her posture straight, but her shoulders slumped under the weight of her decision.
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Jae stood there, watching her retreat, his eyes filled with a mixture of sorrow and frustration. He ran a hand through his hair, feeling helpless. The garden, which had been a beautiful escape moments ago, now felt suffocating. His heart ached with the intensity of his feelings for Kaye, the words she had said replaying in his mind.
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From a distance, Wiley observed the exchange between his sister and his best friend. He couldn’t hear their conversation, but the body language and the raw emotions on their faces told him enough. A controlled sense of anger simmered within him, mixed with concern for both of them.
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Jae took a deep breath, trying to collect himself. But the pain was too much to bear. He glanced around, realizing that he needed to get away. His eyes met Wiley’s briefly before he turned and walked briskly through the crowd and towards the wine cellar of the country club.
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Wiley’s gaze followed Jae, and he hesitated for a moment before deciding to go after him. He needed to know what had caused such visible distress in his friend.
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The cool, dimly lit wine cellar provided a stark contrast to the warm, golden garden outside. Jae grabbed a bottle of whiskey, his hands trembling slightly as he uncorked it. He took a deep swig, the burn of the alcohol doing little to numb the pain in his chest.
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Wiley entered the cellar, closing the door behind him. He watched Jae for a moment, his concern growing. "Jae, what's going on? Why are you so upset?"
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Jae took another swig before turning to face Wiley, his eyes red with unshed tears. "Nothing in my life goes right, Wiley. It feels like everyone I love ends up leaving me in the end." His voice broke, the weight of his emotions overwhelming him.
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Wiley stepped closer, placing a hand on Jae’s shoulder. "You don’t have to go through this alone, man. Talk to me. What happened?"
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Jae shook his head, his emotions too raw to share the true reason for his distress. "It's just... everything. I can't explain it. I feel like I'm falling apart."
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Wiley squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. "Whatever it is, we’ll get through it together. You’ve got me, alright?"
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Jae nodded, but the pain in his heart remained. He appreciated Wiley’s support, but the real source of his anguish was something he couldn’t bring himself to reveal. Kaye’s decision had shattered him, and he felt lost in the aftermath.
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As Wiley stood by his friend, offering silent support, the underlying tensions and unresolved emotions continued to simmer. His sister must’ve called an end to their secret elicit affair, it was the only thing that made sense to him, yet it didn’t keep him from feeling a sense of guilt for being the reason behind her decision. For the first time her considered that perhaps whatever had transpired between Jae and his Kayetana, might have been real. To make himself feel better, he sat next to Jae, taking the bottle and taking a swig, trying to convince himself that whatever feelings Jae had, would blow over soon enough and he would be his old self again.
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Kaye went around looking for Stasi, all the emotions were getting to her. She couldn’t forget the plight in the eyes of the girl at the warehouse, the blood against the wall with dead bodies lying underneath them, the distant screams from the girls taken to the back of the warehouse and above all that, the hurt she had just put Jae through. She felt suffocated and like a truly horrible human being for doing nothing.
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She spotted Stasi in deep conversation with the Whitmore’s, an influential family in the alcohol trade, whose son were consorting Stasi to the upcoming High Society Gala. She made polite conversation, then asked to steal Stasi for a minute.
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As Kaye and Stasi walked away, the weight of their shared secrets hung between them. They found a quiet corner of the garden, away from the prying eyes of the guests. Stasi's gaze was intense once she saw the distress on Kaye’s face. “Hey, are you okay, you don’t seems too well?”
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“Of course I’m not,” Kaye trembled, “I keep seeing that fucking warehouse, I barely slept last night. Why aren’t you freaked out?”
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Stasi already knew the answer, but it didn’t mean she wasn’t struggling too. “My first time witnessing something like that was the same, only then, I had no one to talk to. I wish I could tell you it gets better but honestly; it never goes away but I choose to be strong. You need to be strong, Kayetana.”
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The anxiety heightened; Kaye’s posture more tense than ever. “We need to do something.”
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Stasi eyes filled with horror. "No! What we need to do, is be careful. The things we know... they could get us into serious trouble. And besides, what will we do now, Riverton is vast and very busy, where do we even start?"
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Kaye nodded, her mind flashing back to the crimes they had witnessed. "I know. But we can't just ignore it. People are suffering. We should go to the sheriff and tell him what we saw."
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Stasi sighed; her expression conflicted. "I get it, Kaye. But we need to be smart about this. We can't take on everyone and everything at once. How do we even know who the masked man was? He could be amongst us right here, right now, he could have the Riverton police in his back pocket or worse, even the sheriff here."
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Kaye nodded, knowing that Stasi was right. Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. They turned to see Clary standing a few feet away, her face a mask of composure despite the turmoil within.
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Clary spend the entire day with her mother, her consort, Nate Pembroke and his graceful family. Her face a mask of composure and happiness despite the turmoil within. Her mother’s presence was a constant reminder of the high expectations she had to meet and the punishment that awaited any misstep. As she faced Kaye and Stasi, her facade was starting to crack.
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She folded her arms across her chest, eyes narrowed. "What were you thinking, showing up at my house and making a scene?" she hissed, her eyes blazing with fury. "Do you have any idea what would have happened if my parents found out?"
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Kaye stepped forward; her voice filled with concern. "Clary, we're just worried about you. You've been absent from school the whole week. Did they do something to you?"
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Clary's was filled with surprise, not expecting Kaye to show such heavy emotions towards her and betrayed at once by Stasi. "So, Stasi told you about my family's toxicity? Great. Just great. I thought I could trust you, Stasi."
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Stasi looked stricken. "Clary, I didn't mean to—"
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"No. Enough," Clary cut her off, her voice trembling with anger. "You don't get to do that! We’ve been friends forever, I trusted you and you betray me for Kaye, whose new here. She’s still an outsider and ever since introducing you guys to each other, you’ve been best friends, completely ignoring me."
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“Clary that’s not true.” Kaye faltered, hurt laced in her voice, she felt awful.
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Clary was growing angrier. “Oh really? What were two talking about just now?”
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Silence lingered in the air between them. The weight of their secrets was heavy and brutal, knowing, they wouldn’t want to allow Clary to go through even more. Clary scoffed in disbelief, having proven her point then turned on her heel and walked away, her shoulders tense with the weight of her struggles. She felt alone and filled with envy of losing her only true friend.
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Kaye watched her go, feeling a mix of frustration and helplessness. She turned to Stasi, who looked equally distressed. "Should we tell her?" Kaye asked softly.
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Stasi nodded her head, her expression determined. "We can’t tell anyone, Kaye, we’ve been through this already, besides, she has enough on her plate for now."
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Returning to the gathering, Kaye found Wiley waiting for her, ready to leave the social meeting and show her around Lake View. He took her hand, his touch grounding her amidst the chaos of her thoughts. "Everything okay?" he asked softly, knowing the look she carried on her face all too well.
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Kaye managed a small smile. "As okay as it can be. I’m ready to go, now.”
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Before turning to leave, Kaye spotted Graeme across the garden. Then, Jae, his eyes piercing into her like daggers. She regretted ever single moment since moving here, wishing her parents will decide that it’s time to pack up and leave again. There was nothing she desired more in that moment, wishing she had never allowed herself to show an ounce of vulnerability at all.
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