the day everything starts to unravel
The elevator doors slid shut behind Kate with a soft metallic thud, but the silence in the apartment was so loud it felt like the whole world was holding its breath.
Kate Marie just stood there. Messy bun. Hoodie that wasn't hers. Phone dead and dangling from her hand.
Her eyes locked on mine like lasers.
Then she repeated, quieter this time—
"Cypriana. We need to talk."
And the entire room went:
"OH MY GOD WHAT HAPPENED—" "NOT LIVE?? ARE WE STILL LIVE???" "PAIGE TURN IT OFF TURN IT OFF—" "HARP GET A SNACK I CAN'T HANDLE THIS—"
Chaos exploded instantly.
Maverick moved first.
Chest out. Shoulder squared.He stepped right in front of me like a literal wall.
"Talk about WHAT?" Maverick demanded.
His voice was low, protective, older-brother energy but also… something else.
Kate raised an eyebrow. "Maverick, move. I'm not here for you."
Maverick didn't move an inch.
Cash jumped in next.
He ran across the room dramatically.
"NOPE. NO ONE TALKS TO ANYONE UNTIL YOU EXPLAIN WHY YOU WENT MISSING FOR THREE DAYS."
Cash was talking with his hands like he was Italian. He even accidentally slapped Mychael.
Mychael: "BRO—WATCH IT—"
Cash: "SORRY BUT SHE DISAPPEARED LIKE A SIDE CHARACTER IN A NETFLIX SHOW."
Kate blinked at him like are you serious right now.
Paige Mackenzie stood up, clutching a half-eaten pretzel.
"Kate. What the ACTUAL California earthquake is going on?"
Harper: "Did you get kidnapped?"
Cailee: "Did you join a cult?"
Paige: "DO WE HAVE TO CALL 911?"
Mychael: "Hold on, let me record just in case this turns into a documentary."
Cash: "NOT EVERYTHING IS CONTENT, MYCHAEL."
Mychael: "It literally is."
Kate sighed.
A long, tired sigh.
Then she slowly stepped past everyone…walked straight to me…
…and stopped.
The look she gave me wasn't scary.
It wasn't angry.
It was like she knew something I didn't.
Something big.
"Cypriana," she said carefully.
"We need to talk. Now. Privately."
The girls gasped in harmony, like a synchronized swim team of gossip.
Harper: "PRIVATE??? Why private???"
Paige: "What do you know??"
Cailee: "Is this about the guy??"
Cash: "WHAT GUY—"
Maverick: "WHAT GUY—"
Cypriana: "WHAT GUY???"
Kate blinked again. "Oh my god, not— Okay, not a guy. Relax."
Both Baker brothers visibly relaxed way too fast.
Like immediately.
Then something strange happened.
Kate looked around the room like she was making sure no one was listening.
Her voice dropped.
"Cypriana… something happened. And I think you're involved."
My heart dropped into my stomach.
Cash: "WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE'S INVOLVED— SHE JUST MOVED HERE—"
Maverick: "Explain. Now."
Kate shook her head.
"Not here. Not on camera. Not with everyone watching."
Mychael zoomed in with the camera.
Kate: "TURN IT OFF, MYCHAEL."
Mychael: "yes ma'am"
Then Kate grabbed my wrist.
Not hard — just enough to pull me gently toward the hallway.
"You need to hear this," she whispered. "It's about why I disappeared."
A goosebump wave crawled across my whole body.
The room was dead silent.
Everyone watched.
Cash looked ready to sprint after me. Maverick looked ready to fight whoever tried to stop me. The girls looked like they were about to explode from curiosity.
Kate tugged me again.
"Come on. We have to talk."
And then, right as she pulled me into the hallway—
MAVERICK GRABBED THE DOORFRAME.
"Actually," he said, voice low, "She's not going anywhere without one of us."
My heart jumped. Cash mirrored him on the other side.
"Yeah," Cash added. "We're coming."
Kate glared. "No, you're not. This is between me and Cypriana."
Cash: "Nope."
Maverick: "Nope.
"Kate: "Oh my god."
Then she looked straight at me.
"Cypriana… it's your call."
The hallway light flickered above us. The elevator hummed in the distance. Someone's phone buzzed with new comments from the livestream that was DEFINITELY still running.
Every pair of eyes waited for my answer.