Page 41 of Dirty Little Mistake

My head pulled back, and my brows knitted together. "My fault?"

"Yep. Your fault. If you would just call Cam..."

"Kaia," I cut her off. "We agreed that it would be easier not to talk every day." That was a lie. We never agreed to that; I decided it was easier for me.

"Tryst, she's been sad." Kaia's eyes dropped. "Like really sad since you left, and I thought this would cheer her up."

My chest ached to hear that Cam was sad because of me. This was why I shouldn't have let anything happen between us.

I pressed my palm against the textured wallpaper, its ridged pattern grounding me like a lifeline. The wall's coolness seepedinto my skin, a stark contrast to the suffocating heat of anxiety that had been building since Jax's first text. The distant hum of the hotel's AC unit filled the silence between her words as I waited to see if she answered my unasked question.

"I know, and I promise I will never do it again, but please don't be mad at us." Kaia's lower lip trembled, her eyes wide and pleading like when we were kids.

I wasn't mad at Kaia, but I was angry with Cam. I was furious that she was willing to put her friend and herself in danger because she was upset with me.

"How pissed is Jax?" I rubbed the tension from my neck, already knowing the answer.

"He won't talk to me." Kaia's voice dropped to barely above a whisper.

"He'll never admit it, but he was scared." The rumors of what happened to other girls at the Cages rang loud making my stomach clench. "He knows what happens to girls at those kinds of events."

"How long before he forgives me?"

I shrugged. "A day or two, probably." The door to my hotel room opened, and Jazz walked in. "Hey, Kai, I have to go, but I'll call tomorrow and check on you."

"Call Cam," she ordered.

"I'll think about it." I flashed her a smile and ended the call. I wasn't going to call Cam, not yet, anyway. I needed to talk to Jax.

"What's up?" I sighed, sinking into the black leather couch.

"Just wanted to check on you," Jazz said. "You seemed like something was wrong earlier."

"Everything is good." I plastered on the fake smile I'd perfected for interviews and meet-and-greets.

"And..." Jazz rocked back on his heels, eyebrows raised expectantly.

"I'm going to bed." I pushed off the couch, shoulders hunched against his questions. "I'll talk to you in the morning."

"Okay. In the morning." He raised his brows, and his face tightened like he meant business. I rolled my eyes but nodded just to get him out of the room.

I slid open my phone and clicked on Jax's contact once Jazz was gone.

"Hey." Jax's voice came through like gravel against glass.

I leaned back against the headboard, lips quirking. "Well, that answers my first question."

"Did you talk to Kaia?" he grunted.

"Yes," I answered. "She seems to be okay."

"Yeah, other than she fucked up her ankle."

"Don't be too hard on her, Jax." I frowned. "It was stupid, but thankfully, she texted you, and she is okay."

"Yeah." I'd never seen or heard Jax so scared before. This was a new emotion for him to worry about a girl he liked, and it would take him a few days to process his feelings.

"What about Cam? Was she okay?"

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