There are a lot of ways to ruin a quiet Saturday.
My favorite until now was stubbing my toe on the coffee table and swearing loud enough to wake the cat.
But this morning?
Elena knocked that record out of the water.
10:04 AM — In the Kitchen
I was halfway through a bowl of cereal when she walked in wearing one of Dad’s old T-shirts. The kind he used to wear when fixing things that didn’t need fixing — because God forbid he sits still for longer than ten minutes.
She caught my eye, saw the look I gave the shirt, and rolled hers.
"He’s at the gym," she said, like that made it better.
"It’s still his."
She shrugged. "It’s oversized and comfortable. I was cold."
"That’s not helping."
She smirked and reached for the coffee. "Then stop looking."
"I wasn’t—"
I paused. "Okay, I was."
10:06 AM — The Mont
We were standing there, shoulder to shoulder. Cereal forgotten. Coffee half poured. Sothing unsaid rising between us like heat.
Her hand brushed mine.
She didn’t move away.
Neither did I.
"You dream about again?" she asked, voice barely above a whisper.
I froze. "What?"
She smiled into her mug. "You talk in your sleep, Aaron."
I felt my soul leave my body.
"You’re lying."
"Am I?"
I stared at her. "What did I say?"
Her smile deepened. "Wouldn’t you like to know?"
And that’s when we heard it:
Keys in the door.
10:07 AM — Dad’s Early Return
"Elena?" Dad’s voice echoed from the hallway. "Can you help with the bags?"
She practically leapt two feet backward.
I dropped my spoon into the sink like it burned .
She grabbed her coffee, gave a don’t-even-think-about-being-weird look, and walked out like nothing had happened.
10:30 AM — The Actual Problem
I was upstairs trying to distract myself by reorganizing my books (aka procrastinating emotional collapse) when I heard it.
A door creak.
A pause.
Then Dad’s voice, confused and slightly amused:
"Huh. That’s not mine."
I knew that tone.
It was the sothing-is-off-but-I’m-not-panicking-yet tone.
I opened my door and peeked down the hallway.
Dad was standing in front of the laundry room with sothing in his hand.
It took a second to realize what it was.
My hoodie.
The one Elena borrowed and never gave back.
The one she claid "slled like safety" and "fit better than hers."
And there it was.
In plain sight.
In his hands.
10:32 AM — The Interrogation Begins
He knocked on my door. No warning.
I opened it.
He held up the hoodie. "This yours?"
I nodded slowly.
"Why was it in the laundry with Elena’s stuff?"
Shrug. "Maybe she wore it by accident?"
He raised a brow. "She said she found it in her room."
I swallowed. "She must’ve grabbed it by mistake?"
He didn’t look convinced.
"You two spending a lot of ti together lately?"
My heart was thundering.
"Yeah, I guess. She’s... nice. Chill. Easy to talk to."
He studied for a second.
"Don’t get too comfortable, Aaron."
I blinked. "What does that an?"
He sighed and rubbed his face. "She’s still figuring things out. I know she’s trying, but... marriage is weird. And fast. And maybe a little ssy."
I waited.
He looked tired.
"Just... don’t complicate things more than they already are."
I nodded.
He walked away.
And I sank to the floor like my legs gave out.
12:00 PM — Milo Saves the Day (Sort Of)
I called him the second Dad left for "a long drive to clear his head."
"Hey," I said when he picked up. "I think my dad suspects sothing."
There was silence.
Then: "Define ’sothing.’ Like he thinks she borrowed your hoodie, or he thinks you’re playing house with his wife?"
"Sowhere in the middle."
"Oof."
"What do I do?"
"You have three options," Milo said, suddenly in strategic mode. "Lie better, confess everything, or move to a remote village and beco a goat herder."
"I’m allergic to goats."
"Then we’re down to two."
3:00 PM — The Confrontation That Wasn’t
Elena knocked on my door.
"Can we talk?"
I let her in.
She closed the door behind her and didn’t say anything for a minute.
Then:
"He asked about the hoodie."
I nodded. " too."
"What did you say?"
"That maybe you borrowed it by accident."
She exhaled. "Smart."
"Are we smart?"
"No," she whispered. "Not even a little."
We stared at each other.
Not touching.
Not even close.
But the room felt full. Charged. Dangerous.
"I’m going to ss this up," she said softly. "I’m going to hurt soone."
"You already are."
"Yeah," she said, voice breaking. " too."
📘 End of Chapter 12
💬 YOUR TURN!
Is Dad starting to connect the dots?
Do you think Elena will confess sothing next... or will Aaron finally push for the truth?
👇 Drop your wildest theories, favorite quotes, or who you think is going to snap first.
❤️ Tap that heart if your chest feels tight and you kinda like it.
🔔 Follow for Chapter 13 — because soone’s about to say exactly what they shouldn’t.
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