Almost Getting Caught

At first I thought it was a dream, the way Jason and I had gotten tangled up in each other’s arms the night before. But as my mom continued to knock on my bedroom door, I knew I was fully awake, and in a whole lot of trouble.

“Aria, since when do you lock your bedroom door, are you hiding a man in there?” my mom’s voice was laced with suspicion as she continued to knock, growing more insistent by the second.

I looked over at Jason, who was still fast asleep, oblivious to the chaos unfolding around him. I nudged him, trying to wake him up, but he just grumbled and pulled me closer, burying his face in my hair. “Jason, mom is at the door, wake up,” I whispered urgently.

He mumbled something unintelligible and tightened his grip on me, refusing to budge. Panic began to set in as my mom’s knocking grew louder and more persistent. “Jason, you have to get out of here. I don’t know how, but we can’t have mom find you in here,” I hissed, trying to shake him awake.

Jason finally opened his eyes and gave me a lazy smile. “Would it be so bad if she found us? Maybe we should just stop hiding. After all, you’re my step-sister, not my blood,” he said, his voice low and teasing.

I pushed him off the bed, and he landed on the floor with a thud. My mom’s knocks were becoming more urgent, and I could feel her impatience growing with each passing second. Jason scrambled to his feet and made a beeline for the balcony, disappearing before I could even protest.

I took a deep breath and unlocked the door, plastering a smile on my face as I greeted my mom. “Sorry, mom, I must have fallen asleep. I’ll be right out,” I said, trying to sound nonchalant.

After I opened my bedroom door for my mom, she came in and looked around, her face full of suspicion. She was even trying to sniff in the air, thinking she’ll catch a man’s perfume. “Are you with a man in here? Since when do you lock the door?” she asked, her eyes narrowing.

I chuckled nervously, trying to ease her suspicions. “Mom, there’s no one in here. I just like to have some privacy sometimes, that’s all.”

She continued to look around, her eyes scanning every corner of the room. “Hmm, well, it just seems strange to me. You’ve never locked your door before


She raised an eyebrow at me, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. “Are you sure there isn’t someone in there with you? I thought I heard voices,” she said, stepping further into the room and looking around.

I shook my head, my heart pounding in my chest. “No, mom, I was just talking to myself. You know how I am when I’m sleep-deprived,” I said, hoping she would buy my excuse.

She seemed satisfied for now and left the room, closing the door behind her. I let out a sigh of relief and flopped back onto the bed, replaying the events of the night before in my mind.




As I lay there, lost in my thoughts, I heard a soft tap on the balcony door. I sat up, my heart racing, and crept over to the door, opening it slowly.

Jason stood on the other side, a sheepish smile on his face. “I’m sorry, Aria. I shouldn’t have put you in that position. I’ll go now,” he said, his eyes filled with regret.

I couldn’t bear to see him like that, so defeated and sad, even though I knew he was faking it. I reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him into the room and closing the door behind him. “No, Jason. You don’t have to go. I want you to stay,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

He looked at me, surprise flickering in his eyes. “Are you sure, Aria?


Before I could say a word, Jason pulled me into a tight hug, his arms enveloping me in warmth and security. He whispered in my ear, “Let’s meet at the tattoo parlor at 12 noon, I haven’t forgotten.” I looked up at him with a smile, feeling a rush of excitement at the prospect of getting matching tattoos with him. “Okay,” I replied, “I’ll text you the address. Now go have breakfast, I’ll be right there.”


As I walked down the stairs, I could smell the delicious aroma of bacon and eggs wafting through the air. I could hear my parents chatting and laughing at the dining table, but there was no sign of Nathan and Sebastian. I frowned in confusion, wondering why my mom had woken me up so early just to have breakfast when I could have easily slept in on a lazy Saturday morning.

I entered the kitchen and saw my parents sitting across from each other, their eyes filled with love and affection. My mom looked radiant in her cozy pajamas, her hair tousled in a messy bun. My dad was already dressed in his usual button-down shirt and khakis, looking as handsome as ever. They both looked up and smiled as I entered the room, welcoming me with warm greetings.

“Good morning, sweetheart! We made your favorite breakfast,” my mom chirped happily, gesturing at the plate of crispy bacon and fluffy scrambled eggs in front of me.

I grinned gratefully, taking a seat at the table and grabbing a fork. However, as I started eating, I realized that my appetite was nowhere to be found. I pushed the food around on my plate, lost in thought. Why did mom wake me up early for this?


I glanced at my parents, who were engrossed in their conversation, oblivious to my inner turmoil. With a sigh, I excused myself, telling them that I was feeling a bit tired and needed to go back to bed. They exchanged concerned looks but nodded understandingly, allowing me to retreat to my room.

As I climbed back into bed, I couldn’t stop thinking about my plans with Jason. I couldn't even sleep a wink before I received a text from him with the address of the tattoo parlour.