CHAPTER 14: CHAPTER 14: DINNER IS SERVED (AND SO IS EMOTIONAL DAMAGE)

There are few moments in life more cursed than:

A home-cooked dinner with both your dad and your stepmom.

After you’ve almost kissed your stepmom.

While knowing your dad is starting to suspect something.

Add wine, tension, and a lasagna nobody asked for, and you’ve got the hellscape I called Thursday night.

7:04 PM — The Setup

Mark came home with flowers.

The gesture would’ve been sweet if I wasn’t immediately flooded with secondhand guilt.

He kissed Elena’s cheek. She smiled. It looked... practiced. Polished. Like they were auditioning for a toothpaste commercial but forgot to read the fine print.

"Aaron," Dad called. "Dinner’s ready. Come on down and socialize for once."

I considered jumping out my window.

Instead, I walked down the stairs like I wasn’t internally combusting.

Elena didn’t look at me.

Not at first.

But when she finally did, her eyes lingered one second too long.

And I knew.

She was burning up too.

7:18 PM — The Conversation

We sat down at the table like we were normal people.

Mark poured wine.

Elena served the food.

And I stabbed my lasagna like it had personally wronged me.

"So," Dad said, swirling his glass. "How’s school? Still hating your psych class?"

I blinked. "Uh, no. I dropped it."

He frowned. "What? Why?"

"Because my professor thought Freud was a genius and I didn’t feel like fighting for the rest of the semester."

Elena snorted. A real, honest laugh.

Dad looked between us, confused.

"You two been bonding or something?"

Elena recovered first. "We’ve talked a bit. It’s nice. I think he’s brilliant."

Don’t. Say. Things. Like. That.

Dad smiled. "Told you. Kid’s got a sharp brain. Gets it from me."

I nearly choked.

7:42 PM — The Spark

Elena reached across the table to grab the salt.

Her fingers grazed mine.

It could’ve been innocent.

Wasn’t.

I felt it like an electrical surge through my arm and down my spine.

She flinched — barely — and retracted her hand like she touched a burner.

Mark didn’t notice.

I took a long drink of wine and stared at my plate like it held answers to questions I shouldn’t be asking.

8:10 PM — Milo Enters the Chat (and the House)

Just when I thought the night couldn’t get worse, the doorbell rang.

"Can you get that?" Dad asked.

I opened the door and wanted to die immediately.

Milo. Holding a six-pack. Grinning like the devil.

"Thought I’d drop by," he said innocently. "Game night?"

"No one told me about a game night."

"No one had to," he said, sliding past me like a gremlin. "I brought Codenames and shame."

He walked into the kitchen.

Saw Elena.

Raised a brow.

Saw the three wine glasses.

Raised both brows.

"Wow," he said. "You guys playing ’Let’s Suppress All Our Problems’ or the family-friendly edition?"

Dad clapped his back. "Good to see you, Milo. We could use a distraction."

You have no idea.

8:45 PM — Game Night from Hell

We sat around the coffee table.

Me, trying not to look at Elena.

Elena, trying not to look at me.

Milo, watching both of us like we were contestants on a reality show called Who’s Gonna Snap First?

Mark? Oblivious. Laughing. Drinking. Cracking jokes like nothing was about to explode.

"Elena and Aaron, you’re a team," Milo announced during Codenames.

I glared at him. "You’re evil."

He smiled. "I know."

We played.

We laughed — tightly, nervously, with teeth.

And somehow, in the middle of it, Elena’s hand found mine under the table.

No one saw.

But my whole body did.

And I didn’t pull away.

Not until my dad looked over and asked, "You good, son?"

I yanked my hand back like I’d touched a live wire.

"Yep," I croaked. "Just fine."

10:00 PM — The Aftermath

Dad went to bed first.

Milo stayed behind to "help clean up," which really meant hanging around to corner me once Elena went upstairs.

"So," he said casually, drying a plate. "What the hell was that?"

"What?"

He gave me a look.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"I swear to God, Aaron—"

"It’s nothing," I snapped. "Nothing happened."

Milo stared at me. "Not yet."

I didn’t answer.

He tossed the towel on the counter. "You’re playing with fire."

"Yeah," I said. "I know."

"Then stop pretending it won’t burn."

📘 End of Chapter 14

💬 YOUR TURN!

Is Milo a real one or getting too involved?

Was Elena’s hand under the table move brave... or reckless?

👇 Drop your takes, theories, and chaos energy below.

❤️ Tap that heart if you wanted to scream during dinner too.

🔔 Follow now — Chapter 15 is coming soon, and the next mistake won’t be so quiet.