CHAPTER 17: CHAPTER 17: DON’T TELL ME YOU DON’T FEEL IT TOO

12:10 PM — The Interrogation Begins

Milo showed up again. Of course he did. That man has a sixth sense for drama and emotional chaos.

He didn’t text first.

He didn’t knock.

He just walked in like we were roommates in a sitcom and not a tragic Greek play unfolding in slow motion.

"Hey," I said, way too calm for someone hiding a burning secret.

He raised an eyebrow. "You look like hell."

"I feel like it."

He tilted his head. "And yet... suspiciously quiet around here. Like the calm after a kiss no one should’ve shared."

I froze.

He grinned. "I knew it."

"Milo—"

"You kissed her, didn’t you?"

Silence.

More silence.

"God," he whispered, stunned. "You did."

12:13 PM — Not a Confession (But Not a Denial)

I didn’t confirm anything. I didn’t need to.

He saw it all over my face — the guilt, the panic, the exhaustion.

"You’re insane," Milo muttered, pacing now. "You kissed your stepmom. Dude."

"I know."

"No — do you? Like, really?"

"I know it was wrong."

"Then why’d you do it?"

"Because I couldn’t not."

That shut him up.

For a second.

Then he threw his hands up. "You’re gonna ruin your family over this."

"I didn’t plan it, Milo."

"No one plans a heart attack either, but it’ll still kill you."

12:24 PM — Questions With No Good Answers

He sat down on the couch, staring at me like I was a stranger.

"You in love with her?"

"I don’t know."

"You sleeping with her?"

"No."

"...Yet."

I flinched.

"Do you want to?"

I didn’t answer.

That was answer enough.

"Dude," he whispered. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I don’t know," I repeated. "But I can’t turn it off."

Milo leaned forward, serious now. "Then you better figure it out. Fast. Because the longer this goes, the harder it’ll be to get out without burning everything down."

1:00 PM — The Message

After Milo left — still shaking his head like I was contagious — I found a note in my room.

Just one line, scribbled on a yellow post-it stuck to my pillow.

We need to talk. My room. 1:15. — E

I stared at it like it might self-destruct.

Then checked the clock.

12:59 PM.

1:16 PM — The Talk

I knocked once.

The door creaked open.

She was sitting on her bed, legs crossed, phone face-down beside her.

"You came," she said, softly.

"Obviously."

She patted the spot next to her.

I sat.

We didn’t speak for a long moment.

Then she said, "We have to stop."

The words hit me like a punch to the chest.

"Elena—"

"This can’t keep happening," she said, eyes shining. "Last night was... it can’t be real. It shouldn’t be."

"But it was."

"Yes," she whispered. "And it scared the hell out of me."

I wanted to argue. I wanted to pull her in and kiss her until logic didn’t matter.

But she was right.

We’d opened a door we couldn’t close.

And the room behind it was on fire.

1:30 PM — Terms & Conditions

"We can’t undo what happened," she said. "But we can stop from making it worse."

I nodded. "What do you want?"

"No more late-night talks. No more touching. No more..."

"Kissing," I finished for her.

"Right."

"And we pretend nothing happened?"

She hesitated. "We don’t pretend. We just... bury it."

"Until when?"

Her answer was a whisper: "Forever."

1:48 PM — The Almost

I stood to leave.

She followed me to the door.

And for a second — just one — we lingered too long.

Her hand brushed mine.

We both inhaled sharply.

Eyes locked.

I took a step back.

And left.

2:10 PM — The Foreshadow

Downstairs, my dad was reading the newspaper.

He looked up as I passed.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah. Just tired."

He studied me for a second too long.

Then nodded.

"Alright. Don’t forget about dinner with your aunt this weekend."

"Right."

As I turned to go upstairs, I heard him mutter behind me:

"You’ve been acting weird lately..."

I didn’t respond.

Because he wasn’t wrong.

📘 End of Chapter 17

💬 YOUR TURN!

Is Milo being a true friend or just poking the fire?

Should Elena and Aaron try to "bury it"... or is that impossible now?

👇 Sound off in the comments with your predictions, warnings, or spicy theories.

❤️ Tap the heart if you’re deep in this emotional mess with us.

🔔 Follow now — Chapter 18 will pull a thread neither of them wants unraveled.