Jake's voice sliced through the air. My eyes met Oliver's, both of us frozen, pupils blown wide with pure terror. I scrambled to slam the bathroom door shut, my mind a chaotic blur. Oliver was the first to snap out of it. He reached out with trembling but steady hands, smoothing my wild, tangled hair as if to ground me.
The heavy thud of Jake's sneakers on the stairs made my heart race—not with pleasure this time, but with sheer panic. As the footsteps drew closer to the bathroom, I clamped my hand over my mouth to stifle my ragged breathing.
"Clara?"
"Jake! I'm—I'm in the bathroom!" I managed to shout, forcing my voice to stay steady despite the tremble in my soul.
"Alright," he muttered. A second later, the sound of his bedroom door closing echoed down the hall. I turned to Oliver, throwing my hands up in a silent, desperate 'What do we do?' gesture.
He didn't waste a second. He turned on the faucet, quickly splashing water on my face and wrapping a fresh towel around me. After a quick peek out the door to make sure the coast was clear, he ushered me toward my room. I scrambled to pull on my oversized t shirt dress, grabbed Oliver's discarded clothes from the floor, and tossed them back into the bathroom.
"...You're home early," I called out toward the hallway, trying to sound casual.
"Yeah, my shoulder was acting up," Jake replied, poking his head out of his room. "Where's Oliver?"
I forced an awkward smile. "Oh, him? He... uh, he said he was exhausted and went home a while ago."
Jake gave a distracted shrug. "Figures," he said, leaving his door wide open.
A new mission: Get Oliver out of the house without Jake seeing a thing. The bathroom remained deathly silent.
"Jake, are you hungry?" I asked, racking my brain for a distraction.
"A little," he said, stepping out into the hall.
"I'll cook for you!" I blurted out.
Jake paused, looking skeptical. "You? Since when do you cook?"
"I saw the groceries you brought earlier," I said, leaning into the lie with newfound acting skills. "It actually made me want to try something. Can I use the ingredients?"
Jake scratched his stomach and nodded. "Sure, whatever."
"Let's go!" I nudged him toward the stairs, physically steering him away from the bathroom. I sat him at the dining table with his back to the hallway and started making as much noise as humanly possible.
I was clattering pans and chopping loudly when I saw a shadow move on the stairs. Oliver. He was moving like a silent ninja. When he reached the front door, he caught my eye and pressed a finger to his lips, 'Shhh.'
Just as he reached for the handle, I threw open the refrigerator door and slammed it shut with a massive BANG! to mask the click of the front door.
"Hey, take it easy on the appliances," Jake grunted, picking a grape from the bowl on the dining table and popping it into his mouth, completely oblivious.
After serving Jake a questionable stew of my own invention, I made the excuse that I'd already eaten and was wiped out. I bolted upstairs to my room and immediately grabbed my phone.
[Clara]: Did you get home okay?
[Clara]: God, I seriously thought I was going to have a heart attack... my hands are still shaking. 😭
[Oliver❤️]: Just walked through my front door. Thank God I left the car at home today. Jake didn't suspect a thing. 👍
[Clara]: You have no idea how terrifying it was when he asked where you were.
[Clara]: I think I used up all my acting skills for the rest of the year!
[Oliver❤️]: You were brilliant, baby.
[Oliver❤️]: Actually, seeing you so flustered while cooking was incredibly hot. I could barely keep myself from grabbing you right there in the kitchen.
[Clara]: Are you serious right now?! 🤦♀️ We almost got caught!
[Oliver❤️]: But we didn't! 😉
[Oliver❤️]: And you have to admit, the risk made it a hell of a lot hotter
[Clara]: You're crazy.
[Oliver❤️]: Crazy for you. And I know you love it 😝
[Clara]: 😑 Can't deny.
[Clara]: Wait! Dad's home!
[Clara]: He just got back from Korea earlier than expected.
[Clara]: I have to go. Good night, let's talk tomorrow!
[Oliver❤️]: Whoa, talk about timing.
[Oliver❤️]: Good night, my brave princess. Love you! 😘
[THE END]