Tara’s POVI look around at the workers who are finishing up their cleaning. They’re doing a really thorough job, mopping floors, wiping the floor, and even scrubbing what looks like stains out of the wall. The house is starting to look normal again, though it still smells like a mixture of cleaning products and leftover party odors.I’m actually delighted to hear that their parents are coming back today. It means things will go back to some kind of normal routine around here. I’ve gotten used to having the twins around, even with all their pranks and drama, but having their parents back will definitely change the energy in the house.What surprises me though is that Xavier isn’t around. The twins are practically joined at the hip most of the time, so it’s really unusual for one of them to just disappear without telling the other where he’s going.“Where did you think he went to?” I asked Jasper again, because his first answer was pretty vague.Jasper shrugs and runs his hands through
Jasper’s POVI rush to the door, my heart pounding because I think my parents decided to play a surprise move on us and show up earlier than they said they would. I’m already preparing explanations in my head about the cleaning crew and why the house might still smell a little like alcohol and cigarettes.I open the door quickly, ready to put on my best innocent face and explain everything, but instead, I see Tara standing there. She’s all dolled up like she’s returning from somewhere special, her hair is perfectly styled, her makeup is done beautifully, and she’s wearing this dress that makes her look incredible.For a moment, I just stare at her, completely caught off guard. She looks amazing, but there’s also something different about her expression. She seems happy and relaxed in a way that I haven’t seen in a long time.“Hey,” she says, giving me a small smile. “I just wanted to let you know that I’m back. I didn’t mean to just disappear without saying anything.”I’m still proces
Jasper’s POVDespite my self-disappointment and the guilt eating away at me, I forced myself outside and looked around the house, and assessed the damage from last night’s party. The place is a complete mess. There are empty bottles and cans everywhere, food spilled on the carpet, and what looks like someone threw up in the corner of the living room.Normally, Xavier would be here to help me clean up after something like this. We always work together to get the house back to normal before our parents come home. But he’s nowhere to be found, and I have no idea where he went or when he’ll be back.I pull out my phone and call for cleaning services. I can’t deal with this mess on my own, especially not with the way my head is pounding and my stomach is churning. When I explain the situation to them, they agree to come over right away, but they warn me it’s going to be expensive for such short notice.I don’t care about the money. I just need this place to look normal again before my pare
Jasper’s POVI feel warm in my bed from both sides, which is strange because I don’t remember going to sleep with anyone. My head is pounding hard, and I can taste the bitter remnants of alcohol in my mouth. Everything feels fuzzy and confusing, like I’m trying to remember a dream that keeps slipping away from me.I suddenly hear my door creak open, which makes me jolt my eyes open immediately. The sound cuts through the fog in my brain like a knife. I blink several times, trying to focus my vision and figure out what time it is. The light streaming through my window tells me it’s early in the morning, but I have no idea exactly how early.I try to move and immediately realize I’m naked under the sheets. Panic starts to set in as I drag the sheets up to cover myself, my heart racing as I try to piece together what happened last night. That’s when I see Sarah standing in my doorway, staring at me with wide eyes.We gape at each other for what feels like forever. Her face is pale and sh
Tara’s POV“Jake,” I say, looking at him seriously. “Can I ask you something honestly?”“Of course,” he replies, sitting down on the edge of the bed near me.“Are you comfortable with me?” I ask directly. “I mean, really comfortable? Because sometimes it feels like you’re holding back so much that I wonder if you even want to be in this relationship.”Jake seems taken aback by my question. “Of course I’m comfortable with you,” he says quickly. “Why would you ask that?”But instead of making me feel better, his quick response just makes me more frustrated. I turn away from him and refuse to look in his direction, feeling like he’s just giving me the answer he thinks I want to hear rather than being honest about how he really feels.I start thinking back to all the conversations we’ve had, all the promises he’s made about revealing his face when he’s “comfortable.” The more I think about it, the more I realize that maybe he’s never going to be comfortable with me. Maybe he’s been lying
Tara’s POVJake rushes to the bathroom after trying to fit his mask properly, and that makes me feel ten times worse than I already did. I sit on the edge of the bed with my hands covering my face, wishing that I had never given in to my curiosity about what he looks like under that mask.I can hear the sound of running water from the bathroom, and I imagine he’s probably splashing cold water on his face or trying to calm himself down. The silence in the room feels heavy and uncomfortable, and I keep replaying what just happened over and over in my mind.Why did I do that? Why couldn’t I just respect his boundaries and wait for him to reveal his face when he was ready? I feel like such a terrible person right now. Jake has been nothing but sweet and caring to m