All Chapters of Don’t Tell Our Parents : Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

I took three deep breaths to cool my burning face, smoothed down my top , and forced myself to walk back downstairs.Lael was still sitting at the dining table, his plate completely empty. He had his phone out, tapping on the screen, but he obviously wasn't making any move to leave.I grabbed my juice glass off the table and took a slow sip, refusing to look him directly in the eye. "What?" I muttered, glaring at him out of the corner of my eye."I'm waiting for you," Lael said naturally, locking his phone and sliding it into his pocket as he leaned back in his chair. "No need for that," I scoffed, setting my glass down. "I'll come myself."“Valerie, we're fake dating," he said, throwing his hands up like I was the insane one. "What will the campus think if we show up separately?”"You should have thought about that when you left me alone yesterday and Arlo had to drop me off," I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest. "The campus will be completely fine. You can leave, Lael. My cla

I pushed the heavy glass door open, and the bell above us let out a familiar, cheerful chime."Oh my God," I gasped, looking around in total shock. "Nothing has changed here!"The exact same faded red vinyl booths lined the walls, the neon milkshake sign in the back was still flickering slightly, and the sweet smell of fresh waffles and fried bacon filled the air. It felt like walking straight back into my childhood."Well, yeah," Arlo said smoothly, stepping in right behind me and holding the door. "They were waiting for my triumphant return.""In your dreams,” I snorted, rolling my eyes as we walked up to the counter.We looked at the big plastic menu board hanging above the cash register, though I already knew what I wanted. We placed our orders—pancakes and extra bacon for me, a double cheeseburger with fries for him—and before I could even reach into my bag for my wallet, Arlo tapped his card against the machine and paid for everything."Hey! I could've paid for my own food," I

We spent the rest of the afternoon just catching up, talking about everything and nothing until the sun started dipping behind the trees outside. Singing with him had completely broken the ice, and by the time Arlo finally drove me home, my face actually hurt from laughing so much.He pulled up outside the gates. “See you tomorrow, Ave,” he said softly."See you tomorrow," I smiled, stepping out of the car and heading inside.The second I unlocked the front door and stepped into the main house, the cozy, warm feeling from Arlo's house completely evaporated.Lael was sprawling across the massive couch in the living room, a controller clutched in his hands as he aggressively smashed buttons on some video game. The neon glow of the TV screen lit up his dark face in the dim room.He didn't even look up when the heavy door shut, but his jaw clenched tight."Didn't see you at school today," he muttered, his tone flat while his eyes stayed glued to the screen."I was with Arlo," I said sim

He just scoffed, his grip on my wrist tightening just enough to guide me out the heavy glass doors toward the athletic center. "Please. As if you'd risk your precious GPA just to spite me."I glared at him, but I kept my mouth shut as we crossed the courtyard. We rounded the side of the field house toward the main arena where the hockey team usually prepped. The parking lot was dead quiet, and the giant double doors were completely locked tight. No fans, no loud music, no team buses—literally nothing.I stopped dead in my tracks, pulling my wrist out of his grip and looking around the completely deserted concrete lot."Uh... Lael?" I said, turning to face him with my hands on my hips. "Where is everyone? Where's the game?"Lael casually shoved his hands into his sweater pockets, a lazy, unbothered smirk pulling at the corner of his lips as he leaned against the brick wall."There isn't a game," he said smoothly.My jaw literally dropped. I stared at him for three full seconds, comple

The echo of the basketball hit the gym floor over and over, heavy and methodical. Feran caught a rebound off the backboard, spun it on his index finger, and threw a quick glance between Lael and me before tossing the ball back."You guys need a room or something?" Feran called out, his voice bouncing loudly off the high rafters. "Because the tension in here is thick enough to choke on, and I came here to shoot hoops, not act as a buffer for step-sibling angst.""Shut up, Feran," Lael said, not even looking back at him. His eyes remained locked on the rim as he caught the pass and sank another effortless jump shot.I leaned back against the top metal bar of the bleachers, clutching my half-melted iced coffee like a shield. "I am not having step-sibling angst. I am having you're-an-insufferable-jerk angst.""Right. Keep telling yourself that," Lael muttered. He dribbled past Feran, drove the lane, and scored a fast layup before turning around to wipe his forehead with the hem of his dar