Chapter Fifteen — The Slip-Up
398 Words
(Harper’s POV)
I thought I was being careful.
I really did.
Jace and I are in the garage, pretending to check on some of Noah’s tools while really—well, it’s complicated. Every glance, every brush of hands, every accidental step closer sends my pulse skyrocketing.
We’re crouched side by side, passing wrenches back and forth, when I hear the unmistakable sound of the front door opening.
“Harper? Jace?”
My blood freezes.
“Noah!” I hiss. “Hide!”
Jace doesn’t even hesitate. He grabs a box from the shelf and crouches behind it, perfectly still. I duck behind the workbench, holding my breath, hoping my heart isn’t loud enough to betray me.
Noah’s footsteps echo across the garage. “I thought you two were doing homework? Why are you in here?”
I swallow hard. “We were… organizing stuff!”
He squints at the two of us, suspicious. Jace peeks out from behind the box, trying to look innocent, but I can see the tension in his shoulders.
“Organizing…” Noah repeats slowly, taking a step closer. “At this hour?”
I nod furiously. “Yes! Totally! There were… screws and… tools. Mess.”
Jace leans toward me just enough to whisper, “Keep talking.”
“I—I just wanted to, um, make sure nothing was missing,” I stammer, waving a wrench like a prop.
Noah squints again but finally shakes his head. “Okay… I guess. But if anyone gets hurt, I’m blaming both of you.”
We both exhale quietly, hearts still hammering.
Once he leaves, Jace lets the box fall with a soft thud, standing up slowly. “That was way too close.”
“I thought we were done almost getting caught!” I snap, half-laughing, half-panicking.
He runs a hand down his face. “Apparently not.”
We glance at each other, and for a moment, the absurdity hits — and so does the realization: hiding this, pretending it’s nothing, is getting impossible.
“I swear,” I mutter, “one of these days, Noah is going to see something he’s not supposed to.”
Jace smirks faintly. “Then maybe we’ll finally have to deal with it.”
I shiver, not sure if it’s fear, excitement, or both.
One thing is certain: the line between secret and truth is thinner than ever.
- Writer
