We stepped out of the car still giggling, the kind of breathless laughter that bubbles up when you know you're walking straight into trouble but didn't quite care. The night air was cool against my flushed skin, carrying the faint scent of salt. Jeremy's hand brushed mine as we headed up the driveway, both of us pretending we weren't about to face the firing squad inside. Maybe they wouldn't come down on me too hard, but Jeremy? He was definitely getting the lecture for keeping his stepsister out this late.
The moment we walked through the front door, my mom’s eyes locked onto me like a radar, as she flew across the living room in seconds, her arms wide open, crushing me in a tight hug. "Good evening, Mom," I managed to say, my voice muffled against her shoulder, barely able to breathe pr
