Trish's POV
It was past midnight. The quiet night had settled around the house like a thick blanket, insulating us from the world. Yet, somehow, Joseph and I were still perched on the living room couch, watching some old rerun of Fantasy Island. Two hormonal teenagers left completely unsupervised. Miss Britney, despite her kindness, had been outrageously careless. I was immensely grateful for her generosity – taking me in, treating me like a daughter, covering Mom's funeral expenses… but her judgment in leaving me alone with her son was baffling.
The silence was charged, heavy with unspoken things. My eyes kept flicking to him, a curious, panicked urge overriding my hatred. The hormonal pull was a frantic, terrifying thing. What if, when Miss Britney comes back in the next two days… I’m
