Parents

But for Tyler, he felt a deep need to protect Bre and destroy anyone who dared to hurt her. Glancing toward the bathroom, he thought, Why the hell would they agree for us to share a bathroom like this? Either they trust us, or they wanted something to happen. Shaking off his thoughts, he took off his clothes and jumped into the shower.

“Bre... honey, wake up. You need to eat.” Annabel’s voice was soft and sweet as she knelt beside the couch.

“Good morning, Mom. I love you,” Bre said in a sleepy tone, wrapping her arms around her mom for a hug.

“Now I see firsthand how close you two are,” Rick said with a warm smile.

Bre blinked as she started to fully wake up, realizing the situation. “Good morning. You must be Rick. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said, still groggy but polite.

“Thank you for your kind manners, but there’s no need to be so formal now that we’re living together,” Rick replied, his tone warm and mannerly. “Your mom has told me a lot about you and your achievements. I hope you and my son will get along well. He’s quite an exceptional person, just like you.”

Breanna studied Rick. He was so handsome—just like Tyler—but there was something slightly different about his features. “Son…” she whispered under her breath.

“Rick, I didn’t tell Bre about him for the same reason you didn’t tell Tyler about her,” Annabel said gently.

“Oh, this might make for an eventful morning,” Rick said with a chuckle.

Breanna sat in silence, the weight of her thoughts crashing down on her. Rick is Tyler’s dad. You’d think they’d say something sooner. She replayed everything she and Tyler had done since meeting each other, her heart pounding.

Breaking the tension, Annabel said, “Bre, honey, go upstairs and change so we can eat.”

Looking up at her mom, who was smiling warmly, Bre nodded. “Yes, Mom. Just give me ten minutes. Love you.”

Annabel’s smile grew even brighter at her daughter’s response. “I love you too, dear,” she replied.

As Bre walked upstairs, Rick turned to Annabel. “Wow, she’s so loving to you,” he said with admiration.

Bre reached her room and closed the door behind her. She couldn’t help but wonder where Tyler was. The last thing she remembered was him covering her with a blanket on the couch. As she began to undress, she muttered to herself, “Why should I care…”

She pulled her shirt over her head but froze when she felt a familiar hand touch her shoulder. Turning around, she saw Tyler standing there, his damp hair and exposed chest evidence of a recent shower.

Before she could react, he pulled her into an embrace, pressing his lips against hers.

“Tyler,” she said softly, pushing him away. “Our parents are here, and I need to be downstairs in a few minutes.” She hesitated, her voice trembling. “They can’t know what we did, so please don’t do anything risky like this again.”

Tyler’s face darkened slightly, but he understood the situation. Feeling like she was giving him the cold shoulder, he replied, “You’re right. They can’t know. So when we go downstairs, let’s act like we’ve never met.”

Without another word, he left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Breanna stood there, feeling a hollow ache in her chest. She quickly dressed and headed downstairs.

Meanwhile, Tyler remained in his room, sitting on his bed as he put on his shirt. His thoughts raced as he tried to calm himself down.

“Damn it,” he muttered under his breath. “How am I supposed to act like nothing happened between us? Like I don’t even know her?”

His phone buzzed, snapping him out of his thoughts.

“Yeah, Dad?” he answered.

Rick’s voice came through, calm and cheerful. “Come downstairs and meet Annabel and Sleeping Beauty.”

“Okay, Dad,” Tyler replied, hanging up.

Taking a deep breath, he stood up and made his way downstairs, bracing himself for whatever would come next.