Bets, Beds and Treads || 18+

𝒙𝒊𝒊𝒊.

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ xɪɪɪ
| ғ ᴀ ɴ ᴛ ᴀ s ɪ ᴇ s |
𝐑 𝐄 𝐈 𝐍 𝐀

𝗜 𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗣 𝗜𝗡.

My brows knit together when I noticed the place lit up like a spotlight, with every light blazing in every corner.

"Mary?" My voice slices through the silence.

Nothing.

"Mary?" I try again, a little sharper. Silence. Not even an echo.

She said she'd be home by now, didn't she? I toe off my shoes, moving in slow, careful steps. Maybe I need to get a cat or a dog-something to keep me company in this empty space. It's starting to feel like I'm walking through someone else's house.

"Mary?" I murmur once more, softer now.

Great. Should've just stuck with Reign.

After our walk, we parted our ways. He'd asked if Mary was home, and I'd mentioned her text. He insisted I head straight back, though I'd offered to walk him home instead. But, in true Reign fashion, he turned me down, claiming Mary might worry. Though, I'd rather think he's just struggling to keep his cool around me. Can't blame him, really. (A/N: why this shit sound like rap or a poem.)

But why the hell are all the lights on?

Just then, I hear it. The sound grazes my nerves, a faint rustling just beyond the hallway. My heart kicks up, and I freeze, every instinct on alert. Are my parents here? Or worse... am I about to deal with an uninvited guest?

My feet starts moving on their own, barely a whisper against the floor as I tiptoe forward.

The hall feels endless, each step louder in my head than the last. Every creak, every shadow seems to cling to me, tightening around my chest. I press my back against the wall, inching forward, my fingers grazing the wallpaper for balance. The rustling grows clearer, closer-coming from my dad's office, a place that's always locked, always quiet. Except for now.

My hand hovers above the knob as I brace myself, heart pounding against my ribs, filling the silence.

I twist the handle, slowly, and push the door open just a sliver, peeking inside.

The room is dim, a single lamp casting an eerie glow over the desk, papers scattered everywhere like they'd been sifted through. The rustling stops, and for a breathless moment, there's nothing but the hum of the overhead light. My gaze follows the mess on the desk, tracking each scattered paper, until-

I see her.

Standing by the desk, shuffling through a stack of papers, her back to me, is none other than my mom. Her dark hair falls around her shoulders, and she's focused, her hand hovering over the mess of documents like she's looking for something.

Relief floods through me, and I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. My heart, still pounding, begins to settle.

"Mom?" I say, my voice high but steady, the fear ebbing away and confusion taking over.

She turns, clearly startled, and then her face softens, a tired but gentle smile appearing on her lips. "Oh, sweetheart," she says, her voice barely more than a whisper, warm and comforting.

"What...what are you doing here?" The question slips out before I can catch it.

I'm at that point of life now-where my parents dropping by feels like a rare event, almost as surprising as an unexpected holiday. I gave up long ago on asking if they'd ever stay home for good.

Younger me was furious about it, but as I got older, I started to understand and just totally gave up.

She sighs, glancing at the papers scattered across the desk. "Just needed to grab a few important documents your dad misplaced." She waves a hand over the piles of files. "Thought I'd get it done while he's too busy to notice things aren't where he left them."