Chapter 17: Up the Stairs

Alex stared at Mark, his mouth open in disbelief. He let out a short laugh, trying to play it cool. “You’re joking right?” he asked in that funny tone, like it was all some big prank between guys. His eyes darted around the room, hoping for a punchline.

Mark’s face stayed completely straight. No smile. No wink. Just cold, serious eyes locked on Alex. I sat there on the couch, wine glass still in my hand, watching the whole thing in silence. My heart beat fast but I kept my mouth shut. The tension felt like a wire pulled tight, ready to snap any second.

Mom jumped in quickly to break it. She waved her hand and chuckled softly. “Come on honey, you know it’s not possible, don’t be silly now. We’re all just having fun here.”

Mark finally chuckled, leaning back on the couch like nothing happened. “Yeah yeah, I was just kidding.” He waved it off with his hand. “Alright Alex, simple dare then. Stand up and do ten push-ups right here. No cheating.”

Alex grumbled but stood up. He dropped to the floor and knocked out the push-ups, breathing hard by the end. Mom clapped lightly. “Good one.” Alex sat back down, wiping his hands, trying to look unbothered.

I took my turn next, looking straight at Mark. “Truth or dare?”

“Dare,” he answered fast, no hesitation in his voice.

I didn’t hold back. “I dare you to lift up my mom and take her upstairs for ten minutes. Do whatever you want with her up there.”

Mark paused for a second. His eyes flicked to Mom, then back to me. A small hesitation crossed his face, but he stood up anyway. Mom let out a surprised giggle, covering her mouth. “Evie!” Mark bent down, slid one arm under her knees and the other behind her back, and lifted her smooth and easy like she was light as a feather. Mom laughed louder as he carried her toward the stairs. “Oh my, this is unexpected!”

“You guys should enjoy yourselves.” I said loudly, watching them disappear up the steps.Their footsteps faded. A door clicked shut somewhere above. The living room felt smaller now.

It was just me and Alex. I turned to him, keeping my voice low but sharp. “Why the hell did you keep showing up in our house? I told you to stop coming around. Don’t make me hate you for this, Alex.”

Alex’s face changed fast. He got upset, his shoulders tensing. His voice rose a little, not shouting but definitely louder than before. “Evie, won’t you get married someday? Why are you acting like you aren’t going to end up with a man later? Am I not a close friend of yours? Would you want to marry a stranger when you know how much I love you?”

He started drawing closer, step by step across the carpet. His words kept coming, putting fears in my head on purpose. “Think about it, Evie. Years go by quickly. One morning you wake up and realize you pushed away someone who truly knows you. I’m here, right here, ready to give you everything. Don’t throw that away.”

I shifted back on the couch, pressing into the cushions. My hands gripped the edge. “Stop, Alex. Stay back. I mean it.”

He kept moving closer, voice dropping but still intense. “I’m just being honest because I care. Life doesn’t wait. You deserve stability. Someone who fought for you.”

My back was getting close to a wall. I had nowhere else to go. “Alex, enough.”

Just then, footsteps sounded on the stairs. Mark and Mom came down together. Mom was fixing her hair, cheeks a little flushed, still smiling. “Is everything alright down here?” she asked, looking between me and Alex with curious eyes.

Alex quickly sat back in his spot, acting normal. He picked up his wine glass and took a sip like we had just been chatting about the weather. I calmed my face fast, forcing my shoulders to relax. “Yeah, everything’s fine. Just catching up.”

They reached the bottom of the stairs. Mark’s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at us. He noticed something. The way Alex sat too straight, the leftover tension in the air, my stiff posture. Mark didn’t say anything out loud, but I saw the question in his glance toward me.

Alex tried to keep the game going, he faced my mom. “Your turn. Truth or dare?”

Mom cut in smoothly, turning to face Mark instead. “Mark, truth or dare?”

Mark answered without missing a beat. “Dare.”

Mom’s smile grew. “Nice. I want you to bond well with my daughter. So I’m daring you to take Evie upstairs and discuss for twenty minutes. Really talk things through, just the two of you.”

I cut in immediately. “Mom, it isn’t really necessary. We can talk down here. No need to go upstairs for that. We’re all having a good time already—”

Mark cut me off, standing up. “Sure, we’ll do that.” Before I could get another word out, he stepped over, slid his arms under me, and lifted me up against his chest. I gasped, one hand grabbing his shoulder for balance. He carried me toward the stairs, strong and steady. Mom waved with a happy laugh. Alex stayed quiet on the couch.

We reached the upstairs hallway. Mark pushed open the guest room door and set me down inside. The door closed behind us with a soft click. Then his hand grabbed my ass, pulling me tight against him. He leaned in, breath warm against my ear. “Where were we?”

He kissed me hard, deep, the kind of kiss that pushed everything else away in a rush.