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Chapter 2

I return to my parent's house with my heart almost pounding out of my chest. I'm so embarrassed that I can't think straight. I grab my phone to call Dylan; I need to know if his brother has spilled the beans. I start dialing his number; my hands are trembling with fear of what he might tell me. Suddenly, he answers with a "Good morning, my love." I breathe a sigh of relief and continue talking to him.

"Good morning, my baby," I replied.

"Why are you up so early? What happened?" He asks.

"Nothing, I just wanted to hear your voice, and did your brother have any news?" I ask curiously.

"Yes, love, he called me a little while ago," he says.

"He called... and what did you talk about?"

"He arrived in the early morning; can you believe they moved up his flight at the last minute? The doorman gave him the key, and he even ended up lying in my bed without sheets," he explains.

"Why didn't he sleep on the couch?" He grumbles softly.

"I didn't hear you, love," he says.

"Never mind, love, I left some things on the floor," I tried to distract him.

"Ah, I see. Are you getting ready for college?" he asks.

"Yes, I am. I think we should talk later. Love you, baby."

"Wait, love, since I came to work early today, I'll leave early. How about the three of us have lunch together? You can meet my brother. What do you think?"

"Trust me, I know him more than I'd like to," he whispered.

"Love, I think your signal isn't good; I didn't understand what you said."

"I said it would be a pleasure to have lunch with him. See you at lunchtime, love. Kisses."

"Kisses, love. See you later," he says, hanging up.

I rest my head on the computer desk and breathe a sigh of relief. I start thinking to myself; Jason must be a good person if he hasn't told Dylan anything, and he doesn't want any trouble. Thank you, God! I say aloud. I lie down on the bed to try to take a quick 10-minute nap before college, completely exhausted, and end up falling into a deep sleep that makes me dream about Jason.

In my dream, Jason walks into the room where I am sitting on the bed. He extends his hands towards me and says, "Come with me; I want to show you something." Without saying anything, I get up and follow him, leading me to the kitchen. He picks me up, facing me with his strong, muscular arms holding me gently. Jason puts me on the kitchen counter and takes off his shirt, and I can't stop staring at his defined abs. He pulls me closer, and one of his hands grabs a box of strawberries on the counter, takes one out, and puts it in my mouth, saying, "Open your mouth slowly, now feel the sweetness." His other hand starts caressing my leg, reaching my thigh. I begin to say, "No, Jason, we can't do this." Suddenly, I feel hands shaking my shoulders, and I jump from the bed; it's my mother waking me up.

"You scared me, Mom," I say, startled.

"Your alarm has been going off for a while," she says.

"Wow, did I sleep that long?" I ask, checking the time.

"Daughter, who is Jason?" she asks.

"You said his name in your dream," she says.

"What else did I say?" I ask, getting pale.

"'We can't do this.' What can't you do?" she asks, curious.

"What could we possibly do, Mom? I've never even met Dylan's brother, but I've heard Dylan talk about him so much in recent weeks; it must be why."

"It must be then. Well, I'm going downstairs to have breakfast with your father. Finish your things and come down," she says as she leaves the room.

"That's the last thing I needed, dreaming about him," I mutter to myself. I shake my head to clear these disturbing thoughts and focus on my routine. I need to get ready quickly for college and, later, face lunch with Dylan and his mysterious brother. During breakfast, my parents ask their usual questions about college and my daily routine, but I can't help but daydream about what awaits me when I finally meet Jason. We finish breakfast, and my mother collects the cups. I decided to help clear the table, using it as an excuse to delay the inevitable meeting. While arranging the dishes in the sink, my father approaches and whispers, "You seem nervous, dear. Is everything alright?" I'm relieved to have such an attentive father but don't want to worry him more than necessary. I respond with a forced smile, "Everything's fine, Dad. I'm just a bit anxious about meeting Jason. Dylan talks about him so much." "Just be yourself, dear. There's no reason for him not to like having such an amazing future sister-in-law," he says, kissing me on the forehead. "Thanks, Dad," I hugged him. "Now, go grab your things, or you'll be late for college, and have a great lunch," he says. "Thanks, Dad," I replied. As I step out the door, I notice my mother giving me a curious look. She didn't buy the dream story, but before I left, I gave her a customary kiss and acted oblivious to avoid raising more suspicions. She wished me a good day and then whispered, "I hope you don't get into trouble." I look into her eyes, speechless, until she says, "Hurry, you're already late."

I left home and headed to college, and thankfully, I managed to arrive on time despite the unexpected delay earlier. My best friend Megan saves my seat, but my thoughts wander throughout the entire class, and it's quite evident.

Megan gives me a little shake to snap me out of it. The class had already ended, and I hadn't even realized. She asks me what's going on.

"Friend, you didn't even notice the class ended. Are you okay?" She asks, concerned.

"Do you remember when I told you Dylan's brother was coming?"

"Yes, I remember. What about him?"

"He arrived earlier than expected, and I ended up... kissing and touching him, thinking he was Dylan."

"And how did you not realize it wasn't Dylan, you naughty girl?" She says, adding a touch of irony to the situation.

"Oh, don't make fun of me; it's a serious matter. It was dark, and I wanted to spend some alone time with Dylan before his brother took over the apartment. I felt so embarrassed when I saw it wasn't him."

"Sorry, I couldn't help but laugh. But, seriously, did he tell Dylan, or did you?"

"He hasn't told Dylan yet. I called Dylan this morning, and he didn't mention anything. But we're going to have lunch together soon, the three of us, so I'm anxious."

"If he was going to tell, he would have already. Stay calm, go to lunch, and see how it goes. And please, stay away from him, friend. You got close way too fast. Imagine if Dylan gets suspicious; he could misinterpret it."

"I know, that's what worries me."

I continue chatting with Megan during the break until the next class begins.

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