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Victoria’s heart was a mess of colliding emotions. A sharp wave of self-directed frustration rolled through her, tight and hot in her chest. Her fingers had twisted themselves into the edge of the quilt without her noticing; the knuckles had gone white from the pressure.

What’s wrong with me today?

Why am I so impulsive?

I completely lost the composure I usually have.

Her face felt warm. The earlier moments~the closeness, the way her body had reacted, the things she had almost said~kept replaying behind her eyes no matter how hard she tried to push them away. The more she remembered, the hotter her cheeks became.

Is it because it’s Jason?

Is that why I can’t keep control of myself?

She bit down on her lower lip, brows drawn together. The original plan had been simple: teach him a few practical things, keep a clear boundary, and that would be the end of it. Instead she had let the atmosphere get away from her. She had gotten carried away. The shame of that realization made her want to disappear into the mattress.

She lifted one hand and pressed her cool palm against her burning cheek, as if the touch could somehow hide the evidence.

Emma, sitting only a foot away, had no idea that the woman in front of her was spiraling through an entirely different set of memories and emotions. She only saw the flushed face and the strange, distracted expression.

"I know," Emma said softly. "I’ll think about everything carefully... So you do support me, right?"

Her eyes were bright with hope, shining the way they used to when she was little and asking for permission she already half-expected to receive. She tilted her head, a small smile pulling at her mouth and revealing the faint dimples that only appeared when she was genuinely happy.

The question yanked Victoria out of her thoughts so abruptly that her heart lurched. For a second it felt like an invisible hand had reached into her chest and squeezed.

She looked up, met Emma’s expectant gaze, and immediately dropped her eyes again. Her voice came out thin and almost inaudible.

"...Of course. I support you."

She kept her head bowed so low her chin nearly touched her chest. She couldn’t look Emma in the eye. Her gaze stayed fixed on the quilt~on the exact place where Jason was still hidden underneath it. Panic and residual heat tangled together in her stomach until she felt slightly sick.

That idiot.

This is all his fault.

The more she thought about the situation, the hotter her face became. She was certain she must be bright red. She bit her lip harder and clenched the quilt until the fabric protested.

Please don’t notice.

Please just accept the answer and go back to bed.

Emma, however, was still watching her closely. The unnatural flush on Victoria’s face and the way she refused to meet her eyes only deepened the younger woman’s confusion. She blinked, then scooted closer on the mattress and took Victoria’s arm in both hands, voice turning soft and coaxing.

"Mom, what’s wrong? Are you feeling sick?"

The gentle pull and the sweet, slightly childish tone made Victoria freeze solid.

"N-no. I’m fine. Really. I’m completely fine."

The words tumbled out too fast. A fine sheen of sweat had appeared at her hairline; one drop slid down her temple. Her mind was racing in useless circles.

She knows something’s wrong.

She’s going to keep asking.

I don’t have another excuse ready.

Emma’s worry only increased. She shifted as if she meant to help Victoria sit up straighter.

"You don’t look fine. Do you want me to take you to the hospital? You’re all red and you’re sweating."

Victoria quickly raised both hands, waving them in frantic denial.

"I’m okay, I’m okay. I just... I got a cramp in my leg. That’s all. Really."

Her eyes darted around the room, landing anywhere except Emma’s face. She felt exactly like a child who had been caught doing something forbidden and was now praying the adult would accept the weakest possible explanation.

Emma still looked unconvinced. She tilted her head, studying her mother with quiet suspicion.

"Are you sure? You’re not lying to me?"

Victoria forced the corners of her mouth upward. The resulting smile felt stiff and wrong.

"I’m sure. Don’t worry. See? Perfectly fine."

Emma examined that smile for another long second. Doubt still lingered in her expression, but she finally decided not to push any further. Instead she took Victoria’s hand and gave it a small, playful shake, voice turning coaxing again.

"Alright then... I want to sleep with you tonight. Ever since the semester started you’ve been completely focused on Jason~checking on him, talking to him, basically spoiling him. The two of us have been neglected."

Victoria’s heart stopped for a full beat.

No.

Not tonight.

He is still under this quilt.

She heard herself answer in a strained voice.

"Emma... not tonight, okay? Next time. I promise. Next time for sure."

She was still hyper-aware of the solid warmth of Jason’s body only inches away under the covers. The idea of Emma climbing into the same bed was unthinkable.

Emma’s face fell a little. She pouted, clearly disappointed, but she didn’t argue.

"...Okay. I’ll go back to my room then. You should sleep too."

"Mm. Goodnight, Emma."

Victoria watched every step as her daughter crossed the room, opened the door, and finally closed it behind her with a soft click.

Only then did the air leave Victoria’s lungs in a long, shaky rush. Her entire back was damp with cold sweat; the nightgown clung uncomfortably to her skin. She felt as if she had just been pulled out of deep water after holding her breath too long.

She collapsed backward against the headboard, arms falling limp at her sides. For several seconds she simply stared at the ceiling, letting the adrenaline drain away.

She almost caught us.

One more minute and it would have been over.

When her hands finally stopped trembling, she reached down, grabbed the edge of the quilt, and yanked it back.

Jason’s head appeared, hair damp with sweat and sticking to his forehead. He drew in a deep, careful breath of cooler air, chest rising and falling hard.

Victoria leaned over him at once, voice low and still shaky with leftover panic.

"Jason~are you okay?"

Her face was still flushed. Concern and residual embarrassment warred in her eyes.

Jason patted his own chest once, the gesture half-theatrical, half-genuine.

"I’m fine. That was... close. Really close."

Sweat had gathered at his temples. A few strands of hair clung to his skin. Internally he was already sorting through the entire conversation he had just overheard~Emma’s confession, Victoria’s conflicted answers, the dangerous near-miss. Externally he kept the slightly rattled expression of someone who had simply been afraid of being discovered.

Victoria stared down at him, the worry in her face slowly shifting into something closer to flustered accusation. Color rose in her cheeks again.

"You~this is all your fault. We almost got caught because of you."

The words were meant to sound stern, but the shy heat still coloring her skin undercut the scolding.

Jason gave an awkward little rub to the back of his neck and let a sheepish smile appear.

"I didn’t plan for her to walk in, Aunt Victoria. I swear. She just... showed up."

He kept his eyes wide and open, the picture of slightly guilty innocence.

Victoria’s face went a deeper red. She pointed a finger at him, voice rising in soft, embarrassed protest.

"Don’t say things like that! Don’t you dare start getting strange ideas, Jason Carter!"

Jason scratched his head, maintaining the same naïve expression.

"So... what do we do now?"

Victoria opened her mouth, closed it again, then looked away. Every logical part of her wanted to shut the entire night down and pretend none of it had happened. But when she glanced back and met that open, waiting gaze, her resolve wavered.

He still doesn’t really understand.

This is my responsibility.

I started this.

A long, quiet sigh left her.

"...This is the last time," she said finally, voice low but firm. "Do you understand me? What happened tonight stays between us. You don’t tell anyone. Not Emma, not anyone. Ever."

Her eyes locked on his, serious despite the lingering flush on her cheeks.

"Promise me."

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