Alex blinked, his heart still racing from the almost-moment they'd been sharing. "Wait, what? Who is it?" he asked, sitting up, his hands hovering awkwardly as the mood fizzled out.
Velenda was already halfway to her wardrobe, yanking a woven tunic over her head. "It's probably my mom," she said, her words tumbling out in a rush. "Dad's super chill, lets me do whatever, but Mom? She's strict, like, zero-tolerance strict. If she catches you here, we're toast." Her gaze flicked to the window, then back to him, her expression a mix of apology and urgency. "You need to go, like, right now."
Alex's stomach twisted, a mix of disappointment and nerves kicking in. "Seriously? I just got here," he said, trying to keep things light, but Velenda's frantic look told him this wasn't the time for jokes. He grabbed his soft leather boots, fumbling to pull them on as she practically pushed him toward the window.
