#16. There

My heart pounds in my chest as the weight of my father's gaze bore down on me. Justin takes a step back, his expression a mix of surprise and uncertainty. The once serene atmosphere between us was shattered, replaced by an awkward tension.

"Dad, I... It's not what it looks like," I stammered, attempting to find the right words to explain the situation.

There's no way I expected my Dad to believe that even I couldn't believe myself. I mean it was exactly what it looked like.

Dad's stern expression didn't waver. "Well, I didn't think I'd ever walk in on my daughter making out with her little boyfriend." He gestures towards the house in a sarcastic and dramatic manner

Justin, realizing the gravity of the situation, speaks up, "Sir, I apologize. It wasn't Reina's fault. I initiated the kiss."

Oh. Yes. Great. This would only make things worse because he didn't know how dramatic my parents were.

I send him a grateful look for taking the blame, but my dad's eyes narrow towards him. "Is that so?" he says, his tone icy.

Before anyone can say anything else, the front door swings open, and my mum appears, a curious expression on her face. "What's going on out here?"

Dad gestures between Justin and me. "I think your lovely daughter and her little boyfriend have the answer to that question."

Mum turns her attention towards us, waiting for an explanation and then she seems to realize something.

"Dad, Mom, it's not what you think," Reina rushed to clarify. "We were just... Justin and I... It's complicated."

Mum sighs, breaking the tension. "Oh my God Steve." She glares at my Dad "Don't scare the poor kids, what are we? In the 18th century?"

She opens the front door and asks us to come in, welcoming us rather enthusiastically. And for the first time, in a while, I felt genuinely happy, that my mom was okay with what was happening.

As we enter the house, I cast a glance at Justin, who is standing beside me holding my hands, looking apologetic. I mouth a silent "sorry" to him and he sends me a smile assuring me that it's fine.

I glance back at my Dad and find him glaring at us like someone had taken his favourite toy car away.

****

Inside the house, my mom directs us to the living room, where she insists we sit and talk about what happened. My dad stands there, still wearing an expression of disapproval, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Alright, let's hear it. What exactly is going on between you two?" my mom asks her tone a mix of curiosity and concern, with an edge of excitement in her voice.

Justin and I exchange a glance, silently deciding that honesty might be the best approach.

"We... We like each other," Justin admits, a hint of nervousness in his voice. "But what happened outside, the kiss, it was a spur-of-the-moment thing. I take full responsibility for it."

I nod in agreement, "Yeah, we didn't mean for it to happen like that. It was impulsive, and we're sorry if it upset you."

My mom sighs and looks at my dad. "Steve, they're just teenagers, with hormones and excuse me if those hormones are more active when we're around people we like. They're going to have crushes and make mistakes. It's a part of growing up."

My dad doesn't seem convinced. "But making out on our doorstep? That's a bit much."

"We didn't plan for that, Dad. It just... happened," I try to explain.

My mom, always the more understanding of the two, tries to defuse the tension. "Come on, Steve, remember our teenage years? We weren't exactly saints either."

My dad grumbles but seems to soften a bit. "Fine, fine. But keep it in check. No more doorstep dramas, alright?"

We both nod vigorously, relieved that the storm seems to be passing. The conversation shifts to lighter topics, and my parents share amusing stories from their youth. It's a strange but somewhat comforting bonding moment, realizing that even our parents were once teenagers with their share of adventures and misadventures.

As the evening progressed, my parents gradually accepted the situation, understanding that Justin and I were navigating the complexities of adolescence. They offer advice, sometimes with a touch of humour, and share stories that, surprisingly, make the atmosphere more relaxed.

Justin and I steal glances at each other, exchanging silent communication. Despite the rocky start, the evening has an underlying warmth, a newfound understanding between generations.

As the night unfolds, my parents eventually excuse themselves, leaving Justin and me alone in the living room. The awkwardness returns, but this time it's accompanied by a shared sense of relief.

Justin breaks the silence with a soft chuckle. "Well, that was intense."

I can't help but laugh in response. "Tell me about it. I thought my dad was going to disown me."

He pulls me into a gentle hug. "Your mom's pretty cool, though. Saved us from a serious lecture there."

"Yeah," I agree, leaning into the embrace. "I guess we should be grateful for that."

We spend the rest of the evening chatting, reflecting on the unexpected turn of events. The initial tension has given way to a deeper connection between us, and we both realize that navigating the complexities of relationships, especially under the watchful eyes of parents, isn't going to be easy.

As the night comes to a close, we decide Justin should head home. We share a quiet moment on the doorstep, the same doorstep that witnessed our earlier embarrassment. This time, though, there's a shared understanding and a promise to tread more carefully in the future.

And as Justin walks away, I can't help but feel a sense of gratitude for the way things turned out. Despite the initial awkwardness and the unexpected confrontation with my parents, the night became a turning point in our relationship.

***

JUSTIN'S POV

I did everything in my power to stop this from happening. But here I am, back to square one.

"If you can't beat them, join them."

I was never one to believe in such a ridiculous statement. But here I found myself doing the same things I'd detested.

"I told you. I'm done doing shady shit!" I yell for the umpteenth time into the phone, ending the call and slamming my fist into the kitchen slap.

Shit. What had I gotten myself into? I never wanted things to be this way but I had no control over my life whatsoever.

My phone rings, interrupting my stream of thoughts. I glance at the caller ID and a shiver runs down my spine.

I answer the phone and nothing could prepare me for the next words I'm about to hear.