"Bro, it's not like I'm trying to sass you on purpose," Molly joked, blaming her 'instinctive' mouth.
Chad smirked. "Well, with Henry out of the picture, there's no one to cover for you anymore."
Molly bit her lip, feeling a bit caught.
"Get back to studying, sis. I'm off for a shower," Chad said, heading toward the bathroom.
Jade, with a mischievous grin, turned to Chad. "Hey, bro, how about a deal? Skip the shirt and I promise I'll hit the books right after!"
Chad's raised hand was enough to make Jade back off.
After all, who doesn't appreciate a good set of abs? And with Chad right there, it was a shame not to sneak a peek.
Soon, the sound of running water filled the room.
Molly, propping her chin on her hand, muttered to herself while flipping through her notes. "He's totally into me, but he never teases. Who knows, I might just get all hot and bothered, and then we'd both end up—"
"Molly," Chad's voice called out from the shower.
"Yeah?" Molly jumped up, her heart racing as she frantically looked for a towel, hoping she was being summoned for a towel delivery.
"I ordered some fruit for you. Delivery's here. Could you get the door?" Chad said.
"Oh," Jade deflated, disappointed.
As expected, a knock on the door followed shortly after.
Molly got the delivery and tapped on the bathroom door. "Bro, your order's here."
"Thanks," Chad replied.
Molly was ready for an all-nighter, her desk now piled with tangy, invigorating fruit.
Soon enough, Chad emerged from the bathroom.
Dressed in pajamas and toweling his hair, he grabbed his phone from the desk to check for missed calls. Finding none, he turned to see Molly, her pretty face exaggerated into a 'square' by the two massive cherries stuffed in her cheeks.
"What's up, bro?" she asked, her words muffled.
Chad flicked her cheek with the back of his hand. "Eat like a human."
Molly nodded, watching Chad move over to the bed to sort out his clothes for the next day.
Leaning back in her chair, Molly's mind wandered. She twirled her pen, mischief clearly brewing in her eyes.
Before long, she stealthily took a selfie with her face in the foreground and Chad's back in the background.
Ever the good friend, Jade decided to share her joy, not with everyone, but with her friend Vivian!
At the Byrne household, Vivian looked at the image on her phone—Molly's radiant face with Chad in his pajamas in the background, the bed looking disheveled. Jade's text message teased: "Thanks for giving me the chance to shack up with my Chad! He really loves me, you have no idea..."
The ellipsis at the end of her message sent Vivian's imagination into overdrive.
Fuming, Vivian clenched her fists. She felt out of place at home. When she tried to go upstairs, Coleen stopped her. "As a guest, you stay in the common areas. The second floor is private."
Trying to help in the kitchen, Coleen quipped, "After surviving a fire unscathed, imagine if you died in my kitchen. This time, it wouldn't be my daughter under suspicion."
Vivian bit her tongue at Coleen's snide remarks.
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