If Only

Chapter Five: That's a First

My cheeks burned at his remark. "I don't need an excuse to hold you," I shot back, trying to sound confident despite the embarrassment flooding through me.

As I looked down at his chest, I realized my hands were still gripping his shirt tightly. I quickly let go, wiping my palms on my jeans.

Jared's smirk only grew at my reaction. He leaned in closer, his face now dangerously close to mine.

I tried to back away and reached out to twist the door knob but just like before, it didn't budge. "We're trapped," I declared, frustration evident in my voice.

"Give me a break!" I almost kicked the door in frustration, but it still wouldn't open.

"It's not moving, is it? Why don't we try to make the best of it and kill some time?" Jared suggested, but I could only scrunch my nose in pure disgust.

"You've got to be kidding me... Of all people, I can't believe I'm stuck with you," I said, pushing him away, but he didn't move far. He just hit his back against the wall.

He leaned down to check my face, and I braced myself for an embarrassing moment, but instead, he just smiled.

"You know, I bet you've never kissed anyone before," he said, his voice low and teasing.

I choked on my own saliva and coughed a little, my eyes growing wider.

"W-what? Why are you thinking about stuff like that when we're stuck in here like this?" I stuttered, slowly walking backwards, only to feel the door behind me.

"What's wrong with spending some time together?" Jared asked, taking a step closer to me. I instinctively took a step back, feeling the door behind me.

"Come on, don't be like that. We can make the best of this situation." He flashed a charming smile, trying to put me at ease.

"I'd rather focus on finding a way out of here," I said, scanning the small space for any potential escape route. But my search came up empty-handed.

"Well, if we're going to be stuck here for a while, we might as well make the most of it," Jared said, still smiling. "We can talk, get to know each other better."

I hesitated, not sure if I wanted to spend any more time than necessary with him. But I also knew that finding a way out of here wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

"Fine," I said, reluctantly. "But no funny business, okay?"

Jared grinned. "Scout's honor. Now, tell me about yourself."

I sat on the floor, hugging my knees to my chest in frustration.

"I shouldn't have left the house in the first place," I muttered.

Jared sat down beside me and asked, "Left the house? What do you mean?"

I hesitated for a moment before responding, "I mean the house where I'm staying. You know, I probably shouldn't be telling you this, since we just met and all..."

He interrupted me with a chuckle. "Relax, I'm not here to judge you. In fact, it's a good thing that we're strangers. It means I have no reason to care about your personal business. So go ahead, tell me what you want."

I couldn't help but feel a little relieved by his response. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all.

"You know, you could be a decent guy if you wanted to... I have to admit, I wasn't too fond of you when we first met."

"Fair enough. So, what's on your mind?" Jared asked, his tone softening.

Is this the right time to open up? Should I consider it? I haven't even opened up to my parents, just my mom. But he's right, why should I be afraid of being judged by a stranger? I'm feeling low, and he's offering to listen. What harm could it do? I mean, we're stuck in a closet. Who knows how long until Chandler finds us. The last thing either of us wants is to be stuck in a dark, silent space.