The Secrets of Confessions ✔️

Chapter 6: Temptation

"Dear gosh, that was a nightmare," Rakesh says, as we walk out of the classrooms next to each other. Chris follows after me, with Usha following after Rakesh. I sling my backpack over my shoulder, and we all walk out of the room.

I look over at Chris, who is obviously flushed from taking our finals. I shrug, and say, "Hey, not the worst thing I've ever done. Especially since I studied ahead of time, unlike some people."

I grit my teeth in the last sentence, while glancing over at Rakesh, who just rolls his eyes. "Shut up, Ashmita. You would've also pulled an all nighter," he tells me.

I raise an eyebrow. "Really? Mason would've never made me do that. He would've forced me to study three weeks in advance. Right next to him. So don't pull that,"

I say, which causes Rakesh to give me another eye roll. "Speaking of dads, Usha told me about what happened last week," Chris mentions, which causes Usha to press down on his foot with hers.

Chris gives her the sly, painful look, and I just shrug. "He didn't hurt me. I promise. I'm here, alive, and well," I say, and everyone smiles.

"And we're all grateful. Now, how about we go to that Mexican place down in the corner so we can fill up on some hot food? If I don't get food then I think I'll pass out and die on the floor itself," Rakesh says.

I smile, and say, "Let's go. We're all hungry."

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I'm reading my textbook, while staring at the pictures hung up on the wall. Something about them is just so intriguing, and yet I don't know why. Of course, we have the pictures of Mason, my mom, Nathan, Sarah, and other family members plastered all over the wall. Something about some of the pictures just doesn't sit well with me.

As I study them in depth, I realize something seems a little bit off. I feel like Mason looks a little bit different in certain pictures than he does in others. Now, of course, Mason has aged. He's gotten older, dealt with two kids, and has dealt with more stress than any other person should.

However, even though the pictures are somewhat far apart in terms of time frame, something about Mason's facial expressions just doesn't seem normal to me. They seem to differ and have a different composure. Different elements seem to make up his smiles every time.

Once I finish studying, I slap myself a little bit and say, "Stop being paranoid, Ashmita. You're overthinking things."

I don't know how Mason hasn't found out about the diaries. I don't know how I haven't screwed up and somehow left them out for Mason to see. However, I know that Mason is not going to be happy with the fact that I'm meddling around in other people's business when I really shouldn't be. Especially when it comes to my mom's. I guess the best thing to do is to make sure he never finds out. I don't know what I will do if he ever decides to find out.

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"Ashmita? You seem kind of off today. Are you okay?" Mason asks, as he types things on his computer. I continue to write notes in my notebook, and I shake my head. "No, nothing's wrong. Just a little bit tired," I say, as I flip a page in my notebook.

Mason cocks an eyebrow at me, and then continues to type. "Alright, then. You know you can talk to me if you feel a little bit upset," he assures me.

I nod, and say, "I know. Don't worry, I'll tell you if something's on my mind." Again, another lie after lie. I can't tell him about the diaries. They're kind of my personal secret.

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I just can't help but stare. I don't know what is so tempting about the diaries. They're just basically books. I may as well just go to the library and find a diary entry book. But no. I can't stop thinking about the diaries. They're like my key to finding about the case so that I can get another insight for my project.

But, deep down, there's something else that I want to do with them. I want to find out my mom's thought process on the events leading up to the crime. Because, after living with him for almost my whole life, I know something about Mason just isn't right.

Sure, Arjun is a convicted criminal, but there was something else in his demeanor when Arjun decided to come back. I just can't pinpoint it. As I'm staring at the book, I slap myself a little bit. "No, Ashmita. You can't meddle into other people's business. That's not right," I say to myself.

I take the books and place them back into my dresser, in the last drawer in which Mason never looks in. I close it, and walk away to forget about them. It should be easy to forget about something so small. So what is this feeling that I feel when I close the drawer? I don't like it, and it's time to put it away.

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If you guys think that this is short, then you're in luck, because this is the shortest chapter in the book, and one of the shortest I've written in a while. Do you think Ashmita is being paranoid, or does she have a legitimate excuse to investigate? Let me know.

Hey everyone! How's it going? Also, for those of you that write, how do you get inspiration to create new stories? I'm not lacking any right now, but I'm curious!

Oh also, a slow burn-romance duology. Yay or nay?

I don't have much to say today. Hope you guys liked this chapter!

Please vote/comment/share/follow/message if you like my work! See you all next Sunday with the next chapter of The Secrets of Confessions! Have a great week!

Love you guys,

Shree