She Used Me for a Dare… Now I Own Her Mother

Alex checked his watch, noting how late it had grown. He had promised Tisha he'd come by, and she must have been waiting.

The thought of seeing her again, continuing what they'd started, stirred a restless energy beneath his calm exterior.

He glanced at Danny first, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Danny… it's getting late. I should probably head out. You take care of things here, alright?"

Danny caught the meaning instantly and let out a low chuckle.

Then Alex turned to Mike, mock-serious this time. "And Mike… don't have too much fun without me," he added with a playful smirk.

Mike laughed, shaking his head. "Yeah, yeah, I'll behave… unlike someone I know," he said, nudging Danny lightly, and Danny laughed again, the three of them sharing the easy camaraderie of friends who understood each other.

"Finally, he faced Linda, his expression composed, voice carrying a quiet warmth. "Mom… I'm heading out. I've got something I need to take care of."

She had half-expected it, picking up on the hints in his earlier words... but now that he confirmed it, a sharp tug of unease settled in her chest.

The thought of Alex leaving, of not having him near, made that pang grow heavier.

"Where… where are you going?" she asked softly, almost pleading. Maybe he'd reconsider. Maybe he'd stay.

Alex caught the note of hope in her voice... a strange urgency that tugged at something he didn't fully understand.

He felt a flicker of awareness, something stirring within him. But he adjusted quickly, hiding it.

"I just have a meeting to attend," he said carefully, keeping his tone even.

Linda tilted her head slightly, studying him. "A meeting… at this hour?"

He gave a small, reassuring smile. "Yeah, Nothing urgent, but I really have to be there."

David, noticing the tension, chimed in with a light tone, "Go ahead, Alex. Don't worry about us... we'll take care of everything here."

Linda forced herself to nod, her throat tight. "Okay… be careful," she murmured, the heaviness in her chest unspoken but palpable.

Just then, Lila entered, her phone still in hand. Timing flawless. She had been listening from the hallway, waiting for this exact moment.

"Hey, Mike," she said softly, her tone laced with a sweet apology. "I'm really sorry, but I need to head back to my apartment… my roommate's getting worried about me being out this late."

Mike glanced at Alex and Danny, then, almost automatically, said, "Okay… I'll drive you home."

"Alex is heading out too," Sarah mentioned casually.

Lila's eyes flicked toward him, her smile blooming with just the right mix of surprise and innocence. "Really? That's convenient…"

She tilted her head slightly, as if the thought had just come to her. "Could you drop me off, Alex? It's not far."

Then, almost as if she were justifying herself, she added softly, "It makes more sense this way... Mike should stay with Nina, especially since Danny's already dropping Sarah."

Her words sounded considerate, spontaneous... but beneath them was the thrill of a golden opportunity: time alone with Alex, laid before her as if by fate.

Alex blinked at her boldness, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.

But instead of refusing, he let a small smile curve at his lips. If this was her move, he'd play along... for now.

Mike nodded slowly. "Alright, if that's okay with you, Alex?"

"Sure," he said evenly. "No problem."

Linda's stomach twisted. The thought of Alex driving Lila alone sent a spike of jealousy through her, sharp and unwelcome.

She knew Lila was just Mike's girlfriend, but that knowledge didn't ease her unease... if anything, it made her trust the girl even less.

But she said nothing, struggling to contain her emotions.

Alex moved toward Nina, brushing a gentle kiss across her sleeping forehead. He didn't wake her, didn't disturb the fragile peace of the room.

"Get some rest, everyone," he said softly. "Call me if anything changes."

David smiled. "We will. Don't worry."

As Alex stepped toward the door, Lila lingered near Sarah, her tone warm and natural.

"Thank you, it was really nice talking to you today… I'll come by tomorrow too, to check on Nina, if that's alright."

Sarah's face softened, clearly pleased. "Of course, Lila. You're always welcome."

Linda's eyes were fixed on Alex, watching him move toward the door with Lila at his side, and felt something inside her chest crack just a little bit more.

This is wrong, she told herself fiercely. He's like a son to you. These feelings are sick and inappropriate.

But as Alex paused in the doorway and gave them all one last smile... a smile that made her pulse quicken despite everything... Linda realized that telling herself it was wrong wasn't making it stop.

She was forced to confront a truth that terrified her: she wasn't just dealing with inappropriate thoughts anymore.

She was falling for him. Really, truly falling.

And there was nothing she could do to stop it.

***

In the quiet that followed their departure, the hospital room felt strangely empty, despite being filled with the same people who had been there moments before.

Mike settled back into his chair, something bothering him about Lila's sudden need to leave, but unable to articulate exactly what felt off about the situation.

Danny's eyes flickered toward Mike, noting the subtle tension in his friend's shoulders and the tight line of his jaw.

Something was off.

He knew that look... it was the same expression Mike wore whenever he was deep in thought about something concerning.

He thought about Lila leaving with Alex and realized something... so he decided to talk to him about it.

He stepped closer, lowering his voice to a quiet, friendly tone. "Hey… let's step out for a bit. Get some air," he suggested, nodding toward the balcony.

Mike hesitated for a moment, but then, wordlessly, he followed.

Danny knew this was more than a casual stroll... it was the right moment to talk, as a friend, before the weight of unspoken feelings grew any heavier.

The hospital's small balcony overlooked the city's twinkling lights, providing a stark contrast to the sterile brightness of Nina's room.

Mike leaned against the railing, lost in thought, and Danny moved beside him. "Come on, man," he said quietly. "Talk to me."

Mike didn't turn around immediately, just stared out at the city below with a heaviness that seemed to weigh down his entire frame.

"Tell me what's bothering you," Danny pressed gently, moving to stand beside him. Then, hoping to lighten the mood with familiar teasing, he added, "Is it about Lila? Don't tell me you really fell for her?"

The attempt at humor fell flat. Mike's laugh was bitter, humorless.

"Do you take me for an idiot?" Mike said, finally turning to face Danny. His eyes held a mixture of hurt and resignation that caught Danny off guard.

Danny's expression grew more serious. "You know what? I can call Alex right now. Tell him to drop her off and make sure she doesn't come back. If you don't want her getting hurt..." He trailed off, studying Mike's face.

But Mike shook his head, his tone growing dimmer, more defeated. "No... no, it's not that. "

Mike's voice cracked slightly as he continued, "I'm just... disappointed, you know? These type of people... how can they play with people's feelings like this? First Sophia, and now Lila."

He ran a hand through his hair, frustration and hurt warring in his expression. "It's good that we knew beforehand, or these people would have..." He stopped himself, unable to finish the thought, then started again.

"From what I can understand, she just wants to seduce Alex. Charm him, then watch us fight and break our friendship. I mean, what else could it be?"

Danny felt his chest tighten at the raw pain in his friend's voice. Despite knowing Lila was a plant, despite being prepared for her manipulation, Mike was still hurt by it.

"Am I really that easy to manipulate? Would I actually fight with my friends over a girl?"

"Mike..." Danny started, but his friend held up a hand. "The fact that you can see through it... that means something. It means she didn't really get to you."

"What scares me," Mike continued, staring back out at the city, "is what this means for Alex. If they're willing to go this far... to plant someone in our inner circle, to manipulate our family... what won't they do?"

Danny felt a chill that had nothing to do with the night air. "You think this is just the beginning?"

"I think this is them testing how vulnerable we are. How easily they can infiltrate our lives, turn us against each other."

"But we did know," Danny reminded him firmly. "And now we're watching. We can protect Alex and each other."

Mike finally looked at him, something grateful but still pained in his expression. "Can we though? Because watching Lila work tonight... Danny, she's good. Really good. And if We didnt know what's coming..."

He let the thought hang, the unspoken 'we'd be completely blind' heavy between them.

Danny felt the weight too. They had the advantage of foresight, knew Lila's manipulation for what it was... but if they hadn't?

If they were seeing her for the first time without a warning… the thought made both of them uneasy.

Their friend... Alex... was walking into a situation far more sophisticated than they had anticipated.

And for the first time, they realized how little control anyone truly had once someone like Lila set her plan in motion

"We'll find a way," Danny said with more confidence than he felt. "We have to."

Mike nodded slowly, but the worry lines around his eyes didn't ease.

The two friends stood in silence for a moment, both thinking about the beautiful, charming young woman who was at that very moment alone in a car with Alex, armed with psychology training and a mission to destroy their friendship.

And neither of them knew how to stop her.