The door creaked open softly as your mother entered your room, her heels clicking gently against the marble floor. She gave you a warm, knowing smile as she leaned against the doorframe. "I invited Tom and Mattheo to come over," she said casually. "Do me a favour, be sweet to Mattheo… he kinda has a crush on you."

You blinked, feigning surprise. "Really? I had no idea," you said, a teasing edge to your voice, even though you knew the truth all too well.

Your mother raised an eyebrow, a playful smile tugging at her lips. "Of course you didn’t... you never do," she said. "Anyway, be nice."

She turned to leave, but not before giving you one last wink. The door closed quietly behind her, and you couldn’t hold it in anymore.

You burst into laughter, the sound spilling from you as the truth hit you like a wave. Mattheo, who had been hiding under the bed to avoid your mother, had clearly heard everything.

A soft thud came from under the bed, followed by a muffled, yet distinctly exasperated voice: "Shut up."

You leaned down, looking beneath the bed, and couldn’t help but laugh harder. There, in all his impromptu hiding glory, was Mattheo, attempting to make himself as invisible as possible while barely suppressing his laughter.

You crossed your arms and smirked. "How long were you planning to stay under there?" you teased.

From beneath the bed, Mattheo’s face appeared, flushed with the ridiculousness of the situation. He tried to appear nonchalant, but the corners of his lips betrayed him. "I’m just trying to avoid your mother," he muttered, pushing himself up and brushing off his clothes. "You know how she is."

You chuckled, shaking your head. "And here I thought you were just trying to get a little extra time under there with me," you teased, leaning back against the desk.

Mattheo stood fully now, his playful grin matching yours. “Oh, don’t act like you weren’t enjoying this,” he shot back, clearly amused despite himself.

“You’re right,” you said walking over to him. "I’m not that innocent, am I?"