On the night of the dinner with his parents, I sat in front of Jake and Aaron's parents. The atmosphere was intimidating. I felt like a bug under a microscope. Every gaze in the room was aimed at me. The oppressive atmosphere made my heart thump faster as sweat rolled down my back.

"You must be Jake's girlfriend—he's never brought a girl over before," Tracy, Jake's mother, gave me a curious look. I wondered what was so surprising about it, but decided against asking.

Aaron ...