1. Stepbrother (Part 2)


    Date: 5/20/2016, Categories: Taboo Author: Dahlia, Source: LushStories

    In the last ten years, the only other time I saw Jack was at his father's funeral. A decade earlier, we'd made an awful mistake. "What we did wasn't okay, Jack," I had said the next morning. He didn't say anything but his expression told me he agreed. We never talked about it after that. And when he left for college again, I didn't know that was the last time I'd see him. We barely exchanged words at the actual service. Ten years had gone by and yet I still felt a pang when I saw him and my heart flared with jealousy when I saw his girlfriend. She was gorgeous, blonde and as tall as he was. They made a very pretty couple. I scolded myself for being jealous. Dear god, he was my step-brother and hadn't I spent enough time trying to get over what we'd done? Hadn't I spent forever getting over him? And it was his father's funeral. How could I be thinking something like that when he was mourning? I kept to myself for most of the night. I didn't know anyone in his family, really. My mother and his dad had divorced several years before and she’d refused to make an appearance at his funeral. So I was by myself. I was in my step-dad's study, not particularly doing anything. Just perusing. I picked up a framed photo of him and Jack when he was just a little boy. He was standing in front of a boat and holding a fish bigger than him. He had a giant smile on his face and his dad seemed proud. "Hey," a voice said from the door. I didn't have to turn to know it was him. "Hey," I said. I ...
    ... turned to face him. He looked so sad. And tired. I almost wished I hadn't spent so much time away. But it was necessary. I think we both knew that. He breathed hard before approaching me. He smiled as he took the picture from me. "I still remember this day," he said. "It was in Michigan." He'd always told me about their lake house in Michigan that I'd never visited. He faced me. "Is a hug okay?" he asked. My lips made a sad smile and I held out my arms. He walked into them and we embraced. We held each other for a long time. I felt a little hollow when he stepped away. "I'm so sorry Jack," I said, with a heavy sigh. But in my heart, I knew I was apologising for more than just his loss. We stood in weary silence for a while before someone came in asking for his attention with something. I sat in my step dad's chair after and sighed. After a couple of hours, I decided to head back to my hotel. I wasn't staying at home — well, my former home — because there were so many relatives of his staying anyway. And because I didn't want to make things weird. Not after the night we'd shared here. I found Jack downstairs, in the kitchen with his ridiculously beautiful girlfriend and his best friend. "Hey," he said. The way his face subtly lit up sort of unnerved me. "I'm gonna head out," I said. "Oh, okay," he said. "Just give me a minute. I'll drive you to your hotel." My brain screamed “No!” "I can take a cab… " "Don't be silly," he said. He patted his friend on the arm and kissed his ...
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