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She was sixteen.
I was twenty-two.
And she was my fucking stepsister.
“Listen to me, Noel.” Behind me, I heard the telltale sound of my stepsister’s gentleman caller scampering to leave the pool house, not even bothering to check that the woman who was just lounging in his lap before being unceremoniously pulled from his grasp was okay. But I never turned around to acknowledge him, too caught up in the pull happening between Noel and myself—as if she was trying to lasso me into her very orbit.
The door to the pool house opened and closed, leaving us alone. My anger seethed, ready to boil over the surface. I was pissed at the boy, but even more so, I was pissed at my sister. “Cover yourself up or you’re going to get yourself into trouble. Especially with boys like him.”
She scoffed, pushing against my chest with her dainty little hands, but I refused to budge, keeping her pinned between me and the wall. “I’m not fucking twelve anymore, Saint. Go ahead. Tell Daddy whatever you want.”
“Put. Your fucking. Clothes on. Now,” I gritted out between tightly clenched teeth, still closer to her than any brother—blood or otherwise—had the right to be.
“Oh, I see what this is.” She gave an appreciative glance over my body, a smug smile curling the sides of her mouth. “This isn’t about you wanting to tattle on me, is it, Saint? This is about you wanting me to callyouDaddy instead, isn’t it?”
Goddamn, the words made me hard.
So fucking hard.
But I couldn’t, no—Iwouldn’t—act on this.
Fuck, she was my underage kid sister. And sure, we weren’t related by blood, but she had been in my life for nearly a decade. I had to get away. Away from her sweet peppermint scent and perky breasts that my hands were itching to reach out and palm.
Without another word, I gently pushed away from her, backing into the open room before I turned and left the pool house, Noel’s laughter echoing in the distance as I hurriedly packed my single suitcase and headed to the airport. I knew I could figure out the rest when I got there, but one thing was clear—I couldn’t be in the same room with Noel Belle for another second. Hell, if I knew what was good for me, I wouldn’t allow myself to ever be in the same state as her ever again.
Gravel crunchesunder my tires as the black SUV rental pulls up in front of my home for the next few weeks. While I was told we were meeting at a log cabin in the middle of the forest, I shouldn’t be surprised that what sits in front of me now is more of a mini-mansion than the rustic yet quaint log cabin I had in mind.
An enormous stone and log structure sits in front of me, jutting up from the frozen winter’s ground like it is as much a part of the landscape as the countless pines that shoot toward the overcast sky. More of a ski chalet than a log cabin, the house sits alone and dark—no neighbors as far as the eye can see, no smoke coming from the multiple chimneys, no twinkling Christmas lights shining from the numerous windows that seem to shoot from the ground to the sky. A thick layer of snow already coats the frozen ground around me, and if the meteorologists are right—which they’re usually not—more of the powdery shit people love is on its way.
Cursing the late-night flight that had me landing well after the sun had gone down, my body shivers as I look around, taking in the icy and dark scenery all around me.
Why couldn’t my family want to spend the holidays on the fucking beach instead of this frozen hellscape?
Happy that I decided to get here a few days before the rest of the family—and very much looking forward to a few days of peace and quiet before I have to face my sister for the first time since that night in the pool house over two years ago—I pull my oversized duffle from the back seat and head toward the front door.
Punching in the electronic door code my father provided me with, I watch as the light flashes green before I try the handle, push open the door, and walk into a dark, cavernous space. Only when I flip on the light switch and illuminate the otherwise dark entryway, it’s immediately clear that I am anything but alone.
Several pairs of women’s shoes line the wall, snow melting onto the floor around them into a puddle the size of an ice rink. Winter jackets and soggy sweatshirts hang from nearby hooks, and more pieces of luggage fill the space than I can count. As I look toward the open-concept kitchen, I see numerous bottles of alcohol that look like they have already been opened, the liquid levels at varying heights.
I set my duffle down on a nearby couch and walk further into the house, turning on a few low lights and peeking into rooms as I go. It’s still silent, still void of festive, holiday cheer. The only sound comes from my heavy footsteps against the wood floors.
Just as I’m about to call my father to figure out what the hell is going on, laughter rings in the distance, and I turn toward the noise, immediately knowing who the melodic sound belongs to.
Mother fucker.
Long strides quickly eat up the distance, and I’m soon pushing through a door that leads to the rear of the property, ready to tear into my little sister for unknowingly ruining the few fucking days of solitude I had planned.
But I come to a stop when I see the scene in front of me.
In the few minutes it has taken me to walk through the house, the snow has begun to fall again. Big, fat flakes rain down from the sky, illuminated by the twinkling fairy lights that are wrapped around the pergola that covers the entire expanse of the outdoor patio.
A hot tub is tucked into the far corner of the space, steam wafting into the cold, night air from its surface while gentle, classical Christmas music plays from nearby speakers designed to look like rocks that are part of the natural landscape. In the middle of the hot tub, Noel sits, a serene smile on her face, her head tipped up toward the heavens as the snow cascades around her.
Like a magical, holiday sprite, her button nose crinkles when a flake lands on its tip, yet her smile never falters, and her eyes never open.
Christ, is it possible she’s gotten even more beautiful in the last two years since I’ve been away?
Like the sick fuck I am, I stand off to the side and continue to watch her as she sits, unaware of my presence.
