Jesse's Reaction, PT. 1

Look at me, baby. Open your eyes so we can finally talk, and I can tell you how I feel, he silently begged, but Violet’s eyes remained closed.

He wanted to pick her up in his arms and shout for joy, but the fact that she’d gone back to feigning sleep didn’t bode well. He sensed her distress, but couldn’t make sense of it. They didn’t have to hide this anymore!

Over the past weeks, there had been times that he swore he saw her eyelids flutter or random body movements that led him to believe she was actually awake. He’d been pushing it lately, wiling to risk it all to discover whether or not he was losing his mind.

Tonight when he came into her room and tried to catch her scent, he detected something that shouldn’t have been, something that reminded him of what he’d found smeared on several of her used underwear. Arousal. It sent his body into overdrive. He’d noticed the odd bunching of the covers over her crotch, but thought nothing of it, until it shifted, and he realized what she’d been doing before he entered. When her hand began to move in telltale circles, his heart nearly stopped.

It had been a calculated risk to say her name. He said it loudly enough to rouse her if she’d been asleep, but when her eyes flew open, they were alert and heavy lidded with desire. He would never forget the way her lips parted welcomingly as she went over the edge. He hadn’t been able to help himself. He came all over her beautiful face in the best orgasm of his life.

Please, baby. I’m dying here, he thought. He reached out to touch her, but stopped when he noticed she was trembling. The urge to comfort her was overwhelming, but his need to put her at ease was stronger. Reluctantly, he retreated.

He walked through the bathroom to his bedroom and leaned against the door. His initial blast of joy had morphed into disquiet, but he wouldn’t let that get him down. He worried that she may never see him the way he wanted, but tonight she showed in no uncertain terms that she saw him as more than a sexless brother. She’d come right along with him. So, what was the issue? Had she just become aware of his feelings and her own? Did she need more time to wrap her mind around this? He wished she would tell him so he wasn’t left feeling like everything he’d ever wanted was slipping through his fingers before he had a chance to keep it.

He ran his hand through his hair as he made his way over to the bed. He flopped on his back and stared at the ceiling and smothered the compulsion to check on her and push the issue. He had to give her time and space.

He bit back a groan. A year of suppressing his feelings, of worrying that someone would deduce his true feelings for his stepsister… That was at an end. God had mercy on him and made her want him in return. He no longer needed to live a lie. He just had to be patient a little longer.

No more dating other girls in a futile attempt to dilute his obsession with Violet. No more hiding behind religion as the reason why he didn’t go all the way with them. He was tired of the smokescreens and lies. Tired of hiding his feelings. He wasn’t sure where they went from here, but they would get through it together. Nothing else mattered. Tomorrow, they would talk and sort this thing out once and for all.

***

His hand flexed on the steering wheel. He wasn’t sure what to expect from Violet this morning, but the bright smile and upbeat, inane chatter wasn’t it. From the moment she bounded out of her bedroom and for most of the ride to school, she talked about a range of topics—everything but the one thing he wanted to discuss. He couldn’t get anything in edgewise. This wasn’t going the way he anticipated. He was stepping back and allowing her to lead, but he was perplexed by her behavior. Where was she going with this?

“You have games on Tuesday and Friday, right?” she asked distractedly as she typed on her phone.

“Yeah.”

“All righty.”

He waited a second before he asked, “You’re coming, right?”

“I’m not sure. My friends asked me to do something Friday night.”

On cue, her phone chimed.

“Who’s texting you?”

“Georgia and Allison and…”

Another chime sounded.

“And?” he prompted as he turned into the parking lot.

“Huh?” Violet looked around and straightened as she spotted her friends. “There they are!”

He parked and tried to tamp down the flurry of emotions in his chest when she grabbed her bag and prepared to hop out. “Violet.”

“Yeah?” she asked as she threw open the door.

“Hang on a minute.”

She noticeably stiffened. That uneasy feeling he dismissed last night came back full force. He thought they could sort through everything, but clearly that wasn’t what she wanted.

“Look at me.”

She made eye contact with him several times this morning, but her eyes had been filled with rabid good cheer. Not now, though. They were more green than hazel, a sure sign that her temper was on the rise.

“What, Jesse?” she asked impatiently as her cheeks bloomed with color.

He wished he could reach out and touch her, but clearly that was the last thing she wanted. She was vibrating with the need to get out of the car, to flee.

“Everything okay?”

His voice was gruff with panic. He wanted to lock the doors or drive away to somewhere private where they could talk without anyone interrupting, but that could make things worse.

“I’m fine. I’ll see you later,” she said and slid out of the vehicle.

He didn’t move as she hurried over to her friends. The only thing that stopped him from going after her was the memory of what they shared last night. She’d been with him every step of the way, he just had to wait for her to come to terms with everything. He let out a long breath and slid out of the SUV and resisted the urge to slam the door.

There was no need to rush. She would let him know when she was ready.

***

“So this is where you’re hiding.”

He turned to see Brody enter the gym.

“Hiding?” he echoed before he turned back to the hoop and took his shot.

Brody let out a disgusted sound as he made his way across the court. “Are you practicing for the NBA?”

“You know I’m going into the military.”

“I was hoping you changed your mind,” Brody muttered.

“I haven’t.”

He retrieved the ball and dribbled back to his spot to make another three-pointer. Brody placed himself beneath the hoop and passed the ball to him. Several minutes passed before he noticed the odd look Brody was giving him.

“What?”

“You’re taking it well.”

He frowned. “Taking what well?”

Brody did a hook shot before passing the ball to him once more. “Violet.”

He froze. “What about her?”

Although he told himself not to pressure her, but he hadn’t been able to resist asking her if she wanted food off campus. He hoped she was ready to talk. She hadn’t responded, which put him in a foul mood. He had no idea where he stood with her, and it was driving him crazy. He’d taken refuge in the gym during lunch to clear his head.

“I thought it was some bizarre rumor, so I didn’t bother asking you about it, but I saw them with my own eyes.” Brody shook his head. “Out of all the guys she could pick, she picks him? That loner who hides in the library?”

“Tobias?”

Brody made a face. “Is that his name? He can’t even make eye contact with anyone and your sister looks at him and thinks, ‘hey, this guy is boyfriend material?’”

A wave of heat engulfed him. “Who says she’s dating him?”

Brody stared at him. “I saw them.”

He took a threatening step toward his friend. “Saw them what?”

Brody held up his hands. “Chill, bro.”

“Tell me what you saw,” he ordered.

“They were holding hands in the cafeteria.” Brody searched his face. “I thought you knew.”

**This is a raw draft of the prequel for Corrupt Idol. Please do not share or distribute.

Copyright © 2024 Mia Knight. All Rights Reserved.