Church Camp, PT. 6

***** 

He stared out the window as he wrestled with himself. They were about fifteen minutes from home. The sun was setting, and his body was pleasantly achy from helping the men load trucks and trailers with camping equipment.

Isaac was driving, and the windows were cracked. Mom and Violet fell asleep about a half hour ago. The only sound in the truck was the sound of the wind and the country tunes on the radio.

He kept himself busy for most of the day, but when he saw Violet trying to take down his tent, he rushed over to intervene. She gave him a sheepish smile as she gestured to the mess she’d made.

“I tried to take the tent apart, but I wasn’t sure…”

“No problem. I got it,” he said and knelt down to take out a stake anchoring the tent to the ground.

“Thanks for letting me invade your space.”

When she groaned, he glanced over and saw her stretch. His oversized shirt lifted to show her tiny pair of gray shorts.

“Anytime,” he rasped and turned back to his task.

“Did I dream it or did you leave the tent several times?”

He fumbled with a pole. “I had to take a leak.”

“Hmm.”

His head jerked up. “What’s hmm mean?”

She gave him a look that made him break out in a cold sweat. She couldn’t know…

“I thought you might be meeting up with Lara or Marissa.”

She was so far off base that he just stared at her for a minute before he shook his head. “No.”

“Poor girls. They were hoping you would ask one of them out before we started school.”

“I’m not interested in either of them.”

“But you are interested in someone?” she asked with great interest.

When he realized he’d been staring at her lips for a few seconds, he forced himself to look down at what he was doing. He cleared his throat. “I’m not interested in anyone.”

“I’m going to find out at some point. You won’t be able to hide it from me!” she called over her shoulders as she headed to the bathroom.

He worked until mom forced him to take a break and eat something.

“You don’t seem like yourself,” she said.

He hadn’t been able to meet her eyes as he reassured her, he was fine, just tired and ready to go home. If she only knew… Even though they were getting older, mom would think nothing of Violet sleeping in his tent. His mother always had a sunny view of the world. It wouldn’t occur to her that anything inappropriate might happen because she saw Violet as her blood daughter.

He glanced at Violet, who leaned against the window, clearly out cold. He considered balling up his hoodie to cushion her head, but glanced around and realized they were already in their neighborhood. As the truck went over a bump, her breasts jiggled. He quickly looked away, inwardly cursing. He was so screwed. Now that he was aware of his feelings and had burst through that platonic wall, there was no going back. It was impossible to switch his mind back to seeing her as a sibling, but only he and God knew that. He’d crossed a mental boundary, but at least it hadn’t been a physical one. He hadn’t done something monumentally stupid like jack off in the tent or cop a feel. He wasn’t that far gone. He had to find a way to cope around her because it wouldn’t take long for her to notice if he was acting weird. They were extremely close, and he didn’t want to risk their relationship by exposing his feelings or introducing things she wasn’t ready for or even interested in if she truly saw him as her brother.

He straightened as Isaac pulled into the garage beside Mom’s SUV. Neither mom nor Violet stirred as the garage door came down.

“We can unload tomorrow,” Isaac said as he hopped out of the truck and eyed his wife. “You got Vi?”

His stomach clenched. “Yeah.”

Mom and Violet were heavy sleepers. He had been carrying Violet to bed or cars or wherever she happened to fall asleep ever since their parents got together. There was nothing odd about it. Or… there hadn’t been before he realized just staring at her too long could make him hard.

He blew out a breath as he got out of the truck and came around to Violet’s side. Dad had Mom over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. He copied his hold and saw them disappear into their master at the end of the hallway while he detoured into Violet’s bedroom.

He hit the light switch with his elbow, illuminating Violet’s pastel bedroom. He flicked back her covers before he gently deposited her in bed. She smiled as she sank into the plethora of pillows.

“You’re the best,” she murmured with her eyes closed.

He mock scowled. “You made me carry you when you could have walked?”

“Umm hmm.”

“Like I said, you’re a brat,” he said, trying to sound irritated as he brushed her tangled hair away from her face.

“But you love me anyway, don’t you?”

His hand froze before it dropped to his side.

Her brows bunched together. “Jesse?”

“You know I do,” he rasped.

She sighed as she turned on her side and burrowed into her pillows. “I love you too.”

“Night,” he said before he turned off the light and went through their connecting Jack and Jill bathroom to get to his room. He flopped on the bed and stared at the shadowed ceiling as he tried to come to terms with the fact that his life had just turned upside down.

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

Copyright © 2024 Mia Knight. All Rights Reserved.