“Of course, I do,” Monica whispers as tears form in her eyes. “And if you two were any other people in my life, I’d believe that this is real. I’d be your biggest cheerleaders. I’ve seen how you two look at each other when you don’t think anyone’s looking. I’ve seen the lingering hugs and the times Gabrielle would feel so comfortable sitting in your lap over this past year. I’ve heard you tell her you love her when you get off the phone when that’s never been something you and I did. I always knew your bond with her was different, but I guess even if you guys did have feelings for each other, I never expected you’d cross that line…to this magnitude.” She lets out a breath. “Look, it’s your life and I can’t control it any more than I can control the weather but I’m hoping that if you go down this road…you’re prepared for all the bumps that’ll come along the way. If you’re going to do this, you both need to be all in.”

Chapter Sixteen

Monica didn’t stay long after what happened. She was stunned to the point of shock and barely said anything after the initial conversation. She hugged me goodbye and told me she’d call me after she had time to process. On the contrary, she didn’t say much to James, making me wonder if the saw this whole thing as his fault. That he’d preyed on me or somehow coerced me into this. That I was the young naïve girl that got in over my head. She’d even said it. “You know better.” I’d seen the disdain in her eyes when she said it. But I also saw the hurt, the shame, the and the worry. I’d spent so long dreading this moment and while it could have gone worse—she told us she wouldn’t say anything to our parents—I still felt the tension radiating off of her.

“Did that actually happen?” I look up at James as he makes his way towards me after dead bolting the door after Monica left. “Like our sister… caught us…” I let out a deep breath as the anxiety unfurls in my chest. Every time I close my eyes, I see the look of horror on her face. I can hear her screaming almost hysterically.

“Unfortunately.” He scratches the back of his neck and drops on the couch next to me. “At least she hugged you goodbye, she barely even looked at me.”

“It might be the whole seeing her older brother’s dick thing?” I purse my lips, wondering how I’d feel if I walked in on my parents which is the only scenario I could equate to how Monica might be feeling.