Jasper said that loud enough for everybody to hear. I watched Zach’s face. He held his angry expression in place. He didn’t change it, like whatever Jasper said didn’t affect him at all.
“Stay away from her!” he warned him again.
Zach shook off Drake’s arms around him. Then he walked toward me. I was struggling to catch my breath as everybody watched us.
Zach looked down at me, his face was crimson, but his expression was unreadable.
“Let’s go,” his voice was low, thick with emotions. I couldn’t say no.
I simply nodded, and I felt him take my hand and pull me toward the exit. I walked behind him quietly. He held the door out open for me. I got into his car without a word of protest.
We drove silently. He was staring up ahead, and his knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel so hard. I was confronted by mixed emotions. Some more powerful than the others. I was angry at Jasper for being so brazen. I was furious at him for pointing out to Zach that he was just jealous because he couldn’t have me. I was livid because I knew there was truth to it. I felt exactly the same about Stephanie Bell. I was dying with jealousy, and I wanted to strangle her at some points because in truth, she was free to have Zach. Nothing in the world could stop them from being together.
And now, my heart was breaking for Zach because I knew regardless of the rumors about him and Stephanie, I knew he still wanted me. And he never had me. He never could. He would forever wonder what it would be like. What it would have been like. We both were just wondering what it would have been like if he just took me that night, if he took what I was freely giving him the night I met him at the concert.
I didn’t even know that he was at the party. I didn’t know how he knew I needed rescuing from that asshole who was close to violating me in public. But I was thankful he was. He came at the time I needed him. Just like he did when we were little. Zach never failed to protect me, and I loved him more for that.
He was my big brother. Protective. Dependable.
That is all he could be.
He took a sharp turn to the right toward a narrower road, less lighted, almost deserted path. He stopped on the side and pressed the hand brake button.
We sat there in silence for a minute, which felt like eternity. I could hear his sharp intake of breaths.
Finally, he said, “Those rumors about Stephanie Bell are lies.” He paused for a moment. “I never touched that girl. I never went out with her. I have nothing to do with her, I don’t even know her personally. On Monday, I’ll make sure she shuts up, or I’m taking this to court. I don’t want her.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because I’m not a douche, baby girl. I won’t tell you I want you and then fuck somebody else within a span of one week. Even when you asked me to channel this desire to somebody else, I’m not wired like that. I don’t have sex with a girl if I don’t want her. And right now, there’s only one girl I want.” He took a deep breath and exhaled heavily. Then he added, “Even if what Litton said was true. I cannot have her.”
Right there!
Something cracked inside me, and I felt an excruciating pain in my chest. I realized what it was. My heart was breaking. Because it only meant one thing. I wanted Zach the same way he wanted me. So, if he couldn’t have me, it worked both ways. I couldn’t have him too, and this hurt me as much as it hurt him.
I was still a virgin. And I knew I would rather lose myself to him than to any other guy like Jasper Litton. I trusted him. I loved him. He loved me. Right now, I lusted for no one else but him. I already spent the most erotic night of my life with him. We had already crossed those boundaries somehow.
Legally, we were not brother and sister. Morally, we were not blood related. What was preventing us from being together? Our parents. Our relatives. The society.
Now that my heart was breaking for the brother I no longer had and the man I couldn’t have at all, I have two words for them: Fuck. Off.
And just like that, I snapped.
I stared back at Zach, tears rolling down my cheeks. I could see his eyes were teary too, and he had a frustrated and angry expression on his face.
I removed my high-heeled sandals. My hands felt the cold metal of the buckle of my seatbelt, and when I heard it snap, I moved swiftly, gracefully. I wasn’t sure how I did it, but in a matter of seconds, I was out of my seat and straddling Zach on the driver’s seat.