Razor's Edge of Love

Chapter 11, A Dance with Fate


"John, I'm glad you're here," Mr. Franklin stated when he saw he and Julie on the sofa together watching TV. Though truthfully they were more snuggled together than seated beside one another and still they weren't moving apart despite no longer being alone in the dim room.

"Not again," he stated firmly, already sensing what would follow.

Julie had found her own boldness at keeping her slim frame resting against her brother's side while her arms remained around him in return.

They were both in their pajamas for the most part, John in his black sweat pants and red muscle tank while Julie was wearing one of his old long sleeved green shirts that fell just below her shapely bottom and a pair of pink boy-cut panties that oversized shirt had hidden.

"John, it's not a question."

"I'm an adult, you can't treat me like this."

"As long as you're under my roof, I can."

"You think I'm doing this by choice?"

"I can appreciate that you love your sister, but John you're a grown man -"

"And Julie's a grown woman," he fired back. "You let her move out and you won't have to even see me again."

It had been two weeks since John's last date with Kate and things had been getting increasingly more tense at home between John and their father. Now it was obvious to both lovers that their father wanted him out with Kate again.

John had tried all he had thought of in the weeks before. He had told him he was in love with someone else, Mr. Franklin didn't care. John reminded him of the night he had walked in on he and his sister, not telling him it was Julie, their father had decided it was a meaningless one night stand. Still their father insisted to have his will done and had begun almost blackmailing him in order to have it done.

John knew he had a way out, to leave and live on his own. But he wouldn't leave his sister. Not with the images he feared playing in his mind each time he considered leaving her alone with him.

Meanwhile Kate's infatuation for John seemed to be growing again and she and the lovers' father weren't backing down without a fight. A fight that was quickly becoming a no holds barred war.

During these fights, Julie often remained quiet. It was all she could do to keep from saying anything to reveal how she truly loved her brother. Even if they had begun to take a slightly physical toll on her. For the past week she had been feeling ill, she and John both convinced it was the stress getting to her. But somehow when she was with her brother like this she was almost oddly fine.

John was often the better tempered of the two, but now their father was truly pushing him to a new breaking point.

"John, you and Kate are both off tomorrow, you're taking her out again and that's final."

"You can't force me."

"No? Enjoy driving that car of yours without insurance then. And your phone? When I was your age we didn't even have cell phones and we survived, it'd be interesting to see if you can."

"I'm already surviving worse," he stated angrily.

"John," Julie pleaded almost silently as she looked up at him. She wanted him to end the fight, a sharp pain now hovering above her left eye and her stomach flipping again.

"Are you sure?" he asked just as quietly.

Julie nodded and whispered, "I love you."

This time John nodded and said, "All right. So where are we going or do we get any say in any matters?"

"As long as you're out with her, I don't care what you do."

John was too angry to resist, "So, as long as I'm out with Kate, I could do whatever I wanted as far as you're concerned?"

"Basically."

John only smiled as he asked, "So, I could fuck Julie right here on the sofa and you'd be okay with that as long as I was out with Kate?"

His sister's dark eyes widened in surprise at that as she looked up at him. But she was shocked into silence.

"John, there's no reason to get that repulsive," their father stated.

"Except for the fact that you know I'm in love with someone else and you're forcing me to abandon her in favor of someone I can barely tolerate," he replied.

Julie could only smile as a warm shiver ran through her. Not only was her lover saying that he was in love with her, but he was saying it to their father. Even if they were the only ones in the room who knew she was who he meant.

"Your only plans tomorrow are with Kate, goodnight, John," Mr. Franklin stated before he headed off to his room for the night.

Once she knew their father was out of earshot, Julie tried to ask, "John - ?"

"What the hell was I thinking?" he interrupted.

"That'd be the question," she replied softly.

"I'm sick of lying. And if I can tell the truth in a way that he thinks I'm kidding, fine, I'll take what I can get."

Though she waned to kiss him, she only coiled her arms around him and nearly buried her face in the nape of his neck.

John retuned his sister's warm embrace, his left shoulder threatening to cut off her oxygen as he pressed her to him as tightly as he could. But right then she hardly cared about her ability to breathe.

The next night came painfully quickly for the lovers and this time Julie didn't bother trying to find something on TV to watch. Knowing she needed to get out of the house she once again called Karen.

"Are you okay?" her friend asked once she heard Julie's shaky voice.

"Could we go somewhere tonight?"

"Where do you wanna go?"

"Anywhere but Alex's."

"Would you be up for a club?"

An hour later the young women headed into the club. At first glance to Julie it didn't seem to be too different from Alex's parties, but this time at least Karen wasn't running off ahead.

"You want a drink?" Karen asked.

"I'm good," she told her, having to shout over the blaring rock music.

"Are you still feeling sick?" Karen asked as she saw Julie's hand move to her flat stomach.

She nodded, but said, "I'll be fine. I just don't really want to even see alcohol right now after Alex's party."

"Then let's dance."

But what neither of them could know in that moment was Kate had chosen the same club for her date with John that night.

At opposite ends of the large, overcrowded and deafeningly loud club, both siblings seemed to be dancing up a storm with their partners. Both for the same reason. Simply to try to forget for the night what they knew they couldn't escape.

But once another hour had passed, Julie made her way to the bar to get a bottled water. But soon spotted John and Kate.

At first she thought she was hallucinating, but once she knew he was seeing her, she knew it was truly him. Though it was impossible for her to conceal her hurt as she knew how each of her dances with him ended.

"Julie!" he called as he saw her begin to turn away.

"Where are you - ?" Kate tried to ask, but John was halfway to his sister.

"Julie!" he called again.

"Get me out of here," Julie said to Karen when she reached her.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

"He's here with Kate."

"Julie, listen to me!" he told her when he finally caught up to her.

"Why should I?!" she demanded. "You're here with her! Dancing with her!"

"We were until someone decided to have a hissy fit," Kate commented as she walked up.

"Stay out of this," John told Kate firmly.

"With anyone else dancing is dancing. But with us - With us, it's more. I can't even - " Julie tried to go on, but her voice failed her as her breath caught in her throat.

"John, let her go," Kate told him.

John only ignored Kate and in his sister's distraction, tightly threaded his arms around her and held her close to him.

"Let go of me," Julie ordered. It was the first time she had ever not wanted to be held by him and now he was holding onto her tighter than he ever had before, only partially because she was trying to get away.

"Not until you tell me what you feel," he told her.

"Anger, pain, disappointment - " she went on as she lessened her struggle, knowing he was too strong. At least for her to get away without really hurting him. She may have been angry with him and saddened by him, but she still cared too much for him to be in pain. Despite the pain she was feeling now.

"I mean physically," he said. Pressing her into him more, he added, "Tell me what you feel. Better yet, tell me what you don't feel. We've been dancing for an hour, if I'd been dancing with you for an hour, just think of the condition I'd be in."

Julie knew then what her brother meant. If he'd been at all attracted to Kate, his body would've been showing it by now. But as it was his body was instead proving he felt nothing for Kate.

"I only want you, Julie. I love you," he told his sister as he kept his hold on her.

Only then did the petite brunette lace her arms around John in reply, her body relaxing severely at his truth.

"John, what's going on?" Kate's voice broke in again.

"The date's over," he told her, loosening his hold on his sister only slightly. "And I know our parents like the idea of us, but this is ending now. I can't take it anymore."

"You know your father's gonna freak?" the slender blonde asked.

"I don't care," he said as he looked back to his sister. "Karen, could you take Kate home?" he asked over Julie's shoulder.

"You trust me alone in a car with her?"

"Please? You don't even have to talk to her, just take her home and I'll take care of this one."

"All right, all right. Night, Julie!" she called over the music.

"Night!" she called back.

"It's too bad, John. We could've had something," Kate said.

"Not when I have it with someone else," he replied with a soft smile to Julie.

"Are you coming?" Karen called to Kate.

"I can't wait to see how your father reacts to this ending," Kate said to John before she began to walk with Karen.

Once the others were out of their eye line, both lovers sighed in relief and Julie leaned into John and brought her lips to his.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked once their tender kiss ended.

Julie only laughed at her brother's question. But as she saw him offering his left hand to her, she could only agree and take it.

Almost before they knew it, they were being swept up into their own heated dance. John was holding his sister almost impossibly close and Julie had her arms locked behind her brother at his broad shoulders as her hips swayed and her body canted back into his hold, his soft lips already focused at her sensitive neck and throat.

The heat of the club was intensifying, but theirs was still hotter. The multi-colored strobe lights were almost blinding at times, but still their sparks were brighter and they both knew it.

Their desires were increasing with the speed of the movements and their arousal was only being fueled by the sight of the light sheens of sweat covering their exposed skin. John was in one of his sleeveless white denim shirts that looked almost as though he had ripped the sleeves off himself that he had almost half unbuttoned along with a pair of well fitting blue jeans.

As for Julie, she was dressed in a tight pink tank top and nearly skintight faded blue jeans. It was just the right outfit for when she knew she would be dancing like this. Though truthfully she would never dance with Karen this way.

Their hands were wandering now that Julie had stood up straight again, but still they were staying as close as could be. Julie's hands were at her brother's hips while his were cupping her shapely cheeks.

But almost as soon as John took his lips back, his sister's met his neck. Though not for long as her tongue slipped from her mouth and ran upwards from his neck's base to just below his left ear.

"Umm, what are you doing?" he purred as he felt his cock twitch.

"From the feel of things, turning you on," she answered before letting her tongue dance over his throat.

"But why this?" he nearly panted.

"You're sweating. Someone should lick you clean and who better than me?"

"We should go then."

"Why? No one here knows about us."

"It's not that. I'm just a little worried a few other people might notice what you're about to feel."

"Ohh," she breathed as she moved closer, easily feeling the beginnings of his protrusion.

"Yeah, that," he told her with a partial smile.

She gave the center of his chest one good, slow lick before taking his hand and saying, "Then let's go."