My Sister's Innocence

Chapter 8
Deal

Kayla was vaguely aware of Karen leaving sometime during the night. Kayla was too exhausted to even glance at the clock, or even bother to open her eyes. The only thing that alerted her was the sound of the door opening and closing and then Tristan drowsily sliding into the bed with her, wrapping his arms about her and holding her close. She laid against him, feeling the curves of his nakedness and hating herself for enjoying it, for wanting to awaken to feel those muscles working her over. It was a fleeting thought for she was asleep before the thought was even truly completed and she fell into a world of dreams that were all hidden meanings but no direct visions.

The next morning Kayla awoke more completely to the smell of bacon frying on the stove. She slowly sat up, a bit sore from the night before, and thought of the mess she had placed herself directly into. It was the banging on the front door that had Kayla moving faster out of bed. She knew who was at the door, as Tristan obviously did as well. He did not move to answer it; he continued to cook in his little kitchenette while Kayla went and stood by the kitchen opening. The two of them listened to the sound of the banging door together, peacefully for a moment, until the shrill shrieks began. “Open this door, Tristan! I know you and Kayla are in there and if you do not open this door I will call the police and have you arrested for statutory rape!”

This had Tristan moving to open his door. The last thing any of them needed was for the neighbors to hear the battle-cry of his mother as she personally attacked the two of them verbally through the door. He opened the door to a very harried mother, a woman who usually was calm, collected, and together looking distraught and holding a grievance against her eldest son.

“How dare you?” she demanded, stepping inside. If it had not been for Tristan’s foot moving quickly to slam the door the neighbors would have seen the whole next interaction. His mother slapped him hard against the face, reeling him back from the door. She turned on Kayla and stalked towards her. Kayla pushed against the wall and closed her eyes, bracing herself for the harsh sting. She could not have prepared herself for the pain that her mother’s hand inflicted upon her cheek. Kayla was sure she had used her fist as she tasted blood coming up.

“Do you two have any idea what you have done?” their mother screamed with absolute horror. “How can we even hope to be a normal family if you two are fucking each other? It’s disgusting.”

“Mom, do you love us?” Tristan asked, stepping over to help Kayla, wiping her chin was a drop of blood dripped away.

“Get away from her,” their mother demanded, pushing them apart.

“You didn’t answer my question,” Tristan pointed out.

“Of course I love you, both,” she said in what sounded to be the most defeated voice either had heard. “I love you both with all my heart, which is why this is breaking my heart.”

“It shouldn’t break your heart,” Tristan insisted. “You should be happy for the two of us, that we want to be together this much.”

“You’re brother and sister,” their mother argued. “What will people say? What will they think? And you can never have children together. Plus, this whole relationship is illegal. You can never be married. You are taking away fulfilling lives for some lust factor that should never be.”

“Is that all you are worried about?” Tristan asked, his arms crossed against his chest. “What other people will think?” Kayla remained quieter than a mouse.

“In case you weren’t listening to me,” their mother sneered through gritted teeth, “I did give you other reasonings.”

“Oh yes, your other reasonings,” Tristan sneered back, his chin raised as high as his mother’s. Kayla watched the striking resemblance to one another, how much child and mother were alike. Not just in looks, in personality. Tristan could be so much more and he did not reach for it, he did not go for it. Kayla, being innocently naïve most of her life, never really realized why. “Your other reasonings are that our lives will lose fulfillment, that we-”

“The bacon is burning,” Kayla squeaked out, her eyes and nose suddenly alert. Tristan and mother both dropped the argument to rush into the kitchen where the smoke alarms were only a second behind them. Kayla ran to the next room where she was sure she saw the fire extinguisher in the bedroom, though why it was there… maybe she did not want to know that answer.

They had the fire out before Kayla could use the fire extinguisher, which she was grateful for. She had never used an extinguisher before and was afraid of doing something wrong. She was already in trouble, she was already in the wrong…

“Let’s make a deal,” her mother was saying to her eldest son. Kayla looked over at her mother, ready to accept any deal and saw that her mother’s eyes were only for Tristan. Kayla stepped back, wondering if she had been forgotten in this all. “I will support the relationship of you and Kayla, if you first go away to college and do what you promised me you would always do.”

“Be like you?” Tristan asked snidely.

“You said you wanted to be a doctor once,” their mother continued, not allowing him to bait her. “I want you to go to school and become one. When you do I will fully support the two of you, no questions asked.”

Tristan looked doubtful and it was Kayla who broke the silence to speak. “Are you doing this in hopes we will grow apart?”

Her mother smiled at her, not entirely a friendly smile and not an entirely malicious smile. “Yes, and no,” she admitted. “Yes, I would rather you two find happiness elsewhere than with each other. It would make both of your lives easier, and mine. But, if you two can last the years Tristan is away at school then how can I deny something that is that strong of a bond?”

Kayla felt tears welling up in her eyes. She did not know if they were for herself or for the life she would be denying herself. She did not know if she cried out of happiness that her mother was even slightly willing to give them a chance or that her mother truly believed that within the years that Tristan would be gone they would fall out of love. Love? Were they in love? They certainly had not told one another they were in love. Just a few hours ago he had his girlfriend, or lover, or whatever Karen was, licking and caressing Kayla’s body while he gazed upon them, before he took Kayla with such intensity she felt her body clenching. That was not love. That was lust.

“Do you accept my deal?” her mother asked, and now she was watching her daughter carefully, watching the warring emotions that rushed across Kayla’s face.

“Yes,” Kayla said out of pure tenacity, “yes, I accept.”