Kissed By My Brother

plush white sofa, my hands clenched in my lap, watching him walk down the grand staircase. He moved with an easy grace, a confidence that made

me, his shadow fallin

his voice smooth and low. It was the v

ed, just like it always did. I looked up at him, my eyes trying to tell him everything I couldn' t say out loud. I loved hi

t sleep,"

t didn' t quite reach his eyes. "Don' t worry. I have a bi

essive. He chose my clothes, my friends, my entire life. I thought it was because he cared, because he wanted to prote

lence he left behind was worse than the tension when he was here. I waited for a few minutes, the lilies making

by his desk, holding a silver picture frame. I had never seen it before. In the frame was a

raw, desperate, and full of a love so deep it was painful to watch. He traced the glass over h

n my memory. I was a substitute. A stand-in for the woman he truly loved. The realization was a physical blow, knocki

down, his face instantly changing back to the cool, contro

orrow?" The voice was female, sharp a

s tone eager to please, like a dog waiting for a treat. "Th

? The special gift f

A birthday gift for her, and a little bit of fun for you. We' ll see how much the men of this city are willing to pay for the innocent little nie

my back pressed against the cold wood. Auction me off. The words echoed in my head, nonsensical and mons

ripped with poison. "Good. And what about th

dangerous, just enough to trigger her trauma. She' s so pathetic when she' s scared of fire. I

a dark satisfaction. "The one that got rid of her parents and made room for me. I

e fire that killed my mother and father. The fire that had given me nightmares for 2,190

me lies, and made me love him, all while knowing this soul-crushing secret. The kindness, the pro

I was a joke. A replacement. A tool for his revenge and a pawn in his sick game with Emily. My love for

thought his possessiveness was a sign of his affection. I thought his control was for my own good. I was so stu

ay, he was going to burn m

I had to get out. I had to escape. I pushed myself up from the floor, my legs shaking but steady. I looked at my reflection in the dark polished wood of the hallway floor. My face w