Page 12 of The Unwanted Love

"So you keep saying." His lips twist. "It doesn’t change anything, Skye."

"What do you mean?" I frown. "It changes everything."

"Doesn’t change the fact that you’re Ben’s?—"

"Sister, I know. But I’m not your sister, am I?"

He reels back as if I slapped him, then seems to get a hold of himself. "No… You’re not. And after today, I’ll never think of you as my sister."

"Did you—" I swallow. "Was there a time that youdidthink of me as your sister?"

He hesitates. "I saw you as Ben’s sibling. And in that sense, I felt protective toward you. But in all honesty, I didn’t think much of you in any way."

It’s my turn to flinch. "Thanks."

His lips twist. "Now you’re upset."

"No, yes… I don’t know. I suppose, I’m relieved there were no familial feelings toward me on your end, for there definitely weren’t on mine."

He rubs at his temple. "It would have been wrong and very creepy if I had seen you in any way other than being Ben’s much younger sibling."

"Yeah." I hunch my shoulders. "But none of this helps me at all. I feel…what I feel toward you. And I’m aware you think it’s some kind of crush?—"

"Which it is," he says in a firm voice.

"It may have started out that way, but… It grew into something over the years. And when I saw you today… I…think… No. I know, I’m falling for you."

He looks so stricken that I slap my forehead. "I shouldn’t have said that. Please forget I said that. It was a slip of the tongue. It was…nothing."

"It’s something." His voice is so gentle, so soft, that familiar flutter starts up in my chest and slides down to the space between my legs.

"Don’t minimize what you’re feeling, Skye. But also… You should know, it’s wrong."

"Why is it wrong?" I slap my hand on my hip. "Tell me. You’re only fifteen years older than me."

"That’s more than a generation apart. It might not mean much to you, but when you’re thirty, I’ll be forty-five."

"A very hot forty-five," I retort.

"And when you’re forty, I’ll be fifty-five."

"A gorgeous silver fox…" I try to keep the dreamy tone out of my voice and fail.

His lips tighten. "This can’t be. There can be nothing between us. Skye. You think you’re falling for me?—"

"I know it. You can’t change how I’m feeling," I snap.

He nods slowly. "You’re smart and stubborn, all good traits. But you haven’t lived enough. You don’t have the experience to know what you want, Skye."

The finality in his tone, the hard set of his jaw, all of it tells me he’s made up his mind and I can’t budge him.

"I know what I want," I say with desperation. "I do."

He looks at me with a sad smile. "Goodbye, Skye." He turns to leave.

My heart drops to my feet.No, no, no. He can’t just leave. Not like this.

"Wait, I know what I want from you for my birthday."

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