Page 188 of Endgame
I’m not sure I do either. I’m nothing and no one, reduced to being a trembling woman between her husband’s thighs.
My uncle’s thighs.
One palm on my cheek, he draws me closer to him.
I’m unable to resist his warmth. Can’t tear myself from him, can’t end this kiss that’s comforting and wonderful.
Incest.
The sensible thing to do would be to get up.
It wouldn’t be to open my lips for him, to let him swipe his tongue over mine.
Oh. My. God.
Both cramps and nausea attack me violently. I’m this close to doubling over. I might black out. I might expel my dinner. I don’t know.
And that’s the actual problem here.
I don’t know. I don’t know anything.
I pull back, missing his mouth on mine.
Sick.
“Your sister.” Breathing burns my throat. “My mom was yoursister.”
“You can’t be sure it’s her.” Everett’s brow lowers, his lips pinching. “Besides, maybe he was talking about Molly?”
“I—” I’m about to sayI don’t know. Except I do. He wasn’t. I already established that. To the outside world, Molly appears to be perfect.
This girl, however, her face and mine, there’s no denying it.
I’ve been staring at my reflection in the mirror for twenty-two years.
Iknow.
His grip on me loosens. I use that to my advantage, scrambling out of his lap. The album nearly slides out of my fingers. I hold on tighter. Not letting go.
My knuckles whiten with how hard I’m gripping onto the damn thing.
“Look at her.” I open the album to a random page, shoving the photos in his face. Tears run down my cheeks like rivers. “Look at her, then look at me.”
“Aurora, even if you were her daughter?—”
Even if I were, then what? Then he’d keep fucking me. Then we’d have babies born of incest.
Then the best thing that’s ever happened to me would be wrong and dirty.
“No.” I cling to the album. To my maybe-mother’s photos.
“Listen to me?—”
I spin on my heel, sprinting toward his garage. “No!”
“Stop.” He walks behind me, each heavy footfall a threat. He’ll get me.
He can’t do that. He has to stop. Has to realize that this is for the best. For us, for him.
