Page 17 of Keeping Our Secrets

Since the family breakfast they had forced us to attend, she’d given up on worrying about what she wore around the house, which usually consisted of tank tops and shorts. I still couldn’t believe she was here, after all these months.

Under the same roof.

Talk about forced proximity.

The months we had been apart had brought on some physical changes in her. Sometimes I thought I was going crazy because she was even more gorgeous now than she was when we first met. Her hips were fuller and I could have sworn her breasts were bigger.

“With the amount of time I spend taking cold showers, I could have been preparing for an Arctic challenge.”

“Are you sure your balls haven’t shrivelled up by now?”

“Enough about my balls, they’re just fine,” I responded.

“So are you coming out tonight then?”

I glanced at my closed door, wondering what Mairi was doing on the other side of the hall.

“Yeah, I’m coming out,” I agreed and then ended the call. I quickly got ready and walked out into the hall. Mairi stepped out the moment I got there, dressed for bed. Yet another reason for me to flee.

“You’re going out?” she asked.

“Yup.” I knew I was being short, but I didn’t care. Hopefully, I’d find someone else to occupy my thoughts tonight.

“Oh, okay then. Have fun.”

“That’s the plan.” With that, I bounded down the steps and was out in the car before she could respond. Finding someone other than the off-limits newly appointed step-sister across the hall. She was everything I wanted and shouldn’t touch rolled up into one smoking hot package.

I was fucked if I didn’t find something to take my mind off of her. If our parents ever found out just how much fun we had in Paris, we would both be fucked.

Which was exactly why we needed a little separation.

The problem was that I would rather curl up on the couch beside her and watch a movie. The truth of the matter was that until Miranda, I hadn’t dated at all. I was a nerd and a loner in high school. Top that up with my mom dying from cancer and my dad being gone on business trips.

I could have gone the other way and turned into a wild child, but I wanted my mom to be proud so I threw myself into school.

Studying instead of dates.

Studying instead of patties.

Studying instead of having sex.

That was until I went away for uni and Miranda convinced me we should date. She wasn’t my first, but there hadn’t been many girls before her. In between her and Mairi, there had been a couple one-night stands and several failed attempts at dating.

After Mairi blocked me, it was easy to return to what or rather who I knew.

Miranda.

It wasn’t because I loved her; I never developed feelings for her beyond a platonic friendship. I was ashamed to say it went on so long because she was willing. Believing that cheapened her somehow, and somewhere between school and meeting Mairi, our friendship suffered.

It wasn’t because of Mairi, regardless of what Miranda believed. It had everything to do with her inability to accept that our sexual relationship was over and that we had never been more than friends.

And now my actions had placed me between a rock and a hard place.

“So it’s getting crowded at home?” Darren asked as soon as we got our beers..

The drinks were flowing, and the music was pumping. Darren and Rick showed up just as they promised, and without Miranda.

“Yeah.” I took another swig of my beer and glanced around the pub.

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