Page 8 of Dark, Forbidden, & Taboo

At least I think she does.

I swallow down a sigh as the gloomy feeling that usually befalls me when I wonder just how deeply her love runs starts to settle over me.

She swears that she’s given her heart to me, but I don’t know if understands what that means most of the time.

Love to Etta only shines when her eyes are glassy, her words are muddled, and her mind is compromised.

It wasn’t always like this.

The first time she kissed me, I thought it was a dream of some kind. She was fifteen and I was twelve when that immaculate kiss happened.

I hadn’t expected my older sister to have the same feelings for me that I’ve always had for her, but she surprised me in the best way possible.

And when she was sixteen and I was thirteen we had sex for the first time.

I’ve worshipped at her altar ever since.

I sit down on the bed near her feet, rest a hand on her leg, and smile again when she finally starts to show signs of consciousness again.

I watch as she pushes her hair out of her face, then glances down at me. I can see the tip of one of her teeth poking gentlyinto her bottom lip. It’s one of the things I love about her so much—she’s notsociety standardsbeautiful—she’s in a fucking class all on her own.

“Good morning?” she asks hopefully in a throaty tone, still wrought with sleep.

I shake my head, my smile becoming warm as she lets out a sigh, then flops onto her back.

I reach into the side pocket of my jeans and retrieve a small, square zip lock bag, gently laying it on her belly.

Etta wants to get better.

I want her to get better too.

But keeping her sick is the only time that I know she honestly, truly loves me.

Chapter

Seven

Etta smiles up at me, her eyes glassy, her hands shaking, but she’s happy and that’s what counts.

She’s getting a hell of a lot better.

She only uses once or twice every other day now.

“Want some?” she asks me as she uses her the tips of her fingers to wipe away the excess powder from beneath her nose.

I finally return her smile as I shake my head. My drug isher,I don’t need or want anything else.

“This is really good, Oli,” she comments as she leans down and inhales another white line. “I don’t know where you got it, but thanks!”

I nod as I lean forward and take the small baggie out of Etta’s reach. I know for a fact that if she snorts too much of this shit she can overdose. That’s how it is with any drug, and that’s the last thing I want to have happen.

I just want her to have enough to get her through the hard days, and to take away the pain she feels when she doesn’t have anything to stop it with.

Hydros was the only thing I could get my hands on before I came back to her, but I refused to come back with nothing.

Tomorrow, I’ll figure out a way to get her a vial of her Blue Devil, and things will go on as they usually do.

“Oli?”

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