Chapter 21 #3
I wince as I push up from the couch, my thighs clenching and ass flaring with heat, another sharp reminder that I was spanked within an inch of my life not twenty minutes ago.
“You okay? What’s wrong?” Abigail’s voice is full of concern as she glances over at me.
“I’m fine,” I say quickly, forcing a tight smile. “I think I just slept weird or something, my back’s a little sore, that’s all.”
She eyes me for a beat too long but thankfully doesn’t push.
We head upstairs together, and I do my best not to limp. Once inside my room, I grab the measuring tape and take her measurements again, trying to stay focused.
“Oh wow! This is gorgeous!” she exclaims, admiring the gown as she holds it up.
“It’s not even finished yet. I still have details to add around the pearls. Try it on, let’s see how it fits.”
She slips into the dress, her eyes lighting up. “It’s already stunning! You’re going to do amazing things, Blair. You know that, right?”
Her words make my heart ache. I don’t deserve her as a sister. How do I repay her for always being there for me? By sleeping with her fiancé.
“So, you like Calvin, right?” she asks suddenly.
“What?” Panic surges through me.
“For me, I mean. You like him for me, right?”
“Oh… uh, sure. Why?” I stammer, trying to keep my voice steady as I button up the back of her dress.
“I know you were worried about us getting married too quickly. But I hope you got to know him better while I was away,” she says with a smile. I bite my lip so hard I taste copper.
“He’s… nice, I guess,” I mumble, my fingers fumbling with the buttons.
“Oh, I love this dress! I’m in love with it!” she twirls, admiring her reflection in the mirror. I force a smile, though it feels hollow.
“I’m glad you love it,” I say, inspecting the dress. “It’s a bit loose around the shoulders. I’ll adjust it.” I note the corrections on my iPad, but I can barely focus.
Without warning, Abigail wraps her arms around me, pulling me into a tight hug. “Thank you. For being here, for putting so much effort into this. I know it hasn’t been easy, especially with me being gone. I’m so grateful.”
Her words nearly undo me. Tears threaten to spill again, but I swallow them down.
“What are sisters for, right?” I manage to say, smiling through the pain.
“We should have dinner with Mom and Dad tonight. What do you think?”
“Sure. That sounds… fun.” I try to smile, but I don’t think I know how to anymore.
“Great. Let me know when you’re ready,” she says, leaving the room.
Once she’s gone, I collapse onto the bed, and the tears I’ve been holding back fall freely. I don’t know how much more of this I can take.
“Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad,” I greet them warmly, leaning in to kiss them on the cheek.
“Hi, baby! How are you?” my mom asks, her smile soft and familiar.
“I’m okay, just starving.” I sink into my seat at the dining table. The aroma of roast beef fills the room. It smells heavenly, just like Mom’s cooking always does.
“That’s because you never eat, I don’t think you ate at all today,” Abigail teases, flashing me a grin.
“Sit down. There’s plenty,” my dad chimes in, and we all settle down to eat.
For a few moments, it’s peaceful, just the clinking of forks and the occasional compliment about dinner. But then, my dad clears his throat.
“Honey, when are we going to meet Calvin’s family?” he asks casually, and I nearly choke on my food.
“Blair, don’t eat so fast,” my mom warns.
I keep my eyes glued to my plate, the tension creeping in.
“I know you said they live in Europe,” my dad continues, “but it’s strange. Our daughter’s getting married, and we’ve never even spoken to Calvin’s family. Not one person.”
Oh God. I feel my heart pound as the silence around the table thickens.
“They’re just really busy, Dad,” Abigail says, her voice tight with frustration.
“I’ve talked to his mom. She’s lovely, really.
She sends her regrets for not making it to the wedding.
But it’s going to be a small affair anyway.
We don’t need everyone there.” Her tone slices through the air, and for a moment, the whole room seems to pause.
I clear my throat softly, forcing a smile. “You know, my graduation’s coming up soon,” I say, trying to sound casual. “It would mean everything to have you all there. You’d love it.”
Abigail glances over at me, her shoulders softening as she offers a faint, grateful smile. I reach under the table and give her hand a gentle squeeze.
“We wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Mom says.
“Of course we wouldn’t,” Dad adds. “We’ll find a way, no matter how busy things get.”
After dinner, Dad suggests a game of Monopoly, and we all jump at the idea, grateful for the distraction, for something simple and familiar to fill the space between us.
Hours later, I’m still awake, phone clutched in my hand. His name glows on the screen, and I ache, bone-deep, soul-deep, to hear his voice. But I don’t call. I just stare.
God, I hate myself for this. For wanting him the way I do. For letting it hollow me out and fill me at the same time.
This thing I thought I could control has taken over me.
It’s relentless, consuming every thought, every inch of me, leaving me trembling with need I can’t tame.
Every touch, every secret moment we steal feels carved into my skin.
He makes me feel alive… too alive. Like I’ve been colorless my whole life, and he’s the first taste of something real.
And I want to believe it.
I want to believe that when he says my name, it isn’t just lust wearing tenderness as a disguise. That he means it and I’m not something to be regretted in the quiet after, but something to be chosen.
Claimed.
Kept.
But I have to know better. Because in a few weeks, he’s marrying her.
My sister, who deserves everything I’ve taken.
I tell myself to stop. To end it. But every time he looks at me, I fall apart.
One glance, one whisper, and I’m his again.
I know how this ends. There’s no world where this doesn’t burn. But I can’t stop; I don’t want to.
I love him. And that, I think, is the most tragic part of it all.