Shunned

I pulled my sister inside and closed the front door before gently extricating myself from her. Holding her at arm's length, I looked at her as she continued to sob.

"You know you can't be here," I said.

She shook her head once, her hands reaching for me again. I held her steady, waiting for her to respond or, at the very least, calm down.

After a few moments, her shuddering breaths calmed and the tears stopped flowing quite so liberally. I loosened my grip on her arms and gestured to the couch.

I remained silent as we both sat down, waiting for her to begin speaking. It was just as she began to finally talk that something occurred to me. I held up a hand, cutting her off as I stood up and walked to the door.

Poking my head outside, I looked up and down the street, trying to see if there was anyone obviously watching the bungalow. I saw nothing, so I closed the door again and rejoined her on the couch.

"Sorry. Just had to make sure you weren't followed."

She took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

"I don't think I was," she said. "I took precautions. And I didn't fly, I took the train."

Glancing over her, I believed it. Despite being stylish, her clothes were somewhat wrinkled and her hair mussed. She had a purse on her, but no luggage. It was obvious she'd not changed in at least a couple of days.

"So," I said, keeping my voice as even as I could, "why are you here?"

She walked to the couch and sat down, her purse at her feet. She twisted her hands together.

"I needed to see you."

I let out a huff of irritation. "You've seen me. Recently, in fact, that I have to admit you haven't seen as much of me as I have of you."

She blushed at that, turned her eyes to the window. I hadn't realized until that moment how pretty she was. It had been years since I last saw her, and she was... Well, beautiful.

I could, for a moment, understand why my father had done what he did. He was still an evil piece of shit, but he had good taste.

I shook those thoughts from my head and sat down across from her.

"I'm sorry, that was..."

"No." She shook her head. "You're right, you saw what you saw."

"You said there was no choice."

"I know, but that-- It wasn't as truthful as it could have been."

I raised a brow.

"Are you saying you had a choice?"

"Of course I did. We all did. We just-- The choice we made wasn't a good one."

"Okay," I said, leaning forward. "Then tell me why?"

She was quiet for a moment, then stood suddenly.

"I need-- Where's the bathroom?"

I pointed down the short hallway and she walked down it hurriedly. When the bathroom door closed, I moved to the couch and picked up her purse. With a quick search of her bag, I made sure she didn't have anything like a recording device or weapon in the bag. What I found was a couple of feminine products, old night club wristbands, and a wallet with about two thousand in cash and a fake driver's license in the name of "Sadie Simmons" with my sister's lovely face on it. Judging from the dates, she'd gotten it shortly after she turned 18.

I smirked at the discovery that my sister had been sneaking out to nightclubs, though I wondered why she still had it years after becoming old enough to drink legally.

"It's what I use to get around without Dad knowing." Her voice startled me, answering the question in my head. I looked up at her.

"Sorry, I--"

"No, it's fine. I think I would have done the same thing in your position."

"I'm just finding it very hard to trust... well, anything."

She let out a quiet sigh and sat down next to me. I handed her the purse, and she set it on the coffee table and looked at me.

"Can we talk? For real. I want-- I missed you."

I felt my face flush as I pushed down the instinct to lash out, but somehow my mouth didn't get the memo.

"I've missed you, too. And Mom. And Caitlin. And Cara. Even Dad, sometimes. For five years, I missed you all. Not a visit. Not a letter for nearly the entire time. Not a word," I snarled. "You left me behind. You fucking shunned me like I had wronged you all somehow."

"No, it's--"

"There is literally nothing you can say that will fix that. Nothing that will make it better." I felt tears in my eyes, and it was only years of practice at holding them back that kept me from breaking down entirely. "I haven't had a family in years. I have been alone, fucking alone."

I took a shuddering breath, looking away from her, my own hands twisting together now.

"So you're welcome to give me an excuse. A reason you all abandoned me. But it won't fix things, and I won't forgive you."

"I know," she said. "I just... Dad manipulated us. For years, from long before we were old enough to understand what he was doing. Even you, though I think you were spared the worst of it when Mom had you sent off to the Academy."

I looked at her and blinked. "What?"

She tilted her head and stared at me in confusion. "What, what?"

"Mom sent me off to Ulfriton? Not Dad?"

Tabitha shook her head. "No, Mom told me years ago it was her idea. Dad was-- Well, she worried that he would do something horrible to you. Something that couldn't be healed or fixed."

"Like, he was going to kill me or something??"

She shrugged, looking down at her hands. "We weren't sure. But he had been staring at you in a way that-- She worried. We all did. After that last... incident... Mom decided you would be safer elsewhere."

I frowned, remembering my father standing over me in the back yard, belt in hand, and the leather hitting my bare back and buttocks. I winced at the memory.

"So she sent you to the Academy, and set up a stipend for you to make sure you had everything you needed. She felt--"

"A stipend??" I snorted. "Great, a hundred bucks a month to cover everything I could possibly need. How generous."

She looked at me, wide-eyed. "You aren't serious."

"Has there been a moment since-- Have I joked with you once since I came home? I'm not even sure I'm capable of joking about any of this shit."

"Vic, you were supposed to be getting ten times that. A week. A thousand every week, to cover any and all expenses. So you could do things, have a life--"

"Well, I didn't get that. I've been managing off of a hundred dollars each month for the past five years."

"I'm sorry. I-- I swear, I thought you were getting more. It made me feel less... I wasn't quite so upset about you being gone, because I figured at least you'd have a whole new life there."

"Well..." I sat back and rubbed my hands over my face. "I didn't. I had to scrounge, and save, and... I usually went without if I needed something major, though I could make do with--"

I sighed and let my hands drop to my sides. "It's pointless to talk about it now. Either she lied about the money, or Dad only sent that much, or someone at the school was stealing from me. Regardless, it's too late to do anything about it and I've moved on."

"I'm sorry."

"So you've said."

"I really am, Victor. You're my brother. And I made the decision to go along with what everyone else was doing. I treated you like shit. You didn't deserve that."

I looked away, then up at the ceiling, willing the tears back.

"No. No, I did not." My voice was thick with emotion. I closed my eyes, and that's when she leaned into me and wrapped her arms around me.

I didn't hug her back. Not at first. But the feeling of someone... Of family, holding me like that, was too much. I couldn't hold back any longer, and the tears began to trickle down my cheeks. I hugged her back, and held her, and the two of us wept together like that.

I don't know how long we sat there in each other's arms. But the room had grown darker as evening set in. I was resting my chin atop her head, listening to the sound of her breathing. I decided then that I needed to forgive her, despite my earlier assertions. The moment I made that choice, I felt... lighter. I know that it's cliché to talk about a burden being lifted, but that's what it felt like. The weight of it all, of my family's betrayal, wasn't gone... But knowing I could make peace with at least one of my sisters helped.

I kissed the top of her head and squeezed her again, then extricated myself and stood. She leaned back, looking up at me questioningly.

"We should eat. We can talk more, and then get some rest. Tomorrow we'll figure out-- Well, we'll discuss the rest of this."

She nodded, giving me a small smile. I went into the kitchen, flipped on the light, and stopped. I really didn't have anything one could conjure up a meal out of, unless that meal consisted of Kraft mac 'n cheese and some fried Spam. I didn't think my sister would be up for that level of culinary delight, so I turned back to the living room.

"Chinese sound okay?"

"Yes. It's been a while."

I smiled. "Beef and broccoli still your go-to?"

"I'm surprised you remember."

"I remember a lot of things, Sis."

Her grin was wry at that. As she sat back, I pulled out my phone and made the call.

Two hours later, we'd eaten, cleaned up after ourselves, and talked some more. There was a silent agreement between us to not further pick at old wounds. Instead, we discussed our time in school, the people we'd been hanging out with, and our plans for the future. I had just told her about some of my girlfriends over the past few years.

"Between the beard and the muscles, I can see the appeal."

I stroked my beard and smiled. "My masculinity?"

She shook her head. "No, more of a maturity. You seem... Self-assured. Steady. In a way that I've not seen in someone your age before. Not that, you know, you aren't masculine. You certainly are."

I grinned. "Yeah, at some point I'll have to thank Mom for the genetics that allowed me to grow a beard in high school. We all know Dad wasn't responsible for that."

"Yeah, I remember that last time he tried to grow a beard. I think I was... 16?"

"That sounds about right. I remember how patchy and awful it looked, but no one would tell him."

She giggled. "Until Tony."

I laughed at the memory of it. "Until Antonio. God, Dad was so pissed. You could tell when he was really angry, he'd get so quiet..."

"What did Tony call him? A 'shabby leprechaun'? And Dad just got this look on his face, and whispered 'Get out of my house.'"

"I had to convince him that Dad was serious. I walked him home, and by the time I came back--"

"He'd shaved it!"

I nodded, smiling at the memory of it. "It was the only time I've ever seen him get that angry and not lash out at someone."

Her smiled faltered. "Yeah..."

I let out a breath and smiled at her. "Sorry. I've been trying to avoid... Well, all of that."

"I know. But there's no point in pretending it never happened. But we can discuss all of that when the time comes."

I raised a brow. "When the time comes."

"I..." She hesitated for a moment, looking down at the table. I could see her steel her nerve before she looked back up at me. "I want you to consider mending fences with Mom and our sisters."

I snorted, a sense of irritated disbelief washing over me. "I don't know if I can do that. Not without--"

"They will!"

"--not without them apologizing. At least as much as you did," I finished.

She reached across the table and took my hand. "They will."

I squeezed her hand, took another swig of water and stood up. "Well, it's getting late. We should get some sleep. I'll make up the couch. You can take my bed."

"I'm not going to kick you out of your bed, Victor."

"It's not a big deal. Tomorrow we can get you a hotel room--"

"No! No... Vic, Dad would find me in a heartbeat if you put me up at a hotel. I guarantee he's already had people call ahead to every decent place in the area to keep an eye open for me."

She stood up and stepped in close to me.

"He's going to find me eventually. He always does... But in the meantime, I want to stay here. With you."

I sighed. "Well, then I really am going to need to get used to the couch."

"No. You've got a king bed, we can share it."

"Are you sure? You don't exactly have pajamas, and I sleep in my boxers."

She smiled and took another step into me, her arms going around my waist as she looked up at me.

"It's fine. Give me one of your shirts to wear, and we can pick up a few things tomorrow with the cash I have on hand."

With the emotion of the day mostly passed, my body seemed to react to her nearness with a surge of hormones. Her breasts were pressed against me, and I idly noted how full and soft her lips looked. I immediately thought about how they'd feel wrapped around my dick, and then nearly as immediately I silently chastised myself for it. If I started objectifying her, I was no better than my father.

"Okay. That's fine. I'm..."

I took a breath and smiled down at her. "I'm glad you're here."

"So am I, little brother." She came up on her tip-toes, her lips puckering for a kiss. I instinctively ducked my head to meet her, and our lips came together. I held it for a moment, trying my best to keep it chaste and brotherly. When I began to pull away, her hand snaked up around my neck and held me. Our lips remain closed, but the kiss suddenly felt much more intimate.

I was afraid my ability to fend off a hard-on was about to seriously be tested when she finally broke the kiss and smiled at me. She blushed, and glanced past me toward the hall.

"I'd like to shower before bed. Can you bring in T-shirt for me?"

"Yeah, I can do that."

"Thank you." She smirked, and pulled away from me. As she headed toward the bathroom, I went into the living room and finished cleaning up. I checked the lock on the door to ensure it was engaged, turned the AC off, and loaded the last of the dishes into the dishwasher.

Heading to my room, I passed the bathroom and could hear Tabitha humming in the shower. Though I couldn't make out a particular melody, her voice nonetheless made me smile. It was nice to hear her that happy.

I found a T-shirt she could wear, a fairly new In-N-Out shirt I'd just acquired. I hesitated before opening the bathroom door, but figured with the curtain drawn I wouldn't see anything. I opened the door and leaned inside, laying the shirt on the counter. Glancing up, I could see her in the mirror through a gap between the curtain and wall. She was watching me, soaping herself up. In that moment I made note of two things: first, her nipples each had a small, silver hoop piercing them, a detail I had not caught the last time I saw her nude.

Second, she was making no attempt to cover herself up. If anything, she was running her hands over her breasts as if to tease me.

I felt myself blush and forced my eyes away. "Sorry, just-- Bringing you a shirt."

"Thank you."

Without raising my eyes again, I slipped back out of the bathroom and into my bedroom. I pulled back the covers, dimmed the lights, and stripped to my boxers. I turned on the oscillating fan I kept running at night and then climbed into bed, slipping between the covers.

I lay there, trying not to think about my sister's breasts and the way she was looking at me. Yet I kept struggling to dismiss the image from my mind. Eventually I just closed my eyes and, instead of fighting off that mental image, I let it sit at the forefront of my mind. I found myself growing semi-erect, but no longer felt beholden to the image of her breasts. My thoughts wandered, and I began to drift off.

I did not feel Tabitha come to bed, though I did feel her slide up against me, her head resting on my shoulder. I opened my eyes, but the room was dark and I could only make out faint details of her next to me. I leaned my head over toward her and kissed her forehead.

"Good night, Tabby."

Her hand caressed my chest, and she tilted her face up to kiss my cheek. "Good night, Vic. I love you."

"I love you, too."

I fell asleep with her there, cuddled up against me.

I woke what felt like only minutes later, realizing that my sister's weight had shifted and that her entire body was laying against my chest. I could feel the hard points of her nipples through the thin shirt, pressing to my chest. What's more, she was straddling me, and had her pussy pressed to my hard-on. She was rocking back and forth against me, my cock straining against my boxers. From the sensation, I was certain she wasn't wearing panties herself.

All this sped through my head in an instant, and I heard her breath hitch as she ground her pussy down against me. It was all I could do not to grab her hips and hold her there. Instead I wrapped my arms around her and tried to hold her still.

"Tabitha, wake up."

She let out a sigh, tilted her face toward me and kissed along my jaw line.

"I'm not asleep."

"Then what are you doing?"

"I-- Victor, I need this. I need you..."

"Tabby, seriously, what the fuck?"

She rocked her hips again, and I could feel wetness against my cock.

"Vic, I need-- I need you to take me."

I tried to shift her off of me, but she latched on and ground even harder. I couldn't help but groan.

"Take me little brother. Pull this thick cock out and put it inside me. I-- I need it! Please..."

She gasped as her clit slide over my cock again, and I finally found the wherewithal to hold her firmly and force her back and off of me. She whimpered as her pussy left contact with my crotch.

"Nooo...! Please!"

"Tabitha! Fucking stop!"

I gripped her arms tightly and shoved her off of me, sitting up as I did so. I reached to the nightstand and flipped on the light. Looking at Tabitha, I could see she was flushed, her eyes narrowed and lips parted. I couldn't help but think about how kissable they looked, but I forced the thought down.

"What the fuck, Tabby?! Did Dad send you after all?"

"No! I swear--"

"Then what the fuck are you doing? Cara tried pulling a similar trick on me before I flew out here."

"I-- No! Victor, this isn't a trick. I need--" She shuddered and swallowed hard, sliding up toward me. Something about the look in her eye kept me from pushing her away again. My cock was straining against my underwear.

"Victor... I need you to fuck me. I need it! Please!"

"Tabitha," I rasped, "What the fuck is going on?"

She moaned softly as she pressed herself against my hard cock again. She lifted the shirt out of the way, and I could see her bare pussy, glistening with her juices. She rocked forward on me and leaned in, her lips finding mine.

I couldn't help it. I grabbed her hips and ground against her as I let her push her tongue into my mouth. We kissed, hard, and it was all I could do not to flip this beautiful, desirable woman onto her back and take her. I reached up, grabbed a handful of her hair at the nape of her neck, and gently pulled back. She whimpered as our lips parted, but it gave me a moment to ask again.

"Tabby. Please. What is happening?"

She pressed her lips together, as if fighting with herself, and then let out a shuddering gasp as she ground down on me again.

"I'm a nymphomaniac, Victor! I can't help it! I need-- I have to get fucked! It's been too long!"

"The fuck do you mean, you're a nymphomaniac? You have to have sex?"

She nodded forcefully, her tongue running over her lips.

"We all are! Me, Mom, Cara, Caitlin. We're nymphos. Addicted to sex....

She locked eyes with me. "It's how he captured us. Each of us. It's how he claimed us for his own..."

She leaned in again, pressing her body to mine and her lips to my ear.

"But now I want you to claim me. Take me, little brother. Fuck me. Make me yours... Please!"