ROXIE

The suffocating weight of reality crashed into my chest like a physical blow.

Sister. The word screamed through my mind, a violent siren shattering the intoxicating haze of his cedarwood scent and the electric heat of his mouth.

My lungs were entirely empty of air. Every point of contact where his bare hands pressed against my skin didn't feel like a sanctuary anymore, it felt like a brand of pure, unforgivable sin. We were crossing a line that could never be uncrossed, committing a transgression that would destroy whatever sanity I had left.

With a desperate, choked-back sob, I gathered every ounce of my remaining strength and slammed both...