The living room was filled with music, laughter, and the heady smell of alcohol as the celebration continued for hours. My restrictions were more relaxed than I ever imagined after taking an adequate quantity of shots and allowing the warmth of the liquor to burn through me. I hadn’t wanted it to occur. I hadn't, really.

However, my body betrayed me because of the alcohol cloud, the room's heat, and the way he had previously gazed at me.

"Are you okay?" he said in a quiet voice with a playful tone.

My older brother and I had always been close, but now everything felt a little different. Risky. Prohibited.

With...