Children of Redemption (Children of Vice 3)

“How can anyone think that’s fine?”

She gave me a look.

“What?”

“Wyatt, you screw women up and down all the time—”

“I’ve never cheated on any of the women I’ve dated, thank you very much. Loyalty is important, and if she’s mine and I’m hers, the only person she or I would be with is each other. If I’m not in a relationship, then I have every right to screw anyone who is willing to screw me. That’s pretty straightforward and reasonable to me.”

“People are complex, Wyatt. We don’t make sense. The law judges by a ‘reasonable human being’ standard, forgetting that our emotions make even the simplest things unreasonable. What we love, what we hate, what we think we should love or hate, determines everything around us. Sometimes people love who they love, and it competes with other things. It doesn’t mean they don’t love them.”

I eyed her carefully, the wine bottle paused at my lips. “So, if a man cheated on you—”

“I’d shred him alive. Then call my dad and watch him beat the shit out of his shredded body,” she shot back with no hesitation. I couldn’t help but laugh, and she laughed with me. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I could relax. Her laugh always did that. It was always carefree even though I knew she had so much on her mind.

“See, even you don’t believe in that open relationship thing.”

“It might work for some people,” she tried to defend it before drinking straight from her own bottle.

I snorted at that. “Sure, okay. And Ethan’s favorite color is pink glitter.”

“If it’s not, it should be. He could pull it off.” She giggled, obviously drunk…the lightweight. Her eyes began to close, and I could see she was tilting. I put my drink down, reaching over to hold her head steady before she fell over. She nuzzled into my hand as if I were her damn pillow.

“I take it you forgive me now.”

“Don’t care what you do, I’m going to always resent you, Wyatt.” She had the nerve to mumble that as I held her head. “You ruined my chance.”

My eyebrows frowned together, not understanding her. “What do you mean?”

She lifted her head up and tried to glare at me, but her eyes weren’t staying open. “The rule of Occam's razor says that the simplest answer is usually the right answer. Why did I get upset and leave after finding out the truth even though you are right? I was happy to be done with him. Happy that he was gone, that no one was taking me away.”

“I don’t know—”

“Because you’re blind, Wyatt. You’re always blind to those who love you.” She started to cry, and I started to panic, not sure what to say to her. “I’m a bold person! If I want… If I want something I go…go after it! So I knowww… if I had gone away for a few yearsss and… come back, then you won’t only seeee me as yourrr… best friend…. or…or cousin.”

“Helen, what the are you trying to say?”

Her words were slurring. Wiping her face, she came around the coffee table, knelt down right in front of me.

“I love you.”

Just like that my heart stopped. I was sure. Staring at her, I felt as if I was falling…like the ground had opened up underneath me and I was falling. Maybe it was because I drank too much. Maybe because I was idiot, I could feel my body heating up.

What the hell is wrong with you, Wyatt?

“Helen, you’re drunk—”

Before I could finish speaking, her lips were on mine. Never in my life have I ever frozen up in front a woman, for any reason. But with her, now, it was if my brain had lost all communication with my nervous system. All I could do is just sit there.

“You’re disgusted, right?” she whispered and pulled away from me. “You wouldn’t have been if we hadn’t grown up together, and we grew up together because you brought me back home. So, I’m going to resent you. It’s not fair, I know. But like I said, people are complex. We don’t make sense…I don’t make sense. So, can you go home now? I want to be by myself.”

Maybe I’m dreaming? Maybe I’ve lost my goddamn mind. No, it’s the wine. That was the reason I was getting hard even though I didn’t mean to. The longer I stared at her, the more I noticed her. How curls fell on her face and down over her bare shoulder. The strap of her tank top had fallen down. Her shorts so high I could see all the way up her thigh. Her lips so soft…I wanted to…

My throat closed, and all I could see was danger.

Wyatt what the fuck are you thinking! She’s your cousin!

“Thanks for helping me, Helen. I’m going to head home.” I got up and quickly grabbed my shirt and jacket, nearly tripping on my way out.