“I don’t know how to deal with you both,” I said hotly, shaking my head from one side to the other. My skin was still buzzing and itching for Andrew’s touch, but now that Victor was here, I had a feeling we wouldn’t get to pick up where we left off. The mood had been ruined. Even though I’d had incredible sex with both of them, and even though I’d picked out the lingerie for both Andrew and Victor, I couldn’t deny that somehow, being alone with Andrew almost felt more taboo than being with both men at the same time.
“What are you talking about?” Victor crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes. “We’re both your friends.”
“You’re fighting over me,” I said, blushing. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to make things awkward, but it feels weird for me!”
Andrew and Victor glared at each other.
“You don’t have to play this game anymore, Kristin,” Andrew said. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”
I stared at him, loving the pleading look in his dark eyes. As much as I wanted to throw myself at him, I knew that I couldn’t. Tears welled up in my eyes and I bit my lip, glancing up at the ceiling so I wouldn’t cry. It felt incredibly weird to be crying when I was still horny.
Everything was so mixed up. I didn’t know what to do.
“Kristin, maybe you—“
“Shut up,” Andrew hissed to Victor. “She’s upset, okay? Give her some space!”
“I wasn’t demanding anything,” Victor snapped. “I just wanted her to hear my point of view. Kristin—“
“Shut up,” Andrew growled, louder than before
. “We should give her some space.”
“No, I think she needs to finish talking—“
“Shut up!” I screamed, jumping to my feet. “I can’t do this anymore!” I looked sadly from Andrew to Victor as my heart thumped loudly in my chest. “I have to go home,” I said softly. “This…this isn’t for me. I don’t think I can do it.”
“Kristin, please—“
“No, Andrew,” I said softly. “I’m too afraid of getting hurt.” I bit my lip. “I can’t let you break my heart.”
Not knowing what else to do, I threw myself down on the bed and sobbed.
Andrew drove me to the train station. We didn’t talk in the car – I felt awkward and uncomfortable around him, ever since I’d made the announcement that I was planning to leave.
“Kristin, are you sure this is what you want?”
I stared at him, my gorgeous stepbrother. What I want is you, I thought, afraid to say it out loud. Instead, I nodded my head slowly.
“I think this was moving too fast for me,” I said quietly. “I’m not really the fast kind of girl, you know?”
Andrew sighed. He reached for my hand, twining his thick fingers with mine and squeezing gently. The comfort was reassuring, but I knew that I couldn’t back down. Unless Andrew was willing to be with me and me alone, I couldn’t keep playing these dangerous games. I knew that somehow I’d wind up getting hurt.
“It’s your decision,” Andrew said stiffly. “I respect that.”
We pulled into the train station and I shifted awkwardly in my seat. Part of me wanted to throw myself across the seat and kiss him, but I knew I couldn’t do that – it would be betraying Victor.
“Well, thanks,” I said softly. “I’m really sorry, Andrew. I didn’t know this would happen.” I sighed. “I just…I don’t want to get hurt. You can respect that, right?”
Andrew nodded slowly. “You know you don’t have to leave, right? You can stay, Kristin. You don’t have to go back there – back to that den of wolves.”
I wrinkled my nose, nodding. “I know.”
“And when you’re really ready to leave again, you can come and stay with me,” Andrew added. “I don’t want you to feel like I’m upset with you for leaving.”
I blushed. “I know,” I said softly.
A train whistle blew loudly from the station, making me jump and squeak with surprise. Andrew laughed.