by Nicci Harris
“We knew you’d say no, and we were there,” Jaxon says, leaning forward onto his knees. “And the guy at the desk approached us, and it just felt like a natural thing to ask and organise. So we just did it without thinking.”
“You cheeky devils, you buttered us up first with cakes and Pez,” Elise says, still clutching her gift tightly.
“Yeah, we really did,” Jaxon admits clumsily.
“Did it work?” Konnor asks, searching my wide-eyed expression with a tiny bit of unease.
I lick my lips which are now ridiculously dry.
Clearing my throat, I say, “Yes, it worked.”
“So, what now?” Jaxon asks. “The anticipation is killing me.”
As my eyes explore the envelope in my hand, I begin to feel sick. Part of me fears its contents, and part of me is excited to finally set it free. Konnor puts his hand on my knee and stares at me, his expression soft and knowing.
“Wanna blow it up?” Konnor asking jokingly.
“Or shred it to pieces?” Jaxon adds, laughing.
“Or spit on it?” Elise says.
“Gross, Elise. Jeez you always take things too far,” Jaxon teases.
I grin at them, because they seem to know exactly what to say.
Konnor cuts in before I can reply. “I think we should stay at my folks’ place tonight. It’s only thirty minutes away. We can go through the envelope there. What do you think?”
“That isn’t fair on everyone else, Konnor,” I point out, peering back at Elise and Jax questioningly.
“I'd planned on staying away until tomorrow anyway,” Elise says with a shrug. “I love our adventures. We should do more of them.”
Konnor grimaces and tilts his head to look at Elise, his brows drawn tightly together. “I don’t plan on getting kidnapped again, Elise.”
Elise’s mouth goes slack. “Oh God, yes, sorry, of course.” She squirms in her seat, big apologetic eyes glancing around at us. Konnor suddenly bursts out laughing, and I relax into a chuckle.
“Your face!” he states, between his sounds of amusement.
“Jerk, winding me up like that,” Elise pouts, punching Konnor in the arm.
Jaxon chuckles. “Don’t worry Elise, Konnor isn’t that sensitive. Yeah, I’m in, if everyone else is.”
“Sorry, Elise,” Konnor says, smiling at her. “You’re so preeetty.”
She slumps back as she grumbles, “sycophant,” folding her arms across her chest in a pretend sulk.
Konnor turns his gaze back to me. “Duch? You wanna meet my family?”
My chest tightens, and I must be pale because I can almost feel the blood drain from my cheeks. I blink at him and gulp down a strange, dry knot that has formed in my throat.
“Ummm, actually, that makes me a little nervous." I glance down at my feet. "Look at what I'm wearing." I gesture to my black yoga pants and plain wrinkled shirt. “Konnor, I’m not shallow, but you are important to me, and I really want to look nice when I met your family.”
Stupid road-trip wrinkled shirt.
He cups my cheeks, his smile is ear-to-ear, and his charming dimples are gloriously melting my nerves away. “They will love you! Your standard is everyone else’s deluxe.”
“That is soooo true, Blesk,” Jaxon states very seriously. “Except mine,” he laughs, “your standard is my poor.”
“Shut up, Jaxon.” Elise nudges him with her shoulder playfully.
“She’s gonna get a big head. I’m just keeping it real,” Jaxon says.
“What do you think?” Konnor asks me, anchoring me with his gaze and ignoring the banter in the backseat.
I sigh loudly. “O…kay,” I say, in the little voice I know he loves. He exhales loudly and grins, because he knows I did it intentionally for him.
✽✽✽
The Slater family sure has money. After Konnor enters a code on the keypad, sliding gates at the foot of the driveway open. We are greeted by a water feature that separates the circular drop-zone and is surrounded by gardens that are all finely kept by an evidently talented landscaper. Something about their property and house appears old-worldly as if a part of a noble ancestry.
“Wow, you are kidding, right?” Elise says wondrously, her mouth agape. “You are rich! And not like, ‘Yeah, I’m well of.' Like, RICH!”
Konnor chuckles as he continues to navigate around the property. “Lucky, hey?”
“Wait till you try his mum’s Long Island iced teas. They’re epic,” Jaxon says.
“Yeah but you won’t be having more than two of those bad boys,” Konnor laughs, “or I’ll be holding back your hair.”
“You’ve been here before?” I ask Jaxon.
He unbuckles his belt and begins to collect the items from the back seat. “Yeah, a few times. They’re good people, hard not to like.”
“What do your parents do?” Elise inquires, staring out her window.
Konnor glances at her in the mirror. “A lot of stuff, really. They own some shares in some pretty affluent companies. They are partners in a few local businesses.”
The fully rendered house has two storeys, beautifully separated by wrap-around balconies, a skillion roof, and double doors high enough to fit a giant through. Konnor drives the Prado past the house and to the rear, where an electric garage door opens. He pulls in alongside a pink Lexus, a red soft-top BMW convertible, a Rolls Royce, and two Harley Davidson motorbikes.
“Whose Harleys?” Elise asks.
“Guess?” Konnor says.
“Your dad’s?” I say.
“Nope, my sisters’, not even kidding. Flick can pull it off, but Cassidy looks ridiculous. She never really even learned to ride. But she always had to have what Flick had. And, well, no one can say no to Cassidy.” He smiles at the bikes. “I’m kinda surprised my dad hasn’t sold it yet,” he says as his smile grows, spreading across his face.
Suddenly a nervous flutter fills my stomach. If that is the reaction they can inspire in him from a mere thought, what will happen if they don’t like me? I pull my tie from my wrist then gather up my hair and fasten it into a high ponytail. Dropping the visor down, I check my eyes in the mirror, smooth out the top of my hair, and try to rub some colour back into my cheeks.
Konnor grabs my pedantically working hands from my face. “Stop it, Duch, you look like a goddess. Honestly, they are the most no judgemental people in the world.”
“Why do I find that hard to believe?” I murmur, glancing around at the array of brand-new vehicles.
“You’re being silly,” Konnor laughs.
“You are being a Wally!” Elise chimes in.
Konnor gets out of the driver’s seat, walks around the front of the car, and opens my door.
He holds his hand out for me to take, smirking playfully. “Duchess.”
I place my hand in his. “Kind sir.”
Elise bounces from the car, and all four of us exit through the open garage roller door. There is a door in front of the Lexus that seems to enter directly into the house, but Konnor walks us back outside the way we drove in.
“Jax, you and Elise go in and show her around. I wanna take Duch somewhere,” Konnor says.
“Alrighty, hop on, little girl.” Jaxon squats and Elise bounces onto his back without a moment of hesitation.
“Call me little girl again, and I will drop kick you,” she states.
Konnor chuckles and waves them away before yelling out, “See you inside in a few!”
He entwines our fingers together and leads us away from the garage towards an outbuilding about a hundred metres away.
“Cassidy will probably be in her studio,” he says, pointing towards the building in front of us. “Dad had that built for my sisters. They both needed somewhere for dance practice, away from the house.
I peer wide-eyed at him over my shoulder. “He built them a whole studio?”
He nods. “Yeah, but it wasn’t an impulsive decision. Cassidy attends a formal ballet academy. She also teaches dance par
t-time. So, this is really her studio, and it wasn’t a small expense, but she has to contribute some of the money she earns from teaching to general expenses like electricity and stuff. Dad isn’t one to dish out if he doesn’t feel it’s a good investment.”
I grin at him. “So, are you a good investment too?”
Konnor splutters out a laugh. “Nope! I’m just an expense. But Cassidy, well, she’ll be performing all over the world one day. She made a promise to stick at it, and she did, but believe me it’s pretty gruelling. Seriously brutal. I complain about university rugby, but the amount of blood, sweat, and tears she puts in every day makes me look like the princess.”
“I love the way you talk about her. She’s your little sister, so shouldn’t she be annoying you and embarrassing you in front of all your friends and stealing your stuff?”
He beams at me. “Oh, don’t you worry, she has done all that. Cheeky little pipsqueak.”
My mouth drops open in response to its grandeur; the exterior is nicer than the house Erik and I grew up in. The studio is a cream brick construction, with a blue skillion roof and tinted windows that are all treated with curtains. With an L-shaped couch in the far-left corner, a six-seater table and chairs, a built-in barbeque and three egg wicker hanging chairs, the porch appears to be the entrance to a nice family home. The music gets louder as we halt at the door, and I recognise the song playing immediately. It’s “Riptide” by Vance Joy.
“This isn’t ballet music,” I say, arching an inquisitive brow at him.
Konnor rolls his eyes. “I’m a bit embarrassed to admit I know this, but she is probably freestyling… like, um, warming up.”
I crack up laughing when my manly rugby-playing boyfriend uses a word like freestyling. I just can’t help myself and try to refrain from clutching my stomach as the laughter shoots through my abdomen. “You needed a brother, hey?” I manage.
“God, yeah, I really did.”
When Konnor opens the studio door we are overwhelmed by lights and music. Apart from a few doors, mirrors cover every inch of the walls. A railing runs the full length of two of them. The ceiling has more downlights than necessary and a few strategically positioned spotlights. Cassidy doesn’t notice us. Konnor presses his finger to his lips and then points to her as she glides across the room, watching herself in the mirror. She’s tiny, sliding and bouncing around with perfect precision and a huge smile plastered across her face. She is genuinely enjoying herself as she twirls around. She makes each movement look purposeful, elegant, and fun. Her strawberry blonde hair, with wisps of red, is in a high ponytail and sways as she moves. She is wearing a pink leotard, tight black shorts that display her lean legs, and thigh-high white stockings. I can’t help but smile at her because she looks incredibly beautiful and free-spirited.
Her eyes pop out when she sees our reflections in the mirror, and she comes to a complete stop.
“KONNOR!” Bolting over within seconds, she slams into him. He grunts on impact. He envelops her in his arms and arches his back to lift her off her feet. She squeals, leaning on him and kicking her legs off the ground. He places her back onto the floor and bumps her playfully, and they both share a grin.
He walks her over to me. “This is Blesk.”
She waves. “Hi, welcome to the thunder dome.” Cassidy turns to Konnor, and yells over the music, “Come dance with your sister.” She beams at him and grabs his hand, attempting to pull him further into the room. While she beckons Konnor over, I get a better view of her facial features. I know she is eighteen, but she looks much younger, with delicate freckles on her nose, and cheeks.
He digs his heels in. “Pipsqueak, no.”
She scoots backwards into the centre and waves her hands in a silly way, gesturing him over to her. “Come on, come on…”
He gazes over at me, playfully exasperated. “Seeee what I have to deal with.”
My cheeks ache from smiling at Cassidy while she bounces around and begs Konnor to dance with her. I shrug and grin at him.
“Come on, you’re a beautiful dancer!” she yells over to him.
He shakes his head adamantly. “No, Cass.”
“You owe me for missing my birthday!” Her words are only faintly audible over the music pulsing from the overhead speakers.
Konnor sighs, tilting his head back in defeat and rolling his eyes. “Thank god Jax isn’t here!”
He walks over to her and takes her into his arms. She straightens her back as they formalise their stance in unison, sticking their noses up to the ceiling in a feigned snooty way and chuckling together. They begin to waltz. She has fluid movements that are weightless and feather-like. She shuffles her feet with ease as Konnor pretends to lead, whipping her body around and exaggerating each step. The young girl in his arms adores him so obviously it makes me want to cry those awesome tears again.
He did learn to waltz.
They have done this many times before, that much is clear. He pretends to be embarrassed when he flashes me a quick look, but he isn’t, not even a little bit. As they move across the room effortlessly, I just fall even more in love with him. Because he is a beautiful dancer, a beautiful brother, a beautiful boyfriend… and a beautiful person.
He is just so very beautiful.
TWENTY- ONE: Konnor
As the water runs heavily down my head, soaking my hair and splashing onto the tiles below my feet, I find myself smiling. Downstairs, a short few metres away from where I stand right now, my sister Cassidy, Elise, and the love of my life are laughing and getting to know each other. I truly never thought this moment would come. Jax has already gone to the guest room and passed out after his food coma brought about by a stupid cupcake challenge in which Jax and Cassidy were the only competitors. Though everyone else put their bets on Jax, I wasn’t so naive as to discount Cass.
Jaxon 7: Cassidy 9.
Where does she put it? I just don’t know, but we should have her tested, it’s quite freakish.
My past and present really have collided today, and although I forced it on Blesk, I knew she’d be welcomed with open arms. Cassidy loves everyone, sees the good in everyone. My parents are unrivalled in their tactful and tolerant natures. Everyone gets a chance and, more often than not, seconds and thirds. I should know.
Grabbing the soap, I begin to lather myself up and down. It doesn’t feel any different being back here, in my room. It feels like nothing has changed.
When Blesk pries herself away from Cassidy’s grip and joins me upstairs, the first thing I’m going to do is show her the window I used to jump out of every night, just because I could. Although my room is on the second story, there is a lattice fencing on the outside of my wall that I can easily climb down. I run my hands up my face and through my hair, rubbing the suds through my scalp and then washing them out. My mind drifts to the envelope we’ve put off opening.
Is there actually closure awaiting us within, or are we being played by a sick, twisted man as a part of his last hurrah? I just don't feel ready to open it. I have no idea what I'm going to see. I'm not sure I'm ready to know.
I love how quickly my Duch and Cassidy bonded, although they couldn’t be more different, physically and mentally. Cassidy has had everything handed to her, and even though she is an awesome little soul, she has never had to want for anything. Blesk is taller, curvy, soft, and perfect to roll around in bed with all day long. She has been neglected, abused and deceived, and yet has come out the other end with an incomprehensible purity. Standing naked in the shower is not the best time to be thinking about her curves, her purity, or… her in general. I breathe deeply, and stare down at my cock drumming, slowly gaining in density.
I wonder how much time I have.
On a deep exhale, I wrap my hand around my favourite appendage and start to jerk off. What does she look like naked? My shoulder and forehead meet the tiles as I begin to pant through the steam, drawing my hand up and down. What noise does she make when she comes? What would she look like on her kn
ees, sitting below me right now, staring up at me while I pump into her throat?
Fuck.
I lean against the tiles harder. I stop tugging on my cock, and enclose my fist so tightly around the crown, zaps of warning shoot through my abdomen. I ignore them, liking the tightness. I groan. “Blesk.” I grunt her name between pants. “Blesk.” My arse clenches with each thrust. I rock my hips into my palm faster, wrapping my hand tighter. “Blesk… Fuck.” My mouth parts. Thinking about her… her breasts. Thinking about her sweet scent. My legs start to buckle, bicep trembles, and a long hiss passes my lips.
Then I hear footsteps in the hallway. Fuck!
Think about something else…
My mum. My dad. Grandma walking around the house naked.
A heavily obese man covered in jelly.
Yep, that did it.
I turn the water to cold, breathing deeply and focusing on regulating my heart rate. Then as the door clicks open, I freeze. Blesk must have come up. The lapping of the water around my body interrupts the sound of her feet moving across the bedroom floor. My body responds to her proximity, my pulse speeds up again and my cock ignores the cold water. The door to the bathroom opens, and air gets lodged in my throat.
“Konnor, do you mind if I brush my teeth?” I hear her ask so quietly her words are only faintly distinguishable.
Fuck, no, I don’t mind!
“Yeah, Duch, come in!” I call out.
Moments pass, then seconds, but I don’t hear water flushing through the tap, or any other sound, for that matter. I frown and concentrate on her movements until I can’t wait any longer and pull the curtain back enough to see her.
Oh. My. God.
My heart starts to drum in my cranium like a damn machine gun firing. She is standing completely naked in front of me, staring at me and breathing heavily. I pull back the curtain the whole way and take her all in, and every part of me starts to race, my mind, my pulse. She gulps and forces a nervous smile. Her eyes rake me, and she doesn’t try to hide it, hovering on my erection long enough for me to notice her draw a quick breath in before returning her gaze to my face. She moves towards me slowly, apprehensively. Fuck me… Her breasts sit heavy and full, her nipples are firm and the perfect shade of pink, her skin is flawless, her stomach soft and flat. My eyes drop, and I’m suddenly on the edge of frenzy.