[The Shifters Committee 01.0] Time Shifters

by Rebecca Foxx

  “Listen,” he began. “About what I said before—”

  “It’s fine. I’m not weirded out.”

  “Good,” he said. “Because I’d hate it if you were.”

  She turned to him at the exact moment he was turning towards her. She opened he mouth to ask him a question but no words came out. Instead, a thick silence passed between them. Dylan took this as an opportunity, his one chance to truly show Britney how he felt. He took her face in his hands and kissed her passionately, dragging her lip outwards with his teeth.

  They made out for a few more minutes, fog forming on the windows and windshield, until Dylan suddenly pulled away.

  “I’m so sorry I don’t know what came over me,” he said.

  “It’s fine, it’s not a big deal,” she responded. But it was a big deal. Dylan had kissed her. He’d finally shown her that he cared about her, truly cared. He’d even shown that he was attracted to her body as well. Now that they’d kissed, anything was possible.

  He mind went off in a thousand different directions, each one ending with her having sex with Dylan. It would be on a rainy night, that she knew for certain. They’d have sex so forcefully that it would shake the very ground beneath their feat. But for now, she needed a drink and fast.

  Chapter 4

  The bar was fairly empty, and the bartenders all looked ridiculously bored. They were behind the counter playing games on their phones. There were only two of them, and they seemed to perk up when Britney and Dylan walked through the door.

  “Britney hey,” said the older woman. Her name was Molly and she’d been a bartender at Blue Love for almost twenty years. “It’s good to see you,” Britney said, leaning over the counter to embrace her.

  “And who’s this tall drink of water?” Molly asked, pointing to Dylan.

  “Oh this is Dylan, my…step brother,” she said cautiously.

  She felt Dylan shifting uncomfortably beside her.

  “What can I get for you two?” Molly asked.

  Britney ordered a glass of shock top and Dylan ordered a corona.

  Dylan turned towards Britney and cracked a grin at her.

  “Why’d you act so weird when she asked who I was? Are you jealous?”

  “Oh my god I’m not jealous,” Britney said, rolling her eyes.

  “You so are. You’re into me, aren’t you? Look, I can see it in your eyes. And you’re blushing.”

  “I’m only blushing because you’re proposing such a ridiculous idea.”

  “It’s not that ridiculous,” he said.

  Molly walked back over with their beers and proceeded to talk to Dylan about his police work. Britney glanced around the bar but it was almost empty, aside from a couple in their late thirties drinking back beers by the windowsill.

  When Molly walked away to wait on a new couple that’d walked through the front door, Dylan trained his eyes on Britney again. She’d certainly grown up since the last time he saw her, and he thought to himself that she was even more beautiful. She’d really grown into her body, and Dylan found that he was forming a strong attraction towards her.

  They continued to drink for the next hour, but before long Dylan suggested they leave to go walk in the woods. They left the car in the parking lot, as no one would suspect a cruiser and the bar would also be open for the next few hours. Dylan steered Britney towards a path he’d discovered back in high school. It was an abandoned railroad track that traveled back through the woods at least four miles, maybe more.

  Some college engineers had installed small lanterns all along the railroad tracks. They apparently changed the bulbs every so often, as majority of the track was flooded with light.

  “This is incredible,” Britney breathed. “I’ve never been to a place like this before.”

  “I know. I used to come out here all the time to smoke when I was younger. I had to give that up when I started working as a cop, but I don’t miss it too much. Drinking serves me just fine.”

  “Do you miss living at home?”

  “Not yet. I only wish I had someone to live in the apartment with me. It gets lonely sometimes.”

  “I bet you pick up all sorts of girls to come back to your bachelor pad with you,” she teased.

  “Definitely. I’m a real ladies man.”

  “I bet,” she said.

  They had been waling along the tracks for a few minutes when Dylan stopped suddenly.

  “What?” she asked.

  He closed the space between them without answering, and tilted Britney’s face towards his. She looked up into his deep, dark eyes, wondering what in the world was going on between them. This would be their second kiss in one day. He’d never touched her like this before. Even when he was tickling her, it always felt like there was a line he refused to cross.

  But Dylan wasn’t afraid of crossing lines anymore. He bent down and kissed Britney, harder than before. He heard her gasp, a strong erection forming immediately in his pants. He reached into his back pocket and took out a pair of handcuffs he’d been meaning to use for a while. They weren’t his regular handcuffs—these were made of leather. He’d bought them at a sex store a few months ago, and couldn’t stop thinking about using them on Britney.

  He knew it was wrong, and that she had a boyfriend, but he didn’t care. He spun her around so her back was to him, and gently tugged her arms behind her. Once the handcuffs were secure, he set to work biting the back of her neck while massaging her breasts.

  He let his fingers dip beneath her bra and pinched her hardened nipples. In the distance, Dylan and Britney both heard a sound. There was a group of people quickly approaching but they had yet to notice Dylan and Britney.

  He took her into his arms and carried her into the woods, propping her body against a tree.

  “What if someone sees?” she hissed.

  “I don’t care,” he growled, ripping her pants off. She was already wet, but became wetter the minute his tongue touched her clit. She made sure to keep her mouth shut so as not to alert any of the passerbies’s of what was going on. Her wrists and arms scraped against the base of the tree but she didn’t care. Dylan was so hot and he was finally paying attention to her the way she’d always wanted.

  She felt herself quickly approaching climax. It had been weeks since she’d hooked up with another man, and her body had definitely felt the effects of the dry spell. Dylan’s tongue worked hard and soft on her body and she felt her groin spiraling out of control. At last she submitted to an orgasm, practically crying out from all the pleasure she was experiencing. Dylan silenced her by placing a warm hand over her mouth. He took off his pants and lifted her up against the tree.

  “Is this okay?” he whispered.

  “Mmm, yes,” she responded.

  He entered her and she felt the full force of his penis as he moved in and out. His arms were strong enough to hold her again the tree, though she wished her hands were free so she could have helped. The whole situation made her feel heady, like she was living in a daydream and couldn’t quite tell what was going on around her.

  Suddenly, they heard voices approaching. Dylan and Britney looked to the left as the group of kids passed under the golden lights. They didn’t even notice them.

  Dylan leaned his forehead against Britney’s and looked up into her eyes. She stared back, incapable of moving, let alone speaking. When at last he did cum, she felt a hot tear roll down the side of her cheek. Her second orgasm was so intense that it had made her cry. As Dylan undid her handcuffs, she took her hand and wiped off her face before he noticed.

  “Now what?” he asked, staring down at her.

  “Can I sleep over?” she asked. “I don’t want to wake, um…our parents.”

  He chuckled, biting her jawline once before saying, “Yeah, of course you can.

  Chapter 5

  The car ride to Dylan’s house was filled with silence and quiet classical music. Britney didn’t want to say anything about it because she didn’t want to damage the moment.
She feared that if she spoke out of turn or said the wrong thing, this fairytale she’d found her in would shatter.

  She focused on looking out her window, at all the small houses they passed by. Each was illuminated from within with a dark orange glow, giving off the appearance of being on fire. She wondered if everyone inside was happy, and if they were keeping secrets like she was.

  In her mind, dating Dylan wasn’t a big deal. She’d been lusting after him forever, and was finally getting what she wanted. They could be happy together, and they knew each other inside and out. But that’s not the way everyone else saw it. They would think it was creepy and wrong and that Britney needed to date someone from outside her inner, familial circle.

  She couldn’t even imagine what her parents would say to her if they ever found out. Though she wasn’t a kid anymore, and was almost twenty-three years old, she knew they’d never go for it.

  And what would they do during the holidays, when her parents invited them over? Would they just figure it out then, too? Her life would become an endless array of “figuring it out” until she finally realized things just weren’t going to work with Dylan. But when she turned away from the window and looked at him, she felt something different. She felt hope.

  Even if everyone disagreed with them, she knew she wouldn’t be able to stay away from him. That was how they’d gotten into this mess in the first place. Britney just couldn’t keep her hands to herself.

  When they finally arrived at Dylan’s house, Britney was turned on again. All she could think about was how the bumps in the road made her tingle with pleasure. She kept squeezing her thighs together and praying that the heat would break so that maybe she could calm down. Dylan parked the car in his driveway and let Britney out of the passenger side. She thanked him and tried to step out of the car but tripped and fell into Dylan’s arms.

  “Um, I’m so sorry,” she said.

  “It’s okay, are you okay? There’s a big pothole in my driveway that I’ve been meaning to cement fill.”

  They stared at each other in the streetlight for a few moments before Britney cleared her throat and told Dylan they should probably get inside before anyone saw them.

  “Good point,” he said. “Though my neighbors don’t know who you are yet.”

  “Shhh,” she told him. She didn’t want him to say the words—that she was his…stepsister. She shuddered at the mere thought.

  But it’s just a label, she thought to herself. It’s not supposed to mean anything. And why do you care? You’ve been in love with him since…ohmygod.

  “Are you okay?” he asked once they were inside.

  “I’m fine, why do you ask?”

  “You have this look on your face, like you’re about to throw up.”

  Britney laughed nervously and told Dylan it was nothing.

  “Do you have a bathroom I can use?” she asked.

  “Sure. Down the hall and to your left. You sure you’re doing okay? Because I could get you some Pepto-Bismol—”

  “Fine, I’m fine,” she said, hurrying down the hall to the bathroom.

  Once she shut the door, Britney collapsed to the floor and placed her head in her hands.

  Did I really just admit to that, in my own head of all places? What is wrong with me? Love? Now I’ll never be able to get over this situation. And Chris he’ll…oh god, I haven’t checked my phone in over an hour.

  There were several missed calls from Chris and Justine. Chris’s were apologies and Justine’s were explanations.

  “What the hell…” she muttered to herself.

  She scrolled through the texts, trying to figure out where they started and stopped. Apparently someone had caught Chris hooking up with one of the cheerleaders and he was trying to explain himself. But why was Justine texting Britney? Britney figured it didn’t matter, that she would just deal with this in the morning.

  It was already so late and all she wanted to do was climb into bed and fall asleep in Dylan’s arms. It no longer mattered to her that Chris might be cheating. In fact, if she were truly honest with herself, he’d been cheating on her on-and-off since college.

  She’d always turned a blind eye, because what was she to do in a situation like that? Confronting him would be out of the question.

  It was better this way, to just forget what had happened. She’d tell Chris in the morning that they were done for good and hen she could embark on a new life, hopefully one with Dylan.

  A soft knock came at the door. “Britney?” he asked.

  She stood up and opened the door, finding Dylan leaning against the doorframe.

  “I just found out Chris has been cheating on me,” she said.

  “I’m so sorry,” Dylan said, wrapping her up in his arms. “He doesn’t deserve you.”

  Britney melted into his arms, nodding her head to agree with him. Chris didn’t deserve her. In fact, he’d never deserved her. She just hadn’t realized it until a better guy came along and finally whispered some truth in her ear.

  “We should probably get to bed,” he said. “I’m pretty tired.”

  “Agreed,” she mumbled sleepily. He led her down another long hallway towards the bedroom, which was painted forest green. After turning out the light, the two collapsed on the bed. Dylan spooned Britney, his hot breath blowing on the back of her neck. They fell asleep like that, and didn’t wake the next morning until almost eleven A.M.

  Chapter 6

  The next day, Britney woke up to a loud banging noise.

  “Did you hear that?” Dylan whispered in her ear, tickling her.

  “Yeah,” she said, arching her back slightly. “Was it your front door?”

  “Shit,” he said, leaping out of bed and tugging his pants on. The banging noise came again, louder this time. Someone was definitely at the door, and they didn’t sound happy. Britney wondered who it could be at that hour. Maybe it was someone Dylan knew, like one of his cop friends playing a prank on him. But when Britney and Dylan arrived at the door a few minutes later, she found out she was completely wrong.

  It was Chris and he didn’t look happy to see her.

  “Who the hell is this?” Chris asked, looking Dylan up and down. He looked like he was about to punch Dylan in the face so Britney stepped in.

  “It’s okay, this is my step brother, Dylan. Dylan, this is Chris my…ex.”

  “Did you just call me your ex? Britney it was one time! And it didn’t even mean anything, just ask Justine.”

  “Wait, what did you just say? You slept with Justine? Are you serious right now?”

  “Yeah I thought you got our text messages—”

  “I did, but Justine said you slept with some random girl from the party. Wow, I guess she lied to me. It wouldn’t be the first time. Listen Chris, I really don’t want to deal with this right now you need to leave.”

  “No, not until you talk to me. I’m sick and tired of you ignoring me. You’re not facing your feelings Britney, we need to talk about this. We’re destined to be together!”

  “Listen man, the lady told you to leave so you should probably leave.”

  Chris hadn’t really looked at Dylan up until that point. In fact, he’d almost forgotten about him until he opened his mouth again.

  “What did you just say to me? Listen buddy, you don’t know what you’re talking about. Britney and I have been dating for a long time. And you’re just her stepbrother—why do you care?”

  Suddenly the gears began to shift in Chris’s head. Britney watched with horror as he looked from Dylan to her, to the hickey just beneath her jawbone.

  “You didn’t,” he said.

  “Chris wait, I can explain,” Britney tried to say but Chris cut her off.

  “You did. Oh my god, I knew you were a slut, but I didn’t know you were into incest! How could you cheat on me with your stepbrother of all people?”

  “Chris you just admitted to cheating on me with one of my best friends. What the hell is wrong with you? You have no right to
talk to me like this.”

  “I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” Dylan said, stepping in front of Britney.

  “What are you, a cop or something? You can’t tell me what to do.”

  “Actually, I am,” Dylan said, flashing his badge at Chris. “And you need to get off my lawn before I arrest you for trespassing.”

  “Whatever, I’m out of here. Your life is over, Britney! Slut,” he said under his breath as he walked away.

  Dylan slammed the door shut, making sure to lock both the locks.