71
Throughout, for the first time since it happened, I totally forgot about my stupid wrist. I just went through my day with my brother and enjoyed it thoroughly. Gavin even held my hand at one point, swinging our arms like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Eventually, though, the stress of our day took over and we limped back to the train station. When we got on the trolley, I gave the conductor my ticket and he noticed my cast.
“How’d you do that?” he asked. He was an older gentleman with a white, push broom mustache and a friendly smile, “Fighting off wild animals?”
“Sort of,” I said, with a naughty grin, “My brother tried to kiss me, and I broke my wrist trying to escape.”
“I did not!” Gavin said, “That didn’t happen, I swear.”
The conductor laughed and turned away.
We found an open bench near the back and sat down. As we settled into the long ride home, I settled into my brother. He wrapped his arm around me, possessive, and slowly stroked my golden hair.
“Seriously, if you keep telling people I tried to kiss you, someone’s going to believe you,” Gavin said. “And then we’ll both be in real trouble.”
“It’s just teasing,” I said, mollifying my brother, “I know you’re not some incest-crazed sex monster. In fact, I think you’re kind of awesome. Someone is going to be so lucky to have you as a boyfriend. I don’t know who she is, but I’m already jealous.”
Gavin nodded, but I saw the sadness pass over his face. I guess, like with my wrist, my brother had spent the whole day not thinking about his ex-girlfriend. And then, thoughtless me, I brought it back to his mind. I leaned up and kissed my brother on the cheek. Like a peace offering.
For a moment, our eyes met. Gavin’s eyes were the most remarkable shade of green. Intoxicating. I knew mine were a flat, pale blue, so light they were almost gray. Just like me, there was nothing to see. But Gavin looked at me like the map to a long lost treasure was written in there.
Quickly, he turned away. He took his arm off me and his body went stiff. For a moment, I worried that I’d made a terrible mistake.
“I had fun,” I said, surprised at how plaintive I sounded.
“Today was amazing,” Gavin said, but he kept his attention out the window.
When we got home, I went straight up to my bedroom. Gavin called after me, but I ignored him. I was exhausted from the day. My wrist was aching. I couldn’t understand how I’d ruined our perfect day out, but I knew that I had, and I couldn’t face it anymore. I climbed into bed, on top of my covers, and closed my eyes.
But sleep would not show up. All I could think about was the other thing I’d managed to ignore all day. As if it had been waiting for me all this time, camouflaged, here in my bedroom. Pounding, insistent. Like a hunger but so much more encompassing. And worse, I knew I had no way to feed it.
Instinctively, I took out my phone and found my favorite site. I tried, dammit, I really did. But despite my endless need I was helpless with my left hand. Desperately, I looked around my room for something I could use to get relief. Ridiculous ideas occurred to me, but nothing that I could actually act on.
Then, as if my mind was truly determined to torture me, I thought about Gavin. I don’t know why those two things (sex, my brother) came up together at once, but now I could think of nothing else. I lay back, panting, trying to think of anything else.
Our date that day had been so incredible. I know it sounds silly, but it was more than the adventure in the city. The food. The sights. It was being with my brother. The way he half-smiled every time he looked my way. The strength of his arms as he gave me a hug. His buoyant laugh and his caring whispers.
I was at this weird, overemotional crossroads. My body was fixated on getting relief. My brain couldn’t stop thinking about my brother. The two things collided and suddenly I couldn’t separate one from the other. Even though it made as much sense as mixing ground beef with whipped cream.
I lay back, wracked with this awful mixture of arousal, obsession, and guilt. And then I heard a knock on my door.
“Can we talk?” Gavin asked.
Oh God.
“What’s up?” I asked, quickly pulling my outfit back together. Seriously, I knew the Lord likes to test us, but this was like a pop quiz on particle physics at 3am that would determine my grade for life.
Gavin popped his head into my room right as I got my shorts snapped.
“Are we OK?” Gavin asked.
I got up and sat on the edge of the bed. Gavin sat down across from me. I couldn’t escape the fact that we were in roughly the same positions as we’d been before when he’d… When I’d… Before I broke my wrist.
“I could ask you the same thing,” I said.
“Sorry,” Gavin said, “You mentioned Kelly and I went into a spiral. That’s my fault.”
I fought the urge to point out that, actually, I hadn’t mentioned his ex at all. That, in fact, I’d only pointed out that my brother was a great catch. But that opened up a whole other line of inquiry, so I let it go.
“It’s OK to be sad,” I said, “Normal. But you shouldn’t let her get to you. You can do so much better. I promise.” Was I thinking about myself in that moment? … Maybe? Like, I knew that was silly, impossible, but the combination of chemicals in my brain was causing all kinds of crazy side effects. I was exhausted-naturally high-aroused. You know what I mean?
“What about you?” Gavin asked. “How’s your wrist?”
“Fine,” I said. The throbbing had finally stopped, thankfully. “I’m just thinking about stuff.”
“What kind of stuff?” Gavin asked.Property © NôvelDrama.Org.
Look, I was far gone, but I still wasn’t going to say that to my brother. Instead I pursed my lips.
“Look, I know that everything the last few days has been hard on you,” Gavin said, “But I’d hate to think that what happened with me and Kelly would shake your faith. If anything, it makes me even more sure that you’re doing the right thing. Waiting, I mean.”
“It’s not just you,” I said. “Lilah and I both got our promise rings at the same time. If anything, I thought she was more devout than I was. Then she meets a boy and BAM it’s gone.”
“Never doubt the power of young love,” Gavin said.
“In three days? Yeah, right,” I said, “More like, ‘never doubt the power of young hormones.'”
“So, you’re saying…”
“I think she got horny and found a boy to solve that with,” I said. My brother turned red when I used the word ‘horny.’ It was kind of adorable.
“Everybody gets, um, aroused,” Gavin said, “But plenty of people don’t act on it.”
“Exactly,” I said, “So that’s what I was doing. Thinking of ways I could, you know, not act on things. Keep my promise to God and all that.”
“And not be, um, horny?” Gavin said. Oh, he was so scarlet now they could have strung him above the street to stop traffic.
“Right,” I said, “And usually, I have a solution for that. Only right now I can’t.”
“Can’t be horny?”
“Can’t not be horny,” I said. I lifted up my cast as evidence.
“Oh,” Gavin said. I could literally watch the realization creep across his face as it dawned on him. “OH!”
“Right,” I said.
I should have been terrified to tell my brother this. Should have been doing anything I could, cobbling whatever lie I could concoct. But there was something so natural about sitting on my bed and telling this boy who I trusted so much about what I was going through. The words spilled out lightly, like they weighed next to nothing
I guess I’d reached my drowning point. The water was over my head and my brother happened to be floating by. I’d have grabbed for anything in that moment, I told myself. The problem was, I knew that wasn’t true. My stupid brain was stirring things up and the more I looked at the mixture the more I liked it.