Darn Stupid Brother You Are

(Angel's POV)

It was late, the kind of late when the air felt thicker and every sound echoed louder than it should. Hendrix had messaged me earlier with just a simple "Meet me?" and I knew exactly where he meant. The abandoned basement. Our spot. I hesitated at the top of the stairs as my heart hammered against my ribs. Every step I took echoed in the silence and reminded me of how wrong this was, but I kept moving and felt drawn to him like an ant to a cube of sugar. The door creaked when I pushed it open and revealed the dimly lit space, the familiar scent of dust and something else that smelled like us.

He was already there spotting on his signature grey shorts and tank top under a grey jacket. He was leaning against the old cracked wall with his hands shoved into his pockets. When he saw me, his lips curved into that half-smile that always made my heart stutter. "Took you long enough."

I rolled my eyes and tried to ignore the butterflies in my stomach. "I wasn't even that late."

"Hmm," he hummed and stepped closer, his eyes never leaving mine. "I thought you'd changed your mind."

"About meeting you?" I teased and raised an eyebrow. "Never."

He smirked, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. There was something different that night, I could feel it. "Come here," he murmured, and I didn't hesitate as I closed the distance between us. The moment I was within reach, his hands found my waist and pulled me against him. It was getting too normal and familiar between us, but it still sent shivers down my spine every time.

"Hendrix," I started, but he cut me off when he pressed his lips against mine. The kiss was desperate, like he was trying to drown out whatever thoughts were swirling in his head. I melted into him and threaded my fingers through his hair to tug him closer.

It was always like that, always intense and consuming, but that night there was an edge to it. He was kissing me in a way that made my heart race even faster. He pulled back just enough to rest his forehead against mine, his breath hot against my lips. "I can't... I can't keep pretending, Angel."

I blinked up at him as my chest tightened. "Pretending what?"

He swallowed hard and clenched his jaw. "That I don't feel this. That you're just my stepsister." His grip on my waist tightened as if he was afraid I'd disappear. "I'm so scared, Angel."

"Scared of what?" I whispered even though I knew. I knew, but I needed to hear him say it.

"Of loving you," he confessed, his voice raw. "Of loving you the way I do. It's wrong, but I can't help it. And every time I try to push you away, you just pull me back."

My heart twisted painfully and I tried to look away, but he wouldn't let me. "You're my stepsister, Angel," he continued and his voice cracked. "You're not supposed to be the one I think about every second of the day. You're not supposed to be the one I want more than anything else in this messed-up world. But you are."

"Hendrix-"

"No," he interrupted as his eyes bore into mine. "You need to hear this. I'm scared because I know there's no going back. I'm scared because I know I'll ruin you, ruin us. And I can't stand the thought of losing you, not now, not fucking ever." My throat tightened and tears stung my eyes. "You're not going to lose me," I whispered even though I didn't know if I believed it myself. I always kept on saying that to him when I doubted it myself.

He shook his head and let out a bitter laugh. "But I already have, haven't I? The moment I crossed that line, the moment I let myself feel this... I lost you."

"No, you didn't," I said as my voice trembled. "You didn't lose me."

His fingers brushed against my cheek and wiped away a tear I hadn't realized had fallen. I hated how much I cried in front of him ever since our relationship got so complicated. "I'm terrified of this, Angel. Terrified of what it means. Of what it'll cost us."

I pulled back and shook my head. "Then maybe we should stop," I said even though the words tore at my heart. "Maybe we should just... end this."

"No." His voice was sharp and desperate. "Don't say that."

"But we can't keep doing this," I argued even though my body betrayed me and leaned closer to him, craving his touch. "It's wrong. We both know it's wrong."

"I don't care," he said, and there was something broken in his voice that made my chest ache. "I don't care if it's wrong. I care about you."

"Hendrix..." I tried to pull away, but he wouldn't let me, and his arms wrapped around me to hold me close.

"Please," he whispered, his voice cracking. "Please, just don't let go. Not yet."

I sighed and felt the weight of everything pressing down on me. I could feel his heartbeat against my chest, rapid and uneven. "We can't keep pretending this is okay," I murmured and my words were muffled against his shoulder. "I know," he admitted and his grip loosened just a little. "But I don't know how to stop."

"Maybe we don't have to," I whispered before I could stop myself, and he pulled back just enough to look at me, his eyes searching mine.

"What are you saying?” he asked and his voice was barely more than a breath.

"I'm saying I don't want to stop either," I confessed and my voice trembled. "But I'm scared too. I'm scared of what this means. What it'll do to us."

"We'll figure it out," he promised and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "We should, and we will."

We stood there for what felt like hours, wrapped up in each other and holding on like we were afraid to let go. And maybe we were. Maybe we both knew that the moment we stepped back, the moment we let reality back in, everything would change.

But for now, in that abandoned basement, in our little corner of the world, we were just two people lost, confused, and desperately trying to hold onto something that felt real. And for that moment, it was enough.