Chapter Nine

Alex woke with a start. She knew where she was, it was just that she didn't want to move. Her neck craned to the side, and looked for the digital clock on the bedside table. It was nearly 10am, meaning that breakfast was probably being prepared downstairs. Alex sighed and moved her shoulders slightly backwards, only to feel someone's chest situated behind her very close. She turned around instantly and found Justin's sleeping form beside her. Alex smiled, realising how cute he actually looked as he slept – despite the fact that she always criticised his looks just to annoy him to make himself feel better – Justin was actually very good looking, well, in her opinion. But I guess you kind of forget about physicality when you care for someone that much, right?

Alex then turned to look at herself. She was naked, her legs wrapped in Justin's duvet. Her chest was covered, thankfully, and she was counting her lucky stars that neither Jerry nor Teresa had come upstairs to wake Justin. What a nasty surprise that would've been.

Her thighs were killing her. They were sore, but felt like jelly. She sat up, running a hand through her hair, and got out of the bed. She stood before Justin's full length mirror attached to the side of his wardrobe. She felt different. She looked different.

Alex's nimble fingers traced the contours of her thighs – they felt soft to the touch. Then she observed her skin – the faint tint of pink in her face flushed her cheeks, she felt warmer. Had she always felt like this? Probably not. But then she noticed something different, something by the curve of her neck – a small, dark spot that kind of looked like a bite.

A love bite.

Alex gasped. She looked again, and found another one below her right breast, swelling slightly. She touched it, and it hurt a little. Another one blemished by her hip. The last one was on the inside of her left thigh. Wow. Justin had really left his mark on her last night….

The reminder, a remnant of the night before. Alex then began to panic – what if Teresa noticed? Or Jerry? Or Harper? Who would they think had done it to her? Certainly not Justin – I mean, he is her brother –

Brother.

Justin is her brother.

Justin and Alex are brother and sister. They aren't supposed to sleep together. She's not supposed to have bite marks on her skin. Sure, last night's reconciliation was…memorable. They tried their best to keep it down, not to moan too loudly or move the bed too much. It was the way she saw him enter the apartment, the guilty in his green eyes made her stomach churn. He made her cry, but the way she sobbed endlessly, relentlessly

For hours made Alex realise that she couldn't live without Justin. It made her really think that Justin had somehow imprinted himself on her mind, and vice versa. He came back. He didn't look at anyone else. He came back for her.

And Alex wanted to love him. She did love him. And she didn't regret it one bit.

Alex had to wake Justin up when Jerry called him down for breakfast. She shook him gently, and his eyes opened. Wow. They really were green. He sat up, stretched his arms, and Alex threw him his T shirt. He put it on, then his flannel pants, and sat by the bed, watching as Alex dressed herself.

"How'd you sleep?" He asked, walking behind her, he bent down and placed a light kiss on her shoulder. It felt like it should've burned. That's where they'll be burning, in hell, for all eternity anyway.

"Better than I thought I would. You?" Alex whispered into his ear as Justin wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Alright, I guess. Ready for breakfast?"

Alex nodded, and holding his hand, they left his room. At the top of the staircase, they were forced to let go, and Justin, being polite as always, let Alex go first. He counted to twenty, and then went down afterwards to make it look like they hadn't gone together. Alex was already sat at the table beside Max, a space vacant directly across from her.

"Good morning honey." Teresa said, kissing her eldest son on the forehead. "How'd you sleep? Alex just told me she didn't get much."

Alex grinned behind her glass of orange juice.

Justin did not hesitate. "I slept well."

"You so sure, loser? Your snoring could bring down an avalanche." Alex snorted, taking a bite of toast.

Justin glared at her. "Better than karate kicking while sleeping."

"Hey! I was ten, okay! I didn't like thunderstorms and –"

"Okay, that's enough you two…eat." Teresa said, pouring herself a cup of coffee by the kitchen counter.

Justin and Alex did as they were told. Silently.

Alex and Justin hadn't taken a bath together since they were, what, four? Harmless. Now…not so much. Alex had to sneak in on Justin in the shower. She had seen it in movies before. She quietly closed the bathroom door and stood before the shower curtain, pulling it back, she lifted one leg in and then tapped Justin on the shoulder.

He yelped and turned around. "Alex! What are you -?"

"Shh! Do you want to get caught?"

He shook his head, still baffled by the fact that she was standing before him sublimely naked. His eyes dropped – she was definitely maturing since the first time they had done it. Her hips were more – prominent? Was that the word?

Oh well. He didn't really seemed to care or remember after she went down on him.

"Whoa – Alex – what are you doing –?" Justin asked as Alex bent down.

"Just trust me, loser."

"Alex – oh my." He breathed out, his voice taut, as she took him in her mouth.

He had to cover his mouth with his hand to prevent himself from swearing, or moaning her name.

Alex always thought the urban legends of ingesting semen were kind of creepy. When nothing really happened, she just washed her mouth out with water, kissed Justin on the lips, and merrily went her way to go get ready for school. The impact on Justin's hormone levels sky-rocketed after that.

Well, it was a little awkward on the subway when he couldn't stop staring at her mouth. Did it not freak her out that her mouth had been somewhere where on Justin?

No. it probably didn't.