It was hard for Sora to concentrate on work. Tai was scheduled to arrive just a week after Matt had left. It took every ounce of concentration to focus during work hours, otherwise her mind would start to spin out of control. She was sure she was going to have a mental breakdown if she didn't think of something to tell Tai.

Although she desperately wanted to talk to Matt about her worries, there was no way she could explain why this was such a dire situation. She was keeping secrets from everyone and it was taking its toll. She wasn't sleeping or eating hardly at all, and she felt like she was developing an ulcer, her stomach was in knots so much of the time. Several of her team members took her aside and asked if she was ok throughout the week. Apparently the stress and anxiety was beginning to show in her physical appearance, it was so bad. Because of this, she at least forced herself to eat bland foods.

Finally, the next weekend had arrived and Tai's flight was scheduled to land Saturday morning. Sora never learned how to drive as she had never needed to, so she had a company driver taxi her to the airport. Tai loved to drive and had rented a sports car, so Sora would just need to be dropped off.

She fidgeted with the strap of her purse the entire way to the airport and couldn't stop sighing. The driver even asked if she needed to stop. It was clear that she wasn't able to hide how uncomfortable she was.

They finally made it to the airport and Sora thanked her driver and told him not to worry about her before sending him off. She turned to face the international terminal doors. A huge lump formed in her throat. Tai was going to see right through her the minute he saw her. Her plan at the moment was to say that work was really getting to her and that she had taken the week off to spend it with Tai and recuperate. Hopefully some time off would at least get her feeling semi-normal and healthy again.

Sora made her way to the security doors where customs let people through. Tai's flight had landed on time so he should be almost through customs by now. Sora opened her phone camera to check on how she looked. She had put on a lot of makeup to hide the bags under her eyes.

After a few minutes that felt like hours, she saw Tai come out of the customs doors. She saw him look around for her. Here goes nothing, Sora thought to herself as she raised her hand to wave at Tai.

Tai almost immediately spotted her and briskly walked over to her. "Sora!" he exclaimed happily as he dropped his bags and picked her up in a gigantic hug.

"Tai!" she said with as much enthusiasm as possible. She was truly happy to see her brother after so many months, she just wished it wasn't under these circumstances.

After a moment, Tai finally put Sora back on the ground and held her at arm's length so he could look at her. His smile quickly turned into a look of worry. "Sor, are you ok?" he asked as he touched her face with his hand.

"Y-yeah," Sora managed to say with a smile. "Work's just been really stressful…"

Tai nodded. "Yeah, it sounded like it," he said. She had kept him informed of all the goings on at work so he knew there was a lot on her plate. "I think you need to take a break though. This is too much for anyone to handle. Even you."

"Actually, I'm taking this week off while you're here!" Sora said quickly. "That way, we can spend the most time together and I can take that much needed break!"

"That's great, Sor!" Tai said and picked up his bag again.

Sora nodded. "I can't wait to show you all the beautiful places I've been to around this area. We can go to some of the National Parks and do some wine tasting and-"

"Whoa, don't worry about doing so much stuff for me," Tai said with a laugh. "You need to rest so maybe we can take things easy. I just came here to see you." He gave her a one-armed hug.

The siblings walked to the rental car counter where Tai got the keys to a BMW convertible. BMW was his favorite brand after all. The weather was absolutely perfect, sunny but not too warm. With their jackets on, it would feel great to lower the top of the convertible.

Once they were in the car and on their way to the hotel, the siblings caught up on everything they normally would. Sora was a master at drawing energy from nothing. It was easier in this context because she did actually want to hear all about what Tai had been up to while they were apart.

Apart from the interviews and commercials, Tai had been able to start the beginnings of his foundation that would focus on helping orphaned children in Tokyo first and then hopefully expand to the rest of the country. He had always wanted to help children who were in the same situation he and Sora had been in, and now he had the fame and money in order to do so.

Sora was so proud of her brother as he told her about all the meetings he'd had and the people he'd gotten to know to help him start this foundation. He wanted to provide not only awareness to the public, food and clothes for the children in orphanages and foster care, but also sports programs so that they could experience something that could potentially bring them joy and inspiration, and teach them valuable life lessons outside of school. Of course soccer would be at the heart of it, but Tai wanted to make sure any child could choose what they wanted to play since children in that situation almost never got to choose anything for themselves.

It brought tears to Sora's eyes hearing Tai speak so enthusiastically about his foundation. He was truly a good person. How could she possibly go about telling him that she was engaged to another man?

Tai noticed that his sister was crying. "Sor, are you really ok?" he asked looking over at her at a red light.

Sora quickly wiped the tears away. "I'm fine," she said between sniffs. "I'm just…I'm just so incredibly proud of you, Tai. You're really living your dream and changing the world. You have such a big heart and I…I'm just so proud to be your sister!"

Tai put a hand on her knee and smiled warmly at Sora. "And I'm equally proud to be your brother."

The light turned green so Tai took his hand away to drive. "I've really missed you," he said softly.

"I missed you too, Tai," Sora said and put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry I'm such a mess right now."

"No, it's ok. You're not a mess," Tai said. "I know how hard you've been working so I'm really glad that you can take this week off."

Sora nodded her head. This was all a little too overwhelming. Maybe she should just focus on enjoying her time with Tai this week and worry about telling him about Matt later.

Soon they arrived at the hotel and Tai valet checked his rental car. The siblings then made their way up to Sora's suite.

"Nice place," Tai commented as he looked around at the spacious room.

"Yeah, this building is actually one of my company's own," Sora said with a small laugh. "It's been a luxury, getting all this room to myself." And Matt…

"Yeah," Tai said. He put his bag down and immediately drew Sora into a close hug. He caught her lips in a gentle kiss.

Sora was too tired to react.

"I've missed you so much," Tai said softly as he stroked her hair.

"I missed you too, Tai," Sora said shakily. What is wrong with me? she screamed at herself. Get a fucking grip, Sora!

"I'm worried about you, Sor," Tai said noticing her inflection. "You work so hard, but you need to prioritize your health."

Sora nodded. "I know…I need to go easier from now on."

"Here, let me…" Tai began kissing her cheek near her ear and started to pull at her clothes.

Sora pulled back. "Sorry, Tai, I'm just a little exhausted right now," she mumbled and looked down guiltily.

Tai felt a pang of sadness, but he didn't want to push things. "I understand," he said gently. "I won't push anything on you."

With an inward sigh of relief, Sora drew her brother into a hug. "Thank you, Tai," she whispered.

As confused as Tai was about her awkwardness, he didn't ask any questions. He was worried about his sister, and more important than his own desires to be with her was her health and wellbeing.

"Let me show you the city skyline," Sora said looking up at Tai. "I know I've sent you pictures, but it's nothing like seeing it in person."

"Yeah, that sounds awesome," Tai said glad to see a smile on Sora's face again.

Sora led him to the elevators and they went up on the rooftop of the hotel. Since it was such a nice day, there were many people lounging around the rooftop pool basking in the sun. Sora was glad to have others there so it would take any pressure of being romantic off of her for now.

They walked over to the northern railing. They couldn't see her building yet, but she knew exactly where it would be built up. It wouldn't become part of the skyline for another 4 years, and that was if all went exactly as planned. Luckily, Sora wouldn't have to be in town that entire time so she could start working on her next project and just consult on this one.

Sora positioned Tai at the perfect spot to see her building's location. "It's going to be right…there!" she pointed.

"Wow, what a view!" Tai said enthusiastically.

"Actually, I have this app," Sora said and took out her phone. Matt had installed the app that showed her building in the skyline on her phone so she could see it whenever she wanted. She held it up so Tai could see.

"Whoa! That's way cool," Tai said holding the screen close. "It looks like it's right there!"

"Yeah! It's amazing what tech guys can do these days!" Sora laughed.

"It looks exactly like I remember it from your drawings," Tai said and nudged Sora. He was so happy to see that Sora was relaxed again.

Sora smiled. Tai was such a thoughtful person. He remembered practically everything she had ever told him or shown him, even from when they were kids. He probably had somewhat of a photographic memory but he'd never formally tested it. "Yeah, I was so happy that they loved the aesthetic. We had to tweak some of the details, but the overall look is exactly how I dreamed it would be."

"It's incredible," Tai said hardly able to take his eyes off of the phone screen. "You're going to be part of this city forever."

Sora paused for a moment. She had never thought of it that way before. This building was part of her and now it was going to be part of an entire city's skyline, its signature, its identity. It was truly incredible that she, a Japanese orphan girl, grew up to influence a huge American city. "Yeah, I guess you're right," she finally said.

"You're changing the world, Sor," Tai said handing her back her phone. "You always wanted to create beautiful, functional, and environmentally friendly things. You're doing all three and right at the start of your career. Imagine how much good you're going to do!"

"Aw, you flatter me," Sora said with a blush, but inside she was proud. Proud of them both. "Look at us! Look how far we've come!"

Tai put an arm around Sora, and the two stood silently enjoying the scene and each other's company. Everything, at that moment, was perfect.

The first couple days of Tai's visit were amazing for Sora. He didn't try to make any sexual advances and they were just enjoying each other's company as siblings.

Sora took Tai to Napa Valley to explore some of the wineries Matt had shown her, and Tai loved every minute of it. Since they left for wine country mid-morning of a weekday, there wasn't the infamous traffic over the bridges, so even the car ride there was a fantastic experience as well. The weather was perfect as they sailed over the Golden Gate Bridge with the top of the convertible down. It wasn't prime tourist season so the wineries weren't full of other people, but just enough to have a comfortable visit with no wait. Tai even purchased some expensive bottles of wine for them to take back to their hotel.

The next day, the two explored San Francisco proper, eating a ton of great seafood at Fisherman's Wharf, and admiring the parks and architecture the city had to offer. They went to the beach and drove up and down the hilly streets to see some incredible views.

By the fourth day of Tai's visit, he saw that Sora was looking much healthier and more lively than when he had first seen her. He was relieved and happy that he could help take care of her while he was in town. He was also eager to show his affection for her. Now that she wasn't so tired, maybe she would be ok if he…

They had just made it back to their hotel room after a wonderful dinner at the famous, sustainably and locally sourced, three Michelin-starred restaurant, Quince. They had had quite a bit of wine to drink so they were in a giggly mood.

"Can you believe that halibut?" Tai said recounting the amazing meal they just had. "It, like, fucking blew my mind!"

"It was so tender. Just melted in the mouth," Sora agreed with a laugh. "I told you, California has some pretty great food."

"I never said it didn't! I just said Tokyo had better," Tai grinned. "But now, I'm not so sure."

Sora laughed again. "You can't compare! Both are great." She collapsed on the couch and closed her eyes. After a full meal, and plenty of wine, she was feeling so content.

Tai couldn't help but stare at his beautiful, happy sister. This was how he wanted her to be, carefree and full of joy. He made his way over to her and leaned over where she was sitting, putting his hands on either side of her head that was resting on the back cushion.

Sora opened her eyes. Their faces were in very close proximity. Her heart started racing. Oh god, she thought.

Before anything could be done, Tai leaned down further and caught Sora's lips in a kiss.

Sora didn't have the heart to resist. She knew that Tai had been longing for this for months.

Tai pulled back slightly. "I hope you're still ok with this," he said gently.

Sora swallowed a lump in her throat. "Tai…" she began but then trailed off.

"What it is?" He softly brushed some of her hair out of her face.

"I, uh…"

Tai slowly sat down next to Sora with growing concern. "I'm listening," he said earnestly wanting to hear what she was going to say.

Sora took a deep breath in and closed her eyes for a brief moment, readying herself for what she was about to say. "Listen," she began slowly, "I love you with all of my heart."

Tai began to tense up, predicting what she was about to say.

"I just…I just don't think that I can do this anymore," Sora almost whispered. She couldn't bear to look at her brother and kept her gaze downward at her lap.

"Sora," Tai said, with clear hurt in his voice. "Why are you feeling this way all of a sudden?"

"It's not all of a sudden," Sora said. "I just can't get over the fact that you're my brother. I would do anything for you, and I have. I just can't give you this part of me any longer."

Tai leaned back into the couch and looked up at the ceiling. His heart felt like it was being torn in half and he was fighting back tears. "Any longer? Did…something happen while you were here?"

Sora knew Tai would pick up on that. She couldn't lie to her brother. She so desperately wanted him to know every facet of her life and that they could go back to being brother and sister and not twisted lovers. "I'm sorry I misled you," she said with a tear rolling down her cheek. "I just didn't know what to do."

"Did something happen?" Tai repeated this time looking at her.

No answer.

"Sora, please…"

"Tai, I made a mistake that night we first had sex," Sora suddenly said, tears now freely rolling down her face. "I never should have made you think that this would work out."

"It wasn't a mistake!" Tai said with frustration now in his tone. "How could it be a mistake? It was right. It was the only thing that was right!"

"No, it wasn't right!" Sora said turning to face Tai. She put her hand on his. "I'm so sorry! I should've been stronger. I just didn't want to see you so heartbroken. I love you too much-"

"You love me too much?" he repeated.

Sora nodded. "I love you as my brother. I can't lie to myself thinking that us being together like this is ok. It's not and I can't do this anymore."

Tai now sat in silence. His facial expression was blank.

Sora grasped his hand. "Tai, please try to understand," she begged.

No answer.

"Tai?" Sora couldn't control her crying as she tried to hug her brother.

Suddenly, Tai forcefully pushed her back and got up from the couch.

Sora was shaking wildly. This was not how it was supposed to go.

Tai stood still for a moment, his back to his sister. His breath was heavy, his heart broken, his mind raging. How could she do this to him?

"Please, Tai," Sora said weakly. "I love you. I don't want to hurt you."

Without another word, Tai grabbed his jacket and wallet and abruptly left the room.

"Wait, Tai!" Sora said and tried to get up to catch him, but it was too late. He was gone. Sora fell to her knees and sobbed uncontrollably into her hands. She knew that she had broken her brother's heart. This was completely her fault. She never should've given into him in the first place, and now the consequences were that he might not ever want to see her again.

After what seemed like an eternity, Sora finally got a hold of herself enough to pick up her phone. She called Tai. The phone rang and rang and rang…no answer. She knew he wasn't going to pick up even if she called a thousand times. As much as Sora wanted to resolve things between them, she knew he needed time.

Just then, as if by some cruel twist of fate, she saw her phone ring, but it wasn't Tai. Matt's name flashed on her screen. There was no way she could speak to him in her state, even though she desperately wanted to. She clicked her phone screen off sending him to voicemail. She knew that would probably worry Matt as they normally spoke with each other once a day at least. She had found time when Tai was napping or working out when she could secretly talk with Matt without raising suspicion.

Then it struck her like a ton of bricks. By keeping all these secrets, she was hurting both of the men she loved. "Stupid, you're so stupid, Sora!" she screamed at herself as she grabbed her hair. "You stupid, stupid, whore!"

It was her fault. She was trying to make Tai happy but should've known better. She should've been honest with him from the start. She was trying to make Matt happy, but she should never have let herself get into any kind of relationship while she was also sleeping with her brother. She was trying to make herself happy and look what happened.

"You fucking, selfish bitch!" she continued to berate herself. "How could you let this happen?" She collapsed on the floor sobbing into the ground.

She didn't deserve to be happy. She didn't deserve to be with anyone. Both Tai and Matt deserved someone better, much better than her. How could she have let herself be so impulsive, so naïve?

An hour must have passed until Sora was finally able to control her sobs. Her face was puffy and her hair a tangled mess.

Tai still hadn't come back.

Sora shakily picked up her phone and saw a voicemail from Matt waiting for her. She ignored it and called her brother again. She knew he wouldn't pick up, but she wanted to at least leave him a voicemail. Maybe he would listen to it.

"Tai," she said into the phone, her voice cracking. "I know you don't want to see me or even speak to me right now. I just want to say that I love you, more than anything in this world. Please come back…"

She hung up and let the phone fall back to the floor. Knowing her brother like she did, she knew he might not come back that night.

"Forgive me, Tai…" she whispered.