“Because I love you,” I say finally, my words barely audible above the rain. Ronnie tenses, her head shakes as if she can take back my words. Erase what I just confessed. The words hang in the air like fragile glass, ready to shatter at any moment. Her wide, teary eyes meet mine with such intensity that it feels as if we are the only two people in the world. She stares at me for what seems like an eternity.
“Then unlove me, like I have, Iz. This can’t happen,” Ronnie snaps, throwing her arms in the air. “What are you even doing here? Alexa said you left.”
I move closer, and she takes two steps back.
“I didn’t go. I couldn’t leave without talking to you,” I respond, taking cautious steps towards her, close enough that her chest is on my skin. So close I can feelthe slow rise of her chest, so close that I can touch her cheek. Just like I’m doing now. The rain and tears have smeared her makeup, and to me, she is still the most beautiful girl in the world.
A sob breaks from her as I lean in and kiss her forehead gently, feeling her shiver under the contact.
“Ronnie, you can’t just demand I unlove you. That’s not how it works,” I say, my voice trembling with the force of my emotions. “My feelings for you… They’re not a switch that I can turn off. We’ve been trying to do this for how long now? I’ve been in love with you long before I understood those words. How can I just turn away from everything my heart longs for? How could you?”
I pull away now, towering over her, my eyes locked on hers as tears fall freely. She looks down, avoiding my gaze.
“Iz… I told you that night that this couldn’t happen. It was one time.”
I scoff. “One time, two times… a lifetime… all the same because you are the only thing I want. Now tell me, am I what you want? Tell me to move on, and, Ronnie, I’ll walk away. Push you so far from me that you will forget I exist. I’ll rip out my heart and leave it here with you if need be. But give me something.”
With a sigh, she looks back up at me, her gaze glassy. “Iz, I…” She swallows hard, a tear trickling down her cheek, blending with the rain that coats her skin. “Isn’t it obvious? It’s always been you. Always. But that doesn’t change anything. It’s not enough.”
Her words sting harder than usual. Cupping her face in my hands, I ask, “Am I not enough for you? What’s not enough?”
She avoids my eyes, her voice breaking as she responds, “YOU ARE MY FUCKING STEPBROTHER. GET THAT IN YOUR FUCKING HEAD, ISAAC VARGAS.”
Her words echo through the rain-soaked night, stinging like a slap. The rain continues to pour over us, joining our tears, as if the heavens understand our anguish. She pulls away from my hands and turns her back to me, her shoulders shaking with sobs. I feel a sharp pain in my chest and stand frozen in place.
“Kiss me, one last time, because when I leave this place, I’ll be leaving my heart here. You want a brother? Sure. I’ll step into that role. If that’s what you want from me, I’ll give you that, but kiss me. Kiss me and feed me all that love you have balled up inside you. Drown me in it.”
“Isaac…” she whispers, her voice hollow.
She turns slowly to face me, her teary eyes piercing into mine, a silent plea.To let her go.But how can I say goodbye to the only person I’ve ever loved? My heart hammers inside my chest, an echo of the thunder rolling overhead. The world around us seems to stop as she takes hesitant steps towards me. Her hands reach up to caress my face, and then her lips meet mine. A sob, a moan, escapes our lips, but our hungry mouths drown them out.
The kiss isn’t soft; it’s angry, greedy. Teeth and tongue clash as I walk her towards the side of her building. I pin her against the damp bricks. Her fingers clutch at my soaking shirt as if trying to hold on to her sanity. The cold rain seeps into our clothes, making us shiver, but we don’t care. We kiss, and the world around us melts away, leaving only the two of us.
My hand cups her neck as I deepen the kiss, my grip tight but not enough to hurt her, and my other hand trails down her backside. She pulls away, placing her hands on my chest—stopping me. Placing the walls higher than I can climb in an instant.
“No more, Iz. I like Max. You’re hurting Alexa, and if I lose her because of you, I will never forgive you. Never,” she says before storming off. I follow behind her, grabbing her wrist before she can storm back inside, when a voice sounds behind me.
“Everything okay?” the voice asks. I turn slowly to be met with who I assume can only be Max. Baring my teeth at him, I snarl, “Back off.”
He shakes his head, moving closer to my girl. Staking his claim. “I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
Ronnie yanks her arm free. “Everything is fine. This is my asshole brother,” she tells Max as she rubs her wrist, her eyes remaining on mine. And as much as shetries to hide it, I see all the despair written in them. The love. All of it. Laid bare for me to see.
“Step… I’m her stepbrother,” I bit back, swallowing every ounce of venom slowly creeping up my throat. Ronnie rolls her eyes and looks over at Max, who is now inching towards her. Wrapping his arm around her like a prize.
“Iz, this is my boyfriend, Max,” she introduces him, her eyes never leaving mine. “And Max, this is Isaac. My overprotective, brute stepbrother.”
Max extends his hand towards me. I glare at him for a moment before shaking it. His grip is firm and confident, but his eyes give away his unease as they look at me. His eyes are watchful, aware of the charged atmosphere. It’s not like I wasn’t kissing her, fuck, her lips are still swollen from it. My jaw clenches, and I release his hand.
“So you’re Isaac,” Max says in an attempt to break the ice. “Veronica has told me all about you.” I scoff internally, biting back the words, desperately wanting to leave my mouth, instead of lashing out. I decide to be the bigger person. Overall, I respect her choice. “If Alexa’s sleeping, and it’s okay, I’ll be back on Sunday for her,” I respond, my voice low and pained, before turning away and walking back to my car.
“The course of true love never did run smooth,”
- Lysander
Midnight Summers Dream by William Shakespeare
Chapter Seven
