Forced Ch. 02

"Hi. Um, I hope you're hungry. I got us a pizza," she said, gesturing to the box on the coffee table. "Pepperoni, sausage, and jalapenos, just like you like. I got us a movie, too."

"Yeah, I'm starving. That's great." He sat down next to her. "Jen...I'm really glad you're here."

Jennifer looked at him. The look on his face was so tender and kind, her stomach did a flip and she broke into a huge smile. "Me too." The sat there, staring at each other for several moments, until Victor couldn't hold her gaze, his heart beating fast and his breath quickening. He reached for the pizza.

Jennifer started the movie. It was still so awkward between them, and she had so many things she needed to tell him. But she didn't want to spoil this time together, to ruin it by reminding him of what he'd had to do that night.

They gorged themselves on the pizza, finishing it off between them. Stomach slightly distended, Jennifer groaned and relaxed back into the couch, bracing her feet against the edge of the coffee table. "Good lord. I shouldn't have had that fifth slice."

Victor chuckled. "You really put it away. Barely left me any."

She laughed and hit him half-heartedly in the arm. "Shut up."

Victor smiled down at her. She looked adorable, eyebrows knit in her mild discomfort, one hand rubbing her belly. He took her hand, the one that he had just been hit with. "I've really missed you, Jen."

"I've missed you, too," she said. She could feel her throat tightening and her eyes fill with tears.

"Oh, Jen. C'mere," Victor said, putting an arm around her shoulder and pulling her close. She wrapped one arm around his waist and rested her cheek against his chest. Victor pressed his lips to the top of her head and stroked her hair, whispering, "It's okay. We're okay."

Jen took a deep breath, listening again to his steady heartbeat. "I'm just so relieved," she whispered. She matched her breathing to his. All the pizza, combined with her trouble sleeping, and soon she was drowsy, her eyelids fluttering shut.

Victor realized she was asleep, but he didn't want to move. He didn't want to disturb her, of course, but he also didn't want her to leave his arms. He just wanted to feel the weight of her against him, feel the pressure of her concrete in his arms. When the movie ended, Victor gently scooped her up and stood slowly, trying not to strain his back. He took her to her room, tucking her into her bed. She looked peaceful, her brow flat and smooth, tension around her eyes gone. He was glad to see it.

He pulled the covers over Jennifer and knelt by her side, giving her hair a final stroke and kissing her cheek before leaving her room for his own.

* * *

Jennifer woke in a cold sweat, heart pounding. It was dark and the house was quiet. She looked at the clock. 3:43. The time Joe had burst into her room, shouting and pointing a gun at her one week ago. She couldn't breathe. Gasping, she struggled to calm herself. She couldn't. She tried to call out to Victor, but her voice wouldn't come. Her panic was worsening, rapidly.

Jennifer threw the covers off and got out of bed, stumbling to the door. She flung it open and went to Victor's room, bursting in without knocking.

Victor sat up in bed, half-conscious and confused. Were they back? Were Saul and Joe back? Then he heard Jennifer gasp and whisper his name. "Jen? What's wrong? Are you okay?" He turned on his bedside lamp. She stood in his doorway, damp hair matted to her forehead, chest heaving.

She moved to the bed and threw her arms around his neck, crying. She couldn't speak.

"Jennifer, talk to me. Are you all right? What's going on?" he said, rubbing her back.

Jennifer swallowed and tried to stop crying. "I'm sorry, I just woke up and freaked out, it was the same time...the same time that they broke in," she sobbed. "I couldn't breathe."

"It's okay, Jen. You're safe. The house is secure. They're not here," Victor whispered, pulling her onto his lap. "Shh. It's okay. We're safe."

Jennifer took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, willing her heart to stop pounding so hard. He rocked her silently for a few minutes. "Victor, can I...would it be okay if I stayed with you tonight? Just for tonight?"

"Of course, Jen. Of course you can. Anytime."

Her lower lip trembled. "Thank you." Jennifer stood, and he slid to the other side of the bed, pulling back the covers. She started to climb in, then realized she was in her street clothes. She looked down at herself. "Oh...let me go get some pyjamas." She looked warily toward the door.

"Don't worry about it, Jen. I don't care what you're wearing."

Jennifer slowly unbuttoned her jeans and slid them over her hips and down her legs, pulling off her socks. She reached behind her, under her t-shirt, and unhooked her bra, pulling the straps down her arms and then the bra out through the bottom of her shirt.

Victor watched her t-shirt ride up, her soft stomach exposed. He was worried. She was about to climb into his bed, bra-less, in a skimpy t-shirt and bikini underwear. In his nearly nude state, there was great potential for uncomfortable situations here. He looked away, trying to focus on something else. There didn't seem to be anything, though. Just Jennifer.

She took the covers from him and slid in, turning toward him on her side. "Thank you, Victor," she said, looking up at him.

He smiled at her, then reached over her to turn off the lamp. He put his arm around her back and kissed her forehead. "Think nothing of it, kid." She rested one hand against his chest, splaying her fingers out, searching for his heartbeat against her palm.

"I love you," she whispered, struggling to keep her eyes open.

"I love you, too." But she was already asleep.

When Jennifer woke next, she felt warm, and safe. She laid still as she got her bearings and tried to recall the prior evening. Victor's arm was wrapped around her waist, snug and strong. Her back was against him and he was holding her close, legs buffeting hers, her hips pulled against his in a dual fetal position. She closed her eyes, enjoying this comfort that had been absent from her for so long. Victor's hand had slid under her shirt in the night, covering a sizable expanse of her belly and ribcage. A couple of his fingertips brushed the underside of her breast. She could also feel his hardness against her ass, the pressure unmistakable. Still, she didn't move. She didn't mind it. This was the first time she had slept for more than a couple hours at a time. She didn't want to move. She took a deep breath and let out a little sigh of contentment.

Victor opened his eyes, feeling Jennifer move against him. It took him a moment to orient himself. And then he realized he was almost grabbing his sister's tit and had his hard cock pressed into her ass. "Jesus Christ," he whispered, yanking his hand back and pushing away from her. What if she had woken up and found him like that? The fragile ties they had managed to rebuild to each other would've snapped. He rolled out of bed and went straight to the bathroom.

Jennifer felt like she had been slapped. Victor couldn't get out of bed fast enough when he realized how he was touching her. She hadn't meant anything when she'd come to him last night, she'd just been on the verge of a panic attack and seeking his calming presence. But what else could he think, when she climbed into bed in her underwear? She was mad at herself for this oversight, but more than that, she was crushed. Crushed that he was so repelled by her that the thought of touching her drove him away. She got up and went to her room, dressing quickly. By the time Victor got out of the shower, she was gone.

* * *

Their relationship was strained in the following days. Jennifer was avoiding him, and Victor didn't know why. Had she felt him? He wanted to talk to her but he hardly ever saw her. She was so busy with graduation preparations anyway, she was never home.

But it was graduation day, and he was going to be there, and then she would be free of obligations, and they could talk. Victor woke to the sound of Jennifer in the bathroom. She was throwing up.

"Jen? Are you all right?" he asked, peering into the bathroom. She was on her knees, face red with the strain of vomiting.

"Yeah...I think I'm just nervous about today," she said, resting her head on her forearm. Victor wet a washcloth with cool water and knelt beside her, gently pulling her back. He pressed the washcloth to her forehead, one arm around her. She relaxed against him.

"Is that it? Think you can stand?" he asked. She nodded, and he helped her to her feet. As she washed her face and rinsed out her mouth at the sink, he closed the lid on the toilet and flushed.

"Ugh, sorry. I didn't realize I was so nervous," she said, leaning against the door jamb. Her face was flushed and she looked tired.

"Don't apologize, Jen...can I make you some toast? Something to help your stomach?"

"That would be great. Toast sounds great."

"Okay, go get dressed, and I'll make the toast. How you feeling? Steady on your feet?"

She nodded again, and he followed her out of the bathroom, turning off the light as they left.

* * *

Jennifer's graduation, like most graduations, was long and boring. You waited for an hour or longer to hear your loved one's name called out and watch them walk across the stage, suffering through an endless word-torrent of motivational, sentimental bullshit that no one listened to. But Victor didn't mind. He was so proud of her. The time following the death of their mother had been difficult, and they had both gone through a long, hard period of mourning. She had been just a little girl, never really having known her father, and then having her mother ripped from their lives so soon. But here she was, graduating with honors. He hoped it meant he was doing a good job as her guardian.

He found her after the ceremony, hugged her tight and took pictures with her. Graduation gowns weren't the most flattering garments, but she looked beautiful, her long brown hair falling over her shoulders, cheeks rosy against her pale skin. When he asked her if she was ready to go, she looked at him funny.

"Victor, I...I'm going to Grad Blast. With Ashley and everyone. I won't be back until tomorrow."

He couldn't hide the disappointment on his face, but he tried. "Oh, okay. Of course, I forgot about Grad Blast. Well, have a good time, then. I'll see you tomorrow. Call me if you need anything." He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek, then turned and walked away before she could say anything.

Jennifer had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach as she watched Victor leave. He had looked so sad when she told him. She thought of him alone in their house, and almost followed him out. But she stopped herself. She remembered how he really felt, no matter how polite he was to her. She was determined not to be a burden on him.

She and Ashley drove to the outskirts of the city, to some wooded property that functioned as a camp. It had several log cabins with bunk beds and a main lodge, an event venue available for rentals. The purpose of Grad Blast was to provide a place for the seniors to party, but without alcohol. The school enticed them with promises of door prizes and entertainment like Sumo suits and bounce houses. It had long been a tradition, and most seniors went.

When they reached the lodge, Ashley was anxious to change into her bikini and dive into the pool. She had always been fond of showing off her athletic body. "Come on, Jen, let's go," she said, dragging her by the hand into the changing room.

Jennifer didn't feel like swimming, but it was a nice day, and laying in the sun by the pool sounded relaxing. She changed into her swimsuit and took a beach towel with her to the pool. She laid it across a plastic adjustable lounge chair, then sat down.

"What are you doing? Don't you want to swim?" Ashley asked.

"Not just yet. I'm not feeling too well today. All the excitement, I guess," Jennifer said, sitting back and stretching out her legs. "You go ahead."

"What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I threw up this morning, I think I was just nervous, but my stomach hasn't fully recovered yet. I just want to relax for a bit."

"All right. But don't wait too long. We have some Chicken to play," Ashley said, smiling. She turned and dove into the pool. Jennifer put on her sunglasses and let the sun warm her skin.

Grad Blast lasted through the night, the vigor and energy of youth carrying them through without issue. Jennifer was exhausted, and she was starting to feel nauseous again. Probably from having been up for going on 24 hours, she thought. She and Ashley were gathering their things. Jennifer had won a door prize – everyone had – of a disposable camera. All things considered, it had really not been very much of a blast. She was ready to go home.

Jennifer had tried to engage in the festivities, tried not to think of Victor, but she couldn't. She thought of his face when she said she was leaving, without him. He was all she had been able to think about since that night, and the things they had done. The deterioration of their relationship constantly gnawed at her. She still wasn't sleeping well, and hadn't had much of an appetite lately, either, shedding a few pounds and giving her some hard, angular lines she didn't really like.

She buckled herself into the passenger seat of Ashley's beat up truck, wincing as the seat belt pressed against her breasts. She massaged one gently.

"What's wrong with your tits?" Ashley asked.

"Oh, I...actually, I don't know. They're just tender. Maybe I'm pre-menstrual," she said.

Ashley gave her a sidelong glance. "Sure, maybe you're pre-menstrual. Or pregnant!" she said gleefully.

Jennifer's mouth dropped open in shock and she looked at Ashley, who was focused on the road and grinning. "What? No way, I couldn't be," she said absently, mind racing.

Ashley looked over at her. "Hey, I was kidding. I'm sorry. I was just fucking around."

Jennifer was silent. She had hardly heard Ashley.

"Jennifer? Do you think you might be pregnant?"

She turned to Ashley, the fear apparent on her face. Her eyes were filling with tears. "I...I don't know. Oh god. Maybe." She started to cry.

"Jen, honey, don't cry. It's going to be okay. Let's go to the store and get a pregnancy test. How long has it been? Do you think it would show up positive if you were pregnant?"

"I don't know. I don't know. It's been...almost three weeks. Is that enough time?" Jennifer asked. Her heart was pounding and her palms were sweating. She could feel it. The test was just a formality. She was pregnant, and there was only one person it could've been. She felt like she was going to throw up. "Ashley, pull over. I'm going to be sick."

She flung open the car door and wretched onto the side of the road. The meager contents of her stomach splattered on the pavement and she heaved again, until nothing came out. She sat back against the seat and closed her eyes.

Ashley took her hand. "It's okay, Jennifer. Really, I know, this is a big deal, but it's going to be okay. Do you want to go to the store? We can find out right now." Weakly, Jennifer nodded, and pulled the door shut.

At the grocery store, Jennifer bought two tests – different brands – and used the bathroom to administer them. She and Ashley had locked themselves inside. Jennifer slumped against the wall and Ashley paced as they waited for the results. It was the longest, most excruciating three minutes of her life.

"Jen, um...if you are pregnant...who's the father?" Ashley asked.

Jennifer didn't know what to say, how she was going to get around answering this. "Ash, I'm sorry, I know you must be dying to know but I just can't talk about it right now. Okay?"

"Sure, of course. Don't worry about it." She checked her watch. "Okay, it's been three minutes. Do you want to look? Or do you want me to look?" Ashley asked, squeezing her hand.

"You look. No, wait, I'm going to," Jennifer said. She moved to the sink, where both tests were resting on its edge. She picked them up and forced herself to look at the results windows. One showed a pink plus sign, the other a pink P. P for 'positive.' Or, 'pregnant.' Even though she knew it before she saw the tests, she was hoping she was wrong, and when she saw she wasn't, her stomach dropped. "They're positive."

"Oh, Jen. I'm sorry," Ashley said, pulling her into her arms. Jennifer was in such a state of shock, she couldn't even cry. As though their ordeal couldn't get any worse, she was carrying her brother's child. "It's okay, sweetie. It's going to be okay."

Jennifer squeezed her friend and pulled back. "Ashley, can you just take me home? I just need to go home."

"Of course. Of course. Let's go," Ashley said, opening the door. Jennifer stuffed the tests into one of the boxes and shoved it into her purse.

* * *

Victor heard Jennifer come in. He had just gotten up and was eating breakfast in the kitchen. He heard her pause, take off her jacket. She was moving slow, he thought.

"Jen?" he called. "How was it?" When she walked into the kitchen, he could tell something was really, really wrong. She had been crying, and she looked terrified. Inconsolable. "What's wrong? What happened?"

Jennifer burst into tears, wrapping her arms around herself. She looked like she was about to faint, and Victor rushed to her as she started to slump, grabbing onto her and holding her up. She seemed weak. He half led, half carried her into the living room, settling her onto the couch. He knelt in front of her, holding her hands at her knees.

"Jen, what is going on? Are you hurt?" he asked. Worry gripped his insides. He hadn't seen her this upset since the night they were attacked.

She shook her head. How could she tell him this? That after she'd forced him to have sex with her, she'd gotten pregnant? "Victor..." she began. She stopped, her sobs overtaking her.

"Jen, please, tell me. I'm really worried. What is it?" Victor squeezed her fingers.

Jennifer closed her eyes, pressing her lips together, willing herself to stop crying. "Victor, I'm...I'm pregnant."

Victor was so shocked he pulled his hands away. Jennifer was pregnant. She didn't need to say it was his, he knew. He felt detached from the situation, numbed by a sense of unreality. He felt nothing. His stomach didn't drop and adrenalin didn't course through him, as he would have expected.

Jennifer opened her eyes when he pulled his hands from hers. The look on Victor's face was like a punch in the gut. His face was blank. He was looking right through her. Her stomach twisted. Logically, she knew it wasn't her fault she was pregnant, but she hated herself all the same. It was like she was hell-bent on destroying Victor, reminding him constantly of what she'd done to him. She started sobbing again, struggling to breathe. "Victor, I'm so sorry. Please, say something," she said, her voice rising and cracking.

Victor couldn't move. His mind was racing, and he could feel something cold in his chest. No. Jesus, no. He hadn't considered this possibility, as obvious as it should have been. They were both so traumatized by that night, and trying to recover. He hadn't even thought of it. He should have. He should have taken her to get emergency contraception. It felt like his insides were caving in, clenching and withering. As though it weren't bad enough that he'd felt physical pleasure when they were together, he managed to get her pregnant, as well. They would never be free of that night. Never. The small steps they had taken forward were obliterated with those two words, a raw, deep gouge in their place. His throat tightened. He tried to say something. Couldn't.

Jennifer leaned forward, elbows on her knees, head in her hands. Her chest was heaving and she couldn't catch her breath. She was starting to hyperventilate. "I'm sorry, I know you must hate me. I'll take care of it, Victor. I didn't mean to," she said through shuddering gasps.