Innocent Devil’s Harem Taboo Ch. 09

Fuck.

I almost expected Serenity's face to grow red in anger or embarrassment, in response to finding out that I'd screwed her best friend, but instead the blood drained from her face, suddenly looking as pale as a ghost, her deep brown eyes becoming extra dark.

I attempted to recover, not wanting any backlash to fall on Gabriella. "It was my fault," I tried explaining. "She wanted to respect your wishes, but I pretty much begged her..." My voice trailed off when she visibly winced, her eyes pained.

Shit.

My sister looked like I'd just stabbed her in the heart.

Like I'd betrayed her in the worst way possible.

Was it because she trusted me to listen? Did she feel like a bad sister for letting us stay alone at the house?

Or was it something else entirely?

In contrast to my sister's devastation, Nick seemed mortified. "Oh, fuck. I am so sorry. I should have just kept my mouth shut." He shook his head, giving Serenity a sideways glance. "Sometimes I swear this gift I have really is a curse." He then attempted to help cover for us, as if he was trying to further apologize. "Serenity, I believe them when they say they're going to get married as soon as they can. They really are that committed, whether they did anything or not."

His words made it worse.

My sister slowly pushed away from the table, looking like she was about to pass out. "I need a minute," she said in a strained voice, getting up and moving toward the stairs.

Gabriella gave me a concerned look, probably not expecting her to take it so hard, prompting me to hesitate before getting out of my seat too. However, just as I made it to the stairs, my sister already almost halfway up, she stopped to look back at me, likely having heard me scoot out of my chair.

She gave me one pained look, before shaking her head, continuing up the stairs to her room.

I wanted to go after her, even despite her silent objection, but I knew her well enough to know that sometimes she sincerely did just need a minute, like she said. However, as I stood there, my thoughts finally began catching up with me, realizing what I was trying to do.

I was trying to make her jealous.

I wanted her to be jealous. And not just for my own sake, to know she might love me more than she should. But I also wanted to make her realize that she was jealous. I wanted to make her realize she might love me more than she should.

However, if that was really what I'd just done to her, which I couldn't help but doubt now that I thought about it, then what kind of position did that put us in? Because nothing was different. We were still brother and sister, separated in age by a whopping five years. Not to mention, I'd have to give up Gabriella to pursue something that couldn't go anywhere.

And then, as I stared up at her closed door, it really sunk in how pathetic I was being.

Of course, that wasn't why she was upset.

She wasn't jealous!

She was fucking upset because she felt like a failure! Because she'd trusted me to keep my dick in my pants, and I'd betrayed that trust. Her reaction was no different than it would have been for our mother, since my sister had been forced to play that role in my life for the last five years.

Fuck, I was an idiot.

Taking a deep breath, I sat down at the foot of the stairs, holding my head in my hands while I listened to her upstairs. She wasn't crying or anything, like she might be if she was heartbroken or something. Instead, she was just silent, sitting on her bed, her breathing surprisingly slow despite her fast heartbeat.

I heard Nick apologize again to Gabriella, but she didn't respond, probably just nodding or something.

I could smell that my girlfriend felt guilty again, but honestly this was a smart decision. As much as I hated it, this got Nick off my trail, preventing him from thinking the secret we were hiding was something bigger than traditional teenager stuff...

Well, technically only I was the teenager, but same idea.

Serenity stayed in her room for probably only about five minutes, though it felt like an eternity, before she took a few deep breaths and got up. I rose to my feet even before she opened the door, with her meeting my gaze almost as if she expected me to still be waiting.

I was sure that the anguish in my expression communicated more than words would ever do.

However, she gave me a reassuring look after a second. "Sorry," she said sincerely, still sounding a little sad. "I think I just wasn't ready for you to grow up. Almost feels like it happened overnight."

I tried to lighten the mood, though I felt anything but amused. "Well, I did technically only turn eighteen a few days ago."

She gave me a weak smile in return. "Trust me, I'm aware."

I wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean, but I knew now wasn't the time to nitpick about details when we had company over.

When I didn't respond, she sighed heavily before making her way back down the stairs. She then gave me a small hug in passing, before returning to the kitchen and apologizing to both Gabriella and Nick.

But especially Gabriella.

I noticed she didn't seem as friendly with Nick, though I was fully aware that I might just be imagining it.

Once I finally returned to my chair, followed soon by my sister returning to her seat since she was standing closer to Gabriella at first, Serenity resumed the conversation from where it left off.

Her gaze shifted to mine.

"You're serious about marrying her, aren't you?" she said, sounding more like a statement than a question.

I glanced at Gabriella, before nodding. "I mean, yeah..." My voice trailed off for a second. "Obviously I haven't officially asked her yet, but..." I sighed, glancing away when her expression almost became a little endearing. "Sis, don't make a big deal out of it yet."

In part, I felt a little embarrassed, but also a little disappointed that she seemed kind of happy for me now.

It was obvious that Gabriella wanted to ease the tension too, trying to lighten the mood. "Shh," she said playfully. "Don't jinx me, Serenity."

My sister smirked at that, before sighing again. "Okay, okay. I'll drop it for now." She then looked at Gabriella critically. "But where do you plan on sleeping tonight?"

Gabriella looked shocked. "You want me to go home?" she asked, sounding sad.

My sister quickly shook her head. "No, I wouldn't make you do that. I know you need to be around people right now." She sighed again. "I mean, where in the house."

I quickly interrupted, since this conversation was heading somewhere that could be very bad for my skin.

"Can we talk about this later, sis? We do have extra company over right now."

Nick agreed immediately. "Yeah, and I don't feel like I should be a part of this conversation. I mean, I just met all of you. I feel like I'm intruding on some pretty personal stuff." He paused. "And I'm sorry again," he added.

"Oh, sorry Nicholas," Serenity replied, sounding sincere. She then picked up her fork to resume eating, her tone more chipper as she changed the subject. "So, how was the mall?" she wondered casually.

Gabriella and I quickly exchanged a glance before I went back to eating too, making it clear that I was leaving it up to her to talk about our mall experience. Thankfully, she didn't miss a beat.

"It was great!" she exclaimed cheerfully. "We went because my mom told me they were having a sale at one of the bookstores. I ended up getting several new books. Oh!" she added, glancing at me. "I left them in the car."

I nodded. "Actually, we left the cinnamon pretzels in there too. We should probably put them in the fridge for later."

"Right," she agreed, standing up. "I'll go get them."

"Are you sure?" I asked seriously, sitting more upright in my seat, indicating I was about to get up to do it myself. Of course, I was well aware she would be physically fine, but I was still worried about her being outside alone, especially since she might notice the spot where I'd killed the cop earlier that morning. I didn't want her to have to think about it again unnecessarily.

However, she seemed calm and determined.

"Yeah, I'll be right back. I want to show her what I got." She then gave me an endearing smile, only to look at me apologetically, before rushing out of the kitchen and toward the front door.

The moment the door closed, Serenity was immediately on my case. "Okay, seriously Kai, what was that about? It doesn't take a genius to see that something is up with you two."

I shrugged, taking a bite of food to have an excuse to not answer right away. I tried to think of a good reason as I chewed, but nothing came to mind. In a weird way, I felt kind of emotionally drained about this whole situation now, especially with all the whiplash-thoughts I was having about my sister's reaction to everything.

Not to mention, the fact that she seemed fine now made me both relieved and depressed.

After I swallowed, I focused on Serenity's crossed arms and sighed. "Well, I guess I'm just afraid she's going to snap after everything, you know? She's doing really well considering what happened yesterday, so I suppose I'm being a little overprotective."

"Yeah, I get that," Serenity said right away, likely knowing we didn't have much more time before Gabriella would be back. "But, it just seems like she's so careful around you. As if she's always silently apologizing."

Taking a deep breath, I put my fork down, deciding I should probably try to be as honest as possible in order to put my sister's mind at ease. "Remember what you said this morning?" I asked her. "About me not knowing what to do with myself?"

She nodded slowly.

"Well, that's really true," I admitted. "It's why I ran away when I first met her. She makes me really nervous -- in a good way. But still, she promised to try not to be so affectionate around others, so that I'm not so embarrassed..." I paused. "Because I overreact to the smallest things with her. So that's why."

"Oh," Serenity said with raised eyebrows, leaning back in her seat, only to turn her head toward the kitchen entrance when we heard the front door open again. She glanced at me then, lowering her voice, her words coming out in a rush. "Sorry. I guess I shouldn't be so nosy. It's just hard, being your older sister and all..." Her voice trailed off.

I nodded. "We're fine. Don't worry so much," I whispered, focusing on Gabriella's cheerful expression as she reappeared in the room. When she set the pretzels and books down on the table, I grabbed our snack from earlier and got up to put it in the fridge while she gleefully showed off her new books.

Thankfully, when I sat back down to eat, the rest of the meal felt a lot more relaxed, largely because my sister and girlfriend kept the conversation going as they settled into a comfortable subject regarding their shared interest.

My explanation for why Gabriella was so careful around me also seemed to help as well. Even if it wasn't the complete truth, my sister seemed a lot less concerned and suspicious now.

Once everyone was finished eating, I began grabbing plates to clean. Gabriella offered to help, and Nick even did too when I declined her offer, but I was fine doing it myself. Besides, having them talk filled up the time, making it not feel awkward that us guys weren't socializing. Because I honestly didn't really want to get to know Nick better.

Even if my sister had no feelings for me beyond just being her little brother, I still wasn't sure I was ever going to be okay with any guy she brought home. He seemed like a cool and easygoing dude, but him possibly being here because my sister was interested automatically tainted my perception.

Once I was finished, Gabriella paused when I sat down, only to switch subjects. "So Serenity, you are fine if I stay here again tonight, right?" When my sister nodded, giving her a confused look, Gabriella continued. "It's just, I need to run back to my apartment then, to grab some things. I'd prefer to do it before it gets too late." She grimaced. "I'm not a fan of being out after dark right now."

"Oh, of course," she replied, seeming apologetic again. "You need me to take you?"

Gabriella quickly shook her head. "No, you have company over. Kai can take me. I just didn't want to be rude by leaving suddenly."

Now I grimaced, not liking the idea of my sister being here alone with Nick, especially not in our house.

Serenity hesitated for a second, seeming pensive, before noticing my expression. I wasn't sure if she was worried about what might happen at Gabriella's apartment, or if she also didn't want to be alone with a guy she barely knew, but I quickly pushed the first thought out of my mind, before it started affecting me.

Unexpectedly, Nick scratched the back of his head, only to chime in. "Actually, I should probably be getting back home too, if you don't mind Serenity."

My sister looked at him in surprise. "Are you sure? Maybe we could grab a coffee on the way back and chat a little more." She paused. "But if you're busy I understand," she added.

Nick shrugged. "I mean, if you want, I'm fine with that. I can push things off for a while." He sighed. "I'm kind of a workaholic sometimes, but there isn't anything too pressing right now. I could always use more caffeine."

Serenity smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes.

I was glad to discover that Nick was actually a nice guy, volunteering to leave the house too, so that my sister didn't feel awkward about it, but I still didn't want her to end up dating him. Still, it was nice knowing I didn't have to worry about him being the pushy one in the event that they did end up alone someplace.

My sister unfortunately seemed set on the coffee date. "Okay! Coffee it is then." She laughed. "I could drink it all day and still sleep like a baby." She chuckled again at her own comment, returning her focus to Gabriella. "Well, I guess I'll see you two in a little while then, after I drop Nicholas off. How long do you think you'll be?"

I tried to keep my mind blank, knowing that even a simple answer to this question might affect me, depending on what Gabriella said.

She shrugged in response, glancing at me briefly. "We might stop for some coffee too." She paused. "Or at least, I will get some..." Her voice trailed off as she gave me another quick look. "So, I don't know, but it will most likely be before dark. Or, at least not long after."

My sister nodded. "Oh, right. Sorry." She then glanced at the clock, seeing that it was almost 5:30 PM. "I guess I'll see you two in roughly two hours then. I should be home by that time as well."

"Sounds good," I abruptly chimed in, rising from my seat.

I was trying not to feel depressed that my sister suddenly seemed fine with me being alone with Gabriella, while also trying not to get aroused by the idea that the two of us might end up at her apartment for well over an hour, minus driving time.

Nick quickly stood up too. "Actually Kai, I was wondering if I could talk to you before you go. I wanted to show you something. Are you cool if we chat before you head out?"

I hesitated before nodding, seeing that my sister seemed exceptionally concerned now. Which confused me. I mean, it was a little odd that Nick had something he specifically wanted to talk to me about, but she looked almost scared by that fact.

However, I suspected she was more concerned about me snapping at his somewhat unintentional invasiveness and chewing her new 'friend' out.

At the very least, I doubted it had anything to do with the case at this point, since Nick didn't seem suspicious at all anymore. And, honestly, I realized I'd been overreacting to the whole situation. The dude put a caffeine pill in his drink because he was tired, accidentally gave me the wrong glass because he was tired, of course having no idea it could affect me, and only ended up at our place because my sister invited him over.

"Sure," I agreed simply, giving my sister a reassuring smile.

Nick reached his hand in his pocket, taking a step away from the table, only to then look surprised as he patted his other pockets. "Oh, I think I must have left my phone in your car," he said to Serenity. "Is it unlocked?"

She nodded. "Oh, umm, yeah."

"Great," Nick replied, focusing back on me. "Care to join me?"

I nodded, assuming he wanted to talk more privately anyway. I gave Gabriella one last look as I followed after him. Once we were outside, Nick headed straight for my sister's blue car and grabbed his phone, just like he indicated he needed to do.

I stopped by the hood as he closed the door and began messing with the device.

After a second, he glanced back up at me. "I wanted to send you a link to an article, if that's alright. Care if I have your number or email to send it?"

I shrugged in response, figuring there was no harm in it. After rattling off my phone number, Nick nodded.

"Alright, it's sent. Check it out later, when you have the chance. I think you'll find it interesting."

I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, but the battery was still really low, so I figured I'd just ask about it instead.

"What's the article about?" I wondered, trying to sound casual.

Nick leaned his arm against the car, seeming to relax as he thought about his answer. "Well, I mentioned I had a sister, right?"

"Umm, yeah?" I replied, now sincerely confused.

"Did I ever say how old she was?" he asked.

My brow furrowed. "Umm, no, I don't think so. You just said she was younger, and that she still lived with your step-dad."

He nodded. "She's nine, actually," he said simply, giving me a meaningful look, like I should find some significance in that fact.

But I didn't have a clue why that mattered.

"Okay?" I prompted, quickly doing the mental math and realizing that she was a good fifteen years younger than him. Was he trying to make some kind of connection with me over the fact that my sister was quite a bit older than me? Because that was kind of stupid, if he was.

However, he didn't respond right away, eyeing me for a few long seconds, making it start to feel awkward. Finally, he elaborated.

"Remember that story I mentioned, about the Impaler's first kill?"

Instantly, my chest and spine flashed gray underneath my clothing as sincere shock clawed its way up my neck, raising the fine hairs at the base of my skull. Suddenly, I felt like I was going to pass out, my entire world literally flipped upside down in barely half a second.

"They saved the baby?" I said almost inaudibly, my words sounding like they were coming from someone else.

Nick nodded once.

"And that was your sister?" I gasped in disbelief. "Your mother?"

I couldn't stop the flashbacks from flooding my mind with horrible images that gave me nightmares for months when I was younger. Shit, I still had nightmares about it sometimes. However, then my mind began kicking into gear as I realized that my reaction was probably more extreme than it should be for the average person.

I quickly tried to collect myself, suddenly being acutely aware that Nick was watching me carefully. After a second, I cleared my throat, sounding sincerely concerned, since I knew that swinging too far in the relaxed direction might be suspicious.

"Wow," I said, shaking my head in disbelief. "Shit, man. That's messed up. I never imagined that the story you told us about would actually be so close to home for you." I then paused, realizing the significance of the fact that Nick was specifically sharing this with me. "But why just tell me though?" I asked seriously. "Did you not want my sister to know for some reason? She can handle a lot," I added.

Nick shook his head, not answering my question directly. "The truth is, I've actually been on this case for a long time. Way before it was actually an official case. In fact, this was the first puzzle involving people that I ever became obsessed with, when I was only a couple years younger than you are now, and it's the primary reason why I ended up aiming to become a detective." He sighed. "I've always been on the lookout for the kid who saved my little sister." He then paused. "Well, to thank him really. That particular serial killer targeted only pregnant women, and his MO was something I don't even feel comfortable discussing, but let's just say that my unborn sister would have had the worst of it."