Price of Past Miracles Ch. 02

Barbie glanced around the room and suddenly realized that everyone looked upset. "Did we come at a bad time? Meggie... what's wrong? I can see you've been crying! And Brad, too! What's going on here? Did something bad happen?"

Lynda walked over to Jonnie and Barbie. "Nothing bad has happened. We were just having a little family discussion, that's all. But I don't think Meg and Brad will feel up to going out tonight, so why don't you guys..."

Lynda was cut off when Brad barked a sarcastic laugh and said, "A little family discussion... that's a good one, Mom! But I think our 'little family discussion' is over with now. I think everything that needed to be said has been said. I don't know about you, Meggie, but I sure would like to get out of here. What about you?"

Megan saw and felt his anger and it had hers bubbling to the surface as well. "You're right, Brad. We've heard all we needed to hear and I'm ready to get the hell out of here, too! Come on you guys! Let's go!" she said defiantly as she grabbed Brad's hand and headed to the front door.

Tom and Charles spoke at the same time. "Bradley!" "Megan!"

The kids stopped at the door and looked back at them. Brad put his hand on Meg's shoulder as he glared at their fathers. "I don't know where we're going and I don't know when we'll be back. We'll be back when we're ready! We have quite a bit to think about and work through. And you can't help us now. You could have years ago... but you can't now. It's too late... Come on, Meggie."

He led her out the door and climbed into the back seat of Jonnie's souped-up Camaro with her. Jonnie and Barbie jumped in the front seat and Jonnie asked him where they wanted to go. "We don't care, Jonnie. Just take us somewhere we can talk privately. But we need you guys to come with us. We have something we have to work out, but we can't be alone together. We can't trust ourselves to be alone."

Jonnie frowned again as he started his car and drove up to one of the highest points in Brentwood where there was a hilltop parking area overlooking the city. It was early evening and the sun was still shining brightly on the hillside. He and Barbie climbed out of the front seats and helped Megan and Brad out of the back.

Brad was pacing back and forth beside the car. "Damn it... now is one time I wish we'd raided the bar before we left! I really need to get good and drunk right about now!"

Jonnie wordlessly moved to the trunk of his car, opened it and pulled out a bottle of Jack Daniels. "Brad..." he paused as his best friend stopped pacing and looked at him. "I've got this, but I'm not gonna give it to you until you tell us what this is all about."

Brad and Megan glanced at each other and then looked back at their friends. Megan moved beside Brad and they turned to lean back against the side of the car. Brad took Megan's hand and they both sighed wearily. Brad spoke quietly as they watched their friends' faces.

"Meggie and I have always secretly loved each other. I finally told her about my feelings last New Year's Eve and she admitted hers for me. Graduation night, we made love for the first time. This afternoon, we snuck into Meggie's house while no one was home, but Aunt Dee came home early and caught us in bed together."

Barbie frowned and gasped. "Oh, my God! We've all grown up together so close that I've always thought we all kind of felt about each other like we were... cousins or something."Except for you, Brad... I've always wished you'd see me as just a girl... A girl who's always wanted you... loved you...

Megan choked out what sounded like a sob and a laugh at the same time. "Oh, God, Barbie... wait 'til you hear the rest..."

Brad started again. "Aunt Dee freaked out and called Mom and Dad and Uncle Charles because they had to tell us something important that they neglected to tell us years ago." He paused as he glanced back and forth between Jonnie and Barbie. "They neglected to tell us that the night Charlie and Meggie were conceived, both Uncle Charles and my Dad fucked Aunt Dee. Uncle Charles is Charlie's biological father, but MY DAD is Meggie's biological father! Meggie is my half-sister! I've fucked my half-sister and I'm in love with her! How sick is that!" Brad exclaimed painfully as he pushed away from the side of the car.

Jonnie North tightly gripped the neck of the bottle in his hand.Goddamn it, Brad! You took sweet Megan's virginity?! This is the first time I've ever wanted to beat the shit out of you... you've always known how I feel about her...

Brad stalked over to Jonnie and held out his hand. "Wouldn't you want to just get rip-roaring drunk right about now?" Jonnie flung the bottle at him and Brad picked it up, unscrewed the cap, put it to his mouth and turned it up to start chugging.

Jonnie and Barbie looked at each other and frowned in pain.We should've told them years ago how we feel about them...

Then Barbie rushed over to Brad and grabbed the bottle out of his hand. "Brad... I can't imagine the pain you must be feeling right now, but this is not the answer!"

Megan walked over and grabbed the bottle from Barbie. "You're right Barbie... you can't possibly know how much pain we're feeling. And this may not be the answer, but, right now, I just want the pain to go away!" She turned the bottle up and took several long gulps until the burning in her throat forced her to stop. She coughed and started to cry.

Jonnie turned to Megan and gently took the bottle from her hand and took several long swallows.I'm going to need a little liquid courage to finally tell you how I feel, my sweet Megan... But first...

"You're such an arrogant asshole, Brad Seldon! I told you years ago how I felt about Megan and you told me that you asked her if she liked me and you said she said no! But Barbie told me that she asked Megan about that afterward and Megan told her you never said a word to her about me! You wanted her for yourself and you got her... and now look what it's gotten both of you!"

Megan elicited a strangled sob. "Oh, Jonnie! I never knew how you really felt about me... but it wouldn't have mattered! I've been in love with Brad since we were thirteen!"

Jonnie moved to her and grabbed her upper arms. "Since you were thirteen, huh? Well, we were twelve when I told Brad I loved you! Can you honestly tell me that you wouldn't have noticed me if I'd told you then how I felt about you?"

Megan frowned in confusion and looked away. Her skin tingled where Jonnie's strong hands were grasping her and she started to breathe heavily.Oh, God, Jonnie... you've always made me feel so nervous! I can't control how my body reacts to you...

Brad stalked over and yanked Megan out of Jonnie's grasp. "You keep your goddamn hands off her, Jonnie! She doesn't love you... she loves me!"

Jonnie shoved his hands on Brad's chest. "Only because you brainwashed her into loving you, you bastard! You wouldn't even let her consider looking at ME that way!"

Brad shoved him back. "You didn't love her the way I do! She's my soul mate! I knew the moment I took her body that we were meant to be together!"

Jonnie slammed his right fist into Brad's face. "YOU SICK FUCK! Have you forgotten that she's your half-sister?!! You can't have her any more! She should've been mine in the first goddamn place!"

"STOP IT! BOTH OF YOU!" Barbie screamed. They all looked at her. Tears were streaming from her dark bambi eyes. "You goddamned idiots! All of you! Yes... you too, Meg! Do you think I'm blind, you little bitch? I told you how Jonnie felt about you and I know you noticed the way he looked at you! I even caught you subtlely flirting with him sometimes when Brad wasn't around. And I even tried to tell you how I felt about Brad! Didn't you notice how I was always agreeing with you about how cute and sexy he was? I even told you once that I wished he would notice me! And you gave me that same routine about how we'd all grown up just thinking about each other like we were family! You bitch...

"You don't think I don't know what you've been doing all these years?!! You've probably been laughing behind my back this whole time at how you had both Brad and Jonnie panting after you and neither one of them even noticed me! And now look at the mess you're in! You gave your virginity to your half-brother! I almost want to laugh... this is like... poetic justice! You deserved this!"

Barbie walked over to Brad and stood right in front of him. "Was I an idiot all these years, too... did you never notice me at all? All those nights we spent just talking about all the dreams we had for the future? Dreams where you never once mentioned that you wanted to share your future with Meg! I had thought we were such close friends! Why couldn't you have confided in me how you really felt about her? And why did you kiss me that one time at school back in December?"

Megan snorted an ironic laugh. "I know why he kissed you, Barbie... Because he saw me coming down the hall! I thought he was trying to tell me that he wanted you... That he had somehow sensed how I'd felt about him all these years and that he was trying to tell me to let go of my feelings... But instead, he was trying to make me jealous. I'd been reading him wrong all the time. He was just afraid to reveal his feelings because he knew we'd have gotten in way over our heads when we were younger..."

Jonnie snorted disgustedly. "Yeah... can you imagine how much trouble you two might've ended up with if Brad had acted on his feelings when we were only fifteen! I caught you one night, Brad, when I was spending the night at your house! I woke up and heard you moaning Meggie's name and I saw you jerkin' off under the covers! Well... you weren't the only one of us who went through that! There've been many nights over the years I've fantasized about sweet Megan while trying to get rid of a raging hard-on!" He stared heatedly at Meg as he said that.Why, Megan? Why did you never notice the way I've looked at you all these years?

Her eyes widened in surprise.My God, Jonnie... I've never seen THAT look in your deep aqua eyes before...

"Oh, God, you guys!" Barbie exclaimed frustratedly. "How many nights do you think Megan and I have had to handle our own frustrations over Brad?" She paused and then broke out into hysterical laughter. "Goddamn, Jonnie! How stupid have we been?!! You and I should've been taking our frustrations out on each other all these years instead of saving ourselves for these two idiots! I mean... look at us! You're a damn fine looking guy and I think I'm every bit as pretty as Megan... and I've got a killer bod like hers, too! Don't you think?!!" She perched her hands on her hips and cocked them provocatively.

Jonnie looked Barbie up and down and noticed just how beautiful she was. Long, straight dark brown hair; a lovely tanned complexion; deep, dark, doe-like eyes framed with curly lashes. And her killer bod... full, round breasts unconfined by a bra in her gauzy peasant top that ended at her tiny waist, her firm nipples jutting forward through the thin material; and her hips flared provocatively where her jeans hugged them just above the curve of her round, shapely ass.

Brad was also staring at her.Yes, Barbie...you've got everything a guy could want... and you really surprised me with how you responded to me when I kissed you that one time... Why couldn't I have noticed that sooner? Before everything turned into such a mess...

Megan noticed the way both Brad and Jonnie were looking at Barbie.This is how I always expected things would go between us... Megan laughed and cried at the same time and the others turned to look at her. "Oh, Barbie... you were right! All those years I was deliberately trying to compete for both of them because I knew one day... one of them was bound to notice what a fox you are! I had just always hoped it wouldn't be Brad... and now I wish it was!" She broke down sobbing again.

Barbie went to her best friend and held her. She said hoarsely, "I'm so sorry, Meggie... I didn't mean those terrible things I said before! And I can sort of imagine how much pain you must be in right now. I've felt the same way about Brad for years and if I was suddenly told I couldn't love him any more... I don't know what I'd do!" The two girls hugged each other and cried together for a few moments.

Jonnie North groaned in frustration and took another long chug from the bottle in his hand. Then he stalked over to the guy he'd always considered his best friend. Brad had a strange expression on his face as he stared at the two girls. Jonnie muttered, "Goddamn it, Seldon... you must be fuckin' lovin' this! Look at that! Both of them are crying over you! You selfish bastard..."

Brad spun around with a stricken look on his face. "FUCK YOU, JONNIE!" he cried hoarsely as tears filled his eyes. "Do you think I wanted this to happen? I don't know why I developed such deep feelings for Megan instead of Barbie! And Megan couldn't control how she felt about me, either! This is just a sick twist of fate because of our parents' strangely intertwined lives! It's their fault... not ours! If they'd told Megan and me about this years ago, none of this would've happened! You'd have been free to pursue Meggie and I probably would've gone after Barbie!" He turned away from Brad and used his right hand to wipe the tears from his eyes.

Jonnie felt the liquor kicking in and he had a thought that struck him as funny so he burst out laughing. Brad turned around to look at him with a frown. Jonnie gasped out, "Yeah, but with your luck, you'd have probably ended up fighting with Charlie over Barbie!" He sank down onto the ground as he rolled with laughter for a few moments.

The other three just stared at him as he calmed his laughter somewhat. "Oh, come on you guys! That was a joke! This situation is getting entirely too tense! Whatever else we guys may have meant to each other all our lives, we've always been friends! We've always been there for each other! We can't let something like this tear us apart! You're right, Brad... it's not your fault."

Jonnie sobered again. "But now it's out... and you guys have to figure out how to deal with your feelings. And I'm just gonna throw mine out there, too, so you'll have something else to confuse you even more." He stared at Megan intensely. "I've always loved you, Meg... even before Brad did. I wish I'd told you myself years ago... maybe I could've prevented all this pain for you. I'm so sorry, sweet Megan. I hope you'll give me the chance to make it up to you some day..."

Megan stared in confusion at the intense emotions in Jonnie North's eyes. She saw deep longing and desperate desire... the same look she'd seen in Brad's eyes the last several months. She turned to stare at Brad but the only emotion she could read in his eyes now was sadness... loss. Then she looked at Barbie, her best friend. Barbie was staring at Brad with the same expressions in her eyes as Jonnie's held for her. Only Barbie's eyes also reflected the pain she saw in Brad's.

Megan closed her eyes and shook her head as she blurted out, "How the hell did this happen to us? Why were Brad and I so drawn to each other? Why wouldn't something in our subconscious souls have told us that we share the same DNA? What was it that made us so fixated on each other that we didn't pay any attention to the two people who we were probably meant to be with?"

She put her hands to her head and dug her fingers into her hair as if to yank it out as she screamed in frustration. Then she turned and stomped toward Jonnie's car and threw herself down on the hood and pounded her fist on it as fresh tears spilled from her eyes. She moaned miserably, "Damn our parents! Why didn't they tell us?!!"

Brad mumbled quietly, "It's not all our parents' faults... they never suspected that you and I had these feelings. We kept them hidden all those years. I know damn well that if they had even suspected it, they would've told us right away. So... what was it that made us hide these feelings for so long? Maybe it was our subconscious souls trying to tell us that something was wrong..."

Megan stood up and looked at him painfully. "OK... maybe that's true. But why in the hell were we even drawn to each other in the first place?!! What in our sick, subconscious souls made us love each other and... want each other... when it's so... perverse?!!"

Brad closed his eyes and frowned as he shook his head. "That... I have no clue. And I hate to admit it, but I think the only person who may be able to help us figure that out is your Dad, Meggie. Uncle Charles has degrees in psychology and psychiatry... maybe he could help us understand why this happened... and how to deal with it now."

Megan frowned sadly. "He was very sympathetic to what we're going through. In fact, all of our parents seemed genuinely sorry for not having told us. And, you're right... we never gave them any indication of our feelings for each other..."