Page 58 of Forbidden Harvest

My heart stutters in my chest. Do they know? I force myself to stay calm, but my insides are screaming at me to bolt. I'm petrified by what they might know or have seen.

"Like what?" Jared asks, giving nothing away. Under the table, he squeezes my knee in warning.

Mom chimes in. "You two seem close lately."

Jared's hand tightens on my knee, a silent command to stay calm. "Siblings can be close." His tone is dismissive.

There's an edge to his voice that makes me tense.

Dad lets out a noncommittal sound. "Right." He lapses into silence, stabbing at his food with his fork.

The tension thickens, and it's suffocating. I can hardly bring myself to eat, my stomach churning with nerves. Jared's hand remains firmly on my knee. My core clenches with a mix of desire and shame, my body reacting even as my mind screams at me to stop this before they find out.

After what feels like an eternity, Mom breaks the silence. "Well, I'm glad you two are getting along better now." Her gaze shifts between us. "You were so hostile toward Aria when you first moved in, Jared."

Jared's expression remains unreadable. "Siblings fight sometimes. We're past that now."

"I suppose." Mom's eyes land on me. "Aria, honey, is everything alright? You barely touched your food."

I swallow hard. "Yeah, I'm fine, Mom. Just not very hungry, I guess."

Gripping the edge of the table, I wonder if I'm going to have a panic attack, as the tension in the room is suffocating. My fingers dip into my jeans pocket, where my lighter is. I need to burn.

Suddenly, Jared's nails dig into my skin. It's a sharp pain, but not too much. It's exactly right. I glance at him, and thatknowing look in his eyes just makes me love him all the more. He's trying to help me through this, sensing my tells.

I catch myself then.

Love him.

It's the truth. My stepbrother is the love of my life. Since we started sleeping together, I haven't once considered using the lighter on myself.

Even as the pain he inflicts helps ground me, my mind is a whirlwind of chaos.

What have we done?

It was just a game to Jared at first, a means to finally claim what he's always seen as his—me. And I fell for it, letting him use me in the most depraved ways.

But now, I'm in too deep. There's no going back, no erasing the acts we've committed and the person I've become under his control. My eyes flicker to his, seeing the same unspoken knowledge there. Our shared darkness binds us, our desires irrevocably intertwined.

I'm addicted to his touch, his dominance, and the way he makes me feel. It's a craving I can't deny, even if it means walking this dangerous tightrope.

But at what cost? If they ever discovered the truth, it would rip our family apart. They'd be devastated and disgusted by our actions. I don't know if I could live with that shame.

The weight of what we've done crashes down on me, threatening to suffocate me. I'm too deep and entangled in this web of forbidden desire. I can only move forward, praying we can our secret remains hidden.

Because if it ever came to light, I fear it would destroy this family completely.

32

JARED

Ilinger in the hallway, drawn to the hushed whispers between Aria and Lisa like a moth to a flame. My possessive hunger flares as I eavesdrop on their conversation, my heart pounding in anticipation.

I press my ear against the door, straining to catch every word.

“Lisa, there’s something I need to tell you.” Aria’s voice is laced with hesitation. “Jared and I... we’re more than just stepsiblings. We’re...” A pause hangs in the air. “We’re sleeping together.”

Her confession shocks me. It’s dangerous to tell someone about us, but no doubt she wants a friend to confide in, and Lisa has been her closest friend all her life.

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