Free An Illicit Pursuit by Liv Bennett

you
hear how your sisters screamed when they saw them?”
    “I’m their older brother. I have to know
everything they do or look at.”
    “Are you series? Man, I’m glad you’re not my
brother.”
    “I’m glad for that fact, too.” He pursues his
lips to keep himself from smiling, but he’s not succeeding it.
    I turn my attention down to my phone, going
through the pictures, and find the family picture I showed earlier.
“Here.” I sit back on the bed to show him the picture.
    “You looked cute.”
    I roll my eyes. “Right.”
    “Why did you overeat?” he asks, without
taking his gaze away from the picture. It’s kind of annoying seeing
him examining the little me.
    “Because I was sad. When my parents divorced,
it was like they divorced me, too. I missed the Sunday brunches we
used to do together. I wasn’t the center of their attention
anymore. Not just that, they withdrew gradually from me. Things got
worse when both re-married. I felt like I lost both my parents. If
they knew what was going in my mind, they’d probably have tried to
change, to give me more love. But, they didn’t even try.”
    He moves his hand between us on the bed, but
for some reason not far enough to touch me. His features soften,
not anymore glare-seducing me. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
    “Thank you.” I shrug. “That’s why it’s
important to communicate with Nikki and Brendie. You or your
parents should know what’s going through their minds. You have to
find the core of their problems. Maybe they’re not happy because of
not having the same attention they used to have before Grace’s
illness. Or worse, maybe they think Grace will die and things will
never be the same again. You have to talk to them openly and assure
them that Grace is strong and healthy and will live a long life.
And even if the day of her death comes, say that you’ll still stick
together as a family and never leave them alone. Perhaps that’s
what they need to hear. I don’t know.”
    His eyes fall on the floor. “Now, I’m
thinking you must be fifty for being so wise.”
    “Well, thank you.” I shake my head,
grinning.
    “Seriously, I need to know your age.”
    “I’ll turn nineteen in two weeks. Happy?”
    “Couldn’t be happier. How about the other
picture? The one of your friend with the mustache and beard?”
    “Here it is. She’s not my friend, though. I
just made it up. I found the picture from the internet when I was
googling eating disorders.” This time I hand him my phone, watching
his reaction.
    “Oh, wow.” He pulls his eyebrows together.
“That’s really sad.”
    “Yeah, I know. An eating disorder is no fun.
My case wasn’t very serious, though, but I got to know some girls
who were in really terrible conditions.”
    “Did you recover with therapy?”
    “Kind of.” I fling my eyes away from his, or
he’ll see I’m not being honest, and then he’ll insist and I’ll have
to tell him how sex helped me out. He doesn’t need to know that.
From the little time I’ve gotten to know him, I can say with
certainty that he won’t allow his sisters to hang around with boys
even if it might help them. And, anyway I must be the only one who
got that benefit from sex.
    “How did you figure it out about my sisters?”
Adam asks.
    “You just need to pay attention to people.
Most of them are easy to read.”
    “Is that so? Maybe one day you’ll tell me
about your observations about me?”
    Taking my phone from his hand, I get up to my
feet and head to the door. “Maybe.”
    He holds me from the elbow on the stairs to
stop me and asks, “How about the part about your gagging reflex?
Did it really stop working?”
    “Why do you want to know?” I frown. Obviously
he knows the answer, since I already told him I fingered my throat
just for one time.
    “It can bring certain advantages.”
    “Such as?”
    “Such as when you want to insert large
objects into your mouth.”
    My eyes pop out at his suggestion.