Let Them In (Book 3.0) -INTERSEX

Chapter 17

Iris

The warmth of her palm against my cheek stirs me from my slumber. Her fingers delicately graze across my chin, bringing a smile to my face. My eyes flutter open, greeted by her mesmerizing beauty. "Good morning," I whisper, my voice barely audible.

"Morning, Bambi," she replies, her face expressionless. The tenderness of her hand caressing my cheek doesn't match her stoic demeanor, but I understand it's because her heart and mind are silently at war.

My hand reaches for the back of her neck, pulling her in for a gentle, reassuring kiss. "Talk to me, Hope."

She releases a heavy sigh, her fingers running through her unruly curls. "I don't want to get hurt, Iris," she confesses, the fear in her voice evident.

"Neither do I."

"Okay... so what is this?" she asks, gesturing towards the intimate space between our bodies. "What are we doing then?"

I ponder for a moment before replying. "We're handing each other the loaded gun."

She opens her mouth to respond, but retching from the guest bathroom interrupts our conversation. "Hold that thought," she says, gracefully hopping over the couch and making her way to her sister.

"Faith, are you okay?" she asks with concern, knocking on the door. The sound of the toilet flushing and the sink running fills the air. The door swings open, revealing her disoriented twin.

"Yeah, it's just the liquor coming back up," she explains, pushing past her twin to the kitchen.

Hope walks back towards me, reaches for my hand, and leads me to the kitchen. "What's for breakfast? I'm starving," Faith declares, rubbing her tummy.

"I don't know, Bambi; what are you in the mood for?" She asks as I take in the sight of her dressed only in a sports bra and boxers. The tantalizing outline of her body sends a wave of heat to my cheeks, and I find myself biting my inner cheek.

"Eww, come on now, Iris. You can have her for breakfast, but not while I'm here, at least," My cheeks flush an even deeper shade of red from embarrassment.

"Seriously, Bambi, what would you like?" Hope asks again, amusement dancing in her eyes.

"Um, whatever is fine with me," I reply, sitting at the island and watching her retrieve eggs, toast, bacon, and strawberries from the fridge. She effortlessly begins cooking everything simultaneously, the bacon sizzling as she flips it.

My eyes wander across her chest, drawn to the lining of her nipples poking through the black sports bra. My gaze continues downward, admiring the toned contours of her abs. "Like what you see?"

Her voice snaps me out of my trance, and I giggle, "Sorry."

"Don't be. You checking me out is cute." I roll my eyes at her smug remark.

"Oh my god, what is that smell?" Faith groans, gagging. In the blink of an eye, she's bent over the kitchen trash can, heaving again. "I don't feel so good," she mumbles weakly.

Hope and I exchange worried glances, and as Faith topples over, Hope leaps into action. "Shit, Faith!" she yells, rushing to her sister's side and catching her limp body before it crashes to the ground.

"Faith? Faith!" her voice cracking with fear. There is no response, and I sprint to grab my phone, dialing 9-1-1 with trembling fingers.

As I speak with the emergency operator, Hope carefully lays her sister on the floor, her eyes never leaving Faith's pale face. I answer the operator's questions as quickly as possible, my heart pounding in my chest. In the meantime, I turn off the stove to prevent any accidents.