How to escape reality

Crossing the line

My heart pounded in my chest as I sat back down, unsure of what he was going to say. His grip on my wrist loosened, and he let out a shaky breath.

“I don’t know how to explain this,” he started, his voice low. “But ever since we met, I’ve felt... something. Something I know I shouldn’t feel.”

I felt my stomach drop. I knew exactly what he was talking about, because I felt it too. That pull, that tension between us—it wasn’t just sibling rivalry or awkwardness. It was something deeper, something we both knew was forbidden.

“Liam...” I whispered, not knowing what to say.

“I know it’s wrong,” he continued, his voice pained. “But I can’t help it. I don’t just see you as my sister. I don’t know how to stop feeling this way.”

My breath caught in my throat. I wanted to tell him I felt the same, but I was too scared. Scared of what it meant, scared of what would happen if we gave in to these feelings.

“We can’t, Liam,” I finally managed to say. “We’re family.”

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I know. But it doesn’t change the fact that I want you.”

His words sent a shockwave through me, and for a split second, I wanted to lean into him, to let myself feel whatever this was between us. But I couldn’t. I had to be the rational one. I had to stop this before it went too far.

“I’m going inside,” I said, standing up again, my voice barely above a whisper.

This time, Liam didn’t stop me. He just watched as I walked inside, my heart heavy with confusion and longing. As I closed the door behind me, I leaned against it, trying to steady my breathing. What were we going to do?

Over the next few days, things between Liam and me grew even more complicated. We tried to act normal, but every time our eyes met, there was that unspoken tension, that undeniable connection we couldn’t ignore. I knew it was only a matter of time before something happened, before one of us crossed the line.

And then, one night, it did.

It was late, and I couldn’t sleep. I wandered downstairs to get a glass of water, only to find Liam sitting at the kitchen table, staring off into space. He looked up when he heard me, his eyes dark and intense.

“Can’t sleep?” he asked.

I shook my head, walking over to sit across from him. We sat in silence for a while, the tension between us thick in the air.

Finally, Liam spoke. “I can’t stop thinking about you.”

My heart raced, but I forced myself to stay calm. “Liam, we can’t do this.”

“Why not?” he asked, his voice barely a whisper. “Who’s going to stop us?”

I looked into his eyes, and in that moment, I realized I didn’t have an answer. There was no one to stop us—no one to tell us we couldn’t feel what we felt. And maybe that was the scariest part of all.

Without thinking, I reached across the table, taking his hand in mine. He squeezed my hand gently, his eyes never leaving mine.

“We’ll figure it out,” he whispered. “Together.”

And in that moment, I knew there was no turning back.

The weight of Liam’s words lingered in the air, thick and unspoken. My hand stayed in his, warm and steady, but my mind raced with everything we shouldn’t be doing. As much as I wanted to pull away, something about his touch grounded me—like I was safe, even though everything about this situation felt wrong.

“Liam…” I started, my voice barely audible.

He stood up, moving closer to me until he was right in front of where I sat. His gaze was intense, searching my face for something—permission, maybe. An acknowledgment that I felt the same. And I did. Every cell in my body screamed for him, but logic fought back just as fiercely.

“We can’t,” I repeated, though even to my own ears, my voice was weak, filled with doubt. “We shouldn’t.”

“I know,” he said quietly, kneeling down in front of me, his hand gently brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. “But do you really want to stop this? Because I don’t.”

I didn’t know how to respond. I couldn’t lie to him, not when I was just as conflicted. Instead of answering, I looked away, focusing on the clock ticking on the wall. Each second felt heavier than the last, like time itself was waiting for me to make a decision.

But Liam wasn’t waiting. He lifted my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes. They were full of longing, of the same confusion I felt. And before I could think better of it, he leaned in and pressed his lips to mine.

The kiss was soft at first, tentative, like he was testing the waters. But when I didn’t pull away, he deepened it, and the tension between us shattered, replaced by something electric and undeniable. My heart raced, my skin tingling with every touch. All the walls I had put up—the excuses, the logic, the rationalization—came crashing down.

When we finally pulled apart, both of us were breathless. I stared at him, trying to wrap my head around what had just happened.

“What now?” I whispered, my voice shaky.

Liam took a deep breath, his forehead resting against mine. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “But I don’t want to lose this. I don’t want to lose you.”

I didn’t either. As much as I hated to admit it, Liam had become a constant in my life, someone I couldn’t imagine being without. The feelings between us, no matter how complicated or forbidden, were real. And trying to deny them any longer would only make things worse.

“We’ll figure it out,” I said, echoing his earlier words, though I wasn’t entirely sure how. “But we have to be careful.”

Liam nodded, his hand still resting on mine. “We will. One step at a time.”

That night, we didn’t talk much more. We just sat there, hand in hand, both of us fully aware that we had crossed a line we could never uncross. But for the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel alone. I didn’t feel confused. I felt like, despite everything, we were in this together.

And maybe that was enough for now.