Desirable Lies

What a Beautiful Life

~John~

"Everything okay in here?" Ben asks, peeking around me to look inside the room. "I heard screaming."

"Yeah, ignore that."

His expression hardens. "Don't tell me you're thinking with your cock at a time like this."

"Fuck no. My every waking thought is about her, taking care of her needs. Not my own, trust me."

"And she needed..." He raises his eyebrows.

"Fucking drop it," I bark.

"Fine. Food's ready," he says, rolling his eyes.

"Bring it in."

I've dressed Katy in a pair of pajamas and she's sitting up against the headboard, her legs covered by the blankets when Ben comes in.

"Ben? I didn't know you were here." Her cheeks flush as she realizes that she had loud, intense sex while he was in the house. Katy watches him move across the room while balancing a tray in his hands.

"He cooked for you while I was...taking care of you."

She shares a knowing smile with me before turning her attention back to Ben.

"What is it?" Katy asks, beaming up at Ben.

"John said you like macaroni and cheese and pink Starbursts." He treats her to one of his grins.

"Starbursts?" Her eyes whip over to mine.

Her reaction is unexpected. "Is that okay?"

Ben lowers the tray to her lap. There's a bowl of macaroni and cheese that doesn't look half bad, despite being prepared by my shockingly able to cook brother, and a bowl filled with pink starbursts. He must have opened all the packages and removed only the pinks. Nice touch.

Tears well in Katy's eyes and she looks from me to Ben, then back again. "How did you know?" she asks, a single tear leaking from the corner of her eye. She brushes it away with the back of her hand.

I shrug. "I just did. I know more about you than you think, baby."

"She really is still here, huh?" Katy says to no one in particular as she unwraps one of the candies, and places it in her mouth. She closes her eyes and chews it slowly, releasing a little sigh of happiness.

Ben and I exchange a look and briefly wonder if she's totally lost it, but then Katy encourages us to sit on the bed with her while she eats, and she relays the story about the candy she and her sister always shared and Angela's last words to her in her letter.

My chest tightens as I understand the depth of meaning behind this and the incredible bond these two shared, as well as the sacrifices Katy made to make her sister happy. My girl is incredible in so many ways.

After a few bites of the macaroni, Katy thanks Ben and tells us that she's sleepy. Ben takes the dishes away and after turning off the lights, I curl around her on the bed, clutching her tightly against me and hold her until her breaths turn slow and even and she falls asleep.

~Katy~

Angela has been screaming at me all day. As I sit around sulking in my usual fashion, I swear I can feel her. I can practically hear her. She's telling me to get up off my ass and get on with things. And I hate her for it.

I've returned to working part time with Kylie. I've been jogging several times a week. Things are back to normal with me and John. He no longer withholds himself from me anymore. He gives himself to me freely, understanding that our shared intimacy helps me. But I'm still not me and through some strange sister connection thing, Angela is calling me out on it.