Chapter 2

Lila’s POV

I stormed into our apartment, still fuming from the night before. The door slammed harder than I intended. Damien was lounging on the couch, scrolling through his phone, that familiar cocky grin already spreading across his face the moment he looked up at me.

“Someone doesn’t look too happy,” he said, eyes sparkling with amusement. “Tell me who pissed you off and I’ll beat the living daylight out of him.”

“This has to stop, Damien,” I snapped, my face heating up with anger. “You can’t keep beating up every guy who makes me upset. I know you think you’re being a protective big brother, but it needs to end. Now.”

He stood up from the couch, shrugging casually. “You expect me to just sit back and watch some idiot hurt your feelings? Not happening.”

“I don’t want your protection anymore,” I yelled, frustration boiling over. “With the way you’re acting, everyone’s starting to think you have feelings for me. And I’m not talking about normal brotherly love. They think you’re lusting after me. You have to stop so these stupid rumors will die down.”

Damien stepped closer, his expression turning serious. “And why do you think they’re just rumors?”

I blinked, confused. “What? What do you mean?”

He moved even nearer, voice low. “What if I never denied the rumors… because they might be true? What if I really am lusting after my own twin sister? What if I’m developing real feelings for you?”

My eyes widened in shock. My heart slammed against my ribs. He couldn’t possibly mean that… could he? I searched his face, and for a moment I saw something dark and hungry in his gaze… pure lust, mixed with something deeper.

“W-what are you saying, Damien?” I stuttered, frozen in place.

He stopped, then suddenly burst out laughing. “Got you! Damn, the look on your face right now is priceless. I should take a picture.”

“Don’t you dare!” I stomped my foot, cheeks burning as I glared at him. “I can’t believe you right now.” I turned sharply and marched toward my room, heart still racing.

“Come on, sis, don’t be mad,” he called after me, still chuckling. “Besides, wouldn’t you rather date me, your very handsome brother, instead of all those idiots you pick?”

“Fuck you, Damien!” I yelled back, flipping him off without turning around.

Would it be wrong if a tiny part of me had wished, just for a second, that he wasn’t joking?

Later that afternoon, I met Kendall in one of the quiet abandoned classrooms on campus. I couldn’t stop pacing, my mind spinning.

“Ethan is right,” Kendall said calmly, watching me. “You are in love with your brother.”

I stopped dead, staring at her in disbelief. “Are you serious? I expected you to tell me I’m not. Instead you’re saying this?”

She stood up from the desk and placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. “You can glare at me all you want, but the truth is right there. You love him, and it’s definitely not the normal sisterly kind. Maybe if you accept it, you’ll be able to deal with it better.”

I shrugged her hand off, shaking my head. “You’ve got to be kidding. I refuse to believe I could feel that way about my own twin brother. It’s wrong on every level.”

Kendall gave me a knowing grin. “Deny it as much as you want, but we both know I’m right.”

“Fine,” I sighed, defeated. “Maybe I do have some feelings for him. But it doesn’t matter. Nothing can ever happen between us. He’s my twin brother. That’s incest.”

“You’re right about that,” she agreed, following me as I started walking out. “But hiding it won’t be easy. Living with the guy you have sexual feelings for? That’s going to be torture.”

“I do not have sexual feelings for him,” I muttered quickly. “And can we please talk about something else?”

“Fine. What are you going to do about your relationship with Ethan then?”

I groaned. “Seriously? I asked you to change the subject and that’s what you pick? I don’t want to think about Damien or Ethan right now. Talk about anything else.”

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever.” Kendall shrugged. “Well… uh… I’ve got nothing. Guess we walk in silence then.”

We headed toward the main campus building without another word. The quiet only made my thoughts louder.

Suddenly Kendall whistled softly. “Are you seeing what I’m seeing? Looks like your brother has a new girlfriend.”

I turned and froze. Damien was locked in a heated kiss with Rachel—the girl I couldn’t stand, my biggest rival on campus. His hands were on her waist, and she was pressed up against him like she belonged there.

Jealousy hit me like a punch to the stomach. My fists clenched tight, vision narrowing until all I saw was red. It wasn’t just anger that he was kissing my enemy. I was furious because he was kissing someone who wasn’t me.

“Damien!” I yelled, marching straight toward them, all common sense gone. “Damien!!”

He broke away from Rachel, eyes wide with shock. “Lila, it’s not what it looks like.”

“It is exactly what it looks like,” Rachel said with a smug smirk, then pecked his cheek. “Your brother asked me out.”

“Seriously, Damien?” I snapped, glaring daggers at Rachel. “Out of everyone on campus, you had to choose her?”

“It’s not like that,” Damien protested, looking guilty. “She grabbed me and kissed me out of nowhere. I didn’t mean for it to happen.”

“So what if I kissed him?” Rachel said, running her fingers along his shoulder seductively. “I like your brother. A guy this hot shouldn’t stay single.”

“Rachel, shut up!”