Veronica.
A strong arm grabbed me suddenly, fingers curling around my wrist with a grip that left no room for resistance. I gasped as I was pulled off balance, my back hitting the cold wall at the tight corner of the staircase. The world tilted for a second, my breath hitching as I struggled to steady myself, my free hand flying up to wipe at the tears that were already streaming uncontrollably down my face. My chest ached, my vision blurred, but before I could even form a word, his presence swallowed me whole.
"Do you know how long I have been waiting for this?"
His voice, low, husky, dangerously familiar, slid into my ears, sending a shiver straight down my spine. He leaned in closer, close enough that I could feel the warmth of his breath against my damp cheeks, close enough that the space between us disappeared entirely. My heart slammed violently against my ribs as recognition struck, sharp and unavoidable.
Andrew.
My older brother… if I could even still call him that.
His gaze searched my face, dark and intense, as though he was looking for something he had already decided belonged to him. Slowly, almost tenderly, he lifted his hand and wiped the tears from my cheeks with his thumb. The touch was soft, intimate, far too intimate, and it made my breath stutter. His fingers lingered, tracing the curve of my face before he tucked a loose strand of my hair behind my ear, the gesture achingly familiar, painfully wrong.
"There is no need to cry," he murmured, his voice thick, almost accusing, as if my tears offended him.
Before I could respond, he pressed in closer. His body aligned with mine, firm and unyielding, pinning me gently but effectively against the wall. I froze as the full weight of his presence sank in. Then I felt it, his cock, hard, unmistakable, pressing against me, and my mind went blank for a split second. My pulse raced, confusion and shock tangling tightly with sensations I didn't want to acknowledge.
His hands slid down, slow and deliberate, resting on my thighs. The touch was light, almost reverent, his thumbs brushing softly against my skin as if he were testing how far he could go. My knees weakened, my breath coming out in shallow, uneven gasps. The world around me faded, the staircase, the silence, the reason I had been crying moments before, all of it dissolved under the weight of his touch.
I hated myself for it, but my body reacted before my mind could catch up. A soft sound escaped my lips, a helpless moan that betrayed me completely.
For a brief, terrifying moment, I forgot everything.Forgot the tears.Forgot the pain.Forgot what had just happened.
"Brother…" I tried to call out, the word trembling on my tongue, heavy with warning and desperation.
But he shushed me immediately, his hand sliding up to cradle my face as he leaned in and captured my lips in a kiss that stole the rest of my protest. It was hot, consuming, possessive, nothing hesitant about it. His mouth moved against mine with a confidence that left no space for doubt, no room for escape. My lips parted instinctively, my breath tangling with his as my eyes fluttered shut.
I squeezed them tightly, as if shutting out the present might erase it.
And suddenly… everything shifted.
The staircase vanished.The weight of his body faded. The heat, the confusion, the forbidden closeness, all of it blurred and dissolved.
In its place came memories, memories I began to understand.
"Hey, brother!" I called out, my voice shaking as I clung tightly to the rough bark beneath my palms.
The branch I had climbed so confidently moments ago now felt impossibly high. My legs dangled uselessly as I searched for a foothold that wasn't there. Panic rose fast in my chest, thick and suffocating. I tried to lower myself, but the distance made my stomach twist, fear stealing the strength from my limbs.
"I—I can't get down," I cried, a soft sob breaking free despite my effort to be brave. "Help me… please."
Andrew looked up instantly.
The moment our eyes met, he dropped whatever he was doing and ran toward the tree, his face tight with alarm. "It's okay, Veronica," he said quickly, already reaching out. "I'm here. I won't let you get hurt."
There was no hesitation. He climbed up just enough to reach me, strong hands gripping my sides as he guided me down. I slipped unexpectedly, my weight shifting too fast, and the next second we were tumbling together. He twisted instinctively, his arms locked around me as his back hit the ground with a dull thud.
The impact knocked the air from both of us.
For a heartbeat, everything went silent.
Then Andrew moved immediately, sitting up with me still in his arms, his eyes scanning my face in frantic detail. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice sharp with worry. "Did you hurt yourself?"
His hands checked my arms, my legs, my sides, careful, thorough, as if he needed proof that I was unharmed before he could breathe again. I shook my head slowly, still stunned, but uninjured.
"I'm fine," I whispered.
Only then did his shoulders relax.
He exhaled hard, resting his forehead briefly against mine. "I promise you, Veronica," he said quietly, fiercely, "you belong to me. I won't let anyone hurt you. I won't let anyone touch you."
I didn't fully understand what he meant back then. I just nodded, comforted by the certainty in his voice, by the way he made the world feel smaller and safer.
A few minutes later, laughter echoed nearby.
Daniel came into view, all energy and excitement, his hand reaching for mine without a second thought. "Come on," he said brightly. "Let's go play."
Before I could respond, Andrew's grip tightened.
He yanked my hand away sharply, stepping in front of me as if shielding me with his body. "She's mine!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the air. "Stay away from her!"
Daniel froze, startled. I remember the confusion on his face… and the way Andrew's jaw clenched, his eyes burning with something far stronger than concern.
People brushed it off back then.
They said he was just being protective.
Just an older brother who cared too much.
But now, here, in the present, with his lips pressed against mine, I understood the truth with chilling clarity.
That day in the tree hadn't been about protection.
It had been possession.
And it always had been.