Home for the Holidays
Lee Jacquot

Elliot Rivera is the definition of forbidden.

Even in high school, when I first laid eyes on the mysterious boy, I knew better than to get involved. He screamed of broken promises and shattered hearts, and nowhere in my agenda did I have time for either.

Then again, I didn't have time for anything outside my already overwhelming schedule. Volleyball, advanced classes, and college prep were enough to fill my time, making me the wallflower who vowed only to watch but never touch.

And I did. For three years, I observed all that made Elliot the heartthrob he was, and slowly, my walls began to crumble.

Looking was no longer good enough to satiate my curiosity. I needed more. But not in the way I ended up getting it.

By a cruel twist of fate, our parents fell in love and got married. And for the past eight years, I’ve had to pretend like I’m perfectly fine with having him as a brother. Pretend like I didn’t dream about him paying me a not-so-innocent visit in the middle of the night.

But after all these years, we’re home for Thanksgiving, and as luck would have it, he may not be my sibling anymore.

So does that mean he’s still off limits? Or do I finally get a taste of forbidden fruit?