It can’t be ignored

Vi bites her lower lip as she stares up at the man in front of her. Watching hungrily as he strips his shirt off.

‘I need this, I need to feel free, just for a second.’

She looks over at the hidden recording camera, as she usually does when hooking up with Max; he prefers not to make it too obvious that Erik would watch this later. Her fingers hook into her bra straps and lift slightly, the sound of the strap smacking against skin filling the room. She looks up at Max.

‘Maki looked so hot next to me like this… Before…’

Vi catches herself, pushing the thought out of her mind, trying to refocus on Max, this dumb himbo who is always down to meet up. She grins up at him from the foot of his bed as he scoots close, throwing his shirt across her dorm room.

‘Im being selfish , I know, Erik looked so cute when I told him I was gonna try and get my mind off it all with Max, I mean he had literally jumped at the chance when I said that I wanted to have some fun with…’

Vi groans, looking down at the carpet beneath her.

“Huh?” Max asks, slowing down, but not stopping the unbuttoning of his jeans.

She looks up, and all she can see is the view she shared with Maki, the hunger in Max’s face when she glances over the pure, unbridled lust that was in Maki’s shining golden eyes.

‘Maki is ruining this for me.’

She groans again, standing up and walking across the room, picking up her hoodie to pull it over herself.

“Sorry, Max. I’m not in the mood.”

“The fuck? You called me over here for nothing?”

Vi shoots him a warning glare, a not-so-subtle reminder of where he stands. She walks over to the spot where her phone was hidden on top of Ari’s bed, picking it up. “Sorry, babe.” She says with a frown before turning off the recording.

“Did I do something wrong?” Max asks, not wanting to draw unnecessary anger from Vi.

‘His begging is almost endearing, if only because he’s dumb. Maki saw it too; that’s why she flirted with him the—‘

She groans again, crossing her arms. “Ugh. No. You’re fine. There’s other stuff going on.”

“Maybe you just need a good fuck to get it off your mind…” He says hopefully.

But he’s quick to abandon that thought… If looks could kill…

“Should I go?” He asks, awkwardly pulling his shirt back on.

She sighs. “Yeah. I need to be alone.”

She can feel his frustration as he walks past her, but she hardly cares; the guy is nothing more than a sex toy for her, someone to use to fuel the lust and desire between her and Erik. He doesn’t want anything unclear, though. So, he slams the door.

“Such a child.” She mutters, sitting down on her bed and sighing.

“Maki… Why did you have to do all that?” She asks herself, collapsing backwards. “I can’t avoid this… I have to talk to Erik.”

It’s as if the universe knows; it always seems to. Whether it’s a good day that needs to be humbled, or if it’s a bad day that just needs a cherry on top. Her phone starts ringing.

“Fuck…” She groans, tempted just to ignore it.

But she can’t.

“Hey, Dad…” She says softly, resigning herself to the usual outcome of a call from her father: pain.

“Is that how you greet your father? Disappointment in your voice? See, this is why I didn’t want you moving to a college so damn far away. You start to lose the respect a young woman should have, and you forget how to speak to me.”

She never knows how to respond, so she opts for the ol' reliable. “Sorry, Daddy! You caught me by surprise, that’s all!”

“Better.” He states gruffly. Fortunately, he gets right into why he called.

“I looked up that boy you’re seeing.”

Her heart drops. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t interrupt me.” He scolds. “I looked him up in your college records.” He pauses, and then almost begrudgingly continues. “I’m not saying I approve of him. He has impressive grades. I still think our bloodline would be better served by your marrying someone of a higher… social status. Johan is a good man. That’s what you need. Johan has connections. If you are to be a good wife and woman, you need to marry someone with prospects in this world, not just grades. Regardless, I’ll make this call quick; I can't remember if I said it before. But when you come to visit me. This boy, Erik, will accompany you if he wants to make a good impression. He’ll pay his own way here. If he can’t scrounge together the funds for a measly airfare, I expect you to not waste any more time with him. That’s all. I have to run, goodbye, Vi. Don’t forget that I love you.”

The line clicks mercifully. Only he could turn the lightest of praise into a whipping like that. She sighs, throwing her phone onto her pillow. She was going to bring Erik regardless; she’ll need his support. She feels just a little bit glad that her father doesn’t seem as ‘anti’ as he did previously. At least this call was quick.

“He sure loves to hear himself talk, though…”

Vi falls into Erik’s arms, Erik chuckling as he drags her dead weight from the floor to the couch that sits in his larger-than-usual dorm room. “Hard day?”

Vi just groans in response, mentally exhausted, letting her arms dangle off the couch as Erik gently places her on the couch. He sits down on the other end, and she shifts quickly, cuddling up to him and cradling under his arm. She wraps her arms around her knees. “Can you say you love me?”

Erik laughs; he strokes her hair and nods. “I love you so very much.”

She deflates with glee, snuggling harder into him. “I love you too.”

Erik is surprised she's here, he thinks he knows why she's here, he lets her lead the conversation. This is not the usual demeanour she has when she returns to him for a report or reclamation. No, she’s usually a lot more… naked. Not in a hoodie and track pants.

“I didn’t go through with Max… Obviously.” She says, reading his thoughts. “I can’t stop thinking about… Fuck me…. Maki.”

Erik sighs. “Honestly, I’m surprised it even took you this long to bring it up.”

She groans. “I was like… Becoming friends with her. For real. Even though I never told you her name.”

Erik laughs. “I think that one is a bit more on me. I definitely should’ve mentioned at some point that my older stepsister’s name is Maki.”

“You did, though! I just forgot… Which is worse… She’s literally your sister.” She digs a nail into her thumb. “Like, even your younger sister! I forgot her name too! That’s horrible of me!”

Erik sighs. “It’s Anya. And they’re both stepsisters. And my stepmom is Laura.”

She repeats the names, making sure to etch them into her brain, committed to never being in this position again. “I’m just so frustrated.”

Erik nods, rubbing her head. “I know why… But try and articulate it.” He encourages her.

“I just… We got along so well… I thought we were becoming friends… Like beyond her just trying to sell me patronage at her bar… I guess that’s not what she was doing anyway.” She groans. “And like… I know she’s your sister. But she’s actually so damn hot… I was looking forward to sharing her with Max… And even you at some point.”

Erik feels a strange stirring in his loins, one that he had a few times growing up around Maki. “Stepsister.” He feels compelled to correct Vi.

She rolls her eyes but continues. “And now I don’t know what to do..” She looks at him. “I’m so annoyed because such a Big part of me just wants to forgive her and go back to normal with her, and keep having fun.”

“This may sound weird… But just do it.” He shrugs. “If that’s what you want to do, y’know? Why let this ruin what could be an amazing friendship, or even more?”

She cocks an eyebrow.

“Don’t let her relationship to me stop what you were going to do anyway. We’re not even related. Different mother and father.” He shrugs. Erik internally knows that Maki would likely enjoy that too.

“Besides…” Erik scoffs with amusement, recalling an old memory. “This isn’t the first time she’s done something like this…”

“What do you mean?” She asks, desperate to write off Maki’s transgressions somehow.

“Back in the last year of high school, Anya was in the year below me; she was getting bullied by some piece of shit rich dude.” He waves his hands. “Just calling her ugly and stuff, saying that she should kill herself because Maki has the body and the looks.”

Vi looks horrified.

He assures her that Anya is okay now. “Anyway, Maki was furious; she didn’t ask me to, like, confront the guy or anything — he was a massive pussy, only picked on girls — so she concocted a plan, similar to this one with you.”

“What’d she do?”

“She found out which Pilates class this kid's older sister went to, befriended her, worked her way into hanging out at their house; she would hang out there, like, all the fucking time. Anya didn’t understand it at the time — neither did I, to be fair. She didn’t give us all the details, but the short version of the story is that she ‘seduced’ the dad.” He shrugs.

“Hot young 19-year-old flirting with him…” Vi says softly.

“Yeah, 18–19ish. She flirted with him to the point that he propositioned her when she was over there one time; she claims she didn’t do anything with him…”

“You think she did?” Vi asks.

“I don’t know… But she recorded that talk and used it to blackmail the kid, threatened to blow up his parents' marriage if he didn’t lay off Anya.”

Vi’s eyebrows go up.

“And just in case that didn’t work… She stole one of the older sister's panties, pretended it was hers and took a picture of the kid using it to jerk himself off.”

“Did… Did that plan work?”

Erik nods. “For a bit… But then the kid admitted everything to his parents; they ended up getting divorced, and Maki almost got Anya expelled.”

“What the fuck??”

Erik shrugs. “They let Anya off; she clearly knew nothing, and she’s a lot more personable than Maki, she was practically sobbing in the principals office... But… My point is… Maki is like that.”

“Dumb?”

He laughs. “Way too intense. Reckless, doesn’t think things through.”

She sighs and sinks into the couch, keeping an arm around Erik.

“So… It’s up to you. But she’s not going anywhere. She’s my stepsister… And my manager currently.” He laughs softly.

She sighs… “THis is so frustrating… I want to forgive her…”

“Maybe you just need some time… And then you can talk to her when you’re ready… I think she regrets what she did completely. I could see it in her eyes. She feels the same as you.”

Vi sighs again. “God… I wish we could just live together in the void forever, just us two. Only certain people would have visitation rights.”

He hugs her, kissing the top of her head. “I know… Me too.”

“I guess… Once you’re ready too. You should go back to working for her… I still want you to make money and stuff.” She remembers her father's phone call. “And…”

Vi lets Erik in on the call from her dad, giving Erik not much choice regarding returning to work.