The Rescue Mission

"Shit," Joey whispered.

Juniper blinked up at him from the floor, her eyes red and glossy. There was tequila nearby that wore the same colour lipstick on his sister's lips. Her leather skirt had ridden up far too high. She looked like a wreck—and yet her expression was soft. Adoring. Maybe a little ****.

He'd seen it before.

The same look he’d seen on Madison. On Aynsley. On Eliza. Even on Serena, who now stood silently behind him, had a similar look to her eyes.

Joey felt his stomach churn.

"Shit shit."

He crouched beside Juniper, careful not to startle her, and tucked her hair behind her ear. She leaned into his hand with a dazed little smile, like he was the only steady thing in the room.

"What the hell are you doing, Junie?" he murmured.

She didn’t answer. Just gave a happy little sigh.

"You know her?" Serena asked softly from behind him.

"Yeah," Joey said, numb. Then, almost to himself, "She's my sister."

He couldn’t think straight. Couldn't think about anything except the cold tile under his knees, the warm weight of Juniper's eyes, and the words she'd said just a minute ago:

"Oh. Suddenly you have time to notice me."

His mind tried to skip past it, but it wouldn't let him. Not this time.

Why would she say that?

She wasn't jealous, was she?

He looked down at her again. The outfit. The eyeliner. The impossible top, the miniskirt, the tequila, the puffy eyes. If he didn't know better, Joey would have thought that she was on the prowl. At the party she was mad that he was hosting. For a guy who would normally be far too young for her.

Wait.

"Shit shit shit."

The words he'd said, the words he'd explained to his sister popped into his head.

"All the girls here are head-over-heels for me."

He'd said it in the dining room. Earlier tonight. When the party was in full swing. He'd said it in defense of his girlfriends, a way to get Juniper to back off. He knew it would activate his power, that it would change her, but he hadn't thought that she would consider herself one of the girls.

And now...

His sister.

Aw man, his sister.

He tried to swallow, but his throat was dry. His chest felt like it was caving in.

"Serena?" he croaked.

She stepped forward instantly.

"Yeah?"

"Can you help me get her upstairs?"

"Of course."

He turned to her, grateful. There was no seduction in his voice, no flirtation. Just exhaustion. Panic. Quiet, mounting dread.

"My mom's up there. The other girls, too. Someone will know what to do. I just—" he broke off, helpless.

Serena gave a sharp nod and bent beside Juniper's other side. Together, they carefully lifted her. Juniper mumbled something—"Joey..."—and laid her head against his shoulder.

"Okay," Serena said gently. "Let's get her taken care of."

Joey didn't look at Serena again. Couldn't. All he could see was Juniper's drunken, disheveled face staring up at him in adoration. He knew it was his fault. He knew that he'd made a mistake.

That somehow, without meaning to, without wanting to—

He'd made his sister fall in love with him.