Shawn and Kendall Ch. 15

Literotic asexstories – Shawn and Kendall Ch. 15 by SnKShorts,SnKShorts Chapter 15: Obsessed

Kendall exhaled hard through her mouth as she sat in Shawn’s bathroom, wiping herself clean. She gently shook her head in disbelief, unable to comprehend why having sex with him felt like being swallowed by the sun. Her mind attacked the psychology of it in every way possible, wondering if it was the rush of their sibling connection or perhaps they were simply a perfect chemical match. Shawn’s touch melted her body, and how he talked to her while being so rough made chills crawl up her thighs and neck. Flashbacks of his voice whispering, “good girl,” while clutching her hair and slamming into her from behind made Kendall shiver on the toilet, feeling her nipples getting hard again.

“Fuck…” She whispered, covering her face, “he might actually get me pregnant.”

She felt like a slave to her addiction, utterly helpless against the gnawing, restless need for his hot seed in her deepest depths. She knew how disastrous things would get if Shawn got her pregnant, but the euphoria that flooded her nerves every time she felt her brother’s warmth pulsating inside her was profound. Kendall couldn’t stop replaying their incredible sex in her head as she wiped the absurd amount of cum from between her legs. It had only been two days, and Shawn’s loads were exceedingly large, as expected. It quickly became one of her favorite things about having sex with him before she realized it. Her love of being filled to the brim by him never dulled.

Shawn remained on the bed, sliding his boxers back on, playing on his phone, and waiting for Kendall to return. The bathroom door opened, causing him to look away from his phone. He saw Kendall staring at him from the doorway. She had taken her hair tie out and looked an exhausted mess. Shawn patted the bed beside him with a smirk, setting his phone aside, and Kendall approached with a snicker. She crawled into bed with a smile, nestling against him and burying her face against his neck.

“God, I wish we could stay like this til morning,” she sighed, snuggling in his warmth.

“Stupid rules,” Shawn mumbled, wrapping his arm around her and holding her tightly against him.

Kendall rolled over to her belly in his grip and stared closely at his eyes with her arms folded on his chest and her chin resting on them. Her gaze wandered his face, almost studying him.

“What?” Shawn asked, his hand delicately running along her back.

Kendall shook her head with a slight grin.

“Come on,” Shawn chuckled, brushing her hair behind her ear, “I’ll bet it’s something.”

Kendall’s smile slowly faded, and she stared at him with stars in her eyes, blown away by their connection and her desire to be with him forever.

“I just… Love you. A lot,” she said.

Shawn’s gaze wandered between her eyes and lips, losing himself in her gorgeous face and soft voice.

“And I would let you knock me up in a heartbeat if you wanted,” Kendall giggled.

Shawn slowly grinned until they were both laughing with each other at the thought of such a thing.

“Wait, are you serious?” He laughed.

Kendall nodded excitedly, biting her lower lip with a huge smile.

“Me? A dad?” Shawn chuckled, “what a disaster.”

Kendall smiled at him with delight, silently loving the idea of them having a kid together. But she knew it wasn’t possible. A reality where Kendall birthed her brother’s child could never be.

“You would be an amazing dad,” she responded warmly, “it just sucks that we can’t.”

“I don’t think I’m ready anyway,” Shawn yawned, letting his head fall back.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Kendall sighed, laying her head on his chest, “no time for video games? You’d shrivel up and die.”

They laughed as they lay there, holding each other. Shawn delicately ran his hand through Kendall’s hair, making her moan with delight. His touch made every bad thing fade away, and Kendall could feel herself drifting off to his soft breathing.

Grace quietly coasted to a stop in front of the house across the street from them. She took a final hit of her cigarette before flicking it out of the car and rolling up her window. Before approaching, she made sure Kendall’s car was there. It sat right behind Shawn’s like always. Grace closed her car door as quietly as possible, keeping her presence masked. She snuck around the side of the house, tugging on the vines that lead up to Kendall’s window, and stealthily ascended them. Once outside Kendall’s window, Grace peered in, visoring her hand against the glass and trying to see into her dark room. It was too difficult to see anything, so she quietly opened the window and climbed in. The first thing she noticed was Kendall’s empty bed.

“Huh? Where the hell is she?” Grace whispered, looking around the dark room in confusion.

The room was soulless, but she knew what time Kendall usually went to bed. Grace opened her bathroom door and still saw no sign of Kendall. She folded her arms, wondering if Kendall was still awake in another part of the house. Then, her eyes widened, realizing the only place Kendall could be at this time of night. Her back tingled, imagining what she might be doing with Shawn, and this was her opportunity to catch them in the act. Grace bolted for the door, swinging it open and entering the hallway.

Kendall inhaled sharply through her nose, lifting her head from his chest as she jolted awake.

“Shit, I can’t,” she mumbled, half asleep, “we are so dead if I fall asleep in here.”

“Oh, yeah,” Shawn muttered, almost asleep, “you should probably get back.”

“Okay, I love you,” Kendall whispered sweetly, looking into his eyes.

“I love you too,” Shawn answered, his lips approaching hers.

The hallway light suddenly clicked on, causing Shawn and Kendall to gasp and look toward the door in fear just before their lips touched. They could see the light shining through the bottom of the door, and heavy, booted footsteps approached rapidly. Kendall flung herself out of Shawn’s bed and bolted into the bathroom, barely pulling the door shut in time as Grace barged in. Shawn’s door brushed Kendall’s panties aside, and he shielded his eyes from the light, wondering who had burst into his room so late at night. When his eyes finally adjusted, he saw Grace approaching his bed. She crossed her arms with a distrustful look.

“Grace!? What the fuck are you doing here!?” Shawn whispered furiously, not wanting to wake their parents.

“Tell me where she is,” Grace demanded loudly, looking around his room.

“Where who is? How did you even get in here?” Shawn asked, lowering his hand and opening his other eye.

“Don’t,” Grace shook her head with a fed-up tone, “you know exactly who. Where’s Kendall?”

Shawn’s nerves ruptured as he struggled to summon his best acting, scrambling for ideas to get her out of his room. When Kendall heard her voice, she covered her mouth, fighting the urge to panic. She couldn’t believe Grace would do such a thing. Holding her shaking breath was like walking on a rope while waiting to hear what would unfold in her brother’s room.

“Well?” Grace prodded, stepping forward and peeking under Shawn’s bed.

His eyes shot all over the place as he frantically thought of ways to stop her from investigating; all the while, Kendall listened against the bathroom door, her heart racing.

“H- hey!” Shawn snapped, “if she wasn’t in there, why the hell would she be in here?”

“God, she’s right,” Grace said smugly, continuing to nose around, “you are such a shitty liar.”

Grace spun around and trotted toward the bathroom. Kendall heard her steps and immediately fled to the shower in the dark, hiding behind the curtain. She clamped her eyes shut with her hands over her mouth as the door swung open, praying she wouldn’t make a sound.

“Grace- hey!” Shawn stuttered, racing up from the bed.

“STOP!” He shouted, gripping her arm in a panic.

Grace looked down at his grip on her bicep, then into his eyes, amused by his reaction.

“Look,” Shawn grunted, reaching past her and flicking the light on, silently begging God not to let her check the shower, “there’s nobody in here!”

He then reached out of the bathroom and turned on his bedroom light. Grace stepped out of the bathroom and looked around Shawn’s bedroom suspiciously. His body quivered, hoping she wouldn’t notice Kendall’s panties hooked on the corner of his door.

“See?” Shawn sighed stressfully, “no one. She’s not home. Now, can you please leave? I was sleeping!”

Grace would not ignore the feeling in her gut. She scanned the room like a supercomputer, looking for anything remotely suspicious, but she didn’t see anywhere else Kendall could hide. Her eyes suddenly caught the giant cum stain on Shawn’s bed. It made her eyebrow raise as she approached it. Shawn sighed and groaned, irritated that she still wouldn’t leave. His eyes followed her, and he noticed the stain on his bed, reviving his panic.

“Yeah? With who?” Grace asked mischievously, standing by his bed and pointing at the stain.

Shawn nervously scratched his head, trying to think of the first lie she’d believe.

“Nobody…” He mumbled, unable to think of anything, “I… Did that.”

“Seriously? You expect me to believe that came out of your balls?” Grace asked condescendingly, stretching the sheet to show the size of the wet spot Kendall made.

“N- no! I…” Shawn stumbled, losing his composure.

Consumed by her obsessive detective tendencies, Grace reached forward and felt the stain with her hand.

“It’s fresh,” she said, rubbing her fingers on her palm and facing Shawn with a raised brow and a smirk, “you’re two for two, Babe.”

Shawn felt his hands clamming up as he floundered to commission a lie Grace would believe. But she was too smart, and he knew she was on the brink of catching them.

“What, can’t think of another lie quick enough?” Grace snarked, crossing her arms, “save it, Shawn. Where is she?”

Just when everything seemed on the verge of imploding, Shawn remembered their talk in the kitchen a few days prior. He recalled hearing snippets of their discussion and Kendall lighting up over her mysterious new partner. Shawn knew this was his only shot at regaining control and throwing her off their path. He just needed to build off the lie Kendall had already started with her.

“Sh-she made me promise not to tell!” Shawn suddenly blabbed with his eyes shut, trying to sell the act.

Grace made a surprised face, ripe with amusement. Her nerves raced excitedly, ready to hear Shawn finally admit their disgusting secret.

“Promise not to tell what?” She asked, dropping her arms.

Shawn sighed, sitting on his bed.

“Why should I tell you?” He asked with a fake attitude, knowing he had Grace on the hook, “you’re just gonna throw me under the bus, and she’ll know I squealed.”

Grace walked over and sat beside him on the bed, looking him over intensely. Her expression told Shawn he had regained control but needed to be careful with his words.

“No, I won’t. Promise,” Grace smirked, holding her pinky up, “here. Isn’t this what you guys do?”

Shawn gave her pinky an awkward look, shaking his head and not obliging.

“Okay…” Shawn covered his face, summoning his best acting, “I’m pretty sure that new guy she’s talking to came and got her earlier. But I’m not supposed to tell anyone about him! Understand?”

Grace scaled him with her eyes, giving a cynical look, not expecting his answer.

“Wait…” Grace snapped, “you’re telling me he’s real? The new guy she’s fucking?”

“So she already told you,” Shawn answered, playing as dumb as possible.

“I mean, not all the details,” Grace answered, her eyes wandering the floor in confusion, “that’s why I thought she made it up.”

“Look, I haven’t met the guy yet,” Shawn continued, “but I’ve seen her leave with him. Yeah, he’s real.”

Grace suddenly stood up from the bed with her hands on her hips, looking around the room with an appalled expression. Tonight was going nothing like she’d planned, and hearing Shawn confirm the existence of Kendall’s new partner threw an enormous wrench in her theory. Shawn watched her suspensefully, hoping his story would be enough to get her out. He despised gaslighting someone to this degree, but it was the only way to protect their secret. He struggled to stop his knee from bouncing, praying Grace would not notice Kendall’s panties right in front of her. Kendall had been listening to everything, blown away by how convincing Shawn was being. He pulled out all the stops to keep Grace from getting any closer to the truth, and Kendall never knew he could act so well. Grace could feel doubt pouring in and decided it would be best to leave. She didn’t feel entirely convinced Shawn was telling the truth, but it was clear that Kendall was not home. She huffed with agitation and went for the door, ready for a different approach to get the answers she wanted.

“Whatever…” She groaned, heading for the exit.

“Hey!” Shawn called out, causing her to stop and look back at him, “what the hell was all that? Why did you come looking in my room for her?”

Shawn knew keeping Grace in his room any longer was dangerous, but he saw the opportunity to expose her mission and took it. The more he could uncover, the easier it would be to evade her later. He had to know what caused her to barge in like this without warning. Grace snickered and shook her head.

“You must really think I’m an idiot,” she grumbled, staring into his eyes, “don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing with her, Shawn.”

Shawn made a confused face, motioning her to explain.

“Okay, fine,” Grace said, crossing her arms and taking another step toward him, “just for the record, I know you’re full of shit and lying to me. You both are. Wanna know how I know that?”

“Enlighten me,” Shawn sighed with an unenthused look, bracing to hear what she knew.

“For starters, you two are bad at covering your trail,” she snarked.

“What trail…?” Shawn shrugged with a cynical face.

“The one you’re desperately lying to throw me off of,” Grace snapped with a challenging tone, “I mean, come on. You left your toothbrush in her bathroom. I knew it was yours because Kendall uses the same ones I do, and I snuck in here and found the package for it in your garbage. It’s yours.”

Shawn’s eyes briefly wandered to the ground for a split second, trying his best not to look guilty, but he could not argue the mistake. It bothered him that Grace rummaged through his room, but he should have known better than to leave such obvious evidence like that. Kendall’s eyes nervously bounced around, hearing Grace reveal things that damned them. She recalled Shawn setting his toothbrush next to hers the morning Grace visited and realized it was an avoidable mistake.

“And guess what I found after that?” She asked, bucking her hip.

Shawn’s eyes wandered back up to hers, struggling to keep a straight face.

“Kendall’s clothes,” she continued, pointing away from them, “right there, in your bathroom. Her favorite pair of pink panties and college campus long-sleeve. Explain that, Shawn.”

Shawn dug his heels in and fought for the courage to challenge her, knowing it would expose them if he said nothing.

“Okay- hold on. So, I gave Kendall one of my toothbrushes because she ran out of her fancy ones, and I let her use my shower because the knob in hers broke,” Shawn calmly answered, refraining from being emotional, “how does any of that add up to Kendall being in my room at this hour?”

Grace smirked at him menacingly, tightly folding her arms.

“You’re right,” she said chillingly, “that wasn’t enough for me at first, either. So, let’s talk about the birth control.”

Kendall covered her mouth as her eyes widened in the bathroom. Shawn had cleverly deflected Grace’s first onslaught, but Kendall’s vagueness about who she got back on birth control for would be a different fight.

“Okay? What does that have to do with anything?” Shawn asked with his best acting.

“I know every single guy she’s ever slept with,” Grace answered, “and you know what they all had in common?”

Shawn shrugged dryly.

“They all meant something to her,” Grace leaned forward sharply with an aggressive tone, “Kendall doesn’t sleep around, Shawn. Any guy lucky enough to fuck her, I would know about. But this guy? She won’t tell me his name, show me a picture of him, nothing! But he’s somehow special enough to be blowing his wad in her? That’s when it clicked for me.”

Shawn waited for her to continue, fighting to control his emotions.

“… What’s that?” He finally mumbled.

Grace shook her head and snickered through her nose with a smirk, approaching the bed. She stopped right in front of him, leaning toward his face.

“There is no mysterious, new guy,” she snarked, “just you, who was here the whole time, obsessing over her, waiting to pounce. Her best friend.”

Shawn stared into her dark eyes, his composure slipping as her freakishly sharp accusations sundered through him.

“What, you think I didn’t notice?” Grace’s menacing tone continued, “I’ve seen the way you look at her when nobody’s paying attention. For years, I’ve watched you ogle her behind everyone’s backs. And you wanna know what I think?”

Shawn felt his nerves boiling as he listened to Grace deconstruct him into a desperate, mindless animal preying on his sister, her face inches from his.

“I think you couldn’t wait to twist her into whatever fucked up fantasy you live in. You saw how vulnerable she was from her breakup, and that was your opportunity to finally get what you always wanted. You waited until she was the most desperate she would ever be, and that’s when it happened. Her sweet, perfect brother who can do no wrong, finally having his way with her, right under everyone’s noses.”

Shawn’s eyes sank to the floor, showing the first sign of guilt. Her words skewered him like a spear.

“Oh!” Grace chirped, straightening her posture and grinning victoriously with a raised eyebrow and crossed arms, “looks like that one hit right on the nose.”

Shawn finally looked back up at her, regretting keeping her in his room any longer. His expression became hollow and distressed, unable to fathom how she had figured out so much so quickly without any real proof. Her instincts were horrifyingly precise.

“See?” Grace said, “told you you’re full of shit. You should see your face right now. Freak.”

Kendall listened from the bathroom with her hands over her mouth. Tears ran down her cheeks as she heard her closest friend rip her brother apart over their forbidden secret. Kendall knew Shawn did not deserve to be in his position, and it broke her heart that he was at the mercy of Grace’s wrath while she hid out of sight. The horrible things she said to Shawn made her stomach turn. Kendall struggled to keep her breathing silent as she thought about how impossible it was for Shawn to escape the situation, wishing she could save him. The sound she heard next made her eyes widen with shock.

“Is this the drama?” Their mom’s tired voice yawned from the doorway.

Grace turned around, surprised, not expecting her.

“Drama?” She asked, looking back at Shawn with a confused face.

Their mom slowly wandered into the room, standing beside Shawn, who palmed his face with embarrassment. Of all the ways his situation could have declined, this was among the worst.

“It’s kind of hard to sleep when people are stomping around in boots and holding debates in the middle of the night,” she said, rubbing her eye with an attitude, “now, what’s going on?”

Shawn and Grace stared at each other, not uttering a word. Grace gave him a vile smirk, and Shawn knew it was over if she spoke up.

“It’s nothing. We just needed to smooth something over,” Grace mumbled before turning around and walking into the hallway.

Their mom followed her heavy steps, seeing her enter Kendall’s bedroom.

“The door is downst-” she said before watching Grace climb out Kendall’s window and descend the vines.

She shook her head with a sigh and closed Kendall’s window back, noticing Kendall was nowhere to be found.

Shawn approached his door, wanting to shut it back and end the situation as quickly as possible. Their mom closed Kendall’s door just in time to see Shawn closing his, but she was not ready to let him off so easily.

“Not so fast,” she said firmly, walking toward his room again.

Shawn peeked at her from around the door with a worried expression, softly opening it to let her back in.

“Sit,” she commanded, taking a seat on his bed.

Shawn nervously followed and sat beside her. Upon sitting, he noticed her eyeballing the giant cum stain on his sheet and frantically covered it with his blanket. She looked him over with concern as he awkwardly folded his hands, waiting for her to speak. Kendall continued listening from the bathroom, trying to collect herself.

“Um- I didn’t know you two were…” She said awkwardly.

Shawn’s eyes widened, and his gaze shot toward the hallway.

“What, me and Grace!? No way! We’re not!” Shawn snapped in a panic.

His mom raised her hands with an alarmed look, motioning him to calm down.

“Okay, okay!” She responded, “you don’t need to get upset. Even if you were, there would be nothing wrong with that.”

Shawn looked away from her, closing his eyes and sighing through his nose. He soon realized he had just unintentionally trapped himself. If the stain didn’t come from Grace, who would his mom suspect next? He silently, painfully, came to terms with the fact that it was probably a good thing she thought he was involved with Grace. She analyzed him momentarily, realizing he was completely on edge and did not want any part of this discussion, but she needed to know what was happening before she intervened.

“So, if you two weren’t…” She mumbled, glancing at the stain again, “then what exactly was all that back there?”

Shawn looked around the room timidly, trying to think of the best response to keep them out of trouble. His chest tightened while he struggled to find a way to deter his mom. Shawn did not anticipate having to be a professional liar twice in a row with no breaks in between. His mom gently shook her head with frustration, realizing he either didn’t know how to answer or didn’t want to.

“Fine,” she sighed, agitated, “where’s Kendall? Can you at least tell me that?”

Shawn nervously shrugged, looking into her eyes. She examined him, noticing his panicked behavior, and knew something was off.

“Shawn, why are you so afraid to talk to me?” His mom stressed with a dire tone, “Honey, I don’t care if she murdered someone or robbed a bank! Just tell me what’s going on! Give me something!”

Shawn’s gaze wandered to the floor, and his mind barely grazed over the thought of finally coming clean with her. Would his mom truly accept what they had done? Or was it just a ploy to get him to talk? Ultimately, he was not brave enough to take the bait and remained silent.

“Hey,” she softly raised her hand to his cheek, causing him to look back into her eyes, “I give you my word. Just tell me the truth, and I won’t be upset with you. I promise.”

“No matter what it is?” Shawn quietly asked, on the verge of cracking and exposing them.

Kendall’s eyes widened, and she silently panicked in the bathroom, scared to death he would admit their betrayal tonight.

“Yes!” Their mom stressed.

Shawn’s eyes wandered away from hers, weighing the consequences of either route. He finally made his choice.

“Sh- she’s with some guy…” Shawn mumbled, his eyes sinking back to the bed, hating himself for lying to his mom.

His mom looked him over, studying his off behavior, sensing he was not being truthful. She then stood up from the bed and approached the door. Kendall deflated in the shower, covering her face with a deep sigh, relieved he did not go through with it.

“So if I call her right now, you’re saying she’ll be with someone?” She asked, crossing her arms.

Shawn nodded nervously, staring at her in the doorway.

“Okay,” she sighed heavily, “I’m calling her. I need to know she’s okay.”

Shawn silently panicked as he looked over and saw Kendall’s phone halfway under his pillow. It would be the end if she called Kendall’s phone and it rang from his room. Kendall nervously braced for them to get caught, clamping her eyes shut in the shower. She knew she couldn’t get to her phone before their mom called. Shawn stealthily grabbed her phone, sliding it behind his back and mashing the volume button down with his thumb. Within seconds, it was vibrating against his hand. His mom returned to his room with her phone to her ear, waiting for Kendall to answer, and Shawn prayed she would not hear the buzzing against his bed. Kendall’s voicemail prompted while their mom paced in his room.

“Honey, where are you? Grace broke in through your window tonight looking for you, and I found her harassing your brother about God knows what. Whatever is going on with you two, you need to handle it. Your dad and I can’t be dealing with this kind of stuff, and Shawn didn’t even do anything. Please, please call me and let me know where you are. What is going on with you lately? Just call me, please?”

Kendall listened from the bathroom with her arms wrapped around her knees and her face buried. The worry in her mom’s voice broke her heart into a thousand pieces. She struggled to cry silently in the shower, realizing her mom was worried sick about her and only wanted to ensure she was okay, while she hid mere feet away, bathed in guilt. Their mom sighed, lowering her phone and facing Shawn again as she ended her voicemail. He was relieved that she had not heard any of what Grace said. It was the slightest bit of traction in what felt like the most uphill battle of his life. She gently sat beside him on the bed again.

“Shawn,” she spoke softly with a pained expression, “I hope one day you will trust me enough to understand that you can tell me anything, no matter how scary it is.”

Shawn listened closely, looking into her eyes. The grief in her voice ruined him. All he could do was nod in silence, wishing there was a way to tell her about what he and Kendall were doing without ruining their family. His mom looked him over with concern, finally standing up to leave.

“Do not sleep on that,” she said demandingly, looking at the blanket covering the enormous stain, “you’ll get a rash.”

Shawn cringed, clamping his eyes shut and sighing through his nose, hating that his mom could see the aftermath of the sex he and Kendall had, thinking it was from Grace.

“Hey,” she softly called out, causing Shawn to look up at her, “it’s fine. You’re fine,” she nodded with a tiny grin, “your dad and I don’t care who you do that stuff with as long as you’re responsible.”

Shawn stared at her with the most embarrassed expression she had ever seen on him, and her motherly instincts only wanted to expel his discomfort. She slowly made her way to the exit, stopping in the doorway.

“If it makes you feel any better, you clearly know what you’re doing…” she mumbled with a smirk.

“Oh my- goodnight, Mom!” Shawn yelled stressfully with his hands over his face, horrified to hear her joke about such a thing.

She snickered to herself, finally closing his door and understanding he was simply a healthy young man.

Shawn’s shoulders finally deflated as he heard his mom’s steps fade down the hallway. It felt like every nightmare they successfully avoided created a new one. He stood up from the bed, waiting for their parents’ door to click. The reassuring sound of their door shutting finally eased his panic. Before he could even turn to face the bathroom, the door swung open, revealing Kendall, a huffing, crying mess. She stared at him, quivering as her shoulders heaved. The look on her face was harrowing.

“Kendall…” Shawn mumbled, knowing what was coming.

She sprinted forward, colliding with him, wrapping her arms around him, and bursting into tears.

“Hey, everything is fi-”

“No, it’s not!” Kendall shrieked, tears streaming down her cheeks as she looked up at him.

Shawn stared into her eyes, seeing her overtaken by a rageful sorrow.

“Why did she say those things to you?” Kendall quivered as her breath shook, looking into his eyes, utterly heartbroken that her brother suffered such abuse at the hands of her closest friend.

Shawn didn’t realize Kendall could hear everything Grace said as he reflected on her awful words.

“I… I don’t know. It’s beyond me how she figured all that out,” Shawn shrugged.

Kendall buried her face against his collar, squeezing him tightly in her arms as she sobbed out of control.

“You’re not a freak!” Her muffled voice wept into his collar.

“Kendall… It’s oka-”

“No!” She wept profusely into his shirt, squeezing his ribs, “I hate her! I hate her!”

He couldn’t even lift his arms to comfort her as he listened to Kendall meltdown like he had never seen. It was his first time ever hearing Kendall use that word to describe someone. She had never in her entire life said she hated another person, not even Bradley.

“You’re not a freak…” She quietly whimpered, quivering against him and refusing to let go.

Shawn slowly exhaled and gently wrapped his arms around her as she shattered. He never imagined the things Grace said would damage Kendall so severely. Shawn realized that night that Kendall’s friendship with Grace was as good as over. He gripped her tightly in his embrace, wishing the world would accept them. Hearing his sister cry was hard on him, and in this situation, Shawn was powerless to make it better. All he could do was hold her and listen to her break.

Down the hall, their mom stood by the bedroom window, waiting to see Grace’s car leave. She stared out to the street until she saw the vehicle pull away. Tonight’s bizarre events made her wonder what kind of drama would cause Grace to break into their home, and her mind could not shake the look on Shawn’s face when she found them. She knew he was not being honest, and whatever Grace said to him kept Shawn from saying a word about what was going on. It didn’t sit right with her.

“Hey, come back to bed,” their dad softly muttered, “you’re not gonna stand by that window all night, are you?”

She turned to face him with a concerned look, slowly approaching the bed without getting in.

“I just wanted to make sure Grace left…” she answered, staring at him with her arms crossed.

He finally opened his eyes and lifted his head, noticing her dire expression.

“What?” He mumbled.

“Why hasn’t she called me back yet?” She shrugged as her voice broke, her eyes glistening.

“Hey, hey,” he raced out of bed, grabbing her arms to calm her down, “Avery, she’s an adult. A smart one, too! If Shawn said she’s with a boy, well…” He looked away.

She listened to him, trying to stop her worry from growing.

“As much as I don’t like the idea of her running off with some new guy this soon either, that’s not our decision to make for her,” his soft tone empathized, “now come on. Let’s go back to bed, and we’ll both call her in the morning.”

She nodded her head, fighting off the urge to cry.

“Yeah, everything’s okay,” he whispered, rubbing her back and walking her to her side of the bed, “I’ll bet you’ll wake up with a text or something from her tomorrow. She’s probably sleeping wherever she is.”

“I hope you’re right,” she whimpered, pulling the covers over her, “I hate worrying about them all the time.”

“Oh, come on,” he consoled her, climbing into bed, “we’d know if something serious was going on.”

“I’m not so sure…” She mumbled, rolling over and facing away from him.

Jonathan turned his head to look at her, feeling a strange energy from her comment. He returned his gaze to the ceiling, wondering what it could mean. Perhaps there was more going on than he realized, and his dangerous suspicions were more credible than he thought.

As Shawn held Kendall in his embrace, her soft weeping eventually stopped. His gentle hands on her back slowly restabilized her, and she melted in his arms. His touch had the power to make the rest of the world disappear around her.

“Kendall,” Shawn quietly said, gripping her biceps and pulling her away from his chest, “hey, listen to me.”

She looked up into his eyes with a sniffle, trying not to cry again.

“I think we need to add some rules or something,” he said, “because we won’t last much longer like this. Back there, I don’t even know how I managed to…” He looked away from her.

“Our luck is bound to run out at some point, okay? We have to do something.”

Kendall’s eyes wandered to his lips, clutching his shirt, and she nodded in agreement.

“Can you use your break to come to the hospital tomorrow?” She asked in a nasal voice, taking a step back.

“Sure,” he nodded, softly lowering his hands from her arms.

“Okay,” Kendall wiped her nose, “because there’s no way we’ll get any privacy here after tonight.”

“No kidding. What about Grace?” Shawn asked.

“I’m so done with her…” Kendall closed her eyes, shaking her head, “let me deal with that later.”

Shawn softly nodded. Tonight was unquestionably hard on Kendall, and the only thing he wanted to do was take her mind off everything. The strain in her expression pained him, and it was all because she chose to love him in a way she never should have. He couldn’t help but feel responsible for her suffering. His abnormal lust toward her started all of this, and her reciprocation of that lust grew more costly every day.

“Okay,” Kendall sighed, “I should probably use this opportunity to go to my room.”

As she stepped away from him, she felt Shawn grab her hand. Her eyes wandered down to his grip on her, then to his face. He gently shook his head with a troubled look. Kendall’s confused face slowly morphed into a warm grin.

“Shawn, we can’t,” she whispered, stepping toward him and gently touching his face.

“I don’t care,” he answered, “we can lock the door, and they already think you’re somewhere else anyway! Please?”

Kendall chewed her lip, staring into his eyes. Her heart fluttered, listening to him beg her to stay in his room for the night because she, too, desperately wanted to sleep in his bed with him. She knew the dangers of crumbling to such a desire and, for once, decided not to care. After the anxiety of tonight’s events, Kendall willingly gave in to her brother, unafraid of the consequences. The look in his eyes told her he needed her just as much as she needed him tonight.

“Okay…” She whispered, rubbing his cheeks with her thumbs, “go lock the door.”

Shawn’s face lit up as he left the bathroom and twisted the lock on his door handle. When he turned around and saw Kendall climbing into his bed, his soul took flight. He did not anticipate her caving to his risky request and had never felt so happy. He climbed into bed with her, lifting his arm, and she nestled against him like always. They both breathed out and allowed tonight’s drama to leave their veins.

“And I thought I was good at acting…” Kendall giggled, snuggling against him with her arm across his stomach.

“Well, my only options were to win an Oscar or get caught,” Shawn chuckled.

“Oh, and can we talk about how you muted my phone without Mom seeing it? Chef’s kiss,” Kendall joked.

They quietly laughed with each other, finally relaxing from the intensity of everything that had happened.

“God, and Mom thinks you’re fucking Grace now,” Kendall sighed.

“Yuck,” Shawn grumbled, “I’d rather put my dick straight into a pack of cigarettes.”

Kendall squeezed him, laughing hysterically with her face buried in his collar. Shawn loved the sound of her laugh, and it eased his mind that she was no longer under duress.

“I dunno,” she cackled, “Grace is kind of a succubus. That’s why she’s always single.”

“She is?” Shawn asked, looking down at her.

“Oh, definitely,” Kendall answered, “one is never enough for her. She rotates between three or four dicks at all times. I’ve had to hear all about it over the years.”

“Jeez…” Shawn mumbled, looking back toward the ceiling, not realizing Grace was apparently even more sexual than Kendall.

“Not me,” Kendall sighed proudly, nestling herself into him, “I found the best one.”

“There you go, saying that stuff again,” Shawn snickered.

“It’s true!” Kendall laughed, her hand slowly wandering down, “I mean, just look at it.”

Shawn let out a heavy breath as he felt her hand gripping him. The slightest touch from Kendall could get him hard faster than any other force. She rotated his cock in her grip, feeling him throbbing again already. Her lips slowly kissed their way up his neck until just outside his ear.

“My pussy is yours,” she whispered seductively, “so make sure you feed it often.”

Her teasing sent shivers up Shawn’s body as he huffed from the stimulation of her hand. Kendall suddenly released him, causing Shawn to look down at her. When their eyes met, she giggled sadistically at him.

“Well, that was fuckin’ mean…” He grinned.

“That’s what you get for pulling my hair and talking dirty to me!” Kendall cackled, laying her head on his chest and squeezing his torso.

She playfully reached down and poked the circus tent over his groin, proud of what she had done. It throbbed and bounced under the blanket.

“Hey, quit,” Shawn grumbled, trying to doze off.

“Hmm, but it’s not going down…” Kendall mumbled with a mischievous tone.

When Shawn lifted his head, Kendall stared at him with a hungry look, biting her lip and smirking with perversion.

“You’d better take responsibility, then,” he responded with a firm, daring voice.

Kendall’s jaw dropped as she smiled with delight at his ability to catch her off guard with his aggressive side.

“You are bad!” She giggled with stars in her eyes, sitting up and fixing her hair with the tie on her wrist, “but I love it when you talk to me like that, so don’t stop.”

She pulled the blanket off him, going straight for his boxers. Kendall slid them off him excitedly, eager to pleasure him with her mouth again. His cock flopped hard against his stomach after being caught on his waistband. She nestled between his legs on her stomach, gripping its throbbing warmth.

“Kendall, we should really be going to bed…” Shawn nervously panted, bracing for her mouth.

“Oh, I’ll put you to bed…” She smiled with a wicked tone, stroking him.

“Fuck…” Shawn sighed as he covered his face, knowing he stood no chance against her.

He spread his legs and pointed his knees out, just as she liked. Kendall knew it would not be as easy for him to cum again after getting off inside her three times, but the challenge excited her. It was another opportunity to showcase why only she could spoil him with pleasure the way she did. Kendall used her tongue to play with his tip, smelling and tasting herself on him, grotesquely turned on. The strong taste from the underside of his head almost made her dizzy with excitement as she coated his member in her saliva. Her other hand lifted his balls, engulfing them with her mouth, using her tongue to lather and massage them. Shawn clutched his face with his hands, moaning from his chest, drowning in pleasure. Kendall exhaled as she took her mouth off his soaked balls, and he felt her hot breath on him as her tongue ran up the underside of his cock. His stomach heaved from the pleasure, letting her know she was on track to make him cum hard a fourth time.

“You don’t have to warn me…” Kendall whispered seductively, “just cum in my mouth whenever you’re ready.”

Shawn frantically nodded, eyes closed, his body on fire from her erotic behavior. His cock pulsated violently before her face, and she scaled it with her eyes, ready to suck every last drop out of him. His tip glistened as precum emerged.

“I want a lot…” She panted, finally taking him into her mouth.

Shawn’s jaw dropped slightly, and his breath shook as Kendall went to work on him. Her strokes were long and firm, taking his entire length down each time. One hand stayed firmly planted on his pelvis, and the other massaged his balls. The tight wetness of her mouth working him from tip to base made his thighs quiver, and his toes curl with bliss. His hands gripped the pillow behind his head as he groaned from his chest. Kendall moaned as she sucked him, intoxicated by his taste. Her love of pleasuring him with her mouth overwhelmed her, and her strokes picked up speed. Shawn’s breath shuddered as he felt her going even faster, realizing she would not stop until the taste of his cum filled her mouth again. The sound of her wet strokes, coupled with her moaning, was beyond lewd. She slurped his entire cock relentlessly, drowning in his taste, desperate for his load. Her jaw had unbelievable stamina, and she continued pistoning her hot, wet mouth on his shaft for as long as it took.

“Oh, fuck… Oh, my God!” Shawn panted, clutching his toes, feeling her work his cum out so effortlessly despite getting off multiple times earlier.

“Mhm!” She moaned excitedly, keeping her rhythm steady to make his orgasm volcanic.

“Fuck… Oh, fuck!” Shawn whimpered as his body twitched, his load violently erupting into her mouth after several minutes of nonstop sucking.

Kendall slowed her strokes, moaning with ecstasy as she tasted his thick ropes filling her mouth. Shawn groaned loudly as his cock throbbed and pulsated, and she sucked every drop of cum out of his balls as if his dick were a straw. Kendall craved the taste of his seed, gulping it down blissfully. She finally took her mouth off him, panting with a smile and wiping her chin. When Shawn lifted his head to look down at her, his face was both exhausted and blown away. It made Kendall giggle as she caught her breath. She crawled toward him, grabbing the blanket and pulling it over them as she snuggled against him again.

“You are way too good at that…” Shawn huffed, still quaking from his orgasm.

“Thanks,” Kendall laughed, giving him a few kisses on his neck and cheek, “bet you’ll sleep good now.”

As they snuggled together to get comfortable for the night, Shawn stared at the ceiling with a peculiar question in mind.

“Hey,” he mumbled.

“Hm?” Kendall hummed, dozing off against him.

“How come you always swallow it?” He shyly asked.

“Because I like it,” Kendall giggled into his collar.

“Does it taste good?” Shawn awkwardly responded.

Kendall sat up and leaned on her elbow, staring at him with an entertained smirk. She knew Shawn hadn’t experienced these things before her, so naturally, he was curious.

“Want me to save some next time so you can try it?” Kendall laughed at him.

“Ew! Get outta my bed, weirdo!” Shawn shoved her, disturbed by the idea.

They broke into laughter at her gross suggestion. Kendall knew Shawn would never have gone for such a thing and didn’t waste the chance to tease him. She snuggled into him again, holding him tightly.

“It’s not about the taste,” she quietly said, “it’s because it’s yours. That’s why I love doing it.”

“Because it’s mine?” Shawn asked.

“Mhm,” Kendall giggled proudly, tightening her grip on his torso, “I don’t know what it is about it. I just want you to feed it to me.”

“Jesus…” Shawn mumbled, “I think I found the real succubus here.”

“Guilty,” she sighed blissfully, embracing her obsession with her brother.

The difference between Kendall and his other limited sexual experiences was unfathomable. Everything about her felt perfectly engineered to suit him. Their connection was not awkward or strange. It was as if their bodies knew exactly what to do with one another. Pleasuring each other was almost second nature because of their powerful sibling chemistry, and neither wanted to give up their newfound enjoyment of sex. But how long could they hide themselves from the world? How long until their luck ran out? As Shawn felt her warm, soft breathing against him, everything went black, and they drifted off together.

Morning came quicker than expected as Shawn’s eyes adjusted, feeling a hand on his chest.

“Shawn… Hey,” Kendall gently woke him, sitting on the bed next to him.

He sat up, slightly startled, looking around the room. Kendall was already dressed in her scrubs, ready to leave for work.

“It’s okay. They’re still sleeping,” Kendall spoke softly, running her hand through his hair so he wouldn’t panic.

“What time is it?” He mumbled, looking around for his phone.

“A little after seven,” she answered.

Shawn wiped his eyes, trying to wake up. He was exhausted from last night and dreading work that day.

“Text me when you’re on your way to the hospital, ‘kay?” Kendall asked, looking him over.

“Oh, right…” Shawn yawned, remembering their task.

“Okay. I gotta go,” Kendall sighed, leaning forward and giving him a peck on the lips, “see you in a little bit.”

“Uh- hey!” Shawn stuttered, resting his hand on hers before she stood from the bed.

Kendall turned to face him again, staring into his eyes with a curious look.

“Um…” He mumbled, scratching his head and looking at the bed.

Kendall raised her eyebrows with a slight smirk, motioning him to say what was on his mind. She secretly loved how shy he was about his feelings.

“Are you okay?” He quietly asked, his eyes wandering back to hers, “because last night was… You know.”

A warm grin crossed her face as Kendall raised her hand to his cheek. Her soft touch washed all of his worries away.

“Know what I realized last night?” She asked.

Shawn stared into her gorgeous, light brown eyes, waiting for her to continue.

“There is nothing wrong with how we feel toward each other,” she smiled, rubbing his cheek, “and we have no control over who we fall in love with.”

Shawn’s cute, dumb grin slowly appeared on his tired face. It melted Kendall’s heart every time she saw it. Her smile grew as she saw his expression blossom.

“I’m just glad my heart chose you,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her forehead against his, “even if you are my stupid brother.”

Shawn gripped his arms around her ribs, holding her tightly against him. Kendall gave him another smooch on the lips, holding the sides of his face and losing herself in his eyes.

“I love you,” she whispered sweetly, “don’t let last night stress you out today, okay?”

“Okay. I love you too,” Shawn answered.

Kendall made her way to his door, quietly opening it. She waved, peaking back at him before silently shutting it back.

Shawn let his back hit the mattress again, staring at the ceiling and wondering how they would continue hiding from everyone. Despite all the drama still fresh in his mind, he felt much better than the night before, but he knew they were far from out of the woods. Shawn sat up again, looking around for his phone. It was still too early for him to be up, but he didn’t want to risk falling back asleep and starting work late. His tired legs swung over the bed, and he wandered to the bathroom to begin his day.

On the way to work, Kendall took a deep breath, ready to formally end her friendship with Grace.

“Call Grace,” she said with her thumb on the voice command button of her steering wheel.

The line rang, and she nervously waited for an answer, exhaling through her mouth, preparing for an ugly talk.

“There you are!” Grace’s voice filled the car, “where have you been?”

“You and I are done,” Kendall calmly said, her voice shaking from the tension, “don’t ever call, text, or come to my house again.”

There was an awkward silence as she waited for Grace to respond. Her eyes wandered, wondering what Grace was thinking and why she didn’t answer.

“Whoa, whoa, excuse me, but what the fuck!?” Grace’s voice finally answered with a betrayed tone, “you cannot possibly think I’m the bad guy in this situation!”

“There is no situation, Grace!” Kendall fired back, her emotions rising, “you had no right to say those things to my brother! Do you have any idea what you could have done to him!?”

Grace listened, reflecting on what she said to Shawn the night before, feeling a glimmer of regret shining past her obsession with the truth.

“I thought- I thought I’d made it clear to you over the years how important he is to me,” Kendall’s voice broke, “I’m sorry, Grace. But I can’t forgive you for what you did to him.”

“Hey, wait!” Grace panicked, “I- I’m sorry, Babe! You’re right. I shouldn’t have said those things to him. Here, let me make it up to you. I’ll come see you at work and-”

“No,” Kendall swiftly cut her off, “this isn’t up for debate, Grace. This is me telling you that we’re finished. Whatever reservations you have about that are your responsibility to deal with.”

“Kendall… I was just trying to-”

Not wanting to hear her response, Kendall hit the end call button, breathing out shakily.

It was an awful feeling to lose someone so important to her in the blink of an eye, but Grace’s actions were unforgivable. Kendall heard Grace’s voice calling Shawn a freak in her head as she gripped her steering wheel, and she silently resolved that Shawn was worth more to her than any friendship. Kendall spent the rest of her work commute convincing herself that she made the right decision. No one who treated her brother that way deserved a space in her life, regardless of what they thought of him. As she walked into the hospital, she called her mom, holding the phone to her ear with her shoulder as she dug for her badge.

“Oh, Honey, where are you?” Her mom’s tired and worried voice asked.

Kendall closed her eyes, struggling to compose herself so she wouldn’t cry over the phone.

“Um- I’m clocking in at work, actually,” she mumbled, choking up, “Mom, listen…”

Kendall’s voice shook as her mom sat up in bed, listening to her. Their dad slowly rolled over and sat up, listening to make sure everything was okay.

“I’m really sorry I disappeared last night,” Kendall continued, swiping her badge, “that was so stupid, and I should tell you guys when I go somewhere so you won’t worry.”

Her mom sighed, relieved to hear she was safely at work.

“No…” She covered her tired face with her hand, “I know you’re an adult, Kendall. I was just so worried when I called you. You don’t owe me an explanation. I’m glad you’re okay.”

Kendall stood by the time clock, listening to her mom with a distraught expression.

“Anyways,” her mom continued, “do I at least get to meet this new boy?” She chuckled to make light of their talk.

Kendall closed her eyes, compressing her lips, hating herself and trying her best not to cry. She knew their mom would never understand what she was doing with Shawn.

“Yeah, Mom,” her voice broke, “I’ll bring him over sometime.”

Avery listened to her lose composure, wondering what was bothering her.

“Honey, is everything okay?” She asked.

“Mhm,” Kendall nodded, her eyes glistening, “um- I gotta go, okay, Mom?”

“Sure,” her mom answered, not liking the feeling in her stomach, “have a good day at work.”

Kendall hung up without saying anything, leaning her back against the wall and exhaling hard through her mouth so she wouldn’t cry at work.

Avery stared at her phone as Kendall hung up, wondering why she wouldn’t communicate about whatever was happening. Her mind returned to Shawn’s strange behavior, wondering if it would be possible to get him to crack and talk about it. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized she would need to do her own silent investigating if neither would be honest. Something was happening, and it was time to get to the bottom of it.

“Is she okay?” Jonathan asked, wiping his eye.

Avery stared into space, contemplating where she would start searching for answers first.

“Ave,” he repeated himself slightly louder.

His voice broke her trance, and she looked at him in surprise.

“Is Kendall okay?” He asked again with a severe face.

“Yeah, she’s at work,” she answered, not wanting to pull him into her new operation, “she’s fine.”

“But you don’t look fine,” he mumbled, analyzing her.

“I was just worried,” she sighed, shaking her head, “like you said, she’s an adult. It’s fine.”

Jonathan stared at her, wondering if there was more to their phone call than she disclosed. He finally rolled over and left the bed to get ready for work, letting it go for now.

Grace angrily smothered a cigarette on the ashtray in her messy, smoky apartment. She sat cross-legged in bed, staring out the window, sighing with frustration, and shaking her head. Kendall ending things with her had only dumped gasoline on the fire burning within her to expose them. What started as an effort to save her best friend from a disgusting involvement had now turned into a dedicated mission of reckoning. Grace’s volatile personality practically fished for confrontation on the regular. It invigorated her nerves, and she thrived on drama. As upset as she was to lose her closest friend, she quickly replaced that feeling of loss with toxic motivation.

“Fine, bitch. If that’s how we’re gonna do this…”

She grabbed the flannel hanging on her bed frame and headed straight for the door, ready to begin the next phase of her plan.

Shawn’s day had started about as normal as he could ask for. He quickly forgot why he dreaded work within his first hour of being busy. His weekly meeting with his boss went well; all his numbers looked great, and lunchtime swiftly approached. Shawn glanced at the clock, noticing his break was about ten minutes out. He strategically found his shoes and used the bathroom before setting his status to “away.” Upon reaching the front door, his mom walked around the corner from the kitchen, spotting him just in time.

“Where are you headed?” She asked, watering the plants in the living room.

Her voice startled him, and he dropped his keys. He huffed as he picked them up. Shawn wasn’t expecting her to be home on a Tuesday.

“Just grabbing something for lunch,” he answered, facing her.

“Shawn, there’s plenty for you to eat here. You should really stop being so careless with your money,” she grumbled, giving him a judgmental side eye from across the living room.

He scratched his head in frustration, trying to avoid giving her an attitude despite being annoyed.

“Sure, Mom,” he answered, “I’ll just make something here when I get back then.”

He attempted to leave again, but his mom would not dismiss the oddity.

“Um…” She mumbled, placing her hands on her hips, “then why are you still leaving?”

Shawn’s shoulders sagged as he sighed, facing the door. He knew he was no good at lying, so he humored a different approach rather than fumbling to create a story. He needed to be back at his desk within a certain time, and his mom was causing him to waste his window.

“I just need to get out of the house for a bit, okay?” He said with a slight attitude, unable to throw away any more time.

She stared at the door in confusion as it swiftly closed, wondering why he was being so vague about where he was going. Shawn rarely left in the middle of the day, and she found it strange that he suddenly felt a need to leave the comfort of their home. As he stepped on the clutch and started his car, Shawn thought about how he was not technically lying by answering the way he did, only withholding information. It made him feel slightly less rotten, but he understood that his mom would still inevitably become suspicious of his behavior. As curious as she was about his midday destination, she saw an even greater opportunity to snoop in his room and look for clues behind their behavior of late. Avery worked part-time at a local cafe her friend owned, and they told her she was fine to stay home today if she wanted to. She took them up on their offer, feeling exhausted from the night before. Being the only one home, she freely made her way upstairs to begin nosing around.

Shawn sent Kendall the text message she requested before pulling out of the driveway, letting her know he was on his way to the hospital. She promptly responded, telling him she would be waiting in the outside break area of her wing. The hospital Kendall worked in was enormous and highly confusing to navigate for those who weren’t familiar with it. She gave Shawn the best instructions she could to find his destination, knowing they didn’t have enough time for him to get lost. Despite driving a powerful hot hatch, Shawn minded his speed and drove as tamely as possible. Driving a loud, modified car drew the attention of police everywhere he went, and he enjoyed going fast but didn’t want to blow their operation by getting pulled over. The hospital was close to their house, so he reached the guest parking lot within ten minutes, ready to find Kendall.

Avery cracked Shawn’s door and peeked in, seeing his screensaver set to “lunch” with a cute, dancing avocado. It had a virtual timer with forty-five minutes remaining of his hour-long lunch. She opened the door the rest of the way, noticing he had bundled up the sheet with the stain and stuffed it into his hamper. First, she grabbed it and held it up to look closer, confirming it was the result of a female orgasm.

“Lord…” She whispered, shaking her head, “he’s only had one girlfriend. Where on earth did he learn how to do this?”

She then dropped it back into the basket and continued prodding around. Her eyes did not pick out anything suspicious until she finished a complete cycle of the room, noticing the panties behind his door. She curiously walked over and picked them up, analyzing their dark blue color and laced fabric, wondering who they belonged to. She unfolded them in her hands, and it was impossible to dismiss that they belonged to Kendall. Understandably, their mom did not have a library of Kendall’s underwear in her head, but she felt that she recognized them from occasionally doing Kendall’s laundry. Grace always dressed like a punk rocker from the eighties, and the shiny silk of the lace did not fit her at all.

“There’s no way these belong to Grace…” Avery mumbled, knowing they had to belong to someone else.

Doubt festered in her stomach as she lowered them and peered around the room for more evidence. Nothing stood out, but she now had a means of catching them if something was going on. She left Shawn’s room, formulating her first plan to get to the bottom of their behavior. In her heart, she desperately hoped she was wrong. But her motherly instincts told her she was about to uncover something horrible.

“Follow signs for D-one,” Shawn audibly mumbled to himself, looking at his phone while navigating the busy hospital.

He kept looking up from the screen, trying to find the landmarks Kendall gave him, but was admittedly getting confused. The hospital was complicated and perplexing as he rode elevators and traversed lobbies. Shawn finally walked past the doors to an outside area, his shoes squeaking from stopping abruptly, and saw Kendall sitting at one of the tables. When he opened the doors and approached her, she looked up from her phone, her face lighting up at the sight of him. When she stood and stopped in front of him, her arms initially raised to hug him but quickly froze. They awkwardly stared at each other as their arms lowered, realizing they couldn’t afford to break the rules.