~~~~~
This work of fiction is tagged as Incest/Taboo and describes sexual activity between siblings who are 18 or older. If that type of story is not for you, try one of my others.
~~~~~
As the name implies, there might be a small amount of cross-dressing in here. That will not be the focus of the story.
~~~~~
~~~ Wake ~~~
I stood, hand-in-hand, with my sister and my girlfriend, waiting our turn to talk to Nadine, my ex. I didn't want to be here - not at all. Jessi had told me that I had to come. When mom told me that she and dad were coming, and bringing my younger siblings, I knew it was a lost cause. Bridget held dad's hand; Rodney held mom's. I dreaded this. What was I supposed to say? The last time I had seen Nadine's mom and dad, we had still been dating. I wanted to throw up. Jessi and Kit (well, Kat) squeezed my sweaty hands for the thousandth time - no doubt trying to lend me courage. Either that, or they could see I was thinking about throwing up and were trying to distract me.
~~~ Nadine ~~~
The four of us sat in Nadine's front room. She was on the couch, Jessi was in the recliner, I was on the coffee table and Kat was on Nadine's left.
"Please promise that you'll hear me out, Nadine said, "and not make a decision until I've answered all of your questions."
"We promise," Jessi said, nudging my knee with her foot.
"Promise," I agreed, quietly - not really of my own volition.
Nadine cleared her throat - and then hesitated. A gasping sigh ran through her - as if she'd just gotten done crying. I tried to look at her eyes; they were pointed at the floor.
"His name was Jerry," she said. "It was only that one night. Up until he came inside of me, I was convinced that he was everything that I thought I'd been missing with you," Nadine said, sob-sighing again. "As soon as he climaxed, I discovered how little I meant - and how much of a sham everything had been. The cards, the notes, the flowers - everything was just to get me to agree to fuck him. I never even came. It didn't matter to him; he just assumed he could keep buying things and I'd spread my legs for him. His words weren't that blunt - or crass - but I could tell. When I wouldn't fuck him again after that, the house of cards collapsed within a day or two."
The rest of us sat, waiting.
"By then, I was sure you," Nadine looked at Jessi, "had either poisoned Jake against me - or you two were fucking." She looked at Kat, and said, "... and then you showed up."
"I ..." I began.
She held up a finger and said, "You promised."
It was the pain in her eyes that stilled my tongue. I nodded.
She turned to face me directly.
"I took you for granted," she said. "I realize, now, what I've lost. My first request is that you will forgive me - first for doubting that you cared for me - and second - for throwing that away - for running to another man."
I wasn't sure what to do.
Jessi leaned forward and grabbed our hands and put them together. I looked up at her and she nodded her head towards Nadine.
I coughed, to clear my throat, and said, "You're forgiven."
Nadine pulled her hand back, covered her face with both of them, and began sobbing.
Kat and Jessi each grabbed my hands - and pulled - propelling me out of my seat and onto my feet - putting me off-balance - and sending me towards my ex-girlfriend. I turned and sat on the couch next to her. When I looked at my sister, she nodded her head at Nadine again. I looked at Kat and she nodded her head in agreement. I put an arm around her.
Nadine immediately curled into my side. Her hands still covering her face - as sobs continued to escape her body. Convulsions wracked her frame as she snuggled into me and cried.
I held her until she stopped.
"Sorry," she said. "I'm a fucking mess."
Up to that point, I had still been worried about defending me - about keeping my relationship with my lovers a secret. The two of them were trying to tell me to pay attention to Nadine - my ex - but I hadn't been listening. I was still only focused on me. I realized she needed me more than I needed to justify myself.
I hooked my right hand around her left knee and pulled - until she was straddling my lap, facing me. I grabbed her hips and ass and pulled her closer.
She threaded her hands through my arms and around my ribs - and clung to me. She was sobbing again.
"Hey," I called to her between sobs - pushing her hair out of her eyes. "Beautiful."
For a few seconds, she just seemed to cry harder. Finally, the tumult receded. She sat up, looked into my eyes, and said, "God, I've missed that."
"Hey," I said.
"Hey," she responded, a smile trying to creep in - before her brain smashed it and the tears were flowing once more.
Her chin trembled - and the trembling moved to her lips.
I leaned forward and pressed my lips to hers.
"Jacob!" she gasped - grabbing the back of my shirt and pulling herself into me again.
At least she wasn't crying anymore - well - she wasn't sobbing. There were still streams of tears running down her face. Her hands had left my sides and were now holding my face - as she kissed me - over and over again - as if she would die if she stopped.
"It's all right," I said, pulling her tightly against me.
"It's not!" she gasped. "First, I lost you and now I've lost mom and dad!"
"It's okay," I assured her again - not really sure how it could be.
Another shuddering-sigh wracked her body and she leaned back to look into my face. I sat there as she examined every feature - my eyes, my nose, my mouth ...
"I will do anything," she said, "anything - to be a part of your life again. I need you. I knew I screwed up before mom and dad were killed - I just didn't know how to tell you. But now - now - I'm desperate. You don't know how much it meant to me when you came to the wake."
"I didn't want to. Kat and Jessi made me."
She looked like I had slapped her. "I'm sorry," she said, climbing to her feet.
"Nadine!" I yelled.
"What?" she asked quietly, staring at the floor. Her arms hung limply at her sides.
"I'm a fucking mess," I told her - stealing her line from before.
She snort-laughed and said, "No. I'm a fucking mess."
I pulled her back onto my lap - straddling my legs once more. I wrapped my arms around her.
"I didn't NOT want to come to the wake because I was mad at you. I mean ... I WAS mad at you - before - but that's not why. I didn't want to come because I didn't know what to say."
"You didn't have to say anything. When I saw your family - and then you and Jessi - I can't tell you what a burden that took off of me. I was sure you still hated me."
"I never hated you," I told her.
"You said you were mad," she replied.
"I WAS mad. I was SO mad."
"You had a right to be," she said, quietly.
"... but I don't hate you. I NEVER did. I couldn't."
"I broke your trust - and then lied to you - and then got defensive and belligerent when you confronted me - rather than doing what I should have done and begged for forgiveness before you replaced me."
"I didn't replace you - I just found somebody else to fuck," I told her.
"Same thing," she sighed.
