Mat and Lexi sat stunned, how were they supposed to respond to this?
"That means..." Lexi started not able to finish.
"Matt is your brother," Joyce said.
"Half-brother," Bill corrected. "That's why we've been trying so hard to keep you apart. You can't be with each other." Both Lexi and Matt changed colors; Lexi flushed pure red, while Matt's face turned pale.
"Nothing happened right?" Joyce asked glaring.
"Well, yeah actually it did," Matt's voice squeaked out. Joyce buried her face in her palms.
"I was afraid of that," Joyce said, voice muffled by her hands.
"It's okay, they didn't know," Bill assured. "It was our fault this time, but it can never happen again...understand?"
"Does anyone else know about us being brother and sister?" Matt asked.
"No, Craig (Joyce's ex husband) name is on the birth certificate," Joyce answered, she seemed to know where this was going.
"If no one knows we can't hurt anybody," Matt reasoned. "We can still be together and no one will know."
"Right," Lexi agreed taking Matt's hand.
"ABSOLUTELY NOT," Joyce shouted.
"Calm down," Bill said softly.
"You calm down Bill they are trying to get us to agree to them having an incest relationship," Joyce spoke, voice raw with anger.
"They didn't know," Bill said. "We should've told them sooner, this is our fault. But it can't go on, even if no one else knows, Joyce and I will and we can't allow it."
Lexi and Matt turned to each other, eyes filled with longing. Matt felt anger building up and turned back to his father it was the first time he was going to fight with anyone, but Lexi was worth it.
"You can't stop us," Matt argued. "We're both 18, we're adults now."
"What you are talking about is illegal," Joyce reasoned.
"I don't care," Matt shouted. "I love her."
Joyce stood and grabbed Lexi by the arm. "OUCH!" Lexi shouted in pain.
"Lexi we're leaving and you are never allowed to come back here," Joyce shouted as she pulled Lexi out of the door. Matt shot forward to help, but Bill stood getting in the way.
"NO, Lexi!" Matt shouted.
"MATTTT!" Lexi shouted as the door slammed closed. Matt stopped fighting for a moment, and looked at Bill; tears forming in the corner of his eyes. Out of disgust he pushed his father who fell back in the chair.
"That went well," Matt heard Bill say as Matt closed the door to his bedroom. There was no lock; Matt never wished so much for a lock in his life.
Matt didn't want to stay in the room or house for that matter, another second and opened his window. He was determined to see Lexi; fuck his or rather their dad, if he didn't agree. The reality of this was starting to settle in as he finished his journey to Lexi's window.
Lexi was on the bed crying. Her mom has been lying to her for eighteen years. Bill was her dad; she didn't want to believe it. After all she and Matt looked nothing alike. Joyce threw Lexi in her room and told her she didn't want to see her for the rest of the night. That was fine, Lexi didn't want to see her much either right now.
Matt tapped on Lexi's window making her turn with a start. She glimpsed back and forth between the window and her bedroom door. She desperately wanted to see Matt, but they were in so much hot water already, letting Matt in may not be the best thing right now. Lexi opened the window but stood there not allowing Matt to enter.
"Are you going to let me in?" Matt asked.
"No," Lexi replied.
"You're not siding with them are you?"
"Matt you're my brother, even though I hate to admit it my mom is right it is illegal," Lexi reasoned.
"Legal or not it doesn't change how I feel about you," Matt assured. "Don't you love me?"
"I don't know how to feel right now," Lexi admitted, tears flowing freely. "The only thing I know is my mom will never let me see you again and Bill..." she choked; it was hard to grasp Bill being her dad.
"Dad was never there for you, he knew all this time and never tried to be there for you like a dad should be," Matt reasoned.
"What are we supposed to do, what about school?" Lexi asked. They were going to be elected cutest couple of the year for the third year in a row and get their picture taken by yearbook soon.
"Fuck them; fuck them all, lets run away," Matt suggested.
"I don't think that's a good idea," Lexi mumbled. It wasn't like she didn't want to go; she was just trying to be smart about this.
"Sure it is. We can go somewhere where no one knows us. Someplace that no one can tell us we can't be together," Matt argued.
"How? We don't have any money or a car," Lexi argued back. "We wouldn't make it ten miles."
"I just want to be with you, I love you...don't you still love me?" Matt asked.
"I don't know. I don't know how to feel about any of this. Maybe mom and dad are right, maybe we shouldn't see each other anymore," Lexi spoke, voice full of pain.
"Fine," Matt shouted, kicking the wall and rushing off in disgust.
Joyce stood outside the door, she heard the whole conversation. She hated doing this to Lexi; after all Bill was right this wasn't their fault. They were young and in love. The more Joyce thought about it, the more she wanted to talk to Bill again. She turned to the phone picking it up.
Matt made it through the window just as the phone range, at first he thought it may be Lexi changing her mind. But that wouldn't make sense; she could have easily spoken to him from her window.
"Hello..." Bill answered, though Matt was mad he turned his head listening to the conversation. "What now Joyce?" Matt sucked in a large breath and held in anticipation. "Well of course this is hard on them...it was your idea to tell them. I know they are in love...what do you mean Matt was there?"
Matt felt his knees grow weak, how did Joyce know he was there? He was so caught up he didn't listen to the rest of the conversation. He was out of it totally until he heard his dad's footsteps approaching his room. A knocking sound was heard.
"What?" Matt asked angrily.
"Can I come in?" Bill asked but tone came out demanding.
"No," Matt yelled. Bill still tried to open the door Matt jumped and put his body against the door, not allowing his dad access. After a few seconds, Bill stopped trying to open the door. Forcing himself on Matt was not going to be the smartest thing in the world.
"Matt I'm sorry," Bill said softly and walked away.
The next day...
Lexi and Matt headed off to school, though Bill noticed they walked away from each other. This wasn't what Bill wanted; he didn't want them to hate each other. If anything they should hate him. He was the one who started the affair with Joyce. After Matt and Lexi were both out of sight, Bill decided he and Joyce needed to talk again. This time it wouldn't be over the phone.
Joyce was cleaning on her day off when the doorbell rang. She opened the door where Bill stood, looking restless.
"What do you want?" Joyce asked, not rude just inquisitive.
"Can I come in?" Bill asked back. Joyce nodded and opened the door to give him access. "Do you think we made a mistake? I mean what's the harm in them being together if no one knows the truth?"
"We'd know," Joyce pointed out, though she felt the same.
"I just don't want them to end up hating each other."
"I don't think they hate each other, they're mad at us and I can't blame them," Joyce admitted.
"Still, is it really right for us to make them suffer over a mistake we made?" Bill asked.
"No."
"Maybe their right, if no one knows then no one can get hurt," Bill suggested.
"I do not like that idea," Joyce answered.
"What do you suggest?" Bill asked.
"I'm going to talk to Lexi tonight," Joyce said.
School was just about to end; Matt had avoided Lexi all day. She felt hurt and alone, this was the only time she had gone a whole day without talking to him. Thankfully, there no rumors floating around school. Lexi would not be able to stand her girlfriends coming to her about school gossip.
She left school, grabbing her books on the way. Matt was not near her locker or anywhere in sight on her walk home. This just made the feeling of loneliness worse. Entering the house Lexi found Joyce waiting in the family room.
"Hi," Joyce greeted softly.