Chapter 21: Envy or Jealousy. What’s the Difference?

Envy occurs when we lack a desired attribute enjoyed by another.

Jealousy occurs when something we already possess (usually a special relationship) is threatened by a third person, and so envy is a two-person situation, whereas jealousy is a three-person situation. Envy is a reaction to lacking something. Jealousy is a reaction to the threat of losing something (usually someone).

Unlike the previous day when Deana woke up next to Gloria, today, she knew whose body was touching hers. She lifted her head and opened her eyes to a room warm and bright with the morning sunlight. The sheet and blanket had been thrown off the bed during the night. One of her legs was straight, and the other was over Rebecca’s hip and groin, angling down between Rebecca’s legs. One of Rebecca’s legs was bent ninety degrees at the hip and knee; her thigh was stuffed in Deana’s crotch. She smiled, thinking about the night of lovemaking, dropped her head back into the pillow, and stared at the ceiling. Some of it was lovemaking; the rest was wild sex, or, as Rebecca put it, “Fucking your brains out.” That must have happened to her brain because Deana couldn’t remember how many best orgasms of her life she had or when she fell asleep. Now, she was exhausted and planned to close her eyes for a few more hours, but before that happened, Deana remembered something. It hadn’t been a dream. She needed to wake Rebecca and prepare her before she saw her mother.

The tumbler’s flat stomach, small breasts, and cone-shaped areolas made Deana’s heart thump. How long had they been in love? For years, they had walked the edge, terrorized by their confused feelings and how their bodies reacted when they got close to each other. They played games, wrestled, teased, and tested the limits. They kissed under the pretense of practice so they’d be prepared for a boyfriend. When Deana was eleven, Rebecca would pin her to the floor, demanding she cry uncle. Deana always refused for as long as possible. The press of Rebecca’s body on her groin would make her tremble. The sensation was as close to an orgasm as it could get. One time, Deana had wrapped her legs around Rebecca’s back and humped her crotch upward, acting like she was trying to free herself. That night, she cried and blamed her confused sexual desires on her father.

It doesn’t matter, Deana thought. It was still terrifying, but their love was undeniable. She ran her fingernail from Rebecca’s belly button to her throat. Brown, pea-sized buds mounted atop each reddish-brown cone. Twisting or sucking one would rouse her friend, but Deana thought Rebecca deserved a more intimate and loving wake-up call, so she put her face close to Rebecca’s. The faint shadow of freckles below her eyes made Deana teary. “You’re so fuckin’ cute. I love you,” she whispered and touched her nose to Rebecca’s, then slid it up and down. She kissed each eyebrow, and Rebecca’s eyes fluttered. “Mm.”

“Sorry,” Deana said, “I couldn’t resist.”

“Don’t be. I thought I died and was waking up in heaven.”

Deana thought it unlikely but said, “Good.” A lifetime of dogma would be hard to overcome. She placed her lips on the tumbler’s little button-nose and looked into her eyes. Her emotions were too strong to express with words, so she kept her mouth shut and kissed Rebecca’s cheeks, chin, and lips. Then she kissed Rebecca’s ear and let a wisp of breath escape.

“Ah, Dee, if you’re trying to make me love you more than humanly possible, too late for that.”

“I don’t know what I’m doing, but I don’t ever want to stop. I love you so much it hurts, it fuckin’ hurts.”

A salty droplet fell on Rebecca’s cheek. She dabbed it and touched it to Rebecca’s plump lip. Rebecca said, “Taste like a happy tear.”

“I don’t think happy is a good enough word to express what is happening inside me right now. Forgive me if I explode and splatter all over your room.”

“I wouldn’t forgive you because I’d have to live without you.”

“Are you as scared as I am?” Deana asked.

“Probably, but we’ll figure it out. Now, kiss me already?”

Deana got on top of Rebecca, between her legs, then held her arms down. “First, say uncle.”

Rebecca’s naked inner thighs flew up and clamped around Deana’s butt. “If that’s the way you want it.” The tumbler easily freed her arms, bucked upward, and flipped their bodies over, then she held Deana down and forced herself between her legs.

“Mm, now that feels right,” she said and brought her feet up to Rebecca’s hips. Her clit ground across the stiffness of Rebecca’s pubic bone, then her crotch settled under the warm mound of flesh. She rotated her legs, crossed her ankles behind Rebecca’s back, and locked herself to her lover. Rebecca’s strip of curly hair teased her pussy lips. The submitted position didn’t terrify her anymore, and she wasn’t going to make any pretense of resistance.

The recurring dreams all ended the same, and they all jolted Evan out of his sleep. It was frustrating, but he’d quickly dive back into the dream, hoping for a different outcome. In the last dream, he had been holding the younger version of the woman who became his mother. Her hair was damp, and the smell of her shampoo was pungent. She had his cock in her hand, and he expected her to guide him into the most beautiful pussy his brain could create. They confessed they had always loved each other and wanted each other, but his father had kept them apart. Their time had finally come. The deep groove of her labia encased his cock head. One thrust and—Damn it, he woke up again.

The sunlight was shining through the window. Evan sighed, closed his eyes, and turned on his side, putting the morning light at his back. He inhaled, imagining the smell of Candy’s wet hair. The fragrance was strong, too strong to be in his mind. Could his mother be standing by his bed after taking a shower?

Rebecca broke up the make-out session and said, “Before we get too far into what I hope we’re gonna do, I gotta pee.”

“Wait. I have to tell you something first.”

“How much you love me?”

“I could do that, but something else, too. Remember how you said it was cool that my mom caught us and didn’t freak?”

“Ah, yeah.”

“Well, last night, your mother opened the door, and we were sorta naked and not under the covers. Maybe even in a position that suggested we had been doing something.”

“Oh,” Rebecca said without much concern.

“I mean, we were obviously touching inappropriately. Don’t you think—”

“Dee, there’s something I’ve never told you.”

“You tell me everything,” Deana said. “We don’t keep secrets.” At least she didn’t think Rebecca kept secrets from her.

“I’m sorry, I did keep one thing from you.”

“Why?” Deana asked, feeling less than justified.

“I guess it’s embarrassing.”

“More embarrassing than thinking you could get pregnant because James came in your butt?”

“You’re never gonna forget that, are you?”

“Is it possible to forget something like that?”

“No,” Rebecca said and sat in front of her with her legs folded up in what looked to be a painful position. “You can never repeat this.”

She gave Rebecca her, are you serious expression.

“I know you won’t. Sorry,” Rebecca said. “Have you ever wondered why my mother has a strap-on?”

“Ah, I guess a little.”

“I caught my mom once with Mrs. Stone.”

Deana knew she should look shocked and say something, but she was holding back a smile. “Kimmy’s mom!” Rebecca’s parents were the standard against which she judged her father and stepmother. Mrs. Stevens was her role model mother, and she was like a mother to her. Not that Candy wasn’t, but Rebecca’s mother was old enough to have given birth to her; Candy wasn’t. It was a huge relief to know Rebecca and Kimmy didn’t have perfect parents.

“Yes,” Rebecca said, “yes, and I don’t think Kimmy knows.”

“Shit, is she, um, ya know, gay?” Deana asked, hoping Rebecca would say yes.

“Not sure, but probably not. My parents aren’t like your parents. They go to these parties, and they do stuff.” Deana’s mouth opened, but no words came out, so Rebecca continued. “That’s why I didn’t tell you. My mother gets it on with my friend’s mother. I’m sure your mother doesn’t do that, and I bet your dad doesn’t do weird stuff, either. All my friends have regular parents, and I have, um, I have swingers.”

Deana restrained her relief because she knew how difficult this was for her friend. “I’m sure lots of parents do things their kids don’t know about.” She wanted to curl up with Rebecca and admit she had a secret, too, but instead, she cupped Rebecca’s cheeks and kissed her. “I think your parents are awesome. Sometimes, I feel like your mom is more like a mother to me than Candy.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I guess because Candy is so young. She was still the babysitter after we were too old to need a babysitter, but we needed her after our mother—Candy feels more like a big sister, especially lately.”

“I can see that, but I don’t imagine Candy with another woman, especially not one of your friend’s mothers.”

“Reb, I’m not sure what to expect anymore,” Deana said and sighed heavily. “Are things supposed to go whacky at this age? Is it some kinda initiation into real life to see how we respond to crazy shit? Prepare us for motherhood?”

Rebecca leaned forward and rested her forehead on Deana’s. “Let’s not go so deep, not now. We still have some stupid teenage years to enjoy, so let’s take one wild step at a time. Deal?”

“Deal,” Deana said. “What is our next step?”

“Can you act like nothing happened last night when you see my mother? I’ll do all the talking.”

“Nobody acts better than me.”

“Great. The next step is for me to go to the bathroom, and after, I take a shower. Wanna come with me?”

Deana acted as if it were a difficult question to answer, then said, “Hell, yeah!”

Evan squinted one eye and got a blurry image. Candy wasn’t standing there in her bathrobe. Both of his eyes opened to identify the body next to him. The ear, the eyebrow, and the contour of her cheekbone were familiar. He blinked several times to clear his vision, thinking, it’s nobody’s fault but mine; I brought her with me last night. Although, something felt different than all the other times he’d found Gloria in his bed. He didn’t have to worry about his father, but that didn’t mean he shouldn’t be concerned.

He’d woken up with Gloria on top of him, rubbing her pubic bone on his erection. There was that time he found her inner thigh glued to his groin with the evidence of his wet dream. He’d fondled her bare ass while she pretended to be asleep. She’d kissed him with intense passion twice. She’d expressed a desire to do what she thought he’d done to her best friend, Jayda. He had fucked Jayda, and ever since, he wanted to see Gloria’s naked body. Then he got to see her blonde bush of curly hair above the meaty pussy that was splayed over his stiff morning boner. Considering all that, of course, Evan should have found his position unsettling, but he didn’t, and that was what was most troubling.

The sheet bridged the gap between their bodies. Evan lifted the edge and peered into the hazy tunnel. What he saw would have alarmed him yesterday morning. His sister had lost whatever clothes she’d been wearing when he decided to bring her upstairs. The pale orbs of her bare ass were within inches of his groin. His dick was going to get hard, and he wouldn’t be able to blame it on morning wood.

The day after Evan kissed Candy outside the bathroom door, he had gone to Gloria’s room. She was on top of him, asking for a kiss. He’d stared at her face, searching for all the features she shared with her mother. What he found was a living replica of his teenage babysitter. Now, he knew that babysitter had been forcefully molded into his stepmother. Was that why he chose to bring Gloria with him? Was it because he couldn’t have Candy?

If he had, it hadn’t been a conscious thought at the time, but now that he was getting hard while spooning his sister, Evan thought maybe he had. It would be wrong to allow himself to transfer his love for Candy to her daughter and act on it. He moved anyway.

The silky cushions of Gloria’s cheeks were against his groin. Evan knew what her naked ass felt like in his hands. He could imagine how his cock would feel sandwiched between those smooth, fleshy globes. He put his hand between her hip and her ribs and moved it around to her stomach, knowing her tits were only inches away. How many times had he stared at them through her T-shirt, wondering what they felt like? Ever since he was old enough to get a hard-on, Evan had done the same thing with Candy. Gloria’s tits would be like her ass, a smaller version of Candy’s. Maybe he could have his Candy without losing his mother.

Gloria murmured and shrugged, then her shallow breathing continued. Her stomach moved in and out under his hand. She got naked in your bed, Evan reasoned, but his hand didn’t move. Regardless of the position Gloria put herself in, his sister didn’t deserve to be fondled while she was sleeping. Gloria would have to wake up and ask him to feel her up. Evan circled his fingertip around her belly button and poked it, but Gloria didn’t respond. Her hair tickled his nose. Why had she used her mother’s shampoo?

Evan told himself the erection bursting from his shorts was a physiological response, nothing else, and he decided to let his sister sleep while he enjoyed being close to someone he loved. Getting laid was awesome, but this was better. He tucked his elbow in at her stomach and slowly moved his forearm up. The warm puffs from Gloria’s nose blew on his fingers. He eased them into the gap between the pillow and her shoulder, under her neck. Gloria’s body shifted, and the weight of her left tit settled on his forearm. It was heavier than he expected and softer than he could have imagined. He lifted his head to see if his sister’s eyes were open. They weren’t, but he kept staring at her profile.

The ear sticking out through her golden hair reminded him of all the times he’d stood behind Candy, massaging her shoulders, afraid he was going to kiss her neck. He touched his lips to the rim of Gloria’s ear. “Why are you in my bed?” he whispered. Nothing happened, so he nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck. “You’re not supposed to get in my bed anymore.”

“I didn’t,” Gloria said. “How did I get here?”

“I brought you here, but you were wearing pajamas, then. Why did you take them off?”

“I must have been hot.” She rolled back against him. “Do that again, please.”

Evan said, “No,” and kissed the sensitive skin between her ear and hairline, anyway. “Being naked in bed with me is bad.”

“It doesn’t feel bad,” she said. “It feels good.”

“Okay, it’s dangerous then.” He nibbled her ear.

“Why?” she asked. “I’m not scared.”

“You should be.”

“You could never scare me,” Gloria said and turned toward him.

He backed up and watched her fall onto her back. Under the sheet, her breasts swelled, swung his way, then returned to the center of her chest. Their size and firmness were evident. The nipples he had seen stiffen under her shirt for years, pushed up under the sheet. He forced himself not to reach for them or pull the covers down.

“You owe me a kiss,” Gloria said.

“I don’t think I do,” he said with a sigh of resignation and bent his knee. The warm, soft front of Gloria’s legs greeted his thigh. His sister moved her leg toward him. His leg fell into the void, and her thick, curly bush greeted his inner thigh. His sister had the softest pubic hair he’d ever touched. Gloria’s leg pressed into his crotch. She put her other leg over his, looped it under, and locked it in place with her ankle and foot around his calf. The heat resonating from her pussy moistened his flesh.

“Kiss me anyway,” she said.

The maturity and desire in Gloria’s voice should have given Evan pause, but he closed his eyes and placed his lips on hers. His sister opened her mouth for his tongue, and he realized Gloria kissed like Deana. She went all in, using her lips, tongue, and teeth. She nibbled and grabbed his lip, and sucked his tongue deep into her mouth. In less than a minute, they were making out like two lovers who hadn’t seen each other for months.

When Evan’s hand fell in the hollow created by Gloria’s empty stomach, the muscles in his arm were rigid, but his touch was light. He thought he should take his hand away, or he might change their relationship forever, but that would be like calling the Suicide Hotline after stepping off the side of the building. They were already making out, and Gloria’s leg had forced half of his dick out of his boxers. He was rubbing it on her.

Gloria’s smooth skin ended, and her pubic hair made Evan pause. If he opened his eyes and saw Gloria as his sister, he could make himself stop. Gloria’s mound filled his palm like a baseball. Her body curled, lifting her groin. He grabbed her crotch. Hair and flesh molded around his fingers. His sister’s body jerked forcefully, and his middle finger sliced between the pudgy swells. He tightened his grip, and the tip of his finger poked into the mouth of her pussy. Gloria sucked in, pulling his breath into her mouth. The narrow opening received the tip of his bulky finger. His body hunched, and he thrust his cock head into her leg. He wanted Gloria so bad it frightened him. He pulled his face and hand away with the same urgency. They stared at each other without making a sound. His sister’s expression was a mix of desire, fear, and disappointment. He rolled on his back.

His sister reached across his body and grabbed his shoulder. Her fingertips dug in. She pulled herself over on him, then sat up. Evan knew they were big; he’d been watching them grow for years, but he still hadn’t expected them to swing together, bump, and be drawn apart by their weight. The smooth, light-brown rings were like tit beanies with reddish-brown M&M-sized lumps in the center. They were perfect tits. Now, he would have to live in the same house with them, knowing they were right there under his sister’s shirt. Evan wished he could un-see them.

Gloria’s face was set as if she knew what she wanted and she was going to get it. He reached for her and pulled her to him. Her chest was hot against his body, and her nipples stiffened. She pushed her stomach out against his erection, and Evan knew he shouldn’t let her stay in that position, but he still took a minute to think about it.

“This was a great idea,” Deana said.

Rebecca turned off the hot water and laid back between Deana’s legs against her body. “I know. A bubble bath for two is always better than a shower.”

“I didn’t think we’d fit.” She reached in front of Rebecca and cupped her tits.

“You think any of our friends take baths together?”

“Probably not, except maybe Darlene.”

“Darlene?” Rebecca said and rolled over under the mountain of white bubbles. “Why would you think that? We’re not exactly friends with her.”

Deana smiled at the girl between her legs. Rebecca was super cute with her faint trails of freckles, but she was pretty, too, and sexy in a unique way. “I’ve been in classes with her, gym class twice. Sometimes she’s really friendly. I get this vibe from her like she wants to be friends but won’t let herself get too close. It’s weird.”

“Have you seen her in the shower?”

“It would be hard not to. Her body, well, she could compete with Rhina for tits and ass of the year.”

Rebecca sat up and put her legs over Deana’s and around her back. “I think Darlene wins with her body. She reminds me of your mother.” She used her heels against Deana’s butt to force their groins together. “Should I be jealous?”

Deana could feel her prickly hairs smashed against Rebecca’s body. “Not a chance.”

They touched their lips together, and the tips of their tongues met. Deana licked Rebecca’s top lip, and Rebecca licked her bottom lip. “I don’t think I can kiss you without wanting you. We better not ever kiss in public,” Rebecca said.

“Before we kill each other again and have to spend the afternoon sleeping, would you do something for me?” Deana asked.

“What?”

“Shave me.”

“You really trust me.”

“With all my heart.”

“I promise to be careful with that, but as far as this goes,” Rebecca manhandled her crotch, “no promises.”

“None expected. Let’s soak for a while. This is nice.”

Evan grabbed Gloria’s ass and pulled her up until he could look her in the eyes. Gloria smiled and started kissing him. They kept their eyes open, and he wasn’t confused. It was Gloria, not Candy. He cupped the bubbles of her butt, and his insides warmed. His sister’s ass muscles started working. He closed his eyes and continued massaging her rump.

Gloria’s body tightened, her middle rose, and her knees pulled up, then her groin slapped down on his. She was in a frog-like position, with her pubic bone dug into his shaft. Her ass cheeks parted, and his fingers went into the gap. She stiffened when he touched the smooth ring of her anus; then she continued hunching. Most of his cock was out of his shorts. Gloria was grinding her wet slit on it. He had stopped her the last time she tried this, but now her rhythmic movement went unchecked. As long as he didn’t let her go too far, it would be okay.

The sound of their panting breaths was louder than the squeaking boxspring. Evan’s body hunched instinctively in time with his sister’s while his arms and hands helped her thrash her clit on his erection. He was afraid his sister might make him cum before she did, and he had no intention of blowing a load on her stomach, so he increased the length and power of his thrusts. Gloria’s gasps quickened, and her pelvis worked like a machine.

Gloria’s knees clamped down on his body, then her legs shot straight out, and she flopped on him. He felt her climax roll through her quivering belly and flow down into her shaking legs. He held her ass tight, pressing her against him. He had just made his sister cum. What next?

When Gloria got her breath, she lifted her head. Her cheeks were red, and her eyes glistened. She seemed older and more beautiful. “I’m sorry,” he said.

“Why?”

“I shouldn’t have done that.”

Gloria rose until her breasts hung free like pendulums between them. “Don’t you love me?”

“Of course, I love you.”

Gloria said, “Then,” and rotated her hips forward. The bulb of his cock head sank into the deepest part of her pussy groove. His sister was soaking wet, and she said, “Let’s do it.”

All it would take to make it happen was one push, and Evan wanted to, but he grabbed her hips. “No, not that. We can’t, not that.”

“Why not?” Gloria asked. “I want to. Don’t you?”

“You have no idea how much I want to, but that doesn’t matter.”

“It does,” Gloria said. “You love me, and I love you, and we want to. Why shouldn’t we?”

Did he love Gloria and Candy, or did he love Gloria because of Candy? It didn’t matter. His sister had a crush on him as he had on Candy and Deana. Somebody’s heart would get broken sooner or later, but if he made love to Gloria, wouldn’t it break her heart more when they realized it couldn’t work? “Because we can’t,” he said as firmly as possible.

Gloria rolled off and put her back to him. He turned on his side next to her. His sister fit perfectly in the contour of his body. “Gloria, sometimes love gets mixed up.”

“What?”

“You know, like if you love a camp counselor or a teacher, they may want to, but they can’t love you that way. It’s the same for a brother and sister.”

“Like Mom. How do you feel about Mom?”

“No, no, I don’t, but yeah, that’s what I’m sayin’. If I loved Mom that way, I don’t. She couldn’t love me that way back. We couldn’t do anything about it because she’s Mom.”

“I think you do,” Gloria said.

He tried to kiss her neck, but she shrugged him away, so Evan asked, “You mad at me?”

She huffed. “Yes.”

“Because you think I love Mom?”

“No, that doesn’t bother me,” Gloria said and scooted over. “But you could still, um, you know.” She got off the bed.

Evan wanted to defend his position, but when he saw his sister standing there without anything on, he knew he didn’t have a position. Gloria picked up one of his T-shirts and pulled it over her head. He gulped. The only way she could have been sexier would be if it were a man’s button-down dress shirt that barely covered her ass. “I want to, but—” They both turned toward the door. “See, it’s a good thing,” he said. “Somebody is coming.”

His sister smiled as if he’d said it just wasn’t the right time yet. “It’s Mom,” Gloria said.

There was a soft tap, then the doorknob turned. “There you are,” Candy said. “I should have figured you came up here last night.”

Gloria tugged at the end of the shirt and said, “Evan brought me,” then she gave him a suggestive smirk. He made a mean face, but it only made his sister smile.

“Isn’t that sweet,” Candy said and looked at Evan. Before he could say anything, his mother turned back to Gloria. “You have a ball. Miss Tonya will be here to pick you up in thirty minutes.”

“Oh, Mom.”

“We agreed you’d finish the season. We’ll talk about it after that.”

Gloria groaned.

“You’re getting good, and your team needs you, so go get ready.”

“I’m going,” Gloria said.

While they had been talking, Evan never looked at them. Maybe if he didn’t see his mother, she wouldn’t notice him trying to get his shirt on before he stood up. When the door clicked shut, he got out of the bed facing away from Candy, looked down, and exhaled, “Phew.” He was relieved the shirt was long enough. His mother must have known he slept in boxers even when Gloria turned up in his bed, but she didn’t need to know he had a boner.

Evan started toward the dresser, hoping to get a pair of sweats, but he stopped when he saw his mother would intercept him before he got there. She had been wearing a bathrobe when she entered his room, but he remembered it being tightly wrapped around her body. Now, it was loosely fastened. Right, left, right, her thighs cut through the flaps of material and threatened to open them all the way up to her groin. Her breasts flowed freely, ballooning into the large gap. He should have been thrilled, but it was intimidating. Had they ever been alone in his room with the door closed? No, not like this.

“Did you two have a good night’s sleep?” Candy asked and looped her arms around his waist. She leaned back and looked up at him. It seemed like a romantic movie scene.

“Yeah, I mean yes.”

“Good, I’m glad she didn’t keep you up,” Candy said. “I know sometimes she gets rough.”

“I, ah, I thought because Deana wasn’t home and—”

“It’s okay, Evan, you don’t have to explain,” Candy said.

What was appropriate now? Evan didn’t know, so he rested his straight arms on top of her shoulders and waited for a sign. His mother glanced around. He looked down. Her robe was open all the way to the belt. Her cleavage was deep and wide; her tits didn’t touch together. He saw the outer edges of brown rings and her stomach. His body did one of those shiver-jerk things that he couldn’t control. Candy had come to his room with a bathrobe scantly tossed over her naked body. He stepped forward. His growing excitement pushed against her warm body. Now, all Evan had to do was flip the switch in his mind, which turned off all his memories. Then he could completely forget she was the woman he was supposed to call Mom.

“You going to the races tonight?”

“Ah, I’m, you know, grounded.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Candy said. “I know it’s important to you. I don’t think you should miss out on this opportunity.”

What the fuck just happened? His mother told him to disobey his father. “Okay.”

Evan placed his hands on his mother’s lower back and started massaging her. She rested her head on his shoulder. His cock lurched, fighting the elastic waistband. This was it; he was finally going to have his Candy or get rejected by his mother. His heart pounded in his chest, and his brain flooded with chemicals. He held his breath, waiting for her response to the erection jammed into her stomach.

Candy looked up at him with an expression he had seen before. “Honey, I know things have been a little crazy.” The same disappointment Evan had felt when she broke off the kiss outside the bathroom door ripped through him. “Do we need to talk more about what happened?” She opened a gap between their bodies and crossed her arms over her chest.

Evan didn’t need to check; he knew his dick was bulging. He didn’t care. “Mom.”

“I know, honey, I know,” she said. “I’m sorry. Things will work out.”

“They will,” he said, not sure if he was agreeing or asking a question, then he added, in a pleading voice, “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Candy said. “I’m sorry, Evan, I better go.”

“But—”

“We’ll talk later. I have to go.”

Evan couldn’t speak because he was screaming inside. Candy walked to the door, opened it, looked back, and then walked out, closing the door behind her. Unless time could be reversed and a different set of events transpired, things would never work out. The damage had been done. Evan felt like throwing himself on the floor and flailing his arms and legs like a child who didn’t get the Candy they wanted at the check-out counter.