stepbrother ➼ luke hemmings (REWRITING)

16 - YET TO BE REWRITTEN

L U K E

She's always been my little girl.

It's been SophieAndLuke, ever since I can remember. It's never just been Luke, and it's never just been Sophie. We've always been together; a bond unbreakable.

But now, because of all these shitty feelings and emotions I can't even begin to understand, I'm ruining that.

I guess I should start from the beginning.

I was only little, but I remember what I can. I remember coming home that one day, fresh from pre-school, and rushing up the stairs to hear my little sister say my name.

She said my name. She didn't say mama, or dada. She didn't even cry out for her teddy or her blanket.

She said Luke. Yukie, if you want to be technical, but I knew what she meant.

I held her in my arms and I loved her like an older brother would. I gave every fibre of my being to her as she grew up. I taught her the things I knew and I watched in awe as she replicated my actions.

Sophie was my little angel. She still is my little angel.

I don't know what's wrong with me. Ever since a couple of years ago, when I was hitting that awkward stage of hormonal and unbalanced whatever-the-fuck-it's-called, I've begun to see her in a different light.

She was so innocent, so care-free. So kind, too, even to the people who walked all over her and resented everything she did. She still is all of those things.

So I guess that's why I had no trouble falling for her.

I fell in love with my little stepsister. I fell in love with the way she giggled whenever she was embarrassed. I fell in love with the one dimple on her cheek, and I fell in love with the way she'd ask about things she didn't understand- even if they were rude.

I fell in love with the skip in her step and all those mornings waking up to her singing along to Beyoncé in the shower. I fell in love with her trying to play my guitar and wearing my shirts and looking ten times better in them than I ever did, and I fell hard.

She's always been so oblivious, though. My little Sophie. She had no care in the world, because to her, she didn't need to.

She saw the bright side in everything and the good side to all people. She loved life and she wanted to live it, and she wanted to live it with me.

But not in the way I wanted to live it with her.

My little girl would walk down the stairs in an oversized shirt and a messy bun and I'd lose my breath. She could parade around the house in nothing but my old jumpers, yet she'd still be able to make my heart skip a beat.

She'd kiss me goodnight on the cheek, and the lingering feeling of her lips would still be there the morning I woke up.

It's excruciating, isn't it? Knowing that you can't have what you want because people will drag you through the dirt if you so much as uttered a word about it.

Which is why I haven't done anything about my feelings for this sweet, little girl that's unfortunately my sister. I can't. This town isn't small, but it's certainly not big enough for the rumours to cease.

People already think I'm a weirdo, because I look out for her much more than I should. Can you imagine what they'd say if I confessed myself? If Sophie felt the same way?

They'd give her dirty looks and call her disgusting and blame her for being a little tart. They'd tease her and bully her and completely tarnish whatever innocence she has left.