Taste The Rainbow

My Sister's Husband~Part Two

My Sister's Husband Part 2

"Stop it! You can't keep doing this to me! Can't you see how much pain you're putting me through by saying that?! I have been in love with you for over ten years, but you chose her! You chose her instead of me and I've been trying to accept that but you make it so much harder when you do things like this. You give me false hope, false hope that I may have another chance with you.”

But do I? Do I ever get that chance? No. I just get more pain when you two make up. Now please, just leave." I beg, embarrassment filling me as I realize I've actually stooped so low that I'm crying. Ash stares at me for the longest time, seeming to process all of what I said in slow motion but I can see the twinkle in his eyes telling me he won't leave.

"Isaac, I'm so sorry, I didn't know. But I can't leave you. I can't. I won't." He adds more forcefully before pulling me into a deep kiss. But I push him away, even as my heart shatters from the pain because I know he'll regret it. Later, when everything is good with Tina, he'll regret doing anything like this, he'll regret kissing me, he'll regret it if we do anything, he'll regret it all. And I won't be what destroys my sister's marriage up, I can't do that to her no matter how much I want to scream at her.

"Get out." I snap, even going as far to push him back towards the door, because I don't know how long I can resist him. If he keeps doing this right now, I'll lose all my strength, all my resolve, and I'll end up messing everything up for both of us.

"I'm not leaving, calm down." He adds, his voice calm and coaxing but it doesn't ease any of my anger.

"No, I won't calm down. You have a wife, you love her, I know you do. If you do this you'll ruin everything and I know you'll regret it. So stop and go back home, pretend this never happened." I order but he doesn't make any move to leave. Instead, he takes a few steps towards me until he's right in front of me once more, staring down into my eyes because he's a few inches taller than me.

"I don't love her the way I love you. I thought I did, I thought when I married her that I loved her but I don't love her near as much as I love you. I made a stupid choice, I got back together with her when we were teenagers because she was my first love, I thought she was the one, she was all I knew. But I was wrong." He reaches up to caress my cheek, using his thumb to wipe away another embarrassing tear.

"I was wrong, Isaac. She isn't the one, and I should have seen it sooner before I caused you this much pain. You're the one, you always have been. I don't know when I stopped loving you like my best friend and started loving you like my lover but that doesn't matter. What matters is that I love you, I want you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, I want to make you happy. Please, give us another chance." He murmurs and while I would love to wave this off as him being affected by the alcohol he drank last night, I can tell from his intense gaze, the clear look in his eyes, that this is all being said with a clear mind. And that just makes it all worse, harder.

"Please," I beg, my voice cracking but I don't care anymore because I'm on the brink of giving up, I can't fight him anymore. "Don't do this to me, don't give me this false hope because it hurts so much more every time. I can't give us a chance, Ash, because there is no us, and there shouldn't be. You're married! How can you tell me you love me, that you want to be more than my friend when you have a beautiful wife waiting for you at home?"

"Because I don't love her. Isaac, I'm not just giving you false hope. I want this, you. I'll divorce her, I will. And when I do we can finally be together, the way it always should have been." He explains and I almost want to just say okay, give into his words, but I can't do that. I can't be what destroys my sister's happiness, my best friend's happiness.

"How do I know you won't leave me too like you plan to leave her? You were in love with her, I know you were. So how am I any different? How do I know that you'll always love me?" I question, trying to make him-and myself-see that this will never work out, that he doesn't love me even if the knowledge hurts.

"I promise-"

"You promised her too!" I yell, a fresh wave of anger pulsing hotly in my veins. I push him back so hard that his back crashes against the dining table, which I immediately regret. He winces, rubbing his back but he doesn't look angry at me.

"Isaac, please." He begs, his eyes shining with the same love I saw when he looked at my sister.

The very same love I've always wanted to see in his eyes when he's looking at me, but now that he is I'm not happy or excited, I'm just scared. Scared that this is all a dream; scared that I'm right, that he'll leave me if I ever gave him the chance. I can't let that happen, I can't let him hurt me, hurt himself.

"This can't happen, it'll ruin everything. Please, if you want me to be happy, if that's really what you want, then stop doing this to me. Just leave, go back to your wife, makeup with her, and pretend all this didn't happen." I add, waving my hand around the room for added measure.

He stares into my eyes, still rubbing his back where he hit the dining table, with such a sad expression it makes me want to weep for him. He looks like he lost something like his hope has died.

I don't know what came over me; I don't know if it was the heartbroken expression, or my own emotions overriding my rational thoughts, but it caused me to act rashly. Before I even realize what I'm doing, I've stepped closer to him, lifting my hand to his face to trace his cheek with my fingers. I slide my hand to the back of his head, clenching his hair in my fist gently, and pull him down to kiss him gently on the lips.

He immediately responds, slipping his arms around my waist and pulling me against his body. My own body feels like it belongs right here, right in his arms, it fits perfectly. His tongue quickly invades my mouth, seeming to move quickly as if he thinks I'll pull back and get mad, but I can't. I've already lost the battle, I've already succumbed to my love for him. I can't fight it anymore, and I can't lose him either.

We pull back to catch our breath and he stares at me in a daze. He smiles at me, moving one of his hands up my waist to my shoulders and neck, finally stopping to brush his thumb over my lips.

"Does this mean you'll give us a chance?" He whispers, his warm breath fanning my face. I continue to stare at him, absorbing all of it in case it is just a dream. And while the rational part of me is screaming that I've just committed the worst sin, that I've just destroyed a marriage, that I've dammed my sister to misery, I can't help but feel content in Ash's arms with him staring into my eyes.

"Yes," I answer at long last and his smile seems to brighten, his eyes twinkling with relief. "But we have to tell Tina, today. You have to divorce her because I won't sneak around behind her back." I add seriously and his smile seems to fall just a bit.

"We have to tell her today?" He questions and I nod definitively.

"Yes, we do, today. It has to be today." I reply. He seems skeptical but finally nods in agreement and I sigh in relief.

After we wasted another hour or so talking and, well, other things, we left for Ash's house. As we drive past the houses I stare at the trees that are turning orange and yellow for Fall. The worry creeps into me again, the worry that my sister will inevitably hate me for doing this to her. And just when I'm about to tell Ash to turn around, that I can't do that to my sister, he grabs my hand in his in a calming gesture.

"It's going to be okay, I promise. She loves you, she can't hate you. She'll understand." He promises. I didn't believe him, of course, but it was a nice thing to say and I'm grateful that he's trying to calm my nerves. As the dark blue two-story house comes into view my nerves jump into hyperdrive, causing my heart to race in anticipation. I can tell almost all the white double-paned windows are open to let in the cool Fall breeze. We pull into the cobblestone driveway of his house not a minute later and Ash shuts his car off.

"You ready?" He asks and although I want to shake my head no before I demand that we not do this, I nod in agreement.

"As ready as ever," I mutter and he smiles, a hint of sadness lurking in his eyes that tell me he knows this is going to be a disaster. I climb out of Ash's large black SUV onto the gray cobblestone before meeting in the front of the SUV with Ash. He takes my hand to place a soft kiss on top of it but drops it before we enter the house, for which I'm grateful for.

The aroma of fresh baked cookies fills the air of the house, making me think of when I was younger and would come home to cookies after school. Tina and I would each have two but we would secretly sneak one more that we split in half to share. The memory just sends another jolt of pain through my already throbbing heart as guilt fills me more.

"Tina?" Ash calls, breaking me from my thoughts and causing me to jump in surprise.

"Ash?" I hear Tina's voice call from somewhere to our left, probably from the lounge. Ash glances at me once more before leading the way into the lounge where Tina is standing from one of the two beige couches. She doesn't exactly seem thrilled to see Ash, and I have no doubt that she would be yelling at him right now if it wasn't for my presence.

"Isaac, why are you here? Can you like, leave? I need to have a private talk with Ash." She adds and I suddenly remember why I want to wring her neck half the time. Though I love her to death, she treats me like a child even though I'm barely two years younger than her. Not to mention she's really disrespectful to me when she's in one of her legendary moods like she is now, which means she's most definitely going to take the news harder than if she was in a better mood.

"Actually, Tina, we have to talk to you. So Isaac stays." Ash adds firmly and I nod in agreement, opting to stay quiet in case I say the wrong thing. Everything is silent while all of us watch each other expectantly.

"Well?" Tina prompts and Ash clears his throat.

"Tina, I love you, I do. But I can't do this anymore, I don't love you like that, I love you like a friend. And I think I always did, I just thought it was the real thing." Ash explains but Tina doesn't seem to comprehend any of what he's saying.

"What?" She questions, sounding disbelieving.

"Tina, I want a divorce," Ash states gently. I expect her to freak out, scream or throw things, but she remains calm and even sighs in relief.

"Oh thank God, I was going to tell you the same thing when you got here. I already have the divorce papers ready, I've been thinking about this for months. You just have to sign a few things and it'll be final." Tina explains and Ash stares at her, seeming dumbfound.

"Uh, right, sure. Of course." He replies. Tina hands him a small number of papers, showing him where to sign and what's what. After he's done the room is silent once more.

"So, why did you want Isaac to stay?" Tina directs the question to Ash. He glances at me before linking his fingers with my own, and while he probably thought it would be okay, I knew my sister probably wouldn't react well to the news.

"I love Isaac," Ash starts but he can't finish because she interrupts him.

"You what? That is my little brother. You just divorced me and now you're hoping in bed with my little brother?! What the hell is wrong with you?!" She yells at him while I flinch from the force of her words.

"Tina--"

"Don't Tina me. How do I know you won't just dump him a few years later as you did to me? How do I know you won't hurt him? And since when have you been attracted to guys? I swear on Mother's grave, Ashton, if you hurt him, I will murder you." She threatens in a low voice that is indeed a bit creepy. Ash nods, not fazed by her threat.

"I'll take care of him, I promise. And I won't ever hurt him intentionally." He adds and she glares at him so heavily I'm surprised he hasn't become a pile of ash.

"You better." She growls before suddenly smiling brightly. It's these mood swings that always used to freak me out, but I guess I've grown used to it.

"So, I have to go to book club so I'm leaving. Feel free to stay if you want, I don't care, just lock up when you leave." She adds before leaving, the sound of the front door closing behind her sounds through the house. Ash turns to me with a soft smile that I hesitantly return. I never thought my sister would be okay with this, I thought for sure she would be very angry.

"So, we're good," Ash states, pecking me on the lips briefly before pulling back to stare into my eyes.

"We're more than good," I reply with a smile, so happy that this all worked out, so happy that I can finally have my happy ending with the man I've loved for years.