The women's restroom door creaked open under Alex's palm like a confession he wasn't ready to make. The air inside hit him first: thick, cloying, a nauseating cocktail of cheap perfume, bile, and the sour bite of spilled vodka. Fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, harsh and unforgiving, casting long shadows across the cracked white tile. A single stall door hung ajar at the far end, swaying slightly as if someone had just stumbled through it.
A retch echoed: raw, guttural, followed by a choked sob that twisted something deep in Alex's chest.
He crossed the room in three strides, heart hammering against his ribs. The stall revealed Laura on her knees, red hair plastered to her sweaty face in damp, fiery strands. Her black dress was hiked up around her trembling thighs, the hem clinging to her skin like it, too, was drunk. Another heave wracked her body, shoulders shaking as she gripped the porcelain with whiteknuckled fingers. When it passed, she slumped against the toilet, pale as moonlight, eyes fluttering shut.
Alex dropped to his knees without thinking. The tile was cold through his jeans. He gathered her hair: long, tangled, smelling of smoke and vanilla: and held it back with one hand. His other palm pressed between her shoulder blades, rubbing slow, firm circles. "Easy," he murmured, voice low, steady. "I got you."
Laura wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, trembling. Her voice came out hoarse, cracked. "Why… are you here?"
The question hung between them, heavy with everything unsaid. Alex swallowed. "Because I was worried, damn it." He helped her to her feet, one arm around her waist. She was lighter than he expected: fragile in a way that made his chest ache. At the sink, he turned on the cold tap. Water rushed out, loud in the silence. Laura bent over it, splashing her face, gripping the counter like it might float away. Droplets clung to her lashes, slid down her cheeks like tears.
In the mirror, their eyes met.
Hers were glassy, redrimmed, but beneath the haze of alcohol was something raw: vulnerability. Not the sharptongued, arrogant Laura who'd slammed doors in his face.
His reflection stared back: jaw tight, dark hair falling into his eyes, guilt and want warring in his gaze.
Laura's lips parted. "You didn't have to—"
Footsteps clacked in the hallway: sharp, drunken, getting closer. Female voices, laughing, slurring.
Laura's eyes widened in panic. "Hide. If they see you in here, it'll be chaos."
She yanked him into the handicapped stall, slamming the door carefully . The space was claustrophobic: barely room for one, let alone two. Alex's back hit the cold wall; Laura's front pressed flush to his chest. He wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her, her full breasts crushed against him, nipples hard through the thin fabric. Her breath hitched: a soft, involuntary sound that sent heat straight to his groin. His cock stirred, trapped between them, thickening against her stomach.
"Why did you hide with me?" Alex asked with confusion.
Laura's hand flew to Alex's mouth, silencing him. Her palm was warm, trembling, tasting faintly of salt and tequila. He could feel her heartbeat: thumpthumpthump: against his ribs, frantic as a trapped bird. The girls chattered on: water running, lipstick smacking, laughter echoing off the tile.
The outer door swung open. Two girls stumbled in, heels clicking like gunshots. "Did you see Jess with that senior? She's shameless."
A minute passed. Two. The air in the stall grew thick, humid with their breath. Laura's eyes locked on his, inches away. The alcohol, the adrenaline, the closeness: something snapped. Her gaze softened, mesmerized, pupils blown wide. She rose on her toes, red hair brushing his jaw like silk, and kissed him.
Not soft. Not tentative.
Hungry, Desperate.
Her lips crashed into his, tongue sliding past his teeth, tasting of tequila and mint and her. Alex groaned into her mouth, kissing back instinctively, hand tightening on her waist, the other cupping the back of her neck. She arched, grinding against him, a soft whimper escaping as his erection pressed into her stomach: hard, undeniable. Her fingers clawed at his shirt, pulling him closer, deeper.
She is your Stepsister!
The word hit like ice water. He gripped her shoulders, pushing her back an inch. Their saliva glistened on her lower lip, a thin strand breaking between them, falling like a guilty secret.
"We shouldn't…" he whispered, voice ragged, barely audible.
Laura's eyes burned with lust: dark, molten. "Why?"
"I'm your stepbrother, remember?"
Her gaze flickered: hunger fading to something raw, wounded. She lowered her head, nodding slowly. "Yes. That's right."
Another voice outside: "Laura? You in here?"
Jess!
Laura's eyes widened. Alex's arm tightened around her. The stall door rattled.
Jess's voice sharpened. "Laura, I know you're puking in there. Open up."
Laura's whisper was a hiss. "Don't move."
Jess knocked again. "I can't find Alex: he left me to search for you. I don't even have his number. You really ruined my plan. Fine. Be a drama queen. I'm grabbing another drink."
Heels clicked away. The outer door slammed.
Silence.
Laura looked up, eyes wide, shimmering. "You… you were looking for me?"
"Yeah."
"No one's ever…" Her voice cracked, barely a whisper. "No one's ever come for me."
"Laura, I'll always run to you when you need me."
"Alex… I…"
"Because, You're my stepsister."
The words hung between them like a wall. Her expression changed. The sparkle vanished. She spoke in a down voice, small and hollow. "Yes. That's why."
"Of course. Anything for my family."
Laura gave him a strange look: then turned away. "I want to go home."
Alex nodded, throat tight. "Let's go. I'll put you in the car, then round up your friends."
They stepped out of the stall. Alex grabbed paper towels, wetting them under the tap. "Wait. Let me help you clean up."
He wiped the mascara smudges under her eyes, gentle, careful. She watched him, something unreadable in her gaze: trust maybe. Or want. Laura smoothed her dress, tugging the hem down, but it clung to her thighs, damp with sweat.
They slipped out the side exit. The night air hit like ice, sharp and clean. The party thumped behind them, muffled now. Laura stumbled on the gravel; Alex caught her, arm around her waist. She leaned into him, red hair spilling over his shoulder, warm and heavy.
He opened the passenger door. "Get in."
She climbed in, dress riding up, revealing the curve of her thigh. Alex's pulse stuttered. "Wait," he said. "I'll bring them."
He jogged back inside. The music assaulted him: bass thumping, bodies grinding, lights strobing. He found Jess by the keg, red dress glowing under the chaos.
"Laura's not feeling well," he shouted. "We're heading home."
Jess pouted, lips glossy. "But the night's still young! Alright, let me call the others."
Minutes later, Alex returned to the SUV with Jess, Mia, Sarah, and Angelica in tow. He froze midstep.
Laura was sitting in the front seat. Right beside the driver's seat.
Jess opened her mouth: something sharp on her tongue: but Alex cut her off. "Let her be. She's not feeling well."
Jess's eyes narrowed, but she shrugged. "Okay."
The back doors slammed. Alex slid behind the wheel, engine roaring to life.
Dropoffs were quick, mechanical. Mia first: giggling, waving from her porch. Sarah next: slurring goodbyes, nearly tripping. Angelica last: barely awake, mumbling thanks. Jess lingered at her door, leaning in the window.
"Text me," she purred, blowing a kiss.
Alex nodded once. The SUV rolled forward.
Silence swallowed the car. Streetlights flickered over Laura's face: pale, unreadable. The dashboard glow caught the curve of her lips, the swell of her breasts under the thin dress. Alex's hands tightened on the wheel.
He broke it. "I know why you sat here."
"You do?"
"Yeah. Because you're angry with Jess."
Laura stared out the window. A long beat. Then, soft, almost shy: "Alex… do you find me attractive?"
He slammed the brakes. Tires screeched. The SUV jerked to a stop at the curb under a flickering streetlamp.
"What?"
"I said…" She turned, eyes locked on his, voice trembling but clear. "Do you find me attractive, Alex?"
The silence swallowed Alex.