Step Brother

Promise

Scarlett Johnson

     "Aaliyah it's not what it looks like!"

  I told her quickly, my eyes were still wide in confusion.

"Guys I'm not stupid! What are you thinking?"

   She asked, Shawn lied back down on the bed and ran a hand over his eyes.

"Is someone going to tell me what's going on?"

   Aaliyah asked, I was about to speak up, but Shawn beat me to it.

"Aaliyah, if we tell you, you have to promise to keep it a secret, nobody can know."

     Shawn told her quietly, she eyed him suspiciously.

"Not even Mom and Dad?"

She asked, Shawn and we both nodded.

"Okay."

   She finally said after a moment, Shawn sighed in relief, Aaliyah took a seat on a leather chair in the corner of the room.

"Okay... Well Scarlett and I have- umm been dating for the past little while..."

   He told her quietly and extra slowly, Aaliyah didn't look too surprised, but she took that well because she had just seen the two of us sucking face minutes earlier.

"Mom and Dad can't know this why?"

  She asked obviously oblivious to the issues we'd run into if anyone found out.

"Aaliyah, Shannon and our Dad are married."

  He stopped, I finally spoke up I could tell the drugs were taking a toll on his brain.

"Which technically makes us brother and sister, and what would people think?"

  I asked her, she shook her head not really understanding.

"Put it this way, if Mom and Dad found out., Scarlett and Shannon would no longer be apart of our life's."

   Shawn said as he closed his eyes, we were all silent for a moment.

"Do you promise not to tell?"

  I asked quietly, I met her eyes that were identical to Shawn's, she nodded.

"I promise."

   She whispered, I crossed the room and she stood up from her chair.

I bent down and hugged her tightly.

"I don't want to lose my big sister, I just got you."

   She said softly over my shoulder, I hugged her even tighter at her bittersweet words.

"Thank you Aaliyah, it means a lot."

    Shawn said behind me, I sighed in relief and stayed still for a few minutes.