What felt like three hundred hours had only been three. Finally, I got my first glimpse of Ethan moving swiftly through the trees that lined the far end of the lake. Big plastic grocery bags filled the brim with various items hung from his hands.

I couldn't contain my excitement as I burst through the door and ran outside in the freezing air to meet him. When he saw me, he sped up in my direction. The look of relief on his face most likely matched mine.

I rushed him, nearly knocking the air out of us both as I wrapped my arms around his waist and held on for dear life. "I'm so glad you're safe."

"Was thinking the same thing." He dropped the bags onto the snow and squeezed me back. "I'm so sorry for leaving you, Allison. Never again. I swear."

I shook my head, trying to shake the feeling of betrayal that had settled within me since he left. "But you've said that before—"

"Look at me." He gently cupped my face, compelling me to look into his honest eyes. "Never again."

I recognized his sincerity, so I nodded and fought back the nagging ache in my throat by changing the subject. "How was it? Is it strange out there?"

"It was strange at first, but I kept my distance from most people. Blended into the background and let Owen do most of the engaging."

"You were around other people?" I had a hard time stepping past the trees that lined the far end of the lake, choosing to stay as far away from civilization as possible. "How many others?"

"Not many." He shrugged, looking down at me with a sense of confidence. "Just a dozen or so. Everyone was focused on themselves to really notice me."

I glanced down at the items. "What did you bring back?"

"A surprise." He dipped down to gather the bags in his hands.

"Well, what is it?" I studied the objects with my eyes.

"It's not in here." He continued to head toward the shack. "Owen has it."

With that, I turned to see Owen making his way through the trees with a young woman on his arm. I'm sure my face twisted in confusion the closer they got.

Judging by her stringy red streaked hair and the thigh-high boots over her skin-tight jeans, I considered her to be around my age. Her footsteps were uneven and she appeared to not have complete control of her balance.

Was Owen struggling to keep her upright?

My jaw dropped at the thought of another stranger invading our space. I waited until Owen was feet away before interrogating him. "Who is she?"

Owen pushed his hairs from his sweat-moistened forehead with a quick flick of the wrist. Between labored breaths, he leered excitedly. "Allison, meet Mandy. Mandy, this is Allison."

She didn't look up. In fact, she didn't appear to be aware of what was happening.

"Why is she here?" I stared at the plum red lipstick smeared across her lips and pale cheek.

"Since you've been feeling a bit left out and all, we decided to bring back a companion for you."

A companion? Seriously? "Is she okay?" I moved the curtain of hair from her face to get a better view.

"Yeah, she's fine. Aren't you, Mandy?"

Amanda didn't answer she just grunted.

Owen hoisted her into her arms, cradling her like an infant. "She's a little drunk but once the alcohol wears off she'll be fine."

"Drunk?" My fists formed into balls as I turned and quickly marched ahead of Owen and back into the shack to find Ethan.

He was kneeled before the plastic bags, removing item after item. "You don't like your surprise." He didn't have to ask, he didn't even have to look at me to know.

I sighed, nearly becoming overwhelmed with my growing disappointment in Ethan. "You leave for a few hours and show up with a drunk girl as a surprise? Why'd you bring her here?"

"I felt bad. You think you're always being left out of stuff." He turned to me, but focused on my chin instead of looking directly into my angry eyes. "I was thinking about you."

I smacked my lips and threw my hands in the air. "Are you forgetting that we don't want people to know we're here?"

He shook his head, causing the tips of his hair to brush his shoulders. "It's only her. No one else."

"What about when she leaves?" I turned to see Owen approaching the open door. "She's gonna tell everyone where she's been and who she's met."

"She's not leaving." Owen walked in and gently placed the girl on the bed. She lay motionless with her hair draped over her face. "She wants to stay. I think it's a brilliant idea."

I placed my hands on my hips and glared at him. "This? A brilliant idea?"

Owen scratched the hairs at the nape of his neck and glanced to Ethan. "I take it she doesn't like our surprise?"

"I hate surprises." My eyes picked up the various items Ethan removed from the bags and displayed on the floor. "Where's your fishing pole, Owen?"

"Oh, that's a long story."He retrieved the bandana from the bookcase and wiped his forehead with it, before stuffing it into the pocket of his jeans.

"Something's going on. Now you're gonna tell me what you two are up to," I demanded. "Things are getting strange pretty fast and I don't like it."

Ethan sat on the floor with is back to the wall and remained silent.

Owen relaxed in the chair before the window. "I parked my car at that shop, but when we got there it was gone. It must have gotten towed or stolen or something. But I don't care. It was a piece of crap anyway. So, we decided to hang around for a bit when we met Mandy."

"We mentioned camping out," Ethan continued, finally making eye contact. "When we told her that we had to get back to you, she offered to buy us some food and supplies if she could come along."

"That's right." Owen massaged the crook of his neck as if it ached. "She bought all of that stuff just to stay with us. She's trying to get away from her family just like you guys. Brilliant idea."

"Yeah," Ethan nodded. "Brilliant. This is what we always wanted. Company, companionship, friends."

I looked to her as she began to snore. "Doesn't our safety come first?"

"She understands. She's just like us." Ethan stared in her direction. "She needs to escape ... just like we did."

Bits of snow fell from her boots and onto the floor as it melted. To prevent a further mess, I gently removed her shoes. "And she's drunk?"

"She was drunk when we met her." Owen raised his hand like a student to get our attention. "She even brought a six-pack."

I looked at the brown bottles amongst the items. "You brought beer here? Ethan—what—?" Out of all people, I would've expected Ethan to stay far away from that stuff. Didn't he remember where we came from?

Ethan squeezed his temples, a sign of annoyance. "We can't do this forever, Allison. We can't stay hidden, and lonely, and unloved forever. Don't you get it?"

I was speechless. Was I not looking at things logically as Ethan suggested? Judging by the drawings of my face scribbled over, he no longer looked to me to provide love and companionship. So what was the next step? Was this a natural pace for a brother and sister on the verge of change?

Or did he just expose how desperate he'd become for a deeper, more fulfilling connection with someone other than me?

The girl coughed and sat up in the bed. "Are we there yet?" she mumbled.

"Yep." Owen stood. Excitement energized him as he moved near her. "We've made it."

The girl seemed dazed as she took in the details of the room. She made eye contact with everyone, but when she got to me, her facial expression softened. "Is this your cousin?"

"Yep, that's her." Owen flashed a smile and a wink my way.

I saw through his attempt to enchant me with his good looks, and instead of acknowledging him I went to the girl's side. "I'm Allison. Your name is--?"

"Name's Amanda, but just call me Mandy." She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "You don't mind if I crash with you guys for a little while, do you?"

Ethan dropped his head when I turned to him, and Owen continued to display that pretty smile. I shook my head. "No, I don't mind."

"Good!" Owen laughed and Mandy joined him. "Now let's celebrate with a drink. Ethan Avery Bryson, pass the beer."

I shook my head and watched as Ethan fetched the bottle with no hesitation.

"I had to get away." Mandy's speech slurred, but I was surprised she had better control over her motor skills. "My parents are such asses. They're always bitching about something, you know? They're constantly trying to keep me inside and away from boys. Like I'm gonna get pregnant by looking at them. It's so ... so boring."

"Amen." Owen lifted his bottle before turning it to his lips.

I scoffed. "So, you ran away because of that?" I'm sure a look of disapproval was plastered on my face better than Mandy's makeup on her own pale skin.

"That's right?" She rolled her eyes. "And?"

I wanted to tell her how petty it was to run away from parents who cared about her, but decided to keep it to myself. "How old are you?"

"Almost eighteen, and that's old enough to make my own damned decisions." She pulled her hair into a messy ponytail. "Now hand me one of those beers. I gotta stay in my zone!"

Owen passed her his bottle with a look of awe on his face. "Now this girl isn't afraid of a little bitterness. Damn, I like that."

Mandy giggled and wrapped her lipstick stained mouth around the rim of the bottle before taking a long swallow. "So, you guys are cousins?" Her stench and the smeared makeup on her face reminded me of Mr. Bryson's female friends he used to have over on occasion. Those women always seemed grimy, uncaring, and drunk.

"That's right." Owen ran his fingers through his hair flirtatiously. "And now you're part of the family."

"Ok ... wait." She looked at each of us suspiciously. "So, you're not really related, right?"

"We like to pretend." Owen smiled at me. I suppressed a shudder.

"Okay, that explains a lot." She laughed. "You guys look like bad joke waiting to happen. A White, a Black, and an Asian walked into a cabin ..." She shook her head and laughed, making her breasts the center of attention as they bounced slightly. With the beer lazily in her hand, she crossed her legs and cocked her head to the side. She visually studied Ethan and Owen, completely ignoring my presence. "You guys are fags, right?" She pointed the neck of the bottle at Ethan first and then to Owen.

The question and her sense of humor took me by surprise. Although upfront and open, Mandy was foolish and insensitive to use such cruel words and make offensive jokes.

Owen's flirtatious smile disappeared. "We're not fags." Any hint of joy he had in his animated features dissipated instantly. "At least I'm not." He turned to Ethan.

"Me neither." Ethan scoffed and tucked a strand of hair behind his ear and out of his face.

"Right..." Mandy tapped her chin before using the same finger to point to Owen. "I could've sworn I saw you hold his face in your hands and kiss him like a Disney princess before we started our hike."

"Kissing's not a big deal." Owen shrugged, not allowing any sign of frustration to come through. "I'll kiss him again. I don't care."

When I looked to Ethan, he guiltily turned his head away so I couldn't witness his shame at being exposed. It must've been hard to keep a straight face when a stranger reveals your dirty little secrets.

"You'll kiss him again?" A huge smile appeared on Mandy's face. "Like, really?"

"Come here, Ethan." Owen stood without a second thought. "She's a rather curious girl. Let's satisfy her curiosity."

Ethan bowed his head and remained seated.

"Oh, come on, Ethan," Mandy encouraged. "I thought it wasn't a big deal."

"It's not a big deal. Not for me." Owen put his hand out for Ethan to grab. "Let's show them that kissing isn't that serious."

That was quite a different view from the "heaven" and "bliss" he had first described it as. I gulped, trying not to over analyze the kiss I had shared with him. After all, I hated myself for enjoying it so much. I really hated myself for not being able to forget it.

Ethan didn't move. "Not in front of Allison."

Owen smacked his lips. "Allison doesn't care. She's seen us kiss before."

"Oh, my god. Really?" Mandy turned to me, unable to contain her excitement. "Did you like it?"

"No." I grimaced. "Ethan's my brother."

"Yeah, your pretend brother." She took another drink from the bottle.

Mandy didn't understand that no matter what our DNA proved, Ethan was my brother and I loved him as such. I didn't enjoy watching my brother kiss anyone, especially someone I didn't trust.

"Come on, Ethan." Owen grinned and licked his lips.

I wondered if Ethan was mesmerized by that simple action like I used to be.

Finally, Ethan gave in, sat forward and lifted his head to Owen. His face pushed through the curtain of dark hair as Owen's fingertips slid under Ethan's chin to steady him.

When I swallowed, a lump in my throat formed and wouldn't budge.

Owen dipped down and allowed his lips to slide alongside Ethan's cheek. Loud enough for us to hear, he whispered, "Let's make it look good."

Mandy covered her mouth and squealed in astonishment, causing a bit of anger to rise to my throat and replace the lump.

Owen placed several soft, lingering kisses along Ethan's cheek and jaw, clearly savoring the feel of his smooth skin on his lips. His hand glided against the side of Ethan's face and disappeared into the thick hairs at the nape of his neck. He gazed into Ethan's eyes and sensually yanked his head back by his hair, exposing Ethan's bobbing Adam's apple. Ethan gasped, panted, and closed his eyes. Finally, Owen's lips met his.

Mandy let out a tiny screech of excitement, persuading Owen to kiss Ethan more aggressively.

The painful lump rolled around in the pit of my stomach as I caught sight of their slick tongues meeting between feverish pecks.

Those were the same lips that had kissed mine, the same lips I had savored. I could no longer sit back and watch a kiss melt Ethan into a pile of ignorance. He was supposed to be smarter and sense danger long before it arrived on our doorstep or crept into our hearts. He failed.

Where was that man? When, if ever, would he return?

I ignored the giggling, the heavy breathing, and the dense energy in the air, and turned to the window to enjoy a better view.

What do you think happens next? I bet more than secrets are about to be exposed. Leave a comment and share your thoughts.