The Prodigal's Choice

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My childhood sweetheart, the prodigal son, had returnedall for a good girl.

To prove his sincerity, he bought a box of condoms for when we were together.

As I tore open the wrapper, I feigned indifference. Who is she?

Andy Wheaton leaned against the headboard, a smirk playing on his lips. Your stepsister. Never thought Id be the one to fall for her.

The little innocent she doesnt even know how to smoke. I gave her a shotgun, and she coughed for ages.

Innocent as hell.

My hand trembled violently, the condom falling from my fingers onto the bed.

For a moment, my mind went blessedly, terrifyingly blank.

For years, Andy had been surrounded by a revolving door of beautiful women, but not one had ever made him want to settle down. Not even me, who had chased him for five years, only ever earning the title of friend with benefits.

But I never imagined he would end up with my stepsister.

And I certainly never imagined he would change his ways for her.

Perhaps the helplessness was written all over my face.

Andy let out a short, mocking laugh. Didnt see that coming, did you?

Never thought Id be the one to fall for her, either. He took a drag from his cigarette, as if savoring a memory. That clueless girl doesnt even know how to smoke.

I gave her a shotgun, and she coughed for ages.

So damn pure. He shook his head, a genuine smile on his face.

I swallowed the acid rising in my throat. Why her? I managed to ask.

Andy stubbed out his cigarette, his voice unusually serious. Zoe is a good girl. I dont want to let her down.

My heart stuttered. It felt as if all the strength had been siphoned from my body.

Forget it. You can just take the pill tonight, Andy said, pushing me down onto the bed and expertly unclasping my bra. Zoes too innocent. Ive been holding back for days, afraid to even touch her.

It was the same practiced foreplay, the same familiar moves, but my body was cold, devoid of any desire.

I pushed him away and stood up in silence.

I put on my clothes, my shoes.

Then, steeling myself against the pain, I feigned a casual air. Andy, were done.

He paused for a beat, then scoffed, unconcerned. Stella, you think you can just walk away from me?

I didnt answer, just grabbed my purse and started packing my makeup.

Fine. Get the hell out, he snapped, his voice turning cold, laced with the annoyance of a man whose fun had been interrupted.

My nails dug into my palms, but I walked out of that room.

Andy could fall for anyone. But it couldnt be Zoe Lynn.

Zoe and I were polar opposites. I loved to party, to chase thrills. I was just like Andywild and untamable by nature. Zoe, on the other hand, had always been the quiet, obedient good girl who followed all the rules.

Thats why Id gone to rescue her when some lowlifes lured her to a bar.

That day, they forced drinks down my throat until I was blind drunk, but I managed to get her out of there. But she, panicking about a homework assignment her teacher had just announced, abandoned me, drunk and disoriented, at a bus stop.

The thugs whod been chasing us dragged me back to a hotel room.

Even after all these years, I cant bring myself to relive that night.

Id always scoffed at the idea of virginity, but theres a world of difference between choosing to and being forced.

Afterward, my body broken and weak from the night-long assault, I found Zoe and slapped her across the face.

She burst into tears, her voice a hysterical accusation. All you ever care about is yourself! If I didnt turn in that assignment, my teacher would have punished me!

From that moment on, I despised her.

And Andy knew all of this.

I couldnt accept that he was with her.

My only option was to tune out, to avoid any news of him. But on his birthday, he sent me an invitation as if nothing had changed.

Maybe I just needed to see it with my own eyes. Maybe I just couldnt let go.

I went.

But when I pushed open the door to the private room, my heart skipped a beat.

On the sofa, Andy had Zoe pinned against the back, kissing her with a fierce, brutal passion. I could see the veins on the back of his hand standing out from the force of his grip.

The room was full of their friends, cheering and hollering. I was the only one whose face was drained of color.

For all the years wed been together, Andy had always been in control, coolly watching me lose myself in pleasure. This was the first time I had ever seen him lose himself, swept away by his own desire.

When the kiss finally ended, Zoes face was flushed, her body limp as she leaned against his chest.

Andys throat bobbed. How are you so damn innocent? he chuckled, his voice thick with affection.

And then he saw me.

The smile on his face faltered, just for a second.

I said nothing, my face probably a ghostly white. Someone pulled me into a drinking game.

The next round, Zoe lost. The penalty was a pole dance.

Zoe had always been conservative. At the suggestion, her face went pale, and she looked to Andy for help.

The crowd buzzed with excitement. Come on, Andy, youre not gonna let your girl do that, are you?

He wasnt. He tilted his chin at me, his posture lazy and arrogant. Zoes too shy for that kind of thing.

You do it for her.

Zoe was too shy. And what was I?

A stone settled in my chest, heavy and suffocating. I forced the bitterness down and sneered, If you cant handle the stakes, why play the game?

Zoes face paled further. She bit her lip and then, her voice trembling, she said, Stella are you still holding a grudge because I got you raped?

She emphasized the word raped, making it impossible to miss. A wave of murmurs went through the room as all eyes turned to me, filled with a strange, prurient curiosity.

I froze, shocked that she would rip open that wound in front of everyone.

She wasnt done. How long are you going to hate me for that? I didnt have a choice! You cant make it all about you!

Besides, she added, her voice rising in self-pity, as if I were the one attacking her. You sleep around anyway. Whats one more or one less?

The agony of that night washed over me again, a phantom pain that made my whole body tremble. I snapped.

Before anyone could react, I grabbed my glass and threw the drink in her face.

Ah! Zoe shrieked, dissolving into tears as she threw herself into Andys arms.

I laughed, a cold, sharp sound. Zoe, youre as selfish as youve always been. I was trying to save you

Thats enough.

Andy cut me off, his voice unreadable. He took off his jacket and draped it over Zoes shoulders. Then he looked at me, his smile still roguish and charming, but the impatience in his eyes was a blade.

Stella, that was years ago.

Are you really still hung up on that?

My heart didnt just sink. It shattered.

When it first happened, I wasnt like the girls in the movies who felt theyd lost their purity and tried to end their lives. But the whispers, the judgmental stares from everyone around me they left me feeling lost and utterly alone.

The worst moment was when a group of thugs from school cornered me at the gate and asked me if being raped felt good. Everyone else just stood by and watched. Everyone except Andy.

He flew at them like a man possessed, fighting them all at once. He was beaten until he could barely see straight, but he never stopped shielding me.

He broke his hand that day. A few of the thugs ended up in the emergency room. And for me, a desperate, foolish love began to bloom, filling every corner of my teenage heart.

Later, during our senior year, the most critical time for our studies, he transferred schools just to be with me, to help me through that dark period.

Once, lost in a fog of self-doubt, I whispered to him, Was it really my fault? Am I dirty now?

He had just laughed, a wild, reckless sound. Dirty? Hell no. The moment that bastard gets out of prison, Ill kill him myself.

And just like that, I became a moth, flying straight into the flame that was Andy Wheaton. Even when his philandering left me burned and broken, I refused to let go.

But now, he was asking me if I was still hung up on it.

In that moment, looking into the careless cold of his eyes, I suddenly felt tired. So incredibly tired.

I dont remember how I got out of that room. It must have been a pathetic sight.

I had chased Andy for so long. I had even stayed in this city, alone, just for him.

It was time to let go.

I quit my job and, on a whim, bought a ticket home.

After packing up my life, I went to Andys villa one last time. I had a lot of things there, things that now needed to disappear, along with all the love and lust.

But when I opened the door, I froze.

The living room was a scene of debauchery. Clothes and used condoms were strewn everywhere. One, two, three each one a testament to the intensity of their passion. From the bedroom, I could hear the soft, sultry moans of a woman, punctuated by a mans guttural groans of pleasure.

I blinked, my eyes dry, and took a long moment to suppress the wave of pain churning in my stomach. Maybe it was because the woman with Andy was Zoe, the person I hated most in the world. Thats why this, something I should have been used to, felt like a knife twisting in my gut.

A few moments later, the bedroom door opened.

Zoe gasped, clutching at her naked body. What are you doing here?!

I forced myself not to look at the raw, love-bitten marks covering her skin. Just then, my phone buzzed. Before I could even look at it, Zoe snatched it from my hand.

Are you taking pictures of me?! she demanded, her voice rising.

Her reaction was so absurd I let out a cold, mocking laugh. Do I need to?

But she reacted as if Id struck a nerve, slapping me hard across the face. You just want to ruin my reputation! You want to make me as dirty as you are!

My head snapped to the side, my cheek burning. I couldnt understand it. If it werent for me, she would have become the dirty woman she was so terrified of being. How could she treat me like this?

I snatched my phone back and raised my hand to strike her. I was never one to take a hit without giving one back.

But in the next second, a hand clamped down on my wrist.

Andys voice, cold and sharp, cut through the air. Stella, what the hell are you doing?

Zoe threw herself into his arms, sobbing. Andy, she took pictures of me. Im so scared. Can you make her delete them?

Andys brow furrowed. Delete them, he commanded.

The sting on my cheek intensified, becoming unbearable. He actually believed I would do something like that.

I clenched my jaw, fighting back tears. Let go.

Stella, Zoe isnt like you, he said, his voice taking on a menacing edge. Shes not that kind of girl. Are you trying to ruin her with these disgusting tricks? Delete them now, or dont force me to get rough.

Every word was a calculated blow, striking right at my deepest pain.

Something inside me finally broke. I threw the phone at his face, my eyes red and wild. Andy, open your eyes and look! I screamed. If I had ever wanted revenge on her, I would have taken it years ago!

He flinched, his expression changing as he saw the raw desperation on my face. He picked up the phone and checked it. There was nothing.

Zoe felt no guilt. She just pressed herself against him, whimpering. Andy, I didnt mean to accuse her. I just I dont want to be dirty like her. If anyone knew Id had sex before marriage, I think I would just die. Im so, so scared.

Andy stroked her hair, seemingly helpless against her tears.

A sarcastic smile touched my lips. I took my phone and turned to leave.

Behind me, I heard Andys soothing voice. Hey, its okay. Youre not like her.

Youre not dirty.

I froze. And just like that, the last embers of hope died. All the years Id spent chasing him, all the memories, shattered into dust.

As I sat on the train home, I looked out the window, a strange sense of calm settling over me. Leaving this city meant leaving Andy behind for good.

I wasnt completely without a place to go. Back in my hometown, my mother, long dead, had left me a house.

I closed my eyes, hoping for a moment of peace.

But a second later, someone tapped my shoulder.

A man in a white button-down and gold-rimmed glasses stood in the aisle. He had a gentle face and a shy smile. Hello, is this seat taken?

I nodded curtly and closed my eyes again.

A moment later, he spoke again. This might be a bit forward, but I took a picture of you just now. Would it be alright if I kept it?

His name was Ethan, and he was a photographer who traveled the world capturing landscapes. The photo he showed me was of my profile, leaning against the window, bathed in sunlight. My expression was peaceful.

I was surprised. I had just made the decision to leave Andy, and my first feeling was relief?

The composition is perfect, he said, looking a bit shy after his explanation. If I crop you out, it will ruin the whole structure. But if youre not comfortable with it, Ill delete it right away.

I smiled. Its fine. You can use it.

Maybe it was because we were sitting next to each other, or maybe I was just bored, but we ended up talking for the rest of the journey. I learned that we lived in the same neighborhood. Even more surprisingly, we had gone to the same kindergarten.

Well, I guess that makes us old classmates, Ethan smiled. I have a younger brother whos always lived in the neighborhood with my dad. I dont know if you know him. His name is Andy Wheaton.

I froze. The world was impossibly, cruelly small.

Andy had an older brother. Smarter, more responsible. When their parents divorced, his mother had only taken Ethan. It had always been a sore spot for Andy.

But this incredible coincidence sparked nothing in me. I just smiled faintly. I know him. Were not close.

Just then, my phone rang.

It was Andy.