The woman I swore I wouldn't touch?
And now...
Now, what?
The thought is sobering, and the rush of endorphins fades, leaving only the truth.
I'm fucked.
And not in the good way.
"We shouldn't have done that," I say, the words coming out more brusquely than I intend.
Paige turns back, her face going blank.
"What?" she asks carefully.
"This was a mistake," I say as panic surges through me. What the fuck did I just do?
Did I just destroy the only family I have? My surrogate family since I was sixteen.
Over a quick fuck?
"This was a mistake," I repeat, my heart pounding. "We shouldn't have done this."
"Ben," she says softly, approaching me.
I jerk back.
"What the hell was I thinking? What about Jason?" I ask, words just pouring out now.
Paige's face is carefully blank.
"I wasn't really thinking about my brother just now," she says coldly.
"Jesus, you're his sister. And I'm his—"
"Friend," she says.
"Yes."
"Who just fucked me," she continues, her face growing hard.
"I'm his friend. And you're—"
She narrows her eyes. "I'm what?"
"I—" I run my hand through my hair. "What did you do to me? How could we..."
"Let's get a couple of things clear," she says, her tone clipped. "First, I didn't do anything to you. What happened here was just as much you as it was me. I didn’t seduce or cajole or trick you into fucking me. Second, what I do or don't do is none of my brother's business."
"We shouldn't have—"
"Yes, Ben. You said that already. I get the picture. It was a mistake." Her tone is icy. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some work to finish up here. You can let yourself out."
She turns abruptly to walk to the back room.
"Paige, I didn't mean—"
