The thunder woke me up before my alarm went off, and I could hear the rain on the window.

"Shit," I said.

Another day without work. I was already having a horrible case of catching feelings for Jessi. Combined with Melissa's work schedule change, I could barely keep my mind straight.

"You okay?" Jessi asked as she turned to look at me.

"I'm good. The thunder woke me up. You can go back to sleep if you want," I said, kissing her forehead.

I failed to return to my bed, and here we were, waking up together. I'd spent more time in bed with Jessi than with my wife. I missed Melissa. At least, I felt like I missed her.

"What time is it?" Jessi asked, trying to shake off the fog of sleep.

"Too early for you to even consider getting up," I said with a smile.

I patted her naked butt through the thin sheet she'd covered herself with the night before. Getting up gently, I was still naked from the night before. I kicked my pants toward the foot of Jessi's bed as I made my way to the bathroom. The shower looked so inviting. Getting in, I turned the handle and felt the water come on. The cool water was exactly what I needed.

"Don't worry, I'm not getting in there; I learned my lesson yesterday," Jessi said with a bit of sleep still in her voice.

"Awe, c'mon, it's great once ya get used to it," I chuckled.

"Pass," she said, opening the curtain just far enough to stick her face in for a kiss.

Jessi headed back to her room and left the door ajar. As I rinsed the shampoo out of my hair, there was a loud crash of thunder followed by that quiet that only happens when the power goes out.

"Awe, what the hell," Jessi exclaimed.

I heard her footsteps coming quickly toward the bathroom.

"Hey, is the power out?" she asked.

"Naw, I got out and shut off the lights after you left," I laughed.

I was full of shit this morning. Things with Jessi had normalized to the point where we were getting used to each other. Further proving that point, Jessi closed the lid on the toilet and sat down.

"So, what do we do?" she asked earnestly.

"You've been around when the power goes out, Jess; we just wait," I answered.

Shutting the water off, I got out, and she just looked at me.

"What?" I asked somewhat uncomfortably.

At that, she popped up, kissed me again, and headed out the door. She'd put a T-shirt on but hadn't bothered with panties yet. Her butt was captivating. Her cheeks jiggled just enough as she walked down the hall to her room that I couldn't tear my eyes away.

The sun was up just a little now, and I could see just well enough to walk to Jessi's room in my towel. She was on her bed again. Her bare bottom covered by the sheet was so sexy. I sat there, knowing full well that work was a nonstarter for me. Going would be a waste of gas. Jessi was gently scratching my back as I sat on the edge of the bed.

"Should probably call Ben just to be sure I don't need to head in," I said with a lower tone.

"So, you're saying you're home for the day?" she said, trying to mask her joy at spending more time with me.

"Could be," I said, picking up my phone out of my pants.

I dialed Ben's number, and he didn't pick up.

"Go back to bed. There's not even electricity, and it's pouring," Ben's text came back quickly.

"Well, seems like that's that," I smirked.

What the hell was I going to do? Sitting on the edge of Jessi's bed naked was a dangerous game. It was 6:00, and Melissa would be heading home very soon. On the one hand, I needed to tell her what was happening. On the other, I knew that would be the end of us and potentially the end of her and Jessi. Was there any coming back from fucking your sister's husband? I don't know if I could forgive anyone for doing what Jessi and I had done.

What complicated matters for me was Jessi's continued gentle touch on my back. It didn't just make my dick hard. It made me feel so much more. Her fingers, her lips, everything was new and exciting, but she understood me on some level no one else seemed to. Jessica really was an incredible woman and had been hiding in plain sight this whole time.

"How long did you know?" I said without stopping to consider her potential answers.

"Know what?" Jess replied with a notable smile in her voice.

"Us," I answered.

"I guess I didn't. When I saw you with Melissa, it was a tipping point for me," she said thoughtfully.

"All those nights up late, did you know then?" I hesitated.

"Maybe on some level? I never imagined we'd be here, well I imagined, but not like this," Jess said, rubbing my back with her open palm now.

Her touch was too perfect. I just needed to convince Melissa to be okay with this arrangement. I laughed out loud at this ridiculous thought.

"What?" Jessi said, shoving me playfully.

"Oh, no, not you. I guess I'd noticed you, too. I had imagined this, but not with all the feelings, more like a dirty fantasy," I said, holding nothing back.

"What do we do, Jess?" I asked.

"Hold up, what do you mean? What do we do?" she said, sounding concerned, "This is what we are, Nick. There isn't a thing to do or not do," her voice sounded almost stern.

"So, we just keep sneaking around and fucking while Melissa works nights?" I paused momentarily, collecting my emotions so they didn't get the better of me.

"Do you think that's fair to her," I said, like an idiot.

"Wow, I know that you didn't just assume that I'm taking any kind of moral high ground here by 'sneaking around,' Nicholas," Jessi snapped.

"Look Jess, I jus…."

"For fuck sake, Nick, don't pull that shit. We're equally fucked in this situation. There is no logic or reasoning it out," she scolded.

"I think you and I need to be clear on what we have. I love you. You obviously love me. This would all destroy my sister, and no matter what price I pay in the next life, telling her would kill her," Jessi explained with no sign of doubting herself.

"I understand all that, but what comes next? Is there anything but this?" I asked.

"So, okay, let's pretend we do tell her. Your marriage is over, and something tells me my sister won't be jumping with excitement at my wedding to her ex-husband," she said with a tone thinly masking her annoyance at the topic.

"Besides, it's not likely that my dad will give you his blessing on marrying two of his daughters," Jessi quipped.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it," I said quickly.

"Then what did you mean?" Jessi answered, sitting up and gathering her sheet around her waist.

I didn't know what I meant. Sitting on the edge of Jessi's bed quietly, I tried to make some sense of the situation we were all in. Melissa deserved the truth, but I couldn't give Jessi up. What we'd shared was too intense to give up. I did love her. I can't exactly forget this new and incredibly passionate relationship.

"Nick?" Jessi prodded.

"I don't know," I said, still lost in thought.

"Okay, what do you want to do then?" she asked.

"I think we just let it go for now and figure it out when we have to," I said, doubting my reply.

At this, Jessi got up and started to get dressed. Even when she was angrily pulling her panties on, I was still convinced that she was the choice I'd make if forced.

"I love you," I blurted out.

"What?" Jessi said, looking puzzled.

"I love you," I said again.

"I, you," Jessi hesitated. "I love you too, but you shouldn't, and I shouldn't because we both love Melissa," she said.

At this, she sat on the bed, fussed with her socks, and tried to find her other shoe that had slid under the bed. My mind was made up the longer I watched her. She was just the right blend of passion and pain that my heart needed to feel alive. Jessi knew me. We were both confused and scared, but the path forward was plain.

"Don't say a word about this to Liss, please, Nick," Jessi said, looking at me imploringly.

"I don't plan to. I needed to sort through it for us," I rambled.

Jessi walked up and stooped over to put her face right in front of mine. She put her soft, cool hands on my cheeks.

"Us is something we can't always be," she said, kissing me.

"I'm going to head over to Amber's for a while. I just need to get out of the house, and I can't be here when my sister gets home," Jessi said, obviously upset.

"You don't have to go," I said.

"I don't have to go, but I am feeling like a pretty shitty sister right now. I love you, too. I need a bit of air," Jessi said as she grabbed her keys.

There were no words that I could have offered her at that moment. The door closed behind her, and there I was, sitting on her bed, still in my towel. My heart was broken for the pain I'd inflicted on Jessi while still weighed down by the gravity of the conclusion I'd come to. I knew that, eventually, there would be a choice, and I knew what my answer would be.

I'd no sooner got up and made it to the hall than I heard the door again.

"You can't live without me, can you?" I said happily.

She tossed her keys on the counter, so I thought she might feel as I did, and she'd chosen me too. Pulling my towel off, I threw it over my shoulder and put my arms up to block the doorway into the hall to her room.

"I guess that's why I married ya silly," Melissa said, "What the hell are you doing," she laughed.

It wasn't Jessi. Melissa had come home, and lucky for me, I'd managed not to be in her sister's bedroom naked.

"Oh, hey, hon, how was work?" I stammered, my face growing hot, knowing I'd been nearly caught.

"So, this is my greeting after twelve hours? My husband standing naked in the hall?" Melissa mused.

"Well, I suppose I was trying to be…"

Melissa got within inches of me. Her perfume was as thick as her stare.

"Well?" she asked again.

I had nothing to say that could explain my odd position. Melissa's hand grabbed my cock hard. She held onto me and looked into my eyes with a fire I'd not seen from her.

"Is this what you were hoping for?" Melissa asked.

Without giving me a second to respond, she pushed me into the bedroom, holding my cock the whole time. She was rough and unusually forceful. I was getting hard feeling my cock in her hand and at the way she seemed so aggressive. She began to rub my cock with her free hand as I stood with the backs of my legs touching our bed. I bent in to kiss her, and she shoved me back onto the bed.

"Do you think that I came home to fuck you, Nicholas?" she said coolly.

"I didn't mean to. Is everything okay?" I said, confused.

Melissa didn't say a word. She just looked at me.

Her hand reached down and grabbed my balls hard.

"Is there a problem?" She said with a smirk.

"Not at all," I managed.

She grabbed my face and shoved me back on the bed with my cock erect and her hand squeezing my balls. She was taking a whole new approach to sex.

My cock was standing up as Melissa grabbed it and began to rub her hand on my shaft slowly. She looked me in the eyes, and that fire disappeared.

Her eyes softened, and she seemed far off.

"I wasn't at work," she said, letting go of me.

"What do you mean? Like you got off early?" I asked.

"No, I've spent the last two nights with Jules. There was a schedule change, and I took the time off," she slowed.

"You've been with Jules the last two nights?" I asked, frustrated.

"I wish," she said with tears in her voice.

"Liss, I think I'm missing something," I said, covering myself with a blanket.

"I got drunk, and a guy was buying me drinks," she said as tears ran down her cheeks.

"You did what?" I said, feeling anger boiling inside me.

"It wasn't supposed to happen the first night," she sobbed, "last night, though I didn't try to stop it."

"Wait, are you telling me you fucked someone?" I barked

.

"It wasn't just sex. It was something that had me confused, but yes," Melissa confessed.

What was she saying? My mind was reeling as I got up and pushed her aside so I could put my clothes on.

"Nick," Melissa sobbed.

"You've been out fucking some random guy that bought you a drink? Did you think I was going to be okay with this? Who the fuck do you think you are, Melissa?" I shouted.

"Nicholas, who the hell do you think you are yelling at, fucking judging her," Jessi's voice shot back.

"Jess, no, this is between Nick and me; you should go to Amber's for a while," Melissa said, trying to remove her sister from the argument.

"No, Nick, you've been all into confessions and honesty this morning. Why don't you share your dirty little secret, huh?" Jessi jabbed.

"What is she talking about, Nick?" Melissa asked, her eyes red, but her tears ceased in favor of her new confusion.

"Lost your nerve? I'll help," Jessi said, infuriated at my silence, "It's me, Melissa; his dirty little secret is me."

"What? What the fuck are you talking about, Jessica? You shouldn't be here. This doesn't concern you," Melissa shot back.

"Tell her, Nicholas, You don't get to be so pious and scream at her for your own sins," Jessi yelled harshly.

At this, Melissa turned her back to me, trying to console Jess for something that wasn't obvious to her yet.

"Liss, I, well, Jess and I," I fumbled.

As my words failed me, the fire inside Jessi could not be contained.

"Liss, we've done things, Nick and me," She said, looking at her sister, "He and I have slept together the last two nights."

Melissa looked at Jessi, and her eyes smoldered.

"Liss," I said

"Shut your fucking mouth, Nick," Melissa's voice was as cold as a flagpole in the dead of winter.

Her stare at her sister was intense.

"I'm sorry, Melissa," Jessi said desperately.

With that, Melissa's hand struck Jessi squarely across the cheek. She never broke her stare as Jessi's head flashed to the side at the blow.

"How fucking dare you, Jessica!" Melissa scolded.

Melissa whipped around, and her cold stare found me.

"And you, you were about to shove this mistake I made down my throat all the while you'd been fucking my sister? What the hell is wrong with you?" Melissa yelled at me.

"Did you really think you had some kind of superior moral position because you'd only fucked my sister and not been out meeting new people to fuck like your whore wife?" she screamed. "Is that it, Nick? You're a better man since you kept it in my family?"

Jessi sobbed in the hallway as Melissa's rage went unchecked in our bedroom.

"Melissa, I didn't mean for it to happen," I said, trying to justify what I'd done.

"Well, that's a fucking relief Nick a real fucking relief," Melissa said sarcastically, "I would have felt bad if you meant to fuck my little sister while you thought I was at work, but this makes it okay. You didn't mean for it to happen, so it's all okay, right?"

"You fucked some random guy, too. You just said you did," I shouted.

"You're right, you are absolutely right, Nick. So that you know I fucking loved it too." Melissa boasted.

She wrenched the ring from her finger and threw it at me.

"Fuck you both," Melissa screamed as she grabbed her backpack and keys.

The door slammed hard as her ring was still rolling across our floor. Jessi's sobs in the hall were pitiful.

"Jess, I'm sorry," I said, trying to console her.

"I cannot believe you'd do that," Jessi said through tears.

"Do what?" I said, trying to regain control of my thoughts.

"I never expected you to tell her but to condemn her and insult her for the very thing you'd done that is beneath you, Nicholas," Jessi scolded.

Her tears were thick, and her voice broke as she spoke. I was ashamed of what I'd done. However, I felt some relief that Melissa knew and that we could begin figuring out where things went from here.

"I should probably pack a few things," I said.

"Yeah, me too," Jessi replied.

"Why you?" I asked.

"Did you not catch what just happened? Melissa didn't slap me because she was glad I'd lost my virginity, Nick," Jessi said, drying her eyes.

"I'm going to stay with Amber for a little while until I can figure things out," Jessi said, shifting her eyes to mine. "You better fucking call me; you better not disappear on me."

"I swear I won't, I won't," I said, confused.

Jessi turned and went to her room. We both were stuffing bags and packing up what we could. This was easy for me; my tools were all in my truck, so all I had were my clothes and toiletries.

Jessi had her whole life in this house. She packed three bags and piled them by her door. She made a trip to her car as I sat in the living room, waiting to talk to her.

"I'm going," Jessi said quietly.

"I'm sorry, Jess, I owe it to you," I said.

"Don't, not now," Jessi said.

She approached me, put her hand on mine, and squeezed before turning to go. I followed her out with my bags. As I tossed my possessions in my truck, I noticed the fresh line in the paint that Melissa had carved with her key on her way out. From the headlight to the...