Kaia buried her face in her hands. I genuinely felt for her, knowing she hadn’t intended any ill for either of us. My eyes met Avery’s and I could see the same sympathy from her.
“I’m sorry,” Kaia said. “Just go. I’m so stupid.”
I stepped up to the edge of the bed and leaned over, gently pulling back her hands. Kaia wasn’t crying, but her eyes were red and on the verge of unleashing. She looked up at me, questioning. I leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. She seemed so shocked she didn’t even kiss back until I did it a second time.
I stood and smiled. From the corner of my eye, I could tell Avery was smiling, too.
“What?” Kaia said, confused.
I nodded at the mistletoe over her head. “What? Don’t tell me you put that there just for decoration.”
Before Kaia could say anything, Avery pulled herself upright. She still held the blanket against her chest, but it slipped just enough that I saw one of her pink nipples make an appearance. I tried really hard not to stare or otherwise risk acknowledging it and thereby embarrassing her. She wrapped her free hand around Kaia and pulled her down for another kiss. This one lingered a bit longer than either of mine.
“Well, I can tell you two have been practicing,” I said when their lips parted. Avery blushed, but more out of accepting the compliment.
Kaia laughed and hiccupped. “I love you two, you know that? Not like that, but like…this. I can’t explain it.”
“We get it,” Avery said, looking me in the eye as she said it. “And we love you, too.”
“Absolutely,” I said. “Besides, I certainly can’t say this trip hasn’t been fun.”
Kaia leaned her head on Avery’s shoulder. “Well, I’m still sorry. Hormones getting the better of me, I guess.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said. “Now, maybe I should leave you two to get some sleep. Or whatever. No judgment here.”
Kaia’s eyes snapped up at me and I a saw a hint of that evil glint she’d been giving me the last couple days. “Well, you’re free to leave, but your nuts stay.”
While I liked the sound of that, I didn’t think it was going to work with Avery around. “Uh, I’m not sure that’s, uh, physically possible.”
Avery smiled, clearly amused with my discomfort. “Maybe I need to leave you two alone for a while, then.”
“Oh no you don’t,” Kaia said. “You owe me some more quality…kissing. I want both of you to stay.”
I wasn’t sure how Avery felt about that. Hell, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. It was…weird. Wrong, too, by most measures. And yet I’d easily gotten over the things I’d done with my cousin. Was I that morally flexible?
“You do know we’re siblings, right?” I said.
Kaia sighed. “I know. But you’re twins. You spent your first nine months together, spooning naked in the womb. Doesn’t that mean you’re connected? One of you gets gas and the other farts? No secrets?”
Avery laughed. “Girl, I think you’ve got a few things mixed up there.”
“You trust each other, though. Right?” Kaia looked from Avery to me.
“Yeah,” we both said.
Kaia turned back to my sister. “And you think he’s hot.”