Lily's Storm

Lily’s Storm

By R. A. Conti

In the fall of nineteen-ninety-nine, Josh spent the day visiting his Aunt Lily at the State University. Just as he was about to leave, a heavy storm descended on the campus. Torrential rain, ferocious lightning, and earsplitting thunder raged outside. Instead of risking a drive home in the tempest, Lily urged him to spend the night in her absent roommate’s bed.

While the storm raged outside, they settled into separate beds on opposite sides of the room. Lily felt calm. Josh seemed uneasy. She noticed and recalled something.

“You might remember that we slept in the same bed sometimes,” she mentioned. Aunt Lily and Josh had lived together for several years when they were children.

Josh nodded. “Yeah, I do remember that.” He cringed when another lightning flash lit the window. “Storms like this scared the crap out of me when I was little.”

Lily grinned. “That’s right.”

More lightning, followed by a deafening thunderclap. “They still scare me,” he added, meekly. Lily heard the fear in his voice and felt sorry for him.

“But, you’re a big boy now,” she teased.

“No, really.”

“Want me to come over there?” Lily asked.

Josh wanted to say ‘yes’ because the storm terrified him. However, they were no longer little children. He looked at his aunt. She was a statuesque nineteen-year-old blonde with classic facial features that could have won beauty contests if she had any interest in entering them. Lily was normally shy. She preferred remaining in the background instead of asserting herself.

Josh was still in high school. He knew he wasn’t half as handsome as his aunt was beautiful, but he wasn’t unattractive. Most girls described him as cute. He was just under six feet tall. His dark hair and glasses accented his boyish facial features. Josh wasn’t athletic, but he was fit and had a pleasant physique. He was also open, friendly, easy-going, and had a good sense of humor.

Would it be wrong for us to sleep in the same bed? he wondered. I guess not. We’re family.

“Yeah,” he replied, cautiously, hoping his fear of the storm wasn’t clouding his judgement. “That would be great.”

Lily turned out the light and left her bed. Josh knew she was in her underwear, but couldn’t see her walk toward him in the dark room. She lay next to him, back-to-back, and pulled up the light blanket to cover them. Just as he had when they were children, he felt her presence sheltering and protecting him. The lightning seemed distant and the thunder unthreatening.

“Thanks, Lily,” Josh whispered.

However, he was still uneasy. In the back of his mind, some concerns lingered. I feel safe from the storm, he thought. Lily’s my aunt. But should we be doing this? She’s awfully pretty. Josh pushed the worries out of his mind and tried to fall asleep. Soon, they were both slumbering peacefully.

_____

Something woke Lily a few hours later. Josh was sleeping beside her. She listened for thunder. It was quiet. The storm’s over.

She decided to go back to her bed. She moved slightly and bumped Josh. He had turned to face her back, and she felt an erection. Maybe that was what had awakened her. Lily assumed he was dreaming about sex. Then she wondered if he was dreaming about sex with her. Finally, it occurred to her that Josh might not be asleep. Perhaps he wanted to have sex with her.

Lily didn’t care if he was awake or asleep. A moment like this might never come again. If Josh were awake, she would give herself to him in the hope that it would transform their lives. If he were still asleep, she would have her way with him. Josh might not remember it, but she certainly would!

She pressed her backside against his erection, but he didn’t respond. Just to encourage him, she reached behind her and touched his erection through his shorts. Again, Josh didn’t respond.

He must be in a deep sleep, Lily thought. I guess I’ll have to do everything. She reached inside his shorts, freed his penis, pulled her panties aside, and then guided him between her legs. She hoped Josh would push into her, but he didn’t move.

Lily eased him inside and almost swooned from the intense sensations and the powerful audacity of what she was doing. Josh remained inert, so she started to move. It was easy. She slid him in and out tenderly and relished the fiery sensations. Lily paused only when ecstasy almost overwhelmed her. She pulled his penis deeper when she felt it swelling toward orgasm because she wanted to enjoy the intense sensations fully when Josh finally gushed inside her. Her other sex partners had always worn condoms. She had never cared about feeling their orgasms. But Josh was special. He wasn’t just any boy.

He was the only boy Lily had ever loved.

When it was over, she wanted to keep Josh inside but didn’t want him to awaken and accidentally discover what she had done. Lily carefully replaced their underwear and fell back to sleep, convinced her life had permanently changed.

Josh awoke after dawn and discovered their intertwined bodies. He wanted to get out of bed but didn’t want his movement to awaken her and then have her discover how close they were. He didn’t know if she might feel embarrassed, but he would.

There was a commotion in the hall. Somebody was calling for Lily. The door burst open. Josh made sure the blanket was covering them. Dee, one of Lily’s campus friends, rushed in. As soon as she saw Josh and Lily in bed together, she realized she shouldn’t be there.

Josh smiled. “She’s still asleep,” he whispered.

“Oh, sorry I barged in. I’m Dee.”

“It’s okay. I was awake. What’s going on?”

Dee felt like an intruder. “The storm knocked down some of the biggest trees on campus,” she whispered. “They’re lying everywhere. The whole landscape has changed. I wanted to tell Lily. I know she likes trees.”

Josh nodded. “Okay. I’ll tell her.”

This was Dee’s cue to exit, and she did. Josh breathed a sigh of relief. So did Dee when she was safely out in the hallway.

Josh turned to look at Lily as she slept. Warm sunlight streamed through the window and lit her face. He saw her as she was at that moment and recalled the way her face looked when they were children. Lily’s eyes opened, and she caught him gazing at her.

“Checking me out, Josh?” she asked, languorously. Embarrassed by her accusation, he blushed. “It’s okay,” she said. “Don’t be self-conscious. I guess you’ve noticed how much I’ve changed from when we were kids.” He nodded uncomfortably. “Do you like the way I look?” He was silent. “Do you think I’m pretty?” He felt confused and didn’t answer. “It’s okay if you do,” she added, embarrassing him. He didn’t know how to respond and remained quiet.

Lily saw his confusion and wanted to clear things up. She thought they should have sex again and reached for his penis. He recoiled when she tried to touch him. “What’s wrong, Josh?” she asked.

“What’s wrong with you?” he replied, sharply.

“I wanted to make love again.”

“Again?” he asked, astonished. “When have we… ever?”

“Last night… After the storm.” He remained puzzled. She wanted him to admit what had happened. “You don’t remember?” He shook his head. She felt confused. It had been spectacularly intense for her. Could Josh really have slept through it? It seemed impossible.

“You made love to me, Josh,” Lily lied. She had done the lovemaking.

He felt horrified. Was she joking? Why would she do anything so cruel? They were in bed together only because of the storm. Josh was certain that nothing else had happened. He stared at her in disbelief.

“It was beautiful,” she added, then kissed him abruptly, catching him off guard. She sensed his discomfort. “I mean it, Josh. I’ve never felt like that before.” He didn’t believe her and assumed she was cruelly teasing him. Meanness was a side of Lily he had never seen before.

After a moment of tense silence, Lily confessed her feelings. “Josh, I’m in love with you.”

Josh suddenly wondered if he wasdreaming, then realized he wasn’t. He panicked and gasped. “What? No way! That’s crazy.”

“I’ve felt this way for several years,” she declared.

“You shouldn’t be talking like that! You’re like a sister to me!” His obtuseness confused Lily, and she didn’t know what else to say.

Lily wondered if he was trying to protect her feelings. Perhaps he had not enjoyed their sex, even though it had been the best experience of her young life. Then she immediately rejected the idea. He must want more! Lily thought. He must want me!

Josh stared at her coldly and considered what he ought to do, then decided to leave immediately. Lily watched in helpless disbelief as Josh jumped out of bed. After dressing hurriedly, he grabbed his overnight bag and took out his car keys. Not looking at Lily, Josh left without saying a word.

Josh had a two-hour drive back home and plenty of time to think about what had happened. Any sixteen-year-old boy would feel ecstatic if an older girl seduced him, especially if that girl was as beautiful as Lily. However, her seduction and confession of love hadn’t thrilled Josh. It had sickened him. He didn’t want her to be in love with him. He grew angrier as it became clear that she had recklessly betrayed their family bond.

On the other hand, had she? As Josh drove farther from the campus, he wondered if Lily had dreamt up everything because they had been sleeping side-by-side. He felt certain he would not have remained asleep if they’d really had sex. Josh persuaded himself that nothing whatsoever had happened. The conclusion gave him comfort, and he felt relieved.

Then he noticed another problem. They had both been asleep when she dreamed about having sex with him, but they had been wide-awake when she told him she had always loved him. Something was still horribly wrong.

He wondered if Lily was delusional. Did she genuinely feel that way about him? Did she believe he felt (or could feel) the same way about her? Did she have something seriously wrong with her? Should he worry about Lily? Was she a threat to him? He decided he would avoid her from now on so he could avert further danger and confusion.

Damn you. Lily! he thought, enraged. Damn you!

Lily and Josh had shared a wonderful childhood. They had been like brother and sister for a few years, and he wanted their relationship to stay that way. He was proud of the ways he had helped her and kept her going. He had been her anchor and pillar of strength. Josh could not understand how she could have fallen in love with him. There are lots of other guys around, he thought. Why me?

Josh tried to think of someone he could confide in. Not his parents, surely. Nor his friends. If he told them what had happened, they would congratulate him for (possibly) screwing a gorgeous girl. There was no one he could turn to, and Josh felt alone.

_____

After Josh ran out, abandoned in her room, Lily cried into the blanket and tried to figure out how to recover from the disaster she had caused. Josh was the only boy she had ever loved. Her love for him was real, perhaps too real, and too intense.

How could she have assumed that he felt the same way? He had never given any hint. She should have taken it slower, talked to him, and tried to assess his feelings. She feared she had ruined everything and would never see Josh again. The despair seemed overwhelming.

Several hours later, Lily called her sister Helen, who was Josh’s mother, ostensibly to discuss college financial details. She hoped Josh would answer the phone, but he was not around. Lily casually asked how he was doing. Helen asked what Josh’s impression of college was. Lily told her he liked the campus. That was all they discussed.

When Lily finally came out of her room, her dorm mates teased her about Josh. Dee was the first. “There’s the cradle robber!” she said, laughing. “God, he’s so cute. Can I have him when you’re done with him?” All the girls agreed.

Lily didn’t think of Josh as cute. She thought of Josh as the wonderful nephew who had helped her through terrible times in her childhood. She didn’t know where she would be without his help, or if she would still be alive.

She ignored her friends, and their teasing quieted down. However, the storm that raged inside Lily didn’t quiet down. Just as the thunderstorm had uprooted and exposed the roots of the campus trees, her impulsive action had exposed her deepest feelings. Now her life might never be the same.