Am in Love with my Cousin

I remember the first time I realized that my cousin and I were more than just family. We were eight years old, sitting under the massive oak tree in our grandparents' backyard, sharing a secret world that only we understood. The sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting playful shadows on our faces as we giggled and whispered about our grand plans for the future. At that time, it was innocent, a bond forged by countless summer days spent together.As the years passed, that bond grew stronger, evolving into something I couldn't quite understand at first. Our families were close, often spending weekends and holidays together. Our parents had grown up as best friends, and it seemed only natural that we would follow in their footsteps. But somewhere along the way, my feelings for Alex shifted, becoming something deeper, more intense.My name is Emily, and this is my story. I come from a large, close-knit family where cousins are more like siblings. Among them, Alex stood out. With his easy smile and kind eyes, he had always been my favorite. We were partners in crime, confidants, and best friends.Alex, with his unruly hair and mischievous grin, was the epitome of everything good in my life. He was the one who stood up for me when bullies at school targeted me, the one who held my hand through the pain of losing our beloved family dog, and the one who knew all my secrets.One of my fondest memories is of a summer day when we decided to build a treehouse. We were twelve, full of ambition and naivety. Our grandpa helped us with the more challenging parts, but we did most of the work ourselves. That treehouse became our sanctuary, a place where we could escape from the world and dream about the future."Emily, pass me the hammer," Alex had called out, his face streaked with sweat and dirt."Here, catch!" I tossed it to him, and he caught it effortlessly, grinning at me with that infectious smile.Those were the days when everything seemed simple. We were just kids, unaware of the complexities that life would soon throw at us.As we grew older, things started to change. I began to notice little things about Alex that I hadn't before. The way his eyes crinkled when he laughed, the way he always seemed to know exactly what to say to make me feel better, the way my heart raced whenever he was near.It was during one of our family gatherings that I first felt the stirrings of something more. We were fifteen, playing a game of hide and seek with our younger cousins. I had hidden behind the old shed at the edge of the property, heart pounding with the thrill of the game.Alex found me, of course. He always did."Gotcha," he whispered, his face inches from mine.For a moment, we were frozen, caught in a bubble of time where it was just the two of us. I could feel the heat radiating from his body, hear the soft intake of his breath. My heart pounded not from the game, but from something I couldn't quite name.That moment passed, but it left a lingering awareness that I couldn't shake. Over the next few years, my feelings for Alex grew, becoming a confusing mix of affection, admiration, and something more profound. I tried to suppress it, to tell myself that it was just a phase, but the more I denied it, the stronger it became.Being around him became both a joy and a torment. Every smile, every touch, every shared secret felt like a knife twisting in my heart. I couldn't tell anyone, not even my closest friends, for fear of their judgment. After all, who falls in love with their cousin?But I did. And this is where our story begins.