Twinsequences (A Twisted Twin Series) (31 page)

“Shut
 up!”
 I
 shoved
 her
 down
 in
 the
 corner.
 “What
 did
 you
 do
 to
 him?”
 I
 was
 
so
 mad
 that
 I
 threw
 myself
 on
 top
 of
 her
 and
 started
 smacking
 her
 in
 the
 face.
 She
 
put
 her
 hands
 up
 to
 protect
 herself.
 
 
I
 felt
 someone
 pulling
 me
 away
 from
 her.
 Stosh
 had
 blood
 running
 down
 his
 
face,
 but
 he
 was
 alert
 enough
 to
 know
 what
 was
 happening.
 When
 Ivy
 saw
 that
 he
 
was
 conscious,
 
 her
 eyes
 got
 big
 and
 she
 began
 to
 plead.
 “Stosh,
 please.
 I
 didn’t
 mean
 
to
 hurt
 you.”
 
He
 grabbed
 her
 by
 the
 hair
 and
 shoved
 her
 against
 the
 wall.
 “Grab
 her
 
hands.”
 
I
 looked
 down
 on
 the
 floor
 and
 grabbed
 the
 zip
 ties,
 before
 rushing
 over
 and
 
wrapping
 it
 around
 my
 sister’s
 wrists.
 Once
 her
 hands
 were
 bound,
 it
 was
 easy
 to
 
get
 her
 sitting
 down
 and
 attach
 each
 of
 her
 feet
 to
 the
 chair.
 It
 was
 barbaric,
 but
 
necessary.
 
 
When
 I
 knew
 she
 couldn’t
 move,
 I
 rushed
 over
 to
 Stosh’s
 side
 and
 helped
 him
 
get
 into
 the
 living
 room.
 “I
 feel
 like
 I’m
 going
 to
 pass
 out.
 That
 bitch
 hit
 me
 with
 a
 
bat.”
 
“I
 saw
 it.”
 I
 ran
 over
 with
 a
 wet
 towel
 and
 started
 cleaning
 him
 up,
 so
 that
 I
 
could
 assess
 the
 injury.
 “You’re
 going
 to
 need
 stitches,
 babe.
 The
 gash
 is
 pretty
 deep
 
and
 you’ve
 lost
 a
 ton
 of
 blood.
 I’m
 positive
 you
 have
 a
 concussion.”
 
Even
 while
 he
 was
 in
 pain.
 He
 managed
 to
 smile.
 “Listen
 to
 the
 doctor’s
 
daughter
 go.”
 
I
 shook
 my
 head.
 “Stop
 joking.
 Are
 you
 able
 to
 walk
 to
 the
 car?”
 
I
 helped
 him
 stand
 up,
 grabbed
 a
 clean
 shirt
 for
 him,
 and
 led
 him
 to
 the
 car.
 
The
 hospital
 wasn’t
 that
 far
 from
 the
 house
 and
 we
 were
 there
 in
 just
 a
 few
 minutes.
 
Stosh
 kept
 closing
 his
 eyes,
 dozing
 off.
 
“You
 have
 to
 stay
 awake.”
 
“I
 can’t.
 My
 eyes
 feel
 heavy.”
 
I
 was
 so
 worried
 about
 him.
 Head
 injuries
 were
 serious.
 Someone
 could
 be
 
talking
 to
 you
 one
 minute
 and
 dead
 the
 next.
 Losing
 him
 would
 crush
 my
 soul.
 I
 
couldn’t
 even
 let
 myself
 imagine
 it.
 
I
 ran
 into
 the
 hospital
 and
 got
 some
 attendants
 to
 come
 out
 and
 get
 Stosh
 in
 a
 
wheelchair.
 From
 there,
 they
 put
 him
 on
 a
 gurney
 and
 took
 him
 right
 into
 the
 
emergency
 room.
 
 
It
 seemed
 like
 forever
 that
 I
 had
 to
 wait
 to
 hear
 from
 someone.
 When
 the
 
nurse
 came
 out
 to
 look
 for
 me,
 she
 had
 this
 look
 on
 her
 face
 like
 she
 didn’t
 have
 
good
 news.
 My
 stomach
 dropped
 and
 I
 felt
 like
 I
 was
 going
 to
 hurl.
 I
 covered
 my
 
mouth
 and
 ran
 toward
 the
 ladies
 room.
 
 
She’d
 followed
 me
 in
 there.
 “Ma’am
 are
 you
 okay?”
 
“Just
 give
 me
 a
 second.”
 
I
 was
 beginning
 to
 cry
 and
 I
 couldn’t
 get
 myself
 calm
 enough
 to
 face
 her.
 
Finally,
 after
 a
 few
 minutes,
 I
 made
 my
 way
 out
 of
 the
 stall
 and
 saw
 her
 standing
 
there.
 I
 looked
 her
 right
 in
 the
 eyes
 and
 waited
 for
 her
 bad
 news.
 
“You
 can
 come
 back
 and
 see
 him
 now.”
 
My
 face
 lit
 up.
 “He’s
 okay?”
 
“The
 doctor
 will
 explain
 everything.
 He
 has
 a
 concussion
 and
 we
 had
 to
 give
 
him
 stitches.
 He’s
 lucky
 you
 were
 there
 when
 he
 fell.
 A
 head
 injury
 like
 that
 could
 be
 
fatal.”
 
When
 he
 fell?
 
 
Stosh
 told
 them
 he
 fell?
 
I
 followed
 behind
 her
 until
 we
 got
 to
 his
 room.
 His
 head
 was
 bandaged
 up,
 
but
 he
 looked
 alright.
 His
 face
 lit
 up
 when
 he
 saw
 me
 walking
 in.
 “There’s
 my
 girl.”
 
I
 was
 so
 happy
 to
 see
 him.
 I
 rushed
 over
 and
 wrapped
 my
 arms
 across
 his
 
chest.
 
He
 struggled
 to
 breathe
 for
 a
 second.
 “Easy
 now.
 I’m
 a
 little
 beat
 up.”
 
“I’m
 so
 sorry
 I
 left.
 You
 don’t
 know
 how
 worried
 I
 was
 when
 I
 got
 home
 and
 
found
 you
 like
 that.
 I
 was
 so
 scared.”
 
“It
 could
 have
 been
 worse.
 I
 got
 one
 blow
 in
 as
 I
 was
 going
 down.
 I
 know
 the
 
hitting
 a
 girl
 rule
 was
 broken,
 but
 she
 deserved
 it.”
 
I
 laughed
 and
 kept
 holding
 him.
 Letting
 go
 was
 not
 an
 option.
 “I
 wanted
 to
 kill
 
her.
 Seeing
 you
 just
 laying
 there,
 looking
 all
 lifeless
 was
 horrible.
 I
 felt
 like
 picking
 
up
 that
 bat
 and
 ending
 her
 existence.”
 
He
 reached
 his
 arm
 up
 and
 put
 it
 around
 my
 back.
 “That
 would
 have
 messed
 
up
 the
 plan.”
 
“Yeah,
 but
 at
 least
 we
 have
 another
 option
 to
 fall
 back
 on.
 Running
 away
 with
 
you
 seems
 better
 by
 the
 second.”
 It
 was
 true.
 We
 would
 be
 giving
 up
 our
 family,
 our
 
friends
 and
 Stosh’s
 job,
 but
 we’d
 be
 together.
 Somehow,
 that
 was
 all
 I
 cared
 about.
 
“You
 know,
 I
 tried
 to
 call
 you.
 I
 wanted
 you
 to
 grab
 creamer
 on
 the
 way
 back.
 
When
 you
 didn’t
 answer
 your
 phone,
 I
 called
 your
 parent’s
 house.
 It
 was
 disturbing
 
when
 they
 said
 they
 hadn’t
 seen
 you.”
 
I
 felt
 sick.
 He’d
 caught
 me
 and
 I
 was
 going
 to
 have
 to
 tell
 him
 that
 I
 went
 
against
 his
 request
 and
 met
 Rafe.
 “Stosh,
 I’m
 sorry.
 I
 was
 trying
 to
 take
 care
 of
 the
 
problem.
 I
 thought
 if
 I
 could
 just
 talk
 to
 him
 alone,
 he
 would
 back
 off.”
 
“So,
 where
 were
 you?”
 
I
 sat
 up,
 seeing
 that
 he
 wanted
 details.
 I
 could
 understand
 how
 he
 wanted
 us
 
to
 be
 honest
 with
 each
 other.
 After
 everything,
 it
 was
 the
 only
 way
 our
 relationship
 
could
 work.
 “Please
 don’t
 get
 mad
 at
 me,
 but
 I
 went
 to
 his
 house.”
 
“You
 what?”
 He
 tried
 to
 sit
 up,
 forcing
 me
 off
 the
 bed
 and
 him
 to
 fall
 back
 
down
 on
 the
 bed.
 “Willow,
 you’re
 smarter
 than
 that.
 He
 could
 have
 attacked
 you,
 or
 
raped
 you.
 For
 Christ
 sakes,
 you
 have
 got
 to
 be
 more
 careful.”
 
“I
 know.
 I
 know.
 I
 wasn’t
 thinking.”
 
He
 grabbed
 my
 hand
 and
 squeezed
 it.
 “I’m
 glad
 you’re
 okay,
 Will.
 I
 don’t
 
know
 what
 I’d
 do
 if
 something
 happened
 to
 you.”
 
“It
 wasn’t
 even
 worth
 it
 anyway.
 Rafe
 couldn’t
 take
 no
 for
 an
 answer.
 He
 said
 
he
 won’t
 give
 up
 on
 our
 love.”
 I
 was
 sarcastic
 when
 I
 said
 it.
 
“Great!”
 
“I
 told
 him
 to
 leave
 us
 alone.
 He
 said
 he’d
 already
 bought
 a
 house
 in
 Malta.
 
They
 were
 going
 to
 move
 there
 and
 raise
 our
 baby,
 after
 Ivy
 stole
 it
 from
 me
 and
 
took
 it
 from
 you.
 With
 her
 living
 out
 of
 the
 country,
 we’d
 never
 freaking
 find
 her.”
 
He
 kept
 holding
 my
 hand.
 “At
 least
 there
 isn’t
 a
 baby
 for
 her
 to
 steal.
 I
 would
 
really
 kill
 her
 if
 she
 tried
 that
 shit.”
 He
 shook
 his
 head.
 “Don’t
 get
 me
 wrong.
 I
 know
 
why
 you
 did
 what
 you
 did,
 but
 I
 do
 want
 children.
 Someday,
 I
 guess.”
 
“Yeah,
 someday.”
 I
 felt
 like
 more
 of
 an
 ass.
 
 
He
 pulled
 my
 hand
 up
 to
 his
 lips.
 “Just
 promise
 me
 no
 more
 lies,
 Will.
 I
 can’t
 
keep
 worrying
 about
 you
 like
 I
 did
 today.
 It
 killed
 me.
 I
 think
 it’s
 why
 I
 let
 my
 guard
 
up.
 I
 couldn’t
 think
 straight.”
 
I
 stood
 up
 and
 froze.
 I
 had
 to
 tell
 him
 about
 the
 baby.
 If
 I
 waited,
 he
 was
 never
 
going
 to
 forgive
 me.
 I
 tried
 to
 open
 my
 mouth
 to
 speak
 and
 I
 started
 to
 get
 dizzy.
 
Before
 I
 could
 even
 grab
 the
 edge
 of
 the
 bed,
 I
 went
 down.
 
I
 woke
 up
 in
 a
 hospital
 bed.
 Stosh
 was
 sitting
 beside
 me
 and
 he
 didn’t
 look
 
happy.
 The
 bandage
 was
 still
 on
 his
 head
 and
 he
 was
 also
 dressed
 in
 the
 same
 
hospital
 gown
 as
 before,
 which
 meant
 it
 was
 probably
 the
 same
 day.
 “What
 
happened?”
 
He
 gave
 me
 a
 funny
 look.
 “Apparently,
 when
 you’re
 pregnant,
 it
 is
 important
 
that
 you
 eat
 breakfast
 and
 take
 vitamins.”
 
I
 didn’t
 know
 what
 to
 say.
 I
 just
 started
 to
 cry.
 
“Cat
 got
 your
 tongue?”
 
“I
 was
 going
 to
 tell
 you.
 I
 just…”
 
“You
 let
 me
 think
 you
 had
 an
 abortion.
 Do
 you
 have
 any
 idea
 how
 much
 that
 
hurt
 me?”
 
“Stosh,
 it
 wasn’t
 like
 that.
 I
 went
 to
 the
 clinic,
 but
 after
 talking
 to
 the
 
counselor
 and
 thinking
 about
 what
 I
 was
 doing,
 I
 couldn’t
 go
 through
 with
 it.
 When
 
you
 came
 back,
 I
 needed
 to
 be
 sure
 your
 intentions
 were
 good.
 The
 timing
 just
 never
 
seemed
 right.”
 
I
 could
 talk
 to
 him
 until
 I
 was
 blue
 in
 the
 face.
 He
 was
 hurt
 and
 pissed.
 The
 
more
 I
 pleaded
 the
 more
 frustrated
 he
 became.
 “I’m
 angry
 at
 you
 for
 lying
 to
 me.
 I’ve
 
been
 messed
 up
 since
 you
 told
 me
 what
 you’d
 done.
 The
 decent
 thing
 would
 have
 
been
 to
 tell
 me
 the
 truth.
 I
 hope
 you
 get
 that.”
 
“I
 do.”
 I
 reached
 for
 his
 hand,
 but
 he
 pulled
 it
 away.
 “Stosh,
 please.
 I
 just
 
wanted
 our
 baby
 to
 be
 safe.
 You
 have
 to
 understand
 that
 I
 had
 to
 know
 you
 weren’t
 
plotting
 anything
 with
 Ivy.
 She
 wanted
 our
 baby
 and
 I
 couldn’t
 let
 that
 happen.
 I
 
couldn’t
 let
 her
 find
 out.”