Chapter 3
Chapter Three
Three days since my call with Zarek.
Three days of drawing like my life depends on it—which, it turns out, it kind of does.
The apartment smelled faintly of ink, paper, and the spinach smoothie I forced myself to drink an hour before.
My dining table was completely gone, buried under sketchpads, reference photos, and ink pens rolling wherever gravity sent them.
I had panels taped to the wall, taped to the fridge, taped to the bathroom mirror like I might forget what I was doing if I blinked too long.
At some point, my phone started vibrating somewhere near my couch.
I ignored it.
It vibrated again.
I looked over my shoulder. I saw paper towels skittering across the wood, and then fall to the floor along with the phone. Only one person who could be moving my shit around like that.
My twin.
I stomped over and picked up my phone.
“What already?”
“I want to come over.”
“No. I’m busy.”
“You don’t let me come over, I’ll have Bruiser and Jiffy kick down your door.”
“Who are they?”
“A couple of biker friends of mine. Nice fellas, built like linebackers.”
Shit, she might be serious. I looked around at the mess. The dishes and pans were stacked high in the sink. At least I’d been cooking.
“Give me an hour.”
“Nope.”
“Come on, Zoe,” I whined at my twin sister. “Why do you even want to come over?”
“I want to catch you up on the doings of Jasper Creek. I want to tell you about Jared and Bonnie’s twin terrors. They’re worse than we ever were. I want to tell you how Miss Florence thinks she’s the world’s biggest badass since she helped take down Russian mobsters.”
“Russian mobsters? You’re kidding, right?”
“Plus I think that Piper might elope. We’ve got to think of a way to stop her.”
“You’re so full of shit. Drake has her so under his thumb, there isn’t a chance in hell that’ll ever happen.”
“Let me inside, it’s cold out here.”
Aw fuck. “Are you outside? Right now?”
“I had to send Jiffy and Bruiser home. They were complaining of frostbite.”
“Wussies. It’s almost fifty degrees.” I walked over to the front door, unlocked it, and let my mirror image into my apartment. She tackle-hugged me. I almost went down.
“Whoa!”
Zoe continued to squeeze me in her arms, rocking me back and forth. “I’ve missed you,” she whispered in my ear.
“You saw me seven weeks ago.”
“That was two months ago, and you were a mess.”
I pushed her back and saw tears in her eyes. “Zoe, it’s okay. I’m fine. It’s not like before. I promise.”
She continued to hold onto my hands. “That’s what Trenda said, but I had to come see for myself.”
Now I had tears in my eyes. I hated that I’d worried my sisters so badly. Especially my twin. After all she went through with me ten years ago.
“You might be doing better, but this place is a pit, and you’re grimy as hell.”
“Am not. It’s just ink. And at least there are dishes in the sink.”
She turned to look in the kitchen. “Do I see a frying pan?”
“Hey, don’t look so surprised. I can cook.”
“Bullshit. You burn things.”
“I can cook when there’s no other option. I ran out of frozen dinners.”
“Now that I believe.” She let go of my hands and meandered over to the kitchen. “Eggs? At least I think it was eggs. Maybe you cooked green eggs and ham.”
“It wasn’t that bad. It was three days ago. I got caught up in the story.”
“Go take a shower. I’ll tidy up and hopefully find something to make for us.
” Zoe started opening up cabinets. I didn’t bother telling her to stop, it wouldn’t have done any good.
I looked down at the shirt I was wearing and grimaced.
At least it wasn’t one of Zarek’s that I’d gotten ink stains on. I treasured those.
When I went to the bedroom, I plucked out one of his tees and pajama bottoms from the clean pile of laundry that I’d never bothered to fold. I took it with me into the bathroom and took a shower. A long shower. The ink stains took a while to come out.
I used my good shampoo and conditioner and started feeling almost human. It took a long time for me to blow-dry my hair, but I figured Zoe would need all the extra time to come up with some sort of meal out of the few remnants in my cupboard and fridge.
“Took you long enough,” Zoe said when I came down the hall.
“I pretended I was you, and took my time.”
Zoe laughed.
“Sit down and eat. It’s hot now.”
“Where did you find this?” I asked as I scooped up some homemade macaroni and cheese and then forked a small slice of meatloaf onto my plate.
“I told Trenda I was coming over, and she sent food.”
I forked two more pieces of meatloaf and another scoop of mac and cheese.
Zoe laughed. “I know! If Trenda made it, it’s as good as gold.”
I would have agreed with her, but my mouth was full.
Trenda had always been able to figure out a way to make hamburger helper or ramen taste good for all of us kids when our parents had been out carousing.
Drake would work to put food on the table, and Trenda would go to the food bank, but she always made it seem like we had as good of meals as any other kid in town.
“Simon’s a lucky man,” Zoe said. “He gets her cooking all the time.”
My fork paused on the way to my mouth. It stung thinking about Trenda’s marriage. I’d been married six years longer than she had. I’d always considered myself the luckiest of my sisters in the love stakes. It hurt thinking that my marriage might be coming to an end.
“What is it?”
“Nothing.”
Zoe gave me a long look, then resumed eating. I loved my twin.
“Wanna hear more about Russian mobsters?” she finally asked with a twinkle in her eye.
“God yes.”
“First, there’s another Drakos in town.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. Is it one of Jase’s sixteen brothers or sisters who decided to move here?”
“Nope, a cousin. Code Drakos. Retired military. High up, cyber security. Angelica, you remember her, right?”
I nodded. “Who could forget her? What about her?”
“She brought a movie star friend of hers to town to hide out. Somebody was doing something computery to blackmail her, and Cousin Code. Who’s a hottie, by the way.”
“All the Drakos men have been hotties.”
“Oh yeah,” Zoe put her elbow on the table and rested her chin on her hand. “I’m wondering if they’ve got another one up their sleeve that I can meet.”
“Yeah sure. You’re just waiting around to settle down.”
“Who said anything about settling down? I’m talking a fun and lustful affair.”
I rolled my eyes. “Tell me about the Russian mobsters.”
“Apparently Kit Lord was being chased by them because of the computer blackmail.”
“I saw something on the news about that. I still can’t believe she was here.”
“Yep. To hear Miss Florence tell it, she single-handedly saved Kit from the Russians and saved her life.”
“Are you sure Miss Florence isn’t finally losing it?”
“No, it’s legit. Simon, Roan, and Code set it up so Little Grandma, Ruby, and Miss Florence led them off the trail, Jasper Creek style.”
“Sorry I missed it.”
“You wouldn’t have missed it if you were home where you’re supposed to be.”
“Subtle, little sister, really subtle.”
“Just because you’re seven minutes older, doesn’t make you wiser.” Zoe sighed. “I’m the smarter one in this situation. There’s something else, isn’t there? Is it Zarek?” Zoe’s expression was shocked. “It can’t be Zarek. You were meant to be together.”
“Three weeks ago, I had a check-up with my OB. I can’t carry a baby to term.”
Zoe’s fingers crushed mine. I continued. “There was damage. Scar tissue. My body doesn’t respond the way it’s supposed to. It treats pregnancy like something dangerous instead of something it can hold.”
“So that’s what’s going on now. That’s your real pain,” Zoe whispered.
I nodded.
“Have you told Zarek?”
I shook my head. “I can’t. I always imagined a little boy who looks just like him. I thought he deserved that. My therapist says this is a new loss I have to grieve.”
“Zarek wouldn’t care if you never had kids. Or if you adopted one. Or took in ten thousand foster teens who eat all your food.”
A laugh broke out of me, half-sob, half-breath.
“You’re probably right,” I said. “It’s just too raw.”
“So, what are you going to do?”
I looked around the apartment. At the chaos. At the drawings. At the story pouring out of me whether I want it to or not.
“Draw,” I said. “It helps me process.”
She squeezed my hand. “I’ll always be here.”
“I know that. Well except…”
She frowned. “Except what?”
“Except if a Drakos or a biker shows up. And God help us if there’s a Drakos biker out there.”
Zoe grinned slowly. “Well there is that. In that case, I’ll send big brother Drake.”
“Oh God, please don’t start dating. I beg you.”
“Well, get your shit together fast.”