Chapter 21 #2
Suddenly, I feel a hand on my shoulders.
I jump.
They’re here.
They’re bloody here.
They haven’t forgotten…left me to starve…die again…
Half caught between the past and present, I twist to look up in both fear and excitement.
Then I sob, unable to hold back the tears. “Dee…”
Eden stares at me for a long moment, kneeling broken on the sand.
Then he reaches down to grab me by the shoulders and pull me to stand in front of him.
The Webbs haven’t come. My brother has to save me.
Again.
He must be bloody angry with me.
Eden’s expression is inscrutable. He studies me with dark eyes, as I try to control my breathing and stop crying.
I’m a wreck. My cheeks heat with humiliation.
Eden shakes me. “Idiot.”
I struggle through my blurred vision to raise my chin.
“I’m s-s-sorry but I c-c-couldn’t…” My voice is raspy with tears.
Eden pulls his hands back from me.
My head is messed up. I’ve been bad. Shouldn’t he hit me now?
I deserve it.
Instead, my twin pulls me into a hug. “I understand.”
My eyes widen in surprise. But then, I cling to him, desperately needing this.
“They didn’t even turn up, bro.” I clutch onto the back of Eden’s woolen, black coat. Its vanilla scent is familiar. I don’t regret trying to do this by myself. I do wish that I hadn’t been proved right that I’m unwanted. “They really don’t want me.”
“Us,” Eden corrects me.
I wince.
And that’s the other reason that I didn’t tell Eden. I didn’t want him to know if the Webbs turned out to be dicks. If they’d been sincere, then I was going to ask them to write something that Eden could choose to read or not.
But now, have I fucked everything up? Have I hurt Eden?
“I’m sorry,” I try again.
“Don’t,” Eden says, hugging me more tightly. “Don’t apologize for the Webbs. You made a choice. I don’t control that.”
“Our Robyn snitched on me, didn’t she?” I give a watery smile.
Eden pushes me back but keeps his hands on my shoulders; I am relieved because I need to feel the connection to my twin. “The moment that you came home. Jude has been sitting with me in his car just around the bend up there.”
My mouth drops open. “You sneaky bastards. You said that you were going with him to something important.”
“I was. This.”
I want to be annoyed.
But how can I be? They have allowed me freedom, while keeping a protective ring around me at a distance.
They aren’t controlling. They’re caring.
I never understood the difference before.
“I thought…” I wet my dry lips. “I thought that Nicole and Craig would at least show. I thought that I needed this to put my past behind me. But I’m not important enough for them to even turn up.”
Eden’s gaze darkens. “We don’t need them. We have each other.”
“They let us down our whole childhoods. Why should I think that they’d suddenly be reliable now?”
But that doesn’t make it hurt any less. The article about them was bullshit.
Eden was right to burn it.
My brother drags me closer, until our foreheads are touching.
Finally, I relax.
The rain batters our shoulders. It runs down the back of my neck, plastering my hair to my head.
Yet I feel safe now.
“Garcia investigated the Webbs. He wrote a report.” Eden scrutinizes me. “He sent it to your email.”
“What?” I blink in surprise. “He swore that he wouldn’t say anything to Jude. Also, that he wasn’t a snitch. I’m revoking his rights to be a member of our sub group.”
“Don’t,” Eden says, startled like I am being serious. “He gave the report to Robyn, and she told me. He didn’t break a promise.”
Warmth spreads through me. “Good to know sub solidarity is sound. But when the hell did he have the time?”
“He stayed up all night. He works fast.” Eden tilts his chin. “I may ask him to teach me his methods.”
Well, that’s ominous.
I’m all for my brother making friends, but with Garcia would it be more like hitman bonding?
Still, Garcia didn’t need to do that for me. How many people in my life have gone out of their way to help me?
This time, Garcia hasn’t stayed up and worked on this as a favor for his best friend, D’Angelo.
He did it for me.
Slowly, feeling is returning. I no longer want to claw off my own skin.
“Hmm,” I reply, noncommittally. “I’ll thank him. I don’t know what he likes besides guns and smart suits.”
“Bondage,” Eden replies. “Ropes.”
It forces a laugh out of me. “Fine. I’ll buy him a set of silk ropes. But what did he find?”
Eden’s expression shutters. “I don’t know. I didn’t read it.”
My brow furrows. “Why?”
“The Webbs have nothing to do with me.”
I study my brother.
Guilt forms a cold ball in my stomach, when I realize how pale Eden is. His joggers are stained. His t-shirt is crumpled.
Shit, this has impacted him as much as it has me.
I’m a selfish bastard.
I wet my lips, before squaring my shoulders. “I won’t read it either.”
Eden’s eyes spark with sudden joy. “Really?”
“Yeah, fuck the bastards. What do they have to do with us? We’re brilliant.
The Webbs don’t deserve to meet us or know anything about us.
We already have incredible parents. Our mum and dad in Guildford are amazing.
They love and support us. They’ve never let us down.
You’ve never let me down. Circle of Twins, right? ”
“Circle of Twins.” Eden pulls back from me, starting to prowl back up the line of the beach. I hurry to follow him. Then he glances over his shoulder. “Also, Jude and Robyn who will both—”
“Spank me if I don’t get my ass back in time to catch the bus?” That thought shouldn’t make me grin and put a spring back into my step.
But it does.
Eden smirks. “If you ask nicely, they will probably do that anyway. But quickly because you don’t have time.
Robyn has already made sure your bags of equipment and uniform are being stowed on the bus.
Jude will drive you to catch it. Then you’ll win the game and destroy Wilder.
I’ll watch and be proud as I always am. Afterwards, you’ll celebrate with your true family because Shay, we are loved now. ”