Chapter 2 #2
I sighed and scrolled back to the beginning of the current conversation, trying to see where it had started and if I needed to be part of this at all. The answer was usually no. Thankfully.
Aston
Dinner tonight. Isabella at Weston’s Place. I’m sorry Blakley and I won’t be there.
Blakely
Morning sickness is a twenty-four-hour thing and I hate it.
Sophia
I’m sending you some of the drinks that helped me through. Rest, Blakely.
Blakely
Thank you, Sophia. Everything is just, ugh.
Dorian
And now that I’m done thinking of Blakely puking. Aston. Look at you handing over the reins by having the dinner at someone else’s place.
Isabella
We had it at your place in Denver last time. It’s my turn.
Flynn
Don’t forget the pigs in a blanket. Dorian loves the pigs in a blanket.
Dorian
This is true. They are the best. I don’t care if it’s processed food. They make me happy.
Harper
Are you kidding me right now? Pigs in a blanket. I’m a baker. I could make you anything you’d like, and that’s the appetizer you go with?
Dorian
Why are you texting the group chat when you’re sitting right next to me?
Harper
So that way everybody else can see what I’m saying.
Weston
Is there a way for me to be removed from the group chat?
Isabella
You’re lucky I love you, husband of mine.
Phoebe
You guys, we were sleeping. You do realize that we’re visiting friends in Seattle, so we’re not in the same time zone as you?
Ford
Sadly, we were up, we do have a nine-month-old at home. Why are we starting group chat so early?
Isabella
Kiss Micah’s little cheeks for me.
Sophia
At least the girls are still sleeping. But yes, kiss Micah’s cheeks.
Aston
I don’t know why everybody has their phone not on silent while sleeping. All I was doing was reminding you of the dinner. We’re almost done with these. Thank God.
Flynn
I feel like you should throw salt over your shoulder as you text that.
Aston
Who says I didn’t?
Dorian
Marrying Blakely really has made you a lot calmer. I like it.
Aston
I would flip you off, but there might be children watching.
Weston
Again. Can I please leave this group chat?
Isabella
No.
Flynn
No.
Dorian
You can. I’ll just add you right back in.
My lips twitched as they continued to text about what they were doing for the rest of the day, and I set my phone down, knowing that I didn’t really have to respond. I would be there at dinner, and that was going to be enough.
When my phone buzzed in a way that told me it wasn’t a text message, I groaned before answering the video call. My face filled the screen, although there was a brightness in Flynn’s eyes that hadn’t always been there, a little shinier than mine. At least if you asked our parents.
“Are you naked right now?” Flynn asked as he put his hands over his eyes.
“Maybe. Hold on, let me put on some clothes.”
“Why the hell did you answer the phone if you’re naked?”
“Because we look the exact same? I don’t give a fuck.
Why are you calling?” I slid on my boxer briefs, and jeans, and slid on a T-shirt.
Flynn had moved his hand from his face, and I watched his eyes narrow at the scars on my body.
I hadn’t covered them all with ink yet, so he could still see them.
So we weren’t quite identical anymore. I ignored the twinge.
“Why are you calling? I thought you were enjoying yourself in the group chat.”
Flynn’s brows rose as he adjusted his tie. He was the vice president of Cage Enterprises and looked the part. We were exact opposites in most ways, but I didn’t mind. Just the idea of wearing a suit gave me hives. “Ah. I’m surprised you’re reading any part of the group chat.”
“You just hate the fact that I turned off the read status on my phone so you can never tell.”
“That is true.” Flynn ran his hands over his hair.
It was getting longer than usual and nearly matched mine.
When I cut mine next, Flynn would probably do the same.
Only we wouldn’t tell each other about it first and it would just happen.
Sometimes the twin thing really was a twin thing.
“And I don’t know why I’m calling…my heart raced earlier when I was in the shower. ”
I snorted. “Is there something you want me to know? Wait, don’t tell me what you were doing in the shower.”
Flynn rolled his eyes. “Oh, shut up. But really, I don’t know, I just felt like I needed to call you. A twin intuition thing.”
I sighed and brought my phone and brother into the kitchen so I could get a cup of coffee.
The house was far too quiet and reminded me that I kept putting off getting a dog.
There wasn’t a storm raging outside, and the heat wasn’t currently running, so the silence seemed amplified.
Considering it was spring, most places didn’t need their heat on, yet we were in the mountains.
The weather was going to oscillate wildly for the next month or so—even into June.
“I had a nightmare,” I finally answered as I pulled out my mug, the coffee brewing.
“Are you okay? Wait. That’s a stupid question. Of course you aren’t okay.” Flynn’s tone left little to the imagination when it came to his annoyance at my lack of communication.
I knew he wanted me to open up, but what was there to tell him?
People I cared about were dead and there was nothing I could do about it.
The one time I’d thought I’d make amends, someone had already taken care of it for me.
“I’m fine, Flynn. Just a normal nightmare.
” That had ended with Scarlett’s face. That wasn’t quite so normal.
While the coffee brewed, I leaned against my counter, looking at Flynn on my phone that I had set on the kitchen island, resting against a fruit bowl that Isabella had brought over that currently held apples for some reason.
Flynn studied me for a moment before giving me a slight nod. “That’s good. I don’t really like this whole twin thing sometimes.”
“You say that, and yet you’re the one who mentions it most often.”
“You need a dog,” Flynn blurted.
My eyes widened. “What?”
“Your house. It’s so quiet. You need a dog.”
I sighed. “I was just thinking my house was too quiet. Damn you. But I don’t know if I really want a dog.”
“Or a cat. Maybe a goat.” Flynn snapped his fingers. “Get a goat!”
I couldn’t help the groan that escaped. “I’m not getting a goat. Because then Harper and everyone else is going to want to dress that goat in pajamas so it won’t get cold.”
“Please for the love of God get a goat in pajamas. I’m asking one thing of you.” Flynn held up his hands, and I couldn’t help but laugh. My chest shook, and Flynn grinned, his shoulders releasing some of that tension.
My brother had made me laugh. He had done exactly what he had been going for.
Flynn looked down at his watch, wincing. “Anyway, I’ll see you at dinner tonight?”
“Yes. Since it’s in Cage Lake, I’m going. Isabella would probably drag me up the mountain if I didn’t.”
“Oh, good. I worry about things like that.”
I shook my head, pouring my coffee. “You’ll be there?”
Flynn nodded. “Aston won’t, which I know is killing him.”
“He loves organizing all of us.”
“Isabella takes over for him when he can’t.” Flynn grabbed his keys, taking me and the phone to his garage.
“Get to work, brother. I’ll see you tonight.”
“And don’t forget to smile.” Flynn winked and hung up before he could see my middle finger.
Dinner, I had a feeling, was going to be a long one.
* * *
“Wait. So you’re not getting a goat in pajamas?” Emily asked.
I let out a long sigh before glaring at Flynn. “Stop telling everybody I’m getting a goat.”
“Oops?” Emily batted her lashes before grinning. “You don’t think you should tell your baby sister about a precious baby goat?”
“I’m not getting a goat. I’m not getting any animal. Harper and Dorian have their dog. I don’t need one.”
“You can’t just borrow another person’s dog,” Dorian said dryly.
Was that a migraine? Yes, I do believe so. “Yes, I can.”
“You guys fight about the weirdest things,” Emily said as she shook her head. Flynn wrapped his arm around her shoulder and beamed down at her. “Welcome to the Cages. You don’t come to enough of these dinners, so you don’t really know how insane we are.”
That was true enough. As one of the youngest Cages, Emily tended to have the most fixed schedule.
She had just been finishing college when everything had changed in our lives, and I knew she was trying to figure out what she wanted in life.
After all, her path had varied widely, a little bit like mine had.
She and Kyler, my other half-brother, rarely came to these things.
She couldn’t get out of work as much, and as Kyler was currently touring the world because my brother was a damn rock star, he barely had time to make these things.
Of course, I only showed up when it was in my small town because I rarely ventured into Denver, so I didn’t have much leg to stand on there.
“Okay, the girls are down,” Sophia said, as she walked inside, and wiped her hands. “I love Violet and Hazel with every ounce of my being, but I wish bedtime was easier.” Sophia rubbed her temples, and Isabella came forward and wrapped her arm over her shoulders.
“Where’s Cale?” I asked, looking around the room.
We were at Weston and Isabella’s house, so of course those two were here, and Dorian and Harper had showed since they lived in Cage Lake part time, and Flynn had come up mostly to annoy me, same with Emily it seemed.
Sophia was staying with Isabella, and had brought her kids, and husband Cale. But I hadn’t seen him since dinner.
Sophia’s smile widened. “He got a promotion at work and is now on a call.” She rolled her eyes. “He ignores some of those calls, thankfully. But between his promotion, the twins, and my dance studio, I don’t know what sleep is.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?” Emily asked.
Sophia reached out and patted Emily’s cheek. “No, I’ve got it. You need to focus on your job. I know getting time off is difficult.”
The light seemed to die out of Emily’s eyes slightly, but she smiled anyway. “If you ever need perfect toddler clothes, I will do my best to design them for you.”
“They’re growing so quickly, I would need an entire wardrobe full.”
“How are they liking their beds up there?” I asked, taking the attention off Emily. She gave me a thankful look even though I’d rather be anywhere else but here at the moment. Even with family, too many people made me itchy.
Sophia smiled softly at me. “They’re beautiful. Thank you for painting them.”
I shrugged, ignoring everybody’s stares.
While Sophia could have any one of the homes around Cage Lake that our family owns, or part of the land and build something for herself, she usually opted to stay with one of us.
Isabella mostly. Isabella had bought two sets of cribs that could turn into big girl beds, as they called them.
They had come with just plain wood, and were ornate, but I had wanted to add a little bit more to them. Call me sentimental.
I’d also painted the murals in that room and had done my best to ignore Sophia’s quiet, thankful sobs.
“I seriously don’t know how you do it,” Cale said as he came forward and slid his phone into his pocket. He wrapped his arm around Sophia’s shoulder and kissed her temple. “I can barely draw a stick figure.”
I shrugged. “It’s something I do. And since Weston’s sisters said that they would give up one of their rooms for Sophia’s twins, it all worked out.”
Weston had two younger sisters and a younger brother, who were now adults and living outside the home.
When they visited, they all piled together, or stayed in one of the various guest rooms, or in one of our homes.
When you happen to own a town, we had a lot of real estate where we could stuff your family and friends when they needed to find a bed.
Conversation turned to the next family dinner, and I frowned, realizing that we were running out of them.
In order for the family to keep Cage Enterprises, Cage Lake, and all of the estate business whole, our father had put certain things in his will.
We weren’t even sure of all of the rules and stipulations yet, but the main thing was we had to have these family dinners.
I didn’t know what we would do when we reached the last one. Maybe I wouldn’t be dragged out so often. That would be a relief.
By the time everybody was ready to wind down, I was bouncing on the balls of my feet, ready to get home. I loved my family. I really did. But I needed time alone more than anything.
“Hey, Hudson, I wanted to ask you a question,” Harper called out as she came forward.
I turned, holding back a frown. “Everything okay?”
“Yes. I think. It’s about Scarlett—”
I held up my hand, cutting her off. “No.”
Harper’s smile dimmed. “Hudson.”
“She’s your friend. She works for the family business. She doesn’t work for me or with me. And she doesn’t want me to have anything to do with her.” I ignored the annoyance at that last part. None of my business.
“But seriously. Hudson.”
“No.” Dorian gave me a warning look from across the room and I tried to soften my voice. “Harper. I love you like a sister I know you’re going to be soon. But no.”
“Okay then. Fine.” She lifted her chin, the look digging in.
Scarlett wanted nothing to do with me. And I did not want to know anything about her.
All she did was get under my skin, and all I did was annoy the fuck out of her.
It was better when I didn’t have to deal with her.
With a sigh, I didn’t even bother to say goodbye to anyone before getting in my car and driving around the lake to my place.
I passed the smaller house near mine and let out a breath as I realized the lights were on. The fact that Scarlett was my neighbor irked me to no end, but the driveway was long enough that technically I didn’t have neighbors. Yet I could see the lights were on. Scarlett was home and safe.
Unlike Michelle.
And that was just another reminder that I wasn’t the hero. And I never would be.