The unperfects, p.11
The Unperfects, page 11
Sophie
I miss you, can I come over and visit?
Sophie
I’m lonely.
Sophie
Please? I promise I won’t do anything, I just hate being alone.
My heart sinks. I know exactly what it’s like to be alone, but at the same time, I know her point of view, of having to take care of me, deal with me, so I quickly text back.
Me
Sure. But only for a little bit, since I need rest.
Why does it feel like this is the worst answer I could possibly give her? I ignore the feeling in my gut, just like I ignore the fact that I’m lying to Quinn and get ready for the day.
By the time she stops by, I’ve eaten some fruit for breakfast and Quinn decided to go get groceries, domesticated that one, he refused to let me come which is probably for the best since Sophie’s on her way.
I jump when a knock sounds at the door.
“It’s open!” I call.
Sophie rolls right on in with her designer black Celine glasses, a pair of short jean shorts, a black sweater that hangs off her shoulder, and enough makeup to kill a person on her face.
What’s her angle?
I look down.
I’m in a pair of matching red Nike sweats and barefoot, my hair’s pulled back, I have zero makeup on and I know I look as sick as I feel.
She drops her black bag on the counter and takes off her sunglasses, placing them there. “You look like shit.”
“Thank you?”
She smirks and walks past me to the sliding glass door. “So, heard he’s rich.”
“Ambrose?” I ask innocently.
She looks over her shoulder. “No, I did a little recon, Quinn has a shit ton of family money, like literally so much money it’s ridiculous, lots of drama with his family though so maybe stay far, far, away, hey maybe we can switch it up again? I’ll take your spot, he can have a nice healthy girl and you can go just… sleep.”
I shake my head slowly. “Both hurtful and seriously disturbing, plus he’s my boyfriend, not yours.”
I suddenly feel sick to my stomach. Has she seen him while I was in the hospital? Has she tried anything else? And now that he knows I’m sick, is she going to say something? It’s the only thing she has on me. Panic rises in my throat like I want to both scream and cry, but I’m motionless.
Is she even my sister anymore?
Or a stranger now?
All because I have Quinn.
She had him.
But I have him.
My skin starts to feel clammy, but I can’t tell if it’s me or if it’s the realization that if he finds out—it’s over, everything will be over.
Sophie looks around the apartment. “Hmm, must be nice, yeah? I’m all by myself and you’re here with a hot nurse and what appears to be millions of dollars in his hands. I always wonder why is it that I’m the cursed twin and you’re the lucky one.”
“Lucky?” I repeat. “How in the hell am I lucky? I could die!”
“Good.” Sophie crosses her arms. “Maybe it would just be better if there were only one of us, I could easily take over your life, you know, it’s easy to act like you. Sarcastic but slow, pretty, but not pretty enough because you don’t know how to put on makeup.” She reaches into her purse and pulls out a flask and starts chugging from it.
I ignore her insults. “Since when did you pre-game on a Monday?”
She downs more, then screws the top back on the silver flask and tucks it into her bag. “Since I realized that my life was meaningless, even if I’m the one that’s probably going to live longer. Ironic, right? A dead person means more to our parents, more to Quinn, more to friends who constantly ask about you.”
The front door opens, but Sophie keeps talking.
“You know the worst part?” She walks up to the couch and leans down. “Sometimes, I wish you were dead. And I feel like shit over it, because it would solve all of my problems, it would be so easy,” She reaches out and touches my cheek.
A tear slides down followed by another, they’re hot on my skin and my throat starts to feel like it’s closing. “How did we get to this place?”
“You.” She jerks back. “That’s the easy answer. Everything is your fault and you know it. All of it. Even my last boyfriend asked how you were doing, it will never be about me. It should be though, everyone should have their moment, and you’ve had enough of mine.”
“So you came over to tell me that?”
“I came over to tell you…” Her eyes locked on mine. “…that I’m done with you. I’m going to tell mom and dad I’m moving. Send me an invite when you die—oh wait…” She taps her chin with her black manicured nail. “I guess Quinn will have to be the one to send it, promise I’ll fuck him good for you and let him scream your name while he mourns.”
Quinn suddenly grabs her by the wrist, I didn’t even see him walk in, I mean I heard the door but I was so immersed in what she was saying that hurt that came tumbling out of her mouth that I wasn’t sure what to even say or do.
She jerks away from him and laughs, wiping tears from her eyes. Just how drunk is she? I hate her right now, but she shouldn’t be driving. “Ah, the hero arrives.”
“Leave.” Quinn’s jaw flexes. “I’ll only say this once. Sophie, you need to leave. Now.”
“Ah, the great protector!” Sophie spins around. “If only you knew our little secret!”
“Sophie!” I yell. “Stop!”
“Should I?” She walks over and grabs her purse from the counter, puts on her sunglasses, then approaches Quinn. “Truth or Dare?”
“Neither?”
“Truth it is.” She gets so close it’s almost like she’s going to kiss him, instead she leans in. “I know the way you taste, I know the feel of you inside me, and you know it too… it wasn’t Chloe that first night and she knew it all along, enjoy your first fight, you know where to find me.” I burst into tears. “Bye sis.”
The door slams.
Quinn’s staring at me like I’m a stranger.
I want to yell, I can explain, but I have nothing.
I lied.
I betrayed.
Me.
Not him.
I open my mouth and close it.
Quinn’s so still I’m afraid something’s wrong with him.
He has two bags of groceries in his hand, and I think to myself, I will never forget the moment everything changed.
When the groceries drop from his hands onto the floor, eggs included. An orange rolls down past his feet and hits the couch, he stares straight ahead.
He doesn’t make eye contact.
I can hear my breaths getting more panicky, feel my heart slam against my chest. My body’s a live wire while I wait for him to say something—even if it’s goodbye.
Finally, he swallows, takes a deep breath. “Did she mean what I think she meant? Did I fuck your sister thinking it was you? And did you keep it from me on purpose?”
“I—“ My body can’t stop shaking. “I didn’t want to lose you and she knew that. I got super sick that night and she came out pretending to be me, then threatened to tell you I was sick. She’s always stolen any sort of friend or guy that was interested in me, it’s what she does, I didn’t think she’d do it to you but when she said she’d tell you I was sick, that I was extra baggage, I kept it to myself.”
“How. Fucking. Selfish.” Quinn snaps. His eyes are wild. “Are you kidding me right now? I slept with a stranger thinking it was you and you let me believe it! You know how messed up that is? I basically got raped by your twin!”
“That’s not rape.”
“It sure as fuck isn’t consent, Chloe!”
I jerk at his words.
He’s yelling.
He has every right to yell.
“Shit!” He’s shaking, he leans down on his haunches and covers his face with his hands. “Was it just once?”
I hate the words as I say them. “That I know of. I don’t know, sometimes I pass out, sometimes I’m tired. I know that she got ice cream with you instead of me, I saw it but didn’t want to—“
“—Ruin what we had but clearly didn’t if I was dating both of you at the same time! Fucking both of you. Kissing both of you!”
He shudders. “Go to bed. I’ll bring in your water, other than keeping you alive, I don’t want to see you. There is a lot I can tolerate, but you don’t know my past, you don’t know, you don’t.” It looks like he’s ready to cry. “The universe is a cruel, cruel place, you know that? And history, it always finds a damning way to repeat itself.”
“Quinn—“
“—Please.” A tear slides down his cheek. “Just go sleep. Please, just leave me alone. I need to be alone.” He shakes his head. “The worst part is, had you just told me, I would have thought it was messed up, but I would have worked through it with you. It’s the lie. It’s the betrayal. Breaking of trust. It’s so many things that make me feel used and dirty, but end of day, why should I ever win?”
He walks away.
And I walk to the room.
When I wake up the next morning, a random stranger, a nurse, is there, she’s like in her seventies at least, in her pink nursing uniform and smiling at me with a breakfast tray. “Are you hungry?”
“Who are you?”
“Sam.” She grins, her teeth are white just like her hair, she’s tiny, and she seems sweet. “Mr. Quinn said to feed you some fruit.”
“And um,” I run my hands through my tousled hair. “Where is Quinn?”
Her face freezes a bit. “He didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
Her smile falls a bit. “He went home.”
“Home?” I repeat.
“Back to Seattle or LA… I’m not sure, he’d previously applied for both.” She nods slowly. “He’s enrolling at UW for the Spring Semester and wants to get his apartment settled and meet up with his friends. “
“He’s gone?”
She nods slowly. “He hired me until your parents get back, he also left a card for you to use, I think he said to cut it up when you’re done, it’s a black AMEX, it will pay for everything.”
“Can I see it?”
Maybe he left a note.
“Oh! Sure.”
She sets down the tray and walks out of the room, only to return a few seconds later. “Here.”
There’s a sticky note folded up on it.
I open it and gasp.
“How does it feel to be a prostitute? Get better. Cut up the card. Stay as long as you need to. I can’t look at you without seeing her and without knowing what you did. I’m sorry. I truly hope you do get better. See you in the waves one day.—P.S. I loved you, Quinn.”
I start bawling when I see a bracelet taped to the same stupid AMEX card, it has whales and turtles on it, it’s the ocean, my obsession, my freedom, and I’m assuming he bought it just for me. I don’t have the heart to even put it on, so I lay it gently on the nightstand.
The tears won’t stop flowing down my face and I know I’m freaking out, Sam, but I can’t stop.
He was my forever, I knew it in my soul and I messed it all up just because I was afraid.
I can’t even blame Sophie, though she was a huge part of the problem. I never stood up for myself and I lost him because of my silence.
I crawl back into bed and pull the covers over my head.
“I’m”—my voice shakes—“not feeling well. I’ll eat in a bit, can you turn the lights off?”
The lights go off.
I stay in bed for two days.
I cry for three.
And on day four, I wonder if it’s even worth it.
This life.
If you have nobody who cares, and nobody to share it with.
Chapter Twenty-One
Quinn
I’m embarrassed.
So fucking embarrassed.
So hurt.
And the worst part is that I feel like the guilty party, like I did something wrong for being seduced by her twin, when I had no idea, it was dark, she was acting just like her.
And every stupid time I opened up my mouth to talk about that experience… she knew it was her sister, she knew!
I feel sick to my stomach but can’t catch a plane until the next day, one thing I do know, the last thing I want to do is spend one more minute in that house so I grab my shit and I walk down the lane and stop at Zane’s house, I knock twice, he jerks open the door. “Oh, you.”
I have sunglasses on, aviators to be exact, that and a white t-shirt, ripped black jeans and my duffel bag. I even left some shit, but I’ll go back and get it later. “Yeah, trust me, I don’t like this any more than you do.”
He grabs my duffel tosses it inside the house then closes the door behind him, “I’m recording with Drew, you’re coming with, the last thing I need is to be guilty of your death, the balcony’s a bit high and there are rocks underneath, you wouldn’t just go splat and see cherubs, you’d go splat and bleed to death.”
“Kind of dark.”
“Darkness recognizes darkness, I guess.” He shrugs. “Now get in the car, bitch.”
“Drew.” I repeat the name. “Haven’t seen him in years, he still out partying or—“ I pause. “—why are you laughing?”
Zane unlocks his black Escalade. “Do you even watch the news? I’m concerned you know nothing of pop culture.”
I make a face. “Sorry was busy trying to graduate and going through absolute hell my senior year, my TikTok game wasn’t as strong as it should have been.”
“I remember being eighteen once.”
“Was that before or after you lost your virginity and lied about being a player to the world?” That earns me a punch to the arm.
I rub it.
The guy can hit.
Music blasts, unfamiliar music, as he drives us into town. It’s early, so it’s still quiet as he pulls next to one of my favorite coffee shops. I follow him in and it’s weird, nobody seems phased that he’s a Grammy award-winning artist or that he’s literally so famous that even famous people get nervous around him.
He’s up there with Harry Styles when it comes to his sold-out concerts solo, but when he’s on tour with AD2 and Adrenaline, security is wild and the internet doesn’t know how to internet.
The coffee shop is relatively empty, Bronte who’s married to Drew, the guy we’re about to see, waves from the counter. “The usual?”
Zane nods. “Yeah, and get this guy some caffeine too, but put it in a kid cup and be sure to add some whipped cream,” He glances over his shoulder at me. “Did you want the tootsie roll too, or are you going to pass?”
I flip him off.
He turns back to Bronte. “They grow up so fast, don’t they?”
She smiles at me, then tilts her head. “You okay?”
“Swell.” I choke it out and suddenly feel like crying like a little bitch, maybe I will take that tootsie roll, maybe it will occupy my throat enough to keep the thick need to cry at bay.
I walk around the counter and stare at the wall of books, half of them romance, what a joke. I don’t know how long I stand there but it’s long enough for Zane to tap me on the shoulder, hand me my coffee—it is in fact in a plastic kid’s cup with whipped cream—and then shove me toward the back door.
I frown. “Aren’t you recording?”
“Top secret studio, my friend.” We pass Bronte and go into the storage room, then through another door, it has a wooden winding staircase that looks like it’s new construction.
I follow Zane up the stairs and into a small studio with one booth on the left. The soundboard is right in front of me and to the right, several small fridges with energy drinks and snacks lined across the wall.
The wall is painted purple, and there are a myriad of different guitars hanging from it. Past the soundboard is a sliding glass door leading out to a balcony. And that’s when I see him.
Drew Amhurst, member of Adrenaline, award-winning producer, and apparently tame now? He has tattoos up and down his arms, a lip piercing, and messy dark hair that’s pulled back into a low ponytail. He’s holding a coffee and watching the ocean when Zane taps on the glass.
He turns and flashes a smile, then joins us in the studio, closing the door behind him. He’s in low slung blue jeans, a loose black tank top and has enough necklaces to make a person dizzy, don’t even get me started on the sheer amount of bracelets on his wrists or the black nail polish, I forget how old he is but I think he’s in his late thirties.
“Hey.” Drew laughs. “Eyes up here High School.”
“Oh, he graduated already.” Zane adds in helpfully. “How is the chess club, by the way?”
I shoot him a glare. “This is not the day to give me shit.” I almost throw my coffee at the wall, then hold out my hand to Drew. “Nice to see you, it’s been a while.”
He grips my hand, stares me down, doesn’t let it go. “Shame.”
“What?”
“That you aren’t an artist, I could do a lot with the pain you just brought into this studio. Should we light some sage?” He’s still gripping my hand but asking Zane.
Zane just sighs. “I know, I could literally feel his anxiety the entire drive here.”
“Artists.” Drew releases my hand. “We’re extremely sensitive to other people’s feelings, damn, who hurt you?” He turns to Zane again. “He’s not even standing up straight and his skin is pale.”
“I’m standing straight!” I argue.
“I know,” Zane says, completely ignoring me. “Quinn, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but there will be another chess club and there’re tons of fish in the sea, so what if she dumped you and—“
“—I left her.”
Both guys look surprised.
“What?” I scoff and set down my coffee on the table. “Is it so surprising that a guy who likes math would dump the hot girl?”
“Yes,” they say in unison.
Zane smirks. “I mean, you’re an attractive dude, fit, super funny, and why does it sound like I’m hitting on you right now?”
“What he means,” Drew jumps in smoothly. “Is that, it’s just a shock you know, to hear those words, from your mouth—specifically.”
I groan into my hands and just blurt it out. “I slept with the wrong twin!”
I miss you, can I come over and visit?
Sophie
I’m lonely.
Sophie
Please? I promise I won’t do anything, I just hate being alone.
My heart sinks. I know exactly what it’s like to be alone, but at the same time, I know her point of view, of having to take care of me, deal with me, so I quickly text back.
Me
Sure. But only for a little bit, since I need rest.
Why does it feel like this is the worst answer I could possibly give her? I ignore the feeling in my gut, just like I ignore the fact that I’m lying to Quinn and get ready for the day.
By the time she stops by, I’ve eaten some fruit for breakfast and Quinn decided to go get groceries, domesticated that one, he refused to let me come which is probably for the best since Sophie’s on her way.
I jump when a knock sounds at the door.
“It’s open!” I call.
Sophie rolls right on in with her designer black Celine glasses, a pair of short jean shorts, a black sweater that hangs off her shoulder, and enough makeup to kill a person on her face.
What’s her angle?
I look down.
I’m in a pair of matching red Nike sweats and barefoot, my hair’s pulled back, I have zero makeup on and I know I look as sick as I feel.
She drops her black bag on the counter and takes off her sunglasses, placing them there. “You look like shit.”
“Thank you?”
She smirks and walks past me to the sliding glass door. “So, heard he’s rich.”
“Ambrose?” I ask innocently.
She looks over her shoulder. “No, I did a little recon, Quinn has a shit ton of family money, like literally so much money it’s ridiculous, lots of drama with his family though so maybe stay far, far, away, hey maybe we can switch it up again? I’ll take your spot, he can have a nice healthy girl and you can go just… sleep.”
I shake my head slowly. “Both hurtful and seriously disturbing, plus he’s my boyfriend, not yours.”
I suddenly feel sick to my stomach. Has she seen him while I was in the hospital? Has she tried anything else? And now that he knows I’m sick, is she going to say something? It’s the only thing she has on me. Panic rises in my throat like I want to both scream and cry, but I’m motionless.
Is she even my sister anymore?
Or a stranger now?
All because I have Quinn.
She had him.
But I have him.
My skin starts to feel clammy, but I can’t tell if it’s me or if it’s the realization that if he finds out—it’s over, everything will be over.
Sophie looks around the apartment. “Hmm, must be nice, yeah? I’m all by myself and you’re here with a hot nurse and what appears to be millions of dollars in his hands. I always wonder why is it that I’m the cursed twin and you’re the lucky one.”
“Lucky?” I repeat. “How in the hell am I lucky? I could die!”
“Good.” Sophie crosses her arms. “Maybe it would just be better if there were only one of us, I could easily take over your life, you know, it’s easy to act like you. Sarcastic but slow, pretty, but not pretty enough because you don’t know how to put on makeup.” She reaches into her purse and pulls out a flask and starts chugging from it.
I ignore her insults. “Since when did you pre-game on a Monday?”
She downs more, then screws the top back on the silver flask and tucks it into her bag. “Since I realized that my life was meaningless, even if I’m the one that’s probably going to live longer. Ironic, right? A dead person means more to our parents, more to Quinn, more to friends who constantly ask about you.”
The front door opens, but Sophie keeps talking.
“You know the worst part?” She walks up to the couch and leans down. “Sometimes, I wish you were dead. And I feel like shit over it, because it would solve all of my problems, it would be so easy,” She reaches out and touches my cheek.
A tear slides down followed by another, they’re hot on my skin and my throat starts to feel like it’s closing. “How did we get to this place?”
“You.” She jerks back. “That’s the easy answer. Everything is your fault and you know it. All of it. Even my last boyfriend asked how you were doing, it will never be about me. It should be though, everyone should have their moment, and you’ve had enough of mine.”
“So you came over to tell me that?”
“I came over to tell you…” Her eyes locked on mine. “…that I’m done with you. I’m going to tell mom and dad I’m moving. Send me an invite when you die—oh wait…” She taps her chin with her black manicured nail. “I guess Quinn will have to be the one to send it, promise I’ll fuck him good for you and let him scream your name while he mourns.”
Quinn suddenly grabs her by the wrist, I didn’t even see him walk in, I mean I heard the door but I was so immersed in what she was saying that hurt that came tumbling out of her mouth that I wasn’t sure what to even say or do.
She jerks away from him and laughs, wiping tears from her eyes. Just how drunk is she? I hate her right now, but she shouldn’t be driving. “Ah, the hero arrives.”
“Leave.” Quinn’s jaw flexes. “I’ll only say this once. Sophie, you need to leave. Now.”
“Ah, the great protector!” Sophie spins around. “If only you knew our little secret!”
“Sophie!” I yell. “Stop!”
“Should I?” She walks over and grabs her purse from the counter, puts on her sunglasses, then approaches Quinn. “Truth or Dare?”
“Neither?”
“Truth it is.” She gets so close it’s almost like she’s going to kiss him, instead she leans in. “I know the way you taste, I know the feel of you inside me, and you know it too… it wasn’t Chloe that first night and she knew it all along, enjoy your first fight, you know where to find me.” I burst into tears. “Bye sis.”
The door slams.
Quinn’s staring at me like I’m a stranger.
I want to yell, I can explain, but I have nothing.
I lied.
I betrayed.
Me.
Not him.
I open my mouth and close it.
Quinn’s so still I’m afraid something’s wrong with him.
He has two bags of groceries in his hand, and I think to myself, I will never forget the moment everything changed.
When the groceries drop from his hands onto the floor, eggs included. An orange rolls down past his feet and hits the couch, he stares straight ahead.
He doesn’t make eye contact.
I can hear my breaths getting more panicky, feel my heart slam against my chest. My body’s a live wire while I wait for him to say something—even if it’s goodbye.
Finally, he swallows, takes a deep breath. “Did she mean what I think she meant? Did I fuck your sister thinking it was you? And did you keep it from me on purpose?”
“I—“ My body can’t stop shaking. “I didn’t want to lose you and she knew that. I got super sick that night and she came out pretending to be me, then threatened to tell you I was sick. She’s always stolen any sort of friend or guy that was interested in me, it’s what she does, I didn’t think she’d do it to you but when she said she’d tell you I was sick, that I was extra baggage, I kept it to myself.”
“How. Fucking. Selfish.” Quinn snaps. His eyes are wild. “Are you kidding me right now? I slept with a stranger thinking it was you and you let me believe it! You know how messed up that is? I basically got raped by your twin!”
“That’s not rape.”
“It sure as fuck isn’t consent, Chloe!”
I jerk at his words.
He’s yelling.
He has every right to yell.
“Shit!” He’s shaking, he leans down on his haunches and covers his face with his hands. “Was it just once?”
I hate the words as I say them. “That I know of. I don’t know, sometimes I pass out, sometimes I’m tired. I know that she got ice cream with you instead of me, I saw it but didn’t want to—“
“—Ruin what we had but clearly didn’t if I was dating both of you at the same time! Fucking both of you. Kissing both of you!”
He shudders. “Go to bed. I’ll bring in your water, other than keeping you alive, I don’t want to see you. There is a lot I can tolerate, but you don’t know my past, you don’t know, you don’t.” It looks like he’s ready to cry. “The universe is a cruel, cruel place, you know that? And history, it always finds a damning way to repeat itself.”
“Quinn—“
“—Please.” A tear slides down his cheek. “Just go sleep. Please, just leave me alone. I need to be alone.” He shakes his head. “The worst part is, had you just told me, I would have thought it was messed up, but I would have worked through it with you. It’s the lie. It’s the betrayal. Breaking of trust. It’s so many things that make me feel used and dirty, but end of day, why should I ever win?”
He walks away.
And I walk to the room.
When I wake up the next morning, a random stranger, a nurse, is there, she’s like in her seventies at least, in her pink nursing uniform and smiling at me with a breakfast tray. “Are you hungry?”
“Who are you?”
“Sam.” She grins, her teeth are white just like her hair, she’s tiny, and she seems sweet. “Mr. Quinn said to feed you some fruit.”
“And um,” I run my hands through my tousled hair. “Where is Quinn?”
Her face freezes a bit. “He didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
Her smile falls a bit. “He went home.”
“Home?” I repeat.
“Back to Seattle or LA… I’m not sure, he’d previously applied for both.” She nods slowly. “He’s enrolling at UW for the Spring Semester and wants to get his apartment settled and meet up with his friends. “
“He’s gone?”
She nods slowly. “He hired me until your parents get back, he also left a card for you to use, I think he said to cut it up when you’re done, it’s a black AMEX, it will pay for everything.”
“Can I see it?”
Maybe he left a note.
“Oh! Sure.”
She sets down the tray and walks out of the room, only to return a few seconds later. “Here.”
There’s a sticky note folded up on it.
I open it and gasp.
“How does it feel to be a prostitute? Get better. Cut up the card. Stay as long as you need to. I can’t look at you without seeing her and without knowing what you did. I’m sorry. I truly hope you do get better. See you in the waves one day.—P.S. I loved you, Quinn.”
I start bawling when I see a bracelet taped to the same stupid AMEX card, it has whales and turtles on it, it’s the ocean, my obsession, my freedom, and I’m assuming he bought it just for me. I don’t have the heart to even put it on, so I lay it gently on the nightstand.
The tears won’t stop flowing down my face and I know I’m freaking out, Sam, but I can’t stop.
He was my forever, I knew it in my soul and I messed it all up just because I was afraid.
I can’t even blame Sophie, though she was a huge part of the problem. I never stood up for myself and I lost him because of my silence.
I crawl back into bed and pull the covers over my head.
“I’m”—my voice shakes—“not feeling well. I’ll eat in a bit, can you turn the lights off?”
The lights go off.
I stay in bed for two days.
I cry for three.
And on day four, I wonder if it’s even worth it.
This life.
If you have nobody who cares, and nobody to share it with.
Chapter Twenty-One
Quinn
I’m embarrassed.
So fucking embarrassed.
So hurt.
And the worst part is that I feel like the guilty party, like I did something wrong for being seduced by her twin, when I had no idea, it was dark, she was acting just like her.
And every stupid time I opened up my mouth to talk about that experience… she knew it was her sister, she knew!
I feel sick to my stomach but can’t catch a plane until the next day, one thing I do know, the last thing I want to do is spend one more minute in that house so I grab my shit and I walk down the lane and stop at Zane’s house, I knock twice, he jerks open the door. “Oh, you.”
I have sunglasses on, aviators to be exact, that and a white t-shirt, ripped black jeans and my duffel bag. I even left some shit, but I’ll go back and get it later. “Yeah, trust me, I don’t like this any more than you do.”
He grabs my duffel tosses it inside the house then closes the door behind him, “I’m recording with Drew, you’re coming with, the last thing I need is to be guilty of your death, the balcony’s a bit high and there are rocks underneath, you wouldn’t just go splat and see cherubs, you’d go splat and bleed to death.”
“Kind of dark.”
“Darkness recognizes darkness, I guess.” He shrugs. “Now get in the car, bitch.”
“Drew.” I repeat the name. “Haven’t seen him in years, he still out partying or—“ I pause. “—why are you laughing?”
Zane unlocks his black Escalade. “Do you even watch the news? I’m concerned you know nothing of pop culture.”
I make a face. “Sorry was busy trying to graduate and going through absolute hell my senior year, my TikTok game wasn’t as strong as it should have been.”
“I remember being eighteen once.”
“Was that before or after you lost your virginity and lied about being a player to the world?” That earns me a punch to the arm.
I rub it.
The guy can hit.
Music blasts, unfamiliar music, as he drives us into town. It’s early, so it’s still quiet as he pulls next to one of my favorite coffee shops. I follow him in and it’s weird, nobody seems phased that he’s a Grammy award-winning artist or that he’s literally so famous that even famous people get nervous around him.
He’s up there with Harry Styles when it comes to his sold-out concerts solo, but when he’s on tour with AD2 and Adrenaline, security is wild and the internet doesn’t know how to internet.
The coffee shop is relatively empty, Bronte who’s married to Drew, the guy we’re about to see, waves from the counter. “The usual?”
Zane nods. “Yeah, and get this guy some caffeine too, but put it in a kid cup and be sure to add some whipped cream,” He glances over his shoulder at me. “Did you want the tootsie roll too, or are you going to pass?”
I flip him off.
He turns back to Bronte. “They grow up so fast, don’t they?”
She smiles at me, then tilts her head. “You okay?”
“Swell.” I choke it out and suddenly feel like crying like a little bitch, maybe I will take that tootsie roll, maybe it will occupy my throat enough to keep the thick need to cry at bay.
I walk around the counter and stare at the wall of books, half of them romance, what a joke. I don’t know how long I stand there but it’s long enough for Zane to tap me on the shoulder, hand me my coffee—it is in fact in a plastic kid’s cup with whipped cream—and then shove me toward the back door.
I frown. “Aren’t you recording?”
“Top secret studio, my friend.” We pass Bronte and go into the storage room, then through another door, it has a wooden winding staircase that looks like it’s new construction.
I follow Zane up the stairs and into a small studio with one booth on the left. The soundboard is right in front of me and to the right, several small fridges with energy drinks and snacks lined across the wall.
The wall is painted purple, and there are a myriad of different guitars hanging from it. Past the soundboard is a sliding glass door leading out to a balcony. And that’s when I see him.
Drew Amhurst, member of Adrenaline, award-winning producer, and apparently tame now? He has tattoos up and down his arms, a lip piercing, and messy dark hair that’s pulled back into a low ponytail. He’s holding a coffee and watching the ocean when Zane taps on the glass.
He turns and flashes a smile, then joins us in the studio, closing the door behind him. He’s in low slung blue jeans, a loose black tank top and has enough necklaces to make a person dizzy, don’t even get me started on the sheer amount of bracelets on his wrists or the black nail polish, I forget how old he is but I think he’s in his late thirties.
“Hey.” Drew laughs. “Eyes up here High School.”
“Oh, he graduated already.” Zane adds in helpfully. “How is the chess club, by the way?”
I shoot him a glare. “This is not the day to give me shit.” I almost throw my coffee at the wall, then hold out my hand to Drew. “Nice to see you, it’s been a while.”
He grips my hand, stares me down, doesn’t let it go. “Shame.”
“What?”
“That you aren’t an artist, I could do a lot with the pain you just brought into this studio. Should we light some sage?” He’s still gripping my hand but asking Zane.
Zane just sighs. “I know, I could literally feel his anxiety the entire drive here.”
“Artists.” Drew releases my hand. “We’re extremely sensitive to other people’s feelings, damn, who hurt you?” He turns to Zane again. “He’s not even standing up straight and his skin is pale.”
“I’m standing straight!” I argue.
“I know,” Zane says, completely ignoring me. “Quinn, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but there will be another chess club and there’re tons of fish in the sea, so what if she dumped you and—“
“—I left her.”
Both guys look surprised.
“What?” I scoff and set down my coffee on the table. “Is it so surprising that a guy who likes math would dump the hot girl?”
“Yes,” they say in unison.
Zane smirks. “I mean, you’re an attractive dude, fit, super funny, and why does it sound like I’m hitting on you right now?”
“What he means,” Drew jumps in smoothly. “Is that, it’s just a shock you know, to hear those words, from your mouth—specifically.”
I groan into my hands and just blurt it out. “I slept with the wrong twin!”
