The Rites: Ethos Society Part One

by Chloe Gunter

  “Our twin tamer awakens! I’m sorry I was late to the show.” Ramsey’s smirk and sarcasm helped me feel more at ease. He looked interested and slightly concerned with how I was doing that morning, but I was glad it didn’t affect his rather witty self. With growing up in his old money household, I was sure he’d seen more than his fair share of scandal.

  “Like you would have enjoyed seeing the girls on full display,” I scoffed, dismissing his statement and stealing a piece of bacon from the plate Reed had transferred them to.

  “Au contraire, Charlotte. Reed and I are equal opportunity gender lovers. We just haven’t found a woman who’s serious enough about both of us to be shared.” Suddenly, I started to choke on a piece of bacon that I had been eating. I must have been off my game that morning because I surely wasn’t expecting that declaration. He reached around and started patting me on the back before leaning into whisper in my ear.

  “I mean come on, little Charlotte. Why would I ever want to give up the sight of him making breakfast when we could simply add to it?” I followed his gaze to Reed who was grinning like a mad man and watching us. His grey sweatpants were swung low on his hips, accentuating his heavily muscled body. That, combined with his full sleeve, definitely made him drool worthy. Pick up your tongue Charlotte, this is Reed.

  “You’ve been holding out on me Reed,” I accused, narrowing my eyes in his direction. I couldn’t help but feel slightly taken aback. Reed had been there for me since day one. Honestly, he’d become my best friend. The fact that I didn’t know he swung both ways rubbed me a little wrong. I guess that explains his reaction to me last night. He at least had the decency to look a little sheepish.

  “It wasn’t on purpose, Char. You saw Ramsey and me together that first day and then it honestly never really came up. I wasn’t trying to keep it from you, I swear.” I took in his posture and the regulators of his face. He was being completely honest with me.

  “It’s totally fine Reed. I’ve got more pressing concerns than giving you a free show.” I shot him a wink to let him know it was a non-issue before taking a long gulp of my coffee. Something told me a copious amount of caffeine was the only thing that was going to get me through that day.

  “Ah yes, that was an unexpected development I walked into last night. How the hell did you get yourself into that?”

  “I didn’t know Gavin’s brother was his twin.” I let out a long sigh. “It was a misunderstanding that I’m not sure how to handle.”

  “Not that I’m judging you Charlotte, but by definition you’re an extremely observant person. How did you meet Gage and not know he wasn’t Gavin?”

  “I can’t really go into it, but let's just say my attention was diverted during a particular extra curricular activity and I assumed he was Gavin. Needless to say I can clearly see the differences now and I’m kicking myself in the ass.” Reed joined us at the table and wordlessly passed me an omelet with mushrooms and onions, just the way I liked it. I reminded myself to make sure to do something nice for them when everything calmed down. We hadn’t had a night in together in a while.

  “So what are you going to do about them Char? Or I guess more importantly, how are you doing?” Reed asked kindly.

  “Weirdly, Gavin didn’t seem too upset. I’m not sure what all that means, but he wants us all to talk together today. I love Gavin but I can’t deny that I feel something for Gage too. If anything, Gage seemed more off put that he didn’t realize I was dating Gavin. Ultimately, I guess I have to see where they both stand. I’d be open to try and make it work, as I don’t really want to lose either of them.”

  “You’d be okay with being with more than one guy? Is it the twin thing?” Ramsey asked, turning his chair to give me his complete attention.

  “I’m going to go ahead and give you the benefit of the doubt that you weren’t deliberately trying to be an ass again, Ramsey,” I said, giving him a pointed look. “Love isn’t something that is finite. Just because I love one person doesn’t mean I don’t have the capability to love another. But one thing I will say is that I will always be loyal and considerate to my partner. If it’s not something they’re comfortable with and vice versa, then that’s something I respect. I don’t expect everyone to share my views on this, even you guys. I know it’s not the norm.”

  “It makes sense,” Reed interjected. “It’s how Ramsey and I feel about each other. We have a deep love for each other, and a profound respect. But we’ve both talked about bringing someone else into our dynamic and what that would mean. I think we both want that aspect of female companionship, but it would take a rare someone who could actually fit that bill. Someone who would have the capacity to love both of us and not play favorites or any other frivolous games.”

  “I hope that you guys find that one day if that’s what you want,” I smiled at them both, thinking that whoever they found would be a lucky lady. “You guys definitely deserve it. I know I haven’t said it before, but thanks for taking me under your wing here. It’s definitely helped this place feel more like a home.”

  “We wouldn’t want it any other way, Charlotte,” Ramsey said softly as he gave me one of his rare full smiles. I knew then that even if the conversation with Gavin and Gage went to hell, I would still have their support. And that, that gave me the courage I needed to get dressed and face the day.

  I decided that facing the day meant first facing myself. And that meant that I needed to sort out my mind, which for me, meant taking a run. It wasn't just the fact that Gavin had a twin. Or, that said twin and I had had no holds barred sex that Gavin had walked in on the end of. It was that combined with whatever the fuck had went down with the second Rite.

  I had been too angry to effectively use my time with Whistler, letting my emotions get the best of me. I still didn't know exactly what constituted Anorak and I passing the second Rite, probably some cleverly crafted wording. I wouldn't doubt that even if I could remember the exact wording, it wouldn't have said anything about actually retrieving the flash drives from Doyle. Only that we had to get in and out without divulging any information.

  Hell. Doyle could had even been a fucking Ethos operative from a different cell. And wasn't that thought a mind fuck.

  Whatever was to be done with Gavin and Gage, not to mention my extracurricular activities, required more information to finish sorting out. It would start with the lunch I was supposed to have with Gavin and Gage later that day, which would no doubt be enlightening and somewhat awkward. I was partially angry, at Gavin, for not mentioning he had a twin instead of a 'brother who looks just like me', and myself for not realizing it sooner.

  Gage, or Anorak as I had known him, was edgier than his brother. He wielded his looks and knowledge like a weapon, and he sure as hell fucked like he was bent on branding every inch of my skin as his.

  Making my way around the track, I listened to the hard clash of drums pumping through my earbuds, every beat matching the strike of my stride. The faster I ran, the more my mind cleared, a sense of peace washing over me and taking the strain from the night before. Just as I felt the first rush of adrenaline hit my system, making me soar, a hand touched my shoulder. Shocked out of my reverie, I ended up stumbling and scraping my palm on the track, catching myself.

  "Seriously?" I asked, pulling my earbuds out before holding my hand close to my chest and turning around to face the offender. They better have had a seriously good reason for interrupting me like that.

  "Woah, Charlie. It's just me," Ridley said, palms up in a non-threatening gesture.

  He was dressed in running shorts and a tee that was clinging to him, already damp from perspiration. I wondered how long he had been out here watching me while I was off in my own little world, and the thought pissed me off. I was sick of the secrets, especially since my gut told me that he could be my illustrious sponsor who had fucked me over the night before.

  "What do you want, Ridley?" I asked, my voice simmering with unresolved anger.

  "I told you t
o call me Wyatt, we're not on a mission," he said with a grin, blatantly steamrolling over my obvious expression of displeasure.

  "And is that all you liked to be called? Wyatt...Ridley...I mean, it's getting kind of hard to keep things straight nowadays." Shaking my head, I placed the earbuds back in and turned to take off again. I didn't want to deal with him.

  "What the hell is going on DeWitt?" Ridley asked, clearly agitated as he plucked the cord leading to my earbuds out. He looked me over, no doubt noting my clenched hands, furrowed brow, and the glare in my eyes that was one beat away from letting him have it.

  "That's what I'd like to know. First, there's how we met, which sure can be explained away. But then there was taking me on a mission ahead of schedule, and then the tension between you and Reed. I mean, you're not exactly an open book are you? I hardly know anything about you, much less about your extracurricular activities."

  I knew I was looking for a fight. Sure, I had been relatively calm at breakfast, and had found that again during my run, but inside I felt like too much had happened too fast. There was so much to process and my emotions couldn't keep up with my mind, thus seeking an outlet to demand answers from and take out my aggression.

  It wasn't the healthiest course of action, I knew that logically, but it seemed like I wasn't going to make it to the conversation with the twins later without an outburst. Ridley just happened to interrupt my much needed solitude, and I had my own questions about him that I wanted the answers to. He was just another person on my list who hadn't been forthcoming with me, and it seemed like Reed and Ramsey were the only ones lately who told me how it was, no holds barred.

  "Look, Charlie," Ridley said softer, taking a small step towards me with his palms open and facing me at his sides, a sign that he didn't want a fight. "I'm not sure exactly what is going on with you right now, but if you need to fight, we can fight. If you need to talk, we'll talk. And if you need someone to just sit in silence with, then I can be that guy. But don't mistake me for the enemy here. I'm on your side. If you have a question that I can answer, I will. If you want to know why Reed reacted the way he did, well, I can tell you my side but you should probably ask him. Just tell me what you need from me Charlie and I'll do whatever I can to make that happen."

  He was being so fucking reasonable. Damn him. I felt the tension inside me slightly loosen, as I took a deep breath and centered myself.

  "What's your side of the story?" I asked, not giving an inch, but not taking one either.

  "I made a bad call. We were on a mission together and I made a call that ultimately came back to bite us in the ass and he's never forgiven me for it. I haven't exactly had the opportunity to make it right, so I imagine he's going to keep barely tolerating me until I make up for it."

  It was a vague answer, but it was honest. I knew he probably couldn't tell me more details about the mission, but he said enough for me to get a clear picture of what had happened between the two of them. He owned up that he had made a mistake, a rather substantial one from the sounds of it, and that he wanted to set it right. Unless Reed brought it up as an issue, that was good enough for me.

  "Okay."

  "Okay?" he asked. "No strapping me to a chair and interrogating me like you did the Priestly brothers?"

  "No, you would enjoy that too much." I winked and let out a laugh, releasing the rest of the tension from my body. "Look, I'm not up for talking right now. But if you want to run with me in silence, well, I'd be okay with that," I offered, making peace.

  To his credit, he stayed with me the entire time, not saying another word. He kept pace right beside me, slowing when I did, then sprinting during the intervals. And maybe it was his quiet support, or the fact that he didn't push me to tell him what was wrong, but somehow in that run I not only found a friend, but I found a tiny bit more of myself.

  It was just a door.

  A door that led to what felt like one of the most important personal decisions of my adult life, but a door nonetheless. I raised my left hand to knock when the door swung open, revealing Gavin, looking more disheveled than I had ever seen him.

  Appearance wise, the physical aspects between him and Gage were null, except for their personal stylings that differed greatly. But while they may have looked alike, their personalities were vastly different. I had poured through all of my interactions with them this morning and part of last night, and I was pretty sure that I had figured out the separation in my mind.

  Gavin ran his fingers through his hair, a trademark nervous gesture of his, and beckoned me through the door. I saw him lean in to kiss me, but then pull back suddenly, as if he wasn't sure if the gesture would be welcome. Which honestly, confused me, as he wasn't the one who had slept with someone else.

  I stepped closer to him and placed a small chaste kiss on the corner of his mouth, indicating to him that it was okay, that we would work things out, that I still loved him too. All of those thoughts and feelings packed into a light caress that had him wrapping his arms around me and pulling me tightly to his chest, like he never wanted to let go. I don't know how long we stood like that, wrapped in each others arms, but after a while Gavin pulled back and bent to rest his forehead on mine.

  "We should talk," he said softly, without a hint of animosity.

  "I didn't think, is Gage-"

  "We talked last night and again this morning. I asked him to give us some space while you and I clear the air. He's going to join us in a bit for lunch, where we can all talk together. Then, if you want, I'll give you some time so you guys can talk privately as well. I know last night was a shock for all three of us, so whatever we need to do to set things right, I'm in."

  I stayed in his arms a moment longer, not quite ready to break the bubble we were in. Arms around his waist, my head tucked under his chin, I desperately wanted to believe that we would work things out. I squeezed him three times, not brave enough to voice the words aloud then. Just like Gavin had done the first time he told me he loved me.

  A strangled cry broke from his lips as he pulled me closer, crushing and molding me to him. I looked up into his clear blue eyes and trusted him, trusted us, that we would find a way.

  We eventually made our way to the dining room table, Gavin grabbing us some drinks before we sat down next to each other.

  "So I guess I should start by apologizing to you that I never explicitly said Gage was my twin. For mission purposes, in case they want to use us for an information exchange, we're rarely seen together outside this apartment. Of course it helps that we're in different departments and keep different schedules, but honestly, it wasn't something I was trying to hide from you Charlie. I mean, we were all going to have dinner together next week so I could finally introduce you properly to him."

  "I'm trying to understand Gavin, really, I am. But this is a pretty big thing to leave out about yourself."

  "I know, Charlie, I'm not trying to make excuses for the miscommunication on my end. All my life Gage and I have been like two sides to the same coin. Me, immersed in life and whatever missions I have going on and him in the shadows, working on whatever dark web or questionable assignment he's given. For the last two years, since we accepted the idea of possibly working in the field together, it's been drilled into us from every angle that we need to operate under the radar. I viewed you, us, as separate from that, and I was stupid not to think about it or tell you about that part of my life the moment that I realized I was in love with you."

  He had made a mistake. And to be honest, so had I. I shouldn't have written off all the differences I had noticed between the two, from the clothing choices to the more direct and gruff attitude. At the time, I had attributed it to the situation we were both in with Ethos, but at the end of the day, I still did what I did.

  "I had sex with him, Gavin."

  "I know, Charlie," he said softly, still not letting go of my hand.

  "I need to ask you something Gavin," I replied in the same tone, "and I need you to be completely honest w
ith me."

  He nodded his head as he pulled his hand from mine, moving till his wrist was directly below my fingertips, telling me if I wanted to do a deeper read on him, I could. Looking him dead in the eye, I asked the question that had been on my mind since he walked through the door the night before.

  "Do you know how Gage and I met?" By now I had discerned that my entire time with Ethos, and subsequently Anorak, had been with Gage. I just didn't know whether Gavin was a part of that world or not.

  Gavin's fists clenched and I noticed his brow start to bead with perspiration. He took two deep breaths, before he hissed out a soft, "yes."

  I considered for a moment how best to phrase the next question. If he was under some kind of influence where he physically couldn't tell me directly about Ethos, then I needed to toe the line with what would be considered acceptable.

  "I know you started here before your brother, so you probably have gotten to know the campus more," I started, hoping it would be enough. "I also know you're probably protective of him, like any brother would be. Do you look after Gage, where he and I met?"

  A bead of sweat dripped off his brow and landed on the table as he gritted his teeth and pulled his hands from me to grip the table. His body was shaking uncontrollably and I was alarmed at the response. Slowly, Gavin's eyes met mine, and so many emotions floated through them, love, want, sorrow, and a fierce determination. He managed to give me a small nod, letting me know what I needed to know before he slumped in his chair, utterly exhausted and spent.

  But now, I knew.

  Gavin was Gage's fucking sponsor.

  I got Gavin a glass of water, sitting beside him and waiting for him to regain his strength. Even just nodding his head to answer my carefully worded question had taken a lot out of him. After what had felt like an eternity, but was probably closer to five minutes, he took a deep drink of his water and turned to me with apprehension in his eyes.