by Lucian Bane
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Winter couldn’t keep the smile off her face as she cooked her famous scrambled eggs for Reginald. And Bones, if he’d care to eat with them. She was still sure he wasn’t as bad as he acted. He was just protective of Reginald. She smiled more as she held the handle of the pan and stirred, not wanting a bit of it to stick. She wanted them perfect.
She spun at hearing a sound behind her and her heart fluttered at the god-like-being in jeans, filling the doorway. Realizing it could be Bones, she blushed and double checked she was covered well. “Bones?” It was hard to be sure, they looked so exactly alike. Without seeing them side by side, it was even harder.
“Yeah,” he mumbled, going to the coffee pot.
“Where’s Reginald? I’ve cooked for you both.”
“He’s… showering up at the house.” He reached for a cup and her eyes paused on the long scar.
“Wow. You and Reggie…” The words froze on her tongue as she thought. How would they possibly share the same scar?
“Me and Reggie what?” He poured the coffee in his cup.
“Are so much alike,” she said, fighting to keep the confusion out of her voice. “Will you both be eating?”
“Reginald will. I have chores to do.”
She nodded, turning back to the skillet as thoughts suddenly crept into her mind. Stupid thoughts. But no matter how she pushed them away, they kept returning in the form of that scar. They couldn’t have the same scar. That same logic turned on her, reminding her how different they sounded. How different they talked and expressed. Even their vocabularies were different.
She dumped the eggs into the plate and hurried to turn her bacon then check the biscuits. She was being stupid and negative. It was that everything ended bad in her life, she was just looking for that something that always came to end anything good.
Then she realized. Once she saw them together, it would solve the mystery. Not to mention where was the logic of him pretending to be two people? There wasn’t any she could think of.
She got back to focusing on making the perfect breakfast to complete a perfect morning that should follow a perfect night. She’d wished Reginald had slept with her till morning, but at some point, he’d gotten up and left. At the time, she worried she’d imagined it all, hallucinated what happened. She kept telling herself that if it turned out to be a lie, then she deserved that too. She couldn’t lose this time. That’s how she’d finally managed to fall asleep. But then when she woke up, there was a note on the pillow. At first, dread hit her stomach as she stared at it, afraid to touch it. It was either her death certificate or her birth.
Early morning chores it had said. See you for breakfast, beautiful Winter.
It was her birth certificate!
When she’d gotten up, she found a little box on one of the dusty shelves and hid it for safety. She wanted to frame it or something like that. Maybe put it in a scrap book. Those few, simple words encapsulated her every dream. And if her dreams really were coming true, then she wanted to have that note as a landmark. A first in many more if her heart was right about everything.
She froze with the sudden realization. “Oh God,” she gasped. Sabastian!
She turned from the counter and stared wide eyed at the images of his dead body. His life flashed before her eyes, his smile, his innocence that she’d given away for a high. The bowl she held slipped from her hand and shattered at her feet, an explosion in her head. She covered her ears, letting out a terrified cry. She’d forgotten him! She’d killed him and buried him and forgotten him!
“Winter!” a voice yelled next to her. “What’s wrong?”
She looked up at the dark eyes before her. That face. That voice. “Reginald?”
“I’m here.”
Panic hit her and she shoved him away and looked around. “Where’s Bones?” she whispered. “He-he was just here.”
“He left,” Reginald said.
She looked at him, looked hard at him, her finger aimed and shaking. “He-he was here, I saw him.”
“You were upset,” he whispered.
“Why do you have the same scar?” she blurted.
A sick terror gripped her stomach at seeing the look in his eyes, the look that said her paranoia was right. “W-why are you doing this? Why would you? Is this a-a trick? A kind of game?”
The sickness inside rose up her throat as he slowly closed his eyes and lowered his head. “I need to tell you something,” he said quietly before hissing to his right. “We have to. She’s going to find out eventually.”
Confusion and alarm slammed her. “W-who are you… talking to?” She angled her head to see if somebody were outside the doorway. “Who’s there,” she called louder.
“I’m doing it Bones,” he muttered, now. “I have to, I won’t hide that from her. No, she’s not like that. No, I won’t stop talking to you because I don’t care if I look crazy, she’s different and she loves me!”
His eyes shot to hers, filled with worry, as though he’d gone too far. “Unless you don’t,” he barely said then held up his hands. “I’m sorry, that was out of line for me to say. I mean, I think you love me, it feels like you do?”
Winter’s heart hammered as she fought to grab hold of reality, stumbling up to her feet. He was talking to himself, about her loving him when, but… that wasn’t the point, he-he was trying to make her crazy. But why?
“Watch the glass,” he hurried, his hand shooting out to protect her.
“Y-your… why are you talking like that? Are you… are you okay?” she barely whispered, terrified. Terrified for her, for him. For her dreams. “I’m sorry,” she hurried, grabbing hold of the counter and looking around. “Can you call Bones in? I need to see Bones, I need to see him,” she said, closing her eyes.”
“Winter…”
“I need to see Bones!” she screamed at him, her body shaking.
She watched him slowly stand, watched his face gradually change into a different expression. “I’m here.”
“Oh God!” she gasped, putting a hand over her mouth. She backed up into the counter and closed her eyes trying to stop the train wreck happening in her head. The biggest worry was losing her mind. “Why would he do this?” she asked herself. “I-is this… a kind of kink? Do you get off to this? Playing two people, is that it? Like, like role play?” She shook her head a little, moving away from the counter to pace in erratic circles. “I’ve never heard of that, I-I’ve never even thought of anything like it,” she explained stopping long enough to see his expression of worry and regret.
Why should he look like that? What did he have to be sorry for? “Is this… is this all a game to you? A role play?” Her sob choked out even as she assured him, “If it is, I’m okay with that, I mean everybody has their kinks, I’m just… I need to know. I can’t give a man what I gave unless…” she shook her head, losing her train of logic as her eyes blurred. “I don’t know what I’m saying,” she strained, wiping her eyes. “I’m confused, I need a minute.” She fanned her face and went back to pacing the small space. “I need a minute. I need to think.” She walked from one wall to the next. “I need to walk and think, I have to walk and think. I need a minute.”
“Just tell her everything.”
She came to a halt and stared at him. It had been the deep voice of Bones. Her head shook in steady denial as a sudden memory hit her. She froze as it replayed in her mind. The first day she’d met him. He was talking to himself, he’d said weird things, he’d said… “You were so mean and then nice. You were… fighting with yourself!” She covered her mouth with a hand as those crazy actions married up with crazy reason.
This wasn’t a kink or role play.
This was real. The real crazy.
“She’s not.”
At the sound of Reginald’s voice and the change of facial expression, she pressed herself into the counter.
“I was just telling Bones you’re not going to flip,” Reginald explained. “You’re r
easoning through things, am I right?”
Her mouth moved and finally produced words. “I’m confused.”
He nodded, understanding. “Of course you are. But you’re fine,” he assured. “Takes some getting used to because I know how crazy it looks. And… maybe even is. But it’s what we are.”
“It’s what you are?” What did that mean? “This is… not a game?”
He shook his head slowly, that look of pity on his forehead. Like he felt sorry for her.
If it wasn’t a game, then… it meant he was what everybody always said he was. Crazy.
Terror fought to take hold of her and she reminded herself why she was there in the first place. If he was nuts and playing some game before offing her, then she got what she wanted but never bargained for. Tears flooded her eyes as yet another failure added itself to a long line of them. She couldn’t even pick a good killer. She picked a beautiful man with a terrifying mind and danced with him like a stupid girl in quicksand. Now they were both sinking into some darkness that might have no bottom and he was all she had to cling to. And worst of all… she was excruciatingly and irrefutably in love with him.
Questions rushed in all at once, logic forcing her to know things. “Nobody knows? People don’t know?”
“People don’t know what?” he asked.
“She means know that you’re two people,” Bones helped, making her gasp. Her mind couldn’t do it. She couldn’t stand there and watch him shift from one man to another in the blink of an eye.
“We need to quit,” Bones muttered, lowering his head.
“Quit what?” Reginald whispered.
“Driving her insane. Look at her, she’s a fucking wreck, dude.”
He looked at Winter and she held her hand clamped to her mouth, keeping back the hysterical sobs.
Reginald winced. “Maybe we should quit the dual talk,” he mumbled, like she couldn’t still hear. “We don’t usually ever talk at the same time,” he explained. “We realize… how crazy it probably looks.”
“You think it’s rude,” Bones reminded.
“I think it is.” Reginald angled his eyes left, like that’s where Bones stood, then looked at her again. “Mostly it looks crazy,” Reginald said gently. “And the last thing we need is people thinking that about us when my whole purpose is to help him look normal.”
The little clue bomb detonated in Winter’s head. Reginald was there to help Bones look normal? “What’s wrong with Bones?” she couldn’t help wonder, half scared to know.
“He thinks he’s bad,” Reginald said, like he didn’t believe it for a second.
“I don’t think, I know,” Bones said.
“You think you know, I get it,” Reginald nodded. “I respect your opinions but that doesn’t mean I have to agree with them.”
Snuffer, Winter remembered. If he was telling the truth about that, then that was pretty bad. Why would Reginald not think it was bad?
Winter watched in awe as they carried on their squabble just like… “Brothers,” she whispered. If he was truly crazy then that meant Reginald or Bones was a personality.
They looked at her as Winter tried to piece together the puzzle standing before her. “Do you… know which of you…”
“Bones is the oldest,” Reginald said. “I came later when he needed me.”
“Why?” she whispered. “When? For what?”
“Well,” Reginald said, huffing and putting his hands on his thick hips. “The why is yet to be fully determined.”
“I don’t remember the exacts,” Bones muttered.
“And for the when part,” Reginald squinted then angled his gaze left again. “When was it, Bonesy? Eight? Nine years ago?” Reginald widened his eyes. “I can’t believe how time has just flown by.”
“So you know… that you’re… not…” Reginald eyed her, expectantly but she didn’t want to say the wrong thing, only she wasn’t sure what wrong was to him. “I mean… are you aware too that you’re not…”
“I think she’s wondering if you know you’re real,” Bones said.
Not quite, but…
“Oh, I’m alive,” Reginald hurried, putting a hand on his chest. “I know that I’m in his body and it was his body first… but it’s mine, too. The closest thing I can equate it to is… like twins in a womb. They share everything but are two separate people. With me and Bones, we’re two separate people that share one body. Does that make sense? Oh!” he said with a snap. “It’s kind of like an identical twin that split at the brain but not at the body. And you can’t see the split at the brain,” he finished, like that should clear it all up.
Winter watched his face quickly change to that of a hardened Bones. “You just topped off that coo-coo cake with little sprinkles of insanity.” He dropped invisible things in the air, leaving Winter with the sudden urge to laugh and cry.
Her mind decided laughter was the needed reaction which she did. Loudly and with a booming force. She laughed and laughed and just when she stopped, she looked at his concerned expression and it returned with a gusto. He thought she was crazy! And that was just so hysterically funny.
When she finally got control, she looked around her, feeling like she was stuck in a surreal reality. Her emotions suddenly took a dive and tears filled her eyes. “Is this all happening?” she asked him, wiping her eyes. “I take… Lexapro and I think… I think one of the side effects is hallucinations.” She nodded her head at him. “I really feel like I’m losing my shit.”
“Take her to bed,” she heard Bones say.
“You think?” Reginald whispered, sounding doubtful.
“A good fuck will fix anything.”
“Oh my God,” Winter whispered, watching them in a dizzy spin. Then it hit her. She was having sex with both of them! “I’m having sex with two men?” The realization added to her freak out. At seeing a quirked brow, her jaw dropped. “This is not the same as my job! Bones!” she was sure that’s who the quirked brow belonged to. “I can’t sleep with both of you.”
“Oh, you’re not,” Reginald hurried. “Bones just helps with pointers.”
“Pointers?” she strained, back to feeling dizzy.
“Reggie just needs—”
“Let me talk,” Reginald cut in quietly. “This dual yack is wigging her, bad.” She waited with slack jaw as Reginald looked at her. “It’s just me and you. When we’re there. Intimately,” he added. “Bones doesn’t like women like that. That’s his prerogative,” Reginald said, holding his hands up. “I won’t force him to be like me, and he won’t force me to be like him. Up until you, I kept to myself for Bones sake and then…” his eyes softened, “I met you.” He shook his head a little, making Winter’s heart race. “I just wanted to say hi. I had no idea that once I did that, I would be addicted and obsessed to the point of fantasizing about you twenty-four seven. And Bones wasn’t happy but… he’s a great brother and sacrificed so that I could have a chance with you.” His face fell a little and he looked down. “But you ended up choosing him.”
Winter felt like she should feel bad about that but the shock and confusion refused to be penetrated by anything else. She stood, shaking her head still. Trying to figure out how things actually worked in his head. “So you’re saying when we have sex, he’s… not there?”
“He’s there, but not… looking?” he tried.
“Unless he’s giving you pointers?”
“And I don’t even need those anymore,” he said. “And if I do, I’ll wait when we’re not… you know. In the middle.” He nodded then eyed her. “Are you… understanding? You’re still shaking your head and I’m thinking I need to keep explaining, but I’m not sure what you’re not getting to know what to explain.”
“Jeeeezus Reggie,” Bones muttered, buckling his knees and turning. “Can we just eat and get back to this? I’m fucking starving.”
“Are you serious?” Reginald hissed. “Does she look like she wants to do breakfast right now?”
“You mind if I e
at while Reginald continues talking?” Bones asked her.
How the hell did she answer that? “Of course,” she said, feeling the hysterical laughter bubbling again.
Winter watched from where she stood—just some random spot on the floor—as Bones loaded his plate, mumbling how fucking gooooood it smelled followed with Reginald’s gentlemanly compliments. They were night and day. Literally. Night and day, living in the same space. Was this even possible? Scientifically?
The having sex thing returned to nag her. She swept up the broken bowl mess and dumped it in the small trashcan next to the old fridge. She made her way to the table where they sat and shoveled food in their mouth. Slowly, she pulled out the other chair. “I have questions,” she said, testing the waters as she sat.
“Sure,” he said. It was Reginald, judging by the level of eager accommodation.
“You said… Bones doesn’t like women?”
He shook his head, his brows raised. “Hates them,” he said around his food.
“But does he… have sex?”
“Oh no—” He suddenly froze his chewing and did that left look with a pinched face. “You what? When!?” Winter waited, realizing Bones was talking in his mind. It was like he was talking on the phone and she had to figure out what was being said by Reginald’s responses. “When I sleep!?”
Disgusted, Reginald tossed his fork onto the plate with a clatter, then got up. “No, you’re done eating. I can’t believe this,” he muttered at the sink, his hands on the counter as he shook his lowered head. “I feel like a goddamn whore!” Reginald hissed then spun to Winter with wide eyes. “God, I didn’t mean that toward you. I realize your situation is different.”
She wanted to answer but couldn’t for the numbness taking over her mind. If Bones had sex, that meant Reginald technically did too. “I can’t… I can’t do that,” she said.
“Do what?”
“Let you have sex with other women!” she cried.
He stood there with his mouth open. “Then we won’t.”
“Hold up,” Bones cut in.
“Oh boy,” Winter whispered.