I sit up straight as Meera walks into my room. “Hello, Ivy.”
“Meera!” She’s my last hope. Meera has been inside my head since Mom died. She will be able to see the truth here.
The doctors will listen to her; she’s a professional, like them. Her opinion matters.
“How are you doing?” she asks.
Dr. Finney leaves us to it, and Meera takes the seat by my desk. She turns it around to face me.
“Not great. No matter what I say or how many times I tell them what Iris has done, no one believes me. They mostly keep telling me to take medication. That’s not going to do anything because I’m not ill.”
She tilts her head to the side. “No one thinks you’re ill, Ivy.”
“They think I’ve had a mental breakdown after Mom’s death.”
“That doesn’t make a person insane. Please don’t think of yourself as that.”
I don’t. I think Iris is that.
“I think you should have a supervised conversation with Iris. It will provide you with the clarity you need.”
Clarity? What is she talking about? I’m totally clear.
My pulse quickens. “What are you saying?”
“Ivy, I’m trying to help you.” She stands back and nods to someone in the hallway.
No.
Iris walks into my room with a victorious smile. She’s wearing a dark skirt, pink tank top, and high heels, her lips a glossy nude. Her hair is pulled up into a bun.
“I have nothing to say to her,” I tell the traitorous Meera.
“Ivy, facing up to reality is the first step to getting better. No one wants to see you in here indefinitely.”
“Iris does.”
My twin rolls her empty eyes. “You’re ill, Ivy. Take the help. Me and Dad want you home.”
“Shut up!” I snap. “Why did you bring her here, Meera? I don’t want to see her ever again!”
“Iris and I have been meeting for a few weeks now. Having both sides has been very enlightening.”
A few weeks? I shuffle back on the bed. She’s been plotting much more heavily than I thought. Meera was my last hope, my chance to get out of here. Iris knew that; she knew where this was headed and planned accordingly, getting to Meera herself.
“You’re finally seeing things clearly,” I whisper. “All you’re seeing is what she wants you to. How can you not get that?”
Meera is smart; she’s supposed to read between the lines and see what’s in the shadows.
Iris has charmed her, spun the whole thing to make me look like the one who has been setting her up.
“Get out,” I tell them. “Don’t ever visit me again.”
Meera holds her hands up. “Ivy, I want to help you.”
“Get out!” I scream.
“I’ll get a doctor,” she says softly.
Meera can get whoever she likes as long as she’s gone.
Iris’s smile grows as we hear Meera’s footsteps echo down the hall and fade.
“You look awful, Ivy.”
“Screw you!”
She laughs, and the sound makes my stomach roll with nausea.
“Seen Tyler lately?”
The pain in my chest spreads, radiating through my whole body. I haven’t seen him at all.
“He doesn’t want you anymore, not since you made all of this stuff up. He’s angry that you sent him the picture of Logan kissing you.”
My face falls. “What?”
“Duh, the burner phone in your desk.”
“Your phone.”
She shrugs. “No, I’m pretty sure it belongs to you. Why else would it be hidden in your desk with old pictures of Mom and a charger?”
“You need to be tested.”
She rolls her vacant blue eyes. “You’d know all about that.” Folding her arms, she scans my room with her nose slightly upturned.
I can’t wait until everyone realizes the wrong twin is in here.
“Looking at your future, Iris? This room will be yours soon.”
“Oh, please. You’ve proved you’re unstable on more than one occasion. Thinking someone is after you in the locker room.”
I tilt my head, a small smile pulling at my lips. “How would you know about that? I mean, you weren’t there, right?”
“I wasn’t…but Sophie was.”
The smile drops in an instant. “You’re lying.”
Is she, though? The following day Sophie could barely look at me. After that she was more distant. But she wouldn’t do that to me.
“Nope. It was my idea, of course. I take full credit. Sophie has been angry with you for a while. It was surprisingly easy to get her to freak you out and put you in your place. You think you’re so much better than her.” Iris laughs. “That’s basically all I had to say to get her to agree. Ellie was obviously much easier to convince. Though getting her to pick up the mouse was a nightmare!”
“No.” I shake my head as bile hits my throat.
God, she’s not lying. Sophie really did that to me.
My eyes prickle with tears that I will not allow Iris to witness me shed. I take a deep breath. Sophie was manipulated; it’s not her fault.
It still hurts so much, though.
“You’re sick.”
“Sure, sure. But you’re the one in the hospital. Funny, right? Logan sends his love. Surprisingly, he’s the only one who still asks after you.” She laughs. “To think that he was on your side when you got booted from the team.” Iris rolls her eyes. “He was so easy, it was almost embarrassing, telling him you said he’s a crap kisser. All I had to do to turn him against you was bruise his ego. It was then that he admitted to knowing about the photo of you two all along.”
What? Is that the truth? Because he seemed shocked when Ty received it.
But there isn’t one person in my life who hasn’t surprised me by turning their back on me.
My friends, Dad…Ty. None of them believe me even a little anymore.
Iris laughs. “Your face is priceless. Todd took the photo and Logan found out ages ago. I knew there was something between you two when you acted weird around him. So I helped him open up by giving him beer at a party, and he showed me the picture.” She shrugs one shoulder. “It didn’t take much to send it to myself after that. I must admit, he’s a better actor than I thought, pretending he knew nothing about it.”
I look away, each confession like a blow to the chest.
“Leave, Iris.”
She grins. “Now, you’re going to take your meds and play chess like a good girl. You ever think about trying to get anyone to believe your story and I’ll end you. You’re the crazy sister. And remember, hon, if you ever get ‘better’ ”—she uses air quotes—“you’ll be tried as a sane person in the death of Mom and Kat. I’ve heard awful things about juvie.”
My chest burns. I curl my hands into fists. “Their deaths were ruled to be accidents.”
“Only because they never found the shoes from the second set of prints. I made it look like the owner of those shoes ran a different path and not with Mom, but if they found them with the same dirt from the farm and from the riverbank in your bedroom…” She shrugs.
“What is wrong with you?” I breathe, my body frozen with shock.
“Looks a bit odd that crazy Ivy Mason would have dirt on her shoes from the scenes of two accidental deaths. Couple that with Kat’s old sweater she lent me found in your room along with pictures of Mom and Carl…Who knows what the police will think of all that?”
Oh my God.
Iris shrugs and spins on her heel. Glancing over her shoulder, she chirps, “Stay crazy, sis.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I first have to say a huge thank you to my husband and sons for supporting me through late writing nights, cranky coff
ee-filled mornings, and celebrating each step of this process. I love you guys.
To Kirsty, Vic, Zoë, and Kim. You ladies are the reason I’m still sane(ish). Thank you for always being there whenever I need advice, or to celebrate my achievements when I’m too British to do it properly!
My Venga Bus girls. You guys are ace, and I love you. Thank you for inspiring me and lifting me up. Never change…and never leave me!
Jon and Rosa, working with you both has been amazing. Thank you for always believing in me. This wouldn’t be possible without you two.
Wendy, I can’t thank you enough for taking a chance on me. I have loved working with you and can’t wait for the next book!
Regina, you left me speechless when I saw the cover. It’s GORGEOUS. Thank you for making The Twin look this good!
And to you, the reader. I cannot express how much I love you. Your enthusiasm for my books means everything to me. Thank you for every message, tag, tweet, and review. And THANK YOU for reading The Twin.
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The Twin Page 28