The Twin

by Smokey Moment

  “What are you so fucking upset about. You mad because I spent half a day more than we agreed to. She came home early. What was I supposed to do? She wanted to spend time. She was under me. I couldn’t talk to you. I figured I would talk to you around five when the office closed. But then I fell asleep. I saw all the missed calls and that’s when I looked at the time, then threw my clothes on and came outside. I should have never agreed to this. You can’t handle it. And you took her from me. So yeah, I wanted more time,” he ranted.

  “Took her. I what? Ok. This was a bad idea. You have lost it. You have gone insane. I’ll talk to you later,” Noah said, as he turned to get back in his car. Bella emerged from the cover of the bushes. Niles looked at her in shock. Noah stood at his car. His face filled with fear. He walked away from his car slowly in her direction. Bella took a step back. She looked between the two of them. Her mouth slightly open. The visible shock of the moment, all over her face. She was numb. Motionless. Niles teared up. His heart raced then broke into a million pieces. This was the last thing he wanted to happen. He always wanted Noah to tell her. Let her chose who she wanted to be with. And he was good if she chose neither one. Because they had been deceitful with her. They had hid things. She was part of a threesome she was unaware of. And Niles was shattered at the discovery. “Bella,” he said. She looked at him. She could see the difference between them. She thought back to the trip. The change. The confusion. And that inner voice that constantly told her something was amidst.

  “No. No,” she said, as she took a step backward. “Stop. Don’t come near me. What is this? Some game. You two have been playing a game with me,” she said, tears rolling down her cheeks. Noah continued to walk towards her. “Bella let me explain,” he said. “No. Don’t. You stay away from me. Both of you,” she said as she turned and ran. Niles took off after her. Noah wiped a tear from his eye then jumped in his car and quickly turned around. He drove as he watched Niles try to catch up with her. Bella was fast and made it back, locking the door with locks that no one had keys to.

  “Bella. Bella,” Niles shouted, as he shook the door violently. He wanted in. He thought of breaking the door down. He needed to talk to her. To tell his side. To tell her he never meant to hurt her. Bella ran to the bathroom and shut the door. What the fuck. This isn’t happening. Why? Why would they do this,” she cried as she put a dry wash cloth to her face and filled it with the tears that refused to cease flowing.

  Noah parked facing the wrong way and jumped out of the car. Niles stood at the door. He turned to face his brother when he approached. “Go home,” Noah said angrily. “No. I’m not. This is all your fault. You should have told her. You had plenty of time to tell her,” he vented. “This is my wife Niles. My wife. I didn’t sign papers and so she is still my wife.” Niles got in his face. He was now enraged. “She got it annulled. She’s not your wife any longer,” he revealed, adding fuel to the already fire that was burning out of control.

  Noah stepped back. He didn’t know his marriage was over. It was never disclosed to him. He received the divorce papers. The ones he never signed. So he believed he still had a wife. Noah was angered Niles was using it against him. It was an ace in the hole. Something to be revealed at the perfect time to get what he wanted which was Bella. Because he wasn’t prepared to leave. But he had to. It was over.

  “Why are you just now telling me this. I don’t give a rat’s ass what she filed. She is still my wife as it concerns you and I. She can’t have a divorce. She can’t have an annulment. Get the fuck from my place or you’ll wish you did,” he warned. Niles furrowed his brow and attacked Noah. Neighbors came out attempting to break the brothers up. Bella was locked in the bathroom unaware that they were now in a heated brawl.

  “Break it up man. Come on,” one of the neighbors said as he tried pulling Noah away. Niles punched him in the face and the two lunged at each other again. The neighbor was knocked out of the way and his wife began to scream. Bella looked off. She could hear a commotion. “What now,” she said as she walked to her window. A police car pulled up and she watched as Noah stormed off and jumped in his car. One of the officers tried to stop him while the second officer talked to Niles.

  Noah pulled off and the cops radioed that an irate and upset driver was on the road. Niles urged the officers to not pursue him. They took Niles information then pulled off to find Noah who had sped away. They deemed him not safe to drive and put out a call to have their fellow officers pull him over.

  Bella watched out the window. Niles looked up at her. She stared at him for a few seconds then closed the curtain. He dropped his head. Things had escalated. And now he was concerned for his brother. Niles called Noah. But the call went into voice mail. He hit the redial repeatedly then got in his car and pulled off. Another squad car pulled up and pulled him to the side of the road. He was barely away from the condominium. An officer approached.

  “Let me see your id please,” he said. Niles rolled his eyes. He didn’t need this. He had just talked to cops and had been cleared to leave. He was let off with a warning since it was a family squabble and no one was seriously injured. And with Noah leaving the scene, there was nothing to pursue except him. “What wrong now. I just want to go home,” he said, handing the officer his license. The officer looked at the license then flashed a bright light in Niles face. He handed it back.

  “Step out of the vehicle sir.” Niles unlocked his door. He was nervous. This was a white cop talking to a black man on a street with not much traffic. He feared what he had seen on television. The news. The morning shows that covered the day’s events and the latest political drama. Stories that were eerily similar in nature. A black man pulled over while driving normally and minding his own business. He hoped the officer was honest. Not racially motivated. He had the worst day of his life. He hoped it wouldn’t end with him losing his life.

  “My name is Niles Langston. My father owns Langston Financial. The largest investment firm in New York City. I have done nothing. I am a tax paying, law abiding citizen. Is there a reason I am being detained?” he asked. The officer listened to his radio as he looked at Niles. We have a white Camaro, tinted windows, on the scene. We can see the driver. He’s not moving. Firefighters are removing the doors now. Need medics and another unit on scene. Fifth and Monroe,” the voice said. Niles eyes opened wide.

  “Is that my brother,” he shouted. “That’s what I was told. Sorry to hold you. But I needed to tell you outside of the vehicle. Make sure you are ok. We don’t need two accidents. Are you ok sir?” he asked. Niles walked to his car and took off. The officer ran back to his vehicle and tried to catch him. He radioed to other units that they had another car speeding dangerously through the traffic. Niles weaved his corvette in and out of traffic trying to reach the accident that was two miles away.

  Niles pulled up and jumped out of his car. Cops grabbed him as he tried to get to Noah. “Sir. You have to stay back. Please,” the officer said. The officer that pulled him over soon reached the scene and walked up to Niles. “You could have killed yourself. You were doing nearly a hundred miles an hour. I’m not going to arrest you because of the circumstances. But if you cannot control your driving, I will have to impound your car,” he said. Niles was in a fog. He didn’t hear anything the officer said. He waited for the door to open. He needed to see his brother.

  Niles wiped his tears. He silently blamed himself. If the officers knew the real reason his brother was wedged in an accordion that used to be a car, they would look at him in shame. “Noah,” he shouted hoping his brother would wave or show some sign of life. He could see his head slumped to the left. Niles broke down. He paced as officers looked at one another. They were all thinking the same thing. That the driver was possibly deceased. It didn’t look good.

  The firefighters got the door open and pulled Noah from the car. They laid him out on the gurney and began doing CPR. The officers allowed Niles to get closer. He would be allowed to ride in the ambulance if his brother w
as still alive. The officer got the ok and Niles got in the ambulance with Noah. They put a brace on his neck and hooked him up to monitors. Noah was bloodied from head to toe. A gapping head wound had bled profusely down his face and all over his shite button down. “Noah. Can you hear me. Noah,” Niles said. Noah lay motionless. Niles looked at the paramedic. “Is he going to be alright?” he asked. “We’re going to try our best,” the woman said. Niles was irritated by her response. She seemed knowledgeable. She had to know his chances.

  “Please don’t do that. Tell me the truth. I don’t need to be bullshitted. Is he ok?” he said. She looked up at him. She was angered at his choice of words but she understood. Tensions were high. She didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news. That was for the doctors. But she tried to answer him in a way that gave a touch of honesty and clarity. “Listen. These are life threatening injuries ok. It’s hard to say. They will probably rush him into surgery to stop any internal bleeding. He has lost a lot of blood. But he’s young and he looks healthy. He can fight this. But still, it’s hard to say. Pray for him right now.”

  Niles closed his eyes. He hadn’t prayed in a long time. He was a Christian. He believed in God. But his busy life of work, women and leisure had him absent from any real displays of faith. An occasional prayer for convenience was the extent of his talks with a higher power. Niles prayed. He closed his eyes and he begged for his brother’s life. He opened up and spoke in detail, as if sitting before a priest and confessing his sins. The medic looked over at him. He held his brothers hand and kept his eyes closed and his head lowered. She felt bad for him. She didn’t think Noah would make it. His injuries were extensive. It was likely his brain was swelling. And if they couldn’t stop the swelling, he would die. He had coded once. And his heart beat and blood pressure weren’t strong enough to keep him from coding again.

  Niles kept his prayers going as the ambulance sped quickly to get his brother to the hospital. Noah squoze his hand. Niles opened his eyes and got in his brothers face. “Noah. Noah,” he frantically called out as he tried to get his brother to respond to him. His lips began to move. The medic looked at Niles. “He’s trying to say something,” she said, as she tried to listen. Niles put his ear close to Noah’s mouth. “Say it again,” he said. Noah whispered to Niles. He cried as his brother talked then laid his head on his chest. Noah continued talking. His voice too weak to carry. Niles could hear every syllable. He cried as he listened. The medic wiped her eyes. She could hear what he was saying. She never cried except when she was caring for an infant. But their bond was too much to bear. And Noah’s words and Niles pain, too much to watch.

  Bella sat on the couch. She burst out crying all over again. This was the worst day of her life. She was still in disbelief and the day wasn’t over. Little did she know her nightmare had just begun. It wasn’t over. She sat, unaware of the tragedy unfolding that would change her life completely.

  Chapter nine

  Love & Loss

  G

  eorge signed the release as Ingrid stood beside him. The hospital felt cold and damp. She hated hospitals. She wiped her eyes and glanced back at her children. Nicole held her husband’s hand tight. Niles looked down. Ingrid worried about him the most. He hadn’t said a word since he drove to their estate leaving his car running and still in drive, when he opened the door and jumped out. The car rolled slowly until it hit a cement flower pot and came to a rest.

  “These are his belongings recovered at the scene,” the doctor said, handing George a bag containing Noah’s watch, wallet, cell phone and wedding ring. George glanced inside. He was surprised to see the ring. He didn’t recognize it. It was a simple band. No diamonds. A typical wedding band and the only one his modest son would ever wear. Low key was his middle name. The doctors gave few details over the phone only stating they needed to speak with them. Niles drove his family back to Manhattan’s Mount Sinai Hospital. Niles was devastated. He hoped to make it back in time. He feared his distraught parents driving erratically and chose to get them versus tell them over the phone. But they were too late. And instead of praying over an injured son and brother, they would be burying him.

  The deputy told George that Noah was driving at a high rate of speed. That witnesses described his driving as erratic and dangerous. But George found some solace when it was revealed that Noah had not been drinking. George wondered what had him so worked up.

  “Thank you,” George said, as he shook the doctor’s hand. “Thank you,” he said as he shook the deputy’s hand. George turned to his family. They were shocked. Devastated. He wasn’t sure how he could fix this. George was used to fixing things. But this was out of his hands. How do you bring someone back from the dead? No amount of money ever made that happen. And that was the only thing that would fix his family’s broken heart. Noah leaving the hospital.

  It was surreal. George wished he had another chance. His regret was tremendous. There would be no reconciliation. No chances to say sorry. Or to see his son make his dream come true. George regretted a lot. He had been hard on him. He had pushed him away. And now, he would never see him again. George needed to show strength at a time he was the weakest of them all. Deep down he felt a hand in his son’s death. And he wasn’t sure he would recover from the tragedy.

  “Let’s go,” he said, as he walked past his children. “I want his things,” Niles said, as he held his hand out. George handed his grieving son the bag. Niles looked inside. He closed it then looked back at his father. “I want to see him once more,” he said. George looked at Ingrid. He hesitated. “Let’s go home son. You’ve seen him. Let’s talk. You’re in shock. We should go,” he said. Niles shook his head slowly. George sighed. “Alright. But you come to the estate tonight. Ok? I need to know you’re alright,” he said.

  George put his hand on Niles’s shoulder then nodded. Ingrid kissed him on the cheek then stared at him intensely before walking past George to leave the room. Nicole kissed her brother then walked out with her husband close behind. She was quiet. To shocked to speak.

  “Son. It’s going to be alright. We’ll manage,” George assured. “No,” Niles said, as he walked away. George watched him walk down the hall, towards the hospital room Noah still lay in. Ingrid wiped her tears. “He won’t be ok. Not for a long time,” she said. “He will. He’s strong.”

  George and his family loaded in the limousine he summoned and headed back home. Niles stayed behind. Arrangements had been made to get Noah’s body back to New York. He looked at his wife. She laid her head on his shoulder. George was stoic. He had not cried yet. He blamed himself and guilt had him battling demons. He tried to keep his strength. Nicole was a mess. Ingrid was devastated. And Niles was broken into a million pieces. George looked at Nicole. Something stood out in his mind. In all his grief, something had him perplexed.

  “Baby girl. Did Noah get married?” he asked. Nicole wiped her tears. Her shocked was compounded by the addition of a question she didn’t see coming. “What! Married. No! He would have said something. He’s not married dad,” she replied. George wasn’t so sure. Noah was private. It was possible. George looked out the window. “I want to know what happened to my son. He doesn’t drive crazy. He drove like an elderly woman on a Sunday afternoon. Something had him upset. Was something bothering him? Well besides me. I know he and I had our differences but…was there something else?” he asked. Nicole shrugged her shoulders. “I’m not sure. You know how Noah is. Was…,” she said as she wiped her face with Kleenex. “Niles would know.”

  Niles stood over Noah. Several nurses had peeked in on him. He stood motionless. They were concerned. There were whispers among them that he was Niles Langston. That they were a powerful family. One nurse pulled him up online. She showed her coworkers the Forbes magazine that featured him and his family. They wondered why only one brother was on the cover. “Do you need anything Mr. Langston?” the charge nurse asked. Niles shook his head no but then caught her before she left. “I need a moment alone. I don’t wa
nt anyone else to come in here. I will be a moment. And I want my last time with him undisturbed,” he said, glancing over at her. “Yes. No problem. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt. I’ll close the door.”

  Niles waited for her to leave then sat down. He cried and placed his head in his hand. His pain was deep. No one would understand. Noah was his twin. As babies, Noah held Niles ear. Ingrid kept them in the same crib so that Noah could sleep. He was always dependent on Niles. But he was not weak. Their father didn’t understand him. Noah was actually the stronger. Niles kept his eyes closed. He remembered how shy Noah was as a young man. Especially when it came to women. He was there for every phone call, laughing and giggling as they fooled the girls by sharing in the conversation. Niles had even slept with a girl who was demanding sex from Noah and he was still a virgin. There was little difference between them. The only physical difference was a mole on his back and a scar on Noah’s foot.

  “I love you. And I won’t let you down. Thank you for forgiving me. Thank you for everything. I used to call you selfish. But now I see, I’m the selfish one. I should have done as you asked. We wouldn’t have fought. And you would still be here,” he said, wiping his eyes with his shirt.

  But no amount of wiping could stop the flow of tears that came. Or the guilt that followed. He wished he had handled it differently. He was holding a grudge that he had no right’s to. And now things had come full circle and the price was of his heart was the soul of his brother. He would abandon his feelings and live his life without Bella, if he would bring Noah back again. But it wouldn’t. And so, he would take it one day at a time. He had Noah’s blessing. But he didn’t have Bella.