“Okay. You leave me no other choice. Tomorrow, you are coming over to my house for dinner. I’m going to cook you a meal that will make you want to throw yourself at me,” He said proudly, and very confidently. Little did he know I already wanted to do just that.
“Oh, is that right?” I replied sarcastically, “Well I don’t want to miss out on that.”
“Good,” Dane looked satisfied. His sneaky smile made me feel like I’d somehow just fallen for a joke. I was beginning to doubt he could even cook at all, and this was just a façade to get me to his house.
I put the movie on, trying to stop myself from sneaking glances at him. This guy was different to anyone I’d ever known. He was confident, cocky, and sure of himself, but then he was sweet, sensitive and funny. I found myself wondering if there was any truth at all to the rumors Kella warned me about.
“So, are you a sophomore or junior?” I asked, pretending to be confused. I’d known from that day in the office that he was sophomore, because he had to make up a few classes which had held him back.
“I’m a sophomore. I had…some issues last year that kept me from full time study,” He was hesitant. It was the first time I’d heard that reserved edge to his voice. Something was holding him back, what it was exactly, I didn’t know. He abruptly changed the subject.
“Tell me more about Abby,” He asked, turning on the sofa so he was facing me, “What was it like to have a twin?” He asked.
“It was like having a part of you as a separate person,” I began, not really sure how to describe it. It was easier for me to explain what it was like to not have a twin, “We were lucky in that we were so close. We had different personalities, which a lot of people seemed to forget. The number of times we were treated as a single person was a joke,” I said, smiling.
“And your other sister, are you close to her?” Dane asked
“We’re close, but it’s not the same kind of closeness if that makes sense?” I tried to explain, “I love her and would do anything for her, and she knows she can talk to me about anything, but losing Abby almost tore us apart. You’d think it would’ve brought us closer, if anything,” I added. I think all my relationships became strained to some degree after Abby died. I felt bad, maybe it was my fault Anna and I weren’t as close as I’d have liked us to be. I should be calling her more often. It was kind of selfish of me, I’d never really thought about how much losing Abby would’ve affected Anna, especially with my withdrawing from everyone. It would’ve almost been like losing two sisters.
“Lil?”
I glanced back at Dane. He didn’t need to say it, I’d drifted off into my own little world again. His arm rested on the back of the couch, his fingers softly touching my hair. I wondered if he was going to kiss me again. I hoped he did. When he lifted his other hand to my face, I knew it was coming.
Gently, he moved his face closer to mine. His eyes were still firmly locked on mine. I stared into those amazing blue eyes, and wondered what he was thinking. Was he thinking about me? About how much he wanted to kiss me, and touch me? I reached my own hand up to his face, my fingers running over the rough stubble that lined his cheekbones. I found the roughness of his stubble an incredible turn on.
This time, I initiated the kiss, drawing my lips to his. He responded immediately, sliding back onto the couch and pulling me on top of him.
I lay above him, my hair cascading around his face, loving the intimacy of this moment. Apart from the soft hum of the TV, the house was silent, as his mouth worked with mine, together, in unison. My back arched as his hand dipped under the back of my top, his hand running along the curve of my spine. His every touch made me jump, my body responding by pressing closer against him. I was well aware of how aroused he was, and how sexy his arousal made me feel.
“You’re such a good kisser, sexy. Where did you learn to kiss like that?” He murmured, kissing me again.
“I guess I must be a natural,” I laughed, but that’s exactly how it felt. Natural. I rested my head on his chest, this whole experience feeling a bit surreal. As he stroked my hair we watched the rest of the movie, every now and then he’d lean down and kiss my forehead.
I sighed. I could get used to this.
Chapter Eight
Kella was sitting at the table eating toast when I dragged myself out of bed. I sat down next to her and rested my head on the table. It was early, just after eight. I had no business being up that time. Nobody should willingly get up that early.
“You were out late last night,” I commented, yawning. Thank god it was the weekend,
why was it one of the few days I could actually sleep in I woke earlier than if I needed to get to classes? I was beginning to wonder what possessed me to enroll in an extra study load for my first real semester. Between all my assignments, and my foot, I’d barely had time to myself. And now I was throwing Dane into that mix.
“Mmm hmm,” Kella grinned, a mouth full of toast, “Fraser took me out for dinner, then up to this amazingly beautiful lookout.” She sighed, her eyes closing, the dreamy expression on her face telling me she was falling for Fraser, and fast.
“Really?” I giggled, picking at the cereal I’d just poured myself, “Well, I had a pretty good night too,” I hinted. Kella’s head whipped around.
“What? I thought you cancelled because of your fugly foot,” She said suspiciously
“I did,” I said, smiling at Kella’s choice of words. She was such a potty mouth, “And then he turned up on the doorstep,” I laughed at Kella’s shocked expression and her half open mouth.
“Really?” She glanced under the table at my foot, “And he didn’t run after seeing that?” She joked. I stuck my tongue out. Nobody could ruin my mood today.
“Are you forgetting that he caused that?” I retorted, mimicking her tone, “Anyway, we ate pizza and watched Die Hard.”
“So romantic,” snorted Kella, “He sounds like a catch.”
“I’m going out,” I announced, brushing cereal crumbs off my shirt. Kella eyed me curiously, “He may have invited me to his place for dinner,” I smiled mysteriously at her.
“Careful you don’t wind up in a barrel of acid in his basement,” She said snidely, chuckling at her own little joke. I glowered at her, my hands firmly on my hips so she knew I meant business. “Sorry,” She shrugged. She smiled brightly, her brown eyes wide with fake enthusiasm, “That’s great news, Lil!”
“Oh fuck off,” I grumbled, grinning at her, “Can I borrow your car?”
The nearest mall was less than a ten mile drive. It had been ages since I’d gone clothes shopping, and now twice in a week. On the way, I’d called Gem to see if she was free. I would have asked Kella, but shopping with Kella was like shopping with a two year old, and I needed to focus. Besides, I was really enjoying Gem’s company.
I met Gem at the entrance. She was already waiting, with two coffees in her hands.
“You read my mind,” I grinned, grabbing one of the coffees off her and taking a big sip. I sighed as the warm liquid ran down my throat. Gem laughed.
“No, I just assume everyone is like me on a Sunday morning, unable to function without several hits of caffeine,” She joked, “So, why are we here again?”
“We are here so I can knock the socks off Dane tonight. He invited me over for dinner,” I explained how he’d turned up last night, and how we’d watched movies and eaten pizza.
“And you want something cute and sexy to woo him tonight, right? I know just the store,” She grabbed my elbow and led me inside to a small boutique. We’d barely made it through the door when she stopped suddenly, “Hey, your cast is gone!”
“Yesterday,” I nodded, sticking my foot out to show her. After two more showers, and a night to breathe, it didn’t look or smell nearly as bad as it had yesterday. Gem had already begun skimming the racks as if she were in a time trial, I stepped back, afraid to get in her way.
“What are you, like a professional shopper?” I joked, staring at wha
t was fast becoming a mound of clothes in her arms. She rolled her eyes at me, giggling.
“No, I’m just a girl with way too much spare time and parents who feel guilty about not being around,” She kept her voice light, but I caught the underlying sadness that hid there. The few times she’d opened up about her family I got the feeling things were tense.
“Thanks for this, Gem. You’re a good friend,” I reached for the clothes in her arms and began sorting them into yes and no piles. She looked surprised, as if my acknowledgement of her friendship had meant a lot to her.
“Anytime, Lily,” She smiled. My phone buzzed in my pocket. I reached for it, juggling the dress and my bag. It was from Dane, “Dane?” Asked Gem. I glanced at her, surprised, “Your face just broke into this big grin,” She laughed. I blushed, embarrassed my feelings were so obvious.
“I can’t wait to see you later, Lil,” I read aloud. Gem giggled, practically hanging off my arm, at which I couldn’t help but laugh too. “God Gem, he is…I don’t even know,” I said, lost for words.
“I’m really happy for you, Lil. I’m glad he’s gotten past whatever last year was too,” Her eyes lit up as I held a blue/green silk slip dress against my body, “Yes! Try it on!” She demanded, pushing me into the change rooms. I laughed, not needing much encouragement. Without even trying it on, I knew the dress was perfect.
As I changed into the dress, I thought about what Gem had said. Did it worry me that Dane had closed off when I mentioned last year? Yes, though I was still more than willing to give the guy the benefit of the doubt. Some things are just hard to talk about, and I respected that.
I admired myself in the mirror, before opening the door to show Gem. Judging by her screams of delight, we had a winner. The dress was stunning, but at close to a month’s rent it was way more than I could afford. Swallowing hard, I reached into my purse for the emergency credit card mom had given me.
If this wasn’t an emergency, I didn’t know what was.
“So why did you move here? You lived pretty far away right? Were there closer colleges you applied for?”
Gem’s question caught me off guard as I stirred my latte. Shopping was hard work, and required regular replenishment. This was our second refreshment stop in under an hour; the first had come after I couldn’t pass up the aroma of some freshly made pretzels.
“Do you get along with your family?” She asked, licking the froth of her spoon.
“I get along so well with my family, it’s not even funny,” I thought of Anna and mom back home. Imagining home made me think of Abby, one of the biggest factors behind my decision to move. I needed to create my own memories.
“Last year, my twin died. She had cancer. After dealing with that, I just needed to get away from everything that reminded me of her. Start afresh.”
“Oh Lily-”
“Don’t apologize,” I cut in, smiling at her, “Please. Everyone feels so sorry for me, but the truth is, I had the most amazing, loving sister for nearly eighteen years, and for that I’m truly lucky.” Gem looked at me, speechless for the first time since I’d met her. “After two years of Abby’s illness, then struggling to cope with her being gone, I needed this. Time for myself, if that makes sense.”
I didn’t add the time spent in Baskenville Psych facility, or that Abby still visited me almost every night. I learned the hard way to keep things like that to myself.
I knew there was probably some kind of reasonable scientific explanation as to why I was seeing and hearing Abby as though she were still alive well after her death, but I hadn’t cared. It comforted me. People didn’t understand how hard it had been for me, coping with her death.
The worst thing about her illness, apart from the obvious, was seeing my sister fade away before my eyes. Looking at Abby was like looking into a mirror, identical in every way, from our long blonde tresses, right down to our emerald green eyes and our curvy silhouettes. After her diagnosis, the weight dropped off her, her eyes lost their sparkle, and her hair slowly fell out leaving a shadow of who she once was. I’d look at Abby and I’d feel guilty.
Why wasn’t I sick? Why had Abby been given such a horrible sentence?
Why did she deserve to die and not me?
Every day following her death, I’d look in the mirror and see Abby. I’d see the Abby I knew before she got sick. The Abby that was deep inside her sick exterior right up until the moment she died. Having her with me, being able to talk to her was my way of coping. The doctor said it was quite common in cases of twin death, that the surviving twin would create a situation where they could still be close to their twin.
The only thing this didn’t explain was Abby’s knowledge of dad’s affair. Thinking about that freaked me out. How could she be my ‘coping mechanism’ and know something like that? It wasn’t as though there were signs I’d subconsciously picked up either. Everything about that whole event had been surprising and scary.
“You would have to be the strongest person I’ve ever met,” Gem’s voice brought me back to reality, our table at the mall. I quickly wiped away the tears in my eyes.
Strong? Far from it. I coped. That was about all I did right now.
“Thanks Gem,” I hugged her, “And thanks for helping me find the perfect dress,” I added, smiling.
Chapter Nine
Kella was out when I got home from shopping. A note lay on the kitchen counter, and her car keys sat on top.
Lil,
Figured you’d need my car. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do ;)
You know, coming from me that excludes nothing.
And help yourself to my shoes.
Love Kel xx
Yes! I had non restricted access to her shoes. Normally what was on my feet didn’t bother me at all, but I needed something perfect to go with my perfect dress. Thank god Kella and I were the same size. Surely in her shoe closet (which was almost the size of my room) there had to be something.
Throwing my bags on my bed, I stripped out of my clothes and headed for the bathroom. If I had to pick one thing I loved most about Kella’s house it was the bathroom. The huge double shower had four (yes four) faucets with amazing water pressure blasting out of each of them. There was a reason I usually spent too long in the shower. Today though, it needed to be a fast one, as I was already running late. Back in my room I dug out my nice underwear, and slipped into my new dress. Paired with some strappy sandals, I looked pretty damn good.
I checked the address Dane had sent me against the house I’d just pulled up in front of.
It was nice. Really nice. A town house on the outskirts of town; I wondered how he could afford such a nice place on his own. Kella’s house was great, her parents covering all her rent, and it was nothing on this place. His parents must be pretty loaded. Checking my make up in the rear vision mirror, I stepped out of the car. My heels clicked as I walked across the pavement. Heels were a bad idea, as my foot was already throbbing and I’d barely taken two steps. I planned to kick them off the moment I was inside.
I walked up the small path that led to the steps by the front door. Checking my reflection in the window pane one last time, I rang the bell. I loved this dress. It made my legs look super long, and hid my wide hips. The color also brought out the green of my eyes, the same eyes Dane had previously mentioned.
Dane opened the door, his eyes widening slightly as he smiled at me. My heart fluttered as I took in his appearance, he had skipped his usual jeans for a pair of black chinos, and a grey button down shirt. His short dark hair was swept back out of his blue eyes. Blue eyes that were firmly planted on mine.
“Lily…wow,” He shook his head, as if no words could accurately describe what he was seeing. I blushed. “You look amazing. Seriously…wow,” Leaning in, he kissed me on the cheek. I closed my eyes as his lips touched my skin, breathing in the sweet scent of his aftershave.
“Thanks,” I smiled back. He stood, still staring at me. Was he going to let me in? It was freezing outside, and I was
actually starting to shake from the cold, “Um, Dane?”
“Yes?” He smiled, cocking his head to the side, a sexy grin spreading across his lips. What did he think I was about to ask him?
“Can I come in?”
“Oh, shit, of course!” He moved aside, ushering me in, “Sorry,” He made a face and I giggled. Well that was a first. I’d never rendered a man speechless, and unable to react. I sighed as the wonderful smell of garlic and chicken wafted into my senses.
“Smells lovely,” I smiled, “Garlic?” I added, giggling, wondering if that put an end to another make out session like last night. I hoped not.
To my amusement, he blushed.
“Yes, I guess I really didn’t think that one through,” He replied, only now realizing the potential for some serious garlic breath, “I chose chicken because I know you eat it.” He added.
Right, the other night. That had been a damn good chicken ballotine, too. I thought it was cute he went with something he knew I’d eat, like he really put some thought into what he wanted to cook me. He’d talked himself up pretty high last night though, so he had some big expectations to meet.
“No, garlic’s great. I love garlic. I’d brush my teeth with it if it were socially acceptable,” I was babbling, and I couldn’t stop. At least he seemed to be as nervous as I did.
“Really?” He replied. Oh god. That sparkle in his eyes was driving me insane. And his lips, they looked so soft, so kissable. He was so damn sexy.
“Moving on,” I winced, stepping out of my heels. The relief was instant.
That was better. I wiggled my foot, the aching beginning to subside.
“Come and sit down. How is it?” He asked, concerned, leading me to the sofa in the living room, which overlooked the kitchen in a very open style. It was nice, modern and clean, much cleaner than I’d been expecting. Was it always this tidy, or had he made an extra effort for me? Either way, I was happy.
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