Identical Disaster (The Sterling Shore Series Book 8)

by C. M. Owens

  “You boys have fun. I’m going to make sure I have everything finished up so I can get out of here as early as possible.”

  Maverick, of course, doesn’t let me off that easy.

  “Please tell me you’ve met her father.”

  I flip him off, and he bursts out laughing, along with Corbin. Apparently Bo knows them better than I thought she did.

  Not that we’ve spent much time talking about the Sterlings…

  “How well do you know Bo?” I ask, spinning back around quickly as curiosity gets the better of me.

  Maverick shrugs. “I got let in on the secret by accident. I met her a few times back when she and Ruby were in college together. Her dad showed up one weekend when we were out there, and damn… That guy will show you his nut-sack hair without shame.”

  My stomach roils. Glad Vince didn’t cross that line with me.

  I wait for Maverick to elaborate on why he was there. Obviously Corbin was there for Ruby. Why the hell was Maverick there? For Bo?

  Corbin’s lips twitch, and he answers my unasked question. “He’s never even gotten close to fucking her. No worries.”

  I visibly relax as Maverick looks between us, confused. “Who?” he asks innocently, oblivious to the silent conversation between Corbin and myself.

  Turning around, I head back to the front desk, ignoring the knowing look Corbin is shooting my way. I’ve never told them shit before, and I don’t plan on starting now.

  Chapter 38

  BO

  “I can’t believe you’re engaged,” I tell Ruby, holding her hand in mine.

  Her ring finger is bruised, so I’m as gentle as I can be. It’s a ring piercing instead of the traditional band. If you knew Ruby, you’d understand how perfect Corbin did.

  “I know.” She beams, not looking anything at all like her normal self. She’s completely happy without any walls around her whatsoever in this moment.

  Jax and Corbin have been outside, probably to give us privacy. I’ve heard all about the proposal, and the breakup before the proposal.

  “I feel like the world’s worst friend. That’s why you kept calling. I was expecting you to unleash hell on me for being in Hawaii with a guy I didn’t know.”

  Her smile only grows. Who is she? This is not the Ruby I know.

  “Nah. I wasn’t mad when you told me, since you seemed to want to be there. Still amazed that you ended up with Jax, though. It reminds me that Sterling Shore isn’t quite as big as I thought it was.”

  My eyes move to the glass doors that lead outside just Jax lowers his beer from his lips, and he flashes that prize smile my way. The second he turns back to face Corbin, Ruby sighs.

  “I remember that.”

  “What?” I ask, clearing my throat and trying to wipe away my own smile.

  Her eyes dance with amusement as she studies me. “I remember the first time I realized I was falling for Corbin.”

  My eyes move back to Jax, and a small tinge of fear slides into my chest. Ruby walked through hell before Corbin and she could be together. I really don’t want to ever hurt the way I saw her hurting back in college.

  She fell apart, and Ruby never fell apart over anything else. I remember the helplessness I felt, because I had no idea what to do with a sobbing version of my friend.

  If she could fall apart like that… Then I…

  “Don’t get that look. Not everyone has such a rocky start,” she promises, sighing as I turn back around. “I’m glad you’re home. Without you, I have to spend more time with Brin. And I’m sick of ending up with something random launched at my face when one of her pranks goes wrong.”

  She starts laughing, letting me know she actually doesn’t mind. Maybe I should work my way into the group, even though I’m not fond of the idea. Ruby was the first best friend I ever had that would listen when I talked. Even Shanna—though I love her—thinks she knows more than I do about my own life.

  Ruby might want to bitch me out for things, but she listens when I tell her I have it under control. She never bullies me.

  “I should have answered sooner and let you speak first,” I say guiltily.

  “I’m glad you didn’t,” she says under a laugh.

  “Why?”

  “Because if I had unloaded on you, you would have bought me a ticket to Hawaii and demanded I come join you. And I would have come. It was still fresh enough when Corbin came over, that I didn’t stand a chance. If I had let it cool off and harden, I wouldn’t have taken him back. At least not for another four or five years.”

  This time, I sigh. I’m glad this thing with Jax isn’t messy.

  Jax walks back in, winking at me before taking a seat beside me on the couch, and Corbin fills up the space beside Ruby. Jax rubs his hand up and down my arm, touching me like he can’t stop, and I put my back against his chest, absorbing the feel of him.

  Corbin talks about their wedding plans—which aren’t really plans that I foresee his mother being okay with. Jax kisses the top of my head before wrapping both arms around me like he can’t be close enough.

  “Give me your phone,” Corbin tells Jax. “There’s this new app you have to have. Trust me.”

  Jax goes with it, even though I apparently tuned out the conversation that led us here. As he pulls out his phone, his keys fall out of his pocket, and I pick them up, eyeing the curious looking keychains.

  “What’s this?” I ask him while Ruby and Corbin start messing with Jax’s phone.

  He looks down at the handpainted football, the weird, teeny-tiny troll doll, and several other eclectic keychains. Clearing his throat, he shrugs.

  “I collect keychains from places I go. Done it since I was a kid. I have like four shoeboxes filled to the brim. These are some of the most important.”

  “Why?” I ask, looking up at him as a small smile graces my lips.

  A keychain collector? So did not see that coming.

  “The football was from my freshmen year of high school. We went to state, and I got a keychain from a vendor stand that was setup in the tailgating area. The troll is from the time I one time I met a band I liked; the lead singer dropped it, and I sort of took it home. Thief, I know, but I was sixteen and star struck.”

  He strokes my hand, then picks up the beer mug keychain. “My twenty-first birthday we went to Atlantic City—Dustin, Cody, me and a few of our friends that hung with us back then.”

  He moves over to the airplane keychain. “The first time I ever got to ride in an airplane. Guess that one is pretty self-explanatory.”

  He grabs the peculiar smiley face keychain. “My sixteenth birthday. This came on my first keychain when Dad handed me the keys to my first car.”

  “That’s fucking beautiful,” Corbin cuts in, grinning mockingly at Jax when we look up. “You realize you just lost man points.”

  Jax flips him off before shoving his keys back into his pocket. Ruby turns toward Corbin.

  “Says the guy who quotes chick flicks on the regular. You don’t get to deduct man points from anyone.”

  Corbin’s face blushes, and Jax bursts out laughing. The conversation shifts after that, and I lean back against Jax, reveling in the feel of his body against mine.

  ***

  When I open my door, I almost collapse to my chair. It’s almost seven, and I’m home. Yay!

  And Jax will be here in about thirty minutes or so, which is a bigger win. We’re finally turning into a normal couple who actually get to see each other for more than a couple of stolen hours a day. Although texting and talking to Jax is my favorite part of the day when we can’t be face-to-face.

  Something thumps from inside my bedroom, and I stiffen, listening for another sound. It wouldn’t be the first time I heard phantom sounds in my apartment and freaked out for no reason.

  Another thump sounds out, and I ease back toward the door.

  “Jax?” I call, seriously hoping he answers.

  “No, it’s me,” Bora calls back, and I sag in relief.
>
  Then I tense for a whole new reason. As pathetic as it makes me sound, I’m not ready to be in the same room as my boyfriend—if that’s what he is—and my sister.

  Jax still hasn’t mentioned a “label,” which I’ll admit makes me a little insecure.

  “What are you doing here?” I ask her, gearing up to push her out the door if she’s planning to stick around.

  I walk toward the bedroom, and she answers just as I step inside… the disaster zone.

  “Looking for those red boots you have,” she says while tossing another pair of shoes out. “I need to come check out your closet more often. You’ve gotten a lot of good clothes.”

  I want to kill her right now.

  My room looks like Tom and Jerry had a chase in here, and then that dog—never can remember his name—jumped in on the fun and obliterated anything left standing. That “c” word springs to mind, and I will my lips to call her that name.

  Nothing comes out.

  Jax will be here soon, and my room is destroyed. The Tasmanian Devil is still spinning like a cyclone around my room, rummaging through my things without a care.

  “Oh,” she says, looking back at me while tossing another shoe out. “What’s up with the tampon bouquet over there?” she asks, confusing me.

  I cut my eyes toward my dresser, and yes… There really is a tampon bouquet. My eyebrows go up, and I go to examine the intricate sticks of tampons that have been stuck to metal rods and hanging out of a red vase. It’s not pretty. At all.

  “What’s up with that?” she asks again, but I start laughing, losing all the anger that hit me when I walked in and caught her obliterating my room.

  Ignoring her, I pull out my phone, and try not to laugh again when I send Jax a text.

  ME: First tampon bouquet I’ve ever gotten.

  Immediately, my phone dings with a text.

  JAX: Dropped them off on my lunch break. It’s your fake period anniversary. :p

  I snicker while rolling my eyes, just as someone knocks on the front door.

  “Damn it,” Bora hisses, but I’m busy feeling knots ball up in my stomach. He’s here? Already?

  “Will you answer that? It’s Dick. He’s picking me up here since I was struggling to find those damn boots.”

  She pulls on one of my boots, and I roll my eyes.

  “You really should clean out that closet,” she adds, but it doesn’t bother me, because Jax has made me smile. Absolutely nothing can sour my mood right now.

  I recant that statement as soon as I open the door and stare at a very familiar face. One that I never, ever thought I’d see at my apartment, but I’m damn good with faces, so I know it’s him.

  “Ready, babe?” he asks me, letting his eyes rake down my body.

  A cold shock of sickness unfurls almost explosively when realization sets in. No…

  “Bora?” he prompts, leering at me.

  I choke on the vomit that tries to rise as I take a step back.

  “Dixon,” I whisper in disbelief.

  No. No. No. No. No. Not possible. This is a bad dream and I need to wake up.

  “You know I prefer Dick,” he tells me. Dick is a much more appropriate name than Dixon.

  The irony is too weighed down by the impossibility of this, so the snarky remark on my tongue dies and goes to the land of wasted responses that were never spoken.

  “Hey,” Bora says, walking up.

  Dixon’s eyes widen, and he looks between the two of us, stunned. Apparently Bora hasn’t told him she has a twin, and Dixon… Dixon doesn’t know I just spent three weeks with his wife if he doesn’t know Bora has a twin.

  “Bora,” I start, but she waves me off.

  “See you tomorrow.”

  “Bora!” I yell, but she slams my door, and I stagger backwards, trying to process this hell as reality.

  My hand shakes as I pull up my phone, but I know there’s no way in hell I can see Jax tonight. Bora is about to need me to be a sister, and I have to call Viv.

  I really freaking dread that call.

  With shaky fingers, I open my door, and start texting Jax as I rush to the elevator. Of course they’re already gone, since I took too long to snap out of my trance.

  ME: Can we reschedule for tomorrow?

  This is not a conversation to have via phone. I really don’t even want to have this conversation with him, because I don’t want to witness him murder Dixon when I tell him what kind of sleaze-ball he is.

  Besides, Viv deserves to be told before anyone, but I’m going to tell her at the same time I tell Bora.

  My cell dings just as the elevator opens, and I leap inside, stabbing the “L” button over and over until it finally starts to descend.

  JAX: Was the tampon bouquet too soon? Sorry. It was supposed to be a joke.

  Shit. Shit. Shit.

  It has nothing to do with anything you’ve done. It’s about my sister fucking your brother-in-law, while your sister is secretly missing him and not telling your family she’s having marital problems.

  Definitely not a text message conversation.

  ME: The tampon bouquet has been the highlight of my day. Bora just needs me tonight. I’ll explain tomorrow.

  As soon as the elevator door opens, I’m running out, which is a bad idea in heels. It looks more like I’m a baby deer on ice than a runner. But I manage to make it outside in time to see them still in front of my building, too busy being in a lip-lock to be in a hurry.

  It’s sooo tempting to yell and call him a lying, cheating, son of a bitch.

  “Bora!”

  She whips around to see me. She smiles, until she sees the look in my eyes.

  “What’s wrong?” she asks.

  My eyes dart over to see the smirking Dick she’s with, and I refrain from kicking him in the balls.

  “We need to talk before you leave,” I tell her, not wanting to make a scene in front of my apartment building.

  People are all over, since it’s the heart of the city.

  She frowns, but starts to walk toward me, still holding Dick’s hand.

  “Alone,” I add, glaring at the bastard who isn’t wearing a wedding band.

  Dixon better have a twin named Dick, or this is about to get ugly. But that’s doubtful, since he admitted his name was Dixon.

  She follows me, even though I can tell she doesn’t want to, and she starts grilling me the second we’re in the elevator.

  “Why are we going back upstairs? I can’t just leave Dick on the curb. What’s your problem?”

  “Does Dick have a twin?” I ask, just to be safe.

  Her anger fades to confusion. “Not that I’m aware of. Then again, he didn’t know I had a twin until tonight.”

  I blow out a breath, and she continues to hound me about what’s going on. I don’t answer, because his wife deserves to know too, and I don’t feel right telling Bora first. It wouldn’t be fair to the woman getting done even dirtier than my sister.

  “Damn it, Bo, tell me what’s going on,” Bora snaps, past her patience level as we walk off the elevator and straight to my door.

  I still don’t answer as I push open my unlocked door and pull out my phone, letting her trail behind me. The second I shut the door—and lock it—I dial Viv’s number.

  I’m glad I got it now, even though I never planned to actually use it.

  She answers almost immediately.

  “Bo? Is everything okay?”

  Obviously she’s suspicious, but I’m sure she’s worried something has happened to Jax.

  “Does Dixon have a twin?” I ask her, watching as Bora’s face falls, losing every trace of anger and giving way to dread.

  She’s already catching on.

  “Um… No. Why the hell are you calling to ask that?”

  Taking a deep breath, I watch as Bora sits down, and I hold her gaze as I answer Viv.

  “Because he’s dating Bora,” I tell her. Then rush to add, “She didn’t know he was married, and I just found ou
t who she was dating.”

  Bora’s eyes water almost immediately, and she draws her legs up to her chest, not giving a damn that she’s in a skirt.

  Silence is on the other end of the phone, and Bora is just as quiet.

  “I thought you deserved to know. He apparently had no clue I was with you on vacation, because he didn’t seem too scared.”

  Viv clears her throat, letting me know she’s still there.

  “Because he hasn’t answered my phone calls since I left,” she confesses. She exhales harshly before adding, “I figured he was cheating. Makes sense he’d go after a hotshot business owner like her. He’s an ambitious son of a bitch who only thinks about how much money he can make. He doesn’t care who he shits on or uses along the way. He hasn’t been to the house since I got home.”

  “Is Dixon trying to get you to hire him at Pretty Posh?” I ask Bora, watching as she wipes away another tear.

  “I was planning on bringing him on after the fall line fully launched as head of marketing,” Bora says meekly.

  Viv’s breath catches, apparently hearing Bora, and I slowly sink to a chair.

  “That son of a bitch,” Viv finally says quietly. “I need to go burn his shit, so I’m going to let you go. Um… Thank you for calling me. As weird as that sounds.”

  “It’s not weird. I’d want to know. I just don’t want you thinking Bora knew, because she—”

  “I believe you, Bo. You wouldn’t be calling me right now if she was guilty. I feel sorry for her. Not angry at her.”

  I nod, but as usual, it takes me a second to realize she can’t see me.

  “I’m sorry.” I wince when I realize how generic that sounds. Her husband just shattered their marriage, and I’m telling her sorry for letting her know.

  She takes a shaky breath, but clears her throat, doing her damnedest not to let the slight tremble get noticed when she speaks again.

  “Don’t be. Just do me a favor and tell Jax so that I don’t have to. I’d rather not hear the I told you so speech. And… Give me a day or two before you tell him. Please. I need a night to myself, and I don’t want my mother coming over and telling me what I need to do right now. I just… I just can’t.”