Twinsequences (A Twisted Twin Series) (20 page)

He
 was
 right.
 
“So,
 you’re
 heading
 back
 tonight?”
 
“Unless
 you
 want
 me
 to
 stay?”
 He
 didn’t
 look
 up
 when
 he
 said
 it.
 
More
 than
 anything
 in
 the
 world,
 I
 felt
 like
 I
 had
 nowhere
 to
 turn
 to.
 I
 was
 
going
 through
 all
 of
 it
 alone,
 not
 to
 mention
 that
 I
 had
 nothing
 to
 do
 with
 all
 of
 this
 
madness.
 “I
 still
 can’t
 wrap
 my
 head
 around
 my
 sister’s
 ridiculous
 plan.
 I’m
 not
 
pregnant
 and
 even
 if
 I
 were,
 I
 don’t
 think
 I
 would
 have
 told
 either
 of
 you.”
 
“Did
 you
 get
 your
 period?”
 
“No!
 It’s
 not
 …
 What’s
 today’s
 date?”
 Suddenly,
 I
 felt
 as
 if
 I’d
 been
 kicked
 in
 
the
 stomach.
 
“The
 fifth.”
 
“Oh
 God!
 This
 can’t
 be
 happening.
 You
 have
 to
 leave!”
 I
 walked
 over
 to
 my
 
front
 door
 and
 opened
 it,
 waiting
 for
 him
 to
 exit.
 
He
 stood
 in
 the
 kitchen,
 adamant
 to
 stay.
 “There’s
 a
 chance
 isn’t
 there?”
 
I
 shook
 my
 head
 and
 shut
 the
 door,
 since
 he
 obviously
 wasn’t
 leaving.
 This
 
wasn’t
 happening
 to
 me.
 It
 couldn’t
 be
 happening.
 I
 was
 starting
 a
 new
 job.
 I
 had
 a
 
future
 ahead
 of
 me
 that
 I’d
 worked
 my
 whole
 life
 for.
 We’d
 spent
 two
 nights
 
together.
 Sure,
 we
 hadn’t
 used
 protection,
 but
 it
 was
 impossible
 for
 my
 sister
 to
 
know
 my
 schedule
 like
 she
 was
 claiming,
 unless
 she’d
 been
 calculating
 it
 for
 months.
 
God,
 I
 wondered
 how
 many
 times
 I
 had
 complained
 about
 being
 on
 my
 period.
 I
 
thought
 about
 how
 she
 took
 everything
 I
 had
 ever
 told
 her
 and
 used
 it
 against
 me.
 
How
 manipulative
 can
 one
 human
 being
 be?
 No,
 it
 had
 to
 be
 stress.
 I
 couldn’t
 be
 
pregnant.
 “No!
 I
 must
 have
 gotten
 the
 dates
 confused.
 The
 move
 has
 got
 me
 all
 
messed
 up.”
 
He
 didn’t
 believe
 me,
 I
 could
 see
 it
 in
 his
 eyes.
 “If
 you
 were,
 I
 wouldn’t
 tell
 
her.
 You’re
 the
 only
 person
 that
 I
 want
 raising
 my
 children.
 I
 told
 you
 that
 before.
 I
 
meant
 every
 word.”
 
I
 smiled.
 “I
 appreciate
 that,
 but
 I
 know
 I’m
 not
 pregnant,
 besides,
 even
 if
 I
 
was,
 I
 wouldn’t
 want
 you
 to
 be
 a
 part
 of
 it’s
 life.
 Not
 after
 everything
 you’ve
 done
 to
 
me.
 You
 lost
 your
 chance,
 buddy.”
 
He
 was
 silent
 for
 a
 few
 moments.
 Maybe
 he
 was
 thinking
 of
 something
 he
 
could
 say.
 I
 just
 wanted
 to
 be
 left
 alone.
 I
 think
 he
 got
 the
 vibe,
 because
 he
 walked
 
over
 to
 the
 door.
 “Willow,
 I
 love
 you.
 I’ve
 always
 loved
 you.
 No
 matter
 what
 I
 have
 to
 
do
 to
 fix
 this,
 I’m
 going
 to
 do
 it.
 I
 won’t
 give
 up
 until
 we
 have
 the
 life
 we
 deserve.”
 He
 
smiled.
 
 
 
I
 leaned
 my
 head
 on
 the
 door
 as
 he
 started
 to
 walk
 out.
 “Stosh,
 thanks
 for
 
taking
 the
 time
 to
 come
 here.
 I’m
 glad
 I
 know
 what
 she’s
 up
 to.
 I
 know
 there’s
 more,
 
but
 I
 have
 a
 feeling
 I’m
 going
 to
 find
 out
 soon
 enough.”
 
“So
 you
 believe
 me?”
 He
 got
 closer
 to
 me.
 
“I
 want
 to.”
 
He
 put
 his
 hands
 on
 my
 cheeks
 and
 looked
 into
 my
 eyes.
 “I’ll
 make
 this
 right.
 I
 
promise.”
 He
 kissed
 me
 on
 the
 forehead
 before
 walking
 out
 to
 his
 car.
 
 
I
 should
 have
 packed
 up
 my
 car
 and
 left,
 but
 I
 ended
 up
 sitting
 in
 the
 empty
 
living
 room
 bawling
 my
 eyes
 out
 again.
 
 
I
 couldn’t
 believe
 my
 sister
 had
 the
 nerve
 to
 try
 and
 do
 the
 things
 she
 was
 
doing
 to
 me.
 It
 was
 like
 some
 crazy
 story
 you
 hear
 about
 on
 television.
 This
 wasn’t
 a
 
girl
 who
 was
 deprived
 of
 nice
 things.
 Our
 parents
 had
 money,
 and
 a
 lot
 of
 it.
 They
 
took
 good
 care
 of
 us
 and
 gave
 us
 equal
 gifts.
 
 
How
 she
 was
 so
 different
 from
 me,
 made
 no
 sense.
 
I
 didn’t
 know
 if
 I
 could
 trust
 Stoshua,
 but
 I
 had
 nothing
 else
 to
 go
 on.
 
 
Now,
 my
 only
 concern
 was
 to
 go
 out
 and
 buy
 a
 pregnancy
 test.
 
 
Either
 way,
 I
 had
 to
 know.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Chapter
 12
 
When
 it
 rains
 it
 freaking
 pours.
 
 
I’d
 reached
 my
 breaking
 point.
 For
 my
 entire
 life
 I
 had
 trusted
 my
 sister.
 For
 
her
 whole
 life,
 she’d
 secretly
 been
 plotting
 to
 ruin
 me.
 
 Aside
 from
 the
 hurt
 and
 
devastation
 of
 it
 all,
 I
 was
 just
 so
 angry.
 
 
Stosh’s
 visit
 hadn’t
 helped.
 It
 gave
 me
 more
 reason
 to
 be
 upset.
 By
 the
 time
 I
 
gotten
 decent
 enough
 to
 go
 out
 to
 the
 pharmacy,
 I
 was
 so
 worked
 up
 that
 I
 found
 
myself
 dialing
 her
 number.
 
 
I
 was
 wondering
 when
 you’d
 call.
 
I
 hated
 her
 tone
 already.
 
 
Shut
 up,
 Ivy!
 You
 need
 to
 shut
 the
 hell
 up
 and
 listen.
 I
 don’t
 know
 what
 I
 ever
 
did
 to
 you
 to
 make
 you
 hate
 me
 so
 much,
 but
 I’m
 done
 being
 your
 little
 voodoo
 doll.
 
You
 want
 to
 play
 dirty,
 then
 so
 am
 I.
 
 
 
You
 couldn’t
 hurt
 a
 fly.
 
She
 wasn’t
 going
 to
 know
 what
 hit
 her.
 
 
It’s
 funny,
 I
 used
 to
 think
 that
 about
 you.
 Now
 I
 know
 better.
 
 
There’s
 nothing
 you
 can
 do
 to
 hurt
 me.
 I
 have
 everything
 that
 I’ve
 ever
 wanted.
 
 
Not
 everything!
 You
 don’t
 have
 a
 baby.
 In
 fact,
 you’re
 never
 going
 to
 be
 able
 to
 
have
 one.
 
 
You
 bitch!
 
 
No!
 You’re
 a
 bitch!
 You
 took
 everything
 from
 me!
 
 
 
I
 did
 and
 I
 would
 do
 it
 again.
 Do
 you
 know
 how
 long
 I
 waited
 to
 hear
 our
 
parents
 talk
 bad
 about
 you?
 Do
 you
 know
 how
 good
 it
 feels
 to
 be
 the
 favorite?
 
 
It
 was
 never
 a
 competition!
 
I
 never
 saw
 our
 life
 the
 way
 she
 had.
 
 
Maybe
 not
 to
 you,
 but
 it
 was
 for
 me.
 
 
 
Did
 you
 ever
 love
 me,
 Ivy?
 
 
Love
 is
 about
 respect
 and
 I
 lost
 that
 by
 the
 time
 we
 turned
 ten.
 
 
 
I
 feel
 sorry
 for
 you.
 You’ll
 never
 know
 what
 it
 feels
 like
 to
 have
 someone
 love
 
you.
 I
 feel
 sorry
 for
 you.
 You’ll
 die
 alone,
 you
 know
 that
 right?
 
 
Screw
 you!
 
 

She
 hung
 up
 before
 I
 could
 say
 anything
 else.
 I’d
 made
 the
 first
 step
 at
 getting
 
her
 upset.
 I
 wasn’t
 going
 to
 stop
 until
 I
 had
 everything
 she’d
 taken
 from
 me.
 This
 
was
 war
 and
 I
 wasn’t
 about
 to
 lose.
 

 

 I
 didn’t
 care
 about
 her
 feelings,
 and
 after
 what
 she’d
 done,
 I
 didn’t
 even
 feel
 
bad
 about
 it.
 
 
While
 still
 in
 a
 piss
 poor
 mood,
 I
 grabbed
 my
 keys
 and
 headed
 for
 my
 car.
 
When
 I
 got
 out
 to
 the
 road
 it
 started
 to
 pour
 down
 rain.
 I
 was
 so
 distraught,
 that
 I
 
dropped
 my
 keys
 twice,
 trying
 to
 find
 the
 right
 one
 and
 unlock
 my
 door.
 The
 kicker
 
was
 that
 I
 had
 power
 locks,
 but
 the
 battery
 on
 my
 keypad
 got
 wet
 and
 I
 had
 yet
 to
 
replace
 it.
 
 
While
 standing
 there
 flipping
 through
 keys,
 someone
 approached
 me
 with
 an
 
umbrella.
 Figuring
 it
 was
 just
 one
 of
 my
 neighbors,
 I
 continued
 to
 unlock
 and
 open
 
my
 car
 door.
 I
 turned
 around
 to
 say
 thank
 you
 and
 saw
 Stosh
 standing
 there.
 It
 was
 
pouring
 all
 around
 us.
 “I
 thought
 I
 told
 you
 to
 leave.”
 
“You’re
 an
 intelligent
 woman,
 but
 I
 don’t
 have
 to
 listen
 to
 you.”
 
“I
 feel
 like
 you
 raped
 me.
 You
 may
 as
 well
 have.
 The
 end
 result
 was
 just
 the
 
same.”
 I
 had
 my
 hands
 on
 my
 hips,
 as
 if
 it
 made
 me
 look
 more
 serious.
 
“That
 hurts.”
 
“Well,
 it’s
 the
 truth!
 Now
 you
 tell
 me
 that
 my
 sister
 had
 some
 scheme
 to
 get
 
me
 pregnant
 and
 you
 were
 in
 on
 it
 the
 whole
 time?
 You’re
 sick!”
 
“I
 wanted
 you
 and
 you
 wanted
 me
 too.
 So
 what
 if
 I
 lied
 about
 what
 brought
 
us
 together.
 What
 we
 shared
 was
 mutual
 and
 you
 know
 it.
 I
 would
 never
 do…”
 He
 
was
 so
 damn
 adamant,
 but
 all
 I
 wanted
 to
 do
 was
 wipe
 the
 smile
 off
 of
 his
 face.
 
“You
 would
 never
 what?
 Let
 it
 happen?
 You’re
 a
 day
 late
 and
 a
 dollar
 short
 
for
 that
 comment.
 I
 wish
 it
 never
 happened!
 I
 wish
 I
 never
 went
 back
 to
 town
 and
 
we
 were
 never
 together.”
 I
 climbed
 into
 my
 car,
 leaving
 him
 standing
 there.
 When
 he
 
never
 moved,
 I
 rolled
 down
 the
 window.
 He
 looked
 like
 he
 was
 going
 to
 cry.
 His
 eyes
 
were
 serious
 and
 full
 of
 pain.
 “You
 don’t
 mean
 that.”
 
“Move
 out
 of
 the
 way.
 I
 have
 to
 go.”
 
He
 just
 stood
 there,
 holding
 his
 umbrella,
 like
 he
 hadn’t
 heard
 me.
 
 
“Stosh,
 please,
 just
 go
 home.
 Live
 your
 life
 and
 stop
 worrying
 about
 me.
 You
 
know
 if
 Ivy
 catches
 you
 here,
 she’s
 going
 to
 go
 all
 ape-‐shit.
 I
 can’t
 take
 anymore
 of
 
her
 antics.
 I
 just
 want
 to
 live
 my
 life,
 without
 all
 of
 this
 bullshit!
 I
 want
 to
 forget
 any
 
of
 it
 happened.”
 
A
 single
 tear
 fell
 down
 his
 face.
 “Please…Don’t
 make
 me
 leave,
 Will.”
 
“Goodbye,
 Stosh.”
 
I
 started
 pulling
 the
 car
 away
 from
 the
 curb,
 before
 he’d
 even
 moved.
 He
 
backed
 away
 quickly
 and
 watched
 me
 drive
 away
 from
 him.
 I
 was
 a
 sobbing
 mess,
 
but
 I
 kept
 driving,
 knowing
 that
 he
 would
 follow
 if
 I
 didn’t.
 
When
 I
 pulled
 into
 the
 pharmacy,
 a
 rush
 of
 worry
 came
 over
 me.
 I
 didn’t
 have
 
the
 money
 or
 the
 resources
 to
 raise
 a
 child
 on
 my
 own.
 My
 sister
 knew
 that.
 She
 and
 
Stosh
 were
 legally
 married.
 They
 had
 a
 place
 to
 live
 and
 parents
 that
 could
 help
 
them.
 If
 I
 was
 pregnant,
 there
 was
 a
 good
 chance
 she
 could
 really
 win
 custody.
 I
 
wasn’t
 about
 to
 let
 that
 happen.
 
That
 night,
 alone
 in
 my
 house,
 I
 sat
 there
 staring
 at
 the
 box
 of
 tests.
 I
 was
 
upset
 with
 myself
 for
 putting
 myself
 in
 this
 exact
 predicament.
 Surely,
 we
 should
 
have
 used
 protection.
 Had
 I
 not
 been
 part
 of
 some
 master
 plan,
 maybe
 I
 could
 have
 
prevented
 all
 of
 this.
 
 
Still,
 there
 I
 was,
 sitting
 on
 the
 floor
 of
 my
 empty
 place,
 in
 fear
 of
 what
 would
 
be
 the
 result.
 I
 took
 them
 all
 just
 to
 make
 sure
 they
 all
 came
 out
 the
 same.
 
 
There
 it
 was,
 right
 in
 front
 of
 me.
 
 
I
 think
 I
 was
 in
 shock;
 unable
 to
 believe
 that
 it
 was
 even
 possible.
 
I
 cried
 and
 cried,
 not
 that
 it
 could
 change
 anything.
 
 
All
 my
 life,
 I’d
 never
 considered
 having
 to
 get
 an
 abortion.
 It
 went
 against
 
everything
 that
 I’d
 ever
 believed
 in.
 After
 taking
 three
 tests,
 I
 was
 on
 the
 phone
 with
 
the
 clinic,
 scheduling
 something
 that
 I
 didn’t
 want
 to
 do.
 
I
 couldn’t
 raise
 a
 baby.
 
 
I
 couldn’t
 give
 it
 up
 for
 adoption,
 because
 I
 knew
 who
 would
 be
 first
 in
 line.
 
She’d
 get
 wind
 of
 my
 situation
 and
 be
 there
 to
 take
 away
 my
 child.
 
 
Once
 again,
 my
 sister
 was
 ripping
 my
 heart
 out.
 
Had
 she
 thought
 about
 this
 result?
 
Had
 she
 known
 that
 I
 would
 suffer
 either
 way?
 
My
 appointment
 wasn’t
 for
 two
 weeks
 and
 that
 just
 made
 my
 decision
 even
 
harder.
 As
 the
 days
 went
 by,
 my
 heart
 broke
 more
 by
 the
 second.
 I
 moved
 into
 my
 
new
 apartment,
 started
 my
 new
 job
 early,
 and
 tried
 to
 get
 by.
 Except,
 starting
 a
 new
 
job,
 when
 my
 heart
 was
 elsewhere,
 made
 for
 bad
 first
 impressions.
 
 
I
 showed
 no
 initiative,
 because
 I
 didn’t
 care
 about
 anything
 anymore.
 All
 of
 
the
 countless
 hours
 I’d
 spent
 studying,
 all
 of
 the
 things
 that
 I’d
 missed
 out
 on,
 had
 
left
 me
 with
 regret.
 I
 just
 didn’t
 care
 about
 anything
 anymore.
 If
 lightening
 were
 to
 
strike
 me,
 or
 I’d
 be
 hit
 by
 a
 car
 and
 die,
 it
 would
 have
 been
 a
 good
 thing.
 
 
Giving
 up
 my
 baby,
 because
 it
 was
 the
 only
 means
 of
 protecting
 it,
 was
 the
 
only
 option.
 
 
As
 the
 days
 got
 closer
 to
 my
 unborn
 child’s
 horrible
 fate,
 I
 contemplated
 
ending
 my
 own
 life.
 The
 idea
 of
 living
 a
 life
 and
 knowing
 what
 I’d
 done
 was
 going
 to
 
consume
 me
 forever.
 
 
Now
 that
 I
 was
 out
 of
 school,
 and
 out
 on
 my
 own,
 I
 couldn’t
 expect
 an
 
allowance
 from
 my
 parents.
 Not
 that
 they
 were
 even
 on
 speaking
 terms
 with
 me.
 I’d
 
tried
 to
 contact
 them
 several
 instances,
 one
 time
 even
 pleading,
 but
 they
 refused
 to
 
listen.
 My
 sister
 had
 brainwashed
 them
 into
 thinking
 that
 I
 actually
 had
 tried
 to
 
break
 up
 her
 marriage,
 by
 having
 an
 affair
 with
 Stosh.
 
 
Since
 they
 wouldn’t
 talk
 to
 me
 by
 phone,
 I
 wrote
 them
 letters,
 in
 which
 I
 
assume
 my
 sister
 intercepted.
 It
 didn’t
 even
 matter.
 At
 the
 end
 of
 the
 day
 they
 were
 
going
 to
 believe
 my
 grieving
 sister
 over
 me,
 even
 if
 her
 grieving
 was
 all
 a
 load
 of
 
bullshit.
 
 
On
 the
 morning
 of
 my
 appointment
 I
 called
 a
 cab
 and
 threw
 up
 three
 times
 
before
 the
 driver
 arrived.
 I
 was
 shaking
 profusely
 and
 had
 no
 idea
 how
 I
 was
 going
 
to
 force
 myself
 to
 walk
 inside
 of
 that
 clinic.
 
 
The
 waiting
 room
 was
 filled
 with
 young
 girls,
 seeking
 the
 same
 fate
 as
 I
 was.
 
We
 were
 all
 going
 to
 regret
 it,
 I
 was
 sure
 of
 that.
 One
 day,
 we
 would
 walk
 by
 a
 
mother
 and
 child
 and
 think
 about
 what
 it
 would
 have
 been
 like
 to
 hold
 our
 baby,
 to
 
kiss
 our
 baby,
 to
 have
 our
 baby.
 
 
I
 only
 sat
 there
 for
 several
 minutes
 before
 I
 had
 to
 make
 a
 mad
 dash
 for
 the
 
ladies
 room.
 There,
 I
 splashed
 water
 on
 my
 face
 and
 told
 myself
 this
 was
 the
 only
 
way.
 The
 pain
 was
 just
 too
 new
 for
 me
 to
 be
 able
 to
 move
 on.
 
 
When
 they
 called
 my
 name
 to
 go
 back,
 I
 had
 to
 meet
 with
 a
 counselor.
 It
 was
 
good
 they
 had
 them
 there,
 for
 the
 girls
 who
 were
 unsure
 of
 what
 they
 wanted.
 They
 
wanted
 all
 options
 to
 be
 weighed
 before
 we
 took
 that
 final
 step.
 
 
Several
 hours
 later,
 I
 was
 calling
 a
 cab
 and
 heading
 home.
 I’d
 made
 my
 bed,
 
now
 I
 was
 going
 to
 have
 to
 lay
 in
 it.
 
I
 was
 keeping
 my
 baby.
 
Determined
 to
 turn
 my
 life
 around,
 I
 decided
 not
 to
 tell
 Stoshua
 the
 truth.
 If
 
he
 really
 loved
 me,
 he
 would
 want
 to
 be
 with
 me
 even
 if
 there
 was
 no
 baby.
 
It
 took
 me
 three
 days
 to
 conjure
 up
 the
 nerve
 to
 call
 him.
 I
 don’t
 know
 why
 I
 
had
 to
 talk
 to
 him,
 but
 something
 told
 me
 that
 I
 just
 had
 to
 know
 if
 his
 feelings
 were
 
real.
 I
 had
 to
 know
 if
 he
 was
 going
 to
 destroy
 my
 sister.
 
 
I
 called
 when
 he
 was
 at
 work,
 knowing
 my
 sister
 wouldn’t
 be
 anywhere
 near
 
him.
 As
 far
 as
 I
 knew,
 they
 weren’t
 together,
 but
 I’d
 been
 lied
 to
 before,
 so
 I
 had
 to
 
make
 sure
 I
 was
 protecting
 myself.
 
Willow?
 Are
 you
 alright?
 I’m
 surprised
 to
 hear
 from
 you.
 I
 thought
 you’d
 
written
 me
 off.
 
 
Not
 yet.
 
I
 started
 to
 cry
 immediately.
 I
 don’t
 get
 why,
 because
 talking
 to
 him
 wasn’t
 
exactly
 difficult
 for
 me.
 I
 guess
 I
 just
 wanted
 a
 place
 to
 belong.
 I
 felt
 so
 alone,
 like
 
there
 was
 nobody
 that
 could
 heal
 my
 heart.
 The
 longer
 it
 had
 been
 from
 me
 hearing
 
from
 Stosh,
 the
 more
 I
 realized
 that
 I
 couldn’t
 just
 get
 over
 him.
 I
 hated
 him,
 but
 I
 
loved
 him
 just
 as
 much.
 Still,
 I
 needed
 to
 do
 this.
 I
 had
 to
 go
 on
 with
 my
 life
 and
 this
 
was
 the
 only
 way
 to
 make
 that
 happen.