For the first time in weeks, I feel like I can breathe again. The wind whipping through my hair, the bike thrumming between my legs, the feel of the sun warming my skin—once I can open her up and let her loose, I let out a scream. One that goes on and on, and when I’m done, I feel free.
My earlier trip has worn me out, and I’m dozing on the couch when a knock wakes me. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I pad to the door, my jaw dropping open when I see Rebecca, Tessa, and Susannah. Their arms are piled high with DVDs, bags of candy, soda, and sleeping bags.
“Really? Tonight?” I ask, swallowing the groan that wants to slip out. I’m not feeling particularly social tonight.
“Yes, tonight,” Tessa sings, sweeping past me. “What else are you going to do? Sleep? God, you old people are so lame.”
My head rears back and I meet Susannah’s wide eyes. “Old?” I screech. “I’m seven years older than you. Your husbands are older than me. I’ll show you old.” I chase after her, her shouts of laughter ringing through the apartment, and I forget all about not wanting company.
A pillow hits me in the back of the head and when I glance over my shoulder, I see Rebecca trying to hide behind the couch.Tryingbeing the operative word.
“I’ll get you too, my pretty,” I shriek, just as I grab on to Tessa’s shirt. Flipping her up onto my shoulder, she kicks and screams as I carry her back to the living area, dumping her on the couch.
Susannah tosses me a pillow, and with an evil smirk spreading across my face, we “oldies” teach the young’uns their place.
After we’re breathless from playing, we all flop on the sofa, opening cans of soda and the multitude of candy they brought with them. Rebecca puts a movie on, but it’s not long before we abandon it to chat instead.
Tessa tells us all about what it’s like being with two men and I notice how intrigued Rebecca looks. Trey better watch out, or she might get some ideas.
While Tessa’s talking, Susannah’s cheeks get redder and redder, even though she tries to hide it behind a bag of cotton candy. “You hussy!” I scream, pointing a finger at her. Grabbing a hairbrush that’s been abandoned on the floor, I stick it in her face and put on my best reporter’s voice. “Ms. Gerhardt! Tell us, what’s it like fucking identical twins? Have you had a twin sandwich? Have they made all your fantasies come true?”
“Shut up!” she shrieks, falling back on the sofa laughing. “I’m not telling you anything!”
Glancing back at Tessa and Rebecca, I wink. “Let’s get her!”
Tessa and Rebecca leap up, and before Susannah can run, we’re all on her. I happen to know she’s got a couple of ticklish spots, and I take full advantage of it. “Stop!” she cries, tears pouring down her face. “I give in!”
“Some FBI agent you are,” I huff. “Look how fast you caved.” She throws a marshmallow at me and I catch it in my mouth, showing my teeth in a victorious grin. All joking aside—if she doesn’t want to talk about the twins, it must be serious.
I had to listen to all the gossip about Chase back in the day. Have I mentioned Susannah blew his head off? I better let the twins know what to expect if they’re not good to her.
Or if they kidnap me.
While we set up pillows and sleeping bags on the plush carpet in the living room, our talk turns more sinister as we discuss the best kind of knives for skinning, or what the best way to dispose of a body is. We’re tied on pigs and lye.
Yes, these are the kind of conversations we have. Yes, we’re fucked up. No, we don’t give a shit what anyone thinks.
Although it’s a good thing Uncle Harris isn’t here.
Knocking wakes us the following morning. I swear I’m going to cover my door in spikes. I’m so sick of fuckers waking me up. What’s the point of being on sabbatical if you can’t ever sleep in?
Turning over, I accidentally hit Tessa in the face. “Sorry,” I whisper, trying to get out of the sleeping bag. During the night, it’s become twisted around me until I resemble a mummy.
The knocking gets louder, and I can hear Trey shouting for Rebecca. Finally managing to extricate from the cocoon that is my sleeping bag, I nudge Rebecca with my foot.
“Wake up, your husband is caterwauling in the lobby.”
Tessa snorts and rolls over, then freezes when the knocking seems to double. “Fuck. Bet that’s Nate,” she grumbles.
Jogging to the door, I throw it open, a scowl etched deeply in my face. “You fuckers better have a damn good reason why you’re waking us up so early.”
Trey, Ryan, and Nate stand at the door, while Jase stands to the side, his laptop in hand. No one says anything, so I slam the door in their face and stomp back to the living room. Throwing myself down on the sofa, I toss the sleeping bag over me and snuggle into the cushions, only to hear the door swing open and slam against the wall.
My eyes cross while I clench my teeth. Throwing the sleeping bag over my face, I proceed to ignore the assholes. The couch dips beside me and I peek one eye out. Rebecca is in Trey’s arms, kissing him like she hasn’t seen him in weeks instead of one night. Nate scoops Tessa up and cuddles her into him.
Ignoring the pesky pang in my chest, I stick my head under a pillow, willing them all to fuck off to the furthest reaches of hell so I can sleep. When the body sitting next to me doesn’t move after Trey and Nate have left with the girls, I let out a deep sigh and toss back the top of the sleeping bag.
Ryan sits next to me, while Jase sits in one of the chairs. “What?”
