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Chapter one
Mistaken Identity
Ian
I am Ian Sullivan, the youngest of the Sullivan brothers. I'm not antisocial, as I enjoy the company of people; but unlike my twin brother who casually expresses his desire to socialize, I’d rather wait until I find someone who wants to understand that part of me.
Being the youngest of men who are classified as gods makes you realize that they will forever cast a shadow over you. Not on purpose of course. Take my brother, Benjamin Sullivan, for example, an honest man who believes that everyone around him should shine. A surgeon who mainly does transplants, he has saved more lives than he can count.
At the age of fifteen, he was likened to a prodigy. My father didn't try to show it, but it was obvious who his favorite son was. It bothered Ethan slightly, but I didn't care. It's absolutely normal for a father to see the first son as his source of pride.
Ben mastered the business of medicine with skills so that good experts around the world, paid to see him work. A giant he was not only in stature but in heart as well. He was acclaimed as a conductor, the operating theater likened to an orchestra. He eventually mastered love. He got married but lost the love of his life, reminding us medical doctors that we can't save everyone. He struggled to take care of his daughter. With several women to choose from, he remained alone. But eventually, he fell in love again.
Then there's Ethan. My twin brother and the man I envy the most. He was the clumsiest and most careless man I had ever seen. Time and time again, it seemed not to affect how he interacted with people. His communication skills put mine and Ben's to shame.
For someone so clumsy, he had the highest success rate for any medical emergency brought to him. “The man with machine-like hands” is what they called him. He was a playboy, with several women at his beck and call any time he desired.
And then there was me, the one who wasn't kind enough. The one, unable to speak up and the twin no one wanted, except my family. I was slowly getting sick of it.
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Romance had never been my forte, and I don't want to blame anyone but Ethan. The classic example was Miriam. Hair as red as the sunset's sigh, eyes as blue as the sky, and a voice that seemed to say that she was once a werewolf seeking a strong alpha male.
I watched her from a distance and summoned the courage to speak with her. For some time, I thought she was into me. Well, it was high school, and I intended to ask her to the prom. I looked forward to it and prepared accordingly. Ben didn't go to his own prom, but it didn't mean I wouldn't attend mine.
Imagine my surprise when she finally asked me to help her convince Ethan to ask her. Of course, I didn't tell him, but I didn't go either. I didn't understand it. Don't get me wrong; I never hated him. It was just frustrating. I could feel the stares of women when I walked by, so I was definitely attractive. But it just seemed like they weren't truly interested in me.
They wanted Ethan. The clumsy twin. Maybe it was a gap thing I couldn't comprehend. It wasn't always downhill, though. With time and patience, I finally got my first girlfriend.
"You aren't going to say anything?" she asked.
Hannah Stone with black hair and brown eyes was a giant. She was a model I had met during a hospital visit. She wasn't at my hospital for anything related to plastic surgery, but she demanded that I attend to her. My heart was stolen immediately. Her voice put me at rest, and although I found it difficult to steady my heart whenever she was around, she was my source of peace. But my inability to communicate with women placed me at a disadvantage.
"You're doing great medically, that is…" I replied as I tore my eyes forcefully away from her.
"Otherwise? Is there anything I am not doing well in?" she asked as she lay across on the hospital bed, the gown she wore for the examination slowly riding up. As she stretched herself, she groaned gently.
"Maybe it's the way I phrased it," I said as I focused on her exposed thighs. "You're perfect all-round."
"Thank you," she said as she flashed me a smile.
Moments like this made me glad that I was her doctor. Everything was green. There was no way she'd choose to see me in the guise of wanting to be a patient without having some sort of feelings. I was getting tired of the hospital visits and sought a way to have her spend time with me without the need of playing the doctor and patient card.
"When will your brother be back?" she asked.
Ethan was in Glen Allen, seeking a way to support the love of his life without ruining it. She wouldn't have known where he was.
"I don't really know. He has his hands occupied," I replied and thought of a way to steer the conversation. "How do you spend your free time?"
"Nothing much. I just visit restaurants or practise my walk," she replied and turned on her back.
"That's nice," I said. "Can I watch you walk?"
"You normally would have to pay for that," she teased.
"Really? Hopefully, it's something I can afford," I smirked.
My communication skills with women sucked, but they seemed to be working on Hannah.
