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Marissa and Hodge are next to me in moments as I order myself a double scotch on the rocks.
"Great turnout," Hodge says proudly as he claps me on the back.
"So proud of you, Nox," Marissa gushes at the same time, and I refuse to look at either of them, already feeling annoyed. I ignore them both and leave them to chat with each other as I walk around the displayed paintings. There's a 'sold' sign to more of them than I thought there would be, and I can't help the pride swelling deep inside me. I'll be sorry to see the paintings go. They're a special part of me, a lighter side of the fucked-up reality.
Just as I turn around from another pretty innocent canvas for my standards, I hear a whisper going through the room, and my eyes land on a couple just coming inside the gallery.
She's wearing nude heels that accentuate her legs and some kind of skintight dress that makes my cock bulge in my pants. He's looking uncomfortable in a tux, but the truth is undeniable. They're an attractive couple, perfect for each other. And his face is a mirror image of mine.
It's Kade and June, I realize. I haven't seen either of them since a year ago when I met Hodge. I've been thinking about them most of the time, and my plan is still in motion, but seeing them in person, I can feel my blood boiling.
"Fuck," I curse under my breath, gripping my glass tightly as I watch them moving through the room, smiling and making comments about what they see. What the hell are they doing here?
Hodge approaches them like some puppy, following them around the room, and even Marissa tails them. It's like my two worlds are finally colliding. And seeing Marissa next to June, I finally realize I can't compare them. June's beauty outshines Marissa's attractiveness by a mile, and I am instantly annoyed I can't have the real thing.
I realize I'm staring a minute too late because the face I see every day in the mirror turns toward me, and I'm forced to stand off with my twin brother. His mouth gapes at the sight of me, and I raise my glass in the air with a smirk, toasting him.
Before I can do anything, he takes the three long strides to approach me, and we're finally face-to-face. After a year and three months, here is my twin, Kade. And I have to fight every urge in my body, so I don't rip his throat out.
"Brother," I say with a smirk, and he looks at me with pure confusion. But there's more there. He's anxious, scared. He's homesick, I can tell. He wants to talk. I pity him for his weakness.
"Parker," he says, his voice shaky with shock.
"It's Nox now," I say calmly. For once, I'm happy I changed my name. I'm sure Kade and June wouldn't be here had they known whose exhibition it was. "What are you doing here, anyway?"
"You're all the rage," Kade admits, and a small smile crosses his lips. "I always believed in your art, Park-Nox. You know that."
I smirk, not bothering to say a thing, and instead, I feel sorry for the spineless prick he's become. I had my fingers in his girl’s cunt. I fucked him over. I ruined their lives, and I'm nowhere near done. Yet here he is, smiling at me like I'm a motherfucking prize at a festival. He steps around awkwardly and finally clears his throat. I can tell he's about to start with some emotional crap, so I decide to cut him off before he spews any bullshit.
"Better get back to work," I say with a bored voice. I can see I've cut him deep to the bone, the disappointment clear on his face.
"Sure," he says roughly. "I hope..."
I don't let him finish as I spin on my heels and walk away from him, leaving my brother alone. I make sure to cross paths with June, knowing it will drive him insane and make her uncomfortable. She hasn't spotted me so far, but I make sure to bump into her when I pass by. I take a whiff of her silky skin when I'm next to her, and there it is again, her unmistakable scent of strawberries and champagne. She wobbles on her heels and steadies herself on my arm.
"So sorry about that!" she gushes even though I'm the one who tripped her. Then her eyes finally meet mine. The moment when her expression full of apologies turns into fear is the moment I live for. I can almost hear her quickened heartbeat and smell the beads of sweat forming on her skin.
"No," she breathes softly when she sees me, and I reply with a self-satisfied smirk. She's still fucking terrified of me. Just the way I like her.
