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CHAPTER ONE
BARLOW
After I hoist my dufflebag higher onto my shoulder, I continue the trek up the stairs leading to my brother’s third story apartment, my rolling suitcase bouncing off each step I take as I drag it clumsily behind me, the weight of it straining my arm.
Sweat beads at the back of my neck, the heat of the afternoon seeming to reach its peak at the most inconvenient time.
I’m so exhausted and mentally drained. Each step feels like it takes every ounce of strength I have.
Today has been the bad day to rival all other bad days. The worst. So bad, in fact, that I’m still not sure I’ve processed what actually happened.
Letting out an audible sigh, I drop my duffle at my feet when I reach apartment 3B, staring at the brass number on the door for a long moment before lifting my hand. I rap lightly on the door, trying to muster a small smile when it swings open.
As my brother’s face appears, any semblance of me trying to act okay goes flying out the window and tears instantly sting the backs of my eyes. It’s not like trying to act tough has ever done me any good around Brennon. He knows me better than anyone, and as such, can read what I’m feeling in one look.
He gives me a sympathetic smile, reaching down to grab my bag from the ground before leading me inside with an arm around my shoulder.
“I’m so sorry about this,” I murmur, abandoning my suitcase just inside the door.
I look around, taking in the plain white walls and an array of half unpacked boxes that litter the small space.
“We’ve been over this. Stop apologizing. This isn’t your fault. No one could have predicted that something like this would happen.” Brennon rubs my back, reassuring me.
“You’ve been here less than a week and already I’m invading your space,” I grumble, stubbing the toe of my shoe into the beige carpet.
Brennon and I are close. As close as siblings can be. I’m sure most of that is because we’re twins, and we’ve been inseparable our entire lives. But we also genuinely like each other and enjoy spending time together. But even still, I can’t imagine he’s thrilled about this situation. I know I’m not.
“Barlow.” He sighs, shaking his head at me, his overgrown sandy blond hair brushing the tops of his ears as he does.
While Brennon and I may be twins, there’s very little proof of that in our appearances. In fact, we’re quite opposite. I have dark hair, he has light. I have light eyes, he has dark. He’s tall and lean with broad shoulders, I’m short and petite, resembling more of a ten year old girl than the eighteen year old woman that I am. You’d never know we were twins unless you were told. I can’t tell you how many times we had to pull out our birth certificates to prove to classmates that we weren’t making the whole twin thing up. People always assumed one of us had been held back in school, which is why we were in the same grade.
“I said it wasn’t an issue, and it isn’t,” he continues after a long pause. “You are more than welcome to crash here until this whole mess gets sorted out.” He gestures to the worn brown leather sofa sitting against the back wall of the living room, a hand me down from our dad’s office that’s definitely seen better days.
Themesshe’s referring to is the mix up with my on campus housing. An oversight that has left me without a place to live for the foreseeable future... Told ya it was a bad day.
“And if it doesn’t get sorted out until next semester?”
“Then so be it. Dad footed the bill for this apartment for the first year. I can’t very well turn you away now, can I?” The corners of his eyes crinkle in humor.
“Oh, so that’s why you agreed to let me stay here? Because you knew Dad would kill you if you didn’t.” I poke fun at him, knowing he would have let me stay no matter what.
The only saving grace to this entire situation is that my brother and I chose to attend the same college. WSU is where our father attended and where Brennon and I have been planning to go to since we were kids. Now, while I’d opted to live on campus, he and his best friend, Atlas, decided to rent a small apartment about a mile out. Otherwise, I’d be three thousand miles away from home without anywhere to go.
Brennon drove a rental truck out with all their furniture and stuff a few days ago to get settled before school started, and last I had heard, Atlas hadn’t made it out here yet. I arrived by plane this morning, only bringing what fit in a duffle and an extra-large suitcase. In my defense, I expected to be living in a furnished dorm.
“Totally.” He gives me a lopsided grin, playfully shoving my shoulder. “Are you thirsty? I haven’t made it to the grocery store yet, but I have a few bottles of water in the fridge.”
“Actually, yeah, a water would be great.” I nod, turning to follow him toward the galley style kitchen that’s separated from the living room by nothing more than a cheap laminate countertop. Propping my hip against the corner, I nod in thanks when he hands me a water.
“So, as you can see, there’s not much to the place.” He gestures around the apartment which can’t be more than seven hundred square feet and that’s without me even seeing the bedrooms, which if I had to guess aren’t very big.
Small living space. Galley style kitchen. Two bedrooms located at the back of the apartment. One bathroom. And a small balcony off the living room that’s big enough for two plastic chairs and a small round table. It’s as bare bones as it gets, but all that two college students would need.
“Better than sleeping on a bench.” I shrug, twisting the cap off my water before taking a long drink. “Which is exactly where I’d be if you weren’t such an amazing brother.”
“I do what I can.” He chuckles softly.
“So you’re sure about this?” I can’t help but ask again.
