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I glared. “What are you doing here?” And how could she be so cheerful after discovering her two-timing Pair holding another girl’s hand behind her back?
Shade shrugged. “I’m here for Darius. We’re going—”
“Comets, don’t tell me you two are doing something togetheragain.” Did couples have to spendeverywaking moment together?
Shade’s forehead furrowed. “Does that bother you?”
“Yes. Why do you spend so much time together?”
“Because I like spending time with him.”
My jealousy erupted from its safely contained box and boiled through my bloodstream. I clenched my hands to still my shaking. “Of course you do. You two spend tons of time together doing sweet, cozy things. Fantastic.”
Shade frowned. “Of course. I suppose not all siblings spend as much time together as we like to, but—”
“Wait, he’s yourwhat?” I gaped at her, unsure whether or not I’d heard her correctly. Surely I’d misheard, for the wordssiblingandPairweren’t even remotely related.
“He’s my brother,” Shade repeated slowly.
I blinked at her. “Yourbrother? “
“He’s not just that,” Shade said cheerfully, all smiles once again. “We’retwins. Isn’t that amazing?”
Amazingwas definitely not the first word that came to mind at this surprising revelation. The words that came to it instead wereunbelievableand several choice cursings at my utter stupidity.
My head jerked back and forth between the two as my brain scrambled to process this revelation. Twins! That was a possibility I’d never even considered.They couldn’t possibly be twins...could they?
My memories returned to the exchanges I’d witnessed between them, rearranging the pieces I’d assumed created the picture that they were courting and tried to fit them into this new sibling image—the frequent side hugs, kisses on the cheek, going on outings...now that I realized the truth, their interactions seemed less romantic and more familial.
I couldn’t hold back my sigh, both at my stupidity in allowing my hurt to hinder my logic and instead seek out such a foolish explanation, and the relief washing over me. Could it really be true that after all my intense jealousy, Darius still remained unattached?
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Twins.”
“Yes, and he’s the greatest,” Shade gushed. Darius obviously had her conditioned well.
Darius’s brow furrowed at my perplexed reaction. “Does this bother you?”
“No, I just thought—I mean, I saw you two at the tea shop and it looked like you two were...and in every interaction I’ve seen between you since, I assumed...”
I couldn’t even finish as embarrassment and utter relief swirled through me, battling for my attention. Relief won. Darius wasn’t paired with Shade like I’d foolishly feared. All the sweet feelings towards him I’d been fighting to keep locked in my heart overwhelmed me, and for the first time in ages I felt the beginnings of a smile tugging at my lips.
Understanding filled Darius’s expression. “Wait, you saw me and Shade at the tea shop and thought we werecourting?”
“Not just courting, I thought you two might be—”
I snapped my mouth shut before I could say anything more incriminating, but it was too late. The look that filled Darius’s face was soDarius—he swelled in confidence as the light that had been absent from his eyes for so long finally returned.
“You thought we werepaired? And this bothered you? Any particular reason why, Nemesis?” His voice was far too cheerful for the humiliation currently swelling within me.
I avoided his eyes. “I didn’t think that,” I lied.
Of course Darius wasn’t fooled. His fingers hooked beneath my chin and I shivered at his warm touch as he tipped my head up so our gazes met, his own dancing with amusement. “Were you jealous, Nemesis?”
Yes. “No, of course not. Don’t be ridiculous.” I tried to wriggle away from him, but his soft touch was firm. He tilted his head to study me. Heat filled my cheeks at his perusal, giving me away. Traitorous body.
“You’re blushing,” he said in a singsong voice. “Youwerejealous.”
I tightened my jaw and didn’t respond. He brushed his fingers lightly across my blush as if it were the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen, causing my entire body to shudder at his touch, one so familiar, even after all this time.
