1
Zara
“Whatever are you doing here, doll?” Kael, my fiancé’s older brother, drawled in a low voice that always made my stomach flip as his dark eyes raked me up and down. I came here straight from my hair appointment to surprise Drake, my fiance. Meeting Kael instead had my insides knotting.
Kael was everything Drake wasn’t. Drake was cheery, sunny, sweet and bubbly. Kael was cold, scary, arrogant and as rumored, dangerous. He was also six years older than me.
“I- I’m here to see Drake…” I began in a feeble voice, because there’s something so scary about Kael that made me lose my voice and bravado whenever I was in his presence, which wasn’t often. I avoided coming over Drake’s house as much as possible because of his scary older brother. The whole town mostly avoided him because he was long rumored to be a psychopath. It didn’t help that he was the one running the only biker gang in this town, one which helps in putting everyone in line, but at the same time, terrified the f**k out of everyone. The only friend he has was my own older brother, Micah. They've been joined at the hips since they met in the states and that hasn’t changed.
“He’s not home, doll. Go home.” He declared so sharply that I jumped, then I quickly stepped through the door before he could slam the door in my face. He always does this whenever I come to see Drake and he answers the door, always claims that Drake isn’t home even if he’s clearly home, like right now for example cause his car is literally right outside and Drake never goes anywhere without the Audi.
“I- I know he’s home, let me just go upstairs to meet him—“ I began before abruptly trailing off when he suddenly slammed the door closed in the next moment, trapping me in here with him. At the same time, his hand settled on the spot beside my head as he leaned down to peer into my face, making my face flush red.
“Do you just desperately wanna be alone with me, little doll?” He drawled as his eyes raked over me again and I spluttered while my cheeks grew hotter.
“W- what? Why would I- I want that?” I cried out while panting. Being this close to him was making me grow dizzy and light headed as his spicy, heady cologne filled my lungs. He’s never stood this close to me before, cause I’d usually flee as fast as I could.
Usually, whenever I am in his presence, he either ignores me or speaks to me coldly, or teases me until I grow annoyed and storm away. Right now, it doesn’t seem like there was anywhere to run to.
“I don’t know, you tell me.” He purred, then he leaned even closer and I gasped while my knees wobbled when his hot, minty breath fanned my chin.
“Your pulse is racing and you’re panting. Your eyes are struggling to stay open and right now, I can bet good cash that your n*****s are hard underneath your shirt.” He pointed out leisurely and I wheezed. I felt shame engulfed me cause he wasn’t lying, and I felt disgusted at myself for reacting like this to my boyfriend’s older brother who was just teasing me for his own amusement right now.
I opened my mouth to ask him to step away, but his hand was in my hair, stroking it out of my face.
“New hairstyle?” He hummed out and I felt myself nodding before I could stop myself. He tsked, then his lips twitched as he regarded me.
“Let me guess, you’re here to surprise my brother with this?” He asked and my face flushed as I nodded, starting to grow annoyed that he was messing with me once again.
“Tell me, doll. Do you love my brother?”
That question took me aback.
I nodded firmly. “Of course I do. I love him so very much.”
When his lips twitched, anger bloomed within me and I glared at him. “I don’t care if you don’t believe me, someone as deranged as you wouldn’t understand what love is or how it works.”
As soon as those words left my mouth, I choked in shock, and my eyes widened as my body grew stiff. I couldn’t believe I just said those words to Kael’s face. My mind reeled as fear licked up my spine as his eyes slowly hardened.
Fuck. f**k. f**k.
Micah, My older brother has always asked me to stay away from him, from the first day he introduced him to me five years ago, days after I clocked eighteen. Kael had instantly caught my attention from our very first encounter because he was just that hot, but after Micah vehemently warned me off him, I killed off any curiosity I had towards him. I should have left as soon as he told me Drake wasn’t home. I should have—
Those words were still dancing around my head when he suddenly pulled away, leaving me feeling cold and lightheaded. He nodded at the direction of the stairs.
“Drake is upstairs. You can go to him.” His voice was hard, and I flinched, then I watched him turn and disappear into the kitchen. The urge to chase after him and apologize sat in my mind, but what if I made him angrier?
With a hard swallow, I decided to just go up to Drake instead.
I climbed up the stairs fast, excitement settling in my chest again at the thought of seeing Drake. He surprised me this morning with flowers and chocolate like he usually does after my monthly period and I couldn’t wait to cuddle him this evening. I pushed his door open without knocking and came to an abrupt stop, the wrapped box of perfume I was holding tumbling to the ground at the sight of Drake in bed, tangled in a heated f**k with… Zade, my twin brother.
It felt like the world went still for a few seconds. My mouth was opened but no sound came out, and Drake and my twin grew frozen in stark panic and fear on noticing my presence.
“What the f**k?” I finally managed, my voice stupidly cracking and my leg feeling like it would buckle from underneath me. The two men quickly scrambled apart and shoved their legs into pants, but I was already rushing down the stairs as hot, angry tears welled in my eyes at the same time.
“Baby, I can explain—” Drake called out but I ignored him
Drake and Zade were f*****g. My fiance and my twin. My twin… my literal other half who just advised me to not get married to Drake this afternoon when we FaceTimed.
“Zara, wait!” Zade called out as he raced after me alongside Drake, but I didn’t want to speak to any of them. I had no idea Zade was into men, but if he and Drake were into each other, why did they need to add me into the mix while knowingly playing me? Now, it made more sense why Drake was content to wait until marriage for s*x when I suggested it before we began dating two years ago.
Zade finally caught my hand and made me stop at the end of the stairs. I wiped at my eyes angrily as I pulled out of his grip before pushing him hard.
“f**k you, Zade. Truly. You’d really do this to your own twin?” I cried out as my mind kept reeling.
“If you’re gay, you know I wouldn’t care or judge you. So, why?” I could feel tears welling in my eyes again. Zade looked ashamed as he spoke, tears in his eyes as.
“It kills me everyday, I swear. That’s why I constantly tried so much to convince you to not get married to Drake. Please, Zara, please don’t tell anyone about this, it could ruin my life…”
I gasped in disbelief. “You’re still just thinking about yourself, seriously?!”
I looked over at Drake, expecting him to say something, but he was staring across my shoulder, a glare on his face. I followed his gaze and it landed on Kael who was standing by the kitchen doorway, looking bored as hell.
“Why did you let her up? You were supposed to tell her I wasn’t home. Now she’s seen what she shouldn’t have.”
Kael shrugged.
“I think it’s high time she knew you were just using her, Drake. You and her twin.”
My mind reeled in utter shock because it just hit me that the whole time I came over and Kael tells me Drake isn’t home even when he clearly is, wasn’t because Kael was just being difficult, but because that was what Drake always asked him to do. This made a confused frown settle on my face and I wondered why he decided to let me up tonight.
Why?
After abruptly ending things with Drake who didn't look half as remorseful as Zade, I ran out of the house, feeling like the dumbest person on earth to not have figured this out until tonight. Hot tears stung my eyes and rolled down my face before I could stop it. The wedding was literally just a week away, invites have been sent out. How would I face everyone now? How would I face my parents and older brother who were initially against the wedding? My chest hurt from just thinking about it.
Footsteps echoed behind me and I whirled around in fear, then surprise engulfed me at the sight of Kael. As he got even closer, I felt myself grow angrier.
“What do you want? Are you here to laugh at me?” I demanded as I angrily wiped at my face.
He had his hands in his pockets as he stopped in front of me, his eyes dragging over my wet face, making me flush with shame. His hand settled on my chin, making me suck in a sharp breath as I blinked up at him, my heart pounding as his thumb lightly dragged through the wetness on my cheeks.
“Pretty tears shouldn’t be wasted on stupid things.”