#3 - Twins
1995 คำ
Jade
"Am I allowed to bolt?" I asked Leon.
I didn't know what I would have done if he hadn't closed up shop that day almost two years ago and insisted I tell him where in the world I wanted to go.
While searching for places, Driftwood, the small little town in the middle of nowhere had winked at me, promising something I felt on the inside.
Leon noticed and booked our flights on a whim, held my hand while we got on the plane and I'd never looked back.
Until now. Because I couldn't keep hiding from my best friend.
"You are most definitely allowed to," Leon answered easily, offering me a smile to help ease my nerves. "But we've come this far, you've come this far."
"What if—"
"Nope." He placed a finger on my lips, keeping me from voicing my fears. "Let's just try to get through this, hmm?"
Try. That had been his way of getting me to do anything. It worked.
"Okay."
"Sure?" He searched my face in that comforting way of his.
I nodded.
Placing a kiss on my temple, he stood. "If you still want to bolt after, I'm your man, just say the word—"
"Jade?"
I froze, heart aching at the sound of Elaine's voice.
She was early, and there was so much excitement.
I'd honestly thought she'd hate me.
"That means you, love," Leon winked, snapping me out of my thoughts. Then he spun and left, saluting at Elaine on his way out.
I managed to sneak a look at my best friend. Her gaze was fixed on the way Leon had gone before it snapped back to me. A question swam in there, but it was quickly replaced by the familiar warmth that was Elaine.
Two years had done nothing to dim it. My heart didn't know whether to ache or be relieved.
"Start talking, Turner," my best friend demanded, hands on her hips.
No greetings then?
"I...uh... missed you?" I croaked the only truth I had.
She rushed forward, and before I knew it, I was wrapped up in a familiar hug. It hit me then just how much I'd missed her. I held tighter as did Elaine. For the longest while.
"So, traveling the world huh?" She sniffled when we pulled apart, wiping her cheeks, reminding me of the recurring lie I'd spun each time I got the courage to reply to her mail.
"Yeah," I said softly, wiping my own tears.
"Now I know you are simply lying," Elaine pulled up a chair and sat back, arms folded, eyes narrowed at me.
She had no idea how much.
I was a terrible best friend.
God, was I even a friend anymore?
The guilt I'd been carrying for nearly two years ate at me.
Lies, lies, lies.
It was for a good reason. I'd told myself everyday, but sitting across from her, I couldn't face how much I had betrayed her. Because this was exactly what it was, betrayal.
Of the highest order.
"I haven't seen you in two years and the first thing you think is that I'm lying?" I countered, sipping my coffee, hoping it would hide my guilt.
Yep. Definitely a terrible friend.
"Well, you aren't exactly telling me the truth about where you've been. Jade, I've waited a year and months for you to come clean." Her lips curled in a pout.
It reminded me of happier times, and... not so happy times when I'd stood by my best friend when she'd been in the exact same situation as I was in right now.
Elaine had trusted me. I had stood by her, and in the end, she was sitting across from me looking happier than I'd ever seen her. Not that I thought my situation would also take the same trajectory.
No two lives were the same. I knew that and wasn't about to be stupid and think otherwise.
I inhaled, the familiar stab of pain hitting my chest.
Yeah, I'd stopped being stupid, but the effects of that one time I had been still stung like hell.
"Okay fine." The words fell from my mouth.
That was totally not what I was going to say.
"Fine? That's it?" She huffed.
"Do you want the truth or not?"
"So... there is a truth," Elaine asked quietly, her gaze dropping for a moment.
The guilt twisted in me.
"I'm sorry," I said, looking away, my heart heavier than it had been lately.
"I didn't mean—"
"Jade..." Elaine reached for my hands and squeezed. "I'm sure it was for a good reason. Forget I even said anything. God, I'm so whiny these days."
"These days?" My gaze snapped up to her, the familiar instinct I'd always had to protect her surfacing.
She waved me away. "I'll tell you about it later. Right now, I want to hear all about you. I've missed my best friend."
Best friend.
My chest tightened, her words echoing with a truth I had forgotten so many times in my recent past.
We used to be best friends. Still were if she would have me.
"Please don't freak out," I warned, deciding I didn't want to be alone anymore.
"Just a second," I said, taking out my phone and dialing a number before I chickened out.
It got answered on the first ring.
"You can come in now," I instructed, holding the phone tighter than I intended.
"Are you sure?" The reply was instant.
"Yes." I nodded while I flashed my friend a wary smile.
I was grateful when she didn't press. I may have been ready to come clean, but showing her felt so much easier than confessing.
Taking a deep breath, bracing for what was about to happen, I reached for her hand and said, "Just so you know, not telling you killed me a thousand times."
Her gaze softened. "Hey, you're not the only one at fault here. I've also been kind of busy with everything. I should have made this happen sooner."
I kept to myself the fact that our reunion wouldn't have happened if I hadn't wanted it.
"Busy being awesome, you mean? You look amazing." I said instead.
My best friend was glowing. We may not have been in touch for almost two years but I could easily guess life had been good to her. She'd definitely found her happily ever after.
A familiar ache sprang up in my chest.
Nope, I wasn't jealous.
I stood when thankfully, Mari appeared in the door way of the quiet restaurant, a stroller rolling gently in front of her.
"They've been absolute angels as always," she said as she let me take the stroller.
"Thank you," I said, giving her a grateful smile. "I'll let you know when we are done here."
"Take your time, Sweetheart," the older woman smiled, giving me a thumbs up before stepping out, waving at Elaine too.
Apart from Leon, Marian was the only other person who knew everything. She'd forced the truth out of me one hard rainy morning when the tears wouldn't stop falling. I'd been feeling extra alone that day with Leon gone and didn't hear the door bell ring. Casserole in hand, and the softest look on her face, she'd walked in on me curled and crying in my living room.
After the longest honest conversation I'd had in months, she'd moved from being the nosiest next door neighbour, to a friend and the most amazing nanny.
"Oh my God! Are those—" Elaine gasped, walking up to me.
She peered at my stomach, then stared at the stroller.
The green eyes I knew would be a dead give away fluttered as my nine month old son and daughter stirred at the noise.
"Oh my God, I didn't mean to wake them," she apologised, looking horrified.
I let out a nervous laugh. "I'm pretty sure they don't mind. Elaine—" I breathed. "Please meet Aiden and Aria Turner."
Her eyes bulged, and suddenly she was whispering.
"Turner? Is this the reason why we are eating at some fancy high end restaurant in the middle of nowhere? Is this the reason you made me lie to my husband about this trip? Oh God, wait!" She shot to her feet, paced a tight circle then turned to me, eyes wide.
"They have Grayson's eyes, his hair—" she stated.
My own eyes went wide. That was so not the direction this was supposed to take. I was about to tell her so when she sat right back down and shot me a bewildered look.
I swallowed, getting ready to completely lose her if I couldn't convince her they weren't her husband's.
"Are they Asher's?"
My heart slammed in my chest. I'd thought I'd had been ready, that I could do this, but just his name sent me down that dark tunnel again, and the hurt slammed into me at full force.
"Dear God, he doesn't know, does he? Of course he doesn't. He'd have stopped being a miserable grump if he did," Elaine kept rambling.
Things about him.
I needed her to stop.
"He won't ever know," I muttered, stopping her in her tracks.
"What?" Her gaze snapped up at me, seeing more than I wanted her to.
I looked away.
"Look at me," she asked quietly, hands falling on mine gently.
I knew what she was going to say.
"Grayson didn't know about Claire," I said quietly. "There's a huge difference."
She blinked at me. "Are you saying Asher knows and doesn't want them?" She whispered as if she was afraid of scarring my kids lives by them hearing that their father didn't want them.
"He wants nothing to do with me."
I'd replayed that conversation a million times over the last two years. And his words never hurt any less each time.
"Jade, he's better. I know that the accident changed him," she said, her own grief spilling through.
The accident. It sounded so much like the understatement of the century given how my whole world changed that day... again.
"I mean, he can't wait to meet his niece or nephew." Elaine undid the single button on her jacket and revealed a baby bump. Still small, but it was there.
Tears stung my eyes, my friend's voice echoing.
He can't wait to meet his niece or nephew.
The moment those two pink lines appeared on my pregnancy test, I'd dreamt about how he'd react.
Dreams were overrated.
"Now who's keeping secrets?" I arched a brow at her, my eyes going wide when she bit her lips.
I was only joking, but apparently she was hiding something important.
"El, what did you do?" Frantic, I scanned my surroundings, expecting Asher to pop out from somewhere. I snatched my purse, cursing. "I shouldn't have come."
"It's only Grayson, I promise," she blurted.
"You brought Grayson here?" I squeaked.
It wasn't like her husband, the big brother to my twins' father was a better choice. He was one of them and we both knew he'd fight to make my babies a part of them too.
He'd lead Asher right to us.
"I shouldn't have come," I whispered, knowing it was already too late.
"I'm sorry," she sighed. "In my defense, he won't let me go anywhere without him."
Understandable. Sweet. Expected with how in love Grayson was with her, but I couldn't let her tell him.
"You can't tell him," I begged, my pulse hammering as if Asher himself was about to walk in.
But it was too late.
Grayson was already walking in, and I hadn't noticed just how much he resembled Asher until my heart clenched at the sight of him.
"Who's he, and what can't my wife tell him—" Grayson smirked at his wife, but it faltered as he froze, eyes falling on the stroller.
"Holy hell!"
Yeah, holy hell.
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