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Chapter 1
Scarlett
On principle alone, I don't run.
For anyone or anything.
But the moment Sophie called with that strain of pain in her barely audible voice, I found myself running through the city, and hailing down taxis to get to her.
"He's gone, Scar," she whispered in an awed voice. "I think he's really gone. Please come over. I'm in Queens. Flushing Meadows Corona park."
I knew she was scheduled to meet her wedding planner and caterer at an event this evening, along with her fiancé Jerald. So, the fact that this was happening was alarming, to say the least. As I rushed to her, I realized I couldn't recall the last time I'd seen her distraught, and I grew even more worried.
She'd never burden anyone with her pain unless it was quite literally so intense everyone could feel it and queried about it. The closer I got to her, the more anxious I became.
I spotted her sitting alone, her shoulders slumped, at a table in the big hall, facing the tall windows. The sun was already setting, and the view through the garden beyond was breathtaking.
"Sophie," I called. She was so lost in her thoughts that even though my voice echoed through the nearly empty hall she didn't hear me.
"Sophis," I called even louder, a touch of panic in my voice.
She turned then, and I stopped in my tracks.
My God, she looked devastated. Her face was pale and pinched, and her eyes were red and swollen. Of course, I knew she'd had her doubts; I saw it once or twice in her eyes when they'd argued, but she had never shared them or complained.
"Bastard," I muttered as I squatted in front of her and held the sides of her arms.
She shook her head. "Don't blame him. He's having a hard time. He's just lost his mom. I understand, I do, it's really hard for him. They were so close…"
She could say whatever she wanted, but as I watched my twin, the person I loved most in the world, look so dejected and sit in front of me, as though everything she was had been sucked out of her, I couldn't help but feel hurt and furious at the same time.
Somehow, I managed to compose myself and rein in my emotions so that I could show up for her as she needed, not as I wanted.
"What happened?" I asked.
She managed a trembling smile. "You had your presentation today, right? How was it?"
"Are you kidding me?" I asked incredulously. "You're talking about that now?"
She wiped away tears from the corners of her eyes to prevent them from falling. "I don't want to talk about it yet. I don't know how to even get up from this chair. I don't know how to survive the next second, so I've just been sitting here…"
"Did he give you a reason?" I asked.
She inhaled deeply and released it slowly. "He did, but it made no sense. I mean... it did, but it's not enough. I can't accept it. We've been together too long."
She shook her head. "I love him and I hate him at the same time."
My brows furrowed at this. I truly didn't want to rush her. I just wanted to be here to listen, so she could speak as slowly as she wanted. However, I truly wanted to get something out of the way.
"He didn't cheat on you, right?"
She lifted her gaze to look at me blankly. "I don't know."
My face immediately darkened. "Do you suspect it?"
"I have no clue," she said. "But I don't think so. I just think he's a bit sad and lost. He's lost the only parent he had."
She paused again.
