Page 44 of Left on Read

“That’s interesting. Is it just things like birthmarks?”

“Nope. He’s right-handed, and I’m a lefty. And there’s lots of other little things too. People always say we’re opposites, but we feel like we’re one person who was put in two bodies.” He shot me a quick look. “I know it sounds really weird when I say it like that, but that’s what I mean when I say he’s my other half. That’s why we’ve never had any sort of sibling or twin rivalry. Why we’ve always been best friends.”

“You don’t need to explain it,” I said, hating how his tone had changed from conversational to hesitant. “I’m not a twin, but I’ve taught a lot of twins and have been friends with twins. I’ve seen the connection you’re talking about. Not in all of them, obviously. My second year of teaching, I had a set of identical twins in my class who hated each other. Like truly hated each other.”

“I’m guessing they were opposites too?”

I nodded. “In pretty much every way.”

“Did you ever meet their parents?”

“A few times for parent-teacher interviews.”

“Let me guess. One was outgoing and popular and probably an athlete or really accomplished academically, and the other wasn’t?”

“Yeah.” I turned to study River’s profile as he drove.

“And the parents were only ever concerned about the quiet one, and the other one was the golden child?”

“Exactly that.”

“That’s what happens when parents try to force their twins to be the same person. When they decide that one of them is doing things the right way and try to shame the other to be that person too.”

“Did your parents do that?” I asked.

His posture was stiff, and his jaw worked as he concentrated on the road.

“They tried to. Our parents weren’t bad people or bad parents. They just fell into that trap and really pushed the twins thing. We were dressed the same, shared a room even when we didn’t have to, had the same friends, and were signed up for the same extracurriculars. If one of us did it, the other did too. We didn’t mind because we didn’t want to be separated, but they did the shaming thing to me.

“It was always ‘why can’t you be more like your brother’ or some version of that. I’m lucky Zane never bought into that golden child bullshit. He never let me feel like I was less or like I needed to be like him.”

“That’s really sad. My parents did that kind of stuff too. Still do.”

He flicked his gaze to me.

“My siblings are all older than me. A lot older.”

“How many siblings do you have?”

“Three. Two sisters and a brother. They were planned. I was not.”

He nodded in understanding.

“I’m kind of the oddball of the family. They’re all outgoing and accomplished. All three were top students and did all the right extracurriculars. My brother was an all-American running back. My middle sister was student body president and valedictorian, and my youngest sister was the editor of the school paper and had the lead role in the school play four years in a row.

“I got good grades, but I didn’t do any of that other stuff, so everyone pretty much ignored me as long as I didn’t get into trouble.

“I spent my entire childhood being compared to my siblings and hearing how people can’t believe we’re related. My family still jokes that I was either switched at birth or I’m some sort of changeling because I’m so different.”

“What?” River shot me a horrified look. “Seriously?”

I nodded, feeling a bit vindicated at his reaction. Most people I told this too either laughed or brushed off my hurt feelings and said it was normal family teasing.

“Yeah. That didn’t make me feel great growing up. My parents never really paid attention to me unless it was to tell me I needed to be more like my siblings. The golden child thing really sucks when it’s not just one of your siblings, but all of them.”

“I’m sorry. That’s not okay. No one deserves to feel like they don’t fit in with their family just because they’re different.” He reached over and squeezed my thigh.

The touch was probably supposed to be comforting, but it set my nerves on fire and made my stomach clench with arousal.

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