Page 76 of Reign

That plan is nearly derailed when I catch sight of a shadow in front of me and choke on a scream.

I fumble for the light switch, then release the gasp when I realize it’s Emma. “You scared the shit out of me,” I say. “I thought you were gone.”

Emma doesn’t shift or flinch at the sudden glare of light. That should’ve been my first clue. “I never left.”

My hand falls from the switch. “What are you doing standing here in the dark?”

“I left the lake house keys here. I came back to get them.”

“Then…” I check her empty hands, dangling near her sides. “Where are they?”

“I stopped mid-grab,” she answers tonelessly. “Since they were on our coffee table. Right near your door.”

Her lower lip trembles and she blinks rapidly against shining, welling eyes.

“Emma.” I don’t think I’ve ever seen her cry before, and I rush to her.

She pushes against my arms as soon as I raise them for comfort. “Get away from me!”

Stumbling back, I glance toward my shut door, conscious of Chase’s nearby presence. “Emma, what’s wrong? What can I do?”

“Were you really going to keep it from me?” she asks, her voice raw and broken.

I stall on the question of what she could be talking about, because I know. Oh God, I know.

Emma mistakes my frozen silence as an answer. “So you were. You and my brother weren’t going to tell me—” Her voice falters as she meets my eyes with the most crestfallen, depleted expression. “But he’s not my brother, is he?”

“Emma, I can explain.”

“No. You can’t. You were supposed to be my friend, Callie!”

“I am! I’ve only just learned the truth about your family.” Even as I say it, I’m aware of how terrible an excuse it is. My heart sinks. “I came out here to process it, to figure out what to do. I didn’t want to keep it from you any more than Chase would.”

“Don’t defend him.” Emma sneers, but she’s too heartbroken to give it any force. “How long has he known about this? How long has he known I’m an unwanted mistake?”

“That’s not true,” I whisper. “You’re not a—”

“Four days.”

The roughened voice comes from behind me, and I twist to Chase, hovering in my doorframe.

His dark stare rises from the floor to Emma. “I’ve known for four days.”

“And how long were you going to keep this to yourself? Wait—stupid me. You confided in Callie. She was more important than enlightening me, whose life has been fucked over for years! Years!” Emma cries. “And for so long I wondered why! Why was it always me being punished? Why didn’t Father ever compliment me for my good grades, or make our birthday parties equal instead of always defer to your preference for a theme? Why did you get the fancy car when you turned sixteen and failed your driving test when I passed? Why why why? And now I know.” Tears streak down Emma’s face, the rivulets curving and pooling against her scars. “Even when I was hurt, mutilated, raped, beaten, and lost, Father still wouldn’t come to me.”

“I did,” Chase cuts in, his voice a rasp as he peels from the doorframe and approaches his sister. “I cared. I was there for you. Good grades? I made sure you got the same credit as me and gave you half of whatever Father awarded. Birthdays? I made sure to choose some godawful theme that was neutral for both of us. Pirates and princesses, donuts and sprinkles, goddamned fairy dust and gun powder, whatever the fuck. And that fancy car? You can drive it whenever you want, use my things, stay in my room, sleep in my bed when you were too afraid of your shadow. But it’s not enough,” he adds as Emma opens her mouth to argue. “I’m aware it’ll never be enough, not after what you endured, what Father put you through—what he locked you in to change you back into a good, supplicant, docile Virtue. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry and that won’t change the truth, either, but Emma…” His lets out an explosive breath. “I didn’t want to keep hurting you. I kept this from you because I couldn’t be responsible for breaking you, too.”

“I’m not a doll who rips or shatters,” Emma says, her eyes on fire. “I’d prefer my real story over the hell my life has been any day. You don’t get to make that choice for me, Chase. Or Callie, for that matter, who should know what it’s like to be protected and shrouded when all you want to do is rebel.” She shifts her glare to me. “Yet the people closest to you, the ones who supposedly care about you the most, won’t let you.”

I step forward. “Emma, I—”

“No. You don’t get to change your ways now that I’ve discovered this secret before you were ready to ‘process’ it. This is my life. My choices. My family and friendships on the line. And you know what? I don’t need either of you.”

“Emma, wait,” I say.

“Waiting is the worst advice I can take,” she bites out. “Just look how far it’s gotten you.”

I reel back, but Chase storms forward. “Emma, sit down. I love you. I’ll always love you regardless of what blood is in your veins. You’re my sister. My twin.”

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