Page 9 of Falling Double: The Mating Grounds

As they scramble to separate, I shoot him a wink and try to communicate to him with my eyes that we will be debriefing later. My awkward little dude is making moves!

As we retreat and leave them to their business, I realize we are getting left behind in the love department, all holed up together, not socializing much. It gnaws on me, and I hate that I even have to think about trying to get to know people and leaving Imani to fend for herself at some point. She’s so tenderhearted. This whole thing with Reid was over a weeklong crush! What happens if she really commits to someone and they change their mind or are playing the field? She would feel devastated. And I’d have to play it cool like my heart wasn’t breaking for her, with her, about her.

Ugh.

Later on, I approach Dominique while Imani is taking a shower.

“Look, we can’t keep doing this, or we are going to end up being assigned to someone at the end of the year. I mean, do you have any prospects you’re working on? Does she? I sure as hell don’t.”

“I know, I know. As much as I tried to talk her down when this whole infatuation with Reid thing kicked off, I didn’t see it turning out this bad. She’s hurt. She’s lonely, seeing people pair off and knowing she tried to shoot her shot for the first time and missed. You know, this is like the first guy she’s ever really liked, besides you, Parks.”

“She’s never liked me like that. It’s not the same,” I say, pulling a hand down over my face in frustration.

Dominique catches my arm and looks me straight in the eyes. “Maybe, but you’re the only proper relationship she’s had other than family. She bases all her expectations of men’s behavior on you.”

“Gods. No pressure or anything…”

“I mean, it’s truly lovely, the friendship you have, but she just doesn’t understand that not all men are going to be as gentle with her feelings as you are.”

“Well, maybe they should be.”

Dominique

Parker is right. Parker is right.

We need to get a move on and help Imani, and ourselves, by getting out in the house and actually doing this whole Cria thing—really trying to find a life partner that we can love. Or at the very least, don’t hate. I can’t let my protective nature and my sweet sister be the reason we all get assigned to randos at the end of the year. I mean, how awful would it be for her to be assigned to Reid or some shit? The horror, truly. I cannot let her life be fucked with like that.

I finally decide to confront Reid and tell him that he was a piece of shit for jerking her around like that. And then, ideally, ask him nicely if we can all pretend it never happened, so we can all move on and move about the house normally again.

I move through the house with purpose, striding quickly through the rooms, looking for his head of luscious blond hair. I check in the bunk room; no luck. I check in the Derde and Afraad bedrooms; no luck. I check outside; no luck, and as I circle around back, I hear his and Leo’s voices and finally find him on the deck off the dining room.

“Hey. Leo, do you mind if I chat with Reid for a moment?”

“Sure thing. Enjoy!” he says, giving Reid an expectant look and walking inside.

“What was that about?” I ask.

“Oh, nothing. Just Leo being an ass,” he says as he makes room for me on the wooden bench.

“Okay, well, whatever.” I sit down and cross my legs up under me, getting comfortable. “We need to talk about the whole Imani situation. This can’t go on. This awkwardness and us all avoiding each other. It’s too small of a space for four people to keep from running into each other.” I pause, waiting for him to speak.

“I’m not avoiding any of you,” he replies. “I just thought you didn’t like me.”

“Well, I don’t like that you hurt my sister’s feelings—What the fuck was that, by the way?—But I don’t generally have a problem with you.”

“Oh. Well, that’s good. I mean, that’s nice to hear,” he says, his voice stilted. “I didn’t even know I had given her that impression until she yelled at me about stringing her along. Honestly, I was not trying to cause a problem. Least of all with you two.”

“You said she piqued your interest! Of course she took that and ran with it. The pressure here is intense, and she’s been sheltered! How did you think she was going to take that?!” I exclaim, shocked at his ignorance of how the female mind works.

“I never said that.” He looks confused, then uneasy. “I have only been interested in one person since we got here, and I told Leo, not Imani, who it was. But it wasn’t her I was talking about.”

He avoids eye contact with me, and I have a moment of clarity. Oh shit.

“You did not. Please tell me you did not get us mixed up. That is so goddamn trite, it’s insane.” I lean back on my hands and take a deep breath, ready to breathe fire on this motherfucker if he fell for the oldest identical twin nonsense in the book.

“You’re identical! Parker didn’t point out which of you was which when he made introductions! It was the first day!” he confesses, looking like the most pathetic thing alive.

“Oh my god! You didn’t!? We aren’t anything alike!” I yell, rising to my feet and standing over him, bristling in anger.

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