Page 36 of Merry Mix-Up

I couldn't promise her I wouldn't leave, but I did meander toward the fridge as they crated the dress into her bedroom and shut the door. As I cracked a beer open, I thought about the interaction. It was Amber, the same dark hair, full, pouty lips, stormy eyes. But she seemed indifferent and absent, not the least bit interested in me, or even nervous. It felt like she was a sociopath or something, unable to feel the emotion she should have been feeling, which was remorse or guilt.

Sitting on a chair and slurping the beer down, I listened to the interaction behind doors. At first it sounded a bit heated,though I couldn't make out any of the words they were saying. I was curious and wanted to eavesdrop, but I stayed planted on the chair. If I heard something that upset me, I'd just lose my cool and my ability to be here for Naomi. She asked me to stay and I would, so long as Amber kept her focus on my sister and didn't try to talk to me.

Then I heard laughter and joking. A bit of squealing seeped out of the room and frustrated me. Whatever Amber was telling her had shifted her mood entirely. Naomi was sounding like herself again, and it meant things were going forward as she originally planned, except I still had no intention of doing it. I couldn’t walk that woman down any aisle, even if it was just in support of my sister. I stood and dropped the beer bottle in the trash on my way to the door, but the bedroom popped open and Amber walked out.

"Newt, can we talk?" Even her voice sounded different, the way she enunciated my name.

I closed my eyes for a second and then opened them slowly and sighed. I was hoping to just leave town and not have to have this discussion—or argument. That was yet to be determined.

"You have five minutes," I said coldly as I walked toward my coat. She was lucky I was even giving her this much attention. I should have left and not even cared to listen to their makeup session.

"Newt, I need to explain something to you, and I'm not sure if you're going to fully understand, but I’m not who you think I am."

I rolled my eyes but my back was to her, so I knew she didn't see me. "You knew the entire time I was sleeping with you and we were sneaking around that my ex cheated on me." I turned and slid my coat on my arms and up over my shoulders. She had a look of sympathy but not of remorse, which only infuriated me. I wanted her out of my face.

"Newt, please let me explain." She stood between me and the door, and I wasn't about to just put my hands on her the way that douchebag had done the other day. I was a gentleman.

"Please move."

"Newt, you're right." Her confession stopped me in my tracks even as I tried to walk around her. I stopped and caught her gaze. "I did know your ex cheated on you. Naomi told me several times over the years how hurt you were. She worries about you."

"Then how could you?—"

"Stop. Please." Her tone was firm and pleading, and her eyes offered only compassion, still not the remorse she should have had. I stood still but I looked away. I couldn’t bear to look at her one more second. "I knew that, but Jade didn't."

Jade? What did her sister have to do with any of this? She was a hermit, isolating herself from everyone this whole time. She wasn't so close with Naomi that she got to be a part of the wedding, and if it weren't for the dress shop having nothing my sister liked, Jade wouldn't have been involved at all.

I didn't even want to hear Amber talking, but now I was curious what her excuse would be, so I said, "Go on."

"Okay, this is probably going to upset you, but I need you to hear me out." Amber sighed and continued. "I was so swamped with my finals and my thesis that I didn't have time to be a part of Naomi's plans. I didn't want to let her down because I care too much about her, but I just couldn’t come home. I made Jade promise to pretend to be me this whole time. You've been hanging out with my twin, not me."

"That's insane. I don't believe you." My throat constricted, and I forced myself to look at her again. I could see she really believed this spiel, and that was probably why Naomi was laughing. She thought this was funny, some prank they played, while she was really just lying to me.

"I don't expect you to take my word for it. I just want you to talk to Jade. She's really hurting." Amber pressed her lips into a thin line.

"But she has rainbow hair and?—"

"Hair dye and makeup, Newt. This isn't the first time we've done a twin swap…"

The words "Merry Mix-Up" stuck in my head. I stared at her feeling even more gutted than before. I dropped her off at her mother's house calling her Amber and even her mother corrected that. She called the woman I went sledding with Jade and I never thought twice. "But…" I muttered, and Amber, or Jade, or whoever the hell I was speaking with, touched my hand.

"I promise you, if you can believe what I'm saying and move past this, there is a woman who is feeling wretched and hating herself, and she loves you so much."

I backed away and barked, "Get out of my way." And without even stopping to say goodbye to my sister, I stormed out. It was too much. My brain was on overload. Why the hell would anyone do something like that to another person? Did they not think anyone would find out?

I stomped to the truck and slammed the door, then started it up and squealed my tires pulling out. It felt like one slap after another, and now I didn't even know what to think. If I believed that, then I had completely overreacted, but it was still an affront. Jade? I was seeing the wild child? I fell in love with the rainbow-haired one?

And I still loved her even though I was so furious. There was just no way I could ever trust any of this. I had to be alone for a while and think.

25

JADE

December 22

It was dark outside again, but I was thankful it wasn't snowing again. No snow was forecast between now and Christmas, but it would still be white. Temps were forecast to be below freezing through New Year's. I sat in my living room hunched over my design desk with a few designs spread out on it. They were spring formals I hoped to piece together and put in a local shop for local promgoers, but my mind wasn't able to focus on them.

The chill just outside the window in front of me left frost on the glass and ice in my heart. Newt had refused all phone calls or messages from me since Friday morning, and I didn't blame him. Even when Amber got home, he hadn't responded. I thought Amber would have somehow gotten through to him, but he remained uncommunicative, even after Naomi had forgiven Amber and they were happy as clams again.

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