Page 9 of Totally Wrecked
He’s not wrong. Harvey may be a little shallow, but he doesn’t deserve to be treated so badly.
“What on earth was B-ah-...I mean, what was I thinking?” I mutter to myself.
Killian narrows his eyes at me. “I imagine you were thinking about your career, and your ambition to win this thing.”
He’s not wrong, I’m sure that was Brooke’s entire motivation to have a relationship with Harvey. But I hate that Killian thinks that’s the kind of person I am. This is all so confusing.
His frown deepens. “I’m sorry, that was rude,” Killian says. “Brooke, I have to say, you don’t seem yourself. What’s going on?”
I feel my eyes filling with tears again and quickly blink them back and look around the dining room, at anything but Killian and his disappointed face. My shoulders slump.
“Hey,” says Killian. I reluctantly turn back and look at him. He looks deep into my eyes and I can feel myself turn red. “You can tell me. I’m here if you need a friend.”
“Thank you,” I say quietly. “That is truly the nicest thing anyone has said to me in ages.” I hope he can hear the sincerity in my voice—because it’s true.
What he apparently hears is my unhappiness.
“I would have thought you had loads of people saying nice things to you. I’m sorry you don’t.”
I’m sorry I don’t either. I live alone, and have no significant other. I wish I did, but it seems like love is not for me.
Ugh, my eyes are filling with tears again. Brooke would never act like this, but all around us are happy couples having a special night out. Or happy vacationing families, sunburned and smiling. That’s what I want.
I watch twin girls bicker over the remaining cherries on a sundae.
I let out a big sigh and my eyes slide up to Killian. The puzzled look on his face changes as he looks at the children and then back to me again.
“Oh shite,” he says. “You’re the twin!’
My mouth opens and shuts like a goldfish. And just like the aforementioned goldfish, I can’t formulate any words.
Killian is well named, because he’s Killian-ing me.
“Brooke told me she had an identical twin. She told me the night we boned in Alaska.”
Wait! What? This whole situation can get worse? Two seconds ago that seemed impossible. Should I try to keep up the act, bluff it out? My head is going to explode. I wonder if Brooke was sleeping with anyone else I don’t know about—Frances maybe? Whatever, I need to focus on the problem in hand.
“I don’t know what you mean…” I stutter hesitantly. As soon as I say the words, I regret them. I’m discombobulated to say the least. Killian is looking at me intensely, a strand of his long black hair falling over his eye. As he pushes it out of the way, I notice a ring on his pinky finger. It’s a woman’s ring.
“It’s alright,” he says, “you don’t have to pretend anymore. You’re in too deep, and you need a friend, don’t you?”
I just met him, but Killian saw right through me. This whole thing is completely impossible. I’ll have to just go find Frances and admit everything.
“OK. Yep, I’m the twin,” I say, opening my eyes and slowly dragging them up from the tablecloth and back on to Killian’s face.
He grins. “Hello, twin. This is a very strange day that I’m having.”
“You and me both,” I say.
This makes him laugh. “What is it the feck you are up to?” He has a smile on his face, but it’s kind. “No judgment over here. I’ve done some very fecking stupid stuff in my time.”
Sadness shadows his eyes for a moment.
Shoot, and Killian has just found out Brooke was sleeping with Harvey! What if he’s really into her, and now he’s devastated? Nothing to do but ‘fess up’, I guess.
I put out my hand and cover his. “I'm so sorry you had to learn about Brooke and Harvey like this. I feel terrible.”
Killian actually grins. “You eejit. Brooke and I were not serious at all. She was looking for… some sexual release and I was happy to oblige. We were feck-buddies for a night. It’s a little weird you're with Harvey, or rather she is with Harvey, but my feelings are not hurt, rest assured.”
