Page 89 of Perfect Alpha

I chuckle. “I won’t be very good company, guys.”

“We don’t care,” they say in unison. Their voices are identical, so it’s like one person is shouting.

After all these years, I can tell them apart without question. But many people still have trouble, which amuses them to no end. They’re always pretending to be the other twin, which is a game that will apparently never get lame no matter how old they get.

“Yeah, sure, okay,” I agree, knowing that I shouldn’t isolate myself even though it’s exactly what I want.

Well, except for Victory – I always want to be near her.

After I told her the truth, she’s sticking hard to the “I need space to think” script, even though both love and attraction burn hotly between us.

I’m not taking it well, especially with her constant presence allowing us to slip back into our couple rhythm. The comfort and familiarity of being with her has me dreaming even harder about forever. I want her here with me as my girl, but Victory isn’t ready for that step.

And there’s no guarantee she ever will be.

She appears just as I’m disconnecting the call with the twins.

“Bobby and Gavin are coming over,” I inform her tightly, already acting annoyed even though she hasn’t done anything wrong.

She nods, and I’m thinking about how to tell her that she should leave now, even though that’s not what I want at all. I just want to find out if shewillleave.

Aidan is at a sleepover because I’m trying to give him as much normalcy as possible, and my dad is staying with the Grangers. The house is eerily quiet, and I hate it.

“I’ll head home to visit with my parents so you can have a guys’ night,” Victory suggests.

I’m unreasonably irritated that she read my mind, and I run a hand through my hair in exasperation. “Of course. Why wouldn’t you leave?”

“Okay, then I’ll stay. It’s been a while since I’ve hung out with the twins, anyway. Do you want me to make dinner?”

“You should just go,” I mutter sullenly.

Her patient smile only further inflames my frustration that makes no sense. “Does it ever get tiring, Cade? Constantly testing people?”

“That’s not what I’m doing,” I snap.

She nods, “Okay. Then I’ll go.” My jaw trembles and I clench it to hold back unwelcome tears. “I’ll stop by later to remind you to take your painkillers. And I know you don’t want to sleep in the house alone, so I’ll crash on the couch.”

Neither of us can bear the thought of opening Hannah’s door. I want everything preserved exactly as she left it, but I also can’t stand the thought of taking a look inside.

“You deserve some alone time with your boys,” Victory continues.

“You don’t need to sleep here or come back,” I retort. “I’m a grown man, and I can remember to take pills. Besides, I’m perfectly capable of sleeping alone in a house.”

A cold, dead, and empty house. I fucking hate it here more and more each day.

It’s time to move.

Aidan and I need a fresh start somewhere that memories of Hannah don’t haunt every step. The constant reminders of my sister and the life that she should be living continually pierce my heart.

Victory faces my irrational anger head-on and steps between my spread knees. She sits on my thigh, and my arm instinctively wraps around her tiny waist.

“It’s okay,” she whispers.

Tears pour down my cheeks, and there’s nothing I can do to stop them. She hugs me, and it’s such sweet relief.

“I won’t leave you,” she whispers, “no matter what you do to try and make me. I won’t. You’re worth being here for, even when you’re a grumpy jerk.”

My laugh is more of a sob. “Thank you.”

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