Page 35 of The Moment

“Wasn’t an ejection either.” Mac pulls a stool out and straddles the thing like he isn’t pushing every one of his brother’s buttons. I can see the flush rise on Rex’s chest as anger sets in, but he doesn’t push any further. He just shrugs. The silence stretches as Mac chomps on his fruit and Rex just goes about making food.

“What the fuck?” I can’t help it. It’s out before I can stop the words from tumbling from my lips as my gaze swings between the two brothers. “Why would you keep hanging out?” I turn my anger and confusion on Mac first, despite knowing that I have literally no place to speak on the matter. I just met his brother and I don’t know either of them that well, but here I am, now pointing an exasperated finger at Rex when I get no answer from Mac. “And why the fuck aren’t you doing anything about it?”

“Cuz it’s what we do, lady,” Mac answers, unbothered by my outburst, but his words only bring more confusion.

What the fuck have I gotten myself into?

“Look,” I turn to Rex who watches on with amusement sparkling that only makes me angrier. “If this is some sort of freaky twin sex thing, I’m not interested.” I start backing away to collect my things. “I mean, he is hot and all, but no thanks.” I’m preparing to get the fuck out of dodge. “This is why we can’t have nice shit.” I knew better than to do this shit and here I am anyways.

Good going, Ari.

“Whoa, no.” Rex rushes around the bar, meeting me in the middle of the living space and pulling me to a stop. “No weird twin sex thing, babe.”

“This is weird.” Is all I can muster as Rex palms my shoulders. He rubs my biceps in an attempt to console me but nods in understanding.

“I can see where it might be weird. We just …” he shrugs as he thinks of the words. “We’ve lived a different life than most.” Satisfied with his choice of explanation, he continues. “Being a twin means sharing everything because the other one is going to know anyways. So we’ve never shied away from it.”

“We just embrace it.” I turn to see Mac has joined us, his ass planted back on the couch with that stupid apple and a kneepulled up to his chest. He nods to me, but his gaze drifts to his brother. “She doesn’t know?”

“Know what?” They share a look between the two. One that reminds me of the girls. “And what do you mean by share everything?”

Oh, shit! I haven’t checked in with them!

The thought slams me like the ton of bricks that it is and has me pulling away from the conversation.

“How close we are.” Mac amends, but I’m not listening to them anymore. I push away from Rex in search of my phone as panic begins settling in. There’s probably already a search party on its way with my name all over it.

“Oh, God. How could I be so reckless?” I search the main area, dash back into the bedroom, and tear the bed apart looking for the device, but it’s eluding me. Rex emerges in the open doorway as I toss the last pillow back on the bed and dash back out into the main area past him. Maybe I missed it in my frenzied search the first time.

“You looking for this?” Mac holds up a phone from his seat on the couch, the thing pinched between his thumb and forefinger as he waves it about. I dive across the room and snag it from him to unlock and observe the damage. “It was going nuts when Ian brought it up. So I answered.”

I wade through the missed calls and messages as he speaks, but his words sink in when I go to dial one of the two.

“You answered my phone?” I furrow a brow at him as some of the messages begin to make more sense. Things like how hot the dude sounds …

“Yeah, your sister was calling and wouldn’t stop.” He shrugs like he didn’t just save my life. “So I answered and let them listen to you ‘get it’ from my brother.” He air quotes and I’m disgusted so I throw a nearby pillow at his face. It does nothing but incitelaughter, deep and gravely from him, but I still feel like I won that round.

“Can we have breakfast now? I’m starved.” Mac tucks the pillow behind his head and kicks his feet up like he’s planning to hang around. I roll my eyes but flop down next to him and send a quick message to the group chat

Me: I’m alive. Yes, there’s a brother. Just one, though.

Me: I didn’t make the flight home. I’ll figure that out later.

Me: It’s breakfast time.

What in the hell have I gotten myself into?

15

REX

Omelets are served, Aria’s an everything kinda girl which I’m kinda fucking loving. She eats all the veggies and cheeses and meats— except for mushrooms. Mac eats his normal plain-ass shit as I doctor mine up to be more filling than most breakfast food.

She’s more adventurous than me when it comes to a lot, considering she’s sitting in a room with half a rock band and doesn’t even know it. She’s been exposed to so much over the last few hours— the relentless teasing between my brother and me enough to drive anyone mad— and I still feel like a normal human with her. Aria hasn’t freaked, recognized either of us, or demanded shit to keep our secret safe.

Even Mac has given up trying to stump her as she sits in my lap on my couch and plays him in some stupid card game that he made up. My hand on her bare thigh—yeah, that’s right, she’s still wearing only my band’s shirt and I’ve had to hide about ten boners—she leans forward to lay a card on the center cushion, my twin on the other side of the couch. He matches her as I lean in to whisper in her ear how hot she is.

She smiles and turns to wink at me but focuses back on the game.

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