I bend over and clutch my stomach, the sudden urge to puke rising in my throat.
Oh, my God, I moan in my head, unable to believe someone is so capable of something so sinister.
“I see you’ve found my little secret.”
I look up at the dark voice and freeze when I see Theo standing at the corner of the bed. He looks terrible. His hair is unkempt and dirty, his eyes are red, his face is pale, and it’s apparent he hasn’t shaved in days. I glance quickly at his balled hands before moving my eyes back to his face. There’s a slight twitch at the corner of his left eye.
“Wh-what are you doing here?” My voice is dry and cracked from crying.
A slow smile appears on his face and it scares the crap out of me, because it’s not a nice one. It’s full of menace.
“I’ve been hoping you would show up here. I’ve been across the street at a friend’s house, quietly watching.”
I grip the paper on my lap and hold it up. “How is this possible?” I ask shakily.
He throws back his head and laughs manically. When he looks back at me, his face is red from his mirth.
“It was easy actually.” He takes a step forward, and I shrink back against the nightstand behind me. “You can find almost any document online if you look hard enough.”
“But you showed me pictures of us together. Pictures that are the same in this box, but different.”
His smile grows, revealing his teeth. “Luca’s good at drawing and tattooing. I’m good at computer shit.” He shrugs. “It was simple to alter those pictures to what I needed them to show. You with me, instead of him.” He spits the last word out loathingly.
I swallow past the lump in my throat. “But why?”
The grin fades from his face and his eyes turn hard, mean, evil. “Because I fucking saw you first. You were mine. But then you had to walk in that fucking tattoo shop and ruin everything.”
I remember Luca telling me about his dream of Nicole and me coming into the tattoo shop. A sudden image of a pair of light blue eyes come to mind and the feeling of being mesmerized by them. It’s only the eyes I see, but somehow, I know they’re Luca’s and not Theo’s.
I look back at Theo and see he’s moved even closer. Fear has my muscles bunching together.
“I don’t understand. Why would me going into his tattoo shop ruin everything?”
“Because the bastard took one look at you and wanted you for himself,” he spits out. “You want the truth so bad? Let me tell you a little story.”
I can practically see the rage radiating off him and it makes me very nervous. I’ve felt what Theo can do when he’s angry, but something tells me I haven’t felt the worst of what he’s capable of.
“It’s true that you came into my shop when the ones across town couldn’t fit you in. It wasn’t me though that spoke with you. It was Ernie, my boss. I was taking care of a customer when you walked in and left before I got a chance to meet you. I had planned to ask you out when you came back to get your car, but the next day, you met Luca. A couple of days later, he came with you to get your car from the shop, and that’s how I met you. Hanging on Luca’s fucking arm. You two only knew each other two fucking days and you were already gushing all over him. It made me fucking sick to see. You were mine, goddammit.”
I flinch at his harsh tone. He notices, and the creepy smile comes back when he continues.
“I tried seducing you away from him, but you were so hung up on Luca, you couldn’t see me past him. You went to him and he stormed my house and beat the shit out of me. His own damn twin, over a fucking girl. It still didn’t stop me though. You were still mine, you just hadn’t accepted it yet, but I knew you would eventually. I followed you. I took pictures of you. Every single fucking time I saw you two together, I wanted to kill him.”
His eyes turn to angry slits and my fear morphs into terror, because I know this encounter is not going to end well for me. The man is clearly deranged.
“Then I found out you and he got married and planned to leave Silver Hill. I couldn’t let that happen. I went to your house to try one more time, but again, you rejected me. I found you packing, waiting for him to come get you. Since you wouldn’t give me what I wanted”—He bends at the waist and shouts his next words—“I fucking took it.”
Nausea rolls violently in my stomach, and I gag. Luckily nothing comes up. A pair of evil eyes from my dream the other night flash in my mind, and I recoil. The pain and fear my dream self felt roll in me. I’m not sure how much more I can take of what Theo’s telling me before I lose it. Unfortunately, he’s not done.
“Mmm…,” he moans. “Even though he had you before me, it felt so fucking good to finally have your tight pussy wrapped around my cock. It was the best I ever had. I had every intention of taking you with me, but finally knowing what you felt like solidified my decision.” His head tips to the side as he regards me. “Do you remember me shoving my cock inside you, Jules? How much it hurt? Do you remember fighting me, only to be held down and forced to take every inch? I laughed in your face when you begged me to stop then started crying for my brother to save you. It was my punishment to you for choosing him over me. I would have been gentle with you, would have worshipped you, given you so much more than he ever could, but you fucked that up the first time you let Luca touch you. I wanted it to hurt and I made sure of it.”
This time I can’t stop the vomit from leaving my lips. I bend to the side and expel the food in my stomach. I heave and heave and heave until there’s nothing left. My throat is raw, and tears run a constant stream down my face. I feel like my head is going to explode at any minute.
“That’s fucking disgusting,” he snarls.
I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand and drag my gaze back to him, my breathing coming out in heavy puffs. His expression shows distaste, as if me throwing up on his floor is so much worse than what he’s done to me and Luca.
“What in the hell is wrong with you?” I cry. “What kind of sick person does that to people?”
He shrugs. “The kind that goes after what he wants and doesn’t let anything get in his way.”
“Why didn’t my doctors tell me about my attack when I woke up? It has to be in my medical records.”
A creepy smile slides across his lips. “I told them not to tell you. I wanted to be the one because I just knew it would upset you. The doctor agreed that it may be too much for you to handle, and we should let the memories come back on their own, or I tell you in private later on. Just another piece of the puzzle that worked in my favor.”
“And my parents?” I ask hoarsely. “They never knew I was in a coma, did they?”
Another crazed laugh falls from his lips. “Fucking awesome, right? Them kicking you to the curb when you told them you and Luca got married played in perfectly with my plans. They thought you and Luca left as you told them you were going to, so they never looked for you. Poor fucking rich bastards never knew you were only fifteen miles from them the whole time.”
My stomach heaves with pain. “Why give me a fake number?”
“It was just another way to punish you. Seeing the pain on your face when you thought they were rejecting you was priceless.”
“How—” I start then stop when the word comes out a croak. I clear my scratchy throat. I don’t know why I’m still asking questions. I know all I need to know. I know my life for over seven years has been a sick lie. I know Luca unknowingly has suffered just as much as me. And I know the man before me won’t stop for anything to get what he wants, even without his words from a moment ago telling me. Tears track down my cheeks as I look up at him. “How could you hate me so much? How could you hate your brother so much? He’s your family.”