So I really, really, have no clue how to act, aside from letting a panic attack take hold of me and make a fool out of myself.
And that’s just absurd. They’re not scary…I don’t think. Because while Elsa is sitting beside me wearing a soft smile and still watching me with a gleam of curiosity, Teal is standing right across from me, slowly tapping her foot on the floor.
“Why are you with my brother? Do you like him?” she asks out of the blue, no introductions whatsoever.
“I…I’m…” How the hell am I supposed to answer that question when my brain hasn’t even accepted their presence?
Elsa touches my shoulder as if to bring my attention to her. “What she meant to say is, we haven’t seen Knox with the same girl for more than a couple of days since…well, ever. So imagine our surprise when she overheard Daniel’s phone call with Ronan, in which he said that Knox wouldn’t even let him touch you.”
“You know Daniel?” I ask, almost whispering.
“Of course. We’ve belonged to the same group of friends since secondary school. Which is more important now since we can bribe him for information about Knox. That brother of ours tends to be a tad bit too secretive and we always worry about him.”
“You don’t have to. He’s doing really well for someone his age.”
“Work-wise, you mean,” Teal says.
“Uh…yeah.”
“Come on, Teal. It’s not only related to work. He has Jane, too, now, right?”
“I don’t think…that’s the case…” I try to argue. How do I explain that our arrangement is purely sexual when I don’t want to believe that anymore?
“She’s hiding something,” Teal cuts me off in her no-nonsense tone. I think she normally sounds like Knox when he doesn’t bother to wear a mask. “I don’t like it.”
“We all hide secrets, Teal,” Elsa says in a smooth voice.
“Not like her.” Her dark eyes fixate on me. “You’re dangerous.”
I gulp. Did she figure all that out by just looking at me?
“Stop being paranoid. Besides, weren’t you the one who was wishing Knox would settle down so you wouldn’t have to worry about him all the time?”
Teal clears her throat. “I didn’t say that.”
“Not those exact words, but you definitely did.” Elsa smiles at me. “I like Jane.”
You shouldn’t, I want to say.
You really, really, really shouldn’t.
Because Teal is right. I am dangerous. So freaking dangerous, I might end up hurting Knox myself.
And when I do, I’m going to hurt these women, too.
The sisters who worry about their brother, who want to see him do well, who come on an impromptu visit because they suspect something is wrong.
I don’t deserve Elsa’s trust.
I don’t even deserve Knox’s care.
Because I know, I just know that I’ll shatter both to pieces.
I’ll hurt them.
That’s what happens to people in my vicinity. They get hurt. Badly.
Most of the time, they die.
Like my mom.
29
KNOX
“I’m not doing this.”
I throw away the vegetables I’m supposed to be preparing, but Dad catches them before they reach the sink, then pushes them against my chest. “Keep cutting if you want to eat tonight.”
“We can just order something.” I’m in in no mood to cook, because not only was I ambushed by my family out of nowhere, but Elsa and Teal have been with Anastasia for exactly twenty-three minutes and fifty-four seconds, talking about fuck knows what.
Maybe my twin sister is bringing up the psycho side of both of us and telling her what an absolute arse I am.
Maybe they’re hurting her.
A strong hand clutches me by the shoulder, swinging my attention to the present. “Relax, it’s going fine.”
He’s smiling and has the audacity to be all relaxed. Though this is in fact his usual mood.
Ethan Steel might own a large corporation, but he doesn’t show his business beast side in front of us.
I don’t remember the last time I saw him mad, and when he is, it’s usually because of his children—us.
“You don’t have the right to say that when you brought them here without telling me. This is a low blow and I’m officially not giving you a present on Dad’s day.”
“First of all, I can’t take sides with you. That’s a sure way to start a war. Second of all, if I don’t get my present, I’ll just bring them both back here again.”