Lexie pulled herself together and stood up straight. “I have a twin.” She cleared her throat.
“What?” Kade spun to face her.
“I have a twin.” She spoke louder. “And I know this looks bad on so many levels, but she’s sick. I can’t explain now but I will. I just have to talk to her first.” She had to find out what was going on and whether Kendall was a willing participant in Julian’s scheme, or if she was being used as well.
Then, once Kade calmed down, she’d have to convince him not to press charges against her twin. She turned and headed for the exit, opened the door and ran out.
Ignoring the stares of the other employees as she passed, she headed for the elevator and took it downstairs.
She couldn’t bring herself to think about the relationship she’d finally allowed herself to have and how it had just crumbled around her. Nor could she begin to process how cruel and mean Kade had been to her, the things he’d thought her capable of. And he’d had good reason to believe them. She couldn’t even call his assumptions unreasonable or overreactions.
God, when would her twin stop messing up the things in her life that meant something to her? When Lexie stopped letting her, a small voice inside her said. Lexie understood, but she just wasn’t sure she knew how to cut the tie that bound them and let Kendall flounder on her own. And once again, that meant giving up her wants and desires in favor of taking care of her sister.
* * *
Kade stared at the door Lexie had just run through, stunned by her words. “A twin? A fucking twin?” he asked, feeling as though he had whiplash.
Derek spread his hands in front of him. “I didn’t know, man. But what are you doing? Go after her.”
Since Kade obviously wasn’t capable of thinking for himself, he listened to his best friend and took off after Lexie. He caught up with her downstairs, as she attempted to hail a cab, but because it was still morning rush hour, fate was on Kade’s side and they were all full.
“Lexie, wait.”
She must have heard his voice because she stilled.
“Lexie.”
Slowly, she turned, and the look on her face absolutely gutted him. Pain was evident in her sad eyes and hurt showed in her expression.
“What is it?” she asked. “Because I need to talk to my sister and figure out what’s going on. I’ll get your watch back somehow and make things right. Just please, please don’t call the police?” she asked, begging him on her twin’s behalf.
She obviously didn’t know why her sister had stolen his watch or how she’d come to be with Julian, but she was going to protect her with every fiber of her being. A big part of Kade admired her for her loyalty in the face of pretty damning evidence. Because at one time he’d had a younger brother who was like a twin to him. One he’d have done anything for.
He exhaled hard. “I’m not calling the police. I just think we should talk too.” There was so much he didn’t know or understand, and he couldn’t just let her go with the ugly words he’d said hanging between them.
“But Kendall—”
He assumed that was her sister’s name. “You can talk to her later. Nothing is going to change between now and then. Please.” He dug deep for that last word.
Despite now knowing Lexie hadn’t betrayed him, he’d spent twenty-four hours thinking she had. And it had been too damned easy for him to believe the worst. He needed to figure out what that said about himself, that he was willing to throw her out without listening to an explanation after the things they’d shared. But first he needed the whole story.
She blew out a long breath. “Okay. I owe you a conversation, at the very least.”
He didn’t want her here because she owed him, but the truth was he didn’t know what he needed or wanted besides an explanation.
They started to walk. “I told you about my mother’s depression,” she said.
“Yes. And you did mention that you had a sister. You just never said twin.”
He glanced her way, but she’d dipped her head, and when she spoke, it was low and difficult to hear. “Sometimes I just want to forget, you know? I want to pretend that my life is normal, that I can have friends and a serious relationship without having to drop everything at a moment’s notice because Kendall is bipolar and spiraling out of control. I know better, of course, and today proved it. But for the short time I knew I’d have with you, I wanted it to be about just … us.”
Without thought, he reached over and grabbed her hand, needing to feel her, to be closer, to show her he understood.
“When we got together, I told you my life was complicated and I wasn’t looking for anything serious. She’s why.”
They reached a corner and stopped, waiting for the red light to change to green before crossing and continuing on. They passed people walking dogs, vendors selling pretzels, bagels, and soft-drinks, and life went on as normal in the busy city. Except Kade didn’t feel normal anymore.
Everything had done a one-eighty, and given how much he detested change, his insides were churning and panic was setting in. When this was over, losing her was a very real possibility, and that wasn’t something he was ready to deal with.