usually only watched TV in here if there was a hockey game on or I was watching a Star Wars–type flick, but it seemed like the most obvious place to hang out with Ariel. Other than the bedroom, of course, and even though we’d already done the deed, we weren’t there yet tonight.
At my age, I didn’t usually have to show restraint when it came to sex, but all the normal rules went out the window with Ariel. I don’t know how I’d gotten myself into this, but I didn’t want to get out of it either.
“Holy shit, who is this?” she asked, picking up a picture frame on the fireplace mantel.
“That’s me with my twin brother, Marcus.”
“You’re a twin?” she asked, turning to me and squinting slightly. “An identical twin?”
“I am.” I smiled. “He’s eight minutes older.”
“Where is he?”
“Limaj, I believe.” I hesitated. “He was in the Marines for a long time and went into the private sector when he got out. He’s part of the Royal Protectors, which is the special group of bodyguards to the royal family of Limaj. And that’s Casey’s family now that she married Erik.”
She stared at me suspiciously. “And?”
This was going to take a while to explain, so I sank onto the couch and held out a hand to her. She put down the picture frame and came over to me, taking my hand as she sank down next to me. “We’re not close,” I said after a minute.
“Why?”
“Long story.” I put my arm around her shoulder and looked over at her. Still the most beautiful woman I’d ever had the pleasure of spending time with. Or doing anything with, to be honest. Maybe I was swept up in the romance of it all, because in the back of my mind, I couldn’t help but wonder if I was nothing but a fun distraction on this rare opportunity she had to be away from her father. And frankly, all the women in my life used me as a distraction of one kind or another.
“Do you want to tell me?” She was watching my face intently.
“If you want to hear it.”
“I would.”
“Well, Marcus and I did everything together when we were growing up in New York. My dad’s a rabbi, and—”
“Your father is a rabbi?” She half-turned so she was almost facing me as we sat side-by-side. “Are you Jewish?”
I chuckled. “I’m mostly an atheist, though I do enjoy the traditions of being Jewish, more so than the religious aspects.”
“So Thompson is a stage name.”
“Tyler Andrew Rabinowicz.”
“Nice to meet you. Ariel Ann Fuchs.”
“You’re Jewish too?” I asked, unsure why I was as surprised as she’d been.
“I’m more of an agnostic, sitting on the fence wondering why God doesn’t come down and give me a sign, but yes, technically I’m Jewish.”
“Wow. I had no idea.”
“Same.”
We chuckled.
“Tell me about you and Marcus.”
“Remember talking about all the dumb shit we did when we were teenagers? This is the one I regret the most.” I took a breath. “We were in a band together in high school. Marcus plays drums. The plan was to join the Marines together when we graduated, but the closer we got, the less I wanted to do it. I wanted to play music, and while I was down with the idea of serving my country, I didn’t want to have to give up music to do it.”
She’d tucked her legs under her and was sitting cross-legged on the couch now, facing me, her eyes fastened on mine as if nothing was more important to her than me, which was really fucking cool.
“So senior year, we got this gig opening for a brand-new band called Viktim of Prey, which was Casey’s first band, and it was a huge deal that we got to open for them in New Jersey.” I paused, mentally cringing even after fifteen years. “The gig had gone great, and a few weeks later, I got a call from their manager. They wanted our band to go on tour with them through the northeast. It was maybe ten gigs, but a big deal for us. We were beyond excited. Except we had to leave in April, which was right before prom, graduation, all of it, and Marcus didn’t want to miss those things.
“I was annoyed about it and immediately started auditioning new drummers because there was no way in hell I was missing out on an opportunity like this. And the guy I found was honestly way better than Marcus. I