taken advantage of Cain’s distracted state, and had ducked her head under the water, launched herself off the wall, and was swimming to the other side of the pool.
Spying this, Cain’s brows snagged into a scowl as he grunted, “Frigid bitch.”
My mouth twisted, and only by the skin of my teeth did I refrain from forming a smile. If I did, then Theodosia was fucked. Literally.
Instead, I just blinked at him, and when I didn’t say shit, he huffed, peered back at the other end of the pool, then scampered out of the water. Shuffling into his flip-flops, he slinked away, which merely confirmed the obvious—Theodosia hadn’t fallen for his brand of ‘charm.’
Christ, I liked her more and more.
Taking his place in the water was a calculated risk. If he thought I was interested, then he’d undoubtedly make more of a play for her, but if she wasn’t interested, he couldn’t force her, could he?
My lip ached where I bit down. Cain was sick...but even he wouldn’t go that far. Right?
Uneasy, I almost climbed out and returned to my parents’ side. No one deserved to be in Cain’s crosshairs, not unless they were as twisted as he was.
Uncertain, I cast a quick glimpse around, trying to see where Cain had skulked away.
This fundraising gala was boring AF, and one of Mom’s pet projects that always brought us together as a family and reminded us of how miserable we were as a unit. But before I stopped wavering over my next move, Theodosia appeared, slicing through the water like a mermaid, her hands gripping the side of the pool, placing her fingers a few inches away from my thigh.
The heat arced between us again, and I could no more have left her side than I could have made my heart stop beating. Her presence made the internal chill that plagued me because of Cain dissipate somewhat. He and I should have a unique bond, but somewhere along the line, that had morphed into something monstrous.
Something evil and cruel.
With thoughts of leaving abated, with thoughts of Cain having fucked things over for me before I had a chance to say a word, I mumbled, “I’m Adam.”
Her brow arched. “He said he was Adam.” Her face, slicked with water, wasn’t puckered with confusion. Instead, she seemed to see something I didn’t as she murmured, “I didn’t like him.”
My throat felt tight at her remark, which was said in a tone that reminded me of a child declaring they didn’t like broccoli. As they penetrated, a strange kind of relief filled me. Everyone liked Cain. Most people preferred him to me, which, though ironic, I understood. To protect myself from him, I wore a mask. Rarely letting people inside, never letting them see the real me, because I knew he’d steal them from me.
In our sixteen years, no one had ever told me they didn’t like him. Nobody had ever come across him at his most charming and hadn’t fallen under his sway.
I knew that sounded impossible.
Not everyone could like someone. There was always someone who didn’t like us, right?
Not with Cain.
That wasn’t how it worked for him. And if someone wasn’t a fan? He worked on them and, like our mother, he campaigned until they were his friend. I’d seen it happen. Gifts, money, coffees, long chats on the phone. If he’d tried as hard at school, his only chance at getting into a good college wouldn’t be on the back of a swimming scholarship.
But Theodosia?
He’d backed off.
Why? What had she said to him?
“His name is Cain,” I told her woodenly. It wasn’t the first time he’d pulled some twin shit like this. I highly doubted it would be the last either. My brother had no shame. None at all.
“I knew he was lying.”
Her answer had me tilting my head at her. “How?”
She pulled a face. “It’s weird!”
It was a freakin’ miracle—that’s what it was.
“I’m all ears.”
“That would be strange.” Her smile was faint. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” Her hand moved, and her little finger brushed my thigh. “I know what it is to be bullied.”
My throat tightened. Even as I wanted to disregard what she said, scoff at it even, I didn’t. She didn’t deserve my disrespect. And if she did know what it was to be bullied, then I wasn’t going to humiliate her just to save face.
So, I told her a half-truth. “Do you know what a narcissist is?”