spurned a god, and Nemesis took revenge. Made him fall in love with his own reflection.”
For a second, I could only gape at her—whatever reply I’d expected, it wasn’t that.
Her lips twitched. “I read,” was all she said, but she didn’t seem offended by my surprise.
It shamed me to think that I’d maybe considered her dumber because she was poor.
Talk about asshole... Hell, Cain and I were just as bad as each other.
The tip of her little finger collided with my thigh once more. “It’s okay.”
“It’s the opposite of okay,” I countered gruffly. “I’m sorry.”
She shrugged, making glittering shards of water whisper over her shoulders. For a second, I could do no less than stare at those droplets, fascinated by their path over her collarbone, down between her breasts. My mouth grew dry at the sight, and my dick hardened.
I was no virgin, even though I thought Cain wanted me to be one until I was a hundred—he worked hard to take every woman I liked away from me—but I felt like a stupid jerk, getting a semi in public. Cheeks blooming with heat, I cleared my throat and explained, “Cain’s a—” I wanted so badly to say psychopath, but I didn’t. “—narcissist. If he wants it, he’ll do whatever he has to to make it happen.”
Her eyes narrowed on me like she sensed the more palatable lie I’d just told her—but that was impossible, right? Yet, somehow, she’d sensed Cain’s lies… I was almost relieved when she simply said, “That sounds difficult to live with.”
An explosive laugh escaped me. “You bet your ass it’s hard.”
“I’m sorry.” She winced. “That sucks.”
She meant it.
My eyes burned with tears at her simple belief in me, but I ducked my head because the last thing I wanted was to look like a pussy. I’d already admitted my twin was a fucking bully. Sheesh.
“If the loudspeaker didn’t give it away, I’m Theodosia.” Her other hand came up, and she held it out for me to shake. “Pleasure to meet you, Adam.”
My heart walloped in my chest. “Pleasure to meet you too,” I rasped.
THEA
“Pleasure to meet you too.”
The words echoed in my head for hours after he’d uttered them, and though it was stupid, the thought of him, the thought of our conversation, put a spring in my step as I walked home from the community pool.
I had to wonder if he realized the significance of my giving him my hand to shake, but knew he wouldn’t. In his world, shaking hands was normal. In mine? It was anything but.
Yet, I’d done so because I wanted to feel him.
Had wanted to know if there was more to the union of our souls than something intangible.
And there was.
Dear God, there was.
Initially, the fundraiser had been stressful for me. Without the pool to visit every day, I thought I’d go mad, but the fundraiser had done what it had set out to achieve—earned the place enough to fix the roof—and having a politician swanning around had put me on edge at first, but she could come around whenever she wanted if it meant having her son visit.
Son, singular.
Cain...what a creep. I hated guys like him, who thought the sun set on them, and the world would stop turning without their presence in it.
He’d made a few jokes, commented on how great my tits looked in my swimsuit, and that was it.
I was done.
Talking about my breasts like it was a compliment when all it did was shame the pair of us.
Asshole.
His aura had flashed the darkest, murkiest colors imaginable as he’d spoken to me, and without the strange skill to guide me, I still wouldn’t have liked him. Sure, I might not have sensed his malice, but I’d have known something was wrong.
When he’d told me his name, his aura flashed a cloudy red before mellowing into orange, showing me his amusement.
When his twin had appeared, I’d known the game he tried to play, and had taken the chance to escape. Mostly because the other boy? The real Adam?
He was mine.
Just thinking that made me blow out a shaky breath as I passed a broken down car that was a burned out wreck. I kicked a stray can, watching as it danced along the slick sidewalk, and thought about my grandmother.
She’d warned me there’d be a day when I’d come across him. She’d said it was in the cards and that I needed to watch myself, and back then, I’d believed her, but I’d stopped believing when