Page 58 of Dopplebanger

I jumped at the feel of a hand on my back. Lowering the phone, I twisted toward Gwen. Her eyelids fluttered and she gave me a sleepy smile. “Morning.”

“Morning.” I didn’t know what to do. I was supposed to have more time.

A dark thought entered my mind. Maybe I’d just hurry up and break up with her now and make it nice and ugly. It’d suck and there’d be no chance of us ever being together, but if I stopped being so delusional, I’d admit that there was no chance as it was, and at least then Evan wouldn’t get her either.

Somehow I’d turned into that guy. The villain in the movie who declares “If I can’t have you, no one will.” I might as well add a burst of maniacal laughter and seal my fate.

The hand on my back slipped down to the mattress as Gwen’s eyes fell closed and she drifted back to sleep.

I lifted my phone and texted Evan that we needed to meet at a nearby location. That he should not, under any circumstances, come here.

Evan: too late, bro. I told the lady at the front desk that I’d forgotten my room number and now I’m at the door.

Me: Did your dumbass ever think that if you knocked on the door, Gwen might be the one to answer it?

Evan: Does your dumbass ever answer the phone? I wouldn’t have had to go on a wild goose chase this morning while still hungover to find you.

Me: I’m coming out.

I glanced at Gwen to tell her that I’d be right back, but she was dead to the world, so I shoved my phone in my pocket and charged out the door.

Nearly crashing right into my twin brother.

He and I’d had plenty of fights through the years, including a few physical ones that involved wrestling for the last cookie or something stupid like that, but I’d never wanted to take a swing and clock him right in the face so badly. “What the fuck? You can’t do this to her, Evan. You can’t just stroll back in.”

He lowered his eyebrows, way too blasé about our current situation. “Calm down, dude. The whole purpose of you taking my place was so that I was still there for her in the best way I could be. If I could go back and undo it, I would, but I’m determined to be a better boyfriend now, so don’t get your panties in a twist.” He dug a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and smacked it to my chest. “I booked you a flight home. There’s the info for it.”

“No.”

“If I don’t take the Camaro that I, in theory, drove here, it’ll look suspicious.”

“No,” I repeated through gritted teeth, my fists clenching at my sides.

“What do you mean ‘no?’”

“I mean no to all of it. I’m not flying home, I’m not letting you switch places with me, and Gwen’s coming home withme. So turn around, hop on that flight you booked for me, and we’ll talk about this after we’re all back home.”

“You know the self-righteous act is gettin’ real old.”

“So’s your immature act—only it’s not an act, unfortunately.”

“What’s your problem?” Evan yelled, finally putting enough visual and verbal cues together to realize how pissed I was.

I jabbed a finger into his chest. “You. You’ve been my problem since the day we were born. You make messes and expect me to clean them up, but I’m not doing it this time. Every scheme we’ve ever pulled off, you always got the upper hand while I got screwed, but I’m not letting it happen this time. You don’t deserve that girl in there.”

For the first time, I’d gotten the good end of the deal, and I planned on doing whatever it took to keep it. “Gwen’s amazing and kind and ridiculously smart and funny, and I bet you don’t even know one unsuperficial thing about her.” I challenged himwith my steady gaze, daring him to prove he knew anything besides she was pretty and had a lot of energy.

“She works at that animal place.”

“Something real. Something abouther, not her job. Do you know what food she’s allergic to?”

His face screwed up. “I… She… Shit, I do remember she’s allergic to something and we can’t go to certain restaurants, but… What does that matter? She knows what not to eat.”

“Whose wedding did we attend, and why did she need support?”

“A friend’s.” His exasperation grew. “She’smygirlfriend, so none of this matters, and it’s none of your fucking business anyway.”

“I’m making it my fucking business. More than that, I’m going to tell Gwen everything and?—”

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