Page 68 of Just the Wrong Twin

Nate.

New York.

Safe.

She twisted around to look at him, savoring the sight of him, glad he was with her. He was sleeping on his back again, one arm thrown over his head, his hair tousled. He looked so confident, a man sure of his place in the world—while she felt hunted and afraid.

Again.

How Sonia hated that.

She took a deep breath and tried to slow the panicked beat of her heart.

She was safe. Safe. Safe. Safe.

Her first urge was to cover up her nudity, but that was a learned instinct. She recalled the evening she’d had with Nate, and how confident she’d felt in her body. She liked having her skin against his, no barriers between them.

Even if her dream left her feeling exposed.

“Hey.” His voice was low and sleepy. He rolled over and the weight of his arm slid around her waist. “It’s okay.” He nuzzled her ear and murmured something incoherent that was probably intended to be reassuring.

He was so protective, even in his sleep.

Sonia nestled against him, her heartbeat slowing again. She already knew she had the dream whenever she made a change or took a risk. It was as if she’d been taught to be fearful of following her own heart—and she knew she had been. She’d learned to keep a low profile and never tell anyone the secrets at home. But she’d brought Nate home and invited him back. She’d agreed to do the podcast. Stepping out of the shadows had triggered her recurring nightmare and she should have anticipated it.

She was safe.

She was strong.

They didn’t know where she was and they were unlikely to see the podcast. Nate was right about that.

Would Katia tell?

The possibility was unsettling. Katia had kept Sonia’s confidence for a decade. What if her twin changed her mind?

What if changing circumstances convinced Katia to tell?

Why had her sister been trying to get in touch? Sonia realized it might have been smarter to listen when Katia had called the week before. She hadn’t answered any calls from numbers she didn’t know, and there had been quite a few of them this week—a sure sign that her stubborn twin wasn’t giving up.

Maybe Katia knew something important.

Maybe she just wanted something.

On the one hand, Sonia’s anger with her twin was justified and deserved a response like the one she’d made. On the other hand, Katia could destroy everything if she chose to and expose Sonia all over again.

Sonia could have been a little more diplomatic.

But she couldn’t call Katia in the middle of the night to apologize.

She eased out from under the weight of Nate’s arm. He settled into the hollow of her pillow where her head had been. She went to the window so she could see better without turning on more lights. She changed the settings on her phone so Katia wasn’t blocked anymore. She’d call her twin in the morning and make it right. Sonia then put the phone back in the charger, unsure whether she was making a mistake.

Her nightmare always left her unsettled and uncertain. It made her feel vulnerable and frightened, just as she had been then. It turned her back into a terrified girl and left her questioning even the things she knew to be true. Sonia knew all the textbook explanations by heart, but it was different to live the experience than read about it. She reminded herself that she was a grown woman, in charge of her own destiny, and that he couldn’t hurt her anymore.

He’d have to find her first.

Even as an adult, the prospect made her shiver—and made sleep impossible. She wrapped her arms around herself and stood at the window, looking into the night.

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