Page 24 of Baked

The sound of the floorboard creaking caught my attention as I looked up to see her standing outside the closet. She was staring down at her phone, now in her hand. I froze, hoping to remain unseen. “What is wrong with me?” she whispered to herself.

Absolutely nothing.

Indi’s eye slowly raised to the closet and for a brief second, I swore she saw me. But she didn’t. Instead, she exhaled and turned away.

SIX

INDI

“Indi?”Haze’s voice drifted through the bedroom door. “Everything okay?”

I had been hiding out, rotting in my room for the last couple days. I don’t know what came over me, but I was just—depleted. Things with Carter went right back to the way they were before, and no matter how wrong it was, I couldn’t stop thinking about that fucking video in my messages, or the one I took with Haze. It fucked with my brain, triggering this ongoing spiral of questioning everything else in my life and sent me down a depressive episode. And all I wanted was to sleep these overbearing thoughts away.

“Indi?” I knew he was concerned, but I didn’t know what to say. So I didn’t say anything. Kush’s muffled meows were followed by the sound of him clawing at my door. I wanted to let him in and snuggle him while I fell asleep to the sound of his soothing purrs, but I couldn’t face Haze. Not yet. I was too ashamed.

Kush’s clawing intensified. “Indi, if I don’t let this little pothead in, he’s going to destroy your door.” I smiled to myself, knowing how determined Kush was. “I’m going to crack the door open for him, okay?” I didn’t reply.

The bedroom door slowly creaked open, lighting the dark room as Kush burst inside, prancing to the side of my bed. He meowed hysterically, clawing at the air for me to pick him up. “Okay,” I whispered. “Okay, calm down, little man.” My arms tensed as I raised him onto the bed. “Oh my god, Kushy-Kush. I’m not calling you fat, but damn, you're thick.”

Haze’s soft laughter startled me. I whipped my head over to see him standing in the doorway, wearing his cropped shirt and sweats, holding a small plate with a single brownie. “I’m sorry, I—” He placed the plate next to me. “I just know how much you love my brownies and figured one might cheer you up.”

He was so kind and caring. And he always knew what I needed before I did. Maybe what I felt wasn’t this bizarre and random sexual attraction to him, but instead just a deeper connection. I mean, Haze and I weren’t just brother and sister, we were twins. And everyone always says twins have this undeniable connection with one another. Maybe that’s all this was. A cosmic connection to my twin.

“Thank you,” I whispered. I couldn’t resist, immediately taking a large bit of the warm fudgy brownie. The icing he always used was the right balance of sweet and salty, melting in my mouth as it dripped down my face. It was absolutely delicious. And just what I needed. I ate the whole thing within minutes, licking and sucking the icing from my fingers. “God, that was perfect.”

“Well, there’s plenty more where that came from.” I looked at him. “Indi—” He stepped to the side of the bed and crouched. I stared at him, eye level to me, while he gently ran his thumb along my lower lip. “You have some icing.” Haze smiled, licking it clean from his thumb, his eyes staring straight into mine. My heart reacted in all the wrong ways.

Just a twin connection.

“Well, there’s more in the kitchen. I made a small batch of them just for you.” He stood and pet Kush. “I’ll leave you two be.” He gently kicked the door, nearly shutting it. I watched him walk away and rip his cropped shirt from his body, tossing it aside. He raised his arms, stretching as the muscles along his tattooed back flexed and moved in ways that made my face burn and body ache. I had to force my eyes away.

Just a twin connection.

SEVEN

HAZE

“Oh, come on, Haze!”Mary-Jane snapped. “We’ve been fucking around for almost three years and weneverdo anything fun!”

I coughed on the smoke. “I disagree.” She flashed me a look.

“Getting high with your cat isn’t fun,” she snapped.

I looked over at Kush and scratched his head. “Says you.”

Mary-Jane groaned. “I’m serious, Haze. I’m a woman with needs. And Ineedto be taken out or you can find some other pussy to fuck. I’m done waiting to be appreciated.”

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. Mary-Jane had become so needy over the years, and if Indi didn’t dislike her so much, I would’ve already dropped her and moved on. But Mary-Jane was so good at making Indi jealous and fucking with Indi’s relationships. I needed that.

Time to suck it up, Haze.

“I’m serious, Haze. I will walk out this door and never come back if you?—”

“Fine.” Mary-Jane blinked. “Let’s go out.”

She squealed, excitingly clapping her hands as she ran to me and hugged me around the neck. “Ahh, yes! Thank you! We are going to have so much fun tonight!” Doubt it. “Okay, I’m going tohead out and get ready. Gotta look hot for my man. Ahh! We are going dancing, baby!” Mary-Jane rushed out the door, excited, brushing past Indi as if she didn’t even exist.

“What was that all about?” Indi asked.

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