Page 135 of Cole

Since she knew she’d be eating at the main house again for dinner, she just made herself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. As she ate it, she wondered what type of food Angelica liked. They might be physically identical, but would that similarity reach to other parts of them?

Only time would tell.

The next day, they received news from Jude that he’d be arriving back in Serenity with both women by the end of the week. Angelica and her sister.

Her dad had seemed worried about something, but when pressed, he’d refused to give any further details. He just said that it was the best course of action.

Elizabeth had given instructions to the household staff to prepare two of the suites next to the one Cole had used.

Unlike when Cole had been there, however, Annie didn’t plan to spend her nights at the house. Already, she was starting to feel the pressure of the upcoming meeting.

Everyone seemed to assume she should be excited about welcoming her sister back into her life. However, no matter how much she tried to attach the love she felt for Benji or even Julian to Angelica, it wouldn’t click.

Angelica was a stranger to her. Having a twin had always been something of an abstract thing for her.

Yes, she’d had an awareness that someone was missing. But it seemed that awareness had been knowledge based, not an emotional reaction, because there was a disconnect for her that her dad and Julian didn’t seem to have.

Even Benji, Elizabeth, and Cole seemed to be happier than she felt. She was trying her best to hide her feelings, and so far no one had called her on not acting right.

She was starting to feel the strain though, as she struggled to sleep. Every time she laid down, her mind would whirl with all the possible ways the meeting could go.

It felt selfish to be so worried about how her life would change because of Angelica’s return when her twin’s life was undoubtedly going to change even more than hers.

The only time when she could be one hundred percent genuine about her emotions was when she watched Cole play. Her dad had even surprised her when he’d announced that, as afamily, they’d be watching Cole’s first game since he’d left, in the theater room.

Annie wasn’t sure how she felt about that when it had always been just her and Benji. But as it turned out, her dad and Julian were quick to cheer Cole on. No doubt because, as she’d recently learned, her dad owned part of the team.

But when she returned to her cabin at night, she was alone with her thoughts and worries.

Not for the first time, she wished she had a friend to confide in. But would anyone understand what she was feeling? Or would they just call her selfish?

She didn’t want Cole to think that about her, so she didn’t even feel comfortable sharing her confused feelings with him. And he had left on another road trip, which meant that their conversations would be shorter and not as frequent.

On one hand, it made it easier to hide her feelings, but she also missed him terribly.

She spent a lot of time in prayer about it, but if God was answering, she didn’t see or feel it. Each day, she woke up as worried and confused as when she’d gone to sleep.

When the day of Angelica’s arrival dawned, Annie woke from a restless night, reluctant to get out of bed. Maybe she could just hide under the covers and let everyone else meet Angelica and her sister with the excitement that Annie just couldn’t seem to muster up.

But Annie knew her dad wouldn’t accept her doing that, so instead, she tried to psych herself up for what lay ahead.

Jude was supposed to arrive by helicopter with the women at the estate around eleven, so Annie had a few hours to get herself together. And she’d need every single one of them.

Annie finally dragged herself out of bed, stepping into the shower where she let hot water cascade over her tense shoulders. As steam filled the bathroom, she pressed her forehead against the cool tile, trying to calm her racing thoughts.

“Lord, please help me,” she whispered. “I don’t understand why I’m feeling this way.”

After finishing her shower, she toweled off, then stood before her closet, suddenly overwhelmed by the simple task of choosing what to wear. What did one wear to meet their long-lost identical twin? Something casual might seem dismissive of the momentous occasion. Something too formal might make her seem unapproachable.

Her phone buzzed with a text, and she turned to pick it up from the bed.

Benji:You almost ready? Dad’s getting antsy.

Annie sighed and finally selected a soft blue cashmere sweater that Cole had said brought out the blue in her eyes, pairing it with black slacks. She applied minimal makeup and left her hair loose. Her only jewelry was the bracelet Cole had given her and the cross necklace she’d bought for herself after becoming a Christian.

Nyla sensed her anxiety, pressing against her legs as Annie gathered up her things.

“What do you think, girl?” she murmured, scratching behind the dog’s ears. “Will she like dogs? She’d better, or we’ll have some words.”

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