Page 57 of Twins for the Enemy

“Can you get Kieran?” I ask. “He can tell you that I’m telling the truth.”

“Right,” one of the men says. He claps his partner on the shoulder. “I’ll go see if I can find him. Keep an eye on her.”

He takes quick strides away. The other man turns to a couple who have walked up to the mansion. They show him their licenses before beingallowed inside. He opens the gate to allow them in. I peek past them. The front yard has been filled with tables and chairs, covered in cloth that alternates between purple, white, and blue. Periwinkle petals create pathways and heart shapes on the lawn. Catering staff walk around with their trays, offering food and champagne to passing guests.

The guests are dressed in fashionable coats and pants. I’d taken the white coat and boots that Kieran had given me, which makes me almost look as wealthy as everyone here, but the mix of wonderment on my face and the sweatpants give away that I’m inadequate in comparison to everyone else.

“Hello,” a woman’s voice calls out. I turn toward it. “You were asking about my brother?”

The woman is beautiful. She has long blonde hair that flows behind her like a veil. She’s thin to the point of almost appearing sickly, but her face has a glow that makes it indisputable that she’s one of the healthiest people here.

“Hi,” I say brightly. “I’m so sorry that I’m party crashing. I just wanted to talk to you about—”

My breath catches as she stops in front of me. I hadn’t noticed when she was farther away, but faint scars pull at her skin near her left eye and along her hairline. My eyes search her face, recognition hitting me harder than any fist could have. Helena Porter.

Recognition must hit her at the same time, as the glow vanishes, her face turning a stark white and her jaw drops. The security guard looks between us, uncertain.

“Ma’am?” the man asks Helena.

It snaps Helena out of her shock. She jerks her shoulders back, raising her chin.

“You have some nerve coming here,” she says. “Did you come to finish the job? Do you want to burn down my engagement party too?”

“I didn’t... I didn’t know,” I say.

“You should get fucked,” she snarls. “Get out of here. I’m calling the police.”

Some more guests who’d just arrived stop, watching us. One of them has a young girl, who clings to her gold necklace. I place my hand over my abdomen like the twins need to be protected from this criticism.

This is what I deserve.

“I—please don’t do that.” I raise my hands in defenselessness. “I don’t under—I don’t know what’s going on either.”

She pulls out her phone as the people around us whisper. They use hushed voices, but from how they’re hovering, they don’t mind being seen as spectators of this train wreck.

My hand sinks into my pocket. I feel the rough edges of the compass. I’d run away after sleeping with Kieran because I’d wanted to experience more life. And I did. But just like I thought, I can’t stay in Heaven because I don’t belong here. I cause problems. I cause fires. I ruin lives.

“Ellie!” Kieran grabs onto Helena’s arm. “Stop. Let’s talk inside.”

Ellie. It’s a nickname.

Holy shit.

I carefully look over at him. He must have been running over because his breath is coming out a little harder than normal. How did I become so familiar with his face? His breathing?

Yet I couldn’t tell when he was hiding the most important secret from me.

Helena—Ellie—looks over at him, her mouth open as she’s about to explain something, but she stops and studies his face as well.

“You knew,” she accuses. “Why? Why is she here? You wanted me to be the one to send her to the police? Did you think that was some kind of engagement gift?”

“Let’s just go inside,” Kieran says. He indicates to me. “Come on, Farah.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Ellie spits out. “You can explain righthere.”

“Then I’m just taking Farah. Don’t call the police. I’ll deal with this.”

He grabs my arm, pulling me past the gates and the guests, who have turned into an audience, watching as Kieran takes me through them, heading inside the mansion.

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