Page 12 of Till The Sun Dies (Checkmate 2)

Blurred noise.

Ringing phones.

Smoke alarms tripped by the steam.

A shower still running.

Then I throw myself into the back of the ambulance mere seconds before they close the doors and speed toward the hospital.

It’s all so loud. So fast.

And though I latched onto her bed, though I twined my fingers with hers while we sped across town, I still find myself left behind as they rush her through ER doors and out of sight.

I still find myself collapsing into a hard, plastic chair in the waiting room, and I still stare at my hands; hands that were stained black with grease an hour ago. Too dirty to touch her. Too stained to taint something so pure.

Now they’re stained with her blood. Now they’re stained with something I’m not sure will ever wash off.

* * *

Hours pass.

One.

Two.

A million.

Luc arrives, but best friends or not, he’s employed by this hospital, and he’s allowed through doors I’m not. I was invisible to him as he ran through the waiting room with Kari’s hand clutched in his. They’re with Laine now. Wherever she is, whatever they’re doing to her, Luc and Kari are with her.

And I’m out here.

“Ang.” Kane Bishop’s rough voice drags me out of my fog. The tattooed thug walks through the emergency room doors with Jess’ hand clutched in his, her face puffy as fat tears roll over her cheeks.

I stand just in time as she slingshots herself forward and into my arms.

“Oh my God, Angelo.” She buries her face in my shirt and howls. “What the hell happened?”

Kane stands two feet away from the woman he loves; he stands guard and watches on suspiciously, like I might kidnap her at any moment.

His eyes dare me to make a wrong move, just so he can gut me.

He doesn’t trust that the identical twins are different in my eyes.

He doesn’t trust that I can be in love with Laine, but not with Jess.

I shake my head and lean into Jess’ embrace. They’re not the same person to me. I’ve known them forever, so where someone sees identical, I see Laine’s personality. I see her sass, and her skating skills. I see the schoolteacher she is, and the way she eats her cereal one piece at a time.

Jess drinks milk with ice in it, and she wears her hair up twice as often as Laine does. Laine wears her makeup a little heavier than Jess; not to cover up an already beautiful face, but because she likes how smudged eyeliner makes her blue eyes stand out.

Laine drinks fruity cocktails, and Jess goes for the straight liquor with a splash of juice.

They both wear heels more often than not, but Laine’s are usually a little more daring. Brighter, or higher.

Jess is a corporate lawyer, which shows in her personality and dress sense, but Laine is a middle school teacher and about as mature as her students.

Kane’s new around here, and he found out Jess was a twin at a kind of tense moment. He’s struggling to understand there are two of them, but he has no problems here. They’re like night and day to me.

Jess’ slim body shakes with sobs. Her hands, strong and demanding, fist my shirt and pull my attention. “What happened to her, Ang?” She steps back and clutches at my hands. Turning them palm side up, she looks up at me with wobbling lips. “Is that hers?”

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