“Hold on, man! Just wait a second,” Matt muttered.
“I’m not waiting for anything.” Jackson strained against Matt’s hold. He glared at Nick, who stood in the opposite corner, wiping the blood from the edge of his mouth.
“What the hell is your problem, Jack?” Nick stared at his bloody hand and then at him. “You’ll fight your own brother for her.” He glared at Ridley as he said it, making Jackson strain against Matt again.
Jackson couldn’t even hear what his brother was saying. He was practically frothing at the mouth, just the image of Nick with his hands on Ridley, all over Ridley, making him see red.
“Yes, I would. If you ever touch her again, I will break you.”
Matt looked at Nick. “I have no idea what just happened but it’s probably better if you go.”
“Fine.” Nick sent a scathing glance at Ridley.
Jackson lunged forward again and Matt cursed as one of his arms almost slipped free.
“Don’t even look at her. I can’t believe I almost listened to you. Just stay away from her!”
“I’m not Raina!”
Everyone stopped moving at Ridley’s shriek.
“God, please stop fighting. Don’t fight over me. Not when I’ve been lying to you all.”
Jackson broke away from Matt. “It’s okay, Ridley. I already told them your real name and about what happened.”
“You don’t understand. Raina Winters is my twin sister. She’s currently overseas on a modeling job.”
Ridley shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks.
“I’ve been lying to you, too.”
* * * * *
RIDLEY ACCEPTED THE glass of water Mara handed her gratefully. Her insides felt as dry as a desert after all the tears she’d shed.
Nick stood in the corner with his arms crossed. “Okay, so run this by me again. You aren’t Raina. You’re her sister.”
Ridley nodded. “Yes. I’m so sorry I lied. I just didn’t know what else to do.”
Jackson hadn’t looked at her since she’d blurted out the news. He sat on the floor with his knees drawn up and his head resting back against the wall. Mara handed him a pack of frozen vegetables, which he rested on his right hand. She handed another pack to Nick. He pressed it against his cheek and then flinched.
Matt stood looking out the window. She could understand not wanting to get involved. This whole situation sounded like the plot of a movie. A bad one.
Mara took pity on her and sat next to her on the couch. “You were scared, so you decided to hide out at your sister’s house?”
“It seemed like the only option I had at the time. After the accident, weird things started happening. Things weren’t in the same place I left them. Finding my car doors open when I knew I’d locked them. The final straw was when my apartment was trashed. Raina’s the only family I have. I didn’t have anywhere else to go. Then when her security code didn’t work, I was so scared. That’s part of the reason I passed out.” She looked at her hands, willing herself not to start crying again.
“You really passed out? Before we found you on the ground?” Matt spoke up.
“Yes. I took a train and two buses to get here. I didn’t want to take a plane or anything. You can buy a bus ticket with cash. By the time I got here I was exhausted and had been living off of vending machine snacks and gas station food. When I couldn’t get in the house, it all just kind of caught up to me at once.”
Jackson sat up and looked at her for the first time. “So, you really were locked out? That wasn’t just a ploy to get us to help you?
“I had no idea anyone else was even outside. Except for the kids, of course. They wanted to know what I was doing in the pond.” She smiled at the memory.
“So, you actually were ill. You really were locked out. The only thing you lied about was—“
“My name.” She met his eyes. “When you called me Raina, I realized the easiest way to hide would be to literally become someone else for a while. Raina changed her name as soon as she started modeling. No one connects us since our names are different, and I never tell people what she does. She always said it was safer for me not to.”
“It’s actually a good plan.” Nick commented.
Shocked, she looked up. He was the last person she’d expected to defend her.
“Don’t look so surprised. I’m not saying it was right. I’m just saying I understand why you did it. You probably figured you wouldn’t be here long enough for anyone to have to know the truth.”
“Exactly. I didn’t count on any of this. I didn’t count on liking it here so much,” she admitted. She sneaked a glance at Jackson. He was staring at her. Unable to hold his gaze, she dropped her eyes back to her hands.
“Or on me attacking you like that. I am so sorry about that.” Nick hung his head sheepishly. “I’m sure you’ve guessed that your sister and I have a… complicated relationship.”
She grimaced. “Say no more.”
“What I don’t get is why didn’t you just tell me the other day?” Jackson stood and walked over to the couch. He sat next to her and grabbed her hand. “When you told me your real name you could have just told me all of it.”
“I was going to. But then you said—“
“How much I hate liars.” He pulled her into his arms. She exhaled and grabbed him around the middle. “I’m sorry I said that. I didn’t mean about things like this. I’m sorry I made you feel that you couldn’t tell me the truth. I seem to have a knack for saying the wrong thing around you. It’s like you bring out the worst in me.”