MARRY YOUR KILLER
Chapter Thirty-Five: The Twin
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The house was quiet for the first time in weeks.
Ci N was asleep on the sofa, his phone in his hand, his mouth open. Felix was beside him, his head on Ci N's shoulder, his breathing slow. Percy was in the kitchen, making something that smelled like it might be edible for once. Yuri was in his corner, his eyes closed, his face still.
Jay was in the study with Keifer, the map still on the wall, her uncle's face still pinned at the center. The man in Singapore was still there too, the photograph old and faded, the face of a man who was supposed to be dead.
The war was over. But the truth wasn't finished.
Aries walked through the house, silent, still, their hands in their pockets. They had been quiet since the warehouse, since the blood, since the days in the hospital when they had sat beside Jay's bed and said nothing. They were the twin. The other half. The one who had been born with her, who had shared her face and her blood and her silence.
They walked to the garden. The steps were empty. The flowers were blooming. The sun was setting.
They didn't hear the footsteps behind them.
---
Ella was standing on the steps when Aries turned.
She was small, quiet, her hands folded in front of her, her face calm. She had been at the hospital every day. She had sat with Jay when no one else could. She had held Ci N's hand when he cried. She had made tea for Care when her arm was bleeding.
She had been everywhere. She had said almost nothing.
Aries stopped. "Ella."
Ella looked at them. Her face was calm. Her eyes were not.
"You haven't slept," she said.
Aries' hands were in their pockets. "I've been busy."
"You've been avoiding."
Aries' jaw tightened. "I don't avoid."
Ella stepped closer. Her voice was quiet. "You haven't talked to Jay since the warehouse. You haven't talked to anyone. You sit in the garden at night and you don't move. You don't sleep. You don't eat. You just—" She stopped.
Aries waited.
"You just sit there," Ella said. "Like you're waiting for something."
Aries looked at the garden. At the flowers Care had planted. At the steps where Jay had sat with Keifer. At the place where their sister had almost died.
"I'm not waiting for anything," Aries said.
Ella stepped closer. Her face was inches from theirs. Her voice was low.
"You're scared," she said. "You're scared of losing her. You're scared of being alone. You're scared of what happens now that the war is over."
Aries' hands came out of their pockets. Their face was pale.
"I'm not scared of anything," Aries said.
Ella smiled. It was small. Sharp. Nothing like the smile she wore when she was making tea, when she was holding Ci N's hand, when she was sitting beside Jay's bed.
"You're lying," she said.
Aries stared at her. The woman who was always quiet. The woman who was always calm. The woman who had never raised her voice, never raised her hand, never done anything except be there.
"You don't know me," Aries said.
Ella stepped closer. Her voice was a whisper.
"I know you," she said. "I know you sit in the garden at night because you can't sleep. I know you watch the door because you're waiting for her to walk through it. I know you haven't talked to her because you're afraid that if you start talking, you won't be able to stop."
Aries' face was white. "Ella."
"You're afraid," Ella said. "You're afraid of losing her. You're afraid of being alone. You're afraid of what happens now. And you're afraid of telling her any of it because you're the twin. You're the strong one. You're the one who doesn't feel anything."
Aries stepped back. Their hands were shaking.
"Stop," Aries said.
Ella followed. Her face was calm. Her eyes were not.
"Tell her," Ella said. "Tell her you're scared. Tell her you need her. Tell her—"
"I can't."
Ella stopped. Her face softened. The sharpness was gone.
"Why?" she asked.
Aries looked at the house. At the window where Jay's room was. At the place where their sister was sitting with Keifer, alive, safe, whole.
"Because she almost died," Aries said. Their voice cracked. "She almost died, and I wasn't there. I was in the car. I was waiting. I was—" They stopped.
Ella waited.
"I was supposed to protect her," Aries said. "I'm her twin. I was born with her. I've been with her my whole life. And when she needed me, I wasn't there."
Ella took their hand. Her fingers were warm.
"You were there," she said. "You were there when she woke up. You were there when she needed you. You were there every day after."
Aries looked at her hand on theirs. Her fingers were small. They were steady.
"I should have been there," Aries said. "I should have been in the warehouse. I should have—"
"You would have died," Ella said.
Aries looked at her. Her face was close. Her eyes were steady.
"You would have died," she said again. "You would have gone in there, and you would have died, and she would have lost you. And she can't lose you. She can't lose anyone else."
Aries stared at her. Their hand was shaking.
"How do you know?" Aries asked.
Ella squeezed their hand. "Because I know you. I've always known you."
---
The garden was quiet.
The sun had set. The flowers were dark. The steps where they were standing were empty. Aries looked at Ella's face, at the woman who had been at the hospital every day, who had made tea for Care, who had held Ci N's hand, who had sat beside Jay's bed and said nothing.
"You were there," Aries said. "In the hospital. You were there every day."
Ella didn't answer.
"You were there when she woke up. You were there when Ci N came out of surgery. You were there when Care's arm was bleeding. You were there when Freya—"
Ella stepped closer. Her face was inches from theirs.
"I was there," she said. "Because you couldn't be."
Aries' breath caught.
"You were in the garden," Ella said. "Every night. Sitting on the steps. Waiting. And I was inside. Watching the door. Waiting for you to come back."
Aries stared at her. Their hands were still. Their face was pale.
"You were waiting for me," Aries said.
Ella's face softened. "I'm always waiting for you."
---
The kitchen was loud when they walked in.
Percy was at the stove, his back to the door, his voice rising as he told Keiran about something that had happened, something that involved fire and a goat and a story that got longer every time he told it. Ci N was awake now, his phone in his hand, his face bright. Felix was beside him, his shoulder against Ci N's, his eyes on the door.
Jay was at the table. Keifer was beside her. Her hand was in his. Her face was turned toward the window.
She looked up when Aries walked in. Her face changed. Something soft. Something that had been missing since the warehouse.
Aries walked to the table. They sat beside her. Their shoulder touched hers.
"You're awake," Aries said.
"I'm awake."
Aries looked at their sister's face. At the bruises that were fading. At the scar on her lip. At the ring on her finger.
"You almost died," Aries said.
Jay took their hand. Her fingers were warm.
"I'm not going to die," she said.
Aries looked at their hands. Their fingers laced with hers.
"I know," Aries said.
---
Ella stood in the doorway. She watched the twins sit together, their shoulders touching, their hands together. She watched Aries' face soften. She watched Jay's face relax.
Percy appeared beside her. His voice was low.
"You talked to them," Percy said.
Ella looked at him. Her face was calm.
"I talked to them."
Percy looked at Aries. At the twin who had been silent for weeks. At the twin who was finally, finally talking.
"What did you say?" Percy asked.
Ella smiled. It was small. Sharp. A smile that Percy had never seen before.
"I scared them," she said.
Percy stared at her. The woman who was always quiet. The woman who was always calm. The woman who had never raised her voice, never raised her hand, never done anything except be there.
"You scared Aries," Percy said.
Ella looked at him. Her face was calm. Her eyes were not.
"Aries was scared of losing Jay," she said. "I was scared of losing Aries. So I told them."
Percy's mouth opened. Closed. Opened again.
"You scared Aries," he said again. Like he was testing the words.
Ella walked to the table. She sat beside Aries. Her shoulder touched theirs. She didn't say anything. She didn't need to.
Percy stood in the doorway. He watched the twins, the woman beside them, the family that had been broken and was slowly, slowly healing.
He walked to the stove. He turned off the burner. He made a new pot of tea.
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END OF CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE