How to Resist Prince Charming(35)

When her eyes latched onto him, they widened. “Braxton?” she whispered.

“Savannah?” he whispered back.

In answer, her eyes filled with tears. She glanced at Lenna, who was openly gaping.

“I...I...I’m so sorry,” she told them, stumbling in reverse, before she turned and fled the room.

“Vannah, no!” Braxton barked, almost charging after her, though he paused when he lifted the sheet and once again saw how naked he was. “Shit! Don’t go. Just…wait!” he called.

But she was already gone

Spitting out a stream of expletives, he threw off the sheets and leaped from the bed, grabbing clothes as he went. Lenna’s mouth dropped, watching him jerk her panties off the floor and try to put them on before he realized they weren’t his.

“Where’re my damn clothes?” he muttered, tossing her underwear onto the mattress in her direction and searching anxiously for his own.

Lenna snatched her undies close as Braxton’s gaze darted around the room.

“Who was that?” she asked.

“My sister,” he answered in a distracted tone as he yanked on a pair of pants. He glanced her way, and stumbled. “Lenna. Jesus. I am so sorry. My sister is—Shit. I need to catch her before she tries to leave.” He started to run toward the door, absentmindedly motioning in her direction. As he fled, he called, “Just...wait right there.”

But Lenna did no such thing. As soon as he was out of sight, she dressed in record time. She borrowed his comb and brushed her hair, shoving the teeth through her tangled locks so fast her eyes watered. Pulling the mass into a ponytail, she dashed from the master suite and found the Farris siblings in the living room. Stopping abruptly just outside the doorway, she peered cautiously inside.

Braxton’s sister sat in the middle of his sofa with her shoulders hunched over her body. She held her hands clasped tightly in her lap and pressed her knees snugly together. Braxton crouched in front of her and handed her a glass of water. His sister wiped at her watery eyes before accepting the cup. “Thank you,” she mumbled and then drank deeply.

When she finished, she handed it back.

Braxton eyed her with concern. “Better?”

Snorting out a derisive laugh, the girl wiped at her eyes again. “I’m so sorry, Brax. I have no idea why I came—”

“Hey,” he said, interrupting her and running a lovingly hand over her hair. “Don’t worry about it. It’s okay.”

Clara or Savannah, or whoever she was, glanced at him, and more tears filled her eyes. “I don’t want to be this way anymore.”

Braxton’s face contorted, and he pulled her into a hard hug.

“I don’t want to keep doing this to you,” she sobbed. “Or to Mom, and Dad, and—”

“Shh,” Braxton instructed harshly. “It’s going to be okay.”

When Savannah once again lifted her hand to wipe at her eyes, she spotted Lenna peeking into the room.

“Oh,” she said, surprised, and pulled away from her brother. “Hello. Have we met?”

Braxton turned and popped to his feet. “Lenna,” he said breathlessly. He glanced almost guiltily to the girl on the couch, who pushed to her feet as well. “Lenna,” he repeated, more calmly. “This is my sister, Savannah. Van, this is Lenna.”

Lenna took a cautious step through the doorway as his seemingly calmed sister smiled at her.

“Hello,” the girl greeted. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Unable to give the same reply, Lenna nodded and glanced quizzically toward Braxton. He fidgeted, stuffing his hands into his pocket only to yank them out again. When their gazes met, he opened his mouth. But no words came. As if grasping his need for salvation, the phone rang.

Braxton jumped about a foot off the ground and then rubbed at the back of his neck with a self-conscious laugh. “I’ll get that,” he said and hurried from the room, meeting Lenna’s eyes once more as he rushed by.

She wanted to grab him, to keep him from leaving her alone with his psycho sister. But she didn’t. Instead, she turned warily toward Savannah Farris and gave the brunette a small smile.

“I, uh,” Savannah said. “I guess you’re wondering what’s going on, huh?”

Lenna didn’t answer. She glanced toward the doorway, praying Braxton would re-enter the room any moment now.

“I was in a bad wreck about nine months ago,” Savannah said.

Lenna whirled back. “Ooh. I...I’m sorry to hear that.” She vaguely recalled her father mentioning that Spencer Farris’s daughter had been in an automobile accident. If she remembered correctly, the girl had even been in a coma for a couple of months, too.

“Anyway,” Savannah went on. “I’ve been pretty messed up since then. Sometimes, I think I’m this person named Clara.” She had to glance away when she added, “It’s called dissociative identity disorder.” Then she shrugged. “In other words, I have a split personality.”

Lenna’s mouth dropped open. “Oh, God.”

Her face flamed when she realized what kind of appalled expression she must’ve made. “I mean, I... I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”

Savannah’s grin was quick. “Not a lot of people do. To tell the truth, I really don’t want it spread around. My family keeps it as quiet for me as possible.”