Suit (The Twin Duo #1)(3)
“Band-Aids,” I called aloud, still watching the car behind me. My girls went through more Band-Aids than anyone I knew. Every little scratch justified a bandage. I turned right, and the car behind me followed. A shortcut to the left had the same results. That’s when the surge of nerves hit.
My heart sped up a bit when I saw the driver. Was it? Surely not. My eyes stayed focused on the driver while the beating in my chest thumped faster and faster. I pulled into the First Carter Bank parking lot with trembling hands, a dry mouth, and a yearning stronger than I had ever felt in my life. The old car followed, parking right beside me. She didn’t waste any time. Not one second. She was at my door in two point seven seconds.
My hand covered my mouth with an audible breath and tears instantly formed in my eyes. I blinked away my blurred vision and opened the door. Words can’t begin to describe that feeling. I didn’t know if it was a sister thing or a twin thing, but it was there. A bond that can never be broken. Strong like it always had been. Seeing her face, knowing she was right in front of me, watching her walk toward me. It was all so surreal. It was her. My sister. My twin. A hazy ache formed in my chest, settling to the pit of my stomach. My entire body shook with anticipation, and I could hear beating with loud thumps in both my ears.
I was blindsided for a second, unsure of what I should call her. Choosing the safe route, I didn’t refer to her by any name.
“Oh, my God. What are you doing here?” It was haunting. I didn’t even remember getting out of my car. It was like seeing myself, but not really. She even wore a similar dress and had her hair back. I read once that twins separated at birth and raised apart often lived the same way. Her taste was the same as mine. I swear, it was like seeing myself in a mirror. Even more now than before.
Her fingers ran through her hair and she pulled on it with a tight grasp in both fists. The expression on her face surpassed the surprise on mine, and I noticed the swallow. A lump. Probably the same as the one I had. “Gabby! Oh, my God!”
“Izzy, what are you doing here?” Not waiting for her answer, I said, “I don’t have much time. I’ve got to get going.” My palms sweated and my body shook as if Paxton watched from around the corner. I wrung my hands and worried about this outcome. It was critical that Paxton not find out about this.
Izzy gawked at me like I had just slapped her across the face. Twice. Complete disbelief. “Are you joking? You desert your sister for almost thirteen years, and you’ve got to get going?”
My head tilted to the side, guilt riding my conscience. “I didn’t desert you,” I said in an unconvincing tone.
Izzy smiled and tilted her head the exact same way I had. Paxton used to tell me to stop doing it all the time. Sometimes, I still did it, forgetting that he forbade it.
“I’m kidding. How are you? You look, well, just like me.” Everything in me told me to brush her off, continue on my mission, and get home to my family. I tried my best to send her away. It was right there on the tip of my tongue, but I didn’t want to. I wanted to sit on my sofa with her and catch up. Huddle up in pajamas and watch a movie. Find out what she’d been doing and let her meet her nieces.
I mirrored her smile and tilted my head—again—thinking about the ticking of the clock. I didn’t have time for this. Paxton would be furious if I came home empty handed. I had to go, yet I didn’t. I couldn’t. A hurricane could have been coming and I wouldn’t be able to stop myself. I laughed inwardly at my inside joke when I remembered a hurricane was coming. A tropical storm, anyway.
“Let’s go get a cup of coffee or something,” Izzy suggested with a pleading tone and sad eyes. I couldn’t blow her off. I just couldn’t do it. I didn’t want to.
“Izz, I can’t. We’re under severe weather warnings, you know? I have to get home. Rowan doesn’t do well with storms.”
Even with the smoky gray clouds, Izzy’s grin brightened the day. “Rowan? Boy or girl?”
That brought an instant grin to my face. God, I’d missed her. “Little girl—two girls. Rowan is six and Ophelia will be five in two months. They’re so cute, Izzy.” The sense of pride edged my words while a feeling of deep love burned my soul. I wished they could know her. I wished they could call her Aunt Izzy. The thought of them seeing us both brought joy to my heart. I pictured their confusion while they tried to figure out which one was their mommy.
“I can’t wait to meet them. How are you? Wow, Gabby. Two kids.” Izzy hugged me and I closed my eyes. There’s a feeling between twins that can’t be explained. In an instant, I felt whole again. I hugged her back, embracing her with everything in me, everything I had missed.
“Let’s go for a ride,” Izzy said in a coaxing tone with the same desperate plea, head tipping to the side. Her hands held a tight grip on my shoulders while her eyes fixated on mine. God. It was her. I couldn’t believe it.
My gaze darted to my phone when I realized the time. Paxton would be livid. I searched my brain for the best time to meet her. A time when Paxton wouldn’t be with me. Rowan’s dentist appointment. That was the best I could come up with. Paxton would be busy with his work. I grabbed my purse from the seat when the idea came to me. I handed her the appointment card with the address. Without thinking it through of course. Rowan and Ophelia would race to be the first one to tell their dad about Izzy. Someone who looked identical to their mommy.