“Is everything okay?”
He glanced up and saw Lark hovering in the hall. “Yeah, it’s fine. Just a slight disagreement with my twin. It happens.”
“I can only imagine,” Lark said. She walked toward him. “I have to go back to work
tomorrow.”
“Yeah, same here.”
“How’s this going to work?” She fisted the oversized material of his t-shirt.
“What do you mean? Like it has been, only we go to work.” He heard the slur to his words, but he couldn’t prevent it from happening.
“Are you drunk?”
“Just buzzed. You noticed the largest difference between my brother and me?” Pan gestured to the left side of his body.
“Yeah, it was hard not to.”
“Well, I’m responsible for that. To say it makes things strained between us would be a gross understatement.”
Lark grimaced. “I am so sorry. Maybe if you talked to him, the two of you could come to some sort of understanding?”
“Oh, no.” He laughed. “Monster is a prince among men. He doesn’t blame me for the
accident. But he should. And that’s what kills me. We do this dance he and I. Hayes tells me it’s not my fault and I should move on with my life.” He mocked him, using a professor like voice.
“And I think of all the years he spent persecuted over his disfigurement until I can’t stand myself.”
“Hartley,” she whispered.
“No.” He pointed at her. “Don’t you fucking pity me!”
“Can’t I be sorry for your pain? You think I don’t know the pain that comes from a
dysfunctional sibling relationship?”
“You didn’t put the needle in your sisters’ arm did you?” He snapped.
She flinched. “You’re not yourself.”
“No, this is the real me, Lark. The man you’ve seen is the one I wish I was. The person you make me strive to be.”
“You don’t even know me,” Lark said softly. “You placed me up on a pedestal I don’t
belong on. The only direction I can go is down. I can’t handle that kind of pressure. I wake up in the mornings and I don’t know if I’m coming or going or who I am.”
Her rambling turned the ground under him into quicksand. Before he knew it, he was in up to his knees. “What are you trying to say?”
“I don’t know. That I can’t handle disappointing another person. That seeing you like this worries me. I don’t know who you are right now.”
He plunked the bottle down on the counter. “I’m the same man who made you forget
everything but the way I make you feel. I never claimed to be perfect. There are parts of me that are jagged and unrefined. I have my issues same as you. Would you begrudge me for that?”
Lark hesitated.
He strode toward her. “I can still provide you with what you need. Right now, your head feels like it’s going to explode because you’re on overload. “He stopped a few inches away from her body and raked his gaze over her. “You want to escape? I’m the man to help you.” He wrapped his hand around the back of her neck. Don’t run from what you don’t understand. You could miss out on a lot.”