“How did this happen?”
“I don’t even know. I just got there and my mom was getting into me because I was late. Like I could help it that my car broke down. So, I go out to the only bar in town, and I’m sitting there drinking by myself when they just come in. It was empty so they must have seen me quickly. So, they come over and sit, and we start talking, and…”
Her eyes were wide and she was leaning forward. She waved a hand at me, impatient, when I stopped. “And… what? Go on already.”
“They asked me to spend the night with them. I was pretty reluctant, at first, but I said yes.”
“I can’t believe you of all people had a night with a pair of hot twins. Don’t just cut the story there, a little more detail.”
I grinned. And I went into details. I was blushing the entire time, embarrassed and excited at the same time. I couldn’t believe I was even talking about it, I didn’t usually talk about my sex life with anyone.
The more I told her, the more Brandi was more than jealous. Until she was the one lying on my table, eating ice cream to alleviate her misery.
“I can’t believe your luck. Why can’t I get propositioned by hot twins and have a night of wild sex? Did I do something wrong in a past life? I swear most of the guys I keep meeting lately only want to jump into the sack when they aren’t even that great.”
I snickered. “Who knows. Something may happen.”
She just stuck her tongue out at me and opened the tub for more ice cream. We both took some, and she put the rest of it in my fridge.
“Are you going to see the twins again?”
I sighed, feeling a little of the misery swamp my excitement as I remembered that little detail. Why didn’t I just leave them with my number?
“I’m not going back home, so I doubt it.”
Chapter Thirteen
Carl
I’d gotten into racing early in life. At twenty-seven, I could brag because I was amazing at it. The only thing I was ever good at, really, because unlike my brother, school never agreed with me.
Abe was good at the racing, too. When I made him go with me, a part of it was so I could show off, in the one thing I thought I could be better than him at. We’d raced against each other a few times, and I had beat him, but he’d beat me about as many times, so we’d averaged at a tie. Then we decided to work as a team, and he stuck it out with me.
Still, he’d only ever raced bikes. I was comfortable in pretty much anything. Even in cars.
I was racing across the highway toward our destination. I spent more time on a bike than in a car, but I was comfortable in both.
“Carl, slow down.”
I scowled without turning at Abe’s warning. He sighed.
“This is not a race, and we need to take our time. I already told you we’d have to wait till Monday to look for her anyway. There’s no hurry.”
“I’m technically driving at the speed limit.”
“Just barely,” he growled. “Look, just slow down, now, okay? Leave the racing for the tracks, that’s what they’re for.”
I chuckled. He was always like that, giving me warnings, giving me tips. Sometimes, I felt like he thought he had to take care of me. Which was ridiculous, we were the same age, but it was what I got for dragging him with me everywhere I went, so I guess I deserved it.
“You’re boring, little brother.”
He growled, indignant. He hated it when I called him that, and I’d been using it since I learned that I was, technically, born before he was. Abe was fun to pick on because he was so serious most of the time. Even back when we were kids.
“Don’t call me little brother.”
I laughed. “You technically are.”
“By a few minutes.”
I threw a grin at him. I saw him narrow his eyes at me right as I turned back.
“Carl, no.”
He knew me better than I thought. I heard talk about twins having a psychic connection like that, but I could never tell what he was thinking. Of course, I didn’t need to, and I knew he read me so well because I was predictable.
“At least pay attention to the fucking weather, if not me. It’s raining out there, you idiot. The roads are going to be slick, and it’s not like sliding on dirt. I know it’s hard, but please don’t do something stupid.”
I scoffed at him, ignoring the stupid comment. It was just a little rain, and it had calmed down some time ago. I could see just fine through the windshield and only had to run the wipers once every few minutes to clear the glass.
I didn’t listen to him. The route we were on would take us past the hospital as we drove into town. We hadn’t been there for a while, but I knew where it was, and I knew we were close. I let the speed go down a little.
“Carl.”
I ignored Abe, doing a mini stunt with the car. It should have been fine. The road was clear, this late in the afternoon on a Saturday. I’d started with a car before moving on to bikes, hell I’d been racing a lot longer than Abe realized, so it wasn’t like I didn’t know what I was doing.
It was probably the speed, I didn’t let It go down enough for the stunt. Only, I was feeling a little high so I wasn’t paying as much attention as I should have been. I couldn’t handle it, the steering becoming useless under my hands as the wheels screeched against the road, all the water on the ground making sure we lost the traction I’d need to get the car back under control.
I knew we were going to crash, and I couldn’t stop it. Stupidly, I closed my eyes. There wasn’t anything seeing could help with anyway, but I still shouldn’t have. I heard it before I felt it, then there was pain, sharp and unbearable, and everything went black.
Next thing I know, I wake up to white walls and a curtain to my left.
I just blinked in the sudden brightness for a moment. I looked around, and it was easy to guess I was in a hospital. I was laying on a bed with railings, covered in white sheets, my hands at my sides over the sheets. There was a needle taped to the back of my left hand, attached to an IV drip, and when I followed the line, I saw the medical equipment.
I looked down at my body, saw my leg on a sling that kept it elevated, wrapped in a white cast up to the knee.
Fuck.
I remembered driving and doing something stupid even when my brother told me not to. Then I felt myself start to panic a little. Where was Abe?
Before it could get seriously out of control, though, I heard someone groan and curse. The voice was familiar, though low and a bit rough.
“Abe?” I called, unsure.
There was a short silence, then: “Carl?”
The relief that flashed through me made me feel a little dizzy, even though I was lying down.
“Thank God. I thought something bad happened to you, or something.”
He snorted. “It’s your fault to begin with, you know. And I’m not exactly uninjured. Neither are you, even though I haven’t seen you yet.”
“How long have you been awake?”
“Not that long, I think.” He paused. “How bad are you?”
I looked down at my leg, then tried to feel if I had injuries anywhere else.
“My leg’s in a cast. I don’t think anything else is broken. You?”
“My arm. It’s in a cast and tied on a sling around my neck. I can’t even feel my fingers.”
Fuck. I could feel the guilt start to sink in. I shouldn’t have tried to be a show-off, not when we were on the highway, going a little too fast. I should have listened to my brother, and I cringed just thinking it.