Authors: Riley Rhea
Chapter Eighteen
Spencer
N
ot long after
Dr. Jennings gave us the news about Lexi, everyone decided to find the cafeteria and grab some lunch while we waited. I refused to go with them, but promised to text Alice the minute they bring Lexi to her room.
Now, sitting here alone in this waiting room is grating on my nerves. They need to hurry their asses up and let me see her. I have to see with my own eyes that she is indeed, okay. If I’d been with her, none of this would have happened. I should’ve told her about Vance. Had I opened myself up more, she’d be showing her exhibit right now instead of lying in a fucking hospital bed.
“Excuse me, sir. Are you with Alexia Allen’s family?” Raising my head I see a petite blonde woman standing in front of me wearing pink scrubs.
“Yes, ma’am, I’m her boyfriend,” I answer while getting to my feet in hopes she’s about to lead me to Lexi. “Can I see her now?”
“Would you like to wait for the rest of her family?” The nurse questions.
“I will let them know where to go.” The nurse gives me Lexi’s room number. Taking my phone out of my pocket, I pull up Alice’s number and begin texting her the information.
Now, knowing where she is, I head straight to the elevator. Leaning against the wall, I brace my hands on the rail and lower my head, drawing in as many deep breaths as I can. All this has put into perspective just how much Lexi has come to mean to me in such a short amount of time. I just hope and pray she doesn’t hate me for keeping things from her.
Reaching her floor, I exit the elevator before the doors are completely open and rush down the hallway to her room. Stopping in front of the door, I take another deep breath and hold it as I open the door to step inside.
As soon as my eyes land on her face, all the air leaves my body. I feel like someone just punched me in the stomach. She looks so small and fragile lying against the stark white sheets. The closer I get to her side the more my stomach twists into knots. When my eyes scan her beautiful face, a single tear falls down my cheek. The bruising from the fall goes from her hairline to the middle of her face.
I gently lower myself on the bed beside her, placing my hand on her unbruised cheek. Leaning close enough to brush my lips against hers in a soft kiss, another tear drops onto her injured cheek.
“I’m so, so sorry, Lexi. I should have told you I had a twin brother. I should have been there with you today, instead of letting my stupid pride hold me back. I should have told you days, hell, weeks ago, that you knocked all those walls around my heart down.” Reaching under the cove r and finding her hand, I hold on to it like a lifeline. I need her to wake up. I need to see those golden eyes of hers, that beautiful smile, and hear her voice whispering my name.
There’s a soft knock on the door before it opens and Lexi’s parents and Brenna and Tucker come inside the room. I place another soft kiss to her lips before standing and moving away from her bed to give her parents a chance to see her.
Tucker tilts his head toward the door to signal me to follow, I did, and spot my parents, Vance, Missy, and the babies near the wall speaking quietly.
“You doing okay, man?” Tucker asks as soon as the door closes behind me.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been so scared in my life. The not knowing from the moment the call came in until I just laid eyes on her, man…” Running my hand down my face, I take another deep breath. “I felt like my world stopped spinning, like all the oxygen had been sucked out of it.”
“She’s going to be okay, Spencer. You need to tell her that. Let her know how you feel about her. Don’t wait. As soon as she opens her eyes, you tell her that you love her.” Tucker states before heading into Lexi’s hospital room.
Do I love her? Is that what this feeling means? I know I damn sure didn’t feel a portion of this way about Tessa. Fuck! That little red head in there has knocked me on my ass without even trying. I swore I’d never open my heart again to anyone. Apparently, I wasn’t prepared for her.
* * *
Lexi
I hear my parent’s voices and their pleas for me to wake up. I try to open my eyes for them. I only get my eyes open to a small slit before I shut them again; the light is so bright that it feels like someone just stabbed my eyeballs. I try to raise my arms to block the light, but pain radiates throughout my sides and chest. Holy fucking hell, I feel like I’ve been hit by a train.
“Lexi, wake up, baby girl. I need you to open your eyes for us,” my dad pleads.
“Light,” I rasp. My mouth is so dry it feels like I just swallowed a mouthful of sawdust.
“Thank God, you’re awake. We’ve been so worried. Sam, go get Spencer,” My mom says.
“No!” I attempt to yell, but it came out more of a raspy whisper.
“Here baby, drink this,” Mom says as I feel a straw touch my lips. I sip the water slowly as I try to open my eyes again.
The light’s dimmed. Thank you, sweet baby Jesus. “How bad is it?” I ask my parents and listen as they tell me what the doctors told them.
“Lexi, what happened?” My dad asks as he takes a seat next to my bed.
I tell my parents what happened, from the time I arrived at the exhibit to the time I ran into Spencer. I assumed my dad would be furious, storming out of the room in search of Spencer, but they both sat there calmly as I speak. “I can’t believe how stupid I was to trust him. I should have known he was too good to be true.”
Dad sighs softly, “Lexi, did you ever think to stop and listen to what this man had to say?”
“Are you serious right now, Dad? I just told you that I saw Spencer with another woman and you ask me if I stopped to let him explain?”
“Honey, I think you really need to talk to Spencer.” Mom says softly.
“No! I have nothing to say to him,” I shout. Yes, I know I’m being kinda disrespectful to my parents, something I’ve never done before, but damn it I’m hurt and pissed. He’s the last person I want to see.
“That’s too bad, Lexi. Because I have plenty to say to you.” Spencer says as he walks through the door.
My parents stand to exit my room. I can’t believe they are doing this to me. What the hell? I tell them he’s cheating, while I’m lying in this hospital bed in excruciating pain, and they abandon me.
“I have nothing to say to you, Spencer. Go talk to that girl that was with you earlier and leave me alone.”
“It’s not what you think Lexi, and I can prove it to you.” Spencer says. He opens the door and motions for someone in the hallway.
If my damn head and face didn’t hurt so bad, I’m sure my jaw would’ve hit the floor. I’m convinced the pain meds are messing with my head. Right in front of me are two Spencers.
“Hi, Lexi, my name is Vance, and as you can see I’m Spencer’s twin. I’m really sorry for the misunderstanding this morning.” His voice is a little deeper than Spencer’s, how did I miss that?
“Oh my God! There are two of you.” I don’t know what else to say. I feel so stupid right now. If I’d only have stopped and listened to him, then I wouldn’t be in this hospital bed right now.
“Lexi, I should have told you. There’s a reason why I didn’t. Today is the first time I’ve seen or spoken to Vance in two years,” Spencer says as he takes the seat my father was sitting in moments before. Vance leans against the wall and stares at the floor.
“Why? No more hiding Spencer.” I order him with as much conviction in my voice as I can muster. I listen as Spencer tells me about what he walked in on two years prior. My heart aches for him. No wonder he guards his heart so well. I glance over at his brother. Pain and sorrow are etched on his face as he listens to his twin talk about the betrayal that tore them apart.
Chapter Nineteen
Spencer
T
elling Lexi about
what happened two years ago is surprisingly much easier than I thought it would be. The pain that I felt then at their betrayal is a distant ache which no longer seems to consume me. It feels good to get it all out there, knowing my brother is hearing what I have to say as well.
“No wonder you’ve been so guarded,” Lexi says softly to me. I don’t say anything in response to her. I continue to watch Vance willing him to say something.
“You weren’t the only one betrayed that night, Spencer. We both lost something,” Vance finally says.
“What did you lose?” I grunt, surprise filling me at the audacity of his statement.
“My best friend. My other half. All over some stupid bitch that wanted what she couldn’t have,” He replies, anger lacing his voice.
“What do you mean by ‘what she couldn’t have’?” Lexi questions Vance.
“Missy came to me a few weeks after you left; she was actually looking for Spencer. She told me that Tessa had talked for months about finding out just how identical we were. So basically, Tessa had this all planned,” Vance answers Lexi while keeping eye contact with me.
“Wow, what a bitch,” Lexi replies. “Is Missy the girl that was with you this morning?”
“Yes, we’ve have been really close ever since then,” Vance says.
“That still doesn’t excuse or explain what I saw that night. You fucked her, Vance, I saw you!” I hate that this is all going down in front of Lexi, but the time has come.
“I did
not
fuck her. Hell, Spencer, do you honestly think I would do that to you? You’re my goddamn brother for fuck’s sake. There’s no way I’d betray you that way, but you never gave me a chance to tell my side of the story. I didn’t even know what happened until after you took off and by the time I called Dad to come get me that night, it was too late. You were gone, and well, now here we are,” Vance says angrily.
I’ve never seen my brother so angry or heard him curse so much in front of a female. As bad as I hate to relive that night again, I have to hear his side of the story so I can move past this completely. “Then tell me what happened that night.”
I listen as my brother tells me how he arrived at Tessa’s house already half drunk and was feeling sick. He asked Tessa for some medicine and then went to her room to lie down. That was the last thing he remembered until he heard the door slam. He then told me about his conversation with Tessa afterwards. I can’t believe that she would stoop to that level. Vance is telling me the truth. I can see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice.
“You can talk to Missy if you want,” Vance offers.
“Naw. It’s over and done with now and I just want to put it all behind me. Had that not happened that night I wouldn’t have met this woman right here,” I tell my brother as I turn to smile at Lexi.
“Wow, what a story. I’d like to meet this Tessa chick and thank her for being so stupid,” Lexi adds. “Her loss is my gain, although she does deserve a good punch in the twat for what she did to the two of you.”
Vance and I both laugh at Lexi’s comment. “She’s spunky, I like her. You did good brother.” Vance laughs.
“What the hell?! Why does everyone call me spunky?” Lexi blurts.
“Because babe, you are one spunky little redhead and I love it.” Lexi smiles as much as she can at me before a pain filled moan escapes her. Getting up from my chair, I head toward the door to search out the nurse’s station to see if Lexi can have something for pain.
* * *
Lexi
“He loves you, ya know?” Vance says as soon as the door closes behind Spencer.
“I don’t know about that. I believe he cares, but love… I think he’s too scared to love again.” I whisper.
“Naw, believe me, he loves you. I saw his face when I walked into the emergency room. There was so much fear and concern. There is no doubt in my mind that my brother is head over ass in love with you.”
“Hmm, well, he sure hasn’t told me,” I say using sarcasm as a barrier to protect myself just in case he’s wrong. “By the way, I’m sorry for slapping you this morning. I really thought you were Spencer.”
“Don’t worry about it. Shit happens. I just wish this much shit didn’t happen.” He mutters, gesturing to my injuries.
I’m pretty sure that me and Vance will get along just fine. Spencer comes back into the room with a nurse trailing him. I scowl at her when I notice she’s watching his ass. Bitch better be glad I’m in too much pain to punch her in her throat. As Spencer leans down to kiss me, I smile triumphantly. Then he moves to the side to allow her to give me my pain meds.
After the nurse left, the door opens minutes later to my friends and family, along with two people I don’t recognize. From the looks of them, I assumed they are Spencer’s family. Spencer makes introductions and I really hate that I’m meeting them in a hospital bed. It’s probably a good thing there aren’t mirrors in this room to see what I look like. Because if I look like I feel, then I’m a pretty scary sight.
It’s nice to have everyone right here with me and packed into this tiny room. Even under the circumstances, it was really nice to meet Spencer’s family. I’d really like to get to know Missy better. She’s been a little on the quiet side so far, but I have a feeling she would fit in just perfect with me and Brenna. The only people that are missing to make this little get together complete are Brenna and Tucker’s family and my brother, Drew. I can’t wait to have us all together, as one little happy family.
Chapter Twenty
Spencer
F
or the first
time in two years, I feel like I have my life back. I guess fate really does work in mysterious ways. If today never happened, who knows how much longer me and Vance would’ve gone without making things right? Knowing my stubborn ass, probably forever. On one hand I wish I’d confronted him then, but then on the other, I’m glad I didn’t since it led me to where I am now.
There is a knock on the door. After a few of us announce to come in, Dr. Jennings and the nurse walk in. “Well, I’m glad to see you awake and smiling Miss Allen. How are you feeling?”
“Not horrible, but kinda like I fell down some stairs.” Lexi states sarcastically. There’s my girl, always the smartass.
Dr. Jennings lets out a low chuckle and begins to look over Lexi’s chart. “I’d say that’s because you did fall down some steps.” He shoots back at her. “You’re doing really well. If you keep up your good behavior, and are able to use the crutches to get to the bathroom, then how bout I set you free tomorrow?”
“Seriously?” Lexi asks. Dr. Jennings nods at her. “Well, bring on the crutches. I’m sore and all, but I’m ready to go home. No offense doc, but hospitals kinda suck.”
The nurse exits the room and returns shortly with a pair of crutches. I think if Lexi could bounce in the bed like a little girl, she would. She seems almost giddy.
“I’ll be back in tomorrow to check on you and make sure you’re still doing well. If so, then you will be free to go home on one condition.”
“I knew there would be a catch.” Lexi pouts.
“You have to stay with someone who can help you for at least the first forty eight hours.” Dr. Jennings instructs.
“That’s not a problem, Dr. Jennings I’ll take care of her,” I respond before anyone else has the chance. I give Tucker a look, silently asking him if he’ll give me the time off work to help Lexi. Tucker nods his approval.
“Sounds good. Well, Miss Allen, behave and tomorrow you shall be free.” Dr. Jennings laughs as he exits the room.
“I believe we are going to head home, Spencer. Lexi, it was very nice to meet you. Hopefully, we will see you again soon,” My mom says before she hugs me tight.
“Missy, you and the boys want to ride home with us?” Dad questions.
“I’ll take Missy home after we head over to the museum to get my stuff, but y’all can take the boys with y’all if you don’t mind,” Vance answers for her.
My parents say their goodbyes to everyone, but before they leave they make sure to get a promise from me that I will bring Lexi to their house after she recovers. I of course, agree. This rift between me and Vance has been hard on them as well. Once they are gone, it seems like everyone else begins to follow suit.
“I think Brenna and I are going to head back too. You riding back with us Spencer?” Tucker asks.
“Nope, as long as it’s okay with Alice, I think I’ll stay here tonight,” I respond.
“Hey, what if it’s not okay with Lexi?” Lexi jumps in before her mom can answer.
“Oh, hush girl. Let this young man take care of you. Your mom and I are too damn old to be sleeping in hospital chairs.” Sam comes to my defense and Alice winks at me. I’ll have to thank them later. Sam and Alice leave shortly afterwards leaving only Vance and Missy.
“Hey, Vance, you care if I ride over to the museum with you so I can get Lexi’s car and bring it here?”
“Of course.” Vance answers. “You ready Missy?”
“You are more than welcome to stay with me, Missy. Give us a chance to get to know one another,” Lexi says.
“I’d like that.” Missy smiles as she takes the chair that I just abandoned.
* * *
Lexi
Once the boys leave I waste no time being nosy. “So, are you and Vance together?”
Missy laughs and shakes her head. “Everyone asks that, but truthfully, no. We’re just friends.”
“Sorry, I’m nosy by nature.”
“No worries, you can’t get to know someone without asking questions.” Missy says with a smile.
“Truth. So, how long have you known them?” I ask..
“I saw Spencer a handful of times when I was in college. Tessa was my roommate. Even though I knew of Vance, I never actually met him until a few weeks after Spencer left town.”
“Tessa deserves a swift kick in the twat, if you ask me.” I say seriously.
Missy begins laughing, “That she does.”
“Spencer doesn’t talk about her at all,” I tell her. Spencer’s silence makes sense to me now, though. I think it was the thought of his brother being the other man that hurt him the most. I’m so glad things weren’t quite what they seemed. “Okay, enough about all that. How old are your babies?”
“They are four months old.” Missy’s face transforms as her lips tip upward. I can tell she’s a proud mother.
“At first I thought that Spencer was going to find out he was an uncle today.” I laugh.
Missy lowers her head and begins fidgeting in her seat. “No, they aren’t Spencer’s nephews. Until today I’ve only ever seen one other person with eyes like yours.”
“Really, may I ask whose?” My heart stutters as I speak the question.
Why do I feel like her answer will impact my life?
Missy raises her head, wipes away a tear, and says “His name is Drew and he’s my boy’s father.”
OH MY GOD!
There it is the impact on my life. I blink a few times in disbelief. Then I scan the room to locate my purse sitting on the table against the wall. “Can you hand me my purse please?” Once I have my purse, I dig out my phone and begin scrolling through my photo gallery. Finding a picture of Drew, I turn the phone toward Missy. “Is this your Drew?” I ask her, holding my breath as I wait for her response.
Missy takes my phone and looks at the picture of Drew on the screen. She stares at the picture for a few minutes. Then her finger strokes the phone screen as another tear rolls down her cheek. “Yes, that’s him. I never got to tell him about the boys. We lost contact a few weeks after we parted.”
“Do you want to tell him?” I ask her softly.
“He deserves to know. I don’t know where he is though and if I ever get the chance I’d like to do it face to face,” Missy whispers while continuing to stare at my phone.
“I can make that happen. He’s my brother and he’s coming home soon.” I can’t believe I have two nephews. I know my brother will want to know.
Missy takes a deep breath. Her eyes dart about the room before landing on me. “I’d appreciate it, Lexi. The only thing I ask is that you not mention us, I’d like to be the one to tell him.”
“Deal.” Oh yes, I’ll make this happen. It’s time I have a chat with my big bro and as soon as I get the chance, I’ll be making that call.
Missy and I chat about the twins. I learn their names are Camden and Colton, and are identical twins. We talk nonstop about whatever else pops into our heads until Spencer and Vance get back.