As I turned toward the door, it opened, flooding the porch with light, and I made out the silhouette of a man walking out carrying a medical bag.
He looked at me in the haze of the floodlight and made his way over. “Hi, I’m Doc Riley. You must be Lane. We met your brother, Jake, earlier,” he said while extending his hand.
I shook his hand and said, “I am. Thanks for everything. I’m anxious to see Bess, but what do you think happened?”
“Panic attack. Stress. An old friend got her worked up. She can tell you the rest herself. She’s laying down inside.”
“Thanks,” I said and walked to the door, holding my breath.
Slowly peeking in the door, unsure of what was behind it, I whispered, “Bess,” in case she was sleeping.
A middle-aged woman greeted me. “Hello, Mr. Wrigley. I’m May. I also work at the WildFlower, so I’ve seen you there,” she said with a soft and sweet smile.
“Hi, May,” I said before turning toward the couch. Bess was curled up in the fetal position, Brooks at her feet.
“Hi,” I barely croaked out.
“Hey,” she said back to me, her voice thin and worn.
I approached with caution, unsure of what to say. Behind me, I heard May doing something in the kitchen.
“You didn’t have to come,” Bess said when I got close and slid down on the floor by where her head rested on the end of the couch.
“I shouldn’t have ever left.”
She didn’t know the double meaning behind those words, but I felt my regret deep in my bones, a familiar but unwelcome ache.
“I was worried about you,” she answered, not moving a muscle.
“Well, I was worried about you.”
Both times.
With an unsteady hand, I reached out and rubbed her cheek, smoothing her hair back as I took in her pale skin and dark eyes. Even disheveled in a robe, she looked beautiful.
“I’m okay. I guess I passed out. That’s what Doc said.”
Not moving my hand from the side of her neck, my thumb caressing her neck where her pulse fluttered. “What happened, Bess?”
She looked toward the floor. “It was nothing.”
Using my thumb, I tilted her chin so we were face-to-face. “It wasn’tnothing. I heard screaming and you passed out. That’s something. Now, tell me what happened.”
She cradled her face into my hand and spoke in a low voice. “Well, it was AJ. Anthony. The man I told you about in Florida. He’s gone a bit crazy for me, except it’s all my fault. I was with him.Withhim before you. It never should have happened because he’s my sponsor.” A tear fell down, splashing my fingers.
“People make mistakes, Bess.”
She shook her head. “No, this is one I shouldn’t have made. We crossed all these invisible lines and broke the rules, and I ended up taking advantage of his affection for me. It’s what gave me a little spark of life back, but it wasn’t enough because I had met you.”
I kissed her cheek, my lips grazing her soft skin, desperately wanting to move over to her even softer lips. But I didn’t. It wasn’t that kind of moment.
“Bess, you may not realize this, but you gave me my spark back.”
“I don’t know. I don’t think I’m a good person, Lane. I never even knew you had a twin, an identical one. When I came to and saw him, I believed it was you with short hair.” Her brow furrowed as she added, “And I see something deep in your soul that I want to dig out and take away, but I haven’t even attempted.” Her voice was scratchy and broken, matching my mood.
What does she see?
“Bess, let’s not worry about me. Let’s take care of you. Okay?”
