As he sinks down to the ground, he thinks me a message.
—Pretty sure it’s your other twin. Looks just like that one—He inclines his head towards Donovan.
My heart picks up its pace.—Is he alone?—
—Yep—
I look at the group in front of me.—It’s Wes, and he’s alone—
“WES?” Donovan’s voice cracks as he yells his brother’s name. “WES!”
He and Cosmo crash through the undergrowth. For a moment, I’m too stunned to react.
—Go find him. I’ll stay here, keep watch—Ludo tells me.
Wes, oh, Wes.
I take off running in the same direction as the others. Thank the Gods, thank the Gods.
Rounding a holly-bush, I come into an opening and there he is.
My Wes.
He looks just as he did when I last saw him a year ago. He’s even wearing the same jeans and a Banksy shirt.
Donovan is next to him, pulling his brother into a hug. I think my heart might burst from the joy of seeing him again.
My cheeks ache because of the size of my smile.
Wes meets my gaze and…
It’s not joy I see in his face. It’s disdain.
Am I hallucinating?
“Wes?”
My voice is unsteady. Why is he looking at me like that?
Alexis puts an arm around me. “What’s wrong with your brother, Donovan?”
Wes stands stiffly in Donovan’s embrace, face like stone.
I take a timid step towards him. “Wes? My love…are you OK?”
Nothing.
“It’s me, Theo.”
Even though Wes is frowning, I’m just so fucking glad to see him safe and whole.
—I love you, Wes—
My brain beams out the words towards him, but it’s like I hit a brick wall. The message won’t project into his mind.
I try to listen to Wes’s thoughts and…it’s just white noise.“Wes? What’s going on?”
I’ve never seen him look so cold, not ever. I stare at him getting increasingly unsettled. His eyes are dead.
