Marcello was standing in the doorway, watching us with an eye that made me feel uncomfortable. I could see him tapping his foot against the ground. It was in tune with something—he was counting down. When he’d said it would only be two minutes, he wasn’t lying. I wished I knew what time we were at so that I could know how much longer I’d have her with me.
“I’m okay,” she said, her voice wavering as she sniffled. “How have you been?”
I shrugged. “I’m fine. You know me. I—”
Marcello stepped forward and placed his immense hand on Chiara’s thin shoulder. “Time’s up.”
My stomach twisted as he took her by her shoulders and pulled her away from me. Chiara was crying, her mouth sputtering words as she tried to reason with him. Neither of us could hold onto one another—not against his strength. Even his hands were massive as he clenched onto her shoulders and yanked her away as hard as he could, almost causing her to lose her footing. The tears burned my eyes as I tried to hold onto her. I felt her fingers slipping through mine as Marcello pushed her away from me.
I wanted to stop myself from appearing weak in front of him, but I couldn’t control my emotions. Nor could my sister. We were both sobbing as he pulled her away, slamming the door in front of me before I could chase after them. I was left in the unshakeable silence that I’d been forced to endure since being trapped in that cell. Only being able to see her for two minutes had cemented the thought that I was wholly alone.
Being without my twin had taken its toll on me, and I hadn’t even realized up until that moment. I fell to the floor, my tears streaming down my face. I could still hear her beckoning to him in the hallway, her voice wavering as she tried to convince him for more time. I wiped away my tears, trying to calm my nerves. I desperately wanted to break down the door and rush after her. Just two more minutes—that was all we needed.
I couldn’t believe he’d taken her away from me. I wanted her by my side. I needed to know that she was safe. She was a part of me that I couldn’t deny. Being without her was like being without a limb. Who would I divulge my deepest secrets to, if not her? We’d never been in a situation so dire, and I needed her with me, even just to keep me sane.
The expression on her face as he’d stolen her away was imprinted in my mind. I knew I’d see it when I closed my eyes. I wasn’t sure why he’d brought her to see me. There was something sinister about it. If he was abusing her, I’d want to kill him, eventually. Just thinking about him touching her made my skin crawl. I couldn’t bear it. She deserved better.
I knew that she would also do anything to see me. If I’d been given the option, I would have caved too. I’d do anything to see my twin.
Instead of pointlessly yelling or begging, I fell silent. I wouldn’t let him win. Despite my pain, the solitude, and the loneliness that followed, I had to have hope. I knew that she was okay. That was enough for me. I simply had to bide my time and hope that someone slipped up along the way.
