She tilts her head in my hands, and I bring her lips to mine in a soft kiss. She leans into me, and I hug her, kissing the top of her head. When we turn around, Emma is standing there with tears in her eyes. She looks away and walks ahead of us to the truck without looking back.
The ride back to Evie’s and Mateo’s place is quiet. Entirely too quiet as we are all lost in our thoughts. I look in the rearview mirror and see Emma looking out the window. She must sense me staring because she looks my way. Her eyes meet mine and she beams at Evie and smiles. Then she looks back at me before returning her attention to the passing cars on the interstate.
We pull into the complex and see Mateo is still there. Emma is out of the car as soon as it stops, jumping from the back seat like she is propelling herself at a forty-five-degree angle, posing as a stunt double in an action-packed movie.
I cock my head sideways as her little legs take her up to their apartment. Where she is curvy, my Evie is toned and just perfect. I stifle a laugh, and Evie swats my arm.
“Stop already with the short jokes. It hurts her feelings.”
I raise my hands defensively.
“You know we are twins, right?”
“Okay. Okay, but I didn’t say anything. And for the record, you do not look identical.”
We’ve almost caught up to Emma as she has to wait for us at the door since we have the keys. I wave them at her, and her nostrils flare with annoyance. She takes both of her hands and twists them in a scooping fashion toward the door, urgingus to hurry up. Evie scoffs, taking them from me and tosses them to her. She opens the door seconds before we arrive and, immediately, the cold air-conditioning hits my face.
“Geez, what is it, like sixty degrees in here?” Evie goes over to the thermostat, turns it up, and the air conditioning cycles off.
Mateo walks into the living room with gray sweatpants and no shirt while he towel dries his hair. We all stare at him as he rolls his eyes at us and saunters off.
“Oh, no, you don’t, Mattie.” Emma starts marching over there.
“I’ll be right out, and you can yell at me in a second. I just need to put this towel away.” He disappears into his room but reappears with a bottle of water.
He slumps into the recliner, placing the cold water bottle on his forehead. Evie and Emma sit on the couch as I stand up, leaning against the wall staring at us. Mateo downs half the water bottle’s contents and leans forward to place it on the coffee table in front of him. He slumps forward and runs his hand through his hair, tugging at the ends. He moves them to steeple under his chin and waits patiently for the chastising to begin.
No one says anything.
I look over at Evie, and she seems genuinely sad for him, while Emma looks pissed.
Emma shoots up off the couch, startling Mateo, causing him to lean back and away from his firecracker of a sister with an equally volatile temper. She raises her hands in the air. “What the fuck Mateo! You cannot get shit-faced like that and just disappear.”
Mateo hangs his head like a child being scolded.
“You scared Evie half to death coming in last night drunk off your ass and smelling like it, too, from what I hear. You cannot bury yourself in booze and pussy because you were feeling sorry for yourself.”
He looks up at Emma with a scathing look. “And why not, Emma? Huh? Maybe I just need to forget what my life is like sometimes. Maybe I just wanted to feel something, or maybe I just wanted to feel nothing at all.”
Emma sits back down on the couch, crossing her arms over her chest.
Evie leans forward, this time to say her peace. “Mattie, I was so scared when you came home like that. I worry about you. Just like you worry about me. You are my brother. My family. And I’ve lost so much already. I couldn’t bear to lose you, too. I don’t think I could recover if I lostmy guardian angel.My protector. My brother.” Evie hits her chest with each spoken word, like a vow she makes to him in return.
Mateo gulps as a multitude of emotions flash over him. He withers into the chair like he is empty and defeated. Beat down.
Evie walks over to him and squats at his level. She takes his hand in hers, and I want to hold her. I want to tell her how amazing she is, but I just sit there, taking in the scene as she comforts her brother.
“Mattie. It’s okay to feel alone, to feel shattered, and to take others’ feelings for granted. You have been through a lot. We all have. Just remember that you have us. You’re family, and we love you. You are not alone anymore. Collect your broken pieces and fix you, Mattie, because if you don’t, one day your life will be nothing but regrets.”
His eyes shimmer with unshed tears, and then Evie leans in and hugs her brother.
Emma walks over to Mateo and throws her arms around him. “Please don’t forget that again, Mattie. We love you.” Emma speaks softly into his shoulder as she leans on the recliner side, hugging Mateo.
He pulls her in closer and kisses her on the cheek. “I love you too, Emma.”
She smiles in return and then smacks him on the arm. “But if you ever do that again, Mattie…” She doesn’t finish that sentence before Mateo tickles her side, and she falls off the chair laughing.
I walk over to the couch that is now free as the girls are huddled over with their brother on the recliner. “Mateo,” I speak up, and the room is silent as Evie glances over at me, forehead scrunching. “I have a concern.”
