Out of fear? Cowardice? Something else he’s not free to name?
I stare at the angular planes of his face, shrouded in a darkness that goes beyond the storm or the unlit cabin. None of it lines up with what I expected.
His head sinks into his hands, breath still coming fast. Water falls from his body in rivulets that dot the surrounding floor.
I take a seat in the corner opposite him, working hard to keep my teeth quiet. My arms wrap around me.
I watch him.
Unmoving. Silent.
The storm presses into the cabin, wood straining as if it could give at any moment.
Rhys looks up, brooding gaze drilling into me. “Your eyes arehis.” Not accusation. Recognition.
“I’m his twin,” I squeak.
He nods once. Slow. “Sloane.”
And that one syllable slams into me harder than any storm.
“Took you long enough.”
Chapter
Five
RHYS
The world ends for a while, then starts again beneath a sweep of thinning clouds. Sun pierces through, winds calm, and the thunder grows distant, lightning evaporating.
The birds return, warbling like the storm never happened.
I rise and head for the window, peering out. The world is sharper, cleaner. Droplets still cling, shimmering in every direction.
I fold my arms, shaking my head. “Shouldn’t have parked there.”
That’s when I get the nerve to look at her again.
Those eyes.
God, they hit harder than they should.
I hear her chattering teeth first. Then, see the pallor of her damp skin, chestnut hair gone dark as mahogany in the rain. It curls at her temples. Small ringlets. The messy bun from earlier swept away with the Jeep.
My chest tightens. Don’t know why.
Her lips press together in a thin, blue line.
I head for the hearth, piling logs in a neat stack. Keep moving. Keep doing. The only way to get through this… andher.
“Yeah,” she says finally, voice dry and hard. “I see that now.”
“You insured that?”
She shrugs, swiping a hand across her face. I don’t know if she’s wiping away rain or tears. “Rental insurance.”
The room goes quiet except for the soft hum of the fire, the pop of new logs building heat.
