Just as well. The bushes probably helped to prevent any unnecessary accidents.
The sound of Gia sniffling was loud in his ears despite the wind. He clamped down on the bench to stop himself from yanking her into his arms and demanding she tell him what was wrong. Here, it was clear what was upsetting her.
She had finally been brave enough to see her brother, but all traces of him were gone.
Well, not all.
Gia hadn’t noticed the plaque his arm inadvertently covered.
“I miss him so much.” Her whispered voice wobbled with unshed tears. Involuntarily, his fingers wrapped themselves in the long strands of her soft hair, offering her a small bit of comfort as she processed her emotions. No doubt she had expected to peer over the edge.
No good could come from her imagining Thao’s suffering. She did not need to be reminded of the jagged rocks protruding from the mountainside, or the bed of rocks blanketing the bottom of the cliff before disappearing into the dark waters.
“I know. I miss him, too.” It was hardly any consolation. Despite how close he had been to Thao, he couldn’t even fathom what Gia had felt when her twin and other half had been ripped away from her in this lifetime so abruptly.
The last time he’d seen Thao, he had a wide grin on his face as he walked backward toward the edge. Jake had watched Thao do this a dozen times before. Hell, he’d been foolish enough to go after him, too. Something was different this time. Thao misjudged his steps, and instead of leaping over the edge, he lost his footing and fell backward.
Jake and Gia tried to warn him, but it had been too late. His hand had been millimeters from Thao’s reaching fingertips. By the time Jake peered over the edge, Thao had disappeared. With Gia’s screams in his ears, he’d leaped over the edge and dove into the dark water. He’d lost sight of Thao as he free-fell in the air.The cool wind rushed past him as he took one big breath before plunging into the lake.
The shock of the cold water against his skin had stolen the breath right out of him. He swam in circles looking for Thao beneath the depths. When he came up for air, he’d screamed for Thao while frantically searching for his face, but the only sounds he heard were his desperate echoes and the rushing water.
It had felt as if he’d been in the water for minutes, but it had been much longer. By the time search and rescue came, they had to pull him out of the water kicking and screaming. Gia had rushed down the trail and called for help, and had been screaming his name until her voice was hoarse.
The search and rescue team looked for days but could never recover Thao’s body. His family had to bury an empty casket.
After the funeral, he headed back to his empty house instead of going back with the Liens. His parents had been out of town, so he had the house all to himself. For the first time in his life, he was thankful to be alone in the house. He’d been sitting in his bedroom in the dark when he heard tapping on his window. Jake hoped it was Thao, coming back from the depths with a story of his adventure, but it had been his twin. While his heart still skipped a beat at the sight of Gia’s beautiful face, it also filled him with sorrow and regret.
Will she ever forgive me for not being able to find Thao?
It had taken him more effort than necessary to get up and open the window. His muscles were still sore from his failed attempt at finding Thao. Once the window opened, Gia climbed in. Her lithe frame moved gracefully as she placed her feet gently inside his bedroom.
As he held her sobbing body in his arms, Jake wished he could take her pain away. Anything to soothe the heartbroken woman in his arms.
When her crying subsided, the silence stretched between them, creating a distance he had been desperate to close. Gia made the first move, but he hadn’t stopped her as she planted adesperate kiss on his lips. A kiss he’d never forget for as long as he lived, despite the circumstances. He’d been hesitant at first, but her frantic hands on his body wiped away all sane thought. One frenzied kiss led to another, until it was too late to stop.
Not for the first time, Jake wished he hadn’t slept with Gia after Thao’s funeral. The fabric of his reality had unraveled, and he’d been so desperate to keep his world from falling apart.
While he did not regret that his first time was with Gia, he never should have pushed her away when she needed him the most.
Eleven
GIA
How did this happen?
Gia stared in shock at the waist-height bushes, which mocked her with their bright colors. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected when she came up here, but finding a whole bench and new shrubbery hadn’t been it.
How the hell did the bench get up here, anyway? And who the hell brought it here?
The leaves rustled in the gentle breeze as if mocking her ire. The bench itself wasn’t the issue. It was a fantastic view from this vantage point. And clearly it made a great spot for a picnic, judging by the half-eaten sandwich she’d spotted next to Jake.
She wasn’t sure exactly why seeing the vibrant flowers upset her, only that she hadn’t expected it.
Right where those bushes now taunted her was the spot where she’d seen Thao last. Past the bundle of thorns and vines was a drop directly into the water below.
For the past decade, the image of what her brother looked like right before he disappeared forever still tormented her. The sheer terror in his eyes when he realized his fatal mistake had branded itself onto her psyche. She could never forget it as long as she lived. The strangled scream she’d let loose as he fell, moving tooslow to save her twin. Her worst nightmares could never compare to the reality of the moment. Of her failure.
In seconds, he had vanished. Almost like the lake had swallowed him whole. A freak accident changed all of their lives.
