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Boundaries were really important to me. When I first came home, Jamie would call almost every hour on the hour, and when I didn’t answer by the first ring, she would say, “Why does it take you so long to answer?” or “I was just about to hang up.” That shit really used to blow me, so I had to tell her that I didn’t owe her my time and that if I wasn’t in the mood, I wasn’t required to answer. I had to let her know I was no longer in jail and that her trying to track my every move wasn’t going to work.

Of course, she apologized and eased off, and we haven’t had that problem since.

When I finished eating, I made my way through my trash. When I turned around, I bumped into a hard, stiff body. Once I gathered myself and looked at the person I had bumped into, it was as if I had forgotten all words. He looked down at me with a mischievous smirk on his face. He cocked his head to the side and just waited for me.

“What the… How?”

“Spit it out, Sweetness,” he said in a teasing tone.

That caused me to freeze even more because since being released, he has not called me that. He had switched to calling me Trouble, which, honestly, was my favorite of the two names.

“Sweetness?” I mimicked in confusion, but that wasn’t the only thing that had me baffled.

“What are you doing here, Chance? And why did you shave your beard off?” I stepped closer, and I reached to touch his face.

I noticed that his hair was shorter, too. He didn’t respond right away. He just watched me. It gave me chills, and I didn’t understand. I lowered my hand and backed away.

“What’s my name?” he asked.

“Chance?” I said, but it came out more like a question.

“Nope, try again.” His smile brightened.

“What are you talking about? What’s wrong with you?”

“Oh! He didn’t tell you yet.” He shook his head as if he were disappointed. “See, that’s normally the difference between Chance and me. I was known for lying, so they say. And he was honest Abe. But I find it interesting that he failed to mention he had a twin.”

I didn’t know what to say. I wanted to laugh and call him crazy, but something in his body language told me I needed to be on alert.

“We met before, but I will admit I gave you the wrong name.” He stuck out his hand. “I’m Chase.”

Hesitantly, I extended my hand to shake his. “I’m sorry, I’m confused. Where have I met you, Chase?”

“Cumberland prison, Sweetness. Obviously.” He chuckled.

“There’s nothing obvious about what you just told me. So you’re saying I was fucking… I was with you in jail, and now my boyfriend is your… twin?”

“Correct, Sweetness. You’re getting it.”

“Stop calling me that! And stop lying. I’m not sure what type of fucked up game you’re playing but…”

“Don’t believe me. See for yourself. FaceTime him,” he dared.

I was conflicted because I knew this was Chance fucking with me, but he was actually scaring me. And add on the fact that he just randomly started calling me Sweetness again.

“Fine. I’ll play your lil’ game,” I said as I pulled my phone from my back pocket and swiped up to unlock it.

I looked at Chance’s name in my favorites and looked up at Chase. I pressed his name and looked at the phone Chase had in his hand. It wasn’t ringing. On the third ring, he answered. Chance answered.

“Wassup, Trouble?” he said, smiling into the phone.

My entire world went black for a split second, and then everything I had just eaten came flying up. Luckily, I was still next to the trash can, so I angled my head just enough to throw up in the trash. After getting my breathing under control, I heard Chase tell someone I was fine. When I turned to him, he was holding my phone toward me.

“He’s calling you back. Answer and tell him it was an accident.”

I snatched my phone and sent a text, instead.

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