Page 41 of Echoes of Desire
Her brows furrow in thought. “I’ve seen you two do that a few times,” she says. “What does it mean?”
Steel lifts her easily, setting her on the hood of the truck before stepping back to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with me. Together, we explain something no one else knows.
“Even though you can’t tell, you know we’re identical twins,” I start.
“Yes,” she says, her head tilting as she watches us.
“When our mother was pregnant, there was a third child,” Steel continues. “Around twelve weeks, our sibling died. The doctors called it vanishing twin syndrome. Because it was so early, the cells reabsorbed into the placenta.”
“Our sibling wasn’t an identical triplet,” I explain. “They had their own placental sac, while Steel and I shared one. That’s why the doctors said it was safe.”
Steel’s voice softens as he says, “We’ve never felt fully complete as a duo. We were never meant to be just two.”
“We always knew we’d share one life, one house, one career, and one person,” I add.
“Male or female,” Steel says, making Raven’s eyes widen slightly.
“I guess we’ve landed on female,” I say with a soft laugh.
Steel smiles as he taps his chest. “When we do this, it’s a reminder to each other that we’re in this together. That we’re notalone. It’s our way of honoring the sibling we lost and the bond we share.”
Raven’s gaze softens, her eyes glistening. “That’s… beautiful.”
“We’ve never told anyone about this before,” I admit. “And no one’s ever asked. But now, it’s yours too.”
Steel steps closer, his voice gentle. “If you’re ever unsure it’s us, place your hand over your heart, and we’ll respond with the taps. Mine’s on the left, and Blaze’s is on the right. You’ll always know.”
She presses a hand to her chest, and we answer in turn. Her lips curl into a small smile. “Thank you. For trusting me with this.”
Steel brushes a kiss across her forehead, and I do the same.
“We’re a team now, Raven,” I murmur. “Always.”
Raven
Insane. This whole evening is insane.
I’m surrounded by about thirty people who are all strangers. As I sit at the table with Knox, Del, and a few other women, it feels like I’m in a pool of faceless beings. The noise, the laughter, the constant hum of chatter, it’s overwhelming.
But, somehow, I’m having a good time.
“Then they went out and bought me all new stuffies,” Knox says with a grin. “Way more than I had before. And they even saved the ones I thought I’d thrown away.”
Little Knox is fun to talk to, but I think I like Big Knox just as much. Earlier, he’d told me about a sticky situation he got into and how, as a result, he’d tried to suppress who he truly was. That led to him getting rid of his stuffies. A symbolic act of letting go of himself.
“They did that for you?” I ask, my heart aching as it swells with affection for the two men who seem to have completely taken over my life.
“Yes,” Knox says simply, his expression warm.
“They do so much for everyone around them,” Del chimes in, her voice filled with admiration. “They sacrifice so much to keep us happy. Just imagine what they would do, what they would sacrifice for you.”
“Oh, I don’t want them to sacrifice anything,” I say quickly, shaking my head. The thought of Jasper and Jaxon giving up something for me sends a pang of guilt through my chest. “I never want to be a burden to anyone.”
Del leans closer, her eyes sharp and filled with an intensity that makes me sit up straighter. “Raven, listen to me. Loving someone isn’t a burden. And with those two? Love means they’ll give you everything they have without hesitation. You just have to be brave enough to let them.”
The words hang in the air, and I swallow hard, my gaze dropping to my hands. Am I brave enough to let them love me like that? Am I brave enough to love them back in the same way?
Do I already?