Care For Me ✔️

T H I R T Y - F I V E

"Fratello, did you just say why couldn't he have shot me later? Seriously, how about why couldn't he not have shot either of you at all?" Ace stated, his eyes wide as he stared at Jack in disbelief.

"Shut up Ace. I told Lily that when I turned eighteen, I'd become her guardian. That way we could get away from them, but now we're going to get split up. Lil I'm so sorry, I'll get a lawyer there must be something I can do. Or, we could just run— I'll get a job and get us an apartment, yeah I'll do that."

"Jack, no." Grey said, running his hand through his hair.

"What do you mean no? Yes I will."

"Jack, let Zac finish what he was going to say first please." Jack nodded at Grey before turning his focus to Zac, as did I.

"Yes, they're in jail. But neither of you will be going into foster care." Jack and I turned to each-other, our eyes filled with confusion and the faintest bit of hope.

"There's something we need to tell you guys. I'm sorry we didn't tell you sooner." Zac stated, his eyes darting between the two of us as he continued.

"Ten years ago, our parents were murdered. They'd taken our two year old little sister to a doctors appointment and on the way home they got car-jacked. They were both killed at the scene but our little sister vanished, we presumed she had been kidnapped. A few days later the police found our parents car and there was traces of our little sisters blood in the back seat— she was presumed dead."

"I'm so sorry for your loss, but I don't understand— what's that got to do with us?" I asked, my eyes filed with sympathy and confusion.

I turned to my gaze to Jack, expecting him to have the same confused look as myself. Instead, he stared at me wide eyed— as if he'd solved a puzzle, before a small sad smile pulled at his lips as tears began to fall from his pale blue eyes.

What's going on?

"Lily, did you ever question why you and Leo looked so alike?" Grey asked me, his voice almost hesitant.

"Yeah, but then Atlas said he's my doppelgänger. Y'know like in the vampire diaries."

Everyone laughed at my statement, as Leo mumbled "Atlas is a fucking idiot." Under his breath, loud enough for only me to hear.

"Lily, you asked me what the story had to do with you. Our little sister, the one who vanished, her name was Lily." No "When Leo and the boys seen you that day in the cafeteria, they told Grey and I. We came up with a plan, we didn't want to tell you straight away, we assumed you had a good home life or I swear we would have told you that first day. If we did we could've saved you and Jack sooner."

"Mhmm Lil, I'm not you're doppelgänger." Leo tells me nervously. "I'm your twin, you're our sister."

I felt the blood drain from my face at Leo's words; twin, sister. I don't understand, I can't be there sister, can I? I can feel my palms begin to sweat, the phantom hands appearing around my neck— I can't breathe.

"Lil, look at me." I focus my gaze to Jack as he gently threads his fingers through my curls. "You're okay, just breathe— inhale, exhale. That's it, I've got you, you're safe."