Under the Cover of Darkness

11 | Carson

I was using my phone, sipping a milkshake and half-listening to Diana ramble on about her father when the text came in.

It was an address but that wasn't what my mind was focused on. She'd texted me.

She texted me.

After her perfunctory reply last night I was pretty sure I'd blown my chance sky-high. I mean when a woman refers to you — not once, or twice for that matter — as a serial killer/stalker you kinda know you're not making any good headway with her.

She followed it with a ‘don't be late’ and a rainbow emoji that made me smile. I knew I was going to be late because I was all the way in Tuscany but I was going to go. Even though it was clearly a party and people would be there.

“And you know we're twins, so why on earth does he prefer her over me?” Diana asked skipping through the racks of clothing that'd been rolled into her room.

“God only knows,” I replied half-heartedly as I texted Hulio, my pilot to get the jet ready to fly back to Florida.

“And we're named after the same freaking goddess,” I saw her throw her hands up.

“Yep,” was all I said.

The next thing I knew my phone was yanked out of my hand and tossed through a window. The sound of shattering glass filled my ears.

I looked up at Diana's angry black eyes and took the last sip from my milkshake.

“You're not going to say anything?” Her left eyelid twitched.

I shrugged. “I needed a new phone anyways. That wasn't the newest model.”

Diana threw her hands up again and plopped her tall self into a couch.

I sighed and discarded my milkshake cup. Placing myself beside her I rested my head on her fur jacket. Despite not going anywhere important Diana insisted on dressing up. Which explained the boots, tights and miniskirt that wrapped around her tall frame.

“What am I doing with my life, Carson? Stuck in rehab while my sister lives the good life and my good for nothing father spoils her rotten. I should be doing so much more.”

“Hey,” I stopped her and sat up. “You are doing much more. You're straightening your life up and you're making good progress every day. Do not let yourself believe that's not worth acknowledging.”

She sniffed and her pointy chin — the only thing that set her apart from her identical twin — shook as she nodded.

“Look at you,” she cleaned her nose with the back of her hand. “Cheering me up. I guess this means you have to go.”

I nodded and smoothed back her black hair.

“Have fun. And say hi to her for me.”

I rolled my eyes. “You owe me a new phone.”

I left Di with a promise to call as soon as I arranged for a new phone.

Throughout the plane ride I made up my mind to show Butterfly that I wasn't the werido she thought I was. And if I actually was a weirdo it was her doing that to me.

Maybe you'd wanna leave the last part out.

When we touched ground I rushed home and changed into an all black suit. I left the top buttons open and grabbed the keys to my convertible.

When I eventually got to the party it turned out to be an outdoor thing with lots of fairy lights that almost made me puke. The music was low enough that I could hear some of the conversations going on but the DJ stand in front was empty.