Scarlet sat, stunned and hollow, in the wake of Tristan’s words. She’d never felt so hurt, so personally offended.
Why did she care?
Tristan was no one to her. He was just her boyfriend’s brother.
So why did she care if he hated her? Why did she care if he didn’t want her around?
Scarlet tried to readjust her feelings and put Tristan’s words into perspective.
He means nothing to me.
He’s a stranger.
He’s a mean stranger and I don’t care about him.
Her thoughts echoed back at her, calling her a liar.
Despite his sharp words, Scarlet still felt drawn to him and it broke her heart.
She should hate him right now or, at the very least, feel nothing for him.
But no.
Her heart clenched in her chest until she couldn’t breathe and her eyes went blurry with the threat of tears.
She heard footsteps coming back down the hallway and her silly heart hoped—actually
hoped
—it was Tristan returning to apologize.
She cleared her eyes and sat up straight and nervous.
But it wasn’t Tristan who returned, it was Gabriel.
Her heart sank.
“Sorry about that,” Gabriel said.
She gave him her best fake smile. “What did Nate say?”
He examined her for a moment. “Are you okay?”
Gabriel had no idea Scarlet’s insides were bleeding from her conversation with Tristan, but she didn’t feel like sharing her hurt with him. “Of course. What did Nate say?”
Gabriel shook his head, “He doesn’t have any new information about the fountain. But he does have something to give to you.”
“What is it?”
“He wouldn’t tell me, but he said he’d send it to you.”
Scarlet tilted her head. “Huh.”
Gabriel shrugged before scooting closer to her and wrapping his strong arm around her. “Anyway, back to you. What other questions do you have?”
Scarlet blinked.
She had more questions, but all she could think about was Nate’s mysterious gift.
And Tristan’s cold words.
“Um…I think I’m good. For now.” Scarlet gave him another fake smile. “I’ll let you know.”
He tilted his head to the side, paused a moment, then smiled. “Are you sure?”
Scarlet nodded.
“Well, in that case, I think we should go on a date. Tonight. Let’s go do something normal. Something that has nothing to do with curses and fountains. Whatdaya say?”
Scarlet breathed out a laugh, “That sounds wonderful.”
And it did.
Or, at least, it sounded better than sitting in a house Tristan didn’t want her in.
A date would be good.
Scarlet needed a little love.
The following weekend, Scarlet smiled to herself as she knocked on the cabin door. She had a “secret” date planned for Gabriel and couldn’t wait to surprise him.
She was going to take him back to their picnic spot in the woods and spend the rest of the day talking and laughing and, hopefully, going over possible fountain leads. They’d spent the past weekend researching various legends and Scarlet was feeling hopeful.
She knocked again.
Tristan answered the door.
What was he? The doorman?
Scarlet’s happiness deflated.
“What are
you
doing here?” he asked.
Scarlet blinked. “Excuse me?”
Rude.
“Why are you here?” Tristan looked around the porch, like he expected someone to be with her.
“Um…my
boyfriend
lives here. So, I came here for
him
.”
“Why didn’t you text first?” Tristan looked at her accusingly.
Scarlet raised her eyebrows incredulously. “Oh, I’m sorry. I guess I didn’t know the rules. So, I need to text you before showing up on Gabriel’s doorstep? What else? Do I need to call for your approval before I kiss him?”
Tristan rolled his eyes. “What do you want?”
“Um…I want to see Gabriel. Is that okay? Or are visiting hours over?” Scarlet took a step forward.
Her brain wanted to smack Tristan out of the way and march into the cabin and wait for Gabriel to return.
But her body wanted to permanently adhere itself to Tristan’s chest and run her fingers down his back.
Scarlet took a step back.
“Gabriel’s not here.” Tristan narrowed his eyes.
“Oh, okay. You could have just said that. You didn’t need to bark at me like a disgruntled guard dog.”
Tristan exhaled. “Are we done here?”
Scarlet felt like she’d been kicked in the gut. Did Tristan hate her so much he couldn’t stand her on his front porch?
“Oh, yes,” Scarlet quipped, mustering all the attitude she could. “We’re
done
.” And with that, she spun on her heel and walked away.
She heard the cabin door slam shut behind her and waited until she was back in the safety of her car before she allowed her hands to shake.
Not because she was angry.
But because she was trying to hold back tears.
Why did he affect her so much?
Just then, her phone beeped. Scarlet looked down to find a text from Gabriel.
I’m at your house. Where are you?
Scarlet sighed. Gabriel probably wanted to surprise her, just like she’d wanted to surprise him.
Because he was sweet.
His twin? Not so sweet.
I’m on my way.
Scarlet sent her text and pulled out of woods, her heart pounding all the way home.
The next few weeks passed by easily. Scarlet got back into the groove of her “normal” life and started adjusting to her “I’m going to die” life. She and Gabriel had been diligently searching for any new information on the fountain’s whereabouts, and Heather had almost completely forgiven Gabriel for lying to Scarlet.
Things were going well.
Which was always a sure sign that something bad was about to happen.
It was a cold Friday in October and pumpkins decorated the entire town of Avalon.
Halloween was close and Heather was concerned about her costume.
“Do you think evil girl zombies wear jewelry? Because, without earrings on, I look like a boy. Maybe I should just be Cleopatra.”
They were at The Millhouse along with, what seemed like, everybody else in town. The chill of autumn had arrived and everyone wanted a cup of hot coffee.
“Weren’t you Cleopatra last year?” Scarlet looked out the window, waiting for Gabriel. He and Scarlet had plans to go to the movies.
“Yes.” Heather nodded. “And I was super sexy.” She tapped her chin, “I’m not sure how to make myself sexy as a dead girl.”
“Perplexing.” Scarlet nodded.
“Angie’s Halloween party is going to be so much fun! What are you going to be?”
“I’m going to be sleeping. Or eating ice cream. But definitely not dressed up at a Halloween party.”
Heather pouted. “Come on, Scarlet. You
have
to go.”
“No, I don’t.” Scarlet smiled. “Are you excited about your trip tomorrow?”
There was no school next week because of fall break and Heather had been looking forward to her family vacation all year.
Heather smiled. “Totally. I really need a beach vacation. What are you and Laura doing for fall break?”
Scarlet sighed. “Laura’s got a business trip in Europe or something all week. She left this morning.”
Heather nodded. “Laura travels a
lot
.”
“It’s what she does.”
Heather glanced out the window. “Look, there’s Marge the Bag Lady.”
“Don’t call her that, Heather. It’s mean.” Scarlet looked out the coffee house window at the homeless woman Heather was referring to.
“Okay, how about Marge the crazy lady who talks to shoes?” Heather said.
“She’s not crazy, she’s just…homeless…and probably…lonely.”
Scarlet’s heart squeezed in sympathy, and then began to beat wildly.
“And there’s Gabriel.” Heather nodded.
Looking outside Scarlet spied Gabriel walking down the street.
He walked a few steps past Marge, hesitated, and slowly turned around.
The girls watched as he said something to Marge, making her smile.
They talked for a minute before Marge laughed pleasantly. Scarlet had never seen Marge laugh before. Gabriel smiled.
Scarlet blinked.
It wasn’t
Gabriel
talking to a homeless woman on an icy day in downtown Avalon.
It was Tristan.
She’d never seen Tristan smile before. His dimples were deep and warm, and his eyes lit up. His smile was…beautiful.
The same Tristan who didn’t want Scarlet around and was unfriendly to her whenever she was at his cabin, was standing in the cold and making a homeless woman laugh.
Scarlet was happy and sad…and completely confused. “That’s Gabriel’s brother.”
Heather, who’d just taken a heavy gulp of hot tea, swallowed loudly. “That’s…
Tristan
?”
Scarlet nodded, her eyes still glued to the interaction outside the coffee shop window.
Heather set her cup down and examined him more closely. “How can you tell?”
Scarlet honestly didn’t know how she knew it was Tristan. She just…felt it. “I don’t know…but that’s definitely Tristan.”
She must be connected to him in some way…right?
Heather parted her lips, “Well,
Tristan
is hot.”
Scarlet pulled her eyes away from the window and looked at Heather with a jutted chin.
She shrugged. “What? He is.”
Scarlet shook her head.
“Get up.” Heather started cleaning up their small table and began gathering her things.
“What? Why?” Scarlet said, panic in her voice. She knew
exactly
why Heather was bustling. And she had no intention of cooperating.
“Because. I want to meet the mystery brother.”
Scarlet shook her head. “No way. Tristan hates me, Heather.”
She scrunched her face. “He doesn’t hate you, he’s just…rude to you. That’s all. He’s probably just a mean person by nature or something.”
Both girls looked out the window where Tristan was still talking to Marge.
“Or,” Heather said, still looking out the window, “he’s just a really sweet guy with a big heart who happens to…somewhat dislike
you
.”
Scarlet shook her head again, confused. How could Tristan be so warm to a stranger on the street, but so cold and distant to his own brother’s girlfriend? “We’re not going to meet Tristan, Heather. I don’t want to talk to him.”
Heather bit her lip for a second. “Okay,” she said, then moved toward the front door.
“Wh-where are you going?” Scarlet called out.
Heather shrugged. “I want to meet the mystery twin. So, you can either stay there like a cowardly schoolgirl, or you can come along and keep me from saying inappropriate things to the newest hunk in town.” Heather wagged her eyebrows.
“Come on, Heather.”
“What’s it gonna be, Scarlet?”
Scarlet hesitated, frustrated with her boy-crazy friend. She didn’t want to talk to Tristan.
But she also didn’t want her best friend to meet Tristan and start prying. Who knew what Tristan would reveal about Scarlet? Or Gabriel.
“You’re such a bully,” Scarlet said with a sigh as she rose to meet Heather. “You’re lucky I love you.”
Heather’s smile grew. “I know. Now, let’s go chat with Tristan, the hot twin.”
Scarlet’s heart kicked a beat as they left the coffee shop and walked toward Tristan.
Actually, her heart pounded harder and harder as she neared him.
She tried not to over-analyze that too much.
“Tristan!” Heather called out, as if she and Tristan were old pals from grade school or something.
Tristan turned around and looked at Heather curiously. His eyes saw Scarlet, and immediate darkness crossed his face.
Great.
Heather bounced over to Tristan and Marge. “Hi. Marge.” Heather said, waving to the lady who’d lived on Main Street for as long as Scarlet could remember.
Marge gave a toothless smile and nodded as Scarlet slowly walked up beside Heather.
“Hi Marge,” Scarlet said softly.
“Sweet girls,” Marge said, clapping her hands together and cooing. “Sweet girls!” She looked at Tristan. “You, dear boy, are kind. But my boots have been misbehaving. I must get back to them.” Marge stood up from the ground and shuffled away, cackling as she went.
Tristan, Heather, and Scarlet watched as she left, her cackling turning into an off-pitch song as she disappeared around a corner.
Tristan turned to look at Scarlet, holding her eyes with his for a brief moment before looking at Heather.
“I’m Heather.” Heather stuck her hand out.
Tristan took her hand. “Tristan.”
“I know. You’re Gabriel’s secret twin brother.” Heather batted her lashes.
Scarlet rolled her eyes.
“I’m Scarlet’s B-F-F,” Heather explained as their handshake ended. She looked at his eyes. “Wow. You have
really
green eyes. How is that possible? Gabriel has brown eyes. Aren’t you two supposed to be, like,
identical
twins?”
Tristan gave a small smile and said with mock seriousness, “Would you believe some crazy woman shot me with a magical arrow and forever altered my eye color?”
Heather’s eyes grew wide as Scarlet looked at Tristan with her mouth falling open.
What was he doing?
Tristan glanced at Scarlet, but made no expression.
Heather nodded and mimicked his sarcastic tone, “I
would
believe that. And would
you
believe that I saw you in the warehouse district hanging out with a shady dude a few weeks ago?” She raised a challenging eyebrow.
Tristan’s smile tightened.
“I
would
believe that.”
“Well, this looks friendly,” Gabriel said, appearing at Scarlet’s side and putting a halt to the very uncomfortable tension filling up between Heather and Tristan. “What’s going on?” He looked at Tristan and cocked his head to the side.
Tristan looked at his twin. “Nothing.”
“Well, in that case,” Gabriel gave Scarlet a kiss on the cheek. “We need to get going if we want to get to the movie on time.”
Scarlet looked at him and smiled.
Movies. Right.
“Okay, well, this has been fun.”
Not.
Scarlet turned to Heather, deliberately not looking at Tristan. “See you later?”
She gave Heather a quick hug goodbye and watched as Tristan turned and walked away without a word during their embrace.
Yep. He hates me.
As he walked away, Scarlet’s pounding heart began to subside.