"Running away was easy;
not knowing what to
do next was the
hard part."

~~Glenda Millard

****************

~~Anika~~

The scent of vanilla filled my nose as I began to stir from sleep, snuggling deeper into the warmth of my bed. Recognition slowly dawned in my sluggish brain and I felt a smile already forming on my lips as I cracked my eyes open. I was greeted with the sight of a mirror image of myself, except the blue hues of her eyes were bright with excitement and I could see the happiness she held for her new life within their depths.

I carefully looked over the rest of her that I could see without moving, which wasn't much. Andi had recently dyed teal streaks decorating her blonde locks, along with a string of what looked like bite marks on the side of her neck. When my eyes met hers again, she must have realized what I had figured out, her cheeks burning red, and I couldn't stop the grin that split my face.

"Good morning, sister," she greeted, her whispered words unable to hide her giddiness. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah, until a little rainbow ferret crawled in bed with me," I teased, rolling onto my back and stretching my muscles with a groan. "What time is it?"

"Around ten, I think," she shrugged, still watching me with a smile on her face. "I'm sorry I woke you up but I wanted to see you before I had to leave."

"Leave?" I asked, giving her a confused look. "Where are you going?"

Guilt colored my twin's features and she bit her lip.

"School?" she said but it came out as a sheepish question.

"You aren't out this week for Spring Break?"

Andi shook her head. "No, not until next week."

I sat up and looked over at her in exasperation. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? If I had known I would've-"

"Would have what? Not come at all?" Andi asked, her excitement dying away and replaced with frustration. "You'll be back at school next week and wouldn't be able to spend my break with me. If I had told you then you wouldn't have come and we wouldn't have been able to see you until maybe this summer. And that's only if you don't get offered a position at a company."

I was taken aback by her boldness, unused to this new confident Andi who was stronger than before and unafraid to speak her mind. My own guilt weighed heavily on my heart as her words sunk in, overshadowing the pride I felt despite the hurt her statement had inflicted. She was right, everything she had said was true, at least it would be in her mind. Andi didn't know the truth and I had no plans to tell her, or anyone else. I just wanted to forget, to pretend for just a little while that my life was okay again.

"You're right, I'm sorry," I apologized, pulling her into a tight hug. "I've just missed you so much, Andi. You have no idea."

"Yeah, I think I kinda do," she replied softly, her arms wrapping around me just as tight. "There's so much I wish I had been able to tell you."

I know exactly what you mean, I thought sadly, wanting desperately to spill my secrets and bawl in my sister's arms.

Andi gently disengaged herself from me and stood from the bed, her vibrant smile once again back in place. "Come on, let's have some food before I leave."

●●●●

She was nice enough to let me change and brush my hair before dragging me down the stairs.

"How did I get in bed?" I asked as I followed her through the living room. The last thing I remembered was getting in that guy's car.

Andi gave me an odd look. "You don't remember going to bed? That's weird. But I don't know either because I was asleep. Ask Kas."

Our conversation was forgotten as we entered the kitchen and were greeted with the sight of Bryce, Andi's childhood best friend and one of her current boyfriends, glaring at Kas, who was also Andi's boyfriend but also Bryce's. It sounded much more complicated than it really was, especially since Kas was our big sister's best friend. A headache began to form behind my eyes as it tried to trace those threads around in my head. Basically all three of them were an item, together, and they were happy. Except in that moment, it looked like Bryce wanted to kill Kas.

He had his back to us so all I was able to see was Bryce's face, however his words told the whole story.

"Kas, you have a meeting with the city council today to get your building permit," Bryce growled impatiently while holding up what appeared to be a black tie. "At least pretend to be a big boy and wear the fucking tie or I swear I will tie you up with it and choke your dumbass!"

"Oh, that sounds fun," Kas replied with a teasing smirk, his eyes glittering with unspoken promise as he leaned casually against the countertop. "Now, I definitely don't believe you. If that was a threat, I think I'd gladly take my chances."

In all the years I had known Kas and Bryce, they had always bickered and threatened each other, but I had missed it before. However, knowing how they felt now, the sexual tension between them was so thick it was nearly suffocating. How no one noticed it until recently was now completely astonishing to me. Watching them interact left me oddly flustered and I felt like I was intruding on a private moment instead of standing in their kitchen.

Andi rolled her eyes at me and shot the two men a pointed look. "Behave, boys, we have a guest, remember?"

Bryce turned to look at me over his shoulder, the tips of his ears turning pink and making it clear he had forgotten I was staying with them. Hazel blue eyes darted from Andi to me and back again before he huffed out a breath, tossing the tie onto the island between us.

"Fine, do what you want." He then proceeded to stick out his tongue at Kas like a five year old before turning his back and giving Andi a quick peck on the cheek. "Morning, ladies."

"Well, this is fascinating," I commented, earning a laugh from Kas while the other two blushed furiously.

"I aim to please, Nik," Kas said, bowing dramatically.

I rolled my eyes and opened the fridge, ready to help with breakfast but Andi shooed me away.

"Nope, you're a guest, " she scolded, pointing to a stool on one side of the bar.

Sighing, I did as I was told while Bryce took my intended place. Kas joined me a moment later watching my sister and the other man, his coffee colored eyes swirling with love and adoration. I was used to being around Kas, having him practically glued to Rory's side for almost five years, but this was a different side of him. Andi and Bryce softened the hard edges surrounding Kas, while Rory had only ever fit her own edges to align with his. What I couldn't help but wonder, though, was what tied them all together?

"If you have something to say, just say it," Kas told me, keeping his gaze focused on his lovers across the room. "You've never had qualms about being blunt with me before."

There were a lot of things I wanted to ask him, things I wanted to say about my sisters, but now wasn't the time. Too many times I had witnessed the two of them bloody, or bruised, sometimes both, since Kas had come around. However, it was more of a curiosity because whatever secrets he had that involved Rory, he was still the reason my big sister hadn't crumbled after our parents died. One day I would ask him about it all or maybe I would just ask Rory, but not today.

"How did I get in bed?" I asked instead.

Kas looked shocked by my question but it was quickly replaced with a grin. "A boy took you to bed, don't you remember?"

"What?"

"Oh, shit. That reminds me," Kas said, confusing me even further.

As I watched, Kas pulled out his phone and tapped his fingers on the screen. A moment later, the sound of music playing could be heard, muffled by the distance. The next thing we knew, a string of curses and threats sounded from somewhere inside the house followed by heavy footsteps.

"God damn it, Kas, I swear to God I will empty all your bank accounts, pile a hundred code violations against your fucking building, and mark your name in every system in the country as-"

The angry words cut off the second Mason stormed into the kitchen and his eyes landed on me. He was still wearing the same clothes from the night before, the only difference now was that he was drenched. It looked as if someone had dumped a bucket of water on his head. Kas busted out laughing at the sight of him, his hand snacking the countertop and tears streaming down his face. Bryce and Andi had matching looks of bewilderment on their faces, and all I could do was look between Mason and Kas.

I was completely confused by whatever was happening, and Mason's words only added to it. How or why would he do any of those things? Were those actually what he considered threats? And why was he wet?

Icy blue eyes stared at me, wide with mortification as his face turned a deep shade of red. Despite my confusion, I felt bad for Mason, even though I knew nothing about him other than his name. Kas was clearly to blame for whatever had caused this, and he didn't appear as if he would be showing remorse any time soon.

"You can be a real prick sometimes, Kaspian," Mason finally said through clenched teeth, practically spitting Kas's name before spinning on his heel and storming from the room.

Kas's laughter immediately died, his mouth hanging open as he stared in shock at the empty doorway.

"Woah, I've never heard him sound like that before," Andi said, looking a bit concerned.

"Yeah, I've barely heard him talk at all much less talk to you, of all people, like that," Bryce agreed, narrowing his eyes at Kas. "What the hell did you do to him?"

Kas's mouth opened and closed a few times like fish before he answered. "Nothing, it was just a prank, and it made him dump a bucket of water on himself when he reached for his phone."

"Why did you do that?" I asked, not seeing the point of such a childish act.

When Kas looked at me, the color drained from his face a fraction and shame mixed with regret in the dark pools of his eyes. I found myself growing irritated, which wasn't new for me when it came to Kas, but something just felt really wrong this time. It also seemed as if Kas agreed that he had crossed a line even though it was just a bucket of water. There was more to the story somehow, but Mason seemed like a nice guy.

"He's right, you're a prick." I hopped from my stool and smacked Kas on the back of the head, following the small trail of water down the hall. The door it led me to opened to a narrow staircase that went down into what I assumed was the basement, more droplets of water peppering the steps. Taking a deep breath, my heart picking up its pace, I followed the trail down.

I could hear Mason's voice drifting up towards me, his words too low for me to understand but I could tell he was still upset. When I reached the basement, the first thing I saw was a punching bag hanging in the corner directly in front of the stairs. It appeared quite used, patches decorating the material made of what I assumed was duct tape. I couldn't help but wonder if it belonged to Mason, but I shoved the thought away as an unexpected image began to form in my head.

Mason had his back to me, crouched beside a duffle bag as he tossed clothes roughly onto the floor beside him. Luckily, he didn't immediately realize he was no longer alone and I took a moment to look around.

The room wasn't as big as I expected, maybe only half the size of the first level, and had a bare concrete floor that was shiny as if it were coated with gloss. The majority of the room was empty except for a worn, overstuffed couch, a square folding table littered with what looked like pieces of electronics, and a big flatscreen television. However, the main focal point of the room was a large desk pressed against the far side of the room with multiple screens mounted on the wall above it. Each one shared the same scrolling message.

Glancing hesitantly over my shoulder, I saw that he still had no idea I was here. While I wanted to make sure he was okay, I couldn't control my curiosity as it propelled my feet as silently as possible towards the screens. Stopping a few feet away, my eyes followed the message but it wasn't comprehending like I hoped it would.

N3UR0T1C_F13ND > 15 > @ > P4R4D0X > R34P3R

What does that mean? The odd combination of letters, symbols, and numbers had to mean something or hold some sort of importance but I couldn't figure out what. It looked like a foreign language but if I squinted my eyes, it almost looked like -

"What are you doing?" Mason's voice cut into my curious thoughts so suddenly that I jumped.

Twisting around, I opened my mouth to defend my actions but the words died on my tongue. Mason was standing a few feet away, so close that only one step would put us within arms reach, and he no longer wore a shirt. For some reason, I was shocked to see the subtle definition of muscle on his torso, a light peppering of hair disappearing beneath the band of his boxers that peeked out from the top of his jeans. I hadn't realized my gaze had strayed until he crossed his arms, a dry shirt clutched in his hand that shielded his body from view.

I cleared my throat and squared my shoulders, my eyes finally meeting his. Instead of anger, like I expected since I had just barged into his personal space uninvited, what I saw instead was... shame? Sadness? I could usually read someone pretty well, but Mason... he was an enigma, a mosaic, a code I couldn't quite decipher. Stranger or not, I found him oddly intriguing.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be nosy," I said, genuinely apologetic. "I just... well, you seemed upset by what Kas did, logical because he's an ass. Anyway, I just wanted to make sure you were okay, I guess."

"Oh." Mason relaxed slightly, more indecipherable emotions flashing across his face as he looked away, quickly pulling on a plain black tee. "Yeah, I'm fine. It wasn't a big deal."

I frowned. "It seemed like a big deal."

Mason's cheeks flushed a light shade of pink and he scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Uh, just caught me off guard this time, I guess."

This time? Does shit like this happen a lot?

"You should probably get back to Andi," Mason said quietly, walking back to his bag and picking up the discarded items surrounding it. "I'm sorry if I worried you."

"No, it's fine." I bit my lip and glanced over my shoulder to the screens on the wall then back at Mason. "Do you live here? With Andi and the guys, I mean?"

"No, uh, well yeah, I guess I do," he replied, shoving the last of his clothes back into the bag and zipping it up. "It's only temporary."

"What are you waiting for?" I asked, interested in how he ended up here in the first place.

Mason's head whipped towards me and he looked at me with wide eyes. "What?"

"What are you waiting for?" I repeated, perching myself on the arm of the couch so we weren't speaking from across the room. "If it's temporary, that means you're waiting for something to happen. So, what are you waiting for?"

I was much closer to him now but there was still plenty of distance between us, however, the tension in Mason's body was obvious. He had been the same way the night before, but I hadn't thought much about it at the time.

"Uh..." Mason's blue eyes darted nervously around the room, looking anywhere but at me before he snatched a bottle of water from a small fridge I had previously overlooked. "Uh, well, it's, uh, it is temporary but no-not in that sense."

His cheeks were turning pink the more he talked, or stammered, and he kept running his hand nervously through his sand colored hair which only made it stick up worse. Mason must have caught his own fidgeting because he suddenly tossed the water bottle onto the couch and shoved both hands into the front pockets of his jeans. I couldn't help but smile at his behavior because it was rare that I encountered someone as awkward as Mason when they were put on the spot and it was oddly adorable.

Taking pity on him, I slipped from the arm of the couch. "Relax, Mason, I'm not here for twenty questions. Kas has always driven me crazy, so I get it. I just wanted to make sure he hadn't gone too far."

I gave him one last smile and made my way towards the stairs, the smell of breakfast starting to trickle down from the kitchen. The sounds of laughter and low voices could be heard, and it reminded me that this town wasn't the same as it had been the last time I was here. Everyone and everything seemed different, and there were new faces and names that were entwined within the world that used to be mine.

For this week, and maybe only this week, I would be able to forget about the disaster my life had become and focus on what I was missing. That was the point after all, wasn't it? I was hiding and I knew it, but it didn't have to be as depressing as it felt. Did it?

"Thank you," Mason called out just as my hand closed around the doorknob. I looked over my shoulder and he was standing at the bottom of the stairs, a hint of a smile playing across his lips. "Thank you for checking on me, but I've known Kas a long time. I can handle him, but I'm sorry I acted like that in front of you."

An unexpected bark of laughter burst from my mouth and I quickly covered it with my hand, but grinned. He was apologizing to me for yelling at Kas?

"You're sweet but if it had been me, I would have done much worse than shout some... weird threats and call him names," I chuckled, still mildly confused about the things he had said upstairs. "I would have slapped the piss out of him."

Mason's smile grew and he allowed himself to chuckle as he shook his head. "I would pay to see that."

"I'll be here for a week, so maybe you'll get the chance," I laughed. Growing a bit more serious, I said, "You don't seem like anyone I would expect to be friends with someone like Kas. Rory, I can see that I guess, but not Kas."

His face fell and his hands returned to the pockets of his jeans. Shrugging, he said, "You don't know me well enough to say that for sure."

"Oh, no, I didn't mean it like that!" I said hastily, shaking my head as I tried to backpedal. "I only meant -"

"But like you said," Mason continued as if I hadn't been talking at all, "you'll be here for a week, so maybe you'll get the chance."

He wasn't smiling but he didn't seem mad either, once again becoming a puzzle I couldn't figure out. The rise in color to his cheek belied the confidence his words seemed to hold, which made it impossible not to smile in response.

"Maybe I will."

I gave him one last look before walking back to the rest of the house, my nose leading me towards the food my stomach yearned for. Not only was I a guest in my twin sister's home, but I felt like a guest in someone else's life and not my own. However, maybe Mason knew things that I didn't that could help me fix that. And something told me it might be fun trying to find out.