“She made rules to make us responsible, but you ignored them every chance you could.”
“Are you suggesting I’m not responsible?” she asks, becoming defensive.
That’s exactly what I’m suggesting.
“No. I’m not suggesting anything. I’m asking you to reconsider this. It’s not every day you marry your dream guy.”
“Jasen was never my dream guy, Morgan, he was yours.”
I watch my sister’s expression change to remorse. “I intentionally flirted with him knowing you liked him.”
“So… you never got his number for me, did you?”
“No,” she answers.
“I knew it. You tried to make it seem like I was crazy.”
“I didn’t mean for it to happen that way. I sat next to him at lunch with every intention of telling him about you. But once we started talking, we didn’t stop. He offered to take me to a movie, and I agreed without thinking about your feelings.”
“I remember that day. I sat in the back of the cafeteria, waiting for the chance to finally tell him I liked him. But then I saw him put his arm around your waist and walk out with you. I knew then he would never know.”
Her posture slumps. “I wanted to tell him the truth, sis. I really did.”
“Why didn’t you? Why would you go out with him knowing what it would do to me? I’m your sister.”
“I’m sorry. Please don’t think I don’t regret what I did to you, because I do. It was stupid of me to hurt you, Mo. I should have told him the truth, but he was a challenge to me. He was the only guy who treated me with respect. All of the other guys just wanted to get inside of my panties.”
“Yeah, and you let most of them.”
“That’s true, but Jasen treated me differently. Which is why I dated him. He actually liked me for me, not just my body.”
I shake my head in disbelief. “You hurt me, Monroe. I trusted you, and you betrayed me.”
Monroe places her glass down and grabs my hands. “I know, and I feel so fucking guilty about it.”
“You should. You could have had any guy you wanted. Everyone liked you. I think you wanted to hurt me intentionally.”
I see the guilt in her face. The remorse. She nods. “You’re right. I did try to hurt you.”
“Why?”
“Because I was jealous of you.”
“Jealous of me? You were the popular one. I was the weird one.”
“But you had the grades. The clean reputation. No one called you easy or a slut. And you were Grandma Rose’s favorite.”
“That’s no excuse. Sisters don’t betray each other like that.”
“I know that now. But during that time, I was immature. I lacked self-esteem. And I struggled to fit in, even though I was popular. Morgan. I hate that I hurt you. I’m so sorry.”
I’m quiet for a minute as I digest her words. I’ve been waiting for Monroe to admit that she stole Jasen from me since high school. She flat out refused to own up to it. But hearing her admit it just now and apologize for it finally brings me closure. “I forgive you,” I respond.
“Thank you. I know I should have apologized back then, but I’m glad we’re able to talk about it now and put it past us.”
I nod. “Me too. And I’m glad you’re here. I’ve missed you,” I say as I fight back tears.
Monroe leans in and hugs me. She takes a deep breath and pulls away. “Now, are you gonna help me out or what?”
I take another sip of my wine as I think about my sister’s offer. She’s serious about this. She wants me to pretend to be her. Deceive her husband. Her eyes are filled with determination. Hope. She’s determined to convince me to agree. And hopeful that we can pull it off. I want to say no. I doubt I’ll be able to go through with this. And it’s wrong on so many levels. But I know my sister. If I don’t do this, she’ll just find another way to get what she wants. Jasen could find out about her affair. If I agree to help her, I could convince her that she’s making a mistake and get her to end things with Cooper before it’s too late. It also helps that I’ll get to finally see what California is like. I’ll get the chance to live in my sister’s shoes, if only for a little while. I’ll get to feel carefree. I’ll get to have some fun. Something I rarely get to do. My days are spent battling an insufficient school system, and my nights are filled drinking wine and reading a good book. I like doing crossword puzzles, scrambles, and playing Candy Crush. It’ll be nice to lie out on the beach and relax. Sip some of those smoothies Monroe raves about. Enjoy the nice weather versus the snow here in Philly. For once in my life, I want to break the rules, even though I know it’s the wrong thing to do. I finish my drink and watch my sister as she awaits an answer.
“Please, Mo, I need you,” she pleads.
“Okay,” I agree. “I’ll do it.”
Chapter 2
Jasen
“I thought you were flying back today.” I search my desk for the yellow file I need before my client meeting.
“I was, but I changed my mind. I haven’t seen my sister in a while, and I need another day to spend with her.”
I rub my forehead with frustration. “The same sister you refused to speak to, now all of a sudden you wanna sit around and sing Kumbaya with her?”
“She’s my twin, Jasen Baker,” she states firmly.
“This is the third time you’ve canceled on me, Monroe. We really needed this getaway.”
“I know, but this is important.”
“So is our marriage. We never spend any time together. Let alone have sex.”
“Is that all you’re worried about? Fucking me?” she asks in a low whisper.
I remain silent. It’s not all I’m worried about. But I was looking forward to being inside my wife this weekend.
She exhales loudly. “I promise I’ll make it up to you.”
I find the file and fall back into my chair. “I hope it’ll be worth it. We need to figure out if we want to make this marriage work or not. I don’t know how much longer I can keep doing this.”
“Yeah. Me either.”
“I’ll call you once I land.”
“Okay, talk to you soon.”
“Okay.”
I hang up the phone and buzz Ariel into my office. Ariel is my new assistant. And I can tell that she wants to fuck me. She constantly flirts with me. She brushes her fingers against mine while handing me my coffee, she bats her eyes at me, and she pretends to drop things just so she can bend over. She’s been working for me for about three months now, and I know I should have fired her when it first happened, but I desperately needed the help. After my former assistant, Mrs. Gertrude, retired, I had the toughest time finding someone with the right skill set to work for me. And Ariel, as tempting as she is, is a fast learner who hit the ground running. Plus, I’ve learned how to control the situation. When she makes advances, I quickly remind her that I’m married. Sure, she’s attractive. But I won’t dare cross the line, no matter how sexually frustrated I am. I take my marriage seriously, and although Monroe can be a piece of work, we’ve managed to hang in there since the eleventh grade. We’re high school sweethearts.