The Twin Missing From the Family Photo novel · Chapter 4 of 24

Chapter 4: The Stairwell

Talbot Ward's office had one window, one desk and a wall of cork covered in photographs of other people's tents.

He pointed me to a stool and went to the window to pull the blind.

"Hold out your arm."

"It's fine."

"Hold it out, Unsworth."

I held it out.

He took my wrist in both hands and turned it over under the light.

His hands were warm and dry, and a little rough along the fingers.

Four marks had come up on the inside of my arm. They were already going purple.

He ran his thumb very lightly across the edge of the bruise, and I felt it all the way to my shoulder.

He kept his thumb there longer than he needed to check anything.

I told myself it was because he was thinking.

"Does it hurt to bend it?"

"Not really."

"Make a fist."

I made one. He watched my knuckles, and then he let go.

I put my hand in my lap and felt the place where his thumb had been until it stopped.

"Is he your husband?"

"My boyfriend. Three years."

"He told the lobby you were mentally ill, and he held you by the bone." Talbot sat down on the edge of his desk. "I'd like to know why he thinks that works."

"Because it always has."

I had not planned to say it.

It came out in the same plain voice I used for the weather.

"My family has a story about me, Mr. Ward. I'm the healthy twin. My sister is the one who's sick. The story is that I owe her, and everything I do that isn't for her is selfish."

← Chapter 3 · All chapters · Chapter 5 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend