Chapter 1

“Noah, the son of a very successful businessman, Mr. Tobias Perkins, has surrendered himself for alleged murder of a prostitute at a farm house of Mr. Samuel Miller. The circumstances of death are still unclear but all evidences point out at Noah. This is Emily with cameraman Sean for News Here.”

Noah’s P. O. V.

Alice came running to me with tears in her eyes, seeing me in cuffs. She pulled my shirt and was screaming, “Why, why did you do that?”

“I’m really sorry Alice, this is what I must do. I’d rather die than choose the alternative.”

“What alternative?”

“I can’t let you marry that prick Ronnie. This is not what I want for you. Life full of sufferings? I’d rather die.”

“You don’t have to, please! I wasn’t going to marry him anyway. I don’t love him.”

This brought tears in my eyes too.

“Alice, please, try to understand. I can’t let anything turn the way to force you into this marriage. I have to.”

“I will not let this happen. No.”

“It’s too late Alice, I’ve already given my confession. That asshole can’t coerce you or anyone else to make you marry him. Nobody makes me do what I don’t want to.”

“Please don’t.”

“I have to. I will come back for you. Believe me, I will.”

“Watch your head and get in the car.” The police officer held my head and pushed me into his car. I didn’t turn back and look at her. I’m already feeling the pain that she is feeling. Watching that sad face again is not something I can do.

In the prison

I’m in the prison, trying to make up to all the trouble that I’ve caused my family, especially my sister. She deserves better, not me. Not certainly Ronnie though. I love her, I’ll miss her. But this is what I can do to keep her safe, keep her happy. I can feel the pain that she feels. Literally. We are twins. I’m 10 minutes younger than her, but she never ever claimed any privilege that comes with being elder. Even if she knows, in her eyes I’m the big brother. It is not only my job to protect her, keep troubles away from her. It is what I’ve been doing my whole life. I’m not going to fail her this time when she needs it the most.

The door opened and prison guard came inside.

“Come, there’s someone who wants to meet you.”

In a room, there was a lawyer.

“My name is Justin Morgan, I’m appointed by your father.”

“He appointed you?”

“Are you surprised? Your sister convinced him.”

“I told her to let it be.”

“What do you expect her to do? Let you be a prisoner? She strongly believes that it is not the whole story. Tell me everything.”

“From when?”

“Since the beginning.”

20 years ago

Tobias’s’ point of view

I’m holding my wife’s hand while she is about make me the happiest man alive. She is pregnant with my two children. It’s a boy and a girl. She is trying hard to push, there is agony on her face. She is sweating.

“Try to push honey, do it. I know you are strong, come on.”

She suddenly screams and the nurse can feel a head. It’s a girl.

“Try again baby, please do.”

Almost 10 minutes later, another head appeared, it’s a boy. Finally pain of my wife is over and she calmed down.

“Congratulations Mr. Perkins, God has blessed you with two children, a boy and a girl.” The nurse said with happiness on her face.

I held both babies in my hand but they didn’t cry. The doctor checked their pulse, there was nothing. The doctor shook his head and my wife started crying. I didn’t know what to do or what to say. It was like everything I had to love for suddenly wasn’t there.

Out of nowhere a little girl around 4 years old walked in.

“Hey girl, who are you? What are you doing here.” The doctor said looking at her.

“I’m Jenna. Can I hold the babies?” she asked with her little innocent eyes, not realizing or understanding what has happened here. She was going to fall, I tried to balance her somehow and both of my babies’ hands touched together. A few moments later both of them started crying together. The relief that I saw on my wife’s face is something that I can’t explain in words of mere mortals.

“Jenna, you may not understand what you have done. But you have done what has made all the bad into good.”

“I did?” Jenna said with a smile on her face.

“Yes little lady, yes. My little angels, Alice and Noah.” I’m indeed the happiest man alive.

16 years ago

Noah’s point of view

I was playing baseball with my dad, suddenly I started feeling sad for no reason. I was missing my shots.

“Hey buddy, what happened.” Dad asked me looking at my face, he guessed that something isn’t right.

“Dad, I don’t know. I feel like crying.”

A moment later, Alice came running to me and hugged me. I returned her hug. She was crying.

“What happened my angel? Why these tears?” I asked her.

“That boy, ... That boy was teasing me. He said, I’m too short.”

“I will break his nose. I’m here, with you always.”

I wiped her tears and hugged her again.

“I’ll be back.” I said looking at her, then the rage started. Somehow my father sensed that I’m up to something reckless.

“Wait son, listen to me. Don’t go. You’ll get hurt.”

I was so angry, I didn’t heed the warning. I went to that boy. He was taller than me and had a stronger build. I let my rage drive my actions and punched him in his stomach. He was a little bit disoriented but got his balance back and punched me in my face. My lower lip started bleeding. I stood up and kicked him between his feet. He grunted and made noises only bats could hear.

“Listen to me you jerk. If you bother my sister again, I’ll do more than this. You won’t be able to walk for weeks.”

Mom was wiping my lip with cotton, then dad came and sat near me on the other side of the couch.

“Son, what you did for your sister is a very honorable thing. But you don’t always have to use violence. I don’t want to say told you so. But you need to understand how to plan what you do. Where strength is not an option, you have to use strategy.”

That moment, I realized two things: 1. I could feel what Alice is feeling and 2. I had to become stronger for her, not only physically but also emotionally. I started working out on my body.

Few days after this incident, there was heavy rain. It was nighttime. Suddenly lightning appeared and thunder roared. I didn’t understand why I started being scared so much, I couldn’t fathom. But I wasn’t scared of thunderstorms normally. I heard Alice crying in other room.

“Hey kiddo, why are you crying?” Dad asked Alice.

“Dad, I’m so scared. This is so loud.”

“Baby, everything will be alright. Go to bed, and just close your eyes. Okay?”

She went to her room but another lightning strike appeared and now there was no power. Everything went dark. I heard her crying again.

I forced myself to not be scared and went to her room.

“Ali?”.

Feeling the walls, I reached her room and sat on her bed. She was sitting on her bed, face between her knees, crying.

I held her hand and then she hugged me very tightly.

“I’m here. Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“Please stay with me, don’t go.”

“Okay, I’ll stay here.”

I laid down on her bed and she cuddled. Finally her breathing stabilized. A few minutes later her soft snoring felt like rhythm to my ears and I fell asleep too. In the morning, felt her peace in my heart, both literally and figuratively.

This fear of thunderstorms and her sleeping with me in any bed(her or mine) is frequent now. But whenever dad sees this, he makes faces that only I know what it means. I know it is awkward, I Know it is inappropriate. But I simply don’t have a heart to say no to her. Being twin has it’s advantages, it has disadvantages too.

3 years ago

It is our 17^th birthday. But as usual, she never have missed wishing me first since last 10 years.

“Happy birthday Noah”

“Happy birthday Alice.”

“I told you, I’ll wish you first.”

“I won’t even try to challenge that now.”

“Have you planned anything for tomorrow?”

“Will go out with some buddies but I’ll come back early. I won’t miss our birthday for anything.”

In the evening at Perkins’s house

I got ready for our birthday party, and got down to the main hall. I was waiting for Alice, then she appeared in her green dress that hugged every curve of her body.

‘What are you doing Noah?’ I scolded myself. I was breathless. She was gorgeous, beautiful. So beautiful. Her dress matched her emerald green eyes.

“Hey brother. How am I looking?” Alice asked looking at me, smiling. Her smile made me feel so speechless, I couldn’t say anything.

“Cat got your tongue?” She said again.

“Beautiful, no other word I can think of can do justice.”

“Thank you. You made my day.”

It was time to cut the cake.

We were standing in front of the cake looking at each other. All my friends and family members started to sing birthday jingle and we started blowing candles together. We cut one piece each.

“Happy birthday Ali.”

“Happy birthday Noah.” The pieces we cut, we fed it to each other.

I wanted to give her something that I got for her, but she was the center of attention in the whole party.

She somehow sensed something with me and came to me.

“Hey brother, something in your mind?”

“Nothing, just wanted to spend time with you.”

“So sweet, but I don’t think this is only reason.”

“How can you tell?”

“Your eyes, your forehead, there are a lot of things that I can tell about.”

“Damn, okay. I have something for you.”

“For me?”

“Yes. For you.” I opened the velvet box which had a pendant of infinity sign made of emeralds enclosed in platinum casing and silver chain.

“Wow! This is beautiful.” She said holding her hands on her cheeks.

“Not more than you.”

“But this must be expensive. You spent all of your money?”

“Money is just a thing. I’ll earn again. I liked this because it matches and accentuates your eyes.”

“And the infinity sign?”

“It symbolizes our love for each other that will never end. I loved it once I saw it.”

“Thank you, I love it.” She hugged me and then turned around to show me her neck. “Will you please... ?”

“Sure, Milady.”

I fastened the clasps behind her neck. The happiness on her face is something I cannot ever forget.

2 years ago

It was Saturday evening. Our parents were out of town for a business meeting.

A guy has asked her out. This guy seems nice enough. I’ve had problems with any guy that has tried to ask her out, I’ve never understood why. Alice came down in her lavender dress, she literally took my breath away. This guy said, “may I?” and then he took her hand in his and kissed it. I can’t tell you how hard it was not punch him in the face right where he stood.

“Hey kid, remember if you hurt her, I’ll make sure nobody will find your body.”

“I promise I won’t do anything of that sort.”

Both of them left the house, leaving me alone at home. I started watching TV. After a few minutes I fell asleep.

Where am I? There is a meadow. Ohh. I know this place. This is our favorite place. I see her and myself laughing, running, playing in that meadow as kids. Suddenly, I see her current version. The 18 years old. She is smiling, then a boy shows up, it is the same guy who took her for date. He is holding her hand and they are going away from me.

“Noah, I’m going. I’m going away.” I feel suffocated. Breathing is getting hard for me.

Suddenly, I woke up abruptly. There were tears in my eyes. The mere notion of somebody else taking her away from me made me feel like I’m dead inside. I have realized that I can’t live without her. Look at the irony of the situation, I know I can’t live without her but I know I don’t stand a chance of life with her, together. This realization made me cry even more. Suddenly phone rang. It’s Alice.

“Hello, Ali.”

“Hello. Noah, please pick me up from here.”

“Ali, where are you?”

“I’m at Sunshine Motel.”

“Motel? That son of a bitch.”

“Please, pick me up now.”

“Tell me, are you ok?”

“Yes, he just left.”

“Damn, I’m going to kick his ass.”

“Please, let him be.”

“OK, hold tight. I’ll be there in 10 minutes.”

“Thank you.”

“No need to thank me my sweet angel.”

I put on my t-shirt and shorts. Took my car and left for the motel right away. I reached the distance within 8 minutes.

I saw her she was sitting on the bed. Her dress was little bit crumpled. She was crying. She saw me and hugged me.

I asked her, “What happened baby?”

“He tried to ... he tried to force himself on me.”

“He will pay for this. Nobody gets to make you do what you don’t want to.”

“I don’t want you to hurt him.”

“Why? You don’t understand how angry he has made me. I warned him not to hurt you. Last thing I want to see is tears in your eyes.”

“Please, don’t have blood on your hands for him. He is not worth it.”

This finally calmed me down.

“You are right, he is not worth the tears in your eyes. Forget him”

She calmed down. Her tears slowed down.

“Let’s leave this pigsty.” I said looking around.

I held her hand and took her to the car. I opened the door for her and let her in.

As soon as I sat on the car chair, she put her head on my shoulder. I touched her left cheek with my right hand and kissed her hair. Then I started the engine and left back to home.

Once we reached home, she got ready for bed. I went into my room and started thinking about this whole situation. You know, realization of something like this always stays like this. There is nothing else that matters. I was already in overload over my realization and then this fiasco happened. I decided to drown my thinking in loud music. I was kind of shocked after I felt a tap on my shoulder.

“Ohh, you.” I said after I looked at her.

She sat on my bed, putting her head on my shoulder.

“Can I stay, please?”

“Ali, I won’t mind but you know what dad feels about us spending night together in the same bed.”

“I know it isn’t wrong. That’s all what matters to me.”

As usual I can’t refuse her for anything.

In a few minutes, she fell asleep. She looks so calm, Serene and beautiful. I was laid down on my bed with my head on the headboard. I put her head on my lap gently, I didn’t want to disturb her slumber. Her rhythmic breathing made me fall asleep too.

In the morning, I woke up slightly disoriented, feeling warmth of another body close to me. Then I remembered last night. I was now lying in my bed as I do normally and Alice had put her right ear on my chest near my heart. Her hand was on my right waist. I can’t help but admire how beautiful she looks. Lovingly, I touched her cheek very gently. She smiled in her slumber. Suddenly, I realized that it is morning, mom and dad must’ve woken up way before. I panicked, I was shaking her shoulders.

“Ali, wake up. Come on Ali.”

Alice clung to me tighter.

“5 more minutes please.”

“Ali, wake up. It’s 8 o’clock already.”

She woke up finally and yawned.

“Aren’t they out of town?”

I saw through the window, their car was in the parking.

“They are back.”

“Thank you Noah for last night.” Saying, she smiled and kissed me on my cheek. “You are my favorite brother.”

“I’m your only brother.”

“Still my favorite brother.” She hugged me again.

On the Dining table, dad was sitting in a chair, reading a newspaper.

“Morning dad. Morning bro.”

“Morning.” Dad and I both said together.

From the corner of my eyes, I noticed dad was looking at me. I looked at him and he gave me his infamous look. I knew he had seen us. Even though it wasn’t anything to worry about, I couldn’t say anything to make him less annoyed.

After having coffee and toast, Alice left with her mug and plate to wash in kitchen sink.

I knew the gig was up.

“How many times do I have to tell you this closeness is not right.”

“Dad, I’ve told you many times it is nothing like that.”

“Until when it is too late?”

“Dad, I couldn’t see her miserable over that punk.”

“I think we should arrange marriage of any one of them.”

Out of nowhere Alice appeared. “How many times are you going to bring this up? Mom, I don’t want to marry, just yet.”

Mom’s obsession over her marriage is out of my understanding. Already, I’m feeling miserable over the turmoil inside my head and now this.