Page 70 of House of Lies
“We have much to discuss, but you need to rest.”
“No.” I shake my head, attempting to grasp the meaning behind his words. “You say you’re not my husband, but ... this makes no sense. What kind of game are you playing now, Mattia?”
He gives me a fleeting glimpse of his dimples. I don’t want to speak at all, but I’m not sure if I will ever get another choice.
“I am his twin brother. Or perhaps he is mine. Whatever the case may be.”
I shake my head in confusion. There is a trace of an accent in his voice.
“He doesn’t have a twin brother.”
“I’ll tell you everything,” he promises.
“Now,” I insist, blinking away my tears.
“Not now.” He shakes his head. “You need to rest.”
“Please. What you’re saying makes no sense to me. I need to understand. Please,” I implore.
His hand reaches for mine but halts, pulling back and clenching his fist.
“Here, have this,” he says, offering me the mug. “It’s just tea.”
Under normal circumstances, I would hesitate to trust him, but now I no longer care if the drink is poisoned. Part of me hopes it is so this nightmare will come to an end. He leans back in the chair and tells me his story. In my current state, none of it makes sense. It is challenging to believe that Mattia has a twin brother, let alone one raised in Moscow. He speaks of revenge and betrayal, of the months we spent together. He mentions the night I stabbed him, seeming more amused than angry.
Did you enjoy fucking him?
Oh, God. Mattia’s words finally click into place. He was referring to his twin brother, whose existence I had been oblivious to.
“If what you’re saying is true, you’re not Mattia.” I laugh. “I cheated on my husband without even knowing.”
The realization hits me like a ton of bricks. I cheated on my abusive husband. Worse yet, I fell for his twin brother, who masqueraded as him. It can’t be. This must still be a nightmare.
“I wouldn’t feel too guilty if I were you.” He smirks.
I can either believe his story or think of the fact that Mattia has multiple personalities. A cold sweat trickles down my forehead, my body aching all over.
“You took his place on my mother’s birthday.”
It is not a question. I already know when the switch occurred. That night marked the turning point when he began revealing what I thought was a different side of him, only to discover that he was an entirely different person.
“So you’re telling me I lived in fear for so many months, and you could have just told me the truth? You could have set me free.”
“I will never let you go, solnyshko. You are mine.”
“What about the truth? Were you ever planning to reveal it?”
I don’t know how I feel. There’s anger deep down. Confusion. But I also feel like I can breathe for the first time since I ran away.
“I wanted to tell you the truth, Caelia. Every single day.”
My heart turns into a grave. Do I even know this man? Is he any better than my husband? I’m broken into a thousand pieces, but is he the cause? For whatever reason, I feel like time is running out.
His white shirt is soaked in blood. I wonder if it’s mine.
“But you didn’t.”
He let me live with all that rage and with my murderous thoughts until I had no choice but to stab him and run away. I will not apologize for what I did, even if he was not the one who deserved my wrath.