Page 57 of Van Cort

WEST

The doorman stares at me as I approach, a puzzled look in his eye. He doesn’t comment, though. He simply nods his head at Everett Van Cort, opens the glass door and waves me through.

Of all the things I have thought about, my future as a Van Cort hasn’t really been one of them.

I’m not a businessman, nor do I care for the bullshit that comes along with that, other than the partying and socialising he probably hates.

But Rhett does, despite his probable need for home.

It’s he who’s built on our family’s fortune.

He took on that mantle while I ran away to mask the feelings I should have confronted him about.

Still, I look at my signet ring, I am as much Van Cort as he is. One of two. Same blood. Same kind of thoughts. Same love for a woman who knows nothing of us.

It makes me stare at my reflecting image in the elevator, tilting my head.

In a few minutes, she’ll know, and then where will we be?

I should be happy about the prospect – fucking delirious – because this is all we ever wanted.

We’re bonded like this, on the same wavelength again, as if a missing part has lodged back in to complete a separated heart, but a choice might be made and then what?

My unhinged brother comes back out to play?

Another woman dies? Maybe he’ll kill me this time, despite his assurance he’s not like that anymore. This penthouse is a long way up.

What if she chooses him and doesn’t want me?

My eyes drop to the text he sent, as I wonder what death by falling feels like.

Come now. It’s time.

The doors slide open quietly before I’ve fully figured out what I’m going to say, and the first thing I hear is her snapping at him about truth.

I want to smile, to be amused at her confusion and our behaviour, but I’m not amused anymore.

It was easier with Lara, not so fucking insidious as the game we’ve played this time.

We were children and she always knew there were two of us.

Andie doesn’t know that. She was part of the play without ever knowing she was.

“This is stupid,” she snaps from the lounge. “You say you want to marry me, Everett, and yet you deny those scratches on your back.” I edge through the dimly lit kitchen, listening.

“I’m not denying them, River. They’re there. Put there by you. I enjoy that they’re there. I enjoyed making you put them there.”

“Those scratches were not on your back the other night. They are now. That’s the only truth I can see. It’s another woman, yes? That’s why all the hot and cold and odd behaviour.”

Ah, we’ve been caught out. Terrible planning.

“I’ve told you; there’s no other woman. You’re the only one,” he says, quietly.

“What other truth is there then, Everett? What am I not seeing? What aren’t you telling me?” she shouts. He pauses, as if letting the air, and her temper, settle before he answers. He probably knows I’m here, too. I would if roles were reversed.

“I’ve given you everything I’ve got, River. Every inch I have to give is yours.”

“Really? Because it only ever feels like you give half and-”

“You’ll understand soon enough. Sit down.”

“Don’t tell me what to do.” I hear her pacing, heels lightly tapping on polished floors. “I’m too angry and confused and irritated to sit down.”

“Did you like the ring?” he asks.

The feet stop.

“What?”

“The ring, River. My mother’s ring.” My brow arches.

He found it? “I understand your confusion, and your irritation, but I need you to know that I meant every word I said. I love you, and I do want to marry you. There is only one other thing that means as much to me as that ring does. I want you to have them both with me.”

A smile lifts my lips.

That was for me as much as it was for her.

“What? What does that even mean?” She’s holding back the tears. I can hear it in the stretched tone of her voice. “Is this some riddle? For a straight talker, you seem to be finding it damn hard to say what you’re saying.”

I walk a few steps forward until I’m visible in the doorway.

To him, at least.

He stares through her at me, his chest rising and falling with the tension he’s keeping at bay. I know it well from years ago, and maybe it was only the alcohol that exacerbated it past sense and into madness. Maybe now, without that interference, he controls it better.

“Everett?” she asks. “What do you mean? What other thing?”

“He’s trying to tell you about me, Andie.

” She swings round at the sound of my voice, startled.

“And I expect this is going to be hard for you to process, so perhaps sitting would be a good idea.” Her head flies back to looking at him, and then back to me again, as I move into the room.

Shock takes hold then, and she begins floundering on backwards steps.

“Take a minute. Breathe, Andie.” Rhett stands up behind her, ready to be a hero, no doubt, and catch her should she faint.

“What. The. Fuck.”

I move closer until I’ve got her shaking arm in my hand and guide her to the sectional. “Hmm. That’s probably a good response. Solid.”

She takes some time looking between us over and over again, which makes me back away from her until I’m beside my brother, and she can process that vision however she wants.

“You asked her then,” I murmur.

“I did.”

“I could have said no.” He looks at me, a brow arched. “Fine, but I did think about it.” He turns to look back at her, not believing me for a second. “Did she turn you down?”

“Unsure.”

“Where did you do it?”

“Vault.” I look at him.

“We have a vault here, too?” He nods. “Why didn’t I know about it?”

“Because you disappeared, West.”

“Fair point.” Although I frown. “Why the vault?”

“What?”

“What fucking idiot asks the woman we love to marry him in a vault?” He walks closer to Andie, trying to dismiss the conversation and concentrate on her.

He shouldn’t. It’s the least romantic proposal situation I’ve ever fucking heard of.

I mean, this was big, huge, a moment to be savoured and respected, and he did it in a fucking gold vault?

“You didn’t think a beach maybe? Some sunset?

Moonlight? Champagne? Did you forget she’s claustrophobic? ”

He sits on the coffee table in front of her. “The ring was in there. It was the most important place I could think of.” Oh. That makes sense, then.

“Did she know that?”

“Not at the time.”

She’s still sitting, completely bewildered, and still looking between the two of us like none of this can be real.

“River?” She whips her face back to looking at him rather than me.

“This is what you didn’t understand.” Her mouth opens, but she shuts it again.

“It was only me at first, and I hadn’t seen West for a very long time, so I never expected what this now is to happen, but it did, and we’re both in love with you. ”

“Bo… both?” she stutters.

“Yes. Both.”

She looks between us again and then gets up to cross the room.

“Both?” He walks towards her. Her hand goes up, feet backing away.

“No. Stay there. Both of you. I don’t… I don’t understand and…

” Words fail her, and she backs up until she’s nearly tripping over a drinks tray.

“What the hell is going on? What is this?”

I walk for the drinks tray she’s moving around to pour us all something and watch as she moves further away.

“That’s pretty clear, Andie. We’re twins.

Same wants. Same needs.” Her mouth opens again, but this time, considering the venomous glare she sends my way, I’m expecting an argument.

“And yes, you’ve been sleeping with both of us.

And yes, some dates were me and some dates – if you can call them that because my brother knows very little about romance – were him. Any other questions?”

“I do know romance,” he cuts in.

I glance over my shoulder at him. “Really? Name one thing you’ve done with her that’s romantic.” He doesn’t.

My point is made.

“I proposed.”

“In a gold vault. Not romantic.”

I finish pouring three tumblers of anything available and place one in front of her. By the time I’ve taken Rhett’s to him and turned around, she’s downed hers and is slamming the glass back down. “Another?” I ask.

“Screw you,” she snaps.

“You’ve already done that. I remember it from the other night. I’m the one without the scratches, by the way.”

Those eyes of hers turn to slits, and her shaking hand goes for the decanter to pour another one.

“You’re both fucking assholes and what you’ve been doing to me is completely unacceptable.

I should call the cops. That’s what I should do.

This isn’t normal.” She points at both of us in turn, now gripping her glass like it’s a lifeline.

“How did I not know?” She stares at one of us, and then the other.

“I should have known. I did know something wasn’t right. But this?”

She turns around, as if lost, and takes another mouthful of alcohol as she faces us again. Time stalls. Everything fucking stalls. Until she launches the tumbler right at us. It smashes on the wall to the side of me, glass shattering at my feet.

“Urghhh! How could you? How could you proclaim to love me and do this?”

She stands waiting for an answer, but neither of us replies.

Her body slumps down on the sofa, the venom seems to have left her face. Although it now seems to have been replaced with a calculation I’ve not seen from her before.

“Two of you,” she says as she takes a deep breath. “I’ve been having two relationships at the same time.”

I lean on the wall. “Technically, you’ve been having one relationship with two people. Who, if we’re honest, are pretty different but exactly the same. And considering the gene situation, the same person in reality.”

Rhett sighs beside me and walks towards her slowly. “Not a great answer, West.”

“Well, why not?” she says. “This couldn’t be any more fucking unclear, so why not add another layer of complication to complete this madness?” She looks past him to me. “West?” I smile.

“That’s the first time you’ve called me that.”

She throws her hands up in the air. “Maybe because it’s the first time I’ve known you exist!” Fair point. “West and Everett Van Cort?”

“Technically, I come first,” Rhett says.

“Also, his name is Rhett,” I offer.

“Not to her it isn’t,” he cuts into the air. “I’m Everett for her. I always will be, whether she wants this or not.” He holds his undrunk tumbler of liquor out to her. “Sit, River, please. Have another drink if you need it. I realise this must be a shock.”

“Shock?” A hysterical burst of laughter flies out of her. “This isn’t shock, this is… I don’t know what it is, but it’s more than shock.” She frowns and takes the drink from him, choosing to create distance again by moving back to the sectional.

Quiet settles in the room, and, unsure whether to fill the air or not, I watch Rhett try his hardest to contain his emotions instead.

They’re volatile and probably screaming at him to take control and order us around and make us happen, but he’s right; he’s not the boy he once was.

Part of him just proved it by not drinking a damned drop of alcohol.

And none of this is on us now, anyway. It’s all in her hands. No one’s forcing anything.

The thought makes me walk to the window to stare out over the city rather than concern myself with his behaviour. She can choose whatever she wants now. Him. Me. All of us. Or none of us, I guess.

“I don’t understand why I’m still in this place,” she murmurs. “I should leave.”

“What’s out there that isn’t in here, Andie?” I ask.

“Sanity.”

I laugh lightly. “Why would you want any of that when you’ve got more here than you could ever dream of?

We both adore you. We both love you. We both want to spend the rest of our lives with you.

” I turn to look at her and see Rhett standing behind her, arms crossed and stoic as always.

“I know it’s unusual, Andie, but this is what we want, and whilst we can’t explain that, we can show you if you’ll let us.

We want to love you in ways you can’t imagine.

We want everything you can give us, and we’ll give everything we have in return. ”

She looks over her shoulder at Rhett. “And you agree with that?”

“Every word. You just have to accept the facts and trust us.”

“And how does that even work? You asked me to marry you, Everett? Just you? What about him?” He looks at me. Considering we haven’t discussed the details of that part, I answer with what I know we’ll both want.

“You’ll marry both of us. Be with both of us. Sometimes we’ll be together, and sometimes we’ll be separate as just a couple. Dynamics will develop as we go along now we can be honest, but as long as you want us, we’ll make it the way you want it to be. Three rings, though. Two husbands. One wife.”