Between Us and These Bones

19

"We found Haisley."

I felt my heart skip a beat. "Well, where is he?"'

Sam looked at Carson. "He's actually here, in Ohio," my brother said, cautious. "He's in a group home."

"We need to go get him."

Everyone looked at me with weary eyes. It dawned on my they had already discussed what would happen if they did find Haisley, my twin. "He deserves to be with us, he belongs with us," I hissed, appealing to my oldest brother.

"We don't know what he's like, Tarryn. He could be on Wayne's side," Skyler said, swallowing. "We don't know who our brother is, and that could risk the safety of everyone, including you."

"I don't care!" I snapped. "He's my twin. He wouldn't hurt me."

Carson sighed. "We don't know that for certain, bub-"

"He's my twin," I repeated.

"I know but -"

"I am not risking the safety of you or anyone else in this house," Carson said, finality in his tone. I am glared at him. "Skyler will go meet him."

I groaned and rubbed my hands over my face, absolutely frustrated. "You are being too protective, Carson-"

"No, I'm not."

"Yes you are, Haisley is family. Family comes first."

"No, not right now it doesn't," Carson snapped. "My decision is final, Tarryn. Until Skyler determines whether or not Haisley is with your father and trying to trick us you aren't to leave the property ..."

I drowned him out, annoyed. I wanted my twin. I wanted to have him here, now. I turned on my heel and headed for the stairs. "Where are you going?"
Carson called.

"To have a nap. You're all annoying me!" Upstairs, I sat on the edge of my bed, petting Gilbert. I lay back into pillows and try to relax. It was hard to though, knowing my twin was out there and I didn't know a single thing about them.

***

Trey forced me out of my room and into the library, where the sun glared through the windows. I held my hand up to shield my eyes and sauntered to the sofa. I collapsed into the cushions on my back, staring at the ceiling. I glanced over at my brother,

"There's thousands of books," Trey murmured, in awe. He scanned the shelves, fingers trailing the book binds. "Who would have thought NAME would read rupi kaur."

"Really?" I chuckled. "He doesn't seem the poetic type."

"Rise, said the moon," he read,

"And the new day came

the show must go on said the sun

life does not stop for anybody

it drags you by the legs

whether you want to move forward or not

that is the gift

life will force you to forget how you long for them

your skin will shed till there is not

a single part of you left they've touched

your eyes finally just your eyes

not the eyes which held them

you will make it to the end

of what is only the beginning

go on

open the door to the rest of it

- time"

"Poetry is confusing. Read something else," I said, closing my eyes. Trey chuckled and choose a different book, not poetry."

Trey continued to read from books, something he did throughout our childhood to calm me down. I used to have a tutor in elementary because I struggled with reading. The tutor was an older, strict, pretentious lady and on her smoke breaks, Trey would come in and read to me in a high pitched voice imitating her.

He eased my anxiety and soon, I fell asleep.

***

I woke up and Carson was laying next to me, arm thrown across his face. "You can't expect us to be open to Haisley, bub," he murmured, "it's dangerous and you know it."

"But he's our brother-"

"A brother we haven't seen in twelve years." Carson sat up, leaning on own arm, facing me. "I know you want-"

"You don't know what I want. You assume you think you know best but that's not true," I snapped, standing.

"What do you want?" Carson asked, calm, pulling himself up to sit. He searched my eyes, trying to understand.

"I ... I don't know," I mumbled, closing my eyes at my lack of a satisfying response. "I want my twin. I want to have a good relationship with him. I'm nervous."

He sighed. "I know, I want that too. But we have to be careful. That's all. Okay?"

"Okay."

***