Between Us and These Bones

22

Haisley sipped on his water, staring at me. "I can't believe we're twins. I'm so mind boggled."

I chuckled. "I know, me too. It's nice to not be the youngest anymore though."

"We're twins. We're the same age."

"No, I'm older by five minutes."

Haisley shook his head and opened his mouth to retaliate but movement behind him caught my eye. 
"You two need to go to bed.." Carson appeared and crossed his arms. "It's late, you both need to rest."

"We were just talking," I tried, but got a worried, stern look in return.

"It's ... 2:35 am," our older brother said lowly, checking his watch. "Go to bed, both of you."

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, Carson. We're going."

He shooed us out of the kitchen and I shared a look with my twin. "I'm sorry he's an over protective butthole sometimes."

"I can hear you, Tarryn," my eldest brother called and I smirked. Haisley and I made our way back upstairs. "Goodnight, Haze - I - sorry. Can I call you that?"

My twin smiled. "Yes, of course can. Goodnight Tarryn."

+++

I didn't sleep. So instead I went to the library. Hoping I didn't see Carson. He'd tell me to go to bed but I just couldn't. It was just before sunrise, way too early with everyone in bed still.

Reaching the library, I turned on the lamp, letting it illuminate the room and tall shelves of books. It had become my safe haven. I stayed the rest of the night in the library, until the sun shined through the huge windows and woke me up from the slumber I'd drifted to.

"Hey, good morning," Rhea. Her ocean blue eyes were so captivating. "I brought you breakfast." She entered the library with a tray of food.

I smiled . "Thank you so much. You didn't have to," I said, blushing a little. I noticed the metal tin box and rolled my eyes. I had no doubt they were my morning medication. "Carson send those?"

Rhea chuckled. "He sure did. He wants to talk to you later too." I took the tray from her and glanced down at the bacon and eggs. My stomach growled and I know my face was beet red.

"Great. Thank you again."

"It's the least I could do," she murmured, and her softness made me feel giddy. "You've had a lot going on."

"No kidding," I said, sighing. I set the tray down on the coffee table, popping a strawberry in my mouth. "How have you been? What is your actual position?"

"I'm trained in crisis management with the FBI," she said, "I work with the families that are in protective custody. I don't usually travel with them but this is a special case."

"Special case? Why's it so special?" I asked, trying to get information.

Rhea only smiled, giving her head a shake. "You know I can't give you details, Tarryn. Believe it or not, I don't know too much."

"Stop trying to fish for information," Carson said, striding into the library. He nodded to Rhea in greeting.

+++

"That's not even a real word."

"Yes it is," Matthew argued, swatting my hand away as I tried to take the tiles off the Scrabble board. "Funner is a real word."

I snorted. "No."

"Yes."

"Yes."

"No."

"You're just upset that I'm beating you."

"Can you both be quiet?" Skyler snapped, flipping through a book. He wasn't happy, he got caught trying to use a computer earlier, Sam's laptop which he stole. Sam confiscated it, reminding him we were all on technology lockdown. "I can't hear my own thoughts," he muttered.

June chuckled. "Okay grumpy. Why don't you don't go and find something funner to do then?"

"I'm stuck babysitting you and Tarryn,"

She frowned. "I don't need babysitting, especially not by my younger brother."

"Whatever you say, June."

June looked offended and I couldn't blame her. Carson and Skyler were treating her like a child, like she would break and inhale the first thing drug she came across. They watched every move she made, searching her expressions, cautious of her movements to make sure she didn't hurt herself - when she craved drugs, she scratched her arms.

I felt sorry for her. To go through something so painful and then be addicted to a substance. Then to be thrusted into an impending investigation in your mother's disappearance and stepfathers murder, stuck in protective custody with FBI.

June had therapy every other day, with a therapist that called her on a secure line. I heard her argue with Carson about not wanting to continue because she didn't like the guy and his response - it's either this or an inpatient program, you choose.

Carson was a harsh to her but I understood where he came from. He wanted to protect her, his twin, from the world and herself. He tried to look after everyone - which annoyed me to no end.

"Hey, bub, you with me?" Matthew asked, pulling me from my thoughts. I nodded and gave him a long glare, noticing that he never removed the tiles. "You dissociate a lot."

I did but who could blame me? I'd been through a lot, and had trouble focusing on things, nightmares every night. My mind got creative - dreaming of a man I'd seen once in my life. I woke up in cold sweats, soaked head to toe, gasping for breath. I hate it, and hated it more that I couldn't control my fear of my biological father.

Loud footsteps approached the library. Trey appeared in the library, out of breath like he'd been running. His sudden presence had our attention.

"What's going on, Trey?" Skyler asked, abandoning the book and straightened.

"Dad is awake."

+++