Chapter 27.5 - Home

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Chase's POV
Before heading downstairs I went to the bathroom to clean myself up a little, not wanted to meet father looking the way I do. I changed quickly, but I couldn't bring myself to look into the mirror again. Not when the face looking back at me was a painful reminder of my loss.

This sadness is poisoning my mind, little by little. It doesn't break your mind completely, no, that would be a kindness above sadness. Instead, it coils around you, slowly suffocating you, until it is all you can feel. No matter how brightly the sun shines, the world is a dull place for me, and nothing can bring my life back into focus.

After checking the windows were locked and closing the curtains, I headed downstairs, dragging my feet, confident that the imposter Fabian would be safe for a little while alone. Taking a deep breath, I grabbed the door handle and slowly twisted it.

Nothing could have prepared me for who was on the other side of that door.

"Hey" he whispered, giving me a small salute.

I almost punched him, but instead my legs collapsed and I kneeled before him, my hands tangled in his disheveled shirt.

"Jerk! You stupid idiot!" I cried, pulling him down with such force that he fell onto me. I couldn't do anything but squeeze the life out of him, so angry, upset and relieved that my mind was a jumble. I feel my chin start to tremble like that of a small child, and my eyes began to burn. Before I knew it, the first tear fell, and the others followed in an unbroken stream.

Tears dribbled from my eyes as my walls, walls that have made me so strong, just crumbled to the ground. Salty drops fall from my chin as I reverse our positions, so that I'm laying over him. The angry red streaks stung my face, but I can't stop... I can't stop. Why can't I stop crying?

I pulled away from his shirt to look up into his eyes, but that only make my the choking sounds of my crying louder, and I quickly buried my face into his shirt again.

"Umm... Chase? Are you okay?' His voice drifted to my eyes, making me sob even harder. Oh god, I thought I'd never hear the voice again!

"I thought you were dead, Zion! Dead!" I cried, blowing my nose on his shirt. He gave me a look, but didn't say anything about it.

"I'm sorry" he said quietly, reaching up to rest his hands on my cheeks, brushing away my tears with his thumbs. Sorry? That's all he has to say?!

"No, Zion, no! Do you know how much it broke me, thinking you were gone? Thinking that I'd never hear your voice again, and everytime I look in the mirror I'll be reminded that I once had a twin? I couldn't do it, Zion! I was seriously considering suicide, especially as Fabian's lost his memory! I was left with nothing, all because you acted like a reckless idiot!" I yelled between the sobs that wracked my body.

"I'm sorry" he whispered again, and I felt a droplet of rain run onto my hands unexpectedly. I opened my eyes, only to realise it wasn't rain. I had to do a double take. He's not done that since we were twelve years old...

Zion was crying.

"I had to save him, Chase. I couldn't bear to watch him just disappear, not when I realised he's not been fake with us, not once! All he wanted was to be loved, and I abused that! I thought he was trying to break us like Lukah did, but not once had the thought of harming us crossed his mind! And I feel like a piece of shit for treating the way I did, and now you tell me he doesn't even remember us?! I need him to remember, he needs to hate me! I can't live with knowing I hurt him so much by rejecting him, by not trusting him! I need to get him to forgive me, and I need you to forgive me too, Chase. I thought I was going to die, and it was them that I realised I have so many regrets, and so much to apologise for, so plea-"

I silenced him by pressing my lips to his.

He froze for a moment, before slowly taking control and moving his lips gently against mine. "I missed you so, so much..." I mumbled against his lips, pulling back a little so I could gaze into his pain filled eyes. It's going to take a little while to recover from this scare, but I know everything will be just fine.

We'll get Fabian's memory back, but for now, I'm just glad to have my brother back where he belongs, by my side.

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