18


    PERCIE


    I masked my smile with a frown and crossed my arms over my chest. I wanted to show Hailey that


    even if she came back to our apartment didn’t mean anything to me.


    “What are you doing here, Hailey? Aren’t you supposed to be with your parents?” My voice was


    firmed.


    “Dad drove me here. He said I should apologize for what I did during dinner,” she answered quietly, not


    meeting my gaze.


    “Then where is it?”


    Her gaze snapped to me with furrowed brows. “Where is the what?”


    I did a low growl. “The apology Hailey.” Deep inside, I was grinning. We were still in the hallway, and I


    was patiently waiting to hear it from her.


    “Um. I’m sorry.” Her voice came out a whisper.


    “Not sincere enough,” I deadpanned.


    Pink blossomed on her cheeks while she twisted her finger. “I said, I’m sorry, okay. I was just


    embarrassed.”


    “Then why did you hang up on me? I wasn’t done talking.”


    She froze. Her eyes widened. Now she realized what she did.


    “I didn’t hang up on you. I was already in the elevator. There must have been a bad reception inside.”


    She shrugged.


    “I’m still upset. Are you going back to your house tonight?”


    She shook her head.


    “Maybe I should start learning signnguage in YouTube, Hailey.”


    She shook her head again. I groaned, frustrated.


    “I mean no. Um, about the promise—”


    “Forget about that.” I cut her off and marched to the living room.


    I tried to forget our conversations over the phone. I knew she was following me. This time, she sat


    beside me on the couch.


    “Why did you ask me if we would just forget about what we talked about over the phone?”


    I clenched my jaw. “I don’t wanna talk about it. Just drop it.”


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    When I looked at her, she was pouting.


    “Okay.” She rose from her seat, walking away.


    “Where are you going?”


    “To my room. I guess I’m done with my apology. Since we’re done talking, I’ll call it a night.”


    My mouth hung open. I couldn’t believe she just said that.


    “Just like that? Instead of spending your night with your parents, you came all the way here to


    apologize. Now you called it a night and going to your room. That’s it?” I rose from the couch.


    She then stopped. “You want me to forget what we talked about earlier, then yes.” She rolled her eyes.


    Yeah, Hailey rolled her eyes. Wasn’t she full of surprises?


    I must admit. She was cute.


    “Fine.” I shrugged.


    “And you know what? You’re an ass. Do you know how hard it is to have a gut talking to you? I almost


    copsed in the elevator, trying to pull myself together. Then, you just wanted me to forget what we’d


    talked about over the phone. And yes, I’m going to my room to sleep and snore.”


    She just made me speechless, and it never happened before. Ever.


    “Now, who’s brave when talking over the phone?” she added before shepletely left me alone in the


    living room.


    “Hailey, wait!” Jesus. She ignored me, pretended she heard nothing. This woman was really infuriating.


    I just found my match. Perfect.


    I took a huge breath. Now, I was beyond pissed off.


    My chest tightened. My stomach twisted into a knot.


    I didn’t like these feelings. I wished there was a switch button I could turn on and off whenever I wanted


    to shut it off. And the worse part, I couldn’t just let her go to sleep while she was angry at me. I


    swallowed my pride and knocked on her door.


    “Open up, Hailey!” I yelled as I kept knocking.


    “Go away, Percie! I am trying to get some sleep.” I heard her just right behind her door.


    My lips curved to smile. “You’re not sleeping.”


    “I said, I am trying to get some sleep.”


    “Now, open your door, or I’ll open it myself. I have a spare key of your room, Hailey.” I wasn’t going to


    go that far. I needed her to trust me, and not the other way around.


    A few momentster, she twisted the doorknob. I stepped back, preparing myself for her outburst.


    “What do you want?” She red at me.


    “Can we talk?” I said calmly.


    “Aren’t we done talking?” she asked back with a raised eyebrow.


    “Where did you buy your courage, Lee? In Amazon? At Target, or Best Buy?”


    Her lips pressed to a thin line as she crossed her arms over her chest.


    “Hailey—”


    “What do you want? I have sses tomorrow morning. I need to get some sleep so I can wake up


    early.” Her voice calmed down a bit. Still, she wasn’t impressed with me.


    “I know, Lee. We went to campus together every day for over a month. Can Ie in?”


    I wasn’t expecting her to move aside to let me in. She always surprised me.


    She went to her bed after closing the door behind her. She then got inside her nket and leaned her


    back against the headboard. I joined beside her and did the same. We stayed silent for a while,


    contemting our unusual situation.


    I took a deep breath and squeezed my eyes shut when I found myself just ran out of words. Instead,


    the smell of a strawberry assaulted me. When I opened my eyes, Hailey was observing my face


    shamelessly.


    I swallowed my nerves. “My twin just died a few months ago.”


    She gasped. Pain filled her eyes.


    “We’re in a car ident before I started freshman. She got a spinal cord injury. She was paralyzed for


    months. Then,ter on, she developedplications in her kidney. I was hopeless, helpless that she


    didn’t want me to help her. It was killing me. I could still help her, but she made me promise. She left


    me no choice but to honor it.”


    Hailey remained silent.


    “Since that ident, I lost everything. I lost her, my dreams, our dreams together. My parents disowned


    me. They med me for what happened to her. I couldn’t me them, though, because they were


    right. I was driving the car that night. Then I helped her race. Eventually, I put her in aa. She died


    in the end. I ended Emma’s life. I destroyed Emma’s future.”


    “She’s the Emma—”


    “Yeah. She’s my only Emma.” I chuckled. “She wrote me a letter. I couldn’t read it, not until after the


    funeral. I didn’t even wanna know what was inside. I would kill me. Somehow, I knew it was her way of


    saying goodbye to me.” I let go of a shuddering breath. “I’m not ready to let her go. I’d just took her


    back when we were fifteen. I can’t let her go just yet. For many times, many days, I wished I was the


    one who died, and not her. She deserved a beautiful life. She was so kind, funny, loving, and forgiving.


    While I was the worse version of her and the worse brother she’d ever had.” My voice cracked the end.


    Perce,


    By the time you’re reading this, that means I’m already dying, oratose, or dead. I’m writing this


    because I want you to know how much you meant to me.


    God brought us together for a reason. We’re DiDi for a reason, and for me, that reason is you. Thank


    you for being the best twin brother I could ever wish for. You gave me everything I could ever have and


    want.


    I still remember when you saved me from your jock of a friend. You punched him when he’s trying to hit


    on me. You’re always there for me.


    I want you to help me onest time, Perce. I know you are willing to risk everything to help me, but


    please, don’t do such a thing. Please, help me to let me go peacefully.


    Promise me that you would be happy with my decisions. Promise that you would make use of every


    second you have of your life for a good purpose. Make every best of it. I want you to show me when I’m


    already up there watching over you that you live a wonderful life.


    I’m so grateful that God let us meet again. I may be gone by now, but you will always be in my heart till


    forever.


    I love you forever and always.


    Yours,


    Emma