you want—”
He moved the photos away from me and held them in front of him at arm’s length. “It’s right there. Don’t you see the similarities in your eyes? The same full lips?”
It was no surprise to me that he had picked me because he thought I resembled his first wife. The longer I looked at her photo, the more I saw the similarities. Gazing into her eyes was like looking into my own. He was right; something about her smile reminded me of mine.
I understood now. Jude had not been obsessed with me after all. He saw his wife in me. He was obsessed with her . “You seem to be attracted to women who look alike.”
“You’re right.” He kissed both photos. “It’s even that much more exciting when they share the same blood.” He flung his hands in the air and let them drop again. “Haley, your sister, Liz, did not drown that day. She did not die.” He looked at me with a triumphant smile. “She was my first wife. Lacey.”
He pulled out more photos. Photos of Liz as a child, the way I remembered her. Liz as a teenager, resembling my mother. Then photos of her all grown up, looking like someone different, a stranger, but still clearly my sister.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Haley
He grinned at me. “I told you it would blow your mind.”
I didn’t know how I felt, but it was more than shock. What stood out most was the numbness that started at the top of my head and ended at my feet. I couldn’t move, and my breath had solidified inside my throat. I sat there gazing at him, my mouth unable to close, my blood cold and pounding loudly in my head. Suddenly everything swept through me at once, building into a wave of nausea that was too powerful for me to hold back. I shot up from the bed and almost tripped on his feet as I burst into the bathroom just in time to throw up in the toilet. Thank God the seat was lifted because my wrists were still handcuffed.
I threw up until I had nothing left inside me but piercing shock that rocked each one of my nerves. When I was done, throwing up nothing as my body jerked, I saw his hand at my side, offering me a piece of toilet paper. I turned away from it, from him, and used my arm to wipe my mouth instead.
Then I dropped to my knees and curled up into a ball on the cool floor. I wept. From the pauses in my sobs I heard the toilet being flushed. I didn’t look up. He tried to touch me but I recoiled. So he kicked the top of my head.
He moved away and I guessed he sat on the bath, sighing with frustration. “Want to know more about your… little sis?”
I didn’t respond, didn’t even know how to at this point. My body didn’t feel like it was my own.
“I’ll tell you anyway. We don’t have much time so I’ll try to cut the long story short.” His voice carried a thread of triumph. “I met Elizabeth in a homeless shelter in Serendipity…back when I had nothing.” He paused for effect. “She was found by a jogger on a Florida beach, and was in a coma for months, unable to tell doctors who she was.”
“No. You’re lying.” My hands flew to my mouth as my mind transported me back to the day that caused me everything, reminded me of the family holiday that had turned into a nightmare when Liz was washed away by a powerful wave and couldn’t be found for weeks and months. She couldn’t be alive. Jude had to be messing with me yet again. “I don’t believe you.”
“Let me finish and then you can tell me what a big liar you think I am.” He rubbed the burnt side of his face.
“When Elizabeth finally emerged from the coma and was able to speak, she revealed her identity, and your mother was tracked down in Boston. But guess what?” He slapped his forehead as if in surprise. “She was barely able to support one child.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I retorted, pulling myself to a sitting position. “My mother was not perfect but she loved Liz. She loved us. She would have done anything to get her back. She
He moved the photos away from me and held them in front of him at arm’s length. “It’s right there. Don’t you see the similarities in your eyes? The same full lips?”
It was no surprise to me that he had picked me because he thought I resembled his first wife. The longer I looked at her photo, the more I saw the similarities. Gazing into her eyes was like looking into my own. He was right; something about her smile reminded me of mine.
I understood now. Jude had not been obsessed with me after all. He saw his wife in me. He was obsessed with her . “You seem to be attracted to women who look alike.”
“You’re right.” He kissed both photos. “It’s even that much more exciting when they share the same blood.” He flung his hands in the air and let them drop again. “Haley, your sister, Liz, did not drown that day. She did not die.” He looked at me with a triumphant smile. “She was my first wife. Lacey.”
He pulled out more photos. Photos of Liz as a child, the way I remembered her. Liz as a teenager, resembling my mother. Then photos of her all grown up, looking like someone different, a stranger, but still clearly my sister.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Haley
He grinned at me. “I told you it would blow your mind.”
I didn’t know how I felt, but it was more than shock. What stood out most was the numbness that started at the top of my head and ended at my feet. I couldn’t move, and my breath had solidified inside my throat. I sat there gazing at him, my mouth unable to close, my blood cold and pounding loudly in my head. Suddenly everything swept through me at once, building into a wave of nausea that was too powerful for me to hold back. I shot up from the bed and almost tripped on his feet as I burst into the bathroom just in time to throw up in the toilet. Thank God the seat was lifted because my wrists were still handcuffed.
I threw up until I had nothing left inside me but piercing shock that rocked each one of my nerves. When I was done, throwing up nothing as my body jerked, I saw his hand at my side, offering me a piece of toilet paper. I turned away from it, from him, and used my arm to wipe my mouth instead.
Then I dropped to my knees and curled up into a ball on the cool floor. I wept. From the pauses in my sobs I heard the toilet being flushed. I didn’t look up. He tried to touch me but I recoiled. So he kicked the top of my head.
He moved away and I guessed he sat on the bath, sighing with frustration. “Want to know more about your… little sis?”
I didn’t respond, didn’t even know how to at this point. My body didn’t feel like it was my own.
“I’ll tell you anyway. We don’t have much time so I’ll try to cut the long story short.” His voice carried a thread of triumph. “I met Elizabeth in a homeless shelter in Serendipity…back when I had nothing.” He paused for effect. “She was found by a jogger on a Florida beach, and was in a coma for months, unable to tell doctors who she was.”
“No. You’re lying.” My hands flew to my mouth as my mind transported me back to the day that caused me everything, reminded me of the family holiday that had turned into a nightmare when Liz was washed away by a powerful wave and couldn’t be found for weeks and months. She couldn’t be alive. Jude had to be messing with me yet again. “I don’t believe you.”
“Let me finish and then you can tell me what a big liar you think I am.” He rubbed the burnt side of his face.
“When Elizabeth finally emerged from the coma and was able to speak, she revealed her identity, and your mother was tracked down in Boston. But guess what?” He slapped his forehead as if in surprise. “She was barely able to support one child.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I retorted, pulling myself to a sitting position. “My mother was not perfect but she loved Liz. She loved us. She would have done anything to get her back. She
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