alone.
She dropped the duffle on the bed closest to the bathroom. “Excuse me,” she muttered, pushing past Maria. Rick called after her, but she ignored him. She flicked on the light in the bathroom and slammed the door. It echoed against the tile floor, filling the space inside her ears. She was already hiccupping vomit when she rushed to the toilet, some of it landing on the floor before she got there. She didn’t care. She fell onto the porcelain bowl, puking up everything that was in her stomach. She hugged the basin and convulsed several times, retching up whatever was left. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
Lily was frightened. She’d had some bad hangovers before, but this felt different. She hadn’t been that hung over that morning.
She wiped remnants from the corner of her lip, then covered her mouth, sobbing into her hand, trying to muffle it so that Rick and Maria couldn’t hear her. For some reason, whether it was the voice in her mind or something else, she didn’t want them to see her like this. She shuddered, trying to hold herself together.
What was happening to her?
Liiii-iiillly. We’re here, Lily.
“I’m ignoring you,” she whispered.
Shaking, she crawled in to the shower and turned it on, clothes and all. The cold water hit her like an ice storm pummeling her body. She welcomed it, glad that shivering took over from the writhing in her stomach. She wrapped her arms around her knees and sat in the corner, rocking herself back and forth.
You’re about to meet your destiny, Lily, the voice told her. You want Seth, don’t you?
She bit the back of her hand, trying to keep from screaming. She really was going crazy. Maybe she should have seen a psychiatrist long ago. Even now, she was seeing things, like little filaments of light falling around her. The walls of the shower seemed to pulsate around her, like it was a living thing that had its own heartbeat.
Over the rush of the water and the turmoil in her mind, she heard a knock at the door.
“Hey, Lily?” It was Rick. “Darius is ordering pizza. What do you want?”
She chewed the inside of her cheek, willing herself to sound normal when she answered. “Anything!” she yelled back.
Luckily, Rick didn’t press. There weren’t any more knocks, leaving Lily alone. Or as alone she could be with another voice in her head.
Let me take over, Lily. It will all be over soon and you’ll have Seth. You two are meant to be together.
She screamed into her hand as the tears fell down her face.
C HAPTER FIVE
After such a grueling drive yesterday, Bash didn’t think she’d be able to get out of bed. She remembered scarfing down a few slices of her meat lovers pizza before passing out in their bed, but that was it. She wasn’t even sure if she had the opportunity to brush her teeth before she fell asleep. Her mouth felt like she had swallowed a vat of grease and her teeth felt all furry.
The alarm went off and the promise of skiing persuaded her to get out of bed. Seth and Darius, with their military discipline, were already up. Based on how unenthusiastic everyone else sounded, they weren’t too happy to be up so early after such a hectic day before. As predicted, Lily opted out of going skiing. She was just going to hang out at the lodge, she said, although she sounded a bit off. Bash had argued with her for a few minutes, but Lily resolutely said that she wanted to stay behind, and nothing Bash would say could change that.
“Why the hell did you come along anyways?” Bash had angrily asked, hurt by the decision.
“I don’t fucking know!” Lily answered. “Not to be harassed by you, that’s for sure!”
Bash finally conceded defeat, and her twin stayed back at the hotel, refusing to leave.
An hour later, they were waiting out on the slopes, holding their skis and snowboards while they waited for Bash’s guide from the assisted program on the slopes. She and Seth had discussed whether or not to book a
She dropped the duffle on the bed closest to the bathroom. “Excuse me,” she muttered, pushing past Maria. Rick called after her, but she ignored him. She flicked on the light in the bathroom and slammed the door. It echoed against the tile floor, filling the space inside her ears. She was already hiccupping vomit when she rushed to the toilet, some of it landing on the floor before she got there. She didn’t care. She fell onto the porcelain bowl, puking up everything that was in her stomach. She hugged the basin and convulsed several times, retching up whatever was left. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
Lily was frightened. She’d had some bad hangovers before, but this felt different. She hadn’t been that hung over that morning.
She wiped remnants from the corner of her lip, then covered her mouth, sobbing into her hand, trying to muffle it so that Rick and Maria couldn’t hear her. For some reason, whether it was the voice in her mind or something else, she didn’t want them to see her like this. She shuddered, trying to hold herself together.
What was happening to her?
Liiii-iiillly. We’re here, Lily.
“I’m ignoring you,” she whispered.
Shaking, she crawled in to the shower and turned it on, clothes and all. The cold water hit her like an ice storm pummeling her body. She welcomed it, glad that shivering took over from the writhing in her stomach. She wrapped her arms around her knees and sat in the corner, rocking herself back and forth.
You’re about to meet your destiny, Lily, the voice told her. You want Seth, don’t you?
She bit the back of her hand, trying to keep from screaming. She really was going crazy. Maybe she should have seen a psychiatrist long ago. Even now, she was seeing things, like little filaments of light falling around her. The walls of the shower seemed to pulsate around her, like it was a living thing that had its own heartbeat.
Over the rush of the water and the turmoil in her mind, she heard a knock at the door.
“Hey, Lily?” It was Rick. “Darius is ordering pizza. What do you want?”
She chewed the inside of her cheek, willing herself to sound normal when she answered. “Anything!” she yelled back.
Luckily, Rick didn’t press. There weren’t any more knocks, leaving Lily alone. Or as alone she could be with another voice in her head.
Let me take over, Lily. It will all be over soon and you’ll have Seth. You two are meant to be together.
She screamed into her hand as the tears fell down her face.
C HAPTER FIVE
After such a grueling drive yesterday, Bash didn’t think she’d be able to get out of bed. She remembered scarfing down a few slices of her meat lovers pizza before passing out in their bed, but that was it. She wasn’t even sure if she had the opportunity to brush her teeth before she fell asleep. Her mouth felt like she had swallowed a vat of grease and her teeth felt all furry.
The alarm went off and the promise of skiing persuaded her to get out of bed. Seth and Darius, with their military discipline, were already up. Based on how unenthusiastic everyone else sounded, they weren’t too happy to be up so early after such a hectic day before. As predicted, Lily opted out of going skiing. She was just going to hang out at the lodge, she said, although she sounded a bit off. Bash had argued with her for a few minutes, but Lily resolutely said that she wanted to stay behind, and nothing Bash would say could change that.
“Why the hell did you come along anyways?” Bash had angrily asked, hurt by the decision.
“I don’t fucking know!” Lily answered. “Not to be harassed by you, that’s for sure!”
Bash finally conceded defeat, and her twin stayed back at the hotel, refusing to leave.
An hour later, they were waiting out on the slopes, holding their skis and snowboards while they waited for Bash’s guide from the assisted program on the slopes. She and Seth had discussed whether or not to book a
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