Chapter 1 - Awake

Aria

It’s loud. Too loud.

It sounds too far away and near at the same time. I squint my eyes open and close them back immediately. Too bright! I try again—slowly this time—and adjust my eyes to the bright light.

I take in my surroundings. The white ceiling is filled with bright fluorescent light right above me, and my bedside is filled with machines and monitors plugged into my body on my right. I look to my left and — Is that a person?

Standing with his hands in the pockets of his three-piece suit, while facing the window, his broad back fills most of the window overlooking the hospital view. The rays of the sunshine on his hair make it a colour blend of salt and pepper. It looks messy, like it’s been run through several times. He certainly looks attractive from the back.

Who’s that? I try to make out how familiar that build is from the back. It’s not.

As if he read my thoughts, he turns around and meets my eyes.

“You’re awake.” His face remains expressionless as he stalks toward me. He stops right in front of me, whispering right into my ear, “I thought you’d never wake up.”

He goes ahead to press a button right above me and stands to full height, never taking his eyes off me.

Is that contempt I see in his eyes, or just my imagination? I try and fail to speak. My throat feels very parched. I move my mouth anyway, but can’t get a word out.

He notices and picks up the cup of water with a straw inside, bringing it to my mouth. I search his face for some sort of emotion; it’s as blank as a canvas.

“Thank you,” I raise my brow, waiting to hear him put a name to his face.

He says nothing and instead raises his brow right back at me in amusement. The look is wiped off his face as quickly as it appeared. If I hadn’t been staring at him intently, I probably wouldn’t have caught it.

“You know, if I didn’t know any better, I’d feel pity for you.”

His unyielding stare is starting to get under my skin, and lying here with numb limbs isn't helping the situation.

“You got really good at acting, Ava.” He smirks so coldly that I can feel the temperature in the room drop a few degrees.

“Is this one of your stunts to wiggle your way out of the hell you created for me?” He leans close to me again.

The smirk has disappeared, and now, only fury burns in his hazel eyes, turning them gold.

I press further into the bed as fear grips my lungs, making it difficult to breathe. I have no idea what he’s talking about, but I’m sure of one thing—my twin crossed the wrong person.

“I’m not—” I’m interrupted by a knock on the door. We look towards the source of the distraction and It’s only the doctor – Jenna, as I notice from her name tag.

“Damon, what are you doing trying to unsettle a patient who just woke up?” Dr Jenna queries, shoving him aside and taking his place at my bedside.

Oh, Grumpy has a name: Damon – a pleasant name for someone so devoid of warmth.

“How are you feeling?” Dr Jenna snaps me out of my thoughts of Grumpy, who continues watching us—or me intently from across the room.

“I feel like there’s a time bomb in my head,” I manage to say.

She smiles and places her stethoscope in her ear before placing it on my chest. “That’s a normal feeling for someone who has been in a coma for as long as you have.”

“How long would that be?”

She stares at me sympathetically, “Two years.”

“What??!” I try to bolt up from the bed, but a sharp pain in my head forces me back down.

“Are you trying to get yourself killed again?” I hear Grumpy’s voice from across the room, laced with anger.

“Why do you care?!” I snap. Two years in a coma? What the hell happened to me?

“Ava, you’ll be fine—” Dr. Jenna starts.

“Aria,” I correct her. “Ava is my twin.”

I catch Grumpy scoffing from across the room and shoot him a death glare from where I’m lying down. What’s his deal? What’s he doing here anyway?

Dr Jenna nods at me. “Alright, Aria, you’ll be fine. Your vitals are looking good. I’ll have a nurse check on you in a few hours for an update. With some physiotherapy and rest, you should be as good as new.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” I nod at her in gratitude.

“Hey, Doc,” Grumpy says as Dr. Jenna turns to leave. “Let me have a word outside.”

He stands up from the couch he’d been sitting on and steps outside. Dr Jenna follows and closes the door behind her. I catch a glimpse of men in suits standing like statues before the door closes. Are those bodyguards? The thought leaves as quickly as it came.

Why is Grumpy calling me Ava? And where the hell is Ava? Mom? Dad? I need to find my phone to call them. They must be worried sick about me. I should let them know that I’m fine and—

Grumpy opens the door, interrupting my train of thought. I ignore him and try to concentrate on looking around for my phone to call someone to come and—

“Hey!” I’m startled by the sudden jerk on my index finger. “What the hell are you doing?!” I scream at him, my voice filled with panic and anger.

He ignores me and disconnects the IV from the back of my hand, causing me to yelp in pain.

My eyes well up with tears.

“Are you crazy?!” “What are you doing?!” My voice shakes with fear, and anger burns inside me.

“Leo!” he shouts. The door opens immediately, and about four men in suits step into the room. They really are bodyguards.

“Hey!” My voice filled with confidence I don’t feel, “If any of these men touch me, I’ll scream.” My eyes burn with hatred as I stare at him.

The bastard just nods at Leo like I didn’t utter a word.

I feel myself being lifted from the back of the other side of the bed. “Put me down, you Buffon!” I stretch my hands back to grab whoever it is by the face.

“Arrgghh!”

I feel myself falling back onto the bed and look up to see him grab his face, stumbling back.

I leave no chance to think as I bolt out of the bed with all the strength I can muster. I just have to escape through the door and scream.

“You know, instead of watching her about to escape through that door like idiots, I suggest you grab her this minute!” Damon’s voice rises with each word he says.

Immediately, I feel myself being lifted like a sack of potatoes from the front. My legs are in the air, and my head hangs behind my captor’s back.

“Arrgghh! Put me down!” I scratch his back and kick my legs. It feels like hitting a wall.

I feel myself growing weaker, my screams dwindling to faint whispers.

The little strength I have left seeps out of me as I’m thrown into the back of a car. I catch Damon right beside the car just before the door closes.

“Where the hell are you taking me to?” I manage to let out.

"Home, Ava. You're done for." The door slams shut, and everything goes black.