Chapter 14: Meeting The Doppelganger

Ashton

I'm freaking nervous. Only the music in Zie's car stereo could be heard as I'm trying to remember the words I want to say to Nick. What should I tell him first? How are you? I thought you were gone? or maybe just simple hi would do? Suddenly, I don't know what to say or how to act in front of my twin. How would he react when he saw me? Will he be as happy as I am?

"Ash," Zie called me, I turned in his direction, and only then did I realize that the car had stopped.

"You've been spacing out," Zie commented.

"I'm just a little nervous." That was a lie, little is just an understatement because the truth is I'm freaking nervous to the point where I'm going to ask him to drive back to the penthouse. But I need to see my twin.

"Everything will be okay, Ash." Zie comforted me and held my hand, he squeezed it softly which delivered a strange pleasure to my chest, somehow gradually reducing my nervousness.

"Let's go," Zie said and got out of the car, my legs were shaking as I followed him. He wrapped his hand around my waist as we started walking into the mansion. Before we could enter the mansion, there is a marvelous fountain with gushing colorful waters, and in the middle of the gushing waters stood the cupid statue holding a bow and arrow. I can't help but ask myself, how many hearts will fall victim to that arrow? How many hearts have been broken by that arrow?

As we approached the door I was taken aback when it slowly opened on its own. Wow, the splendor of this mansion. When we entered I could not help but marvel at the design inside the mansion, the first floor was wide, there was not much equipment except for the grand piano, some couches, but the real highlight on that floor were the large paintings posted on each side and the glowing chandeliers, there is also a wide staircase towards the second floor. I just noticed that Zie and I were the only people on this floor, where are the maids?

"Are we the only ones here?" I asked Zie. At the same time, the door closes slowly even though no one is closing it.

"Yeah," Zie replied.

"No servants?" I asked in surprise.

"Every weekend, Rex loves privacy that explains why. Let's go." Zie replied and guided me as we turn on the left and I temporarily forgot my nervousness seeing the entire hallway Zie and I was walking in, it took us almost a minute until I saw a large door in the distance.

"Ready?" Zie asked. Suddenly the nervousness returned to my chest, I let out a sigh before looking at Zie and smile softly at him.

"Y-yeah." That was all I could manage to say. Zie squeezed my shoulder and smiled at me as if he's telling me that everything will be okay, that he will always be here next to me and I am grateful for that.

When we reached to the door, it spontaneously opened and a very large kitchen hall welcome us, in the middle was a very large table full of foods and drinks, but it was not the food nor the drinks on the table that stopped me from walking, but because I saw my twin with his back facing to us.

"Hey, let us go." Zie invited and I forced my foot to walk.

As we got closer and closer to the table I could not explain how I felt, whether it was happy or nervous I don't know. Until we finally get close to the table, I'm only an inches away from my twin brother.

My eyes turned red and it seemed like my tears would flow at any moment as Nick and I met. I could not find the right word to say to him, in a flash I felt like I had lost my tongue and seemed to return to childhood where I could not yet speak.

"We'll leave you two here so you can talk." Rex broke the deafening silence between us. They came out of the kitchen hall until all I could hear was the sound of the door closing.

"H-how are you?" The only question that came out of my mouth, I do not know if that is the right word to say.

"I'm okay," Nick replied without emotion showing on his face, he did not even look at me, his eyes were blank and he seemed forced to answer my question.

"I thought---"

"I'm dead?" Nick interrupted me. There is resentment in every utterance of his words as his brows furrowed.

"I can't die Ash, not yet." He said mockingly. I am so confused right now, is he mad at me?

"What happened to you?" I asked curiously, it's still a puzzle to me as to why my parents would tell me that my twin is already dead. If he's still alive then whose body did we mourn and buried?

"Nothing happened to me that would interest you, little twin," Nick replied with distasteful in his tone.

"Care to explain why? "I asked impatiently, why is he acting weird to me? I thought he would run and embrace me with hos fragile arm.

"Hmm." He hummed as I wait for him to answer me but he kept quiet afterward.

"I miss you, Nick," I said sadly, I walked towards Nick's place to hug him but he immediately stood up and step-back away from me.

"Don't you dare go near me." He said as if he's threatened by me, fear is visible in his eyes. What is happening to him? Why is he scared of me?

"Didn't you miss me, Nick? We always play back at home, do you still remember our hideout?" I remind him of our hideout in hopes that he remembers it because we have a lot of happy memories in that place. Has he forgotten all that? I hope not.

"Don't remind me of those bullshit times, Ash." He replied disgustedly. I tried to approach him but he backed away from me again.

"I just want to hug you, Nick, isn't that possible?" I asked defeated, my tears that I had been holding back is slowly dripping from my eyes. Why does my twin brother no longer want me? It seems like he didn't miss me as much as I miss him.

"I don't want to be near you, Ash. Go away, leave me alone." He replied with conviction. I tried to approach him again but he just grabbed a fork on the table and pointed it at me but that did not stop me, I tried to approach him again.

"MASTER!" Nick shouted, his face full of fear. The door opened again and Rex and Zie ran inside. Rex approached Nick and took his fork while Zie walked towards me and hugged me.

"I don't them here, tell them to leave please," Nick said to Rex, begging. Rex sighed before looking at me with pity.

"Please leave," Rex commanded and I shook my head in disbelief.

"N-no." I objected but because Zie was holding me I was carried away when he started walking.

"B-but Zie," I begged him crying.

"I'm afraid this is not the right time to talk to your twin brother, Ashton. Besides, this is not the last chance you'll be meeting your brother. Let's give Nick time to think peacefully and adjust in his new home." Zie explains to me and I just nod as his point slowly sink in my mind.

Maybe Nick was just overwhelmed seeing me today, I hope I can meet hope again soon. That was the last thing on my mind before Zie dragged me carefully out of the mansion.