Big Twin Sister

Jayce

My dog, Bones, wagged his tail and hopped onto the couch’s headrest to welcome my twin sister.

“Janie, you’re supposed to knock before you barge in,” I grumbled, watching her settle onto the couch next to me.

“Why should I be treated like one of your flings?” she retorted, her lips forming a pout.

I rolled my eyes as Bones nestled into my lap.

“I value my privacy, Janelle,” I reminded her, then muttered under my breath, “Guess I’ll have to start hiding my spare key on the roof.”

“I’m betting,” she started, “that even though you’ve met your latest lady, your frog-like self hasn’t transformed into a prince yet.”

I shot her a glare. ~She knows about Tuli. And I didn’t even spill the beans.~

I usually keep my sex life under wraps, but there have been times when Janie’s lack of boundaries led her to stumble upon women in my bed.

So how did she find out about Tuli?

Well, there’s that twin thing where one can sense what the other is feeling. It’s a real thing.

She told me she sensed I had fallen for a girl, then pestered me until I revealed who it was.

“No,” I replied curtly, “not yet.”

Janie sighed. “Why do you lie to yourself, Jayce? We both know you like her. Why not try dating? Give Tuli a chance. Or are you really that scared of commitment?”

I sighed this time. My sister was the most exasperating woman in my life.

“I never thought I was scared of commitment. I just don’t want to be tied down. Plus, she’s my student and I’m her professor. Do you realize the trouble I could get into? The trouble ~she~ could get into?”

“Who said anything about going public with your relationship?” Janie challenged, ignoring my eye roll. “I think you’re scared of your feelings. Maybe because you usually don’t have feelings, except for...”

She trailed off when I shot her a warning look. She knew if she ever mentioned that name, I’d spill the beans about her skipping birth control in hopes of having another kid.

“Tuli reminds you of her, doesn’t she?” It sounded more like a statement than a question.

I choked on a gulp of beer. Normally, Janelle would laugh at something like that; this time, she kept a straight face, watching me intently, waiting for a response.

I stood up, Bones hopping off my lap to follow me, as I went to get some water.

“Answer the question, Jayce,” she insisted as I filled a glass from the tap.

My pit bull tilted his head, looking up at me as if he too was waiting for an answer.

The morning before I brought Tuli to my house, my niece lured my dog away with pieces of her Chick-Fil-A sandwich until they reached my sister’s car.

Of course, my sister called me once she found out, but I let them keep him for a few days.

That was a mistake; they fattened him up quite a bit, and now I had to walk him twice a day.

I glanced from him to my sister, and finally gave in to their intense stares. “Alright! Yes, Tuli reminds me of my ex. The way she talks, the way she twirls that lock of red hair around her finger...”

Just thinking about the little things she did left me breathless.

A moment of silence passed before my sister spoke again. “Actually, I wasn’t referring to your ex-wife, but that works too, I guess.”

“It’s just a little crush,” I mumbled. “Don’t you have somewhere to be? Your husband must be—”

“He’ll get over it,” she interrupted with a shrug. “He’s got the kids for company. I need a night off.”

She became a stay-at-home mom when her husband Derek got promoted to manager at the bank. He leaves for work early in the morning and comes home late at night.

Janie stays with their three kids: Gabrielle, my seven-year-old niece who tried to kidnap my dog; four-year-old Allen; and newborn Dmitri.

Sometimes she brings them over to my place and I babysit. My niece and nephews mean the world to me, and I’ll never stop loving and spoiling them rotten.

Derek hates when I spoil Gabrielle and Allen. Mostly because I spoil them with sugar.

Candy, ice cream, cookies, it doesn’t matter what I give them, they wreak havoc when my sister takes them home, and they never leave him alone. I find it hilarious.

Janie has been arguing with him a lot, too. She wants another girl, but he can barely handle Thing One and Thing Two. And now Thing Three.

“I think your husband needs to sort out his priorities, Janie,” I advised. “I hate that he thinks his job is more important than you and the kids.”

“You’re giving me marriage advice?” She laughed. “Mr. No-Commitment?”

“Look, I may not be committed, but I know family comes before a job.”

“I know, I know, I’m just teasing.” She paused to check her watch. “It is getting late, though. I should head home.”

With that, she leaned over to kiss my cheek, and I walked her to the door.

Barely half an hour later, my doorbell rang. Bones let out a howl, and I groaned. “Quiet, boy.”

He ignored me and dashed to the door, barking loudly.

By this time, I was on my fourth beer and feeling pretty lazy. “Every time I get drunk,” I mumbled to myself as I struggled to stand.

I shuffled to the door and swung it open. “Do you have any idea what—”

My words died in my throat, surprised by the person standing on my doorstep.

“Hello, Jayce. Long time, no see.”

~Fuck. Me.~