Chapter 347: Come on, I’ll drive you
Amara’s heart tightened. She reached over and gently cupped her daughter’s cheeks. "You make that sound like it’s a bad thing."
"It is." JJ met her mother’s eyes. "It means people don’t joke with me."
"They don’t argue with me."
"They don’t invite me to do silly things."
"They don’t even say no to me." A small smile tugged at her lips.
"It’s... lonely sometimes." Before Amara could think of a response, JJ glanced at the clock.
"I’m going to be late." She stood, slung her backpack over one shoulder, and hurried toward the front door. "I love you, Mummy." "I love you too, baby." JJ waved without turning around.
Then she was gone. The front door clicked shut. Silence filled the dining room. Amara remained where she stood, staring at the empty doorway. Two years ago, one of JJ’s classmates had called her names.
The school had handled it. Julian hadn’t.
Within forty-eight hours, the boy’s father had lost a multi-million-dollar contract with one of the Vale Group’s subsidiaries. His mother had been quietly removed from the board of a charity that depended on donations from the Vale Foundation.
Neither she nor Julian had ordered those things directly. Their people had simply... acted. The message had spread faster than wildfire. No one messed with a Vale child.
At the time, Amara had been relieved. Now she wondered if they had protected JJ a little too well. A loud crash echoed from upstairs. Then came shouting. "I told you that’s my charger!"
"You’ve got three chargers, Josh!"
"It doesn’t matter! I wanted that one!" Amara closed her eyes. Right. She still had two sixteen-year-olds upstairs. And unlike JJ... Those two were never peaceful. Before Amara could make it upstairs, the argument had already ended.
Or, more accurately... Both teenagers had slammed their bedroom doors. She sighed. "Oh, dear." Josh and Justina.
Her twins.
Sixteen years old and already first-year college students.
Every time she thought about it, it felt wrong. College had come far too quickly. Just yesterday, she had been packing lunchboxes and tying shoelaces. Now she was worrying about lectures, late-night study sessions, and the kind of freedom that came with being young adults.
It terrified her. She headed to Josh’s room first. As always, she knocked.
"Come in." Amara pushed the door open and smiled. Josh’s room looked nothing like a typical teenage boy’s bedroom. The bed was perfectly made. His bookshelf was arranged by height and subject. Every shirt in his wardrobe faced the same direction. Even his sneakers were lined up so precisely they looked like they belonged in a showroom.
The faint scent of disinfectant lingered in the air. She was almost certain he cleaned his room more often than the housekeepers did. Josh looked up from packing his backpack.
"Morning, Mum."
"Are you almost ready? You’ll be late."
"I know. Five more minutes." Amara stepped inside.
"Can I talk to you for a second?"
"Sure." She instinctively moved toward his bed. "Mum." She stopped. "Don’t sit on the bed." Amara raised an eyebrow.
Josh pointed toward the small couch by the window. "Please sit there." She laughed. "I gave birth to you, and you’re telling me where I can sit?"
"You can sit anywhere." He smiled innocently. "Just not on the bed." Amara shook her head. "I think I’ll stand."
"Probably safer." She folded her arms. "Tell me something honestly." Josh zipped up his bag.
"Is your sister okay?" He looked up. "What do you mean?"
"I mean... at college."
"Who are her friends?"
"Does she fit in?"
"Is there anything going on that I should know?" Josh didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he slipped another textbook into his backpack before looking back at her. "Mum..."
"You’re asking me to spy on my sister."
"I’m asking you to look out for her."
"They’re two different things." Josh slung the backpack over one shoulder. "I’m not going to snitch on Justina."
"If something’s bothering her, she’ll tell you herself." Amara gave him a doubtful look.
"Will she?" Josh smiled knowingly. "You raised her."
"She’s stubborn."
"So are you." Amara sighed. "You barely tell me anything these days either."
"I tell you plenty."
"You tell me what classes you have."
"What you ate."
"What grades you got."
"You never tell me what’s actually happening in your life." Josh’s smile softened. He walked over and wrapped his mother in a quick hug. "Don’t worry so much."
"I’m keeping an eye on her."
"There is a party tonight." Amara immediately frowned. "A party?" Josh chuckled. "Relax."
"Justina isn’t going."
"She and Lucy already planned a study session."
"So unless chemistry suddenly becomes exciting, she’ll be buried in textbooks all evening." Amara let out the breath she’d been holding.
"See?" Josh grinned. "Nothing to worry about." She wasn’t convinced. She never was. He kissed her forehead before heading toward the door.
"See you tonight, Mum."
"Have a good day."
"You too." Amara watched him disappear down the hallway. For all his calm, organized habits, Josh had become impossible to read lately. He had always been the easier twin. Now... She wasn’t so sure anymore.
Amara lingered a moment after Josh left, turning his words over. There is a party tonight, Justina might not go, she’ll be studying with Lucy. She wanted to believe that sentence the way it was handed to her simple, clean, nothing to worry about. But mothers of teenagers learned to hear the gaps between words as clearly as the words themselves, and something in the way Josh had said it, a little too quickly, a little too smooth, sat wrong in her chest.
She made her way down the hall to Justina’s room.
Where Josh’s room was a monument to order, Justina’s was its opposite not messy exactly, just lived in. Clothes draped over the desk chair, a ring light angled at the mirror, three different lip glosses uncapped on the dresser like she’d been interrupted mid-decision. The door was ajar.
"Morning, baby."
"Morning, Mum." The moment Amara walked in, Justina quickly shut her laptop. The movement was so fast it didn’t escape Amara’s notice.
"What are you working on?"
"Nothing." Justina grabbed her backpack.
"I’m already late." Amara narrowed her eyes.
"Nothing?"
"Just school stuff."
"Mm-hmm." She decided not to press. "Come on. I’ll drive you."