Beyond The Fine Line

Chapter XIV - The Truth

The atmosphere in the garage hung heavy with tension, the low hum of fluorescent lights casting a subdued glow over the worn-out surroundings. Despite having shared a few beers, their focus was firmly on the task. The usual banter and playful exchanges were notably absent, replaced by a collective sense of purpose and concern etched on each face.

Win listened to Izzy explaining the best way to approach the break-in, but his mind kept drifting to the person he unwittingly dragged right in the middle of this mess. He knew that possible consequences could ruin Jay's life... a life that didn't belong here. And Win couldn't let this happen.

He took a deep breath, realising they couldn't hide Jay's identity forever. And with this new mission, it felt like the right time to come clean. Part of him wished he had more time to plan, maybe talk to Fort first since Tay was his close friend too. But he didn't have this luxury.

He tried not to think about potential consequences, yet Win couldn't shake the feeling that it might change how the group worked together. But the decision to share this information was becoming necessary. However, Win couldn't help but worry about how the others would react. Would they understand the reasons behind hiding Jay's identity for so long, or would they feel betrayed when they found out?

Finally, he set the empty bottle on the table with a resounding thud, catching everyone's attention and looked straight at Jay.

"What do you want to do?" he asked, giving him a knowing yet worried look. Then, he continued with a message Jay would understand, a green light to drop the cover. "Peru sounds like a great place to be."

It was much easier to ignore questioning looks with his eyes fixed on Jay, watching how his demeanour changed. Win always found it intriguing and astonishing how different Jay was from his twin. The way he sat shifted from the previously adopted casual and somewhat sloppy posture mimicking his twin to a more refined one. His shoulders straightened imperceptibly, and his back subtly aligned with an innate elegance that hinted at a more privileged background. The harshness in his expression softened, giving way to a more neutral yet effortlessly confident countenance.

"I can help to some extent and most likely put you in touch with the movement's leaders," he proposed, knowing his mother was in contact with most organisations worldwide or could easily help them if asked. "But I think they should know the risk."

Fort, caught off guard, blinked in confusion, his mind grappling with the unexpected changes in Tay's demeanour. Sean and Izzy mirrored the perplexity. "Since when do you sound so British?"

"Since I can remember."

"Not helping, mate," Win commented with a bit of a desperate chuckle, taking a moment to organise his thoughts. There was no easy way to deal with it, and ripping off the band-aid seemed the best. "I know it will sound bizarre, but we had no other choice, and I convinced him to do it. I'm sorry for dragging you into it..." he trailed off, glancing at him apologetically.

"Don't worry about it. It was mostly fun."

Fort looked at him worriedly. "You are not making any sense, Tay."

"Actually, I'm Jay, Tay's identical twin brother.

"You don't have a brother," Fort uttered in shock.

"Well, that's what I thought a few weeks ago," Win replied with a sheepish smile. "But I can assure you he does, and they are nothing alike."

"Oh well, that would explain why I'm not so pissed off around him," Sean mumbled, utterly stunned by Win's revelation.

"Thanks, I guess?" Jay responded with a playful smile.