Dark Allure

Unwilling to Tell

Alex, Arabella, Alberta, and Stan gathered around me, their faces etched with concern.

"Rose, you need to tell Christian," Alex urged, his voice gentle but firm. "He deserves to know."

I shook my head vehemently, my long, dark hair swaying around me. "No, I can't. It's too much. What if it ruins everything?"

Arabella stepped forward, her eyes full of empathy. "Think about it, Rose. He has a right to know his family. We can help you through this."

"Family?" I scoffed bitterly. "I just found out I have a brother, and you want me to drop this bombshell on him?"

Alberta, her hands on her hips, interjected. "Secrets like these have a way of coming out, whether you like it or not. It's better he hears it from you."

Stan, usually the quiet one, spoke up. "Rose, we'll support you no matter what, but you can't keep this from him forever."

I turned away, fighting back tears. They didn't understand. How could they? They weren't the ones whose entire world had just been turned upside down. Walking to the window, I starred blankly at the moonlit garden below.

Memories flooded my mind – the first time I met Christian. We were in boxing class together and he was so mad when I knocked him on his ass the first day. Since then we've never really gotten along.

And now he was Ava's boyfriend.

"Why now?" I whispered to myself. "Why after all this time?"

A creak on the old wooden floor brought me back to the present. Alex had moved closer, his hand gently resting on my shoulder. "Rose, I know this is hard. But think about Christian. Think about how he might feel knowing he has a sister out there."

I turned to face them. "You don't understand. If I tell him, it could change everything. What if he hates me for keeping it a secret?"

Arabella stepped forward, her eyes shining with conviction. "Or what if he's grateful to finally know the truth? You owe it to both of you to find out."

My resolve was starting to waver. I knew Arabella had a point. Keeping this secret was tearing me apart, and the longer I waited, the harder it would become. But fear still gripped my heart.

I nodded. "You're right. This isn't just some simple information, this is his family, my family. He needs to know that he can trust me."

Alex reached out and poured himself a shot of whiskey. He raised it in a silent toast before taking a sip.

"Alright, let's get this over with," Stan said, standing up from his chair. "We'll go talk to Christian together. Make sure nothing gets out of hand."

 Nodding, I felt a feeling of mix emotions swirling inside of me. I was scared, but I was also determined. This wasn't a secret to be kept, he had as much a right to know as I did.

As we walked out of the room, Alex turned back to me and said, "You know, I think this is a bad idea."

I smiled wryly. "I'm glad you're supporting me."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "I'm not supporting you. I'm just saying that this could end badly."

 "I know that. But I have to do this."

The group left the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I felt a sense of trepidation wash over me as I thought about what could happen when I told Christian the truth. Never mind what Ava was going to say.

As we approached Christian's room, I could feel my heart racing in my chest. Everybody was silent and I caught them glancing at me in question. 

"We'll just be outside." Alex nodded at me and I gave him a small smile. I took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

Christian was sitting on the bed, staring at a book in his hands. He looked up as I entered the room, his eyes narrowing as he saw me standing before him. His green eyes glowed dangerously curious in the dimly lit room.

My hands clenched and unclenched.

"What's going on?" he asked, his voice firm.

I took another deep breath before speaking. "Christian, we need to talk."

Christian raised an eyebrow as he stood up from the bed. "What is it? Don't tell me you killed someone?"

I took a step forward before speaking the words that had been weighing on my mind for so long.

"Christian, you're my twin brother," I said slowly.

The room fell silent as Christian's eyes locked onto me. He placed his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants, his shoulders lifting as if he got himself ready for something big.

"So you finally figured it out." His voice was different, controlled.

My eyes widened in shock as I felt a surge of anger and betrayal. "What do you mean?" I asked with a shaky voice.

Christian shrugged. "You're just figuring out that we're siblings? It's not like I've been hiding it from you or anything."

"How could you do this to me?" I demanded, my voice rising. "You knew all along and you never told me?"

Christian held up his hands in a calming gesture. "It's complicated, Rose. You don't understand."

My anger boiled over. "Complicated? You're my brother! We're supposed to have a bond, a connection. But you've been lying to me all along."

Christian's expression turned cold. "I'm not lying to you. I'm just... choosing not to tell you."

"Choosing not to tell me? You're my brother! You're supposed to be honest with me." I shouted.

Christian's eyes narrowed. "You're not exactly innocent in this either, Rose. You've been hiding things from me too."

My anger reached a boiling point. "How dare you," I spat. "I've never lied to you."

Christian shrugged. "Maybe not directly, but you've been keeping secrets from me. Secrets about your past, about your true nature."

"You're one to talk," I snapped. "You're the one who's been hiding the truth from me all along."

"Rose, just calm down. Let's talk about this in the morning when we're alone. Away from prying ears." He waved me off.

I laughed bitterly. "Don't you dare do this to me. I've suffered enough. It's time you come clean."

When his eyes turned blank, I knew this was something serious. For a second I thought I imagined I had seen his aura, a purple-blueish glow around him.

"I know that look," he said. "Rose, whatever we have to talk about, can wait."