The Twin Who Got The Ring And The One Who Got The Altar Chapter 03

The Twin Who Got The Ring And The One Who Got The Altar Chapter 03

When I got home, Sera was still sitting in the main room. Mom and Dad were there too.

Mom spoke first, “Willa, where’d you go?”

“Granger Hall.”

She stiffened. “You—”

“I went to ask Elder Granger about the Keeper’s Rite.” I sat down across from them. “It’s tomorrow. I wanted to know what I’d be signing up for.”

Dad took a drag off his cigarette and said nothing.

Sera looked up, eyes still red. “Willa…”

“Sera.” I said her name flat. “You said you’d stay and be Keeper, so I could go to school. That was your word, right?”

Her fingers tightened. “Yes, but—”

“No buts.” I said. “You said it, and I remembered it. Because of that, I let you have everything. Mom and Dad let you have everything. Whatever you needed, we found a way.”

“I didn’t study this hard because I love school. I did it because you said you were giving me your way out, and I couldn’t let that go to waste.”

The room went quiet.

“But now, Sera,” I said, “you’re using that promise to trade up? To get Tate to take you out?”

Her eyes went wet. “That’s not what I meant, I wasn’t scheming, Tate and I just—”

“Just what?”

“We just… talked,” she stammered. “He felt bad for me…”

Mom dabbed at her eyes. “Willa, your sister has had it hard. She’s known her whole life she might have to stay here. Have some compassion.”

I looked at Mom. “And what about me?”

She froze.

“I’ve known my whole life that if I stayed, I’d be trapped.” I said. “I’m supposed to feel for her, but who’s supposed to feel for me?”

Silence.

Dad stubbed out his cigarette. His voice was low. “Willa, this is on us, not your sister.”

“We called Tate.”

I blinked. “What?”

He sighed. “Sera’s health hasn’t been good these past couple years. We were scared she’d end up stuck here.” He stopped, struggling. “We reached out to Tate. Asked him to take her.”

“And to make that happen, we had to give him a reason.” Mom lowered her head.

“So we played up Sera’s situation—made her sound helpless. You and him had been together three years, and he’s not the type to leave someone high and dry. So we told him you were fine, you had your degree, you didn’t need him the way she did.”

I sat there.

Turned it all over in my head.

Then I laughed. Not because I was happy. Just… because.

“So,” I said, “everyone knew the plan. I was the only one reading the wrong script.”

Dad looked up. “Willa.”

“It’s not like that,” Mom rushed. “We were desperate. If your sister stayed here, she’d—”

“And what if I stayed?”

Mom stopped.

“Mom.” I said. “If I was the one stuck here, would you have worked this hard to find me a way out?”

The question hung in the air, heavy as water.

No one answered.

I didn’t need one. Some things you already know the answer to the moment you ask.

I stood up. “I’ll be at the Rite tomorrow.”

Mom shot up. “You can’t! You have a degree, you have a future—”

“I don’t need you worrying about my future.” I said. “I went to school because I was keeping a promise to Sera. Now she’s taking that promise back, so she can have my way out too.”

“Willa!”

I didn’t answer. I turned and walked to my room.

Behind me, Sera’s voice cracked, “Willa, I’m sorry.”

I paused. 　　Didn’t turn around.

“That’s not for me,” I said. “You’re sorry the plan didn’t stay hidden.”

I pushed my door open and closed it softly.

Leaned my back against the wood and stared at the dark ceiling.

My head was chaos and clarity at once. Chaos, because all those years of feelings had nowhere to land. Clarity, because starting today, I could let some of them go.