“Yeah, is there more?” Her eyes narrowed when I didn’t immediately assure her there wasn’t. She brought a leg up on the bed, the other dangling over the edge. Her knees peeked out from the rips in her jeans. “Of course, there is. There is always more with them.”
“I have to ask you something.”
“Anything,” she replied with no hesitation.
I chewed on the inside of my lip, thinking over what I was about to do. Brock expected my silence. Grayson too. And I respected that. But did either of them think about what I needed? Grayson wasn’t the only one dealing with the choice my mother made seventeen years ago. “Before you say that, I need to ask you to keep this to yourself; that is, if you don’t already know,” I added, because I still was unsure.
Her soft painted pink lips turned down, sensing we were getting into some serious shit. “Okay, now you have my attention. This secret, who are we keeping it from?”
“Everyone, but most importantly the Elite. Brock would be pissed if he knew I was telling you this. I think.” But I had to talk to someone about Kenna. My first choice would have been Ainsley, but she wasn’t here. Mads was. Plus, she knew Kenna. It was a connection we shared. And I trusted Mads.
I thought I did.
Perhaps that depended on her reaction to what I was about to tell her.
My eyes shifted to the door, making sure it was closed. Brock probably had his room bugged or was listening in on the security camera. I really hoped not. But just to be safe, I put a finger to my lip. Her brows drew together. I gave a nod and tugged her off the bed, pulling her into the bathroom, where I promptly turned on the sink faucet. Extreme? Most definitely. But I wasn’t dealing with normal teenage guys here.
The Elite were extra on so many levels.
Mads jumped up on the counter, and I took a seat on the closed toilet. “Do you know why Kenna and I look so much alike?”
Confusion crossed over her pretty features. “I don’t understand. What do you mean? Are you like her doppelganger or something?” she deduced, trying to put together a connection between Kenna and me.
Leave it to Mads to take this to a supernatural level. “Um, not exactly. But I am related to Kenna; Grayson too.” And you, I silently added.
“I’m confused.” Her reaction seemed genuine, so I was going with Mads had no idea the big secret her cousin was keeping from everyone but the Elite. “Are you saying that Kenna is what, like your cousin?”
I nodded. Taking a deep breath, I whispered, “She’s my sister. We’re triplets.”
Mads blinked. “You’re not kidding.”
I shook my head. “Definitely not.”
“Holy. Shit. You’re really not kidding,” she said again. “I can’t believe this. Ohmygod. This is surreal, but looking at you… ohmygod. How did I not think of that? What are the fucking odds? Zero to none. I hate to sound like a skeptic, but are you sure? Like really sure?”
My sweaty palms pressed into my knees. “Yeah, I saw the papers. My mother kidnapped me; she switched me at the hospital with her baby who had died, to be exact.”
She took a moment to process what sounded like a daytime drama. “That’s some messed up shit. Explains why Gray has been extra moody lately,” she mused, connecting the dots.
“We haven’t talked yet.”
“You and Grayson?”
“Yeah. This whole thing has me so twisted up inside. I don’t know how I should feel about it. You seriously had no idea?”
Her brows drew together. “No, and I’m kind of pissed off he didn’t open up to me. Not that Grayson and I tell each other everything, but I thought were closer than that. Well, we used to be. Shit hasn’t been the same since Kenna left. Oh, my God, Kenna. I’m betting she doesn’t know.”
Was it a coincidence that both Kenna and I befriended Maddy Clarke? They were cousins, so it would make sense they were friends. Was that also why Mads and I became such fast friends? Some inherent part of us recognized that we shared DNA? “I don’t think his parents even know the truth. And you can’t say anything.”
“My aunt and uncle are going to freak out when they find out, especially after losing Sawyer. It’s like the universe is giving them something back. What about your mom? Does she know that you know?”
“No, and I promised Brock I wouldn’t say anything until Grayson was ready to deal with it.”
“I’m freaking out. How the hell are you coping with all this?” Her eyes were wide, shining with a mixture of excitement and disbelief.
I rubbed at the back of my neck. “Who says I am? A part of me is still in shock… or denial. I’m not sure which anymore.”
His hands gripped the edge of the counter. “Josie, this is life-changing.”