As Camila was thinking, she’d already picked up her purse and was heading for the door. She figured it had been a while since she’d eaten out, and she knew just the place to go.
She opened the door to go out, only to pause with her eyes widening, her head tilting back.
“Samuel?” she breathed out, putting a hand over her harshly beating heart. “I didn’t expect you to be here.” She thought he was supposed to still be out of town. He must have gotten back early and come to see her.
A slight frown marred his brow. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. Are you okay?”
Camila was staring right at him, wondering what was wrong. Samuel was standing in front of her, and it should make her happy. She hadn’t been expecting him, but now here he was. However, something felt off and she frowned. It was in his eyes. Camila’s blood went ice cold and she gasped. “… Adrien.”
The frown on his face deepened.
He didn’t say a thing for a moment, but she was already sure. Now that she had spent time with the both of them, she could tell their differences. Samuel was reserved, but he always had a gentle look in his eyes when he let his guard down, and it hadn't been up around her for a long while. Adrien on the other hand, always looked like he was a step away from cracking a joke, like life was a big party. Or doing whatever else to lighten the atmosphere, whether or not the joke was tasteful.
The man standing in front of her was not Samuel Kane.
She put her guard up, stiffening, ready to step back inside quickly and shut the door in his face.
“Camila, what are you talking about?” he tried to bluff. “Don’t tell me you’re mistaking me for my brother, too?”
She narrowed her eyes at him. She might not have seen Samuel for the past couple days, but she had been dating him ever since she broke up with Adrien. There was no way she would mistake Samuel for anyone else, even his twin.
“Can I come in?” he said, looking over her shoulder. “You look like you’re about to go out, so your mom is probably out, right?”
She could feel the blood draining from her face. He even knew about her and her mother.
“Stop it!” she screamed at him, feeling terrified for herself and her mom. “Adrien, just stop, right now! Don’t think you can fool me just by coming here and pretending to be your brother! Who the fuck do you think I am, huh? One of your little groupies? Would you just fucking leave me alone already before I call the cops on your ass!”
She had been loud, and it was probably a nuisance for the neighbors. Camila was panting from the force of her shout, but she did feel a bit relieved. The anxiety she had been carrying around with her had died a little now that she finally got to say to him what she’d wanted to say.
The expression on his face twisted to something angry and ugly, an expression she didn’t think Samuel would ever make, further proving the man in front of her was Adrien. He took a deep breath, looking like he was trying to hold himself back.
“Camila, please reconsider,” he muttered through gritted teeth as he glared down at her. “I’ve given you enough time to play with my brother. Now, it’s time for you to come back to me.”
She looked at him incredulously for a minute, then burst out with a laugh. It was partly angry, partly hysterical.
“Did you not just hear what I fucking said? Adrien, I want nothing from you. I want nothing to do with you.” After all this time, after weeks of him terrorizing her, it was freeing to scream it to his face. “Not anything, do you hear me? How can I spell it out for you so you’ll understand?”
She could see his eyes go wide, and she tilted her chin up, feeling triumphant for hitting him right in his ego. Her pride didn’t last long, though, as his expression became one of fury, and he moved. There wasn’t that much space between them, and he raised his hand so quickly and shoved his way in, she was forced to stumble backwards.
Adrien followed her into her apartment, as she scrambled backwards. He slammed the door and then grabbed her arm and whirled her around, pinning her back to the door. He pressed his arm across her throat, holding her there.
Camila clawed at his arm, her eyes widening in terror at the psychotic look on his face. “Adrien! I can’t breathe!” she eked out between gasping breaths.
“Listen, you fucking little slut, I have given you time. I’ve been fucking patient. I chose you. You are mine! Not my goody-two shoes brother’s! You are done playing with him!” Adrien was so close to her face she could feel his hot breath with every hissed word. “Now I’ll have to punish you, won’t I? Such a naughty little slut, not doing what she’s told.” He stroked her hair for a moment and then yanked on it, several strands pulling out of her head.
Camila screamed and blacked out.
* * *