Free The Evil Twin? by P.G. Van Page A

explained.
    “What do you mean set up? You mean an arranged marriage?” I looked around the table wondering if I was the only one who was surprised.
    “Yup, my brother is having an arranged marriage,” Neel confirmed.
    “I don’t know how they agreed to it.” Annie shook her head as if she was still in disbelief.
     “I think its kinda cool and romantic,” Chloe wrapped her arms around herself.
    “So, when do we need to be there for the wedding, Neel?” I asked.
    “Well, the wedding and reception is on Saturday afternoon but we should get there by Thursday evening for the Mehendi.”
    “What? Why Thursday if the wedding is on a Saturday?” I asked confused.
    “Vinnie, it’s an Indian wedding, and the wedding ceremonies start on the Wednesday before the wedding. We are just going to show up fashionably late on Thursday.” Annie laughed.
    “What am I supposed to wear?” I asked feeling the pressure.
    “Wait a minute, my fake girlfriend is a fake Indian too?” Neel asked nudging me.
    “I’m technically Indian because my parents are but…” I started to say, but I realized I had no identification with the Indian culture.
    “I got you covered girl and Neel is paying for his girlfriend’s stuff anyway…we should go shopping together,” Annie offered.
    “No, I don’t want him to pay for it.” I objected.
    “He can afford it. It’s not like he has spent all his money on his ex-girlfriends,” Annie taunted.
    “Easy, Annie. Now that I have a girlfriend, you are the target at the wedding. People will be asking you if everything is okay with you and why you don’t have a boyfriend,” Neel teased.
    “Eddie, Reyan…who wants to be my fake boyfriend?” Annie asked hopefully.
    “Not me. Too many people at the wedding know me, and they won’t believe it,” Reyan declared with no second thoughts.
    “Annie, you don’t need fake boyfriends, you can be the bachelorette at the wedding,” I cheered.
    “Between Reyan and Neel, I don’t have time for a real boyfriend.”
    “It’s not our fault you are ambitious,” Neel snapped.
    I listened to the back and forth between Annie and the rest of the group, and I realized that every word coming out of Annie’s mouth would have been what I would have said about being in a relationship at that point.
    On the other hand, when I looked at Reyan, my thoughts went haywire, and I lost all focus. I couldn’t figure out what was so special about him that made me question my resolve. I was probably just another girl who he found interesting because I was just different from the women he had been with in the past. I knew I had to quench my thirst and satisfy his need just to put an end to the madness. He and I needed to move on as there was no hope for us together.
    We were just too different.
     
    “Is Reyan your ride for tonight?” Annie asked as we stepped out of the restaurant.
    “Yup,” Reyan jumped in before I could object.
    “This way.” He led me through an alley that was next to the restaurant to his bike.
    “You were planning to give me a ride on your bike?”
    “It seats two,” he said sounding like a used car salesman.
    “I’m just gonna hail a cab.”
    Reyan reached and wrapped his fingers around my wrist and yanked me towards him. I wanted to slap him not out of annoyance or anger, but to touch him.
    “Let me remind you that you said you would let me take you home tonight,” he whispered his breath burning my ear.
     
     

Chapter 8
     
    It was almost eleven o’clock by the time we reached home. I got off Reyan’s bike and took off my helmet. I stood looking at him in silence not knowing what to say.
    “You said we could talk tonight,” he finally said still balancing the motorbike with his feet on he ground.
    “Do we have to?” I whined and added, “I need Starbucks coffee if we have to talk tonight.”
    “Fine, let’s go get coffee then.”
    “I am not getting on your bike again. You drive like a maniac, it’s eleven