Damian had left Miriam. Their affair ended badly when she announced she was in love with him and he flatly told her he was still in love with Auren. It had led to a bitter argument.

"You don't even know me." he replied numbly.

"I don't care. I love you."

"We have sex on a regular basis and that's it. You can't love me." he had replied.

Within moments he had left the sobbing girl. His mind was gummy, a haze of uncertainty, pain and loss.

Flashes of Auren, Kenny, Miriam, Alexander, ran through his mind. This past year had just been a mess. Things had been so good. . .too good. . .he should have been ready. . .his life was real, not a tv show. . .nothing lasted forever. Especially the good things.

Walking home through the park, he paused at the young couple on the bench locked in a madly passionate embrace. They couldn't be more than seventeen, he thought wistfully. To be seventeen again. . .to be in Auren's embrace again. She had left a dozen messages for him. Damian just couldn't bring himself to call her back. Come August she would be leaving. Nicky had called him a few times. When he asked about Auren, Nick had replied she was taking the Ireland scholarship.

Ignoring the images, Damian could still smell her perfume. See her brilliant, though rare, smile. In the last few weeks prior to their breakup she had smiled so much. . .Damian had thought he was accomplishing something. . .what had made her smile? Him or Kenny? What he wouldn't give to run his hands through that silken hair, kiss that velvety skin again . . .

With a heavy sigh he entered his apartment complex.

***

Auren flipped herself through the air, her leg coming down to slam into the hanging punching bag. The bag spun and whirled away and she let loose a series of blows against it. Finally she leaned against the bag sobbing, her tears mingling with her sweat. Piglet lay on the floor watching.

"That's a pretty mean bag to whale on it like that." Kenny said. Auren looked up, wiping her eyes. The blue tank top was marked with sweat and the loose sweat pants didn’t make her any less beautiful, with her tanned skin glistening from sweating.

"It's the only release I have." she muttered.

"I know. Nick still won't see me."

"Or me." she replied, grabbing a towel and rubbing herself down. Kenny sighed as he rubbed Piglet's ears.

"What do we do? This can't go on any longer. It's absurd."

"That it is. I think we should tag team her."

"How?" he asked.

"Let's go talk to her right now. Force her to listen." Auren tossed the towel into a hamper. "We have to make her see."

"And Damian?"

Auren sighed and rubbed her eyes.

"I've accepted Damian is out of my life. What you want to do about him is your call. But I can't live without Nick. I need my sister." she said quietly. He nodded.

"Let's go."

***

Neither expected to see Damian sitting with Nicky in the living room. The older brother's jaw tightened upon seeing them and Nicky looked away.

Auren closed the doors to the livingroom, preventing escape.

"What's this? Another attempt to force feed us lies?" Damian demanded, rising.

"Sit down and shut up." Auren snarled. Startled, he did so

"I'm not in the mood for this." Nicky said.

"Too bad. You're gonna get it. Both of you have been treating us like we're pariahs and I'm sick of it." she snapped. Nicky remained stone faced, but she had Damian's attention, for a moment. "Not a damn thing happened between us, ok? We had to kiss for the play. It brought up some weird

feelings and for a few weeks, things were kinda tense between us. We decided to see if there was anything between us and there wasn't! That's what you walked in on, Nick. If you had waited another five seconds, you would have realized that." Auren growled.

"Just the thought, Auren, that you had the hots for my brother ‑ do you know what that feeling is like?" Damian demanded angrily.

"Yes, I do. Because everyone on that stage could see there was something underlying between you two as well." she replied. Damian froze.

"What?" he demanded.

Nicky looked at her sister and Damian was startled by her expression. Kenny was astonished. Admittance?

"Admit it, Nick. You've thought about you and Damian more than once." Auren said evenly. Kenny looked at his brother, who was apparently floored by the suggestion.

"Long ago. Long time ago. An occasional thought. But I loved the cheater." she said bitterly.

"Nick, I didn't cheat on you with Auren! That's what we're trying to make you understand!" Kenny shouted. Nick's eyes filled with tears. 

"What Kenny and I experienced was a moment. Like Alexander, Damian. Just a moment that meant nothing. You two are the ones we love. Nick, you and Kenny stand a good chance at happy ever after. Don't be a fool and pass it up."

"And us?" Damian demanded. Auren turned her icy eyes on him.

"You made it clear there is no us. But I won't have you stand in the way of my sister's happiness."

"Don't you dare defend me." Nicky said, her eyes flashing. "You almost had an affair with Alexander, then Kenny! You two deserve each other! All your bullshit about threatening Kenny, to kill him if he ever hurt me again. Well he did, and so did you! So who's going to threaten you, Auren? Who's going to bring down the big, bad protector who failed to protect?"

Auren swallowed hard, tears streaming down her face. Damian felt his heart soften as a huge wave of love for Auren consumed him. Everything they had. . .they could salvage. . .they could still do this. . .

"Auren ‑" He stepped forward, one hand out. Auren stared at Nicky, turned and left the room.

"Nick, I love you. I want my life to be with you. You're all I think about, all I dream about. Please, listen to me." Kenny faced her, kneeling in front of her. Damian left the room.

Auren was out back, standing towards the sun, arms wrapped around herself. The sun's golden rays bounced off the blue of the water, creating a ripple effect of gold.

Unable to stop himself, Damian walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, knowing full well she could break his neck.

Silently they stood, until Damian kissed her shoulder and she pulled away.

"Don't touch me." she said coldly.

"I want to set things right." he replied.

"Too late."

"No, it isn't."

"Yes, it is. Go back to your nurse girlfriend."

Damian flinched.

"I'm sure she's waiting for you." Auren said bitterly. "I never slept with Kenny or Alexander."

Fighting his tears back, Damian left.

***

Auren sent the emails out to her staff members, informing them of her leave of absence. With a heavy sigh, she walked to her closet and stared at the clothes. Slowly she began pulling them out, dividing them into piles of what to take, maybes and no's.  Em and Nadia were out somewhere and though her sister was home, Nicky still wasn't speaking to Auren.

Kenny was ready to tear his hair out.

Numbly she stared at the clothes. She only had a couple weeks left. Her large suitcases were sitting next to the closet, waiting to be filled.

"Can I come in?" Nicky asked softly. Auren turned, startled she hadn't heard her sister. "The door was open."

"Of course." Auren cleared a space on the bed for her sister, who limped in gingerly. Heart pounding, Auren waited to hear her sister out.

"I've been thinking a lot, sis. . ." Auren's heart leapt, "and I owe you an apology. I can't believe I doubted my own twin."

"Oh, Nick," Auren flung her arms around her younger sister. "I should be the one apologizing for not telling you sooner. I just ‑ I didn't want you to be hurt."

"I know. I guess I shouldn't have flown off the handle like that, I was just. . .so stunned to walk in and see ‑" 

"Nothing. You saw nothing." Auren murmured, hugging her sister.

"I know. I just didn't know what to do except leave."

"If you had been five seconds later- I'm so sorry, Nick." Auren wiped her eyes. Nicky took her sister's hand and squeezed it.

"I don't want you to leave next month without us straightening this out. We've lost enough time, and I'm sorry."

"We have a few weeks left. We'll make the best of it."

"I need to talk to Kenny, too. I. . . really do love him."

"Good. I know he loves you." Auren smiled sadly, brushing a lock of her sister's dark hair back.

"Is there any chance for you and Damian?"

"No." a shadow crossed Auren's face. "It's over."

"He loves you, Aury."

"It wouldn't work anyway. I'm leaving next month. Too much has been said at this point." Nicky knew the subject was close. She nodded slowly. "I'll call Kenny later. Tonight, I help you because you are not taking that sweater reject from the eighties." Nicky said. Auren grinned at her sister.

***

Auren thanked the ticket agent and walked back to the pillar where Nicky, Em and Kenny stood silently. No one knew what to say. Damian's absence was painfully loud and stifling.

Shifting her pack to her other shoulder, Auren faced her sister and cousin. Kenny hung back, not wanting to interrupt the family moment.

"You're gonna write, yes?" Nicky asked softly.

"Email everyday, little sis." Auren forced a cheerful smile and Nicky's face crumbled as she threw her arms around her twin.

"You better. Or I'll come out there and kick your ass." Em choked back her tears. The boarding call was announced. Kenny stepped up to hug Auren.

"Take care." he said softly. Tears filled her eyes.

"Tell him I love him." she whispered in his ear. He nodded.

"You brat. Get to see all those gorgeous castles." Nicky tried to laugh but couldn't. The twins hugged for a long time, until the next call was made. They separated, both with tears.

"Don't hate me." Auren murmured. Nicky shook her head.

"Never."

"One semester, right?" Nicky asked. Auren nodded.

"I'll be home for Christmas."

"I'm holding you to that." Nicky managed a small smile. Auren balanced her bag.

"Behave yourselves. Don't destroy my paper." Em wiped her tears away as she nodded. Auren turned towards the gate and was almost mowed down by Damian, out of breath from running.

"Damian." Auren whispered. Damian pulled her to him for one last passionate embrace.

"I love you, Sleeping Beauty." he whispered. Tears flooded down Auren's cheeks as she whispered back, "I love you."

Pulling away from him, she ran for the gate. The four slowly turned to face each other, each lost in his or her own despair.

 

No one saw the tall, lanky young man who hurriedly approached the gate.

 

Alexander Bastian pulled his ticket out of his pocket. It had been a stroke of genius and a miracle he had gotten into the University of Arcadia. Not only a chance to excel at his profession, but a second chance with Miss Auren Joyn.

 

With a heavy sigh, Damian watched the plane pulling away. Silently he put one arm around Nicky and they stood bound by their pain as Auren left, each feeling the void in their hearts.

 

                                                                                    THE END