The Art of Taking Chances Read online

  I shook my head, mostly to clear it. “Yes, but first, there’s someone you have to meet.”

  I spotted Jason, surprised that he was standing in a corner, his focus on the floor. I called out to get his attention and motioned for him to come over.

  His hesitation showed in each step he took as he approached us. When he removed his hat, both brothers stood face-to-face for the very first time.

  With bated breath, I watched their reactions as they stared at each other. Their stark resemblance was unbelievable. There was no doubt this moment was going to change their lives forever.

  Jason spoke first. “Hi.”

  Jesse remained silent for the longest time, his expression unreadable. “Who the hell is this guy?” he turned to me, infuriated.

  His words were far from what I expected. “He’s your twin brother… Can’t you see the resemblance?”

  Jason moved forward. “I know this is a kind of a shock. It surprised me when I found out too. I grew up my whole life thinking I was an only child. I still haven’t fully processed it.”

  Jesse stepped away from us, looking disgusted. “Is this some sort of a joke?”

  Jason’s brows creased. “No. Why would I joke about something like this?”

  “I don’t know, maybe to get money, fame. Isn’t that what all you con artists are after?”

  My jaw slackened at Jesse’s insinuation. “He’s telling you the truth.”

  He scoffed. “Oh yeah? What proof do you have?”

  Jason shook his head. “I don’t have any proof other than my word.”

  “And what good is that to me? Tell me.” Jesse shrugged. “Any crazed fan could get a third-rate plastic surgeon to make him look exactly like me.”

  I couldn’t believe Jesse Maldonado was being such a jerk! “You actually think he did this?”

  “Wouldn’t be the first time.”

  “I knew this was a bad idea,” Jason muttered under his breath, a dejected look on his face. “Let’s just go, Sadie.”

  “No. He has to know that you’re telling the truth.” I faced Jesse. “Jason came all the way from Canada to find you. Canada! Now, why would he go to all that trouble if he was making it all up?”

  “You know who else is from Canada? Big Tom.”

  Before I even had time to ask who Big Tom was, Jesse hollered, and a super tall security guard stood next to us.

  “Is there a problem, sir?”

  “Yeah, actually there is.” Jesse sent a cold stare at Jason and me. “Can you get these people out of here immediately?”

  “What?” I gasped. “You’re going to regret this.”

  He turned to the security guard. “You’re my witness, Big Tom. That was a clear threat.”

  I rolled my eyes. “That wasn’t a threat, Big Tom. I’m only telling you that by the time you realize the truth, it might be too late.”

  Big Tom threw us out of the arena, shoving us like we were common criminals. I actually wouldn’t have minded committing the crime of sticking my fist to his face!

  Outside in the open air, I fumed with rage. I would never have thought in a million years Jesse Maldonado could be such a huge jerk. I felt so responsible for everything that happened. Maybe if I hadn’t convinced Jason to see him, he wouldn’t have had to face all that.

  “Jason, I’m so sorry,” I apologized, feeling so guilty.

  He avoided my eyes. “Can we just get out of here?”

  Three

  Whenever I wanted to get away from the world, I always went to the beach. Luckily, L.A. was filled with them. In the summer, there was always one party or another going on. However, I was able to find a quiet spot tonight, with only a few people nearby dancing around a bonfire.

  The noise didn’t distract from the peace and serenity I felt whenever I came here. There was something so healing about the warm sand beneath my feet and the smell of sweet, salty air. I could only hope that after everything, Jason would feel the same.

  He hadn’t said a word since we left the concert, but I could tell he was deep in thought. I was too—there were at least a million and one questions I wanted to ask him.

  Waves crashed onto the shore, echoing softly.

  “I’ve never been to a beach before,” Jason said, breaking his silence. “It looks so beautiful.”

  “Wow, how far north do you live?”

  Jason chuckled shortly. “Maybe a little too far.”

  For several long moments, we gazed at the ocean, basking in the beauty of it and its contrast to the starlit sky above.

  Jason nudged me. “Thanks for helping me out today.”

  “I’m sorry it didn’t work out.”

  “Me too.” He glanced at his hands, and moments later, started laughing.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “You knew everything there is to know about me in the first ten minutes after we met, but I don’t know anything about you.” He smiled. “Well except that your name’s Sadie, you work at Gray’s Café, and you have the cutest laugh I’ve ever heard.”

  I laughed. “You think my laugh’s cute?”

  “I do now.”

  Heat warmed my cheeks, and I looked away, glancing down at the sand. “What else do you wanna know?”

  “Everything,” he stated simply. “It only seems fair.”

  I twisted my lips as I thought about it. “In the fall I’ll be a senior in high school. I have an older sister, Brooke, and we live with our dad. That’s all there is really.”

  “What about your mom?”

  I sucked in a harsh breath. “She abandoned us when I was about ten. She wanted to become an actress, and according to her, we just didn’t fit in her plan.” I paused. “She didn’t want the extra baggage.”

  “That must’ve been tough,” Jason said quietly.

  I nodded. “My dad was a wreck for years, but he bounced back. We all did. We had to. And now we’ve just learned to live without her.”

  “It’s the hardest thing, being without your parents,” Jason said, looking thoughtful. “I would give anything to have one more moment with mine.”

  He sighed. “When I found out I was adopted, I didn’t know what to think. I was so confused. I felt betrayed, like my whole life was a lie, you know. I said some really hurtful things to my parents. Things I wish I could take back. But I never got the opportunity to apologize to them before they passed away. I regret it every single day.”

  I couldn’t even begin to imagine the pain Jason was going through, but I did know what it felt like to lose someone you loved and how you’d do just about anything to get them back.

  In that moment, I felt closer to him than I had to probably anyone outside my family. There was a connection that I just couldn’t describe, and it went deeper than the short time we’d known each other.

  It made me feel a little weird, but I tried not to dwell on it too long. I grabbed his hand without fully thinking it through. We both stared at our entwined fingers. This was so soon.

  “Let’s go in the water,” I said, pulling him up with me, and we raced to the ocean.

  I stopped when the water reached my ankles and watched the full moon, completely in awe by the way it cast an ethereal glow across the water, making it shine even in the darkness.

  “It’s so beautiful, isn’t it?” I sighed, absolutely content.

  “Yes,” Jason replied. “It really is.”

  I glanced at him, our eyes locked, his holding me firmly in place. Just like the ocean, Jason’s sea-green eyes crashed into me. Or maybe it was something else. I was too afraid to ask. Too afraid of the intensity I saw in them. Too afraid they matched the intensity mine. How could I feel this way about someone I just met?

  We were only inches apart now. All I could hear was the wild thundering of my heart against my chest and the waves lapping at my feet. I tried not to breathe because I didn’t want anything to ruin this moment.

  Jason started to say something, but a loud eruption of laughter came from some people n
earby. He shifted his stare to the source of the noise, and I seized the opportunity to splash water on his face.

  He looked mildly surprised, and then his lips curved. “Is that how it’s gonna be?”

  I ran before he could catch up with me but ended up getting splashed anyway. In less than twenty minutes, I was soaking wet, but I had to admit that it was the most fun I’d had in a long time.

  Four

  We were on the way to my house when I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. I took it out and saw a notification that had my jaw dropping to the floor.

  “What’s wrong?” Jason asked.

  “It’s Heather. She just couldn’t keep her big mouth shut.” I showed him the blog post on Heather’s gossip site discussing in detail everything Jason had told us in the café and then some.

  Jason just shrugged it off. “It doesn’t matter.”

  “Of course it does,” I argued, surprised at his lackluster reaction. “Now that everyone knows who you are, they’ll keep hounding you with questions. Questions you’re probably not ready to answer yet.”

  “If they’re anything like you, I’m sure I’ll be fine,” he said with a wink, and I rolled my eyes at him, hoping for his sake that his words would prove true.

  We got to my front door, and there was a brief, awkward silence that ensued––like the kind you have when you’re on a first date.

  Is he going to kiss me? Should I make the first move?

  Except this wasn’t a date, and instead, other questions whirled through my mind, like: Is this goodbye? Am I ever going to see him again after tonight?

  “So…” I started, nervously tucking a lock of hair behind my ear. “How long will you be staying in L.A.?”

  “I don’t know.” Jason let out a sigh, slipping his hands into his pockets. “I haven’t really thought about that yet.”

  “Well, do you have a place to stay?”

  “The beach seemed really nice.”

  My eyebrows shot up. “The beach?”

  He rubbed the back of his neck, looking sheepish. “Yeah, I kind of used all my savings on the plane ticket.”

  “But you can’t stay on the beach!” I thought for a moment. “How about you stay with us?”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yeah. I’d have to ask my dad first, but I’m sure he’ll be fine with it.”

  “I don’t know, Sadie,” Jason said.

  “Just crash here tonight,” I told him. “You can leave tomorrow if you want.”

  He started to shake his head, but I didn’t give him the time to say no. “It’s decided. Just give me a few minutes,” I said and rushed inside.

  Dad was on the couch in the living room, watching a football game. He looked up when I walked in. “Hey, sweetie. How was the concert?”

  “It was great,” I sang, sitting next him and turning on the puppy dog eyes.

  “Oh god,” Dad groaned.

  “What?”

  “You’ve got that I-need-something-Daddy face on.”

  “No, I don’t,” I denied vehemently.

  Dad arched a brow. “It was the same look you gave me when you were five and we went to that farm and suddenly you wanted a pony.”

  “But you never got me a pony.”

  “Exactly.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Fine, you caught me. I need something, Daddy.”

  “Ha!”

  “But it’s not a pony, and you’re gonna say yes.”

  He shot me a look that told me not to be too confident.

  Regardless, I went on to tell him about Jason and everything that had happened today, ending with, “And now he needs a place to stay.”

  “Sadie!” Dad looked more surprised than disappointed, which made me a little relieved.

  “Look, I know I only met him today, but I promise he’s a nice person. And aren’t you the one always telling us to help people? This is ‘helping people,’ Dad.”

  He looked skyward, and after letting out an exhausted sigh, glanced at the front door. “Is he out there now?”

  I nodded, pleading with my eyes for him to say yes.

  “Alright, he can stay. But just for the night.”

  “Thank you, Daddy,” I said and ran out to tell Jason.

  Five

  After the somewhat awkward introductions between Dad and Jason, I took him to our guest bedroom and settled him in.

  I sat on the bed, swinging my legs.

  Jason sat next to me. “Do you need anything?”

  “No, I’m good.” He smiled.

  “Well, if you do end up needing anything, I’m right across the hall.”

  I’d barely finished my sentence when Dad yelled, “Go to bed, Sadie!”

  I pressed my eyes shut, willing the ground to swallow me whole. My dad was so embarrassing!

  “I’d better go.” I stifled a yawn as I rose. “Goodnight.”

  “Goodnight, Sadie.”

  When I got to my room, I saw a note on Brooke’s bed. She was staying over at her best friend’s house. So I couldn’t even vent to her about all that happened. With a sigh, I heaved onto my bed, underestimating how exhausted I was. I only remembered shutting my eyes, when the darkness fell.

  A loud scream pierced through the air, and I bolted upright from the bed. Wide awake, I pushed the covers away and ran outside my room to find out what was going on.

  There was no suspicious activity in the hallway, so it looked safe enough to walk through—that was until I reached the living room and saw Brooke standing in the doorway.

  “What’s going on?”

  Brooke kept looking straight ahead, not blinking once. Confused, I waved my hand in front of her face before I could even get a reaction.

  She jabbed her finger toward the living room, and I followed her eyes, seeing who she was staring at.

  Jesse Maldonado, standing in front of the TV, right between our mismatched couches.

  “Jesse?” I asked, unsure if it was really him.

  “Sadie, right?”

  “Yeah,” I said, moving forward. “What are you doing here?”

  He was about to say something when Jason approached down the hallway. “Sadie, can I borrow some…” Jason’s voice faded when he caught sight of Jesse. “Why are you here?”

  “I wanted to talk.”

  Jason folded his arms across his chest. “Oh, so now you want to talk?”

  Brooke gasped suddenly, looking between both brothers. “There––there’s two of them!”

  That was all she got out before she fainted.

  Thankfully, I was able to catch her in time.

  Both guys rushed toward us, asking if she was okay.

  Struggling to hold her up, I waved them off with a jerk of my head. “She’s totally fine. Just a typical fangirl reaction. Nothing to worry about,” I said, dragging an unconscious Brooke out of the living room, making a mental note to let her know when she came to that her new diet was not working at all.

  I managed to haul her onto her bed, which, by the way, was a workout in itself.

  “Brooke? Brooke, wake up!” I slapped her cheek, and her eyes immediately shot open. “Welcome back.”

  She sat upright, looking confused as she glanced at her surroundings. “Jesse Maldonado was here…and there was two of him…and…and…”

  I patted her on the head. “Don’t think too much.”

  She yanked me by the collar with surprising strength for a person who’d been unconscious less than a minute ago. “Where is he?” she asked through gritted teeth.

  “He’s in the living room,” I blurted with widened eyes.

  I barely had enough time to recover before she scurried out of the room.

  I went after her. “What are you doing? You can’t go in there!” I yelled in a whisper. “This is the first time they’re actually sitting down and talking.”

  She stopped, frowning. “Who’s ‘they’?”

  “Jesse and his twin brother, Jason.”

  Brooke’s mouth hung to the f
loor. “Jesse Maldonado has a twin brother?”

  I nodded quickly.

  “You knew!” she fumed. “Well this is just great. First you lie about there being a Channing Tatum marathon on yesterday, and now you don’t tell me something as important as this?”

  “I’m sorry,” I said sincerely. “And for the record I really did think there was going to be Channing Tatum marathon on yesterday.”

  Her eyes shot daggers. “Don’t even talk to me.”

  She crouched down and wiggled along the wall until she got closer to the living room.

  “Brooke, what are you up to?” I asked slowly.

  “What does it look like, Einstein?”

  Although this was technically eavesdropping, I had to admit that I was tad bit curious to hear what they were talking about. I rolled my eyes and kneeled next to her.

  Jason and Jesse were sitting at opposite ends of the room, and by the stern expression on Jason’s face, it seemed like he hadn’t exchanged a word with his brother and didn’t plan to anytime soon.

  I could feel the tension between the two of them all the way from here, and I wished I could do something about it, but I knew they had to do sort their issues out themselves––it was the only way.

  “Why aren’t they speaking to each other?” Brooke whispered loudly.

  “I don’t know, Jason’s probably still upset. Jesse behaved like a total douche yesterday.”

  “Please, Sadie, all celebrities can be douches sometimes.”

  “Not to their own family,” I countered.

  Brooke gasped. “Oh my god, you have a crush on Jason!”

  “No, I don’t!” I denied, looking away.

  “It’s totally fine, Sadie, you can have him. But Jesse is all mine,” Brooke said with an intensity that made me wonder if her obsession for Jesse Maldonado was even healthy at all.

  “What are we looking at?” Dad’s voice came from behind us.

  “Shh!” Brooke and I turned at the same time.

  He held his hands up. “Sorry.”

  “Jesse Maldonado’s here,” Brooke said.

  Dad frowned slightly. “The singer?”

  I nodded. “He’s here to see Jason.”