This is the second last chapter of this story.

Sadly The Brooke is coming to an end :(

Show your love for the characters here. Make sure to leave lots of reviews.

GOOD NEWS : Since you all couldn't wait till September/ October, I'm going to start writing The Cinder by next month and hopefully publish it by June or July.

CHAPTER 25

Anastasia

THE FIRST THING I saw when I opened my eyes made my jaw drop to the floor.

It was her.

My safety net, my parent, my care-taker, my best friend who I hadn't seen in last four years.

"Mia!"

Her name came out as a cry along with the tears.

Just the sight of her, so beautiful and proud, was enough to take me over the edge again.

She immediately landed into my opening arms.

With my soul sister in my arms, it felt like everything was right.

As if we were back to our high school giggles and cussing race.

As if she'd never left me.

As if the Brooke had never existed.

"H-how did y-you-" I stammered, unable to ask the question forming on my lips. I doubted I was capable of saying anything at this moment.

But she understood me. That was us. "I'm listed second in your emergency contact. Maggie is in London so they called me."

I nodded. Shuddering in the comfort she provided.

"Oh my god Ana I'm so sorry darling. I didn't know anything I swear, I don't remember."

We both cried leaning into each other like soul mate who met after being separated for an eternity.

I was too overwhelmed to clear her guilt.

She kept apologizing to me. For sending me whenever she sent me.

Once my emotional attack subsided, I told her it was all okay.

"I know you don't know. I know you don't remember and I'm glad you never went there. If I had to go again on your behalf, I'd do it in another blink."

This one it was her turn to let out uncontrollable streams of tears.

"Dammit Ana, why can't you save all that romance for the hotshot blue eyes. Don't waste it on me. I did nothing to deserve so much love from you."

She was so wrong. She was all I had when I had lost my parents, my old life.

If it weren't for her, I'd had been lost into the sea of sadness forever.

But wait, did she say hot-shot blue eyes?

"Who are you talking about?" I asked her.

"Me of course."

Christian came in to the view with a heart-dropping smile on his face.

My first reaction was to smile back without realizing it.

My second reaction was thinking how much similar he looked to Christopher.

Third reaction was the cringe ignited from the hurt of betrayal and longing I felt for Christopher.

Christian must've noticed my expressions. Something told me he was used to read me easily.

The silence became much grave between us while Mia just flickered her gaze back and forth between us.

She was a little too slow to feel the sudden change of atmosphere in the room, even for a blonde.

"Uhh.. so will someone tell me what is exactly going on? All this hottie here told me was that you went to some kind of dystopia on my name which resulted you in a hospital bed with half a memory."

I groaned preparing myself to talk for the longest time ever.

After Mia and Christian settled comfortable in the room, I began my ghost story.

Starting from the moment Mia had come with the proposal to where I had fallen in the glass cage only to be woken up to a different version of reality.

Christian filled up the gaps whenever he could, from Jose's point of view, such as the mystery of time travelling.

But soon after my tale began to involve Christopher as my savior he got quiet.

Was it because he missed him? Or was he because he was jealous of his own brother?

I had no idea.

Neither did I judge.

But I did keep our romantic story cut down to the lowest.

Mia whistled for long seconds after I concluded my story, reminding me how much I hated that I couldn't whistle for shit.

"Please tell me this is some sort of a prank."

"That was my first reaction as well." Christian murmured.

"Come on Ana, look at it! This is so unbelievable. Are you sure you didn't hit your head too hard?"

I threw her a look.

"No seriously. I mean how could I not remember ever making my parents do so much illegal work? It has to be a Kodak-moment. They couldn't delete pictures with time travel, can they?"

"You remember your big good news you were supposed to give me? You specially came to my house to deliver it but then forgot it?"

"The day when we almost had sex?"

Christian's eyes almost popped out of his face at her words.

"Shut up Mia. I'm being serious here."

She sighed. "Yes I remember it. But then I keep forgetting so many things, this could've been anything else."

"But it's not. It was about the Brooke. I remember both time versions of that day."

"So you're telling I got a full scholarship from the most prestigious school of the world and I forgot about it?"

"Have you heard anything I've been saying from the past hour? It was not prestigious at all. It was hell!"

"Okay, so I got a scholarship from the supposed 'prestigious school' and I don't even remember it?"

"I know it's hard to believe. You just forgot the scholarship. I can't remember the whole year I spent there, or whatever time duration that was." Christian said.

"Are you sure she's not playing on you too?"

"Having a missing brother and almost-killed best friend is no prank."

I hadn't even thought of him being effected too with all this chaos happening.

My heart ached for C.

C?

C...

C!

"C?" I called out loud to test the reaction.

Christian's head snapped right at me. His eyes blazing with hope and excitement, hearing me call him that.

"Does anyone call you C?"

He smiled warmly at me. The warmth somehow went straight to my belly.

"Only you call me that Ana. Only you have the right to."

"And are you a womanizer? "

He guffawed. "Ow! Of all the things, that was the first you remember about me?"

"Just answer the question, silly. Yes or no."

"Hell no! I admit I used to play around before meeting you, but I never treated them with disrespect."

"What about after we met?"

"I stopped."

"How long ago we met?"

"Three and half months or so?"

"Wow! So you haven't slept around since three months! Woohoo big deal!"

"For me it is, okay?"

"What the fuck is going on here?" Mia interrupted looking so agitated it was comical. "Ana since when did you start dating womanizers?"

Christian and I both replied to her simultaneously.

"We are no dating."

"I am not a womanizer."

"Oh come on! You, hot-shot haven't wet your dick since three months doesn't mean you have become all saint."

Then she pointed to me. "And you Anastasia stop acting like a jealous over-possessive girlfriend if you're not dating."

"What the- When did I act like a jealous over possessive girlfriend?"

"Diving into your current fuck buddy's past and sulking over it is what exactly over-possessive girlfriends do!"

"Okay first thing, he is not my fuck buddy. Second, I wasn't digging into his past. I was just merely recalling my memory."

"You live in same room. You're fuck buddies."

"That's called being roommates Mia!"

She shrugged "Same shit, different name."

"Bitch." I muttered.

"Slut." she threw back.

"Whore."

"Gold digger."

"Cunt-eater."

"Piss-drinker."

"Asshole-licker."

"Nose-fucker."

"Ewww. Mia! Who fucks the nose?"

"You never know the height of kinkiness these days. Men talk about fucking women in every hole, don't they? Nostrils are holes too."

I immediately burst out laughing.

My whole body rocking till I finally cough for breath and tears came up my eyes.

"I'm hungry. You want something to eat?" Mia asked me.

I shook my head, still hiccupping from the laughing-hysteria.

When I finally calm down my eyes rest straight on much-forgotten Christian.

Feeling self-conscious I flushed under his watchful gaze.

He was looking at me with a strange expression.

Kind of how Christopher used to look at me. Only much more intense.

I winced internally.

How insensitive was it of me to compare both of them?

God this was so weird. Getting involved with twin brothers.

Arrghh!

I didn't even know what to say. Luckily Christian broke the silence for me.

"I have never heard you curse that much in the whole fourteen weeks I'd known you."

"Because I don't. It's just Mia. She plays this game to bring out my inner beast."

"Well your inner beast certainly looks sexy."

I blushed furiously... before remembering the harsh reality.

Clearing my throat soundly, I asked him. "Is there something you know that would help trigger my memory?"

He thought for a minute or so before answering a nod.

"There is this weird game you like to play when you're bored. You compare people with food items."

My smile wavered a little. Of course he noticed.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing" I spoke too quickly.

He smirked. "Did you remember me telling you countless times that you're a horrible liar?"

I huffed.

"Tell me what is it Ana?"

"It just reminded me of Christopher, okay? We used to play that game in The Brooke."

"Oh" he turned all serious which was what exactly I was avoiding.

I liked him more when he was all playful and fun.

Not that I didn't like him all serious and intense as well.

What the hell. Why do I even care?

Did I even like him? I glanced at him, checking his muscular biceps, hard chest, shadowed and strong muscles.

Okay I did like him. But only because he was hot. I didn't like like him.

"So who's gonna start?" I asked hoping to lighten the mood.

"You do." His reply was stiff.

"Uhm... Troy? He is your ex-roommate right?"

"Yes. He is. Okay let's see. Troy is... a bag of wafers."

"Wafers?"

"Fun to hang out with but never satisfying."

"Hah! I didn't take you to be the bitching type."

"I'm not bitching. Just keeping up with my asshole reputation."

I snickered. "You shouldn't work so hard."

"That's up to me. My turn. Jose."

"Coconut." I prompted out remembering my conversation with Christopher. "Hard to crack but very soft inside."

"That's a nice way to think."

"Why, thank you. Kate."

"Croissant. Good company, beneficial and easy. Mia."

"Milkshake - all things good. What about me?"

He thought for a long time. His gaze turning serious all of sudden.

"Bitter Melon."

My voice got stuck in my throat. Thoughts immediately went back to Christopher. I didn't dare ask Christian why he called me that.

But he answered anyway.

"Good for beauty. Good for healing. Good for health. Not to mention you blunt attitude can sometimes be a little bitter."

I didn't laugh at that. His answer reminded me of the grotesque memories of the Brooke.

"So what about me?" He asked.

First thing that came to my mind was hotdogs reminding me of the irony of playing the same game with two brothers.

Somehow it made me feel like I was playing with feelings of two brothers.

I didn't want to be that girl.

Yes I loved Christopher. But I also hated him.

That kind of love never goes away. It stays with you forever.

However with Christian, I didn't even know him enough. Or should I say remember.

But when I did, what would happen to us?

He had said we were close. Kate had assumed we were together.

It would've been fine had I not remembered the Brooke.

Now that I did, it wouldn't be appropriate for us to go back where we left.

I wouldn't lie and say the thought wasn't tempting. Christian was a delicious guy to look at.

He also seemed a little different than Christopher. Maybe older?

Anyone could agree that the attraction between us was undeniable.

The way he looked at me with his intense seductive gaze, I'm sure that look for solely responsible for ruins of many panties.

My panties might have made the list too if it would've been yesterday.

Before I came to realize who I really was.

And it's not just in respect to Christopher that I would've have to keep Christian at an arm's length.

Christian didn't deserve to be with a mess like me.

He could have anyone he wanted. He didn't have to be stuck with me.

"Pizza!" I finally said. "All crisp and yummy and good looking. Wanted by everyone."

"But you don't like Pizza."

"Because I shouldn't. It's unhealthy."

"How is it unhealthy?" He asked. We both knew it wasn't pizza we were talking about.

So I chose my words carefully.

"Once you have a bite of it, you can't stop. You want to take it all, not realizing how harmful can it's ingredients be to your diet."

He thought over his answer for a long time before giving it to me.

"With good toppings, it can prove to be actually healthy. Then you won't have to stop from taking it all."

No. I'll have to stop. And I have to do that before taking the first bite. When the temptation was not vital.

"It won't be fair to him, Christian."

His face hardened. His hands formed fists with knuckles whitening.

Christian didn't say anything. He just nodded, then left.

Leaving his disappointment and anger in his trail, along with my guilt.

I didn't know but the moment he walked out it felt like Déjà vu.

His hard unemotional face as he left me reminded me of Christopher, making my heart weep in betrayal.

I hate you, Christopher.

But I miss you too. I love you.

Then why did the moment Christian was gone, I felt a large part of me gone with him too?

One free advice : Never fall for brothers. Especially twins.

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Next chapter would be posted after at least 17 reviews :P

Love ya all,

Kaishi Springs xoxo