Chapter Eight

     She started urgently, forcing herself to remain calm because she knew 
she had to take this very slowly. “Let me explain,” she winced as she got 
the words out, realizing how they utterly reeked of guilt on her part, so 
she said the only thing of truth that could possibly stop him at this time. 
“I love you.”
     He interrupted anything further she might have said with a look of such 
utter revulsion her throat froze. “Understand this. There is nothing you 
could say that I would believe. Nothing.” She felt tears prick the back of 
her eyes at the cruelty in his words, realizing they were completely 
deserved, but nonetheless disbelieving that he was actually saying them to 
her.
     “You’re a winner,”—his gaze flicked to the addressed letter that he 
held tightly in his hand—“Serena Kinsley.” His mouth twisted into a derisive 
smirk. “A real class-A winner. Just when I thought I’d seen it all—a 
beautiful, manipulative liar such as yourself enters.” He clapped his hands 
slowly, the sharp sound cutting straight to her heart. “Give yourself a bow, 
Serena. Not many women have the ability to act sweet when they are really 
vindictive—”
     “Stop it!” Serena cried out, unable to endure any more of his lashes. 
“Stop it. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.” Her resolve to remain calm 
crumbled at the hatred she saw in his eyes. Her voice turned into a broken 
whisper. “Last night when—“
     “When I made an utter fool of myself,” he intercepted, the raw emotion 
she had seen on his face gone, in place a hard mask of indifference. “You 
thought you would call Mina and say you have had so much fun screwing with 
Darien Eddington’s life, you’ve decided to stay two more weeks, is that it?”
     “No!” She burst out, her expression frantic because she realized she 
was losing him—and there wasn’t anything she could do about it. Grasping for 
anything that might sway him to calm down and listen to her, she sucked in a 
shuddering breath. “Darien, I swear—”
     “You swear?” Darien’s incredulous voice broke through, look down at her 
with a contemptuous glance. “Forgive me if I don’t rush to believe 
everything you have to say here, Serena.”
     “Look,” she tried again desperately. “Mina called me because she needed 
a break.  I never planned I’ d meet you—”
     “Save it!” He barked, cutting a hand through the air as if sentencing 
the matter to a close. His voice turned silky with the menacing underlay of 
steel. “What I’m really interested in is why.”
     “I told you,” Serena choked out, wiping her wet face with her hand 
roughly. “Mina came to me—”
    “You see,” Darien cut in calmly. “That’s not what I think. I think you 
two are a pair of devious manipulators who came up with this extraordinary 
coup to for the sole purpose of entertainment.
     “So whose idea was it? Yours, no doubt. Nevermind, I don’t really care. 
All I know is that your little perfidy is over and it’s time to for Serena 
to take that bow she’s been itching to have.” He yanked his dark jacket off 
the perfectly made bed and folded it over his arm. Striding to the living 
room with quick, lithe movements, he paused just before the door, turning 
back to her stricken face.
     “But how long would you have kept it up? Would you have allowed me to 
propose before bringing out Mina and slapping me in the face with it?”
     “No,” Serena sobbed brokenly. “I was planning on telling you today.”
     “Right,” he drawled, smirking. He paused. “You know, I knew you were 
different from Mina—but I didn’t think it was for the worst. I thought you 
were sweet and unaffected by everything Hollywood does to a person. Mina may 
have her shallow moments, but at least she doesn’t hide it. She’s open and 
honest.” He looked at her with disgust. “You on the other hand, are sneaky 
and devious—and everything she’s not.”
     She kept her gaze on the carpet below her, tears slipping out of the 
corners of her eyes. She missed the painfully poignant look he gave her, 
just as she missed the look of utter despair that crossed his face before he 
walked out the door, shutting it firmly behind him.

****

     Serena stared blankly at the door for immeasurably amount of time, 
wondering if this were all some horrible nightmare she would soon awake from 
to find Darien’s arms around her. Semi shocked to realize it was real, she 
moved around the room woodenly, wondering what it was she should do.
     As she resigned herself to packing for the first plane that would take 
her back to Campton, anger seeped in and eradicated most of the absolute 
despair she felt. Remembering the pejorative words he had flung at her and 
her sister, Serena’s resolve hardened. There was no way she’d let herself 
mourn the loss of a man whose supposed love didn’t stand the test of 
hardship. He hadn’t even bothered to listen!
     Not acknowledging the tiny seed of emptiness embedded within her, she 
forced herself to cling on to the fury she felt. Wrath was better than 
anguish—wrath fueled her to move; anguish compelled her to crumple into a 
heap and cry.

****

     One hour later, Serena was driving her rented car to the airport. She 
had made arrangements for it to be delivered back to the rental company soon 
after her departure. Apparently, the name Mina Kinsley carried weight. She 
could have requested a police escort and a circus waiting for her and the 
order would have no doubt been carried.
      Driving at a speed she had reprimanded her sister for when they were 
sixteen, Serena jerked into another lane, her hands clutching the wheel so 
tightly, her knuckled were white. Impulsively, she turned off into a street 
and headed around, making her way to the familiar road toward Darien’s home.
     A guard was outside the ornate gates and she managed a bright, 
nonchalant smile as she lifted her dark sunglasses up to her blonde head.
    “Hi,” she said pleasantly, effectively diminishing the quavering that 
her being emanated at the realization of what she was about to do. “Is Mr. 
Eddington in?”
     After blushing and asking for her autograph for his wife and kids, the 
guard buzzed her in without so much as an afterthought. Apparently, Darien 
hadn’t gotten around to placing her name on the black list of people who 
could absolutely not enter under no circumstances—right up there with the 
paparazzi.
     She strode in, head held high, without a second glance at her lavish 
surroundings. Making her way through an expansive and meticulously decorated 
entrance, complete with a butler and miniature waterfall, Serena nodded her 
head to the elderly man in return for his information concerning Darien’s 
whereabouts in the large mansion.
     Her low heels clicking on the marble floor, Serena made her way to the 
study, holding on to her anger and depending on it to get her through the 
next crucial moment. Swinging open the double doors, she treaded in, 
flicking over the vast collection of books and settling her gaze on the 
single man at a dark, wooden desk.
     He looked up, his face registering his second of surprise before a look 
of staid boredom covered any emotion. He had showered, his hair still damp, 
and had changed into a dark silk shirt and pressed slacks. Pulling off a 
pair of gold reading glasses that looking absurdly sexy on him, he looked at 
her stoically, obviously waiting for her to begin.
    She didn’t disappoint him.
     “Not only are you an utter hypocrite, you’re also a heartless brute who 
wouldn’t be capable of loving if his life depended on it. Yes, I lied to 
you. And I’m sorry—you won’t believe just how sorry I am. But you lied too, 
Darien. You told me you loved me, but obviously, you didn’t love me enough 
to let me explain.” Her voice started with fiery determination and faded 
away to a wounded tone she hated.
     “I told you I loved you when I thought you were Mina.”
     It was meant to cut and it did. Serena recoiled as if she had been 
slapped. And in that instant, she realized by just how much she was hanging 
on to. She would lose him if this meeting didn’t work. She would lose him 
forever. And he would continue hating her.
    “Don’t do this to us,” she whispered achingly. “Please, I’m begging you. 
Don’t do this to us.” Her tone was pitiful and she knew she had just placed 
her pride on the line—she was doing everything short of begging on her 
knees.
    He stared into her drenched eyes for a moment and for a moment, Serena 
thought maybe—just maybe she had gotten through his impassive demeanor. Then 
he spoke.
     “I initially made the mistake of not informing the guards to not let 
you in.” He placed his glasses back on and bent his head over the papers on 
his desk. He continued to speak drolly, not bothering to look up at her 
expressive face. “I’ll tell them to do so once you’re escorted out.”
     He was throwing her out.
     She wanted to fling something caustic and harsh in his face. She wanted 
to depart with words that would hurt him as much as he had hurt just now. 
But it took all her energy just to calmly walk out of the study and then 
exit the mansion. She drove back to the hotel serenely and braked into her 
guest parking. Only when she mutely acknowledged she had missed her flight, 
did she bite her tremulous lip and bend her head over the wheel, her hands 
clutching it forcefully, crying openly.
     She needed to go home. She didn’t belong here—she never had. This was 
Mina’s place with Mina’s life—and Darien loved Mina. The limelight wasn’t 
for her, it was made for her sister. And apparently, so was Darien.

****

     Darien Eddington knocked over an expensive double pencil holder among 
other things on his desk in one deft movement, watching with no satisfaction 
as they fell to the marble floor with a loud cacophony. She had played him 
perfectly—every nuance, every kiss, every touch.
    He had believed them to be sacred moments that he reveled in. Instead 
they were all part of a wonderful ruse that he had been inconceivably naïve 
about.
    She was a better actress then he and Mina combined, he realized with a 
twist of his mouth. She took the cake.
    Not only had be thought of her as a dilettante to the entire world of 
intimate relationships and Hollywood, he had been willing to pour his heart 
out to a cold woman who could put Meryl Streep to shame. He had been 
planning to marry her!
    She was a virus—a parasite. One who got her kicks by humiliating others. 
And the sooner he erased her from his mind and life, the better. Because 
Serena Kinsley wasn’t the type of woman you married—she was the type you 
wanted and then discarded.
    And the throbbing in his chest would soon pass, as would the empty 
dejection his heart screamed. And time healed all wounds.
    But even as he reassured himself with empty words, he had the distinct 
impression that time couldn’t heal him from one slip of woman named Serena 
Kinsley.

****

     “What is the matter with you?” Mina demanded of her sister a few days 
later, hands on her slim hips, her newly acquired tan radiating. “You’ve 
been a gloomy Gus since you came back.”
     “Just leave me alone, Mina.” Serena sighed tiredly, picking lightly at 
the pastel rose pattern on her throw pillow
     “No,” Mina insisted, snatching the cushion away, forcing her sister to 
look at her. “What is your problem?”
     “Nothing!” Serena bit out harsher than she had intended. Sighing, she 
retracted her statement. “I’m sorry.”
     “I gave you a vacation, Serena. Be happy!”
     Serena snorted. “Excuse me? I get stuck working eighteen hour days, 
doing interviews about things I no clue about. You go to Tahiti and meet 
your dream man. Who had a vacation?”
     Mina sighed heavily. “I’m sorry about all that. But you had fun—you had 
a little affair with Darien Eddington, didn’t you?” Mina nudged her sister 
suggestively, not noticing the stiffness that entered her body.
     “We did not have an affair,” Serena said shortly, looking away from 
Mina to a painting on her wall.
    “Sure,” Mina drawled. “And all the photos everywhere are just making it 
up, right? Darien told everyone that you and he were an item.”
     “You mean Darien and Mina.” Serena corrected bitterly.
     “Yes,” Mina gave a sigh of a martyr. “And I’ll be up to my ears trying 
to sort through that mess.”
     “Sorry.” She said tersely.
     “It’s quite all right,” Mina rambled on gaily, not seeing the moisture 
that filled up her sister’s eyes. “The way I see it, you should be thanking 
me for giving you a fabulous chance to loosen—”
     It took them both by surprise when Serena abruptly shot up from the 
couch, her expression furious as she glared down at her sister. “Thanking 
you?” She spat out, her voice dripping with venom. “Thanking you? Yes, well, 
let me thank you, Mina, for the big hole in my heart for the past few days. 
Let me thank you for the fact that my life is now in pieces. Let me thank 
you for the fact my heart is breaking!”
     Serena stared into her sister’s astonished face, her breathing ragged 
from her emotional tirade. She closed her hot eyes and fell back against the 
sofa, willing herself not to cry again.
     “Serena?” Mina finally whispered, her voice shaky and hesitant. “Tell 
me you’re not—you didn’t…”
    Her answer was silence and it was good enough.
    “Geez,” Mina breathed. “Why didn’t you tell me?” She shook her head, 
thinking a loud. “All this time I’ve been raving about wedding plans with 
Andrew, and you’ve—“ she cut herself off and started a completely new line 
of thought. “Well, we have to fix this.”
    Serena’s head snapped up at her dogged tone. “No! Just-just stay out of 
it, please, Mina?”
    Mina looked down at her sister’s haggard face and her own softened. 
Smoothing Serena’s brow as she had done for her when they were young, Mina 
flipped the afghan over the couch and onto Serena’s tired form. “Go to 
sleep, Sere.” Mina whispered, watching tenderly as Serena closed her 
exhausted eyes. Kissing her forehead, Mina straightened and locked her jaw 
in determination.
    She had a bone to pick with certain Academy-Award nominated actor.

****

     Mina drove straight from the airport to Darien’s house in a rental car 
that was presumably under her name. Slowing when she reached the formidable 
gates that surrounded the lavish house, she rolled down her window the 
converse with the guard.
     The guard looked down at her somberly. “Sorry, Miss Kinsley, Mr. 
Eddington has placed strict orders that you are not to be allowed in here.”
     Mina flashed an effortlessly winning smile. She had expected as much. 
“If you check the list again, I believe you’ll see that Serena Kinsley is 
not allowed—I’m Mina Kinsley.” Still grinning sweetly to cover her 
nervousness, she bit her lip while the guard double checked a clipboard.
     “You’re right,” the guard informed her. The stout man flashed her a 
smile of his own. “I wanted to thank you again for signing them papers for 
my children. It meant a lot to them.”
    Covering her initial confusion well, Mina simply laughed and replied 
easily. “You’re more than welcome.”
    Less than two minutes later she was walking the same path unbeknownst to 
her, her sister had treaded not a week earlier. Pulling open the doors that 
led to the study, she walked in, her chin jutted out in obduracy.
    “Well, well, well.” Darien drawled, shoving back the sides of his jacket 
to put his hands in his pant pockets. “To what do I owe this pleasure?” He 
pretended to look confused, knowing full well which twin was which. “Is it 
Mina? Or Serena?” He clicked his tongue. “You’re both so much alike.”
    Of course he knew it was Mina. This sister didn’t make his blood 
pressure rise with a smile nor did her laugh make him want to. This sister’s 
presence left him unmoved while Serena’s compelled him to hold her.
     She fixed him with an icy glare that surprised him, considering he was 
the one with the full right to be fuming, while she was the reprehensible 
one. Or rather her sister. Maybe Mina hadn’t even known about what her 
sister was doing, maybe Mina had gone away for a quiet vacation and Serena 
had seen it as the perfect opportunity to step in and take the limelight.
    But Mina’s pugnacious words erased that theory from his mind. “I came to 
Serena less than three weeks ago, begging her to take my place for two weeks 
so that I could get a break from life. I hadn’t spoken to her in over eight 
years and still she dropped everything to for a favor to me.” She gave a 
laugh. “Because that is the kind of person she is.”
     Mina moved around the large room, running a finger along the spines of 
leather bound books before spinning around to look at him with a deadly calm 
about her. “Do you know that when we were kids, Serena was always looking 
out for me?”
     “However fascinating this is—” Darien began irritably, running a hand 
through his dark hair.
    “Shut up, Darien.” Mina snapped quietly and Darien complied with a 
frustrated roll of his blue eyes. “Even though we were twins, Serena always 
seemed to be older by years—in everything. If you gave me three years of 
your time, I couldn’t to tell you everything she has done for me.
    “When we were fifteen, Serena covered for me while I cut school. She ran 
around to all my classes; told the teachers some lame excuses and even took 
a test I’d put off for weeks. When we were sixteen, I snuck out of the house 
to go to a concert with my boyfriend and came home drunk as a skunk. Serena 
made me drink loads of coffee and kept it from our parents. At seventeen, my 
prom date stood me up and Serena told her date to go on without her and 
stayed with me the entire night, comforting me. And then when we were 
eighteen—,” she broke off now, tears forming in her crystalline eyes—“I went 
on a date with this awful guy—tattoos everywhere and not an un-stoned day on 
his record. Serena begged me not to go, but I didn’t listen. Later that 
night, after drinking more than his body weight, he tried to rape me. Serena 
came—to this day I don’t know how she knew I was in trouble—and broke his 
car window with a crowbar and hauled me out of there.”
    Darien was looking at her with concealed interest, his mind coming to 
form an idea to the point she was trying to make.
    Mina looked up from her intertwined hands, tears sliding down her pale 
face. “And then,” she let out a choked laugh. “I leave her without a word 
for eight years to build my career. I leave her to face the aftershock of 
our mother’s death alone and then deal with our father’s death shortly 
after. After which, I come to her door begging for my sister and does she 
laugh and throw me out? No, she agrees to live my horrible life, do my 
demanding job and not complain once! Because, like I said, that’s the kind 
of person she is.”
     At his disgusted snort of disbelief, Mina glared at him. She bit out 
without a moment’s hesitation. “Darien, when Serena switched places with me, 
she and I both thought you were on vacation somewhere—we thought it would be 
easier for Serena because you weren’t around to suspect anything. So, if she 
wanted to pull off some grand hoax to screw with you, why would she do it on 
the two weeks you were supposedly going to be in Bahamas?” She watched a 
stricken expression replace his bored one with satisfaction.
     She continued, ignoring his look of horror at his grave mistake. “And 
the thing that gets me is that after all that, after all the heartbreak I’ve 
caused her—after all the heartbreak you’ve caused her, she still loves us.” 
Mina came closer to Darien, searching his blank eyes for an iota of emotion. 
“Serena is the most loyal, wonderful person I have ever met. And for some 
reason, she loves you. Even after all you’ve done to her—most of which she 
won’t tell me—she still loves you, Darien.” His clenched jaw twitched 
imperceptibly at that bit of information. “Serena can find someone better 
than you—I know that. Lord knows she deserves someone better than you. But 
you’ll never find someone half as amazing as her.”
     With that, she spun her heel, prepared to leave now that she had said 
her piece. Walking smartly across the floor, she had reached the oak doors 
before his voice called out to her.
     “Campton, right?”
     Mina, with her back turned to him, let out a smile of relief. When she 
rotated her head to glance back at him, her face was devoid of all emotion. 
She gave a curt nod and left—flashing the ornery butler a smile that lit up 
most silver screens in her jubilance.
     She hoped to God it would work out. She prayed for it to. Serena 
deserved it. And Mina also prayed for it somewhat selfishly. If Darien did 
his part then Serena would be a very happy woman. A grateful, happy woman. 
And Mina wanted—needed—to do something to repay her sister for all the years 
of sisterhood Serena had given her.

****

     Serena dumped her mail on her dining table, rubbing the back of her 
neck tiredly. Sighing, she flopped down on the couch. The lab had been a 
mess today. Melvin, her co-worker down at the lab had been sick and then 
something experiment had gone all wrong—causing her to be forced to leave 
work in the middle of the day. She had had to go back to work immediately 
since the rest of the world thought the past two weeks had been a vacation 
for Serena Kinsley.
     A vacation, Serena thought with an ironic laugh. What a complete joke.
    Most days she couldn’t decide whether to regret ever laying eyes on 
Darien Eddington or relish the blissful moments they had spent together. She 
was torn between the two.
    It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.
    Perhaps the cliché was right, the poignant memories she shared with 
Darien were something no one could take away and it was best to remember him 
like the sensitive man that had kissed her and told her he loved her rather 
than the angry one who had been revolted at the sight of her. If nothing 
else, she had the delusion that Darien had, at one time, loved her deeply.
     She sighed heavily again, and turned on the television to keep her mind 
from wandering that much traveled path that led to an inevitable sobbing 
fest. She changed the channels idly and froze, wishing she had gone straight 
to sleep in the afternoon instead.
     There, in front of her eyes, was the commercial she had skillfully 
avoided for the past week. But now, as it started, she was unable to tear 
her eyes away from it or change the channel.
     As the announced droned on, giving segments of the plot away but 
nothing to reveal the true nature of the film, Serena stared transfixed as 
the screen was split into two parts. One side was a picture of her smiling, 
the other was of him grinning that disarming smile. Then clips of the movie 
rolled while the movie’s soundtrack played in the background.
     Jared offering Chloe a bit of his ice cream cone then shoving it into 
her nose as she leaned in…a close up of her outraged face and his laughing 
one…a shot of them slow dancing in an empty, dark room…a picture of their 
first kiss on that same dance floor…the scene with the rose in the garden 
where Jared ran the flower lightly over Chloe’s features…a clip of Chloe 
sobbing when she told Jared she couldn’t be with him…his dejected face…Chloe 
running away…and the final shot their silhouettes against a sunset on the 
beach, Chloe’s hair blowing in the breeze, her arms wrapped around Jared as 
they leaned it…and then the title of the film: Only You.
     How painfully true that title turned out to be, Serena thought 
bitterly, flicking off the television with an unsatisfying harsh jab. 
Groaning at the seemingly multitude of hours she had to kill before she 
would try to sleep, Serena rubbed her face, running through her options.
     Finally deciding, she grabbed the black jacket she had just discarded 
and shrugged it on, flipping her loose hair over the collar. Jogging down 
the apartment steps, she stepped out into the soon to be dying daylight, 
enjoying the autumn smells that Campton emanated.
    “Good afternoon, Mr. Chapin,” she called to the elderly man whittling on 
his porch. His response was a grunt and a half wave and Serena took it with 
a fond smile. She had known the man since she was a toddler. He had read to 
her and tucked her in and she and Mina had both peed on him at one time or 
another.
     She walked through the small town, smiling and waving at the familiar 
faces, convincing herself it was wonderful to be home. Reaching her 
destination, she entered the large bookstore with pride. Campton was a tiny 
town, but they had one of the largest, most eclectic bookstores in the 
state.
     Unwittingly, making a bee-line for the science fiction section, she 
waved to Margie, a clerk, and browsed through the new books that had arrived 
while she had been away. It wasn’t until she red the label above the racks 
that she realized where her traitorous body had taken her. Against her will, 
she remembered Darien’s comment about his genre of books at the current 
moment: science fiction. Shaking her head, she took one especially fat novel 
off the eye level rack and immediately froze.
    On the other side of the large gap that the missing book had caused, was 
a pair of silver blue eyes she had come to know very well—and tried 
extremely hard to forget.
    “Serena?” His deep voice came from across and she panicked. Dropping 
book haphazardly on a nearby reading table, she sprinted out the sliding 
doors, ignoring the stares as Darien called after her. “Serena, wait!”
     She ran all the way home, dimly recalling how she had told him of the 
bookstore in her hometown while they were at the airport. But that didn’t 
explain why he was here. Her breathing ragged when she reached the safe 
haven of her apartment, Serena got to wondering just how safe it really was.
    With the dawning realization that everybody in the tiny town knew where 
she lived and it wouldn’t take long for Darien to find her, Serena ran to 
her bedroom and packed a bag, dumping contents in blindly. Clicking the 
luggage shut, she hauled it off her floral comforter and jogged to the door. 
Grabbing a set of keys and her purse, she flung open the door and walked 
right into a hard body.
     Stumbling a few steps back into the apartment, Serena looked up dazedly 
into an achingly familiar face.
    “Hello, Serena.”
     Blindly, she dropped her bag and prepared herself to bulldoze past him 
if she had to. Walking quickly, she had just made it before he had her in 
his arms, shutting the door behind him with his foot. Not releasing his hold 
on her, he all but carried her to the living room, surveying his 
surroundings with interest at how Serena—the real Serena—lived.
    Looking back down at the frightened woman in his arms, he smiled briefly 
at her beautifully pale face. Staring at her now, he wondered how he ever 
could have thought Serena was Mina. Their faces were as different as their 
personalities. Serena’s cheekbones were more prominent, her lips fuller, her 
eyelashes thicker, her hair more golden, her eyes a unique shade of 
crystalline blue.
     Without realizing what he was doing, he bent his head and kissed her, 
his lips showing his apology, imploring her to forgive him.
    “No!” she wrenched her face away from him so that his lips brushed her 
temple. She tried to struggle from his grasp and after some debate he let 
her go.
    “Serena,” he began, loving her name, her face, her soul more than he 
deemed possible.
    “No!” She all but yelled, her lips quivering. “I don’t want to hear it. 
Just get out.”
     “I can’t.” He answered helplessly. She missed the look of despair in 
his dark eyes.
    “Then I will,” she said succinctly, heading toward the door once again. 
But Darien intercepted, catching her in his arms once again. It was then she 
snapped, beating against his taut chest with her small fists. “I begged you! 
I stood there and begged you! You heartless…” She sobbed against him, 
mumbling incoherent things, some of which that questioned his legitimacy as 
a child.
     When it was over and the battering her hands produced had subsides, she 
laid limp against him, crying into his neck with a despondency that tore at 
him. “I’m sorry,” he rasped out, rubbing her back gently, soothing her 
wracking sobs with a helplessness that he hated. “I’m so sorry.”
     “Fine.” She said dully, pulling away from him. “You apologized. I 
accept. Now please leave.”
     Darien gazed at her sparkling eyes and watched as a tear clung to her 
eyelashes then dripped down her porcelain cheek. He had hurt her beyond 
belief. She had apologized profusely, but he hadn’t wanted to listen. After 
being the aim of his spiteful comments, she had come back for more, come 
back for to salve their relationship. And not only had he watched her coldly 
as she begged and sobbed, he had thrown her out with humiliatingly finality. 
And now he recalled her astonished behavior when he had told her he loved 
her that last night. She hadn’t wanted him to say it—to protect him. She 
hadn’t wanted him to get hurt. And this was how he repayed her.
     “I love you,” he said raggedly, his face as white as a sheet, his eyes 
dark with pain at her hurting.
     Serena closed her eyes, anguish ripping through her. “No, you love 
Mina. Remember? You said so that—that day.” She was fighting for control—and 
losing.
     Darien winced at the recollection of that particularly cruel statement 
he himself had driven into her. “No,” he said gently, his tone firm. “I love 
you. And as for the things I accused you of—I’m sorry, Serena. I’m so 
sorry.” He closed his eyes in self-disgust.
     “I already said I accepted. Now will you leave?” Serena pleaded, 
reaching the end of her tether.
     “No,” it was unambiguous as he held her smaller hands in his, bending 
his head slightly so she forced to look at him through shining eyes. “You 
said you loved me that morning and I know you meant it. So—” he took a 
shuddering breath and Serena saw a vulnerability in his eyes she had never 
been held privy to before. “Do you love me, Serena?”
     Serena felt an acute sense of de ja vu as she remembered that last 
night they had spent together. Where he had admitted his love for her. No, 
for Mina.  She wanted to lie to him again like she had that night and tell 
him he meant nothing to her. But they both knew that was not true.
    It was his eyes, Serena realized with a heady feeling. That night he had 
looked into her eyes and seen the truth and if she looked up now, he’d see 
it again.
    “I really don’t see how it matters,” Serena whispered, staring down at 
her sneakered feet. “You love Mina.”
    Darien let out a growl and pulled her to him, his arms strong but 
curiously gentle. “I love the woman who completed Only You with me. I love 
the woman who made me throw popcorn at people. I love the woman who dragged 
me into an art museum and confessed she was afraid of something. I love the 
woman who doesn’t realize it, but is afraid of losing people. You are 
afraid, Serena. You’re afraid that since you lost your parents, and 
temporarily lost Mina, you’ll lose everything.” He braced his hands on her 
cheeks, wiping the tears away. “And then I left you.” He shook his head in 
self-loathing. “But I’m here—and I’m not going anywhere."
     It was quiet for a full, pregnant minute until Serena’s head came up 
from her study of the carpet. “I’m sorry,” her voice was barely audible.
    Darien was taken back. “For what?”
    “For lying to you,” she sniffled. ”I-I didn’t want to—” she cut herself 
off. “I’m sorry.”
    “I’m not.” He replied shortly. “If Mina hadn’t asked you to switch 
places with her, I would have never met you. And I can’t imagine my life 
without you.”
    She sniffed again and brought her tear-stained face up to his view. She 
was shocked to see his own beautiful eyes grow misty. Her lips trembled 
uncertainly as she spoke her next words with a firm ardor, “I love you, 
Darien Eddington.”
     He was perfectly still for a moment, his body taut. And then he crushed 
her to him, rocking back and forth in a comforting pattern. “And I love you, 
Serena Kinsley.”
     With that, she promptly burst into tears. He stopped rocking alarmed at 
her tears. “What happened?” He asked, alarmed.  Pulling back to look at her 
face awash with tears, he searched her eyes for a clue.
      “Nothing,” she said happily, her smile watery. “I just always wondered 
how it would sound when you said that with my name.”
      Laughing lightly, he pulled her closer to him. “You’ll get sick of it 
once I start saying it thirty times a day.”
     “Never,” she promised fiercely, her hold on him growing tighter as he 
bent his head down to kiss her. Her. Serena Kinsley.

Epilogue

     Serena Eddington walked down a red carpet with a tall man in a tuxedo 
by her side. Smiling for the plethora of cameras and reporters, she looked 
around the eddying circles of mingling stars to find the couple she was 
looking for. While she craned her neck, cameras flashed, taking in her ice 
blue gown. The small straps held up a tight bodice that skimmed down to her 
hips and then flared out slightly. The unique trademark about the designer 
dress was the abnormally long scarf of the same color and light material 
that she wore around her neck whose two ends trailed behind her.
     Her hair had been simply styled, half of it pulled back with a diamond 
clip and the rest left in loose waves and curls.
     Spotting them, she led the handsome man next to her to greet her 
husband. Turning, Darien saw his wife walking toward him with Andrew near 
her. Mina Kinsley—she opted to keep her name after marrying Andrew 
Clarke—smiled up at her husband and easily switched places with her sister, 
kissing the blond man happily.
     Darien followed suit and leaned down to greet his wife properly. Bulbs 
flashed and Serena smiled against Darien’s lips before they pulled apart.
     “Well, enjoy this night, Darien.” Mina said as the foursome walked into 
the large building where the award show would be held. “It’ll be the last 
time you’re nominated for best actor. Soon you’ll just sit behind a chair.” 
She shuddered at the thought and Darien laughed.
     “I’ll consider it a blessing.”
     “I still can’t believe you decided to switch to directing.” Andrew 
shook his head admiringly. “Never would have imagined you as a director 
type.”
     “Hey!” Serena protested, linking her arm through her husbands. She 
stroked his cheek teasing. “Just because he’s a pretty boy doesn’t mean he 
can’t do anything but look nice!”
     “But of course!” Mina admonished. “He also has to sit prettily too!” 
She flopped down on a chair elegantly, straightening her dress. She was 
modeling a gown for an unknown designer, hoping to give her some public 
recognition. Panels of black velvet fell from a single, diamond studded clip 
on her left shoulder and went straight to her feet, leaving her other 
shoulder and arm bare.
     “Ha-ha, Mina.” Darien said dryly, sitting next to his wife in a 
comfortable chair after pulling hers out for her.
     “But, seriously.” Mina wiggled to look at him. “You deserve this Oscar 
and it’ll be sad to see a great actor like you leave.”
     He smiled gratefully and turned back to his wife. She looked at him 
uneasily. “If you don’t get this award, you’ll get plenty more once your new 
movie comes out.”
     Darien looked at her, his heart bursting at the agitation she was 
feeling trying to reassure him. “I know,” he said, kissing her nose lightly.
     The night went on and the emcee made many barbs about actors, movies, 
and directors, some of which were directed to the foursome, particularly 
with the shocking news that Mina Kinsley had a twin. The media had bee 
astounded and for weeks, the tabloids covered nothing else but the great 
swap the twins had made. Of course, Serena and Andrew had never been an 
item, but it made a great headline nonetheless. However, only the four knew 
the truth about how the twin switch had been pulled off. The public had no 
idea that both the Kinsley twins were in the movie nominated for best film 
of the year.
     The three most coveted awards were saved for last and Serena whispered 
something to her husband and then slipped out, positive that the cameras 
were not focused on her at this time. She quietly went backstage to change 
and heard the two announcers call out the nominated for best actress, among 
the names was Mina Kinsley for Only You.
     She held her breath, tying on the gold strap of her sandals to her 
ankle. “And the Oscar goes to…” the man paused, letting his female partner 
tell America the name.
     “Mina Kinsley for Only You!”
     The applause was shattering as Mina got up, kissed her husband and 
Darien, and strode elegantly to the front, her black velvet gown swishing by 
her heeled feet. She accepted the golden award and turned to the large 
audience, a genuine smile breaking on her face. “Some how, it doesn’t seem 
real yet,” she laughed, holding up the Oscar. “Well, the crew and cast 
behind Only You, I share this with you—without you this entire project would 
have never been possible. To Darien, who is a friend as well as a 
brother-in-law. To Andrew, my loving husband whom I adore. To my late 
parents who I know are smiling down at me even though they can’t be here.” 
She smiled again, her eyes shining with a fine cloud of mist. “But most of 
all, to my sister—whose courage and gentle strength never ceases to amaze or 
inspire me. Serena, this is for you. I love you.” She turned to leave the 
stage, applause behind her, before coming back to the mike. “Oh, but Sere. 
Everyone knows I ‘m the pretty one!” And then she left, the audience 
tittering and clapping wildly.
     Serena stood back stage, her own eyes clouding with sentimental tears. 
Galvanized into action by the quiet whisper of the stage manager, she smiled 
brightly and walked onto the stage, her gold sheath dress sparkling with 
every step.
     She stepped up to the mike her sister had surrendered and smiled dryly. 
“I’m Serena—just in case you all were confused.” Winking at the audience, 
she uttered one more statement before starting her speech. “And Mina, 
everybody knows I’m the pretty one—I mean, who got stood up on prom night 
again?” Waiting for the laughing to subside, she looked straight ahead and 
read of the scrolling screen perfectly, telling the prestige of such an 
award and giving a brief history. After reading the nominees, she paused 
dramatically, relishing in the pregnant silence. “And the Oscar goes to…” 
she cracked the seal and kept her face blank as she read.  “Darien Eddington 
for Only You!”
     The camera focused on Darien while he shook hands with Andrew and 
Nigel. The backdrop behind Serena changed to show a silenced clip of him 
giving one of the serious monologues that helped him win the award. He 
accepted the trophy from his wife, pausing to kiss her on the cheek. “Wow,” 
he said, looking down at the golden man in his hand. Laughing lightly, he 
looked up. “Like Mina said, the cast and crew were indispensable in this 
picture—Nigel and Elaine—we all love you guys. I share this with you. To my 
wife—Serena—who helped me in my decision to turn to directing. Her support 
has meant everything.” He held out his hand for her and she came, blushing 
at the sentimental noises that emitted from the crowd as he kissed her 
deeply. “And finally for to the Academy—for making my last acting film a 
memorable one.” With one last smile to the audience, he left the stage, his 
arm around his wife’s shoulders.
     The movie also bagged the best film of the year, causing Nigel to cry 
and hold his wife Elaine tightly while she patted his back in exasperation. 
When the night and morning had come, the cast party over and done with, 
Serena and Darien went home, too exited to sleep.
     “Oh! I almost forgot!” Serena leapt up, her bare feet barely making a 
sound on the crème carpet. Darien watched her go, admiring the way her gown 
hugged her. When she came back, she was holding something behind her, 
grinning broadly. She had taken the confining clip out, letting waves of 
soft blonde hair frame her face like a halo. She looked down at his resting 
form on the couch, her eyes glittering wondrously.
     “What?” He said lazily, lifting his arm to capture her free hand.
     “Well,” she began dramatically. “I’m not sure if it’s as good as an 
Oscar, but…”
     “Serena,” he said warningly, his gaze not leaving her face once to look 
at the gold trophy he had dropped haphazardly by his discarded jacket in his 
haste to carry her over the threshold.
      She sighed the breath of a martyr. “Fine.” The glint returned to her 
eyes as she shoved a dozen roses out to him, “Congratulations, Mr. 
Eddington. We’re pregnant!”
     He stared at her shining face for a moment before pulling her to him, 
crushing the flowers between them. He kissed her hungrily, tangling his 
hands in her fragrant hair. When the doorbell rang, he groaned, his lips 
never stilling on her neck. “Don’t answer it,” he commanded, his voice 
trying unsuccessfully to sound menacing.
     “I have to,” Serena giggled as he hit a particularly sensitive spot 
behind her ear. “It’s probably Mina.”
     “If we’re quiet, maybe she’ll go away.” He whispered, tugging at the 
strap of her dress.
     “She knows we’re here, remember. We told her at the party.” Sitting up 
on the couch, she straightened her tousled hair and dress and stood up, 
smiling at the bereft expression on his face. “I’ll be back.” She promised.
     She winded down the long corridor to the front door and sure enough as 
she opened it, she saw…her reflection.
     “Hey, Mina.”
     “Hi.” Mina denied the offer to come in, tactfully noting her sister’s 
rumpled appearance. “This will just take a second.” She pulled out her 
award. “I want you to have this.”
     “What?” Serena gasped, not reaching out for the proffered Oscar.
     “Please, Serena.” Mina implored, pushing it out to her. “You deserve 
it, The Academy didn’t know it, but you finished Only You and you deserve 
this.” Her tone turned lighter. “And besides, I’ll get a couple more in the 
future.”
     Serena laughed and took the gift, her smile watery as she pulled her 
sister in for a hug. “Thank you.” She whispered when the pulled apart.
     “No, Serena.” Mina said, her face the picture of contentment. “Thank 
you.”
     The meaning was clear and Serena nodded, watching Mina squeeze her hand 
and the gracefully declined down the steps to her stretch limo where her 
husband was waiting for her.
     Serena shut the door and walked through her warm home, in search for 
her own husband.
     “I was just about to send a search party.” Darien’s voice greeted her 
in their bedroom, a bottle of chilled cider in his hand.
     “Mina gave me this,” Serena said in awe, looking down at the heavy 
metal in her hand. The weight was unusually comforting as she placed it next 
to his own award.
     “I know,” he said simply, pouring the cider in two champagne flutes. 
Serena looked at him and realized he had known what Mina had planned to do. 
He looked over at the glinting men. “A matching pair.” He announced, handing 
her a flute.
     “Cider?” She cocked a brow.
     “Of course,” he admonished. “You think I want to corrupt my son?”
     “Son?” Serena said indignantly. “Who said anything about a son?”
     He sighed heavily and when he spoke, his voice was full of mirth. “If 
you must have a daughter, we can try later.”
     “How much later?”
     He put down his glass and reached for her. “Now.”