As hard as it was, sobriety was something Paige found necessary for the moment. Not for her, though–for Pascal. She knew her twin felt the pain she carried with her that was left from their parents neglect, and she felt guilty that he had to share it. She loved him, more than anything and anyone, and he had to know that.
So cutting the cocaine out of her daily routine was the first step of business. Then she’d made it her responsibility to get all of his favorites–favorite movie, favorite cologne, favorite snacks, favorite music, favorite novels–and compile them into one box with a short yet sweet hand written note on top.
Letting herself into his room on the night of Christmas Eve, she dropped the box on the ground gently before running straight for him. “Hey, Pasc.” She whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck, her face buried in his hair. No matter what, they would always have each other. And even though the last few months had separated the two of them, he was still her other half. He was still the only one able to bring a genuine smile to her lips without doing anything.
Never before in his life had Pascal experienced such a deep feeling of loneliness, and it terrified him more than anything else could. Even before birth he’d been close to Paige, his twin sister and his other half. At the tender age of just a few hours hold they’d been placed in the same cot, and they’d never been separated since. His sister stood for everything good in Pascal’s world; All the warmth, kindness and joy. She was his rock, the thing that kept him strong during days on which he felt like breaking down.
The days, weeks and months after the Halloween nightmare were the loneliest and most difficult of his life.
He’d stopped eating properly, stopped leaving his room unless he had a class to attend. Even when surrounded by people he never spoke, the usual self-confidence missing from his stride. In his heart he felt the pain Paige had experienced, the horror she’d been subjected to. But he hadn’t been strong enough to protect her, and the fear that E would use her to get to him was strong enough to keep him away.
He expected Christmas to be as lonesome and cold as the past few weeks had been, curled up on his bed with a book in his lap. He hadn’t spoken to his roommate since Halloween either, the atmosphere between the two boys tense and unwelcoming. Leo had disappeared off somewhere after waking up and Pascal was left alone in their room, alternating between reading and staring out the window to watch a group of students enjoy a snowball fight in the gardens below. He didn’t realise the door had opened until he hear the thud of something hitting the ground, and a second later he felt Paige’s arms around him, the familiar weight of her hugging onto him tearing him from his dreams.
Dropping the book, Pascal immediately wrapped his arms around his sister, holding her close with the intent of never letting go again.
