The Truth Hurts

The Truth Hurts
Iris POV

I couldn't breathe. Ivy's mind pressed into mine like crushing weight.
Fight back, a voice inside me whispered. Use your gift.
But I was too weak. Too shocked. Too betrayed.
"Iris!" Alex's voice cut through the darkness.
The pressure vanished instantly.
I gasped for air, collapsing on the steps.
When I looked up, Ivy was gone. Like she'd never been there.
"What happened?" Alex knelt beside me, checking for injuries.
"Don't touch me." I pushed him away and stood on shaking legs.
"You were choking. I felt your panic through our connection."
"There's no connection. Not anymore."
I limped back inside, ignoring the pain in my ankle.
Dad rushed forward. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?"
"Everything. Absolutely everything."
I grabbed the folder from where it had fallen. "Alex, we need to talk. Alone."
"Iris—"
"Now."
He followed me to a small bedroom. I slammed the door.
"That girl outside. Ivy. She said she planted this folder. Said it was fake."
Alex's eyes widened. "What girl?"
"My identical twin. The fourth one nobody told me about."
"There is no fourth twin."
"She looked exactly like me!"
"Iris, listen. You've been through trauma. Sometimes the mind creates—"
"Don't." My voice was ice. "Don't tell me I imagined her. She was real. She attacked me."
"Then where is she now?"
I had no answer.
"Maybe she was using psychic projection," Alex suggested. "Making you see things."
"Or maybe everyone's been lying to me about how many siblings I have. Just like they lied about everything else."
"I never lied about your siblings."
"No. You just lied about planning to kidnap me. About using me as a weapon. About everything that matters."
Alex closed his eyes. "You're right. I did plan those things. Months ago. Before I knew you."
"That makes it okay?"
"No. Nothing makes it okay. But Iris, people change. I changed."
"When? Show me exactly when you changed."
"The first time I saw you. When you crashed through my gates. You looked terrified but brave. Like a warrior who didn't know she was a warrior yet."
"Words. Just pretty words."
"Then what do you want? What would convince you?"
"The truth! All of it! No more secrets!"
"Fine!" His voice rose to match mine. "You want truth? Here it is. Yes, I planned to kidnap you. Yes, I was going to use you against your father. Yes, every rule in my family said to treat you like a weapon."
"Thank you for confirming—"
"But I couldn't do it!" He grabbed my shoulders. "The plan was to take you, break you, make you cooperate. Instead, I kept you safe. I protected you. I chose you over everything."
"Because I became a more valuable asset!"
"Because I fell in love with you, you stubborn, infuriating woman!"
We stood inches apart, both breathing hard.
"You don't love me," I said. "You love what I can do for you."
"I love that you argue with me. That you save people instead of using them. That you cry when you're scared but fight anyway."
"Stop."
"I love that you're brave and kind and nothing like anyone in my world. I love—"
I slapped him.
The sound echoed in the small room.
Alex touched his cheek, stunned.
"You don't get to say those things," I whispered. "Not after lying to me."
"I'm not lying now."
"How would I know? How could I ever know?"
"Because I'm standing here letting you hate me instead of manipulating you into forgiving me. Because I'm telling you truth even though it hurts us both."
Tears streamed down my face. "I trusted you. Completely. And you had plans to destroy me this entire time."
"I had plans. Past tense. Those plans died the moment I knew you."
"Convenient."
"It's the truth!"
"Your truth or the real truth?"
"They're the same thing!"
We were shouting now. All our fear and pain and anger pouring out.
"You're forty-two! I'm twenty-one! You're a criminal! I'm supposed to be normal!"
"None of that matters!"
"It all matters! Everything matters! We're wrong on every possible level!"
"Then why did you marry me?"
"Because your father gave me no choice!"
"You had a choice. You could have let everyone die. You chose to save them."
"That's not the same as choosing you!"
"Isn't it?"
I opened my mouth to argue but couldn't find words.
"You saved me too," Alex said quietly. "You took a bullet for me. You jumped in front of danger to protect me. Why?"
"Because I'm stupid."
"Because you love me."
"I don't."
"Yes, you do. I feel it every time our minds connect. Every time you look at me. Every time you pretend you don't care."
"Feeling something doesn't make it right."
"Nothing about us is right. We're enemies. Different generations. Different worlds. But Iris, when has anything right ever felt this real?"
I wanted to argue. To push him away. To protect myself from more betrayal.
But he was right.
Nothing had ever felt this real.
"I hate you," I whispered.
"I know."
"I hate that you lied."
"I know."
"I hate that I can't trust you."
"I know."
"I hate that I love you anyway."
The words hung between us like confession.
Alex stepped closer. "Say that again."
"No."
"Iris—"
"I can't. If I say it again, it becomes real. If it's real, it can hurt me worse."
"It's already real. It's been real since the first moment."
"That's impossible. Love doesn't happen that fast."
"Maybe it does. Maybe when you find the right person, it happens instantly."
"Or maybe it's just trauma bonding. Stockholm syndrome. Survival instinct disguised as emotion."
"Do you really believe that?"
I looked into his eyes. Searched for lies and found only pain and hope.
"I don't know what I believe anymore."
"Then believe this."
He kissed me.
Not gentle. Not careful. Desperate and hungry and completely wrong.
I should have pushed him away.
Should have remembered all the reasons this couldn't work.
Should have protected myself.
Instead, I kissed him back.
Hard and angry and real.
All our fight dissolved into something more dangerous. Something that felt like falling and flying at the same time.
When we broke apart, we were both shaking.
"This is insane," I gasped.
"Completely."
"We can't do this."
"We just did."
"Alex—"
He kissed me again. Softer this time but somehow more intense.
I let myself feel it. Let myself fall into the moment without thinking about consequences.
His hands were gentle on my face. Mine were tangled in his hair.
Everything else disappeared. The war. The danger. The lies.
Just us. Just this.
When we finally stopped, we stood foreheads together, breathing each other's air.
"I'm still angry at you," I whispered.
"I know."
"And I still don't fully trust you."
"I'll earn it back. However long it takes."
"It might take forever."
"I have forever."
"You're twice my age. You might not."
"Then I'll make every moment count."
I laughed despite myself. "You're impossible."
"So are you. That's why this works."
"This doesn't work. This is a disaster waiting to happen."
"Maybe. But what a beautiful disaster."
Someone knocked on the door. "Everything okay in there?" Dad called.
We jumped apart like guilty teenagers.
"Fine!" I shouted. "We're just talking!"
"Loudly," Dad said dryly. "Take your time."
His footsteps retreated.
I looked at Alex. "We can't tell them about this."
"About which part? The kissing or the confessing love?"
"Any of it. They already think we're crazy."
"We are crazy."
"That's my point."
He smiled. Actually smiled. "I like when you're flustered."
"I'm not flustered. I'm realistic. This relationship is impossible."
"Everything about us is impossible. Why should our relationship be different?"
"Because relationships are supposed to be built on trust and honesty."
"Then we'll build those things. Starting now. No more secrets between us."
"Can you really promise that?"
He hesitated. "I can promise to try."
"That's not the same thing."
"It's all I can offer. I'm forty-two years old, Iris. I've kept secrets my entire life. Changing won't be instant."
At least he was honest about it.
"Okay," I said finally. "We try. But if you lie to me again—"
"You'll kill me. I know."
"I'll do worse. I'll leave. And I'll take your heart with me."
He pulled me close. "You already have my heart. You've had it since the beginning."
We stood there holding each other while chaos waited outside the door.
"This will destroy us both," Alex whispered into my hair.
I should have agreed. Should have pulled away. Should have chosen safety over feeling.
Instead, I tilted my face up to his.
"I don't care," I replied.
And kissed him like the world was ending.
Because maybe it was.
But at least we'd face it together.