Chapter 58 - Which One?

Violet.

I sat on my bed, hugging my knees close to my chest. David and Javid had just left, leaving the slight tension between them behind. It all started when I innocently congratulated David on his stellar playing and the school's win.

Wrong thing to do.

When David found out that we were at the game and he didn't know, he was less than pleased. He'd laughed it off a bit, but there was tension in his broad shoulders and he barely talked to Javid and me before they both took off.

"How can I be drawn to both of them?" I whispered to myself. "They're so different, but I feel this connection..."

I thought about the idea of mates that Joyce had mentioned. Was it fate that brought me to the twins? Was I destined to be with one of them?

"David's always been so confident and charming," I mused aloud. "He has this way of making me feel special."

My thoughts drifted to Javid. "But Javid... there's something about his intensity… his vulnerability. It's like he understands me on a deeper level."

I replayed the moments I'd shared with each brother in my mind. The playful banter with David, the way he made me laugh. The quiet conversations with Javid, the way he listened intently to every word.

"I don't know what to do," I sighed. "How can I choose between them?"

A knock on my door startled me out of my thoughts. "Vi, you okay in there?" Joyce's voice called out.

"Yeah, just thinking," I replied, sitting up.

Joyce peeked her head in. "About the twins?"

"I'm so confused, Joyce," I said with a sigh, flopping down on my bed. "I know I can't be with both David and Javid. But the thought of choosing between them… well, it terrifies me… but it also gives me the tingles." That was the only way I could describe the sensation when I was in between them. It was like a subtle symphony of pinpricks that played across the surface of my skin.

Joyce sat down next to me and put her hand on my shoulder reassuringly. "I know, Vi. This is a tough situation. On one hand, David's the popular football star who you've crushed on for years. But on the other, Javid makes you feel things you've never felt before."

"Exactly!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up in frustration. "David is so charming and fun to be around. But Javid, he like, sees into my soul or something. I've never connected with someone so quickly before."

Joyce nodded understandingly. "So what are you going to do? Have you talked to either of them about this?"

I shook my head. "No way! I can barely wrap my own head around it, let alone try to explain it to them."

"Well you can't string them both along forever," Joyce said matter-of-factually. "Sooner or later, you'll have to make a choice."

"Ugh, I know," I groaned, grabbing a pillow and covering my face with it. "Why does this have to be so complicated?"

Joyce laughed and pulled the pillow off of me. "Because that's life, girl! Full of tough choices and complications. But you'll figure it out. Just follow your heart."

I smiled half-heartedly. If only it were that easy, I thought.

Joyce left the room and I just laid there, staring at the ceiling. My mind was going a million miles an hour thinking about my 18th birthday coming up. It was on the winter solstice, which seemed like it meant something important now.

I remembered what Joyce had told me earlier when I asked her about it. "On the winter solstice, a witch's power is at its strongest. Back in the old days, it was the night a witch was supposed to lose her virginity to whoever she picked as her mate."

I gulped nervously. Mate? Virginity? Full powers? It was all so overwhelming. My stomach twisted into anxious knots.

I pulled the pillow over my face and groaned. "This is way too much pressure. I can't deal with this."

My 18th birthday had seemed exciting before, but now it loomed over me like some terrifying deadline. I felt completely unprepared for whatever was supposed to happen. The anxiety made my pulse race and my palms sweat every time one of them mentioned it.

I bit my lip, my mind racing. "I don't know what to do," I muttered to myself. "This is impossible."

I lifted on my elbows and stared out the window, my heart torn. "How can I pick one without hurting the other?"

I twirled a strand of hair onto my finger. "Maybe I shouldn't choose either of them," I said aloud. "But then I might lose them both." I groaned in frustration.

"Why does this have to be so hard?" I asked the empty room. "I wish I could just flip a coin or something." But I knew it wasn't that simple.

I grabbed my pillow and hugged it to my chest. "I care about David and Javid so much," I whispered. "But in different ways. It's like comparing apples and oranges."

I shook my head, feeling the heaviness of the decision pressing down on me. "I don't want to hurt either of them," I said softly. "But I can't keep going back and forth like this forever."

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing thoughts. "I need to make a choice," I said firmly. "But what if my choice tears them apart?" I fretted. "They've only just found each other. I don't want to be the reason they lose that bond."

A groan of frustration escaped me.

"Why does this have to be so hard?" I mumbled into the fabric. "Why can't I just have a normal birthday without all this supernatural mate stuff complicating everything?"

But deep down, I knew there was no escaping my destiny. The pull I felt towards the twins was undeniable. Sooner or later… something or someone would have to give.

And with my decision, I was bound to shatter hearts.