Divided By One

Twin One 

The groom, Ryan, had been waiting for this day for a long time. Since the day that he had met her, he knew that she was the one. Now, they were finally here. Their wedding day. The music started and the procession began. He frowned slightly, there was one face that he didn't see, sighing he put a smile back on his face. Ryan watched as the groomsmen and the braids maids finished their walks down the aisle. 

The world shifted beneath his feet as he saw his bride for the first time. She was breathtakingly beautiful. Ryan's eyes started watering as she drew near, he blinked rapidly to clear them.

"I can't believe this is real," She said.  

Ryan nodded, "I know."

They took their places in front of the minister and the ceremony began. He smiled lovingly at her and took her face in his hands and when the time was right he said, "I do." Tiffany smiled as Ryan leaned in to kiss. They broke apart and faced the crowd. The crowd cheered as the minister announced for the first time a Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Cross.

Divide 

The bride, Tiffany, was standing in the back of the church as her bridesmaids met the groomsmen. She thought about her time in the Air Force, her squadron of nine best friends. She was thankful that she was placed in an all-female squadron, but that also meant nine bridesmaids. Tiffany couldn't have chosen just a few, they were her sisters in arms. Tiffany was taken out of her thoughts by her father coming by her side.

Together they moved into position in front of the aisle. She heard the ‘Bridal March’ start to play and the main doors open. Tiffany watched Ryan blink rapidly as he took her hand. She laughed lightly, "I can't believe this is real." 

"I know," He replied, his voice soft. 

They took their places in front of the minister and the ceremony began. At last, she said, "I do."

He said ‘I do’ in a hushed whisper meant for her ears only and those of the minister. She felt his thumbs wipe away tears that she hadn't noticed slip down her cheeks. The minister said, "You may now kiss your bride." 

Tiffany smiled and Ryan kissed her sweetly. They parted and turned towards their family and friends. They cheered as the minister pronounced them as the new Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Cross. 

Later in the day, they held the reception, and then there was the first dance. They danced close together and as Tiffany placed her head on Ryan's shoulder, as she looked, she noticed a dark outline of a man in the frame of the main doors, Ryan spun her making her dizzy. When she was still once again the man was gone, Tiffany pushed the thought far from her mind and was practically floating once again as the song finished.

During the cake cutting a motorcycle's roar was heard as it passed by the building, it was so loud that both Tiffany and Ryan noticed. Ryan scoffed. 

Tiffany kissed him on the cheek, "Let it be. It was just someone passing by." 

Ryan remained silent. In their hearts, they both knew who it was. 

Twin Two

Tyler looked on as he watched the people pour into the church. He chuckled as he saw family members that he only remembered seeing only once or twice before. They were invited to Ryan and Tiffany's wedding but he, the twin brother of the groom, ended up without an invitation. Although, he didn't really expect one.

Tyler watched as Ryan's eyes quickly scanned the crowd and not seeing him there, frowned slightly. Tyler hung his head and inhaled deeply as he remembered when Tiffany had stopped by that life-changing day. 

Flashback

Tyler and Tiffany had been dating for a year after they had rekindled years later after being highschool sweethearts. He had been planning to propose when he remembered them sitting on his couch and Tiffany explaining that she wanted to break up. She had come into his apartment with a grim face and she was unusually pale.

"Tiffany, what's wrong?" He had asked.  

Tiffany shook her head. She started speaking softly which instantly got Tyler's attention, "You know how I was in the Air Force right?" 

Tyler nodded, confusion on his face. 

Tiffany continued, "Right...well after high school when we separated, I enlisted, and when I got out four years later,” Here she inhaled deeply, “I learned that my mom died in a hit-and-run accident just a few days before I got home." She looked at him with venom in her gaze. 

Tyler nodded again, still not understanding where she was going with this. 

Tiffany kept going, "They never caught the guy, but did get a license plate number: DNAFOR2." She paused and looked at her hands.

Tyler swallowed, suddenly understanding Tiffany's apprehensive behavior. "How much do you know?" He asked softly, wearily.

Tiffany stood up in a rush, personality completely changed. "I know everything! I looked into your records and guess what I found? At the same time my mother died, you were registered to a vehicle that had the license plate DNAFOR2. You traded it for cash at a dealer and then got your bike with the money!" 

"How did you find out?" Tyler questioned softly. 

Tiffany came and put a hand gently on his cheek, she leaned forward her mouth near his ear. "I've known all along." She whispered sweetly. 

Tyler jerked back a little from her in shock.

"Oh, sweetheart.” Tiffany tutted, “I just wanted to make you feel the pain of loving someone, " She kissed him on his cheek and whispered close to his ear. "And losing them."

"Wait, what? You've known all along? This whole relationship was a game?" He asked.

Tiffany smiled coldly. "There you go! Now, you're getting it."

Tyler shook his head. "This is insane! Do you even love me?" 

Tiffany thought for a moment, "I think I care for you Tyler but I could never love my mother's killer."

"I'm sorry! I was a scared twenty-year-old kid. I didn't know what to do! I ran. I had no idea she was your mother, I did what I thought was right at the time." Tyler tried to defend himself. 

"You're sorry!?” Tiffany yelled. “That's it? A sorry and you think it'll make things better?" Tiffany’s face was red as she told him, "The only reason I haven't reported you to the police is that you're my fiancé's brother!" 

Tyler's head shot up. "Fiancé's brother?"

"That's what you're thinking about?" She screeched.

Tyler finally started to hold his ground and crossed his arms. "Yes, Tiffany, I am! Last time I checked you were dating me." 

Tiffany sighed, "I really didn't want to tell you this way, but let me put it simply. Your brother, Ryan, and I have been the actual relationship. Do you know how hard it is dating two men at once?" She thought for a moment, "I mean it’s truly exhausting, keeping you hidden from your own brother."

"What!?" Tyler roared, not fully believing what he was hearing. 

"Do you really think I would love you still after I found out." She came close and poked a finger in his chest. "Really? You?" She looked in his eyes, studying. "You actually believed that." She scoffed.  

Tyler looked at her, the hurt blatantly clear in his eyes. "How long have you known about it?"

"As long as we've been together, Ty."

Tyler nodded, thinking. "And your relationship with Ryan?" 

"Longer, a lot longer," she crossed her arms. "Almost two years more. Frankly, I didn't know you two were brothers until Ryan showed me a picture of the two of you, but by then this plan was already put to motion."

"Wow." Tyler shook his head numbly. "That's something else." He started getting angry. "How dare you! Revenge was your whole purpose in my life, you never loved me! Every kiss or nickname or anything ever was an act, wasn't it?" Tiffany stayed silent. "I'll take that as a yes." 

Tiffany glared at him. "You don't know what it's like coming home, twenty-two years old, and finding out your mom is dead, do you!?"

Tyler said nothing. "Why did you say yes to dating me then?" He finally asked, no other question forming in his brain.

"Leverage, love. I had planned this from the beginning remember? I planned on leaving you at the altar. I couldn't wait anymore, not after I found the license plate. Terrible hiding place Tyler, really. Then there was the risk of Ryan finding out."

"What if I told Ryan about this whole thing? What then?!" Tyler shouted at her.

Tiffany stared at him, then smirked. "Does Ryan know you killed someone in a hit and run? Does he know that his own dear beloved brother has blood on his hands?" She laughed. "No. You won't tell him. I know you, Tyler and you wouldn't make him choose, it would be your word against mine."

"Leave. Now." Tyler's voice had an edge to it. 

How he hated she was right. Tiffany nodded, grabbed her stuff, and left. Tyler looked at the door in silence for a moment and rubbed his palms into his eyes.

When Ryan got home to the apartment that he shared with his brother, everything of Tyler was gone. Ryan walked in with a confused look on his face as he took in that his brother was gone. He saw a small note telling him to call Tiffany then Tyler. Ryan pulled his phone out of his pocket again and dialed his brother. "Tyler, what is going on? You leave a random and might I say very vague note and move out of the house? What's going on with you and Tif?"

"Did you talk to her?" His twin asked.

"What? No, not yet. Why?" Ryan heard his brother sigh.

"Where can we meet up? I need you to bring Tiffany with you okay?"

 Ryan pinched his nose, "Fine, we can meet back here. I'll call her after we hang up.”

"Fine." Tyler hung up after that. 

Tyler pulled up to the apartment and parked his bike. He took off his helmet to be greeted with the angry face of his twin and a smug look on Tiffany's face. 

"Did you talk to her Ryan?" He asked. 

"No! I don't even know what I'm supposed to talk to her about." 

Tyler was fed up, "Ask her then!"

Ryan looked around as people started to notice the yelling. "Can we at least do this inside?" He hissed.

 They moved back into the apartment, where Ryan took a seat on the couch and stared at Tyler and Tiffany. 

"Okay, can someone explain what's going on?"  

Tyler and Tiffany started talking at the same time, getting louder as they fought.

Ryan stood up. "Stop! One at a time! Come on, guys! We're all adults here." 

 Tyler took a deep breath in through his nose and started again. He looked at his brother in the eyes. "She's been playing you, Ryan, she's been dating both of us at the same time. She blames me for something that I did when I was young and she dated me for revenge. Ryan, please you've got to believe me when I say she's evil. She planned this from the very beginning and she was actually going to go through with it." Tyler could see his words being taken in by his brother, his face firm.

Ryan nodded at Tiffany as if to say it was her turn. 

Tiffany began. "Well, to start things off. He killed my mom." She turned an evil and smug grin on Tyler. 

"Oh, come on! I didn't kill her!"

Tiffany crossed her arms. "All is fair in love and war."

Ryan stepped between them, "What's going on, you two are acting like children. Tyler killed someone? Tyler, how did this happen? When?"

Tyler glared at Tiffany before turning to his brother. "When I was twenty years old, I got in a hit-and-run accident. I found out later that the driver of the other car had died, I got scared. I traded out my car for my bike, and I kept the license plate for sentiment...to remember, I guess. Anyway, what I didn't know was that the driver had been Tiffany's mother. A few days later Tiffany got out of the Air Force. She blames me for her mother's death. I didn't tell you because I was afraid, but I would have if I'd known this would happen." 

Ryan stepped back and pinched his nose with two fingers, crossing his arms and silence reigned for a few thundering moments. "So let me get this straight, okay? You," he pointed at Tyler. "Killed Tiffany's mom in a hit-and-run accident almost nine years ago, and you," Ryan pointed at Tiffany. "Decided to plan revenge and dated my brother for a while until this whole thing blew up, right?"

Both Tyler and Tiffany nodded slowly. 

Ryan again went silent, after a moment more, he spoke up again. "Well, I gotta say, that’s pretty neat. I mean the whole revenge thing? That's pretty smart."

Tyler threw a look of disbelief at his brother, did he just hear what he thought he heard? 

Ryan raised his hands up, "Okay, let me explain. Tyler, I understand why Tiffany did what she did. I mean it was smart. Sorry Tyler, but I'm kind of feeling like you deserved this. I mean, don't get me wrong. It's pretty hardcore and kinda harsh, but I mean in the big picture it's a fair punishment." 

 "What?! You're siding with her?! You're siding with this crazy person who decided to take revenge out on me for something that I didn't even mean to do?! Ryan, come on, I'm your twin!"

Ryan fought back, “You killed her mother! Yeah, it was an accident but still! I really think that this is justified, Tif did it a little unorthodox, but I think that this is what you deserve." 

Tyler shook his head in disbelief. "What is orthodox in this situation!?" 

"Having you arrested for involuntary manslaughter."

Both brothers turned to Tiffany who hadn't spoken since this argument started. 

She continued. "Of course I thought about it, but then I thought about how devastating that would be to Ryan and frankly, I didn't want to put him through that." 

 "Thank you, Tiffany. I actually appreciate that." Ryan smiled at Tiffany. "An argument is much better than prison don't you think, Tyler?” 

Ryan moved to stand next to Tiffany, his side clearly chosen. The division was drawn as real as a line in the sand.

Tyler gave a sad smile. "I knew it. I knew you weren't going to choose me, between her and me I knew already that I was the losing side. I know you, Ryan and my guess was correct. I just didn't really want to believe it. You're my brother, but I guess that wasn't enough. Was it?" Tyler stared at his brother.

 Ryan opened his mouth to speak.

"No. You know what? Nevermind. I'm done." Tyler walked out of the apartment, the door slamming on his heels.

Present

As far as Tyler knew Ryan never even tried to contact him again. He had really hoped he would try. Just a little. However, he also knew his brother, and he knew he would believe Tiffany.

He watched as his brother and Tiffany kissed and were pronounced husband and wife. He smiled slightly, he wasn't invited, and it made perfect sense why but Ryan was still his twin and he wanted to see him live his life. Happily. That didn't mean Tyler had to be a part of it. Ryan made his choice and it wasn't Tyler.

He watched as time seemed to move slowly as they had their first dance that would have been his. He didn't want it now. Tyler leaned on the door frame when he saw Tiffany catch his eye, making her step falter just slightly, quickly, and unsure. Tyler stared right back knowing she couldn't make out who he was in the dark frame of the doors.

Slowly, he walked outside to where his motorcycle was parked, in the farthest spot possible from the building. Tyler buckled his helmet and revved the engine, making sure his bike was loud enough to be heard. As he sped off, he couldn't help remembering a quote he had read somewhere when he was in high school shortly after he and Tiffany broke up for the first time. He smiled sadly as he whispered it to himself: 

" It seems to me, that love could be labeled Poison and we'd drink it anyways. ~Atticus" 

How fitting that truly was.