“I can’t believe it,” she murmured, looking between Robin and his brother’s picture. “They’re identical.”
“Adrian and I… we’ve always been close.
Or we were. But lately, he’s been making some bad choices. I’ve been trying to help him, but he disappeared a few months ago.
I’ve been worried sick.”
I reached out, touching his arm before I could stop myself. “I’m so sorry for putting you through this, Robin. I feel terrible.”
He gave me a small smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
“Don’t. You were trying to do the right thing. To protect others from being hurt.”
Mom shook her head, sinking into a chair.
“I can’t imagine how hard this must be for you, dealing with your brother’s actions.”
Robin’s smile faded completely. “It’s been challenging. But I’m not giving up on him.
I can’t.”
An awkward silence fell over the table. I fidgeted with my napkin, trying to find the right words to fix this mess I’d created.
How do you apologize for accusing someone of being a criminal? For bringing the police down on an innocent man?
Finally, I took a deep breath, steeling myself.
“Robin, I know this isn’t how either of us imagined this evening going. And I completely understand if you never want to see me again. But, if you’re willing, I’d love to start over.
Maybe we could try another date? One without any police involvement or mistaken identities?!”
He looked at me for a long moment. My heart raced as I waited for his response.
Finally, he broke into a genuine grin, the warmth returning to his eyes.
“I’d like that, Selena. I’d like that a lot!”
As we left the café, walking into the cool night air, I couldn’t help but feel that despite all the chaos and misunderstandings, this might just be the beginning of something wonderful.
And terrifying. Because now, somewhere out there, was a man who looked exactly like the one beside me.
A man who was everything I’d feared Robin to be.
Source: amomama
