"Felicia... Felicia!" Douglas Shepherd hollered with a smile in his throat, throwing his voice generously to the third floor of his $600,000 home. The ceiling arced high, and there was much room for his voice to reverberate. His honeyed-yellow locks of hair bounced as his neck swung about to properly face the stairway. Soft but sharp clacks constantly improved in volume, revealing her to his ears before she was in eyesight, but even then he knew of her beauty. Felicia Shepherd, formerly Felicia Haines, rounded the corner of the teak floor stairwell and stalled on the elegant platform, her eyes as joyful as the curve of her lips while she stared at him, together forming a state of unity they only found with each other. She wore a flawless heart-red dress (the same shade as her lipstick), cut open on the left leg. This matched the ruby pendant in the gold chain she wore gaudily around her neck. Like running water she flowed naturally into his arms where he caressed her, one large and soft hand holding the back of her head, feeling her chestnut brown hair. The other cupped the curve of her right hip courteously.

"What was it, handsome?" Felicia said in a silky smooth voice that she was placing a few notches above a whisper, as she so often did. A wry smile was planted firmly on her face and for the span of a second he saw and thought of that only. He returned her smile, leaning in and with tenderly poised lips he kissed her with passion. He locked his arms around her waist, grabbing his other wrist and pressing her into his own body gently. He felt her lose herself in the moment. She leaned into him, depending on him to support her. She kissed him back with fervent love, then ended their lips embrace suddenly. She leaned her head backward to stare into his slate blue eyes.

"You were saying?" she said, almost in a chuckle.

"I'm sorry... the moment I saw you dressed so divinely, I was entranced to the point that I was driven dumb. Allow me to make a gentleman of myself, now that I have regained my speech." he said charmingly, kissing her on the lips quickly.

"Originally, I wanted to ask if you were nearly ready for our dinner date... but clearly you've exceeded all expectations I could lay before you. Say, what woman is ready before the man has to complain, anyway?"

"One you should never let go of." she said assuredly, dispelling from their embrace and putting on her thin leather jacket. She shot him a smirk.

"And as soon as I say so, you allow me to get away!" she waltzed toward the door.

"Hey, that's not... that doesn't coun--" he tried to say before his cell phone rang on the marble countertop across the room.

The ringtone blared obscenely, chiming in his face as he made his way to it and picked it up. On the short walk over, he loudly mentioned to Felicia that he'd be in the car in a bit, and she should get it warmed up for him. He audibly gathered that she took the keys and left, and he gazed down at his phone.

ADRIAN SHEPHERD

His smile vanished. As if filled to the brim with vinegar, his stomach lurched and went sour. The crease in his mouth line was white and firmly in place as he swiped his phone to answer it. He had never been more calm and clear headed. Even when placed in a situation of stress, especially one where he lacked so much interest, he could maintain his ground. Whatever his brother wanted now would not ruin his day he had planned with Felicia.

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"I told you to never fucking call this number" Douglas angrily said, partially through gritted teeth. Adrian knew damn well that he wanted nothing to do with him.

"I know, but listen, you need to hear this, ok?" his brother frantically reported to him. Douglas could hear a tinge of... something in his voice. What was it?

"No, Adrian. I don't have time for whatev--" he was interrupted.

"God dammit, Douglas, I think bombs are going to be launched!" Adrian interjected, and then Douglas knew what it was in his brother's voice. It was some finely mixed brew of desperation, guilt, fear and feral rage. Hearing his brother in any other light than collected and assured made Douglas ponder.

"...What are you rambling on about?" Douglas asked, forcing his voice to stay strong, willing himself to consider these ravings fairly. His brother wasn't one to act delusional or irrational.

"I don't have the time to explain. There are things that I need to show you.. in person. I found out that the United States, maybe all of North America, is in danger." was the quick squall of a reply he received. Stupefied, Douglas remained silent for a handful of seconds that seemed to stretch further. It had been a number of months since he had broken off any ties... had Adrian gone insane?

"I've heard nothing about this on the news, a source that I'm more comfortable with. I'm hanging up, don't contact me again, Adrian. "

Douglas ignored the distant sputter of disbelief he heard as he ended the conversation, a simple press with the pad of his thumb. Coolly, he stared at the black screen and relived the past minute in his head. His brother had gone insane. Yes. Just more reasons to steer clear of that dangerous and delusional enchanter. Setting his phone down on the counter, he lifted his chin and closed his eyes. He gazed at the cabinets in front of him behind his eyelids and slowly blew out a fresh breath of air.

Douglas, although inordinately rich when compared to Adrian, had much simpler values and dreams. Some would even say that Douglas was the kinder, sweeter one of the twin brothers, although some had also said the opposite. No one ever mentioned the negative factoid to the respective brother though. Douglas was skeptical of people's opinions ever since Adrian had, to his own deductive mind, done the worst thing imaginable to not only his love Felicia, but through extension, to Douglas's own little family. His brother, through Douglas's own eyes, had committed a portrayal of betrayal that was still so heinous that it poked bruised memories for Douglas, and broke emotional bones in Felicia all over again. It pained himself to think of the stretched, tattered and snapped strings that once was the bond between Adrian and Douglas, but age put a fork in the middle of their road, and those you travel with aren't guaranteed to follow you down your path, nor are you to there's. In the end, Douglas thinks it was ego or maybe jealousy that overtook his admittedly bright friend and brother. But the end result.. unforgivable.

He pondered. Life changes, that's for sure. If you don't grab it as it rolls over you, you'll be left lying flat. It was unsettling to know someone he formerly loved was being left behind, but this was his wheel to wrestle with, and he didn't have room to share with his brother any longer. Opening his eyes, he flushed his stress away like removing the plug from the bottom of the bathtub. Today was too good, too sweet of a day to let spoil by one phone call. Plastering a smile to his freshly shaven face, he walked casually to the front door and, after checking over his shoulder to inspect life itself, left the house to join his wife.

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