Chapter 151: Lookalikes Finally Meet.

After spending hours together doing little more than cuddling on the couch, kissing, and touching, the day seemed to slip by far too quickly.

At two in the afternoon, Vincent finally left for the company, somewhat reluctantly, to attend to the documents that required his signature.

Dave, meanwhile, set out to pick up Eli after the latter had hesitantly agreed to come over.

From the way Eli had phrased his acceptance, it sounded as though the only reason he was willing to make the trip was to meet the lookalike Dave had insisted existed.

Bryce stayed behind at the house. The two had promised they would only be gone for a little while, but by six o’clock, neither had returned.

He had occupied himself with drawing designs for clothes and jewellery during their absence.

The jewellery designs had turned out beautifully, and he was pleased with several of his creations. However, the clothing designs were proving even better.

He had found himself particularly absorbed in those, developing one idea after another until the hours passed without him paying much attention to the time.

Eventually, the soft sound of a car approaching reached his ears. They twitched instinctively as he recognised the familiar scent accompanying it. Vincent was back.

Bryce immediately got up and went outside to meet him, making his way towards the parking area. Vincent had barely stepped out of the car when Bryce confronted him.

"That was way longer than the one hour you promised you’d be gone," he remarked.

Vincent had one hand held behind his back, as though concealing something from him. Bryce caught the scent before he could ask what it was. A sweet fragrance, unmistakably floral, with a distinct hint of strawberry.

"They smelled so good, so much like you, that I had to get them," Vincent explained, finally bringing forward the beautiful bouquet he had bought for him.

Bryce took them, then leaned closer to smell the flowers, his expression brightening into a smile. "Wow, they’re beautiful. And now you’re making me crave something else."

"I knew that would happen." Vincent gave him a knowing smile before bending back into the car. He reached inside and retrieved a bag filled with an assortment of strawberry treats. There were fresh strawberries, juice, yoghurt, cheesecake, and several other things he had picked out for him.

Bryce’s excitement was immediate. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Vincent in a delighted hug, his attention already fixed on the contents of the bag.

As soon as Vincent let him go, Bryce reached inside, eager to get his hands on whatever he could find. Vincent promptly gave his hand a light slap, stopping him.

"You haven’t even washed your hands yet. Besides, you’re not eating any of that until after supper," he reprimanded.

Bryce let out a disgruntled groan, clearly displeased with the restriction.

"Got supper ready, some healthy foods." Vincent added. He opened the back door and began retrieving the boxes of food he had brought along. After straightening, he glanced towards the house. "Is Dave back?"

"No," Bryce answered.

Vincent’s movements stopped for a brief moment. He turned towards Bryce, his expression shifting evidently.

"All this time? What is he doing for so long?" he muttered, sounding bothered by how long Dave had been away.

"It’s been four hours now, and it’s somewhere he could have gone and come back from within an hour and a half," Bryce added. "Perhaps they stopped somewhere."

Vincent said nothing as they began walking towards the entrance. Bryce could tell the delay was troubling him, and he understood why. Knowing where Dave was, and who he was with, made it difficult to stay calm.

"It’s hard to stay calm knowing where he is," he added, trying to reassure Vincent as much as himself. "But perhaps we should just trust him when he says there’s nothing to worry about. He knows where he wants to be, and that’s with us."

"You’re right," Vincent agreed. "It’s just that... I don’t know. Everything happened so quickly.

I never expected to develop romantic feelings for him, but before I even understood what was happening, it had already happened.

I hadn’t planned on giving my heart to someone else apart from you, but what I developed for him left me with little choice.

And now that I’ve opened myself up to him, I don’t think I could bear it if he simply walked away."

"He won’t," Bryce said, with certainty thick in his voice. "I was afraid too, but I know what we feel for each other after all these years, and I know what he’s been feeling for you over the past few months. Thinking about it now, I’m certain my fears were unfounded. He won’t leave."

He had barely finished speaking when another smooth rumble of a car reached them. They turned towards the driveway at the same time.

Bryce waited patiently, curious to see the man Dave had insisted looked so much like him. The man Dave had been unable to move on from, the one whose name he had even called Bryce.

He pushed those thoughts aside as E-love came rushing back to his mind. He had left those thoughts and doubts in the past, and he had no intention of returning to them.

The car pulled into the driveway.

Dave stepped out from the driver’s seat, but no other door opened. Bryce and Vincent exchanged puzzled looks, wondering whether Eli had changed his mind.

But they could smell another scent beneath Dave’s familiar one. It was particularly distinct, carrying the same fragrance as the perfume Dave had once wanted Bryce to wear.

Dave walked around to the passenger’s side and opened the door. He said something to the person inside, and they appeared to speak for a minute before someone finally stepped out.

Bryce watched the young man intently.

Magnificent, he thought.

And... did he have a twin brother he didn’t know about? The thought came to him as he studied Eli’s face. How could two people look so remarkably alike without sharing any blood?

Eli was staring back at him just as intently. There was unmistakable awe in his expression, even though he seemed to be trying to act as though nothing about the encounter surprised him.

Bryce found himself wanting to know what was going through Eli’s mind.

He tried to resist the urge, but eventually, he couldn’t help slipping into Eli’s thoughts.

’Magnificent. Actually beautiful. I can see why Dave is so much more into him than he ever was with me. But if we look this much alike, does that mean I’m just as good-looking?

He took my man away, and there’s really nothing different about us, so why won’t Dave just take me back?

Perhaps he likes his personality more than he liked mine. Perhaps if I stay here and learn how to behave like him, he could take me back.

Jesus, what am I even thinking?

I don’t want to be one of those jealous exes who turn into villains trying to get their exes back, only to make everything worse.

I’ve endured so much pain already. It didn’t kill me. If Dave has moved on and is truly happy with them, then let it be.

Staying here and seeing that he’s actually moved on might help me move on as well. Perhaps we were simply never meant to end up together.

When Eric comes, I’ll leave with him, move away from this country, and start building a life of my own there, if...’

"Do you perhaps have a twin brother you don’t know about?" Vincent asked, drawing Bryce out of Eli’s thoughts, which he had been listening to.

Before Bryce could even answer, Dave and Eli had already reached them.

Eli extended his hand towards Bryce, clearly offering a greeting.

"So, either you were stolen from the hospital and raised by people who aren’t your biological parents, or I was," he remarked.

His voice sounded lighthearted, but there was something heavier beneath the casual delivery.

Bryce chuckled, readily playing along.

"You’re right, actually. My parents had already informed me about one of their baby going missing, and we’ve been looking for you ever since. Unfortunately, the search proved futile. But finally, here we are, meeting at last."

He matched Eli’s tone, and Eli responded with a chuckle of his own.

"This is weird," Vincent murmured, looking between them.

"What? Can’t tell us apart?" Eli asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Not even in my dreams," Vincent replied confidently.

His answer made Bryce wonder what accounted for such certainty. Did Vincent have so much confidence because he knew him well enough, or was it simply because of his scent which would make it easy for him?

Either way, he seemed entirely unconcerned about the possibility of confusing the two of them.

"For some reason, the thought of you recognizing Bryce from me interests me more than I would have expected." Eli turned specifically towards Dave. "Dave, wanna play that game later?"

Dave hesitated, but Vincent answered before he could.

"Why not?"

"Come on in," Bryce said, stepping aside to welcome Eli.

Eli followed him into the house, with Dave and Vincent coming in behind them.