Evie was a little envious towards the woman who was practically eyeing her brother. Her beautifully fair skin. Her crystal ocean blue eyes. Her long, wavy dark brunette hair looking close to being jet black. Her curved figure as though she were a model. She looked as though she was the ideal woman for any man, including her brother. Evie's heart fell weak as though she were defeated just by the view of her brother gazing into that woman's eyes.
"Well, from the amount of shillings I received this evening, how about 3 shots of your strongest Whiskey?" Jacob laughed half-heartedly, "One for me, one for my eldest sister, and one for the most beautiful woman in this bar this evening?" He smirked at the young lass.
Evie's heart stung after hearing something like that come out of his mouth for some reason. She hadn't any idea of the reason, but she noticed she could barely handle it. The young woman groaned with discomfort as she just sat there, witnessing her brother flirting. Something she's never even really seen. Evie never knew he was such a smooth talker. Well, she did in a way, but she only saw him talk smoothly to get his way. The thought of his reasons kept wandering in her mind, wondering what he's wanting to gain from her. But alas, she resigned from it for the time being just so she could drink her feeling of misery away. The thought of the things that happened in the past was something she just wanted to wash away. Her feel of anxiety crawling under her skin, followed by depression was something she least expected to happen on her first day of return. Evie looked the other way, wanting to clear her throat to grab their attention, but she felt it wouldn't make much of a difference. She just sat there, awaiting to be served a drink. Evie looked over and continued to watch how much her brother has changed.
The woman blushed, looking away with a sudden giggle, "And who might the lucky woman be?"
He chuckled, signalling her to come close, whispering into her ear, "I happen to be looking at her right now. Would you care to join?"
Her face turned completely red with a bashful smile as she accepted his request. The young woman served three shot glasses and held up her glass with a huge grin. The bartender looked at the twins with a giddy grin on her face, trying to calm her racing heart as her eyes led back to Jacob's. Evie noticed there was something that continued to go on between the bartender and Jacob and it appears Evie didn't like one bit of it. A deep sigh escaped her lips, as she took the shot without waiting for them.
"Hit me." She smiled at the bartender, trying to hide her look of annoyance.
"Coming right up!" The woman smiled, serving her a second shot.
"Oh! My apologies on not introducing you two." Jacob chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck, just finally noticing he never introduced each other, "This is my eldest sister, Evie. Evie, meet Rose Moore."
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Ms. Frye." Rose grinned widely, "I've heard so many great things about you!"
"Oh, you have now, have you?" Evie placed a forced grin on her face, her irritation beginning to slowly rise, "Well, the pleasure is all mine, Ms. Moore."
"There's no need to be formal with me, Ms. Frye." She grinned.
"Then call me Evie." Evie replied.
Evie didn't quite comprehend on her reasons of suspicion towards Rose, but she just seemed off to her. Rose seemed too... lively for her own good. In a corrupted place like this, how could this woman be so optimistic? Evie questioned herself. Evie knew that her brother was keeping a good eye on London, but she never expected the success to improve so swiftly. The young woman sighed deeply as she took her fifth shot in under thirty minutes, beginning to get a little light headed. She forgot how much of a light-weight she is, but that was because she didn't want to admit it. At least not to her brother. Before Evie knew it, she ended up leaning towards Jacob resting her head on his shoulder, slowly drifting in and out of slumber.
"Hm?" Jacob flinched by the sudden touch from Evie, "Shit... Completely forgot this would happen." He shook his head with a faint chuckle, "Sorry, love. Appears I should escort my sister home. But I'll return later. Promise." He smirked at Rose before picking up his half-asleep sister into a bridal style stance.
"I hope she's going to be alright." Rose looked at her with concern, then back at Jacob with a faint grin, "I'll be waiting." She waved them off.
Jacob nodded with a small grin, then said his good-bye's to everyone as he walked out of the bar with his sister in his arms. A deep sigh escaped his lips as he looked down at his vulnerable looking sister. A groan of frustration left his lips as he tried to distract himself with the surroundings of the city, but it didn't help him. His eyes kept doing sideway glances at his sisters appearance. The look of innocence in her sleeping form. Her look of fierce differentiating into a look of calmness. He couldn't believe himself at all. He couldn't believe his mind nor even his heart on how it all changed completely once that day of proposal finally became real.
Five Years Ago...
The silence was deafening to the twins. Jacob never looked so inferiated in his life. He always had a calm demeanor and a teasingly, loving personality with a bit of cheek and sarcasm. Yes, there were times when he lost his temper, but he never looked like he became maddening. It feared Evie in a way that it led her to confusion. She couldn't comprehend with the instant change in characteristics. This man was not her brother, but she stood her ground to get her brother back to his orderly self.
"He... he proposed last night, brother..." She responded calmly.
"Oh-ho... So that's why you've been acting strangely lately..." He chuckled faintly, "Why did you accept such a proposal?" Jacob's look of anger developed into a look of anguish.
"Because..." Evie fell silent, unable to answer an obvious question, having to forcefully spit out the words, "Because I love this man..." She felt a sudden ache in her chest when she gave him that answer.
"Well, I guess all I have to say is... Congrats..." He chuckled faintly, looking down, cupping his chin, trying to make the smile of disbelief look joyful, "Congrats, Evie... Congrats..." Jacob turned brisk and jumped off the train, fleeing from something he wished was just a nightmare.
Evie wanted to go after Jacob, but she felt it would make no difference and the issue would just cause more farce. The young woman just stayed behind, hoping things will cool off when he returns. As three days passed, she knew something wrong was amidst them. Jacob hasn't returned since the night he found out about the engagement on his own. The young woman began to worry. She knew she didn't have to, seeing as to how Jacob could get out of anything on his own, but something inside her made her stomach churn by the cause of worrisome.
"Love...? Are you okay?" Henry questioned.
"Hm? Oh! I-I'm fine." She planted a fake smile across her face, "Everything's perfectly fine... l-love..." Evie looked away, pondering why she had difficulty calling her own fiance love, "I'm going to explore the area. I'll return early this evening." The young woman kissed Henry's cheek and waved before jumping off the train to go look for her brother.
The young woman tried to think of where her brother could possibly be. Evie went to every viewpoint. Every fighting ring. Every gang territories. Even every bar. Zero results. She couldn't find Jacob anywhere and it just made matters worst for her. It made her feel like she just lost a child. When the sun began to set, she ceded for the evening and returned to the train with a huff.
"Henry, I'm- There you are! For goodness sake, you made me worried sick!" Evie walked up to Jacob, about to prepare for a lecture.
"You're not my mother and I just came here to get some of my things... I'll be out for awhile, sister dearest." He spoke expressionlessly, passing by her.
"Jacob, stop this childishness!" Evie ran in front of him, blocking the exit, "Why are you avoiding me?"
Jacob could barely look at Evie, a piercing pain hitting deep inside his chest as he tried to respond, "I'm not being childish nor avoiding you, Evie. I'm just simply giving you two space." He plastered a fake grin on his face, trying to avoid conflict he could feel was obviously building up.
"I can tell just by the look in your eyes, something is bothering you!" Evie looked at him, irritation following behind her stress.
"Evie, stop being absurd." Jacob scoffed, "Everything is just fine between you and I. I promise you that." His grin never left, "I just feel you two should spend more time with each other. Is that wrong of me?" Jacob stared down at her, the smile still on his face.
"No... of course not..." Evie looked down, her heart becoming heavy by the piercing glare he had hidden behind those soft eyes.
"Good... have fun, sister dearest." He walked passed her, about to jump off, but was suddenly grabbed by Henry.
Evie looked up, noticing Henry talking to Jacob. It looked as though a fight was about to occur that Evie was about to walk over to stop it, but she came to a halt after seeing Jacob look at her with a faint grin after nodding to what Henry said. It left the young woman questioning on what Henry said to him, but she didn't want to cause any harm in this situation and just stayed back, leaving her brother be.
Present Time...
"Mmm... hm...?" Evie was slowly waking up from her little nap, feeling a sharp pain hit her temple, "Ugh... Wh-What's going on? What happened...?"
"I forgot how much of a light-weight you are." Jacob chuckled, "You should be careful next time, dear sister. Wouldn't want drinking be your way to die, would you?"
"Of course not! W-Wait... w-why am I in your arms?!" She began to struggle out of his hold.
"Stop being so troublesome and let me help you for once. Goodness..." He sighed deeply, slightly miffed by Evie's actions.
"For once...? What do you mean for once?" Evie stopped struggling.
"You always... you always left me on the side whenever I offered to assist you on things." Jacob began, "You always asked for father and George and... and then Henry..." He fell silent for a moment, then spoke again, "Anyway, sod it. Let me help you just this once." Another sigh escaped, "You over drank and from what was served to you, you wouldn't be able to walk steadily, nor have the ability to catch the train."
"The train is still going?" Evie sounded relieved.
"Of course, what in the world would make you think it would stop?" Jacob scoffed with slight disbelief.
"Well, seeing as to how you were left here, I thought it'd crash and burn like the time you assassinated Rupert Ferris." Evie responded, giving a snarky remark, crossing her arms as though she was throwing a little fit for surrendering.
"Oh, shut up..." He chuckled faintly, hiding his slightly flushed face, "You're lucky I'm not the type of man who would just drop and leave you."
Drop and leave me, huh...? She thought to herself, suddenly recalling the realization of the actual cause of Henry and her separating.
"Ugh... my damn... head..." She clenched her head.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk... The aftermath of over drinking, sweet sister of mine." Jacob laughed lightly, amused of the results, though feeling slight guilt for not keeping an eye on her.
"Oh, be quiet, little brother..." She scoffed, burying her head between his neck and shoulder, suddenly inhaling the sweet aroma from her brother, "Mmm..." Without even realizing, she snuggled up against him.
Jacob jolted by that sudden action, but he hid it well enough, trying to show he didn't notice her sudden affection. He felt awkward, but had no complaints, seeing as to how this is one secret he longed to do. As the walk to the train was longer than expected, Evie ended up going into a deep slumber, admiring the scent of her brother as he carried her back all the way to the train without a single fuss.
"Thank you... brother..." She whispered in her sleep.
"Heh... you're welcome... sis..." Jacob was pained by the words, but with her in his arms, he was satisfied enough to accept their positions in their classification.