Two and a Half Weeks Ago...
"Evie? Where are you going?" Henry followed Evie out of the building, a bit worried.
"I'm... I have a feeling in my gut that something bad is going to happen to my brother." Evie lied. The truth was, she just wanted to see where Jacob was going to take Rose and why.
"Rose is with him." Those words struck Evie harder than she expected, "Stop worrying about him so much. He has someone taking very well care of him already." Henry added.
"I know... I know, love, it's just..." The young woman sighed.
Evie slowed down her pace, feeling a bit concerned of herself with all the mixed emotions her body could barely endure. Evie never experienced this before. She never expected a pain like this to feel so severe. In yet as each day passed, each time she felt acceptance and rejection at the same time. It was a pain she was willing to face, as long as her brother stayed beside her. A man she loves. A man she would go to hell and back for. A man she pleads to be able to call her own.
"I know you care about him, love." Henry spoke lowly and calmly, "But there is a time where you cannot always be around him. He has his own life to lead. And so do you..."
Evie stopped in her tracks completely, beginning to feel unsure of how to take this. The thought of Jacob being in the care of someone else. The thought of him looking at another lass the same way he looks at her. All of those thoughts suddenly lead guilt creep up inside her once her mind reminded her of what happened the night before. Evie was very hesitant on how to take this all in. But even though hesitation and her conscience kept striking against her emotions, there was one thing that kept her moving closer to Jacob. And that being a feeling of closeness she has never felt before which lead her to feeling completely overwhelmed, leading her to bolt.
"Evie!" Henry yelled out, dashing after her.
The older twin didn't listen. She just ran to the closest building to climb up to. She was completely lost at this point. She still didn't understand the whole situation they both ended up in. She wanted to let go and to forget everything like she did when she married Henry, but the view of doing it all over again with the man she's married to and doesn't even love, seems like nothing to her. It doesn't lead her to any emotional affect. It just feels like the same emptiness she felt when they failed to conceive children. Evie didn't want to face the trauma she went through in India. Not again.
"Where could they possibly be...?" Evie questioned herself, looking everywhere, using her eagle vision.
"Somebody help!" Someone screamed out.
"Is that...? Is that Ms. Moore?!" Evie jumped from building to building to get to the top of Big Ben, "What happened?!" The older twin went into a panic.
"I have the slightest clue!" Rose looked up at Evie, holding Jacob up, his head on her lap, "He was apologizing about something and... and sounded like he was going to tell me something important, but he collapsed before he could even finish." Rose looked down at him, worried.
Something important? Does that mean he... dear god... He was going to tell her he loves her. Evie shook her head, trying to rid the thought so she could focus on his health.
"How long has he been out?" Evie jolted by the sudden voice from beside her.
"Henry... w-when did you get here?" The older twin asked, startled.
"I just got here." He added, catching his breath, "Let's get him down from here and get him to a doctor." He picked Jacob up with all his might, wrapping one arm around his shoulder.
"Let me help you." Evie supported the other side of him, "Rose, can you get the doors?" She questioned with a small grunt, caused by the hold of Jacob.
They put Jacob in the carriage he used, Evie and Rose sitting on either sides of him, keeping him lying steadily on the floor while Henry drove straight to the doctors.
"There's a doctor near here that'll help us." Rose spoke up, hoping Henry heard her, "His house is just a few blocks away from here."
As Rose was giving directions, Evie was deeply concerned that all she could focus on was Jacob while Rose felt just the same. Without even thinking, the older twin suddenly began to hum the tune that came from the music box they used to listen to when they were younger, while stroking his cheek.
Rose was taken aback for a moment once hearing her humming, peeking over at Evie. When she looked at the older twin, her eyes widened slightly, dumbfounded by her expression. Evie looked scared. She looked as though she was about to burst into tears.
The older twin stroked his cheek softly with one hand while the other rested on his chest. Without even a moment of thought, Evie rested her forehead lightly on Jacobs, her eyes shut tightly as though holding in tears. She suddenly kissed his cheek, beginning to beg the Gods above not to take him from her.
Just the sight of Jacob lying there made Evie fear she was going to lose him. Just like they lost their father. Not just a possible loss of another family member, but the possibility of losing the man she has loved for so long. She didn't want to lose him. She would give everything up just for him to be happy and healthy. She would give her soul to the devil if it would keep her brother safe. She would drop everything just so he would still be in her life. Hell, she would even stop loving him as a man if it would keep him secure.
All of those things crossed her mind, leading her to confess to him all over again, "I love you, Jacob." Evie weakly gripped on his shirt, her forehead still on his while she looked aside, trying to calm herself down, "I love you so much, brother... I don't want to lose you, too..."
You, too...? Rose questioned herself, wondering who Evie was talking about, yet didn't question. "Ms. Frye..." Rose placed her hand on Evie's, hoping to reassure her, "He'll be okay. He's Sir Jacob Frye after all." She huffed out a pained laugh, "He's a man that can cheat death. With the amount of times he has been punched, cut, stabbed, and even shot at, he has beat death countless times. He'll be okay."
Evie looked up at Rose, a faint smile appearing on her face, "Thank you." She closed her eyes slowly, her smile turning into a warm one while she nods in agreement. Without a second thought, Evie blurted out, "Now I understand why my brother cares so dearly about you." Rose's face turned crimson by the comment and cleared her throat, trying to calm her racing heart.
They all reached the doctor, Henry and Evie carrying him in while Rose opened the door for them.
"I knew you'd still be awake." Rose scoffed, shaking her head.
The womans eyes opened widely, surprised of the sudden intrusion, but didn't say anything against their arrival. The doctor pointed out the closest bed and checked on him. When they set him down, Evie looked over, cocking her head to the side when she saw Rose look frustrated at the doctor that was looking sternly at her. But the curiosity faded right when Evie heard a sudden groan come from Jacob. When she noticed he was suddenly in pain, she broke the tension from the doctor and Rose, calling them over to help Jacob.
The doctor checked every part of him, questioning what happened, finding the reason of his sudden collapse. When she was informed, she told all of them that he was just exhausted and that all he would need is rest. Evie questioned about the reasons of his groans when he moves and turns into a fetal position in his sleep. The doctor informed them that it must be by the cause of him straining himself from overworking. Henry, Evie, and Rose were relieved to hear all he would need is rest, but they were still wary after hearing he overworked himself.
The doctor said he would have to stay a couple nights so she can see if there will be any changes. They all wanted to stay, but they were informed only one could stay. Henry left it up to the women to decide on who stays since they were closer to Jacob. Plus, he had some work to do with his former allies. After he kissed Evie farewell, he said she'll see her on the train later, having a feeling she'll be the one staying.
When Rose saw Henry kiss Evie, she noticed Evie appeared to be a bit distant. It left her questioning on why she exposed such an expression. She found it a bit odd since Jacob told her how good of a man he is, but she didn't want to pry into Evie's marriage because she knew it's not her place to question. Once Henry left, Evie turned to Rose, wondering if she'll be okay with her staying.
Before Rose could even answer, Jacob mumbled her name in his sleep, "Rose..."
His eyes squeezed tightly while his hands suddenly turned into fists as though he was in severe pain. He squirmed in his sleep as though he was panicking. By impulse, Rose grabbed hold of Jacob's hand with hers, stroking his hand with her thumbs, looking worried, yet tried to stay calm. After a moment of silence, a sigh of relief left Rose's lips after seeing Jacob's worried face become calm. She kissed his hand softly before placing it back on his chest.
The women's eyes widened in surprise after hearing Jacob call out Rose's name. Rose was taken aback, while Evie felt a little hurt. They both looked at each other and Evie closed her eyes, a faint smile running across her face while a small sigh escaped.
"Well, I assume you should be the one staying instead." Evie opened her eyes, trying to hide her pained expression with gentle eyes and a soft grin, "Please do not hesitate to come get me if there are any changes."
"Ms. Frye..." Rose felt a twinge in her chest when she noticed the look of pain in Evies eyes, "You should be staying with him. You're his-"
"I may be his sister, but he needs the one he holds dear and can fully... trust." Evie chuckled lightly, hurt, since she could tell her chances with him were very thin, "I'll return tomorrow." Evie placed her hand on Rose's shoulder, passing by her, heading out of the building.
"Ms. Frye..." Rose looked behind her, seeing Evie walk out.
"Well, that seemed a bit discomforting, did it not?" The doctor chuckled from behind.
Rose tensed up by the sudden voice then rolled her eyes with a faint groan before looking behind herself. The young woman never expected to see the woman shes been trying to avoid the past seven years. When her eyes encountered the doctors, a glare appeared on her face.
"Rebecca..."
Present Time...
"Benjamin? Is that really you?!" Jacob slowly approached the man with shock.
"The one and only!" He laughed, holding his arms out, approaching Jacob for a hug.
"It's been so long!" Jacob chortled, "How many years has it been now?" He questioned, trying not to feel uncomfortable since he saw him from afar just a little over a year ago.
"About seven years. Seven. Fucking. Years. Can you believe that?" The young man laughed.
"That's unbelievable! You must be married and have kids by now." Jacob chuckled, feeling slightly awkward since he already knows.
"Of course. Got hitched with my best friend right after school and didn't hesitate to start a family soon after." A huge grin crossed his face, "What are you doing back in Crawley? Evie with you? Either of you start a family yet?" Ben asked countless questions, making Jacob feel a bit overwhelmed since he's trying to figure out what to even say.
"I've come back to find something in our old house my mother stated in... in a letter." He lied with a forced chuckle, trying not to sound crazy, "Neither of us are married nor have children of our own. At least not yet." He chuckled with a nudge.
"What poppycock is this?! How are you not married yet?!" Ben questioned with the look of shock, "You're a catch that can easily snag a woman in a heartbeat. I bet there are several women in London that are dying to have your attention."
"Oh, please, I'm just a moderate man." He laughed, "Though there is one woman that has caught my attention." Jacob adverted his gaze as he explained, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Oh? And who would that lucky lady be?" Ben asked, nudging Jacob.
"Well..." He couldn't look at Ben when he began to describe, "She has long, jet colored flowing hair that's as smooth as silk. Her eyes are as azure as the ocean. Her smile just makes her look so pure and her pearly teeth shows her innocence. Her skin is fair and smooth to the touch. And her personality..." He scoffed faintly, staring out in space with a blissful grin, "Her beauty is one thing, but her personality is like a blessing." His eyes fell shut as his head fell in shame from his guilt, "She's caring... she's loving... she's kind..." Jacobs smile became a weak grin as he looked back up, "She deserves a man who will treat her like a queen. A man that will love her wholeheartedly. A man... a man that would never leave her behind. One who she could depend on. One she can call her own. One... one who will stay by her through thick and thin."
"It sounds like you fit the bill, lad." Ben chuckled, smiling at Jacob.
"No... I feel she could be with someone better than I." Jacob tried to laugh it off, suddenly feeling a punch in the gut after stating those words.
"Oh, Jakey my boy. Such a modest man. What happened to the cocky, rambunctious, confident young man I call best friend?" He wrapped his arm around his neck, giving him a noogie.
"Hey!" Jacob laughed, nudging the man off him, slicking his hair back to its usual style, "I've been through... I've been through a lot once I moved to London." He chuckled faintly, rubbing the back of his neck, trying to stay composed.
"I'm sorry to hear that, Jake." Ben looked at him, a bit concerned, "Well, I hope things get better for you. With... With what you've been through all your life, I hope things go up for you." He plastered a forced grin across his face, trying to not ruin the reunion, "Anyway, If you're going to stay in town for awhile, why not stay with my family and I? Would definitely love to introduce you to my family and have you reunite with the other lads and lasses."
"I'm honored to be given the chance to stay, but I'm only here for business and I certainly do not want to impose." Jacob awkwardly laughed, rubbing the back of his neck as he backed away.
"Impose? Don't be ridiculous, chap." The man laughed boisterously, "We'd love to have you stay." He rested his arm on Jacobs shoulders, pulling him along unwillingly.
Jacob began to feel uneasy, a bit peeved, and guilty for the things he remembered. Uneasy and peeved from what Ben did with Evie, but Jacob tried to lessen his annoyance by stating it was in the past. But his feel of guilt swarmed inside him, making his stomach flip. He has regretted placing Bens sister in the asylum, but they were both at fault at the time. But nonetheless it always haunted him. I'm sorry, old chap... Jacob apologized internally, but none of it erased any of the guilt, so he tried to focus on his main objective, since that was his main purpose of returning.
"Is that Jacob Frye I see there?" Another man walked up, rubbing his hands with a rag, cleaning off the dirt from his hands.
"The one and only, Ryan." Jacob laughed, going in for a hug, "How's life been treating you, lad? You hitched like your brother here?"
"Life's been grand. Married to my childhood friend with a set of twins." He grinned from ear to ear, then his expression changed drastically, "Though still a bit saddened I have gotten no news from my sister the past two years." Ryan sighed, "But last I heard, she was in some shady business I kept telling her to stay away from so..." He couldn't finish his sentence, "I pray she's alright though."
"Of course..." A faint grin crossed Jacob's face, trying to hide his look of regret, "Well, if you'll excuse me, I have something to do. I'll return shortly."
"Why in such a hurry, lad? You just got here." Ben walked towards him.
"Please... leave me be for a moment. I need to do something." Jacob looked at him with slight determination.
Ben was surprised, but held up his hands and stood back, "Alright... well, you know where to find us."
"Thank you..." Jacob sighed out a chuckle, "I'll return right when I'm done."
"Okay." Ryan and Ben responded, waving him off.
Jacob rushed off, hoping his home was still intact.
Two and a Half Weeks Ago...
"So, I see you're still the same old cold-hearted woman you've always been, Rebecca?" Rose questioned, not looking at her, focusing on Jacob's conditions.
"It's great to see you again, too, Rose." Rebecca laughed with annoyance, shaking her head.
"You know what? Why not leave this whole so-called, reunion, professional and pretend we don't know each other like we have the past seven years." Rose growled out of frustration, trying to forget her past, "Agreed?"
"I know you're suffering just like me. Don't pretend you're all fine after what happened eight years ago!" Rebecca scowled, turning Rose in the stool she was sitting on, "Stop acting all fine and dandy. Stop being the fake girl you were since we were young. Stop lying to yourself and stop lying to this man you love."
"How do you-"
"Give me a fucking break, Rose." Rebecca scoffed, "You're giving him the same look you gave me."
Rose fell silent, her head hanging in shame. A deep sigh escaped as she shook her head. She wanted to laugh this all off just to rid the sufferage she held deep inside her. She wanted to pretend this whole thing was just a nightmare. But even though she tried to view it in such a way, her memories rose with the will of it's own.
"Not this again..." She closed her eyes tightly, her hands clenching into tight fists, trying to keep her mind cleared, "Please leave the past out of this, okay? I've moved on, just like you have, dear sister." Rose looked up at him with a look of seriousness, "Tell your husband I said hello."
"Of course..." She shook her head with a laugh, feeling slightly offended by her coldness, "Well, congratulations on something my husband and I have struggled on." She frustratingly responded.
"What the hell are you talking about, Rebecca?" Rose cocked her head to the side, confused.
"I'll leave the news for you to figure out on your own. But I will say, you sure glow brightly, sis." She scoffed with the look of irritation and pain as she walked away.
"Glow...?"
Present Time...
"Okay, our house should be just around this corner." Jacob rushed around the corner and saw his house was still intact, "Brilliant." A smile crossed his face, feeling relieved, "Now let's see how to get inside."
Jacob looked at the whole structure, slightly concerned it would collapse any minute. It looked like it was sturdy, but he wondered to himself if it would be sturdy enough for him to look around. He shrugged off his concerns and headed straight towards the door.
The young man saw the knob was a bit rusted and the wood was rotting, but it was still standing tall just like the last time he saw it. He turned the knob and noticed the door was rusted shut. Jacob pushed into it, still struggling to open to the point of where he just stepped back and kicked the door open, tensing up after seeing it just fly across the room.
"Well, that certainly made an entrance." He tried to laugh off his own embarrassment, "Now what is it that mother told me about...?"
He began walking around the house, suddenly having flashbacks of his childhood memories.
"No, I don't have time for this." He shut his eyes, shaking his head. Once he opened his eyes he saw something shimmering near the fireplace. "What the...?"
Jacob walked closer to it, wondering what it could possibly be. When he picked it up, he noticed it was a locket. He cocked his head to the side, having it hang from his hand before opening it. When he did, he saw a photo of his parents. He was surprised since he never recalls ever seeing it around. The young man began to search around, hoping to look for more. As he walked into room after room all he could find were old toys and photos of when they were kids. It made him feel nostalgic as he saw old trinkets, leading him to remembering moments he loved, moments he hated, moments he missed, and moments he regretted.
"What was the point...?" He sighed deeply, sitting down on one of the old chairs that was left behind, "Hm?" Something was glowing from a distant, "What's this...?" He approached it slowly, noticing the light was coming from a crack behind the bookshelf in the living room, "How long has...?" Jacob moved the bookshelf, soon leading him to gasp lightly, "What the devil...?"
Two Weeks Ago...
The doctor informed them that Jacob will be just fine. There were no changes in his health. All he needed was rest and a voice to talk to him to help him rest with ease. He appeared to suffer with night terrors and insomnia which made the lasses fall into fear, but as the conversation of the positive moments in the past with him, it gave them comfort to know he will be fine as long as he has the support of others.
"I'm sorry to have to do this to a patient who appears to still be out, but I need to clear the bed for other patients who are in a more... severe state." The doctor tried to speak politely, "If he appears to have any problems, feel free to come get me. And if not able to get my assistance, my sister here will be just as helpful. After all, she did learn from the best." She smiled, hiding her look of annoyance.
"Wait, you two are siblings?" Evie questioned, her eyes widening a bit by surprise.
"Oh, she never mentioned? How shocking." The doctor looked over at Rose, seeing her tense up with the look of simmering anger, "I'm Rose's older sister, Rebecca."
"Charmed..." Evie held out her hand to shake hers while looking over at the irritated Rose, "Well, thank you for helping us with my brother." The older twin put on a forced grin, "I say we shall head out and take care of my brother from here. Shall we?" Evie looked over at Rose, signaling they should leave soon since she could feel tension in the air.
Without a response Rose rushed out of the door with a huff. Evie tensed up after seeing the look of frustration on Rose's face as she briskly walked out the door. Rebecca placed a small grin on her face and shrugged as she pointed the way out, not knowing what else to say besides the farewell. Evie walked out, the feeling of discomfort not fading.
"My apologies ahead of time if I'm not in the place to question, but... are things not going well with you and your sister?" Evie asked, hesitant of even questioning.
By impulse, Rose glared, but sighed and changed her expression into a weak one seconds after, "I'm sorry..." The young woman looked down, "We... We haven't spoken for over seven years and to be honest, I never expected to even see her again. But after seeing Jacob in that kind of state, it concerned me severely to where my mind thought of my sister."
"How?" Evie wondered.
"My sister was in a position like Jacob's before. She was so focused on her studies and her patients to where she forgot to take care of herself. Plus, she was the closest doctor and the thought of losing Jacob certainly lead me to facing someone I never wanted to ever see again." Rose sighed, looking over at Evie with a weak grin, "Anyway, the past is the past. It's best we just let it rest."
Evie wanted to ask more, but she knew she had no right to pry further into her life since she felt Rose was doing just the same. All Evie did was nod and gestured they take Jacob home.
As they reached the train station people kept looking over at them with concern, wondering what was wrong as they wheeled the still passed out Jacob. They tried to ignore the whole attention they kept getting from others, but felt slightly uncomfortable by the stare. Once they reached Jacob's room, they set him down gently on his bed.
"Goodness, I forgot how robust he's become." Rose laughed faintly, falling back into a chair.
"You know you didn't have to help." Evie looked over at Rose with a small laugh, catching her breath, "We could have just waited for Henry."
"I know, but I care about Jacob and I certainly didn't want to bother your husband." She looked over at her with a tired expression.
"He wouldn't have minded at all." Evie responded back.
"Well, he's here and all we should focus on is him." Rose nodded over at Jacob who was squirming in his sleep.
"You're right." Evie chuckled, walking over to sit on his bedside, "Heh... always overdoing himself physically." She sighed as she held his hand, squeezing it.
"I assume he's always been like this?" Rose walked over.
"Ever since we were young he always tried to one up me, so I'll admit, part of this is somewhat my fault." Evie scoffed, shaking her head slightly, "He's always been competitive, but so have I."
"I understand that. My sister and I were like that, too." Rose giggled, thinking back of her childhood.
"If you don't mind me asking... what happened between you two?" Evie asked, tensing up.
Rose fell silent for several minutes, not knowing how to respond since it was a past she doesn't want to remember. Plus, it was a past other's would find disgraceful. The young woman closed her eyes slowly with a sigh, trying to think of how to respond. As her mind came to a reasonable explanation, she spoke with trembling lips.
"My sister and I... we were inseparable. Just like you and Jacob." Rose tried to start off simple, "We would always spend time together, day after day, to where others ended up teasing us that we should just get hitched." She laughed, a stinging pain entering her chest, "Though after those statements, we ended up growing further and further apart as we became older. And... right when my sister was put through an arranged marriage... it was as though our connection just ended right then and there." She scoffed, her shoulders and head drooping, feeling ashamed, "After that, I quit working as a nurse and became something my family despises." She looked up at Evie with a small grin, "A bartender."
"Why does your family despise bartenders?" Evie questioned.
"My grandfather used to be one and it ended up making him become an alcoholic." She stared out, remembering the story she was told, "My grandmother couldn't take much more of his inappropriate moments to where she left him and raised my father on her own, telling him alcohol is horrible and should never be a part of this families life. Calling it the devils juice." Rose laughed.
Evie laughed along with Rose, finding it amusing, "Well, I'm deeply sorry that happened to you and I hope things get better with you and your sister."
"I appreciate your kindness, but I highly doubt there will be any forgiveness between her and I. She has her pride and I... Heh... I have my pride, too."
Evie looked down, feeling a sudden twinge, "Well, nonetheless, I hope things get better."
"Things have actually." Rose began, "If it wasn't for my sister getting married, leading both of us to become distant, I wouldn't have become a bartender, nor would I have met my colleague, Sarah, nor would I have met Jacob." She looked down, hiding her dark shaded cheeks.
Evie didn't know how to feel to that sudden statement. She found it adorable, yet so heartbreaking, too. With the look of Roses admiration and Jacobs look of struggle, it made her feel as though she shouldn't have returned. The older twin was lost on how to take things now. She didn't want to let her love die, but... she thought to herself, if she really loved him. She would've let him go by now.
Present Time...
"How long has this been here?" Jacob asked himself.
The younger twin walked further in, leading himself into a hidden room. He wondered what it was that he examined the whole room. As he looked around, he noticed it resembled the room that was in his dream.
"What the devil?" As he headed towards the fireplace, he saw the same frame he saw in his dream. By impulse, he took it down and looked behind it, "Wonderful..." A deep sigh escaped his lips as he closed his eyes after reading something that was written on the back of the frame.
Meanwhile...
"I wonder if my brother made it there safely." Evie paced back and forth, worried.
"I'm sure he's—?!"
"Rose? Are you okay? You've become drastically pale." Evie strides up to her, her worries increasing.
"I—I'm fine, Evie. I just... I must have just caught a bug..." Rose clenched her stomach as she covered her mouth, "If... if you'll excuse me for a moment!" Rose rushed over to the loo.
"Is everything—?!" Evie froze once hearing Rose suddenly throw up, "Are you okay?!" The older twin asked.
"I'm fine... I think I just... I think I just have the flu is all." Rose laughed with discomfort, Oh dear god... did my sister mean... please don't tell me... this can't possibly be happening... not now! Rose thought to herself, beginning to panic, I can't possibly... please... I don't want to make things even a bigger problem for Jacob... Her eyes shut tightly as she squeezed the seat of the toilet, praying this was just the flu.
To my beloved,
I may not express my emotions that well, but as I give you this painting of you and I holding our sweet loving twins we so wait to hold dearly in our arms, this is my symbol to you that with our children, our love will be strong and last forever as will our love for our future children. As we grow more together and raise them happily, our love will never break. I will love you forever and always. As I will with our future children. May the creed keep us all safe and healthy as our years together continue to pass.
"I never expected father to be such a romantic to mother..." Jacob chuckled, shaking his head. The thought of a happy future with someone he loves so dearly struck him sharply in the chest. "I will love you forever and always. Huh?" Jacob set the painting down, thinking to himself on what his heart truly yearned for, "Well... all I have left now are the letters..." The young man was hesitant, but he thought to himself on what was there to lose? Jacob sat back down on the chair and pulled out the letters, "Here goes nothing..."
Dear Jacob,
I know things between us did not end so well, but I would love nothing more than to fix things between us. I miss the times we spent together. I miss the competitions we had together. The sibling rivalry we had when we tried to grab fathers attention. The cooking competitions we had when grandmother was away. How I miss the times we spent, brother... Oh, how I wish we could relive those days. Well, I'm always here if you're ever ready to reconnect, brother. Always.
Jacob chuckled, a small sigh escaping as he felt ridiculous for how things were the past five years.
Dear brother,
I see it has been about a month and I have not received anything in turn. I understand things did not end well between you and I, but I would really try and do anything just so we can figure out how to fix this. As each day passes, it breaks my heart not being able to know how my younger brother is doing. I wish to hear from you soon, brother. I truly do.
Jacobs chest tightened, making him feel like a prick after reading that.
Dear other half,
I understand how the sudden news dropped harshly on you, but I never expected this marriage either. I don't exactly comprehend what you have against this, but I would like to. I wish I were there just to speak to you again. I can barely stand the silence. My life without you in it is so heartbreaking to where I can barely breathe. Please, brother... please open back up to me.
Jacobs eyes shut tightly by each letter, his heart feeling as though it was being punctured one by one as he continued to read.
Dear Jacob,
I wish you were here. You have always been the one to help me in such harsh situations. You are the only one who can truly understand the pain I go through, as I feel the same with you. I beg of you to speak to me. I can barely stand this separation, brother. I would do all I can just to hear from you again, brother. Please speak to me. Please... I need you.
He struggled reading that one as he noticed it was tears that must have fallen on it as he could barely read the letter. As he read each one, it tore him into tiny pieces, one by one, making it feel as though he was slowly shattering into millions of pieces. The younger twin didn't know how to take it all. But even though his mind struggled, his heart knew instantly. He knew what he had to do. It was a hard choice for him to make, but as he thought long and hard, he knew it was the only thing to do just to set everything at ease.
Without any hesitation or time to think, he bolted up and headed straight to the train that was heading back towards London. Completely forgetting about everything and everyone in Crawley. He wanted to finally make things official. He wanted to put things finally to an end. He wanted to make his future brighter. He wanted to start things he wanted to do long ago. He knew what he wanted and he knew what it is he needed to say.
"I love her... I need to tell her, but first... I need to be honest with her. And to myself..." He spoke to himself, feeling as though he can finally breathe, "Heh... God how I miss her." His eyes closed slowly as he huffed out a small laugh.
The train finally arrived and he jumped out instantly once it came to a complete stop. He ran to the train to put things away and to ready himself to tell her and to ask to have a future with her. Once he entered the train, he saw bottles of alcohol scattered on the floor and a drunk Evie lying on his bed, drinking a bottle of whiskey as though drinking her sorrows away.
"Evie...?" Jacob slowly approached her, "What the bloody hell is going on here?!" He grabbed hold of the bottle and looked at her with disappointment, "Why are you doing this? In the morning, no less." Jacob questioned, irritated and worried, "You know better than to over drink! Why are you being so goddamn careless?!"
Evie glared at him, not thinking as she blurts out, "You say I'm careless?! Ha! Says the man who knocked up a woman he doesn't even love!—?!" Evie cupped her mouth tightly once realizing what she just said.
"Excuse me...?" Jacob shuddered by the words, his pale face washed over with a look of shock, "Are you telling me..." He could barely complete his sentences.
"Jacob, now listen... I'm sorry. I... I didn't mean to..." Evie struggled to find the right words.
Jacob bolted within a matter of seconds, not even listening to Evie shouting out to him to wait, heading straight towards Rose's pub. Once he dashed in, he shouted without a second thought, "Rose... You're pregnant?!"
Rose's eyes widened as her face turned completely red by the sudden question, leading her to complete embarrassment as she became the center of attention in her pub.