Reese suppressed his smirk when he returned to the loft.
Jake looked like he was in shock when his brother entered.
"Hey, is everything ok?"
Jake took a deep breath.
"No, man, I - "
He started to break down in tears.
"Woah, Jake - " He hadn't thought the relationship was that serious.
"What's wrong?"
"I just got off the phone with Mariella's parents. She - " He shook his head, as if willing it not to be true. "She killed herself."
Reese went white.
"What?"
"I just spoke to her an hour ago," he said in disbelief. "Everything was fine. I - I dont know what happened. Apparently, she left a note saying I'd broken her heart. What could that mean?"
"Oh, God," Reese said.
Jake cried, holding his face in his hands, his body shaking with his sobs.
Slowly, he started to lower his hands, and that's when Reese realised he was not shaking with grief, but with laughter.
"What - ?"
"Oh, God, Man, your Face! Ella called me. She knew I had a twin brother and she figured out it was you when you called her Mary. I've never called her that! Nice try, though bro."
"Wait so, she's - "
"Perfectly fine," Jake said.
"You psycho!' he said, pushing Jake.
"Hey, you tried to break us up!'"
"I knew you guys would figure it out - eventually! Besides, you made me believe someone was dead! What kind of sick individual would do that as a joke?"
"I would," came a voice from the bottom of the stairs. The boys looked up to find their parents regarding them with amusement.
"Mom, did you hear what he did?!"
"Yes, I did, and we will deal with him, don't worry, but Reese - Come on, you can't go breaking up relationships for a joke."
"Yes," said Castle. "Only a morally bankrupt person would do that - even in a story. Even in a fanfic! Besides, your mother made me believe she was going to die as a prank - still the best birthday ever." He winked at her. She grinned.
Kate stepped over to Jake and patted him on the shoulder.
"Like mother, like son."