Love Bird. by Emily. Z. (story read aloud TXT) 📕

Love Bird.

I picked up the letter taped to the back of the bench, feeling my anticipation grow as I opened the next clue.

There was another letter, and below it was a phone number.

It read:

Well, love, you've found another clue. The number below is your next lead, follow it with an open mind, because this is the start of your puzzle.

Love, Jane.

I looked around, finding a payphone across the street. I pulled out some money and rushed across, popping the coins in the slot. I read over the letter once again, imagining her telling me she loved me with that soft smile that could turn my heart to mush. Geez, I sounded like a girl.

I sighed, dialing the number. It rang two times while I fidgeted nervously on the other end.

The phone picked up, and I heard...nothing.

Well, not exactly nothing, it was as if the phone had been dropped in a crowded street. Children laughed, people chattered, and I could hear the faint squeak of tennis shoes on a slick floor.

So...a crowded place?

"Hello?" I asked, my voice husky with the desperation to hear her voice.

"Have you figured out my clue?" She asked.

I sucked in a relieved breath. "Jane." I whispered.

She chuckled softly. "Hi, love. Did you figure out my riddle?"

"I'm guessing it's somewhere crowded." I shrugged.

"Good. The next clue is in my favorite place in the world, The bakery down by Larson St." She informed. "You'll need to wait until Saturday at three O clock when Benny is working. Give him your name and ID, and he'll have the next clue." 

"Alright. And Jane?" I asked before she could hang up.

"Mhm." She said softly.

"I love you."

Her laugh was like music to my ears. "I love you too."

I let out a heavy sigh. "Why can't we just meet like normal people?"

"Because that's no fun." She replied easily.

"I want to see you." I mumbled.

She giggled. "Well put those clues together and you'll find me in no time."

I was about to argue, but the line went dead.

Grumbling to myself, I set the phone back on the hook and turned around, heading back to my car with the note clutched in my hands.

One thought sent a thrill through my mind as I started my engine.

One step closer.

Literal Grim Brother.

 

I was eager to get the next clue, but Saturday was tomorrow. I'd have to wait. I was off work today, and it was driving me mad having nothing to do. 

Jane's beautiful face was the only thing I could think about on my way to the coffee shop. The way her blue eyes would light up when she laughed. When she would bite her lip when she was nervous or embarrassed. The intuition that would spark in her eyes when she figured something out. Her love of the blue gingerbread man and her hate of the green.

I had to chuckle at the last part. What a strange, yet wonderful girl. 

I pulled into the parking spot of the little cafe, my eyes scoping out the area before carefully getting out. Although Kent had claimed Ike had been incapasitated and heavily bleeding when they escaped, he still had powerful people on his side. He was out there, even if he wasn't out there.

I sighed and headed inside, walking up to the counter.

"Hey Victor, how are you this m-morning?" Silvia, a shy, but friendly girl asked me, her cheeks turning red at my approach.

"I'm fine. How about you?" I asked politely.

"I-I'm okay. M-my mom finally got her car fixed." She stammered.

"That's great. I was about ready to pay for the fix myself." I chuckled.

"Y-yeah." She mumbled awkwardly. She cleared her throat, giving me a weak smile, "The usual, then?"

"The usual." I confirmed.

It always confused me as to why the girl always seemed to shrink when I'm around. I've seen her at ease with all of the customers, a decent worker, but then I step up and the girl loses her nerve. 

I never could figure out why. Maybe because I was an officer? I doubted it, most of the people here knew me by heart. Silvia started working here not long after I came back from Florida, I immediately took a liking to the shy girl. Although she was quiet, the few words she did utter were admirable and mature.

She was a petite girl, probably no older than nineteen. She had big brown eyes that fit her personality, and short, mousy brown hair that was always pulled away from her face with a sparkly headband of some kind. Her mother was almost exactly the same in looks, but her personality was outgoing and boisterous. She always found a way to make a joke of even the most serious situations.

Nodding in thanks to the kid behind the counter, I took my coffee from him. I walked over to my usual seat by the window, pulling the strap of my bag over my shoulder and setting it on the table. 

I opened it up, taking out a few files from work to pass the time with. I was busy reading over a DUI case file, sipping my coffee in one hand, when someone slid into the seat across from me.

I cast my eyes up to see my sister.

"Jean." I greeted warily, knowing what this was about.

"Hi Victor." She said, taking a casual drink of her coffee.

I sighed, setting my file down and settling my gaze firmly on her. "I know what you're going to say-"

"Just hear me out, Vic. He is going through a lot right now. The day she left really messed him up. Just talk to him. Please? You're the only one I know he'll listen to." She pleaded.

I snorted. "Right. What makes you think he's going to listen to me? I'm the reason she left."

She gave me a dissaproving glare. "You are not the reason she left. Besides, he's your brother. You two have been thick as thieves since he was old enough to talk."

I pressed my lips into a thin line, unable to argue with that fact. Still, it was going to be hard to get past the bitter jealousy...on both sides. 

"Have you told him about this?" I asked, taking a long drink of my coffee.

She shook her head. "He's coming over tonight. I told him that Mom wanted to make him dinner."

I rubbed my temple in a tired manner. "I'll be the first one to tell you 'I told you so' when he punches me."

 She rolled her eyes. "He won't punch you. And I'll smack him if he does." I scoffed.

"Sure you will."

She flashed me a smile and her eyes lit up. "Is that a yes?"

I groaned. "I'll see you tonight."

She cheered and stood up, skipping over to me and pecking me on the cheek. "Well I'll see you later."

I grunted in response.

Go Your Own Way.

 

The kitchen bustled with activity, as mom cooked dinner. Jean was playing some new game on her phone, as she sat on the recliner to our left. 

And then there was us. Logan and I sat across from each other, dead silent. We probably looked like mirror images of each other - arms crossed, stone-faced, eyes never wavering. Jean had tried to start conversation, but gave up as we just grunted. 

"Dinner is ready!" Mom announced happily, not oblivious to our silence, but ignoring it.

Logan and I stood up at the same time, glaring at each other as we waited for one another to move. Anger radiated from me. Resentment from him.

Don't get me wrong. I came here to speak with him - to reason with him. But as soon as he saw my face, he went livid. He yelled about how I was out to ruin his life. He even brought Jane into the fight, which was when I shut down. We still had a lot of things to work out, her and I. Including Logan's apparent love for her.

I felt...almost defeated as he railed insults at me. Wondering why the love of my life had to be wound in such a complicated way with my relationship with my brother. I wished that none of this could have happened - that Jane and I could have met in a different, more simple life. 

But then, Jane wouldn't be the same. She wouldn't have her famous sarcastic attitude, and the love of candy land and oldies music. I loved my Jane.

But so did he.

Logan picked at his food, answering mom's inquiries about his life with one-word answers. He never seemed to visit anymore. We had no idea what was going on with him.

We were silent for the first fifteen minutes, the only sound in the room was the clanking of our plates. Mom calmly lifted her drink to her lips, taking a long sip of water as she stared hard at my brother and I, Before she sat the cup down softly, and then her hand slammed down on the table top, shocking all of us.

"I will not tolerate this any longer!" She snarled, having suddenly done away with the calm facade. "Logan, I want you to apologize right this second to Victor for your behavior. And Victor!" She pointed at me, her face creasing in a hard frown. "You never call anymore, either! You're just as bad as him! Now, I loved Jane as much as the rest of us, but she is gone," Her voice, surprisingly, grew thick with tears with the last few words. "And none of us can make her come back. Nor does moping change what happened!" Finishing, she took her glass of wine and chugged the whole thing. "I learned that lesson with your father," She added as she set the empty glass down.

We all stared at her, saddened at the mention of Dad. On the other hand, we were all dumbfounded at her outburst. We'd never seen mom so angry. 

And then, her lip trembled, and she burst into tears. "I'm losing my baby boys!" She sobbed, her face falling into her hands.

Logan and I jumped up, our chairs hitting the wall as we hurried to her side. Jean was sitting back, her face in her hand, and she looked as if she were crying as well, as her shoulders shook.

We both hugged Mom around the shoulders, our arms crossing each other as we always did when we were kids. 

"We're not going anywhere mom!" I assured frantically.

"He's right, Ma. Look,