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Excitement.
The emotion Evie was most overwhelmed with. There was nothing more exciting than starting the next chapter of her life, knowing that her beloved Henry would be by her side. Long conversations with Henry about what to expect, what the journey there was going to be like, and many hours decluttering the train hideout in preparation for their move was just so—exciting.
But, there was a lingering tug, a weight that would occasionally creep in and wrap around Evie's heart and weigh it down. It would suck the excitement clean out of her veins and replace it with fear.
Fear.
That was the other emotion that dominated Evie half the time in preparation for this move. The fear in leaving everything she’d known for the last five years behind was poignant and would sometimes send chills along her arms.
There were exactly ten days left before Evie left London—left her friends, the train, her beloved cat, Tulip. But, the one Farewell Evie had perhaps chosen to ignore was the one she knew would hurt the most.
Her brother.
Every time Evie thought about it, a lump would form in her throat and her lower jaw would tremble slightly, so she’d shake her head and try to forget about it. Try to shelf it, and for the last five months it’d worked. Evie had just not thought about it.
But it was earlier that day when Evie was informed of her plans for tomorrow night.
He’d been up on the stool, pulling some of Henry's more fragile and special books off the top shelf and packing them away.
He’d sighed and turned to her with a shaky exhale, “I’m not supposed to tell you but tomorrow night the Rooks, Ned, Agnes, Aleck, Nigel, Clara, and I are throwing you and Henry a farewell party. One last celebration.”
Evie had parted her lips to reply, but he’d quickly cut her off, “Having said that, do not tell Henry, act surprised, and... would you be willing to meet me on the roof of Westminster Abbey? Just…you and me?”
There it smacked her in the face. Maybe it’d been the use of farewell or maybe it was the request to meet on the rooftop, but it just sent a painful anguish over her. The lump had crept back into her throat, and Evie had merely nodded, only to respond with a quick “What time?”
Jacob had shrugged, “Say maybe eight?”
Evie had confirmed that eight would work perfectly.
As the clock ticked shy of eight, Evie stood alone on the rooftop of Westminster Abbey, her eyes fixed on the bustling city below. She watched the people milling about, the horses trotting along, and the wheels of carriages rolling by. Each sight, each sound, a reminder of the life she was about to leave behind.
Her peaceful reverie was shattered by a soft grunt, and then, there he was—her brother, Jacob.
“There you are,” he said, his voice gentle but tinged with a sadness that cut through Evie's heart like a knife.
Evie managed a weak smile. “We agreed eight, didn't we?” Her tired eyes followed his figure as he approached, joining her on the edge of the rooftop.
The twins made themselves comfortable, feet dangling over the edge as they sat side by side.
Jacob sighed, his shoulders slumping with the weight of unspoken emotions. "I couldn't wait any longer. I needed to see you."
Evie chuckled softly, her voice carrying a hint of bitterness. “Ew, Jacob Frye being sentimental? Disgusting!”
He scoffed, his attempt at levity falling flat. “That’s sir Jacob Frye to you and…perhaps a little…” His voice trailed off, the pain he tried to hide evident in his tone.
Evie didn’t need to ask why he was being sentimental. She knew why, hell, everyone knew why. It was because for the first time in their lives, the twins were going their separate ways, off to live their own lives.
While Evie would start a new adventure in India with her husband, Jacob would remain here in London, taking care of things by himself. It wasn’t that Evie didn’t believe Jacon capable, she knew he could. It was more a matter of, could she do this without him?
A silence settled over the twins, maybe the weight was weighing on both of them. “So…getting close hmm? Ten days until you leave for India…are you excited?” Jacob finally broke the silence, his voice thick with unshed tears as he stared out into the night sky.
Evie nodded, her voice barely a whisper. “Yeah…I’m uh…really excited.” Her hands trembled as she fumbled with them, her gaze fixed on the twinkling stars above.
But beneath the facade of excitement, there was a gnawing ache in Evie's chest, a fear that threatened to consume her. How could she leave Jacob behind, her constant companion, her other half? The thought of facing the world without him by her side filled her with a deep sense of dread.
And as she sat there, on the rooftop of Westminster Abbey, surrounded by the lights of the city below, Evie couldn't shake the feeling that this was the beginning of the end—the end of an era, the end of their shared adventures, the end of everything that made her feel whole.
Evie’s mouth felt uncomfortably dry as she stared.
“Do you remember when we were kids and…” Jacob seemed to hesitate in his words, unsure of which memory he wanted to mention to his sister first.
Evie snickered, “I remember…I’m sorry Father was so terrible to you,” her words were spoken delicately, as if afraid to reopen old wounds.
Jacob shrugged, his voice catching in his throat. “The past is the past, Eve…I’m just lucky to have…” He paused, struggling to compose himself, “to have had such a strong rock there when I needed it most.” He wiped his arm over his eyes, a futile attempt to dry the tears before they fell.
Evie sniffled, tears welling up in her own eyes. “I did what I could…whenever I could…I…I never wanted to be Father's favourite,” her voice cracked with emotion.
The weight of their shared childhood memories hung heavily between them, a tangled web of pain and resilience that had shaped their lives.
“I know Evie…and I think about it all the time,” He confessed softly, swinging his feet just slightly.
Evie exhaled a soft breath, “Which time specifically Jacob?”
“All of them E, all of them. When I broke that vase while Father was already cross with me and you took the blame so he wouldn’t beat the snot out of me, when you snuck into fathers room to retrieve my stuffed dog Father had taken because I was too grown to be sleeping with a stuffed animal.”
Jacob sniffled, “and then when you got your share of birthday money from Grandma on our ninth birthday you immediately spent it on a replacement for the one father burned…”
The memories flooded back, each one a painful reminder of the sacrifices Evie had made for him, the lengths she had gone to protect him from their father's wrath. And as Jacob spoke, his voice cracking with emotion, Evie felt the weight of their childhood burdens crushing down on her once more. But despite the pain, there was a bittersweet beauty in their shared history, a testament to the unbreakable bond between them.
“I…I forgot about that,” Evie confessed softly, “Maybe it’s because your sobbing was so gut wrenching to me that I blocked it out but I…” Evie swallowed, as she glanced at her brother, “He was so awful to you Jacob and I am so sorry…”
Jacob shrugged, his voice thick with emotion. “I was an awful kid an–”
But Evie cut him off, her voice firm. “No. You were not, Jacob. You were a little boy crying for help…crying for someone to see you and hear you…”
Gently, Evie's fidgeting fingers were encased in warmth as her brother's trembling hands grabbed hold of hers.
“And you did, Evie,” Jacob whispered, his eyes shining with unshed tears.
Evie swallowed, her lower lip trembled slightly as she tried to fight her tears back.
“You were there for me when no one else was…” He admitted, squeezing her fingers gently. “Thank you…for taking care of me when Father wouldn’t.”
Evie's heart thundered in her chest as she soaked in each and every word Jacob spoke.
Her lower jaw trembled and against her will, the tears finally broke past her waterline and started to slide down her burning cheeks.
“I-I’ll…I’ll never ever forget being just seven years old and trying to find comfort in Father during a thunderstorm and…” He paused for a moment, “And he ignored me.”
Evie knew at that exact moment what he was talking about.
Their Father slept with his door locked, so when her twin brother went knocking on his door, he was left in the hallway, knocking gently on the door and begging for him to hold him.
At seven years old, Evie had watched her little brother tremble in fear, tears clouding his vision as he desperately sought comfort from someone.
She’d stood at the end of the hallway for two more minutes before she’d whispered out his name, “Jacob? Are you okay?”
He’d looked up at her and shaken his head, “No…The storm is…scary and…”
But Evie had cut him off, “Come on. You can sleep in my bed…with me.”
Evie remembered taking her brother back into her room and climbing back into her bed, patting the spot beside her.
She’d hugged her brother tight to her chest and reassured him over and over and over again that they were inside and the thunder and lightning was outside and it couldn’t get him. That she wouldn’t let that happen– no matter what.
“Father was furious the next morning…” Evie said softly, her voice barely above a whisper as she glanced down at her feet, memories flooding back.
Jacob sniffled, tears finally beginning to scale his cheeks “An…and you still told him it was you who came into my room and begged me to join you… all so Father would be angry with you and not me…”
Evie swallowed hard, her throat tightening with emotion. “I had the favouritism shield… the smack across the face and extra laps were nothing in comparison to what he would have done to you, Jacob.”
A silence sank in between them as Evie thought about their childhood; how despite not always succeeding Evie tried her damndest to protect her brother.
“Do you remember when we first learned how to go rooftop to rooftop?” Jacob asked softly, his gaze fixed on the stars twinkling above them.
Evie felt a tender smile tug at her lips. “Of course I do… you were terrified…”
Jacob let out a wistful sigh. “And Father was furious… insisting I was being childish and pathetic. But you know who took my hand and believed in me?”
Evie sniffled, she knew the answer and yet with a soft sigh, asked, “Who Jacob?”
“My sister. My sister took my hand and promised not to leave my side…she told me I could do it and that there was nothing to be afraid of…that she was right there.” Jacob replied, his voice trembling with emotion.
Evie gently wiped a tear that had escaped her eyes and began racing down her cheek.
“And–when I fell and skinned my knee, it wasn’t father who was there for me…it was my sister…even though she was tired and father was yelling at her to hurry up, she knelt down and wiped my tears away. She reassured me that I was alright and that once we returned home she’d do everything she could to make it better…and she was only eight and a half.”
Evie's breath hitched as she fought to hold back tears, her chest tightening with the weight of her emotions. "I hope you know, Jacob," she began, her voice trembling, "I would do it a thousand times over. Every degrading insult, every firm smack to the face, everything…I would do it all again…no questions asked."
Jacob's eyes glistened with unshed tears as he gazed at his sister. "That's part of the reason you are the best sister I could ever ask for," he said softly, his voice thick with emotion.
Their shared gaze was heavy with sorrow, each word adding another layer of pain to their already burdened hearts. Then, in a trembling voice, Jacob broke the silence with only six words.
"I'm going to miss you, Evie," he said, his voice heavy with sadness.
The words hung in the air, a poignant reminder of the impending separation that loomed over them. And with those words, the floodgates opened.
Evie pulled her brother into a tight embrace, feeling the weight of his sorrow pressing against her. She could hear his muffled sobs, the sound echoing in the empty night. His tears soaked into the fabric of her coat, mingling with her own as they clung to each other desperately.
"Oh, Jacob," Evie choked out, her voice breaking with the weight of her grief. "Jacob, I'm going to miss you more than I can put into words."
In that moment, the only thing Evie could process was her brother, clinging to her body in a death grip, his tears flowing in an unending downpour.
Despite her own agony, Evie's hands instinctively began to rub small circles along her brother's back. “I-It's okay…” she whispered, her voice barely audible over his sobs. “It’s okay, Jacob, you—you can cry,” she urged, her heart aching with every tear he shed.
“Evie, please know I am so, so happy for you, but I selfishly don’t want you to go…I don’t know how to function without my sister…” Jacob's words were muffled against her shoulder, each one piercing her heart like a dagger.
“I know, Jacob…I know,” Evie murmured, her own tears flowing freely now. “I feel the same way…I don’t know how I’m going to function without my brother…my best friend in the whole world.” She continued to rub soothing circles against his back, just as she had when they were children.
“Then don’t go!” Jacob pleaded desperately, his voice trembling with emotion. “Please…I need my sister…I’m still afraid of the thunder…I still need my sister…”
Evie sniffled, and for a moment she considered calling off the marriage and staying here in London with her brother.
“I know, Jacob…but it’s time for me to leave London…I’ve finished here…and there are some brilliant things waiting for me in India,” she whispered, her voice tinged with sadness. “This chapter is coming to a close, and it’s time to start the next one…”
Carefully, Evie sat back and gazed at her brother's tearful and fearful expression. “But…why don’t I get to be part of your next chapter, sissy?”
For a moment, Evie felt as though she were staring at a six year old Jacob Frye rather than a twenty six year old Jacob Frye.
“Because Jacob,” Evie began and gently cupped his face in her hands, her thumbs gently drying some of the tear streaks, “Your story continues here…your next chapter is as the primary assassin here in London…you’ll be here to train another generation an-and…and protect what you and I worked so hard to achieve…” She gently flashed him a half smile, “Besides,it’d be a bit hard to run the rooks from India wouldn’t it? Orders would arrive once, maybe twice a month…”
Jacob shrugged, “I–I guess you’re right…but…what do I do when it thunders?”
Evie thought for a moment, her heart aching at the thought of leaving her brother behind. Then, she remembered a cherished memory from their childhood, one that offered warmth in the darkness of their childhood.
"Do you remember when we were little, Jacob, and you were scared of the thunder?" Evie asked gently, a small smile playing on her lips as she recalled the memory.
Jacob nodded, his eyes filling with tears once more. "Yeah, I remember. You used to hold me and comfort me until I fell asleep."
Evie nodded, her thumb brushing away another tear from Jacob's cheek. "That's right. And do you remember what I used to do to help you feel better?"
Jacob's eyes softened as he seemed to remember the action from their childhood. “I remember now…”
Evie gently took his left hand into hers, pulling the glove from his trembling hand and setting it in her lap. She was gentle to bring Jacob's shaky palm to her lips, pressing a delicate yet genuine kiss into his warm palm.
“There…” Evie whispered, her voice barely above a murmur. “And now, whenever you miss me or it’s thundering, you'll always have a piece of me right here.”
Jacob's lips quivered into a small smile as he looked down at his hand, where Evie's kiss still lingered. The weight of her love and protection washed over him, warming him from the inside out.
"Thank you, Evie," Jacob said softly, his voice thick with emotion.
Evie smiled back, her own tears glistening in the moonlight. "Of course, Jacob. I love you."
“I love you too,” He responded softly, squeezing his hand gently in hers.
Once more the twins sat in a soft silence before Jacob flashed her a small smirk, “You look like a melting panda…” He said softly and stretched a finger out to rub at the smeared kohl running down her face.
Evie snickered, “And you look like a sewer rat, your point?”
Jacob chuckled, “My point is you look like a melting panda, that’s all.”
Another silence settled over them before Jacob spoke up once more, “Evie? C-Can you promise me something?”
Evie nodded, “Anything Jacob, what is it?”
Jacob's voice trembled as he continued, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "Promise you won’t forget about me? T-that you’ll write when you can an-and… that maybe you’ll try to visit me?”
Evie's smile wavered, her heart clenching at the raw vulnerability in her brother's words. "Of course, Jacob," she whispered, her voice barely above a breath. "I could never forget you. I'll write whenever I can, and I promise I'll try to visit as often as possible."
“But promise me the same, alright?" Evie's voice cracked, her hands trembling slightly. "Oh, and that you’ll take good care of London, yeah? Teach the next generation of Assassins everything they need to know so that when you retire with me we can get drunk and not have to worry about them.”
Jacob’s eyes glistened with tears as he nodded, his throat tightening with emotion.
“I promise to take care of London. We'll retire together, and we'll have all the time in the world to enjoy ourselves."
“Oh, and Tulip… take extra good care of her for me," Evie continued, her voice faltering. "She's been my pride and joy for five years, and I feel awful abandoning her bu–”
Jacob shook his head, a sad smile tugging at his lips. "She's just spending some time with Uncle Jacob while her mum and dad work… that's all, E. Don't stress it. Tulip's in great hands."
Evie grinned, her eyes shimmering with affection. “I know…and I know London and the Rooks are in great hands…because they’re in your hands, Jacob.”
“I love you, Evie,” Jacob whispered, his voice filled with warmth as he gazed at his sister.
Evie's heart swelled with love as she looked into her brother's softened eyes, realising that their conversation was coming to an end.
“I love you too, Jacob," she replied softly, her voice tender with emotion. "I always have, and I always will.”
A comfortable silence settled between them, wrapping around them like a warm blanket.
Jacob gently pressed his head into Evie's shoulder, seeking solace in her presence. Evie leaned her cheek against his head, feeling the familiar connection between them.
Together, they sat atop Westminster Abbey, the clock striking eight. Though only ten minutes had passed since they arrived, those moments felt precious and timeless.
For the next thirty minutes, Evie and Jacob remained there, their eyes fixed on the stars above. In that serene moment, they found solace in each other's company, cherishing these moments for eternity.
Even though it hadn’t always been easy, they’d made it to this point and as the twins prepared to transition into the next chapter of their stories, they cherished these last few pages;
Together.