GREEN SWEATER - Elizabeth Olsen

Chapter 31

He wanted me to find it?.. I turn the volume up. I was in the garage anyway, so I wouldn't bother anyone with it.

"The point of the cassette? There isn't one. I already mentioned that your birthday is today and since it's.... 2:34am of course my midnight thoughts came-" he said the sentence with an audible chuckle at the end.

"Idiot." I whispered to myself.

"No matter when you find this Bella... I just want to tell you that I am lucky to have you as my sister. Really. I'm lucky to wake up every morning with you by my side... I'm lucky I had you when we were both at our worst... I'm lucky to be your brother and to watch you grow up..-" You could feel the boy's breathing becoming more irregular in the middle of it.

"I honestly don't want to cry right now... no Alex stop. Anyway ehm... yes I wanted to say all that because no matter what ever happens Bella... I am and always will be proud of you okay?"

I ran both hands through my hair now while leaning my head back on the seat. It all sounded like he had known something was going to happen to him.

"And Bella? Don't ever change, okay?... as sickening as it sounds it's true. You are a beautiful, strong and amazing girl. Promise me that. You can do that now the second you hear it, go I'll wait."

"I promise." I said to myself with a smile.

"Good then... I better go to sleep, because in a few hours someone will be pulled out of sleep by the beautiful Alexander Brooks so we can go to the lake together, as you requested. Bye bye."

Here the audio stopped.

"Bye Alex." I whispered to myself now.

My head drooped and I could feel tears forming in my eyes.

"You stupid stupid boy... how can you come up with words like that without me being able to answer to you."

The thought hurt her.. a lot.

"Bella." someone suddenly spoke up.

I quickly wiped my eyes before looking up.

At the door, I saw my uncle and cousin now looking at me with worried faces.

"Are you okay?" asked Lauren, making her way in my direction.

"What, oh sure. Did I disturb... I'll turn it down my music." meanwhile I said frantically putting the cassette into the box.

"That was definitely not music Bella." said the green eyed one who was now squatting in front of the door looking at me in the car.

"Was that really Alex?" asked my uncle who was making eye contact with me as he moved to the work bench.

"Yes.. that was him." I gave a soft smile.

"You miss him a lot don't you?" asked the black haired girl next to me.

I looked over at her from the window. "Every day."

She didn't answer but smiled instead.

"I see you managed to fix that boy's car." my uncle spoke now from the work table. I knew he was doing this to lighten the sad mood.

"Yeah, I think so. I was just going to take it for a ride and-" I couldn't help but think of the cassette tapes in my lap at the moment. "And that's when I found the cassette in here."

It was a lie, but I preferred not to tell them both about my plans just yet.

"I see... are you going to clean all this up?" He looked at the scattered tools on the floor.