Player of Hearts

“What’s the big deal? All I was gonna say is that Jacob fucks me anyway,” Tess spat out. “It’s called sex. You know, when a guy-”

“Yes, I know about it. I just don’t want to hear about you having it.”

"Oh come on," she rolled her eyes.

"Leave me be or I'll hurl on you," Avalee threatened making Victor chuckle deep in his throat, he pulled up to a small pink building and smiled.

"We're here."

“Eww, what an ugly building,” Tess stuck out her tongue as we all walked inside.

“Don’t hate it just because it’s pink,” Jacob explained. “This ice cream is amazing! My Nana owns it, actually.”

“Awww!” Ava squealed, Tessa staring at her like she was crazy.

"Why are you awwing?"

"Because he's sticking up for his nana!" Avalee gushed then grinned. "Plus now I know where to get discounted ice cream."

"Wise girl," Jacob nodded his head slowly.

“I’m a genius,” she smiled as they all walked into the parlor. Jacob’s grandmother, whom he resembled a lot, hobbled up to him and started speaking some foreign language.

“Jacob,” Tess spoke up. “You never told me you were Italian!”

“How can you tell?” Avalee looked to Tessa.

“That’s what she’s speaking.”

“I didn’t know you took Italian.”

“I don’t, but I know more than just English and Spanish,” Tess explained.

"Oh," Was all Avalee said as she turned to Victor and shrugged her shoulders.

"What kind of ice cream do you want sweetie?" he asked softly as he kissed her cheek.

"Cookies and crèmes."

-----Five Months Later-----

Avalee yawned as she watched the rain patter against the windshield like nails falling from the sky, she was waiting for Victor to bring back her box of cookies and cream ice cream, another fix she had to have while she had cravings, she glanced out the window and smiled as she seen Victor running through the rain. "Hurry up," she whispered, she didn't want him getting a cold. She smiled as he got closer and closer to the car, but then suddenly, someone ran in front of him and blocked his path. Ava wasn’t sure who this person was until he had turned around…

Bret…

“Oh shit…” Avalee mumbled as she saw them begin to scream at each other. This had happened before; Bret confronting Victor like this, and all it ended with was a pissed off Victor. Ava watched them spit back and forth until her jaw dropped.

Bret punched Victor.

Ava’s eyes went wide as she saw Victor and Bret jab at each other. There rumble went on for a few minutes until Victor took a blow to the nose…

And didn’t get up.

Opening the door, Avalee stood up and walked slowly to the car's front. "Victor?" she called out as she glanced at her brother then back to her husband. "Victor please answer me," she whispered again as she reached him, her hand rose to her face and covered her painful gasp. "Victor!"

He was staring up at the sky, his eyes blank and un-moving, his nose was broke and shoved upward, to his brain, Avalee had heard of people dying that was, it was always accidental but fatal, death was a promise and a sentence. "Ava I'm so sor-"

"You killed him," Avalee dropped to her knees and held her hands to her heart, her mouth was open and gapped at her husband, he was peacefully still, his hands at his side and his mouth slightly open, Avalee leaned over him and laid on his chest, she closed her eyes and the first sob sounded faint over the loud pounding of rain. "No!" Avalee screamed as she clenched his jacket fabric. "You can't leave me!"

"Avalee get out of the rai-"

"Get away from me!" Avalee threw Bret's arms away from her body. "I hate you! You took the
one person I ever loved away from me!"

“Ava! I’m sorry!” He went to touch Ava’s shoulder, but she pulled away and snarled at him.

“Fuck you…”

“What?”

“You fucking killed him,” Ava growled, lying on Victor. People were starting to crowd around and someone called an ambulance. “You killed my love. My husband.”

“Ava…” Bret’s eyes teared up. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”

“No you’re not!” Avalee screamed. “You fucking killed him!”

“Ava!” Bret began, but huffed and turned to a wall, laying his head against it. Ava hunched over Victor, the rain pouring down on them both, as she cried. She rocked back and forth, attempting to calm herself. It was hopelessly failing.

“Victor…” Ava said softly. “Victor…” she rubbed his cheek until she heard a siren coming closer. "I'll love you forever."

"Miss!" a paramedic pulled Avalee up, she pushed him and fell back to her knees and fell on her side, on Victor's stomach, she crawled into a ball and cried harder. "Miss, come on."

"No," she whispered as the brown haired paramedic bent down and picked her up, bridal style and walked her to the ambulance, as he sat her down on the steel bar she clenched it and closed her eyes.

"What happen?" he said softly, she noticed he had a very soft voice.

"My brother killed my husband," she whispered barely able to say it. "Bret thought he was protecting me from a killer, he didn't know I was in love, he wouldn't take it as my answer."

"Bret is your brother?" he asked causing Avalee to open her eyes, he was staring at her with bright blue eyes, his hair was brown but in dreads that were tied behind his head.

"Bret is my brother," she swallowed the lump in her throat. "Victor is my husband."

"Is there anyone we can call to have someone come and get you?" the man asked pulling out a clipboard from the seat he sat, across from Avalee.

"Jacob Foxx," Avalee whispered. "Tell him Avalee said Bret won."