A Little Bit Of Joy | ✔

Chapter Fourteen : The Boy Who Disappeared

Logan didn't show up for three whole days. I had called him several times and texted him, but there was no reply. He hadn't even been online for three days and now it was switched off. Grandpa was furious and was already planning to sack him while I tried to make up excuses.

"I'm going out for a while, sorry to bother you Shaun, but that foolish mutt isn't there," Grandpa grumbled, referencing Logan and Shaun just nodded. "And JJ, keep these papers in the back drawer. They're very important."

"What is it?" I asked while taking the papers and glancing at them. "Are you buying anything?"

"Yeah, it's the old apartment behind the church, in the market lane. It'll be a good investment," he said nonchalantly and my heartbeats quickened as I searched for the building name and the flat number.

This. Thing. Had. To. Be. Kidding. Me.

It was the same flat where Logan lived currently and was expected to move out!

"Anything wrong, eh?" Grandpa raised his bushy eyebrows and I shook my head.

"I'll go keep this, bye grandpa," I said feigning cheerfulness, but inside, I was bursting in anxiety.

I could help Logan! His problem of finding an apartment was solved because my grandpa had bought it! I couldn't believe it, but this was real.

However, I was worried sick about Logan considering his battles with depression and suicide. I was trying to convince myself that he was alright, but the nagging, little voice in my head said otherwise. What if he was already dead in some ditch or in the corner of the ocean where no one could find him?

The bells dinged and my breath hitched, expecting to see Logan, but in came Eliza with a rueful smile.

"Hey, Liz, what's up?" I asked, pretending that everything was cool between us, but I could see her strained expression.

"JJ, can we talk?" She walked closer to me and I could see her eyes which were red-rimmed. "Please . . . "

"Yeah-yeah, sure, totally," I murmured and took a glimpse of Shaun who was scrolling through his phone. He hadn't been doing anything these days and just waiting for his internship, so grandpa asked for his help in the absence of Logan. Shaun and I didn't share a close relationship like me and Gemma, but he was always there for both of us, protecting his sisters. "Shaun?"

"Hmm?" He looked up from his phone and flashed a polite smile at Eliza, who forced a smile back at him.

"I erm . . . need to talk to Liz, so is it okay if I leave now?" I held Eliza's arm while dragging her towards the door and Shaun simply nodded. "I'll be gone just for a little time."

"Okay, no problem." He shrugged and continued smiling as we left the shop.

"Your brother's charming, remind me to ask for his number," Eliza said playfully and I felt a little relieved that there was no tension floating in the air.

"He'll be gone for an internship in a couple of weeks and besides, I think he's seeing someone. He doesn't talk about his relationships with us. The last he brought a girl home for introducing would be when he was around seventeen."

"So only flings, huh?"

"I don't know, he's secretive that way. I guess he isn't comfortable talking about his relationships with his family, especially to his little sisters. He doesn't want us to get into relationships till we're adults, like proper adults," I said with silly giggle and Eliza adjusted her beanie. She didn't wear any wig today and I could notice that her hair was slowly growing back, although not much. "If you want to date my brother, do that once I'm buried. Can't stand my friend dating my brother, would be too cliché and messy."