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Rian hasn’t even read the rest of the letter and he is already bawling his eyes out.
Oh,Cyril.
His trembling fingers feverishly touch the thin paper. A teardrop falls right in the middle and Rian frantically dabs it with his shirt, making sure it doesn’t smear the already fading ink. He takes a deep breath to calm himself down and wipes his face with the back of his hand.
Brother, you have given me a home to call my own, a family, a reason to breathe. Tirelessly, you’ve cared for me, your love reaching me always, warm and comforting. I’ve loved you all my life, with the purest of intentions. It pains me to realize that perhaps my love, no matter how sincere, has held you back from finding something more meaningful. Something more than surviving and moving on with life. A deeper connection outside of our little bubble of safety.
Protecting you from the world was never meant to isolate you from it.
Ri, promise me you will go after your own happiness. Promise me you will live a life free of regret and take a chance on love.
Be bold. Be brave.
You’ve asked me to come back home for years, and it is time you know the truth.
I simply couldn’t, my love.
You were the one who deserved to heal from the nightmares of our youth. I was a part of all the horrible things that happened to you. I couldn’t linger and pretend that you, crying out at night plagued by dreadful visions, had nothing to do with me. I couldn’t just live my life and imagine I wasn’t one of the monsters that hurt you.
I didn’t think I deserved to have a life of my own. I didn’t deserve to forget or move on.
I didn’t want a chance to discover anything beyond being your brother and repaying a debt to you, by providing everything you might need to make your dreams come true.
Your love changed me. You forgave me all my sins and cared for me, no matter how much I refused to accept your compassion.
Regardless of how hard I tried to stay away, you, my darling were the source that propelled me forward every day. The reason I wanted to be a better person and strive to be there for others, supporting them unconditionally. Your kindness inspired me. I am so proud of you, Ri. You’ve become this amazing person, all on your own. I love you so much. I am honored to be your brother.
I never thought I would have to write these words to you. In fact, I feel like a liar, as I have sworn to you so many times that there is nothing that can take me away from you. That I can handle anything and will always make it back to you.
You were right – I shouldn’t have made those promises to you, and for that, I am sorry. I am sorry I wasn’t honest. I am sorry I was naïve enough to believe I could control events beyond my grasp. But I’m not sorry for doing the right thing. This is who I am. I believe in making things right.
I must take this precaution and say goodbye to you. My life is in danger. I’ve taken too many risks, and there is no turning back.
I met someone special. Before I knew exactly how important he could become, he was taken away from me.
I failed him. I should have held on to him. I should have protected him.
His name was Sebastian Scott. I could have loved him. Perhaps I do, even now. Even though he’s gone, and I hardly got a chance to see a glimpse of who he really was.
I should have followed my own advice and held on tight. To this day, I have no clear explanation why I didn’t. Perhaps the only reason is that I simply didn’t expect this man to change before my very eyes and strike something deep inside of me. Something I thought I would never feel. Not after everything I’ve put you through.
I froze. I hesitated. I didn’t do the right thing by him, and now he’s gone. I must make sure his murderer is brought to justice. I can’t sit idly by when I know that right now, Sebastian’s death is nothing but a blip in the statistics of veterans taking their lives under the pressure of long service. This wasn’t who he was. I owe it to him to bring the truth to light.
The man who took Sebastian’s life is Harris Kelly. He has threatened my life and Ty’s. He has been following me, insisting I stop looking into the death of Sebastian. He must know I can expose him. God knows I have enough evidence compiled to destroy his entire family.
If anything happens to me, I beg you to be brave and find Tayida. Help him expose that monster. To ensure the safety of the information I’ve been able to collect, I’ve hidden it in a location only you two would be able to figure out. Ty knows what to ask you, for you to give him the details he needs to track it down. This was the only way to ensure the records I’ve compiled remained safe.
That monster Harris Kelly is relentless. If he has no moral qualms about killing his own nephew, I can only imagine what else he might be capable of. His sister Cynthia has been helping me through this. The death of Sebastian was a big blow on her health as she has been struggling with addiction and trying desperately to heal and renew contact with Sebastian.
Promise me you will turn to Ty. Be there for each other. He is part of our family in one way or another, and it’s my last wish that you never be strangers to each other. Ty will never fail you. You can trust him with your life, and I implore you to consider looking deeper, Rian.
Trust this man I recognize as my brother. Accept him in your life as if he has a piece of me tucked inside his heart, and please trust me when I say, he will love you as I do – unconditionally.
Thank you, my love, for giving me your all. Thank you for forgiving me for all the pain and anguish I have put you through. Thank you for giving me a family and a reason to live. Thank you for loving me through all the pain. Thank you for making me your own.
I love you with all my heart, now and forever,
Your brother, Cyril.
