This Cruel Love

“Jesus, Trav. She’s the love of your life. Don’t throw that away for some cheap whore out to cause trouble. Maybe this Lilly had her eyes on your money all along. Maybe she’s one of those girls who likes causing trouble and breaking up relationships. There are girls like that out there, you know. Guys too. You can be so naive sometimes.”

“No, she wouldn’t use me like that.”

“You’d be surprised what desperate people do.” I nodded over to the bedroom again to hit my point home.

“No. It’s not like that. It wasn’t like that with Lilly. Look, I shouldn’t have come. I just wanted to give you a heads up about all this. The wedding is supposed to be in three months, but I doubt that’ll go ahead. I’m done, Ryley. I’ve no idea how to come back from this.”

“Never say never. Cassie is perfect for you, Trav. You’ve just lost your way. Take a bit of time out, then talk to her. If it’s meant to be, then you’ll find a way to work things out.”

I couldn’t give my brother much more than that, because quite frankly, I had enough of my own shit to deal with, and I was mad as hell at him. Cheating was a hard limit for me. I wouldn’t put up with it. I loved my brother, but I was finding it hard not to yell at him and throw things right now.

“I’m taking a bit of time out myself, to be honest. I’ve managed to get Justin into a ninety day rehab program out of town. I’m going to rent somewhere nearby to be close to him, so I won’t be around for the next few months.”

I was quite impressed with my excuse for being out of the apartment, which I’d thought up in the last few seconds. It wasn’t the same excuse I’d give Justin when he woke, but the two wouldn’t have time to compare notes. It didn’t matter if I was the dutiful girlfriend staying near the rehab centre, or the wayward daughter who’d asked her father for his help. They were both pretty feasible stories, and would keep the two most important men in my life away from the awful truth. A truth that would crucify them if they ever found out.

“I’m proud of you, Rye. You’re taking all this really well.”

He grabbed my hand to hold in his and gave a sheepish, guilt-ridden smile. He used his finger to gently trace the silver scar on my arm, just below my elbow. My ‘brotherly war wound’, as my parents called it, was just as much a part of me now as any other body part. A badge of honour, if the stories my brother told were anything to go by. I was, as he liked to remind everyone, a feisty little sister and a handful to control. I remembered our childhood differently though. I was his shadow, his little minion, and I got on his last nerve until we got older and realised we were each other’s

biggest supporters.

That day, when the two of us were mucking about at the tree house was a bit of a blur, but I remember being carried back by big strong arms, to the safety of my mum and dad. I’d always be grateful to Travis for doing that. He stepped up when I needed him the most. I wanted to do the same for him, always.

“This mark right here always reminds me that I need to be a better brother to you. That was such a shitty day.”

“Good job I barely remember it then.” I smiled. “You weren’t that shitty though. You carried me back to mum and dad. You looked after me that day.”

“I… yeah… whatever.” He scratched his head and frowned, as if he was trying to remember something. “It was a long time ago, but I’ll always have your back.”

Travis stood up and gave me a much-needed brotherly hug. I buried my face into his chest and felt the pain of missing my family. It’d been so long since I’d last seen my parents. I guess my longing was more obvious than I thought. I really missed them.

“You know, Mum and Dad ask about you most days. They really miss you, Rye. It wouldn’t hurt to give them a call once in a while, or even pop over to see them. They’re not getting any younger.”

“I know, it’s just difficult at the moment. They don’t approve of Justin at the best of times. I doubt they’d approve right now.”

“Well, don’t leave it too late. They’re still in the middle of the Med somewhere, on their cruise of the month, but they’ll be home in a few weeks. They’d really love to see you.”

Travis kissed the top of my head, then headed out of the apartment, carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. If I ever met his Lilly, I’d be sure to give her a piece of my mind. Well, it would be a lot more than that, but I couldn’t get caught up with my outrage for Travis’s situation. I had my own to conquer.

True to his word, Jackson sent a driver to collect Justin at midday. My haggard, grey-faced fiancé stood next to the shiny, black Bentley, looking like he was on his way to the gallows.

“I wish I didn’t have to say goodbye to you for so long. Three months feels like forever. I’m gonna miss you so much,” he moaned, as if this was our final goodbye.

The painful lump in my throat thickened to an unbearable level, and I tried to swallow it down and stifle the sobs that were fighting to break free. I felt bad letting him go off and check himself in, without someone being there to see him to the door, but I had to stay strong. He wasn’t a kid, and besides, I needed to be here for my own ‘collection’. If I wasn’t here when Jackson sent his second minion to do his bidding, I had no doubt we’d be in a shit ton of trouble. More than we were in already.

“You’ll be fine. You’ve got this,” I said with false bravado. I couldn’t let him see how anxious I felt. I didn’t want him questioning my resolve, or my alibi for that matter. I needed him focused and ready to begin his recovery, not worried about me back home.

I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him, hoping I could convey what I felt without putting it into words. I was finding it hard to speak. My love for him and my hopes for our future were all I had to cling on to. They helped to keep me focused on the end goal. Our happily ever after.

“I’ll be home in no time. Clean, healthy, and ready to be your husband.” He winked at me and I chuckled, even though I felt anything but jovial.

“I’ll miss you so much, Rye. But I need to do this. I should’ve done this months ago.”

I gave him one last hug, breathing him into my memory for the long days and nights ahead, then reluctantly, I let him go.

“I’ll come and see you the first chance I get.”

Truthfully, I had no idea whether Jackson would allow me to visit. Would it go against his rules? To be honest, I didn’t really care. He wasn’t my keeper and if I wanted to see my fiancé, I would.