Fade Into Me

Chapter 27

Dylan

"Here. Thought you might need something strong," Nate said, handing me a glass of scotch, before sitting down next to me.

I looked at him and wondered how she was able to forgive my sister? How did he get past it?

He truly is an amazing man.

He chuckled softly. "Go ahead. Ask me," he said.

He turned to look at me, waiting for me to say something.

"How?" Was all I managed to get out.

"I reacted the same way you had at first. Felt betrayed. Angry. Confused. Torn. I went through all of that," he started.

"But?" I offered.

"But deep inside, I knew your sister had no choice. I knew she did what she had to, to save Katie. And the thing is, I would have done the same thing. I would choose the people I love over anyone, any day. But still, I struggled with knowing and understanding that and not wanting to betray my sister. I felt like loving the person who took her life was a betrayal of who she was and her memory."

"What changed? How did you get past it?"

"I love my sister. I always will. But I was in love with your sister and I've never loved anyone as much as I loved her. I had every intention of walking out on her after my job protecting her was done.  Your crazy, frustrating sister decided to go for a walk, when a storm was about to come, and I felt like my heart has been ripped out of my chest at the though of harm coming to her. At the thought of losing her,  I realized I couldn't live without her. I didn't want to," he said. "I was scared out of my wits looking for her, and when I got to her, as I held her shaking from the cold, as she repeatedly said sorry, it killed me. My anger dissolved in an instant, and the only thing left was love and understanding," he explained. "What happened was out of her control. She was brave enough to make an impossible choice. A choice not all of us could have been strong enough to make. She was so selfless. She sacrificed her own morality just to save her sister's life despite knowing what it would do to her. What taking a life would do to her sanity."

As Nate's words sunk in, realization dawned on me. I felt my anger and sense of betrayal slowly slipping away from me, and he was right. Take that away and only love and understanding is left for the woman you love.

I looked at Nate and saw the tears in his eyes, as well as love and devotion for my sister.

"And the thing is, when my sister decided to get involved with the Rivera brothers, she already signed her life away. There was no leaving them, even if she wanted to leave. The only way you can get out of their group is death."

"I still can't imagine it being easy for you," I said.

"Lia has suffered enough and has punished herself enough for what she has done—" just like Sheila and Katherine has been punishing themselves for their choices. "—And up to this day, even if she won't say it, I know that it still kills Lia inside," Nate choked out. I've never seen Nate cry, aside from when he married my sister and she gave birth to their kids.

"And I wish with everything in me, that I could take it all away and make it better for her," he said, his voice shaking with tears. "But this is the reality of things. All I can do is be there for her, and hold her hand through it all. I just thank god everyday that she chooses to fight that guilt. That everyday, she chooses to love me and let me love her, because I honestly don't know what I would do, if one day she wakes up and she doesn't want to fight those demons anymore," he said, tears finally escaping his eyes.