History Doesn't Repeat Itself

Chapter 20

GALE

I pull the last note out of the box and I turn it over. I expected more, but there was nothing.

My head was hovering over the paper now as tears dripped down on it.

I clench my jaw and bite my lip, regretting everything that had happened, wanting to wake up, hoping everything that happened through the 2 years was a dream. I got Christy back, but I'll never get Lev back.

I hover my fingers over the last note Lev wrote to Christy. Grazing my fingers through the "I love you" message he had written for Cyder and me. All words were written in the same green pen he and I used. The same pen he. . . Fuck.

The only real thing I could do was cry.

I was helpless. I could have saved Christy from Lev. But I loved my brother too much to confront him. I already saw the signs. The scar on her shoulder, the way Lev started staying inside the house more, the way I said "hi" to Christy in the grocery store, and the way she tries to avoid me.

It hurt me. It hurt Christy.

I remember seeing Christy in the coffee shop she and Lev used to go to. She was sitting with Willow.

I remember walking to them and asking if everything was alright.

I remember Willow leaning in and whispering something to Christy.

I remember Christy shaking her head and asking Willow to let me sit next to her.

I remember asking them what happened.

I remember feeling light-headed when they told me.

"He wouldn't do that.", "He would never. . .", "He couldn't have. . ." I thought.

But it was all too clear that Christy was telling me the truth. Words didn't have to leave her mouth for me to understand. All she had to do was look me dead in the eyes and I would still have believed her.

I remember walking out of the coffee shop, and Christy grabbing me, asking what I was about to do. "Talk. We're going to talk." I replied.

I remember her shaking her head. "Don't. Please don't. It'll only make things worse."

I almost laughed at how ridiculous she sounded. She got hurt. That's reason enough that everything was horribly wrong.

"Make things worse? Christy, Lev fucking hurt you. That scar on your shoulder, the scratches on your neck." I said. "Don't think I haven't seen those before. Things are already bad enough. I'll fix this. You can trust me. I'm not him."

I remember her letting go of my elbow, and nodding with a slight smile. "He's your brother. Please don't be too harsh."

Being harsh is an understatement for what I'm about to do If you were telling the truth, Christy. I would have said at that moment.

I remember shaking my head as a reply and walking to the car.

I remember driving to our house with my knuckles cracking from the grip I had on the wheel.

I remember walking inside and passing by Lev's room.

I remember kicking the door open and yelling. "What the fuck did you do to Christy?"

I remember him shaking his head. "Nothing. I did nothing." He said. "I was. . . drunk. I did nothing to her. P-promise."

I remember grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. "What. Did. You. Do? Why is her shoulder scarred? Why is her stomach scarred? Why the fuck is her whole body scarred? Her fucking hip bone broke." I remember letting out a frustrated sigh. "Tell me. Is what she's saying true? Are you the reason for why her friend felt the need to tell me to back the fuck off?"