Chapter 24 - THE LETTER OLIVIA NEVER SENT
Olivia eventually found the letters she had written during the weeks after learning Liam was her brother.
She had never sent them.
Some were angry.
Some were confused.
One began:
I miss the person I thought you were.
Another:
I feel guilty because none of this was our fault.
She considered throwing them away.
Instead she showed them to Liam.
He read them quietly.
“This one’s brutal.”
“I was upset.”
“You called me annoying before we even knew.”
“You were annoying.”
“I still am.”
They laughed.
Then Liam became serious.
“I’m sorry you lost something too.”
Olivia shook her head.
“So did you.”
They had avoided discussing their former relationship for months.
Now, finally, they could.
Olivia admitted she sometimes felt ashamed when strangers mentioned it.
Liam understood.
“But we didn’t know.”
“I know.”
“That has to be enough.”
She nodded.
He returned the letters.
“Keep them.”
“Why?”
“Because someday this will feel like another lifetime.”
Years later, Olivia would understand what he meant.
Pain did not disappear.
It changed distance.
The letters became less like open wounds and more like evidence of two frightened teenagers who had survived something neither could have imagined.
Before leaving her room, Liam pointed toward the first letter.
“For the record, I was a great boyfriend.”
Olivia threw a pillow at him.
“You’re an even more annoying brother.”
May you like
He smiled.
“I’ll take it.”
