Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
Love in Chains - 21. Epilogue
It’s hard to remember back to that time. I can hardly bear to think how close we came to losing the bright star that is my brother. He and Kane were made for each other and there should never have been room for Adam in between them. Kane learned his lesson well and he has rarely left Nye’s side in all the years that have passed since that day.
It took a long time for Nye to fully recover. Sometimes I wonder if he ever truly did, whether there wasn’t a part of him that died or fell asleep never to be woken again. There are still times when he retreats within himself and no one can bring him out until he has worked through what he needs to and comes back to us again with renewed strength.
Thank the Gods there was never another mention of them putting him in a mental hospital because I would have gone to prison for kidnap or murder before I would have allowed that. The psychiatrist who came to see him was, thankfully a pragmatist and recognised the healing potential of his relationship with Kane and the love of his family and friends. I don’t think Nye ever really appreciated how close he had come to something that would have ended his life as surely as one of Lian’s poisons. He appreciated everything else though, as only Nye can. It was amazing how quickly his energy returned and how fast he and Kane rekindled what had always been there.
They are in California now. Oh, not permanently, they are staying with Kane’s cousin Vicky. She has just got married to a man she met while she was over here visiting Kane. That is a strange story, but for another time. Kane and Nye would never dream of moving away from here, their work is far too important to them.
The events that took place while Nye was with Adam affected both he and Kane very deeply. I think that for Nye it was possibly Luke’s death that hammered home the bone numbing horror of what had happened and what had almost happened; and for Kane it was, not only what had happened to Nye but his own experiences, both at Adam’s hands and while he was staying at the safe house.
Neither one of them could simply let it go and so when they had finished school they came back, found Riz and Marco and started doing anything and everything they could to root out the darkness and provide safe and nurturing homes for those who were fleeing it.
They are world famous now. They help run a string of safe houses all over the country for those who are fleeing; not just escaped slaves but anyone who is running away from anything. They offer counselling, accommodation, education, and whatever assistance they can. Nye uses his writing skills to great effect and has published novels under his belt as well as scores of articles and pamphlets. He writes for a local newspaper too and uses his connections shamelessly when needs be.
Kane is more practical. He does all the business side of things. Keeps books, organises schedules... even does repairs on the houses when he has to. They have a lot of help from some very capable people... like me. Yes, their enthusiasm was catching and it didn’t take long to infect me. To be honest, it wasn’t just Nye. The image of that boy... Ben haunted me. I couldn’t get him out of my mind... so young, so damaged, so scared and yet ready to put himself at risk to save my brother.
He’s fine now. He works with the boys at one of the houses. He trained as a counsellor and he’s an amazing personality. But there are so many others. So many broken boys, all the time. It’s so hard to reach them, to show them there is another way. We only scratch the surface and Nye is coming up with plans all the time that we just can’t keep up with but we don’t mind. His energy is boundless and infectious and he brings light wherever he goes.
Life is good.
- 7
- 5
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
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