My Sister's Keeper

Eight.

The late morning sun shone its rays through the blinds of Damien's bedroom window as the sound of running water from the bathroom filled the area. Sitting on his bed, Denise smiled as she looked around the room, her eyes filled with sadness as they examined the photos he had placed on the wall not too long after she'd first gone missing. Eyeing a piece of paper on his desk, Denise furrowed her brows as she got up to walk over to it, and after pushing the book away that attempted to keep it hidden, she gasped softly once she realized it was a letter.

A letter addressed to her.

"  Nise,

         This is so lame. Like hella lame, but you're not answering your phone and I think Ma's worry is rubbing off on me or something. Anyway, I just wanted to say I'm sorry.

  I'm sorry if I ever did anything to make you mad. Or sad. You're my best friend, and all I'll ever want is to see you happy. I love you, Nise, and I hated to see that look in your eyes before you left. And to hear my full name come out of your mouth. It felt wrong.

  I love you and I just want you to know that it's still together forever. You and me, Nise. Nothing will ever change that. I hope you come back soon so we can say it to each other again. It's kinda lonely here without you.

   And to whoever made you that mad? Just know I'm beating they ass on sight. You can bet that.

    Imma stop writing now cause I know I look stupid and you gonna come busting up in here any second with that stupid grin on your face and tell me it was all a joke. That you were just playing with everybody. Shit's real funny, Nise. Not.

                                                                                           Catch you later big head,

                                                                                                               Damiebear "

With her eyes glistening over, Denise traced her transparent fingers across each word on the letter, cherishing the love she could sense from her brother within the page.

"I'm so sorry, Damiebear," she said. "I never wanted to leave you. I'm so sorry."

At the sound of a door opening, Denise turned her head with a gasp as her brother walked into the room fully dressed in a pair of sweatpants and an old t-shirt. Damien sighed as he walked over to his bed, though he paused with furrowed brows just as he made it to the middle of the room.

There was a sudden coldness in the air that sent chills down the Bryant boy's spine, and it made him frown as he looked over his shoulder to see nothing behind him.

"Nise?" he called out.

And when his gaze finally landed on the uncovered letter on his desk, his frown deepened as he slowly turned around.

"Nise," he said again while making his way to his desk. "I know it's you. Where'd you go?"

He stopped again as he was able to see that the book that had been covering it had been pushed away. Almost as if someone had read it. He hadn't been to his desk in months, the last time being the night he wrote the letter.

A hardened lump formed in his throat as he fell into his chair and picked up the paper he had written to his sister.

"I thought you would come back to me," his voice filled the air in a mumble. "You were supposed to. I didn't take this that seriously because I thought I would get the chance to apologize to you in person. I don't know what I did, Nise. I don't know what made you want to go."