Page 112 of The Rat

“What?”

“He wants to tell you he’s sorry,and that he loves you, and I don’t know what else he puts in the letters, but hesends them with such hope in his face.”

Leo heaved, and he brushed away the tearson his cheeks. “Where are these letters?”

“We thought it was for thebest.” Asher murmured. “You can have a fresh starthere.”

“I don’t want a fresh start ifhe’s not in it. I’m not gonna cut my brother out.”

“He’s in prison for a longtime.”

“I don’t care. I needhim.”

“And he needs you.” Roryfinished.

“Let me seehim…”

“No. You’re under eighteen, you need ourconsent.”

“You canstop me seeing him, but you can’tstop me writing to him.” He turned to Rory. “Right? They can’t stopme from writing to him?”

“No, they can’t.”

“Have you got hisletters?”

Maggie shook her head. “I keptthem for whenyou turned eighteen.”

“Have youopened them?”

“No.”

“Please let me have them,please,” Leo put hishands together and full on begged. “Please and let me write tohim.”

Maggie gazedat Leo then nodded. Asher glaredat her, but she threw her hands up in the air and hissed, “They’reyour nephews. They’ve got no one else.”

Leobolted back into the house, andMaggie went after him.

Asher shook his head. “Ollie hasalways been a problem child.At school, and at home. He’s not good.”

“No, he’s not good, he’s great.Clever, and kind, and fun and fucking amazing at art. He’s gonethrough more shit than I can imagine, and if I have to drive hereevery week to get a letter from Leo and deliver it personally tothat prison, I will.”

“You don’t even knowhim.”

“Yeah, I do, and I was so lucky to knowhim, and Leo is lucky to have him as a brother.”

The door wasslammed onhis face, and he expected the clunk of a lock, but there was onlysilence.

Rory prayed he’d doneenough.

ChapterTwenty

Rory took a deep breath, thenclimbed out of the car. He leaned against the back of it, with hiseyes fixed on reception. Hechecked his watch for the fortieth time, thenlooked back at the door.

He’d spent the past few days ina blur, barelyeating, barely sleeping. He knew he had to phone thehospital, arrange for Erica to be released to him so he could startfuneral plans, and put her to rest, but he couldn’t do it. He typedthe number in, put the phone to his ear, then hastily hung up whenthe call connected, but it didn’t matter. Once Sebastian was donewith him, he’d be joining his sister, and his dad, and hismum.

The door opened and he straightened againstthe car.

Sebastian stepped out, notwearing his tight white t-shirt, but a shirt, and a jacket. A clearplastic bag of his belongings was slung over his shoulder, and ashe walked further into the car park,he tilted his head up, and he lookedtowards the sky.

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