My Husband's Sister

To hear the rain pitter-patter like silver bullets against the already cold, dark pavement was like driving 4-inch lead nails against his heart. Today was the day that Sebastian Sinclair, heir to the Sinclair-Montgomery fortune, buried his husband of 3 years. The headstone of black granite had been inlaid with gold. As he stared at it from under the ominous-looking black umbrella he held, he could not help but feel mocked by the opulence. No amount of money in the world could save Adrian Weston-Sinclair from the bone marrow cancer that claimed his life at the tender age of 28. Sebastian willed himself to fight back the tears as he remembered the last moment he had spoken to Adrian: "Seb, it's no use. She won't talk to me, let alone help me." Adrian gave Sebastian a small smirk from his hospital bed. His handsome face already too gray. His expression belied the pain he was going through. Sebastian fought hard not to wrap his husband in a warm embrace and just stay there forever. Adrian did not want pity. He wanted Sebastian to be strong. He needed him to be strong, but Sebastian himself wasn't sure for how long he could keep being just that. In their whirlwind of a romance that blossomed in grad school, he had always been the rock for Adrian who was the more happy-go-lucky one. They were opposites that just clicked together. Sebastian had never really understood what other people meant by "The One." That was until he met the dashing brunette who smiled like the sun and cried like the rain. Through the years of being together, being married and thereafter, Adrian was always the softie and yet after that fateful diagnosis of bone marrow cancer just right before their 3rd year wedding anniversary, Sebastian seemed to have lost the soul of his mate to the disease. Adrian, he knew, must have been in terrible, terrible pain. And yet, not once had he seen the man break down. Their conversation about his illness and the dire prognosis had been brief. "I don't want you to pity me. No matter what happens," Adrian said to him while they were on a cruise for their 3rd anniversary. The two of them were standing by the rails of the first deck. The moon shone brightly but oddly enough, there were no stars in sight. Sebastian met his husband's eyes. The bittersweet chocolate was almost hypnotic. He remembered when those eyes held nothing but mischief and laughter. Those years were suddenly too far gone. "No matter what happens, Sebastian. Promise me you won't pity me. I don't need your pity. I just... I just need you to be you. Be strong for me okay?" And strong, he remained until the end. Through the end as Adrian went through therapy session after therapy session, Sebastian remained steadfast in his promise. There were countless times he wanted to break down but couldn't. He watched Adrian bravely fight for his life. " Are you sure there is nothing we can do to convince your sister to come here? " Sebastian asked his husband. " Dear God, Adrian, you're sick! What does it matter if your father threw her aside after your parents separated? You're her twin for Christ' sakes!" At that point Sebastian could do little to hide his emotions. " Seb -" Adrian sighed. " Charlie is -" " Obviously a horrible person! " " Seb- you don't-" " No! All I care is she won't help you even if- if you're -DYING!" All the saved up emotions inside him were now welling up to the surface of Sebastian's heart. He ran his fingers through his dark blonde locks in frustration. " I don't - DON'T CARE - what her excuse is! If- if something happens to you -" "Seb, honey -" "I swear to God, Adrian! I'll make her suffer!. Mark my words!" Sebastian remembered bitterly how he stormed out his husband's hospital room fuming mad about how the last resort to save Adrian's life had fallen through just like that. That woman, Charlie Weston, whom he'd never met, had just became the target of his wrath. He hated her, he hated how helpless he was and how Adrian's life had depended on her. He never knew the whole story since Adrian refused to talk about his family drama,. claiming it was all in the past... but that past has now come to haunt him. The next time Sebastian entered Adrian's hospital room, it was to clear out his belongings. A notepad with Montgomery Memorial Hospital's logo sat on the bedside table. There was a phone number. And a name. The angry tears came rushing once more. He tore that page and stuffed it in his pocket and left to make funeral arrangements for his beloved Adrian. The paper remained with him as the last shovelful of dirt covered his husband's grave. The mourners had all left as the rain bullets progressed into buckets of molten silver. "I swear to God, Adrian, I will find her. And when I do-" A clap of thunder punctuated his words. Sebastian remained in his spot as nature lambasted him for his vow of revenge. He remained there until the sky had ran out of tears to wash away his own. *** A sharp pang of pain crossed Charlie's chest as she looked up from what she was typing on her laptop. She'd never been shot but she thought that must have been how it was. She grabbed her chest and felt her heart unnecessarily pounding fast. "Charlotte? What's the matter you look like you've seen a ghost" "I'm fine Auntie Fi," she assured her aunt, her mother's elder only sister, the woman who had brought her up after her mother died of a broken heart. Auntie Fiona was a stern woman and having no children of her own, treated Charlie like the daughter she never had. "I'm okay. I've been inside all day finishing my manuscript to meet my deadline tomorrow." She gestured towards the laptop next to her. "I might just be tired. Or it could be just the weather." "Well, it is quite warm, " said Auntie Fi. "Why don't you head on up to your room and rest for a little bit. I'll prepare dinner in a few minutes and call you when it's done-" A loud ring interrupted their conversation. Charlie moved to answer the phone that was to the right of the sofa she was sitting on but Auntie Fi made a mad dash for the receiver. Auntie Fi was in her late 50s. She never made a mad dash for anything. "Go, it's for me," said the middle-aged woman shooing her niece away towards the stairs. Charlie gave her aunt a look. Auntie Fi sighed and smiled a little "I may have signed up for that online dating thing you told me about." A wide smile spread across Charlie's face. "Well, about time!" "Yeah, yeah, your prudent aunt may not be so prudent after all -" "Never said you were a prude, Aunt Fi-" Charlie laughed. "Just need to loosen up a bit. You've been taking care of me all the time. Maybe it's about time you take care of you." She winked. "In that case I'll leave you and your beau be, Auntie. See you later-" As Charlie disappeared upstairs however, the smile on Auntie Fi's face melted and was replaced by a scowl. "Hello-" A voice mumbled on the other line. Her scowl deepened. Quietly, but sternly, she replied. "Charlie is not talking to him! He can go to hell and rot for all I care! And don't bother calling again or I'll sic the police on you! I don't care if you have money!" Instead of slamming the receiver back down, Auntie Fi yanked the phone cord from the socket. That should stop them from calling again, she thought. On the other line, a terrified-looking Danielle Lawson, executive assistant to CEO Sebastian Montgomery Smythe, eyed her boss tentatively. The man was drenched in rain water but had insisted on coming to the office to sign off on some papers. And to ask Danielle to contact a certain Charlie Weston. It was never a good thing to disappoint Mr. Smythe. The only person who could probably get away with it and live to tell the story was well, already dead and they had just buried him that day. "Sir?" Danielle said in a small voice. "Um, that was the old woman again. She said- I think we should-" Sebastian got up from the sofa he was sitting on. "Get me a line to Charlie Weston. Do whatever it takes- stalk her online. Find an address, a number, a place of work, ANYTHING!" He started heading purposefully towards the door. "About time she learned that her brother is dead -and it's all her fault!'' He slammed the door as he left, missing the surprised look on his assistant's face. ***