Brothers by Elsa Pieterse (best romance books of all time TXT) 📕

Chapter 1

January 2020

Ryan felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, the dark-haired student glanced at the screen and a frown creased his brow.

Waving at a friend as he exited the university, the nineteen-year-old answered the call with a hint of unease evident in his tone. Any call from the Roseville institute usually didn't mean anything good.

The uneasy feeling gave way to shock and then fear as his brother's doctor informed him that Jake had disappeared.

The psychiatrist went further and explained that his brother had last been seen at breakfast that morning.

Dr. Mason Chambers had made the call with some apprehension, he knew how much the young man cared about his big brother. He told Ryan that they had informed the boy's parents and that the police had been contacted as well.  There was nothing on the security footage either.

The last bit of information Mason shared was that the institute didn't have security cameras at the back exit and told Ryan that that was the only logical way someone could have taken Jake without too many people noticing.

The drive back to Roseville was a two-hour trip and the young man had a lot on his mind to keep him occupied. His thoughts went back to the first night his brother had spent in the institute.

A 15-year-old Jake had freaked out in the new environment and Ryan promised him that he would not leave. The twelve-year-old had spent that first night with Jake, he refused to leave his side even when the orderlies tried to remove him. The doctor had eventually agreed to have the tenacious boy sleep in, he could see that the younger boy had a positive, calming effect on his brother. And he assumed correctly, even that first time he met the brothers, that they would be a formidable team.

July 2013

"It's okay, it's okay." Ryan whispered for what felt like the hundredth time as he realized his brother's breathing had evened out.

"I'm sorry". Ryan recognized the voice but he had never heard that voice utter those words so clearly. Slowly turning around he gasped when Jake repeated the apology as eloquently as before.

"Yo-, you cccan talk?" Ryan stuttered, flabbergasted.

"I guess I can..." Jake said, a strange edge to his voice.

Ryan gaped as his brother walked without as much as a limp towards the window. Jake could usually walk short distances with some assistance. He could however see a big difference in his brothers gait just in the small distance he walked from the bed to the window.

After some inspection, Jake proceeded towards the door.

"I guess these are my new accommodations." Jake's voice was low and quiet and Ryan had to concentrate to hear the statement.

Ryan could feel his anger and resentment towards his parents rise as he pulled Jake into a hug. Ryan tried to ignore the way Jake's first reaction was to stiffen, but he was quickly relaxing into the embrace.

Ryan had a bizarre thought as he held his brother, Jake felt firm and real, and that puzzled the young man. If they were in a dream, they weren't supposed to be able to touch, right? But then again they weren't supposed to have shared dreams and Jake was not supposed to be able to talk, so being able to touch things in the dream was probably not that big of a stretch.

"I will get you out of here, I promise." Ryan vowed.

Ryan sat down on Jake's bed and started to fidget with the frills on the bedspread. He was trying to figure out how he was able to communicate with his brother.

Jake was obviously having the same problem as he sat down on the other side of the bed and did exactly the same with the frills on his side.

The brothers' eyes locked and they both gave a small laugh.

Jake was the first to speak. Ryan listened with awe to his brother's soft and fluent voice as he explained that he thought they were actually asleep, having the same dream, and somehow they were able to communicate in their shared dream. Jake looked expectantly at Ryan and turned an interesting shade of red at his brother's shocked expression. Ryan stood up from his side of the bed and sat down next to Jake, his arm circling around his shoulders.

"I don't know how this is possible, or what caused this, but to be able to speak to you like this has always been my biggest wish." Ryan's voice was raw with emotion. "Me too, kiddo, me too." Jake replied, a tear rolling down his cheek.

July 2013

Jake had been living at the institute for a week. He was settling in surprisingly well. The staff were very friendly and made him feel welcome. His brother had "visited" him in his dreams every night. And that was probably the thing that helped the most with the new transition in the young mans life.

It was a Wednesday night when Jake had a vision of his brother.

Jake had just fallen asleep when he opened his eyes on the road next to his parents house. He saw a familiar figure riding a bicycle and as Ryan approached, recognized his brother. The next instant a grey sedan came speeding towards the young boy and before Jake could scream his brother was lying in the road, covered in blood, his leg at an unnatural angle. Jake stood frozen as the scene played out in front of him.

The next instant Jake was back in the institute in his bed and a nurse was speaking to him but Jake was unable to respond. His arms were flailing around and he was close to passing out. 

Dr. Chambers was contacted and told the staff that he would be in shortly. He made a point of driving in to check any situations that may arise with this specific young patient. He ordered a mild sedative to be given stat and told the staff that he would be there within a few minutes. 

Jake opened his eyes in their parents house and frantically started searching for his brother.

Throwing the door open, he almost collided with his brother as he ran into the room. 

Ryan gasped when he saw Jake's face, his brother was pale and shaking. 

"Listen, little brother. I don't know how I know this, but please believe me, you can't ride your bike to come see me for a while." Jake was sure his brother would think he was crazy, how could he explain to the kid how he knew this? He couldn't explain it but he knew the vision was real, he could feel it.

Ryan was taken aback by the broken and pleading tone of his brothers' voice. He still had no idea how he was sharing dreams with Jake or how his supposedly non-verbal sibling was speaking clear sentences to him in his dreams.

Ryan started to argue, wanting to disagree with his brother but the look of absolute fear on Jake's face made him nod instead. He offered a compromise, he would force his parents to drive him until Jake gave the all clear. He also added that it would give them time to work out when the vision was supposed to happen and why Jake had a vision of it in the first place.

Jake felt relief flood him and agreed that the compromise should work. He definitely liked the sound of working with his brother to find the answers to their shared questions.

Jake took a good look at his surroundings and for the first time registered that they were in his parents' house. He didn't really know how he felt being back there even if just in a dream and the uncertainty of the situation was causing him to panic. 

Ryan was about to ask Jake more details around the vision when he noticed his brother surveying the room and realization set in. They were in his house, the house that was no longer home to his brother and he let out a curse. 

He noticed how pale and sweaty the other boy was and realized his big brother was seconds from a meltdown. 

The younger boy steered his big brother to the bed and made him sit down. Ryan gently went about massaging his brothers shoulders. Jake relaxed into the massage and marveled at the comfort he got from his brother's touch, he couldn't tolerate anyone else touching him but Ryan had always had the opposite effect. He could calm his brother with only a look. Jake didn't really want to talk to his brother about their parents, he was still working through his feelings and he didn't want to influence his brother in anyway.

Jake gave his brother a grateful nod and stood up, still a bit unsteady but he was headed for the door. Ryan quickly followed as Jake went down the hall and into the kitchen.

The kitchen looked different to Jake. Something was missing, he looked around and stood frozen when he finally realized what the difference was. Ryan had followed his brother's gaze and knew exactly why his brother had that haunted look on his face. His parents had taken out the security gates they had used to lock Jake out of the kitchen.

They had removed the gates while Ryan was at school, he was sure they did it while he was away to avoid a showdown with their youngest.

White-hot-rage filled Ryan and before he could think he hit the wall where the security gate used to be. The rage was blinding as he kept hitting the wall with his fists until his brother grabbed his hands and forced him to look at him. He held his brothers hands in his and told him that he never wanted him to hurt himself for any reason.

Jake gave a curse when he saw the damage to his brother's hands and told him to get some bandages and disinfectant.

As he set about bandaging Ryans fists, Jake told him that he didn't blame his parents for the gates to the kitchen. He explained that the medicine he had to take at that time always left him hungry, and he would eat anything he could get his hands on. Their parents had resorted to the security gates out of necessity, he had gained too much weight and was bordering on overweight for a while before their parents had installed the gates.

Ryan thought it was just like his mother to stress about their family image, how would an overweight disabled son reflect on her. He kept his last thought to himself though, he didn't want to cause his brother any further pain by pointing out their mothers vanity.

Ryan had a strange thought as Jake finished with the bandages. He wondered out loud if he would have the bandages on when he woke up from their dream. Jake spoke up and told him that he didn't think he would. He explained that they were in a dream and whatever happened in dreams didn't carry over to the waking world. Or at least that's what he thought usually happened. Ryan just stared at him and finally gave himself a shake, telling his brother that he had a valid point.

Ryan opened his eyes and was saddened but not surprised to find no bandages on his knuckles, he also noted that his knuckles didn't have a scratch on them.

January 2020

"Jakey, I know you're probably frightened, but please, believe me, I had no choice". May was standing at the window in the big bedroom she had hastily prepared for her unexpected guest. As she explained her actions to her non-verbal patient, she marveled at the depth of feelings she had developed for not only Jake but his brother as well. May hoped that Jake was paying attention to what she was telling him. She needed him to give Ryan an important message. Although there was no indication