Hi Everyone!
The first three chapters and the epilogue of Dear Rylee are here on BCTS for free, but due to Amazon's policies, I can't have more than 10% up. To continue reading, you can buy it on Amazon, or simply download the ebook for free. Enjoy!
Free Download: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19i8oM339n78WoWiKphBsjwRC2nz...
Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dear-Rylee-Audrey-Darlington-ebook/dp...
Thanks everyone!
From: [email protected]
Subject: It was Always Meant for You
Dear Rylee,
Well, it’s been a bumpy few months, hasn’t it? I know you never check your e-mail, but I hope someday you do open it up and you see all these messages. First thing I want to say is you made a tough choice. You gave up your autonomy, your freedom of choice, and you put it all in my hands, trusting that I would guide you. God, Rylee, that’s huge and I’m hoping against hope that I can live up to my word.
I’m going to ask a lot of you over the next few years. I’m going to push you to your limits and make sure that you’re working to the best of your potential. It won’t always be pretty, and you won’t always be comfortable, and hell, you might even hate me from time to time, but I’m not going to give up on you. There are just a few things that I ask of you, but I have faith that by the time you read this, you’ll have delivered on all of them.
Be patient with me. I’m learning, Rylee, and I’m trying, but I’m so new to all of this. I’m not going to get it right every time and definitely not the first time, but I’ll get there. Don’t give up on me!
Understand that sometimes it’s going to hurt. I’ve asked that you behave as a child, and there’s a good reason for that. You didn’t have a childhood, and you deserve one. You deserve to know what it’s like to be happy and carefree, even if you don’t get the full eighteen years, but understand that it comes with sacrifice. I may punish you, or take things away from you, but it will never be done without reason, and if you feel that I’ve overstepped or that I’m wrong, I hope that you understand you can come to me, and that we can talk. The same goes for Mom, and it goes for Fiona; you’re not expected to follow us blindly. You may not always understand, but you can always ask!!!
Know that you can talk to me. This is going to be a hard one for you, probably, because I can be hot-headed, but even if you think I’m mad, you can still come talk to me and I’ll listen to you, every time. You don’t need to hide in your room or avoid me. I’ll never be too mad to talk to you. I love you, little sis.
Ask questions! You’re living a whole new life, Rylee Blackburn. You have new experiences, new connections and new challenges. When you picked ‘option 2’, you changed the course of our lives. It’s a learning experience for me, and I want us to be there for each other.
Our life is going to be full of challenges; some of them might seem simple, others impossible, but we’re going to get through them, together. You probably think I saved you, but we saved each other, little sister. We did that together. I was at my wit’s end, you were on your last leg. It’s one hell of a pair we make. It’s not just me, Mom loves you too, even if she’s a little bit stern with you (I heard about the hospital).
I guess what I’m trying to say, Rylee, is thank you. Thanks for being there when I needed you, and as always, sorry for putting a gun in your face. I’ll try not to do it again. No promises.
Also, Rylee. My love was never meant for someone else. It was always meant for you.
Love,
your Big Sister,
Tori
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Comments
Tori is amazing!
What a perfect end to this (part of!) your story. Tori’s capacity for love somehow survived the shocking death of her daughter, and she gives everything she’s got. And then some.
Rylee — you — are the main character in this story, but you have managed to make it a love letter to the extraordinary woman who saved you — and in the process saved herself. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for sharing this story with us.
Warmest regards,
Emma
— Emma
Go, Rylee, Go!
You've got a second start. Please use it!
This was a great story.
Commenting........
Leaving comments is hard for me. ... I type out my thoughts but since a sentence is supposed to be one complete thought well im a bit autistic my thoughts aren't complete or even well whatever. I love to read like one chapter at a time then click the kudos button and move on. It's not easy waiting for new chapters I just hope my lack of commenting doesn't cause you to take this story away from me and make you post somewhere else because I hate change I have gotten used to reading on BCTS over the last 4 years and it's my only entertainment. Sure I watch TV with my husband (he kinda has to make me though) but it's reading stories here that really entertains me. My attention is usually very short im really not even sure how I manage to keep a job working at a group home where I take care of and teach adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities hopefully with the goal of teaching them enough life skills for them to live on their own. I was raised in a religious family being trans was hard because my parents believed God makes no mistakes therefore a boy is a boy hand him a gun and send him hunting. This story you wrote is fantastic and it was your life thank you for sharing it. My story is different my learning disabilities were mild in fact I hid the fact that I was the smartest person in the room because I would get bullied for it, sat in the back barely scraping by always on the verge of failing because standing out and being exceptional just made things worse. I'm not sure where this comment is going, how it got here or even where it started now. Good luck with your next book wherever you post it but hopefully you post it here on BCTS if you don't I will never see it maybe that's where this was going me begging you to stay here and not take your writing away from me your loyal reader that almost never comments.
EllieJo Jayne
So sad.
I laughed and I cried. Rylee, what a great story. you have written. I hope you do continue. Sad to see it end.
I'm guilty of not commenting
I always kudo, but I rarely comment. Usually, look at other people's comments and see that they've already said what I was thinking. So when I comment, it's usually because I have an original thought that wasn't already put forth by some else.
So here goes; I'm sorry to see the story end, but glad that it turned out to be a good ending. All through this story, I've been riveted to the story line, anxiously awaiting the next section. You have told the tale masterfully. At times it was intense and when it was nearly too intense, you interspersed some of the back story that explained just how and why things were as they were.
I'm thoroughly impressed by your talent. You are among the best story tellers here on BCTS. I now await your next in this series. If memory serves it's about Rylee's sister. Please don't keep us waiting too long.
Hugs
Patricia
Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt
Ich bin eine Mann
Loose ends
If there's one suggestion I have to make, it's this: please tell us Ariel's fate. It really begs to be told.
And at least I wouldn't object one bit to see that Rylee's and Ariel's parents visit the grey bar motel for the rests of their lifes.
Thx for an excellent series^^
Can't
improve on the other comments I've read. You have my admiration. Thanks.
I feel like there must be ...
... a missing chapter. 29 ends with the discovery of an e-mail address which I thought was Ariel's. I thought 30 would be about the two sisters getting together, maybe somethings new about dealing with Rylee's family. Loose ends left undone. ????
BE a lady!
The story continues in 'Dear
The story continues in 'Dear Ariel' - this is where the printed version of Dear Rylee ends
You already know
I love this story, I'm kind of sad Rylee's part is ending, but I'm hoping it won't be too long to have Ariel's story be posted.
Thank you for sharing Rylee's part of this story.
I have enjoyed it immensely. I look forward to what you will do with Dear Ariel.
Thank you again for shining a light of joy into my poor dark world. Even if it was one chapter at a time, it kept me coming back for thirty updates!
- Leona
What else can I say, that hasn't been said...
Rylee, this is one of the best stories I have read on BC and I have read hundreds of them here. The main characters have such depth and I thoroughly enjoyed them. I hope you decide to post the next book about Ariel here as well. It looks like Rylee has a good chance at a great life, especially with Tori and her mom helping, and I hope Ariel helps out too in the future.
Keep up the great writing.
It was always meant for you.
Oh my, that was a powerful way to end this first book.I am sure that most readers I am in a puddle of tears.
I have arrived late, prompted by Julia and Emma's recommendation, and I am in awe at your marvelous writing storytelling and characterisation.
Your book, as others have said, is heartwrenching, especially since it is autobiographical. That you have risen from the ashes and been able to create such a very fine novel is, itself, a happy ending.
Thank you for writing one of the most moving and emotionally draining books I have ever read. I am only sorry that you had to live it.
With the very greatest respect
Lucy xx
"Lately it occurs to me..
what a long strange trip its been."