A broken breath escaped him as trembling fingers rose to cover his mouth, but the sobs still slipped through helplessly.
Slowly, he reached toward the canvas, fingertips shakily brushing against Ciara's painted smile.
And the moment he touched it, his composure completely shattered.
His sobs deepened violently as years of buried grief crashed over him all at once.
When Clyde arrived, he rushed toward the sound of the sobs almost immediately.
But the moment he entered the library, he froze.
Ryley stood in front of the uncovered painting with trembling shoulders, tears falling uncontrollably as if his entire heart had been ripped open again.
For a second, Clyde couldn't move either.
Then he forced himself forward.
Slowly, gently, he wrapped his arms around Ryley from behind and pulled him tightly against his chest, grounding him there even as his own heart began to shake from the sight.
