“That soon?” Mom whispered.
“I was just as surprised as you are. But apparently the recipient is actually one of Dr. Contreras’s patients.”
“Damn it, Doe,” Dad grumbled. “You should have told us about this sooner. Maybe we could have had a little more time to wrap our heads around it. Now you just spring this on us and expect us to be okay with it?”
“I don’t expect you to be okay with anything,” I told him honestly. “I knew I would have a fight on my hands. That’s why I waited to tell you. Your overprotectiveness knows no bounds. If it came down to me saving someone or you protecting me from whatever pain I might have to go through to save them, I knew what you would pick.”
“Because no one wants their baby to go through any pain if they can help it. I will choose your well-being over a complete stranger’s any day of the week.” He slapped his hand down on the table. “I don’t want you to do this.”
“Give me one good reason not to,” I challenged.
“It’s dangerous. You have to go under general anesthesia and then have your bones drilled into. There are any number of complications that could happen.”
I calmly folded my hands in my lap, having expected that particular argument. “It’s safer than driving, yet you have no problem with me getting behind the wheel of any of the vehicles in the garage.”
“Doe,” he growled in his frustration.
“Dad,” I growled back. “This is not me asking for your permission. I am going to do this. If you don’t respect my decision, then you don’t have to be there when I have the procedure.”
His face paled. “You don’t want me there?”
“I didn’t say that!” He was so damn frustrating I wanted to scream, but I held it back and tried to keep my voice steady. “I said if you don’t respect my decision, not that I didn’t want you there. I do want you there, Dad. But if you’re not going to support my choices, then I have no problem doing this all on my own.”
“You’re not doing this on your own,” Mom said firmly. “We will both be there. No matter what, we will always have your back, Doe.”
Dad muttered a curse under his breath, but he gave a nod. “I don’t like it, but I will respect your decision. You are an adult now, and I have to let you decide what you think is best for yourself.”
Relief filled me that he wasn’t going to fight me. “Thank you.”
“You’ve changed since you started dating this boy,” he complained. “You never used to be so…”
“No,” I denied. “I’m still the same. Maybe I have more confidence with him, but I haven’t changed. I’ve always been this stubborn.”
“Just like you,” Mom told him with a light laugh.
Dad’s lips twitched, but his own stubbornness wouldn’t allow him to fully smile. “Whatever it is, I’m not a fan.”
“You’ll get over it,” I assured him.
“Probably not.”
15
Jenner
I moved on autopilot all evening. Smiling at Marissa Niall, saying “Yes, sir” whenever her husband happened to ask me a question, stroking my fingers down Doe’s arm every few minutes. The latter was the only thing that kept me going during dinner. My girl’s mom had made my favorite meal, but I barely tasted it because my head was so full of Pixie and what would happen over the next week and then the months to come.
Dessert was put in front of me, but when I lifted my head to thank Doe, it was to find we were alone in the dining room.
“What’s wrong?” she demanded as she sat beside me once again. “You haven’t been yourself all night.”
It was the perfect time to tell her everything, but when I opened my mouth to answer, my throat tightened and I couldn’t form the words. Fuck, I was such a coward. All I wanted to do was hide from the inevitable behind this amazing girl. I’d never really had a safe place, but with her, it was as if nothing could touch me. She made everything better when I was in her presence, but I knew that I couldn’t escape reality for much longer.
“Sorry, baby. I just have a really bad headache. Did I mess up with your parents?”
“No, of course not. They didn’t even notice you were off.” She turned her chair and put her hands on either side of my head, using her thumbs to massage my temples. “Does it hurt here?”
Her touch was so comforting I wanted to lay my head in her lap and forget about the rest of the world. Guiding her hands to the back of my head, I showed her where the tension headache was the worst. The instant her fingers dug in with the perfect amount of pressure and gentleness, I couldn’t hold back my groan.
“Do you want to wrap this cake up and take it home?” she offered. “We can eat it in front of your TV while I rub your head until you feel better.”
“I want that so bad, little lamb, but I have to be up early in the morning.” I caught one of her hands and brought it to my lips, kissing the palm before pressing it to my chest. “I’m going to be busy this week, and I need to talk to you about something. But I don’t think I have the brain power to do it tonight.”
“I need to tell you something too, but it can wait until you’re feeling more like yourself.” She moved to sit on my lap and picked up the dessert and a fork. “Chocolate makes everything better.”
She fed me a bite, and I couldn’t help the whimper that left me at the first taste. “Good?” she asked with a shy smile.
“The best thing I’ve ever eaten, baby.” That earned me a beaming smile from her. I opened my mouth for another bite and shook my head. “No, that’s a lie. This is the second-best thing I’ve ever eaten.”
Her bottom lip pouted out. “What’s the first?”
I buried my face in her neck. “You.”
Her breath caught, and she squirmed on my lap. My cock jerked against her bottom, letting her know he was more than ready to play with her.
Doe fed me until the dish was empty of even the smallest crumb, and I reluctantly set her on her feet so I could stand. “I’m not sure what time I’ll be free tomorrow,” I told her as we walked to the front door. “I’ll text you when I get home. I want you to come over so we can talk.”
She gave me a searching look for a moment. “That sounds ominous. Should I be worried?”
“No, I don’t want you to worry about anything.” I was worried enough for all of us. Bending, I brushed a soft kiss over her lips. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
The next morning, everything moved so fast it felt like it went by in a blur. I picked Pixie up and drove her to the hospital, where she was taken straight up to her private room on the oncology floor. She had a central line in her chest, but they still put in an IV for fluids and other medications. Once she was comfortable, they began the first dose of chemo.
By mid-afternoon, Pixie was already sick from the treatment, and they had to give her meds for the nausea and headache. The drugs made her sleepy, which was a good thing. I figured sleeping through the worst of it was for the best. I sat in my chair across from her bed, praying that this was all worth it.