hear her say she’d shaven her head in some manic state of depression instead of the horrific story she told me. I would’ve taken any other reason.
“I don’t like being lied to, because when my parents found out, they tried to hide it from me. Obviously, they couldn’t, but for a short amount of time, they tried to pass it off as the doctors wanting to find out why the cyst came back. Having to see an oncologist kinda negated their story.”
I had no words. I wanted to offer her something—a promise, encouraging words, a hug . I didn’t care what, except I couldn’t come up with anything of value. My mouth grew dry the longer I sat with my jaw hanging open, desperately trying to come up with something, yet ending up with nothing.
“I’ve been cancer free for eight weeks now.”
I sighed and pressed my forehead against her stomach, fighting back my tears of sympathy. I tried to grasp what she’d told me, but I found myself unable to—incapable of accepting the knowledge of Layne’s suffering. Finally, it all hit me, and I pulled my face away while strengthening my hold on her hips. “I took you on a five-mile hike today. Why didn’t you say anything? You should’ve said something.”
My forcefulness must’ve caught her off guard because she gasped and tried to take a step back, although my grip on her wouldn’t allow her to move away from me. I fought with myself, knowing I needed to calm down and be gentler with her. However, I couldn’t manage to pull myself from my own depressing thoughts long enough to do so.
“I’m not a victim, Creed. There’s nothing keeping me from living a normal life—doing normal things.” Frustration passed her lips in a throaty huff. “This is another reason why I don’t tell people. They treat me like I’m fragile, like I’m going to break. If cancer didn’t beat me, a hike certainly won’t.”
I stood up, forcing her to take a step back, yet my hands remained on her hips, keeping her body close to mine. I towered over her, and in order to meet my gaze, she had to tilt her head back. Her breaths matched mine, fast and full of passion, warring together between our parted lips as we regarded one another. Our penetrating stares burned with a deep intensity, as if trying to read the other’s thoughts.
“So…you’re okay, though. Right?” I finally asked, breaking the spell we seemed to have been under. My eyes grew heavy—although, not with sleep like they had before. They were swollen with emotion, ready to flood with her response. Fear coiled around my neck, tightening like a boa constrictor, threatening to take me down with a single strike.
Her answer would either be the venom or the cure.
“I’m okay,” she whispered.
I didn’t bother asking anything more before dropping my lips to hers. It was meant to be a kiss of relief—a slow, gentle expression of my sentiments. Except, that’s not what it turned into. Instead of slow, our tongues furiously fought for control in a war with the other. What was supposed to be tenderness proved to be anything but. It was rough and desperate, demanding and unforgiving. I pulled her body closer to mine, practically feeling her heart beating inside her chest.
Without warning, Layne pulled away, ending our passionate exchange.
“I’m sorry,” I panted through shallow breaths. “I didn’t mean for that to happen. I don’t know what came over me.” I sat back down on the edge of the bed and dropped my forehead into my open palms.
She ran her fingertips through my hair with soft strokes. Her support warmed me, slowed my heartbeat, filled my lungs with oxygen—offered me a sense of hope. “It’s okay. Whatever it was came over me, too. I’ve never been kissed like that before.”
That caught my attention and forced me to lift my head.
Her eyes wouldn’t meet mine. They danced around, never settling on me. “I mean…I’ve been kissed before, but not like that . Just because I’ve never dated
“I don’t like being lied to, because when my parents found out, they tried to hide it from me. Obviously, they couldn’t, but for a short amount of time, they tried to pass it off as the doctors wanting to find out why the cyst came back. Having to see an oncologist kinda negated their story.”
I had no words. I wanted to offer her something—a promise, encouraging words, a hug . I didn’t care what, except I couldn’t come up with anything of value. My mouth grew dry the longer I sat with my jaw hanging open, desperately trying to come up with something, yet ending up with nothing.
“I’ve been cancer free for eight weeks now.”
I sighed and pressed my forehead against her stomach, fighting back my tears of sympathy. I tried to grasp what she’d told me, but I found myself unable to—incapable of accepting the knowledge of Layne’s suffering. Finally, it all hit me, and I pulled my face away while strengthening my hold on her hips. “I took you on a five-mile hike today. Why didn’t you say anything? You should’ve said something.”
My forcefulness must’ve caught her off guard because she gasped and tried to take a step back, although my grip on her wouldn’t allow her to move away from me. I fought with myself, knowing I needed to calm down and be gentler with her. However, I couldn’t manage to pull myself from my own depressing thoughts long enough to do so.
“I’m not a victim, Creed. There’s nothing keeping me from living a normal life—doing normal things.” Frustration passed her lips in a throaty huff. “This is another reason why I don’t tell people. They treat me like I’m fragile, like I’m going to break. If cancer didn’t beat me, a hike certainly won’t.”
I stood up, forcing her to take a step back, yet my hands remained on her hips, keeping her body close to mine. I towered over her, and in order to meet my gaze, she had to tilt her head back. Her breaths matched mine, fast and full of passion, warring together between our parted lips as we regarded one another. Our penetrating stares burned with a deep intensity, as if trying to read the other’s thoughts.
“So…you’re okay, though. Right?” I finally asked, breaking the spell we seemed to have been under. My eyes grew heavy—although, not with sleep like they had before. They were swollen with emotion, ready to flood with her response. Fear coiled around my neck, tightening like a boa constrictor, threatening to take me down with a single strike.
Her answer would either be the venom or the cure.
“I’m okay,” she whispered.
I didn’t bother asking anything more before dropping my lips to hers. It was meant to be a kiss of relief—a slow, gentle expression of my sentiments. Except, that’s not what it turned into. Instead of slow, our tongues furiously fought for control in a war with the other. What was supposed to be tenderness proved to be anything but. It was rough and desperate, demanding and unforgiving. I pulled her body closer to mine, practically feeling her heart beating inside her chest.
Without warning, Layne pulled away, ending our passionate exchange.
“I’m sorry,” I panted through shallow breaths. “I didn’t mean for that to happen. I don’t know what came over me.” I sat back down on the edge of the bed and dropped my forehead into my open palms.
She ran her fingertips through my hair with soft strokes. Her support warmed me, slowed my heartbeat, filled my lungs with oxygen—offered me a sense of hope. “It’s okay. Whatever it was came over me, too. I’ve never been kissed like that before.”
That caught my attention and forced me to lift my head.
Her eyes wouldn’t meet mine. They danced around, never settling on me. “I mean…I’ve been kissed before, but not like that . Just because I’ve never dated
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