Love Me: Oakville Series:Book 5 by Kathy-Jo Reinhart Read Free Book Online

I try to see if his face shows any hint of what’s to come, but his features are smooth, his face statuesque. As I sit in one of the leather chairs across from Dr. Bryant, he looks up, the picture of calm. I have no fucking clue what is going through his mind.
    “Thank you both for coming in so quickly,” he says in a cheerful voice that sounds forced. My stomach turns. He has one hell of a poker face, but his voice just gave him away. I can feel the tears beginning to build. Marcus reaches over and places his hand over mine, bringing my attention to how bad I’m shaking. My eyes remain glued on the doctor’s lips. I need to know why we had to come down here, and if he doesn’t spit it out soon, I might just explode.
    “I’m sure you’re anxious to find out why you’re here,” he says, looking between Marcus and me. I nod, not trusting myself to speak. I assume Marcus does the same. I can’t look at him, I’m afraid I won’t be able to keep it together. I hate what this is doing to him, to me, to our family. Dr. Bryant’s voice brings me back to the here and now. “I’m just going to get right to the point.” Folding his hands together and resting them on the desk in front of him, he takes a deep breath. “The tests show you have neuroendocrine small cell carcinoma of the cervix.”
    My stomach clenches and my skins starts to feel hot as the air gets knocked from my lungs. He keeps speaking, but his voice sounds like the adults on Charlie Brown . My heart beats so hard, it threatens to break out of my chest. Within a matter of seconds, my whole world has fallen apart. Marcus grabs my face and turns me to look at him. Putting his finger under my chin, he lifts it so I meet his eyes. The pain and pure agony swimming in his eyes is like a knife to my heart. He mouths, “I love you,” but I look away, unable to bear seeing how much this is hurting him.
    “Doc, can you explain this like you would to a five-year-old? I don’t understand what you’re saying,” Marcus says, frustrated. “What I want to know is....” he trails off, running his hands down his face. “Can this be cured? Will Taryn be okay?” He’s staring at the doctor, his eyes pleading for the answer he wants. I look over to Dr. Bryant and he lifts his head to look at me, his eyes filled with sadness and regret. Just like that, I know I’m going to die. I squeeze Marcus’ hand.
    When the words, “There’s no cure,” and, “Chemo may help prolong her life by a few months,” leave the doctor’s mouth, Marcus loses it. Jumping up from his chair, he begins pacing back and forth throughout the office, his hands frantically pulling at his hair. When he stops the pacing, he slides down the wall and begins sobbing. The sounds of his cries gut me. They’re full of sadness, anger, and pain...so much pain. Each cry rips apart my heart a little more.
    Dr. Bryant quietly slips from the office to give us some privacy. I make my way over to Marcus and kneel down in front of him. He pulls me onto his lap and we sit there, holding onto each other for dear life.
    “We’re gonna get through this, Marcus. I promise it will all be okay,” I whisper against his ear. He squeezes me tighter.
    “Sweetness, nothing will ever be okay again,” Marcus replies. He’s right. His and Chase’s life will change after today. How do I deal with knowing I’m leaving them behind all alone and broken?

 
    T he last couple days have been a roller coaster of emotions. Taryn wants to discuss our options, but I can’t bring myself to begin planning her death. My head is a jumbled mess. One minute, I’m angry, and the next, I’m scared. The thought of how sick she is going to get tears me apart. I’m not sure I can stand by and watch her deteriorate into nothing knowing there’s not a damn thing I can do about it. I’m terrified I won’t be able to take care of Chase on my own. I don’t know if I can be all he needs me to be, especially if I’m trying to