“What the hell was that about?” Aimee asked.
“With Tuck, who knows,” Kaia replied, but she had a good idea. Still, it wasn’t her place to mention it. “All right you, off to bed. It’s been a long-ass day and I’m beat.”
“Yeah, I’m tired too, but I couldn’t go to bed until you got back here. Goodnight you two,” Aimee said to her and Rafe.
“Goodnight,” they said almost in unison before heading to their own room. Once there Rafe cleared his throat. “Kaia, before we go to bed, there’s something I need to tell you.”
Kaia turned from undressing and gave him her full attention. “What’s going on?”
He ran a hand through his hair.
“Babe, I’m sorry for the way I’ve been acting. I haven’t known how to tell you this, and it’s made me pull away, which has hurt you, and that’s the last thing I wanted to do.”
Kaia moved to him and wrapped her arms around him. “It’s okay, Rafe. I’m right here. Just tell me. Whatever it is, we’ll get through it together.”
“That’s just it, babe, we won’t.”
“I’m confused. What do you mean?”
He guided them over to their bed and sat before he pulled her onto his lap and held her close. “A few weeks ago I started feeling…off. I wasn’t sure what was going on so I went to Doc. He ran a bunch of tests. I have Ataxia Sacer.” Ataxia Sacer was a deadly disease that attacked the blood and killed within a few months. There was no cure.
Kaia stared at him.
“No. Please Olene, no. I’ve already lost Baz, I can’t lose you, too,” she whispered, her voice cracking.
“Oh, babe, I’m so sorry. I was pushing you away to try to make it easier for you when I died, but I realized today that I was just hurting you more. Please forgive me for being such a stupid asshole.”
“You really were a stupid asshole,” Kaia cried, clinging to him. “But I forgive you,” she added. “Is he sure? Maybe he made a mistake.”
“There’s no mistake, babe. He ran the tests three times. I have about a month left. I’m so sorry I’ve wasted so much time with you. Time we should have spent together loving and laughing, not apart.”
“Shh. Don’t. No regrets. I love you, Rafe. We’ll make the most of what time we have left. And when you’re gone, I’ll have the memory of your love to get me through each day.”
“Kaia, I want you to make me a promise. If Baz comes back and seeks your forgiveness, I want you to give him a chance. No, just listen,” he said when she tried to interrupt. “We were all together for over two decades. That’s a long time together for him to just one day walk away for no reason. Give him a chance to explain. If you don’t like his reason, then fine. But promise me you’ll try, Kaia. I don’t want you to be alone and I believe he still loves you. I saw it in the way he looked at you tonight. It was the way he used to look at you when you weren’t watching him.”
“I don’t know if I can, Rafe. You know how much him leaving gutted me.”
“I know, babe. In a way you’re still not over him. But I need you to do this for me. I can’t leave you alone knowing you won’t even try.”
She closed her eyes and thought about her future without him in it. What that would be like. Sleeping completely alone. The very thought filled her with dread. “Okay. I’ll try. For you. And for me,” she finally said.
“Thank you babe. I love you. I wish this wasn’t happening. I wish we could grow old together. But knowing you’ll give him a chance lets me die with a semblance of peace. Let’s go to bed. I need to hold you.”
They finished undressing and crawled under the covers and Kaia curled around him. Silent tears slipped down her cheeks and Rafe wiped them away. He didn’t tell her not to cry, he just held her and let her cry herself to sleep. In the morning they would have to tell Aimee and the rest of the compound, andthatshe wasn’t looking forward to.
Chapter Four
Kaia
Morning sun seeped through the window and with it came awareness. Awareness that she wasn’t the only one awake. Rafe was trailing light kisses over every inch of exposed skin he could find.
“Mmm,” she murmured and reached for him.
“Oh no my love, you just lay there and enjoy. When I awoke this morning, I realized that I’ve been neglecting you and I need to remedy that, pronto,” he growled before taking a nipple into his mouth, making her back arch.
“Of fuck, you know what I like,” she groaned when he lightly bit her there.
“After twenty five years, you bet your sweet ass I know what you like babe,” he replied. He tugged and sucked her nipple while one hand moved down to her core. “Already so wet for me,” he growled. He dipped a finger between her folds and plunged it in and out of her, mimicking what he planned to do soon with his cock.
