A smile twisted her lips. “Always taking care of me.”
I swallowed around the lump in my throat. If only that were true. I looked away from her sparkling brown eyes.
“Oh, Liam.” She straddled my legs, curling her body around mine. Her arms wrapped around my neck, and her hand ran through my hair. “You know you take care of me, right? I’m so grateful you’re here with me.”
I wrapped my arms around her. She fit perfectly against my chest. God, I loved her so much.
“Why did you come out here?” I asked. “Do you need something?”
“I just need you,” she murmured. “I had a feeling I needed to come out here, and I was right. It’s late, honey. You need to come to bed.”
I shook my head. “I have some work I need to finish up.”
She turned her head to my laptop, and I fought the urge to slam it shut and hide it from her.
“You don’t need to do any more reading, Liam. You’re not my doctor, you’re my alpha.”
I didn’t respond.
She buried her face in my neck and a steady vibration started in her chest. She was purring for me. The tension in my shoulders eased as I sank into her body, resting my head against her shoulder.
She kissed the side of my face. “Come to bed.”
“I will in a few minutes,” I lied.
“No,” she said firmly. “You’re coming to bed with me now.”
“It’s your night with Henry,” I argued.
“He won’t mind.” She got off my lap and it took everything in me not to pull her back. She took my hand and tugged. “Come on.”
I couldn’t deny my omega anything. I closed the laptop, determined to continue combing through everything this weekend. I may not be her doctor, but I was her alpha and it was my responsibility to protect her from everything bad.
95
WESTIN
CHEMO DAY 18
Ididn’t recognize myself in the mirror anymore. My face was puffy from the steroids, my hair was thinning, my skin was dry and covered in small red dots. But as bad as the physical side effects of chemo were, the mental ones were worse.
It had only been three weeks, but I could barely remember life before this started. I made friends with the hospital staff, talked about baking with Anne, watched movies with my guys, and none of it felt real. It was like I was watching my life through a lens. In the rare moments I was alone, I stared blankly into space. My depression was a thick blanket, making it impossible to feel anything.
I sat curled up in the bath, the warm water lapping at my skin. I’d asked my guys for some space to bathe alone. I needed a few minutes where I could stop pretending to be okay for their sakes. I stared at the water—lavender scented from one of the many bath bombs Henry got me—and felt empty.
The water turned cold, and I sat there shivering until I finally got the energy to get out of the tub. I gripped the edge tightlyas dizziness turned the edges of my vision black. I stood there for a few seconds until I recovered, pulling on my sweatpants and Henry’s sweatshirt. The guys seemed to be in some sort of competition to see whose sweatshirt I would wear. Seeing how pleased it made the lucky winner almost brought a smile to my lips. It was a good thing I was always cold because the spring days were heating up. Summer was just around the corner.
I exited the bathroom and headed to the living room, pausing in the hallway to rub my chest, which felt weirdly tight. The room spun around me, and I felt hot and sweaty. I continued walking, my vision tunneling as I stumbled against the wall.
“Hey, pretty girl,” Liam said, looking up from his spot on the couch.
And then everything went black.
96
BEAR
CHEMO DAY 18
