Page 82 of Protecting his Heart

She sighed and rested back against the sofa, staring at the ceiling, the defeat in her posture bringing tears to his eyes. “Iwent to my appointment this morning. I’ve passed the stage where anything can help now.” She rolled her head to stare at him. “That’s why I’m selfish. Because we haven’t got long together, and it’s not fair to you.”

Evan couldn’t speak. His heart pounded so hard, he thought he was having a heart attack. Those assholes had purposefully made him lose time with his sister, and he would never forgive them for it. Never. What they’d done to him and Jessica, keeping them apart, was worse than throwing him out. They were done.

“It’s okay, Evan. I’ve made peace with it. I just want to spend the rest of my time however I want to spend it. No appointments, no treatments, no pincushions.” She grinned, though it was tired. “I want to get to know my brother so I can take that information with me when it’s my time to go.”

“How long?” he croaked.

“A month or two.”

He tried to swallow the lump in his throat, but it wasn’t moving. She reached a hand across the space, and they clung to each other.

When he finally got his voice working again, he said, “Whatever you want, wherever you want to go, whatever you want to see, just ask, and I’ll make it happen.”

“Thank you, but I don’t need anything apart from to get to know you. And Owen if I can?”

Evan reached for his phone and called his boyfriend.

“Hey, everything okay?” Owen asked.

Evan cleared his throat, though his voice was still raw. “Yeah. If you have time, can you come back? There’s someone I want you to meet.” He met Jessica’s gaze, and her smile lit up the room.

“Sure. I’m on my way.”

Evan hung up and smiled across at her. “He’ll be back soon.”

“I didn’t mean to pull him away from work.”

Evan chuckled. “He shouldn’t be at work anyway, but he’s trying to figure some stuff out. He’s tenacious.”

Jessica laughed. “I think we’ll get on just fine, then.”

“Would you like another drink?”

“Yeah, go on then.” She tucked her legs under her, and Evan grabbed the blanket from the back of the sofa, draping it over her. She smiled. “Thanks. I hate being cold.”

“Me, too.”

Just before he entered the kitchen, he turned back and asked, “Does the smell of coffee bother you?” She shook her head. “I’m glad about that because Owen without coffee is like a bear after honey.”

Her laughter followed him, and he grinned, though it fell when he was out of sight. He leaned back against the counter and dropped his head into his hands. There was so little time for them, and it was unfair. He didn’t blame her at all. She wasn’t selfish; she was human. He wasn’t sure how he would manage without her, even though he’d only known her an hour, but he promised himself right then, he would cherish every moment, and remember her forever.

He heard the front door, and he popped his head out of the kitchen, watching Owen bypass the sofa with a glance, and Evan realised Jessica had fallen asleep. She was likely to be exhausted all the time.

When Owen entered the kitchen, Evan’s composure fell. He wrapped his arms around Owen and tucked his face into his neck as the tears flowed. Owen just held him, rubbing his back and rocking them gently from side to side. It took him a long few minutes to calm, and then he lifted his head.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be. Just confirm that you are physically okay, right at this minute?”

Evan chuckled and reached for some tissue to wipe his face. “I’m fine.” He blew out a breath and checked on Jessica again before explaining the situation with her. “So, she only has a month or so left.”

Owen cupped his face. “I’m so sorry, Evan.”

“It’s okay. I love that I’ll get to know her. I hate that I’ll lose her, but at least I know who she is.”

They made the drinks and took them into the room, talking quietly between them so they didn’t disturb her. When she woke, after only half an hour, she apologised.

“Power naps are what get me through the day,” she explained. “But they can happen when I least expect it.”

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