Page 69 of Going Home

Melanie's the first to speak. "Lane's... dying?"

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Lex nods. "Yes. Which is why I need you to let Zane be angry with me. The way he sees it, I'm the one killing his wife because it's my responsibility to allow her to forego treatment and die the way she wishes."

"Oh God," Heidi says and joins Melanie.

"Zane's being forced to watch the mother of his child die the same way his mother did. He's powerless to stop it, and I know every single one of you in here would be going crazy in his position. I know because I am, too. To sit back and not be able to do something to fix this is killing me, but it's out of our hands."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Lily asks. "At least those of us who had an idea of what was going on?"

She looks at the ground. "Because she asked me not to. Until last night, Jennings, VP, and I were the only ones who knew, but I hit my breaking point last night. I've been shouldering this mostly alone since we came back, and I can't do it anymore. I never should have agreed to what I have because the truth is... I... need... help."

Tears fall down her cheeks, and she quickly wipes them away. She can't believe she just admitted to being unable to handle something in a room of people, and she dislikes it.

"God, that must be what swallowing battery acid is like. I don't like it. I don't like it one bit," she says with a dry chuckle.

"We got you," Venom says. "You're not alone in this. I'll make sure my photographer knows he needs to get a six pack of energy drinks and get the pictures done before I break his fucking fingers."

Lex smiles and nods at him. "Thank you."

"We're all here for you, baby," Colt says. "It's just a matter of you letting us."

Her lip trembles, and she sits down on the bar top, her eyes unable to meet anyone's. "I think I've just been strong for so long because I've always had to be that I don't realize when I wade too far into the deep end until it's too late. Honestly, I'm drowning," she says and sniffles as she wipes her eyes again. "It's killing me to not have a way to fix this. No matter what, my brother will watch his new wife die, and my niece will bury her mother. And there's not a damn thing I can do to stop it. Worse, I'm in charge of letting it happen."

"We'll figure out how to do this together. We're a family, and we're stronger together," Colt says.

The room falls silent again with no one quite sure what to say. What can anyone say that hasn't already been said?

Undertaker's the first to break the silence by stepping forward and saying, "I was kinda pissed at you earlier because you made me blush. No one fucking makes me blush. It got a laugh out of you, and I realize now that you haven't laughed as much as you did when I first met you. Now I know why, and if you need to try to embarrass me again, that's okay."

Laughing, she wipes her eyes. "Thanks. I'm going to be honest with everyone. The next few weeks are going to be hell. But we'll get through it together and come out mostly unscathed. I hope. Unless Zane decides to murder me."

"What if he does?" Ty asks.

"Then I'll be dead," she says with a shrug. "But maybe don't let him get that far. You know, if you're not too busy."

Ty laughs as Shep punches him, and Heidi walks up to her. "Can I hug you now?"

Lex nods and accepts the hug, followed by one from Melanie and another from Lily. She's not alone anymore. It doesn't stop the feelings of slowly being pulled beneath the surface, but at least she's not an island alone any longer.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Griffin's Beach

Ky

It'sbeenlongerthanKy expected since he last stepped foot on the property he used to call home. He still hears Felicity telling him she can never forgive him, and it's surreal to know he paid off the mortgage to the family home he's banned from.

Felicity had her own secrets she kept, and as much as they hurt, he misses his wife. He screwed up, and so did she, but until she's willing to make it work again, there's nothing he can do. He can get past everything if she's willing to give it a shot.

"What are you doing here?" Felicity asks, swinging the door open and glaring at him before he has a chance to knock on the heavy door that he replaced a few years back after it'd been kicked in.

He sighs, trying to ignore the attraction he has towards his estranged wife. She's always been hot as hell when she's angry, and even in sleep pants, a tank top, and her hair piled up on the top of her head with no makeup on, she could give any other woman a run for their money. She's getting ready for bed, which is significantly earlier than she ever did when they were together. Maybe this is just the start of many things that have changed in only weeks.

"Can I come inside?"

"No."

"This isn't about us. I need to talk to you. There's something you need to know, and I don't want tell you out on the porch," Ky says.

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