Page 71 of Going Home

His eyes fall to the table. "You have to go."

"Why?"

"Lane has cancer again."

When she stays quiet, he lifts his eyes and looks at her. She stares stunned with disbelief. "What?"

"That's the reason Lex and Colt moved back. Lane knew she was sick again, and she wanted to keep it quiet. Colt just found out last night, and before that, Lex was handling it all pretty much on her own."

"She's... It's rushed because she needs to have treatments?"

"No."

She blinks at him, and he waits for more questions. When they don't come, he decides it's best to just get down to it.

"There are rules to the wedding. First, no talk of cancer. Period. From talking to Lex, we're going to be pretty shocked when we see her. Second, only happy tears. It's a day of love and joy. Third, there can be no pity looks. She's going to have anyone looking at her like that kicked out."

"How can she ask that?"

"Because it's her wedding day. The fourth rule is Lex's rule, but I don't think you'll have any issue with it. We're supposed to let Zane be pissed at Lex. Unless he's about to hit her, we're to let whatever happens happen."

Shaking her head, Felicity sips her whiskey. She doesn't look at Ky, and he knows her mind is racing. "Why is Zane pissed at Lex? Besides the reason he's always pissed at her?"

"Lane made Lex her medical power of attorney. As Lex put it, Lane royally fucked her over with Zane."

"Of course she'd turn this on herself."

HIs hand slaps on the table, and some of his whiskey spills over the edge of the glass. "Stop it! You have no idea what Lex is going through. You're mad at her for something I did, and you're piling onto an already overburdened woman. Zane's pissed at Lex because it's Lex's job to let Lane die. And she's going to die, Felicity. Soon."

"What?"

"It sounds like a few weeks after the wedding is when we'll be gathering again for Lane's funeral. If we're lucky to have that long. That's the reason it has to be this Saturday. Zane was never the type to get married, but I'm guessing he couldn't say no to the woman he loves as she's dying. Zane sees Lex as the one killing the mother of his child instead of making sure Lane's wishes are respected."

Swallowing, she lets out a long breath. "Lane's really dying?"

"I guess she already tried treatments, but they didn't work. The only option she had left wasn't a real option, and she didn't want Margaret to watch her mother wither away for months like Zane had to with his mom."

Her jaw drops as she processes this. "No, she can't... We would have noticed... Right?"

"When was the last time you saw Lane? Because it sounds like no one has except for Lex."

"Why keep this a secret?"

"Because she didn't want to be the girl with cancer again. Not that we ever saw her that way before, but she asked Lex to keep it quiet. Not even Colt knew. I don't know the details, but Lex broke down yesterday. It also had to come out since they're asking everyone to come from all three charters. It's going to be hard to keep this a secret once we see her from the way it sounds."

Her shaking hand rubs her face before settling on her throat. "Weeks? She really only has weeks? They could be wrong, right?"

"That's what Lex said. You said she looked like hell, and you weren't wrong, but this is why. It's been really hard for her, especially with everything else going on in life right now. And, as you can about imagine, Zane really loves his little sister these days," he says with sarcasm.

They know better than some of the others just how terrible Zane's treated Lex. The only time he's ever been nice to her is when she first came back and helped Lane stay with Zane when she wanted to bolt. Lex said the magic words that kept his old lady with him, but not even that kept the love towards his sister for long. Ky worries he'll never get past this situation with Zane.

"Why make Lex her POA?"

"Because Lex is the only person who can stand up to Zane. He would act selfishly, which I can't really say I'd blame him, and Lane doesn't want that. Zane isn't strong enough to do what's needed, and he blames Lex for this. It's an impossible decision for her. Does she tell her dying sister-in-law no, or does she let her brother hate her for killing his wife? There's really no winning."

"She really didn't tell Colt?"

Ky shakes his head. "Nope. It's been killing him because he didn't know how to help her. He saw her stress, and he knew it was bad, but he was just as selfless as Lex is. I mean, they come back here, and there's obviously issues with you and her that make a lot more sense now that we know about the meeting. Then the situation with Lane. And Zane's being an ass to her, which I think is what probably broke her, if I had to guess. Not to mention the fact they've taken in two teenagers. Oh, and Psycho and Lacey are pregnant. I think she might also still be helping Dani in Summerville. It's been a lot, and there's not much she could do to make it better."

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