“Willow, I don’t want you here,” I spell it out for her.
Instead of looking hurt, she glares at me.
“You’re stuck with me. I said I wouldn’t leave and I meant it.”
“Please,” I resort to begging.
Her face softens, and her eyes filled with worry.
“Why?”
“I want you to remember me alive. All I remember of Summer are her vacant eyes and how still she was. I don’t want you remembering that about me. I love you, but it’s already hard enough. There’s not much left that I can control. Give me this. I need it.”
Tears start to roll over her cheeks which makes this so much harder. She’s the last person I want to hurt.
“Come here.”
I wait for her to sit down next to me on the bed. Taking her hand, I pull her down on me.
When her ear is pressed against my chest, I whisper, “I need you to remember the sound of my beating heart.” Tears make my voice hoarse, but I push through. “I need to know that I won’t die completely. I need to be alive in your memories.”
Holding her, I let her cry against my chest. When she pulls free from my arms, she shakes her head as she wipes the tears from her face with the back of her hands.
“I’m not leaving you,” she whispers. “Let me stay with you. Let me have these last few weeks with you. I need to hold you, Marcus. I need to love you. When the time comes…” Her voice cracks and she takes a few deep breaths before she continues, “I will give you what you need when we’re out of time.”
“Promise,” I whisper.
“I promise.”
Chapter 14
MARCUS
~Hell hath no fury like a pissed off Miss Sebastian~
(Three weeks after the operation…)
“Marcus Reed!” Miss Sebastian screeches as she comes down the hallway. “You better not still be in bed.”
I pull the covers over my head, only to have it yanked off seconds later.
“Your filthy ass is stinking up my house. Get in the bath.”
“You were the one who insisted that I stay here,” I growl.
“Darling, I’m also the one who’s going to bathe you like a damn toddler if you push me any further.”
Knowing she will, I glare at her. “You’re a pain in the ass.”
She blinks at me as her cheeks turn red with anger. “That’s it. I’m done talking,” she shrieks before stomping out of the room.
I turn on my side and close my eyes with the full intention of going back to sleep.
When I hear her heels stomping back towards the room, I let out a heavy sigh. The next moment a wave of cold water crashes over me.
I dart up, which makes a sharp ache spread through my chest.
“Fuck, woman!”