“I’m sorry.”
“Isn’t there anything the doctors can do?” I asked hopefully.
“Chemo is the only option because of where the tumor is located. But I can’t go through that again, Violet. It made me so sick that, at times, I thought I was going to die from the treatment.” His eyes pleaded for me to understand. “And even if I did do the chemo, there’s no guarantee it will work this time. Or that it won’t come back again and again. This type of cancer is just too aggressive.”
“So, you’re just going to give up?” I whispered, my heart breaking a little more with each breath I took.
“No,” he vowed with a smile that was meant to ease my pain. “I’m going to live my best life. With you.” His hand covered my flat stomach. “And our little one.”
“Remi—”
“Please, Violet. I love you, and I will give you anything you ever ask for.” He pressed his forehead to mine. “But I can’t give you that. Not even for you can I go through those treatments again.”
“But—”
“Don’t say it,” he commanded, his voice hardening for the first time I could ever remember. “Don’t use that whole ‘if you love me, you will’ shit on me. That’s not fair, and you know it.”
I pressed my lips together, because I had been about to pull that card. I didn’t understand why he wasn’t fighting for more time. Treatment would mean we had a chance at a longer life together. A year wasn’t long enough. A hundred years with him didn’t seem long enough to me, but I would take however much time we were given.
“Can we pretend like we didn’t just have this conversation?” he asked with a halfhearted smile. “Let’s have a do-over. You can tell me you’re pregnant all over again, and I won’t say anything stupid this time to ruin it. Then we can tell your parents and see if they want to go with us to Vegas to get married tonight.”
“Tonight?” I squeaked.
“Tonight,” he confirmed. “Unless you think they won’t want to come. I mean, I knocked you up. Shane might want to kill me. Maybe we should just get married and then tell them we eloped and about the baby at the same time.”
“You’re crazy, you know that, right?” But I found myself smiling, and I snuggled against him a little more. For now, I would do what he so obviously wanted. I would pretend like time wasn’t quickly slipping away from us. If he wanted to live his best life, I would make sure it happened. Every day. Every moment. I’d make them count. “Can Shaw come?”
“Only if you kiss me, tell me you love me, and promise not to cry anymore.” He pushed my hair back from my damp face. “Your tears hurt me like no physical pain ever could.”
I pressed my lips to his softly before rubbing our noses together. “I love you.”
“I love you too. Now take your beautiful self upstairs, pack a quick bag, and call your bestie.” He stood and set me on my feet. “But first, sign these damn papers, woman.”
“I really don’t—”
He gave me a look that had my mouth snapping shut. “Please, Violet. I need to know you’re going to be taken care of.”
“Fine,” I muttered and walked with him to the desk where he gave me a pen and showed me where to sign. “But only for the sake of the baby.”
His eyes lit up. “Whatever gets your pretty signature on these, my love. I really don’t care why you sign them.”
Chapter 38
Violet
Just because we were getting married in a hurry didn’t mean I was going to forgo a wedding dress. Remington wanted to see me in a beautiful white dress when I walked down the aisle to him, so that was what he was going to get. Now that our time was precious, I wasn’t going to let anything get in our way, no matter the cost.
Shaw’s modeling career came in handy because she called a designer she knew well, and we walked into a bridal shop only hours later that same day. There was no time for alterations, so anything I picked would have to come straight off the rack.
To match my ring, I wanted something that reminded me of Grace Kelly’s wedding dress. I found one I loved with a high neckline. The bodice clung to my body before flaring out in a mermaid style, but the entire dress was overlaid with the most beautiful lace I’d ever seen. It fit so perfectly without needing a single alteration that I knew fate had made someone create this dress just for me.
Back at the hotel, Shaw and I got ready. Remington was out getting the wedding details taken care of with Jagger and Cannon. Both had come along for the hell of it because they had been with Shaw when I’d called to ask if she had time to go to Vegas with us.
Once I was dressed and my hair was done, Shaw did my makeup. She was wearing a simple lilac-colored dress we’d picked out from the bridesmaids’ section of the bridal shop, and she’d texted her brother earlier to tell him to find himself and Jagger dress shirts similar in color to go with it.
By the time we were both ready, a limo was waiting for us in front of the hotel. As we walked through the lobby, everyone turned to watch. I saw a few cameras flashing as they took our pictures and fought back a sigh, knowing it was more likely than not that the world would know I was married before I even had a chance to tell my parents.
As we got into the back of the limo, I decided I wouldn’t worry about how they were going to react. I’d deal with whatever happened later. For now, I wasn’t going to let anything bother me. I was about to become Mrs. Remington Sawyer. I would be his wife, the mother of his child, and we would be the happiest couple to ever grace this world.