Out of Reach (Love Hurts 2)

“Yep. It’s all ours.”

I lay back, resting my head on the pillows, cradling my steaming mug in my hands. I hated mornings. I’d hated them ever since my parents died, and doubly so when Andy got sick. Every morning brought us one step closer to death.

“How’re you holding up?” Seth asked quietly.

I shrugged. There was no point lying; Seth knew me too well. I snuggled in closer to him, stealing some of his warmth. He wrapped his arm around me and kissed my forehead.

“Okay,” I finally replied weakly.

“Bullshit,” he said, not buying it.

I rolled my eyes. What did he want me to say? Of course I wasn’t okay.

“Talk to me, Em.”

“What’s the point?” I mumbled. His fingers closed around mine. God, he was so warm. How was he so warm? My fingers felt like ice blocks against the heat of the cup I was holding. “Talking isn’t going to change things.”

“No, but it might help put thi

ngs into perspective.”

I laughed. “Perspective? How’s this for perspective? I blame him for leaving me. I’m too scared to move on, Seth, because I’m terrified of forgetting him when he’s gone.”

“Nobody said you have to move on right away,” he murmured, his lips brushing over my cheek. “You feel right now that you’re never going to get through this, and I get it. But you will. You’re an incredibly strong, amazing woman. The strongest woman I know.”

A rush of excitement surged through me, hearing him say those words.

“Thanks,” I mumbled, my face heating up at his words.

“Are you blushing, Em?” He nudged me and laughed. “Now that’s adorable.”

“Shut up,” I grumbled, nudging him back so hard my coffee spilled all over the white spread. I’d only ever been with Andy. Hearing Seth say those things, even just as a friend, wakened some unexpected feelings inside of me.

The funny thing was, it had been Seth I’d been crushing on back in the beginning. I’d hang around with them, praying that he would notice me . . . but he never did. He never showed any interest, so when Andy had asked me out I’d said yes. The three of us had been inseparable, even when Andy and I had become a couple. Seth was so much a part of our relationship, it would’ve been weird not having him around.

Where Andy had my heart, Seth was so fiercely protective of me that I’d always felt lucky to have the both of them in my life. They were so alike, yet so different—but the one thing that remained constant was their loyalty to each other, and to me.

Chapter Seven

Emily

My eyes narrowed in on Andy as I walked into the kitchen and sat down. He had asked both Seth and I to join him for breakfast. It all felt so formal, especially considering Andy’s breakfast consisted of a protein shake being fed via a PEG tube. He could eat food, but not much. Not enough to give him the nutrition his body needed.

“What’s all this about?” I asked suspiciously.

“What?” he said innocently. “I can’t request a meal with my two best friends? There are a few things I want to do, only I’m obviously in no condition to do much, so you two are going to do them for me.”

“What?” Andy had a bucket list? He wanted us to live it out? I shook my head. “What the hell are you talking about? What things?” This was the first I’d heard of any of it.

“You’ll find out what they are as you do them. You gotta give me some fun, right?”

I narrowed my eyes at him, not trusting the sneaking little smirk on his face. What was he up to? “I’m not jumping out of any planes or doing any nudie runs,” I warned.

“What? You’d deny your dying boyfriend of his final wishes?” Andy frowned. “What if I wanted you to jump out of a plane naked?”

“Then you’d be coming with me.”

“Okay, fine. I’ll save the skydiving and streaking for Seth. You’ll do it, right, man?”