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"Come, take a seat, baby," I rasp, causing her to turn my way, and when she sees the candles arranged on the edge of the blanket, the food, and my leaning up against the tree, her eyes instantly soften. I smile, nodding to the spot beside me, which she immediately moves to. As soon as she takes a seat, I wrap my arm around her shoulders, bringing her closer, and then offer her a beef roast wrap, which she happily takes, melting into my side and making me sigh in contentment. We spend the next hour and a half watching the view and discussing life. We talk about everything and anything, from favorite foods and movies to aspirations and goals. We instantly mesh, smiling and laughing, and not to sound like a chick, but it all felt so fucking right.
For the past ten minutes, we've been quiet—not in an awkward silence, but a comfortable one, like we've spent years together and are content in each other's presence. However, I have a heavy weight on my chest. I know I need to tell her about my history, especially if I want to spend my life with her. She has a right to know, and normally, I don't tell people about my diagnosis as a child, but with Sarah, it feels right.
Everything feels right.
Clearing my throat, I hold her tighter to me, her head resting on my shoulder as she looks up at the stars, and I break the silence, hoping if I give her this piece of me, of my past, she'll give me all of her in return.
"When I was a boy, roughly five, I got bit by a grass snake." She lifts her head in shock and rasps, "Is that where your road name came from?" I laugh and nod, holding her tighter. "Yeah, the brothers thought it fit, just like Sniper, who shot himself in the foot, got his name," she laughs, making me smile before I sigh, rubbing my left hand over my bold head before taking her right hand in mine, playing with her fingers, leaving my right arm around her shoulders.
Fuck, this feels just so right, like she was made for me.
"That day, when I got bit, Momma freaked out badly. She took me to the E.R. against my dad's wishes, but he soon changed his tune and became grateful to Momma." Sarah furrows her brows and asks, "Why?" making me smile a little before I confess, "Because that's when I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer."
My Spitfire sits up instantly, her eyes looking over me, trying to see if she can see anything, I guess, and I smile again, pulling her back down, already missing her heat. She lays her head on my shoulder again as I run my fingers through her silky hair.
"I'm clear, baby, I promise; I have been for years, and I know this because my Momma forces me for two checkups a fucking year."
She nods timidly, and I move a little to look at her and see her furrowing, "Why did you tell me?"
I gently place two fingers under her chin to make her look at me. My eyes soften seeing the unshed tears, "Because I needed you to know that I'm in this with you, that I want you to give me a chance, and I'll prove to you that you won't regret it."
A few tears fall from her eyes, and I quickly wipe them away but furrow my brows before she takes a deep breath, "I want that, I do, but..." I tilt my head while she shakes her head, "You and I have a lot in common, really." She looks into my eyes and says, "I want to give you a chance, Hunter. I do, but I just, you have to know that my sister has to always come first. If you want to see me, but she needs me by her side, I will always choose her; can you live with that? Can you live with coming second best to a fifteen-year-old?"
"Spitfire, I'm going to need more of an explanation here. I can understand you want to put your sister first, and I wouldn't want it any other way; family means everything, but she has two parents."
I hope I didn't just put my foot in it, but something doesn't seem right. She's speaking like she's... her parent.
She sighs, then moves away a little, making me scowl, but she smiles a little at me, shaking her head before crossing her legs and getting comfortable.
"I get it; I sound like her parent, right?" I nod, and she sighs while bringing her legs up, leaning her arms on her knees, "I guess, in some sort of way, I guess I am." I reared in shock, thinking maybe she was unwell, but she just smiled. "If you asked my parents, they'd tell you the same thing. Since the moment she was born, I have loved her immediately. I was only ten, and I instantly made her my doll." I grin at that, making her pick up a piece of chocolate popcorn and throw it at me. I catch it in my mouth, making her chuckle before she continues. "I was seventeen when I got the call," I furrow my brows. "I was at a party, ending things with my then-boyfriend when my dad called. He told me I had to get to the hospital and that it was Mary," I swallow hard as her eyes go vacant, going back to a time I'm starting to think was hard for her, "When I got to the hospital, my dad told me my sister, my beautiful seven-year-old sister, was diagnosed with leukemia." My eyes widen as she shakes her head, looking at me, "At seventeen, I went from a big sister teaching her how to get on our parent's nerves, pulling pranks, and helping her learn to dance to a guardian. I didn't go to the prestigious colleges I was accepted into with scholarships; instead, I chose a community college. I only went part-time because I started working two jobs to help pay her hospital and household bills. She'd been in remission for the past eight years."
I sit back in shock, "That's why you sold your grandfather's car?" She nods, wiping away a fallen tear, and I swallow hard, "But she's better, right? You said she's in remission."
She nods before rasping, "She was until a few weeks ago." I slowly close my eyes, "She had a checkup the day Sniper offered me the job, my graduation day. Her cancer is back, and it's back with a vengeance." I open my eyes; hers are teary and sad, and I can't cope with being this far away from her. I lean forward and grab her under her arms. She squeaks in surprise as I lift her, then make her straddle my legs before I cup her face with my right hand, my left arm holding her close to me.
"How bad, Spitfire."
She sniffles, our eyes locking. "It's spread to her brain. I sold all my jewelry to pay for my parent's flights tonight and the hospital for the specialist because my dad's health insurance won't cover it; the doctors here aren't very optimistic, and Momma refuses to come to terms with the inedible like my dad, Mary, and I have."
"Fuck." I sigh, resting my forehead against her, "I'm so sorry, baby."
She nods, "But this is why I need to ensure you know what you're getting into. She may be my little sister, but for the past eight years, I've been financially involved in helping my parents; they need me, and as much as I'd love to give in with you, I..." She shakes her head, "I don't want you to regret me putting Mary before you; I don't want you to resent me."
My eyes soften before I give her a nod of understanding. It doesn't matter if I have to come second in her world; she's still mine, and she'll always come first. With that thought, I press my lips against hers and then rasp, "I won't leave you, baby. When I told you I want you, I want this, us, I meant it, and I'll make sure you see that by staying right by your side."
She looks into my eyes to see if I mean what I said before after what feels like a fucking eternity, finally. She gives me a hesitant nod, making me smile a little before I take her lips again, this time harder, before gently rubbing my tongue along her lips, making her open for me. My tongue tangles with hers as my heart pounds. Amber's lies come back to me—how she used my condition to get my patch—but I instantly squash the thoughts, kissing my girl harder, holding her close to me, and promising myself to never hurt this girl and to always hold her tightly.
Shame I'm a fucking idiot and don't remember this moment.
Chapter 10
Snake – One Month Later
I swig my beer and watch Lucy-Ann drink herself into a stupor. Lucy was apparently Billy's on-and-off girlfriend. According to her, the idiot had cheated on her twice but got his act together when she told him she was pregnant.
Bullshit…
I shake my head as she downs another shot. She fell apart during the service today. We'd laid Billy to rest after waiting a month for the Sheriff in Hicksville to release his body, and Lucy had a full-blown meltdown. Not only did she scream at me that it was apparently my fault her one true love was dead, despite the ambush being set by his own father, but she also decided to blame me for the loss of her baby. Lucy had miscarried three days after finding out Billy was killed, not due to her excessive crying either but excessive drinking herself into a stupor like right now. It took a lot to get my Momma under control when Lucy got in my face, but I let it slide. She was grieving—well, that's what I had thought—until a curvy blonde bombshell showed up at the funeral, heavily pregnant, crying for the one she loved.
