AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You threw your hands in the air while on a bike in this storm?”
“You’re lucky you weren’t killed.”
The comments were coming from all over. Through the phone, the men in the room, my own mind. I can’t take it. I’m falling apart on the inside and I don’t have the strength to fight everyone in the real world. So, I do the only thing that seems logical.
“I HAVE CANCER.”
Silence. Every single voice instantly stops. It’s so quiet that I can hear my own heartbeat.
“I have cancer,” I repeat quietly, tossing my arm back over my eyes. “I wasn’t feeling well last week and I went in for a checkup. All of the results came back normal until they took a chest-XRAY. There was an abnormal mass located in my right lung. Further testing showed that I have early stages of lung cancer. Apparently, the cancer my bio mother had was hereditary. I start treatments next week.”
When the room and phone remain quiet, I sigh and sit up. Thankfully, Viper helped me. I feel weaker than I ever have in this moment. Not physically, but mentally. Emotionally. I feel vulnerable. Which is something I never wanted to feel. My parents, my family, taught me to be tough and to never depend on anyone.
Looking up into the sad eyes of Viper, I know now, more than ever, I need to depend on someone.
“Once I start treatments,” I say, not looking away from Viper. “I’ll be weak. I’ll be sick. I just needed this last trip to remind myself of what I needed to fight for. Not just for my family, but for my own life. For my own future. For the freedom I felt when I lifted my hands in the middle of that storm. For the feeling of the wind as it was rushing through my hair. Hair that will soon be gone. I just needed a few days of complete freedom before my body fights back with every ounce of energy I possess.”
Viper wipes the tears from my face that I didn’t even know were falling.
“I might not survive this,” I whisper. “This cancer might very well destroy not only my body but my mind as well. I might never again be the person that I am right now. It’s just not fair.”
I finally give in and let it all out. I cry at the unfairness of life. I cry for the future that I might never get to have. I cry for my family whose hearts are breaking because of me.
Viper lifts me and holds me against his chest before laying down on the bed.
“You don’t need to worry about anything else,” Viper says against the top of my head.
I hear my mom crying over the phone and guilt threatens to drown me. I wanted to tell my family about my cancer in person so that I could hug my mom. My bio mother was her best friend and I just know this whole thing has thrown her right back into the past.
“My baby girl,”Daddy says, his voice breaking.“Oh, my beautiful baby girl. Please, come home. I need to hold you.”
Viper places the phone on his chest right beside my head.
“Please, don’t cry, Daddy,” I whisper. “I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you sooner. But I really wish I had. I don’t want your heart to break.”
“It’s already breaking, baby girl,”he says roughly.“Only because you’re about to go through something that I can’t fight for you. You are so fucking strong, Bitsy. You will beat this. I will have it no other way.”
I shove my face further against this stranger’s chest as a giggle escapes my mouth.
“Daddy, you can’t just demand that I beat cancer,” I laugh. “That’s not how it works.”
“I’m a fucking Phantom, baby girl,”he growls.“Everyone fears us. Even cancer.”
“When are you coming home, sweetheart?”mom says softly.
I take a moment to sort through my thoughts. I want to comfort my family. I want them all to know how much I love them and how sorry I am about all of this.
But I don’t feel like going home is the right decision for me just yet.
“I’ll be home before the first treatment,” I finally answer. “I’m going to need the comfort and support of our family when things get hard. But, for now, I just need to live.”
“You can come home and live,”Daddy demands. “We can do whatever you want every day, baby girl, but we can do it while you’re here.”
I roll my eyes and try to sit up but my head starts to pound harder so I flop back down against Viper’s chest.
“Okay,” I start. “I’m just going to be straight with you, old man. I’m not coming home for a few days. For one, I have a massive headache and I don’t think I could even pee by myself let alone drive for hours. And two, I need this last hoorah before I get weak and tired. I’m going to the two-day biker convention and then I’ll head home.”
“I don’t fucking think so.”
