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She cupped his tear-streaked face in her hands. “You’re lying. Tell me,” she sniffled.
He didn’t want to tell her anything. He shook his head again.
She met and held his gaze. “Tell me,” she said softly. “Please.”
He had to touch her. Enjoy these last moments. Because if she was smart, she wouldn’t want anything to do with him when she found out the truth.
He kissed her temple then touched his forehead to hers and held her close.
After struggling with himself for a few moments, he said, “I’m sorry. It was never about a fresh start or clean slate or whatever I said back then. It... Well... Huntington’s is genetic. A parent who has it usually passes it to their kid. Odds are... I’ll get it, too. I... I tried to set you free back then so you wouldn’t waste your life watching two people die from it.”
Chapter 11
Bex
“What?” Bex asked, shocked.
Aiden’s forehead remained pressed to hers, but he closed his eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to hold you back.”
Her heart pounded wildly against her chest. What a burden for him to carry alone all those years. His actions made so much sense now.
She sniffled and closed her eyes, too. “First, you don’t get to decide that for me. Second, set me free? I would have done anything to be with you.”
“I know,” he whispered. “That’s why I did it.”
“You’re an asshole.”
He half laughed, his forehead still pressed to hers. “Believe me, I know. But I couldn’t put you through that.”
“Are you sure you have it? Is there a way to tell for sure?” she asked.
“There’s a test the doctors can do to see if I have the gene.”
She opened her eyes and leaned back to look at him. She wiped the tear remnants off her face.
“Have you taken it?”
He opened his bloodshot eyes and stared at her. He slowly shook his head.
“No, I haven’t. Genetically, there’s a 50/50 chance I have the gene and will develop the disease. Even without the test, I always figured as unlucky as I am, I have it.”
“Wouldn’t you rather know?”
“So I know I can anticipate a rough death?”
“So you can figure out how to fight it.”
He smiled. “Doctors and scientists haven’t figured that out yet. I doubt I will.”
Bex rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean.”
“Yeah.” He sighed and absentmindedly ran a hand up her thigh. “I always figured even if a test said I don’t have it, the test might be wrong. I might go on to have a family thinking I don’t have the gene when I really do and pass that along to my kids. Put them through the same thing that’s happening with my mom. I don’t want them to deal with any of it. To go through what I have.”
Her heart shattered for him. This man chose a life without love to spare everyone else potential heartache. He’d pushed her away to keep her safe.
“When did you find out about all this? About your mom?”
He hesitated. “Honestly?”
