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She nodded.
“The day before I broke up with you. We went to her doctor appointment. The doctor sat us down and explained everything. What the diagnosis meant for her. What it meant for me. I went to bed that night, couldn’t sleep, got up, did some online research to find out more about her diagnosis... What I found devastated me. I swore I wouldn’t put you through that, too.”
“Aiden...”
“I broke up with you, even though that was the furthest thing from what I wanted. I turned down my scholarship. Stayed home to take care of mom because she couldn’t be alone. Took a job at the pub cooking. Eventually moved up to server, then bartender when I was old enough. I took care of her at home until things got too bad. Until I couldn’t anymore. She’s been in a nursing home since. It’s why I can only be friends with you.”
Tears rolled down Bex’s face and she wrapped him in a hug. “I wish you’d told me.”
Aiden hugged her but shook his head. “You wouldn’t have made the achievements you have if I’d told you. You would’ve stayed here with me.”
“We would’ve figured it out together.”
He guided her back, cupped her face with one hand, and looked her in the eyes. She could tell he meant every word of what came next. “My life is full of regrets. I regret breaking your heart. I regret that life dealt my mom and I such shitty hands. I regret not getting away from this town. But I will never regret how successful you’ve become. How much of an impact your band makes. The name you’ve made for yourself. None of that would’ve happened if you stayed. I’d rather be alone than deny you any of that.”
At that moment, she knew: she’d never stopped loving this man.
“So fucking selfless,” she said. “I should call you Mother Teresa.”
His lips quirked into a half smile. “Please don’t.”
She leaned her cheek against his hand and studied the familiar curves of his face. “Where would we be if you’d found out later about her diagnosis? If we’d already left for college?”
“I don’t know.”
“What if a diagnosis wasn’t a factor?”
“I’m not sure. I don’t know what would have happened. I do know where I’d like to be.”
“Where would you like to be?”
His blue eyes flashed with hope momentarily, but then dimmed as quickly. He removed his hand from her face.
“It doesn’t matter.”
She grabbed his hand and linked her fingers with his. She hated the feel of that wedding band on his hand but chose not to say anything. “There you go again, Mother Teresa. It does too matter. You know where I’d like to be?”
He closed his eyes and shook his head. “You can’t. I can’t.”
“I want to be by your side and help you fight this every step of the way,” she continued. “You may not even have this horrible gene. Then all this sacrifice was for nothing. I need you to look at me.”
He kept his eyes closed and shook his head again.
“Look at me.”
His eyes slowly opened and met hers.
“I’m pissed at you for taking this choice away from me and wasting ten years of our time. Understand?”
He nodded slowly. He kept his eyes locked on hers.
She continued, “Despite that, I still love you. Even now, all these years later, I still love you. We will figure this out — together.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“You would give me another chance? Even if I might have the gene?”
