"I'll just leave you two alone" Belle excused herself.
Chloe came to him immediately without hesitation. "Brady" she whispered softly taking him into her arms.
Brady held onto her tightly. He needed her so much but how could he put her through this with him?
Chloe pulled away to kiss his lips so tenderly. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." He said, taking her hand.
"Chloe, we need to talk. I don't think we should see each other any more."
"What? What are you talking about?"
"I don't need you feeling sorry for me, and I don't want to hold you back."
"Hold me back? Jesus Brady, I Love you and I'm going to be here for you"
"Don't you get it? I don't want you to be. You don't you need to see this. Do you really want a guy that has cancer?"
"That's not how I think about you. I think of you just the same. Brady Black, the man I fell in love with. Brady, you can't just shut me out."
"Chloe, I can't make you happy any more. I'm probably going to die"
"Brady!" Chloe smacked his face. Brady held his face. Opening his mouth and clasping his jaw. Feeling the sting on his cheek. "Oh God! I... I'm sorry. Don't ever say that! You're not going to die. I won't let you. I need you too much! Brady how do you just expect me to walk away? Do you know what this is doing to me? I'm completely powerless. I'm not going to abandon you, not when you need me." The tears streamed down her face.
"Chloe, just leave!"
"Brady, don't do this to me. We just found each other. I'm not going to give up on you that easily." The last few words a bit jumbled because she was so choked up.
"Just go!" Brady yelled. He turned his head away from here. He could not bare hurting her but he felt it needed to be done.
Chloe got up and walked slowly to the door. She turned around to face him. "I'll let you win tonight, but Brady nothing you can say is going to make me turn away from you. I love you"
Chloe walked out of the room with Brady looking after her. 'I love you too, Chloe' he thought. 'But it is better if I let you go'.
******************************************
Brady was woken up early the next morning to receive his treatments. When he came back to the room, he felt light-headed. He had been sick to his stomach for most of the afternoon. Looking at the clock. He realized Belle would be coming soon. He reached for the mirror on his night stand. He looked at himself and tried to fix his hair.
Belle was so scared. She did not know what she could do for her brother. All day she could not concentrate. Shawn noticed the change in her and found an opportunity to ask her, during last period, what was wrong.
"Belle, what's wrong?"
"Nothing"
"Belle, I'm your oldest confidant, not to mention your boyfriend. So tell me what's going on?"
"It's Brady. He's sick"
"What's he got the flu or something?"
"No, Shawn not the flu." Belle felt the lump forming in her throat and knew she could not control her tears. "He has cancer,Shawn"
"Oh God Belle" Shawn put his arms around Belle and rocked her.
"What's going on here?" Said Mr. Woods as he walked by the two.
"Sir, Belle found out some really bad news and I was just trying to comfort her."
"Belle, do you want to talk about it?" Mr. Woods said, kneeling down, looking into her eyes.
"No, I'm fine"
"Shawn, why don't you and Miss Black, go into the hallway and get a drink of water"
"Thank you, sir. We'll be right back"
"Take you're time" Mr. Woods said.
Belle looked at Chloe who had dark circles under her eyes. She probably had not slept all night.
Shawn and Belle went into the hall and leaned on some of the lockers.
"I'm going to the hospital after school. Would you come with me?"
"Of course. How did Chloe take the news?"
"Brady broke up with her. I think he thinks it will be easier on her that way. But Shawn I know he loves her and I don't think she understands. He is just pushing her away because it hurts him so much, I know it."
"Brady's a complicated guy. I'm sure he thinks he's doing what's best."
"Let's get back to class. Oh and Shawn, Don't tell anyone. He doesn't want a lot of people to know"
"No Problem." He bent down and kissed her forehead. "I love you"
"I love you too"
The bell went off and the two got their backpacks from their lockers and headed for the hospital.
****************************************
Chloe could not concentrate in class. She had slept little the night before. Still stunned at the way Brady had reacted to her. She just wanted
to be there for him. When he said that maybe he would die Chloe's heart had broken. How could she go on living when the person she loved
most in the world was gone? No, she did not care what he said. She was going to be there for him. She could not stand to be away.
To be continued......
