Twice In A Lifetime | Book 2 (Completed)

17. THE TRUTH

Chapter 17: THE TRUTH

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Jensen's POV:

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She showed up at my door looking like a beautiful dream. Her dark hair was ink black with the backdrop of the night and she looked graceful in her fitted jeans and a long-sleeved top. I had to compose myself despite the fact that my sister just phoned, telling me of this exact scenario.

Alex's eyes approved of the interior decor and I was suddenly glad I let my mom and sister take care of it when I had moved here years ago. She was so comfortable in my home, despite the fact that she was obviously lost, she smiled and laughed easily and I couldn't help but want this....forever.

Her lavender scent followed her around and I wanted to lean closer and breathe her in, I had to stop myself from reaching out to touch her, she seems so close, so tangible, yet so far away. I wished that all I wanted didn't just exist in my imagination...

Returning home after a long day, sometimes she's waiting for me, sometimes I'd wait for her, there would be some appeal to returning home early, we'd talk and sip and laugh about day's inanity, maybe we'll change around how the furniture is set right now to just the way she likes it, maybe turn the guest room into her office, rainy days would be beautiful, just because she likes them, my home would always smell of lavender and my bed of her warmth, seeing her face first thing in the morning, hearing her voice last thing at night...I wanted that, everything and more... she said something then, pulling me back, snapping me out of my silly daydream.

We talked and laughed, recalling the past as I made her coffee, trying not to look at her longingly but failing grievously.

God, this was torture.

But when she implied what she did I almost stopped breathing. I looked down at the floor and tried not to sound too saddened, "I thought there's no 'us'."

"There might be..." she said softly, in her dulcet honey voice "If you want it to."

My eyes met hers swiftly, she knew what I wanted and yet she... "Don't kid around with me Alex..." I couldn't help how hopeful I sounded.

"Maybe we should sit down, It's a long story..." she said, but none of us moved. We stayed where we were, locked in each other's gaze.

"God, I have no idea where to even start." She mumbled, keeping her empty cup away.

I didn't say anything, giving her time to gather her thoughts. I didn't want to rush her. This was it right? She was finally talking to me, trusting me... She'll tell me everything that's wrong, everything that's making her hesitant, and I'll make it alright, get rid of all that's keeping us apart.

"It happened three years ago..." She began, looking down at the kitchen floor "On a cold November night, I was driving back home for Thanksgiving when I blacked out and got into a bad accident." The thought of her being hurt even if it happened in the past filled me with panic. A protective possessiveness washed over me, to keep her safe, out of harm's way, I wanted to hold her but forced myself to stay still, wanting to hear her out.

"I wound up in a hospital, unconscious for a couple of days, my family and friends were there when I woke up, and they were all so bad at hiding their concern, it tore at me..." she shuddered and gripped the counter as if to gather courage for what she was about to say. "The accident that we all thought was the worst thing that could happen to me, turned out to be a boon in disguise... the doctors ran a few tests and I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer."

Cancer.... I couldn't process what I was hearing, her trembling words shook me, rattled me to my core. No. It can't. She couldn't. Not her. My mind rejected even the possibility, and yet... and yet suddenly a lot of pieces fit together. A lot of things made sense, bits and fragments came together, and I wanted to rip everything apart, disallow the mere notion of it being real.