Healed by Evan Grace

Chapter Five

 

Heidi

 

“Heidi, it was cancer.”

“What? Cancer?” I pull my hands from his before standing. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Colton stands and moves until he’s right in front of me. My heart pounds in my chest. I look him over closely and begin to remember how sick he’d gotten. We noticed the bruises that would pop up overnight—dark purple bruises that looked painful.

“Ahem … wh-what kind of cancer did you have?” I step back from him, because he keeps getting closer to me.

He grabs my hand. “Acute lymphoblastic leukemia.”

“Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia? I don’t understand why you didn’t tell me.” I walk around him and sit down. He follows suit and, again, grabs my hand. 

“I was in shock. I don’t think it sank in at first. Mom and Dad both started crying, and all I thought was that I was going to die and leave you. Mom’s family, if you remember, are from New York, and they decided to find a hospital there that specialized in cancer treatment.”

I blink rapidly to stop the tears that threaten to spill over. “W-why didn’t you ask me to go with you?” As much as sadness wants to wash through me, I don’t let it; instead, I let the anger move through me. “Y-you told me you didn’t love me anymore.” I jump up from the couch, pacing back and forth in front of him. “I would’ve taken care of you.”

Colton stands and moves in front of me to stop my pacing. “I didn’t want that for you,” he whispers.

My hand flies up, slapping him across the face. I then jump on him until I’m wrapped around him like a spider monkey. Then my lips are on his. I spear his hair with my fingers, gripping the strands in my fists.

He immediately takes over the kiss, his tongue brushing mine. I feel it as we move through his home. When my back hits his mattress, we begin to rip each other’s clothes off.

Suddenly he’s thrusting inside of me, both of us moaning into the others mouth. It’s urgent, painful, and amazing all at once. I begin to cry, and he stops moving. “No … keep going,” I whisper brokenly against his lips.

Colton moves again, but not with the same urgency as before. I push on his shoulders until we roll, and I’m on top. I ride him hard, loving the way he feels inside of me. The lovers I’ve had since him have been mediocre at best, but I think that had to do more with the love Colton and I felt for each other.

I cry out as he pushes himself up, grabbing my waist, and sucking a nipple into his mouth. I hug him to my chest as he continues his oral assault. In no time I’m coming, moaning and babbling incoherently as I ride the blissful wave.

He flips us over, slides his arms under my thighs, and spreads me wide as he pounds into me at a punishing pace. He pumps once, then twice before burying himself to the hilt. I feel it as he bathes my channel with his cum.

Colton stays buried deep inside me as we both fight to catch our breath. He brushes my hair that’s fallen from the knot on top of my head back from my face. It’s a tender touch, one that I’ve longed for since the last time I saw him.

After he pulls his softening cock out of me, he kisses me on the lips. “I’ll be right back.” I watch him climb off the bed. Fuck me, his body is impressive, but then it always has been. He’s tall, lean, and even better than when he was a teenager.

The moment he leaves the bedroom, I jump off his bed, getting dressed faster than I ever have before. I bolt for the living room, grabbing my shoes and don't even bother to put them on. I’m in my car speeding away from his house.

“What did I do?” I whisper to myself over and over.

I ignore my ringing phone, knowing exactly who it is. I stop at the grocery store and, after putting my shoes back on, go right to the liquor aisle, grabbing a bottle of Rose. I’m going to really need this tonight.

Inside my apartment, I find my sister lying on the couch reading our brother’s latest crime novel. She lays the book down and takes one look at me and the bottle of wine in my hand. “Oh shit.”

I then start to cry.

 

***

 

It’s been two days since I had sex with Colton. I know I’m a chicken, hiding from him, but sleeping with him brought back too many emotions I’ve kept buried deep.

I know we need to finish our talk, or do we? It’s clear I’m not over him, but where do we go from here? I grab my phone and scroll through the text messages he left after I took off.

Colton: Where did you go?

Ten minutes later he sent another.

Colton: Heidi, please call me. I just want to make sure you’re okay.

In between the two texts he called me twice. He didn’t leave messages, but that’s good because if I would’ve heard his voice, I most certainly would have gone back over there.

Colton: Dammit, please text me back, call me, or something.

A half hour later came the last one that night.

Colton: I love you, Heidi. I’m sorry that I hurt you, but I swear I thought I was doing the right thing. We ... uh … didn’t use any protection the other night. I’m clean, I swear.

I knew the moment I stood up the other night that we didn’t use anything. His cum was running down the inside of my thigh. I’ve missed the window to take the pill to prevent pregnancy, and I’m not sure if it was accidental or on purpose, but it was definitely stupid not to take it, or for us to use a condom.

I toss my phone on the desk and finish loading our latest finished pieces onto our website and social media platforms. I’m always so impressed when I upload the pictures—we’re damn talented.

I get up from the desk and tuck my phone into my back pocket. Out front, Lainey is sitting at the desk. “Hey, girl. Are you all done for the night?” This girl lives and breathes our studio.

Taking her on was one of the best decisions we ever made. She may not be blood, but she’s family.

“Yep, but I had nothing else going on, so I decided to stick around and help Greta.” She looks at the computer and then up at me. “She has someone coming in to get pierced right before we close.”

The door chime sounds, and I turn around to find Colton stepping inside. “What are you doing here?” I walk toward him.

“You wouldn’t answer my texts or calls. Are you okay?”

“Let’s go into the office.” He follows me down the hall and I close the office door behind him. “As you can see, I’m fine.”

“Please don’t act like you weren’t affected by what happened the other night; it insults us both. You felt it too, so don’t pretend you didn’t.”

Ugh, this man if infuriating. “Fine. Yes, I felt it too. Are you happy? The moment our lips met, every feeling, every emotion came rushing back.” Colton tries to come toward me, but I hold my hands up. Thankfully he stops. “I would’ve taken care of you. I would’ve made sure you knew I was fighting right alongside you.”

Tears slide down my cheeks, and I turn away; I don’t want him to see me cry.

I feel him as he comes up behind me and then his arms wrap around me, holding me tight. I cry harder as he leans down, pressing his forehead into my neck.

“Shhh, baby. No tears, please. You know I don’t like to see you cry,” he says as he turns me in his arms so he can hug me closer.

Once I finally get myself under control, I step away from him. “Do you see what being around you is doing to me?” I know it’s mean, and I shouldn’t have said something like that—especially now that he’s looking at me with a hurt look on his face.

Colton doesn’t say anything. He nods once and then turns, walks out, shutting the door behind him.