A Forever Kind of Love Read Online Free Page B

studied her knuckles. “Put some ice on this.”
    Her skin felt so soft under his, soft. Warm. Fragile.
    Swallowing the knot in his throat, he let go of her hand and looked up, forced a smile. “Go take care of your mom…and then, Zoe? Why don’t you go take care of yourself for a while? Go shopping. Go see a movie. Do something.”
     
    Take care of myself …
    Man, the thought of going shopping, seeing a movie, even taking half an hour for a manicure was tempting, so damn tempting. But it was selfish. Too selfish. Right now, Roger needed her here . He’d understand if she left to check on Mom, but she had no business running out to go primp, do a shopping spree…
    “I’ll just take care of Mom.” She glanced at Chase’s face and smiled, shrugged. “That’s all I need to do, anyway.”
    He reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her cheek. “You need to take a little while for yourself, every now and then. You need it. You can’t help him if you collapse.”
    That light touch left her heart racing. It was an absent gesture, one she doubted he was even aware of, but it did bad, bad things to her mental state. Swallowing, she stepped back, putting herself out of her reach. “I’m fine, Chase. I promise. Let me just go talk to Roger.”
     
    They still looked right together.
    Tiredly, Roger moved back to the bed before they took notice of him. He lay on the bed and thought about how right his wife looked with another man. He’d much rather think about that, even though it broke his heart.
    It was easier thinking about that than what was coming. Easier to think about Chase and Zoe than the fact that he was wasting away inside. Easier to think about them than the nausea, the weakness…the fact that he was going to be dead in a matter of weeks, months at the most.
    The nausea, for the most part, had passed—for today. The weakness, it got worse every day and he knew it wouldn’t pass. The pain too, but right now the pain wasn’t so bad.
    He didn’t want to think about the pain, though. Or the nausea. He definitely didn’t want to think about thosemoments— those moments. Times when he didn’t really feel like himself. Times when his mind didn’t feel like his own—when his thoughts took a dark and vicious turn and he barely remembered anything after the first few seconds.  
    Part of him thought he should say something to Zoe, because it scared the shit out of him, but what could he say? Hey, baby…I think I might be going a little psychotic too ? What the hell did it matter anyway? He was going to be dead in a few more weeks. It didn’t seem like it lasted long, and as long as he didn’t hurt her…and he never would—never…
    His gut clenched even thinking about that. No. He wasn’t thinking about that. Definitely not that.
    It was easier to think about something else than the fucking cancer killing him bit by bit, or the chemo that was almost as bad.
    Even thinking about how right Chase and Zoe looked together.  
    After all of these years.
    They’d all looked so perfect together. Even in high school, when both of them had been crazy about the cute cheerleader. But Chase had been the one brave enough to make a move. Chase, not Roger.
    And they’d fit.
    A perfect match.
    Roger had figured he’d never have a chance with her.
    Then Chase had left, and Roger had his chance.
    Zoe—her borderline psychotic mother, such a cold, mean bitch, and the mess that happened after high school.  
    So many fractured pieces… Such a fucking mess.
    Crazy Grace, Chase disappearing.
    Roger had stepped in and picked up the pieces.
    He hadn’t expected Zoe to love him.
    But somewhere along the way, she had started to.
    She did love him.
    Even after Chase came back to town. And man, there had been nights when Roger had lain awake, convinced she’d leave him. Convinced of it, especially after he’d seen the way Chase had watched her—the way the guy’s eyes had lingered on her the first time he’d seen