Chapter 85
Her first indication that something was wrong on Wednesday morning, should have been Kylan picking her up yet again.
It wasn’t that she was bothered to be spending extra time alone with him. On the contrary, she quite enjoyed driving to work with Kylan. But she had been expecting Oscar to finally pick her up
Kylan ignored her onslaught of questions the entirety of their drive and she only grew more anxious because of it
“I swear to God, Kylan… You told me Oscar would be here today. So, where is he?” she quietly hissed while Kylan led the way out of the elevator and
to his office.
He still ignored her, only taking hold of her hand and gently tugging her along
Kylan. I’m serious. I don’t know wha-” She stopped talking the moment she entered Rylan’s office.
ur, his back toward her.
There was Oscar. Sitting in her chair,
“Oscar” Her voice was dangerously close to a shrick, tears filling her eyes instantaneously. She let go of Kylan’s hand, scrambling over to Oscar just as he stood from his seal
The first thing she noticed about him, was how exhausted he appeared to be. Dark purple circles lined beneath his eyes, usual complexion. A palm sized bandage was fixed just off the center of his neck, and she stopped short of hugging him.
his f
face a pale ghost of his
That same iciness. That same instinct that yelled at her. Commanded her to listen to it. To realize something really was wrong. It was back in overwhelming force…
full
“Oscar, what’s going on Where have you been? W–why do you have that bandage?” Her voice sounded nearly childlike in its vulnerability, but she could do nothing to change it. Not night now. Not while Oscar wasn’t okay.
Her driver smiled at her, though it didn’t reach his eyes. Not even close. He shared a glance with Kylan, who she felt put a hand across her lower back. She looked at Kylan herself and frowned. He wasn’t looking at her, but he jutted his chin in the direction of her chair and she sank down onto
Oscar took the seat to her right, turning the chair so it faced hers. “I’m sorry, Katrina. I’m sorry for keeping she in the dark.”
His voice was but a hoarse whisper, though it was nice to hear it, all the same. One hand disappeared into his suit jacket, and he withdrew a bag of sour cherries, handing it to her.
She whimpered, taking the candy, and then clasping his hand immediately after she deposited the bag onto her lap, “What’s going on?”
She wasn’t certain she wanted to know the answer. In fact, she knew she didn’t want to. Not really. Not right now. But she needed to know
Kylan stood behind her, one hand resting atop her shoulder.
Oscar looked from her, to Kylan, and then back to her. “First of all I can only hope that Kylan has been treating you with more respect.” his throat and visibly winced.
She held his hand tighter in response and nodded eagerly. “He is, yes,”
she affirmed and he gave her a small hum
“He cleared
“I suppose there’s no way of telling you this that won’t be awful” Oscar moved to hold her own hand in both of his and every muscle in her body tensed all at once, her breath caught in her throat. “I have cancer, Kate. They caught it early, and I’ve already undergone a surgery to remove the damaged part of my thyroid. They’re starting me on radiation, and my prognosis is hopeful.”
She knew the words Oscar was saying. She could hear him speaking them to her.
But she couldn’t really hear him
She did hear what sounded like her gasping, and she did feel her body lurch forward and Kylan’s hand on her shoulder grip more firmly.
Oscar was still talking, but she no longer knew what he was saying
Katrina looked up at Kylan, who stared at her with a guarded expression that nearly broke her further
Oscar was sick?
Her steadfast, consistent, empathetic, and strong friend! The man who was like a second father to her?
He was sick!
The world slipped away
www from her.
her vision going black near the edges.
“Breathe, Katrina.” She distantly heard what sounded like Kylan’s voice, though she wasn’t certain.
3:04 PM
Chapter 85
She wasn’t sure until she saw his face cloud her vision, a frown on his lips, the lines around his eyes showing his true age for perhaps the first time.
me three things you see,” Kylan’s voice echoed around the walls of her mind.
“Katrin, tell m
She knew Oscar was still holding her hand. She knew he was looking at her. But she couldn’t look at him. She didn’t want to.
This felt like her mother. Like when she left her. And when her father took her for ice cream and a hamburger that same day. The candy in her lap s like a reminder of the way she hadn’t been able to eat either ice cream or hamburgers for years after that day.
“Three things you see. Katrina.” Kylan’s strong hands encompassed her face and she blinked at him.
“Grey Y–your grey eyes.” She was talking, but it sounded almost like she was under water.
“What else?” Kylan’s thumbs stroked her cheeks gently and she continued to blink at him, her throat impossibly dry
“The lines around your eyes,” she murmured. Oscar squeezing her hand near her lap
“One more,” Kylan whispered to her.
“0–Oscar. I see Oscar.” Her voice broke on the end and Kylan’s arms encompassed her, holding her tightly against his chest. She turned her face into the crook of his neck, sobs breaking free from her and shaking throughout her body.
Oscar kept hold of her hand and she clung to Kylan.
She both wanted and needed Oscar to be okay.
“Kate. I’m going to be fine. Alright?” Oscar moved to be closer to her and she felt a set of fingers rubbing her back.
“Tell me what I can do for yo
you.
Oscar. Whatever you want, whatever you need,” she croaked; her vision blurry with tears while she looked at him.
Oscar gave her a beautiful smile, his eyes glancing up at Kylan for a fraction of a second. “The only thing I’ve ever wanted, was for you to be happy. Kate. And for you to be confident and sure of yourself. I think you’ve found that, and I want you to nurture it. Both of you.” He directed his words at Kylan too, and she held both men a bit closer.
-You’re going to be okay, Oscar.” She was certain she was right. Certain it would all be alright.
“I will be kiddo. Don’t worry about me. Worry about you.” He squeezed her hand once before standing from his chair. “I’ll go get the car ready for your nine–thirty appointment, Sir.”
He nodded at Kylan, and she watched as he left the office, turning and giving her one last smile before he was out of view.
She was left alone with Kylan, who she allowed herself to rest her full weight against. She stayed like that, crying, listening to him murmur words of encouragement in her car
She was scared. Terrified, really. Scared for Oscar. Scared to lose him. Scared of the variables this added to her growing list.
She was also comforted, Peaceful. Safe, with Kylan’s arms around her.
“Thank you,” she whispered into his neck, slightly embarrassed by how thoroughly she had drenched his skin.
-Minute by minute, Katrina, Kylan whispered back to I
her
She pulled away just enough to look at him, her fingers defily finding the edge of the black and red bracelet she knew adorned his wrist.
“Minute by minute,” she agreed with a nod of her head
Minute by minute.
She could do that
at if she had Kylan with her.
The foundation beneath her feet carefully shifted while she held Kylan close to her, and a support beam was added here and there.
A few of them were even made of steel.
