Page 113 of Never Stop
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Brooke
Just when you think you have life figured out, she bitch slaps you in the face, laughing all the while.
That was exactly how I felt. Beat up and laughed at, kicked in the gut and spit on. You name it, I was feeling it.
Staring at the black, dark ceiling for most of that night, I was thinking about how I could go from being on such a high to drowning in the depths of my fears. They say when you get kicked down you need to get back up, but it’s easier said than done, especially when life was staring you in the face and contemplating if she wanted to ruin it for you.
Having another desmoid tumor might not be life threatening, but the emotional factor of knowing you had a mass that could potentially fuck with your future was disheartening. I tried to stay strong the first time around, buy this time I wasn’t sure if my body could handle the pain again.
Ha, ha, ha. You want to have a baby? How about another tumor instead?
My first call after everything sunk in and Easton comforted me, was to Nicole.
“Hey,” she greeted.
“I got the call.” I didn’t elaborate. She knew I was waiting for the results.
“And?”
I sighed. “They…” I paused. I couldn’t get the words out as a tear dropped from my lid.
“No,” she breathed, and I pictured her shaking her head in disbelief.
“Yep,” I confirmed. Even though I didn’t exactly tell her they found a mass, she knew because if I didn’t, I would come out and tell her.
“I’m coming over with frozen yogurt.”
“Okay,” I agreed. “And maybe vodka?”
“Got it. See you in twenty.”
After we hung up, I knew I had one more person to tell. Last time, I didn’t tell my sister because I didn’t want her to worry about me while she was in college. Now, I knew I had to, or she’d be pissed again.
“Tell me the good news,” Bailee said as soon as she answered my call.
More tears fell from my eyes. “Don’t have any.”
There was a pause before she spoke again. “I’m on my way.”
“Bai, no.”
“Sis, you have another tumor—”
“Actually the doctor said it could be scar tissue.”
Another pause. “Okay. We can handle scar tissue.”
“Or it could be a mass. I need another biopsy.”
“When is it scheduled for?”
I shrugged. “Not sure yet. They’re going to call me.”
“Well, I’m coming to stay with you until then.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You have a job—a life in Boston.”
