Page 52 of Cuffed By Love

"That's in two weeks?" I state sardonically, and my father nods.

"It sure is. You best start prepping. It's a big event, lots to do." He chirps gleefully and slaps Dev on the shoulder before he turns and walks out of the office, leaving us alone.

We turn to look at one another instantaneously the moment the door clicked shut. "Well, that was an eventful half-hour I won't be forgetting in a rush." Devin utters with a chuckle and rubs the back of his neck awkwardly.

"I'm glad you found that funny. I can easily chalk that down as one of the most humiliating moments of my life, no thanks to you."

Devin frowns, "Me?"

"Yes, you!" I hiss irritably, "If you hadn't been so insistent I hide under your damn desk and grew a pair and told your girlfriend the bloody truth as I told you, he wouldn't have walked in and thought I was blowing you off under your desk."

"How was I supposed to know your dad was going to walk in at that very moment, Tinks?"

"Maybe you shouldn't have put me in that position in the first place, Devin." I declare hotly, dropping my gaze from his momentarily to get my emotions in check. I close my eyes and exhale slowly before speaking. "It's not entirely your fault. I'm just as much to blame. I don't know what the hell I was thinking agreeing to go along with that ridiculous idea." I fume agitatedly while I pace back and forth in front of Devin like a madwoman—well, as far as the handcuffs would allow me to go anyway—which wasn't very far at all and that only added to my aggravation.

Why can he just for once put a moment's consideration into what I might feel, for God’s sake?

Devin watches me intently, licking his lips. I halt when he catches my arm as I pass by him and draws me close until my shoulder was pressed up against his chest. When I keep my eyes fixed to the wall opposite me, Devin grasps my chin between his thumb and forefinger and turns my head so I’m looking up at him. "You're right. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked you to do that. It was selfish of me to put my reservations about my relationship on you when it's not your problem. I should have just sucked it up and told her the truth, and I will, I promise."

Well, I wasn't expecting that.

Devin smiles handsomely at me and gives my chin a little squeeze when I remain silent. "Do you forgive me?" He asks softly, his thumb tracing lazy circles over my jaw. A tremor passes through me, and suddenly the anger I felt moments before drains away from me. How on earth does he manage to do that every time? Even when we were kids, and I was furious with him, he always had this way of soothing me.

"Yes, I forgive you," I utter and slap his hand away from my face. "And next time, I suggest you think long and hard before you even pluck up the damn nerve to ever ask me to do something that daft because I'll be sure to respectfully tell you where to shove it."

Devin laughs, "Ever the feisty little kitten, Tinks." He drawls, pressing his forehead to my temple and whispering in my ear. "I love it." I roll my eyes playfully and try to back away from him, but he throws his arm casually over my shoulder and draws me up against his side. "Oh, and it looks like we're off to Rome together. Non vedo l'ora."

I blink up at him, surprised, "Since when do you speak Italian?"

"Ah, Shortcake, have you've forgotten that my mother is part Italian?"

"No, I remember just fine. I also remember that you didn't understand nor spoke a word of it growing up." I remind him while we take our seats at his desk. Devin leans back in his chair and grins toothily at me.

Hold on.

"How's your dad? Has he started his treatments yet?"

What was wrong with Uncle Greyson? I can't believe I almost forgot about that. When I turn to face Devin, his smile falters a little. "Devin, what did your girlfriend mean when she asked how your dad was and if he had started his treatments yet? Is Uncle Greyson, okay?" I question fretfully, and the sudden grim look on Devin's face and the way he averts his eyes to stare at the red and black pen on his desk confirms my suspicions that something was indeed very wrong. "Devin?"

Devin sighs heavily and spins his chair a little to face me directly. I keep my eyes on him, watching him closely, I wait with bated breath, and the longer he stays quiet, the more the worry in his eyes become evident to me. "He's been diagnosed with cancer."

Oh, God no.

I didn't know how to react, what to say or even feel at that very moment. It felt as though someone had dumped a giant bucket of ice-cold water down my head. I seize up and just stare at him, utterly dismayed. My eyes burn, and prickle and I can already feel the tears gathering in my eyes. Uncle Greyson was—is like a second father to me, and I love him dearly. Growing up, he referred to me as the daughter he never had and treated me as though I were his own.

"What…how..." I stammer, and my fingers start to tremble faintly, so I fist them tightly in my lap in an attempt to still them. "How bad is it?" I question fretfully. My voice seemed so distant and inaudible to my own ears through the slow thumping of my heart. For a fleeting moment, I wasn't even certain Devin had heard me until he slowly raises his eyes and meets my inquisitive gaze.

"He found a small lump on his knee last year and didn't think to have it checked, thinking it was nothing until it started to grow. Mum dragged him to the doctors to get it checked out, and after a biopsy, they told him it was stage two soft tissue Sarcoma." Devin explains sullenly, and I press my fingers to my mouth to smother the gasp that was about to escape me.

I feel my heart sink to the pit of my stomach. "Sarcoma?"

Devin nods, "Soft tissue sarcomas are cancerous tumours that form in places like fat, muscle and blood vessels."

"Is it treatable? He's going to get better, right? Stage two isn't terminal, is it?"

Devin exhales slowly and shrugs meekly, "He had surgery to remove the lump and went through several rounds of radiotherapy, and he seemed fine for a month or so until he developed a cough, and he would be breathless just by walking through his office. We took him back to the doctors, and after an x-ray and several MRIs they did another biopsy and found three more cancerous lumps on his lungs. It spread pretty fast, and now it's spread to his stomach too."

"Oh my God," I whisper wretchedly, tears of despair roll down my cheeks.

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