Page 36 of With You Forever

And she has to stop it.

Lacey stares at her naked body in the mirror.

Her breasts feel like bombs. Like betrayal.

She’s asked a lot from her body over the years. Put it through so much awful shit.

Now she’s asking it to come through for her. To heal. To live.

She lifts her arm, probing at the tan skin. Since her diagnosis, her mind won’t stop running. Does her arm hurt? Does her breast? Is she sicker than they think? What will they really find when they open her up?

God. She’s a disaster.

On the daily, her mind cartwheels with ridiculous scenarios. She knows they are. And she absolutely can’t tell Seth or Sal. They’ll worry even more. And worry is one thing she wants to run fast away from.

She has to be strong.

She’s got this.

She does.

The door opens. Seth steps inside. Resting his bandaged hand on the door frame, he stares at her naked body in mirror. Her hand on her breast. The jut of her ribs. The dark smudges under her eyes.

His throat works. “Lace ...”

His blue eyes—usually laughing or mischievous—are soft. Sad.

Turning away from him, she drops her eyes and slips on her robe. The sight of Seth’s eyes on her breasts, her body, feels like a judgment. She knows she’s lost weight. She knows she’s been close to a bad habit she used to have. That slip of control.

“We have to go to Alabama’s party.”

He sighs and steps up behind her. “Let’s skip it.” Wrapping his arms around her midsection, Seth buries his face into the back of her neck and inhales. “Stay in bed.”

“I can’t skip it, Seth. I planned it.” She wiggles impatiently in his arms. “I want to go out. We need some fun.”

For the first time in a long time, she feels a kernel of excitement. Of normality. Getting out, getting dressed up, feeling normal is what she needs to boost her spirits.

Seth’s deep drawl fills the room. “You oughta eat something before we go.”

She sighs.

He’s hovering. He’s scared. Her eyes moved to his bandaged hand. Nearly healed, but she still hasn’t forgotten that awful scene from a few days ago.

Her fault. All her fault.

She aches to tell him. Her doubts about their wedding. Her fears about the future. Curl up in his arms and weep a river. But she doesn’t want him to worry. The bandage on his hand tells her he’s done enough already.

Lacey juts her chin. “There’s food at the party.”

“Then get dressed. Because we gotta be ready in five.” Her mouth flies open only for Seth to spin her around and silence her protest with a kiss. “Move that gorgeous ass of yours.”

Happiness rushes through Lacey. The mood lightened as only Seth can do. He tries so hard to make her feel good, feel better.

God, she loves him.

Seth grins at her. “Five minutes, princess. Then I’m leavin’ without you.”

Lacey gasps and grips his shirt collar. “That’s a class action lawsuit.”

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