“Then why won’t you let me?”
She raised her eyes.
“Because I can handle this.”
I should’ve respected her answer.
Instead, my father’s warning echoed through my mind.
A week later, I devised the worst plan of my life.
I decided to test her.
I convinced myself that discovering whether she’d stay if I had nothing left to offer was necessary.
Before she arrived, I practiced my lie inside my car.
The moment Skyla entered my kitchen, she noticed my expression.
“Archie? Baby, what happened?”
I lowered myself into a chair.
“I got some medical results.”
She dropped her bag.
“What kind of results?”
“I have a serious illness.”
She froze.
“What?”
“The doctors say I need treatment. Soon. Or else…”
She pulled a chair beside me.
“Which doctor? What exactly did they find?”
“I don’t have all the answers yet. I need another appointment before they’ll explain the treatment plan.”
