"Pizza's on its way," Dale chirps, making her tight smile return.
Then her eyes find me. "Rain, I have the surgery dates if you want them. I'm sure the boys will want to be there."
They all stop what they're doing and turn to face her, waiting on her to elaborate as their breaths cease. I didn't tell them the gory details. Only Dane knows. I only told him because I had no one else to talk to.
"What surgeries?" Maverick asks in a rasp tone, swallowing hard.
Her eyes grow a little wide when she realizes she's slipped up. Dane kisses the top of my head as he sits up just a little.
"Sorry," Eleanor murmurs sincerely, wincing. "I thought that was why they're here."
"We're here because Dane said Rain couldn't come to prom tonight. We didn't need more information than that," Kode utters with a trembling, hoarse voice. "What surgeries?"
She exhales wearily as she sits down on the rigid and uncomfortable chair next to the oversized bay window. I can't tell them, and I know Dane doesn't want to. I hate to put the burden on Eleanor, but I just... I can't.
"Rain's mother died of breast cancer when she was just thirty-one," Eleanor says softly, making my eyes water and Dane's hold on me tighten in response.
"Yeah," Corbin drawls, frowning in confusion. "What does that have to do with surgery dates?"
Eleanor wrestles with whatever emotions she's dealing with. I don't know if it's from Tria going to her senior prom, or if she's genuinely upset over the fact I'm eighteen and have already been categorized as high-risk.
"Rain was told that there was roughly a ninety-percent chance of her getting breast cancer. Her mother was young when she got it, and it ate through her quickly. Her grandmother was a little older, but not by much. Rain has to have a surgery to prevent that from happening."
My tears start to fall. I'm eighteen and I'll be losing part of the thing that makes me feel like a woman. No woman of any age should ever have to go through this. I should be focused on going to Hudson, not dealing with the very likeliness that I'll develop cancer without this procedure.
I roll over, snuggling into Dane's embrace, and hide my tears against his tux that I'm most likely going to ruin. He holds me closer and kisses my head, doing all he can to soothe me.
"What sort of surgeries?" I hear Maverick ask, sounding as though he's as scared as I am.
Eleanor lets out a harsh, pained breath as she chokes back a sob. "A preventative mastectomy. Then we'll have to start getting her reconstructive surgeries. There will be several before she's restored completely—or as best as can be."
I shudder as more tears fall out. I'm scared. Scared of what might happen even after the surgery. Scared of letting them cut me to pieces. And scared no one will ever look at me the same again. It's a daunting future for anyone.
"I'll call my dad. She'll look the exact same," Dale says, making a rustling sound as he most likely stands.
"I already called him," Dane says while strumming his fingers through my hair. "Of course he's going to do it."
I turn back to see Eleanor smiling softly. Dale's father is the most prestigious plastic surgeon in the country, and to even get on the waiting list you have to have a reference.
"Yes. Those are some of the dates I was going to give everyone. Dr. Sterling called me today to tell me he'd be taking care of the reconstruction just as soon as the mastectomy was taken care of."
"I'll call my dad," Corbin says, referring to the man who owns Sterling Shore Memorial Hospital. "I'll make sure she's set up with the best doctors and nurses, and even make sure she gets one of those badass maternity suites instead of a regular room for recovery after the mastectomy."
I smile lightly as Corbin comes over to kiss my hand. Then he walks out of the room, pulling his phone out of his pocket before he even crosses the threshold.
"Tell me something to do, and I'll do it," Kode says, leaning forward to stroke my cheek.
If I wasn't already crying, I'd start. These boys are better than any brothers I could have ever dreamt of.
"It's not until after school," I murmur softly, looking to Eleanor. "Right?"
"Yes. It'll be the week you all come back from Cancun."
At least I get my summer vacation before my life starts to become real. Dane smiles against my forehead, piquing my curiosity.
"I'm going to make sure you have such a good week that you forget about the surgery," he murmurs softly, making the butterflies ruffle in my stomach.
Empowered by the reality of how short life can be, I start plotting something I never thought I'd have the guts to try.