Yep. I love the hell out of him. I can picture her pouting when Dane squashed her with that answer. The girl was drooling all over him at the clinic opening.
Lisa: Is it true the two of you dated but broke up in high school?
Dane: No. Rain and I were only ever friends when we were kids. Now we're making up for lost time.
Lisa: Is another one of Sterling Shore's sexiest bachelors about to be off the market for good?
I'm almost too scared to read his answer. And I really want to go smack that bitch for this interrogation.
Dane: I've been off the market since the day I met Rain Noles.
I blame the shoddy craftsmanship of today's carpenters when I fall off the stool, because I refuse to admit that his answer shocked me that much.
As I thud to the ground, causing a chain reaction of the other two stools to fall, Tria screeches and jumps to avoid getting slammed into. I curse the stupid stool before kicking it, and I grab the newspaper back.
"What the hell just happened?" Tria gasps, grabbing her heart.
I ignore her and continue reading.
Lisa: So Dane Sterling has been tamed. She's a lucky girl. I never thought I'd see the day when you were saddled. But then again, Tag Masters beat you to it and even became a father.
Dane: I was surprised by that, too, but Tag is an amazing dad and husband.
Lisa: What about you? Any children on the horizon?
I shouldn't read this. I haven't talked to Dane about my surgery yet, so no matter what his answer is... Well, I need to talk to him and stop reading.
The things we should do and the things we actually do are always very different.
Dane: I'd love nothing more than to have a houseful of children. That's actually something I've given a lot of thought to for the past few years.
No dream on the face of the earth has ever died quicker than mine does in this moment. He doesn't just want children; he wants a houseful. He wants the ideal family that I can't give him.
"Rain, what's wrong? You look sick," Tria prompts.
I slide the paper over, unable to form words. He wants a houseful of children. His dream is a large family. Fate couldn't be crueler than it's being in this moment.
Tria starts skimming the article and shaking her head, narrowing her eyes as she searches for the bomb that just decimated my world.
"It all sounds good," she says, confused, her eyes still on the article as she continues to read. I don't respond, and when her face falls and pity washes over her eyes, I know I don't have to explain.
She looks up, dropping the paper onto the counter, and then she gives me a sad effort at an encouraging smile.
"Rain, he doesn't know. He would—"
"Give up his chance to have children to be with me, and then resent me later on in life. Just like Edward did with Eleanor."
"Rain, no. Dane would never be like Dad. Don't even think that. He loves you. You love him, Rain. You can't leave if you love him."
I stare at my hands, gazing at them as though they have the answers to the universe. I woke up high on life, but as always, life has a way of stealing everything good from me.
"Tria, I've loved Dane since I was thirteen. It took me eleven years to get him this way. As much as I want to stay, as much as I want to be here to love him... Well, I can't do this to him. My world fell away when they told me I couldn't have children. I can't watch Dane's face when he learns how truly fucked my body is. And I don't want him staying with me for all the wrong reasons. You don't understand. I'm not doing this because I don't love him, I've got to do this because I do love him."
A tear falls from her eye, and she shakes her head. "No, Rain. It's stupid and it's not fair. You shouldn't have to give him up. You don't have to give him up."
I fight hard to restrain my own tears. "It's not fair, but for a few weeks, I've had a love that most people never have in a lifetime. Maybe that was life's way of apologizing for all it has taken."
I look away when a sob escapes me, and Tria's arms close around me as I cry. "Don't, Rain. Don't give him up."