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A Secret to Hold Close Chapter Sixteen Mylie lay in the hospital bed, looking like a ghost of who she used to be. Her skin was pale and sickly, her hair was completely gone due to the chemo, and she barely had enough strength to roll over in the bed. It had been two months since they had left London. Two months since Mylie had to push away the one guy she had ever loved. Two months since she had started her last-chance cancer treatment. The drugs left her weak and bed-ridden so all she could do was think, and all she could seem to think about was Danny. She thought about the last day she had seen him and what happened after. When she had gotten back to the hotel after that last dinner with Danny, she told her sister everything. Sarah couldn�t believe what Mylie had done and begged her to reconsider and tell Danny the truth but Mylie refused. She had done what she needed to do. Tom had come to see them off at the airport and he didn�t treat her like he should have, as a girl who cheated on his best friend. Mylie figured that Sarah had told him and made him promise to keep it a secret. He hugged Mylie goodbye and she headed off to give Tom and Sarah some room. He had said after their upcoming tour that he would come to the US and visit them, which Sarah was ecstatic about. They had come home and been greeted at the airport by their family. Mylie knew her family still didn�t know about her cancer coming back so the first thing she did when they got home was take her parents aside and tell them. Mylie rubbed a hand over her face tiredly. That was when she heard a knock on her door. �Come in!� The door opened and Dr. Blake walked in, the expression on his face making Mylie wary. �Hey Mylie. We got the most recent tests back� and to be truthful they don�t look good.� She nodded, having guessed the news would be that bad. Dr. Blake came and sat on the edge of her bed. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, �I don�t know what else we can do Mylie. You�re on the strongest treatment right now and your body is wearing out. I just�� Mylie gave him a sad smile, �I know Dr. Blake. I think I�ve been preparing myself for this for a while. I�m okay with the idea of death. I�m just worried about my family more then anything. I don�t think they will handle it well. Can I ask a favor?� �Of course, anything!� �Will you watch out for my family after I�m gone? I know you can help them get over my passing and you are as much a part of our family as anybody.� �I promise I will.� He squeezed her hand and stood up. �I�ve got some other patients to check on but I will come back a little later, ok?� �Sure, that would be great.� He walked out and Mylie turned and looked out the window. What she didn�t know was Sarah had heard the whole thing. Her sister fought tears and held her head in her hands. When she had gotten her emotions under control, she called Tom. Sarah told Tom what she had heard and he tried to be as supportive as he could be over the phone. �Tom? Can I have Danny�s phone number?� He sounded puzzled, �Sure� but why do you need it? I though Mylie didn�t want Danny to know anything?� �She doesn�t but if things keep getting worst or she actually�� Sarah stumbled over the word, �� dies. I�m going to tell him.� �Okay.� He gave her the number and then they said goodbye. Sarah dialed Danny�s number into her phone and then sat there and stared at the digits on the screen. She knew that Mylie didn�t want Danny to know, but Sarah was tempted to break that promise. She sighed and saved the number in her phone but didn�t call it. She would do that later if she had to� �Uhhh? Susan?� Mylie looked blearily at the red headed nurse. �What are you doing here? I thought you were in London?� �I was. But when I heard what you had done to Danny, more importantly what you had done to yourself, I rushed back. How could you Mylie?� Susan sighed. Mylie at least had the decency to blush slightly before she whispered, �Because I couldn�t make myself burden him with having to take care of me.� Susan surprisingly rolled her eyes, �That�s crap and we both know it.� Mylie gaped at the nurse. �You know the reason you really left him was that you were scared that you were really in love with him.� �No! Well� maybe� but he was bound to be mad at me for not telling him about my cancer!� Both Susan and Mylie knew that was a weak argument, Danny would have forgiven Mylie of anything, well, anything except cheating on him. Susan didn�t even bother arguing that point. �Mylie�� she paused as if listening to someone talking, she nodded and then continued, �Mylie I�ve tried everything to help you understand how important it was that you make the right decision and that is all I can do for you. In the end you need to make the choices, whether good or bad, right or wrong.� The red head stood up, �There is nothing else I can tell you that you haven�t already heard from me, your sister or your family. And although you may have excepted dying none of people that love you are ready to let you go yet. Even me� but just know that I will always be here for you if you need me.� Susan leaned down and gave Mylie a hug before turning and walking out of the room. Mylie wiped a loose tear from her cheek and she curled up into the fetal position under the thick blanket her parents had brought from home. I know I�ve made mistakes and bad choices before and gotten through the repercussions, but what if I�ve made a choice that I can�t go back or fix? What if Susan was right and I was supposed to tell Danny? She is right about one thing� I do love him, whether I want to or not, I love him... And with that thought she finally accepted her feelings for a guy she could probably never see again and she burst into quiet sobbing tears� Back |