Raine (Gods of the Fifth Floor #2) - M.V. Ellis Page 0,104

between the brothers. In the end, I didn’t have to.

“Listen, I’ve heard you were thinking of letting nature run its course, and not seeking treatment.”

“Fucking Nate.” He forced the words out through gritted teeth.

“Yeah, poor you, having friends who love you like brothers. Still an ungrateful little fuck, I see. Anyway, I really just came here to tell you that not battling this thing isn’t an option. I’m not losing you to cancer. Or anything else, for that matter. So, I’m here to give you a reason to fight, even if it’s so that you can be a total pain in my fucking ass until I drop dead at one hundred .”

“Well, sorry, big brother, but you’re too late. My mind’s already made up.”

What?

“Bu—” The sadness clouding Zed’s features was the final twist of the knife in my heart.

“You’re too late because I already realized I have a reason to live, and she’s sitting right here.”

Wait! What?

I’d been staring at my hands because I couldn’t bear to look at either man, as broken as they both were. I looked up to find two pairs of almost identical intense blue eyes staring at me.

“Really?” I couldn’t contain the grin spreading across my face.

“Yeah. I kept thinking about what you said about giving me a reason to live, and I couldn’t get past the thought that, for the first time in as long as I can remember, I want a future. I want to grow old. Not only that, but I want that with you. If you’ll have me?”

“What do you mean, if I’ll have you? What movie have you been watching all this time? Or did you just miss the part where I already have you? Where I’ve had you since day one? Where I’ve told you more than once that I have you? Where I’ve shown you that I have you? Where I’ve just been waiting for your stubborn ass to catch up?”

“That sounds about right. He always was a little slow off the mark, this kid.” Zed chuckled as he spoke.

I was so happy and relieved to feel the heavy vibe lift, even a little, and to see Raine smile. I looked across at Zed to find him doing the same.

“Eat a bunch of dicks, motherfucker.”

“Right back at ya, kid brother.”

I got to my feet. “Oh, I see you have a few years of childish insults to catch up on. Maybe I’ll go grab that coffee now,” I ventured, figuring that it was a safe time to leave, as the brothers no longer seemed intent on breaking each other’s faces,

“No!” Two urging voices rang out in unison.

“Okay then. No coffee for me.”

“Not right now. I meant what I said before. I need you here. Besides, Zach—Zed—was just leaving. You have that thing, right?” He looked at his brother so pointedly that only the most socially dense person wouldn’t have followed his meaning, and Zed didn’t seem like that guy.

“Yeah, actually I genuinely do. This was only ever going to be a flyby visit. I really just wanted to say that I don’t know much about this thing you have, but as soon as Nate told me, I started googling. It seems that a bone marrow transplant could be a good option, and siblings are often the best match, naturally. I want you to know I’m here for you. You can have everything from me that I don’t need myself. It’s all yours.”

“No. I can’t, Zed. I’ve taken so much from you already. I can’t let you do this.”

“Well, that’s where you’re wrong. First off, you’re not taking, I’m giving, which means that you’re receiving. And as the recipient, it’s not about you letting me do this, or not. The fact is, you literally can’t stop me.”

“Bu—”

“Or I guess you could call Lydia and Ben if you need a transplant. One of them may be a match.”

“Oh hell no. I haven’t spoken to them in years. I mean, I came to a similar conclusion about their lack of parenting skills, especially in the way they treated you. Not only that, but I actually started doing some digging, and this is definitely a conversation for another day, but what I will say for now, is that those two are not what they seem.”

“Oh, I don’t fucking doubt it. I mean, when people pretend for all the world to be loving parents, then sacrifice their child to the judicial system, even though they absolutely have the power to get a different outcome—the