Read Online Love Me: Oakville Series:Book 5 by Kathy-Jo Reinhart - Free Book Online

if it were their wives. Their hearts were visibly breaking right in front of me. You hear about how cancer affects more than just the person who has it, but you don’t know the extent of its reach until you’re faced with it. Seeing my friends hurting just as badly as I am is eye opening. They hurt for me, for Taryn…for themselves. They love her like a sister and it’s tearing them apart too. I hate that our problems are affecting them, but at the same time, it’s nice to know they care so much for us.
    I take a deep breath before turning the knob on the front door. Taryn and I have a lot to talk about, but I just can’t bring myself to have a conversation about how soon my wife is going to die. The tightening of my chest makes breathing more difficult. Tears sting my eyes as I think of the fact that I have less than a handful of months left with my wife. We should have years. Many years. Chase is going to miss out on so much. He hasn’t had enough time with his mother, and neither have I.
    As I step into the foyer and close the door behind me, something crunches beneath my shoe. I lift my foot and see glass on the tile. Glancing around the room, I take in the holes in the walls where pictures used to hang. The table inside the foyer is empty and tipped over, all of Taryn’s favorite crystal pieces spread out throughout the foyer and living room in shards on the tile and carpet. It looks as though a tornado came through the house and destroyed everything in its wake.
    Walking a little farther into the house, worry gnaws at me. What if someone broke in? A pained scream fills my ears and fear twists in my gut. My feet seem to be moving in slow motion as I make my way toward the back of the house. The loud sounds of glass breaking mixed with sorrowful sobs slice through me. Fear hits me like icy water. My pace quickens and I race into the family room. When I get to the doorway, the fear is gone, replaced with a sadness that completely shatters me. Taryn tears through the room, sobbing between her angry growls. She removes pictures from the walls, throwing them to the floor and shattering them to pieces. Her face is bright red, her chest heaving. Nothing breakable is safe from her wrath right now. Every knick knack or vase she finds is sent flying through the air. I don’t know whether to stop her or allow her to keep going. It’s obvious she needs to get some of this anger out, but I don’t think there’s much left for her to destroy. Before I can make a decision, she turns and sees me in the doorway.
    Heat creeps into her cheeks as embarrassment washes over her, and it tugs at my heart. She shouldn’t be ashamed. She has every right to be angry. Taryn looks around the room and winces. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what got into me,” she says, and I try to tell her she doesn’t need to apologize, that she’s allowed to be angry, but the words I want to say won’t form. Her eyes fill with tears again and she turns from me. Her legs visibly wobble as if they’re about to give out. Rushing toward her, I wrap my arms around her, pull her tightly to me, her back against my front, and hold on for dear life. I lower us both to the floor and rock her, allowing her to let it all out. Soon, I’m burying my face into her back and letting my own emotions go. When my shoulders begin to shake from my cries, she begins to cry even harder.
    I have no idea how long we sit like this. My ass has fallen asleep and my back aches. Taryn’s loud sobs have turned into a combination of constant sharp intakes of breath and small hiccups. “What are we going to do? I don’t know if I can handle this, Marcus. I’m not ready to die,” she whispers, and my heart disintegrates in my chest. How do I respond to that? The only thing I can think to do is be honest. We have always been truthful with each other, no matter what.
    “I’m not ready for you to die either, sweetness.” The words feel like acid leaving my mouth. “I’m