Read Online Sexy In A Bottle: A More Than Men Novella by Andrea Laurence - Free Book Online
Authors: Andrea Laurence
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Wouldn’t. Not knowing that it would send the man she loved back into the cold, black hell of his prison.
" Something smells great."
Valerie looked up to see Raj dressed and standing at the edge of the kitchen. He kept his distance, probably concerned she was still upset. She couldn’t stay mad at him, especially when he couldn’t possibly know what he’d said to upset her. She hadn’t told him about her condition. It wasn’t a secret, but it wasn’t light, romantic conversation, either. She smiled and gestured for him to sit at the table. "Have you ever had fried chicken and mashed potatoes before?”
He shook his head.
"You’re in for a treat, then."
Valerie finished up the chicken and whipped the drained potatoes with butter and cream. When everything was ready, she brought it to the table. They both sat quietly eating for a few minutes. It had turned out well , and after the last few days, she was starving. She hadn’t cooked a real meal since he took her to bed. They’d only grazed between lovemaking sessions.
" May I ask you something?" Raj asked after thoroughly cleaning his plate.
At least he liked her cooking, although he probably had little to compare to. "Sure. I’ve asked you quite a bit today."
" Why are you out here on this island alone?"
She should’ve known this was coming. "What’s wrong with being out here?"
" Nothing, if that’s what you want. I am just curious as to why a beautiful young woman would choose isolation over love and family."
" Coming to this island was my choice, but I didn’t choose it over love and family. Those are options I was never given. I could die here on this island, or I could die there on the mainland. Either way, my time is too short for anything more than that."
" You’re ill?"
Valerie set down her fork and pushed her plate away. "Yes. I have a heart condition. I’ve developed a large and inoperable aortic aneurysm. Basically, the biggest blood vessel in my body has deformed and has a thinning bulge that grows every day. It was one of the largest ones they’ve seen. At some point it’s going to blow, and I’ll be dead in minutes."
Raj’s dark blue eyes widened, his words seemingly failing him for a few moments. "That is why you were upset with me. I embrace death, while it chases you. I am sorry I spoke words that caused you pain."
" You didn’t," she said. "There’s no way you could’ve known about it. It just made me sad to think that we each have what the other wants, and in the end, neither of us can be happy."
" There is nothing that can be done for you?"
" No. The doctors recommended that I avoid stress and excitement, so I came out here. Most of the time it’s a quiet, easy place to live." A loud boom of thunder in the distance rattled the windows as though it were calling her a liar. Another small storm was coming through. "The weather, of course, can be an issue."
" But here the doctors are too far away to help you."
" It doesn’t matter, Raj. A doctor isn’t going to be able to save me once it happens, even if I’m standing in a hospital at the time. I will hemorrhage instantly."
Raj looked around her sparsely decorated home. "Would you not rather spend the time you have left with your friends and family, then? Instead of being in this place?"
" I don’t have any family left." The last few years had made it impossible for her to dwell on the losses of her parents. When she was diagnosed, it had been almost a relief they were gone. Her mother wouldn’t have been able to take watching Valerie die. She also wouldn’t have tolerated Valerie waiting on this island for the end. "And as for friends, I decided it would be easier on everyone if I came out here."
" You are existing as though you are already dead and wasting what precious time you have left."
Valerie had fought this fight before, although no one had the nerve to use such a blunt description of what she was doing. She shook her head and dropped her gaze to her
" Something smells great."
Valerie looked up to see Raj dressed and standing at the edge of the kitchen. He kept his distance, probably concerned she was still upset. She couldn’t stay mad at him, especially when he couldn’t possibly know what he’d said to upset her. She hadn’t told him about her condition. It wasn’t a secret, but it wasn’t light, romantic conversation, either. She smiled and gestured for him to sit at the table. "Have you ever had fried chicken and mashed potatoes before?”
He shook his head.
"You’re in for a treat, then."
Valerie finished up the chicken and whipped the drained potatoes with butter and cream. When everything was ready, she brought it to the table. They both sat quietly eating for a few minutes. It had turned out well , and after the last few days, she was starving. She hadn’t cooked a real meal since he took her to bed. They’d only grazed between lovemaking sessions.
" May I ask you something?" Raj asked after thoroughly cleaning his plate.
At least he liked her cooking, although he probably had little to compare to. "Sure. I’ve asked you quite a bit today."
" Why are you out here on this island alone?"
She should’ve known this was coming. "What’s wrong with being out here?"
" Nothing, if that’s what you want. I am just curious as to why a beautiful young woman would choose isolation over love and family."
" Coming to this island was my choice, but I didn’t choose it over love and family. Those are options I was never given. I could die here on this island, or I could die there on the mainland. Either way, my time is too short for anything more than that."
" You’re ill?"
Valerie set down her fork and pushed her plate away. "Yes. I have a heart condition. I’ve developed a large and inoperable aortic aneurysm. Basically, the biggest blood vessel in my body has deformed and has a thinning bulge that grows every day. It was one of the largest ones they’ve seen. At some point it’s going to blow, and I’ll be dead in minutes."
Raj’s dark blue eyes widened, his words seemingly failing him for a few moments. "That is why you were upset with me. I embrace death, while it chases you. I am sorry I spoke words that caused you pain."
" You didn’t," she said. "There’s no way you could’ve known about it. It just made me sad to think that we each have what the other wants, and in the end, neither of us can be happy."
" There is nothing that can be done for you?"
" No. The doctors recommended that I avoid stress and excitement, so I came out here. Most of the time it’s a quiet, easy place to live." A loud boom of thunder in the distance rattled the windows as though it were calling her a liar. Another small storm was coming through. "The weather, of course, can be an issue."
" But here the doctors are too far away to help you."
" It doesn’t matter, Raj. A doctor isn’t going to be able to save me once it happens, even if I’m standing in a hospital at the time. I will hemorrhage instantly."
Raj looked around her sparsely decorated home. "Would you not rather spend the time you have left with your friends and family, then? Instead of being in this place?"
" I don’t have any family left." The last few years had made it impossible for her to dwell on the losses of her parents. When she was diagnosed, it had been almost a relief they were gone. Her mother wouldn’t have been able to take watching Valerie die. She also wouldn’t have tolerated Valerie waiting on this island for the end. "And as for friends, I decided it would be easier on everyone if I came out here."
" You are existing as though you are already dead and wasting what precious time you have left."
Valerie had fought this fight before, although no one had the nerve to use such a blunt description of what she was doing. She shook her head and dropped her gaze to her
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