"You were right, this was a great idea." Lanie kicks off her sandals and stretches out beside me on the rolling green lawn in the middle of campus.I smile and pull our sandwiches from the brown paper bag. Lanie ordered ham and swiss minus the mayo. Believe it or not, she doesn't like mayonnaise. She's lucky I still consider her a friend. I have an Italian loaded down with salami, prosciutto, and provolone. The deli at the Union has the best subs. It only takes a few moments before the wrappers are off and we're digging into our lunch.Lanie keeps up a steady stream of conversation as we plow our way through the hoagies. There's a gentle October breeze that wafts over us. Everyone seems to have the same idea this afternoon. People are tossing around Frisbees and footballs. Some are lying in the grass and studying. Or, like us, they've opted to bring lunch outside and are sitting in small groups.Maybe after my last class this afternoon, I'll come back and study here instead

I rush through the doors of the emergency entrance at Claremont Medical before skidding to a halt at the front desk. An intimidating woman who looks more ripped than I am is manning the operation. It's entirely possible she's not a nurse at all, but security. My money is on her to take someone down to the ground if it becomes necessary."Excuse me," I say, capturing her attention from the computer screen she's staring at. "My brother was brought in about an hour ago."When she glances up, her entire expression transforms as she goes all fangirl on me."Hunter Price!" Her hand flies to her nonexistent chest. "You're even more handsome in person than you are on TV."I shift from one foot to the other. "Oh...well, thank you."Before I can ask about my brother, she says, "My husband, Roger, is a huge fan! He's not going to believe it when I tell him that you were here tonight.""Umm, right." I glance around for someone else who can help me, but the place is empty. "About that...m

"Is it bad?" my brother asks, interrupting my thoughts."Stage four."He blows out a breath. "Fuck."I drop onto the chair and lace my fingers together in front of me before staring at them. "That was my reaction, too.""Guess that would be the reason Skye transferred to Claremont."I remain silent as Mason shifts against the pillow, trying to get comfortable. "I'm sorry about her father, but I'm glad she didn't come back for you."Bewildered by the comment, my head jerks up. "Jeez, Mase, that's a shitty thing to say."He shrugs as his gaze skitters away. "Yeah, but it's the truth.""You know, there was a time when you actually liked her, and we all had fun together. What changed?""Life," he snaps before closing his eyes and huffing out a breath. "That's what. Do we really have to talk about this now? My head is fucking killing me. Skye Sinclair is the last person I want to think about. That girl is part of your past. Leave her where she belongs.""And what if she's not?"

Even though I tell myself that Dad is getting better-or at the very least, staying the same-deep down, I know the disease is getting progressively worse. The chemo makes him sick and he continues to shed weight. It's painful to watch. There's nothing I can do to make it better. I've never felt this powerless in my life. It seems like we're always waiting for the next test results and what it will tell us. We're always hopeful that it will be positive and let down when it turns out to be more bad news. The numbers continue to steadily creep up. The doctors want to give it more time in hopes that the medicine will finally do what it's supposed to. But that hasn't happened. And there's no guarantee it will.Not a day goes by when I don't pop over for a visit. I try to bring a smoothie or a new protein cookie for him to try. Anything with nutritional value I can get in him feels like a small victory in this battle being waged against cancer.Today I've brought chicken noodle so

Skye stumbles back a step as I push the door open. "I don't know what you think you're doing, but you need to leave!"I shake my head and hold my ground. "I'm not going anywhere."With a grunt of anger, she flies forward and throws all her weight against the door, but her strength is no match for mine. It doesn't take much to overpower her.Even though Skye must know this battle is futile, it doesn't stop her from trying with all her might. "Go away and leave me alone," she growls."I'm sorry, I can't do that." She may not want me, but she needs me. Somehow, I have to do the impossible and prove that I won't hurt her again.When her strength wanes, she lets go with a soft cry, and the door flies open, bouncing off the rubber stopper.Skye screws her eyes shut as if it's possible to block out the world. Or maybe just me. "Please, Hunter, I can't do this with you right now." A pathetic sob breaks free. "I just can't.""I know." I step inside the townhouse and quietly close the