My Forever (Canary Series) (6 page)

After the nurse left
Olivia laid back and closed her eyes. "A few years back, the summer after our freshman year, I got really sick. I suppose it started while we were still in school, I just thought that because of everything I was doing I was exhausted. Then I was getting bruises all over the place, and I did play football so I just chalked it up to that. When I got home I slept all the time and the bruises weren't going away." Olivia took a deep breath before continuing. She had hoped to never tell anyone about this but with the possibility of it coming back she needed to tell Nate.

He just looked at her with nothing but
worry swimming in his eyes. She let what she said already soak in before moving forward. "I told my parents that I wasn't feeling good and they just told me to sleep it off. So, I did the next best thing. I went to Garrett’s parents. They took me to go see the doctor since my own parents wouldn't. If it wasn't for them I probably wouldn't be here today. Anyways, I went to the doctor and they ran some tests. It came back that I had cancer. I started treatments right away and beat it."

Nate
looked down and tried to hide his tears. He was scared, and worried, but mostly he was pissed. He was pissed off at her parents for not caring, he was pissed that she didn't see the doctor sooner, he was pissed that this disease would attack her and he was pissed that it was back. He finally looked back up and just took her into his arms and let his tears fall silently. "I won't leave you; I will stay by you and help you fight this. It's me and you against this disease."

Olivia
couldn't help but smile, "You have no idea how much that means to me Cole."

They stayed wrapped up in each other’s arms until the doctor came in.
Nate moved to where he was sitting on the table by Olivia and wrapped his arms around her to hold and comfort her. The doctor got the stool and moved it so he could face her. "Well Ms. McGuire, we got your test results and found some abnormalities and we want to do some more tests."

"It's back, isn't it? Doc please tell me the truth, none of this
we need to do more tests crap."

"
Canary, calm down and let the doctor talk," Nate said rubbing her arms.

"No
Cole, I won't calm down. I'm sick and tired of medical personnel giving me the run around on things. I just want a straight answer. Is that too much to ask?" Tears started to fall down her cheeks and this time she didn't fight them she just let them flow.

The doctor gave her a few moments
before he answered her. "I'm afraid it's back. I'm sorry; hopefully we caught it early and have a good chance of beating it again."

Olivia
started to laugh, "We? What do you mean by this we stuff? I'm the one that this disease is living in, not you, not anybody else, me. I'm the one who has to go through the treatments again. Have you ever had to fight something like this before doc?" She asked with her voice soaked in fear. The doctor just shook his head. "I didn't think so. So please stop saying we. It's me who has to fight this, nobody else."

Nate
had no clue what to do. He just held her close to him hoping she could tell how much she meant to him and that he would be there by her side. "What's the next step doc? What can I do to help her?" She looked at him and smiled some. "I'm not going anywhere; I will be here by your side every step of the way. We will fight this together." She went to protest but he placed his finger on her lips. "I mean it. We are in this together."

She gave up and nodded, "OK
doc, what's the plan?"

Olivia
and Nate sat there and listened to everything the doctor had to say. Parts of what he said terrified Nate but he knew that he would have to remain strong for when she got weak. Even though she had been through this before he could tell she was still worried.

After they left the building he followed her to the fountain, sat beside her and took hold of her hand. They sat in silence for a few moments as if letting everything sink in. "I have to tell
Garrett, he needs to know. As do his parents and my dad."

"We will tell
Garrett tonight and we can call his parents and your father after we tell him. Or, if you want, we can call them tomorrow after everything settles down.”

"
Let’s call them tomorrow. I also need to inform my teachers so that way we can make a plan for my school work. I'm all caught up; I don't want to get behind again."

"
Olivia, don't worry I won't let that happen. I'm here with you, fighting this with you, and we will beat this together."

"
Nate, I know that you vowed that you would protect me and that you are here for me no matter what. But I also know that this isn't what you signed up for. So I understand if you go back on that vow and leave me to fight this alone. I mean, obviously, Garrett will be there for me. But you don't have to be. I get that you're saying all that to make me feel better, but please if you don't plan on staying then just leave now."

She bent down to pick up her bag and stood up to leave but he was still holding her hand and brought her back down so he could look her in the eyes when he spoke. "
Olivia McGuire, I’m not, and I repeat, am not leaving you. I meant it when I said that I will be here for you and protect you. Nothing will scare me away, and I won't let you push me away either. You mean way too much to me for me to just let you go. So will you let me fight this with you?" She closed her eyes and nodded. He smiled and took her into his arms, "We will get through this, I promise."

Nate had taken Olivia back to her house so she could tell her friends the news. Garrett stormed out of the house without saying a word. He couldn't believe that her best friend would do that. He understood why he did it though. Garrett was pissed off because she was sick again, but that didn't give him a valid reason to storm off. This was a time when she needed support the most. Christine just sat there not knowing what to say. Olivia leaned against him and yawned, "Are you tired Canary?" She just nodded so he got up and picked her up to carry her to bed.

He laid her down and took off her shoes. She snuggled under the blankets and
closed her eyes. Nate bent down and kissed her on the forehead. When we turned to leave she grabbed his hand, "Stay with me please. I don't want to be alone."

He turned and sat on her bed, "OK, but just for a bit. You need your rest." He took off his shoes and got under the blankets with her. She wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest. He settled in and wrapped his arms around her. This felt so natural to him as if it was meant to be. He heard her start to cry softly and just tightened his hold on her. "It's going to be OK. You're a fighter, a survivor, and one of the strongest people I know." As he continued to talk he rubbed her arm and back, "
Plus you have friends here for you. People here love you Olivia. Don't be scared to reach out and ask for help. If you need anything just ask. I will get you anything. Never give up Canary, you hear me? Never give up. If you start to feel weak lean on me and I will carry you. If you get cold I will bring you some hot tea, build you a fire, get blankets, and hold you close until you get warm. If you get sick I will hold your hair back and place a wet wash cloth on your forehead. Whatever you need I will be here to get it for you. We will get through this; I swear it to you that we will. You just need to rest now." He kissed the top of her head and continued to hold her close as she fell asleep.

Two
hours had passed and Olivia was still asleep. Nate knew he should wake her, but he also knew that she needed her rest. He just looked down at her and ran his fingers through her hair when he heard the door open. He looked up and saw that it was Christine. He placed his finger on his lips to let her know that she needed to be quiet.

Christine
went to her bed and sat on the end so she could talk to Nate. She took in the sight of Olivia cuddled up with him sound asleep as he looked over her with a look she hadn't seen on him in years. "Bowen, how is she doing?"

He looked up at
Christine and back down at Olivia, "I guess she is doing as good as can be expected. I know she is scared beyond belief though. Hopefully this time it will be easier for her since she is surrounded by people who love and care about her. I just wish that she would get a break from all this. She has been through enough for a while."

"I agree
Bowen; I just hope she will be OK. She needs to fight." Christine laughed slightly just thinking about everything that was going on. "It's strange, when we first started school a few years ago I never thought that this is where we would end up."

"What do you mean?"
Nate asked a bit confused as to her confession.

"I mean look at you and
Olivia, all cuddled up and you taking care of her. I have never seen you like this with anyone before, not even Emily, and I thought that you and she had something special going on. But then again I haven't seen Olivia like this with anyone and that's saying something since she and Ian were so in love with each other."

"
Christy, I know we have grown up together and all that, but I'm sure you have no idea what you are talking about."

"
Bowen don't you dare give me that. It's OK if you are falling for Olivia. She is a great girl and deserves to be happy, and so do you. I haven't seen you this happy ever. Just don't hurt her."

He laughed, "
Christy, I would never hurt her, she means too much to me. I hate seeing her in pain. As for me falling for her, you're right about that, but you're also wrong about it just happening here recently."

Christine
looked at him wondering what he meant by that when it hit her, "Oh my goodness. She's that girl! She's that one you have been crazy about forever. But wait, if she is that girl then why did you step back and let Ian date her? You lied to him didn't you?" Nate said nothing just smiled and looked back down at Olivia. Christine couldn't help but smile, "Interesting. Just don't go and mess this up. You have been through a lot but I know you. If you mess this up it will damage you beyond anything. Please be careful for both of your sakes."

Nate
nodded, "I'm being careful. The last thing she needs is a boyfriend. I'm just going to be that friend that cares for her. And it seems like she needs it since Garrett ran out on her." He rolled his eyes and took deep breaths to calm himself before he got angry again.

Christine
just shook her head, "I think you should talk to him before you jump to any more conclusions about him. There is more to what's going on than you know. Just do this, when you get the chance just talk to him alone; and somehow without Olivia finding out. It will do you some good, it will actually do you all some good." At that she got up and walked out of the room.

Nate
let everything that Christine said soak in. He knew that she was right about not needing to jump to conclusions about Garrett but he couldn't help it. Everything right now was about Olivia and nobody else. Olivia stirred in his arms and he looked at her making sure she was OK. When he realized that she was still asleep he just settled in and fell asleep with her in his arms.

**
*

It was ten
o'clock at night when Nate woke up. He hadn't meant to fall asleep, let alone sleep so long. He looked to his side and saw that Olivia was still asleep. He knew that she needed to eat, but also knew that she needed to get her rest. After a few minutes laying there Nate carefully got out of bed, picked up his shoes and went into the living area to put them on. Once he got there he saw Garrett sitting in a chair staring off into space. He decided to sit on the couch and take Christine’s advice and talk to him. "Hey Garrett, how are you doing?"

Garrett
looked at Nate and blinked a few times. "Dude, I'm sorry about running out earlier. I just figured that would have been better than to face Olivia."

"It's not me that you should apologize to. But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about.
Christine suggested that I talk to you alone about Olivia and what she is going through. So, please tell me what you know and how I can help her."

Garrett
sat forward and looked Nate straight in the eyes. "First off, you can't be in this halfway. Don't make promises you can't keep. Can you promise me this? If you can then I will let you know whatever it is that you want to know. I love her and she means so much to me I can't stand to see her hurt again."

Nate
nodded, "I promise you that I'm not going anywhere. Believe it or not, I do care about her. I put her before myself every day." He looked around and leaned in closer to Garrett causing him to lean in as well. "What I'm going to tell you doesn't leave this room. It's just between the two of us, promise?"

Garrett
wasn't sure what to expect Nate to say but he wanted to hear it, "Promise."

Nate
took in a deep breath, "I hate seeing Olivia hurt, upset or sick. When Ian died it nearly killed me. Not just because I lost my best friend, but because of how it affected Olivia. Because of Ian, she was around a lot and I got to know her really well. To see her have to go through all of that broke my heart. So when she got the letter that her mother died…"

Garrett
had a look of shock on his face when he heard about Olivia's mom. He didn't know that she had died, nobody had told him. Nate just ignored the look and continued, "I made a vow to her and to myself that I would protect her whenever I could, however I could, for as long as I could. I'm not going back on that vow. She means so much to me. So I'm in this one hundred percent. I will ask to transfer houses if I have to. I will stay with her during treatments, collect her homework, stay overnight with her in the hospital if she has to stay."

Garrett
just sat there trying to soak everything in. He didn't know Nate that well personally, but what he did know about him from hearing other students talk about him he wasn't sure he trusted him. He could tell that he cared about Olivia from the way he talked about her, how he acted around her and from when he asked him to give him daily updates about her a few weeks back. Now here he was telling him that he made a vow to protect her. There was something more to this, what got him was how she was able to tell Nate about her mother and not him. They grew up together, he was the one she always ran to when things got difficult at home, when she was sick it was his parents who took her to the doctor and took her for treatments. She was a big fixture in his life, in his family, but mostly in his heart.

"
Yo, Garrett. Are you OK? You look a bit pale," Nate said leaning back on the couch.

"Yeah, I'm just trying to take all this in. You said her mother died? When did this happen? And why am I just now hearing about it?" There were just so many questions popping up in his head he didn't know where to start or what to ask.

Nate looked at Garrett for a few moments when he realized that Olivia hadn't told him, "Wow, you really didn't know. I figured that she would have told you as soon as she found out."

"You said it was in a letter? Cou
ld it have been a cruel prank?"

"No, her father wrote to tell her. Which I thought was a cowardly move. I don't know why he didn't just come and tell her in person. Or maybe even a phone call, which would h
ave been better than a letter."

"How do you know that it was her father that wrote the lette
r? It could have been anybody."

"Because one, I was the one who read the letter and told her what it said."

"Wait, you read the letter and told her what it said? Why?"

Garrett
was starting to get angry at what he was just now finding out. He wasn't sure who he was getting angry at though. Was it Olivia for not telling him? Was it Nate because of how close they were getting? Was it Olivia’s father for how he chose to break the news to Olivia? Was it his parents for not telling him? Did they even know? Or was he angry with himself for not realizing that something was going on with Olivia? He got up from the chair and started pacing in front of the fireplace.

Nate
sat up and watched Garrett pace trying to figure out what to say, "Olivia came to the library for our study session except this time she seemed preoccupied. I wasn't sure what was going on, but I could tell she was messing with something under the table so I asked her about it. After a few moments she put both hands on the table with an envelope crushed in them. It looked like it was a letter she’d had for years she had messed with it so much. She told me it was from her father and she couldn't bring herself to read it. So I made a few suggestions including burning it but she said he would probably know if it was burnt before being read."

Garrett
laughed, "Yeah, she is right about that. He has his ways of knowing things like that."

"Yeah, so she asked me if I would read it and tell her what it said. I figured that if it was bad news that I should be the one to break it to her. That way I could comfort her. Anyway, I read the letter a few times to make sure I read it correctly. Long story short I told her what it said, held her when she cried, tried to get her to talk, and she left."
Nate leaned forward with his elbows on his knees waiting for Garrett to speak.

"When was this?"
Garrett finally asked.

"Before the long weekend, it was during that time when I asked you to give me
daily updates on her because she wasn't talking to me."

"That was a month ago."

Nate nodded, "Yeah."

"But how do you know her
father had written the letter?"

This was a question that he didn't want to answer because it brought up the past and information that
Nate didn't want anyone to know, at least not yet. He planned on telling Olivia when the time was right so he had to come up with a half-truth. "I had seen his handwriting before on some papers Olivia had and it matched perfectly. So I knew it was really written by him."

Garrett
let out a deep breath, "I wonder why she didn't tell me. I should talk to her about it later."

Nate
shook his head, "Garrett you know her as well, if not better, than anyone. You know that if you ask her about it she is just going to shut herself off from everyone again. And I know that nobody, especially you and me, want that. Just think about how things will be right now when she goes through treatments if she does that. Let her come to you about it when she is ready."

Garrett
sat back down on the chair and only nodded. He knew Nate was right; he hated it, but knew that, if she was confronted, she would crawl back into herself.

"So, now that you know about my vow and how much I care about her will you tell me what to expect and what happened last time she w
ent through this?"