I shrugged. “I just never thought anyone could feel that way about me.”
“Why not?” she said, voice strong, like she was offended I could ever believe that.
My mind quickly took me back to my dad, the man who taught me how to throw a football. The man who would take me to all my Pee Wee games, my practices, the one who told me I was his best friend. All these memories came barreling in. I was unable to stop them, as well as the barrage of emotions that quickly followed. “My dad…” I said, voice breaking. “He told me he loved me, but then one day…” I trailed off, trying to not let the pain of that day pierce my heart even more. I was pretty sure there was a gaping hole still there, scarred and tough and unable to close. I’d always struggled with rejection since then.
“You don’t have to continue if you can’t,” June said gently.
I met her eyes. There wasn’t sympathy or pity there, but there was understanding…and affection. Such raw affection, it made me want to share this—this deep, pained part of me that I hid from the world. “He left, Junebug. One day he left and just never came home. My sisters were tiny. My mom was shattered, heartbroken. Her childhood sweetheart just up and leaving her.” I blew out a long breath. “He told me he loved me, yet he still left. No word, just…gone. We haven’t heard from him since.” I ducked my head to hide my embarrassment and the pain I knew was etched on my face, but June’s hands cupped my cheeks, tilting my head.
She looked me square in my eyes, more serious than I had ever seen her before. “You are so loveable, Jesse Taylor.” Heat raced through my veins. “You are kind, you are beautiful…” She searched my gaze more. “And I’m not sure if you have guessed it yet, but you have wrapped yourself so tightly around my heart that you are the first thing I think about in the morning and the last thing I think about before I close my eyes at night.”
I slid my hands around June’s waist and held her tightly.
“I used to wake up and fear would hold me captive for several minutes before I could move. Now…” she said.
“Yeah?” I whispered, desperate for her to continue.
“I wake up happy. I wake up excited…because I get to seeyou. I go to sleep content because we’ve spent the night out here, talking. One on one, I have spent more time with you than anyone in my life—my parents excluded. And…” I held her tighter, desperate for her to keep speaking. “I’m falling for you, Jesse Taylor. So hard. And more and more every day.”
June leaned in and kissed me. She was never the one to initiate a kiss, too reserved. But she held my cheeks and kissed me, and that kiss made me believe every single thing she’d just said. When she broke away, she said, “Cancer is trying to take me from this world.” My heart thudded on the ground. “I despise it. But I will forever be grateful that it led me to you.”
I smiled, my cheeks aching with how wide. “It may have taken my hair and every inch of muscle tone, but it led me to you and for that reason alone, I can overlook it…just this once.”
June laughed, and it was a damn balm to my soul.
She linked her arm through mine and repositioned her notebook that had fallen down the middle of us. She opened page, and said, “Please read.”
So I did.
JESSE
Jesse and June’s Happily Ever After
The sun shined through my window, and the birds were singing. I took that as a good sign. Even my body ached less today. The immunotherapy had floored us all again this week, but Chemo Club was still in full force and helping us cope together. We’d debated calling it ‘Immuno Club’ now that the chemo portion of our treatment had ended, but the original name had stuck, and we felt rather attached to it. We were on another few days’ break from treatment, days to rebuild. And today was a big day for us all. Phase one had come to a close.
Today, we got our first month’s results back. Dr. Duncan would be telling us if the treatment had started to work or not. I refused to let nerves take hold. It would be working. June’s would be working. Everyone’s results would come back with positive news. That was the only outcome I would entertain.
I knocked on June’s door. She opened it with the same happiness evident on her face that was running through my veins.
“You ready?” I asked, searching the room for her parents.
“They’re meeting me in Dr. Duncan’s office,” June said, understanding who I was searching for. “I told them I wanted to be with everyone else for a while first.”
We’d all agreed to meet in the rec room, just to hang out and be there for one another as we got our results. Tucking my football under my arm, I held out my free hand to June, and she slipped hers in mine. I stood straighter, as she did, and even the ache in my throwing arm seemed to not be as bad today.
“You nervous?” I asked June as we headed down the maze of hallways that we were now much better at navigating.
June squeezed my hand. “I’m trying to be positive and keep imagining only receiving good news.” She nodded firmly. “We’re gonna be okay,” she said, and I kissed her on the head.
“Group two for the win,” I said, struggling to hold out my fist because I was holding the ball.
“Group two for the win,” June said, laughing at my contortion act but bumping my fist all the same.
As we turned into the rec room, I saw we were the final two to arrive. “Are we ready?” I said, loud enough for the other six to turn to us.
“Hell yeah!” Chris said, walking across the room and throwing his arm around me. I let go of June to slap his back.
Emma hugged June, then blew out a shaky breath. “I didn’t sleep last night. I could barely eat!”
