FORBIDDEN TIES {My brother's best friend}

Chapter 45

Selena's face turned pale as she read the medical report. Her hands trembled, and tears streamed down her cheeks, each drop feeling like a shard of glass against her skin. Cancer. He had cancer and never told her? What kind of person was he to hide something so significant?

The room spun around her, and she carefully sank to the floor, her heart shattering with each breath. He had cancer. The words echoed in her mind, bringing a fresh wave of tears. How could he not tell her? How could he face this alone?

She clutched the paper tightly, her knuckles turning white. Anger surged through her veins, mingling with fear and sadness. How could he keep this from her? They were supposed to share everything, be each other's rock.

Selena buried her face in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably. She prayed silently, desperately hoping it was still in the early stages, that there was still time. But the uncertainty gnawed at her, the fear of losing him becoming all too real.

Finally, she looked up, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. She had to confront him. She needed answers. But most of all, she needed to be there for him, to face this battle together.

~~

Cyrus walked into his house, exhausted but relieved to be home. Seeing Selena in his bed brought an immediate smile to his face. He loved these unexpected moments with her, where everything seemed perfect and right.

But as soon as she saw him, her face twisted into a mix of pain and anger that wiped the smile off his face. She jumped off the bed, her eyes blazing with a fury he'd never seen before. Without a word, she marched up to him and slapped him hard across the face.

The sound echoed through the room, leaving Cyrus stunned and reeling. "What's going on, Selena?" he asked, holding his stinging cheek.

She didn't answer immediately. Instead, she threw the crumpled paper at him, her eyes blazing with hurt and fury. "You lied to me, Cyrus!" she shouted, her voice trembling. "You've been hiding this from me? Cancer, Cyrus? How could you keep this a secret?"

Cyrus's eyes widened as he recognized the paper. He felt a heavy weight settle in his chest, the reality of his secret crashing down around him. "Selena, I-" he started, but she cut him off.

"No excuses, Cyrus!" she cried, tears streaming down her face. "Do you have any idea what it feels like to find out like this? How could you shut me out?"

Cyrus reached for her, but she pulled away, her body shaking with sobs. "I thought we were in this together. How could you do this to me? To us?"

He felt his heart break at the sight of her pain. "I didn't want to worry you," he said softly, his own voice breaking. "I thought I could handle it on my own."

"Handle it on your own?" she repeated, incredulous. "We're supposed to share everything, Cyrus. How could you think facing this alone was the right thing to do?"

"I was scared," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't want to burden you. I didn't know how to tell you."

Selena shook her head, her tears falling freely. "You don't get it, do you? This isn't just about you, Cyrus. This affects both of us. I love you, and I deserve to know what's going on in your life. You can't shut me out like this."

Cyrus felt a lump in his throat, his eyes filling with tears. "I'm sorry, Selena. I'm so sorry. I was wrong. I should have told you. I thought you wouldn't want me anymore, wanting me alone would be a risk, I just... I didn't want to lose you."

She stepped closer, her voice softening but still laced with hurt. "You're not going to lose me, Cyrus. But you need to trust me. Let me in. We can face this together."