The Goodbye You Never Knew...

Chapter 003: The Unspoken Words

The days went by, and Ethan continued to hide his secret. Each morning, he woke up feeling the same heavy burden, knowing that time was slipping away. Every smile, every laugh, every moment with you felt bittersweet because he knew your guys time together was limited. He told himself every day that he would tell you the truth, but each time the moment came, he stayed quiet. He couldn't bear to see you hurt.

One evening, after another long day at work, Ethan came home to find you sitting at the kitchen table, sketching. You looked up and smiled when you saw him, your eyes lighting up with that familiar warmth that made his heart ache.

"You're home early," you said, setting your pencil down and stretching. "How was your day?"

"Busy," Ethan said, forcing a smile as he sat down beside you. "But it's nice to be home now."

You leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I'm glad you're here. I missed you today."

Ethan looked at you, the words on the tip of his tongue, but as always, he swallowed them. How could he tell you? How could he break your heart when you looked so happy?

You noticed the look on his face and frowned. "Are you okay, love? You've seemed a little off lately. You're not yourself."

Ethan chest tightened. This was it. He should say something now, finally tell you the truth. But once again, the words wouldn't come. Instead, he leaned forward and kissed your forehead.

"I'm fine," he said softly. "Just tired from work."

You searched his face for a moment, clearly unconvinced, but you didn't push further. "Okay," you said quietly. "If you ever need to talk, I'm here, you know that, right?"

"I know," Ethan replied, his heart aching with guilt. He wished he could take you up on that offer, to open up and tell you everything. But the fear of hurting you was too great. Instead, he buried the truth deeper inside.

After dinner, you guys curled up on the couch to watch a movie. You snuggled close to him, your head resting on his chest. As the movie played, Ethan found it hard to focus. His mind kept wandering back to his diagnosis, to the countdown that was constantly ticking away in the back of his mind. He knew he couldn't keep this secret forever, but every day, he pushed it off, hoping for more time.

You looked up at him during a quiet part of the movie and smiled. "I'm really excited about the art show," you said softly. "I think it's going to be one of my best ones yet."

Ethan nodded, trying to push aside his thoughts. "I'm sure it will be. I'm so proud of you."

You beamed at his words, your eyes sparkling with happiness. It was moments like these that made it so hard for Ethan to tell you the truth. How could he ruin this for you?

As the days went on, the weight of the secret became harder to bear. Ethan found himself avoiding deep conversations with you, afraid that one slip-up would give everything away. He became quieter, more distant, and you began to notice.

One evening, after dinner, you sat down across from Ethan at the table, your expression serious. "Ethan, we need to talk."

Ethan's heart skipped a beat. "About what?"

You took a deep breath, clearly nervous. "I feel like something's wrong. You've been so distant lately. You're not yourself. I've tried to ignore it, but I can't anymore. Please, just talk to me. What's going on?"

Ethan felt his chest tighten. This was the moment. He could finally tell you the truth, let everything out. But as he opened his mouth to speak, the words got stuck again. Instead, he shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Y/N," he said quietly. "I've just been really stressed with work. I didn't mean to worry you."

Your eyes filled with concern. "Ethan, you can tell me anything. You know that, right? I don't care about work or stress. I just want to know what's really going on."

Ethan stared at the table, his heart pounding in his chest. He wanted to tell you so badly, but the fear of seeing you break down stopped him. Instead, he reached across the table and took your hand.

"I promise, I'm okay," he said, squeezing your hand gently. "I'm just going through a rough patch. But it's nothing to worry about."

You studied his face for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Okay," you said softly. "But if something is wrong, please don't shut me out. I want to help you."

Ethan forced a smile, though inside, he felt like he was falling apart. "I won't shut you out," he said, though he knew he was already doing just that.

That night, as you slept beside him, Ethan lay awake, staring at the ceiling. The guilt was eating away at him. He knew he couldn't keep this up much longer. The longer he waited, the worse it would be when Ethan finally found out.

A few days later, Ethan met up with Jake again, hoping for some advice. They sat at the same bar as before, but this time Jake didn't waste any time. "I still haven't told her," he admitted, his voice heavy with guilt.

Jake looked at him with a mix of frustration and sympathy. "Ethan, you can't keep doing this. You have to tell her. It's not fair to her, and it's not fair to you."

"I know," Ethan said, running a hand through his hair. "But every time I try, I freeze up. I don't know how to say it."

Jake shook his head. "There's no easy way to say it. But she deserves to know. The longer you wait, the harder it's going to be."

Ethan sighed, knowing Jake was right. He had been putting this off for too long. He couldn't keep lying to you. You deserved to know the truth, no matter how hard it would be to say it.

That evening, when Ethan returned home, you was sitting on the couch, sketching again. You looked up when he walked in and smiled, but there was a hint of worry in your eyes.

"Hey," you said softly. "How was your day?"

Ethan stood in the doorway, his heart pounding. He knew he couldn't wait any longer. He had to tell it to you now.

"Sweetie, we need to talk," he said, his voice shaky.

Your smile faded as you set down your sketchbook, your eyes filled with concern. "What is it, Ethan? What's going on?"

Ethan took a deep breath, his heart racing. This was it. He couldn't keep it inside anymore.

"I... I haven't been honest with you," he began, his voice barely above a whisper. "There's something I need to tell you."

You stared at him, your expression unreadable, waiting for him to continue.

Ethan's throat tightened as the words finally came out. "I'm sick, Y/N. I have cancer... and I only have 8 months left.."