Ms. Unlucky & The List

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen: Sixteen, Two, and Three

My last round of chemo had been administered and I had decided to bask in the sun on the beach for a little while before I had to leave in the morning. I would have been enjoying the day had it not been for the sudden solar eclipse.

"Excuse me," I said lifting up my sunglasses. I groaned as I looked up at the man. "What do you want?" I asked him.

"You didn't tell Chase did you?"

"No but I'm sure it will slip out sooner or later," I sighed leaning my head back against the chair. 

"That's it? You will tell him eventually?! How can you be so nonchalant about a secret like this," Lucca's voice was laced with disbelieve and anger. 

"Dude, you lie and cheat and sneak around, you are bound to get caught, eventually," I said, not opening my eyes again. He grunted as he knelt in the sand beside me. My sunglasses were ripped from my face and I opened my eyes to see Lucca, looking more distraught than angry, kind of frustrated. 

"Why didn't you tell me you were sick, Nyx?" My mouth fell open, as if to reply but nothing came out. I had thought this scenario through many times, but not once in my thinking did Lucca care this much about me being ill. Not once did I imagine him reacting this way. One thing about this guy was for certain, he certainly knew how to surprise a girl. 

"I... I didn't think-"

"That's right, you didn't think. You didn't think about anyone but yourself. You will not believe how hurt I was when I heard you were here. I thought we were friends enough that you could tell me something like this. I thought... I meant something to you."

"Lucca, I just figured I'd make it easier on everyone if I just died in peace, just kind of faded away, like markings on the shore. I didn't think it mattered so much to you to know that I was going to die." 

"You can't think like that."

"Why not?" 

"Because then you won't get better, your body won't heal, you need to stay positive." I sighed and smiled at Lucca. I knew he was right, being positive was going to help me in the long run. I held my hand up to him and he pulled me up.

"Thank you," I muttered. I hated to know that I needed people who cared about me in my life but I did. I was so used to doing everything on my own that I tended to forget that I needed anyone. I looked to Lucca and smiled then jumped up from my spot, surprising Lucca with my sudden movements. I tapped his shoulder. "Tag, you're it." I laughed and took off towards the water.  He shook his head at me and jumped up to run after me. We spent the rest of the afternoon playing in the water and just enjoying the day. 

~~~~~~~

"So you are going home tomorrow? Want me to give you a ride?" Lucca was sitting in a chair next to my bed, list in hand. He hadn't set it down since we got back to my room, almost as though he was trying to memorize it. Maybe it made my cancer more real to him, maybe he was completely serious about helping me with completing it. 

"What? You don't have to do that," I shook my head,  putting my hands up to make my point.

"Well, too bad, Blondie, I already offered to take you back since I was... going to be in the area," he looked down, shyly. 

"You came here to see me specifically," I deadpanned. He chuckled nervously.

"Yeah, but Lauren doesn't know that." 

"Fair enough. I guess I have no choice in the matter then, do I?"

"Nope." I nodded in understanding. I got comfortable in my bed.