Die In Your Arms

Chapter 2 - That Second Chance

Alexa's POV:

beep beep beep beep!

I wake up to the noises of my iPhone. I have a text from...Niall? I open it up. "Hey it's fine! We can meet up again sometime today! @ Nandos @ 12:00 pm. -Nialler xx" I smile and close the text. I hear footsteps down the hallway and then Emily Grace appears at my bedside. She's so pale she is almost transparent. "You look flushed, darling!" I say. "I'm not supposed to be up," she whispered hoarsely. "Darling, please go back. I need you to get your IV's in." She hugged me and ran back to her room. I don't want her to die. She's worse than ever, I can't loose her. She's too young to die. I get up and walk to her room, there she lay in her bed, so helpless. I kiss her forehead and sigh. "I want you to be okay.." I whispered. "I do too. I don't want to die, Alexa." Tears stung in my eyes and began to flow uncontrollably.

I kiss her pale hand and walk to my room. My doctor comes in and her eyes have tears in them. "What?" I asked her. "The adenocarcinoma has spread." I felt a tear roll down my cheek. "But we could do surgery, yet you could...pass during the s-" she trailed off and choked on her tears. I put a hand on her shoulder. "Please, don't cry for me." I said. I hugged her. I got up and went into Emily's room again. I took her doctors hand and pulled her in the hallway. "Emily has Craniopharyngioma. She's been having headaches lately and she's gaining weight. The only treatment we can do is surgery and possibly therapy." I felt tears form in my eyes. "She's only seven," I whispered. "Can you please start with therapy? Please?" She nodded and gave me a hug. "I can't lose her, I can't." "I'll give her some medication now. You can stay with her as long as you wish."

I hold onto Emily's cold hand. I warmed it up by rubbing both my hands on hers. I hummed the tune to Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift and started crying. I kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear weakly,

"Come morning light,

you and I'll be

Safe and

Sound."

I looked at the clock and it was 11:23. I asked my mom (yes, my doctor is my mom...well she acts like one.) for a ride to Nandos. She agrees and drops me off. "I'll call you when you have to come get me." I told her. I walked into Nandos and found Niall, sitting in front of him. He studies my face in silence. "I'm sorry, I'm a freak." I whispered. "You're not a freak," he whispered back. "You're beautiful." I looked in his eyes. "You mean that?" He nodded. "Hey, um, I know this is kinda sudden but can I go to your place?" He smiled warmly. "Yeah." I pulled out my iPhone and texted my doctor.

"Hey, going to Niall's. Don't worry about picking me up for a while -Alexa x"

We ate lunch and talked until Niall drove me to his house. "You feeling well?" he asked. I hadn't eaten much but I was starving and I knew I'd throw up soon. I lied, "Yeah." We pulled up to his house, it was a gorgeous 2 story house. It was white and had a light blue roof. He opens the door for me and I walk inside, studying the leather couch and wood floor. I sat on his couch and he say next to me. I started feeling dizzy and I clutched to my stomach. "Where's your bathroom?" "Down the hallway, on the left." I ran to the bathroom and closed the door and sat over the toilet. I threw up and in fifteen minutes Niall pounded on the door. "Are you okay?" I couldn't answer. I kept puking. Niall opened the door and he got on this knees and rubbed my back. "Are you...bulimic?" I shook my head no and finished up. I had to tell him my biggest secret. "I have adenocarcinoma, the most common stomach cancer. I live at the Children's Cancer Hospital. The only people who know are my two best friends, Emily Grace and Carter and now, you. I'm so sorry I never told you I just-" I was cut off by Niall's lips falling onto mine. He wrapped his arms around me, saying, "It's okay, it's okay, it's okay." I smiled. Niall cared about me and we barely knew each other. "Look, Alexa, when I saw you at the concert I thought you were perfect. Cancer or no cancer your perfect. Will you be my girlfriend?" I nodded yes, taking off my beanie revealing my bald head. "You're so beautiful, don't forget that." I calmed down an wiped away another tear.

Niall cradled me there in the bathroom floor and I fell asleep in his arms. This was the only time I've ever felt so safe.