Overcoming The Lie

Chapter 6

The next day, Addison had scheduled Marli for a PET scan to see if her tumors had shrunk. Since they were both stuck in the same room for the scans, Marli thought it would be the perfect opportunity to talk to Addison about Mark.

"So, Addy, tell me about when you told Mark the truth."

"Um, ok. You had been in a coma for just about a month with no signs of waking up, and your most recent scans showed that your tumors had grown. So, I talked with Adam about starting your treatment and we agreed it was the best option. But before I did, I knew I needed to tell Mark the truth. There was a chance that you would never wake up, or that the treatments themselves would kill you. I did not want to risk you dying before Mark knew the truth. And I told him everything." Addison was trying to hold back tears as she talked with Marli, but she knew Marli would be able to tell she was upset.

"Addy, why are you crying?"

"Because I lied to Mark for a year. I chose not to tell him the truth about his own sister's cancer diagnosis. He is my best friend, but I lied to him and I lost him forever because of it."

"I am sensing there is more to this story than you are telling me. Please, I am just trying to understand why my brother and my best friend are so heartbroken."

"Marli, I love him. With every ounce of my being, I love him. Mark is the person who has been there for me through the worst days of my life and the best days. Without him, I do not know where I would be. I love him as my best friend, my confidant, my partner. And I ruined all of that."

"Wait, do you love him, love him? Like want to kiss him and marry him, love him?"

"Yes. For so long I thought it was just a love that I had for my best friend. But after your surgery, before we knew you had fallen into a coma, we went out to dinner. He never said it was a date, but we both dressed up like it was, and after dinner we walked along the beach in each other's arms and talked for what felt like forever. And then we kissed. It was the most perfect kiss, and it made me realize that Mark is best person in the world and I want to be near him, loving him, showing him how much he means to me, always. And while you were in a coma, we were there for each other, supporting each other. We have always been the other's rock, but it was so much more after that night. Marli, I love your brother. But I hurt him so bad, I think I broke his heart in ways that I will never be able to repair."

"Wow. I had always hoped you two would get together! But I always imagined that when you did, nothing would ever break you two apart. But I did. I am the reason you two are literally heartbroken. I am so sorry, Addy."

"Don't blame yourself. I am not mad at you. I was at first, but this is on me. Mark and I made a promise a long time ago that we would never lie to each other. I broke that promise. No, I shattered it. I love you Marli and I would never want to go against your wishes, but I should have told him. At the very least I should have pushed harder to get you two to talk so the truth would come out. But instead I chose to lie to the person I love most, for a year." At that, Marli decided to change the subject. Her brother and her best friend had finally admitted their love for each other, but her secret ruined it. But Marli was not about to let her mistake destroy perhaps the most perfect relationship in history. 

A few hours later, Addison gathered everyone together in Marli's room to go over the results of her scans.

"Okay everyone, I have some good news today. The tumors have both shrunk, mainly the one surrounding your blood vessels. I believe that with one more round of targeted chemotherapy, we can get rid of it completely."

"What about my tumor inside my liver?"

"It has also shrunk, though not as much. Unfortunately, it seems to be resistant to the treatments thus far. I am hopeful that if we can keep it under 2 centimeters in diameter, you can live with it."