about her for years. The only reason I kept my distance was
because you asked me to.‖
―She‘s only twenty.‖ Luke reminded him.
―She‘s got the maturity of a woman ten years older than
that, and you know it.‖ He thrust his fingers through his hair
again, ―Look. I‘m having a hell of a time concentrating on
anything. I told you how I felt when I found her with Nikos.
Now I know she won‘t give me the time of day because she‘s as
angry as hell over the security team. She feels as though we
betrayed her and she may forgive you because you‘re her brother,
but for me it‘s just another mark against me.‖
Luke took a long deep breath. Max was right, but he
couldn‘t help feel that they were rushing her, taking away her
youth before she had experienced anything. However, he didn‘t
miss the way Lily reacted to Cybil and the jealousy she portrayed.
He knew she loved Max, what woman wouldn‘t? His shoulders
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Lietha Wards
slumped in defeat and he nodded, ―She looks terrible.‖ He finally
said looking back at Max helplessly, ―I‘m still pissed at you but,
maybe I didn‘t help much.‖
―Maybe we both screwed up. We didn‘t give her a choice
in anything.‖ Max said seeing his friend‘s guilt.
―Yeah, maybe she‘s not too far off calling us
overprotective louts.‖
―And because of it, she got hurt.‖ Max winced. ―Hell, I
wish I could change the past but I can‘t. I‘ve tried to talk to her,
but she won‘t hear it and short of betraying you, I couldn‘t‘ tell
her anything.‖
Luke studied his friend‘s pained expression, ―You love her
that much?‖
Max managed a bittersweet smile, ―You have no idea.‖
Luke nodded and released a slow breath, ―I‘m taking her
to the Doctor‘s today at three.‖ He looked at his watch. ―I kept
her home from school because I wanted to go with her.‖
Max straightened himself and shoved his hands in the
pockets of his dark slacks, ―All right, however, I am marrying her
in the future if she‘ll still have me, and I understand your anger
with me, it‘s warranted, but as soon as you hear anything I‘m
entitled to know.‖
Luke thought about this for a moment. A man like Max
really shouldn‘t be held at fault for hurting Lily. He was acting
on Luke‘s wishes, yet he obviously did get carried away with her
and he held him responsible for that. In a way he was hoping she
was pregnant, then it would explain her symptoms, but now a
new worry set in. Would depression explain all of what she was
portraying? He wasn‘t a doctor so he didn‘t know but he had a
sense of dread over it. ―I‘ll call you Max. I promise.‖
―That‘s all I ask. Thank you.‖
After Doctor Chang was done her examination, she
helped Lily don a hospital gown while pressing her lips together,
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―Is your brother here?
―I think he‘s in the waiting room. Why?‖
Doctor Chang had been Lily‘s doctor since she was
fourteen and moved to Chicago with Luke when he started
working for Max. Despite her name she wasn‘t Asian, but looked
more Romanian with her dark hair and eyes. It seemed sort of
funny to Lily when she first met her and actually asked her about
her name. She said her husband was Asian and worked in the
city as an engineer. She also told her with a smile that she got
that a lot. Regardless, she was always very considerate to Lily.
Maybe it was because her and Luke were looking after each other
since the death of their parents and her Doctor knew that.
―He‘s your guardian right?‖
―What‘s wrong?‖ She started to get worried.
―It may be nothing, but I should speak to him first.‖ She
picked up Lily‘s folder, ―I‘ll send the lab tech in to take some
blood so I can run some tests.‖ She said, ―I‘ll be back in a few
minutes.‖
―Okay.‖ Lily said unable to keep the worry out of her
expression.
Luke was sitting in the waiting room rubbing his forehead
with his hand in obvious worry. Time seemed to pass slowly and
it was excruciating waiting for the results. He stood immediately
when the Doctor approached, ―My sister—is she okay?‖
Doctor Chang indicated for him to sit down and she took
the seat next to him, ―It may be nothing, but your sister has a
lump in her breast.‖
―Oh Jesus, Lily!‖ He could physically feel the blood drain
from his face.
―I‘m running some blood tests, but she says it‘s been
there for about two months.‖ The Doctor continued.
―I didn‘t know—I‘ve been away—―he said brokenly. She
was the only family he had and he felt completely negligent over