ᴛʜɪʀᴛᴇᴇɴ

Silence more poignant than Zain had ever experienced in his life settled between them. Within thee time that it lasted, he felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off his shoulders. A weight that had been straining every fibre of his body.

With it gone, he felt an exhaustion that made his shoulders slouch. Walking with the gait of a man who felt his life was spinning out of control, he located one of Emma's couches in the living room and sank with a sigh.

Bending over, he placed his elbows on his knees, running his hands wearily through his hair. The gravity of the revelation he'd made was not lost on him.

Zain finally lifted his head to gauge Emma's response and found her already looking at him. A cavalcade of emotions runs through her eyes. From disbelief to shock to anger to sadness and then back to disbelief.

“I don't believe you.” She stated with the conviction of someone who refused to accept reality.

Zain sighed. “I don't exactly know why I would lie about something so life-transforming.”

“Because you want me out of your life and you will do anything to achieve that.” Her reply came accusingly.

A dull ache registered in his heart. If only she knew how badly he wanted to be with her. How different he wished things were.

For the first time, he let his guarded walls crumble around him. Those walls that'd always done such a wonderful job at disguising how he truly felt from her. Now he felt raw, exposed.

Emma's teary eyes widened, her hand flying to cover her mouth. “But ho... When? How... What di...disease is that?”

So the reality was finally sinking in. Good. Zain forced himself to speak even though his throat felt so barbed.

“It's called the Reuben Syndrome, named after the guy who discovered it. You might not have heard of it because it's a very rare disease. Happens to about ten in every one million people. But it's been around for several years.”

He watched her silently, every step she took before she finally sunk beside him on the couch. Her face was a display of the fact that she wished everything was a nightmare. So did he.

“How did you... When did you?”

“I've had it for eight months, but I found out four months ago. I'd been having spells of dizziness. They didn't occur often, perhaps twice a week, but I knew it wasn't normal. The time I knew I had to be alarmed was when I bled from the nose one day and fainted. I went to the hospital after waking. Somehow, the doctor who checked on me had an instinct, and they brought in an expert who diagnosed me with the Syndrome.”

Emma looked at him. “But I... But I've never seen you...bleed or dizzy or anything else.”

“I take medication for the dizziness. I hid it well from you. For bleeding, it occurs rarely. But I do feel it a few hours before it happens so I can avoid people and be alone when it does. I guess I was just very lucky that it never occurred around you.”

He continued speaking, just to feed the silence. “As for the how, nobody really knows. It can't be transmitted. It's like cancer, but it can start from anywhere, and then eat you up little by little. No cure has been found yet.”

Minutes ticked by in silence. The air was thick and melancholy and heavy, and Zain bristled to know what was going through Emma's mind. She was probably coming to the realisation that they couldn't be together. The thought scourged him.

He hurried to say it before she would do so. “So now you know why we can't be together. That's why I got so upset when I cummed inside you. In a few years, I'll be incapacitated and barely able to interact. That's not exactly daddy material.”

The last thing he expected was for Emma to look at him with incredulity like he'd offended her. “How could you for even a second think that I would want to be away from you because of this, Zain. I want to be with you now more than ever.

His first reaction was shock, then anger jolted him off the couch. “I don't fucking need your pity Emma.”

“It's not pity, Zain. I fucking care for you. How could you think that I would just walk away like that?”

“Okay, maybe I didn't explain myself enough.” He chuckled, knowing very well it held no mirth. “I have a disease that literally destroys the victim. It attacks the nerves and eats them away little by little until there's barely anything left. I have a maximum of three years before this disease overcomes me completely. I'm going to be blind. I'm going to be paralysed, unable to walk or move most parts of my body. I'm going to need someone to take care of me twenty-four seven. Bath me, wipe me clean when I shit myself. No woman in her right senses will sign up for something like that without expecting a huge pay in return.”

Emma shot to her feet too, indignation dancing in her green eyes even as tears flowed from them. “Well, then I guess I'm insane because I'm going nowhere Zain. I'm not going to leave you alone.”

He surged forward and grabbed her by her arms, feeling agitated like never before as he shook her violently. Their faces were extremely close as he screamed into her face.

“I said I don't fucking need your pity.”

“And I said I don't fucking pity you, Zain.” She screamed right back. “I love you, that's why. I fucking love you, you idiot.”

Time stood still for several seconds. During those seconds, he couldn't feel himself breathing. He couldn't hear himself think. All he could hear in his head were those three words echoing over and over again.

Then time jerked right back. He tore himself away from Emma and turned away from her, running a furious hand through his hair.

“Don't Emma. Don't do this to me. Don't be this cruel.”

Fingers of hope were striving hard to free his heart from the chokehold of despair and he didn't like it. He fucking hated it.

He stiffened when he felt her hand wrap around his upper arm, trying to turn him to face her. When he didn't budge, she circled him to stand in front of him instead.

She cupped his cheeks, wanting his attention. Zain looked anywhere but her eyes, because he knew that if he did look into those orbs, then he was a goner.

Emma spoke through her quivering voice. “I love you, Zain. I love you so much and I'm not going anywhere. No matter how hard you try to push me away, I'm never going to give up. No matter what comes, I'll always be with you.”

When her voice broke on the last sentence, he finally looked at her, into her eyes. In her eyes, he saw so much care, love and adoration, and he finally cracked.

Lunging forward, he slammed his mouth against hers as he finally allowed the tears to overwhelm him. This kiss was awkward and sloppy, their mouths moving against each other haphazardly as they cried.

It took minutes before their mouths found a rhythm. When it finally did, so did their bodies. A slow, sensual rhythm that made him ache for her so much more.

They undressed slowly, their rhythm never lost. Soon Emma was leading him to her bedroom. Once there, she tumbled on the bed, pulling him along.

He gazed into her eyes, feeling so overcome with emotion that he nearly broke down again.

“I love you, Emma Taylor. I fucking love you.”

He saw the joy that lit her eyes just before she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her. He made love to her more passionately than he'd ever done. Slowly, uhurriedly, like they were in utopia and the world was waiting for them.

When their orgasms finally reached them simultaneously, he professed his love over and over as he came and she did the same.

The future looked gloomy and uncertain, but they could get through it together, couldn't they?

*****

“No. Don't. Please don't.”

“I'm sorry, Emma. Goodbye.”

Emma was startled awake from her nightmare when Zain dissolved into dust. Body sweaty and fear making her heart constrict painfully, she reached across from the side of the bed where she slept, wanting to hold Zain, to feel the reassurance that he was still with her.

The only thing her arm found was a pillow. Despite the panic that zinged through her heart, she remained calm as she sat up slowly. She wanted to go on a search, to call out to Zain to find out whether he was still in the house, but she knew it would be no use.

Deep down, she knew that the nightmare had only been preparing her for reality. That was when she saw the sheet of paper with handwriting lying beside her and picked it up.

Emma,

Being with you was like a dream come through. A fantasy I thought I'd never experience. I dreamt of us last night. It was the future and we had kids and we were very happy. Then I woke up and realized that that was exactly what it was; a dream. A dream that can never come through. Very soon, I'll be a vegetable, a half man.

I know you love me and would stay no matter what condition I will be in in the future, but I love you too much to put you through that. You deserve so much better than being tied down to a nuisance. I prefer that we part this way; while I'm still strong and sexy and virile. Don't look for me because you won't find me.

I know this is going to upset you, but I believe this is best for both of us. Please move on with your life Emma. Give yourself a chance to live, love and be happy with a man who truly deserves you. Someone who loves you as much as I will always do till my last breath.

Love Always, Zain.

Lowering the letter, Emma barked out laughter around a sob. Another sob followed, then another. Zain loved her. He loved her so much that he was willing to sacrifice his happiness by letting her go.

She lied on the bed, curled herself into a ball, and cried her heart out, wondering how it was that she could be so unlucky in life.

END OF PART ONE!
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I know the next chapter is just going to catch you off guard. Don't worry, I'll continue it right here. For now, how was the first part? Please let me hear your thoughts!

LOL
–E

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