"Stopping already?" She arched a brow at him, brown eyes following the phone that was gently placed on the table.
"Hmm." He sighed, "my eyes are getting blurry I can barely make out the words."
"Want me to read it for you?" She asked.
"No." He yawned. "I feel tired, and besides I need a moment to rebuild my brain cells." Seriously though, who the hell wrote this novel? Everytime he readit, it felt as though he was losing some brain cells.
"Stop being dramatic Jace," she laughed tossing a strand of black hair behind her shoulders as she waddled towards him as much as her pregnant belly could allow, "web novels are written for fun, people usually read them to relax, escape reality, or just have a good laugh. Sure there are a few errors here and there, but there's no need to be so serious, there may be a few good ones but what were you expecting a seventeen year old girl to write except sappy romance?" She laughed.
"Still it could have been better, the male lead mostly did nothing but stand there and glare at people, while most side characters seemed to have just been added to make the protagonist look good." Jace frowns at his sister, or he thinks he is since he can't make out much of her except for a blurry green bulb leaning close to him.
"It's a fun read,"she shrugged, "it's currently popular and though a bit cliche it's good."
"I can't wait to be out of here so you can stop forcing me to read crappy bl romance novels," Jace grumbled, "why are you even making me read bl novels?"
"You certainly aren't succeeding in keeping any woman in your life, which is weird seeing as you're handsome, rich and overall nice, sooo—" Jace knew that his sister was up to something whenever she drawled like that, something that he wouldn't like.
"I think maybe you're gay and you just don't know."
"And you think reading a couple of bl novels would help me realize my sexuality, how genius." Jace rolled his eyes, "I am aware I am the smarter twin, but I thought I left some brain cells to you, but it's apparent that I absorbed them all."
"Ouch!" Jace yelped when a harsh smack fell on his shoulder, "be careful, I am a patient." He pouted.
"Patient my ass." She smacked him again just to make her point clear. "That's no way to speak to your older sister."
"Only by two minutes." It was an argument they had all the time.
"Still I am older." Her smile dropped when she noticed Jace frowning. "Headache?"
"Yeah." Jace struggled to smile through the pressure in his brain— it was familiar, yet he struggled with the pain. "It will pass soon."
"Let me adjust the bed for you." He felt the bed recline, removing the pressure from his spine and neck. "Better?" Jace nodded — he could barely form words.
"I will be alright Tamara." Jace squeezed her hand as she leaned down to adjust his blanket, he could feel her hand tremble in his grasp.
"Of course you will be, or else I will haunt you for eternity." Tamara's voice lacked it's sharp edge, her voice trembling from her efforts to hold back tears.
"I am not going anywhere Tammy," Jace laughed knowing how the nickname annoyed her, "I plan on staying around and annoying you for a long time." Tamara nudged him playfully. "Besides little junior hasn't met his fun uncle yet."
"Fun uncle?" Tamara scoffed,"more like only uncle." She caressed her bump gently, "it's going to be a girl this time." She argued.
"How do you know? Did a gender check?" Jace arched a brow.
"No." Tamara glared at Jace, "I have a gut feeling."
"Yeah," Jace drawled, "same gut feeling you had when you were pregnant with Sam and Alaric." He snorted.
"Don't jinx me, it will be a girl this time, I know it." Tamara argued.
"Sure." Jace added dryly.
Funny story— Tamara had only planned for two kids, but her first two children were boys and Tamara wanted a little princess who she could spoil and do girly things with— don't get her wrong, she loved her boys though they made her develop grey hair from stress — so she went on to make baby three and baby four; surprise, surprise, both were boys— now she was a proud mother of four with baby five on the way. Jace could bet his balls that the next baby would be a boy.
"How are the kids?" The thought of the little blondes brought a faint smile on Jace's lips.
"Don't get me started,"Tamara groaned, "they all miss you though and are hoping you would get better, favourite uncle and all." She laughed softly.
"I will be fine." Jace assured as he squeezed her hand.
"I know." Tamara smiled sadly, eyes reddening as she took in her brothers state, he could barely see her. At the age of 34 Jace looked like her grandfather— bald head, sunken eyes and a figure that was more bone than meat. It seemed to be once upon a time when Jace had still been a handsome man with thick black hair, brown eyes that always shone with laughter and a robust figure.
"Are you crying?" Jace's voice— soft and understanding snapped her out of her daze, Tamara sniffed realizing that she has indeed been crying silently — something she normally did in her bedroom when her husband and children weren't close enough to listen.
"I am not." Tamara wiped the tears from her cheek harshly. There was no need to cry, her brother would be alright— they had fought a battle with brain tumor for eight gruesome years and they had won, they wouldn't lose.
The doctor's warning that this could be his last surgery— the cancerous cells had continued to grow and were turning complicated— loomed largely. Jace's body was becoming weak from the numerous surgeries and medications.
"Don't cry, I will be fine." Jace smiled. In the back of his mind, he was aware that he wouldn't make it. Last week he had called his lawyer— his best friend Maya— to draft his will, which had been done admist tears and heartfelt words — he had never seen Maya cry— the tall mexican beauty could take a man down with a punch, yet in that moment she had looked so broken, so hurt; the image of her red eyes as he consoled her still haunted him— funnily enough, Jace was the one dying, yet he who needed consoling was doing the consoling.
He had left a letter for Tamara— one he may have broken down into tears while writing— with her husband Adam which was to be giving to her after his death, hopefully she could forgive him for his false promises and lies but knowing Tamara— she would probably hate him forever and curse him to hell.
"I don't usually cry this easily, It's the hormones." Tamara laughed after regaining her composure.
"Whatever you say Tammy." Jace smiled.
The entrance of a nurse forced Tamara to swallow her retort as she smiled at Nurse Jane— a woman who had become familiar with them. Like always Nurse Jane was smiling— warm, soft and comforting. Her smile was assuring like she was saying everything would be fine and Tamara believed her, falling for that beautiful smile.
"How are you doing today Mr Smith?" She was still smiling, that gentle smile.
"I feel like I am dying." Jace gasped dramatically.
"Still up for theatrics I see?" She arched a brow, "you will live."
"He better." Tamara interjected.
"Mrs Pierce, you are lovely looking woman, but pale skin and swollen eyes aren't your style, have you been getting any rest hon?"
Nurse Jane asked.
"I have been resting." Tamara answered evasively. Jace frowned, she hadn't been resting.
"Right." Nurse Jane clearly didn't believe her and she didn't bother to hide the sarcasm in her tone. "You should go home and sleep hon."
"I will go after the surgery." Tamara argued even as Nurse Jane shot her an unimpressed look.
"The surgery is in two hours, at this rate you are going to be assigned to a bed before the surgery starts. You should rest Mrs Pierce, you wouldn't be doing anybody good if you faint and think about the baby." Her voice is firm and stern. "You're going to need energy to bounce around with anxiety and stress for six hours."
"Fine I will go." Tamara grumbled as she leaned down to kiss Jace's temple. "You're not going anywhere, you haven't helped me picked out a baby name yet."
"I am not going anywhere." Jace smiled.
"Good. You owe me that for all the years I had to put up with being your sister."
"It must have been hard." Jace rolled his eyes.
"It was." Tamara smirked.
"See you in the next two hours Nurse Jane." With the slam of the door Tamara is gone.
"Time for your medication sweetheart." Nurse Jane smiled at Jace.
*******
Jace had only read a handful of novels, but he knew most of them tended to end with two words — the end.
Those words were firm, the closure of those worlds. Yet in this moment, Jace felt it; his end.
He didn't know when it began, as he floated into a dark space, he couldn't see, couldn't feel, yet he felt at peace, the pain was gone replaced by a feeling of freedom and lightness that he knew wasn't from the anesthesia. He knew it was his end — the end of Jace Smith, memories flashed before his eyes; unfulfilled dreams, happy moments and wonderful people.
A single face seemed to stick— black hair, brown eyes, wide face and a smile that could rival the brightness of the sun.
I am sorry Tamara.
The darkness consumed, devouring as his end approached.
*******
A heavy and suffocating silence washed over the theater until a voice broke it.
"Jace Smith; time of death 22:15pm."