The Girl in the Love Song (Lost Boys #1)(119)

“You’re going to be okay, Miller,” she said. “I’ll to make sure of it.”

“Are you really going to give up being a surgeon?”

“I’m not giving it up; I’m moving it out of my way. I was meant to take care of you, and I will. There’s hemodialysis that you can do at home. I’m going to learn everything I can about it while we wait for a donor.”

I pressed my lips into her hair, kissing her and holding her tight to me. She was making it sound easier than it would be. There was a shortage of organ donors; I could be waiting for years, and we both knew it.





The next day, I was packing my shit to leave while Violet wrangled all the balloons, bouquets, and stacks of get-well cards from fans that covered every available surface of the window ledge.

“It looks like someone emptied the goddamn giftshop in here,” I muttered.

“Your fans love you.” Violet flipped around a card to show me the front. A photo of me in the green room at the Key Arena. “From Sam. Don’t read what he wrote inside unless you’re ready to cry for three days straight.”

“What’s this about crying?” Dr. Monroe entered the room, a tight, strange smile on his face. “No crying when I have good news. A match has been found.”

The card fell out of Violet’s hand. I dropped the shirt I’d been putting in a small travel bag. “What? Already?”

“We need to run a few more tests, but I feel confident we can schedule surgery for the day after tomorrow.”

“That’s amazing,” Violet said, reluctant hope wanting to bloom over her features. “Oh my God…”

“But the Donor Network said the wait time could be years,” I said. “They found a match already?”

“For one kidney and partial pancreas, yes.”

Violet and I exchanged glances. “So, it’s from a living donor,” I said. Pancreases, it turned out, like livers and lungs, could be portioned out to give the recipient part of the organ without harm to the donor.

Dr. Monroe rocked on his heels. “This will change your life, Miller. No more insulin shots, no more highs and lows…”

“Who?” I asked, going cold all over. “Who’s the donor?”

Dr. Monroe shifted. “I’m afraid I can’t speak anymore to that. Confidentiality is of upmost importance in situations like this—”

“Tell me.”

“Miller, I—”

“It’s my dad. My dad’s the donor. Isn’t he?”

Dr. Monroe’s expression shifted, a miniscule wince, and I knew I was right. I sank down on the bed. “Holy shit.”

The doctor cleared his throat. “Protocol dictates that you’ll need to speak to Alice, from the Donor Network before any—”

“No,” I said, getting back to my feet. “Tell Alice—tell Ray that I don’t want his fucking donation. Wait, you said we could do the surgery in two days?” My blood ran hot in my veins. “He’s here, isn’t he?”

Violet moved to put a soothing hand on my arm. “Miller, let’s stay calm…”

Dr. Monroe wore a sympathetic expression. “I understand it’s a complicated situation—”

“It’s not fucking complicated,” I snapped. “It’s really damn easy. I don’t want his help. Tell him to go back to wherever he’s been for the past seven years and stay there.”

“You have the right to consent or not for this procedure,” Dr. Monroe said, trying for calm. “But I have to advise you that if you turn this down, you will spend whatever time it takes to find a suitable match with the same dangerous, wildly fluctuating glucose levels, compounded by chronic kidney failure. You’ll need to set aside three days a week to spend four hours a day on a dialysis machine until that donor becomes available.” His face softened. “He’s a perfect match, Miller. One in a million. Please think very carefully before you make any decisions.”

I gritted my teeth and waited until he was gone.

Violet slipped her hand in mine. “Miller…”

“No fucking way.”

“Listen to what Dr. Monroe said.”

“I heard what he said, and I’m not doing it, Vi. When Dad left, I vowed that no matter what happened, I would never need him again. Ever. And I did it. I took care of Mom and…” The emotions were rising in my throat, threatening to choke me. Stinging my eyes. “It’s not right. It’s not fucking right that he shows up after all this time. And when he does, it’s for this? A fucking organ transplant that I’d be an idiot to refuse?”

I went past her to pace the small space in front of the window. A giant aluminum balloon with a yellow happy face drifted in front of me. I punched it out of my way.

“I know,” Violet said gently. “It’s a lot.”

“It’s too much. I can’t say no, right? I’m a fucking idiot if I say no. If I say yes, I betray every fucking thing I worked so hard for.”

She moved to stand beside me. “It only feels that way because you haven’t reconciled with him. Or tried. Talk to him, please. Talk to him first before you decide anything.”

I shook my head, wiping my eyes on the shoulder of my T-shirt. “What the hell do I say to him, Vi?”