Chapter 19

Ryan quickly grabbed her hand, his voice low and a touch desperate. "Chloe, please, stop blaming yourself. None of this is on you. This will pass, okay? Let me take care of you." Ryan really was a great guy—but Chloe knew she couldn't keep dragging him down with her. "I've got less than three years left to live, Ryan. I'm not someone worth your time." "I know, Chloe, I know all of it. But medicine's come a long way—there's gotta be something we haven't tried yet." Chloe shook her head, unsure if Ryan was just too naive or too stubborn to accept it. "Why put yourself through this?" "Because I love you," he said, gripping her hand tighter. "And you can't just take that away from me. I don't care if it's three years or thirty—every minute with you counts. Just give us a shot, please?" He spoke with so much sincerity, she could feel his palm starting to sweat. That kind of reckless determination reminded her of who she used to be—when she'd throw everything away for one look from Hank. She