The Halo Series Boxed Set

by Kimberly Knight

  Even though I was still tired a lot of the time because I was healing, I made a point to satisfy him—or at least I thought I was. I wasn’t sure if it was because I knew he used to be with women nightly and I was scared he’d find someone else, or that I was trying to not think of the C word. Actually, I was sure it was both, but I’d never tell Easton that.

  Today was the day I’d find out about the C word. I was going in for my colonoscopy to see if there were polyps in my large intestine. Of course, if I had polyps, there was a chance they could be benign. If I didn’t have any, there was still a chance I could carry the gene. The entire situation had me going crazy. Even if I wanted to sleep the night before, I couldn’t because of the preparation. And I didn’t want to explain what happened—ever.

  As I laid in bed waiting for … movement, I couldn’t sleep. I’d Googled colonoscopies and read what would happen. I’d be sedated enough to not remember the scope going in my …

  Fuck my life, I already hated this procedure.

  I tried to think about how my best friend was finally happy again and planning a wedding. Then I thought about my wedding and how I needed to start planning it. But then I looked over at Easton sleeping and wondered if he’d still want to marry me if I had cancer and had to go through chemo and lost all my hair.

  Cheyenne had already lost her mother, and if I couldn’t fight colon cancer for whatever reason, I wouldn’t only break Easton’s heart, but hers as well. I couldn’t even imagine the pain it would cause her. I’d only been in her life for a few months, but this summer we’d gotten close. She’d watch Judge Judy with me daily and always asked if I needed anything while I laid on the couch resting.

  How do you tell a ten-year-old that she may lose another mother?

  Needless to say, I didn’t sleep a wink the night before my colonoscopy.

  Cheyenne thought I was going to the doctor for a check-up, not to get a scope stuck up my ass, so when the time finally came to leave, I wouldn’t let her come with us. I knew I wouldn’t get the test results right then and there. However, I was going to ask the nurse once I was lucid, and if they told me they saw polyps, I was certain I would have a meltdown. Instead, we told Cheyenne that the appointment might take a while and she needed to stay with Easton’s parents. His parents knew about everything because Easton had told them without me. I was okay with it. I was tired of telling everyone I was fine.

  Because I wasn’t fine.

  I was tired of going to procedure after procedure especially with the sick and worried feeling in the pit of my stomach. I was tired of getting poked and prodded. And it didn’t get easier with all the unknowns.

  Nicole was the only one who didn’t know about FAP. She was on an engagement high, and I didn’t want to take that away from her. If I had FAP, I’d tell her then. There was no sense in worrying her about it because she’d already gone through so much with the loss of her baby.

  As we drove to the hospital, Easton reached for my hand. “It’s only a scope in your ass.”

  My eyes shot to Easton, and I saw the smirk on his face. “Not funny,” I scolded.

  He tried to stifle his laugh. “It’s kinda funny.”

  I smiled, but it wasn’t able to reach my eyes. “It’s not your ass.”

  “Think of it as foreplay. I actually heard about a woman who had an orgasm while getting a colonoscopy.”

  “You have not!” I chuckled.

  He nodded. “True story. I overheard a table at Halo talking about it.”

  My eyes became huge. “Oh my God! What if I do?”

  “I’m pretty sure it’s rare.” He laughed.

  “But not impossible,” I countered.

  “Well, we haven’t tested it out ourselves, but some girls enjoy anal.”

  I let go of his hand and gestured for him to stop with my palms facing him. “Okay, okay. This is too much ass talk for me today.”

  We were silent for a few moments, and then Easton totally did a one-eighty. “Well, Peanut’s excited for her party in a few weeks.”

  “Are you?” I snickered, enjoying the subject change.

  He grabbed my hand again as he spoke. “No, I’m definitely not excited about my baby girl growing up or having twelve screaming girls under my roof for the night.”

  “We should stock up on movies they might want to watch. That way they’ll be quiet for hours. Hopefully…”

  “Good idea. We’ll get a list from Chey tonight.”

  “Before I start drinking.”

  His gaze turned back to me, and a wide smile was spread across his face. “Do I get to take advantage of you tonight?”

  “I’m going to go with no. I’m starving from not eating all day yesterday, and I just want to sleep.”

  “I can take advantage of you when you’re sleeping.” He was still smirking, and I shook my head.

  “How about we stick something up your ass and see if you want to have sex tonight?”

  He stopped smiling.

  “That’s what I thought.” I smiled and bit my lower lip, trying not to laugh at the image going through my head. Usually, we were silent when we went to all my medical shit, but today I needed this conversation.

  “At least you’re smiling now.”

  “Oh, I see what you did there.”

  He kissed the back of my hand. I loved him more for making me laugh when I needed.

  Easton pulled into the hospital parking lot. We walked hand in hand through the front doors after parking the car. I found where I needed to go for the procedure and after checking in, we waited. Easton held my hand the entire time, and we didn’t talk as I looked around the room at everyone waiting. As I looked around the room, wondering if everyone else was waiting to get a scope stuck up their butts, too, I decided to give myself a pep talk.

  “Don’t clench your ass when they go to stick the tube up there.”

  “Remember that story you heard about a chick that had an orgasm during her colonoscopy? Yeah, don’t do that!”

  “No matter what, everything will be okay.”

  Just like I’d told myself while getting my tattooed dots, these doctors did this every day. My body wasn’t anything new to them. Sure, Easton was in love with it, but these people didn’t care. They saw different types of asses every day. I could totally do this.

  Before I could think more about it, my name was called. Easton had to stay in the waiting room, so we gave each other tight smiles before I went back by myself. I changed into a hospital gown, they inserted IVs into my arm, and then I waited in a bed with a curtain drawn around it, isolating me from other patients. Before long, the nurse who gave me the IV, and a gastroenterologist came to speak with me.

  “Brooke, this is Dr. Tang. He’ll be doing your colonoscopy,” Nurse Rhonda explained.

  I smiled. “Hello.”

  “Have you ever gotten a colonoscopy before?” he asked.

  I shook my head. “No.”

  “I’m sure you’re aware that I’ll be sticking a scope in your rectum to check for polyps.”

  I nodded again.

  “Nurse Rhonda will sedate you, but you’ll be lucid.”

  “But I won’t remember it, right?” I asked.

  “Most patients don’t, but there’s still a chance.”

  “But it won’t hurt?”

  He shook his head. “No, it won’t.” I nodded for the third time. “We’ll send our findings to genetics, and they’ll contact you about the results.”

  “Okay.”

  “During and after the procedure, you may experience bleeding. There’s a chance the scope might tear the rectum or colon.”

  I stared at him as he continued to tell me more risks. I knew there only was a slight chance any of it could happen. However, my ass clenched thinking about all of them. Relax …

  “Any more questions?”

  I shook my head. “No.”

  “All right. We need you to sign this release stating you’re consenting to the medical procedure and th
en we’ll wheel you in.”

  I signed my name and then we were off.

  They wheeled the bed into a small clinical room with various hospital equipment. A medium sized monitor hung to my left as I watched Dr. Tang type on the computer.

  “All right, we’re almost ready. This monitor is so we can see where we’re going in and to also see if there are polyps. If there are, we’ll remove some and have them biopsied.”

  As he spoke, I kept thinking that I wouldn’t remember any of it once I was sedated. I wouldn’t know if they found the polyps until Megan called me.

  Nurse Rhonda stepped to my right. “I’m going to administer the sedative now.”

  I swallowed and nodded. After she was done, I looked around the stark white room and waited—story of my life.

  “Brooke, roll onto your right side,” Dr. Tang instructed.

  This was it.

  It was happening.

  A scope was being shoved up my ass to see if I had the C word.

  I did as instructed, and after not feeling anything for a minute or so, I heard Dr. Tang say, “Everything looks good.” I sucked in my breath and turned slightly toward the monitor, seeing my insides, and yep, no polyps.

  “I don’t have colon cancer,” I stated.

  Dr. Tang smiled. “Nope, everything looks great.”

  Nurse Rhonda reached out and ran her hand along my upper arm. I smiled, tears forming in my eyes. “I don’t have cancer,” I repeated, a weight lifting off my shoulders. Finally, something was going medically right.

  But I totally remembered everything!

  Now that everything was clear with my colon, it was time to start planning the wedding to the man of my dreams. I didn’t have the C word, and if my genetic testing came back that I did carry the gene, we’d deal with the outcome at that time.

  As I waited for the call from Megan, I started living my life again. First, though, I decided to tell my best friend everything that was going on—well almost everything. I was going to leave out the part about the kids until we knew for sure. Nicole was still sensitive in that department.

  Me: Meet for coffee?

  Nicole: It’s a date!

  When Nicole walked into the coffee shop, we hugged like we hadn’t seen each other in years.

  “I’ve missed you,” she gushed.

  “I’ve missed you too.”

  “Let me get my coffee, and I’ll be back.” She turned and left to stand in line to order.

  It had been weeks since Nicole and I spent time together. The last time I saw her was when I went to Boston to talk some sense into her. It was definitely the longest we’d ever gone without going to dinner or at least grabbing a coffee. When we both lived in Boston, we went out almost every Friday and Saturday together while Jared played Call of Duty. Now we both had men who loved us and wanted to spend every free moment together.

  She came back after receiving her coffee and sat in the chair opposite from me. “So, what’s new?”

  “Um …” Did I want to tell her right away about FAP? I decided not to. “Let’s talk about your engagement. Let me see the ring.”

  A sheepish look graced her face. “I don’t have one yet.”

  “What?” I questioned, stunned and confused that Mr. Romantic proposed without a ring. It was unlike Avery.

  “When I got home the other night, Avery got down on his knee in the heat of the moment. But it’s okay. This way I can pick out the one I want.”

  “Hmmm.” The Nicole I knew growing up was totally a material girl. Hell, she took eight swimsuits with us on the cruise because she couldn’t be seen in the same one twice. I took a sip of my coffee. “I guess. I mean, that takes out the excitement doesn’t it?”

  She shrugged. “Nah. The way he did it was enough for me.”

  “How did he do it?”

  “Well, I came home to an empty house because he was having dinner at the Crawford’s.”

  “Right …”

  “I was in the middle of apologizing and explaining why I left and how I missed his smile, his laugh, his jokes, his voice. I missed the way he’d hold me and kiss me … Then I dropped to my knees to beg him to take me back figuring that was my only shot since I broke his heart while mine was breaking.”

  “You asked him to marry you?”

  She shook her head. “No. While I was on my knees groveling, I brought up that bitch I almost got into a fight with at Halo. We’d always said we would fight for each other. Our nicknames are even Laila and Mike Tyson. We’re just fighters I guess.”

  I huffed out a laugh. “You think?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. You know I don’t take shit from anyone.”

  “Oh, I know.” I took a sip of my coffee.

  “Anyway, again, while I was on my knees begging for forgiveness, he started to walk toward me. I didn’t think anything of it because I thought he’d sit on the couch next to me or something. But he didn’t. He wasn’t talking, and it was freaking me out. I thought I was SOL and I would have to sleep on the couch until he took me back. Then he dropped to one knee right in front of me and asked me if I’d marry him.”

  I sighed dreamily thinking about Avery asking her and how wonderful everything was turning out.

  “At first, I thought I didn’t hear him correctly,” she continued. “He asked me again, and then I asked him back as a question because I still didn’t think I was hearing him right. I mean, we were broken up and then he was asking me to marry him.”

  I snorted a laugh at how many times the question was asked. It was definitely different from when Easton asked me.

  “You know what he said when I repeated the question back?” she asked.

  “Um … yes?” I giggled.

  She shook her head. “Nope. He said, ‘Yeah. You. Me. Vegas.’”

  I blinked at her. “Vegas?”

  She was smiling wide again. “Vegas.”

  “You’re getting married in Vegas?”

  She nodded. “Yep.”

  “By Elvis?” I laughed.

  “Hell no! Well, I doubt it… But do you know what this means?”

  My brows furrowed in confusion. “We’re both engaged?”

  She huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, but we’re going to Vegas, baby!”

  My eyes widened. “We?”

  “You’re my maid of honor, duh.”

  I gasped. “When?”

  “As soon as possible. Unless it interferes with your wedding.”

  “We haven’t set a date,” I admitted.

  “Why not? You’ve been engaged longer than I have.”

  Here it was. Time to tell her about FAP.

  I took another sip of my coffee, trying to decide how to tell her. “I’ve been going through some shit.”

  “With Easton?” she questioned.

  I shook my head, staring out the window for a beat. “I had to get a colonoscopy yesterday.” I frowned.

  Her eyebrows scrunched. “Why?”

  “Have you ever heard of FAP?” I was hoping she had heard of it since she was in the medical field.

  “No?”

  I sighed. “I can’t pronounce what it’s called, but it’s familial something or other. Basically colon cancer.”

  “What?” she screeched. “You have colon cancer?”

  I shook my head again. “No, but I can still carry the gene. I’m waiting for the genetic testing to come back.” I took a deep breath and explained how FAP was connected to desmoid tumors.

  “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” she inquired.

  “Nic, you were going through so much. I didn’t want to burden you.”

  “I’m your best friend.”

  “That’s exactly why I didn’t tell you. I was letting you get your life back before I threw my shit into the mix.”

  We sat in silence for a few beats, each staring out the window as we processed the conversation.

  “I wish you would have told me sooner. I would have been there for you.”

 
“Easton took care of me.” I smiled. I didn’t want to remind her how she had shut me out right after she lost her baby.

  She smiled back. “God, I’m such an idiot. How did I almost let Avery go? Our guys are the greatest.”

  “Totally,” I agreed. “And we both have weddings to plan.”

  Her eyes brightened. “How did this happen?”

  “You booked us on a singles cruise.” I laughed.

  “Damn,” she dragged out the word, “crazy how things turn out.”

  “I know.” I smiled, thinking of Easton and Cheyenne and how I was engaged and was going to be a step-mom.

  “Well, you need to pick a date and I need to look into venues in Vegas. Then it’s operation wedding planning.”

  “OWP, huh?”

  “OWP,” she confirmed. “This is going to be so much fun!”

  I couldn’t have agreed more.

  My house had never been so … pink. It looked like a bottle of Pepto-Bismol had exploded. Bubble gum pink was everywhere. Balloons, streamers, the cake and the tablecloths were …

  Pink.

  Pink.

  Pink.

  Living with two girls was killing my testosterone. Especially since my house was about to be overtaken by eleven more girls.

  When Brooke and I decided to take that step, I was going to talk to my little guys and tell them to turn into a boy. Think blue not pink, my little swimmers!

  “Are you ready for tonight?” Brooke asked, coming up behind me in the kitchen and wrapping her arms around my waist, her head on my back.

  “No,” I stated honestly.

  I felt her smile against my back. “It’s one night. You’ll survive.”

  “I have a feeling my balls are going to want to hide from all the screeching.”

  She chuckled. “Let’s hope they don’t stay hidden.”

  “They will definitely want to be played with tomorrow night,” I smiled and turned my head slightly to look at her.

  She looked up at me. “That could be arranged. Maybe I’ll go to Halo and wait for you to get off so we can live out all the women’s fantasies again.”

  I turned in her arms, coming chest to chest with her. “No betting, though,” I smirked.