Bye-Bye Jerk, Hello Mr. Right by Rosie Steppe

Chapter 344

Matthew didn't respond at first, and a sudden chill ran down my spine. Without thinking, I reached out and grabbed his arm.

"Matthew... Matthew..."

He finally took a heavy, ragged breath, then slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was distant, unfocused." Rea... I almost didn't wake up just now." My heart raced. "I'm getting the doctor."

But before I could move, Matthew, weak but determined, caught my hand. "No need to panic. I'm fine. This isn't the first time-it's just sleep paralysis."

Sleep paralysis? I'd heard of it before, usually in a casual, "freaky dream" kind of way. But in his condition- severe cancer-this felt far from ordinar gut told me it was a sign something deeper was going wrong.

I wasn't a doctor, but I wasn't clueless either. And with Lena, my best friend, being a nurse, I'd picked up more than just the basics.

"Matthew, let's get the doctor to check on you anyway. I won't feel right unless we do," I insisted, my voice firm. I wasn't taking any chances.

A doctor came by, running a few routine checks, and reassured us that everything seemed fine. He explained that Matthew had slipped into a deep sleep phase, hearing me call him but unable to wake up right away. "See? Told you it was nothing." Matthew said with a soft chuckle, clearly amused by how freaked out I'd been.

But he didn't see his own face in that moment-the pale, almost ghostly look of someone who'd been right on the edge of something serious. I tried to play it off, forcing a small smile. "Better safe than sorry. You always claim you're fine, but look at you-hospital bed and all." "Growing old is like a machine needing repairs. It's just part of the deal," he said, totally unfazed.

else. If it weren't for his attitude, he probably would've lost his mind long ago, especially dealing with Lindey's unpredictable, erratic

as strong as him had succumbed to illness. They say stress can manifest physically, and while his cancer wasn't caused

I was part of that trigger. If it hadn't

choices he makes-whether you or Lindey agree or not-you have to let him live his life." Matthew stayed quiet, but his silence only confirmed what I already knew: he wasn't ready to let go. For as

massaged his arm.

+25 BONUS

Chapter 344

didn't answer, but I sighed softly. "I do. What's happening

"You know, my parents

orphans who worked hard, built a family, and turned their lives

things were finally looking up, they

didn't give them the chance to live out their days surrounded by the love they'd fought so hard

but his face held a hint of resistance, like he didn't quite agree. "Your parents didn't believe in fate when they were alive," he said quietly. "They didn't give

destiny, that if you tried hard enough, you could change the

care. It

thinking about the crash that killed the had about Matthew.