"What?" I managed to choke out, the world in front of me blurring out behind the curtain of tears that started to run down my cheeks. "Why? What is..."
"I don't know," Nikolai said, turning to me. His eyes looked wistful now, and I wished I wasn't breaking inside enough to hug him and make sure he was fine. Put the pieces of him right back in the puzzle.
"It just started someday. Fainting, weakness. It was a little painful, so I got it checked."
I watched, my lips pursed. I watched helplessly as the only man I have ever loved told me that he would be dying. It wrecked my soul to the very core, and it felt almost like I was dying myself. Like I needed to die myself.
"I have a heart disease, Iris. Soon... soon it won't be able to work properly. Soon, I..."
"No," I managed to choke out.
