The tranquil beauty of Lake Mead had become their temporary haven. Days had unfolded into a lazy, sun-drenched rhythm, a blur of shared laughter, quiet conversations, and escalating intimacy. Theo found himself unwinding in ways he hadn't thought possible, drawn deeper into Remy's vibrant orbit. Their kisses, once tentative, were now frequent and demanding, a testament to the fierce, undeniable current that thrummed between them. He'd spend hours just watching her, mesmerized by the way the sunlight caught her blonde hair, the effortless grace of her movements, the sheer, unbridled joy she found in the simplest things.
Yet, even in this idyllic bubble, a single, irritating thread continued to unravel Theo's newfound peace: Remy's phone. It would buzz, a jarring intrusion, every few hours. Always the "Unknown Number." Always the quick glance, the subtle tightening of her jaw, the forced, dismissive shrug. "Just those persistent car warranty people," she'd murmur, hitting 'ignore' with a little too much force.
Theo watched her now, seated across from him at the dinette, completely absorbed in sketching what appeared to be a narwhal wearing a tiny cowboy hat. Her phone vibrated on the table beside her, lighting up with the familiar "Unknown Number." Remy's hand shot out, her fingers pressing 'ignore' before Theo could even register the incoming call. The swiftness of her reaction, the almost violent finality with which she tossed the phone back onto the table, spoke volumes. This was not about car warranties. This was something significant. Something that clearly caused her distress.
His protective instincts, now inextricably bound with his deepening love for her, roared to life. He'd neutralized a mafia threat just days ago; he could certainly figure out a persistently annoying phone call. The immediate external dangers had receded, leaving his mind free to focus on Remy, on the quiet battles she was fighting that he still didn't understand. He hated that she kept this from him, but his anger was overshadowed by a gnawing concern.
Later that afternoon, while Remy was luxuriating in a long shower, humming off-key to an unheard tune, Theo seized his opportunity. He found her phone, lying carelessly on the bed. His fingers hesitated for a moment, a flicker of his ingrained respect for privacy warring with his overwhelming need to understand, to protect. His concern won. He picked it up.
He scrolled through her recent calls. A dozen entries, all "Unknown Number." He opened the voicemail. His jaw tightened. There were several unlistened messages. He pressed play on the most recent one.
The voice was calm, professional, but held a note of quiet urgency. "Ms. Henderson, this is Dr. Albright from Canyon Vista Medical Center. We've been trying to reach you regarding your recent test results. We have some very important information to share. It's imperative that you call us back as soon as possible. Please, Ms. Henderson, this is urgent. Our number is…"
Theo's blood ran cold. Medical Center. Test results. Imperative. Urgent. The pieces slammed together with brutal force. Her "things to eat before I die" list. Her casual mentions of "limited time." The melancholy he'd sometimes glimpsed. It wasn't about a fleeting sadness from her past. It was about this. She thought she was dying.
He gripped the phone, a fierce, protective rage coiling in his gut. His beautiful, vibrant Remy, living every day as if it were her last, pushing herself, experiencing everything with such desperate joy, all because of… this? A phone call she was too afraid to answer.
He deleted the voicemail, then scrolled back through the call history. He found the main number for Canyon Vista Medical Center. He pocketed Remy's phone, then pulled out his burner. He would handle this. Directly.
He walked to the front of the RV, a plan already forming. He'd use his own connections, bypass the usual protocols. He would get the truth. All of it.
Theo sat in the driver's seat, his back to the bathroom door, making a discreet call. His voice was low, clipped, the familiar Italian flowing like a dark river. "I need a favor. Urgent. Confidential. I need a full patient report from Canyon Vista Medical Center. Name: Remy Henderson. Pull everything. And I need a direct, discreet line to the doctor in charge of her case. Dr. Albright. Priority one. And I want to know why they're calling her so persistently and why she hasn't responded. Everything." He listened for a moment, his gaze fixed on the endless expanse of the desert through the windshield. "Understood. Get it done. Fast."
He ended the call, his hand clenching the phone. The air in the RV felt thick with a new kind of tension, a different kind of urgency. He was not just protecting her from external threats now. He was protecting her from a devastating, self-imposed countdown. The woman he loved, the woman he was going to marry, was living under a death sentence that might not even be real. He would tear down every wall, uncover every secret, and fight every battle necessary to give her the future she deserved. He would give her all the time in the world.
He heard the shower shut off. Water ran, then the bathroom door opened. Remy emerged, wrapped in a fluffy white towel, her blonde hair damp and clinging to her shoulders. She looked refreshed, beautiful, completely unaware of the bombshell Theo had just uncovered.
"Feeling much better," she announced, her voice light, innocent. "Ready for some serious narwhal-related planning. What are we doing tonight, Theo? More stargazing? Or a spontaneous road trip to a twenty-four-hour pancake house?"
Theo turned, a complex mix of love, worry, and grim determination in his dark eyes. He managed a tight smile. "Something... important, Remy. Very important." He would wait. He would get the full story, concrete proof. And then, he would give her her life back. All of it.