Chapter 369
+25 BONUS
“Don’t get up,” Yuna pressed my head back onto Hayden’s shoulder, a playful smile on her face. “Keira, just stay like this with Hayden. I love seeing you two all lovey–dovey.”
This girl…
“Hayden, Keira,” Yuna’s bright eyes turned serious. “I was going to wait a few more days to say this, but since we’re already here, I’ll say it now.”
“Don’t start saying crazy stuff,” I cut in, already sensing where this was headed.
But Hayden, ever calm, just said, “Let her talk.”
Yuna flashed him a grin. “You really are my brother. You always get me.”
Then she looked back at me. “Keira, just hear me out, okay?”
She giggled lightly, as if she was about to spill some silly secret, but then she coughed, squeezing both our hands tighter.
“I’m starting now,” she announced, and the room suddenly felt heavier.
Neither of us spoke, but I could feel the tension in our breathing as we waited for her to go on.
“Hayden, Keira… I want to be an organ donor.” Her words hit like a shockwave.
“What are you saying?” Hayden’s voice was sharp, immediately filled with concern.
“I want to be an organ donor,” Yuna repeated, calm and steady. “Only if my surgery fails, or if something happens later.”
My heart clenched. “Why are you even thinking like this?”
“Because I’m about to get someone else’s heart. If I don’t make it someday, even if my heart can’t be used, my liver, kidneys, and corneas can still help others. I want to give someone else a shot at life,” Yuna explained, her face so sincere, her eyes pure and unflinching.
Her words felt too big, too heavy for someone who always seemed so carefree. It hit me like a wave, knocking the wind out of me.
Hayden stayed silent. I turned to him, trying to read his thoughts.
He was staring at Yuna, his eyes betraying how shaken he was. His little sister, the girl he’d protected for so long, was saying something no brother should have to hear.
“Hayden, why aren’t you saying anything?” Yuna asked, her voice tinged with anxiety. She knew that in the end, he had the final say over her decisions.
“Whether you agree or not, I’ve made up my mind. I’m an adult. I get to make my own choices,” Yuna said, her tone firmer now.
I stayed quiet, my eyes flicking between them. This was too much for me to process, let alone speak on.
After a long, tense pause, Hayden finally spoke, his voice soft but strained. “You’ve already decided?”
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Chapter 369
+25 BONUS
“Yes, I’ve thought about this for a long time,” Yuna said, nodding.
“Then why didn’t you tell me before?” Hayden asked.
Yuna glanced at me briefly, then looked down. “I was scared you’d say no.”
“Hayden,” Yuna said, her voice growing serious again. “If something happens to me–if I end up like Narelle, or stuck in a vegetative state–don’t leave me like that. Don’t wait for a miracle. Just do what I’m asking. Donate whatever can be used, and then… take my ashes to our garden. Bury me under the peach tree.”
Her words squeezed my heart, making it hard to breathe.
But Yuna, ever herself, just smiled, her eyes twinkling. “That way, I’ll be the prettiest blossom every spring.”
“Hayden, please promise me. Say yes,” Yuna pleaded, her voice soft but sure.
Then she looked at me. “Keira, help me convince him.”
How could I convince him? Yuna made it sound so simple, but for Hayden, this was brutal. How could he ever agree to let his sister be divided up like that?
Before I could even think of what to say, Hayden shocked me.
“Alright,” he said.
I looked at him, completely stunned.
“I promise,” Hayden repeated, his words barely holding together.
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