“The result came in.” this causes her to draw a sharp breath, but he continues, “I know you’re dying, Neriah. And this may sound cliché, but I want to help you.”
The door opens wider not because Cainan pushes it, but because Neriah lets go and moves aside, allowing Cainan to step in, but once he’s fully in, she surges forward and slaps him hard on his face. She thought that was all there was in her until she strikes again, this time harder than the first.
Her first outburst doesn’t surprise Cainan, nor does the second one. He’s, however, surprised she’s been so calm in all of this.
“You want to help?” She demands incredibly, scoffing loudly, “Take me back to three months ago when you kicked me out of my apartment when I had so much hope for the little life I had then or a week ago when an eviction notice came and kicked me back to the bottom, or this morning when the last hope I had in life crashed before my very eyes all because you had ruined me completely!”
“Neriah, that was—” he begins, but Neriah doesn’t let him finish.
“What? When you didn’t know I had cancer? Or when you didn’t know that I was dying and had just a few more months to live?” She demands with tears running down her face and she brushes them off.
Her words were harsh and painful to hear, but they were the truth.
When she’d collapsed earlier today, he’d thought she was trying to pull a fast one on him and probably make him feel guilty. He wasn’t new to the game. Clara and Samantha knew how to play their cards well and he’d fallen into their traps many times and he had picked up on some of their tricks. Neriah was no better and even as the rain became heavier he waited for her to get up but she didn’t and after waiting for her to get up from the act for nearly three minutes, he realised she wasn’t faking it. He ran out of his car and ran over to where she was, passed out on the sidewalk.
Yes, a part of him felt worried about her when he brought her home with him, but he did not make his mind up, so he asked a family friend Fraya to run a few checks on her. It was upon seeing the test result that he’d felt the guilt of the last three months. She was already in pain and misery and his refusal to let go of his hatred towards her only added to it.
“I’m sorry,” he says, as they are the only words he can say in this situation.
She shrugs, and steps towards the door. “Your apology is no longer needed, you may go now.”
Cainan nods and turns to leave when he sees her bags packed and standing beside the bed and a note on the table.
He’s seen this before and the memory of coming home and not finding Clara, but seeing a note instead, rushes back into his head. That was the worse day of his life and he will never forget it for a long time because of how painful and heartbreaking it was.
“You’re not planning on running away, are you?”
“The last time I checked it’s none of your business what I do because you’re leaving.” She points to the door.
“You think a letter is going to be enough for him? You think sorry will just make everything right?” His eyes show slight anger and his voice is increasing, and it’s terrifying the level of fury in him. He did not direct his anger at her, but rather at himself, for the point he now is at in his life. 
“You need to leave or I’m calling the police.” She goes to the bed and picks up her phone before dialling the emergency line and placing it to her ear.
“One look at Shawn and you’ll know he’s madly in love with you and not just that, but he’s ready to make you happy and you’re just going to throw him a letter and think he’s going to get over it like a little puppy?!”
She lowers the phone from her and points an accusing finger at him. “I have no choice. You gave me no choice!”
“Don’t you pin this on me,” he warns, hardly, “I’m not the one who asked you to leave, nor the one who took you to Surulere, a place so far away from here you two would never make it work and then he’ll have no choice but let you go.”
“So you’re telling me you did that for him?” she demands. “Threatening to buy the house if the landlord leased the house to me, you did that why thinking of my relationship with Ola?!” 
“No, but I think you’ve lied to him enough, and it’s time for the truth.”
He says it as if it is so easy; he makes it sound as though he has some kind of power to make her do anything and it annoys and irritates her like hell.
“You know nothing about the truth and I think you were leaving earlier.” She says, pointing back to the door.
“Fine,” he says and walks to the door, but turns back to her. “I know it’s your decision and I have no say in it as we are not even friends, but think about your decision. You might think the truth would be the most unbearable fate, but not being given a place to decide is worse. You might never want to, but here’s my card. Call me if you need anything.” He places his card on the sewing machine and walks out of the room.
When the door closes, Neriah looks down at the paper. She’s about to leave a note on the table and although she doesn’t want to, she’s forced to think about what Cainan has said. Was she going to make things worse by just leaving? And even when Cainan said little, she felt that he’s been in such a complicated state before where his choice was taken away from him and more than anything; she didn’t want Shawn turning into anything like Cainan.