See you again

Chapter 20

He heaved a sigh and continued. "That's not it. Do you want to know why I got wasted that night?" he barely whispered, his face inches from my own. "I found out that I was dying. I'm dying. I'm going to die. You can't be with someone that's going to die. I won't let you."

"I know, Aaron. I know." I said, tears flowing down my own face. "I've always known."

"W-what?"He asked"I know you have cancer, Aaron." His face was full of shock and confusion. And especially fear. But before he had the chance to speak up, I heard someone running up behind us. It was a nurse with an umbrella over her head.

"Miss, you're grandmother is awake." My eyes rounded as I turned to Aaron and more shock was added to his expression. He nodded his head toward the hospital, signaling that I go in. But I wasn't going to let him slip through my fingers again; not this time. I extended my hand out to him and I watched as he stared at it. He returned his eyes back to mine as he hesitantly placed his cold, wet hand into my own. We walked into the hospital hand in hand, soaking wet, leaving our wet, squeaky footprints on the linoleum floor. I stopped in my tracks before entering my grandmother's room. I was terrified. The next words that would come out of my grandmother's mouth would probably be the last. "You can do it," Aaron said behind me, giving my hand a light squeeze. Feeling a bit reassured, I took a deep breath and stepped forward into the room.

There my grandmother was, lying in bed, looking not as pale as she has been. A wide grin came upon her face as soon as she saw me. "You two are finally dating?" I couldn't believe her. Her first words to me after being in a coma were about my relationship status. These could possibly be her very last words. I couldn't believe her, but at the same time I couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

"N-"

"Yeah, we are dating," Aaron cut in. My eyes widened at him and he sent a small smile my way.

"Oh, I'm so happy for you both," she said when suddenly her heart monitor rapidly started pulsating. My eyes widened as I ran to her and clasped her hand in mine. "I married my high school love you know."

"G-grandma," was all I managed to say as tears rapidly fell down my face. How could she talk about something so unnecessary when her time on earth was shortening? Doctors rushed in to the room. "You'll be fine, my dear. As long as you don't make out with your boyfriend in the rain and get sick," she said glancing at our soaking attire. I gawked at her. She did it again.

"Ma'am you're going to need to leave the room," the doctor said as a nurse tried to us out. I couldn't leave. I needed to stay with her as long as I could."Grandma, I love you!" I said, holding onto her for dear life. "I love you too," she weakly said.

"Ma'am," the doctor repeated. "Yes, I know I have to leave, but this is my only family will you please at least let me say goodbye?!" I shouted. "Get her out." It was rather annoying how heartless doctors could be. I knew it was a matter of saving her life, but he told me himself she was dying. It was inevitable and I knew it.

"Come on, let's go," Aaron said, pulling me by the waist and away from my grandmother. I tried to fight him off, but of course I was too weak.

***
I couldn't be smiling at least not this soon.I opted to stay silent during the whole ride to his house, mostly because I was already asking so much of him. It was the least I could do for him and myself even if I was bursting with questions to ask him. When we were in the city and off the bus, we walked to Aaron's house.

"Are you finally going to tell me what's on your mind?"

"How do you know something's on my mind?" I retorted, even though it was true."You looked so anxious to tell me something on the bus," he said with a chuckle."Why did you tell my grandmother we were dating?" I blurted out. He sent an almost knowing smile my way and I figure I could have replied a little less eagerly, but my mind was in a bit of a jumble.

Although, I'm sure he found the question endearing to some extent. "That one time I stayed over your house, she talked to me the next morning about you." They talked to each other? She told me that she hardly even talked to him...

"She told me how her dying wish was for you to find a boyfriend. I figured it wouldn't be a bad idea to grant it, you know?"

"Even if it was a lie?" I asked."Her last minutes were happy ones weren't they?"Last minutes. Only dead people had last minutes. A heavy feeling quickly returned in my chest. "I guess happy minutes are better than sad ones," I said, feeling emptiness quickly permeate through my body.His hand found his way into mine and the empty feeling was slowly fading away, slowly filling in the barren spaces with warmth I didn't know he had.

But as much as I wanted the feeling to go away, I didn't want it to be Aaron making it go away. Well, maybe I did want it to be Aaron just not when he was dating Caitlyn.I slithered my hand out of his just as we reached his house.

"Aaron euhm.., you have a girlfriend," I said with a stern voice and as if on cue, the light drizzle turned into pouring rain, each drop slamming onto the ground, drowning out the quiet sounds of nature, and naturally bringing the volume of our voices higher.