The Last HeartBeat

Chapter 77 Silent Night

"Whats wrong?" Erika heard a voice from behind her, she was sitting on her couch sipping a smoothie, having just came back from work where she was pretty much a zombie...

"Nothing, everything's good" Erika spoke softly taking another slow sip, Aaron sat next to Erika with a small groan like sigh, cocking his head to one side to look at her, "Did you think about what I said?" He questioned her, his tone a bit more serious, Erika bit her lip pulling it with her teeth gently, before releasing it. "I did" Erika answered him, "And...?" Aaron asked putting his hand on Erika's thigh, Erika swallowed with tension putting her hand over his, gently locking their fingers.

"I need to talk to him" Erika told Aaron, looking him in his eyes with uncertinty, "Erika..." Aaron said skeptically, his brows furrowing as he began trying to move his hand, Erika's grip tightened on him, "Aaron, I have to talk to him, we had a lot of history...I can't just-" Erika began stammering through an explanation before Aaron stopped her, "HAD history? Or trying to continue making it?" He questioned her, Erika looked away, her heart heavy.

She tried to do a good thing, but it was reckless, and even still... Making a decision was hard, and her own questions made it harder, *Do I love Jake, or did I just not want to hurt him...?* Erika heard the puzzling thought again, making her stomach uneasy once more.

"Erika" Aaron slightly urged her, "That's what I need to figure out" Erika's voice came out a bit strained, she was hoping Aaron would wait, but she didn't expect him to, in his eyes all she was doing was cheating on him having him wait and see who she loved more...

"Erika, say what you need to, give him an explanation if thats what you need to do, but tell me that regardless of what he says you'll come back to me" Aaron said sternly, Erika twisted their fingers with anxiety, everything felt so uncertain now; If Jake forgave her and wanted to be with her still, what would she tell him? That after laying beside him and lying to him, she still wanted to be with Aaron?

Erika leaned over kissing Aaron's cheek, moving her hand from his to wrap her arms around him, "I love you Aaron" Erika told him sweetly, "I hope so..." Aaron answered his tone still unsure and angered...

Logan spent a few days trying to stay with Jake, talking with him bringing up old good memories to hopefully lift his sprits, he tried to stay away from speaking about Erika or Jake's condition, being careful to watch him, monitoring if he ate, how much he slept, his complextion, giving him his medicine...Mark and him talking about his break still at the back of his mind it made him feel a bit guilt... But he kept telling himself that it would be for both their own good, he would come back better and more attentive and Jake would have a chance to connect with his parents better, Jakes next appointment was coming up soon, and Logan was gonna take the opertunity before having to face anymore news about Jake's health to go out.

"I got dragon ball z on" Logan said from where he laid on Jake's bed, close to the wall so Jake could lay back down, Jake walked back in the bedroom from the bathroom with a bit of a stumbling limp, wearing a white t-shirt and some dark blue shorts, he was frowning cause of the pain, and was surprisingly eager to lay back down.

Logan shifted a little more as Jake laid back down looking at the laptop Logan had proped on him, after Jake had a little dinner and some pain meds, the two had been watching some shows together, Logan eventually making his way in bed.

"What part are we on?" Jake asked yawning, "We're on-" Logan was saying before doing a double take noticing Jake's sleepy eyes, and general fatigue. "You tired bro?" Logan asked, "You tired bro?" Jake mimicked him rolling his eyes before yawning, "Okay, your sleepy, I'm gonna head out before you start hurting my feelings" Logan said closing his laptop with a chuckle, "Don't..." Jake mumbled his medicine getting him more drowsy, "I've got to, I'll be back when you wake up, okay?" Logan told him, "I'll be back when YOU wake up" Jake mocked him again, "Drowsy and a little loopy, okay, get some rest Jake" Logan told him getting over him to get out of bed.
"Its cold now" Jake mumbled, tucking down, Logan sighed, feeling a little attached watching Jake lay there alone, not wanting to leave again, but he shook out of it, taking off his Maverick hoodie, he sat Jake up a little putting it on him to keep him warm.

"Nooo, I'm not a turncoat" Jake mumbled, making Logan laugh again before he pulled the covers on him after the hoodie, "Ooh, toasty" Jake muttered happily smiling with his eyes shut, "Good night idiot" Logan said shaking his head leaving the room, and shutting off the light while Jake drifted.

*Time to unwind* Logan thought as he stepped out.