In Case of Heartbreak

14 | linger

C H A P T E R 1 4 | D E A N

The next morning, the first thing to hit my vision was the bright rays of sunshine streaming in through the window. The curtains had been left open, and while I found myself blinking to adjust to the light, I felt disoriented for a moment as I realized I wasn't in my own bed.

But it all came rushing back quickly; the memories of last night yanking at my heartstrings as my gaze rested on Katie. Even as she slept, her brows were creased with worry and a frowned adorned her lips, making me wish that I could do something to run the nightmares from her mind.

Shifting in her sleep, she moved closer to me, pressing against my chest and causing me to hold my breath and keep completely still, hoping that I wouldn't wake her. She'd had the worst night imaginable, and while I didn't know the exact details yet, it wasn't hard to guess.

Katie's mother's fight against cancer was coming to an end, and not in the way that she had hoped.

Moments later, when her breathing evened out again, I inched my arm slowly away from her waist. Rolling slowly on the mattress, I was careful not to make much noise, pulling a blanket up over Katie's sleeping frame and grabbing my glasses from her side table before creeping down the stairs.

The silence in the house was maddening, my footsteps echoing heavily, and I wondered, for the first time, how Katie managed not to let the loneliness of living here get to her. It was clear that this was where she'd grown up – well-loved furniture and knick-knacks scattered around the apartment accompanying the framed pictures that lined the walls.

Moving into the kitchen, I located the coffee maker with ease, flipping it on and brewing a fresh pot as I rested my weight against the counter. Now that I was alone, it wasn't just the flashbacks of Katie's sobs filling my mind, but a vivid replay of the way she'd kissed me, as though it was the only thing that could help heal her heart. It had all but killed me to pull away from her, having wanted nothing more than to brave the line that separated a friendship from something more, but it'd been the right thing to do.

She didn't need to rush into something she wasn't ready for. Her heart was breaking with the news of her mother fresh in her mind, and she was the only one who could slowly piece it back together.

When my gaze drifted around the room, I was hit with the realization that we'd slept through the majority of the morning, and for a good reason. Katie's strangled cries returned as she'd curled up to my side, her hot tears soaking through my shirt until a quarter past three, and even after her cries had quieted down, I'd struggled to shut my brain off. It was no wonder we were exhausted.

The smell of fresh coffee filled my senses moments later, and after locating two mugs from the sparse collection, I headed back upstairs. Careful not to trip or spill the scolding liquid, I placed one cup on the side table in Katie's room for when she woke up, circling the other in my hands as I eased back onto the bed.

Warmth from the coffee was soon accompanied by a spark of happiness as Katie, still sleeping, edged closer to me, burying her face into the side of my chest. Guilt was quick to creep in however, banishing the pleasant thoughts as I sighed dejectedly, moving one hand to run softly atop her head in comfort.

Sitting there in silence, I found my thoughts trail off in unimaginable directions, and without realizing it I'd finished the last of my coffee just as Katie began to stir awake.

Her eyes blinked tiredly, still rimmed with redness. "What time is it?" she croaked, and noticing how close we were, scooted towards the other edge of the bed.