In Case of Heartbreak

14 | linger

Ignoring the thorn of pain that pegged my chest, I glanced at my phone that rested on her side table before turning back to face her. "It's just after noon," I replied softly.

Pushing herself up, resting back against the pillows, she ran her hands over her face and through her hair stressfully. "I'm so sorry about last night," she began, a flush of embarrassment creeping up her neck. "I have no idea what I was thinking, and – "

I cut her off before she could continue. "Seriously Katie, there's no need apologize." Her head was bowed, hair covering her face as she wrung her hands together in her lap, and despite my better judgement, I set my mug aside and wrapped my arm around her shoulder, pulling her to my side. The surprise was clear in her eyes as they widened. "I know your emotions were all over the place last night, and even though what I said was true – that I do want you – I'm not about to jump in when you're clearly not ready."

Holding my breath as I waited for her reaction, I could feel my heart beating into overdrive.

Tears welled up in the corner of her eyes. "So you're not going to leave?"

Her words were wobbly, vulnerability showing clearly in her irises, and my heart squeezed in sympathy. "I'm not leaving," I reassured her, and while doubt still radiated off of her, I knew there was nothing else I could say; only keep my word and stick by her side.

Reaching out to grab the coffee I'd made for her, I tugged one side of my mouth upwards in a lopsided smile as I handed it to her.

"Thank you."

No words were exchanged as she sipped at the coffee, though I did notice her posture relax slightly as she pulled her knees to her chest. It was when the coffee was done that she sighed, running her fingertips around the rim of the empty mug.

"The cancer started to attack my mom's immune system a few days ago," she said at last, biting back her emotions as my hold on her tightened. "I found out just before I showed up at your apartment. The doctor said they tried increasing the amount of medicine they're giving her, but it doesn't seem to be working, and even though they're going to intensify her chemo, he doesn't see much hope."

The gutted look on her face had my chest contracting with pain, but I put on a brave face as I saw the tears start streaming down her face.

"It'll get better," I said as she rested her head on my shoulder and I kissed the top of her head. "Maybe not anytime soon, but she's still here, and eventually, it'll get better."

−−−−−−−−−−

When Katie had stopped crying, I'd managed to get her to eat something despite her protests. It wasn't much, but I'd found a few things in the kitchen and had whipped up an omelette for each of us, and it'd stopped me worrying about her reverting to a shell of a human being as grief consumed her. Other than that however, we'd pretty much stayed in her room, my arm around her for comfort as everything truly sunk in for her.

It was just after two however, when a frantic knocking echoed through the apartment, alarming the both of us. "I'll get it," I offered, realizing that whoever it was wasn't leaving anytime soon.

Once I'd made it down the stairs, I limped towards the front door, the banging getting louder the closer I got. Unlocking the door, I pulled it open slightly to come face to face with a man a few years older than myself. He wore a jacket that was open just enough to see his wrinkled dress shirt, matching the condition of his dress pants, and though he looked exhausted, his features were strained with tension.

It took me a second, but when his eyes widened in surprise, noticeably similar to the blue eyes that'd been stuck on my mind for months, I realized that this was Katie's brother.