Burning Love

Heartache

I wake up with sore eyes and a pounding headache. My whole body hurts from my fitful sleep. I'm still in Jules' arms who is sleeping soundly. I try to stretch my body, careful to not wake Jules up, when all the memories from yesterday come flooding back.

I start to cry the tears I didn't know I still had, when I let out a sob, effectively waking Jules up. She cradles me in her arms as she softly shushes me.

I hold on to her like a lifeline, like if I let her go, I'm going to fall to literal pieces. And she just squeezes me harder letting me know, without words, that she's here for me.

"Breathe Frankie, just breathe." She whispers into my hair.

"I just don't understand how he could have been so reckless! We could've lost him! Eli could've lost the only father figure he's ever really had!" I can't help but raise my voice as my anger rises.

"Frankie, just breathe. I can't give you the answers you want, only Chris can. But I also think you need some time to yourself to calm down and process all of this." Jules runs her hand through my hair soothingly.

"I know, I just can't face him right now. I'm just afraid that if we have kids and he does something like that again, we could lose him, and I'd be alone again." I exhale at the realization of my confession.

I'm mad at myself for feeling so lost. I love Chris, and see a future with him, but now it feels so uncertain. I can't and don't want to ask him to change careers, I would never ask that of him, but I just wish I could ask him to be more careful. I know these are the things I need to sit down and discuss with him, but my heart aches too much to talk with him right now.

"So, you see a future with him?" She smirks at me knowingly.

"Of course I do! I love him so much, and so does Eli, and he's so good to us!" I exhale a laugh. "But I need to do what you said. I need to take a few days to myself and sort my feelings before I can sit down and talk to him. I don't want to lose him Jules, I just found him."

"You won't lose him babe, you just have to pull up your big girl pants, and sort things out with him when you are ready." I nod as I sniff, finally being able to calm down.

"Thanks Jules. What a last day for you right?" We both exhale laughs.

"I'm just glad I was here for you. You know I'm always a call away."

"I know, I love you Jules." I bring her in for a tight hug.

"I love you too Frankie." We separate and smile at each other.

She gets up to leave my room and get ready for her drive back to Boston. All visits must sadly come to a close. It's Monday, but with the holiday weekend, I had decided to close the office. I'm thankful I did that because I am in no state to go back to work.

I get up and go to the bathroom to shower. I step into the warm water loving the way it feels on my tired muscles. I try to think about nothing. I just want silence for a little while. I need to just enjoy the water and just relax my mind. It's definitely harder than it sounds, but I'm trying my best.

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Chris POV

I wake up on the couch with a huge migraine. My muscles are sore, my eyes bleary from crying the night before. How could I have been so stupid. I hurt her and it hurt to know I caused the tears in his eyes.

I rub my hands over my tired eyes, and look up to meet Eli's green eyes. I give him a small smile as he joins me on the couch.

"Why are you on the couch Chris?" I exhale trying to come up with a good excuse.

"Jules and your mom wanted to spend her last night here together, so I slept out here for them to have their time." He nods his head accepting my answer. Only half the truth, but he doesn't need to know everything.

"Okay, I'm hungry." I let out a tired laugh.

"Turn the tv on and watch some cartoons while I go start breakfast, okay? What would you like?"

"Can we have pancakes, since we didn't get to on Saturday?" His green eyes, Frankie's eyes, shining at the idea.

"Of course bud, I'll go make them right now."

I head to the kitchen, but before I step in Jules is coming out of Frankie and mine's bedroom. I look up at her with a sad smile, a sad smile that mirrors her own. She walks over to me pulling me into a hug.

"I'm sorry Chris, but she's really hurting. You're a good guy, but she's terrified of losing you. I told her to sit down and talk to you when she was ready. But you need to give her her space."

She looks at me with sympathy.

"Thanks Jules, for everything. Thank you for being there for her. I didn't mean to make her so upset." She nods understandingly.

"No need to thank me, I'll always be here for her, and now by extension you." She gives me one last smile before heading to the guest room.

I head into the kitchen and start preparing the pancake batter. I just keep thinking about how badly I just want to hold Frankie in my arms, and tell her how much I love her, but I do understand that she needs her space. But we really need to talk this through. I don't want to lose her or Eli, and I'm going to try my hardest not to. I just hope we can make things better again.

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AN- 2 chapters in 1 day?? I just needed to get this one out, it was screaming at me to write it lol

I may try to write another one either tonight or tomorrow morning, but I don't know how frequently I will be posting this week since my mother in law will be in town.

I hope you like this chapter! I wanted to bring both perspectives into it. I know it's not very long, but it was required to see how they're both feeling and how Jules tries to help them both. Comment and vote if you want to!