Letting Him In

Chapter-52

"Everybody's been here at least once before
We've been here more

Your heart breaks
Rolls down the window
I've seen it all go, come back around
And I've heard the sound"

-Beautiful War, Kings of Leon
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Elijah

The silence was deafening. It was as if the moment he said 'it's over', someone had sucked the air out of the room.

He didn't dare look at his friend, not wanting to see the pain on his face. The pain Elijah was causing. The pain he'd soon be causing everyone he loved.

It was as if the Fates were laughing at him, making him think that life would get better soon, and then pulling the rug from under his feet the second he let his guard down.

After what felt like hours, but was really probably only a minute, Kaeden wordlessly pulled Elijah in for a hug, wrapping his arms around his waist, his chin pressed against Elijah's shoulder.

"This isn't fair," Kaeden whispered shakily, his grip tightening.

"I know," Elijah mumbled, leaning his head against Kade's shoulder as he blinked back tears. "I'm sorry."

Elijah's shoulder felt damp, and it took him a moment to realize Kaeden was crying.

The wall he'd built to keep his emotions away had been crumbling all night, but now it fully shattered.

All the sadness, guilt, fear, heartache, but most of all the feeling of how cruel and unfair it all was, hit him. His bit his lower lip to keep himself from sobbing.

Part of him regretted coming here. He could've told Kaeden in the morning, could've let him had a peaceful night.

But even as he thought that, he knew he never could have done it.

He could've called anyone- his parents, his siblings, Dean. But he came here, because his besfriend had been the one person he'd shared everything with in his life, and noone else could give him what he needed right now. Whether it was a small secret that wouldn't even matter in due course of time, or something life changing, it was Kaeden he had always come to first. It only seemed fitting to do it one last time.

The sound of Elijah's phone ringing caught their attention, and Kaeden pulled away, wiping his eyes with the heel of his palm.

Elijah pulled out the phone from his back pocket, glancing at the caller ID. It was his mother, and dread crept up Elijah's spine.

"You should get that," Kaeden said when Elijah didn't pick up, simply staring at his phone.

"I can't," Elijah said, swallowing hard. "Doctor Larkson ot Raine probably told them what's going on, and that I left. I can't talk to her right now, Kade." Panic crept into his voice at the last part.

He just couldn't talk to his parents, not right now.

"Give me that," Kaeden sighed, taking the phone from Elijah and answering it instead.

Elijah's eyes widened, but Kaeden was already talking.

Elijah could faintly hear his mother's frantic tone on the other end of the line.

"Yeah, he's with me, Elise," Kaeden said into the phone. His voice clearly sounded like he'd been crying. He met Elijah's eyes for a second, and the other boy shook his head quickly, his eyes wide and pleading. Kaeden sighed, looking away. "He's, uh... he fell asleep. He was really tired."

Elijah sighed in relief. He hated making Kaeden lie to his mother, but he didn't have the courage to talk to her right now.

"Yeah, I promise I'll make him call and then come back home first thing in the morning," Kaeden said. "Take care.... Yeah, you too."

And then he dropped the phone onto the bed.

"I... was she... did she sound.. okay?" Elijah managed to ask, the words getting stuck in his throat.

"Not really," Kaeden said softly, looking up to meet Elijah's eyes. "She'd definitely been crying."

Elijah swallowed, nodding. What else had he expected? Of course she was crying, he'd already known the effect this would have on her.

But knowing didn't make the guilt that seemed to continously filling him any better.

Hunching over, Elijah rested his elbows against his knees, putting his face into his hands. "I don't know what to do," he said, his words muffled.

He felt like he was going to throw up; whether it was a side effect from the chemo, or just the nerves and stress ge felt right now, he wasn't sure.

"Have you told Hernandez?" Kaeden asked, almost hesitantly.

"God, no," Elijah said. His shoulders slumped as he thought about having that conversation. "I haven't told anyone else yet. And I don't know how I'm going to."

"You don't have to," Kaeden said softly. "Not tonight, anyway."

Elijah nodded, his face still buried in his hands.

He heard Kaeden let out a shaky breath before wrapping an arm around Elijah's shoulder and pulling him close again, but this time holding him as a sob raked through Elijah's body.

They sat there for a while, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop his tears.

There was an ache in his chest, like someone was squeezing his heart painfully hard.

"What am I going to do, Kade?" he mumbled through his tears.

He didn't reply, simply holding Elijah tighter.

It could've been hours, or maybe just a few minutes, but Elijah felt his eyelids getting heavier, his brain hazy as sleep engulfed him slowly.

He felt Kaeden get up, laying Elijah on the bed and removing his shoes. A thin blanket draped over him as he finally let sleep fully overcome him.
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Hey guys!

This chapter was kinda short, but I felt like it was necessary. Kaeden has been a constant in Elijah's life for so long that I wanted to give them one more chapter to themselves. The next chapter be longer, though.:)

Thoughts on this one?

See you soon!
XXX