Case by Case Love ✔️

Chapter 80: Coming Home

Erin takes a deep breath as she makes her way off the elevator, followed by a few steps to the front door of their condo. She reaches for her key in her pocket, putting it in the lock and twisting it to unlock.

She then makes her way inside - keys set on the night stand as always, followed by her badge. Her jacket goes up in the closet with her shoes left by the door. She then makes her way to the bedsroom, taking her gun out of its holder and putting it in the safe, where it would remain locked until she was ready to leave in the morning.

Taking a deep breath, she makes her way back out to the living room and sits down on the couch. It was then she took an additional look around the room.

His keys weren't on the table. His shoes weren't by the door. He was not home yet. This may be home, but did not feel like it without his presence alongside her.

It was 10:13. when he finished the questioning with them about what had happened after arriving at 8:00. It was now 19:11. That meant nine hours had gone by without a decision being made, or at least one she had been made aware of. Perhaps it was a good thing as it could mean they were deliberating over everything carefully. Perhaps it was a bad thing as it meant they were close to finding him guilty and unsure if that was the right move.  

She reaches her pocket for her phone, pulling it out in hopes of a notification. Perhaps he had tried to call her and she missed the call, but there were no missed text messages or phone calls from Jay Halstead. There were no missed text messages from Hank Voight or Trudy Platt, either. 

"Have you heard anything?" was the only message that remained unread on her phone, to which she had just opened. It was from Kim, who was trying to be the supportive friend for her right now in watching what she was enduring. Kim had been in a similar situation herself. She had also watched Adam go through it as well. She understood the nerves that Erin was experiencing right now. 

"Just got home - No Jay, and haven't heard anything," was what she sent back in response. She almost debated not sending anything or just sending there was no news. But she figured she'd let her friend know she'd gotten home safely to ease that worry she may be having. They were already worried enough about Jay that they did not need to more things to be concerned about at this very second.

She knew she had to eat dinner. The last thing she had ate was back at lunch at 14:00, with Adam ordering a pizza for the office to split as they carved through the endless amount of paperwork. She almost did not take a slice when it arrived with how much her stomach was turning in question of the verdict. But yet she ended up getting down a single slice of pepperoni so that way her co-workers would not be overbearing and question her eating habits.

She thought about making a sandwich, but knew that was not a proper dinner. Then again, she just needed a snack right now. She was going to be reunited with Jay later that night, and he would be just as hungry as she was. That'd mean they both would be eating dinner together, as a family.

But yet her feet did not carry her to the kitchen as she remained stuck in the couch, her thoughts frozen on what had happened. She began to run through everything that had happened that day. She began to repeat every single detail of the case. She began to wonder just how exactly Jay explained what happened, and the questions they may have asked. She began to have the debate herself.

Even if he was innocent, as he claimed to be, would they say the same thing? Would they find him innocent, or guilty? And if he was guilty, what would the verdict entail? Would she ever get to see him again?

Taking a shaky deep breath, there was a thought she could not handle - never getting to see him again. She had just gotten him back for the first time in over six years. She had just gotten to feel his tender lips against his. She had just gotten to cuddle his perfect body that had all the right curves in those perfect places. She had just gotten to feel his tenderness in each word he spoke in how he took care of her. 

Could she handle losing that all over again? There was no way. It would totally crush her. There would be no saving her, not even Hank Voight this time around as there'd be no heart left to save. 

It was why her eyes look back to her phone, willing something to come up on it in relation to where he was and how things were going. The last text message they traded was almost two hours ago. It was more simple flirting, which she was fine with then as it was a good distraction. Right now, though? She needed more. She needed assurance because at this very moment, she could feel those cracks in her heart beginning to surface.

It was why she began to type a message of her own in hopes a response would be there within minutes.

Hey, I'm home. I'll wait until you get home to get dinner since you got to be starving, too. Love you.