I NEED YOU

The rain was slapping down on her face, drenching her from her black knee length coat to her soaking black flats. But, honestly she didn't care about her appearance for the moment being. The only thing she cared about was if he was fine and the first thing she would so gladly do would be to reprimand him like any mother would have done to any reckless child doing something really stupid. And stupid didn't come among those things he often did…. But this one was indeed stupidly STUPID.

When she saw her brother's car arrive she did not refrain herself to do a quick prayer to be saved from the mental torture Jessie was going to put her through and she couldn't stop but blame herself for his accident. Not to forget when she got the phone call that he was in the hospital, she had a panic attack, oblivious to her flight, and muttered the first words which would move out of her mouth,

"Come and pick me Aiden" and she had hung up clumsily teetering with her suitcase in her hand in a not-so-firm-grip. And here she was in her brother's car bothering about the only man who ever bothered her on every single day of her existence that was fighting to stay alive.

It was all because of the rickety relationship they shared. There was always the angst bit where both would get rid of the sexual tension by throwing stray insults on each other, which came followed by fervour sex, followed by some cuddling, and then came the next day where the whole cycle would keep on going, on and on. But this thing she had with him was never unhealthy for her and her heart as she always claimed during those Sunday brunches with his and her parents. This thing they shared? Or had? This flustered her mind to view this thing (they supposedly had/shared) from his perspective which said "I want to settle down with you and have loads of kids and then a happily ever after." Which she was not ready for…. Or maybe she was but was just scared… Scared that everything was going on smoothly and soon some terrible bad news would tag along with her happiness and shook her world again. Turning her into that person she didn't want to be after her brother had die of Cancer and it was him who had so graciously took her out of that hole she had dug and resolved to staying in that hole, keeping away from attachments. And that was the reason to leave the country before the worst happened to her.

"Laurel, Laurel…. Are you fine dear?" Jessie asked with concern shining in her eyes as she took the pale face of Laurel.

"Huh?" came her answer.

"We're at the hospital Laurel"

After a long pause Aiden asked her sister "Are you sure you want to do this sis?"

He was aware of the fear she kept in the bottom of her heart and wasn't sure how she would take the fact that Jake had one of the … scary accidents. And he had talked with one of the surgeons who had merely shaken his head at his question of whether he could be saved. And now the worry of his sister crawling back in another hole where he was sure nobody would be able to reach his sister once she made that hole into her haven for the rest of her life.

Entering the hospital, neither the hullaballoo which forced the paramedics to rush from point A to point B nor the smell of antibiotics made her flinch as she found her way in the room where they had him under surveillance. Ignoring her parents and his parents she went to reach the handle of the room in he was and waited to be halted by either persons and when no moves were made she went forward in the white room and a large bed where he laid. His blonde hair was arranged in that sexy disorderly manner which she had always preferred and couldn't help those tears that have been threatening to burst since she heard the terrible and the agony inside her which was tearing herself into shredded pieces of pathetic and selfish woman she became.

"J….. J ….. Please wake up…. You silly moron ….. You promised at a time you would ever let go of me. You can't do this now when I've completely fallen for you." When she received no reply from Jake she lulled herself to sleep with constant beeping of monitors with his hand in hers, hoping it was not too late when her dumb feelings decided to surface.

She was woken by the gentle but firm tug on her hand and saw that she had been sleeping on his shoulder for the whole night and was about to slap her forehead with her hand when she saw their fingers intertwined together….. Like every time.

"So you didn't go?" Jake asked Laurel, surprised when he saw her sleeping in his shoulder though he could not see her face he knew she cried and now was smirking when he saw the stained trail of tears and how puffy her blue eyes looked,

"Nah" She shrugged nonchalantly.

"Oh"

"That's it?"

"Yeah"

"What?" Laurel asked incredulously as if he never wanted her to have a permanent fixture in his life.

"What?" He repeated her words playing with her to get her agitated.

"That's all you have to say after such a big and dangerous accident. I mean seriously J … How can you act so …. So composed like it is such a meagre thing…. As if you went all the way to heaven which I doubt you did and as if Jesus told 'Nice seeing you son but not now … some other time around ' You can't do this to me J. I missed my flight because of you and you are acting as if such types of accidents occur to you on a daily basis. I mean say something now, are you going to keep gawking at me like a pretentious fool now?"

"What do I say? Specs? Since when do I get a say? The first time I say something you deem it best to turn your back and run away. What do you want me to say Specs? That I still want you in my life since I've known your brother who keeps on talking about you and since I saw you playing with your Labrador dog after you dared to beak me?"

Tears stared pooling in her eyes and she stuttered in her answer "I … love you J. I made mistakes an-"

The rest of her words were swallowed as he tugged her a bit harder considering the fact that her hand was still in his during the whole debate and he kissed her.

"I can't live without you, you drive me crazy with your smiles and the last thing that I can do is make you mine. Only mine"

"And the only thing I can say is … That Jake Delaney….. I need you for the rest of my life which I'm so willing to share with you and have loads of kids"

She went to kiss him fervently as his tone brushed hers, but on hearing he beep sound on the machines she stopped herself and pressed her forehead against his and smiled at his breathlessness.

"So remind me how many kids we actually want" Laurel said and watched the lines of laughter which was making his charming and refined face more attractive.

"No idea. Maybe we should get started to have a better estimation of how it is going to be afterwards. What say?"