Hope for healing

Jake was a bit relieved when Shayne left the room. He went over to Kelsey and sat by her as she asked, perhaps a bit closer then he intended. She said she didn't know how to help him but that didn't change that it felt wonderful to be near her; next to her. Jake smiled softly as he admired the girl in a shirt that was way too big on her. He reached out touching the shirt, feeling the matierial.

"It bothers me...I wish something would just happen and help me remember. I barely have a memory of these shirts..it's in there somewhere but I...I don't know why...And of you. You mean something to me but...Gah, curse my bloody memory...remembering something for a change would be very nice..."
 
Her heart skipped a bit when he reached out and touched the shirt. It was almost like she ached to feel him. When he said you mean something to me her eyes met his. Her eyes were soft and she leaned in closer to him. She knew she shouldn't be thinking about what it felt like to kiss him or lean against him; he was taken, but she felt attracted to him.

Kelsey forced herself to look away from the man and figure out a way to help him. She glanced around the room and saw her sketchpads. In a flash she was off the couch and pulling the pad off a shelf. When she sat back down she sat closer to him than before. Her leg slightly pressed against his. "try these?" gently she placed the pad in his lap. "There should be several sketches of Jake and other sketches based around trips to the beach and stuff." Kelsey rested her index finger against her lips as she looked down at her various drawing; her face sort of shining with pride.
 
He looked at her in curiosity as she got up and featched the sketch pad, explaining to him about the drawings. When she sat down her leg pressed against his and it made his heart skip a beat then beat faster. Kelsey set the drawing pad in his lap and he began looking through the drawings. The man in the picture seemed very familiar and inside...it kind of felt like himself...like he should know this man better. Then he hit the drawings with the couple, Kelsey and Jake...he looked though all of the pictures then back at her. She was glowing with pride and he studied her for a moment, lifting a hand and touching her soft skin, caressing her cheek. Then something inside of him took over for a moment, forcing him to lean forward and touch his lips to hers, placing a loving kiss upon her lips. This should be totally wrong, but it felt so...so...right! Like he should be here at Kelsey's side. Then he pulled away and touched his lips for a moment looking away.

"I-I'm sorry...I shouldn't have done that. It was...out of place..."

Silently he cursed under his breathe. This would definitly get him kicked out now...and he would go away knowing nothing more...
 
At first she was surprised and looked away. Soon something inside her took over. Maybe just one more kiss would help.. just maybe. "Don't apologize," Kelsey said softly as she leaned toward him, gently grasping the front of his shirt and kissing him softly then adding to it with another more passionate kiss. She should feel guilty about this... real guilty, but she doesn't. It's almost as if it feels.... refreshing? Comforting? She didn't know the word, but it didn't matter. After she pulled away from the kiss she leaned her forehead against his, looking into his eyes, biting her lower lip, his shirt still grasped in her hand. What was going on?

She didn't want to move or break contact. This moment felt right, and it felt as if it should last forever. "Anything?" Kelsey whispered, their foreheads still touching. This could be a new start. Maybe Jake sent this guy to help her move on. That could be the reason why Shayne didn't come around until later and why she hasn't felt that chill. He wanted to help her. Aiden was going to fix things. The only problem was Ava.
 
Jake was suprised as Kelsey told him to not apologize...and grasped the front of his shirt, pulling him in and kissed him again this time with more passion. One of his hands slid up to gently tangle his fingers in her hair, pulling her deeper into the kiss. His heart leapt in his chest for joy! He was so happy...and he remembered something. Kelsey was his...not Ava as he had been told but this beautiful woman sitting right next to him. Jake didn't feel guilty at all as they shared a loving kiss. When She pulled away the woman rested her forehead against his. Jake smiled happily. His hand slid down from her hair and gently caressed her cheek. Kelsey's healthy looking skin was so soft, warm.

"As a matter of fact...yes. You are it Kelsey...I don't know why but I just have this feeling."

He leaned forward and placed another gentle kiss on her lips. As he did Jake felt his cellphone buzz and heard it ring. It was Ava's ringtone...
 
She was it! That were the only words that registered. Ava wasn't the one he wanted. Kelsey smiled big and went in for another kiss when the phone rang. Fear rose up inside her for some reason. Aiden was still dating Ava. They were still a thing.. That reminded of Kelsey of her place. She kissed the corner of his lips softly then stood up. Now was a good time for a glass of wine. "You should answer it. She will be worried." After the wine was poured Kelsey hoisted herself up on the counter and sat there as she drank it.

Ava sat in her car outside of Kelsey's apartment building. She couldn't stand the fact that Aiden was in there, probably alone, with another girl. Especially since he had made a special effort to talk to her. Fear, anger, and jealousy was building up inside her. When he didn't answer the first time she called again. It was time for him to come home. "Aiden please. Come back to me," Ava begged softly once she heard his sweet voice.
 
He picked up his cellphone, sliding it out of his pocket and pressed the awnser button. Jake put it to his ear and spoke, his voice still a bit shaky from his excellerated heart rate. That kiss...oh...that kiss was amazing!

"Ava...? Y-You n-need something dear?"

Her voice on the other end pleaded with him to just come back to the car....so they could go home. He sighed and looked over at Kelsey, able to see her from the kitchen as she sat on the counter. Jake chuckled softly to himself before he awnsered her.

"I'll be right back down."

With that he stood up and went into the kitchen, placing a gentle,kiss on her forehead then on her lips before pulling away, looking into her eyes.

"Ava wants me to go now so I have to but once I can get back over here, I will."

With that he turned and walked out of the apartment, walking down into the car. In the mean time he didn't notice...there was the faint scent of Kelsey's perfume on his clothing, and a small, barely noticeable trace amount of lip gloss, just below his lip. Jake tried to relax on the ride home but...something...somewhere tension built up in the car.
 
Kelsey didn't want him to go. Her bright eyes immediately faded as he walked away. She looked over her shoulder as he walked out the door. He said he would come back. That is what she would have to rely on.

Relief flooded over her when he came out to the car. Everything about him seemed fine. The fact his voice was a bit shaky concerned her though. Once he got in the car she immediately picked up on the other girls smell. Ava thought it smelled better than how she did which saddened her even more. Hesitantly she took her hand. She just wanted to be connected to him somehow. The car ride home was silent, and it wasn't until she had successfully gotten him into bed that she spoke "Good night." Was all she said. Leaning over she kissed him.. there it was.

Ava felt something just below his lip when they kissed. Running her finger over the spot she felt the lip gloss. It felt as if her heart stopped. They had kissed! She should have known! He was too shaky, her scent was too strong, and he couldn't relax in the car. "Aiden," her voice sounded broken and her eyes filled with tears. "You.. kissed her?" Ava asked while getting out of bed. She couldn't stand being next to him right now, maybe not ever. He should just go back to her. "Is that who you want? Some girl in a grocery store?" She began to raise her voice. "You want a girl that you barely know over me?"
 
The Ride home was quite...too quite for his tastes. It wasn't until they arrived home and she helped him inside that she said 'goodnight' and leaned over, kissing him. Mid-kiss both of them felt the lip gloss on his lower lip. That was right! The Kisses from Kelsey! He pulled away and turned his head away, wiping the lip-gloss from his lip. Then he heard Ava start to speak, her voice was hurt broken. Jake turned his head to see tears in her eyes as she backed away from him, asking him if they had kissed. Jake slowly sat up looking at her then down to the Blanket.

"If you must know...Yes...Yes we did kiss. But, Ava it was to figure out what she is to me...Cause she means something to me but I didn't know so I had to figure out...Now I know..."

He wanted to say more but She kept on talking, he spoke again once she finnished.

"That is just it Ava!" he said getting out of bed, standing up and wincing, grabbing the place he'd been shot. His voice raised a bit more then he intended. "I don't know how much I know about this woman! How can I choose her over you when I barely know either of you! If you want me to leave I will!"

He grabbed his cellphone and Coat before wandering out into the streets. If he went back to Kelsey's she would know...he had to find a place to stay. But it began to get colder and rain started to fall, soaking him through...pretty soon...he collapsed, blacking out on the freezing ground.
 
Ava didn't stop him from leaving. It may be better that he does. He could always go back to her. Ava laid back down. Part of her worried about Aiden. She didn't know how he would get back to Kelsey's. If he didn't know who he was or who he wanted then how would he get back there. Seconds passed into minuted and eventually Ava couldn't lay there anymore; she was too worried. She tried calling his phone.. no answer. That was when she quickly grabbed her purse and left.

If she had Kelsey's number she would call her. Tell her to get Aiden, but that was when she saw him on the ground. She slammed on the breaks then ran over to him. "Aiden.. don't do this.. it'll be okay," She whispered. Somehow she managed to get him in the car. After finding his phone she called Kelsey. Ava was quiet for a moment when Kelsey answered. "This is Aiden's.... this is Ava," She said as she glanced over at Aiden. "I'm bringing him to your apartment. He needs you...." she admitted.

After a bit Ava called Kelsey back telling her they were outside. The two girls carried him into Kelsey's apartment and laid him on her bed. Ava gave a few suggestion on what to do before she left.

The apartment was quiet again. Kelsey sat on the edge of the bed after putting a few blankets on him. In a way this was deja vu. She wanted to be closer to him. Slowly she climbed farther up on the bed and carefully lifted his head then rested on her lap as she leaned against the headboard. "Everything will be fine." She said softly, her fingers gently running through his hair. Soon she began drifting to sleep still cradling his head in her lap.
 
When he woke up again he felt like he was burning. He broke out in a spasm of coughing and that in turn caused his wound to reopen. Jake reached out, grasping it in pain. He almost didn't notice he was in Kelsey's apartment as he stumbled into the bathroom, weakly pulling off his Jacket and Shirt. Jake took a towel and held it tightly against his wound. He went over and sat on the edge of the bathtub, looking back over at Kelsey. For some reason, he didn't know why, he smiled. His body shook in pain...cold...and weakness. Jake just sat there, starting to look a bit pale.

"Thank you Kelsey..." he whispered, shaking.
 
It was a nightmare. He was coughing and shaking. They needed to go back to the hospital. Taking a deep breathe she stood and headed to the bathroom. Rummaging through the cabinets she managed to find gauze and medical tape. Kelsey knelt down in front of him and removed the towel. "It'll be okay. I'm going to bandage this then we will call a taxi and go to the ER." Gently she pressed gauze against the wound then taped it there. Her eyes showed that she was worried sick but everything else was calm and collected. "You're welcome," she said before kissing him softly.

Soon enough they were back at the hospital. A nurse already had him laid down in a bed. A doctor ordered her to clean the wound and instructed her on how to stitch him up. "I have seen you in here once before," the man said with a smirk and patted Jake's leg "make it your last. Please." He nodded and gave Jake a gentle smile before he left the room. After the stitches were properly in placed, and Jake properly bandaged, she went to get papers for his release. "Everything looks okay. Please make him stay in bed. You might have to be his maid, but he can't move around much." The nurse gave the couple an encouraging smile and sent them on their way.

Kelsey obeyed every word and forced him to lay in bed. "If you need anything, I will get it for you." A soft kiss was placed on his forehead before she sat cross legged next to him, scribbling out random lyrics, tapping the pencil eraser against her lips when she got stuck. Every so often she would glance over at him and smile, feeling as if maybe her nightmare was ending.
 
It was all a flurry for him. From the time he entered the bathroom to the time he had come home from the hospital it didn't even seem all that long. The only words that registesterd with him was I'll get you anything you need. For the longest time he could just lay there and feel Kelsey's preasance. It was soothing...compared to Ava's. Jake woke up from a long nap and for a few moments just looked up at her...She was just beautiful. Whatever man...whoever he was he was the luckiest man in the world. He smiled warmly as she glanced over at him, smiling. Jake tried to sit up but his body ached and hurt alot... He winced and frowned.

"Bloody useless I am arn't I...?" He sighed and chuckled softly laying back down.

Jake looked over at her after a bit, eyeing her lyrics.

"What are you up to...? The artist write music too...?"
 
When he tried to move Kelsey immediately looked over at him worried. "You shouldn't try and move, please, and no you aren't useless," she said softly then focused back on her lyrics. "I sorta do." Kelsey blushes and closes her notebook. "I don't think they are that good, but I try because Jake always encouraged me to do it. I was willing to try, or do, whatever he wanted." A soft chuckle escaped her lips as she thought about all the times they had. "I'm sure you're tired. It's late. You need to sleep." She wanted to kiss him before she left, but she was scared to for some reason. It felt as if she had already messed things up.

Kelsey got off the bed and switched off the light. "I'll be in the living room." She sounded sad as she spoke. When she left she kept the door open in case he needed anything. Once on the couch she curled up under her blanket. Tears stung her eyes. It was hard. Thinking about Jake. Yeah, Aiden was there, and he had so many characteristics like Jake... makes her miss him more. A few tears slid down her cheek, but she quickly wiped them away. She didn't want Aiden to see her crying.. he shouldn't be getting out of bed anyway.

Ten minutes or so went by and Kelsey felt extremely lonely. What would it hurt to cuddle up with him tonight? They both needed someone. Quietly she stepped back into the room. Kelsey crawled up wordlessly in bed and put her head down on his shoulder. Gently she draped her arm over his chest and that was it. No words.. just actions. Something just felt right about this.
 
He didn't know what to do with himself after she bid him goodnight and left. Jake couldn't get up...he had to just, lay there. So he did...He thought really hard about his life and who he was but there wasn't much he could think of. As the man started to drift off to sleep he felt gentle touch; pressure against his shoulder. As he looked over he saw the woman, Kelsey. She draped her arm over his chest and he moved his other arm, pulling Kelsey As close to him as he could, Snuggling with her. The man didn't know why but he had a feeling welling up in his chest...Song lyrics in his head. Smoothly and beautifully the words flowed off his tounge in a soothing but somewhat sad, soft song.

"The other night dear, while I lay sleeping,
I drempt I held you in my arms...
When I awoke dear I was mistaken...
So I hung my head, and I cried...

"You are my sunshine, my only Sunshine
You make me happy, when skies are grey...
You never know dear, how much I love you,
Please don't take my sunshine away..."

For Some reason It felt familiar, like he had sang the song before in a different life time. This was certainly the first time he heard it in awhile...
 
Kelsey's dreams were filled with her and Jake but soon Aiden started coming on the scene. The dream was chaotic and weird. One second Jake was next to and when she blinked it was Aiden. She would walk into the apartment and Jake would be on the couch but once she looked away and looked back it was Aiden. Soon her dreams subsided to a peaceful sleep.

It only felt like it was a few minutes before the light of morning brightened up the room. Kelsey groaned softly and buried her face against what she thought was a pillow. It was tougher than a pillow and smelled pretty good, not only that, but it was breathing. She lifted her head to see Aiden's handsome face. A smile broke out over her face. It was so refreshing having someone next to her. "Good morning," She said softly and kissed his cheek. "Would you like some breakfast, I can make it?" Kelsey crawled from the bed, her hair in a mess, the big shirt she was wearing exposing one shoulder.
 
Soon enough he drifted off to sleep...the song still stuck in his head. When he dreamed he dreamed of Kelsey but she was with another man. He would look away and back then the man was him...? It confused him even further.. Jake was finally awakened by the soft but bright, warm, morning light. He just lay there awhile..comfortable. Kelsey, holding her in his arms felt completly different then holding Ava. Having Kelsey next to him was comforting. Her preasance was angelic, it made him smile. She Smiled as well and kissed his cheek, greeting him and offereing breakfast. Jake nodded.

"That sounds wonderful darling..."

She crawled from the bed looking a beautiful Mess as he liked to call it. He chuckled softly and sighed, wincing a bit as he streached, pulling on he stiches a bit. As she featched breakfast a though suddenly occured to Jake...
 
Clanging of pots and sizzling could be heard from the kitchen. The smell of bacon and eggs wafted into the bedroom. Several minutes later Kelsey came in holding a tray with an omelet, some bacon, and orange juice. She put the tray on the dresser so she could help Aiden sit up. Once he seemed to be seated comfortably she placed the tray in his lap and sat on the bed next to him. "I really hope you like it. I didn't know what you have a taste for so I thought the generic breakfast in bed meal would be alright."

She fidgeted with the blanket as he ate. Kelsey wondered if he was going to go back to Ava. Did they break up? Was this just a fight? "I don't know," she said out loud. Her eyes got wide, and she clapped her hands over her mouth. "That's embarrassing... I normally don't talk to myself when other people are around."
 
He listned for awhile before she came back with breakfast. It was bacon and eggs and it smelled Delicious. She helped him sit up and he carefully picked away at breakfast. It was great. Jake smiled and looked over at her , he chuckled a bit.

"What's on your mind? If you have a question, Ask it."

Jake smiled on and looked at her.


"See I have a theory...a question...What if...I am your Jake...? Please don't be offended...what if Jake somehow found a way...?"
 
Kelsey shrugged and hesitated to tell him, but she finally did. "I was wondering if you and Ava broke up, or if you're going to be gone as quickly as you came because this was just a fight." She let the room go quiet but when he brought up the Jake theory she stopped moving all together, it seemed as if she even stopped breathing.

Him? Jake? How would Jake have gotten into this man's body? Jake was dead. He had been a ghost in her house just days ago and now this man from the store is questioning whether or not Jake was in him? Kelsey clenched and relaxed her jaw as she took a moment to think this over. With the way she felt and how there were odd similarities between this man and Jake it almost made sense, but she wasn't willing to believe it. "I.. don't.. know... I need to think about that," she said slowly then looked over at the handsome man. His eyes.. that is what stuck out.