I Promise.

In tears she rest her head against his shoulder trying with all her might to make him stay, but even she knew that wasn’t possible. Of course he loves her but to touring and his fans she takes a backseat, and until now she had been fine with it. But today, today something was different and Jake didn’t know what that was. He wished with all his might that he could fix it though.

“I love you so much.” He took her face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers.

“I love you too Jake, more than you know.” Through the tears she tried her best to smile, but she couldn’t.

“Please don’t cry, its only for a few months then I’ll be back home again. I promise.” Of course that was a promise, every few months this happens he goes away has the time of his life while she’s stuck at home going to work every day and taking care of his pet snake.

“I-I know.” Jake looked down at her worried, this wasn’t like her to act so upset that he was leaving; she hadn’t acted this way since the first time he left when they first started to go out. And even then it hadn’t been as bad as today was.

“What’s wrong Liz?” The guys were getting antsy on the bus meaning they’d be leaving soon.

“N-Nothing.” She wasn’t going to tell him what was wrong, no, not just yet because she wasn’t ready to believe it herself. Jake sighed and pulled her shaking body in his strong arms.

“Will you tell me when you’re ready?” Against his chest she nodded a yes, he knew that for the moment that was all he was going to get.

“I promise I will.” Jake chuckled a little and kissed her again. At least she was going to talk when she was ready and not keep it all bottled up inside.

“Thank you.” Liz pulled him back down to her and kissed him with more passion than the one from before. Jake wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and she did the same around his neck.

“I love you so much Lizzy.” She giggled and smiled at him a slightly breathless.

“I love you too Jake.” Andy and Ashley had been standing there watching the couple and they were both frowning; they knew what was wrong with Lizzy and they weren’t impressed that she wouldn’t tell him.

“Come on, its time to go.” Halfheartedly Ashley called out to the two still hugging Jake and Liz.

“Be there in a sec.” Ashley and Andy shrugged and walked back into the bus leaving the two alone again.

“J-Jake I don’t want you to leave me.” As if it were possible she held onto his neck tighter and continued to cry.

“I don’t want to leave you either Baby, but I have to go. I love you.” Their lips touched the others again.

“I love you.” Jake let go of her, he hadn’t realized until then just how fragile she looked.

“I love you too.” He squeezed her hand tightly before he stepped onto the bus.

As the bus pulled away Jake watched Lizzy stand there watching them as they drove away. He didn’t know what was bothering her and he wished he could, but the fans had to come first because they were his job. Sadly Liz had to come second because of that. And right now he was regretting leaving her there.

“I’m sorry.”

********

“I’m going to tell him tonight, I swear.” Lizzy hadn’t gotten better since Jake had left three weeks ago, in fact she had gotten worse.

“Okay good. Please I’m begging you relax you need to take it easy, CC’s coming to get you soon.” Andy sighed into his cell looking over at Jake who was laying on the bed unaware that he was on the phone with the love of his life.

“I will. I’m sorry you had to hear everything you did.” On the other end Andy chuckled, Liz didn’t normal have a guilt conscience but recently she had developed one. And poor Andy had to listen to the sounds of her get sick, a terrible side effect to the medicine that was supposed to be helping.

“Its fine. As long as your okay everything is fine with me.” Lizzy stepped out of her and Jake’s bathroom trying not to cry, another side effect, mood swings that could make a pregnant woman look sane. Today was one of the many times that she started to wonder if the fight was even worth it with what she was having to go through.

“Okay. Thank you Andrew.” Andy looked over at Jake and wondered whether or not he could say her name without alerting him. He decided against it.

“Anytime Darling. I’ll see you soon.” Jake now looked over at Andy wondering if he was talking to Scout, dear god, he better not have invited her! Jake and just about everyone else but Lizzy hated her.

“Bye.”

Quickly she hung up the phone and groaned falling onto their bed. When will this pain just go away? There’s a war going on in her body and with the way she was feeling she wasn’t wining at the moment. Andy and Ashley should have never checked her out of the hospital two days ago.

CC would be over soon though and she could tell Jake everything. They’d probably both end up in tears but as long as she knew he still loved her after that she would keep fighting. Looking down at herself she wondered, ‘should I get dressed up for this?’ But her body answered for her because it hurt too much to move. Well, hopefully Jake wouldn’t care if the first time he’s seen her in weeks she’s in sweatpants and a sweatshirt.

A knock from the front door pulled her out of her thoughts. Groaning she picked herself up and stumbled to the door.

“Lizzy!?” CC caught the weak Liz in his arms and held her tightly.

“CC, I’m scared.” Gently he rocked her in his arms trying to calm her. Andy and Ash got her out early but that obviously hadn’t helped her, why had no one listened to him? Sighing he just held Liz trying to keep her relaxed.

“Don’t worry, everything is going to be okay. I promise.” She nodded into his chest.

“Promise?” Laughing he let go of her.

“Yes, I promise.”

When he pushed her hand away to take her bag she glared at him but said nothing. There was no way she could carry anything she must not be able to do anything when she’s home. Her friends must take care of her and drive her around when she needs them to. CC tried to silence his thoughts as he helped her down the stairs of her apartment and into his car.

********

“Elisabeth?”

Jake’s mouth dropped and he felt tears come to his eyes, there was no way that this could be the same girl that he was planning on marrying one day. No! This had to be some stranger. She looks like Lizzy but she looked too sick to be her.

“Hello Jake.” A very tired looking Lizzy held onto Ashley’s arm tightly as he led her over to where Jake stood.

“B-Babe, what happened.” Letting go of Ashley she leaned against Jake’s chest breathing him in.

“Jake, I have some bad news.” Cautiously Jake held onto her hips trying to support her like he had seen Ash do. He looked down at her and he could see the pain in her beautiful blue eyes.

“Baby, what happened?” Liz felt the tears well up in her eyes as Jake continued to cry looking down at her. Carefully he sat her down next to him on the couch in the living room of the hotel room.

“Jake, I have cancer.”

Her words hit Jake like a train, this couldn’t be happening. How long has she known? From the corner of his eye he could see Andy, Ashley, Jinxx, and CC standing together in tears. They knew. They had all been hiding it to save him. A mixture of love and anger washed over him.

“What?” The anger and love had now gone away and now the only thing he could feel was how numb he had already become. This can’t be happening.

“I have leukemia.” Saying those three words made the tears running down her face fall harder, Liz had come to terms with her terminal illness, but Jake had just found out about it and in his head he was going insane.

“Elizabeth.” Lizzy cried harder as Jake’s face dropped at her words. This was the moment she never wanted to live. Death would have been easier than this.

“I’m sorry Jake.” His lips softly touched hers.

“How long?” How long? The words stung her, she didn’t know how much longer she had and that scared her the most.

“I’m not sure I’ve been given anywhere from three months to a year.” In the background the guys were sobbing and Jake felt himself start do the same.

“I love you.” Her head rest against his shoulder trying her best not to cry and to think of a way to tell him that everything was going to be okay.

“I love you too.” Jake ran a hand through her hair and kissed her forehead softly.
“I’m going to take care of you. I promise.” He held her face in his hands and kissed her softly.

“Promise?” With tears in his eyes Jake held Lizzy to his chest and kissed her forehead.

“I promise.”

*********

This day was never supposed to come, he was supposed to come home and care for her and then everything would go back to normal. But sadly it hadn’t, Jake stood over Lizzy’s hospital bed crying.

“Jake, I-It’s my time.” Holding onto her hand tightly he tried to hold back his sobs.

“Please Lizzy, I love you stay-stay with me a little longer.” Tears ran down her own face as she slowly shook her head no.

“I’m sorry Jake, I can’t do that. Just remember I love you so much, and that I promise you’ll see me again one day.” Jake couldn’t stand any longer, his knees buckled under him and he fell down next to her.

“Promise?” A small smile crossed her face and she nodded a yes.

“Yes, I promise.” He knew he had not much longer with her so he pressed his lips to hers.

“I love you so much Lizzy.” Her heart monitor next to her was slowing by the second.

“I love you too Jake.” One last time Jake pressed his lips to hers.

When he pulled away she smiled at him and mouthed that she loved him one last time before the heart monitor told him that she was gone. A nurse and a doctor rushed in pushing him aside.

Jake cried the hardest he had ever cried as the doctor approached him with the death certificate.

“I’m sorry.”

Signing his name on the paper he watched as they took the body of the girl he loved out of the room. He regret leaving her, he regret not taking better care of her, he regret almost everything but he didn’t regret loving her.