Well, this one is a little shorter than previous chapters, but I wanted to end it in a good spot.

Let me know what you think! Feedback helps me write!!

Like I said before, this chapter picks up back at the Chapter Two timeline. Three months after the accident.

Enjoy!

Chapter Four

Decision

Now here they are. A little less than two months since that awful Christmas Eve and they are no closer than they were then. It's like one step forward and two steps back.

Luke pulled the car into the driveway of his mom house. And put it in park. He sat for a moment and it was Noah who spoke first.

"Luke? Are we at your mom's?"

It was as if Noah shook him awake. Luke looked at his boyfriend sitting next to him and his heart just hurt. All he ever wanted was for Noah to look at him like he use to. To stop blaming him and start forgiving him. Longer they stayed in this track the more Luke came to realize that were not going to get back.

"Huh, oh yeah. We're here. Hang on, I'll get your door,"

Luke stepped out of the car and walked around to help Noah into the house. Lily and Damian were out to dinner and probably would not be home for hours. That gave him time to do what he needed to. He really did not want to do this. Noah was sitting in the living room listening to his iPod and Luke was in the kitchen making dinner. He wasn't hungry. He wasn't much of anything anymore. He barely slept, barely ate, barely lived. More than one of his family members had commented on his new thin appearance. He was beginning to not recognize his own reflection. His work at Grimaldi and the foundation were suffering. All of these things led him to one decision. This decision would not only affect him and Noah, but everyone else he knew and loved as well.

He brought some soup to Noah to where was sitting at the living room sofa and Luke sat back behind him as he ate. He ached to be near him. To touch him, hold him, kiss him, or even just laugh with him. He can't remember anymore the last time he even saw Noah's smile.

Luke felt so empty. He was sad and he couldn't even cry anymore. When Noah found him in the den crying a week ago, he thought that might be it. That Noah would push for them to be together, to fight for what they had and try to get it back. To reach out to him any form, in any way. But when he turned and walked away down the hall, Luke knew that his "Plan B" was something he had to do.

He talked to his mom, his dad, and Damian before he came to this decision. He even threw in equal parts Lucinda and Emma. He was making a big decision and he wanted to hear what everyone thought first. Get all the facts, so to speak. He didn't want to make a rash decision again. He had finally made his decision and now he had to tell the one person he had left. He left Noah for last because he knew that this was going to be the worst one. He could feel that Noah still loved him, he knew it. No matter how much Noah ignored him or belittled his feelings or rebuffed his advances; he knew it was still in there somewhere.

Noah knew that Luke was in the room with him. He and Luke had not really shared a meal since Christmas Eve. After Noah found out that Luke had finished his movie without telling him, he purposely kept a distance. He stopped trying to tell Luke not to hover around him. It just became repetitive and he knew that Luke wouldn't listen to him anyway.

He had just learned to ignore him.

Wait. Was that right?

Noah had learned to ignore Luke. The one person who loves him unconditionally. The person who stood up against his father, twice. The man who gave him his whole heart without asking for anything. And he had learned to ignore him. The realization of this made Noah not so hungry anymore. He pushed the bowl away from him and leaned back into the sofa. Luke saw this and stepped closer to him.

"Are you finished?" Luke asked in almost a robotic voice.

"Huh? Oh yeah. Suddenly not very hungry anymore," Noah said as Luke bent forward to clean up the dishes. Luke had to step closer to Noah to reach everything. He was so close that Noah could smell his shampoo and aftershave; this made his heart thump a little harder. Luke's leg bumped into his and Noah took in a small, but sharp breath. As soon as Luke felt his leg against Noah's, he apologized and stepped away quickly. Noah closed his eyes and let out a long breath. Luke was even afraid to touch Noah; afraid he might cross some invisible line or something. He needed to talk to Luke. Figure out some way for them to live in the same house and try to work things out.

But he didn't know where to start that conversation.

Luckily for Noah, Luke did.

"Noah, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Uh, sure. Its not like I have anywhere else to go?" As soon as the words left his mouth, he wanted to pull them back. What can't he stop doing that?

"Right," Luke took a shaky breath. "Can I sit next to you?"

"Luke. You don't have to…uh yeah," Noah gave up trying to say anything. He was afraid he might say something cruel again. Luke stepped around the couch and sat at the opposite end. Luke immediately had a rush of emotion. He remembered going to visit Noah at the cottage when he was still married to Ameera. Noah asked Luke to sit down with him and when he sat at the opposite end of the small sofa, Noah purposely made him move closer. He slid his right arm around Luke's shoulders; while Luke played with Noah's left hand in his lap. Those words he said to him ran through his mind. He looked at Noah sitting so far from him as those words played on a small loop.

"I can't stand being around you and not touching you,"

Luke had to bite back on the sob that wanted to come out. He had better get to this. His mom and Damian said that they would be back by six. Luke looked at his watch, it was quarter to five now.

"What did you want to talk about?" Noah said as he absently played with his cane. He was nervous and he couldn't understand why. It was just Luke.

"I just wanted to be sure that your therapy is going ok,"

"Ah, yeah. Dr. Johns and I are actually talking now,"

Something we use to do.

"And your physical therapy is going ok?" Luke asked, almost like he was hesitating; putting off the inevitable.

"Yeah. Ah, my eyes are reacting to light now and I may have to have surgery to see if the damage is repairable,"

"Well, that sounds routine, right?"

"Yeah, I won't even be asleep for it,"

"Well. That's good. Just make sure that you keep doing your therapy and make sure that you tell your doctors if something doesn't feel right. And make sure that my mom doesn't baby you too much. She tends to do that without even thinking…,"

Noah cut him off. "Wait, Luke. Why does not sound like you're leaving?"

"Because I am,"

Man those boys!

I am really getting into this one. I have for sure two more chapters brewing and hope to have them up soon!

Thanks!

Stay Tuned!