Chapter 46: Oh No!

The air in the school nurse's office smells strange. Erica's eyes bore into me with a disgust I'd never seen before, her usual protective warmth replaced by icy contempt.

"I'm breaking up with you." She spits her words like daggers. "You're not worth obsessing over, you cheating piece of shit."

My stomach drops. 'This can't be real.'

"Erica, please, you don't understand-"

"Oh, I understand perfectly." she cuts me off, her voice dripping with venom. "You couldn't keep it in your pants, could you? Had to go and knock up that psycho butler."

I'm shaking now, panic rising in my throat. "No! It wasn't like that! I was raped, Erica. Lyra... she... I didn't want it. Please, you have to believe me!"

A harsh laugh escapes her, so unlike her usual warm chuckle. It sends chills down my spine. "Oh, that's rich. Playing the victim card now, huh? Well, guess what? I don't give a fuck. You're not my problem anymore."

I reach for her desperately, my vision blurring with tears. "Please, don't leave me. I love you, I need you-"

She shoves my hand away, her strength nearly knocking me off balance. "Save it for Lyra. In fact, why don't I just give you to her? You two deserve each other."

The room spins around me. This can't be happening. Erica, my everything, my rock... how can she be so cruel? I want to scream, to shake her, to make her understand. But all I can do is stand there, trembling, as my world crumbles around me.

Suddenly, a pair of hands grab me from behind, and I whirl around, heart pounding. Lyra materializes as if from thin air, her blonde hair pristine and both eyes intact. 'Wait, what? How?' My brain short-circuits, unable to process the sight before me. In her arms appears, a squalling infant writhes, its cries piercing the air.

"What the fuck?" I gasp, stumbling backward.

Lyra's lips curl into a sinister smile. "Oh, Jason. Did you really think a little eye-gouging would keep me down?"

Before I can react, a different set of hands clamps down on my shoulders. I crane my neck to see Lindsey, her neon blue hair a stark contrast to her icy expression.

"Long time no see, lover boy." she purrs, her soft voice carrying a razor's edge.

My mind reels. "Lindsey? What are you doing here? What's going on?"

She leans in close, her breath hot against my ear. "We're going on a little field trip, you and I. Back to my special playroom."

A cold sweat breaks out across my skin as memories flood back, the basement, the pain, the pliers, the isolation. "No." I whisper, throat constricting. "No, you can't –"

"Oh, but I can." Lindsey coos, her grip tightening. "We're going to have so much fun. Your nails are looking quite long, don't you think? I've been practicing my technique."

Terror explodes in my chest. I thrash wildly, trying to break free. "Help! Erica, please! Don't let them take me!"

But Erica just stands there, arms crossed, watching with detached amusement. The baby's cry mixed with my own panicked shouts as Lyra and Lindsey start dragging me away.

*****

"Jason! Jason, wake up!" Erica's voice cuts through the fog of terror. Her hands are on my shoulders, shaking me gently but firmly. "It's okay, you're safe. It was just a nightmare."

Sweat plasters my shirt to my chest, and for a disorienting moment, I'm not sure where I am. I blink rapidly, my eyes adjusting to the dim light of our bedroom in the Knight mansion. The familiar scent of Erica's shampoo mingles with the lingering smell of cigarette smoke, grounding me in reality.

"E-Erica?" I stammer, my voice hoarse. "You're here? You didn't... you didn't give me to them?"

She pulls me into a tight embrace, her strong arms enveloping me. "Shh, baby boy. I've got you. No one's taking you anywhere."

I bury my face in the crook of her neck, clinging to her like a lifeline. "It felt so real." I mumble, still trembling. "Lyra, the baby, Lindsey, with those damn pliers..."

Erica runs her fingers through my hair, her touch soothing. "It wasn't real. You're safe here with me, understand?"

I nod weakly, feeling pathetic but grateful for her presence. As my racing thoughts begin to slow, a new kind of discomfort settles in my gut.

Erica pulls back slightly, cupping my face in her hands. Her blue eyes, usually so fierce, are soft with concern. "Listen to me, Jason. I'm so proud to be with you. You've proven how much you love me, how far you'd go to keep us together."

My stomach lurches as I remember what I'd almost done. The baby in my nightmare suddenly takes on a horrifying new context. "Erica, I... I tried to..."

"To protect us." She finishes, her voice filled with admiration that makes me want to crawl out of my skin. "You were willing to eliminate any threat to our relationship. That's true devotion."

I wince, unable to meet her gaze. "But an innocent baby." I whisper, the words tasting like ash in my mouth.

Erica's grip on me tightens possessively. "Hey, look at me." she commands, her tone leaving no room for argument. "You did what you thought you had to do. That's what matters."

I force myself to meet her eyes, seeing nothing but love and pride there. It should be comforting, but all I feel is a nauseating mix of relief and guilt.

"Listen, baby." she coos, her voice as smooth as honey. "We're going to take it easy for the next few days, okay? No stress, no worries, just you and me."

I nod weakly, still feeling the lingering tendrils of the nightmare clinging to my psyche. Erica's thumb brushes away a tear I didn't even realize had fallen.

"You don't have to make any decisions, Jason." She continues, her words wrapping around me like a warm blanket. "You don't even have to think if you don't want to. Just rest and let me take care of everything."

Her hand slides down to cup my chin, tilting my face up to meet her gaze. The love in her eyes is so intense it's almost painful to look at directly.

"All you need to do is accept my love." Erica speaks, leaning in close. Her breath is warm against my skin. "Can you do that for me, baby?"

I try to respond, but the words catch in my throat. My eyes drift down to her bandaged hand, and a fresh wave of guilt crashes over me. The stark white gauze is a glaring reminder of what I did to her.

Erica follows my gaze and lets out a soft laugh. The sound is like wind chimes, light and airy, completely at odds with the gravity of the situation.

"Jason." she sighs, bringing her injured hand up to my lips. "It's okay. I'm okay. This is nothing compared to how much I love you."

I press a gentle kiss to her bandaged palm, tasting the faint metallic tang of antiseptic. "I'm so sorry." I whisper, my voice cracking.

Erica's other hand comes up to cradle the back of my head, her fingers tangling in my hair. "Shh, none of that now." she soothes. "You have nothing to be sorry for. You were trying to protect us, remember?"

She pulls me close, guiding my head to rest on her chest. I can hear the steady thrum of her heartbeat, strong and reassuring.

"Just relax." Erica murmurs, her fingers tracing lazy patterns on my back. "Let go of all that guilt and worry. I've got you, and I'm not going anywhere."

I take a shaky breath, trying to let Erica's words sink in. But the gnawing guilt in my stomach refuses to dissipate. "I don't think I can let go of the guilt that easily."

Erica shushes me gently, her fingers continuing their soothing patterns on my back. "I know, baby. I know it's hard."

Suddenly, her mouth forms a shit-eating grin. "Did you know that Jamie Franco is a Jewish Italian?" she asks, her tone light and casual.

I blink, momentarily stunned by the abrupt change of topic. "Wait, really?" I ask, my brow furrowing in confusion. "Is that true?"

Erica nods, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "Yeah, the girl that played Harriet Osborne in Spider-Man."

'Oh yeah, I forgot Spider-man is still canon as is here.'

"Wow!" I breathe, genuinely surprised. "I guess Italians can be Jewish after all."

"Mhm." Erica hums, running her fingers through my hair. "I googled it while you were sleeping. Apparently, she had a Bat Mitzvah as an adult."

"Wasn't she canceled?" I ask, not quite sure.

"Yeah, I forget why, though." Erica responds with a thoughtful face.

I sit there racking my brain. "I don't think she texted minors but it could have been that i guess."

I chuckle softly. The tension in my shoulders eases a bit, and I'm grateful for Erica's ability to distract me, even if just for a moment.

Erica's expression suddenly shifts. She leans in close, her breath tickling my ear. "I don't want my mom or Brooke finding out about it, okay?"

"Yeah, no kidding. I'm definitely on board with that plan." I agree, running a hand through my hair. "I mean, I was the one who fought with Brooke about it in the first place. Don't need to add more fuel to that fire."

Erica nods, her usually tough demeanor softening slightly. "Good." she murmurs, her fingers tracing lazy patterns on my arm. "We've got enough drama without adding more to the Jewish Italian thing."

"Yeah." I say, my tone shifting. "While we're on the subject of keeping things under wraps, I think maybe you should ease up on spreading those conspiracy theories to my mom. She seems weirdly quick to believe everything you say."

Erica's eyebrows shoot up, a mischievous glint in her eye. "What, you don't think the government's making the frogs straight?"

'I don't even know how to unpack that. Are frogs gay here? Is there an Alex Jones? If there is, but there is no school shootings then why would they have ever had said the gay frog thing.' My mind wanders for a moment as I try to solve an impossible puzzle.

After a moment, I center myself and refocus on my mother. "I'm serious, Erica. My mom's always been gullible, but lately, it's like she hangs on your every word."

Erica's expression softens, and she nods, her blonde hair catching the dim light of the room. "Yeah, I get it." she says, her voice taking on a more serious tone. "Actually, there's probably a reason for that."

I raise an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue.

She takes a deep breath, her blue eyes meeting mine. "During those two weeks you were... gone," she begins, and I feel a chill run down my spine at the mention of my kidnapping, "I spent a ton of time with your mom. We were out there nearly every day, chasing down leads, trying to find you."

The weight of her words hits me like a punch to the gut. I hadn't realized how much time they'd spent together, how desperate they must have been. "You... you did?" I manage to choke out.

'I never really asked what she did during that time. I kinda just want to forget about the whole ordeal.'

"Yeah." Erica says softly, her eyes taking on a faraway look. "We were out there day and night, following every possible lead. Your mom and I... we bonded over our shared worry for you. We'd stay up late, poring over maps, making phone calls, anything to try and find you."

She pauses, her fingers absently tracing patterns on my skin. "I think that's why she trusts me so much now. We went through hell together, you know?"

I nod, a lump forming in my throat. The thought of Erica and my mom desperately searching for me, not knowing if I was alive or dead, makes my chest ache.

“I really didn’t know.” I say lost in thought as to her deep their bond ran.

“You’re mom’s sense of humor is fucked up, Jason. Really sick stuff. Wicked funny woman though.” Erica laughs as the mood settles back down.

“I don’t even want to know.” I groan in fear of hearing to much.