The Summer We Changed

reunion

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Jewel had the house to herself the next afternoon, Lena and Neil having gone out to get pie. She enjoyed the silent moments when she could swim in the lake, but the further into summer they got, the more tourists came in. The lake was gradually becoming crowded, something Jewel didn't particularly want to be there for. She knew that the time for her to go home was coming up, especially since she doesn't want to be a burden to Lena and Neil after they had been kind enough to take her in. She moved in the house from outside, drying herself off of with her towel before the sound of the doorbell stole her attention away. She moved the towel to her hair, trying not to drip any water on the tiled floor as she made her way through the kitchen. The knock sounded again, Jewel rushing to dry her hair the best she could in the limited time.
"One second!" Jewel called out, tossing her towel onto the back of the island's chair before heading toward the front door.
Although Jewel didn't know many people in Lake Sutter, Jeremiah was the last person she expected to be standing on the other side. Jewel's hand quickly dropped from the door, suddenly standing a little taller at the sight of him.
"Jeremiah?" She questioned, unsure if he was honestly there or if she might've gotten her first hallucination. Jeremiah took a moment to collect his thoughts, seemingly scattered in his brain upon seeing her...especially in a bikini. He pulled his eyes a way a moment later, furrowing his eyebrows in frustration.
"You don't know how to answer your phone anymore?" He spoke suddenly, finally breaking the silence between them. Out of everything he could've said, Jewel wondered how that could be the first. How, after everything that had happened, could he drive there just to scold her? As if it were some kind of cruel reunion.
"I've been trying to call you for hours." Jeremiah continued, watching as Jewel took her turn to furrow her eyebrows.
"My phone's in rice, I dropped it off on the dock." She defended, unwilling to allow Jeremiah to tear into her for a simple mistake.
"Of course you did." He muttered to himself, rolling his eyes as he spoke.
"I'm sorry, you came here, remember that?" Jewel snapped back, reminding him that she never wanted him to be there in the first place.
"Exactly! I came here." Jeremiah fought, the two sending daggers in the form of brazen glares.
"Why are you here?" She asked, her patience with him very steadily dwindling. Jeremiah opened his mouth to answer, the sound of a honking car pulling into the driveway distracting him. Neil and Lena climbed out of the truck, making their way toward the front porch. Lena's eyes shifted between Jeremiah and Jewel, clear confusion etched in her expression.
"Jeremiah, hey! How have you been, man?" Neil asked, moving forward to give Jere a quick hug.
"Uh, good." Jeremiah lied, having slightly missed Jewel's wild uncle. He was still only in his late twenties, the youngest of Jewel's maternal family, making him less strict and more relatable; the very reason Jeremiah and Jewel spent their Halloween with them.
"Why don't you come in? We got pie from that stand off Sycamore..." Neil spoke, quickly catching a discreet elbow in his side from Lena.
"Jeremiah was just leaving..." Jewel told him, Neil completely oblivious to the real issue at hand here.
"I'm sure he can stay for dinner. You're probably hungry after that drive, huh?" Neil laughed, moving past Jewel to open the front door for them.
"Uh...sure." Jeremiah agreed, watching Jewel for any reaction. He didn't care if she didn't want him there; he was, and until he finds Conrad he didn't plan on leaving. Lena and Jewel remained outside, the girl quickly bringing a hand through her hair to calm herself.
"Um, why is he here? Did you call him?" She asked, Jewel quickly shaking her head in denial.
"My phone's still in the rice, and I don't know, he said I wasn't answering so he just...showed up here."
Lena moved to peek through the window, seeing the boys getting out silverware and catching up.
"I mean, it's kinda romantic." Lena smiled, unable to watch Jewel's eyes widen as she heard the words.
"Lena!" Jewel scolded, astonished that the woman would be thinking about a rekindled romance right now.
"What? It is." She defended, watching as Jewel let out a sigh and moved to sit on the porch swing.
"He drove all the way here just to talk to you. That says something, doesn't it?" Lena asked, moving to sit beside Jewel.
"Yeah, driving six hours to yell at me...I'm not really feeling the romance." Jewel spoke sarcastically, a little frustrated that Jeremiah was there.
"Just...hear him out." Lena reminded her, knowing the boy had just lost his mother.
"I'll talk to him after we eat." Jewel decided, just wanting to get this situation resolved as soon as possible and go back to forgetting they were ever a couple to begin with.