The Summer We Changed

one mistake

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Jere hadn't muttered a word since they had left Aunt Julia's, switching off between clenching his jaw and biting his cheek as he sat with his thoughts. Jewel sat quietly beside him in the car, her eyes wandering in his direction every so often, his disappointment evident in his silence.
"Hey, we'll figure something out." Jewel spoke quietly, unsure if the reassurance was for him or her.
"What if I made it worse?" Jeremiah questioned, biting his cheek as his mind juggled all the consequences of their actions.
"You didn't." Jewel told him, her eyebrows furrowing as she comfortingly rested her hand on top of his.
"I don't really think that's how Conrad's going to see it." He argued, trying to ignore the buzzing feeling his hand was getting from her. Jewel shook her head in response, knowing that Conrad was facing his own battles too.
"Conrad's...going through his own things. It has nothing to do with you or me or..." She spoke, Jeremiah turning to look at her as the words fell from her lips.
"It has a lot to do with us, and you know that." He interrupted, a slightly scolding tone in his voice. Jewel fell quiet as his words hit her, remembering the rift she created between the brothers. Jeremiah's eyes watched hers turn back to the window, knowing the look of guilt that rested on her face.
"Jewel, I didn't..." He spoke, watching as she quickly shook her head in denial.
"No...you're right." She admitted, shrugging as her head turned back to the window.
Jewel thought back to that last night with Jeremiah. A memory stained with both tranquility and devastation, something Jewel hadn't truly known could happen before.
The two had been tangled together on the couch next to twinkling Christmas tree lights. The ground outside freezing in thick layers of snow, but the couple drawing warmth from both each other and the roaring fireplace before them. Jeremiah's arm was wrapped around her, holding her tightly against him as if he somehow knew their demise was coming. Jewel never expected it to come in the form of a text message, lighting up Jeremiah's phone in the dead of night...but that's how it had happened.

Jewel furrowed her eyebrows, reaching out from her comfortable place to grab Jeremiah's phone.

Just left visiting hours for Mom. They put her on a new medication. I thought you should know. -Conrad

Jewel's eyebrows furrowed at the words, her chest growing tighter as she sat up from Jeremiah's grasp. Her eyes flicked back down to him, his sleeping figure stirring as he felt the weight shift. Suddenly though, Jewel didn't care much for his comfort, not after he had lied. She moved to pack Jere's bag, tossing it at his legs to wake him up. He sat up confused, growing worried as he saw Jewel's watery eyes.
"How long has she been in the hospital?" Jewel asked, watching as Jere's expression changed. A look of both guilt and remorse taking over his once warming eyes.
"Jewel..." He spoke, not wanting her to find out this way.
"You lied to me. You told me she was getting better! God, why would you tell me that?" Jewel cried, covering her face from his view as she wept. If she had known Susannah wasn't doing well she would've fought to visit more. To just see her more before she never had the opportunity again.
"I'm sorry, I just...I didn't want you to shut down again."
The sentence had put a halt on Jewel's tears, and instead put a weight against her chest.
"Again?" She questioned, furrowing her eyebrows as she heard it slip past his lips. He refused to meet her eyes however, Jere knowing that tears were staining her cheeks due to something he did.
"We've been here before, Jewel." He reminded her solemnly,
"No, I've been here before!" Jewel shouted, watching as Jere's shoulders dropped. He knew this was about more than just them now, her words serving as a reminder that she had gone through this.
"Jewel." He spoke softly, knowing that her mind had been burdened with grief since her mom died.
"I want you to leave."
Jere's eyebrows furrowed as he heard the words leave her lips, not willing to walk away after everything they had gone through.
"You don't." He denied, shaking his head with a pained look in his eyes.
"Yes, I do. Leave!" Jewel shouted, her frustration beginning to spill out through her mouth like a leaky facet. Jere's mind spun with thoughts, wondering how she could allow one mistake to so easily tear them apart.
"So, that's it? Really?" He asked, needing to hear the words fall from her lips. Jewel couldn't bear to say it however, instead turning to grab his keys off the counter. She held them out for him to grab, Jere's gaze locked onto her despite her avoiding eyes. He grabbed his bag from the couch, tears threatening to spill as he pushed himself toward her. He moved his hand to hers, grabbing the keys but not accepting defeat just yet.
"Jewel..." He spoke, attempting to preserve even an inkling of what they had before.
"Jere, please..." Jewel begged, keeping her eyes far from meeting his. He clenched his jaw to keep his emotions from slipping out, taking the keys from her hands before leaving her alone in the apartment.