Summer and May

Chapter Thirty-Six: May

Jeremy left late last night to get some rest before work this morning. He stayed so long I offered him the cot in my dad's office, but he politely refused. We talked for hours about everything and nothing, severely slowing down my process on the truck, but I was too distracted to care. Being around him doing something to my system. Talking to him was like medicine. I said everything I was normally afraid to say and he seemed to do the same. It was both addicting and madness at the same time.

He said he would stop by today, which gave me a pulling on my gut to tell him no, don't worry about it. Not only was it July 4th, but talking to him meant I couldn't fully focus on the car. Taking space from Summer should also mean taking space from Jeremy, and I was inwardly battling with that all day as I worked on the engine. It had just started going away when Jeremy showed up. My mind instantly drew me back to the last conversation I had with Jeremy, and chills ran down my spine.

"It's five already?" I say in disbelief, checking my phone. No texts from Summer.

Jeremy held up a paper bag, a wide grin on his lips. The dimple on his cheek sunk in just slightly, and I fought the urge to fixate on it. "That means dinner time. Take a break," he suggested, taking out the In-N-Out burgers from the bag.

My eyes shot wide open. I threw my tools back in their respective spots, nearly salivating. "How far did you drive to get this?"

We both took seats next to each other, the metal stools squeaking beneath us as we swiveled towards on another. The makeshift tool bench made bar top was our dinner table tonight. Jeremy got us matching meals; double cheeseburgers with animal style fries. Normally, I would be too modest to accept food, but I'd been so enthralled all day that I hadn't eaten until eleven.

Jeremy smirked, entertained by how quickly I grabbed the food from his hands. "Don't worry about it."

"Thank you," I mumble with a mouth full of burger. I nearly inhaled my food, oblivious to how hungry I must've been. I dab the corners of my mouth once I'm done, realizing I finished my meal before Jeremy finished half of his.

The unbelievable grin on his face tells me he realized the same thing, and he seemed oddly content with it. "I like a girl that can eat." he joked, taking another monstrous bite of the burger.

I licked my fingers, feeling a little embarrassed. I wasn't one of those girls that tried to eat cute in front of guys, but I certainly never felt comfortable enough to dig in like I just did. I thought I might scare him off, but even minutes after dinner was finished, he still hadn't left.

"So, have you talked to Summer yet?" he finally pried.

I shifted my weight forward, then back again. I finally shook my head in surrender. "No, and I don't think I will. Besides her birthday, this is her favorite night of the year."

He shrugged his shoulders. "It could be worth a try."

"Probably," I admit, returning to the engine. Without him around to distract me, I'd made a significant amount of progress on it. It would be done by tonight. "how's Sully?"

All I could hear was an almost inaudible sigh. "My parents are in town. My dad hired a hospice nurse. They're thinking in the next week or so..."

I swivel around, "Jere, I'm so sorry. That happened so... fast."

His eyes became glassy. Every fiber in my being wanted to rush to him. "I know. He took a really unexpected turn."

I reached for him, wrapping my fingers around his. "I know where you're at, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I'm here for you, if you need anything at all."