Everything I Didn't Say: The Breakup

The Reveal

Luke's POV: I am still trying to get my daughter, Jewel to calm down--urging her to take deep breaths before she makes herself sick. The sleeve of my shirt is soaked with her tears, and I can't shake the feeling that this has something to do with her boyfriend, Casper. She hasn't cried this much since I left for my ' Nostalgia For A Time That Never Existed' tour when she was just a kid. After an hour of sobbing, her breathing finally slowed, and she loosened her grip on my sleeve. I gently asked, " Jewel, what happened? Why are you so upset?"

"Sweetheart, what's the matter? Why are you so upset?" he asks, looking into his daughter's eyes. He caresses her cheek with his hand, his thumb gently wiping away a stray tear from her beautiful brown eyes. 

"Take a deep breath, then tell your mom and me what's wrong," he says softly. " We can't understand you when you're crying so hard you can't catch your breath. "

He reaches for the tissue box on the kitchen island and hands her one, his expression filled with concern.

"Mom, Dad... I broke up with Casper," she says, her voice heavy with sadness and heartbreak. Tears fill her eyes again, and she takes a shaky breath before continuing.

" I also made a mistake," she admits, her hands trembling. " When I was at his friend Adam's house, I got intoxicated, and then...we ended up getting intimate. "

Her voice falters, and she looks down, unable to meet their eyes. " I didn't want to tell you because I was afraid--afraid of disappointing you, of making you upset. I--" she stammers, her words breaking. " I feel so ashamed. I understand if you're furious with me. "

"Shh, Jewel," Luke soothes, gently rubbing her back. "We're not furious with you. We may be disappointed, but we're not angry. You're a teenager, and teenagers make mistakes-- I sure did." 

He offers her a small, reassuring smile. "It's all part of growing up. You don't have to feel ashamed because we love you, no matter what. That will never change."

Luke studies her for a moment, concern in his eyes. " But what made you break up with Casper? It feels like there's more to the story than you're telling us. "

Sierra offers a warm smile. "It's okay, sweetheart. Take your time. Whenever you're ready."

" I broke up with Casper because my best friend, Alexis, told me she saw him dating another girl while he was with me. At first, I didn't believe her. But then I saw it with my own eyes--he was kissing her, holding her hand. When I confronted him, he didn't even try to deny it. He just said, ' Fuchsia is my girlfriend.' "

Jewel swallows hard, her voice breaking. " He was cheating on me the whole time," she says bitterly. " I ran out of the cafeteria, crying so hard that I got sick. I locked myself in the girls' bathroom, throwing up because it made me so sick to my stomach."

She wipes at her tear-streaked face. " I was in there for over an hour before Alexis came to check on me. I felt awful, but once I could pull myself together, I went back to Casper, told him it was over, and walked to my next class."

Jewel's voice trembles as fresh tears spill down her cheeks. " I was depressed the whole day," she whispers, her shoulders shaking as she cries again.

"That son of a--" Luke mutters under his breath, his voice just loud enough to carry. His jaw tightens, and his fists clench at his sides. " Casper is about to get a rude awakening. I told him--if he broke your heart, it wouldn't be pleasant for him. No one gets away with hurting my daughter and expects me to be okay with it. No one. '

He pulls Jewel closer, his arms wrapped protectively around her trembling frame. Running his fingers through her hair, he whispers soothing words, his voice soft despite the storm of anger brewing inside him.

Luke doesn't care that his shirt is soaked with her tears. All that matters is comforting her, even as the thought of her now ex-boyfriend fills him with disgust. His mind races with the promise he silently makes: Casper will regret ever crossing his daughter.

Hearing her daughter's words made Sierra feel sick to her stomach. Overwhelmed with disgust, she rushed to the bathroom and vomited. After rinsing her mouth and taking a sip of water, she returned to the living room, her face still pale.

" I'm okay now," she assured Luke and Jewel. Sitting beside her daughter, she wrapped her arms around her as she sobbed.

"It's okay, darling. You're going to be okay," Sierra murmured pressing a comforting kiss to Jewel's head. " I know exactly how you feel. When I was your age, I thought I had found my forever, too---but he cheated on me, just like Casper did to you. I was devastated, just like you are now."

She pulled back slightly, looking into her daughter's tear-filled eyes. " But looking back, I see now that he wasn't the right one for me. Then I met your father, and everything changed. And here we are now---married, with a beautiful daughter who is growing into a strong young woman. You are the best thing that has ever happened to us. "

She kissed Jewel's forehead, holding her close as her daughter cried into her shoulder.

"You're going to be okay," Luke says softly, brushing a strand of hair away from Jewel's tear-streaked face. " There's someone out there for you, and we'll make sure he's perfect for you. I promise, no one will ever hurt you like this again. "

His voice grows firm, though still gentle. " Because if anyone tries, they'll have to answer to your mom and me. And believe me, I won't allow it. "

He leans in, wiping another tear from her cheek with his thumb, his gaze steady as he looks into her eyes. " How about I play you a song on my guitar? That always cheers you up. "

Jewel sniffles, managing a small nod as Luke kisses her forehead. " That's my girl, " he murmurs, caressing her cheek. " We'll get through this together."

I would like that. She says to her father, wiping her eyes and blowing her nose before going to the bathroom to wash her hands and splash water on her face and the taking a towel from the bathroom and wiping her face before meeting her father in his music room and sitting next to him on the couch in the music room. Texting her best friend Alexis to let her know that her parents said that she could come over later but if it was before dinner.

Princess, are you okay now? He asks his daughter Jewel while he was tuning his guitar. What song do you want me to play?  Do you want to hear Saigon?  Or Complete Mess? Or do you want to hear one of my songs off my Boy EP? It's up to you. He says suggesting a few songs for her to pick from. Waiting for her to choose.

Yes, I'm okay. I still feel sad though. Can I hear Shakes? It is one of my favorite songs by you dad. If that is okay with you? Maybe Complete Mess later, if there is enough time for you to play that song after you play Shakes. Alexis just texted me and she is eating dinner right now and she said that she could come over after we finish having dinner, she wants to give me a little more time because she knows that I'm feeling sad about the breakup.

Okay, so you want to hear Shakes. He asks his daughter Jewel, before strumming the chords to his song Shakes before starting to sing the first verse of his song while strumming and looking her it the eyes occasionally. His daughter joining in at times while her father sings, making it a beautiful duet with his daughter causing Sierra to go to his music room and listen to them sing the song together causing her to smile because she enjoyed seeing her husband spend time with their daughter.