I slide into my, medium blue, jeans and throw on my burgundy sweater. I brush my hair and look in the mirror. I look like the same girl who had regular dates with Jere two years ago, but I've changed a lot. I put my brown glasses on and realize I need to clean the lenses. I do so and put them back on. On my way out of the house, I grab my big jacket as we're supposed to have a minor storm tonight. I say bye to my Mom, and I don't get a response. I don't say anything to Matt because I'm too scared of how he'll react. I mean I have the right to date whoever I want, but I think he'll be hurt that I knew about Carolina and haven't said anything. I mean I've only known since this morning, but still. This day has been crazy, it feels like it's going to last forever.
I pull into the grey home with the faded red driveway. I see the familiar bright green sports car pulled next to Jere's beat up truck. I turn off the engine and prepare myself for the night. I take a deep breath and walk to the front door. The Christmas wreath is on the door. I forgot that Christmas is only a week away. I knock on the door and hold tight to the, still warm, banana muffins I baked. Mrs.Taylor loves banana everything. Mr.Taylor opens the door with a big smile. He pulls me into a hug. It feels so normal. Him here, with them.
He yells to Jere that I'm here, and Jere yells that he'll be here in a second. I walk in and place the muffins on the marble counter. I run my hand across it. The kitchen smells like Thanksgiving, probably the chicken. I smile at the thought. I place my big coat on the coat rack and set myself down on the couch. Jere comes from the hall that leads to his bedroom. "Come here Livi." I get up from the couch and follow him down the hallway. I walk into his bedroom and notice the pictures. The pictures he was taking down the day I came here are back up. All of them. Even the one from the fair. I walk to the picture wall. Not all the pictures are from two years ago, there's also pictures from today. I guess he got them printed today, after he dropped me off. "Do you like it?"
"Yeah, I love it."
"I love you." I turn to look at him. What? I thought the other day when he said that he was just trying to make me happy. But this, this is real. There's a softness in his voice that tells me so. "I do Livi, I really do. That other day, I was telling the truth. I've loved you since the second I saw you. I lied about having a girlfriend and going to Disney. I had a chance to go to Disney, but I couldn't do it. It was our dream. We were gonna go together. I couldn't bring myself to go. And one day maybe we can go to Disney. But Livi... I don't let him continue. I kiss him. I want him to know that I'm here and will always be here. He's mine, and I'm his. Kissing him is like letting my true self out. The person I hid for two years, the person who will never stop loving Jeremiah Taylor. I feel the same sparks running through my body that I did two years ago. I pull away.
"I love you too." He smiles one of the biggest smiles I have ever seen. His arms swallow me as he wraps them around me. I have happy tears filling my eyes. A part of me has been waiting for him to say he loves me since the day I met him. "Jere?"
"Yeah." He says without moving me from his arms.
"Where's Sour Cream?" He starts laughing so hard.
"In the backyard." I slide out of his arms and go straight to the backyard. Well, not straight to the backyard. I grab my coat first then run to the backyard, and Sour Cream runs straight to me. I pick him up, and he licks my face. Then he starts barking at me. This dog has problems. "Looks like he missed you." He starts laughing. "Remember that time we threw him in the pool, and he couldn't figure out how to swim." I nod and laugh along with him. Mrs.Taylor opens the sliding glass door.
"Dinner's ready, you two." We both stand up and follow her into the warm house. "Are you two a thing?" She whispers into Jere's ear. I have good hearing so I hear her. Jere shrugs and whispers something I can't hear. Mr.Taylor helps me set the table. He then sits at the head of the table. "Livi, are you okay with sitting next to Jere?" I nod. She smiles a smile I haven't seen from her in a while. Jere pulls out Mrs.Taylor's chair, she says thank you and sits. He then runs over to me and pushes my hand off the chair and pulls it out himself, I say thank you. He then sits to my left. He puts his hand on my thigh and my whole body tingles. I love the feeling, almost as much as I love this boy. "Jere", his Mom says, 'your father and I have been talking. We want you to move back to Florida." My heart sinks. It sinks all the way to the center of Earth, then it burns because of the heat that's in the core of the Earth. It burns so bad. His grip on my thigh tightens.
"No, I can't leave, not again."
"Honey, I'm starting really strong chemo next week, and you being with friends can bring home germs to me. It's safest for you to go back to Florida." She looks at me. "I'm so sorry, Livi." I feel the water in my eyes but I blink so they disappear.
As soon as I find Jere again, he gets ripped out of my hands. I grab Jere's hand from my thigh and hold on tight. I'm losing him, again. "Mom don't you understand, Livi is my home. I can't leave her." I feel like I'm intruding. I shouldn't be here. But I stay still like a statue.
"Jeremiah, we're not asking you to move now." Mr.Taylor says firmly.
"How long do I have?" He asks with red eyes.
"It's back to Florida after Christmas break." So three weeks. Then I'm going to make those three weeks the best three weeks of our lives. Jere stands up and rushes off to his room. My insides don't want me to move, they just want me to crawl into a hole and cry, but I can't. Jere needs me.
I follow him into his room. He sits on his bed with his face in his hands. I don't say anything, I just curl next to him. He holds me tight and I hold him tight. He doesn't need me to tell him everything will be okay, because it won't. All he needs is my presence, and I can do that for him. He rubs my back and I rub circles on the back of his hand. I can smell his cologne, and it makes me feel safe, and like everything will work out.
Jere and I have always been comfortable with silence. But right now it's different. I don't know why, but this silence isn't the same as us just lying in silence. This is a sad silence. It's long before I fall asleep. Jere has always protected me, but this time I need to protect him.
YOU ARE READING
First Kiss, First Love, First Heartbreak
Romance*COMPLETED* He was her first everything, including heartbreak. She loved him and he left her. She was hurt and not to mention, broken. But what happens when they find their way back to each other? Can she love him again and forgive him? Will he make...
