The Summer We Met

13

*this chapter talks about abuse and miscarriages so if these trigger you, please do not read this chapter*

*10 years later*

Third Person POV:

...

Leah is now 26 and doing great. She still goes to the beach house every summer and everyone is still really close to everyone. She has a great job in New York as a Therapist, a nice cozy apartment, a nice boyfriend, and even a kid. Well the kid is her dog, but she treats him like a kid. Her and her boyfriend have been together for two years, they have discussed have babies briefly. But she still thinks it's too soon, mostly because she still has hope that one day Jeremiah will get his act together and they'll start a family. She knows it's bad, but there is still apart of her that wants Jere to be her forever.

It's almost summer time and this year her boyfriend is coming to the beach house. Susannah and Laurel are staying together in Boston, so they are taking Susannahs room. Everyone has already met Avery, her boyfriend, and they all get along great. Even Jeremiah likes him, even though he wishes it was him who got to hold her whenever he wanted.

Conrad and Belly are still together. And Steven is married to his wife Shayla. Steven and Shayla have a 3 year old baby girl named Lilah, she's gorgeous and everyone absolutely adores her.

...

I'm sitting at work bored out of my mind, my last client before my summer break starts should be here in about an hour, and I have nothing else to do. I started planning all the places I wanted to show Avery. All of a sudden my phone started buzzing on my desk. It's Avery.

Phone call POV:

L: Hey babe, how's work?

A: it's good, do you got a minute?

L: yeah, what's up?

-he pauses for a minute-

L: Avery, what's going on?

A: I was at home on break and I found a necklace it had an L and J engraved on it.

L: Babe, that's just a necklace Jere gave me years ago.

A: Are you sure nothing else is going on?

L: nothing else is going on, I promise.

A: ok, I'll see you tonight, my love.

L: see you tonight.

-he hangs up-

Leah's POV:

I sat my phone down and looked at the time on my computer, 30 more minutes of sitting here. I decided to do some paper work that I was planning on doing later.

"Have a good day, See you next time!" I walk back into my office after my last client and start packing up my things to leave for the summer. I headed to the parking garage and got into my car and drove to my apartment. Avery was already home and in the shower, I decided to scare him and draw a message on the fogged up shower glass. "I'm watching" it read and I started giggling as he jumped back almost falling down. "Leah McKay!" He shouted as the water turned off and I sprinted into our room slamming the door shut.

"Come on, open the door!" He pleaded, for the hundredth time. "Nope, you have to promise you won't hurt me first." I got up and put my ear to the door list to his mumbles, which were probably mean comments. He said he wouldn't hurt me and then I opened the door and he grabbed me and tackled me onto the bed. After a while of him tickling me and me crying while laughing he got up to get dressed for bed. "Avery" I looked up at him as he stood in front of me while I sat on the bed, "Leah" he said in response. "I just want you to know that necklace was just a gift for my birthday, it didn't mean anything more than that." I reassured him about the phone call from earlier. He just nodded his head in response and kissed my forehead. Only one more week and we'll be on our way to the beach.

We snuggled into bed and talked for a while until my phone started buzzing. Conrad was calling. It's 11:30 at night, why is he calling me? I picked up obviously knowing something had to be wrong for him to call me this late. "Connie? What's going on?" I heard him sniffling on the other end. "Leah, I can't find Jeremiah. I'm scared he doesn't do this. He hasn't answered my calls in 3 days, I went to his house and he wasn't home, called his job and he hasn't been there for four days. I'm sorry but I didn't know who else to call." He was now crying. Which makes me get up and start pacing, Avery watching me with a worried look. I must've started crying because Avery got up and started wiping my tears. "Let me try calling him real quick, Conrad. It's going to be alright, we'll find him." I reassured him. I hung up and searched for Jeremiah's contact while shaking.

I couldn't see because I was crying so hard, so Avery took my phone and called Jeremiah's phone. He answered, and Avery handed me the phone. "Jeremiah Fisher, where the hell are you?" I demanded as soon as I put the phone to my ear. He didn't answer. "Jeremiah, if you don't tell me where you are right now, I swear to the lords I will hunt you down." I was crying and shaking as I spoke into the phone. "I'm at the beach house" was all he said before hanging up. I looked at Avery, a hurt and worried expression pasted onto my face. He pulled me in and I pushed him away rushing to grab my keys.

"Leah, where are you going?" Avery said with a tired voice. I didn't even stop to answer him, I rushed out of the apartment complex and into my car. I started driving the familiar way to the Fisher beach house. Avery kept calling but I was already speeding down the interstate and didn't want to break two traffic laws at once. It's a 2 hour drive to the house. Once I made it there, thankfully not getting pulled over, I rushed into Jeremiah's room to see him laying there asleep. I spare no sympathy and shove his arm to wake him up. "What in the ever loving fuck is wrong with you, Jeremiah. Conrad is worried sick. And I should be asleep because it's 3 am, but no I had to drive all the way here because you disappeared." I yelled, not even thinking to ask him what was wrong. Until I looked up and he was crying. Not just little tears, he was full on sobbing. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have disappeared. But I needed to be away from her." He said in between sobs. Her? Who's her? "Jere. Who are you talking about?" I asked.

"My girlfriend. She had a miscarriage and blamed me for it. It happened a month ago and she's been hitting me and fighting with me ever since then. I'm scared to go home, Bean." He was shaking and all I could do was pull him in and hug him tight. Who would ever think about laying a hand on Jere, he's the sweetest person I've ever met. I've always thought of him as a golden retriever cute and cuddly. But some people are just cruel enough to hurt anyone.

"I'm here now, Jere. I won't let anyone hurt you anymore." Is the last thing I say before we lay down. Me holding him tight, scared someone will hurt him, my person.

...

I probably won't be updating a lot this week because we have an event at my job so we'll be very busy and I'll be tired.

Also feel free to use my comments as a safe space. I've been going through a hard time and don't really have anyone to talk to and I know others might feel the same so if you want to just rant, feel free :)