What Connects Us: Jessica and Jeremy

Fragment Thirty

So this is it! The final fragment, I know some people don't want it to end but you can continue it for me! :p I felt like I've taken a bit too long with it for some reason :/

*

Jessica pressed on her temple and swallowed the rest of her coffee, not caring that it scorched her mouth and throat.

Jeremy appeared with his sweatpants on and a smile on his face. His dirty-blonde hair still unkempt from sleep. Hey didn't catch Jessica's sorrow expression but instead kissed her on her forehead in a tender embrace.

Jessica hugged him a bit more tightly than usual. He tensed as he felt her shoulders tremble, and he lifted her head up.

She looked up at him with tears staining her face while he replied with a startled expression.

"Jess? What's wrong?" he immediately said.

She shook her head. "Nothing," she replied.

"Jessica, what is it?" he said more sternly.

"Mark," she replied as she took a deep breath.

Jeremy winced at his name. "What about him?"

Jessica paused for a moment before recalling what he had threatened her with. She sensed his palms curl up in a fist and he soon punched the steel counter.

"Jeremy I know how much this deal means to you and to your father. He didn't send us to stay here for six months if it wasn't this important," she explained, placing a hand on his shoulder. He pulled away and covered his face.

"I can't believe you're even considering it," he finally spoke with a look of disgust on his face.

"Listen to me," she said as she grabbed his chin. "It's only going to be for a short amount of time, and I promise you I'll take good care of myself. You need this deal, Charlie needs this deal. After that I'm all yours, I'll still be yours."

He shook his head vehemently. "Screw the deal, I can't let you risk being with him."

"Jeremy I already agreed," she finally confessed.

His eyes grew wider and she turned her eyes upon noticing how furious he had become. "You what?" he spat.

"I already agreed," she repeated herself softly.

"So is this what it is about? Getting back at my leaving you?" he asked, pressing his palms on the countertop.

Jessica flailed her arms as she loudly objected, "How could you even think that!"

"Come on, you've liked him from the start," he replied.

"Because you weren't being you! And I was still in love with you, still am but if you don't believe me then tell because I'm just sick of those mixed feelings."

He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "I can't believe you."

"I'm doing this for you," she spoke more softly.

"Well I don't want you to do this, okay?" he replied. "I can please my father some other way but you can't just leave it at this."

She shook her head and massaged her temple. "My head hurts, I'm going upstairs," she whispered.

"Call him and tell him you've changed your mind," he said, but she went past him, looking away.

She walked up to her room, chewing her lip as she thought of some other way through this all. She pat her pants searching for her phone but soon realized she had forgotten it in the kitchen. She could hear Jeremy's voice as she approached the kitchen.

"Hey...Yeah I tried talking her out of it but she didn't buy it, as planned." he said. She cocked her brow in suspicion and pressed herself against the wall near the door.

"I think you came off a bit too much as a prick," he said with a soft smirk, but she could see a saddened expression on his face.

"She'll realize it wasn't really your true self talking to her on the phone, Jameson...yeah I'm sure I want to do this. I can't hurt her anymore...she deserves someone better than me," she put a hand to her lips as she tried to grasp what he was doing. Her heart was beating so loudly she was afraid it would give her away. Tears were at bay as she walked a step more towards the door to listen clearly.

"Just be good to her, Mark," he said. She winced at his name and a tear failed her, streaming down her face. She wiped a tear with the back of her hand as she tried to decipher what had happened.

So Mark's deal was all planned...and Jeremy was in it too...Jessica thought to herself.

She could sense his footsteps approaching the door so she straightened herself, wiped the tears and made up her mind. Jeremy didn't think he was good enough for her, but she did not agree. However she couldn't see him beat himself up and pressure himself to be the perfect man he promised her to be; she couldn't let him.

She pretended to be walking towards the kitchen, almost running into Jeremy.

"I forgot my phone," she said with a nervous chuckle, trying to ease the tension in the air. She hoped he hadn't realized she was listening all along but his face carried no such emotion. Jeremy handed her the phone, their fingers brushing through the process.

Jessica took a deep breath and tucked a strand of her behind her ear.

"Jeremy," she began. He looked at her with a mix of adoration and regret, and he couldn't hide it well.

"I'-Ive decided to continue with the deal; I'm not backing out," she said with a soft smile. Her voice almost failed her at being confident with her decision.

Jeremy nodded while wiping his face and nodded again. "I don't agree with it, but I understand," he said, and his voice failed him too. He pulled her closer and hugged her tightly, not wanting to let go. She pinched herself from crying. She loved him too much to let him torture himself over how good he would be to her if they were ever together. She did this for him, and he did this for her.

"I-I love you, you know that, don't you?" she said with a smile, her tears failing her once again. He nodded.

"I know," he said with nod. And her heart raced as he spoke the words she was afraid of hearing him say at this moment.

"I love you too."