Shots Fired (Jeremiah Fisher)

Shower Love

"Conrad!" I scolded. "You do not get to bring him up right now!"

"I wasn't there, but I'll be there now!" Jeremiah said.

Belly began to walk away and Conrad followed after her, begging for her to stay. I was left with an angry Jeremiah who wouldn't even look at me.

So much for a perfect night.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there." He said, still looking to the side of him.

My shoulders slumped and I used my two fingers to set his jaw in place so that he would look at me. "You don't have anything to apologize for, Jeremiah. I'm the one that's sorry, I should've told you about Conrad. I just wanted to protect your feelings."

"I'm so sick of everybody trying to protect me from everything, Angel," he swallowed hard. "I'm not a baby that needs coddling. Whatever you feel like my reaction will be, be fucking honest with me. As someone who loves me, just tell me the truth."

I nodded. "I will, I'm sorry."

He brought his hand to my cheek and I used my hand to hold it there. I closed my eyes when the warmness came in contact with my skin.

"I should've been there for you. Through everything. I feel like an idiot, Angel."

My eyes opened to a face of regret. I hated that even after starting our relationship, he still felt guilty for the past few years. Yes, we're gonna have to work through that, but I know we can. I know that eventually those cruel Winters will be something we laugh about together. But I needed him to know that I didn't hold it against him anymore.

"Jere, we can't dwell on our past mistakes. It happened, it's over. It's me and you now. And that's all that matters."

His other hand found my cheek as well and he pulled me into a soft kiss.

"I'm so happy to hear you say that. I promise I'll do whatever it takes to make things up to you."

"You're making it up to me right now just by being here and being you." I assured him.

"I love you, Angel."

"I love you, Jeremiah."

~

I rode home with my mother in Steven's car that he let us borrow, claiming he was doing something with Shayla and wouldn't be home until later anyway. As we began to pull off, I wondered how my my mom was doing and how she was taking things about my dad.

"Are you okay, Momma?" I asked her.

"I'm okay, darling." She said with her eyes glued to the road.

She steered with her left hand while her right arm sat on the middle console. I grabbed her free hand and sent her a smile to which she briefly sent one back before turning her attention back to the road.

"We'll get through this together."

"We will," she paused. "But, Angie, I don't want you to hate your father."

"Too late." I deadpanned.

"He's still your father." She reasoned.

"He's your husband.. and he didn't seem to care about that." I shrugged.

She sighed deeply. "He hurt me, Ange, but what he did was only wrong to me."

"No, he ruined our family. And I don't care if it has nothing to do with me, he hurt you. That's why I hate him, because he hurt the most important person in my life."

I saw my mom bite her lip and a tear slide down her cheek. I went to wipe it and then the others that started to fall.

"Momma, don't cry." I pleaded.