Heartbreak Anniversary x Jeremiah Fisher (2)

Chapter Eighteen

As much as she hates to admit it, her friendship with Conrad has changed since New Year's. Angelina had set some boundaries between the two of them since she decided to speak to Conrad again. He no longer spends the night in her dorm or holds her hand. They don't spend twenty four-seven with each other anymore. Angelina had made a few new friends since Conrad wasn't hovering around her all the time.

A part of her missed it though, the comfort and security of Conrad always being around but Angelina realized it wasn't healthy for the both of them. It gave Conrad a sense of hope that she would someday see him as more than a friend and Angelina blames herself for allowing that to go on for so long.

"Lina," Conrad said, his voice cracking.

Angelina immediately turned to look up and saw that Conrad had returned and was standing beside her. "Con," she said softly. "What's wrong?"

"It's my mom-" he choked out.

Angelina's eyes widened. No. She had received a few texts from Belly recently asking her where Conrad was because Jeremiah needed help since Susannah was getting worst. But no one could ever really prepare for when it happens.

"V," Angelina said as she started gathering her things quickly and putting them in her backpack.

Victoria quickly did the same and nodded understanding. "I got my keys, let's go. I'll drive."

Angelina turned and softly placed her hand on Conrad's shoulder giving it a small squeeze. "Is that okay with you?"

Conrad swallowed roughly and nodded yes. "Thank you," Conrad said to Victoria.

Angelina and Victoria followed behind Conrad as he quickly rushed out of the library. "You going to be okay, the hospital, Jeremiah and Conrad?" Victoria whispered to Angelina.

Angelina nodded. "It's not about me right now, it's about the Fisher family."

~~~

Jeremiah sat in the waiting room bouncing his legs trying to calm the anxiety that was building. He watched as Laurel paced back and forth in front of him yelling at someone on the phone. He had been in and out on what had being going on around him that the words Laurel was yelling, Jeremiah hadn't even processed them.

It felt like time has stopped but everything around him kept moving. Jeremiah felt his throat tighten. This past month had been the worst. Susannah's temper had gotten worse. She would throw tantrums yelling at him and Laurel whenever they tried to help her with anything.

His mom was throwing up constantly and had gotten so thin her skin was clinging onto her bones. Jeremiah shuddered at the thought reminiscing all the late nights. Jeremiah had spent countless nights staying up to make sure his mom didn't get up during the night and left the house. The bags underneath his eyes had gotten darker from the lack of sleep he was getting.

"Jere?" Jeremiah snapped back to reality lifting his head up to see who called his name. Conrad was now standing in front of him in the waiting room. Jeremiah looked around, Laurel was gone. He didn't even notice when she left. Jeremiah assumed Laurel probably advised before leaving to wherever she went but he probably didn't even register when she did.

Suddenly the tightness in his body got worse at the sight of his brother. Jeremiah scoffed and got up walking to the other side of the waiting room. He didn't want to cause a scene at the hospital but if Conrad pushed him, he wasn't going to hold back anymore.

Jeremiah never did confront Conrad about the kiss he saw on New Year's. Conrad didn't return to visit back home until spring break and their mom's condition had gotten worse by then that Jeremiah didn't have time to be upset about something as petty as a New Year's kiss.

"Jere, please. Talk to me, how's mom?" Conrad pleaded as he walked closer towards Jeremiah.

"How's mom?" Jeremiah scoffed, his fist clenching against his sides. He couldn't believe Conrad would ask such a dumb question. Jeremiah turned to look at him. "If she's in the fucking hospital obviously not great, Con. But you wouldn't know anything about that, huh?"

He watched as Conrad flinched. Conrad nodded slowly and said, "I deserve that but I'm here now Jere."

"Here now?" Jeremiah said hearing his own voice grow louder. He felt it. The urge to go off on his brother was building. "What does here now matter? You should have been here weeks ago!"

"Jere," Conrad said, cautiously.

"I needed my brother and you weren't there! Do you know how hard it was? Seeing mom wither away. The light that she brought disappearing? Some nights I spent curled up in my bed covering my ears trying to drown out the tantrums she threw yelling at Laurel when Laurel would spend the night to help. While other nights when Laurel was back home, I spent wide away in mom's room making sure she didn't get up during the night and walked right out of the house because she no longer can comprehend where she was at," Jeremiah cried out. "But you want to know what the worse was? The worse, was looking into her eyes yesterday and knowing she didn't even recognize me anymore. That she had no idea who I was- that I was her son. All the life was drained from her eyes and I was the one to witness that."

Conrad trying placing his hand on Jeremiah's shoulder to calm him down. "Jeremiah-"

Jeremiah shook his head furiously slapping Conrad's hand away. "No! You weren't there, so don't you dare say you understand."

Jeremiah watched as Conrad took a step closer. He felt the lump that's been lingering in his throat get worse. His eyes began to water. He didn't want to cry. He needed to stay strong, for his mom.

Conrad looked at Jeremiah and wrapped his arms around his brother embracing him into a tight hug holding Jeremiah's body up as he felt it go limp.

"No," Jeremiah rasped as he tried to remove Conrad's embrace.

"It's okay now, Jeremiah. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. I'm sorry I wasn't here for you but I am now. Let me," he heard Conrad whisper beside his ear.

Jeremiah felt his shoulders begin to drop as if the weight was being lifted off. And for the first time in months, Jeremiah began to cry. He tried so hard to not cry these last couple months because he wanted to remain strong for his mom. He didn't want her to worry about him when she was going through so much worse. But having his older brother here, holding him up, Jeremiah felt defeated and finally felt like he could be a kid for moment. To finally have someone looking after him for once, instead of having to be the adult.

And for a moment, Jeremiah allowed himself to let everything go and cry in older brother's arms.

End of chapter notes:

Hello loves! Next chapter will be the funeral part only of the season two episode.

Hope you enjoyed.