Red had finally caved.
Kitty had come home with papers, her wedding ring still long gone.
Divorce papers. She was for real.
She remembered the color draining from everyone's faces, her father's eyes going distant. She remembered Steven grabbing her hand under the kitchen table, and rubbing soothing circles into her palm.
And then he coughed, and awkwardly told his wife that he would go see Dr Rondman first think in the morning. The smile that spread across the woman's face was huge, and Eric swallowed. "Thank God. We were all freakin', Dad. Thanks." He shook his father's hands.
It flipped her stomach how fast the turn around had been, her mother cooking them a big dinner. Then, one night, her father came home with a huge smile on his face.
"So, I've decided, that I'm leaving Bargain Bob's." He shocked everyone.
"Red, you need that job." She furrowed her brows.
"I got a management position at Price Mart."
Celebrating ensued.
Therapy had improved her father's mood increasingly as he went on, until Dr Rondman decided that he only needed biweekly sessions.
May came on quickly, and flowers blossomed out of control. Her allergies spiked. She didn't care, because she was happy. Her family was okay.
Eric and Donna were still happy.
Steven was off. It had been bugging her to no end, as she nonchalantly tried to pull it out of him, but to no avail. Their sex life improved.
He pulled farther away.
Eric wouldn't look her in the eyes, and she had tried to pry it from him as well, but again, failed in her attempts. She was growing frustrated.
Then it happened.
He showed up at the house.
Bud Hyde was in her living room.
And Steven knew he was in town.
That was what he was keeping from her.
She fought with him that night.
"Seriously, Steven? That was your big secret?" She asked him, hurt flashing across her eyes, bottom lip trembling. "Why is that something you would keep from me?" She sniffled.
"Doll, it's not that easy." He told her, blocking her from entering his room.
Neatly packed into his army sack were his clothes, cot folded up in the corner. "You're leaving." She whispered. "You're leaving to be used?"
It was his turn to act hurt. "What? Jackie, he offered up the room."
"How much?" She whispered. He shook his head. "It don't matter Jackie, he wants me again! In his house!" He told her. "Steven-"
"No, why can't you just be happy for me?"
"Because, Steven it's wrong. His intentions aren't what they should be-" She pleaded, following him up the stairs. The rain hit the side of the house.
The kitchen was crowded. "Jackie, drop it."
"No, Steven! It's not cool to just-just-" She cried. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Why aren't you happy for me?" He shot back. Everyone watched in silence. He gripped her hand. "Be happy that my Dad found me."
"You found him. If you didn't say anything to him, would you be moving in?" She sniffled. He dropped her hand. "He's using you, Steven." He got mad.
"If you were really my chick, you'd be happy." He fired back, making eyes widen. Her lip trembling made him purse his lips. "Really?" She scoffed. She took the shirt off that she was wearing. It was his Zepplin shirt. She threw it at him. "Jackie-"
"No, Steven." She spat. "Obviously since I'm trying to protect you, I'm not your chick."
He swallowed thickly. "We're really doin' this?" He asked. "My parents didn't treat me as a pawn to use, Jackie, I'm not you."
"Fuck you." She whispered, sniffling. He swallowed again, picking up his back pack. "If you leave, it's over." She told him.
It was a stupid request, she realized now. But she had expected him to walk back downstairs, for Red to tell him to stay. For Eric to do something. But everyone just watched, as he stepped forward, and kissed her on the lips. "Steven." She whispered, voice cracking.
"I'm sorry." He told her, his voice crackling, shades masking his eyes.
"Steven please don't." She pleaded, following him into the pouring rain, as it rolled down her shoulders, soaking her hair.
"Jackie, I have to." He told her.
"Steven." She pleaded.
And fuck, it just about broke his heart to see her like that, outside in her camisole and bellbottoms, her clogs clacking as she ran after him. Her shirt was soaked, and her tears blended with the rain as her mascara ran down her raw face.
"Please don't get in the car, we can talk about it-"
"You ain't happy for me? Reconciling with my Pa?" He asked, and she gave him a watery look of desperation. "I-"
"No," He affirmed, his face stony as it hd always been before. "You really ain't my chick." All his love washed away.
"Steven."
"Guess those last seven months were wastin' time, huh?" He asked. "Steven-" She pleaded. "That's how you've always felt though right? We weren't gonna last?"
She stayed silent, by now everyone was watching from the end of the driveway. He scoffed, getting in the car. His window down. "That's what I thought. You never loved me."
"Fuck you." She swallowed. "Fuck you, Steven Hyde."
"Goodbye, Buela." He told her, shades off.
"I hate you." She whispered. "I hate you so much."
"Yeah, well." He swallowed, shifting the truck in reverse. "I don't really care much for you at the moment, either."
His headlights peeled away down the street and into the rain. She stood there. She didn't know how long, but Eric was the first one down the driveway. "Jackie-"
"Fuck you, Eric." She told him, shying away from him. "You knew. You did nothing, you didn't even tell me." She told him.
"You're both being unreasonable." He told her. She shook her head. "Maybe so, but he still said all that shit right?" Eric was silent. "All those blows meant something." She sniffled.
But he was gone. He was gone for good.
And she didn't know if he was coming back.