Chapter 15: Heartbreak and Healing
******The Next Day******
Jason didn't make it back to his house until the next morning. He had driven Daisy home last night after their date, and she had so very nicely persuaded him to stay. The woman surely knew how to distract a guy. He had an article past due for the school paper, but he hadn't managed to make time to write it. Veronica had managed to get his job back after she forgave him. Now, though, he wasn't sure he could keep it. However, he wasn't complaining. The time he spent with Daisy was so worth it! He saw Eli sitting on their couch and waved hello.
"It's about damn time! Do you not ever check your damn phone? I've called you like a dozen times!" Eli yelled.
"What's wrong?" Jason asked in alarm. He'd never seen Eli so worked up before.
"It's your sister. The woman has lost her damn mind!" Eli exclaimed. "I think she just broke up with me!"
"What?" Jason asked. That was the last thing he expected Eli to say. "What do you mean?"
"I told you there was something up with her, and I thought it was the pregnancy scare but now I don't know! She's lying to me! I just know it! Doesn't want me to touch her? Since when? Your sister can't normally keep her hands off of me, and now she's acting like she's afraid of me. You need to go talk to her!" Eli said, talking faster than Jason had ever heard him talk.
Jason worked through what Eli said. "What pregnancy scare? And why is she afraid of you? What did you do?" Jason asked, taking a step toward Eli and clenching his fists.
Eli got up. "Don't you dare look at me like that! I'd never hurt your sister for anything, and if you don't know that, you don't know me at all!" Eli said angrily. "Friday, I walked into her room, and she was looking at two negative pregnancy tests."
"She's not pregnant?" Jason asked.
"No. She was pretty freaked about the possibility, so I chalked up her odd behavior the past week to concern about that. However, the more I think about her behavior and what went down last night, the more convinced I am that something else is wrong," Eli shared.
"What exactly did she say?" Jason asked in concern.
"She told me to get away from her. Not to touch her and that we were moving too fast. She suddenly needs space," Eli said grimly. He still couldn't believe it.
Jason frowned. "Maybe she just needs some space. Give her a few days," Jason said.
Eli took a step toward him. "No, damn it! That's not it! I know Jazmin, and I know she loves me. You don't take space from people you love for no damn good reason. We haven't been fighting. There's nothing wrong between us. You take space when your boyfriend is a jerk or acting like a possessive asshole. I've not done one thing to piss her off! Nor have I done anything to make her so jumpy and afraid!" Eli yelled angrily. He was so frustrated and so upset that he really wanted to hit Jason for not taking this seriously.
"You didn't see her after she lost her baby. My parents almost hospitalized her. She was a wreck," Jason said, grim at the memories. "If she really had a pregnancy scare, it could just be taking her to that dark place." His phone rang. It was Daisy. "Give me a second." He answered the phone.
"Jason, I need you," a tearful Daisy said.
"What's wrong, baby?" he asked in concern. She had never cried in front of him before.
"I just got off the phone with my mom. I guess they were calling me all night and my phone was off," she said with a sniff.
"What happened?" Jason asked.
"My favorite cousin, Delores, who goes to USC, died last night in a car wreck," Daisy shared. Then Jason couldn't hear anything because she was sobbing.
"I'll be right there. Give me five minutes," he said. He hung up and turned back to an impatient Eli. "I gotta go."
"Go where?" Eli asked. "You need to go check on your sister!"
"I will after I go to Daisy. Her cousin died. She's really upset, and she needs me," Jason said.
"Jazmin needs you!" Eli said in frustration.
"My sister is fine. She had a scare, and she's overreacting. Give her a few days. If she's still acting this way, I'll talk to her. I promise. But I gotta go," Jason said and was out the door before Eli could say more.
Eli had not been expecting Jason's attitude. He'd basically blew Eli off. Maybe Jason was right. Maybe the thought of being pregnant was too much. He'd stop by and see her before she left for school. If she was still acting crazy, he'd go see Veronica. He knew that Veronica wouldn't blow him off.
******Jazmin, Mac, and Parker's Place******
Dick walked into Mac's kitchen and saw a sad Jazmin eating a bowl of cereal. "What's wrong, Jaz?" he asked as he opened the fridge.
She blinked up at Dick in surprise. He and Mac had been here so little lately that she'd forgotten they could be home. "Just not been having good days lately," she said.
"Anything I can help you with? I'm a good listener, and I usually forget what people tell me, so you don't have to worry about gossip," he offered with a grin.
Jazmin gave him a sad smile. "I really think I'm beyond much help these days but thanks," she said.
"Wanna go surfing? It's the best thing to chase the blues away!" Dick said confidently.
"I don't know how," she remarked.
"I can teach you! Logan taught Veronica, and you're much more athletic than she is. I bet you'd be a natural," Dick said knowingly.
Jazmin looked bemused at the suggestion. "Isn't it a little late to be surfing? The water's cold," she said.
"The water is never that cold here. We can get you a wetsuit. I know just the place," Dick said eagerly. "Mac keeps saying she'll go surfing with me, but she's still traumatized from the last time we went with Wallace and Logan the summer before last."
Jazmin found herself considering Dick's offer. She needed a distraction. Anything to take her mind off the mess her life had become. Dick was the happiest-go-lucky person she knew. Maybe surfing was the reason. Then she recalled that Logan and Duncan surfed. Maybe not. However, she needed to do something. "Okay," she said smiling at him.
The kitchen door opened up. It was Eli. "Hey," he said, focusing his intent gaze on her.
"Why are you here?" Jazmin said frowning. She wasn't ready to go another round with him. It was too hard. Everything was too hard now.
"Why do you think? We need to talk," Eli said firmly.
She got up and put her bowl in the sink. Dick watched the scene unfold with wide eyes. Jazmin and Eli never fought that he knew of, but Eli was looking anxious and upset. Not an expression Dick had ever seen on him before.
Jazmin turned and faced Eli. "No, we don't. I told you that I need space. Please, give it to me," Jazmin said.
Eli reached for her hand, and she took a step back. "I mean it, Eli. I don't want to see you right now. I can't," she said, looking anguished.
"I don't understand. What did I do?" Eli asked helplessly. Dick felt for the guy. He often didn't know what he did either. Luckily, Mac usually told him. She wasn't like most girls because she never left him in the dark for long. It was the reason they rarely fought. She was the perfect girlfriend. Watching Jazmin and Eli, reminded him of exactly how lucky he was to have Mac.
"You didn't do anything. It's me. I'm not in a good place right now, and I just need some time," she said, a woeful expression on her face.
"Away from me? I don't understand, and I'm not leaving until you explain it to me!" Eli insisted.
Jazmin gave Dick a beseeching look. Dick sighed. This wasn't going to be pretty. "Dude, she doesn't want to talk to you, so maybe you should just go," Dick said stepping forward.
Eli gave Dick an incredulous look. "Mind your own damn business!" he yelled. He turned back to Jazmin. "Baby, don't shut me out like this."
Jazmin started to cry. She hated upsetting Eli. God, she was a horrible person. "I don't deserve you," she said. She turned around and gave him her back.
"Weevil, you should leave," Dick said. Now Jazmin was crying—he hated when chicks cried.
"I don't need you telling me what to do, Dick!" Eli said angrily.
Dick held up his hands, not wanting to fight. "Listen, she's upset. Maybe come back later this evening," Dick suggested.
Eli sighed. He was at a loss and didn't know what to do with her. He walked up to her and whispered, "I love you, Princess. Always and forever. No matter what. You can try to push me away, but I'll still be loving you. I'll be back." He kissed her cheek. He turned to leave, glaring at Dick. "Take care of her."
Dick nodded. When Weevil left, Dick asked, "Are you okay? Why are you breaking up with Weevil? What did he do?"
Jazmin turned to look at Dick, tears in her eyes. "Nothing. He's perfect. I'm the one that's horrible!" She put her hands over her face, unable to bear Dick's look of compassion. She didn't feel like she deserved it. She was hurting Eli simply because she didn't want to tell him what had been done to her. Everything was such a mess.
Dick went up to her and pulled her in for a hug. She was sobbing into his chest when Mac walked in.
Mac blinked in surprise at the picture in front of her. Her boyfriend was hugging an obvious distraught Jazmin. "What's wrong?" Mac asked in concern.
"She dumped Weevil, and she doesn't want to tell us what he did," Dick explained.
Jazmin looked up and wiped her eyes. She stepped back. "Nothing. He did nothing. Things were just moving too fast," she said.
"I thought the guy was the one that was so supposed to freak out about that kind of thing," Dick said, trying to get her to smile.
"Girls do, too. Did you forget Veronica?" Mac reminded him.
Dick grinned. "I told Jazmin that I'd take her surfing. It'll cheer her up. She's very athletic, so I'm sure she'll do better than you!" Dick told Mac.
"Hey, thanks a lot!" Mac said laughingly.
Dick gave her a sheepish smile. "You know what I mean! Will you take notes for me in mythology?" he asked Mac.
"Sure," Mac said.
"I'm not sure I'm up for it," Jazmin said, feeling too depressed to leave the house.
"No take backs! You can't mope in the house all day or go to class and not hear anything anyway 'cause you're too upset to listen," Dick said. "A day on the water will chase all your blues away! Guaranteed!"
Jazmin sighed, giving in to his obvious enthusiasm. "Fine. I'll go," she said.
Dick grinned happily. "We'll go to my place and get my stuff. Then hit the surf shop," Dick said eagerly.
"I hope you know what you're in for," Mac said to Jazmin.
She smiled wanly and wiped her eyes. "I'll go change. I won't be long," she said to Dick.
When she left, Mac went and planted a big kiss on Dick. When she was done, Dick asked, "What was that for?"
"You are the sweetest guy and the best boyfriend!" she gushed. "You surprise me all the time."
"She was just so sad," Dick said. "What's going on with her? Weevil was really upset."
Mac frowned. "I'm not sure. I haven't been home lately," Mac said.
"Well, you may want to take time to talk to her later 'cause girls don't break up with guys they love for no reason," Dick said. "Weevil must've done something really awful."
Mac had a hard time imagining that. Weevil hadn't looked at another woman since he'd met Jazmin. He adored her. Mac had a hard time picturing him doing anything to make Jazmin break up with him. First, Parker and Duncan, and now Jazmin and Weevil. She hoped nothing else happened.
******On Campus******
Veronica and Mac were in their mythology class. "I can't believe it's just the two of us today," Veronica observed.
"Where's Logan?" Mac asked.
"He said he had to go to Portland to meet with a potential client," Veronica shared.
"Really? He never mentioned that to me," Mac said.
Veronica frowned. "Well, then I'll be sure and give him the third degree when he gets home," she said. It'd been a while since she'd had to put the screws to him. She didn't want to get rusty. And if he was keeping something from her, she knew that she could find out. "What happened to Dick?"
"He's on a mission of mercy," Mac said, a note of pride in her voice.
"Dick?" Veronica wondered. "Do tell!"
"Well, I walked into my kitchen then morning to find Jazmin in Dick's arms," Mac shared.
"That's surprising," Veronica said. "What's going on?"
"Jazmin was upset, and Dick was being a sweetheart," Mac said proudly.
"That's not really a word I think of when I think about Dick," Veronica said.
"That's because you're stubborn and unforgiving," Mac pointed out. "Anyway, I guess Jazmin and Weevil may have broken up."
"What? No way!" Veronica said in disbelief.
"Dick said Jazmin was sad, so he offered to take her surfing. Then Weevil showed up wanting to talk to her. Jazmin told him to leave, that she needed space. She didn't really explain," Mac said.
"She's been acting distant the past two weeks," Veronica said with a frown.
"I've been away from the house so much that I hadn't even noticed," Mac said, feeling guilty.
"Something's going on with her," Veronica said.
"She and Weevil must not be getting along," Mac observed.
"I think Weevil would've told me if they were having problems," Veronica said.
The professor walked in. "I'll try to talk to him today," she told Mac before class started.
******Lunch******
Veronica was carrying her tray of food looking for a table when she spotted Duncan. She sat down at his table as he was finishing his lunch. "Hey," he said.
"I can tell you're overjoyed to see me," she observed, opening her drink.
"Sorry. How are you?" he asked.
"Good. How about you? I feel like everyone's getting the mopes these days," Veronica said. She bit into her sandwich.
"Well, I can't feel particularly sunny these days, especially when I pop by Mac's and find Piz so cozy with Parker," Duncan said grimly.
"Ouch! Sorry," Veronica said. She reached over and squeezed Duncan's hand.
"It was obvious that he'd spent the night. She's already letting him back into her bed! I still can't believe it," Duncan said in disgust.
Veronica didn't know what to say. What could she say? Nothing she said would change anything.
"Then Parker shows up and actually tells me she wants us to be friends! Like I can go back to that," Duncan said bitterly.
"You always could before. Both with me and with Jazmin. It just takes time," Veronica said.
"V, can we talk?" Weevil said, suddenly appearing at their table. He was in uniform, so he must be working on campus today.
"I'm done anyway," Duncan said. "Have a seat."
"Hang in there," Veronica said as Duncan got up. He nodded and left.
"Something's going on with Jazmin, and I have no idea what it is," Weevil told her.
"I've noticed. What happened?" Veronica asked. Weevil filled her in on what had happened.
"And just like that she tells you that she needs space? No explanation?" Veronica inquired.
"None. Well, she claims it was the pregnancy scare, but I don't buy it," Weevil said.
"I talked to her on Thursday, and she appeared listless and worn out. She told me she didn't have any energy, so I teased her about being pregnant. She got really upset. Almost in tears at the thought," Veronica said.
"I'm trying not to take it so personally because I know it really has less to do with me and more to do with what happened with that loser Joseph," Weevil said.
"True, but she was acting weird before then. That can't be the source of whatever's bothering," Veronica pointed out.
"V, I can't not be with her," Weevil confessed, looking sadder than Veronica had ever seen him.
"Hey, don't worry. Jazmin loves you," Veronica said, once again consoling a heartbroken male friend.
"So she says," Weevil said. "But I guess not enough. If the thought of having my baby sends her into such a downward spiral, what kind of future do we have?"
"There has to be more to this, Weev. I know it. I'll find out," Veronica said.
"Thanks. I appreciate it," Weevil said, getting up. "I gotta get back to work."
"How much longer are you going to keep working here?" Veronica asked.
"Until we make enough money to afford medical insurance at J & E. My grandmother will kill me if I quit a job with benefits," Weevil said, flashing a small smile.
Veronica watched him leave, determined to help him by figuring out what exactly was going on with Jazmin.
*****Happy Valley, Oregon*****
Logan paused outside the apartment building that Veronica's mom was supposed to be living in. He looked at the picture Weevil had given him. The car she was getting into matched the one in the parking lot. She was scheduled off today, so Logan had been hoping he'd find her at home. He had decided not to put off visiting with her. Logan couldn't be sure how Leanne would react to him or the idea of going back home. However, he thought it was better that he give her time to get use to the idea. Then he'd have time to prepare Veronica.
He followed a tenant into the front entrance and walked up a flight of stairs. He rang the doorbell to the apartment Weevil told him would be hers. The door opened. Veronica's mother stared at him in surprise. "Logan?" she asked.
"Hello, Mrs. Mars. May I come in?" he asked.
******Jason and Daisy******
Jason was at Daisy's dorm. She was devastated at the loss of her cousin. Daisy hadn't grown up with a lot of close friends. The presence of many cousins her age had never made the absence of friends strongly felt. The cousin who had died had been one of her favorites. Currently, she was on the phone with her mother, so Jason took the opportunity to call Mac.
"Mac, this is Jason," he said into his phone.
"Hey, what's up?" Mac asked.
"I'm with Daisy in her room. Her favorite cousin died in a car wreck, and she is heartbroken. I've been with her all morning. I need a few hours to get some things done, but I don't want to leave her alone. Do you think you could come stay with her until I get back?" Jason asked.
"Of course! I'll be right over," Mac said.
Jason hung up feeling relieved. He was new at being someone's boyfriend, but his years taking care of his sister had prepared him, somewhat. He knew that women needed somebody to vent to when they were upset. It was part of their process. Daisy ended her call and got off the phone.
"Everything okay with your mom?" he asked.
"She wants me to drive home tomorrow. We're going to fly to Puerto Rico Wednesday. The funeral will be there on Saturday. They're going to fly her body there in the morning after the police release the body," Daisy said.
"Did you find out what happened?" he asked.
"She was with some friends. She wasn't driving but obviously the driver wasn't exactly sober. He went across the lanes into oncoming traffic. It was a head-on collision," Daisy said, looking sick as she described it. "Mother said that my Aunt Rosa could barely identify the body it was so torn up." She started crying again.
Jason pulled her into his arms, stroking her hair. "I'm so sorry, honey," he said quietly. After a few minutes, he said, "I called Mac and told her. She's coming over. I need to slip out and get some stuff done, but then I'll be back."
Daisy replied, "I'm sorry for sucking up all your time."
"Hey, you don't need to apologize. I love you, and I want to be here for you. It's my job to take care of you. I need to leave for a few hours, but I won't be gone long," Jason said.
Daisy gave him a wan smile. He'd been so incredible. Never before had she had a boyfriend that she could literally cry all over. He'd been patient and understanding, and above all, kind. So incredibly kind. She hadn't realized how sensitive and sweet he could be. "I really appreciate you being here," she said softly. "I can't tell you how much it means to me." She rose up and gave him a soft kiss.
"I'll make arrangements to fly to Puerto Rico Friday, so I can attend the funeral with you," Jason said.
"You'd do that?" Daisy asked in amazement.
"Of course! I know you have a lot of family that loves you, but I want to be there for you, too," Jason said.
Daisy allowed herself a real smile since she'd heard the news of her cousin's death. "I love you," she said as she hugged him. Finally, she had someone; someone who would be there for her when she needed it. She hadn't realized how much better that would make her feel. Knowing he would be with her at the funeral gave her tremendous comfort.
******The Beach*******
Dick had taken Jazmin to his favorite surf shop and convinced her to buy a wetsuit and a board. He showed her the smaller pink board Logan had gotten for Veronica. She elected to purchase a sleek purple and black board. Jazmin surprised Dick by telling him that she was on the swim team her first two years of high school, so she was a strong swimmer. Dick was glad to hear that because it made his job easier.
So it wasn't much of a surprise that Jazmin was able to stand on the board the first time she tried. Dick couldn't resist knocking into her board and making her fall over. When she came up sputtering, Dick snickered. "Sorry! I couldn't resist! You were doing too well, and I don't want you to get cocky!"
"Not funny!" she complained as she got back on her board.
Dick gave her some instructions about how to ride a wave. Then he had her watch him while he rode an oncoming wave. Jazmin watched him and let the peace of the water wash over her. It was so beautiful sitting on the water looking out at the endless blue waters. She didn't understand how she'd been so close to the ocean but had spent so little time at the beach. Dick was right. The ocean was amazing, and she felt better already. Next to such power and beauty, she felt insignificant. For the first time in many days, her pain began to fade. The she decided to give it a try and paddled out to the wave.
As she rode the wave, awe filled her. She felt powerful as the water surrounded her. Suddenly, she lost her balance and fell over. However, when her head broke through the surface of the water, she felt reborn. Smiling, she got back on the board and paddled to Dick, who was smiling at her.
"You did it!" he exclaimed in approval. "I knew you'd be a natural! Isn't it the most awesome thing ever?"
Jazmin smiled. "Yes, it really is! Thanks for showing me," she told him.
"Come on! Let's ride another one!" Dick said eagerly, paddling out.
Jazmin followed him, happy to finally find something that chased away the darkness.
*****Chapter End*****