Peace In An Unlikely Place - 5. Chapter 5 The Aftermath

I looked up at the ceiling and the roof was completely gone, I felt a squeeze on my hand as Jo was trying to gain my attention. I soon realized why when I saw a tractor sitting in his garage. The roof was caved in around it and half of it was sitting on his truck, which was severely damaged. My car was no where in sight.

"Well would you look at the luck." I said pointing at Jo's '72 Camaro that remained unscathed and sat beautifully in the corner of the shop. Jo grinned as he walked out into the main shop and put his hands on his hips shaking his head slightly.

"Can you believe this shit?" He gestured at the whole shop. "It's gonna take months to clean this up." He had an aggravated tone in his voice.

"Where's my car?" I asked. No sooner had I asked that me and Jo heard a scream outside followed by a crash. We ran out of the shop and I quickly spotted my car, on it's roof, sitting on the sidewalk of Main street. "Oh there it is." I said smart ass like as I walked over to retrieve items from it.

"Yeah I don't think I'm gonna be able to fix you're car now." Jo said laughing.

I rolled my eyes and looked back at him as I walked. "Oh ha ha, smart ass." I said.

I took in Main street and surprisingly most of the buildings still stood with the exception of a few, Jo's being one of them.

A woman was standing near my car a look of horror in her eyes.

"Is this you're car!" She yelled out at me.

"Yes Ma'am." I responded trying to open the passengers side door, it wouldn't budge.

"It came crashing thru the second story of my shop! Whose gonna fix this!" She was still shouting. I realized she was probably just still in a panic from the tornado.

"Well ma'am I ain't god so I can't control the weather. Sorry about you're shop." I said in the most un apologetic tone. She rolled her eyes and looked as if she was about to say more but Jo walked up behind me and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Is there a problem Miss Harrison?" Jo said in his baritone voice, I felt him squeeze my shoulder slightly.

"No Jo, no problem here." She said walking away.

"What was that all about?" I asked looking at him.

"Oh nothing, she's always mean to outsiders." Jo said staring at my car. "I'm sorry about you're car." He added. I just grinned and shook my head.

"Ah, she was reaching the end of her tether anyway. Sorry about you're truck." I said squeezing his hand. He looked over at his truck and shrugged his shoulders.

"Well unlike you're car my truck could still have gone on strong, but I can replace a truck this." He gestured at himself. "I can't replace." He added.

I tried pulling on my car door and I heard Jo laughing behind me. "That ain't gonna work." He shook his head.

"Yeah I can realize that." I threw my hands up, irritated before I pulled my leg up and forced all my weight into a kick that shattered the window.

"Nice." Jo said cleaning the excess glass out of the frame.

I put my upper body thru and started pulling stuff out of my jockey box. I took the keys out of the ignition and took the car key off the ring, tossing it aside carelessly. I crawled between the front seats and retrieved my book bag that now, laid on the ceiling of the car. I dragged it out and began climbing backward out of the car once I got my lower body out I felt a pair of hands wrap around my stomach and help me up. I turned around to see Jo standing there, I grinned at him.

"Thanks." I said patting him on the chest, letting my hand pause there for a second as he took it in his and gave me a quick kiss.

"How are you gonna get to Dallas now?" Jo asked as we looked at my car.

"I don't know. I guess I'll have to call Julie and David, have them come get me." I said and I saw Jo's face fall. "What?" I asked looking concerned.

"Nothing." Jo said squeezing my hand for reassurance.

I knew better than that. There was something wrong, Jo just didn't want to tell me. What was it that he didn't want to tell me? I looked in his eyes hoping for some truth to bubble to the surface.

---- Jo's Point of View ----

My shops trashed, my truck's totaled. Everything except for my house and Jeremy were still here, but not Jeremy for too long. I realized something I was holding him in the storm cellar. He was so scared and I comforted him, something I would never usually do. I began to think that maybe I liked, even loved this man, which scared me shitless because I've never loved another human being besides my parents before. That and I hardly knew the man which made it so much more confusing. The fact that he was going to be leaving made me feel the empty loneliness that I felt before I met him.

Jeremy was looking into my eyes. I knew he was trying to look for an answer for why my face fell at the hearing of his leaving. But I wasn't going to budge. I don't know for one stupid second I actually thought that the event that happened to his car might make him stay for a little longer. But he was still wanting to leave. Did he not like me back? He had to like me back, he holds my hand, he accepts my kisses and whenever I look in his eyes I see this hope in them. So what was it?

"There's something you're not telling me Jo. I can see it, in you're eyes." He explained.

"There's nothing wrong." I tried lying again but Jeremy still wasn't buying it. He shook his head and let go of my hand, rubbing his face with his hands and taking a step back.

"If were ever going to have anything happen out of this." He gestured between the two of us with his index finger. "Then were going to have be honest with one another." He folded his hands across his chest.

"What's the point anyways? You're still going to leave." I said throwing my arm in the air and putting my hands on my hips, turning my back to him.

"Is that what's got you concerned? Me leaving?" Jeremy asked taking a step forward.

"Is it that obvious?" I kept my back to him as I replied. I could feel myself about to cry but I kept it locked away.

"Why don't you want me to leave Jo?" He asked. I couldn't see his face but I could picture a concerned look on it.

"Because I like you!" I shouted turning to face him. Jeremy's mouth opened a little, a shocked look on his face. "And I thought for a second that you liked me too. But since you wanna leave then it's pretty obvious what the answer is there." I added.

I didn't know what was going on with me. I guess I felt betrayed that I finally found somebody that I could open up to and trust and he wanted to leave me. It was like I was destined to be alone.

Jeremy took a couple steps towards me and reached a hand out to mine, an apologetic look in his eye but I didn't want it at the moment. I pulled away and shook my head, turning around and walking off in the opposite direction.

"Jo where are you going!" I heard Jeremy shout after me. I was hoping he wouldn't follow. I just needed to be alone right now, and I knew exactly where to go.

----- Jeremy's Point of View ----

It felt like my heart was breaking as Jo walked away from me.

"Jo come back!" I yelled after him but he kept walking. I thought for a second that maybe I should go after him but I thought maybe he needed to be alone and thought otherwise.

I sat there alone next to my overturned car, feeling hopeless and like a total asshole. I had hurt him, the one man that actually liked me and was decent, wholesome and caring and I shit all over him.

I walked back over to Jo's shop and sat on the ground leaning against the partially collapsed wall. I liked Jo, it was pretty obvious or I wouldn't be feeling this. Or crying. Hold on a sec, am I crying over a man right now? I felt the tears roll down my cheeks as direct indication. I had never cried over a man before, maybe I really did like Jo. No scratch that, I do like Jo.

I got up and ran into the middle of the road. I could still see Jo faintly in the distance walking and kicking rocks as he went. I ran towards him, faster then I had ever ran in my life, tears still rolling down my cheeks.

---- Jo's Point of View ----

I began crying as soon as I left Jeremy standing there.

"Jo come back!" He yelled after me. It pained me to do this but maybe it's what I had to do. Leave him and let him go.

I felt nauseous again as I was flooded with emotions. I took a few deep breaths, I kind of wish I had my razor blade with me.

'No you don't Jo, stop thinking like that.' I thought to myself.

I continued taking deep breaths and the memory of me and Jeremy dancing in the garage rewound in my head and it made the nausea go away. I couldn't believe how happy Jeremy made me feel. We may have only met yesterday but I've felt like I've known him forever.

I looked at my boots and began kicking rocks trying to take my mind off of the events that just happened. Suddenly I heard someone yelling behind me, as it grew closer I recognized it as Jeremy's voice and I turned around to see him running at me.

"Jo!" He yelled at me.

'Run towards him. Go, NOW!' My thoughts yelled at me and I did as I was told as I started sprinting towards him.

We came together in a matter of moments and he jumped into my arms as I kissed him passionately on the lips, he was still crying and I set him on his feet wiping his tears away with my thumbs.

"I'm sorry." He said thru sobs.

"It's ok, I'm sorry I shouldn't have walked off like that." I replied kissing his cheek.

"When you told me you liked me I just got so scared, I didn't know what to say but I realize that I do like you." He continued to sob. I felt my heart immediately fluctuate when I heard him say that to me. He did like me. I grabbed the side his head stroking his hairline with my thumbs as I spoke to him.

"I know you're scared, but so am I." Jeremy nodded before I continued. "But if we stick together then we can both be scared, together." I pulled him to my chest and he chuckled his sobs getting lighter.

"Sounds like a plan." He said sniffing.

---- Jeremy's Point of View ----

I knew that I couldn't stay for long, hell even Jo knew that. But maybe a little while longer couldn't hurt. Who knows maybe Jeremy would be willing to come with me to Dallas. But I knew that I wanted to stay and get to know this man better, this man who got me to fall for him, in a matter of a day!

"How the hell are we gonna get back to you're place?" I asked.

Jo chuckled and I could feel his chest rumble as he spoke. "I don't know but.. We'll figure out a way." He responded. "Why?" He added looking down at me.

I just grinned and looked up at him.

"I guess you'll have to find out when we get there." I said winking my eye at him. Jo blushed beat red and scratched the back of his head.

"Does that mean what I think it means?" He said with that little nervous tone that was so adorable.

"Like I said... You'll just have to figure it out." I tested him backing away and grabbing his hands.

"Well why not just find out now. I mean there is an empty shop just over there and there is a bed in the back that I occasionally sleep on." Jo suggested grinning like an idiot.

"Hmm, take me away cowboy." I said. I hopped on his back and he caught me.

"Yessir." He said smiling. We both laughed as we made our way back to the shop.