Peace In An Unlikely Place - 6. Chapter 6 Goodbye's Aren't Forever

Two weeks had passed since the tornado had hit Hayward, leaving a path of destruction as it left and dissipated some fifteen miles away from town.

I had never seen a tornado before let alone experience one but the experience all but enlightened my outlook on life. I was prepared to leave Hayward, leave Jo. But after what happened and the way things went between me and him in the storm cellar a piece of me wanted to stay.

Eventually I know I had to leave, the outlook for someone in my career path was slim if not none and I was still aspiring to become a doctor, which would never happen if I stayed in Hayward. It made me sad to think about leaving him, leaving this man that I had come to know and trust since I crashed just outside of town.

I laughed at the memory. 'It was fate.' I thought to myself.

Jo knew I was going to leave, which made him enjoy our moment together even more. With the shop destroyed and no work needing to be done to my car since it was now totaled, the shop would easily take six months to finish. But on the brightside of things you may ask?

Jo finished the '72 Camaro, the only car to survive the tornado in the shop.

"It was my daddy's." He explained, I had asked him about it and he was all too willing to tell me the story behind it.

"My daddy got it when he was seventeen years old. Him and my momma used to ride in it out on Fort Street near the ole army base. He explained to me, when he left for me in his will, that driving that Camaro was like a freedom he had never experienced before. That he wanted me to experience that freedom once I fixed her up." Jo smiled at me and I grinned at him.

We were sitting on the steps to his house staring at the Camaro as her bright red paint flashed brilliantly in the sunlight.

"Then why don't you take her out?" I asked. I wrapped my arms around his and rested my head on his shoulders.

He nodded his head in approval. "I think I will, if I had a passenger to enjoy the ride with." He raised his eyebrows at me and I chuckled.

"Well lets go then." I said giving him a quick kiss. We stood up and walked towards the car and hopped in. Her leather seats felt fresh and new and the interior smelled like the inside of Jo's shop, which I loved.

He fired up her engine and it roared as he pressed on the accelerator. He smiled like a little kid as he held on to the steering wheel letting memories flood back to him. He put her in gear and we drove off down the gravel road. I could instantly feel that freedom Jo's dad was talking about, it was exciting.

We drove down old Fort Road and came up to a chain link fence with a bright yellow sign attached to it that was easily seeable.

"Authorized military personnel only, any violator's will be prosecuted to the full extant of the law." I read aloud as Jo grabbed a blanket out of the back, I grabbed his arm and he stopped midway out of the car door. "Were not going in there are we?" I asked a little scared.

He just laughed at me and closed the car door. I stepped out and watched as he spread the blanket out on the hood of the car and climbed up, resting his back on the windshield. He looked over at me and patted his chest. I climbed up and rested my head on his chest and he wrapped his arms around me.

The sun was beginning to set over the horizon and I began to speak but Jo cut me off.

"I heard you talking on the phone with Julie last night." Jo said still looking out at the setting sun.

Shit, I was going to tell him tonight but I wanted to wait till the best opportune moment. I guess now would be a better time than ever.

"I was going to tell you tonight. I just didn't want to hurt you." I explained hoping he wouldn't be mad.

"Jeremy I'm not mad, I just don't understand why you didn't tell me." Jo said.

"I just thought that if I told you sooner than you wouldn't want to spend time with me, out of fear of losing me." I explained looking up at him.

"Are you kidding?" He gave me a kiss on the lips and continued. "It would just make me want to spend time with you that much more."

"I don't want to leave you." I said sitting up and running my hand thru my hair, which I usually did when I was frustrated.

"I know you don't but you gotta leave, for you're future." Jo said sitting up next to me, he began rubbing my back which always calmed me.

"What if my future is with you?" I asked looking at him.

"You're not gonna be able to become a nurse here, you have to go to Dallas so you can start your new job and school." He explained.

"Then I'll relocate to Oklahoma City." I argued and Jo gave me a stern look.

"No, damnit. Why do you always have to be so stubborn?" Jo asked pulling me back down to lay on his chest.

"I can't help it, us Davies were stubborn people." I said tracing my index finger on Jo's chest. He grabbed my hand in his and our fingers intertwined.

"Things would be easier if you were stay, or move to Oklahoma City. But you can't set yourself back because of me, I wont let you." Jo said. I could feel tears start to well up in my eyes. Jo looked down at me and his eyes got soft.

"No tears Jeremy." He wiped the tear from underneath my eye. "You have to promise me something." Jo added stroking my cheek with his thumb.

"What?" I asked wiping a tear away from my other eye.

"You cannot cry when you leave. 'Cause if you cry then it will make it that much harder for me to let you go." Jo said changing his look from soft to stern.

I didn't know how I could promise him something like that but I nodded my head and he kissed me. I felt my heart skip and I kissed him more passionately and he grabbed my head kissing me back. All of these emotions in the air were making my heart jump and skip.

"Let's go back to my place." Jo said and I kissed him with agreement and we jumped off the hood of the car and into the Camaro. Jo punched it and sped off, completely forgetting about the blanket on the hood.

We made it to the house in record time and Jo opened the car door for me and grabbed my hand pulling me towards the house. We barely made it thru the threshold and he pushed me up against the door and kissed me pulling my shirt off in the process.

I grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head, letting it fall to the ground aimlessly. He grabbed my hands and I pulled him towards his bedroom.

I had never been in his bedroom before but as I looked around I saw dark blue paint and posters of cars and favorite bands and movies plastered all over his walls. It was a total guy room.

I kicked off my shoes and he pulled his boots off. He pulled me into another kiss and I backed up until I felt the bed hit the back of my knees making me collapse on the bed and him collapse on top of me. We both laughed and continued at slow pace as he unbuttoned my pants and stood up pulling the rest of the way off, boxers and all. He stared down at me and got on his knees taking my cock in his hands as he kissed my chest gently.

Jo kissed his way down my chest until he made it to my cock, he licked the pre-cum from the tip before taking my whole cock in his mouth making me moan loudly. He bobbed his head up and down paying particular attention to my tip, he knew exactly what I liked. I leaned up and began unbuttoning his jeans. I pulled down on them slightly and he pulled them down to his knees, not really caring about them but caring more about me. I laid back and ran my fingers thru his short, coarse brown hair.

Jo stood up and pulled his pants down the rest of the way and tossed them next to mine. I stared up at him for a second before he laid down on me. Jo's warm body pressed against mine felt so good. His rough hands ran up my legs, which were straddling his lower back and met with my face. He gripped my hands and held them above my head, intertwining his fingers into mine.

We kissed for what seemed like hours, but I didn't mind. Just having him here, this close to me was all that mattered.

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

I never felt a feeling more powerful then when I was kissing Jeremy just now. Our naked bodies pressed together, the warmth of his skin and the softness of his hands. It was pure magic.

We stopped kissing and looked into each others eyes. My hard cock was pressed against his ass slightly and grinned up at me. I knew exactly what he was thinking.

"Are you sure?" I asked and Jeremy nodded.

"If this is going to be our last moment together than I want all of you." He responded.

I kissed him, letting my tongue flood into his mouth. I reached over and grabbed the lube out of my night stand and lathered it generously on my cock. I tossed the bottle aside and Jeremy reached down, guiding my cock towards his hole, I pressed against it but didn't thrust any as I looked into his eyes again.

"Are you ready?" I asked, my heart was thudding so hard that I swear Jeremy could hear it. He smiled at me and kissed me in approval.

I slid my cock into him slowly, resisting against the pressure before all of sudden I felt a release and it slid in more easily. Jeremy let out moan and squeezed my bicep with an iron grip.

"Are you ok?" I said in a panicked voice getting ready to pull out, Jeremy shook his head and tightened his grip on my lower back with his legs.

"Yeah it's fine, it just hurts at first is all." Jeremy said kissing me. "Just go slow at first." He added and I nodded, I didn't want to hurt Jeremy.

This was my first time going this far with another man and it was all too perfect. I loved Jeremy more than I had ever loved another human being, besides my parents. I kept flashing back to the first time I met him and who I was. I was a scared, lonely nothing of a man and Jeremy changed that about me. Making me see more to a world full of such hate and fear.

We were both working up a sweat as minutes turned into a full hour and Jeremy spoke up with a slight moan.

"Oh-ohhh Jo.. I'm gonna cum!" He exclaimed. I pulled him into a kiss and he let out a loud moan as I felt loads of hot cum hit my chest. I felt his hole squeeze on my cock gently as he ejaculated which sent me over the edge and I began to quicken my thrusts slightly.

I was about to pull out but Jeremy tightened his grip on my lower back yet again with his legs and I let out a loud moan as I came inside of him. I collapsed on top him, sweaty and exhausted. I shuddered as the last wave of cum exited me and Jeremy started running his fingers thru my hair, kissing me on the lips.

We laid like that for a bit until I lifted myself of him and laid on my back pulling him into me, wrapping my arms around him. He laid his head on my chest just over my heart, I was still breathing pretty heavily from all the thrusting I did and Jeremy chuckled.

"What?" I asked looking down at him.

"You're heart, it's beating so fast." Jeremy said smiling at me.

"I don't see why it would be." I said sarcastically and I planted a kiss on his forehead.

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

Having sex with Jo was just how I imagined it. Before when we fooled around that was just it, we fooled around just blow jobs and jerking off. But this. This was something I had never experienced before. Sure I had sex with Gary loads of times but there was always something missing. That missing piece is what I felt with Jo. It was like a wholesome feeling that I had never felt before.

"I love you Jeremy Davies." I heard Jo whisper in the darkness.

My heart rose as I heard those words and I couldn't help but feel them also.

"I love you too Jo Jo." I said smiling. He laughed at the little pet name I called him and kissed me on the lips.

After a few moments Jo began to snore, I could hear the silent rumble in his chest and it made me grin. In so many ways I didn't want to leave him. He was everything that I wanted, everything that I hoped to be with someday. But he was right, I couldn't stay. I had to fulfill my goals and dreams of becoming a nurse. Who knows maybe one day I would see him again. Even though I doubted it but it felt nice to feel hopeful about something.

I saw the sun rise thru the window and let out a soft sigh. Two more hours and then Julie would be here, and I would have to leave Jo. This whole 'no crying rule' of his was going to be hard to keep. But I promised him and I couldn't cry, it would make him feel bad. I couldn't hurt this man.

I felt him stir below me and he kissed the top of my head stoking my arm with his hand. I was going to miss this so much when I was gone.

"Good morning sleepy head." I said chuckling a bit.

"How'd you sleep?" Jo asked stretching below me.

"I didn't." I replied.

"How come?" He asked looking concerned.

"I just couldn't sleep." I said.

"I got something for you." Jo said sliding out from below me and walking over to his closet. He was rummaging around on the top shelf and I reached over and smacked his bare ass with my hand. He turned his head of his shoulder.

"I'm trying to have a serious moment right now ok." He said, but he grinned and winked at me which made me chuckle.

He pulled down from his closet an old cigar box and as he opened it he looked up at me. "Close your eyes." He said and I did as I was told. I felt him climb back in the bed and he got behind me letting me rest my head on his chest in between his legs. I felt as he placed something heavy and cold around my neck.

"Ok you can open them now." He said. I opened my eyes and looked down to see a ring hanging from a chain just in my line of view.

"What's this?" I asked looking up at him.

"It used to be my mothers." Jo said grinning down at me.

"Jo I can't-" But he cut me off.

"When my parents died they left me a letter in their will. In the envelope they left their engagement rings. They told me that if I ever found someone that I truly loved, then I should give one of them to that person. That's you Jeremy." Jo explained resting his hands on my chest. He grabbed the ring between his two index fingers and flipped it so I could see the inside.

"There should be an inscription the inside." Jo said as I squinted my eyes to read what it said.

'No matter how far or how long, I will always love you'

I grabbed Jo's hands in mine and brought them to my lips. "I love you."

I felt Jo kiss the top of my head before he responded. "I love you too." I let out a deep sigh and sat up getting off the bed. I walked over towards my clothes and began putting my boxers on followed by my pants.

Jo got up and followed suit. He grabbed a shirt and put it on and quickly recognized it as mine, maybe he didn't notice but I wasn't going to tell him. He could have my shirt, I had nothing to give him and that was my favorite shirt. I reached down and pulled his shirt on smiling up at him.

Jo pulled me into a hug and we stayed like that until a car horn beeped that pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Time to go." Jo said kissing me on the lips. He grabbed my hand and led me of his room to the living room, where I grabbed my suitcase and Jo grabbed my duffel bag. We headed out the front door still hand in hand as Julie got out of her car.

She ran up and hugged me. "It's so good to see you." Julie said backing away.

"It's good to see you too." I replied. "Julie this is Jo, Jo this is Julie." I made the introductions as Jo loaded the bags in Julie's car. He walked over and shook her hand.

"It's nice to finally meet you. Jeremy has said lovely things about you." Julie said smiling at Jo.

"Likewise." Jo smiled back.

"Ok well I'll wait in the car for you. Don't be too long though, It's a long drive back." Julie said hopping in her car and thrusting her sunglasses on grinning like an idiot.

I turned to face Jo who was staring at his boots, hands in his pocket looking like he had just been scolded for something. I walked over and wrapped my arms around him. He reciprocated and leaned down and kissed me. I immediately started crying and held my head to his chest.

"You promised, no crying." Jo said resting his chin on the top of my head.

"I-I know, but I j-just can't help it." I said thru sobs. Jo grabbed the sides of my face and pulled me into a long kiss that seemed to last forever. When we parted hi wiped the tears from eyes with his thumbs and embraced me tightly.

"You better go. You got a long drive ahead of you." Jo said kissing my forehead and letting me go. "I love you." He said to me before I got in the car.

"I love you too, Jo Jo." I smiled faintly and I could see tears well up in Jo's eyes.

Jo and I stared at each other as me and Julie backed out of the driveway and drove down the road away from his house. Julie didn't say anything, she knew I was in pain. She was about to say something but I cut her off.

"Don't stop." I said thru tears and she nodded her head continuing our course. Once we passed the sign that read 'Now leaving Hayward' I lost it and began bawling.

Julie grabbed my hand and squeezed it tightly. I was so glad she was there.

"You love him don't you?" She asked looking at me. I just nodded my head and stared at the floorboard. I didn't know leaving Jo was going to be this hard.

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

Once I saw Julie's car disappear in the distance I began crying, I sat in the driveway and clutched my chest. There was a pain in my heart that felt as if it were breaking. I gasped as I felt pain for the first time that wasn't self inflicted. In many ways Jeremy had done so much for me, and I had done so much for him.

---- Two Months Later ----

I walked thru the doors of the ER and was greeted by Adam the Charge Nurse.

"Finally Jeremy you're here!" He exclaimed. I laughed and walked behind the nurses station.

"Yes, sorry I got stuck in downtown." I explained and Adam waved a hand at me.

"It's ok but we got bigger problems." Adam said a look of panic in his face. As a matter of fact he wasn't the only one. The entire ER was rushing around re-stocking items and frantically prepping.

"Did I miss something, was there a tornado?" I asked.

"No, MCI and all the patients are headed here." Adam said walking around the counter and retrieving a stack of Triage cards.

"How many people we talking here?" I asked wide eyed.

"Thirty maybe sixty people." Adam handed me the stack of Triage cards.

"Jesus was there an explosion!" I asked walking around the corner of the station and out on the floor.

"No, tanker versus cars on the freeway. One of them being a school bus. No matter what, kids get seen first so they get red tags automatically so their seen right away" Adam said walking over to help stack extra blood in the cooler.

"Help! Help us!" I heard someone yell, a woman and child came rushing thru door. I ran over and assessed the childs wounds giving him a red card.

"Ma'am are you hurt anywhere?" I asked looking at the superficial cut on her face.

"No-no but help my daughter she's really badly hurt." She said with a panicky look in her eyes.

"Hey we got a child over here!" I yelled and Adam and another nurse came rushing over. "Don't worry were gonna take good car of your child." I said as Adam and the other nurse rushed her and her daughter over to a nearby bed pulling the curtain closed.

I looked out the door and saw a crowd of people coming towards the hospital followed by five ambulances.

'This is gonna be a long shift.' I thought to myself and walked out the ER door to assess more people.

Nearly forty people later I was resting my head on my arms on the nurses station counter. Ten people died including the little girl I first triaged that walked in the door.

"You did good." Adam said resting his hand on my shoulder.

"Thanks Adam." I said. Adam was a good friend, me and him were pretty close and with the exception of David and Julie he was the only other person that knew about Jo.

"You miss him don't you?" Adam said noticing the look in my eye as I thought about Jo.

"More than ever, every time a country song comes on the radio I have to change it 'cause it reminds of him." I said laughing. "Pretty stupid right?" I added looking at Adam.

"Not really you're hearts just breaking, it's pretty normal." Adam said squeezing my shoulder.

"It's just so hard Adam." I said resting my head back down on the counter.

"Then maybe you should turn around." Adam said.

"How's that gonna help me right now?" I asked throwing my hands up looking at Adam dumbstruck.

"Hey Jeremy." I heard a voice behind me. I would recognize that baritone with a slight southern accent behind it. I turned around slowly to see Jo standing in the door to the ER. I shook my head thinking I was imagining things but Jo was still there, smiling at me.

"Jo!" I yelled dropping the Triage cards I was holding and running towards him. I jumped at him and he kissed me, I was so happy that he was here. My heart was racing a million miles a minute. The nurses around us were cheering, I hadn't even noticed they were staring.

"Ok people back to work, we don't pay you to sit around and do nothing. Well not all the time." Adam laughed as he ushered the nurses back to work. I heard some of them groan as they didn't want to miss Jo and I's reunion. I just laughed and Jo grinned at me.

His stubble tickled my face as he kissed me again and he held me so tight I thought I wasn't going to be able to breath.

"Hey Jeremy." I looked over and Adam was staring at me. "Go home you're shifts over." He added.

I looked at the clock and saw it was only 8:30 P.M. "My shift isn't over for another hour and a half." I said with a confused look on my face.

"Who cares, I'm the charge nurse I can do whatever the hell I want." Adam said laughing as he helped clean up blood off a gurney.

Jo and I walked out of the ER doors and put an arm around my waist.

"I don't understand, what are you doing here?" I asked looking over at him. He laughed and I smiled at him, I missed his laugh so much.

"Well after you left I decided to collect the insurance on my shop and I sold the house. I got a lot of money out of it." Jo grinned.

"But you love it in Hayward." I said astounded.

"Yeah I did. But I love you more, and anywhere you are I'll love just as much." Jo grinned kissing me on the lips. "Besides with the money I got from the shop and selling the house, I was able to afford a pretty decent house down here." He added.

I felt him grab his mothers engagement ring which was tucked under my scrubs collar. "You're still wearing it." He added smiling.

"I never take it off." I replied resting my head on his shoulder. He put his arm around my shoulder and we walked towards his Camaro which glinted in the setting sun out in the parking.

As we drove out of the parking lot and headed towards Jo's new place I couldn't help but feel everything was going be to ok. It was astonishing how just two months ago I had broke down just outside of Hayward, Oklahoma and thanks to a tornado that destroyed my car, I had fallen in love with this man sitting next to me. But between the both of us we had found peace in an unlikely place.