Stars Around My Scars - Conrad Fisher

16. Shattering Shell

"Mack, hey, are you okay?" Conrad asks, seeing my tear.

"Oh um, I-I'm fine." I say. I look down and Conrad closes the door and comes and sits at the edge of the bed with me.

"Mack, tell me what's wrong. Was it the conversation downstairs?" Conrad asks.

"I-it's just-" I sniffle. "Almost everyone's dad is going to be here and it had me thinking about what a shitty life I'm going to have." I say. My voice breaks and another tear falls.

Conrad wraps his arm around my shoulders. "Hey, why would you think that?" Conrad asks.

"Conrad, is it not obvious, my parents are fucking dead. My kids won't be able to celebrate grandparents day. I can't celebrate mothers or Father's Day anymore. Fuck, even the Fourth Of July is ruined." I say, starting to cry. Conrad hugs me and I hug him back. I cry into his shoulder. The shell that I've been hiding in is breaking, is shattering.

"Shhhh, you're okay." Conrad says. "Everything is going to be fine." He rubs my back and I start to relax in his arms. I just lay my head on his shoulder while he rubs circles on my back.

After a few minutes, I start talking, "Thank you so much, Conrad." I say. "You don't understand how much I needed that."

"Hey, it's no problem. Don't think that you're the only one." He says. We sit there for a while in silence, just enjoying the hug and enjoying each other's company.

Then the doorbell rings and we both jump. "Shit." I say. Conrad chuckles a little. I look at Conrad. "Does it look like I just had a meltdown?" I ask.

"Nope." Conrad says.

"Okay good, now let's go look at Belly's step mother." I say.

"Okay, let's do it." Conrad says. He gets up first and then helps me up.

We both walk downstairs to the door. "Here comes the bitch." Belly says. Then the door opens and this young woman who looks like she's 18 walks in.

"Holy shit." I hear Jeremiah mutter.

I look at Conrad and he looks at me. Definitely not who we were expecting.

"Come give your old man a hug." John says. Belly and Stevie go hug him and I fell my heart shatter into many different pieces. Then I feel someone grab my hand and squeeze it. I look next to me and see Conrad. He gives me a small, comforting smile. I give him a sad one back.

"Vic and I decided to stay in town this weekend." John says. "We figured you guys had a packed house with Mackenzie being here." He says.

"Are you sure?" Susannah asks.

"Whatever you think is best." Laurel says.

Then the doorbell rings. "The debs have arrived." Laurel says.

Conrad and Jeremiah leave to the back with the pool and food. I follow them.

"Hey, why aren't you greeting the girls?" Jere asks.

"Um, we don't really, uh, get along too well." I say.

"Oh, I didn't know that." Jeremiah says.

About 20 minutes later, I ready to just leave. I'm just relaxing on a lounge chair by myself when I see Conrad and Nicole in the pool together. Conrad is all over Nicole.

I just lay in the lounge chair for an hour and watch Conrad. I bet Nicole doesn't cry in his arms. Nicole isn't broken like me, she has parents, and she has confidence.

I go inside to escape the heat so I sit down at the bar and drink some water. Victoria, Belly, and Jeremiah walk in and make pomegranate margaritas. Then Victoria leaves.

I kinda zone out for a bit. Then Conrad walks in. "Well hello." He says.

"We're making pomegranate margaritas but with a twist." Belly says.

"Well we have to use the good blender that dad hates." Conrad says. He's actually really smiling.

"Won't he be mad if he finds out?" Belly asks.

"Stupid question. He won't find out if he's not coming." Conrad says. He smirks and pours some alcohol into the blender. Then he mixes it up. "You know what I miss?" Conrad asks, a smile on his face.

"What?" Jere asks.

"Watching Laurel put Dad in his place." Conrad says. "She'd be like-" Conrad clears his throat and mocks a yelling old woman voice. "Adam!" He says. I start dying laughing. Conrad smiles at me.

"Adam!" Laurel says. I see Adam Fisher walk in.

Conrads smile drops.