truly mine

003. love, loyalty

Belly

Jere and I left the house to go to party city twenty minutes after Conrad told us he was leaving, and by the time we got back, he was long gone. I couldn't help but keep wondering why he was acting so strangely.

He acted strange and distant any time Jere and I were together around him. I know that Conrad used to love me, but it's all in the past.

Jere and I have been together for an entire year, and it's been over a year since Conrad told me he still cared about me and then took it all back the next morning at the motel.

There's no possible way Conrad hasn't moved on.

I mean, come on, it's not like he ever really loved me that much. I'm sure he did when we were dating. But he doesn't now. Maybe he even has a girlfriend out in California. She probably has long blonde hair and a deep tan from the sun.

Jere and I had been back from party city about ten minutes when Steven and Taylor waltzed in the front door. They were play fighting and smiling at each other like the biggest idiots in the entire world.

Even though they'd been together as long as Jeremiah and I had, it was still foreign to me. I'd really only seen them together last summer and over a few breaks. Other than that, Steven was at college, and Taylor and I had been finishing up our senior year.

"Belly!" Taylor exclaimed as soon as she saw me. She ran over and engulfed me in a ridiculously tight hug. "Oh my god, you just saw me last week. You don't have to strangle me to death!" I giggled.

Taylor rolled her eyes and pulled back. "This summer is going to be the best, Cinderbelly! It'll be like the week here last year... without the family drama, I hope," She said, muttering the last part.

I shrugged. "There's no family drama here." Steven hugged Jere and they talked for a few seconds before he asked, "Hey, man, where's Conrad?"

Jere stared at the floor. "Yeah... Um, he kind of took off a few hours ago. He said he's leaving for a few days, but he'll be back next week."

"What? Why?" Steven asked with a frown. Jeremiah rolled his eyes. "I don't know. For some lousy unknown Conrad reason. Buuuut, we're still having the party. Bells and I got everything from party city and picked up some drinks from Jumper on the way home."

Taylor nudged me with an intuitive smile. "Aww, Jellyfish is having their own moments in Cousins again. Now this is what I'm here for!"

Taylor

Steven looked at me with doe eyes and a quivering lower lip. "Aww, come on, Tay Tay, you're not here for me?" He asked.

I rolled my eyes and smiled. "Obviously not. I'm here to make sure my last summer before college is the best one yet. Come on, Steven. There are more things to life than romance," I said with a sly smile.

He grinned and chuckled knowing, if anything, that was the biggest lie I'd ever said. "Ahh, okay, Tay Tay. Whatever you say. Whatever you say."

Belly forced a small fake smile and pulled me away from the boys and into the living room. "Hey, so, I-- uh-- got a text from Nicole while Jere and I were at party city and she said that Shayla's coming to the party tonight. I just thought you should know since things got... complicated when he was dating her."

"Okay," I said with a shrug. Belly frowned. "You're not nervous or anything?"

I shook my head and rolled my eyes. "Girls like that don't make me nervous, Belly. Steven and I have been dating for a year. He moved on a long time ago. Nothing's going to happen. Besides, I'm sure Shayla's moved on to some filthy rich guy from the club by now anyways. I should probably tell Steven she's coming, though."