truly mine

010. is it over now

Steven

I groaned as I looked away from my sister. "You've got to be kidding me." If she didn't remember anything, there was no way in hell she'd remember Conrad essentially admitting his feelings for her. "Why? What happened? Where are Taylor and everyone else? Did I fall asleep or something?" Belly asked.

"Yeah, you definitely didn't fall asleep, but you probably need to after what just happened. You're staying with Taylor tonight," I muttered, making sure she wouldn't be anywhere near Jeremiah while he was still angry at her. Belly shrugged as she slowly stood up. "Okay."

I wrapped an arm around her shoulder and turned towards the front door so I could help her up the stairs to make sure she wouldn't get overwhelmed again. "Really, Steven? You're just going to overlook everything that just happened and not tell her?" Jeremiah asked angrily from behind me. 

I turned around and stared him down as I shook my head. "Not the time, man. We can talk about it more tomorrow... or whenever. All that matters is that everybody's okay. My sister really doesn't need this right now, okay? We should all just try to get some sleep and talk about this when we're not emotionally... unstable." 

Jeremiah

I shook my head in denial of what he was saying. "You're kidding, right? You're not going to tell Belly anything about what Conrad just did or how she just defended him when she should've been defending me?! They're acting like they did when they first hooked up and hid it from me, and you don't even care!" 

Steven whirled his head back around to glare me down a second time, but I didn't care if I was getting under his skin. The truth of the matter was more important than whatever he thought about it. "Shut up, Jere. I told you, this isn't the time. Belly doesn't need this right now. None of us do. Just go to bed."

"Stop saying you know what it is that Belly needs, and just let her decide for herself if she wants to know what the fuck just happened! It changes everything!" I shouted out in frustration. I heard a soft sigh escape Belly's lips about a minute later before she turned to face me. "Jere, whatever happened, can we please just leave it until tomorrow? I'm sorry, but I'm really tired, and no one else is even here. It can't be that bad. Please, can it just wait?"

I rolled my eyes but reluctantly gave a firm nod. Of course she'd side with Steven. Even though we've been dating for almost a year, she'll still always side with whoever opposes my opinion. I've always loved Belly, but the way she does that will never not piss me off. Why can't I just be the one she sides with? Before tonight, it seemed that we were both whole-heartedly into wanting to get married. But... if she's still defending Conrad in that same old way, maybe she doesn't feel like I thought she did.

"Fine, we'll wait until tomorrow," I muttered in response. Her lips slowly curved into one of those soft, kind smiles she always gives when she's tired as she said, "Goodnight, Jere. I love you." 

That comment sent every single calm emotion I thought I'd been feeling for a second disappear within the speed of light. My hands balled into clenched fists, and all I could see was red.

"Do you, really, Belly, or is that just your excuse from running back to Conrad? All this time, you've been trying to act so indifferent to him. Like you were the fucking victim in every single situation. You did it when you chose him over me, and you did it again when he dropped you. But you've always been in love with him, haven't you? You've said you loved me. You've always meant it. I'm not stupid enough to think that you don't. But you don't love me like you love Conrad, and you never will, will you? Have you ever even loved me like you loved Conrad?"

She stared back at me in awe. Her eyes looked distant like she was in a different world. Probably somewhere that she was fawning over Conrad. "Did you even hear a fucking word I just said?" I shouted angrily.