truly mine

014. stranger

Conrad

After a while of just standing there in silence, Belly's eyes drifted in my direction. "I'm sorry you had to be here for that." I shook my head. "It's-- It's okay." 

Her eyes softened like a doe's. "But it's not. I should've remembered what happened last night. We wouldn't have had to go through all of this. We could have just talked about it."

"It's not like Jere would have been calm enough to talk to you about it, Belly. Steven told me about how he was acting last night after I left. I don't think there's any other way it could've gone between the two of you after how he treated you and what he said to you last night," I said as rage soared through my veins. I was still angry, exceptionally angry about what he had said to her. Last night and just then.

A light laugh came from her mouth. "I wasn't talking about me and Jeremiah, Conrad. I was talking about you and me. If he hadn't gotten angry at me, I would have gone after you. I didn't want things to end the way they just did. I just... think it's beyond repair right now."

Steven

As Taylor and I walked out of Belly's room, we heard breaking glass from Jeremiah's room and ran downstairs. Taylor and I looked at each other immediately, knowing some sort of shit had just gone down. We ran into the kitchen where I had left Belly and Conrad, and they were looking at each other intensely. I felt as if I'd just walked in on something I wasn't supposed to, but I couldn't help saying what I said. 

"Okay, would someone like to inform us on what the fuck just happened?!"

They both stood there in silence, looking at the floor. Belly looked as pale as a ghost, and Connie looked like he was in a whole other world. He finally blinked and blankly said, "Jeremiah just... got angry at Belly. They got into a fight."

I looked at my little sister up and down, waiting for some kind of confirmation or clarification. When she didn't say anything, Taylor walked up to her and look her hands into her own and looked directly into her eyes. "Belly, what did Jeremiah say to you?"

"He-- He broke up with me," Belly said with no emotion. "Did I just hear you right? 'Cause If I did, I'm about to go beat his ass into the ground--" I started to growl before Taylor stopped me. "Steven, just give her a second, okay? It's her decision how this is going to flesh out."

I squinted and wearily nodded. "Fine. Belly, how are you feeling about all of this?" She shrugged and sighed. "I... don't really know. I thought Jeremiah and I were going to be on good terms this summer, but it all just went to crap, and he blamed everything on Conrad. He couldn't even admit his own mistakes. He kept saying that he was the one I chose in the first place and not Conrad. It's like he wanted to rewrite his own story."

"Oh boy," I muttered, slowly turning to look at Conrad, "and you were here for all of this?" He nodded miserably. "Yeah. I think it's best if Jere and I spend some time apart. Maybe I should head back to California for a few weeks and get some sort of job there. It would make things easier around here for the rest of you."

Conrad

Belly's head snapped up at that remark and she stared daringly at me. "No, you can't go." I sighed remorsefully and said, "Belly, it's better if I do. Then you and Jere can work things out, and I can just stay away from the two of you. It's a better idea than me hanging around all summer where I'm not exactly... wanted by him."

"I don't want to work things out with Jere," Belly said with a tilted head. "I don't want to be his enemy or someone he hates or anything. I just don't want to get back together with him. That doesn't mean you should have to leave. None of this is your fault, Conrad." 

I unconsciously took a step closer to her, wanting to wrap her in a hug tighter than I realized. I felt my lips melt into a soft smile. "That's nice of you to say, Belly, but it is my fault. I should've just said I didn't have feelings for you last night. Then none of this would have happened."

Steven

As soon as Conrad started looking at Belly in that specific way, Taylor slowly and softly took my hand into hers from behind and whispered into my ear. "We should go. This is a private conversation."

I nodded and followed behind her. "Should we go after Jere?" I asked softly. She shook her head. "I'm sure Belly and Conrad will decide what they're going to do about it together. He hasn't even actually admitted his feelings to her face yet, and if he doesn't, it won't be a big deal."

Belly

My chest started to physically hurt after hearing him say he shouldn't have said he had feelings for me. I shakily said, "You didn't even say that you had feelings for me, Conrad. I don't even know if you do. It's not really my business anymore... and that's why I'm telling you this wasn't your fault. After what happened at the pool the other night, I knew something was going to happen between Jeremiah and I this summer. I just didn't want to admit it."

Conrad

I didn't know what to say to that. I didn't know how to just tell her I had feelings for her. I couldn't. Not after what had just happened with Jere. It had to be different this time. We couldn't relive our past. We couldn't just be together after everything that had just happened.

I closed my eyes and squeezed them as tight as I could, hoping to think about anything other than what was right in front of me. We would work it out. Belly was still my girl. I knew that for sure. I just didn't know when we'd be okay to be together again.

Belly

He looked pained as he shut his eyes and took deep breaths in and out, and I was afraid he was going to have another panic attack. I took a deep breath in and took baby steps towards him until I was closer than I'd been in months. I reached out my hands and touched his shoulders. "Conrad, it's okay. Just breathe."

His eyes flew open, and he just stared at me. We kept intense eye contact for what seemed like an hour. I didn't know what to say. I don't think that he did either. For a very, very long time.

Conrad

I stared into her beautiful eyes and smiled warmly. When she touched me, it felt like a jolt of electricity that went right to my heart. "Belly--"