This is my very first story. I appreciate any critique or advice. The story picks up in We'll Always Have Summer after Jeremiah tells Belly that he cheated on her.

"We had sex." Those words ran through my mind as I hurriedly threw all my belongings into bags. I had to keep swiping tears away from my face as I ran down the stairs to my car. When I got into the car, I let myself crumple forward and the sadness took over. I was sobbing so hard I was gasping for breath. How could I be so stupid? How could he hurt me like that?

I turned off my phone, the texts and calls from Jeremiah were overwhelming. I collected myself as best I could and turned the ignition. I turned on the radio and began to drive the old, familiar road to Cousins. I was so lost. I needed to go back to where I belong. It would give me some time to think, some time to hurt.

As I pulled up, I was surprised to see Conrad's car in the driveway. Wasn't he in Boston? I prayed he was already asleep or somewhere else. I didn't want anyone to see me like this and I didn't want to talk. I looked at myself in the rear view mirror. My eyes were puffy and red and my mascara was streaked. I look awful. I did my best to fix myself and walked up the steps. I grabbed the hide-a-key and slowly, quietly opened the door.

"Hello?" I heard Conrad call out from the living room. Shit.

"It's just me, Belly!" I heard the TV pause and footsteps. Shit.

"Hey Belly!" He strode over and opened his arms. I gave him a half-hearted hug and kept my head ducked.

"Hey Conrad" I replied softly.

"What are you doing here? Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine. Just needed some time away if that's okay."

"Of course, Belly! Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm actually really tired, I'm going to head up to bed" Conrad and I knew each other and he knew better than to ask again. He knew I needed space.

"G'night Belly," he said. I walked up the stairs and collapsed into bed. I cried myself to sleep that night.

The next morning I looked just as badly. My eyes were swollen. I was so devastated, broken. The man I knew for 2 years, betrayed me and lied to my face. We trusted each other, told each other everything. I had to stop thinking about him, I couldn't let him control me like this. I went downstairs and found Conrad eating cereal. "Hi" I said as cheerfully as possible. I had to pretend.

"Hi, bed head" he smirked. He knew I was upset, but he also knew that if I wanted to talk about it, I would. And I would tell him, when I was ready. How could I explain what happened when I didn't even know myself? For the rest of day, we kept to ourselves. I went to the beach then I came back to the pool and swam and swam until I forgot about Jeremiah, til I forgot about Lacie, til I forgot who I was. All I knew were the rhythmic motions of swimming back and forth.

I was eating lunch in the kitchen and Conrad was reading in the next room, when I heard the door open. I gasped out loud "Jeremiah!"

"I knew I'd find you here! Why did you just run away? You have to talk to me!"

"I don't HAVE to do anything, Jeremiah. Remember, you're the one who cheated on ME!"!

I heard Conrad walk over. Shock was written all over his face. "What?" He asked quietly.

Jeremiah and I ignored him. "Belly, please hear me out!"

"You have to leave Jeremiah"

"This is my house, Belly and I'm not going anywhere until you talk to me." Jeremiah kept getting closer and each step he took towards me I took one step back. Conrad continued asking what was going on, trying to calm us down, but we ignored him.

"Fine. Then I'm leaving. I grabbed my keys off the counter and headed for the door.

"Stop!" Jeremiah yelled and grabbed my arm sharply.

"Let go of my arm" I threatened in a low voice. When he didn't comply I yelled louder. "Let go of my arm!"

"You're not going anywhere Belly" he grabbed my other arm and shook me. Conrad pleaded with Jeremiah to let me go. I protested loudly. "Shut up!" said Jeremiah. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut UP!" I continued yelling and then I felt Jeremiah's hand strike my face, hard. I gasped out loud.

I knew any second know Conrad would go after Jeremiah, but before he did, I looked at him with an incredulous face and whispered "Who are you?"

Then, the tears came down hard and fast. Conrad pried Jeremiah's hands off of me and screamed, "Get upstairs Belly!" as he lifted his arm and punched Jeremiah square in the face. I ran upstairs with hot tears pouring down my face. I locked myself into my room and curled up on my bed sobbing. Who was this person that I was spending two years of my life with? I heard fighting and wrestling from downstairs. Finally when I was all over, I heard Conrad yell, "Leave!" in a forceful, menacing tone. The door shut and Conrad slammed his fist against it.

A few hours later I gathered up the courage to go downstairs. The back door was open and Conrad was sitting on the beach. I stepped out sliding the door shut behind me and went to join him. "Thanks for today." I said staring straight ahead.

Conrad turned and looked at me. I met his eyes and he said, "Belly, I will always care for you and protect you. You know that right?" I nodded, tears escaping. "Do you want to talk?"

I turned to face him. "Last night at a party, I overhead a junior sorority girl brag to her friends about hooking up with Jeremiah in Cabo. I confronted him and he confessed that they had had sex. He begged me not to go, but how could I not? I grabbed my stuff and turned off my phone. I drove straight here. I knew Cousins was the only place I could clear my head."

"I'm sorry, Belly. For that, for today, for everything"

"It's not like you slept with Lacie," I chuckled darkly.

He suddenly caught my glance, his eyes burning into mine. "No, but you never should've been with him. I shouldn't have been so stupid. You should be with me." He whispered the last sentence as he looked down.

I used my pointer finger to lift his chin. "The past is the past. We can choose to dwell on it or look towards the future." I smiled at him and got up, brushed off my shorts and walked towards the house. I turned on my phone to call my mother and my phone was flooded with texts and missed calls from Jeremiah. I'm sorry. It'll never happen again. I was out of line. Please talk to me. I love you. I erased all of the messages and texted him two simple words: It's over. I would never be able to look at him the same way. I could never love him in the same way. He hurt me. Twice. I told my mom everything. She was shocked and hurt. She insisted in picking me up, but I told her it was better this way.

That night, Conrad walked into the house carrying a case of beer and a bottle of tequila. Like our Fourth of July party two summers ago. "I think we deserve it" he said with a hesitant smile. I guess I looked like I was going to jump off a bridge or go crazy and attack someone. He handed me a beer and sat down on the couch next to me.

"What a day" I meant it to come out sarcastic, but instead it just sounded sad and exhausted.

"Belly," Conrad sudden looked very serious. "Has Jeremiah ever hurt you like that before?"

"No" I assured him. "That was the first time. I was just as shocked as you were."

"Why do you think..." he began.

"I'm not sure. He's changed. He's more interested in smoking weed than spending time with me. He's distant and disrespectful. He cheated and then he hit me." That was the first time I'd said those two truths out loud. I took another swig of my beer.

"I wish I could do something..."

"What you did today..." I paused searching for the right words. I put my hand on his knee and looked in his eyes "was more than I could have ever asked. Thank you."

"Of course," he replied. "I know I'm not great with emotions and stuff but I love you. I really love you Belly and I would do anything for you."

"That means a lot", I smiled at him.

"Well" he said finishing off his beer. "I'm going to go to bed. Gonna get up early and surf." We said goodnight and he went upstairs. I fell asleep on the couch watching a Lifetime movie.

The next morning, I heard him rustling around in the kitchen making breakfast. I tried to fall back asleep but couldn't. I made myself some breakfast and took it out to the back porch. I watched him surf. The confident way he paddled out and his frustrated look when he wiped out made me smile. He was the same boy I had fallen in love with at ten. In the ocean, freed from the chains and shadows back on land, he was my Conrad.

I went inside and began cleaning up when he walked in. His face was pained and he was limping. He had gotten sliced with the fin on the surfboard during a wipeout. His leg was covered in blood. He sat down in on the sill of the bathtub with his injured leg inside of the tub. I went to the kitchen to find some first aid supplies. I knew he was really hurt because he let me take care of him. Usually, he would protest and act all high and mighty. I straddled the tub and began cleaning his wound. He took a sharp breath when I dabbed hydrogen peroxide on the wound. While I worked, he rested his head on my shoulder. When I was done, I looked up at him. "Not so bad", I joked. We caught eyes and there was a moment of keeping each other's gaze. We were so close, if I had leaned in a couple of inches we would have been kissing. I really wanted to lean in.

"Barely a scratch," he replied. "Bells, will you help me to my room? I need to rest." I stood up and grabbed his arm. I supported as much of his weight as I could as I walked with him upstairs. He turned to me with a weak smile. "Thanks. I've got it from here."

There was something so electric in that moment. I knew it wouldn't last long. He left the next morning like I expected. He always took off when things got too intense. It didn't matter if it was a good intense or bad. He left before he let himself feel real emotions. This time was different though. He'd left a note on the counter:

Belly,

I'm sorry about everything. Please call me if you ever need to talk. I'll see you soon.

Love,

Conrad

I smiled. I know I was supposed to be heartbroken. And I was. I was supposed to be in crippling, heart-wrenching pain. And I was. Jeremiah had hurt me badly. But at that moment, I couldn't help but smile. Conrad was not the note leaving type, nor was he the type to use the words "Love, Conrad." I guess I was right. People do change. But that wasn't always a bad thing.