Hey, guys! I'm soooooo sooooo sorry it's been forever since I last updated. I was swamped with midterms and now the semester is almost over and I'm swamped with finals. Anyway! Here is the next chapter, and I promise to update again Friday!

Belly's POV

The days trickled by and I hardly saw Conrad. He didn't come to breakfast or dinner every day for a week. My mind kept going to the night he came to apologize to me. What did he have to apologize for? I felt a headache coming on, so I excused myself from dinner and went outside. I didn't miss Jere staring at me the whole way.

Jere's POV

I watched Belly leave the dinner table and wondered, not for the millionth time, what was wrong with her. She seemed to be in a daze for the last week. I couldn't help thinking it had something to do with Conrad being MIA the past week.

I left the table and followed her outside. When I walked through the sliding glass doors, I saw her heading to the beach.

"Belly! Belly, wait up!" I saw her hesitate and then she stopped and turned around. I jogged over to her and noticed her eyes were red.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she replied, with an edge in her voice. "I'm just going for a walk." I put my hands in front of my chest, my palms facing her, and backed up. "I was just checking on you. You've seem upset these past few days."

She exhaled a sigh and looked at me. "I'm sorry, Jere. It's just been a crappy week."

"Does it have anything to do with Con being gone all week?"

Her eyebrows furrowed and her mouth turned into a scowl. "Conrad? What – Why would I be upset about that?"

I let out my breath in a big gush and shrugged my shoulders. "Never mind. Hey, listen, my girlfriend is coming over tomorrow and I want you to meet her. I think you'll like her a lot." Belly's eyes widened in shock and her mouth popped open.

"Girl..? You have a girlfriend?"

"Don't seem so shocked. I know I'm not as swoon-worthy as Con, but girls still like me. I'm not a leper, you know."

"No, no! That's not what I meant," she protested, her cheeks turning red. "I just – I didn't know you had a girlfriend. You didn't tell me."

"Well, you've kinda been in your own bubble since you got here. Are you sure everything is okay?"

She looked at the ground before responding. "Yeah, everything is fine. I'd love to meet your girlfriend, Jere." She peered up and I saw a small smile on her face. "Cool. Her name is Alexia. She'll be here tomorrow around noon. We're going to lunch, but I'll introduce you two when we get back."

She stared at me, her smile broadening. "Sounds great."

Belly's POV

Once Jere went back inside, I continued on my walk down the beach. My mind was reeling. Jere had a girlfriend. And here I had been, thinking he had feelings for me. I laughed to myself. Jere was right – I had been in my own bubble.

I slipped my sandals off and walked to the edge of the water. I thought of Conrad again, wishing I could just get him out of my head. What was so great about him? Why did he have to invade my mind every second of every day? Better yet, why did Jeremiah assume I was upset because Conrad hadn't been around all week? Was I that shallow? I felt my heart slip into my stomach. Could he tell that I was in love with Conrad? Could everyone tell…including Conrad?

I felt my heart speed up and closed my eyes, willing it to slow down. You're being silly, Isobel. I'm sure no one knows about your infatuation with a boy who barely knows you exist. Letting my breath out in a slow gush, I turned around and headed back to the beach house. I got about halfway there when I noticed two people in an intimate embrace. I dropped my shoes as I realized one of them was Conrad.

Breathing through my nose and willing myself to act normal, I continued walking to the beach out. I took about ten steps when I heard my name being called.

"Belly? Is that you?" I turned around and saw Conrad walking toward me. Behind him, a tall blonde beauty was following him. I pasted on a smile and made my breathing even out.

"Hey, what's up?" Act natural, I told myself.

"Hey, I thought that was you. What are you doing out here? Why aren't you eating dinner?" Conrad's eyebrows furrowed together as he questioned me.

"I could ask you the same thing," I said to him, making my voice light.

"I wa-" he stopped talking and looked to his left, where the girl he was with seemed to materialize. He looked at her like he completely forgot she was there. She slipped her fingers through his and smiled up at him before looking at me.

"Hi, I'm Cynthia. Conrad's girlfriend. Who are you?" I felt the smile slip from my lips and my heart slipped with it.

Conrad's POV

This isn't good, I thought to myself.