Hello to anyone still reading this story! I know it's been seven forevers since I last updated, and I apologize profusely. I've had so much work the past few months and time got away from me. So, if you are still reading, here is the next part! And I pinky promise to try to update in a much more timely manner next time! Enjoy! xoxo.

Belly's POV

The next few weeks went by in a blur. I met Jere's girlfriend, Alexia, and instantly liked her. She has a very bubbly personality and we get along very well. Steven finally showed up and it felt like we were all home. We all hung out every day, swimming, biking, getting ice cream – just enjoying each other's company. Conrad and I were doing great, and I found myself smiling every day because of him. The moments we got to share alone were my favorite. We would talk and talk for hours, and some nights, no talking was involved. Although we hadn't had sex yet, I knew that one day I would be ready, and I had a strong feeling Conrad would be the one it happened with. For now, I was content enough to spend our nights talking or locked in a good old-fashioned make-out session. He seemed happy enough, too.

At the beginning of July, Conrad and I planned to go into town and buy some fireworks for the fourth. While I was fixing my hair, Steven walked on.

"Hey' Belly. Can I talk to you for a minute?" I looked at his reflection in my mirror and noticed he was fidgeting with his hands.

"Sure. Is everything okay?" A small smile touched his lips as he sat down in a chair by my door.

"Yeah, yeah. Everything's fine. How are you doing?" I felt my eyebrows scrunch together at his question. Couldn't he tell these past few weeks had been amazing for me?

"I've been really great. I've missed it here a lot," I replied, finishing my braid.

"It is nice to be back," Steven said, looking down at his hands.

I turned around to face him, leaning against my dresser. "Steven, what is wrong? You look like you just found a dead teddy bear from your childhood." He laughed at that, but it didn't touch his eyes.

"Does Conrad treat you okay?" I stood up straight, surprised by the question. "It's just that…I know how he can be sometimes…" Steven trailed off, clearly embarrassed about talking to me about Conrad.

"Yes. He treats me really well. I'm really happy with him," I said, smiling to myself.

Steven let out a sigh. "Look, I'm not saying he's a bad guy. He tries really hard to do right by everyone, but…Well' everyone messes up, okay?" With that, Steven finally looked at me. His eyebrows were raised in a question, asking if I understood what he was telling me. I felt my smile grow.

"You're sweet, Steven. You don't have to worry about me, okay? I'm really happy, and Conrad has been great. Everything is fine." I smiled wider, trying to reassure him, but his smile was so faint it's like it wasn't there at all. I started leaving my room and stopped next to him. "I'm a big girl. Everything will be fine." I patted his shoulder and started down the steps, calling out for Conrad.

Conrad's POV

I looked at Belly in the car next to me and felt my smile broaden. I thought about the previous month and wondered how I managed to be so happy without her. She was like the sun or a shooting star – she lit everything up. I tightened my grip on her hand and felt her squeeze back. I looked at her again, he hair blowing in the wind from the rolled down windows, singing along to some pop song on the radio. At that moment, I swore to myself I would do whatever it takes to make her happy every day.