Rewrite of Episode 8 with a better outcome.
"Belly?" Conrad asks, almost whispering. He hears her turning her head in his direction, so he continues. If he doesn't get this out now, he never will.
"I didn't mean it. What I said earlier, I didn't mean it." He took a deep breath, knowing this was his last chance at making things right. "I was so angry, seeing you kissing my brother, I—It broke my heart. With all the things I said and did in the past, I never wanted to hurt you, but I know I did. Too many times. I'm so sorry for everything—for not communicating enough and for not fighting for you. I—I just feel broken ever since my mom died. But, Belly, if I know one thing, it's that I love you. I do. I'm sorry I haven't told you earlier." Belly takes a deep breath. It almost feels like she can't breathe. For a second, she's scared Jere could wake up and hear them talking, but she knows he is deep asleep, and nothing wakes him up this quickly.
She doesn't know what to say. This is what she wanted, what she needed to hear from him. Is it enough? Conrad Fisher told her he loved her. She couldn't quite believe it.
"Conrad.."
"You don't have to say anything. Not right now." Conrad interrupts her; it almost sounds like he fears her answer. His voice sounds fragile and shaky.
Belly doesn't answer. She doesn't know what to say. Kissing Jere and being with him felt safe and steady. He told her that he liked her; he was upfront with her. Conrad never did that, but Belly knows he was suffering, which is no excuse, but she wasn't a saint in the past either. She tries to close her eyes and imagine her future. Her wedding, having kids.
When she opens her eyes again, she knows her answer.
The next morning, Belly decides that she needs to talk to both brothers separately. It seems like Conrad left because he is nowhere to be seen, but his things are still there.
Jere isn't awake yet, but she knows that in order to talk to him alone, they have to talk now. She leans down to where he's sleeping and gently nudges his shoulder. He was always hard to wake up, but this time he wakes up immediately.
"Morning, Bells." He smiles, looking up at her with hopeful eyes.
"Hey." Belly answers, only giving him a weak smile. It's clear that something is wrong. Even though he just woke up, Jeremiah isn't oblivious to that fact either.
"I think we should talk." Belly isn't sure how to do this. She knows she is breaking her promise and hurting him again, but it's the only way. Jeremiah deserves her being honest with him.
Belly tells him that she can't start something with him when she's still in love with his brother. It's all too soon, and she doesn't want to hurt either of them. First and foremost, she wants Conrad and Jeremiah to stick together, considering their mother just died. She can't and doesn't want to get in the middle of their relationship. They need each other. The conversation was one of the hardest things she ever had to do, but it was the right thing.
After that, Jeremiah got up and left, too. It was just her in the room, alone with her thoughts.
Conrad comes back a few minutes later. He opens the door and doesn't look at her while making his way through the room. As he starts to pack his things, Belly speaks up.
"Conrad, can we talk?" She asks him, hoping he will understand. He finally looks at her, turning around and sitting down at the edge of the motel bed. The bed shifts as he sits down, and his presence almost hurts Belly physically. Her heart is breaking for him. How could she kiss his brother in his sweater at his college? She hadn't even asked him about his final.
"What's up?" He tries to sound indifferent to everything that happened and everything that was said.
"How was your final, Conrad? I'm sorry we—I haven't asked you about it earlier." Conrad looks confused for a second, not expecting her to ask that. Then the corners of his mouth go up, and he almost smiles, but the pain is still visible.
"It was good. I guess I'm moving to California." Belly smiles, knowing this is important to him, so it's important to her too.
"That's amazing!" She exclaimed proudly. Conrad smiles at her, mouthing a thank you. "I'm really proud of you, and I know Susannah is too." It almost feels like a betrayal to talk about her after Belly was the reason her boys were fighting.
"Thank you, Belly." Conrad says, but he doesn't look at her. His gaze is on the comforter he's sitting on. Silence fills the room.
"Conrad.." He looks up again, meeting her eyes. "About last night—" she can't finish her sentence.
"It's fine, really. I don't want to come between you and Jere." He sounds like a small child after their parent yelled at them. Broken and fragile.
"No. It's not like that. I'm sorry that I kissed your brother; even saying it out loud sounds ridiculous. I never should've come between you two. You two should be there for each other, especially now. Susannah just died, and I made it all about me. I'm sorry. I really am." Belly is searching his eyes for any sign of anger or resentment, but luckily, she doesn't find any.
"I talked to Jere, and I told him I couldn't do it. He's angry, and he has every right to be. I fucked everything up. But, Conrad, I also told him that I can't be with him because I still love you; I never stopped. How could I have known how you felt about me when you didn't tell me? I understand why you didn't, but it was all too much. I know it was for you, too." Belly sighed.
Conrad looks hesitant. She kissed his brother after all, and it didn't look like she still loved him then.
"Maybe we should all take some time apart. Grow and heal. I can't lie; I feel really fucking guilty for all this, and I know no apology will make it right. Conrad, I know that I love you, I've probably loved you my whole life, but we need to heal. If we get back together now, it will push Jere away from you further, and you need each other." She finally got it all out. This isn't easy, it's heartbreaking, but it's the right choice for all of them.
"I know you're right. It still hurts." Conrad doesn't say anything else. She thinks that maybe he's still angry with her, or maybe he really is done with her, she wouldn't blame him.
Suddenly, he does the thing she last expected him to do. He opens his arms, offering her a hug. Relief washes over her, and she crawls over to him on the motel bed and sinks into his arms. For the first time today she feels like crying. She really does love this boy more than anyone. How could she have been so stupid and screwed this up.
They hold onto each other like they're drowning. In a matter of seconds, the moment is over, and both of them know this is it. There's no talking after the hug. They both get up and silently pack their bags until Jeremiah gets back.
It isn't until the summer after that they all see each other again. They meet at the beach house in June. They would be staying there alone for the first few weeks, and then Laurel would join them.
The first few days are awkward, but the mood lightens every day.
Jeremiah has a new girlfriend he met at college; her name is Lucie. He talks about her a lot, and it feels like nothing ever happened between Belly and him. Like they were destined to be best friends.
With Conrad it's different. Every time they are alone in a room or sitting dangerously close to each other on the couch, it feels like sparks are flying. Even though they had slept together already, the tension between them is so high that it feels like they've never even touched each other. All she wants to do is touch him again, kiss him, and be with him. Belly is scared that it may be too soon, she doesn't want to tear the brothers apart again.
At the beginning of the third week in Cousins, Belly decides to go for her first night swim in the pool. She puts on her new bikini, it's a dark shade of red, a gift from Taylor.
Grabbing her towel, she quietly walks down the stairs, trying not to wake anyone. As she walks outside, she sees Conrad sitting at the edge of the pool. Deja-vu she thinks. He doesn't notice her until she's right next to him. Looking up at her, he smiles.
"Night swim?" He asks.
"Yeah." Belly smiles back. She jumps into the pool, gliding through the water. It feels good. They don't talk at first, just enjoying each other's company.
"Hey, I—I wanted to tell you something." Conrad sounds serious. Belly's heart starts racing, and she comes to a stop next to him.
"I talked to Jere, and he said that he sees how much I love you and—" It still feels surreal to hear Conrad Fisher say he loves her. Although they hadn't had much contact over the last year, her feelings hadn't changed, and apparently neither had his. It feels good hearing him actually talk about his feelings, and it sure quickened her heartbeat even more. "—and he said that he doesn't want to be the one keeping us apart. He sounded genuine; I think he's really happy with his girlfriend." Belly knows what he's implying, and she trusts Conrad. Both brothers had worked on their relationship over the past year, and it felt like they had resolved their issues.
Belly, still in the water, swims between Conrad's legs. She feels him carefully regarding her actions. The tension is high, they both know what is about to happen, finally.
Conrad lifts her up gently, and suddenly Belly is sitting in his lap. His clothes are soaked now, but he doesn't care.
They stare at each other for a few seconds before Conrad closes the distance, and his lips are on hers. Their kiss is passionate, with Conrad's hands in her hair and Belly's hands beneath his shirt. They had waited for this for over a year.
"I'm never letting you go again, Isabel." Conrad says between kisses.
This is their start. The future is unclear, but she knows Conrad will be by her side for all of it. The good and the bad. Forever.
