BELLY
It was getting dark outside when I returned from Taylors. She freaked out when I told her; I couldn't stop smiling the whole way back home. The smell of Mom's casserole was in the air as soon as I opened the front door. I walked into the kitchen to see my mom texting someone. On the table was a glass of wine. I walked up to her and smiled.
„Where is everyone?" I asked, leaning against the kitchen counter.
„Your brother and Connie left to meet up with some friends." She said and checked on the casserole in the oven.
„And Jeremiah is outside, he's been there for quite some time. I checked on him a couple of times. He doesn't seem fine, Bean." My mom sounded concerned. Nodding, I headed outside to see for myself.
I walked over to him; he was sitting in front of the garden we had outside. My mom took good care of it — she had a green thumb, unlike me. The garden bloomed with peonies, so it was especially stunning in the springtime.
„Hey," I took a seat besides him. He looked up at me and gave me a weak smile.
It was obvious to everyone that he had the most beautiful set of eyes. They carried the colours of the sky on a perfectly sunny summer day.
„Hey Belly," he seemed to sad; I could tell from his voice.
Will this ever end? Will he ever understand how much it hurts me to see him like this? This was never a competition for me. He didn't have to prove to me that he was the better guy; that was evident. The little things he would do for me, the little things I loved about him, those were the things that were important to me. That's why I picked him.
„I won't go if you don't want me to." Was he so unsure about us? Didn't he trust me to spend one day with Conrad?
„Belly, it's not that." I couldn't hide my confused expression.
„I will always be in his shadow." He looked down at his hands, he took a deep breath. I had to interrupt him; he can't possibly think that.
„Don't say that. It's not true." Trying to convince him, I put my hand around him and leaned my head against his shoulder. He moved away from me, turning his body to mine, facing me now.
„But it is. He will never get over you, Belly. He loved you before any of us knew what love is."
„That is in the past." He would never let this go.
„If only," he took a deep breath, fighting back tears „if only you could see how everything shifts when you're with him. The weather changes around the two of you, the birds start singing and shit, it makes me sick. You're like magnets." His sarcasm was discomforting, averse by the pure idea of Conrad and me together. He stood up, angry. He wanted to leave, so he started walking away from me.
„I love you!" I yelled out after him. He stood still for a moment, then he turned around and said:
„Belly don't say it if you don't mean it." He warned me, guarding his emotions.
„I love you, Jeremiah Fisher. Everything shifts for me when you are around me. The sun is warmer, the clouds disappear. I'm so in love with you I feel it in my whole body—" I mumbled, and he finally interrupted me with a kiss. It was a passionate kiss; he kissed me like there was no tomorrow.
„I love you too." He whispered before kissing me again, smiling in between his soft kisses.
This moment was ours and it felt right.
Steven and Conrad came back for dinner, and we all gathered around the table.
„So, we drive with my car there, you pick up yours and drive back to Boston, right?" My mom directed the question to Jeremiah, who nodded. When will we see each other again? Will he come back? I don't want to miss him. Does he even want to spend the rest of his summer with me?
„Stevie, do you wan to come?" Mom asked, and Steven agreed. Which leaves Conrad and me alone at home tomorrow, I didn't mind. Jere on the other hand, probably had a problem with that. He shouldn't, it was fine. Conrad and I spent so much time alone in the past, where nothing happened. We were good.
„What's your plan for Friday?" My mom asked Conrad.
„Well, I thought Belly and I could spend the day in the city. There is so much to see." He replied, taking a sip of his drink.
„Please stay there for the night. Don't drive back here after the concert; it will probably be late." She added in her concerned, motherly tone. It wasn't something mothers around the world would typically say in this situation, but my mom trusted Conrad and for her, it was the most normal thing in the world.
I could feel Jeremiah uncomfortably sit up, gripping his fork tightly, this was probably the last thing he wanted to hear.
„We actually—" Conrad glanced at me „haven't talked about that yet. Belly can decide. I don't mind driving her."
„No, It's fine. We can stay in New York for the night; the show is four hours long." I said, placing my hand on Jeremiah's lap under the table. I saw Conrad nod.
„I'll take care of it then." He said, passing the salad to Steven.
My mom seemed relieved we weren't driving home at that hour; she knew I was safe with Conrad.
„So what does she do there for four hours?" Steven asked, breaking the awkward silence.
The next morning arrived too soon. I watched Conrad hug my mom, and she whisper something to him before stepping back to plant a quick kiss on the cheek.
„Have fun Bean, and take lots of pictures. I want to see everything." Her smile was warm. She hugged me and made her way to the car where Steven was already waiting.
Conrad waved at them and walked back inside. Jeremiah came over to me and kissed me.
„If he does anything stupid, Belly, promise me you'll call me, and I will—"
„He won't." I reassured him.
„But if he does—" He was so anxious about this.
„I will call you," He raised his eyebrow.
„I promise." I smiled and hugged him tightly before letting him walk to the car. He closed the door, and within a couple of seconds, they were already out of my sight.
I walked back inside and found Conrad wearing his blue headphones, typing something on his laptop. Once he noticed me walk towards him, he pulled his headphones down.
„That was a quick goodbye." Was he testing my patience? He then announced;
„I booked us a hotel room."
„One hotel room?" I asked, not believing what he's saying, is this a joke? He chuckled, of course it's a joke.
„With two queen beds." He smiled, I knew he was just teasing me, he loved doing that.
I didn't want to give him the pleasure to see me relieved, or bothered at all so I simply nodded and started walking upstairs. However, he called out after me;
„Belly." I turned around.
„I just want to spend time with you." His smile was radiant.
„Do you have an outfit for the concert?" He asked me and the harsh reality hit me.
„Not yet. It has to be epic!" I didn't have many dressy outfits, my style usually consisted of simple tops and jean shorts. I was not really fashionable, not that I didn't want to be, there just weren't many opportunities for me to dress that way.
He stood up and grabbed his car keys. A confused expression washed over my face as he made his way to the door.
„Don't just stand there. Let's go." He said in a serious tone, opening the door, waiting for me to follow his lead.
We were on our way to the city, I saw him type ‚King of Prussia mall' in his navigation system. It was the biggest mall in Philly, and it wasn't that far away from our house, we will probably find something there.
„I've planned a few things for us to do tomorrow, hope you don't mind." He said, concentrating on the bustling traffic in Philadelphia.
„No, that's fine." I responded shyly, I don't know why the sound of his voice still makes me nervous.
„I think—„ He appeared puzzled, thinking about it. „This is the first thing I've genuinely looked forward to in a long time." This was sincere, I could hear it, his heart was smiling, not just his face. „I'm glad." I smiled back and he connected his iPhone to his car.
„We have to prep our voices for tomorrow." He chuckled softly and turned on ‚Karma' by Taylor Swift.
It was a beautiful moment of carelessness. For the first moment in what seemed like forever, it wasn't weird between us, my thoughts felt unburdened, the car windows were rolled down and we sang— no, we screamed the lyrics at the top of our lungs. I closed my eyes and felt it, my heart was smiling too.
Once we arrived, we adhered to tradition. We picked up some milkshakes, mine was ‚rocky road chocolate supreme' flavoured, and he picked vanilla.
„You're such a dad." I put on my worst disappointed look, totally judging his lame milkshake flavour choice.
„Well, yours is—" I know what he's going to say, so to end my suffering I jokingly cut him off—
„— too sugary, I know." I giggled and he nodded, after rolling his eyes.
„So, which Era are we going for?" He asked, obviously taking this mission with the respect and seriousness it deserves.
„I like ‚Speak Now', but my mom says purple makes me look sick."
„Let's go." He smiled and I followed him.
I was trying out clothes, some were rather silly, but some made me feel beautiful. Conrad was so patient, he would sit in front of the dressing rooms, and comment on each one of the outfit ideas. I could see it was hard for him, to individually rate each one of my choices, but he actually did pretty well.
We found the perfect dress for the occasion. It was strapless, it had ruffles at the bottom, and, as you might have guessed it, it was purple. Conrad said it looked romantic, whatever that meant to him. We were just heading out to grab something to eat before he said;
„Oh no, we forgot something." He said, wide eyed.
„Wait here. Don't move." He instructed, and walked away.
He returned fairly quickly, holding two white cowboy hats, they had sparkling pink rhinestones. He placed one on my head, gently moving a piece of my hair away, and said;
„We're ready now." He said, placing the other one on his own head. I laughed a little, taking a good look at him before walking back to the car.
Back home it felt really strange, strange how naturally we moved around the house, around each other. It felt comfortable, we set the table to eat and we talked, two close friends.
„Stanford's Med Program is so advanced, the technologies they use there are incredible." He said, enthusiastic, he really cared about this, I liked that.
„You have to be at the top of your class, just like Christina Yang." I said, jokingly, not thinking much of it.
„But I most definitely won't be sleeping with any of the older professors." Wait, he watched Grey's Anatomy? I mean, he was there when I was watching, but I didn't realise he paid any attention. I laughed at his joke and then checked my phone once it buzzed. It was a message from Jere.
‚we arrived at Cousins. It's so dull without u, love u' He wrote and I smiled.
„They got there safely?" Conrad asked, was it so obvious who the text was from?
I confirmed, and he nodded, finishing up his dinner.
We sat on the couch, the TV was on, yet neither one of us paid it any mind. My gaze shifted to him, and he looked up from his laptop, our eyes meeting.
„Isabel?" He addressed me, smiling over to me.
„Conrad, can I ask you something?"
„Anything" He assured.
„Why did you get the tickets?" I asked.
„Because I like seeing you happy." He looked down, with a slight touch of shyness in his eyes. „It makes me happy, too."
His eyes were sparkling, he was honest about this. Beautiful, comfortable silence surrounded us.
„I'm heading upstairs." I said, his nod acknowledging my decision.
„I was thinking we could leave around 8" He said, well, more like asked.
„Sure," I said, already excited for tomorrow.
„Good night, Belly," He said with a smile.
„Good night, Conrad" And with that I left upstairs.
...
A/N: So, who's excited for the next chapter? Whose POV would you like to read for the New York Chapter?