This takes place after chapter 5 of book 3, when Belly finds out about Cabo. But follows the story of season 2 of the show in most ways.

Belly

I'm so ashamed of myself.

Please talk to me.

I love you and I always will.

I cried harder.

Give me some space. I replied.

Ok.

I laid in my bed for 16 hours. And even though I had asked for space, I kept checking to see if Jere had messaged me. He hadn't. I cried until the tears wouldn't come anymore, and then I just lay in bed waiting to wake up from this nightmare.

But I wasn't asleep. And the morning came and went without the pain going away.

Around 3 in the afternoon my phone rang, and searched for it desperately in my sheets hoping for it to be Jeremiah calling. It was Taylor. I let it go to voicemail. She called 3 more times before the banging on my door started.

"Open up Cinderbelly! I don't care how hungover you are, we have plans!"

We did. We were supposed to meet Jeremiah for dinner and then help each other finish packing. And if I don't let her in, she'll call Jere to see if I am already with him.

I groaned and dragged myself out of bed to open the door to an irate Taylor.

But when she took in the sight of me, all aggression was replaced with concern.

"Belly… What's wrong?" She pushed herself into the dorm room and looked around. "Did something happen? Is it Steven?" She sounded panicked now, her eyes huge. Taylor and Steven had been off and on for the last couple years. They were off currently, but I knew how important he still is to her.

I shook my head and sank back into my bed. "Steven is fine I think. I haven't talked to him." My voice was raw and it hurt to talk.

She sat down next to me and wrapped her arms around me. "Whatever it is Belly, it's going to be okay. You are going to be okay. Do you want me to call Jere?"

I started laughing then. The idea that Jere could fix this… I know I must look insane, because Taylor looks even more worried now. 'Okay yeah I am calling Jeremiah. Did you get your grades back or something? What is happening? Did you fail?" I laughed even harder then, until she actually pulled out her phone to call. Then the laughs turned into sobs and I was surprised to find I did have more tears left to cry.

"Jere cheated on me." Taylors hand froze half way to her head, the ringing seemed to fill the whole room as she stared at me in shock.

"Hello? Tay?" Jeremiah answered, his voice sending more cracks through my already broken heart. "Taylor you there?" Her eyes widened comically, looking back and forth between my tear stained face and her phone before quickly hanging up and pulling me back into her arms. He tried calling back but she switched her phone off.

"I am going to kill him." She seethed into my hair. "I'm going to slash his tires. No wait, I'll key his car, and then slash his face." I couldn't help it, I laughed into her shoulder. Taylor had been very team Jelly since the beginning. So her complete 180 right now was a relief. A small part of me thought she might defend him. "I am going to make his pretty face so scared, no woman will ever look his way again." We stayed that way for a while before she asked softly, "Are you okay?"

I pulled away and rubbed at my nose, sniffling. "No. But I'm better now that you are here." She smiled sadly and stood, pulling me to my feet.

"Good. Go shower. You stink." I snorted, knowing she was trying to make me laugh. But she was probably right. I grabbed my toiletry bag and let her push me out the door to the dorm bathrooms.

I stood under the hot water for what felt like an eternity before the water started to run cold. I grabbed my towel and brushed my teeth. Then I stood and stared at myself in the mirror, taking in the sight of myself. I didn't bother with trying to brush out my hair, it was so long now and tangled from laying in bed for so long. I thought back to just the night before when Jere had asked me to… not TOLD me not to ever cut my hair. I rolled my eyes. Then I thought about a long ago memory. One of the ones I keep locked up in my heart.

Your hair is like a little kids, the way it's always so messy. Looking back, I knew what he had been doing. Trying to compare me to a kid. Trying to tell himself I was still just a kid. Trying to tell himself to stay away from me. The memory hurt. Everything hurt. And I am so sick of hurting. I threw my hair into a messy bun and dressed quickly before heading back to my room.

When I walked in Taylor was throwing the last of my things into boxes. "You packed everything.." My voice cracked again. I really am lucky to have her as my best friend.

She grinned. "Your dad is coming tomorrow right? And you obviously weren't doing it." Then she gestured towards the desk. It had my favorite smoothie and a box of muffins. "Eat. And don't you dare start crying again. We have revenge to plan." She said when she noticed my eyes filling with tears again.

"These are happy tears," I defend. "I'm just really glad to have you." I whispered as I sat down at the desk. I don't really know how long it had been since I had eaten, but my stomach growled at the sight of food.

"Well, duh." She said, rolling her eyes. "I'm literally the best."

"You are," I agreed, nodding as I started eating. "But no revenge, okay?"

She scowled. "Are you getting back together with him?"

I choked on the smoothie. "What?"

She shrugged. "It's Jeremy. It's you and Jere. He's not just some guy. He's been in your life forever. I wouldn't judge you if you did."

I sat the muffin I was eating down and looked at her. She was right of course. Susannah would hate the idea of me hating Jere. But she also wouldn't want me to be with someone who cheated on me. I thought then of the conversation Conrad and I had had about his dad cheating. And how she couldn't stand to have Adam near her when she got sick again. The thought made something inside me harden.

"No. I think I will want to be his friend eventually, because you're right. It's Jere. But I don't want to be that girl that puts up with that type of thing from a guy."

"So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know." And I really didn't. Because how do I move on from this?

She nodded. "One day at a time then?" I smiled and took her hand.

We sat together for the next couple hours. Laughing, crying, and talking about all the things we would be able to do together this summer. "Hot girl summer!" Taylor had screamed at one point, making me laugh. And then she had to leave to pack her own things, with the promise she would be back the next day to "help" my dad and I with the boxes. I rolled my eyes, knowing she was hoping Steven would be with him.

I layed in the empty dorm room for one last night, alone. I thought back to all the nights it had been Jere and I lying in this bed. Suddenly I couldn't breathe. It felt like the memories were suffocating me. I had to get out of here. It was late though. Noone would be up. Taylor was definitely asleep by now. But I couldn't stand to be in this room any longer. I dug around in the boxes until I found a notebook and pen and scribbled a quick note.

I can't be in this room anymore. I'll call you when I can. -Love, Belly.