Isabel "Belly" Conklin stood barefoot on the familiar sands of Cousins Beach, the breeze carrying the salty scent of the ocean as the waves lapped gently against the shore. The sun was setting, casting a golden hue over the water, but the beauty of the scene didn't reach her. Belly had always loved this beach—it had been her escape, her sanctuary. But now, it felt like a place filled with ghosts.

The lyrics from Taylor Swift's "hoax" played in her mind: "Your faithless love's the only hoax I believe in..." It was painful how true those words felt. She had always believed in the love she shared with Conrad Fisher. She had believed in it with her whole heart, through every fight, every moment of doubt. But now, as she stood here alone, it felt like it had all been an illusion. A cruel trick her heart had played on her.

She heard footsteps approaching from behind, but she didn't need to turn around to know who it was. She could feel his presence before he even spoke.

"Belly," Conrad's voice was soft, almost hesitant. "Can we talk?"

Belly closed her eyes for a moment, bracing herself. She had been avoiding this conversation for weeks, ever since their last blowout argument. But there was no avoiding Conrad, not here at Cousins, not when their lives had been so intertwined for years.

She turned to face him, her heart aching at the sight of him. He looked as conflicted as she felt, his hands shoved in his pockets, his expression unreadable.

"Conrad," she said quietly, her voice barely carrying over the sound of the waves. "What do you want to talk about?"

Conrad took a deep breath, stepping closer but keeping a respectful distance. "I know I messed up. I know I've been... distant. But I need you to understand that it wasn't because I didn't care about you. I did. I do."

Belly let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. "You cared about me? Is that why you shut me out every time things got hard? Is that why you made me feel like I wasn't enough for you?"

Conrad's jaw tightened, and he looked down at the sand. "I didn't mean to make you feel that way. I never wanted to hurt you."

"But you did," Belly said, her voice trembling with the weight of her words. "You hurt me over and over again, and I kept coming back. I kept hoping that things would change, that you'd finally let me in. But you never did."

Conrad looked up, his eyes filled with regret. "I know. And I'm sorry."

Belly crossed her arms, trying to keep her emotions in check. She had cried enough over Conrad. She had given him enough of her heart, and it had broken her every time.

"I don't know if sorry is enough," she whispered, the pain in her voice clear. "I loved you, Conrad. I loved you so much, and I thought... I thought that if I just held on, if I just believed in us, things would get better. But they didn't. You just kept pushing me away."

Conrad stepped closer, desperation creeping into his voice. "Belly, I don't know how to fix this. I don't know how to fix me. But I need you to know that I never stopped caring about you. I just... I don't know how to be what you need."

Belly stared at him, her heart breaking all over again. "That's the problem, Conrad. I kept waiting for you to be what I needed, and you never were. You never fought for me. I was always the one fighting for us."

They stood in silence for a moment, the only sound the rhythmic crash of the waves. Belly could feel the weight of everything they had been through pressing down on her—the highs, the lows, the moments when she thought they would make it, and the moments when she knew they wouldn't.

"I can't keep doing this," Belly said finally, her voice thick with emotion. "I can't keep believing in something that's never going to happen. You and me... we're a hoax, Conrad. We were never real."

Conrad's face twisted in pain, and he reached for her, but Belly took a step back.

"Please," Conrad whispered, his voice raw. "Don't say that. Don't give up on us."

Belly's heart ached at the sight of him, at the vulnerability in his eyes. She had spent so long wanting him to fight for her, to show her that he cared. But now, when he was finally ready to fight, it was too late.

"I'm not giving up, Conrad," she said, her voice soft but firm. "I'm letting go. For me. I need to stop believing in something that's only hurting me."

Conrad's shoulders slumped, and he looked down at the ground, his hands trembling at his sides. "I never meant to hurt you."

"I know," Belly whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. "But you did."


The days that followed were a blur of emotions for Belly. Letting go of Conrad felt like tearing away a piece of herself, but she knew it was the right thing to do. For too long, she had been stuck in a cycle of hoping and waiting, only to be let down time and time again.

One afternoon, she sat on the porch of her mother's beach house, staring out at the ocean. The waves were calm, the sun warm on her skin, but inside, Belly felt anything but peaceful. She had always believed that her love for Conrad would be enough to fix them, but now she realized that love wasn't enough. Not when it was so one-sided, not when it had left her feeling empty.

The door behind her creaked open, and Jeremiah, Conrad's younger brother, stepped out onto the porch. He gave her a small smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Mind if I sit?" Jeremiah asked, gesturing to the chair beside her.

Belly nodded, scooting over to make room for him. Jeremiah sat down, his elbows resting on his knees as he looked out at the water.

"I heard about what happened with you and Conrad," Jeremiah said after a long pause. "I'm sorry, Belly. I know how much he meant to you."

Belly sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Yeah, well, it's over now. I can't keep waiting for him to change."

Jeremiah looked at her, his expression soft. "You don't have to wait for anyone to change. You deserve better than that."

Belly smiled faintly, though it was tinged with sadness. "I just... I wanted to believe that we could make it work. But it feels like I've been living in a fantasy this whole time."

Jeremiah frowned, his brow furrowing in concern. "Belly, you're not living in a fantasy. You're just... you care too much. You've always put other people's feelings ahead of your own. Maybe it's time you start thinking about what's best for you."

Belly looked down at her hands, her heart heavy with the truth of his words. "I don't even know what that looks like anymore."

Jeremiah reached over, gently placing his hand on hers. "You'll figure it out. You're stronger than you think, Belly."

She gave him a small smile, grateful for his support. Jeremiah had always been there for her, even when she was caught up in her feelings for Conrad. And now, more than ever, she needed that steady presence in her life.

"Thanks, Jere," Belly said softly, squeezing his hand. "I just... I need to learn how to let go."

Jeremiah nodded, his eyes filled with understanding. "Letting go is hard. But sometimes, it's the only way to move forward."


That evening, as the sun set over Cousins Beach, Belly found herself walking along the shore, the cool water washing over her feet. The sky was painted in shades of pink and orange, and for the first time in a long time, she felt a sense of peace settling over her.

The lyrics from "hoax" played in her mind once more: "You know I left a part of me back in New York..." For Belly, it wasn't New York she had left a part of herself in—it was Conrad. He had been such a big part of her life, of her heart, but now she was learning to let that part go. It wasn't going to be easy, and it wasn't going to happen overnight, but Belly knew that she deserved more than a love that hurt.

As she walked, she thought about all the times she had believed that she and Conrad were meant to be, that they would eventually find their way back to each other. But now, she realized that maybe they were never meant to be. Maybe Conrad had been a chapter in her life, but not the whole story.

And as she looked out at the endless horizon, Belly felt a sense of hope—hope that one day, she would find a love that didn't feel like a hoax. A love that was real, and honest, and whole.

But for now, she was learning to love herself.

And that was enough.