THE WAY I LOVED YOU | C.F

nine

"everybody get into your cars and leave! if you all are not there in the next 20 minutes i will take your phones and ground you all in separate corners." susannah was pretty serious about tonight's book signing party.

laurel let off a small awkward smile, telling the kids with her eyes to run while they could.

she knew why susannah was doing this and looking at it, so did conrad.

"we could all hop in my jeep?" jeremiah looked over at charli and how comfortable she seemed to have gotten with conrad today compared to yesterday.

"yeah no. i want to be able to leave the second someone stops me from drinking. bye bye." conrad pulled on charli's arm and headed outside to his car. jeremiah and steven followed out and hopped into the jeep.

jere stool his head out the window before charli snd conrad got into his car. "charli you sure you wouldn't prefer to come with me and steven?" he almost pleaded. he was protective and he wouldn't get over the things conrad did and said to her last night.

"no it's ok. i'll stay with connie and make sure he gets home safely tonight after drinking as much as we all know he plans to." she smiled over at him and jeremiah scoffed quietly and slid back into the car, turning it on and watching as charli and conrad got into the other car.

"you're only staying with me to be the dd?" he huffed and crossed his arms, not starting the car until jeremiah pulled out.

"no dummy i just wanted to stay with you tonight and you are going to need a dd. jere really doesn't want you near me huh?" charli sighed as conrad backed out of the driveway.

"he's just being protective over you." he looked over at charli and paused what he was doing for a second, completely losing sight of the road as he just stared at her.

"road!" she grabbed onto the steering wheel and pulled it to get the car back into the right lane.

"jesus sorry." he scratched the back of his neck and kept his eyes on the road.

"we have all summer for you to stare at me connie." she laughed softly and turned her attention to the window he was now rolling down for her.

the sun set a few hours ago and the moon and stars took over.

"you look beautiful. i've already told you this but it's true." he back between her and the road before sliding his hand over onto her bare thigh.

a red blush filled her cheeks as she kept her attention out the window so he wouldn't see how much he had been affecting her.

conrad kept his hand on her thigh throughout the 10 minute drive and finally pulled it away to parallel park the car in front of the venue.

"it feels like this means more to your mom than it does to susannah? why has she been wanting to get so much done this summer? i get that you me and steven are off to college soon but come on this is our life, summers are never gonna leave that house."

conrad turned the car off and sat.

"it doesn't matter just do what she pleases." he looked over at her with a straight face. he wanted nothing more than to tell her. he was going through it all on his own and it hurt more than anything.

he knew it would hurt charli too but he would be able to cry to someone, tell someone absolutely everything to why he's changed so much since last summer.

he was just scared.

"is something wrong with her or something?" charli didn't sound disrespectful with what she said but conrad heard it as if she meant to be.