𝑻𝑯𝑰𝑺 𝑳𝑶𝑽𝑬 - 𝑪.𝑭

chapter three

and there he was, conrad fisher. 

with his stupid brown hair, and his familiar gaze. hazel felt sick in her stomach, twisted organs and aching heart strings. 

he stood there, with his arm folded over his chest and his eyes wandering around her room. she sat on the bed beside steven, anger and sadness piling through her blood. clearing the thoughts from her brain, she wipes the fallen tear from her eye. 

using her arms to balance herself, hazel pushes herself off the bed before charging at the fisher boy. nudging his shoulder with hers, she scowls into his eyes "go home conrad".

she runs down the stairs, heading towards her best friends laughter. jeremiah fisher was sat on the couch beside belly, talking and laughing with the moms. 

cracking his neck toward her, hazels eyes meet jeremiahs. a large grin beams itself across his face, widening from ear to ear jeremiah launches himself into the clarke girls arms. 

nuzzling their heads into one anothers necks, the two breathe in deep. a small sob exhales from hazel as she holds her best friend. "i missed you way too much" jere laughs before releasing the girl, a warm feeling of happiness comes over hazel once more. 

pausing his next sentence, jeremiah stares behind hazel. a figure coming into their presence, hazel turns around to meet conrad. he forces a smile, before moving around her and into the kitchen. 

"and where's my hug?" a small voice says from behind hazel.

look behind her, hazels body collides with susannahs. embracing the fisher mom into her arms, she watches as conrads eyes linger over to her. his icy blue eyes, seeping deep into her soul. she feels a soft smile, sneaking its way onto her face. smacking herself out of it, she pulls away from susannah. 

watching as susannah and the rest of the them crowd into the kitchen, giggles and laughter. feeling a soft nudge on her shoulder, hazel looks over to jeremiah. his arm snakes its way around her shoulder, whispering into her ear he says "come with me".

following the youngest fisher boy up the stairs, hazel finds herself in her room. jumping down on her bed, jere pats the empty spot beside him. "you know your idiot brother came into my room earlier" hazel snarks, rolling her eyes as she lays down on the bed. the brother laughs to himself, "your were the only thing my idiot brother was talking about the week before we came".

hazel raises her eyebrows, playing with the tips of her fingers. 

"he wants to talk to you ya know" jeremiah says once again. capturing her attention, hazel smirks at jeremiah "then you can tell him that i don't want to speak to him". 

"do you mind if i have a little sleep? i'm kind of tired" she asks, to which jeremiah nods. before making his way out the bedroom, jere leans down to her head. planting a small kiss on her forehead, he smiles "it'll work out. talk to him when you're ready" before exiting the room.

***

awakening herself in her room, the moonlight of cousins spreads itself along her room. glimmering over her pale curtains and daffodil sheets. opening her eyes, she listens to the laughter downstairs. 

she hadn't heard her mother laughs like that. not since her father went away to work a few months ago. perks of being an army brat. never knowing when you would see your parent again, or if. 

a small smile creeps itself on her face as she listens to her mother and friends. uncovering herself from the blankets, she slids on her favourite hoodie. coastal shack, written on the front. coastal shack was the business her mother owned, an outlet for surfers and teenagers. 

surfboards, strawberry scented wax and coffee. 

she marches down the stair case, the laughter increasing. she watches as they all sit at the table, the boys throwing food at each other as steven bullies belly for throwing a cat funeral.  

noticing hazel stood in the corner, conrad smiles watching as her gaze slithers around the room. the room silences as hazel catches bonnies eye "haze sweetheart come eat" she invites her daughter. 

the dining table stares as hazel sits beside belly and steven. across the table from hazel was sat conrad. who couldn't keep his eyes off the brunette in front of him. 

her golden brown hair, sat behind her ears. and her hazel eyes, following every movement in the room. he watches as her lips meet her cup, its lemonade. her favourite. she smiles every-time it runs through her veins. and she did. like every-other time.  

a loud cough softens conrads thoughts, and to which he finds jeremiah and steven staring at him. both furrowing there eyebrows. 

"so hazel how's college?" laurel asks the girl, the burning question hazel hated being asked. how's college?

"i uh actually pushed it back. to be here for mom and help the shack" hazel smiles into her cup, the refreshing taste of the lemonade on her tongue. "she's actually been helping kids learn surfing these past few months" bonnie says about her daughter, noting the uncomfortableness around the room. 

"oh really that's amazing hunny. good thing your doing" susannah smiles as she eats her plate of food. 

teaching people to surf  conrad thinks to himself teaching people to surf

two years ago

sitting on the edge of the dock, their feet in the water. conrad and hazel watch as the fourth of july fireworks erupt above them. bursts of pinks and purple invade the sky. 

"where do you see yourself in five years?" conrad asks, his gaze still stuck on the sky. the reflection of the explosions lingering over his pupils. his eyes were her favourite part of him. the way she could see right through them, no matter the time or the place. 

"what?" she asks, confusion running through her brain. he doesn't reply, instead he watches the sky. she smiles as she turns her attention to the fireworks again "in five years?" she asks herself and pauses. 

"i want to teach kids to surf. all kids, all ages. here in cousins" hazel pauses. "i want to have had one kid already, preferably a boy. cause i'm a big sucker for those protective older brother things" she laughs to herself. 

"i like that. a lot" conrad holds her hand, as they both enjoy one of there last days together for the summer.