Jeremiah & Belly | It's Always Been You

Chapter One: Finally, Summer.

     It's that time of the year again, my favorite time. Summer. Summer in Cousins. Only this summer, I'm nervous. Excited, sure. But mostly nervous. I left things on such a bad note with Jeremiah last summer. What if he never wants to talk to me again? Really, thinking about him, makes me more mad than sad. He couldn't do the one simple thing I asked of him. Wow I'm already getting heated... Anyway, Taylor, Cam (my boyfriend), and I are upstairs in my room packing up my final belongings for the trip. "I thought we discussed this last year," Taylor starts. "No ugly mom bathing suits!". She takes my one peice all black suit away from me and replaces it with a pink bikini she bought for me last week. I sigh and roll my eyes as I stuff it in the suitcase. "Are you sure I can't come with?" Cam asks me and Taylor nods in agreement. I shake my head and laugh it off. "You guys are coming for my birthday and for the fourth." I try to compromise. They nod. "I just can't bare 2 months without you." Cam tells me. "Well you'll have to." I giggle as I kiss his nose. "Ugh get a room!" Taylor jokes. "This is my room!" I remind her.
• • •
     "Belly!" My mom shouts from downstairs. "Come on we have to leave. Now!". I roll my eyes. I throw my arms around Taylor and Cam. "I'm gonna miss you guys." I tell them. "We will see you in a few weeks Belly, okay?" Taylor insures me. I nod. Taylor sees herself out to give me and Cam a moment. "I'll miss you." He tells me. "But I know we can make this work, right?" I wipe tears from my eyes. "Yes of course." I agree. He nods and pulls me in for one more hug before grabbing my suitcase for me and walking it and me down the stairs and out to the car. I throw my suitcase on top of Steven's in the trunk. As I get in the passenger seat of my Mom's Sedan, Cam tells me he loves me and he will miss me. My heart almost stops. He loves me? He hasn't said that before. Do I love him? Are we there yet? I was there with Jere a lot sooner, but I don't know... "Bye Cam." I reply as I shut the door and Steven backs out. I wave once more to Cam before the driveway is out of my line of sight.

• • •
The car ride to Cousins is miserably long. I just wanna be at the beach, or in Susannah's arms, or eating a delicious home cooked meal made by Jere and Conrad. Although, Conrad is at college this Summer, so maybe he won't be cooking. Granted, the meals weren't that great, I could wait a little longer for those. But still! It feels like years I've been stuck in the sweaty car, and we're still not even almost there! Deep down I am dreading the inevitable arrival, though. Seeing him, after everything? What if a bunch of emotions come flooding back, or something? Honestly, I really like Cam, but do feelings like I had for Jeremiah just... go away? Ugh! Could we get here any slower! Me and my mom play a Travel-Sized version of "Scrabble" while we wait, and she pulls the word "soulmate". It really has me thinking. Are soulmates real? I don't think so. I mean, I believe in love, but I think there can be more than one person for someone. I don't think that I was created just to be with one person, you know? Well what do I know. I have only had 2 boyfriends and it's never lasted more than 9 months. I mean, honestly, I'm like the worst person to ask about love, ever!

• • •
Since last Summer, I've been talking to Susannah everyday on the phone. I mean, I used to every other year too, but this year especially. She's doing better. The trial seems to actually be helping her and she might even be in perfect health by the fourth.
But she also might not.
Like Susannah put out there at first, the trial is a slim to none chance. And while it's working, she tells me at any time it could fail and she would be sick again. I'm worried, but what's the point in hiding behind a cloud of worry if I can't do anything about it, right? I plan on making Susannah kale smoothies every morning this Summer, they're good for slowing cancer. And I'll always make sure she's warm. I'll also help out around the house. I figure Susannah could use all the help she can get, what with Conrad gone at college. I don't actually know where he is going. It's crazy, just a year ago I was obsessed with him, and now we've barely talked and he is off to college. Conrad Fisher, in college!

• • •
Finally, there it is. What I've been waiting for since the day I left. The Fisher's Beach house.