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CRUEL SUMMER zero — ghosts from the past ꒰ 🥥 ꒱ؘ ࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ
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Not a day went by that Marci didn't miss her dad. He had been her number one fan and her biggest supporter. He knew how to make her laugh in a way no one else could, and he was the only one who could coax a laugh out of her whenever her anxiety got the best of her. His absence had left a void in her life and a giant, gaping hole in her heart.
She searched for him in every sunset, and while it brought her temporary comfort, it never lasted very long. Marci missed her dad terribly and nothing she did could lessen the pain.
She missed his smile, his infectious laugh, and even his horrible dad jokes. What she wouldn't give to wake up and smell his infamous muffins baking downstairs, or hear him belting out the lyrics of one of his favorite songs. She longed to hear him tell her how proud he was of her. She had taken it for granted, right up until the last time.
"Hey, it's me. Your dear old dad. Your old man. Your pops. I just wanted to wish you good luck at your game tonight, I know you'll knock their socks off. I hope you know how proud I am of you, mija. My precious, perfect, little girl. Have a great day, Mari!"
That was the last voicemail she'd ever get from her dad. Two hours later, her mom would get the fateful call that would cause their lives to do a total 180.
ﾟ𐦍༘⋆
Marci stood in her driveway, trying and failing to shove the back of her Fiat shut. She wore an old University of Michigan sweater that had once belonged to her dad, and a pair of ripped cutoffs she'd had since freshman year. This was one of her favorite outfits for around the house, but she wasn't sure it would fly in Cousins.
She had finished packing, so she figured she might as well put her stuff in the car, that way she would be ready to leave bright and early the next day.
This year would be a much different trip than what she was used to, but she wondered if it wasn't better this way. She imagined it would be less painful this way, the sooner she got there and back, the better. This was merely a trip to tie up loose ends.
Valentina Hart planned to put the beach house on the market in the fall, and Marci was going to meet with the realtor, before getting a start on cleaning out the house. Her mom would go and finish the cleaning after dropping Marci off at college later that summer, and by this time next year, they hoped the house would belong to another family.
Marci hadn't seen the Fishers or the Conklins in years, and despite this, she hoped any interactions they might share would be brief. Aside from Jere, she hadn't kept in touch with any of her old playmates. For her, reflecting too much on the past often did more harm for her than it did good.
Her phone vibrated in her back pocket, and she shook her head, ignoring it. She gave one more big shove and was rewarded with the satisfying click shut from the back of her Fiat.
As she made her way back inside the house, she reluctantly fished her phone out of her pocket. There were several unread texts messages for her to comb through later, but her eyes settled on the most recent one from Jeremiah.
Long time, no see. Any chance your fam will be in Cousins this summer?
Marci forced out a laugh. After all, she knew the question was bound to arise. This was Jere and he was an ever hopeful kind of person. He had never given up hope that one day the Harts would return to Cousins.
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, as she tried to figure out how to explain her plans for the summer. Yes, she was planning on going to Cousins, but not for the reasons he hoped she was. This was strictly a business trip.
I'll be in town briefly. More details later. See you soon!
With that, Marci shoved her phone back in her pocket and went off in search of her puppy's leash. Not only did she have to walk Bear, she still had countless other things to check off her to do list before leaving for the summer house the next day.
Unbeknownst to Marci, Jeremiah was hurrying to inform his mom of the Harts long awaited return to Cousins. And so, Susannah and Jere began counting down the hours until Marci stepped foot in Cousins. (And most shockingly of all, the eldest Fisher brother began looking forward to her arrival, too).
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.𖥔 ݁ ˖ *ੈ♡⸝⸝🪐༘⋆ ━ NOTE !
one year later and i'm finally getting around to publishing the prologue for this book....
with season 2 now out, and a few more episodes on the way, i will be doing my best to get season one's chapters out, so i write for season 2 eventually!
thank you to everyone who has taken a chance on this book 🫶
