Without You, Conrad ☀︎︎

Love Affair

I woke up to find Laurel at the house. She was in Belly's room. They were fighting. It was a bad fight, and she hit Belly. I knew things probably had to be rough between the two of them... but Laure has never hit anyone before. Well, besides maybe my dad.

Belly stormed out of her room with tears in her eyes. She stopped when she saw me, and then she looked back and saw Jere. Then she just ran out again... and Laurel called after her.

Steven and Conrad were downstairs when Laurel finally walked down after the fight. "Steven, what the hell?! Belly drunk-dials me, and I drive all night to find... this?! I'm just glad your mom isn't here to see what you guys did to her house." She told Conrad. "I want this place spotless and for every single thing of Susannah's to be put back exactly where it belongs. If even one thing is broken or missing, I swear to God!"

"Mom, we weren't the ones who moved her stuff," Steven said. "It was Aunt Julia. She's the one who emptied it, not us. To sell it," Conrad pitched in.

"But I thought Susannah talked to her lawyers. She told me she reached out to Julia right before things got bad," said Laurel. "Wait. Then why didn't you say anything?" Steven demanded. "Conrad had to find out from a 'for sale' sign in the front yard!"

"I just assumed they resolved it before Susannah... Connie, does your dad know?" Laurel asked. "Of course he know!" Conrad exclaimed. "And of course he's done nothing at all to help us!" 

"Yeah, that's why the guys and Belly cam here. They were trying to work something out with Aunt Julia themselves," Steven added. "And?" Laurel asked. "And we failed. Aunt Julia's already sold the house to another family. They finalized the deal yesterday. But like you said, at least my mom's not here to see it," Conrad replied.

Steven, Taylor, Jere, and I were cleaning up in the kitchen when Belly and Laure came back inside from talking things out. 

Laure cleared her throat and announced, "I owe you all an apology. You guys have been there for each other, and I haven't, and I'm deeply sorry for that." 

"We've all made mistakes, Mom," Belly said. "Well my biggest one is trusting that Beck and Julia had come to an agreement about the beach house before she passed. It's probably too late to change things, but I'd like to try. I'll talk to Julia, see if I can't change her mind," said Laure.

"Thank you, Mom," said Steven. "Thank you, Laurel," Jere said as he went in for a hug. 

"Before my mom gets here, though, we should probably try and make this place less shitty," said Skye. We all agreed and started cleaning up the house. Steven and Belly saw Taylor off, and then Aunt Julia came back.

"We have a visitor," Belly said. "Hi, Aunt Julia, thanks for coming," Laure said when she saw her. 

"Uh, Skye didn't give me much of a choice, so..." Aunt Julia said. "Can we have a chat while the kids clean up?" Laurel asked. We all watched them talk outside, and for a little while it looked pretty heated. I wasn't sure if we were going to get the house back at all.

When they came back inside, Julia announced, "I've... decided to pull out of the sale." Conrad smiled and looked over at Belly. 

"Let's not celebrate yet. We still need to convince your dad to buy the house from Julia," said Laurel. 

After Aunt Julia's announcement, Belly and I went outside to throw trash away. "After you," I said, watching her before I threw mine away. "You know, I'm almost afraid to say it out loud, but... I'm feeling hopeful. I mean, my mom's always been pretty good at schooling your dad."